__________________QUICK STATS
NameLanuola (Lah-noo-OH-la) or Lani
Age 24
Gender Female
Species Human
Ethnicity Duhjari (Mostly. Probably)
Height 5'9"
Orientation Bisexual
Occupation Slave
Residence Essyrn

__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description
Lani has nut brown skin and deep chestnut hair cut in a choppy bob to frame her face and often shot through with a myriad of small braids. Her eyes are large, almond shaped, and so deep a blue they almost appear black, set above sharp cheekbones and a thin blade of a nose. She'd built tall and strong, covered in lean muscle honed from years of fighting, but still curvy.

Even before she was a slave, Lani tended to prefer practical clothing over fashionable, usually wearing just a tunic and breeches. If she every wore adornments, they were simple bracelets or chokers.

She bares many scars, but the most obvious is a long slash that stretched from her right shoulder across her back to her left hip.

Personality
Once upon a time she was a bold, reckless, and life-loving person. Parts of that personality can still be seen, occasionally, but the glimpses are few and far between. Since becoming a slave, Lani had hardened herself in order to survive.

Nowadays she's more standoffish than anything else- not likely to attack you for looking at her funny, but not easily willing to accept new people into her life either. Despite this, she had a rapier wit and slightly inappropriate timing with her sense of humor: her caustic comments have gotten her beaten on more than one occasion, but she just can't seem to help herself.

Magic/Abilities
Lani has a connection to horses that at first seems like a simple "knack"; however her ability almost allows her to speak to them, and she can work miracles with a troubled animal. It is unclear whether or not this trait is actually magical in origin.

She is a skilled fighter, most adept with a bow but able to use just about any weapon placed in her hands and pretty lethal in hand-to-hand combat as well.

Relationships
None. Her family is gone, or as good as.

History
Born to a nomadic tribe of horsemen in the Serha Plains, Lani was raised solely by her father as her mother died in childbirth. Her father was the chief of the raiding band, and he taught her to ride, hunt, and fight almost as soon as she could walk. She had a natural aptitude for all three, but preferred to spend time with her horse whenever possible.

All things considered she had a fairly normal and pleasant childhood, at least for someone who grew up the way she did. Growing into her teens it became clear she was a bit of a flirt, and she wasn't shy about showing her affections. At seventeen she managed to rein herself in somewhat though, striking up a monogamous relationship with another young woman in the band, Nemiera.

That was about the time everything went wrong. Her father became sick from an infected wound, and soon was unable to lead. As his daughter, it was expected she take over, at least until a proper leader could be chosen. He died before that could happen, and the band dissolved into chaos. Forced to fight for her right not only to lead the tribe, but even stay a part of it, Lani was challenged to an "honor circle".

Pit against twenty some of her tribe's strongest fighters, all grown men and women, she didn't stand a chance. She held her own for a while, but a wound to her back was nearly fatal and she fell. She doesn't remember much of what happened next, but one moment someone was standing over her with a sword, ready to take her head, the next Nemeira was there, taking the fatal blow herself.

Everything after that is a blur. The next thing Lani remembers, she was bound hand and foot and being trader to another raiding band as a slave. From there, she was bounced around to Essyrn, then traded from master to master until finally she was placed in the fighting pits at twenty-one, where she's been ever since.

Her personality means that no one really wants to take responsibility for her, but her skill in the arena makes her a desirable prize, so she'd often traded and sold, never having one master for longer than a few months.

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Guard duty was boring.

Maka was taking her third shift in a row as the merchant caravan's "hired muscle" and it wasn't the lack of sleep that had her yawning but the sheer boredom. Gods, she almost wished someone would try to pull a quick heist, or maybe a group of slavers would attack.

At least she would have something to do.

Yawning again, she leaned back against the covered wagon she was guarding, twirling her staff idly in one hand while her eyes swept over the darkened plains. So far the most dangerous thing she'd dealt with on this job was a pride of hunting cats, and all it took to scare them off was some shouting and torch waving.

She glanced over her shoulder, wondering- not for the first time- just what was so damned important that her employer felt the need to hire a mercenary to guard it on the way to Essyrn. But she'd been told that information was strictly "need to know". She wrinkled her nose, planting one end of her staff into the ground with a soft thud.

I could just take a quick peek, she mused to herself. No one would know the difference.... Then she sighed and put the idea from her mind. With her luck, somehow she'd be caught, and fired. And gods knew she couldn't afford to lose this job, she needed the money.

So she settled back with a sigh, preparing for another long night of boredom.

One should always have a backup plan.

It was something Tara had learned early in her life, and it was one of the few lessons she could say had yet to fail her. So when she'd come to the little inn at the corner of town and discovered that she didn't have enough money to pay for a room, she offered to sing for her supper.

Literally.

She sat by the hearth fire, strumming lightly on her lyre and singing an old but still popular ballad- daring fights, epic quests, great treasure, true love, all the crowd pleasers. The people in the taproom seemed to be almost entranced, leaning in to listen to the music.

She spared a small smile every time someone dropped a coin into the open purse at her feet, nodding gratefully. But even so her eyes constantly scanned the room, wary.

Always have a backup plan, and never let down your guard.

Finishing her song, she stood and gave a little bow, smiling at the soft applause. She moved toward the bar, scooping up her now jingling purse as she did. It had been a long day- or rather, another long day in a series of long days, all seeming to lead to nowhere- and gods did she need a drink.

"Wine, if you have it," she told the barkeep, "ale if you don't." He nodded and took the coins she tossed him. With a soft sigh Tara settled herself onto a stool, slinging her instrument back into the pack strung over her shoulder.

__________________QUICK STATS
Name Ilycia Alcherein AKA Lyssa
Age 21
Gender Female
Species Human with heavy fae heritage
Ethnicity Serenian
Height 5'3"
Orientation Heterosexual
Occupation Librarian
ResidenceArca



Credit: my awkward sketchbook

__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description
Lyssa's fae and Serenian heritage is quite evident in her soft teal skin, mint green eyes, and gently pointed ears. She keeps her wavy, deep maroon hair at a medium length that falls just below her shoulders. Her features are sharply defined, though her nose it perhaps a bit too long for conventional beauty, with high cheekbones and full lips.

She tends to dress a bit more liberally than would maybe be expected of a librarian, often wearing two-piece garments that expose the myriad of deep green-gray tattoos swirled across her stomach and back. The tattoos are actually one long, vining design that starts at the edge of her left eye and forehead, then trails down her neck and over her shoulders and arms to twine around the rest of her body, ending on her upper thighs.

A pair of gold wire rimmed spectacles are perpetually perched on the edge of her nose or tucked up into her hair- which is of course where they are when she can't find them.

Personality
Lyssa is a kindhearted and soft spoken young woman with an easy smile and always willing to lend a helping hand. A bit shy, if she can be coaxed out of her shell she enjoys lengthy discussions about- well, just about anything, as long as both participants are passionate about it.

She has a fondness for animals and small children, often leaving scraps for the strays that have learned to gather at the back door of the city library (both two- and four-legged).

Magic/Abilities
Lyssa has a rather odd magical ability that allows her to conjure anything into being- anything at all- as long as she writes it down (which is why she always carries around quill and parchment). How long her "conjures" last is dependent upon what they are; inanimate objects seem to be indefinite while living things will disappear eventually. The larger the life form (the more energy it requires), the sooner it will disappear.

Relationships
Family: Her parents, Akrian and Tiamet Alcherein, retired mages who live in a small cottage in the Riverlands.

Her paternal grandparents are dead, and while her maternal grandparents are still alive she has never met them; they are of reasonable nobility, and disowned Tiamet when she married a commoner.

History
Raised by parents who were powerful mages, Lyssa was disappointed as a child when it seemed she had no magical ability to speak of. That is, until she learned to read and write and her strange gift became apparent.

She calls her ability "Script Magic", and spent a majority of her teenage years trying to learn more about it. She never really socialized, always holed up in her room with her books. When she turned eighteen, her parents recommended she travel to Arca to perhaps search the larger libraries in the city (and hopefully meet some people).

Though at first she was overwhelmed by the city, she eventually got a job as a librarian, where she has been working peacefully and contentedly for several years.

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__________________QUICK STATS
Name Makani AKA Maka
Age 24
Gender Female
Species Human
Ethnicity Half Thanati, half Serenian
Orientation Heterosexual
Height 5'6"
Occupation Mercenary
Residence Anywhere and nowhere

__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description
Maka inherited her mother's caramel skin and her father's ebony hair, which she prefers to keep long and loose. Her eyes are large, almond shaped, and a deep amethyst in color, so dark that in a certain light they can be mistaken for black, set above sharp cheekbones and a full mouth.

Though not incredibly tall, she manages to strike an imposing figure simply by the way she carries herself. It probably helps that her preferred clothing is a simply black ensemble that should be nondescript but instead comes across as rather sinister.

She is never seen without her distinctive choker, a soft blue stone set in a simple leather band.

Personality
Maka is quiet, but not necessarily for lack of something to say. Rather than shy, she is calculating, always aware of her surroundings and how she might use them to benefit herself. She seems to be in a constant state of annoyance, sort of glowering at the world around her.

If you manage to get her to talk however, you may discover that she has a surprisingly sharp wit and- even more startling- a bright and easy smile. She's spent a long time learning to hide her emotions, but if she's comfortable with a person she can actually be a good deal of fun. But there is always a subtle sorrow lurking behind her eyes, waiting for the smile to fade.

Magic/Abilities
Necromancy: Maka has the power to speak to, raise, and control the dead. It is an unwanted gift, one that chills even her, and she avoids using it whenever possible.

Weapons: She is very skilled with the staff she carries across her back constantly, which opens in the center to become two long blades that she can wield with equal prowess.

She can wield a scythe with equal, if not greater, prowess, though she rarely uses this weapon (mostly because they're not subtle).

Relationships
None that matter anymore.

History
Maka was born in a small coastal village in Thanatos. Her father was a Serenian sailor who had settled down on the island, her mother a local. For seven years she had a relatively normal childhood, playing and growing with the other village children, learning to swim in the cold sea and the fastest way to climb trees.

But as she grew, it became apparent that she was different from the others. She could often be seen chattering away cheerfully to thin air, or simply staring quite attentively at nothing at all. In her sleep she would muttered in a strange language neither of her parents understood; worried for her daughter, her mother purchased a charm that was meant to bring health and good fortune, creating a necklace out of it and giving it to Maka on her seventh birthday.

A few days later, Maka's grandmother died. It was not exactly a surprise- she was an old woman who'd lived a full life- but of course her family was grieving her loss. All except Maka, who could not seem to understand why everyone missed her grandmother so much. "But she's right there," she would say, pointing to the empty air.

Now truly afraid for their child, Maka's parents called on a temple and asked them to test the girl, thinking- hoping- that perhaps she was a Soul Speaker. To their horror, they learned that the girl was in fact a necromancer, able not only to speak to the dead but to raise and control them as well.

They did their best to keep Maka's powers hidden, but when she was ten she slipped. While playing in the tidal caves with some of the other children, they stumbled across the mostly decayed remains of several sailors whose ship must have wrecked decades ago. Morbidly fascinated, the children dared each other to go closer and closer. When it was Maka's turn, she walked fearlessly toward the skeletons and reached out to touch them.

And they moved.

It was just a shudder, no more than a breath rattled through old bones, but it was enough to send the children shrieking back to their parents. Barely hours later, an angry hoard of villagers descended on their home, demanding the "devil child" be brought out. Maka's parents refused, and when they failed to talk the crowd down her mother urged her to run into the bamboo forests and hide. She obeyed, reluctantly, and scarce minutes later she saw hungry flames licking toward the sky.

She never saw her parents again.

Now orphaned, Maka managed to stow away on a ship to the mainland, not knowing where she planned to go or what she planned to do. She fell in with a group of street urchins in Serendipity, all under the control of an ex-mercenary. She learned to steal, to fight, and to kill all before she turned eighteen, at which time she set out on her own.


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Serena was having quite a nice day until her cat decided to attack her.

She was in her garden, behind the small cottage she called home, weeding between the herbs when suddenly a black blur flashed in her peripheral vision. Before she could do anything, the tom cat slammed into her shoulder with a shrieking "Rrroow!"

The sudden attack knocked her off balance and she fell into the dirt, paws and tail patting at her face. "What the-?! Sorren!" she shouted, somehow managing to get her hands around the wriggling, furry body and holding him at arm's length. She glowered at him and he stared back with baleful golden eyes, yowling.

"What has gotten in to you?" she demanded, getting to her feet. Though the black tom didn't answer, she felt a nudge at her legs through her skirts and looked down to see Blaze winding around her. The orange tabby blinked up at her and mewed quietly.

"Well there are other ways of getting my attention," she grumbled in response, letting Sorren jump from her arms to the ground. "What's the problem then? Where's Jasmine?"

The two toms meowed and wound around her legs, urging her into the trees. "Alright, alright, I'm coming," she muttered, hiking her skirt up to tuck into her belt so she could move more easily. Satisfied that she was following, her cats set off, slipping easily through the underbrush that she had to clamber over or around.

After a few minutes of walking, Sorren and Blaze suddenly stopped, tails high and ears perked. Serena stopped as well, sniffing the air like an animal.

Blood. She smelled blood. Realizing that her familiars must have fetched her to help some injured animal or another, she bent to pet their heads and moved forward, saying, "Good boys." She moved toward a gap in the trees where the unfortunate creature must be either trapped or too tired to move.

"Mrrow?"

Serena smiled, holding out her arms for the small gray cat to jump into. "Good girl, Jaz," she said quietly, edging between the trees to get closer to her new patient.

Then she actually saw her patient, and her eyebrows shot up. "Oh..."

Gwen was flying.

She leaned low over the colt's neck, shortening the reins to keep his head in control, and laughed as the wind tore her hair back behind her like a crimson banner. She could feel the horse breathing underneath her, his hooves thundering in time with her heart.

"Alright, that's enough! Pull him back!"

At her father's command she sat back in the saddle and put a light pressure on the reins, bringing the colt down to a canter. "He wants to run," she called, glancing over at where Adrian Cooper leaned against the paddock fence. "He'll need a rider who either knows how to control him or will just give him his head and hang on." She brought him back to a trot with a little effort. He tossed his head and snorted, raring to go.

Her father nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. Some fancy trader from Essyrn will be here to look at him and the other two soon. Walk him for a bit, then untack and scrub him down."

She nodded, leaning forward to pat the colt's neck. "Good boy," she murmured. His ears flicked back, showing he was listening as they slowed to a walk. "Good boy, Blaze." Technically the horse had no name yet- whoever bought him would give him one- but privately she named him from the streak of white across his chestnut face.

Adrian was walking back to the stables, probably getting the next colt for her to work out. She walked Blaze in another circle of the paddock and dismounted, walking to his head and stroking his neck. "Yes, you're a fine boy," she crooned, turning to lead him out of the ring. "Whoever buys you is lucky."

Suddenly she paused, her eyes lighting on a figure approaching the stables.

__________________QUICK STATS
Name Serena
Age 28
Gender Female
Species Half-demon, grew up believing herself human
Ethnicity Unclear
Height 5'4"
Orientation Bisexual
Occupation Witch
Residence Niahi Woods



Credit: my awkward sketchbook

__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description
Serena's hair- kept in a short, curly bob- is prematurely white, which makes her seem older than she is at first glance. She has heterochromia, meaning her left eye is green and the right gold, which can be a little off putting. She has a neutral skin tone with a light smattering of freckles that are mostly invisible. She likes to wear rather dramatic robes, both for the effect they have and because they're comfortable, which tend to hide her rather curvy figure.

Personality
Serena is a bit...eccentric. Living by yourself in the woods can lead to a few strange behaviors, but she's always been a little off. She's still a sweetheart, but if she occasionally stops talking in the middle of a conversation to observe a spider spinning a web for several minutes, well who can blame her?

Despite her eccentricity, people seem to be drawn to her and trust her easily, which she uses to her advantage to make her living. She always helps those in need however, accepting gifts of food or homemade clothing as easily as coin.

Magic/Abilities
Most of Serena's magic comes from potions and charms, but she does have an internal magic she uses to activate her spells and cast small enchantments.

Relationships
Family: Her grandmother, the woman who raised her, now deceased. Her father, living, an unnamed demon.

Familiars: Jasmine, a small gray she-cat with blue eyes. Blaze, a large, orange tabby tom cat with green eyes. Sorren, a lithe black tom cat with gold eyes.


History
Not much is known about Serena before she moved into a small, abandoned cottage near the edge of the Niahi Woods five years ago. Since then, she'd made a bit of her name for herself selling lucky charms and love potions and the like.

The reason not much is known about Serena, that she doesn't talk much about her past, is because she simply doesn't remember it. Before she found her cottage, she woke up in the Niahi Woods with no memory of where she was, how she got there, or even who she was. Strangely, all she knew was that she could do magic.

She stumbled across the abandoned cottage and spent the night in the cold and drafty house. When she woke the next morning, a small gray cat was sleeping curled against her side. This odd process repeated itself the following two nights, first with Blaze, then with Sorren. With the help of her new familiars, she began to patch up the cottage until it was livable.

When her first costumer stumbled upon her strange little home and asked her name, "Serena" came out of her mouth before she could think.

Recently, she's learned that she came from a small village at the northeastern edge of the Niahi. When a strange illness swept through the town and she and her witch grandmother were unable to cure it, a "witch hunter" arrived and took advantage of the people's fear and grief to frame the two women. Her grandmother was captured and hung, and Serena was chased from the town, falling from a cliff and losing her memory in the process.

Gradually, her memories have begun to return to her in snatches of dreams and "visions".

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Heeeeeeyyyy,

So, I decided to ignore the voice in my head screaming, "STOP IT YOU HAVE ENOUGH F***KING CHARACTERS! JEEZ!" and now I have Gwen, a recently turned vampire. I'd like to do a thread with her and her sire, preferably  including how and why she was turned (which I'm open to plotting out in a variety of ways).

Anyone have a vamp they could use? :)

__________________QUICK STATS
Name Gwendolyn Cooper
Age 20 (now for eternity)
Gender Female
Species Vampire
Ethnicity Serenian
Height 5'3"
Orientation Heterosexual
Occupation Stable hand, once
Residence Serendipity (but can be basically anywhere)

__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description
Gwen has fair skin and wavy, crimson hair that falls to the middle of her back, usually tied back and out of her face. Her eyes are blood red, a trait she possessed even before she was turned that most people found somewhat off putting- which is sort of a pity, because she's actually quite stunning with delicately sculpted features and full lips. Her body is well muscled from years of working with horses and curvy.

She favors breeches and loosely fitting shirts, really anything that's easy to ride in. When her mother insists, however, she will don a slightly fancier riding habit- which usually needs a serious wash by the time she's done with it.

Personality
A fun loving, spirited young woman, Gwen seems to bring life wherever she goes (or at least she did). She constantly needs to be moving, working, doing something. Though she prefers the company of horses, she's not completely unsociable and can be quite charming when the mood strikes her, and always sassy.

Since she was turned however, she is mostly just sullen and bitter, though occasionally her old personality shines through.

Magic/Abilities
As a human, Gwen's only real gift was her knack with horses.

As a vampire, she is faster, stronger, and has better senses than a human, as well as having a minor ability to mesmerize her prey. She is still a fledgling though, so she's not incredibly powerful.

Relationships
Family: Adrian and Jolene, parents she hasn't seen since she was turned.

Sire: Lorian Croft, a vampire who was once in a great position of power but for "reasons unknown" seems to have fallen from grace, as it were. He seduced and turned Gwen, keeping her in his thrall for several months before the girl grew strong enough to break the sire bond and she's been running from him since.

History
(WIP)

Adrian Cooper is a horse trainer, and once Gwen was old enough she started trailing along after him every time he went to work. When it became clear that she had a gift with the animals, Adrian started using her to help train and care for the horses, and they were quite successful for a while.

Then vampire things happened...

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__________________QUICK STATS
Name Gavin Hawke
Age 30
Gender Male
Species Human
Ethnicity Serenian, mostly
Height 5'10"
Orientation Homosexual
Occupation Falconer
Residence Serendipity

__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description
Gavin has mocha skin and sandy blond hair shot through with copper and bronze highlights cut in a feathery sort of style that frames his face. His build falls solidly into the category of "lanky", which he was awkward about as a boy but has grown into rather himself nicely. He has warm brown eyes set over a decidedly hooked nose and an easy smile.

He also sports an assortment of tattoos along his arms, usually kept hidden under long sleeves. They vary from looping, abstract designs to birds' wings spread in flight to random phrases curling around his biceps that would be nonsense to anyone but him.

Personality
Gavin is easy going for the most part, which only changes if someone is really getting on his nerves. Even then his temper blows out easily. He's a bit awkward socially, preferring to spend his time with his birds, but he doesn't object to the company of other two-leggers every once in a while.

Magic/Abilities
Gavin can communicate with birds, most easily birds of prey, but others as well. The longer he knows a specific animal, the stronger the bond between them grows and the more easily they can understand one another. Also, birds he interacts with seem to live longer, which is another reason he's popularly sought out to train hunting hawks.

Relationships
Smoke, a peregrine falcon he raised from an egg and who is his constant companion.

History
Gavin had a fairly normal childhood; he grew up on a farm and so spent plenty of time outdoors, which is how he discovered his gift with birds. When he was about thirteen, he thought he could make a little extra money for the house by training birds for the local nobles and hunters and such.

He made more than just a "little extra", and decided to travel to expand his clientele. By the time he was twenty, he'd established quite a name for himself.

Unfortunately, that was when his parents fell sick and he returned home to care for them. After six months of futile nursing, they passed away peacefully, one right after the other. Though Gavin was of course grieving, there was now nothing tying him to his hometown.

So he left.

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__________________QUICK STATS
Name Verik Ares
Age 29
Gender Male
Species Human
Ethnicity Adelan
Height 6'0"
Orientation Homosexual
Occupation Dragonrider Soldier
Residence Adela

__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description
Verik is tall and and broad, covered in muscle from military training. He has earthy green eyes and keeps his dark brown hair cropped very close to his skull. His skin is a dark copper shade, latticed with scars of varying sizes.

Personality
Blunt would be a good word, a bit crude but generally well-meaning. He says what he thinks and doesn't make excuses for his behavior. He can also hold a grudge like nobody's business, so if you piss him off once you're on his List for life--Of course this is all mostly a defense mechanism. He's incredibly awkward if forced out of his comfort zone, so he does his best to make sure that never happens.

Being a soldier, he doesn't exactly have a bleeding heart. He can't afford to. That doesn't mean he's emotionless however; he's actually quite fond of children, and has several nieces and nephews he spoils.

Magic/Abilities
A powerful fighter, trained with an ax, a sword, and a bow (he prefers the ax).

No magical abilities to speak of.

Relationships
Family: Bane, his dragon, a forest green creature with a lighter underbelly and bronze wing membrane, horns, spikes, and claws.

Ilianna, his sister (she basically looks like the female version of Verik--people always assume they're twins, even though she's four years his elder), his brother-in-law Joran, and their three children, Mika, Tali, and Verrin.

History
(WIP)
Born and raised in Adela, Verik only ever wanted to be a dragonrider. He entered military training at the age of twelve and was paired with Bane.

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__________________QUICK STATS
NameTarren Puck, usually just goes by Puck
Age Unclear, fairly old
Gender Male
Species Fae
Height Changeable, but in his most common form 5'4"
Orientation Bisexual
Occupation Trickster!
Residence Nomadic

__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description
Tarren's "natural" form is of a young man in his early twenties, with sharp, elfish features, distinctly pointed ears, and lightly tanned skin. He has chestnut hair kept semi-short and bright green eyes. He usually wears clothes in shades of browns and greens to better blend into the trees he favors.

He is, however, a shapeshifter, so he can take whatever form he wants- literally any form, as long as it's a living thing, be it animal or human or whatever.

Personality
Puck is- well, puckish. He revels in chaos and enjoys creating it, but he's not exactly malevolent. Mostly he sticks to relatively harmless tricks and well-meaning mischief. Occasionally he can overstep and cause real harm. Which doesn't seem to bother him too much.

A bored Tarren Puck is a dangerous thing.

Magic/Abilities
Shapeshifting and creating illusions

Relationships
None really. At some point he must have had parents- or something- but that was so long ago he's forgotten.

History
Sort of unclear. He's been around a while, so he must have some stories, but none he's willing to share.

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[Open by request, please PM]

"So your name is...Scrimshank." Isabeau looked up at the raggedy man who stood before her, reeking of alcohol. Beard untrimmed and brimming with leftover bits of...something that she dearly hoped was food, eyes blurred and set too far back in his skull, weaving where he stood, he was the epitome of "lowlife".

"Yes'm, Cap'n," the man slurred. "And lemme tell ya, I'm the besht damn sailor this side o'...o'..." he trailed off, frowning and mouthing soundlessly.

"Yes, well." She clapped her hands onto the table and gave him a bright smile. "We'll be in touch, sir."

He beamed at her, revealing he was missing over half his teeth, and wove his way across the crowded tavern to the table he'd originated from. Isabeau groaned, dropping her head onto the table they had appropriated early in the evening. "This is hopeless," she muttered, voice muffled. "We've been at this for hours and so far the only half-decent candidate we had decided to get himself knifed over a barmaid!" She gestured listlessly in the direction of the stain where a pool of blood had been wiped off the floor earlier.

Well, no one could say pirates weren't an industrious lot.

"Maybe we should call it a night," she sighed, raising her head and leaning back in her chair. "They're only gonna get more drunk from here on out- and if one more of these sots asks if I want to take a ride on his dinghy so help me gods I'm going to shoot him." She turned her head to look at her first mate, seated beside her.

"What do you think?"

Hey there :)

So I've got this idea floating around in my head and I figured I'd just toss it out there and see if anyone wanted to jump on it: my character Isabeau is a pirate captain, and she needs a crew. Preferably with at least one or two people who don't like her very much (for whatever reason :P).

If you're up for treasure hunting and epic battles at sea and sirens and madcap adventures let me know!

The scent of cheap booze and unwashed human made Jynx wrinkle her nose. She brought her cup to her lips, eyes searching the crowded bar for her employer. No sign of him. Typical. With a sigh, she set her drink down with a thunk and a soft clink of coins as she rose to her feet.

The bartender caught her movements and called, "Leaving so soon, darlin'?"

Jynx smiled. "You couldn't pay me to stay in this hellhole, Rolan." She waved and made her way toward the door while he laughed.

"See ya tomorrow, same time!" he shouted after her over the noise of his drunken clientele.

She rolled her eyes, wishing she could deny it but knowing he was probably right. Then she was outside, the fresh- well, relatively fresh- air hitting her face like a shock of cold water. She stretched her arms over her head and twisted her neck from side to side, cracking it. If her employer wasn't going to meet her where he'd promised, she'd just have to track him down. "Guess it's up to me to be the professional. Again," she muttered to herself, and set off down the street.

__________________QUICK STATS
Name Celestia Rose Slate (nee Varrys); AKA Tessa or Rose/Rosie
Age 21
Gender Female
Species Human
Ethnicity Half Adelan, half Essyrni
Orientation Heterosexual
Height 5'9"
Residence Adela



Credit: my awkward sketchbook (unfortunately the lighting when I took this pic has white-washed her pretty badly >.<)

__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description
Tessa has copper skin, a long sheet of straight black hair (often plaited and piled on top of her head), and almond eyes a shade of gray that can almost be called silver. A bit taller than average and built in a way some might describe as "willowy", she has learned to carry herself with a pride and dignity befitting a princess rather than the single child of a merchant household.

Personality
Since early childhood, Tessa has been a fun loving and carefree soul, if a bit flighty. Her family is well off enough that she always had a few servants to play hide-and-seek with or to teach her to sew and cook- she never grew tired of learning new things, even the stuffy "manners and decorum" classes her mother required she take. Her favorite activity, though, was escaping into her books: adventures, romances, mysteries, anything she could get her hands on was quickly devoured and stored away in her mind forever.

As she grew older however, it was made clear to her that Celestia Rose Varrys must continue on the family legacy; keep the business up, marry rich, raise plenty of new little Varryses, etc. Tessa has no desire to continue her father's business and secretly yearns for a life like the characters have in her books. But she loves her family fiercely and would do anything for them, so if a proper lady is what they need, that's what she'll be.

...Most of the time.

Magic/Abilities
Tessa is an amateur- well, just about everything. Chef, gardener, seamstress, fencer, player, dancer, archer, you name it. She's even learned a bit of magic (just a few basic charms, nothing too fancy).

Sadly, the emphasis is on the word amateur.

Relationships

Tobias Slate, her mate and husband.

Her father, an Adelan merchant by the name of Erik Varrys, met her mother- a beautiful Essyrni woman called Nateri- some twenty-odd years ago while on a business trip in Essyrn. She came back to Adela with him, and the rest is history.

Della, the manor's cook, acted as nursemaid for much of Tessa's childhood, and her eldest daughter Mia is the young woman's personal maid. Her other three children, Micheal, Seth, and Jenny, don't work at the manor but are usually running about underfoot anyway.

Lionel, the steward, and Jacobi, the stable hand, have worked for her parents since before she was born, and both act very much like uncles to her.

Selena and Marion are Nateri's personal maids, and as such were very involved in raising Tessa but now that's she's grown don't interact with her as much. They are still on friendly terms, but more like distant cousins than close aunts.

Andrew is the butler of the Varrys estate, and doesn't really like anybody. Micheal often claims that he's a crotchety old man, despite only being in his late twenties. Tessa avoids him when possible.

Isaac works as gardener for the estate, his older sister Anna as the general housekeeper. Both have only worked for the Varryses for a few years, but they are open and friendly, ingratiating themselves into the dynamic of the household quickly.

History
Born to a wealthy family, Tessa has never lacked for anything in her life. She realizes this, and really does make an effort not to come across as a spoiled brat (most of the time she succeeds). However, she's always felt that the world has something more to offer than the life she knows.

It was this belief that caused her to spend more time with the Varrys household's variety of servants than with children her own age; the people who worked for her father hailed from just about everywhere, and she talked to them as often as she could, soaking up their stories like a little sponge. Most were happy to oblige her, charmed by her childish interest and innocence.

But not everyone liked her family; more than once she or her mother or both have been threatened by rival businesses...

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__________________QUICK STATS
Name Isabeau AKA "That's Captain to you!"
Age 23
Gender Female
Species Human...mostly...probably...
Ethnicity A mutt
Height 5'6"
Orientation Heterosexual
Occupation Pirate
Residence The sea!



Credit: my awkward sketchbook

__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description
Izzie has almost black almond eyes and wavy, dark brown hair with a variety of ribbons, threads, and feathers braided into it. Her skin is naturally olive, with a permanent tan from spending her days on deck in the sun. She has high cheekbones and full lips, the upper one marked by a small scar from an incident involving a sewing needle when she was five. She's of average height and rather curvy (though that's more hips than chest). Her left ear is pierced twice, the right five times, and she's almost always wearing a variety of bangles and arm cuffs.

She has her fair share of scars, mostly small things from misadventures as a child or not being quite quick enough in a fight. She also bears a few small tattoos: the first is of a crescent moon cradling the sun on her left shoulder blade, the second is located on the small of her back, a sparrow (her favorite bird) soaring above a cresting wave, the last a traditional pirates' sigil on her right ankle, with a crossed pair of cutlasses instead on bones under the skull.

Personality
Isabeau is the youngest person ever to captain the Poison Storm, and she sure as hell didn't get there by being soft. Tough as nails and twice as shiny, she can be a bit of a hardass but always has the goodwill of her crew in mind. That said, pirates aren't exactly the most trustworthy bunch, so she's learned to always keep her guard up.

Magic/Abilities
Elemental Magic: She has some control over wind and water, so with a good deal of effort she can ensure her ship's safe passage to just about anywhere.

Weapons: Isabeau uses a cutlass and a dagger, rarely turning to the pistol always holstered at her hip. She happens to be a very good shot, she just prefers to use blades.

Relationships
Family:Her father Abe, whom she occasionally visits.

Crew:
Gar, her first mate and mentor, probably the only person besides her father that she genuinely trusts.

History
Izzie's father, Abraham, was the first mate of Poison Storm and her mother, Idunna, was a seamstress in a port city. They didn't see much of her father when she was growing up, but he always had a pretty trinket and a story when he did visit.

But then her mother got sick, and just wouldn't get better. Her father had been at sea for three months by the time she died, and Isabeau swore she would find him. At the age of eighteen, after several years as a dock hand, she managed to secure passage on a merchant ship she figured would make a good target for the Storm. It turned out she was right, and she was reunited with her father during a raid.

Heartbroken at the news of Idunna's death, Abe took his daughter onto the ship, promising that he would look after her. Which he did, teaching her the ins and outs of the ship while climbing higher on the chain of command until he eventually became captain. Then, when Izzie turned twenty-one, he decided to retire to Yoreiq, leaving the ship in her care.

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__________________QUICK STATS
Name Lula Kenina
Age Physically in her early twenties, "born" fully grown about seven years ago
Gender Female
Species Half djinn, half naiad
Ethnicity Fey
Height 5'6"
Orientation Panromantic ace-spectrum
Occupation Forest Guardian
Residence Draconi Forest

(credit: here)

__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description
In her natural form, Lula takes the shape of a maiden made entirely out of water with a glowing ember visible where her heart should be and flickering flames for eyes. However, she prefers her "flesh form", which has fair skin, long pale blond hair streaked through with blues and greens, and bright yellow orange eyes.

Personality
Lula is protective of the forest where she was born, and will defend it to the death. She loves every creature that lives in her wood and they return the sentiment. She is wary of humans, but if they show now hostility toward her home he natural curiosity shows itself and she becomes quite friendly.

Magic/Abilities
Elemental: The child of spirits of fire and water, Lula can control both elements with relative ease.

Relationships
Aside from the animals in her forest, Lula doesn't really interact with others much. Her father is a wandering djinn and her mother the spirit of a stream that cuts through the Draconi forest, so neither of them are really around much.

History
It was a small thing, the ember in the ice. A tiny heart of fire, glowing faintly in its skin of frozen water at the bottom of the deep pond. If anyone but the brook trout and small turtles and other fish had seen it, they would probably have been amazed that such a thing could exist. They would have perhaps been puzzled by the icy chrysalis, for it was far too warm in the spring-dappled forest for ice. They would have exclaimed in wonderment when, upon further inspection, they realized an actual fire was burning away in the very center of the frozen crystal.

But no one lived in the deepest part of the wood where a babbling brook fed into the large, calm pond save the creatures and the trees. So none but the brook trout and the small turtles and other fish were aware that the ember in the ice even existed. They could sense the strangeness of the thing, but their minds could not comprehend what this strangeness meant. So it simply sat, day after day, at the bottom of the pond, deep in the forest at the foot of the mountains. It sat, and it waited.

It wasn't quite sure what it waited for, but it felt that it must be something important. For though the ember in the ice slept at the bottom of the deep pond, it was awake enough to sense the brook trout and the small turtles and other fish moving above it, and the thirsty roots of the trees that sucked the moisture from the earth around the pond. Many animals came to drink, or to shelter in the shade the trees growing by the water provided, and the ember in the ice felt these too. It knew what the deer were and the foxes and the badgers and the bears and rabbits; it was not knowledge as humans would think of it, but an innate sense of the world around it.

Time passed, and she learned what "time" was. She waited for days, then months, then years. She knew that she was a "she", and she knew what she was. She knew that a naiad lived in the brook that tumbled down from the mountains and fed her pond, and that the naiad's name was Tallulah. She knew that far to the south of her forest home was a vast plain of sand in which a spirit of pure fire, a djinn, had been born. She knew that his name was Nuri, and that from his earliest days the West Wind had called to him, urging him to travel far from his home.

Because djinn were different from other nymphs in that their life source could move with them, he was able to obey the call, taking the form of a dark skinned young man with eyes of glowing orange coals to journey from the desert. She knew that on one such journey, Nuri had come to the northern forests and met Tallulah, and that he had fallen in love with her.

She knew that the naiad had returned Nuri's love, and for a time they had been happy. But the West Wind had called again, ceaselessly insistent, and he had left. Unable to follow, Tallulah had remained in her brook, and slowly she had returned to the way her life was before, and she was able to put the djinn Nuri from her mind.

For what was there to remind her of that love, save an ember wrapped in ice she had hidden in a pond long ago?

"Ah," the ember in the ice thought (and it was the first true thought she had). So that's what I am. A sense of certainty washed through her and she knew that was what she had been waiting for. To know what she was. It had been years since Nuri had left and Tallulah had forgotten, and she knew that it was time for her to be born.


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In The Midst of a Glen

__________________QUICK STATS
Name Damien Zarov
Age 27 when he died
Gender Male
Species Human once, now a revenant
Ethnicity Unclear, probably a Serenian/Connlaothian mix
Height 5'11"
Orientation Heterosexual...maybe...(probably not, but he's not really given it much thought)
Occupation Uh...trying not to eat people...
Residence The ruins of Fell, for the most part

__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description
In life, Damien had skin tanned from work in the sun, sandy blond hair, and bright green eyes. Nowadays, his skin has a pasty deathlike pallor to it and his eyes have dulled to a sort of grayish color. Though tall, he's not particularly bulky, his build leaning more toward "lithe" than "muscled" (this is deceiving, as he's abnormally strong).

Personality
Damien was a scholar and an explorer, naturally curious and good with people. He was a free spirit, and more than a bit of a flirt- which as it turns out, can be a dangerous combination. Since his death however, he's turned into a recluse, avoiding people as much as possible. It's also nearly impossible for his old passions to surface; he's listless and uninterested in just about everything.

Magic/Abilities
Aside from a quick wit, Damien had no particular skills worth mentioning when living.

As a revenant though, he has inhuman strength and speed, as well as the nifty ability to absorb the memories of people he consumes (which he has to do at least once a month to avoid turning into a completely mindless killing machine).

Relationships
Parents, probably. Somewhere.

History
Damien had a pretty normal life (for an explorer) up until he met a very pretty woman at a bar in a dead end town at the age of twenty-five. There was talking, drinking, flirting, and- well, what usually happens after drinking and flirting. And Damien, being the free spirit that his is, skipped out before she even woke up the next morning.

Which was a big mistake. It turns out the pretty girl was a very powerful sorceress. Furious at being jilted, she placed a curse on Damien... And nothing happened.

For two years, nothing happened. Then one day, Damien was killed in a freak carriage accident. When he woke up about an hour later, he caused a bit of stir. Mostly because he attacked the man who had been assigned to take care of his body, tearing his throat out with his bare teeth.

So the curse was revealed: neither living nor dead, Damien is forced to wander aimlessly in a hellish limbo. He can keep his humanity- mostly- if he eats living flesh at least once per cycle of the moon. In an attempt to avoid harming innocents, he mostly stays in or near Fell, only venturing out when he needs to feed. He does his best to track down "baddies" to eat, which can occasionally backfire as he absorbs their memories and some of their personality for a short time.

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