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Messages - nephero

#1
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art by me
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{NAME}
Submit to His Will

{ALIASES}
"Will"

{AGE}
General appearance of a man in his 20s.

{GENDER, SEXUALITY}
Male, homosexual

{SPECIES/ETHNICITY}
Vampire; previously human, Serenian

{HEIGHT/BUILD}
5'10", slinky

{OCCUPATION}
Pirate, murderer, thief

{RESIDENCE}
A pirate ship full of weirdos like him, probably has a cool name and everything

___________
IN DEPTH STUFF
___________


{PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION}
Build; Slender and graceful, with all the carriage of a man born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

Color; Very fair skin with ash-blonde hair and deep teal eyes.

Alterations; He's a vampire, but still human-shaped. Just has really sharp teeth.

Modifications; A horrible scar on the side of his neck, though a very old one. No other marks or piercings to note.

Dress; Finery without sacrificing mobility. He prefers the best of the best, with plenty of silk shirts and well-tailored pants. He gets terribly offended if his clothes get mussed.

{PERSONALITY}
Materialistic, confident, hedonistic, flamboyant, intellectual, cunning


Fun Facts!:
  • Used to prefer silver to gold jewelry, and constantly bemoans his allergies as a result.
  • Likes to have a variety to style his wardrobe with, and regularly swaps out things when they get too worn or out of fashion.
  • As docile as a kitten if you brush his hair.
  • Just looking for a good time.

{SPECIAL ABILITIES}
Submit to His Will's particular form of vampirism has its own rules, though most are what you'd expect.

Pros:
  • Enhanced speed and strength
  • Enhanced senses (sound, sight, smell)
  • Can scale walls and ceilings without any regard to the sanctity of gravity
  • Shapeshifting; can turn into a mist, though this mist is limited by strong winds so he doesn't usually bother.
  • Enhanced healing; Any injury is healed within a matter of minutes, though at the expense of his hunger. His hair and nails also grow out each time, and he finds it very annoying when he has to trim his nails - again - because someone decided to get their shot in.

Cons:
  • Silver is harmful; normal handling of coin and jewelry results in a surface burn, but being actually stabbed with a silver weapon negates his healing abilities until the silver is removed.
  • Sunlight won't burn him to a crisp, but the daylight hours do bring on a form of narcolepsy. When the sun rises, he starts to "shut off" as his synapses die one by one, effectively passing away every morning and reviving in the evening. He cannot move or be woken in this state, and to any outside observer resembles a particularly fresh corpse. It really, REALLY sucks when he wakes up buried.
  • Hunger; the more he uses his abilities, the more he has to heal, the more he's pushed to his limits, the hungrier he gets. At a certain stage he's not even in his right mind, and will lash out at anything living.

{RELATIONSHIPS}
Are all almost entirely superficial. He's the type of person who really gets to know you, but you don't really get to know him.

{HISTORY}
A young Serenian nobleman who, after being accosted by a vampire, decided that rather than trying to hide out in his family's estate, he would instead take what he could and go off into the world.

_________________
TIMELINE:
x
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#2
Adela / Bramuvo Jacha, Gatekeeper
March 11, 2024, 08:08:33 PM
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art by me
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{NAME}
Bramuvo Jacha

{ALIASES}
The vicar

{AGE}
46

{GENDER, SEXUALITY}
Male, queer

{SPECIES/ETHNICITY}
Human, Tinine Adelan

{HEIGHT/BUILD}
5'9", broad

{OCCUPATION}
Gatekeeper for the Lenton Family

{RESIDENCE}
Tollhouse

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IN DEPTH STUFF
___________


{PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION}
Build; Tall, broad shouldered, with thick thighs and biceps and a strong grip.
Color; Fair skin, with pale blue eyes. His black hair is streaked with grey.
Alterations; He human, human shape.
Modifications; None to speak of, he heals quick and clean.
Dress; Like many of faith, Bramuvo wears a high-collared black undershirt that shows beneath his clothes. Otherwise, his dress is unassuming, and he keeps a thick cloak around his shoulders for when the weather makes his bones hurt.

{PERSONALITY}
Steady, even-tempered, more than a bit superstitious but not ruled by it.

Fun Facts!:
  • Ilianno makes him pretend to be the one in charge.
  • It's a huge pain but she gets some amusement out of it, so why not.
  • Decent herbalist.
  • Certified Tired Old Man.

{SPECIAL ABILITIES}
Level 20 Grave Cleric

{RELATIONSHIPS}
Ilianno; Boss lady in charge. Plays dirty in cards but that's half the fun. Bramuvo is incredibly loyal to her, so if you've got her on board you've got him on board.
Sitovi; Casual bedmates, friends as far as either of them would tell it.
Vitori; Young nephew, with all the fire and spirit being young gives you. Bramuvo is most often scruffing the kid and pulling his ass out of the fire.
The Lenton Family; Bramuvo and Vitori are both Cousins, which affords them a fair bit if authority in Lenton territory, but they're not so closely related to make that much of a difference.
The Thing; Not at all sure how he feels about it but knows better than to question it.

{HISTORY}
All for the Family.

_________________
TIMELINE:
x

_________________
#3
Adela / Ilianno Grey, Gatekeeper
March 10, 2024, 09:49:19 PM
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art by me
___________

{NAME}
Ilianno Grey

{ALIASES}
Ilia

{AGE}
32

{GENDER, SEXUALITY}
Female, yes

{SPECIES/ETHNICITY}
Human, Tinine Adelan

{HEIGHT/BUILD}
5'9", athletic

{OCCUPATION}
Gatekeeper for the Lenton Family

{RESIDENCE}
Tollhouse

___________
IN DEPTH STUFF
___________


{PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION}
Build; Tall, graceful, athletic.
Color; Fair skin, with pitch black hair and deep blue eyes.
Alterations; Human, human shape.
Modifications; Ilianno has remained, miraculously, free of any kind of scar. She does possess two beauty marks, one beneath her right eye and one on the left side of her chin.
Dress; Ilianno strongly prefers her arms to be free as much as possible, and so keeps to a vest for her shirt, opting to wrap up in a blanket during the colder months rather than risk mobility. She also forgoes the typical bow as is fashion for Tinine women, instead simply wearing typical breeches, socks, and boots.

{PERSONALITY}
Sharp, quiet, with a watchful eye and a quick wit. She is not much for sparing someone's feelings, so you know you've gotten on her good side when she gives you a compliment.

Fun Facts!:
  • This woman loves puns and I don't understand her.
  • Despite her age, is the de facto 'leader' of their Gatekeeping cell.
  • She has Bramuvo pretend at it, though.
  • She thinks it's funny.

{SPECIAL ABILITIES}
Lvl 20 Phantom Rogue

{RELATIONSHIPS}
Bramuvo; Her second in command and closest friend. They usually play cards together when they're not on shift.
Sitovi; Her next closest friend. An odd duck, but his pet is the only one smart enough to laugh at her jokes, so he's cool enough.
Vitori; Suuuch a kiiiiid but also if you fuck with him you're dead meat, you dig?

{HISTORY}
All for the Family.

_________________
TIMELINE:
x
_________________
#4
Adela FBs / Re: Winds of Change [nephero] [M]
March 10, 2024, 08:25:40 PM
Aike hummed softly as they worked through their thoughts.

"++Oh, but I think I am in trouble.++" They said, their tone mild as if they were merely commenting on the color of the sky, "++Your Chief's hospitality has been great, but I am very aware of how few truly wish me to be here. Even your babies wish to slay me.++"

They looked to the side to ponder Enoka as they walked together.

"++I wonder what stories of the Funnel makes its way through the mountains, to where a Taluvan mother would know it so well. It makes me wonder what other stores make it to your lands. What stories don't.++"
#5
Adela / Aike (Mercy) Jadon - Governor of Cortla
March 10, 2024, 10:59:49 AM
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art by me
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{NAME}
Aike (Mercy) Jadon

{ALIASES}
"Commander", "Governor", "Little Spider", "Pest"

{AGE}
38

{GENDER, SEXUALITY}
Nonbinary, uses any pronouns. She/he/they genuinely doesn't mind if someone sticks to one over the others, either. Pick one and Aike will roll with it.
Pansexual

{SPECIES/ETHNICITY}
Human, Cortlan Adelan

{HEIGHT/BUILD}
6'1", lean musculature

{OCCUPATION}
Governor of Cortla; up for renewal every eight years. (Currently in second term)
Commander of Trapdoor Squadron Widow; the other members presently serve as part of their personal guard and are some of their best and closest friends.

{RESIDENCE}
Skythread City, Cortla, Adela

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IN DEPTH STUFF
___________


{PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION}

Build; Born and raised in Cortla, Aike has considerable upper body strength, with well defined shoulders and thighs. Tall and lean, their only "curve" is their hips, as their leg strength has similarly translated into a well-defined rear. This has earned them a little bit of teasing from their non-Cortlan friends, who comment on their resemblance to an actual spider in this regard. Aike takes it with some amusement and no shortage of rolling their eyes.

Color; Like many other Cortlans, Aike has a dark, warm skintone, deep black curly hair, and sage-green eyes.

Alterations; None, Aike is human and has all the trappings thereof. 

Modifications; Aike has several body modifications, most noticeably that of their facial piercings. They have a simple metal bridge piercing, two symmetrical lip piercings, and a few others that are not easily seen. Like many other Cortlans, they chose to get banding style tattoos, with sets of two bands on their upper arms and thighs, as well as single bands on their wrists and ankles. They also have a few scars, again most noticeably on their face, with a line going over their right brow to their right cheekbone.

Dress; Aike is very, very rarely outside of their Trapdoor uniform. They only exchange it for other clothes when necessary, and it's a rare privilege to be trusted enough to see them in a more 'vulnerable' state. Their hair usually gets the same treatment, mostly kept in protective headwraps, especially against the canyon winds. But every now and again they'll let their hair down in a literal sense.

{PERSONALITY}
  • Poised; It's hard to tell if Aike has a phenomenal pain tolerance, or is too stubborn to show they're in pain at all. Whatever the case, they usually save any display of weakness for behind closed doors.
  • Workaholic; Aike will often forgo decent sleep, or work through their meals in order to care for the day to day needs of their people. Headaches are a common ailment for them.
  • Proud; They take their integrity very seriously, even well beyond typical Cortla devotion to honesty. Insult their honor in some way, and you can be sure Aike will remember it until their dying day.
  • Affectionate; When Aike does become fond of a person, they're very physically affectionate. One can expect plenty of shoulder touches at the minimum, and full on snuggling at the maximum.
  • Sarcastic; When Aike is comfortable with the people they're around, they become increasingly snarky. Cracking a wry joke is a mark of how much they hold someone in esteem.
  • Exhausted and a little bit lonely; Less a personality trait and more a general state of being right now, Aike has given so much of the past eight years of their life to Cortla and Adela. Gladly and willingly, of course, but there's still a firm desire to be a part of something personal, and while they've had their share of trysts, the lack of any real lasting romantic relationship is taking a toll.

Fun Facts!:
  • Takes great comfort from playing string games like cat's cradle. If Aike needs to unwind, that's usually the first thing they do.
  • Is a huge fan of the Funnel. Aike almost never misses a bout. Or those sweet and spicy locust kebabs.
  • Is a heavy smoker, and will often smell of tobacco. They've got quite a collection of pipes.
  • Has absolutely slept in their office. Multiple times.

{SPECIAL ABILITIES}

Psychometric; when Aike touches a physical object, be it one of the many tripwires that criss-cross Cortla, or even a footprint in the dirt, they are given a very strong gut feeling about events that have transpired upon that object. Mostly this is in the form of feelings, whether the last person to touch was scared, or happy, or what have you. Makes for very handy tracking, and a lot less surprise when it comes to investigating trespassers on Cortlan lands.

Trapdoor; The specialised military that operates within the Cortlan territory. Rather than platoons and regiments, Cortla has soldiers known as "Trapdoors", who operate in small groups to protect the territory's borders as well as engage in major hunting. Trapdoors are masters at ambush and guerrilla tactics, using the environment to trap their targets and attack.

{RELATIONSHIPS}

The Trapdoor Widows: Aike's very dearest friends. Rakal is the absolute best person to sit and bitch with. Sikke is quiet and usually sweet. Sitkal is the resident himbo. Others I'll eventually name and figure out.

Atsida: Brother in bond, and one of Aike's closest allies outside of Cortla. Has regular cross-territory meetings to reaffirm cooperation between their territories. Absolutely loves messing with him and calls him "Old Bird".

Enoka: Atsida's husband and also someone Aike considers a close friend. Even if the great big ostrich of a man insists on mimicking thunderstorms when they're around.

Enicea: Atsida and Enoka's wife. Though initially there was a whole lot of hostility, eventually Enicea and Aike became close friends, and their relationship is way calmer than the boys'.

Spoiler
As of late summer into their second term as Governor, Aike is five weeks pregnant. Who the father is, is anyone's guess, but plenty of rumors abound about potential sires. The most popular idea is, of course, that Aike is carrying a non-Cortlan bloodline, and that the sire is none other than the Great Horned Owl himself. Which is a great way to get yourself punched in the face.
[close]

{HISTORY}

A descendant of the first Governor of Cortla, Jadon, Aike always felt a lot of pressure to do right by their ancestors' stories, especially the ones involving brave warriors and fierce battles. Glorifying battle is leagues different from actually living it, and Cortla's tumultuous relationship with "Serenian interlopers" and raiders from the south have taught Aike the difference between tempered aggression and outright bloodlust. It was their even-tempered nature that saw Aike as a very popular candidate for Governorship, and for the past eight years they have devoted every last moment to the betterment of their homeland. Still, it's taken quite the toll, both from general exhaustion as well as being away from the wilderness for so long.

They've been proud to serve their country, but are keen to step down and go back to their old life. The problem is that some of the younger generation haven't quite learned their balance yet, and it's becoming harder to keep the angrier members of their territory in line. Who knows whether things will calm down enough for Aike to finally be able to retire.

{THE BEADS}

Like all Cortlans, every bead in their braid has a story... Every year from their eighth summer onwards, Aike has added a bead and a story to the great tapestry of their life. Each bead means a different event.

_________________
TIMELINE:
Winds of Change - M for child death mention.
Flashback thread - Set in the year Aike first gained Governorship and met the Owls of Talu.
_________________
#6
The night really had been a long one. For a moment, Jewel was under the very real impression that he had not left the city walls at all, and was instead back in the castle getting tutted at for a bit of mud on his shirt. Ven's posture and tone were almost a carbon copy, really.

He took a breath, and let it out in a soft laugh. Jewel shut the book and tucked it away along with the pencil, before raising his hands up to show he had, in fact, stopped writing. Ven was right, of course. He hadn't had anything but the tea, and by this hour he'd be frying something up for breakfast.

"I promise I will not wither away just from one eventful night, Mr Ven." He gave the other man as reassuring a smile as he could muster in his fatigue, "But... it is a long road ahead of us."

Jewel turned to his pack once more, and withdrew two parcels wrapped tight in linen and tied shut. The first he set on the empty bedroll, and gave Ven a gesture to take it. The second he worked to unwrap, mindful of the contents now that they were less secure, and spread out the cloth in his lap. A few berries nearly escaped, and he had to make a quick grab to make sure they didn't just roll off into the dirt. That handful he quickly popped in his mouth, shortly followed by a bite of cheese and a bit of cured meat.

"I apologize there isn't more," he said, gesturing with his chin at Ven's parcel, "short notice departure, and all. I can hunt for us, the further we go. My intent is to keep us as far from people as possible, given your condition, so I'm afraid I won't be able to replace the cheese as often as we may like."
#7
Adela FBs / Re: Winds of Change [nephero] [M]
March 09, 2024, 08:21:44 PM
The speed in which the woman signed was almost entirely too fast for Aike, and certainly so while Enoka was using them as a shield. Their attention was firmly divided, torn between trying to get the man out from his hiding and not taking their eyes away from the Chief's wife for longer than was absolutely necessary.

It wasn't that Aike was in fear for their life, so much as they very much understood it was in danger.

Still, the situation was not so chaotic that they didn't notice her choice of words.

Hands still up, Aike signed their own calm, looking to the side as Enoka finally moved from his hiding spot. They didn't even get a chance to sign a farewell before Enicea was off again, and the Governor could only take a breath and be grateful that Sitkal would hopefully be managing the peace while they were elsewhere.

"++You are in quite a lot of trouble,++" they said, even as he led them out beyond the markers of the camp, "++I will not be such a good shield when I am safe in my tent and you are not.++"
#8
Jewel was locked in thought. Honestly, he should have been taking the time to rest, get some actual sleep, you know, the basics of being a functional human being right up there with drinking water and eating food.

But the puzzle of it all was too compelling. If he'd just gone straight to sleep he'd have been tossing and turning for hours, he just knew it. If he could at least get the start of it down, perhaps that would be enough to where he wasn't left thinking endlessly on the Malady. A Malady that robbed a man of his memories, of his capacity to be near others -- without thinking, Jewel scooted his seat to the right to move from the hearth as Ven returned -- and the capacity for things like sleep.

A basic of being a functional human being. A normal infection of this sort would have killed him in days. Besides, normal infections didn't typically grant one life-stealing abilities.

So, magical.

Magical curses were all well and good, and they could involve any number of impossible things. But was that what was happening here? Why would a curse be bestowed when it had such capacity for additional damage? Why bother removing memories?

Ven's path had taken him from the north, into the Wood. A magical curse stemming from the Connlaothians was a laughable one. Sure, some of them could be outright maniacs at the best of times, but the utilization of magic to inflic a curse of this sort was out of the question.

Well, that was of course assuming--

"We haven't any cups." Ven had said, and Jewel was pulled from the thread of theory he'd been clawing at like a ball of yarn. Humiliatingly, he realized that Ven had said much more than just the observation of their lack of teacups, and Jewel cleared his throat a bit to help shake off his sense of embarrassment of being so rude.

"Cups... ah. A moment," he closed the book and set the pencil atop it on the bedroll Ven would not be using, and pulled over his own satchel. He dug around a bit (while imagining Lochlann scoffing at the lack of organization to a man's travel pack), before pulling out a folded metal tin. A quick pull of the latch and it opened, with Jewel holding out the cup that had been nestled inside along with some basic cutlery.

"I've only the one, I'm afraid, but please, you first." He set it on the end of the bedroll nearest where Ven was, before retreating back with his notations. Still the break in thought had done its job, and he realized just how exhausted he truly was. Further pondering, it seemed, would have to wait.

Jewel was midstretch, grunting softly at the pop in his shoulders and upper back as he moved, when Ven asked about his book.

"Ah, it's my notes. I often think better on a case when I've been able to write it out a bit. You've got quite the conundrum to figure out."
#9
"Ah, excellent," Jewel said in regards to the firewood. That would burn much better than half-rotted and forgotten furniture, and he continued to set up their rest area while Ven tended to the hearth to get them some much needed dryness and warmth. Jewel only paused as Ven mentioned his inability to sleep.

Brows knit, Jewel looked up from his task to consider him.

"You... cannot sleep?" He had not heard of anything or anyone that did not require at least some form of it.

Another element to his mystery ailment? Or had that been something in existence before? A question amongst many to answer, it would seem. Jewel hummed in thought, and then dug through his own satchel to pull out a stack of paper sewn between two wooden boards, and a piece of charcoal formed into a pencil.

He was sharpening the latter into a more usable point when Ven asked for a source of water. Jewel paused, thinking of the last he'd come to this little fort, and then nodded in memory.

"There is a well. It is out in the remnants of the courtyard," he gestured to the open door, "around to the left. Just be careful, I'm not sure how steady the stone is anymore."

The last thing Jewel wanted was the poor man falling to his death at the bottom of the well. That would be a very unfortunate loss of life in a very silly way, and for some reason Jewel could not shake the idea that such a passing was entirely too undignified for the other man. Perhaps it was the way Ven spoke, or perhaps it was simple wishful thinking. After all, no one liked considering humiliating deaths, at least not for anyone they personally held in any kind of esteem.

"...And that stone is not a Neighbor, so it cannot be asked for a kindness." Jewel added as an afterthought, giving an apologetic sort of smile.

He returned to sharpening the charcoal, and once he was finally satisfied with the point, he moved to sit a bit closer to the hearthfire, both for warmth and for better light. Opening the papers, Jewel selected a fresh page and began his notations.

Patient arrived in care as a consequence of a minor criminal offense. 

Initial refusal of care: citation of an underlying Malady presenting a danger to other life forms. 
  • Patient states physical distance is optimal for prevention of harm to other life forms.
  • Patient states the need to siphon life from other entities. Includes plantlife, insectlife, animallife, and humanlife in scope of consumption. Other forms of life yet undetermined.

Physical symptoms:
Patient has refused closer examination, due to the nature of the Malady.
Patient possesses some peculiar physical characteristics:
  • Ocular region affected
  • Generally pale and ashen complexion
  • Patient states immunity to illness and injury relating to extended exposure to the elements. Patient was visibly exposed to weather (rain, mud, cold) without apparent detriment to overall health.
  • Unknown if this is a normal presentation, or a result of the Malady
  • Observation of physical activity suggests a general good health.

Cognitive symptoms:
  • Patient is able to speak clearly, with affectation suggesting no detriment to his reasoning capabilities.
  • Patient is unable to read Serenian script, while understanding Serenian spoken language. Patient seemed to be surprised by this, suggesting that he is normally able to read.
  • Patient is mobile, with no evidence of difficulties with fine motor skills.
  • Patient expresses a lack of need to sleep?

Primary symptom is a form of amnesia:
  • Patient is able to freely recall his own name
  • Patient is incapable of recalling his homeland, but is able to recognize that he is not presently in his homeland.
  • In addition to the above: Patient possesses some general cultural knowledge. Patient sang a song, but stated that he could not recall if it was a song from his homeland. Song was not identified. Patient has expressed surprise at Neighbor presence - it is unlikely that patient's point of origin is within the Queendom or surrounding lands. Patient was not able to recognize points on several maps provided.

Key point: Patient was not taken by the Northwood during trespassing period.
Further information is needed.
#10
Adela / Sitovi Gazi, Gatekeeper
February 29, 2024, 08:07:07 PM
___________

art by me
___________

{NAME}
Sitovi Gazi

{ALIASES}
The beastmaster

{AGE}
30

{GENDER, SEXUALITY}
Male, queer af

{SPECIES/ETHNICITY}
Human, Tinine Adelan

{HEIGHT/BUILD}
5'10", athletic

{OCCUPATION}
Gatekeeper for the Lenton Family.

{RESIDENCE}
Tollhouse

___________
IN DEPTH STUFF
___________


{PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION}
Build; Tall and athletic. No one would really think he's a pushover, but he's also not the biggest guy around.

Color; Fair skin, with pitch black hair and bright blue eyes.

Alterations; He human, human shape.

Modifications; Sitovi possesses several scars, the most prominent being the ones across the right side of his face. There are several more on his chest and arms, but they have all long since healed and don't seem to slow him down any.

Dress; He's not rich, but he's also not struggling to make ends meet. His dress is practical - he often has to be out on watch in all kinds of weather or times, so he's not going to bother with anything fancy. He does like jewelry, though, and has several beaded necklaces that he wears at all times.

{PERSONALITY}
Observant, cunning, a bit primal, more of the type to listen to you talk for hours before you ever realize he's never told you a damn thing about himself.

Fun Facts!:
  • Very promiscuous and not at all shy about it.
  • Takes a tonic of herbs on the regular for a lifelong illness.
  • We don't know how he made friends with it.
  • He just did.

{SPECIAL ABILITIES}
He's a regular guy, he can throw a punch, he can crack a few skulls, stabbing isn't like super easy but it's not a workout.
And then there's that thing.

{RELATIONSHIPS}
Sitovi's companion; we have no idea where it came from, we just know it has more mouths than should be reasonable and it changes form all the time.

Bramuvo; Casual bedmates, decent friends.
Ilianno; A good head on her shoulders, one of the better leaders he's had. Decent friends.
Vitori; Enthusiastic, which is a tragedy. Sitovi makes sure to look after him.

{HISTORY}
He's just your normal every day grunt at work to serve his Family.

_________________
TIMELINE:
x

_________________
#11
Tuor Ocean / Re: Partire [M][Goblin! :D]
February 11, 2024, 12:28:33 PM
The knife cut across Evaristo's nose, barely missing his all-too-vulnerable eyes. Pain blossomed across his face, shortly followed by the wet heat of his own blood on his cheeks. Evaristo took half a breath, a moment of shock that was seemingly shared by the mainlander before him. Evaristo ducked, missing the half-corrected swing of the man's hammer.

Not a timid merchant.

Evaristo swung his sword, connecting with the head of the hammer to knock it away only to bring the hilt back like a piston. Evaristo would have preferred to hit his opponent's face, but he'd take the torso. He slammed as hard as he could into the mainlander, using his own solidness to knock him back.

Not a timid merchant, at all. Evaristo highly doubted these barbarians knew the art of smithing as well as his brothers on the islands, but there was always need for someone to do the menial work. Sure, Evaristo would have prefered to walk off with a chest full of coin, but a blacksmith? A blacksmith certainly would do.

The key was to unarm him, first. Evaristo rushed forward, ducking low and hooking his boot behind the mainlander's ankle to get him to the ground.
#12
Adela FBs / Re: Winds of Change [nephero] [M]
February 11, 2024, 11:25:35 AM
Aike's eyebrows rocketed upwards in amusement at Enoka's assessment of them. Rather than being insulted at 'having much to learn', Aike simply gave a well-meaning roll of their eyes and shook their head with a smile. Sitkal for his part, looked twice as amused.

"++Keep Rakal away from the Chief's wife. Noted. Would have never guessed.++" Sitkal said even as he waved them off.

Whatever relaxation Aike had achieved since their return to the encampment vanished in an instant. Aike may not have known the words, but they certainly felt the fury in them, and even as Enoka tried to rush them out they found themself standing stock still as Enicea approached. They gave a small squawk as Enoka made to get behind them, looking over their shoulder only to snap their head back forward when Enicea stopped before them.

In the end, all they could reasonably do was raise their hands up to the level of their chest, holding their palms out in the well-understood and universal sign of 'please don't hurt me.'
#13
Serendipity Riverlands / Re: Feast [M]
February 10, 2024, 04:28:18 PM
There was a considerable silence from Synthia and her two companions, both of their faces frozen in expressions of mild horror. The Connlaothian was the worst of it, his mouth pulled in a tight grimace and unable to look away from Hereward's teeth, while Jianuvo had politely attempted to at least smooth his features over.

Synthia cleared her throat a bit, and slipped the Connlaothian another coin. The young man immediately rose up and skirted around the other end of the table to not directly pass by Hereward, going to retrieve more food. Synthia pulled the signed contract to herself, rolled it up, and tucked it away with a murmured word, the inside of the scroll case flashing a bit before she sealed it shut.

"The uh..." she began, in an attempt to answer Quinn, "the creature. Right. Yes. It... seems be attracted to happy things. Celebrations, painfully optimistic folk, things like that, ah..."

"Hence," Jianuvo said in an even manner, sparing Synthia a glance as he patted the table, "the request for you all to be generally unhappy. We're hunting it, not the other way around."

Synthia nodded, her mouth pressed into a thin line. "So far I've been able to follow the signs. Birthdays turned to mass disappearances, empty taverns... when it came for my company, it was because we were supposed to be going home. Our captain, he, uh... he'd received word he'd just had a daughter. He was the first to vanish."

The Connlaothian returned, still looking on edge and skirting the table but much more quick to drop the plate of food and back away from it, leaving it to the other three to eat as they pleased and decidedly not looking in case of any more tongue-y moments.
#14
Northern Serendipity / Re: Where Mountains Rise [Nephero]
February 10, 2024, 08:54:43 AM
"You don't need to be sorry. I like trudging through the Wood." Jewel looked over at him to spare a quick but genuine smile, before returning to concentrating on the trail. His head moved on a constant swivel, this way and that, and he pointed now and again to alert Ven of particularly tall roots or a deep pit of mud and leaves. In the rain's absence, the overwhelming scent of green and earth rose up, and Jewel breathed deep the petrichor.

He really liked trudging through the Wood. Lack of sleep or proper rest had hardly stopped him before, and while he had made sure to make his home exactly how he wanted it, there really was no replacing the feel of bark beneath his hand or the sensation of soft earth beneath his boots. If he was being honest with himself, Ven just provided an extremely convenient excuse.

Still, the poor man did look rather miserable. A couple more glances solidified that particular theory-- he'd gone very silent and stoic, and while Ven was not complaining of the mud or the cold, it could hardly have been so pleasant for him. After all, his only time in proper shelter had been a prison and a brief look at some maps.

The branches of the trees creaked overhead, moving with the passing of wind above the canopy. Now and again, moonlight peeked through the cover of clouds, catching only where it could be best reflected in puddles and waxy leaves. It was not yet dawn by the time the trees began to thin, bush and vine choking for the extra space granted by just that much more sky. Eventually even that faded, and Jewel stepped from the last of the treeline to look over the rolling rocky hills of the highlands.

Jewel stopped, and pointed to one such hill, where a thick stone fort struck a silhouette against the slowly lightening sky.

"There it is. Not much further, now."

His earlier enthusiasm was by this point losing the battle to his need for rest, and so he hurried them along until they were climbing the staired path up to the fort's doors. The wood had long rotted away, leaving only the frame in which the door had previously stood, and moss threatened to overtake much of what remained. Still, the roof held strong even after being abandoned so long ago, and Jewel led his patient inside to where the walls could provide a much better shelter against the wind and the damp.

He looked around, made a soft 'aha' sound, and pulled a stone from where it rested amongst a particularly stubborn bit of bramble that had wormed its way through the cracks. He pulled two bags from the cache, and brought them over to the clear spot on the fort floor, where he rolled out a leather mat and woolen blanket for each of them.

"Would you see if there's still some good firewood somewhere? Might still be a chair or two left."
#15
Serendipity Province Plotting / Re: Northwatch
February 07, 2024, 05:01:25 PM
LOCALS AND LEGENDS
{character and thread list}
-x-x-x-

{Locals}


{Legends}
#16
Serendipity Province Plotting / Re: Northwatch
February 07, 2024, 05:01:19 PM
LOCAL LAWS, SUPERSTITIONS, AND EVENTS
-x-x-x-

{Local Laws}
  • Poaching, or over-taking, is exceptionally illegal in Northwatch. There is a delicate balance between caring for your family and asking too much of the land, and that balance is heavily monitored.
  • Over-taking, the act of hunting or gathering more than you need, is a heavy offense. Given Northwatch's emphasis on sustainability and heavy study of effective agricultural methods, it is highly unlikely that anyone absolutely needs to take an excess. Still, a perpetrator of over-taking is not necessarily a poacher, and they are given the chance to explain themselves to a tribunal of the local lord and druid circle. Punishment for a guilty verdict is never easy - there are no fines allowed, for fear some individuals will simply "budget" for such a thing.
  • Poaching is an even more severe crime. Where over-taking is being greedy but still using what is taken, poaching is purely for profit and often results in considerable waste. A poacher will stand before a tribunal similar to one accused of over-taking, but the punishment for poaching is death.

{Local Events}

The Summer Run
  • The Summer Run is an annual festival that begins the day after the spring equinox.
  • The High Lord/Lady or their Firstborn leads a procession from Caer Northwood, traveling clockwise to each Caer in the province before returning home.
  • As the procession reaches each Caer, a massive bonfire is lit and an equally massive celebration begins, with feasting, flower crowns, body painting, and dancing.
  • Upon arriving back at Caer Northwood, the biggest celebration begins, with a string of different parties beginning at sundown and often lasting for days at a time.
  • It is called the Run because of the pace set by the procession, with the procession riding hard and fast between the Caers. Give or take a few days or a week due to weather, the procession usually makes it back to Caer Northwood in a month.
#17
Serendipity Province Plotting / Re: Northwatch
February 07, 2024, 05:01:08 PM
PUBLIC FIGURES, GUILDS, AND ORGANIZATIONS
-x-x-x-
{Crow's Call Mercenary Company}
{The Northwood Circle}
(these are free and open to create for yourself, link me and I'll post it here)


#18
Serendipity Province Plotting / Re: Northwatch
February 07, 2024, 05:00:51 PM
THE PEOPLE, SOCIETY, AND CULTURE
-x-x-x-


{How They View Themselves}

  • Generally speaking, the people are a proud, steadfast bunch. They take others at their word, and when their own is given they hold to it. However they are not tolerant of breaches of social contract, and you can expect them to react to such things without caring if they're embarrassing someone.
  • The High Lord's Family is an old one, and there is the belief that they go back to the girl of legend who found the Northwood. Whether this is factually true is impossoble to determine, but the lived reality is this family has a deep bond with the Northwood, as evidenced by the powers granted to the Firstborn. After all, if the Northwood didn't believe the family to be worthy, they'd never have been granted such boons.
  • The Circles of Northwatch are a reclusive bunch. They are less concerned with politics or thrones or crowns, and are instead focused on the conservation of the natural world. It is customary that the noble families of the Caers intermarry with members of the druid circles, or otherwise give over members of their family to learn from the local Circle. This keeps both groups from becoming isolated from one another, as well as ensuring that public policy keeps the land in mind.
  • The Neighbors in Northwatch are afforded a high deference, and any construction is done with the inout of the local Neighbor population. As such, many roads in Northwatch will suddenly curve around a tree or a boulder rather than remove the obstacle. Even the commoners hold to the knowledge that you don't simply barrel your way through somewhere without asking.
  • The Watchmen view other provinces, and other Serenian nobles, as being as much their kin as anyone else. While there may be differences, and a whole lot of disagreements, it's their duty to keep the Queendom safe, and they take their duty seriously.
  • The Monarchy is the representation of the unity of the Serenian people. While there may be some disagreements, and older oaths may take priority, Northwatch still has a duty to the crown and they manage to make it work even when they have to bend things a bit.

{How Others View Them}

  • Many of the southern provinces of Serendipity look at the Watchmen as a wild breed, a stereotype that the Watchmen do not work very hard to break. Though many might consider them ill-mannered, their reputation for earnestness and integrity has most ignore their eccentricities, if only to be polite.
  • Connlaoth despises them, as they continue to provide aid to any refugees that cross into their lands. Attempts to sabotage these operations have so far been unsuccessful.

{How They View Others}

  • The province of Northwatch considers itself an old enemy of Connlaoth, and any official interactions between Northwatch and Vythe or Highheart are incredibly tense affairs.While they do not regard Connlaothian refugees with the same hostility as Connlaothian patriots, they do eye them with a fair bit of suspicion. Fearing the presence of spies and saboteurs, Connlaothians are usually encouraged to leave for Jadenshine or Moonspear, and forbidden from joining any mioitary operations in Northwatch.
  • The Watchmen pay Adelans a distant kind of respect, due to Adela's part in the Threefold War. They haven't had direct contact in quite some time, and so have no specific opinions nor know very much about the individual Adelan territories.

#19
Serendipity Province Plotting / Re: Northwatch
February 07, 2024, 05:00:39 PM
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
-x-x-x-

a map of the province of Northwatch, by me
fullview here

{Location}
Northwatch sits in north-central Serendipity, just south of the Terrin Mountain Range

{Borders}
  • North - Connlaoth, specifically the Duchies of Vythe and Highheart
  • West - Darken Vei
  • East - Featherfall
  • South - Jadenshine, Moonspear

{Major Cities}
  • Caer Northwood - the seat of the High Lord of Northwatch {map here}
  • Caer Domnallach
  • Caer Breathnach
  • Caer (Name Here) {available for claiming}
  • Caer (Name Here) {available for claiming}
  • Caer (Name Here) {available for claiming}
  • Caer (Name Here) {available for claiming}
  • Caer (Name Here) {available for claiming}


{Major/Minor Towns}
See map. While there are plenty of canon towns you can set your threads in, feel free to make your own towns/minor towns.

{Other Key Locations}
  • The Northwood
  • The Northwood Druid Circle
  • Others to be determined (available to create)

{Biomes and Geography}
Being one of the northern Serenian provinces, Northwatch is not prone to hot weather as one might find closer to the Ora river. Instead, the entire province enjoys mild summers, with cold and wet winters. With their northern borders the Terrin mountains themselves, the upper half of the province is quite mountainous, which slowly turns to hillsides and rolling plains the further south one travels. The land - and weather - becomes considerably wetter closer to Jadenshine and the various rivers that flow in the south.

Northwatch is more heavily forested at the base of the Terrin Mountains, with the largest and densest forest being the Northwood. This ancient wood has stood sentinel for nearly a thousand years, just where the mountain passes from Vythe and Highheart end.

#20
Serendipity Province Plotting / Re: Northwatch
February 07, 2024, 05:00:30 PM
THE HISTORY OF NORTHWATCH
-x-x-x-

Once upon a time, there was an queendom full of life and beauty and wonder. The people prospered under a fair and just ruler, and everyone had more food than they could eat, more wine than they could drink, and more rooms in their houses than they could ever live in. That was until, one day, calamity struck, and the whole of the queendom was destroyed, its surviving peoples scattered to the winds. Where once all had prospered, now all suffered and struggled to begin anew.

The people broke into clans, bound by relations they'd had in the old days, and suspicious of those they did not know. Many tried to continue the lives they'd once had - they hoarded food they could not eat, hid wine they could not drink, and fought for more space even once they were satisfied, but only for their family, their friends, their clan.

A small, nameless clan struggled the most as the others fought over every spare rock and twig. They went to each of the leaders of the other clans, one by one, begging for a place to stay and prosper. One by one, they were turned away.

'Why should we risk ourselves for you?' the clan leaders said, 'We do not know you, we do not claim you.'

And so the nameless clan carried on. Again and again they were turned away, until the only place they had left to them was a small hill where they could camp and keep watch against the night and any who would seek to steal what little they had. One night, after a meager meal, the elders of the nameless clan spoke together about what to do.

It was decided that the nameless clan would send out their strongest warrior. Their champion chosen, the clan gathered what supplies they could, and sent him on his way.

Their strongest warrior never returned.

Again, the elders of the clan gathered, and it was decided that they would send out their fiercest hunter. Their champion chosen, the clan gathered what supplies they could - less this time - and sent her on her way.

Their fiercest hunter never returned.

Again, the elders of the clan gathered. They argued all day and through the night, into the next day, and through the night again. Who else could they send? They had even less now than they did before, they couldn't supply another, and if their best could not make it home, what hope did anyone else have?

On the third day, a girl approached the elders and declared that she would go out in search of a home for their clan.

'You?' they scoffed, looking her over, 'You will not survive. We cannot give you supplies.'

'I do not need supplies,' the girl said, 'I will gather what I need on the road.'

The elders scoffed and bickered more.

'You are not a mighty fighter or a clever hunter, you will not survive.' They said.

'Our best warrior and our best hunter did not return home. I do not need to be like them.' The girl said.

The elders scoffed and bickered more.

'You are too skinny and too young. Someone will hurt you.' They said.

'I am small, and I am quiet,' the girl said, 'I will hide from anyone who would hurt me.'

Seeing that they could not dissuade her, the elders finally agreed to send the girl out. The clan did not have much to give, and so the girl was sent out with only what little her family could part with - a cooking knife to defend herself and a woven blanket to keep her warm.

With that, the girl from the nameless clan set off to find her people a home. She travelled for days, using the mountains to guide her. She foraged for her food, only taking what she needed. She kept quiet and out of sight when she spotted other people, as bandits ruled the roads in those days.

The girl first came upon a wide field, where rabbits were as plentiful as stars in the night sky. Surely, there her clan could hunt, and never fear hunger again. But because the girl was not the fiercest hunter, she carried on her way.

Then the girl came upon a high hill, where she could see for miles and miles. Surely, there her clan could defend themselves, and never fear another bandit raid. But because the girl was not the mightiest warrior, she carried on her way.

And then the girl came upon the Wood, where the sun could only trickle through the trees like a faint morning mist. Surely, there her clan could hide, could gather food as they needed, could flourish together. Because the girl was a survivor, she did not carry on her way.

She stepped into the trees, climbing roots as thick as a bull and picking her way through brambles sharp as a needle. Darker the Wood grew, and the days became as dim as the nights. It was only when midnight became midday that the girl stopped, and beheld a sight few can imagine.

There before her was a mighty tree, its trunk stretching wide beyond her sight, its branches impenetrable. Every knot in its bark equaled ten of the girl in size, and its branches were beyond any man's count. As she gazed upon the tree, a wind blew through the canopy, and with it carried a message:

Who are you to trespass here?

This was no mere tree. This was the tree, the ancient heart of the forest, a being beyond the concept of time and human history. The girl was nothing to him, the lord of the boughs, a mere insect to the ages. And yet, knowing that her clan waited, the girl swallowed her fear and spoke:

'I come on behalf of my clan with no name.' The girl said, 'Please, my lord. We seek a home.'

A home, the leaves rustled overhead in disdain, did you not pass over the grass to get here? Surely a vast city could be built, there.

'I did. But the sky is too wide, and I fear what would become of us, out in the open. Please, my lord. We seek a home.'

Did you not pass the hills? the tree creaked, irritation in each snap of a twig, Surely a mighty castle could be built, there.

'I did. But the hill is so lonely, and I fear what would become of us, cut off from the world. Please, my lord. We seek a home.'

And if I let you stay, what will you do? Will you carve me out, one by one? Take until there is nothing left? Build yourselves above my corpse? The rustling grew louder, the groans and creaking of wood sharper. The tree loomed over the girl, immense and impossible.

'I would only take what you grant me. On this, you have my word.'

What I may give, you gladly take. Of course, you do. But what of you? What of your sacrifice? What would you give?

What, indeed?