The Land of Revi — OOC

[ratwizard]

Welcome to the Land of Revi



Tucked deep into a dark, dusty shelf in the back of the library, you stumble upon a dusty old tome that seems to have not been disturbed in ages. Cobwebs cover most of the shelf, which you wipe away as you pull it from its now-pristine slot. Turning it over in your hands, you read the title, “The Land of Revi,” and open to the inside cover. It creaks and feels as if it might break if moved too much or too quickly, but you manage to open to the first page and find the following message:

“This is a true history of the once-flourishing land of Revi, as recorded by Pentius of Cydonia.”

You’ve seen this name several times, and the man seems to have been a prolific author in times long past. While you know not of any land by the name of Cydonia, and you have yet to read a tale of his detailing anything resembling a history of real events, you know his stories to be as colorful and entertaining as even the best modern tales of daring and adventure. You turn the page and continue to read...

Hook

It has been a multi-day journey since you and the rest of the Cohort have had a job, and coin is beginning to run low. You arrived last night in the small town of Vesarne, tired, hungry, and in desperate need for work. The captain awoke first, so you noticed, as he was already gone from the inn when you shuffled out to meet the day. Imhe left shortly after, intent on finding a new task and more coin.

At around noon, the two of them both return, excited about a new lead. The group of you are hastily gathered together and told to follow to the nearby estate, owned by the local Jenore’s family. You are told that your new job will be to escort his family all the way to the city of Anfeli for the upcoming Calling of the Heir, and the pay promises to be quite substantial for such an otherwise straightforward escort job. Hope shines across the faces of your companions as you head towards the manor house to meet your new wards.

Setting and Lore

Long ago, in a land far away, there was a kingdom of devout and spiritual devotees of a great and loving god, Ervemnon. They began as scattered tribes of differing beliefs and cultures, but they all found unity under the watchful, guiding eye of a charismatic leader of men. He guided them to safety from persecution, and from the horrors of their war torn homeland. They crossed a great sea and eventually found a home in a land they called Revi.

Their leader — their prophet — ruled over them as a friend rather than as a king, and guided the nourishment of their new land and new culture. As he grew old, and eventually died, Ervemnon ascended to the heavens to continue guiding his people as their immortal god. His eldest son was chosen to lead their people as Jenorim (or king) on earth as his father did from the heavens, and so began a long line of royalty. Legend says that should this family — the Ervemnos family — ever die out, so too shall the land of Revi and its inhabitants.

It has now been seven years since Aggio III, the last Jenorim, was deposed by the Jenore and cast out of Revi, fleeing to some unknown land for his numerous crimes. You do not know all of what he was accused of, but rumors abound; fratricide, mass murder, and forbidden magic are the most common that you’ve heard, but you’ve also heard others say that it was as mundane as simple greed or fraud. Whatever the case, the kingdom still remains without their ruler, and the Jenore have done their best to manage the realm in the meantime.

For the past few years, there has been a sacred rite performed across Revi called the Calling of the Heir, or simply the Calling, to try to find among the populace a worthy descendent of Ervemnon to ascend the throne and restore the Ervemnos dynasty, so that the people can feel safe knowing their future is once more securely guided by their god and his descendants. In the coming weeks, this ritual is set to be performed again, for the first time in over half a year, in the city of Anfeli. Families from all over the region are gathering in hopes that they might bear among them the next heir to the throne.

Character Creation Information

You are a member of the Orliuci Cohort, a band of mercenaries that have been gaining traction under the natural-borne leadership of Captain Harakim ‘Hara’ Orliuci. You might be a skilled laborer honing a craft, a trained warrior, an arcane initiate — or something in between. Hara personally scouts and recruits every member based on their aptitude and strength of character, and your case was no different. Regardless of whether you have been with the Cohort for one day or one year, you stand among fellow men and women seeking fortune, fame, and the betterment of Revi.

While you may come from any walk of life, it is good to keep in mind that, at its inception, and up until now, this Cohort is relatively small and insignificant. There are many Cohorts like yours in Revi, and some are quite large and influential. Most who seek to join this one, or who are successfully scouted, are going to come from a lower class than Harakim: commoners, merchants, artisans, or children of such individuals. That said, if you want to come from a higher rung of society you are not barred from doing so, but it would be important to think of a reason why your character would be serving under someone of lesser birth and rank than you, rather than joining a more impressive Cohort, or seeking a higher position in society than that of a soldier for hire.

Character Creation Rules

System: Worlds Without Number (WWN)
Level 1
Stats: Standard per system (if rolling, link rolls)
Race: Human
Class: Any published
Language: In this game there will only be the single language spoken by the people of Revi, so you can safely ignore anything offering additional languages or language comprehension

Character submission deadline is Saturday, February 25th. We will aim to begin the IC thread that weekend.
 

[Fialova]

Ervemnon and Worship

The people of Revi are monotheistic, following the guidance of Ervemnon — once a mortal prophet who ascended to divinity after his visions helped lead his people to this land. In modern Revi, the religious infrastructure consists of an expansive network of temples across the land. Major cities contain grand temples capable of hosting hundreds, but even some of the smallest of villages would have at least a simple building for congregation and worship.

Monthly donations to temples are expected by all citizens, but not required. Donation amounts are generally judged by all in your social circle, encouraging people to donate as much as they can afford. Those who don’t are looked down upon.

Once a week, on a day of rest, adults gather at the temple to meet up, converse, drink wine and feast, and end their week on a high note. Active worship is encouraged but not required. Prayer is performed primarily at home with family in the evenings. Those with free time are encouraged to pray at temples when they can instead of at home.

Orphans are taken care of by the temple and made to work as custodians, gardeners, or other staff until they reach age of maturity. The elderly who have passed their prime but are still capable are encouraged to join a temple as stewards, teachers, and priests. Elders who are no longer capable of working and have no families to provide for them are likewise taken care of by the temple’s custodians until they pass away. 

Many temples double as schools for those seeking to learn arithmetic, medicine, or scribing. Many priests offer private lessons to wealthy families in exchange for continued financial support of the temple.

Temples in smaller settlements also host communal bath houses, which are otherwise more common in larger settlements.

The People of Revi

Jenorim
The Jenorim is the ultimate authority of Revi, a ruler by divine right. As direct descendants of Ervemnon, they are viewed by many commoners to be inhumanly wise and powerful, though the Jenore who have met the ruling family know them to have as much variety as any other human. Traditionally, the oldest male child of the previous Jenorim is to inherit the title, though if no male children are born, the oldest female child can inherit instead.

Jenoirm have varied in ruling styles over the centuries, with some much more present among the commoners, seeing all as equals, and others much more reserved and content to only interact with those of high society. As such, opinions of the position tend to vary greatly as well, though more in regards to the individual holding the title, and not the title itself. All recognize that the Jenorim is a necessary conduit of the people to their god, and that should the seat be vacated, it is imperative to fill it as soon as possible.

Jenore
Jenore, historically, was the title given to the leaders of the individual tribes that eventually would come to call the land of Revi their home. Over time, the title has been passed down by such leaders through their family, creating an upper class of Jenore and their families, in contrast to the commoners of all walks below them. These families enjoy greater prestige and influence among the kingdom, and typically preside over regions of various size, often containing several municipalities within.

Apart from leading their territories as regional governors, the Jenore's other main function is to serve as a council to the Jenorim, offering advice, guidance, and knowledge. While the Jenorim might hold authority, the Jenore is still highly influential. As a result, it is, in many cases, the democratic decisions of the Jenore that affect change in policy in Revi, as a large enough majority could pose enough of a problem to the sovereign that they cannot simply ignore it.

While all Jenore are technically equal when in session with the Jenorim in the capital, the few who preside over the large regional capital cities - the thirteen named locations on the map, other than Revi itself - are known to have more overall influence in the running of the kingdom, by way of the economic impact of the cities they control. As such, over time it has become customary to refer to these Jenore as Jenore Privo, referencing their elevated status.

Priest
The priesthood of Evermnon are highly respected among the citizenry, and guide the locals spiritually and educationally as much as the mayors do financially and administratively. Many priests are simply elders of society who, in their old age, have decided to offer their guidance and wisdom to others. Some, however, enter the temples at a young age, set on becoming a priest from childhood. Regardless of their origins, priests are seen as guides to the people, and well respected by all.

Mayor
Every municipality is led by a Mayor, elected from among the upper echelons of the local citizenry to represent them in discussions with the ruling Jenore, as well as to run the day-to-day of the municipality in question. In smaller settlements, the elected mayor may be the head of a farming family, or another local commoner. Larger settlements, however, tend to see mayors coming from the artisans, merchants, or, more rarely, cohort captain class.

Captain
Leading a cohort is the highest secular, non-government status that one can achieve. Many cohort captains come from wealth, either artisans, or family of Jenore. The influence a captain has can vary greatly depending on the size and fame of their cohort, with many smaller cohorts barely more influential than a humble merchant, while some of the most prestigious cohorts rival the influence of some lesser Jenore.

Artisan
Revian society holds a deep respect for artisans, whether smiths, weavers, potters, among other crafts. Those seen at the top of their industry are often afforded grants by wealthy patrons such as Jenore, who consider investing in an artisan a sound investment both financially and culturally. Other artisans are given a permanent position among the largest of Cohorts. Even fledgeling artisans are afforded a modicum of privilege and status.

Merchant
Tradesfolk hold moderate status in Revi due to their wealth and local knowledge. Most news arrives by traveling merchants, and they are both respected and relied upon.

Client
Generally speaking, a client is somebody elevated above typical commoners by way of service to a high-standing member of Revian society. In most cases, clients are the servants of Jenore, granting them pay and status that would be otherwise unachievable.

Commoner
The plurality of folk in Revi are commoners, whether farmers, fisherfolk, or other laborers.

Outcast
The lowest caste one can be in Revian society. Depending on their particular case, outcasts may be treated with disdain or derision, or simply ignored outright. Most outcasts are heretics, criminals, or those who are disabled due to disease or deformation.

Major Settlements

Akraste
Small port town, renowned for its source of high-quality clay. Akraste clay is sought after by the best potters in Revi.

Alasiere
Famed for its fishing culture due to unique species available only within the bay, as well as brilliant coral reefs.

Anfeli
An agricultural hub, renowned for its numerous fields and fertility. Some say Anfeli feeds a quarter of the island.

Bragoci
Modest seaport, famed instead for its military academy and training grounds for would-be Cohort leaders.

Calavuna
Largest trade hub outside of Revi. Often the first source of news and trade from other islands.

Camavio
Renowned for its fur and hide exports, and its generational quarrels with Lomirri over hunting rights and territory.

Efeore
A resort town, accessible almost exclusively to those who can afford it. Many Jenore (especially those among Revi) maintain private estates along the lakefront.

Emolowe
Unglamorous steppe, renowned for the horses bred and trained there. Emolowe horses fetch top coin throughout the land.

Fies Falzo
Renowned for its mineral wealth of iron and tin, as well as its insular ways.

Lomirri
Known for its vast lumber exports, and its generational quarrels with Camavio over logging rights and territory.

Orto Irve
A cozy town teeming in bardic culture. Seen as the best place for any minstrel to begin their career.

Revi
The kingdom’s capital. The center of commerce and a beacon of worship.

Rigervo
Founded for its hot springs, unique to this region. Said to be anointed by Ervemnon and has become a minor pilgrimage destination over time.

Sogonn Kerest
Renowned for its expansive prison, where industry and commerce have grown around it to support the facilities.

[Fialova]

The Orliuci Cohort

The Captain

Harakim 'Hara' Orliuci

Appearance

Harakim, or Hara as known to friends and members of the cohort, is the honorable leader of the Orliuci Cohort. Raised in the southern region of Calavuna, Hara comes from a line of famed artisans rooted in Revi’s textile industry. After his sights grew larger than managing his family’s flax farms, he relocated to Bragoci for two years alongside Imhe to study history and cohort leadership. Now in his late twenties, he has formed his own cohort with financial assistance from his father and aunt, growing from a handful to almost two dozen in a matter of years.

Hara is a gentle leader, but unyielding in his moral direction. He is seen as quite personable, eager to learn about the people he leads and listen to their expertise where appropriate. Some detractors claim he is a people-pleaser, his friendliness only a ploy to his ambitions for Jenorehood, while those close to him have seen the genuine nature of his personality.

The Vice-Captain

Imhe Gannis

Appearance

Imhe is Hara’s second-in-command, and a longtime childhood friend. Her family work the flax fields for the Orliuci family in southern Calavuna, where the two grew up together. Even as children, Imhe felt protective over the smaller boy, always around should trouble arise. Having proved her martial prowess when she defended Hara from a pack of bandits looking to kidnap him, Imhe was ecstatic when he convinced his family to pay for the two of them to train at the academies in Bragoci. It was there that they concocted the ambition of leading a Cohort, which became a reality once they returned upon completion of their studies.

Now in her late-twenties and a fearsome spearfighter, Imhe is known among the Cohort as the premier martial expert. She spends most of her days teaching and drilling with the members when she isn’t dispatched on a mission herself. Confident, lively, and witty, Imhe is well-liked by the rest of the Cohort, even despite her common origins.

Other Members

Polinos

Appearance

Polinos is the newest recruit of the Orliuci Cohort, having been hired by Hara just north of Vesarne in the small farming village of Ikoge. A peasant and farmer, he demonstrated his courage when he helped bring to order a violent familial dispute that was erupting as you passed through. His skill in mediation and calmness in the face of chaos impressed both Hara and Imhe, and they hired him on the spot.

Polinos is easygoing and humble, but feels clearly out of his element among the Cohort. Afraid of failure, he is stiff and sometimes awkward, though incredibly dutiful. He has brought along with him a shepherd’s crook and a threshing flail.

Active Player Characters

Lyseros, the Debaucherous Divinity — Expert|Mage (Healer) Courtesan
Stolos of Bragoci, the Mighty Musical Mercenary — Expert Performer
Dravos Eastwood — Warrior|Expert Soldier
Atropos, the Sorcerous Scribe — Mage (Necromancer) Scholar

2.0 Experts
0.5 Warriors
1.5 Mages
4.0 PCs

Inactive Player Characters

Deimos Alexander, Fated Warrior — Warrior Wanderer

Important Figures

Jenorim

Aggio III (deposed)

Appearance

Aggio III assumed the title of Jenorim in his late teens, after his father - Kemal IV - passed away under suspicious circumstances. From his early years as ruler, all the way up to when he was deposed, he was known as a bit of an eccentric. He often eschewed his duties at court, instead choosing to wander around the capital to socialize with the common folk, often showing off his wealth and attire, or dancing in the street for entertainment. Sometimes he would be gone from his palace for days, with no one knowing his whereabouts, only to return disheveled and often absent some of his belongings.

As he grew older, his eccentricities became more and more the subject of the Jenore's ire. While it was annoying when he was young, the fact he never grew out of his bad habits with age made him extremely unpopular with many of the people who were left to pick up the slack in his absence. When it came to light that he had committed several crimes, of which rumors abound, he was deposed and his whereabouts are currently unknown.

Jenore

Jenore Bambros

Appearance

Jenore Bambros is a stern lifetime soldier, and one of the six Jenore tasked with presiding over affairs of state in this period without a Jenorim. He leads the most prestigious cohort in the land - Aes Vexillum - which is tasked with protecting the Ervemnos family and the Jenore in the capital.

Until Aggio III was ousted as Jenorim, Bambros served as vice-captain of the cohort, and only took command after the previous captain was banished alongside the ex-ruler. Since taking over, Bambros has run a very tight ship with the the Aes Vexillum, making a concerted effort to ensure the loyalty and devotion of all of its members. Any who stray from his strict guidelines is stripped of their rank and black-listed from entering the city of Revi again.

Jenore Feneve

Appearance

Jenore Feneve is a devout yet ambitious architect, and another of the six Jenore tasked with keeping Revi running until a new Jenorim is crowned. He owns and leads the Feneve Stonemasons, an influential masonry guild which currently holds the prestigious position of dedicated masons of Ervemnon, ensuring the stability and maintenance of temples all throughout the land, including the greatest of them all in the capital. It is a status that Feneve has worked towards his entire life, and he is known to be quite proud, and thankful towards Ervemnon, that is able to serve his nation and his god in such a profound way.

Jenore Iztrun

Appearance

Jenore Iztrun is a highly pious priestess, and another of the six Jenore tasked with ensuring smooth operation of the kingdom until a new Jenorim is divined. In addition to her duties to the kingdom as a whole, she has spent over a decade presiding over the largest temple to Ervemnon, located in the capital city of Revi, and is known to do so with kindness, compassion, yet a rigid intolerance towards heretics.

More so than most, Jenore Iztrun is a highly spiritual woman, and wise in the way of the ancient rites and traditions of Ervemnon worship. She has, for the past few years since Aggio was deposed, worked closely alongside her companion, Jenore Sirheo, to prepare and perform the Calling of the Heir throughout the land. Both hoped that this sacred ritual would produce immediate results, but now, after multiple years and more attempts, the two have grown less confident.

Jenore Litonne

Appearance

Jenore Litonne is the mayor of the city of Revi, and one of the six Jenore who have been tasked with ensuring the kingdom's stability during the search for a suitable Ervemnos heir as Jenorim. A famed administrator, Jenore Litonne has stepped in to manage the kingdom-wide administration that would otherwise be the responsibility of the active Jenorim. In his stead, his daughter and apprentice runs the city under his careful guidance.

Calm and personable, Jenore Litonne is known to be a wise and effective governor. He has settled into his upsized role after years without relief, a duty that has impressed many among the Jenore.

Jenore Revasi-Pepenilio

Appearance

Jenore Revasi-Pepenilio is a ludicrously wealthy businessman, and one of the six Jenore tasked with leading Revi during the search for a suitable Jenorim. As a leader of a merchant company that trades primarily in textiles and lumber, Jenore Revasi-Pepenilio has made his vast fortune due to his skill as a savvy investor. His auspicious origins are the result of the merging of two previously wealthy families, the Revasi and the Pepenilios.

As a master of coin, Jenore Revasi-Pepenilio is currently assisting in managing the kingdom’s finances, something he has done since even before Aggio III was deposed. He has grown a reputation as an eccentric, posh, and gregarious man.

Jenore Sirheo

Appearance

Jenore Sirheo is a renowned scholar of both the magical and non-magical, and the last of the six Jenore elected to keep the kingdom running in the absence of its Jenorim. His primary task in the capital is to maintain the Jenore’s archives, which includes vast amounts of knowledge on all subject matter.

Sirheo is known to be a calm and contemplative man, who often can be found lost in thought while studying an old tome, or highly focused on the restoration or replication of books that are falling apart from age. Though generally one of the more reserved Jenore of the council, he has been traveling the countryside with Jenore Iztrun over the last few years, assisting in the performance of the Calling of the Heir.

Jenore Bel i'Fekh

You know little of Jenore Bel i'Fekh so far, except that they are Jenore Privo of Anfeli and its surrounding towns and cities.

[Scratcherclaw]

Lyseros, the Debaucherous Divinity

Ten-Minute Background

Background and Concept Elements

Appearance: Lyseros is a fairly handsome young man, around his mid-twenties in age. His skin is well-sunkissed, a beautiful bronze tone that contrasts his brilliant blue eyes. Adorning his shoulder, he has glitteringly-white tattoos of intricate patterns, almost glowing ethereally against his skin. His wavy, sandy blonde hair is long, though he ties it up in a loose bun before going about his day. Most often, he wears his temple garbs, altered to his specific tastes with more ornamentation. Wanting to look dignified, he often wears golden accessories. 

Personality: Despite his ranking in Revi society, Lyseros carries himself in a fairly relaxed and almost carefree way. He focuses himself more on indulging in the little things, the simpler pleasures that make him happy. He carries an air of confidence around him, though in more of a comforting way than any level of arrogance. Plainly, many find comfort in his sureness. He prides himself in being friendly and approachable, but not in a superficial way. He often cares deeply for those around him. With some, especially clients, he's also quite flirting, enjoying teasing all too much. Despite his calm demeanor, he takes his work very seriously, particularly when it comes to healing. He has little patience for foolishness if he needs to focus. Yet, he still finds it in his heart to forgive those who do. Few are able to fully incur his wrath.

Early Life: Lyseros was born in the resort city of Efeore, the only child to an impoverished prostitute named Lysandra and the bastard son of a still-unknown Jenore. Despite being her only child, he was not doted upon and loved as most children, his mother instead begrudgingly working in excess to support the both of them, and yet growing more jaded and bitter with time.

For much of his formative years, he was left to his own devices and raised by many of the local women in the city. This allowed him some semblance of a normal childhood, despite a neglectful mother and only enough coin to afford meager scraps to get by on. During his early teen years, however, his mother was found dead in what was ruled as an accident. This, however, almost made it easier on him, less burdened by his mother's dissatisfied weight upon his shoulders.

Consorts & Consortiums: In time, Lyseros grew to an age where he could no longer rely on the generosity of those that raised him, and a desire to give back steadily grew within him. Seeing so many suffer, he began dreaming of being a healer, though his aspirations quickly fell in the face of reality. With no means to afford entry to an academy, let alone travel from the city, he turned to his only option. With little skills beyond his body and determined spirit, he turned to the visiting Jenore, finding employment with the Vouvali family. In exchange for his service, they would pay his way to school.

Eager to prove himself, Lyseros solely dedicated himself to fulfilling the family's every request, particularly their son Dion's. Such requests soon turned intimate, though, with the man acting more as a courtesan to the young heir. Yet he found enjoyment in this, in giving comfort and pleasure to a soul in need, and in partaking in the same. And in getting to know Dion and see him grow, he came to realizing this too was a form of healing, yet it served more to heal a broken spirit than a wound. For a time, he deliberated, considering a change in careers. But ultimately, he yearned to see more of the world and settled on his set path.

An Academic Approach: In time, Lyseros fulfilled his contract with the Vouvali family, and he departed from Efeore for the first time in this life. With only a few bags and some bittersweet memories, he made for Revi, the capital, to fulfill his dreams. And soon, he found himself at the gates of the Sanati Academy for Restorative Arts, a premier school in the capital with a hefty tuition fee that his patron had graciously covered. The city and the academy had him in awe, having never seen a city of such magnitude, and with so many people coming and going. Yet he would experience little of it, as he came with a purpose.

For the next several years, Lyseros neglected much else beyond studying and perfecting the healing arts. Immense pressure weighed upon him, both from expectations on himself to do better than his mother, and to not disappoint that family that had generously afforded him such an opportunity. And so, for the years of his study, his only friends were his tomes, his spells, and a kind woman who ran a bakery nearby the academy. Though he never learned her name, her sympathy and baked goods kept him sane enough to graduate.

A Divine Calling: Upon graduation, Lyseros found himself lost in the world, having dedicated years to studying his arts. But now, he knew such skills but not how to apply them. For a time, he wandered around the city with a sense of absentminded wanderlust, healing small scrapes and bruises from children playing too rough, or reckless adults doing much of the same after overindulging. One day, a young priest caught wind of Lyseros and offered him a place among the holiest of servants. Despite not being much more devout than the average man, he remembered his younger self's desire to serve for the wellness of others. And so he accepted.

In the early days, his service to the temple was akin to what he had been doing prior: tending to minor injuries and offering simple smiles of reassurance. He soon, though, met a young priestess named Selena, sharing a mutual curiosity with one another. Growing dull with the simple healing, he asked her of her roles in the temple, and she explained that she was a Divine Consort, one dedicated in offering more carnal comforts to those in need, in exchange for a tithe. Lyseros' eyes lit up, fond memories of his time with Dion rushing back. After much begging, Selena agreed to train the man in her ways as well. He remained at the temple for another year, giving comforts of nearly every kind to the city's denizens, before his eyes looked abroad once more.

Abed and Abroad: One summer's day, Lyseros caught wind that a traveling mercenary group had arrived in the city for a time, one renowned with tales of glory and fame as they explored the greater realm and made it better with every need. With this, Lyseros saw a chance at all of his dreams coming true at once. Serving the whole realm, exploring it, meeting its people, and finding new pleasures to be had. He knew he had to join it, and so he asked around. Soon, he was led to the Orliuci Cohort and eagerly expressed his desire to join. Noting his skills both as a healer and a chaplain of sorts, Hara allowed the man to join.

It was not until they departed Revi that Lyseros realized this was not the same mercenary band as the tales suggested, and that it was much smaller with significantly less renown. Nevertheless, he stuck with his chosen path, still seeing it as a means to achieve his greater goals. Since then, he had been a member of the Cohort for nearing six months while continuing to learn, serve, and prove himself.

Goals

1) Lyseros hopes to continue traveling and honing his crafts and arts of healing, and ultimately establish a temple-sponsored comfort house in Revi to teach his unique skillset.

2) I'd like to see Lyseros' faith tested, in either direction. Whether it makes him more devout or more cynical, anything that may challenge how he perceives things.

Secrets

1) Despite his position as part of the clergy, Lyseros has never felt particularly devout. He simply puts on a show that he believes the others need to see. He simply believes as much as the everyday person, as opposed to the zealotry of some.

2) Lyseros' mother was blackmailing his Jenore father into supporting her monetarily. Rather than agree, the Jenore had her silenced.

People Tied to Lyseros

1) Selena is a priestess that Lyseros first met when he was invited to the temple in Revi. About forty in age, she took the young man under her wing as he was first learning his bearings with temple life. It was her that first taught him about Divine Consorts, leading him down the path he's currently on. He often sought her advice and still writes to her while on the road with the Cohort. She is kind and caring, yet quite blunt when she feels it's necessary.

2) Dion Vouvali is the son of his former patron, Reshef, and a close companion of the man. Despite being the client of his father, Lyseros often acted as more of a companion and servant to Dion, given their closeness in age. Dion took a liking to the man, however, and quickly began making more intimate requests. Lyseros happily obliged, though, finding his employer's son to be very attractive. This was ultimately his first dip into courtesanship, and he quickly grew to like it. Though difficult, they've attempted to remain in contact, sending quite graphic letters and sketches to one another. He's confident and dashing, but meek when it comes to his parents and inheritance. 

3) Reshef Vouvali is the former patron and benefactor of Lyseros, a wealthy Jenore who often vacations with his family in Efeore. They first met amidst an annual festival in the city, where Lyseros was futilely trying to sell trinkets and baubles for meager coin, hoping to afford entry to an academy. Sympathizing with the young man, Reshef offered to sponsor him, paying his eventual tuition fees in exchange for services to the Vouvali family. He was firm, yet caring towards Lyseros, almost filling the role of a father figure that he sorely lacked. The two are still on good terms.

4) Danae Vouvali is the wife of Reshef, and a thorn in Lyseros' side. Originally, she opposed his hiring, seeing him as a worthless street urchin without any potential. Her dislike grew further as Lyseros grew close with her only son. She lamented that it would make her son soft, spending time with such a man. She often gave him near-impossible tasks to encourage him to fail and was needlessly demanding. After he left for the academy, she attempted to cut him off from their family, yet Dion and Lyseros still manage.

Memories, Mannerisms, and Quirks

1) Lyseros is very meticulous and thorough when it comes to his hygiene and appearance. In his mind, his body acts as a temple, and he needs to treat it as such.

2) He often thinks back to his time growing up in Efeore, the sights and sounds of the resort town always having lifted his spirits despite his troubled upbringing. He tries to take an annual trip back home for certain local festivities.

3) Lyseros has a great interest in colognes and perfumes, amassing a reasonable collection to improve his own desirability with clients, or offer a familiar comfort.

Background - Family/Class/Profession/Institutions

Family: Lyseros was born as a bastard child to a woman named Lysandra, an impoverished sex worker in Efeore, and an unknown Jenore father. His mother died during his adolescence, however. In some capacity, the Vouvali family became his own, yet Danae would insist otherwise.

Class: Lyseros is a member of the priesthood, having committed himself to the faith of the land. Though he doesn't often realize it, it affords him great respect.

Profession: Lyseros works as somewhat of a chaplain for the Cohort, a man of faith for the others to turn to. Additionally, he employs skills of healing, both spiritual and physical, to comfort those who need it.

Institutions: Beyond the Orliuci Cohort, Lyseros is connected with the temples dedicated to Ervemnon.

Drives - Primary/Secondary/Tertiary

Primary: Service: Above all, Lyseros is a giving soul and is all too eager to donate his time, or more, in order to bring comfort or happiness to someone in need.

Secondary: Pleasure: Life is much to short to live in suffering if he can help it, so Lyseros eagerly seeks out new pleasures, particularly of the carnal sort.

Tertiary: Experiences: Lyseros wants to see more of the world and learn more from it and its people. He believes they're the realm's greatest treasure.

Goals - Short-Term/Medium-Term/Long-Term

Short-Term: Aid the Cohort in the aforementioned escort contract

Medium-Term: Continue traveling through and exploring Revi while meeting new people and learning from their experiences

Long-Term: Return to the capital and establish a comfort house for Divine Consorts to more easily offer their services

Crew Relations

Hara: Lyseros has a great respect for Hara, finding him to be both likeable and a highly effective leader. He appreciates the man's desire to listen to others, having always felt it to be true wisdom to know one's limitations. He is proud to be a member of Hara's band.

Imhe: Lyseros find Imhe's presence to be a breath of fresh air, especially compared to many of the stuffy individuals he'd previously interacted with at the temple. He finds faith in her confidence and appreciates her ability to cut through a dry moment with her signature wit.

Polinos: Lyseros sympathizes with Polinos to some degree, understanding the man's stiffness and awkward nature, as he himself felt similarly when first joining the temple. He's always happy to offer Polinos an ear and a guiding hand in finding his place within the Cohort.

Stolos: Lyseros tolerates Stolos, but finds his arrogance and bravado to be more than a little grating. He's seen many young Jenore in Efeore who behave similarly to the bard. He doesn't doubt the man has a way with words, but also finds them to be riddled with too much familiar deceit.

Deimos: At first, Lyseros had a fair bit of respect for Deimos, finding them to be somewhat similar in their desire to serve others, albeit in quite different capacities. Such respect diminished slightly upon realizing the man acts only if there is a beneficial exchange to be had. Still, he can't doubt the man's impressive strength and bulging biceps.

Gertrude: Lyseros enjoys Gertrude's company well enough, finding her experience and almost-motherly demeanor a welcome addition to the ground.

Dravos: Lyseros finds some kinship in the relaxed nature of Dravos, appreciating another soul who doesn't take themselves, or much at all, too seriously. He also appreciates the man's commitment to the Cohort, never questioning his loyalty.

Atropos: Lyseros finds Atropos to be pleasant enough, if not a bit dead in appearance. When he first met Atropos, he nearly readied the embalming equipment. Nonetheless, he admires the man's kindness and eagerness to help, and finds some interest in his arts of the dead compared to the arts of life.

Character Sheet

Name: Lyseros
Race: Human
Languages: Revi
Background: Courtesan
Class: Adventurer (Partial Expert/Partial Healer)

STR: 9 (+0)
DEX: 10 (+0)
CON: 15 (+1)
INT: 6 (-1)
WIS: 15 (+1)
CHA: 14 (+1)

HP: 3

AC: 12

Physical: 14
Evasion: 15
Mental: 14
Luck: 15

Base Attack Bonus: +0

Skills:
Perform-1
Heal-1
Punch-0
Exert-0
Pray-0

Foci: 
Gifted Chirurgeon-1
Unique Gift (Divine Intervention)


Readied (0/4)
Backpack (Worn) | Enc. 0
Boots (Worn) | Enc. 0
Buff Coat (Worn) | Enc. 0



Stowed (4/9)
Healer's pouch | Enc. 1
Hand Mirror | Enc. 0
Waterskin | Enc. 1
Dagger | Enc. 1
Writing Kit | Enc. 1

Money: 69 Silver

Stat Rolls: [3d6]=9[3d6]=10[3d6]=15[3d6]=6[3d6]=15[3d6]=6
*Swapping my 6 CHA to 14

Background Rolls: [1d6]=6[1d8]=6[1d8]=1

Gold Roll: [3d6x10]=14x10=140

HP Roll: [1d6+1]=2+1=3

Powers

Quick Learner: When I level up, I gain an additional skill point to use on non-combat skills and ability scores.

Gifted Chirurgeon-1: Gain Heal as a bonus skill. I can attempt to stabilize one mortally wounded adjacent person per round as an On Turn action. When I roll Heal skillchecks, I roll 3d6 and drop the lowest. I heal twice as many hitpoints when delivering first aid after a battle.

Divine Intervention: Once per week, I can roll Pray on a failed check, using the same DC as the check. If I succeed, the negative effects are lessened, variable on the situation. Additionally, I gain a +1 bonus to all checks made to interact with temple clergy or assist in temple activities.

Healing Touch: After Committing Effort as an Instant Action, I can heal 2d6+1 damage to a touched ally as a Main Action. This heal adds 1 System Strain to the target.

The Healer's Knife: My Healing Touch ability is altered and can be used to damage a target. The damage done is equivalent to the healing amount, but I receive 1 System Strain instead. Using this in melee requires a successful melee Punch attack, with my Heal skill added.

Transactions

Starting 140 Silver
-50 sp (Buff Coat)
-2 sp (Boots)
-2 sp (Backpack)
-5 sp (Healer's Pouch)
-5 sp (Hand mirror)
-1 sp (Waterskin)
-3 sp (Dagger)
-3 sp (Writing kit)
69 Silver

[Namelessjake]

Stolos of Bragoci, The Mighty Musical Mercenary

Background

Background and Concept Elements

Appearance

Stolos is relatively tall, standing at 6 ft tall, and while he is not particularly strong or overly muscular he has an athletic build. He has shoulder length dark brown hair, matching his eyes, which he tends to wear back. His left cheek bares a single scar - a relic of a battle long past he would say. He stands out in a crowd, dressed in fine bright clothing and donning several small pieces of golden jewelry befitting some one of a higher station.

Personality

Stolos is eloquent and has a great confidence to him, which often verges on brash arrogance. He is charming and talkative, which combined with his confidence makes him able to win over and convince most people of whatever he wishes. He is ambitious and fame hungry, seeing it as the best way to advance in society, although he is socially aware enough to hide this along with many of his other negative traits.

While his confidence exudes a man of few flaws, he is also cowardly and manipulative. He uses his charms to worm out of disadvantageous situations and bend people to his will, but if his tools fail him he will not hesitate to flee from dangerous situations, even abandoning those he is meant to care about - as, despite his words to the contrary, he is selfish and self-serving to a fault.\

Not all of his confidence is simply bravado however, Stolos is gifted in many of the arts, being a skilled poet, musician and actor. Appropriately he holds the arts in high regard and does have a genuine appreciation for other skilled artists and their works, tending to look down on those not cultured enough to appreciate good art.

Bragoci

Stolos was born in Bragoci, the bastard son of an old retired cohort leader. His mother was a courtesan who lived in a pleasure house that served the hopeful would-be cohort leaders as they trained for the role. His father never officially acknowledged Stolos as his own out of fear of ruining his reputation and marriage. As a result Stolos never inherited the class and status befitting the child of a cohort leader, instead finding himself firmly a commoner through his mother's status. However while his father never legally recognised him, he did still, on occasion, visit young Stolos and his mother - still holding love in his heart for both of them.

At the age of eleven his father pulled some strings and had him enrolled in one of the martial schools in Bragoci, hoping that Stolos would prove to be a skilled warrior like himself. As a commoner, Stolos was something of an outcast among the other students who hailed from higher castes than he. Initially he was often bullied by the other trainees, although he soon found he was able talk his way out of many situations even turning some of his persecutors into friends in the process.

As for his studies, gifted with the genetics of a skilled and seasoned warrior, Stolos was naturally athletic and proved to excel in the physical training they participated in, being a particularly fast sprinter. However when it came to training with weapons and sparring, he lacked both the interest and instinct for it. While the other students would spent their spare time sparring, Stolos instead would head back to the pleasure house he had been raised in where he would spend time with the pair of minstrels which also called it home, playing songs and reading poems to entertain the guests while they waited their turns with the courtesans. From them he learned to play the Lyre - something he took to much better than the sword or spear.

After a few years, his father's patience wore out. Seeing that Stolos would never be the warrior he once was, he withdrew his support and Stolos' training came to an end. With nothing else to do, he fell back on the arts, performing in the street for coin - although he found many in the city to be unappreciative of true art.

The Agorix Cohort

Deciding to leave Bragoci and head for Orto Irve to further his artistic talents, Stolos met with a friend from the academy - now freshly graduated and ready to lead a small cohort of other graduates paid for by their Jenore parents' money. Already planning to head West, it was easy for Stolos to convince them to give him a temporary place in the new Agorix Cohort and they soon departed, leaving Bragoci behind. The cohort numbered only ten, however all the members had some form of training in Bragoci under their belts and their spirits were high.

The journey was long and they took many small jobs along the way to supplement their leader's funding. Most jobs went without incident, however sometimes the only resolution is a violent one, and the fresh cohort was able to bloody its freshly forged blade. Stolos, aware of his lack of talent when it came to combat, mostly stayed towards the back of any fights, doing the bare minimum to keep himself alive. He was impressed by the bravery and heroics of some of the untested mercenaries, and would write songs and poems about them in camp, much to the enjoyment of his muses. The entertainment and delusions of grandeur seeming to make up for Stolos' lack of any other meaningful contributions.

While things appeared to be going well, the fledging cohort's luck soon ran out South of Camivo. Having accepted a contract from a Jenore of relatively small holdings, they set out to drive a group of brigands from a nearby wood, however the brigands had set an ambush that the inexperienced cohort failed to notice. In a sudden rain of arrows, all but five of the cohort were dead or mortally wounded. Stolos was lucky enough to remain unharmed and, after a glance at the other survivors who would readying themselves to fight for their lives, he turned and fled, running as fast as he could. His naturally athleticism allowing him to escape back to the relative safety of civilisation.

Orto Irve

Stolos eventually found a guarded caravan which was bound for Orto Irve and he completed the rest of his journey with them. Once in the city, and without a place to stay, he took once more to busking on the streets. However here he found a different problem to that of the uncultured Bragoci, rather than the lack of a captive audience, here the problem was competition. Competing with the myriad of other aspiring performers, Stolos turned away from the classic songs and tales to the ones he had written about the Agorix Cohort. The original material helped but he quickly found he could draw a bigger crowd by exaggerating his own role in the tales and it wasn't long before all the heroic deeds and acts of bravery had been his own.

His growing presence on the streets of Orto Irve soon garnered the attention of one of the local theatre companies. Having seen Stolos perform on the street, the leader of the company, a woman named Calidia Tetricos, decided to take the young Stolos under her wing after some convincing, hiring him as an apprentice. He then spent several years in Orto Irve, refining his craft and working his way up the ladder of the theatre company, as he improved as both a musician and an actor.

No longer a mere commoner, and having grown accustomed to the greater degree of status and privilege afforded to artisans, Stolos turned his ambitions elsewhere. Lacking both the desire and skillset to climb higher up the caste system of Revi. Instead he turned his efforts towards his personal fame, realising that with enough of it your caste becomes irrelevant. Eventually, with this new goal in life, the theatre company was soon not enough for him, no longer wanting to share the stage and the accompanying fame. He parted ways with them, still on good terms, and set about beginning a solo career.

While his talent and already known name helped, he struggled to take off in the way he had envision, with his old stories and songs of the Agorix Cohort failing to strike the chord they once did - especially in a town over saturated with artistic talent. Instead he decided to set his sights elsewhere and left Orte Irve boarding a ship bound for Calavuna with the intention to then head for the capital Revi, where a larger audience would await him.

Calavuna

Arriving some weeks later in Calavuna, Stolos quickly found the city was an untapped treasure trove of tales and stories. He spent days in taverns drinking with sailors and foreigners, learning of the distant lands beyond Revi. Staying longer than he planned, he began performing again to support himself. As before his songs borrowed heavily from the deeds of others, but now he had even more adventures to claim as his own - beginning to create quite the name for himself as a worldly ex-cohort warrior. Not long after a local Jenore, named Eumaeus Otus, took an interest in Stolos. Otus was only Jenore of a small village and lands outside of Calvuna but he was a shrewd investor and the sea port and the trade following through it had made him rich.

Otus became Stolos' patron, bestowing gifts of fine clothes, gold, and jewelry on him in order for him to reside at Otus' manor, impressing his business partners and other visiting dignitaries. However the relationship was not a sustainable one, Stolos grew bored of the village and disliked being little more than a novelty. He left the patronage of Otus and returned to Calavuna where he decided to return to his original plan of travelling to the capital, where he would be able to secure the patronage of more influential Jenore who could actually further his own ends.

The Orliuci Cohort

While performing in Calavuna to raise funds before travelling to Revi, Stolos met Harakim, who had returned to the Calavuna area with his cohort to visit his family. Harakim saw one of Stolos' performances where he sung of his past battles and adventurers across the sea. Impressed he joined the Bragoci for a drink after the show and the two got talking. Stolos recognised the Orliuci name, some of the locals having mentioned the up and coming cohort, and seeing leadership in Hara he decided this was an opportunity to hitch his cart to that of a rising star.

Stolos then spent the next couple of rounds of drinks, trying to convince Hara to let him join the Orliuci Cohort. Recognising the man's ambition, he talked about not only his martial abilities from his own training in Bragoci but also his talents in spreading songs and tales of a Cohort's deeds. Perhaps he succeeded or perhaps Hara saw through his lies, finding value in those instead, either way he eventually agreed and Stolos signed on with the cohort, joining up with them as they left Calavuna behind.

He has now been a member of the cohort for a few months, and has so far managed to prove a useful addition in negotiations and morale building - obscuring somewhat how his professed combat abilities don't quite line up with his actual skill.

Goals

1) Stolos' main goal is to become renowned across the land of Revi through whatever means necessary, to the point where he can live a life of luxury beyond that of his caste and be remembered forever through his artistic works.

2) I would like to see Stolos' abilities to charm and manipulate tested in order to maintain the web of lies he has created.

Secrets

1) Stolos carries many secrets, mainly the fact that many of his songs and performances that he claims are retellings of his own deeds are actually fraudulent, taking credit for the actions of others.

2) Unknown to Stolos, he was not the sole survivor of the Agorix Cohort. Rhea Aethre survived, being captured by the brigands that ambushed them. She endured much in captivity and cursed Stolos having seen him flee leaving her to her fate.

People Tied to Character

1) Cycnus Laios - Stolos' father and the former leader of the small but relatively successful Laios Cohort. He never recognised Stolos as his child, not wanting to tarnish his reputation with the acknowledgment of a bastard son, however he still loved and supported Stolos up until it was evident he would be unable to follow in his father's warrior footsteps.

2) Calidia Tetricos - Leader of a theatre company in Orte Irvo. She discovered Stolos performing on the streets of the city and took him under her wing. Although twice his age at the time, in the few years Stolos spent with the theatre company the two became lovers. While for Stolos it was simply a means to better roles, Calidia's own feelings were very real and although she hid it she was distraught when he left Orto Irve for Calavuna.

3) Eumaeus Otus - A minor Jenore ruling over small lands near Calavuna. He took Stolos into his household in an attempt to impress his business partners and other regional Jenore. Stolos soon grew bored of his life on Otus' estate and left in the night taking with him all that Otus had given him.

4) Rhea Aethre - A graduate of the training grounds in Bragoci, she served alongside Stolos in the Agorix Cohort. Unknown to Stolos, she too survived the initial ambush in the woods near Camivo. She was taken prisoner by the brigands and endured much, cursing Stolos the whole time having seen him flee leaving her and the other two initial survivors to their fates.

Memories, Mannerisms, and Quirks

1) Stolos is a true appreciator of the arts and will seek out other skilled artists at any opportunity. While his plagiarism of non artists is fairly overt, he looks down on directly copying other artists.

2) Stolos remembers being bullied in his early years at the Bragoci training grounds and is determined to never have that level of power held over him again.

3) Stolos is pansexual and while he often engages in physical relations, he has never had a genuine and meaningful relationship. Any such prolonged relationships were solely to further his goals and any true feelings were only unidriectional.

Background - Family/Class/Profession/Institutions

Family: Stolos has a mother and father in Bragoci, however his father has never formerly recognised him as his own.

Class: Artisan, formerly commoner.

Profession: Musician, Poet, Actor, Mercenary.

Institutions: Formlerly the Bragoci Training Grounds, Formerly the Agorix Cohort, Formerly the Tetricos Theatre Company, Fomerly the Estate of Jenore Eumaeus Otus, Currently the Orliuci Cohort.

Drives - Primary/Secondary/Tertiary

Primary: Fame - What good are great deeds if no one speaks of them? And by Stolos' reckoning at a certain point the story teller becomes more important than the subjects of their stories. He seeks personal fame at any cost, seeing it as his only option to further his station beyond that of the artisan class.

Secondary: Status - While he may not acknowledge it, Stolos is driven to rise above the station his father condemned him to by refusing to acknowledge him as his child. While he has risen to the Artisan caste through his own skills, he seeks to rise higher still through other less traditional means, intending to fully appreciate the accompanying luxuries.

Tertiary: Survive - While Stolos has now twice engaged in life with a cohort, he has no interest in laying down his life for any cause. Instead he merely sees cohorts and their place in society as a means to an ends, and should events unfold not to the cohort's advantage he would not hesitate to save his own skin.

Goals - Short-Term/Medium-Term/Long-Term

Short-Term: Assist the Orliuci Cohort in completing it's immediate contracts, going on to help the Cohort earn a name for itself by spreading their deeds through the arts.

Medium-Term: Use the future influence Hara gains through the Cohort to promote his own brand and garner his own degree of influence amongst the elites by association.

Long-Term: Become a famed artist in the capital, gaining a prominent Jenore or even the future Jenorim as a patron allowing for a life of luxury and fame which will ensure his works are remembered for all time.

Crew Relations

Hara: Stolos admires Hara's ambition and ability. However he mostly see's Hara solely as a vehicle to increase his own worth.

Imhe: Stolos is wary of Imhe. He gets on well enough with he, but he is aware she is one of the members of the cohort most likely to identify his lack of combat ability.

Polinos: Stolos has little opinion on Polinos and has paid him little attention in the short time he has been with the Cohort. While a no body farm boy makes for a good origin for songs of heroic deeds, the songs require the heroic deeds before they can be written.

Lyseros: Stolos doesn't mind Lyseros and can get on well enough with him when they talk, although he finds he has little to gain from Lyseros so doesn't pay him too much attention.

Deimos: Deimos has all the hallmarks of the potential to become a great and storied warrior. Stolos looks forward to his inevitable valiant death. The songs will be excellent.

Gertrude: Stolos tries to keep Gertrude happy and on his side, knowing favour with the Cohort quartermaster can lead to better rations and allocation of rewards.

Dravos: Stolos enjoys Dravos' attitude and is glad to have someone in the cohort he feels he can rely on to protect him should things go sideways.

Atropos: Stolos finds Apropos uninteresting. He doesn't have anything against the man however due to his quiet nature Stolos often simply overlooks him.

Character Sheet

Name: Stolos of Bragoci
Race: Human
Languages: Revi
Background: Performer
Class: Expert

STR: 9 (+0)
DEX: 6 (-1)
CON: 13 (+0)
INT: 14 (+1)
WIS: 15 (+1)
CHA: 14 (+1)

HP: 3/3

AC: 10

Physical: 15
Evasion: 14
Mental: 14
Luck: 15

Base Attack Bonus: +0
Short Sword; -2 vs AC, 1d6 dmg - 1/AC 15 (Shock)

Skills:
Perform-1
Convince-1
Connect-0
Exert-0

Foci: 
Diplomatic Grace-1
Lucky-1

Readied (3/4)
Backpack (Worn) - 0
War Shirt (Worn) - 0
Boots (Worn) - 0
Short Sword - 1
Lyre - 2

Stowed (2/9)
Writing Kit - 1
Waterskin - 1

Money: 57 sp

Stat Rolls: [3d6]=9[3d6]=6[3d6]=13[3d6]=14[3d6]=15[3d6]=10
*Swapping my 10 CHA for a 14

Background Rolls: [1d8]=5[1d8]=3[1d8]=8

Gold Roll: [3d6x10]=8x10=80

HP Roll: [1d6]=3

Powers

Masterful Expertise: Once per scene, the Expert may reroll any non-combat
skill check as an Instant action.

Quick Learner: When you advance a character level, you gain an extra skill point which may only be spent on gaining or improving non-combat skills or raising attributes. You may save this point to spend later if you wish.

Lucky-1: Once per week, a blow or effect that would otherwise have left you killed, mortally wounded, or rendered helpless somehow fails to connect or affect you. You make any rolls related to games of chance twice, taking the better roll.

Diplomatic Grace-1: Gain Convince as a bonus skill. You speak all the languages common to your region of the world and can learn new ones to a workable level in a week, becoming fluent in a month. Reroll 1s on any skill check dice related to negotiation or diplomacy.

Transactions

Starting 80 sp
-5 sp (Warshirt)
-10 sp (Sword, Short)
-2 sp (Backpack)
-2 sp (Boots)
-3 sp (Writing Kit)
-1 sp (Water Skin)
57 sp

[FinalTemplar]

Deimos Alexander, Fated Warrior (#f39c12)

10-Minute Background

Background and Concept Elements

Personality - "I can do this all day." Deimos is a protector - As a farmboy Deimos gained respect for the people around him, learning an understanding of being the underdog. Deimos likes to fight, but tries to only do so if there is something to be gained, and doubly so if some good can be generated from the exchange.
Appearance - Deimos is tall and fair-skinned, though trending a little more towards an "olive" skin tone.  He has a scar across his chest from a duel against another warrior named Einrich. He has medium-length dark hair and keeps a beard that has been trimmed short. His eyes are bright green. He stands 6' tall.
Birth -  Deimos was born to parents Anna and Zachariah. He was born under a scarlet moon, and his parents were given a prophecy of his future.
Early Life - Deimos spent much of his early life helping his father tend to the fields near their home. When his younger brother Markos was old enough, he spent some time play-fighting with him as well, using sticks as swords and pretending to fight monsters. Around the time Deimos turned 13, Zachariah sought out a tutor to begin training young Deimos in the ways of proper swordsmanship, knowing he couldn't keep him at home forever. After coming to a deal, which largely included the information that Deimos is a descendant of the lineage of Ervemnos, Toreina began to train him. At the time, Toreina believed strongly in the line of Ervemnos and even thought that being known as the trainer of one of the descendants of Ervemnos could be her big break as a tutor, and perhaps lead to her riches and fame by proxy.
Apprentice Swordsman - While under Toreina's tutelage, Deimos met her other student, Einrich. Einrich was a rude, rich son of one of the Jenore. He was a massive bully and used his overwhelming strength and size to intimidate those around him, both other students and people he met on the street. At first, Deimos fell into line behind the older student, not wanting to get on his bad side, though over time Deimos began to be tired of the cycle that Einrich created for both himself and the people around him. As time went on, Deimos fought back against Einrich's bullying, causing small fights with the older boy more and more often. Finally, Deimos had enough. One fateful afternoon, when Einrich decided to bully a small male, who Deimos later learned was named Atropos, Deimos pushed Einrich up against a nearby wall; He began to threaten the older boy, and a fight nearly broke out in the street between the pair. The two were stopped by a nearby guard, loudly shouting for them to break it up; And so they did, going their separate ways for nearly the last time.
The Fated Warrior - From that day forward, Deimos began to spend a lot of time with Atropos. When he wasn't learning under Toreina, he was hanging out with the young wizard. On several occasions, Deimos continued to have heated disagreements with Einrich, when they could not avoid each other. After a particularly sour interaction, Deimos pushed Einrich to the limit when he insulted his father and called the Jenore a lazy half-wit for producing such a failure of a son. In retaliation, Einrich responded by attacking his parents- brutally murdering Zachariah and heavily wounding Anna. This spurred Deimos to action, tracking down the man and challenging him to a duel. Swords clashed as rain fell around them, blocking and missing as the two proficient swordsmen looked for an opening. Both fighters landed a heavy blow, neither fatal but enough to end the fight. Afterward, Deimos attempted to question Einrich, trying to understand the man. After a few moments, he realized the folly of attempting to understand him and chose to walk away. Deimos did not spend much more time in his birth town, leaving the next day after gathering his things. Ever since, Deimos has traveled the land, honing his skills and joining various mercenary cohorts to make enough money to get by. During one of these jobs, Deimos met a man named Hara, who immediately enticed him with his personality and sense of morals. After their job together, once Deimos had a chance to prove to Hara his physical strength, Deimos promised Hara that when the time was right, he would join up with his Cohort if Hera would have him. A year or two after this, Deimos showed up on Hara's doorstep with Atropos in tow. After a rather short show of bartering, in which Deimos couldn't really upsell Atropos, but eventually got Hara to budge when he boiled his terms down to "We both stay, or we both go", Hara conceded that Atropos' bookkeeping ability may be enough to make him worth his weight.

Goals

1) Deimos wants to become an icon for the people of Revi, someone people look up to and feel safe because of his presence.
2) I want Deimos to push himself and fulfill the prophecy of being a descendant of Ervemnos.

Secrets

1) Deimos chooses not to tell very many people about his family lineage, and if he does it usually means he trusts you deeply or thinks you'll be around long enough that you'll find out eventually.
2) Deimos doesn't know his mother has survived, but she was permanently wounded by Einrich's attack. She remarried after Zachariah died, and is now dating someone with more money who seems to treat the family well.

People Tied to Character

1) Anna - Mom - 53, Woman - Alive - Deimos didn't have the best relationship with his mother. They didn't hate each other, but Deimos spent most of his time away from home. When he wasn't tending to the fields, he was up early and out late swinging sticks and fighting off pretend monsters. 
2) Zachariah - Dad - 57, male - Deceased - Zachariah was incredibly supportive of Deimos and in fact pushed him the hardest to fulfill his destiny. He tried to instill in him the importance of their lineage, and Zachariah's face is often still printed in Deimos' nightmares.
3) Markos - Brother - 20, male - Alive - Bitter that Deimos left after their father died. He wished that Deimos had stayed, and helped him with looking after their sister Despoina, and their mother Anna.
4) Despoina - Sister - 16, woman - Alive - Doesn't really know Deimos all that well, as she hasn't seen him since she was six years old.
5) Atropos - mid-to-late 20s, Male - Deimos met Atropos when he was 15, and their first encounter was when Einrich was bullying Atropos. Deimos stood up for him in a final, desperate act to get Einrich to step down, which caused a fight. Ever since that moment, Deimos has pledged to keep an eye on Atropos, and he's spent a lot of time with him since.
6) Toreina - 48, woman - Toreina is an exceptionally skilled blade master who taught Deimos much of what he knows. Between a small payment from his parents and the knowledge that he was a descendant of Ervemnos, she took him on as her student. At the time Deimos was pretty hard on her and was difficult to teach. Their friendship has grown since his apprenticeship ended, and he finds himself often visiting her to catch up on his travels.
7) Einrich - 31, male - A few years older than Deimos, and the eldest son of a Jenore, Einrich was Toreina's best student. He was spoiled, rich, and a bully. He often used his physical strength to literally and figuratively push people around. At first, Deimos followed him around as he was older and more experienced - But Einrich's consistent aggression pushed Deimos away, leading to a rivalry that lasted the years.

Memories, Mannerisms, and Quirks

1) Deimos remembers a time when he and his brother dueled in the fields near their childhood home. Markos beat him in their fight.
2) Always bows when it seems polite to do so.
3) 

Background - Family/Class/Professions/Institutions

Family - Deimos hasn't kept in direct contact with his younger siblings for several years. He feels ashamed that his parents' death was largely his fault, and feels they are better off without him.
Class - Deimos spent much of his life in poverty, and now as a wandering mercenary he still doesn't really consider himself any higher than he was previously. Beyond knowing that his younger siblings still exist, he doesn't even really have a home to speak of and instead prefers short stays in inns or taverns as necessary. 
Professions - Deimos was once a farmer on his father's farm and was there until he was 14, before putting the next two full years into his training. From the age of 17 onwards he traveled as a wandering mercenary to make money, never really staying with one cohort for very long.  
Institutions - Deimos was taught swordsmanship by a swordmaster named Toreina. She struggled a lot with teaching Deimos at the time due to his arrogance. She would likely still (even with his personal success) call him one of her worst students to this very day.

Drives - Primary/Secondary/Tertiary

Primary - Protect Atropos
Secondary - Fame
Tertiary - Gold, much of which will be given to Toreina and Markos for debts he feels he owes them.

Goals - Short-Term/Medium-Term/Long-Term

1) Become worthy of the lineage of Ervemnos
2) Get enough gold to set up his siblings for their future.
3) Find someone he trusts enough to be able to love.

Character Sheet

Name: Deimos Alexander
Race: Human
Languages: Revi
Background: Wanderer
Class: Warrior

STR: 18 (+2)
DEX: 14 (+1)
CON: 13 (+0)
INT: 10 (+0)
WIS: 14 (+1)
CHA: 16 (+1)

HP: 5/5

AC: 17

Physical: 13
Evasion: 14
Mental: 14
Luck: 15

Base Attack Bonus: +1
Short Sword - +4 vs AC - 1d6+2 - 2/AC 15 (Shock)

Skills: (Survive + Notice = background skills, Stab from Armsmaster + Free Skill)
Survive-0
Notice-0
Stab-1

Foci: 
Armsmaster I - Gain Stab as a bonus skill. I can Ready a Stowed melee or thrown weapon as an Instant action. I may add my Stab skill level to a melee or thrown weapon's damage roll or Shock damage, assuming it has any to begin with.
Impervious Defense - I have an innate AC of 16 (15 + half level (rounded up)).

Readied (2/9)
Short Sword, Small Shield, Backpack, War Shirt, Signal Horn,
Stowed (15/18)
Light Spearx3 (6), Rations (1wk), Waterskin, Fine Clothing, writing kit & 20 sheets of paper, 50' rope,

Money: 3 silver coins

Stat Rolls: [3d6]=17, [3d6]=8, [3d6]=12, [3d6]=10, [3d6]=12, [3d6]=16
*Swapping my 8 dex for a 14, as per the book

Background Rolls:
[1d6]=3 = +2 Physical (+1 STR, +1 CON)
[1d6]=4 = +2 Mental (+2 Wis)
[1d8]=3 = Notice
HP Roll: [1d6+2]=3+2=5

Gold Roll: Went with the Gentry Wayfarer equipment package, swapping the buff coat for the war shirt.

Powers

Killing Blow - Whenever I inflict damage with any attack, spell, or special ability, I may add half my character level, rounded up, to the damage done. This damage is also added to any Shock I may inflict.
Veteran's Luck - Once per scene, as an instant action, I may turn a missed attack into a successful attack. Alternatively, I may turn a successful hit against me into a miss. Only one option may be used per scene.

Transactions

3x Light Spear (15 silver), 50' rope (2 silver)

Crew Relations

Hara Orliuci

Deimos looks up to Hara as being the kind of man Deimos wants to be, and tries to model himself after. Deimos worked with him once through a previous cohort and pretty well told him after that job that if Hara ever started his own cohort, he would like to join.

Imhe Gannis

Deimos possibly looks up to Imhe just as much if not more than Hara, respecting her physical capabilities as a fighter and often seeking her out to train. For Deimos, this is purely a physical exercise and the feeling of genuine excitement of finding someone as dedicated as himself to train with, but would be unsurprised if people looked at it as if he had a crush on her.

Polinos

Deimos isn't quite sure what to think of Polinos. He trusts in Hara and Imhe's judgment but is still trying to feel out what Polinos' role is. Deimos has, regardless of this, been attempting to cheer Polinos on and help him break out of his fear.

Lyseros

While Deimos is often way too awkward to properly approach Lyseros on most occasions, he tends to enjoy his presence greatly, and would even profess to say he has a mild crush on the healer.

Stolos

Deimos looks at Stolos not with disrespect, or anger, but often with the face of someone who sees what he could have became. It is safe to say that Deimos does not often approach Stolos for any form of casual conversation.

Gertrude

Gertrude had already been part of the Cohort for somewhere near the ballpark of a year prior to Deimos' arrival with Atropos. Deimos respects her and appreciates her wisdom, often looking to her for advice when things come up.

Dravos

Deimos struggles often with his thoughts of Dravos. He appreciates the man's laidback attitude but often worries that his fondness for killing may well get them in trouble someday if not kept a close eye on. He worked with Dravos once in the past in a previous Cohort, and at the time respected his abilities, though time has made Deimos less sure of his initial thoughts.

Atropos

Atropos is the one man Deimos truly professes to love, though any time it comes up he asserts that it is solely as a close friend and brotherly companion. Deimos often makes up for Atropos' silence by speaking more, though he tries to never talk over Atropos, or speak for him. On at least a few occasions Deimos has spoken to Atropos about his affinity for magic, being genuinely curious about how it all works, and wanting to know more, but has found their conversations to be less illuminating than he hoped.

[benderfan]

Gertrude Carter (#FFCCFF), The Old Quartermaster

Background

Background and Concept Elements

1) Been here a while - Gertrude is quite possibly one of the oldest members of the Cohort, both in actual age and how long she's been in the group. She joined soon after it was founded, when Hara came through her village. Tired of the banality of her rural life, she hoped the Cohort would add some excitement back in.

2) The Kindly Quartermaster - Soon after joining, Gertrude began acting as the group's quartermaster, a role she excelled in from her time spent repairing farm equipment. She quickly learned how to best stretch the Cohort's silver. Despite this shrewd nature, she's known to treat the members of the cohort as if they were family.

3) Teller of Tales - While she doesn't lie when it's important, she is often known to stretch the truth of the Cohort's exploits to make them seem more grand to anyone who will listen. This hasn't gotten them into trouble...yet...

4)

5)

Goals

1) Her goal within the Cohort is to find excitement and adventure.

2)

Secrets

1) She claims she got the scar on her left eye from fighting off a wolf pack, but she actually got it when a plow fell off a storage shelf.

2)

People Tied to Character

1) Gertrude has a son, named Andrew Carter, that took up the family business after she retired and joined the Cohort. They still share a close bond, with Gertrude often sending letters back to him telling of her exploits.

2) Gertrude's pet goat Horatio is very close to her, and she goes through great lengths to keep him happy and healthy.

3)

Memories, Mannerisms, and Quirks

1) She often addresses members of the Cohort as "dear" or other diminuitives, including the Captain and Vice-Captain.

2) Her most fond memories was learning to sew at her mother's feet.

3) It took quite a bit of convincing for Hara to let Gertrude keep Horatio around, seeing the goat as a waste of resources, but eventually she managed to convince him.

Background - Family/Class/Profession/Institutions

Family: Gertrude comes from a large family, although she doesn't have a close relationship with many of them other than her son.

Class: She was relatively low class, coming from a middle-of-nowhere farming village.

Profession: Currently, Gertrude acts as the Quartermaster of the Orlicuci Cohort, ensuring their stocks remain full, and their gear is maintained. Before that, she acted as a sort of Jack-Of-All-Trades artisan for her small farming community. Sharpening a plow and sharpening a sword aren't too different, after all.

Institutions: She has no real ties to any institutions beyond her small farming village and the Cohort.

Drives - Primary/Secondary/Tertiary

Primary: Excitement and Adventure

Secondary: Helping others

Tertiary: Money

Goals - Short-Term/Medium-Term/Long-Term

Short-Term:

Medium-Term:

Long-Term:

Character Sheet

Gertrude Carter
Background: Artisan
Class: Expert

STR: 13 (+0)
DEX: 11 (+0)
CON: 14 (+1)
INT: 14 (+1)
WIS: 11 (+0)
CHA: 11 (+0)

HP: 6/6

AC: 11

Physical: 14
Evasion: 14
Mental: 15
Luck: 15

Base Attack Bonus: +0

Craft-1
Exert-0
Connect-0
Trade-0
Shoot-0

Foci: Artisan-1, Dealmaker-1

Readied (4/6)
Backpack (Worn) - 0
War Shirt (Worn) - 0
Common Clothes (Worn) - 0
Bow, Large - 2
Arrows x40 - 2

Stowed (13/13)
Artisan's Equipment - 5
Rations (one week) - 4
Rations (one week) - 4

Money: 9sp

Stat Rolls: STR: [3d6]=13; DEX: [3d6]=11; CON: [3d6]=13; INT: [3d6]=9; WIS: [3d6]=11; CHA: [3d6]=11

Background Rolls:
1) Growth Roll: [1d6]=1 (+1 CON)
2) Learning Roll: [1d8]=5 (Exert)
3) Learning Roll: [1d8]=1 (Connect)

HP Roll: [1d6+1]=5+1=6

Gold Roll: [3d6]=13 x 10 silver pieces

Transactions

130 sp (Starting Money)
-2 sp (Backpack)
-4 sp (Arrows x40)
-5 sp (War Shirt)
-20 sp (Bow, Large)
-5 sp (Rations (One Week))
-5 sp (Rations (One Week))
-25 sp (Common Clothes)
-5 sp (Goat named Horatio)

[BartNL]

Dravos Eastwood #27AE60

Appearance

10-Minute Background

Background and Concept Elements

Appearance - Dravos stands slightly taller than average. He has dark hair. It's clear from the way he carries himself, that he did not grow up poor but that he did do physical labour. Dravos usually has a smile on his face.
Personality - Dravos has a laid-back and friendly attitude. Under this easy-going demeanor, is a killer who will take out anyone who would pose a threat to Captain Harakim Orliuci, the Cohort or to Dravos himself.
Birth - Dravos' mother died shortly after giving birth, leaving Dravos in the care of his grandparents while his father was away for work.
Early Life - As a young kid Dravos showed great aptitude in many skills, especially archery. As a child he received a lot of praise for just about everything he did.
Later Life - Being naturally good in almost everything does not guarantee an easy life. While Dravos had an easy time as a kid, as a teen his life got harder. While new skills always came easy to Dravos, mastering them turned out to be much harder. Having never learned to put in actual effort, his education as an artisan proved to be too hard on him. Dravos has spend time apprenticing as a miller, baker, butcher, miller again, smith, potter, bookkeep, cobbler, carpenter, stonemason, watchman, apothecary and barber-surgeon. After failing at all of these, his father kicked him out of the house and told Dravos to not return beforehe had earned enough to pay his father back the cost of the apprenticeships. To spite his father, Dravos decided to find a cohort to work for; the one profession his father didn't want Dravos to have.
Recent Life - Being a jack of all trades, it was rather easy to find cohorts to work for. A few years ago Dravos was working with a cohort that worked together with captain Hara on a job. Hara was impressed with the young man and decided that he wanted Dravos to join him.
Dravos liked the praise from this stranger, and decided that his ambition for now should be to become the best auxiliary to Hara he can be. And this time, he won't fail.

Goals

1) Be the best man Hara has at his disposal.
2) I'd like for Dravos to confront his father, and have them settle their differences or
2)

Secrets

1) Dravos keeps his failures at his many attempts of being an apprentice a secret to all but those he trusts most. When his insider knowledge about a craft or trade surprises someone, he'd brush it off as having 'grown up around...' or 'having spend long nights in a tavern drinking with cobblers, smiths and such'.
2) Asher, Dravos' father, believes that Dravos is not cut out for the life in a cohort. This is why he never wanted his son to join him and his cohort and has spend a small fortune on unfruitful apprenticeships.
3) The Eastwood Brotherhood has recently started coercing merchants and travellers to hire them as guards for trips to Anfeli. With the Calling, this has been lucrative.

People Tied to Character

1) Captain Asher Eastwood: Dravos' father. Asher is the captain of a small cohort; Eastwoods Brotherhood. They mostly work odd-jobs. The band has a poor reputation, and is generally considered overpriced. Asher has a talent of making sure his cohort is the only one around when villagers need someone to protect them from bandits and the like. This has made the Eastwoods Brotherhood and Asher himself relatively wealthy compared to other small cohorts of poor reputation.
2) Bayard Eastwood: Bayard is Dravos' grandfather. Bayard is a wealthy miller. Bayards relation with his son Asher turned sour when Asher kicked out Dravos.
3) Mia Eastwood: Mia is Dravos' grandmother. Mia is an opinionated woman. She taught Dravos how to hunt and shoot a bow, and takes pride in the fact that she is the sole teacher who managed to keep Dravos in line long enough to master something.
4) Captain Hara: Hara was the first person to praise Dravos for his work and see something in him for in a long time. For that, Dravos decided to become loyal to Hara and be his most reliable man.
5) Geoffrey 'Cylops' Gagner. Geoffrey and Dravos grew up in the same town. Geoffrey was always jealous at Dravos as a kid. One time, when they they were 10 years old Geoffrey rounded up some other kids to bully Dravos by throwing rocks at him and calling Dravos names. Dravos caught one of those rocks, and threw it back hitting Geoffrey right in the eye, blinding it. The bullying soon stopped, but Geoffrey has hated Dravos ever since. Geoffrey know works for Asher, and has found his calling in running extortion schemes.

Memories, Mannerisms, and Quirks

1) When resting Dravos often fidgets with his dagger and other items. He also likes to juggle knives and axes. Juggling has proven to be the best way get free drinks, or the fastest way to get kicked out of a bar, little in between. 
2) Dravos' hair always looks immaculate, even though Dravos only combs it every so often.

Background - Family/Class/Professions/Institutions

Family - Dravos comes from a family of millers.
Class - Dravos' father is a cohort captain of a small unimpressive cohort. Dravos grew up with his grandparents who are millers.
Professions - Dravos was trained in many profession, but never really liked any of them enough to stick to it. Much to his fathers annoyance.
Institutions - Dravos is a member of the Orliuci Cohort. He is also connected to the Eastwood brotherhood cohort through his father.

Drives - Primary/Secondary/Tertiary

Primary - Dravos' primary drive is to become truly good at something, not just merely better than anyone else.
Secondary - Dravos is also driven to help captain Hara achieve his goals.
Tertiary -

Goals - Short-Term/Medium-Term/Long-Term

Short-Term - Dravos' wants to improve his standing in the cohort.
Medium-Term - Dravos wants to become an officer in the cohort.
Long-Term - Dravos wants to retire from working as a cohort-man in the long term, seeing as cohorts are usually not a good place for the elderly.

Crew Relations

Imhe Gannis - While Dravos respects Imhe's skill and personality he is jealous of Imhe's relation with Hara. Dravos hides this well and won't let a petty issue affect his work. Knowing Hara relies on Imhe more than on himself, Dravos would die for Imhe, rather than take her place if she were to fall. Such is his devotion to Hara.

Polinos - Keeping your head cool is one of the most important skills a mercenary can have. For that alone it's good to have him. Dravos tries to involve Polinos in things to make him feel welcome.

Lyseros - Someone always get's hurt, so having a qualified healer around is eminent. It's a pity Lyseros can't provide the healing he himself needs. Dravos likes to talk and spend time with Lyseros as friends. Dravos respects him Lyseros and his confidence in himself and in his goals a lot.

Stolos - Stolos is a tool. Then again, tools are often useful. Like a smith wielding a hammer, Hara wields Stolos and the myths he provides. Dravos realises this makes Stolos a very important member of the cohort, so he is always nice to Stolos and makes sure to keep him safe. Yet, Dravos sometimes fears that Stolos may eventully prove to be more risk than asset.

Deimos - Dravos is happy to see a man who can pull his own weight and that of others. Beyond that, Dravos doesn't really know what to do with him. While they have known each other for quite a while, Dravos does not consider him a close friend.

Gertrude - Dravos likes Gertrude, and sees her as a motherly figure. In return for her taking care of the cohort, he tries to take care of her too.

Atropos - Dravos finds it hard to connect to the lych looking man. Atropos seems closed off, and while Dravos appreciates the effort Atropos puts in, he just seems off.

Character Sheet

Dravos Eastwood
Background: Soldier
Class: Adventurer: Warrior-Expert

STR: 10 (+0)
DEX: 18 (+2)
CON: 11 (+0)
INT: 09 (+0)
WIS: 11 (+0)
CHA: 10 (+0)

HP: 7/7

AC: 14

Physical: 15
Evasion: 13
Mental: 15
Luck: 15

Base Attack Bonus: +1
Bow, Large: +4 vs AC, 1d8+2 100/600ft
Hand Axe: +4 vs AC 1d6+2 1/AC 15 Str/Dex 10/30
Dagger: +4 vs AC 1d4+2 1/AC 15 Str/Dex 30/60

Exert-0
Shoot-1
Sneak-1
Polymath level 2: You treat all non-combat skills as if they were at least level-1 for purposes of skill checks.


Foci:
Deadeye: shoot bonus skill
Polymath (1) sneak bonus skill
Polymath (2)

Personal skill choice: sneak

Readied 3/5
Buff Coat (AC 12) 0
20 arrows & quiver 1
Hand Axe (1d6 dmg, Shock 1/AC 15) 1
Backpack 1

Stowed 10/10
Bow, Large (1d8 damage, no Shock) 2 [Deadeye: can ready as an instant action]
Dagger (1d4 dmg, Shock 1/AC 15) 1
Cooking utensils 1
1 week of rations 4
Waterskin 1
Tinder box and 3 torches 1

Money: 20 SP

Stat Rolls: [3d6]=10[3d6]=10[3d6]=11[3d6]=9[3d6]=11[3d6]=10

Additional skill rolls:
[1d6]=4[1d6]=5[1d6]=3
+2 physical, +2 physical, Exert skill

HP Roll: [1d6+2]=5+2=7

Transactions

[ratwizard]

Character submission deadline is Saturday, February 25th. We will aim to begin the IC thread that weekend.
 

[greysigil]

Atropos, the Sorcerous Scribe #4f8596

Background

Background and Concept Elements

1) Appearance - Atropos is of average height, roughly 5'8", but is built wire thin. He has almost no defined muscles, and one could easily count each of his individual bones through his pale, nearly translucent skin. His skin, which is technically only a few degrees cooler than the average, but feels ice cold to most people.
His face is gaunt, sunken grey-blue eyes with dark circles under them, hollow cheeks that seem to have a hard time filling out, no matter how much he eats. He keeps his black hair, which falls to the bottoms of his shoulder blades, tied back almost all of the time.
He has an androgynous look to him, no real facial hair to speak of, nor any characteristics to strongly denote a gender. His voice is the biggest tell that he's a man, being a soft bass, often speaking in low tones easy to overlook in any chaotic situation.

2)Personality - Atropos is a quiet man, much more content to watch people than to be the center of attention. His demeanor is kind, and he tries to help people as much as he can. When talking to people, he always tries to find common ground first, and build a personal connection to people, as it is much easier to get people to overlook one's more off putting attitudes and appearances once you establish that the two of you are on the same side.

3)The Orphanage

Atropos' earliest memories are of the walls of the bedroom that he shared with 3 other boys in the orphanage he grew up in. He can't remember the name of it, but it was one of many in the outskirts of the city of Revi, just another place for children without anywhere else to go. The Matron was kind, but clearly didn't have enough help to give each child the attention they each needed, and some felt the effects of that more than others.
The other kids were nice enough, they all joked and played games in the common room and the street, but none of them truly knew how to include Atropos, as he had a hard time keeping up with the other kids. He often found himself sitting with the girls who stayed behind, talking with them about this and that, or wandering off to be by himself in the alley behind the orphanage.
It was around this time when the first sparks of magic started making themselves known to Atropos, in the form of briefly reanimating a rat, but he didn't talk to any of the other kids about it, for fear of being shunned even more.

4)Communication, or How to Justify Your Existence (Even to Yourself)

As they grew, what was originally an innocent lack of mindfulness and vague uncertainty turned into deliberate exclusion and mocking. Particularly bad was a teenager a few years older than Atropos, by the name of Einrich. Einrich was the eldest son of a Jenore, and big, physically stronger than most of the other kids with an attitude to match. This made Atropos an easy target, and he would constantly seek out the younger, smaller kid to harass him.
Einrich's antics were largely tolerated by everyone else, as hardly any of the kids big enough to stand up to him wanted to be his next target, and the adults not wanting to be seen to overstepping the line by reprimanding the son of a Jenore. And so it continued with Atropos bearing it as he thought that no one would or could stop the older boy, retreating further into the comfort of solitude, until one day, when Atropos had gone almost completely numb to Einrich's barbed words. The older boy, enraged that his words were having no effect on Atropos, started advancing on him, intent on getting his words through physically this time. This time, however, one of his own decided he'd had enough. The other boy, nearly as big as Einrich, intercepted, and they almost came to blows, ending with the other boy shoving Einrich against a wall before a guard was summoned to break them up.
Meanwhile, all Atropos could do was look on in, confusion? Awe? He wasn't sure, no one had ever actually stood up for him before, and his emotions were appropriately mixed for this new experience. Afterwards, when Einrich's posse had left [minus a member], Atropos learned that this other boy's name was Deimos, and from there they became fast friends. How much of that friendship was Deimos feeling pity towards the smaller boy, Atropos couldn't quite tell yet, but he was grateful towards him.

Over the next year or so, Atropos would start to have thoughts about his condition, and whether or not he would actually outgrow it like everyone had told him. He started to wonder if he would ever even grow up at all, and those thoughts and feelings would only compile and compound over the next several years.

5)The Academy, or Books Are Heavy

With his magical talents developing at a rapid rate, Atropos thought that it was time to try applying to the Hermetica Trismegia, a relatively small school for magic in the city. Where other, more expensive colleges were fully dedicated to the study of traditional magic, the Hermetica Trismagia was more on the experimental side, dabbling into newer, unexplored schools of thought and magic.
Rather than being based strictly on a tuition system, where only those with the coin to buy their way into the school get access to instruction in the arcane arts, the Hermetica Trismegia also has an exam that prospective students can opt into, to lessen or even eliminate the tuition requirements. And, after many nights spent practicing in secret and studying the test paramaters published publically, he almost managed to pass the exam. But not quite well enough to completely waive the enrollment fee.
It was as he was reading the test results, panic welling in him about where he would get the money, or what he would do if he couldn't find enough, when he was approached by an older gentleman dressed in robes of plain black, with cloth-of-gold trim. The older man introduced himself as Professor Mox, and he said he was intrigued by Atropos' methodology, and would sponsor him, on the agreement that once he was successful and had earned enough money to pay him back, he would. Atropos agreed almost immediately, tears of relief starting to well in his eyes.

Under Professor Mox's instruction, Atropos grew into a mage of some skill. His aptitude for words and letters, his studious and inquisitive mind, as well as his natural gift for the arcane meant that his learning and mastery of the arcane formulae progressed much faster than many other students, many of whom were sons and daughters of wealthy Jenore whose parents merely needed a place to send their children away from home.
It was after class one day, when Atropos was still studying in the classroom, when the Professor approached the young man and asked the question he was most afraid of: What is wrong? Reluctantly, Atropos shared his fears, about him being different, broken, that he would only live a half-life, if he even lived much longer at all. With kindness and gentleness, the Professor spoke. He said that there are many ways to live one's life, and that no life is worth any less than any other life. As well, he told Atropos about a type of magic that seemed to make all the disparate, dissonant elements of his life click into place. There was a particular school of magic that held influence over the dead, and the flesh.
With this revalation, the comfort he found in stillness and silence, his curiosity and lack of revultion at deceaced creatures, it all made sense. If he was naturally attuned to death magic, it made so much more sense why he could be comfortable where others couldn't be. And so, after class with Professor Mox and on his own late at night, he pivoted his study, from tradional sorcery into necromancy.
It was late one night, when he was revising his notes, when he realized that he didn't feel tired at all. So, he decided to try and stay up, and he went the whole day without any sleep. And when the night came again, he once again noted that he didn't feel the call of sleep. With a sudden abundance of time, Atropos' studies took off at a record pace, with him devouring coursework in a fraction of the time it took his classmates. He expressed concern to Professor Mox, about if or how it would affect his health, given that everything he knew about people was that sleep-deprivation could have serious consequenses. The professor did some tests, but came up with nothing to suggest that it was negatively impacting Atropos, and so concluded that whatever the cause was, it wasn't something to worry about at this time, but to bring it up again if anything changed.

With his accelarated pace, he quickly earned the attention of the other students. Some, mainly those from the more well off families, derided him and tried to knock him down a peg, but having gone through that for most of his life up to this point, it had little effect. Others, however, asked him for help with their own coursework, and he helped them readily, giving his own thoughts on the formulae and through their discussion, the other students would find the answers they were looking for. Not through anything specific he did, nor did he do the work for them, but just by talking to people, he could help them while helping himself, integrating aspects of their worldviews into his own. And by helping people, he found a sense of community and connectedness he hadn't truly felt before, and decided to work to foster that feeling wherever he found himself. This was also the first time that he had felt like he was a part of his peer group, like an equal, and having experienced it, he was sharply reminded of his physical inability, and he was determined to continue to improve, to find that feeling in every aspect of his life.

7)The Road

After graduation, Atropos was left a bit adrift. He had a goal, in earning money to pay back the Professor, but no real ideas how to achieve it. He couldn't do manual labor, and everywhere that needed a scribe already had one, and they weren't looking for apprentices.
On a sunny day, as he was writing in his grimoire under the shade of a large tree, Deimos approached him. He said that he was leaving the city, that he was going to look for a cohort to join. He needed coin, and for a skilled swordsman like him, that seemed like the best option.
Atropos was hesitant. Cohorts were usually very physically active, many of them travelling long distances and getting into fights. But, like Deimos had said, the coin was good, and if nothing else, he would always have Deimos to protect him if things got truly bad. So, he made up his mind to go with him, and they left shortly thereafter.

Over the next few years, they traveled the land, joining cohorts, serving out their contracts and getting paid, before moving on to the next. Atropos found that, although his magic was powerful, it was fairly easy to over-do it, and found his safe limit to how much magic he could use in a given day was severely limited. Study and theory are one thing, but putting it into practice, especially in the heat of battle, is a completely different beast. So, using some of the coin he acquired, he bought a crossbow, and found that even with his lacking strength he was able to load it with the help of a lever, and firing was as simple as pulling a trigger. Newly armed, he found himself much more help, even as his skills were more academic in nature.
Primarily, though, he would keep notes and books for the cohorts they joined, sometimes pulling double duty as an administrative assistant and a quartermaster.

It was in this time that Atropos and Deimos' friendship became truly solid, spending almost all of their time together, and being bonded by the hardships they faced together.

8) The Cohort

Atropos and Deimos met with Captain Hara, and after a brief interview on their respective abilities, he hired the pair on. Afterwards, Atropos asked Hara for a word, away from everyone. He appreciated Deimos' effort, but felt like his friend's efforts to 'upsell' him were a bit ham-fisted, and wanted a chance to explain himself on his own terms. He laid out his strengths, his weaknesses, and asked Hara for a fair chance to show him what he could do.

Goals

1)Atropos wants nothing more than to be truly independent. Having needed to rely on others for so much of his life, he truly longs for the day when he doesn't need to ask anyone for anything.

2)I'd like for Atropos to find peace with asking for help, and to have a healthy relationship with being helped. My initial thought on that is that for him to feel that way, he'd need to reach a level of self sufficiency such that he feels like an equal, an actual peer, instead of someone to be looked down on.

Secrets

1) Atropos suspects that he is actively dying, but doesn't want Deimos to worry about him even more, so he downplays how much he is being affected by it.

2) Unbeknownst to him, Atropos' magic is both sapping his life, and sustaining it. His body is trying to find a point of homeostasis, but is struggling to.

People Tied to Character

1)Deimos - Atropos' only true friend, met in childhood and 'saved' him from Einrich, looks up to almost like a big brother, with all the attendant "living in someone else's shadow" feelings attendant to that.

2)Professor Mox - One of Atropos' teachers from the Acadamy, and his sponsor for his tuition. Atropos owes him not only the coin for his entrance to the academy, but for his instruction and help in understanding himself, and starting him on the path to find peace with himself.
2.5) Jet - Professor Mox's black cat that wandered the classroom and the Professor's nearby living space. Atropos was one of the few people whose lap Jet would curl up in to nap, due to his natural stillness.

3) Máire - A girl from the orphanage. She was usually out playing with the boys, rough and tumble with the rest of them, but she was one of the few that only looked at him with kindness. When they were teenagers, she always tried the hardest to include him, but her efforts didn't bear many fruit. They grew apart as he pursued academia and she found manual labor jobs, but he would find himself thinking about her occasionally, wondering how she was faring.

3)Einrich - Chilhood bully, and constant source of terror. Where most of the other kids just though Atropos was a little weird, or pitied him for not being physically capable of the same things as the other kids, Einrich took his weakness as a personal affront, and made it a point to needle Atropos constantly. On the day that it looked like it was going to start getting physical, Deimos stepped in to fight the older boy

Memories, Mannerisms, and Quirks

1) Memory - The first time Atropos ever cast a spell. He was about 8 or 10, and he found a dead rat in the alley behind the orphanage. Overwhelmed with curiosity and a morbid fascination, he reached out to the rat, and his first sparks of magic ignited and leapt out to the creature, temporarily re-animating it. He watched it scurry around, before the sparks went out, and the rat collapsed back to the cobbles, lifeless as it ever was.

2) Mannerisms - Atropos usually has his nose in a book, either studying magic or reviewing the accounts to ensure everything is running smoothly. Generally soft-spoken, he prefers to talk about magic or the task at hand, over idle chit-chat.

3) Mannerisms - Atropos doesnt sleep. He still hasnt found an explaination, but sometime during his study at the Acadamy, he stopped needing to properly sleep, using his sudden abundance of time to study harder, devouring his coursework at a ravenous pace. He still rests his eyes on occasion, and will occasionally partake of intoxicating substances to quiet his brain for a short time, but his tolerance is low, so it is always in moderation.

4) Quirk - Atropos has always been a bit of a morbid person, which is readily apparent to anyone that pays attention, but he is pretty good at hiding it from most people.

5) Taboo - Being a Necromancer, Atropos has made a pact with himself to never interfere with people's souls or their personhood/agency. Having so much potential control over people means the potential to misuse it. Once the soul leaves the body, once the body is beyond saving, their flesh is just flesh, but while yet there is life, there is still a person to save.

Background - Family/Class/Profession/Institutions

Family: None by blood that he can remember. The other kids at the orphanage were the closest thing to siblings he had growing up, but has since been so estranged from them that he would struggle to recognize them.

Class: Low, between the orphanage and his illness, he's struggled to keep much money in his pockets at any given time.

Profession: Scribe - His skill with a quill is impressive, and his ability to organize files and papers has net him a few coins on his travels, as an amateur hired consultant.
But, while not a technical profession, his aptitude and study of magic has always been his primary focus for most of his life.

Institutions: The Academy - Alum of the Magical Arts program, graduated with honors.
Toreina's School - Deimos spending a lot of time here training means that Atropos was here too, studying in the shade while the other boys played swords.
The Cohort - Assists with administrative duties, keeping books and notes for the Cohort.

Drives - Primary/Secondary/Tertiary

Primary: Magic - Like an ember, the desire to learn more magic constantly burns in Atropos' mind.

Secondary: Respect - Life only has meaning because it ends, and everyone deserves the same respect, regardless of how much longer they have.

Tertiary: Achievement - Atropos wants to prove to himself and others that he has the ability to achieve his goals, to be truly on the same level as everyone else

Goals - Short-Term/Medium-Term/Long-Term

Short-Term: Provide logistical and mystical support to the cohort, to assist in the completion of contracts.

Medium-Term: Pay back Professor Mox for his sponsorship to the Hermetica Trismegia

Long-Term: Achieve mastery of the arcane arts, and pass on peacefully

Character Sheet

Name: Atropos
Race: Human
Languages: Revi
Background: Scholar
Class: Mage [Necromancer]

STR: 04 (-1)
DEX: 12 (+0)
CON: 10 (+0)
INT: 14 (+1)
WIS: 09 (+0)
CHA: 11 (+0)

HP: 3/3

AC: 12

Physical: 15
Evasion: 14
Mental: 15
Luck: 15

Base Attack Bonus: +0
Crossbow - +0 Vs AC - 1d10 Damage - No Shock - 100ft/300ft - 2H, Precicely Murderous [Execution Attack, -1 Phys Save, 2x Damage], Slow [Main Action] Reload

Skills: [Background = Admin, Connect, Know] [Focus = Connect] [Class = Magic] [Free = Magic]
Administer - 0
Connect - 1
Know - 0
Magic - 1

Foci: 
Level 1 - Connected 1

Spoiler

Gain Connect as a bonus skill. If you’ve spent at least a week in a not-entirely-hostile location, you’ll have built a web of contacts willing to do favors for you that are no more than mildly illegal. You can call on one favor per game day and the GM decides how far they’ll go for you.

Gear
Readied (2/2)
Crossbow - 1
Bolts x20 - 1

Stowed (3/4)
Grimoire - 1
Writing Kit - 1
Paper [50 sheets] - *
Candle x10 - *
Tinderbox - *
Hand Mirror - *
Sack - 1
20sp - *

Worn
Common Clothes [robes]
Boots
Backpack

Money: 15sp

Spells

Apprehend the Arcane Form - 15min/LV, See Magic, Identify Magic, See in Darkness

The Coruscating Coffin - 1 Target w/in 100ft/LV, 1d8/LV Damage [Physical save for 1/2 damage], 1HD NPCs die instantly

Velocitous Imbuement - On-Turn Action, 1/LV Target w/in 100ft, 2x Movement Speed, Wall/Ceiling Run [End on Stable Surface], Ignore OA, Pass Around/Through Armed Foes, Lasts 1 Scene, Inflict 1 System Strain

Wardpact Invocation - 2 Effects - [1] 1 Creature w/1n 200ft, On-Hit Attacker Makes Physical Save or Attack is Negated, 1 Round/2LV [Round Up] - [2] 1 Visible Weapon w/in 200ft, Render Weapon Entirely Harmless for Rest of Scene

Mystic Arts

Cold Flesh - You no longer require sleep and feel pain only in an abstract sense. You can suffer no more than 2 points of damage from any given instance of Shock and you have a natural Armor Class equal to 12 plus half your level, rounded down.

Transactions

Total Cost = 65, 15sp remaining
Grimoire - 3sp - 1
Crossbow - 10sp - 1
Crossbow Bolts [Arrows]- 2sp - 1
Backpack - 2sp - 1 [0 worn]
Sack - 1sp - 1
Common Clothes [Robes] - 25sp - 1 [0 worn]
Boots - 2sp - 1 [0 worn]
Writing Kit - 3sp - 1
Paper[50 sheets] - 5sp - 0 [within reason]
Candle [10] - 1sp - 0 [within reason]
Tinderbox - 1sp - 0
Hand Mirror - 10sp - 0

Character Generation Rolls

Stat Rolls: [3d6]=4[3d6]=12[3d6]=10[3d6]=10[3d6]=9[3d6]=11
*Trading 10 INT for 14 INT

Background Rolls:[1d6]=5[1d6]=3[1d8]=1
*5 = Connect, 3 = +2 Mental [+1 WIS, +1 CHA], 1 = Administer
HP Roll: [1d6-1]=4-1=3

Gold Roll: [3d6x10]=8x10=80

Crew Relations

Harakim 'Hara' Orliuci - A good leader. Ambition recognizes ambition, and Hara's unshakable morality lets Atropos' mind rest that the power will not be misused.

Imhe Gannis - The reliable lancer. Solid and dependable, she seems to be a good influence on Hara, them balancing each other out well. Atropos is a little jealous of her in the same way that he is a little jealous of everyone, in that what they can [seemingly] effortlessly do, he is almost entirely barred from.

Polinos - The calm in the storm. Being so good at remaining calm in the face of direct conflict is a rare skill, and Atropos respects that, as resolving conflicts before it escalates to violence is often the best way to prevent unnecessary injury. He also reads Polinos' fear of failure as similar to his own desire to prove himself capable.

Lyceros - An interesting mirror to Atropos. His outgoingness, his personability, his love of life and his affinity for its magic provide contrast to the more macabre arts that Atropos practices. He also couldn't keep himself from being slightly amused at Lyceros' concern, but he ultimately appreciated it.

Stolos - A survivor. Atropos can see the death that Stolos has seen in the other man's eyes, and sees the fear of it. Atropos respects his skill with words, but only truly trusts him about as far as he could throw him.

Deimos - A true friend. Childhood friend, confidant, and very frequently his muscle, Atropos relies heavily on Deimos. But, the other edge of that sword is that Atropos has always felt like he grew up in Deimos' shadow, and is envious of his ability to simply do anything he fancies.

Gertrude - A wise mentor. Atropos knows he can learn a lot from the experienced woman, and watches the ways she takes inventory and notes, looking for ways to improve his own bookkeeping skills.

Dravos - A jack of all trades. A little wary of his skillset, and his casual approach to weaponry, the ease with which he handles his knives seems to indicate a lack of respect for the death they can deal, which Atropos has some trouble with. But, underneath the devil-may-care attitude, Atropos sees a similar burning desire to be the best he can be, and finds kinship in it.

[KupoTheMagus]

Meet Mavos, the Chronicler's Steel!

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Background

Background and Concept Elements

1) The Hearth - Mavos (born Quinton) hails from Bragoci, being the first and only child of Yethander and Izela. Quinton spent most of his days skulking about the marketplace and chatting up merchants to hear stories of the roads traveled. Izela was a stay-at-home mother and Yethander was a night worker, though Mavos never figured out what his father did for a living. They were reasonably well off, though this may be more due to Yethander's very strict spending habits, AKA cheapness.

2) The Circus - Whenever Yethander felt like spending any money or time with his family, it was at the Circus. Performers from all over would show up and wow the crowd. Quinton would pick up some fairly scary habits, including trying to leap through flaming rings or swallowing swords, much to his mother's dismay. This led to some in-house fighting on how to raise their child, with Yethander enjoying the boy's free spirit while Izela feared for her child's life. Izela eventually left, but Quinton was old enough to keep himself occupied.

3) The Truth - One night, close to Quinton's 19th birthday, the local guard entered his home looking for Yethander. Quinton's father had just left for work, and turning up empty-handed, the guard left. Confused, he decided to go to the marketplace and ask about his father. One of the local merchants had dismaying news for the boy: his father was a professional thief. If you needed something broken into or someone taken care of, Yethander handled it. His father's line of work had finally caught up with him.

4) The Runaway - Fearing what might happen if his dad were arrested and tried, Quinton left town and adopted the name of the protagonist of one of his favorite childhood books: Mavos. He had a small portion of gold that he snagged from the family safe, packed his belongings, and took off in the middle of the night.

5) The Weave - During his trip west, Mavos had dealt with small critters such as wolves or deer to eat for dinner. While Mavos wasn't that great at cooking, he at least knew how to not burn the little bit of meat he was able to collect. His mother had taught him basic knowledge of berries, which were poisonous and which could treat wounds. On one fateful evening, something large moved towards his camp. Something growling, something prowling. A large grizzly had spotted the scraps Mavos was able to collect. The bear knocked the boy aside with relative ease and began to eat. Mavos wouldn't make it to tomorrow without this food, but with his limited knowledge of swordplay, a head-to-head confrontation would prove lethal. He had one last idea. Pulling open the children's book, he read about his hero and what he would do. The hero in the book could use magic with the flick of his sword. Running out of time, Mavos stood up and re-enacted his hero's motions. A swing left, a jab right, a flourish, and a prayer that this would work. The sword sparked with arcane energy as it pulsed forth a bolt of electricity, scaring the bear off. Though he hadn't struck the bear as intended, it worked. It actually worked. Mavos had never handled the Weave before, and the experience left him exhausted. With a renewed vigor, he set off in the morning to live the life of his hero, and to find a new family.

Goals

1) Mavos wants to find somewhere new to call home and to live the true life of the adventurer as it is portrayed in his favorite childhood book.
2) I would like to see him get caught up in some crazy arcane research and develop some spells of his own.

Secrets

1) Mavos's real name is Quinton, and his current status in Bragoci is unknown. Whatever he did in the past, he wants to be buried.

2) Mavos' mother is connected to the Weave and has passed this arcane ability to Mavos. Izela used to study at a college of Elementalists before settling down to start a family.

People Tied to Character

1) Yethander - Mavos' father is your run-of-the-mill family man at first glance, but his local name of "The Scalper" leaves some to question whether he is fit to be a father.

2) Izela - Mavos' mother is a kind-hearted soul with a fascination for the arts. It was her idea to take Mavos to the Circus, after all.

3) Thebfav - Unsure of relation to his father, Theb is a family friend who was by during the later years of childhood. He left to continue his "grand exploration" - whatever that means.

Memories, Mannerisms, and Quirks

1) Mavos is constantly writing his own performance scripts to the point of being a bit oblivious to the world around him.

2) Forever ingrained in his head are the last words his mother ever said to him. "Your father is a cheat and a scoundrel, and the earth will swallow him good!"

3) Mavos believes that "perfect squares" (1, 4, 9, 16, 25) are the root of all evil, and avoids them whenever he can.

Background - Family/Class/Profession/Institutions

Family: Yethander and Izela are alive, as far as Mavos is concerned. His mother left about a year before he did, and his father is most likely rotting in prison.

Class: Commoner.

Profession: Sword Swallowing, Juggling, Story Telling

Institutions: Besides what his mother and father taught him, Mavos is self-taught.

Drives - Primary/Secondary/Tertiary

Primary: Heroism - Heralding the words his mother told him, Mavos wishes to do good in the world. Protecting those who can't stand up for themselves is the way of a hero, after all.

Secondary: Curiosity - The Weave is a strange thing, and Mavos wishes to learn why it chose him.

Tertiary: Passion - The Circus is one of the few things from his childhood that Mavos clings to as entertainment. The bigger the stage, the more exciting it would be to perform.

Goals - Short-Term/Medium-Term/Long-Term

Short-Term: Find a new family to live with, people Mavos can trust.

Medium-Term: Learn the secrets of the Weave.

Long-Term: Travel the road as a scholar who's tales will land him in a book someday.

Character Sheet

Name: Mavos
Title: The Chronicler's Steel
Race: Human
Languages: Revi
Background: Wanderer
Class: Mage (Elementalist)

STR: 8 (+0)
DEX: 12 (+0)
CON: 13 (+0)
INT: 9 (+0)
WIS: 11 (+0)
CHA: 14 (+1)

HP: 4/4

AC: 10

Physical: 15
Evasion: 15
Mental: 14
Luck: 15

Base Attack Bonus: +0

Skills:
Survive - 0
Sneak - 0
Magic - 0
Stab - 0
Performance - 0

Foci: Close Combatant (Stab)

Readied (2/4)
Dagger 1d4 1/AC 15 Dex 30/60 S, T, PM 1
5x Throwing Blade 1d4 None Dex 30/60 S, T, N 1
Clothes, fine
Boots

Stowed (6/8)
50ft Rope
3x Torch
Rations, 1 Week

---

Mage Spells
Jacob's Ladder (The Coruscating Coffin) (P)
Resonant Thought (Imperceptible Cerebral Divulgence) (P)
Songsword Lullaby (The Wind of the Final Repose) (P)
My Sword Is Your Shield! (The Long Amber Moment)

Effort: 2/2
Max Level: 1
Spells Cast: 1
Spells Prepared: 3
-------
Arts
Elemental Resilience
Elemental Sparks
Elemental Blast

---

Money: 16sp 4cp

Stat Rolls: STATS [3d6]=8

STATS [3d6]=9

STATS [3d6]=13

STATS [3d6]=9

STATS [3d6]=11

STATS [3d6]=11

Background Rolls: [1d6]=1 GROWTH [1d6]=3 GROWTH [1d8]=6 LEARNING

Gold Roll: STATS [3d6]=13 (I KNOW IT SAYS STATS LOOK I CLICKED THE WRONG THING REEE)

HP Roll: [1d6]=5 HP

[Chanchabruhh]

.

[Eintei]

Cassia Isaurica, the Merchant's Daughter

Background

Background and Concept Elements

Cassia, 21, is the oldest daughter of Darius Isaurica and Emilia Isaurica, two of the most renowned art traders in the capital of Revi with a specialization in statues and statuettes. Having been raised to take over the business eventually, she has put that plan on hold for now and is traveling to 'find herself', as her mother euphemistically calls it.
She grew up in the capital of Revi and has never lived anywhere else. Almost all of her time was spent in the merchants' quarters or in the upper middle class housing district. She's seen a few other cities accompanying her parents on their business trips, most importantly Calavuna and Akraste, but she's only really familiar with their merchants and their tourist attractions.
Being the oldest of three children, it has always been clear that Cassia would grow up to play a role in her parents' business and hopefully take it over one day. Her parents spoiled her rotten and for the first sixteen years of her life, Cassia's life was without any worries. As soon as she was old enough, her parents got her the best education their income could buy and Cassia spent most of her childhood studying. All topics were covered, from basic arithmetic and literature to art history and how to create paint. And then the day came that she turned sixteen and would start by helping her parents, eventually morphing into a full-fledged proper merchant. Sadly, after four years of trying, it turned out that she was just not good at it.
She could talk people into sealing a deal (in fact, she was extraordinarily good at that), but that was it. Every time she tried to do the books, she'd either end up with huge losses or so much money that most definitely a few expenses were missed. Inventory would go missing or art pieces would show up out of nowhere. After four years of trying, during which it only became slightly better, she and her parents decided that it was probably best for everyone that she would take a minor supporting role in the business at best.
No one really knew why Cassia was so bad at it, considering she wasn't particularly bad at studying. Cassia, however, knew the answer, even though she would never admit it to her parents: it was too much effort. She had never really had to put effort into anything, and the moment her lack of effort ended in a failure, she decided to just give up. Because if you don't put in any effort, failure doesn't really count, is what she told herself.
That didn't stop Cassia from being at a loss. Having spent most of her adolescence getting ready to follow in her parents' footsteps, she felt adrift. After spending a year rolling in and out of random jobs, none of which went particularly well, she and her parents eventually decided she would travel a bit. The goal was twofold: for the sheltered and spoiled Cassia to see some of the world, but also for her to trace a statuette that her family has been looking for for a while. Said to be cursed, it has been in high demand amongst some of her parents' less... savory clients. As making connections was about the only thing Cassia was really good at, the three of them decided she was the perfect person to go through their network and hopefully find the owner and convince them to sell it.
She has been on the road for a while now, traveling from Revi to Anfeli. Though she has tried her best to follow the advice of her parents, who were seasoned travelers, it hasn't really worked out. She's made it to Anfeli, but it took her much longer than she had to and she's found the whole experience exhausting. Although she has managed to stay safe, she found it a lonely and unpleasant ordeal. As such, she's decided to make it her first priority to find someone to accompany her, at least for a while.

Goals

On paper, Cassia's goal is to find an artifact that her parents have been chasing for years. It's a small statue of an ancient priest of Ervenmon, which was said to be corrupted by a demonic force. No one really knows if that's true, but the statue is famous among art collectors and those interested in the occult. It disappeared off the face of the earth about fifty years ago, however, and although many have claimed to have seen it, none could back that up with physical proof. 
Internally, Cassia also has another goal: figure out what she wants to do with her life. Unsure about her place in her family and simultaneously unwilling to go back into the merchant business, she's going through a bit of a quarter life crisis. She hopes to find some answers outside of her own little rich bubble.

Secrets

Having worked for her parents, Cassia has had some insights in their business partners. While they generally operate on the right side of the law, they have some... questionable informants who seem to know just a bit too much about certain stolen art pieces. Cassia isn't really thrilled about both the fact that her parents do this and the fact that she's aware of it. Still, she will keep it hidden at any cost, terrified of losing her family.
One of those business contacts has already caused trouble for her family, though Cassia doesn't know that yet. During her short stint of doing inventory, she lost a collection of valuable vases which were supposed to be sold in the name of the Geminius family, a large influential family with ties to the underworld. Her parents took the fall for her and never told her how serious the repercussions of her mistake were, but as a result they are now in debt. Though normally well-off, this debt is so much that the Isaurica family struggles to repay it. Cassia's parents naively assumed that because they took on the debt, Cassia would be left alone. However, that isn't quite what is happening - both Cassia and her family are watched from the shadows by the Geminius family, until they see a chance to get their money back. Preferably peacefully, but if it takes too long, less peacefully might also be an option.

People Tied to Character

Cassia has been relatively sheltered for most of her life and socializing was mostly done with her family. Cassia included, her immediate family consists of five people: Cassia herself, her father Felix (51), her mother Sylvana (49), and her younger twin brothers, Marius and Julius (15). She is closest to her father Felix, who does inventory, does the books and researches interesting leads for possible new wares. He's calm and collected, bordering on aloof, and has a well-earned reputation as one of the most intelligent merchants in the business. Some of Cassia's fondest memories are of the two of them sitting together with him telling stories of all of the statues and art pieces in the warehouse. He wasn't the most emotionally available parent, however, and even though he's trying, he's not great at it.
She's less close to her mother, Sylvana, who is the face of the whole operation. Sylvana, is beautiful, friendly and very, very good at twisting the truth in her favour. While she was always the emotionally attentive parent, Cassia has always picked up on this lack of truthfulness from her mother, leading to some distance between them.
Marius and Julius are twins that are not alike in any way. Julius is hyperactive, extroverted and a troublemaker, while Marius is quiet, introverted and can usually be found in the library. Due to the age difference, Cassia was never particularly close to them, though she and Julius got along very well whenever they got around to it. Now that Cassia has seemingly failed, Felix and Sylvana have pinned their hopes on the twins to take over the business. Marius, who doesn't really feel like making a decision about his life anyway, is much more excited about this than Julius is, who would've preferred to forge his own path.
In addition to her family there is Cadmus, her art history tutor. He is a friend of the family and Cassia considers him a mentor of sorts. She's also good friends with Aurelia, his daughter, a music-loving girl with a deep love for nature. Aurelia is the main person Cassia wants to stay in touch with besides her family, even while she's on the road.
Unbeknownst to Cassia, she's not the only one on the chase for the demonic statuette. One of her parents' competitors/business partners, a young man named Emilian, has also caught wind of it and is currently chasing it as well. Cassia has met him before and butted heads with him a few times while she still worked for her parents. While neither of them are really willing to do anything illegal, they don't particularly like each other and will try to obstruct the other in their search.

Memories, Mannerisms, and Quirks

Cassia, one could argue, was raised to be the perfect saleswoman. She's welcoming, extroverted and goes out of her way to make people feel at ease. It's all rather scripted if you look at it closely enough, but most of her parents' affluent clients are far too self-absorbed to notice. It's not completely an act, though - Cassia does genuinely enjoy learning about other people and their interests. The training comes in the part where she effortlessly - though not happily - exaggerates and withholds information as her mother has taught her is useful.
Her parents put a lot of emphasis on luxury and outward appearances. As a result, she's used to her stuff and surroundings being nice and comfortable, a preference she hasn't quite fully shed yet after her first few days of traveling. In a similar vein, she's not all that interested in working hard. She'll do it if she has to, but only if she can't find a way to do it with less effort. She's also somewhat clueless about how people with less money than she her family live their life, which has made her struggle with her time on the road until now.
Cassia has two strong interests. The first one is dance, which she found the most interesting of all her etiquette lessons. If you'd let her, she'll dance all night. Secondly, she has a strong interest in the occult and any gods outside of Ervemnon. She's spent hours studying every imported art piece in her parents' warehouse, learning their stories. She's really knowledgeable about other countries' mythology as a result, though she will try to keep it hidden as much as she can to avoid any scrutiny from the outside world.

Institutions

Cassia is a known face amongst merchants' guilds, having attended their parties and bring-your-daughter-to-the-guild-days ever since she was a teenager. In addition to that, she has some acquaintances in the art world, both artists themselves and art supply suppliers.

Drives

Primary: Security - Cassia, who is feeling adrift, is searching for ways to feel secure in this world, both physically and internally.
Secondary: Connection - She wants to know all about the world and especially the people who inhabit it.
Tertiary: Money - She was raised with the idea that money is power, and she will always chase having at least enough to do the things she wants to do.

Goals - Short-Term/Medium-Term/Long-Term

Short-Term: Find her footing on the road and find a group to travel with

Medium-Term: Search for the demonic statuette

Long-Term: Find a way to pay off her parents' debt, either by with the demonic statue or otherwise, and find what she wants to do with her life. Can be either staying with the mercenaries if she's happy, or find a workplace and stay there.

Character Rolls

[3d6]=9[3d6]=8[3d6]=11[3d6]=10[3d6]=12[3d6]=15
swap 8/DEX for 14
Background: Merchant
Growth rolls: [1d6]=4[1d6]=1
Growth roll: [1d8]=6

Ability scores:
STR: 9
DEX: 14
CON: 11
INT: 10
WIS: 12
CHA: 18
Skill: Trade (0), Know (0)

Class: Expert

Foci: - Cultured (Connect 0)
- Well Met

Free skill: Craft (0)

HP: [1d6]=2

Base attack bonus: 0

Equipment package: Gentry Wayfarer + Crossbow + 20 arrows (leaving 8 silver coins)

Short sword: -1, Damage: 1d6+1, Shock 2/AC 15
Crossbow: +1 , Damage: 1d10+1

AC: 14 with shield, 13 without shield

Saving Throws:
Physical: 15
Evasion: 14
Mental: 13
Luck: 15