{NAME}
Caoimhe (Kee-vah)

{ALIASES}
The Midnight Maiden

{AGE}
N/A

{GENDER, SEXUALITY}
She prefers to keep a feminine form, sexuality tends towards men but varies

{SPECIES/ETHNICITY}
Neighbor, Night, of Serendipity

{HEIGHT/BUILD}
5'9", slim

{OCCUPATION}
Night Neighbor things

{RESIDENCE}
Primarily northern Serendipity





{PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION}

Build; Caoimhe stands tall and slender, with delicate joints and not a whole lot of curve to her.

Color; As a Night Neighbor, Caoimhe naturally is very dark in complexion, with deep grey skin that fades to pitch black from her shoulders downwards. Her hair is a deep midnight blue, and all over her are bright starlike freckles.

Alterations; While mostly human in shape, as most Neighbors, Caoimhe has pointed ears. Her eye sclera are black, with bright, glowing blue eyes.

Modifications; N/A

Accessories; Caoimhe varies in how she chooses to appear, clothing-wise. Typically when dealing with humans, like most Neighbors do, she will make sure no one gets too scandalized. 


{PERSONALITY}

• Very quiet, observant, adventurous, mischievous, doting, friendly

Fun Facts!:

• Caoimhe loves hanging out with people, either just sitting and quietly watching them carry on, or actively getting involved in whatever is going on. Given she's entirely nocturnal, these late-night goings-on are not always of the legal variety.
• Goes invisible in broad daylight. It doesn't hurt her, but she's hard to keep track of in direct sunlight.
• Milk and honey are Delicious.
• Finds alcoholic drinks disgusting and will just quietly make a face if given some.
• You will not hear her approaching

{SPECIAL ABILITIES}

She's a Neighbor! As a nature spirit, she is capable of things that are to do with her chosen variance. She can shroud herself or others, disappear into shadows, and put people to sleep if she needs to get away.

{RELATIONSHIPS}

Other Neighbors, the general human population of her chosen territory. She particularly is fond of night watchmen, thieves, bandits and the sorts of folk who are up and about after sundown. She's known to give them boons if she's appropriately treated, which is very handy if you're doing something you don't want anyone else to see.

{HISTORY}

**

{NAME}
Imrikke (Devotion) Tiran

{ALIASES}
Imri

{AGE}
32

{GENDER, SEXUALITY}
Agender, tbd

{SPECIES/ETHNICITY}
Human, Cortlan Adelan

{HEIGHT/BUILD}
5'10", willowy

{OCCUPATION}
Webwalker

{RESIDENCE}
Skythread City, Cortla, Adela



{PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION}

Build; Tall and slim, with a graceful sort of carriage and gait. Imri is not winning any arm wrestling matches any time soon.

Color; Imri has exceptionally long, wavy auburn-brown hair that reaches to the backs of their calves. Their skin is a warm tan, with a smattering of freckles over their face, arms and legs. They have large, dark hazel eyes.

Alterations; N/A

Modifications; Like most Webwalkers, Imri is heavily tattooed, with several markings over their forehead, chin, and ears. Their tattooing is heaviest around their neck and shoulders, which goes as deep as their sternum on their front and as deep as their lower back behind. Over their joints (each finger joint, toe joint, wrists, knees and elbows), they have a series of wrapped lines, making them look somewhat segmented in places.

Dress; Walking the thread is exhausting, and so Imri tends towards comfort over anything else. They prefer a long shendyt, and layered ponchoes overtop, each dyed deep colors like navy or maroon.

{PERSONALITY}
Calm, observant, quiet, and a little bit "out there" when they're particularly between worlds.

Fun Facts!:

• Has a tendency to walk right into things or drop things they're holding. It's best not to give them anything delicate to hang onto.
• Actually doesn't enjoy the baths so much, they'll instead go to wash and scrub and leave right after rinsing off rather than going for a soak.
• Enjoys hearing stories from merchants and other outsiders, and will ask plenty of questions.
• Would love to travel one day.

{SPECIAL ABILITIES}
As a Webwalker, Imri is particularly talented in the arts of trancework, astral projection, and clairvoyance. Entering such states requires a ritual, and takes a lot out of them, so they're usually pretty loopy after coming out of a trance.

{RELATIONSHIPS}
Tbd

{HISTORY}
Tbd


_________________

I recently retconned and revamped these two here, and they're both itching for a little of that there violence. Or some other shenanigans along the way to violence.

Can be plotted with both of them, or separately, and it's reasonable to find either of them in the general vicinity of Serendipity and Adela.

Kharon
Van

Content note: This will be a horror story, heavily borrowed from the "A Shadow Over Pinewood" 5e adventure. No D&D experience required, everything will be presented in a narrative. Warnings for body horror, crass language, and depictions of gore.

---

The mug of spiced wine hit the table with an audible thunk, the liquid just barely avoiding being spilled all over the deep crevices of the rough-made table.

Synthia gave her companion a look that spoke volumes to her annoyance, but was summarily ignored as the thickly-armored man settled into his own seat at their shared table. Recognizing that she was not about to get an apology, Synthia instead took up her cup to drink, eyeing the other tavern patrons closely, her hand never too far from where her sword hung on her belt.

"Where's the Connlaothian?" she asked of her companion, partly because she genuinely wanted to know and partly to distract herself. The man at the table snorted in response.

"Upstairs," he said after taking a deep drink of his beer, "spending his advance."

Synthia sighed some, taking another drink of her wine. The pair weren't exactly her idea of top-grade fighters, but she wasn't going to turn her nose up at the only help that had manifested after weeks of searching for someone, anyone, to accompany her back to Ravensway.

Even if that help had come in the shape of two mercenaries and whatever else the next three days could dredge up. Jianuvo was reasonable enough — he claimed to be Kotan, looking for a job after his prior employer's business went sour, but Synthia wasn't quite sure she believed that — and while their mutual Connlaothian companion tended to vanish out of sight more often than she'd have liked, he'd also proven to know what he was doing when it came down to it.

"And the flier?" Synthia asked, hopefully.

"Hammered it in this morning. If anyone's going to show, well..."

Synthia rubbed at the back of her neck, brows tight as the familiar sensation of unease settled in her belly. She'd tacked plenty of the fliers herself in several town squares, and heard plenty of the disbelieving laughter once folks thought her out of earshot.

Synthia took another deep drink of her wine, and nearly choked on it when there was a sudden thud to her left. Much like earlier with Jianuvo, Synthia gave the Connlaothian — again, as he said, but she wasn't sure she believed that either — a withering look as he settled into his own seat, a plate of bread and cheese set in the middle of the table.

"Must you sneak up on me like that?" she asked, again when she received no apology.

"Must? No," he replied, his accent thick and hard to discern over the general rumble of the tavern, "but it is funny."

Jianuvo barked a laugh, earning a grin from the younger man even as they both set about dividing up the meal in three shares.

"Bastards, both of you." Synthia muttered into a bite of bread. Hopefully, this time, someone would answer. She was running out of time.

{NAME}
Without-Ansgar-Thou-Hads't-Been-Damned

{ALIASES}
"Damned"

Spoiler

Formerly Remember-the-Saints Brandt
Formerly Remember-the-Saints Bauer

[close]

{AGE}
25

{GENDER, SEXUALITY}
Male, homosexual

{SPECIES/ETHNICITY}
Some elven heritage but unknown, born and raised in Connlaoth

{HEIGHT/BUILD}
5'10"

{OCCUPATION}
Sword for hire

{RESIDENCE}
Wherever he can toss a bedroll down



{PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION}
Build; Damned stands fairly tall and lean in comparison to other Connlaothians. He possesses a good bit of muscle, however, and keeps himself well honed with physical activity.
Color; Damned stands out quite a bit with his rich brown-black hair, even richer dark brown eyes, and brown skin. A smattering of freckles are partially visible over his cheeks and nose and shoulders.
Alterations; There's some kind of elven ancestry to him, or possibly fae, given the delicate point to his ears. Otherwise, he is unremarkably humanoid.
Modifications; Damned has, over the course of the past several years, accumulated a fondness for tattoos and piercings. The most obvious of which are the winding vine/branches that line his jaw and chin, all the way up to his temples. His comment is always "Well, I can't seem to grow a beard, may as well get one painted on."
Dress; He prefers to have his arms free at all times, but otherwise keeps his clothes form fitting and out of the way.

{PERSONALITY}
Damned knows how to throw barbs, and can be a bit snarky now and again, but generally is uninterested in actively hurting someone. Emotionally speaking, that is. Once his loyalty is earned, it runs very deep.

Fun Facts!:

• Is a masochist.
• Seems to get anxious the longer he's in one spot.
• Spikes his tea with wormwood. I know, he's a maniac, but he claims to like the bitterness. And the aftereffects.
• Loves dogs.

{SPECIAL ABILITIES}
Damned has always had a penchant for speaking with the dead. It may take him a moment to see someone is lingering about, but when he focuses he can commune easily with lingering spirits. Naturally, this was not something that was ever encouraged during his childhood, and nor does he go about advertising it.

{RELATIONSHIPS}
A family and various relations back in his hometown of Orchy.
Oh yeah and the husband he bolted from.

{HISTORY}
Born Remember-the-Saints Bauer, Damned lived a life that might have been completely unremarkable except for all the ways his differences made it difficult. His appearance he shares very heavily with his mother, which in a small town on the far western borders of Connlaoth, definitely makes him stick out like a sore thumb. His gifts as a medium manifested very early, and were just as quickly "handled". Just as quickly handled was any of Damned's early desires to be not as he was, often being rather jealous of his elder brothers when they were off practicing sword fighting. Given the extreme piety of his hometown, any such attempt to join in on the swordplay was quickly interrupted and "corrected."

And then his family married him off, which honestly was just the final straw.

A lifetime of pretending to be what was expected behind him, and a lifetime of the same ahead of him, Damned decided he would take his chances against the gallows. Several stolen horses, food, clothes, and a stolen name later, Damned cut his hair and made his way to Thanatos to ensure that he'd never have to pretend again. After that, he took to wandering about the eastern shores of Serendipity, occasionally moving inland or catching a boat here and there, never lingering very long in one spot lest someone happen to recognize him even under all the changes.

{NAME}
Jewel of Northwood

{ALIASES}
Lord Jewel of the Northwood, of Northwatch
Sergeant Northwood

{AGE}
36

{GENDER, SEXUALITY}
Male, homosexual

{SPECIES/ETHNICITY}
Human Serenian

{HEIGHT/BUILD}
5'10", athletic

{OCCUPATION}
Medic for the Crow's Call mercenary company of Caer Northwood.

{RESIDENCE}
A townhouse in Caer Northwood



{PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION}
Build; Jewel is athletic as one might expect, capable of lifting someone and booking it to safety as necessary.
Color; Like much of his family, Jewel possesses dark, wavy hair and brown skin. His eyes are a wild sort of pale green.
Alterations; He's Serenian, so there is some distant fae ancestry to him, which lends to some color shifting in his eyes. His hair he keeps relatively short, but it does grow out pretty fast so it's not unusual to see him rocking a little nub of a ponytail now and again.
Modifications; Jewel has a couple minor scrapes and scars here and there, but nothing outside of what might be expected for someone in a combat-oriented profession.
Dress; Functional more than flashy. Browns and other dark colors don't tend to show dirt nearly so well, so he prefers the more earthy tones. He almost never wears any kind of jewelry, but if he must get dressed up, he prefers silver.

{PERSONALITY}
Calm, soft, quiet, with a hidden mischievous streak.

Fun Facts!:

• While he has a place in the castle, given he's the High Lord's babiest brother, he honestly prefers to stay in his own home near where the other Crows are stationed. Makes the commute easier.
• Has literally so many plants. A back garden full of plants, window planters full of plants, stacks of shelves with pots and bottles and even more hanging from the ceiling.
• Smokes like a chimney.
• Doesn't care for alcohol very much, it almost immediately makes him sick.

{SPECIAL ABILITIES}
Can understand Neighbor speech, has a strong druidic healing talent to him.

{RELATIONSHIPS}
So. Many. Family members. Brothers and sisters-in-law and cousins and nieces and nephews and even a great-nephew to boot. He's the youngest brother to the current High Lord of Northwatch, and so regularly gets the baby sibling treatment much to his chagrin.
He's also one of a set of triplets.
Probably gets on fairly well with other medics, his fellow soldiers, etc etc.

{HISTORY}
There sure is one, but I doubt being part of a highly influential noble family really lends to anything of interest.


_________________

{NAME}
Daithí

{ALIASES}
Lord Daithí Arran of Summervale

{AGE}
36

{GENDER, SEXUALITY}
Male, homosexual

{SPECIES/ETHNICITY}
Serenian Human

{HEIGHT/BUILD}
5'8", slender build

{OCCUPATION}
Librarian

{RESIDENCE}
Airelos University, Darken Vei, Serendipity

{PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION}
Build; Slender, with delicate features.
Color; Pale and porcelain, Daithí has platinum blonde hair, pale skin, and light moss-green eyes.
Alterations; None that are obvious, but one gets the feeling there's something more that can't be seen.
Modifications; None.
Dress; Daithí favors practical wear in terms of the overall cut of his clothes. He typically favors larger, batwing tunics that leave his arms and hands free, along with simple trousers and boots. The simplicity of his dress is made up for in the quality of the fabric, as he's able to afford the best of the best. He may not necessarily be a part of high fashion, but he certainly knows how to put himself together.

{PERSONALITY}
Focused, generous, friendly, calm. It's easy for Daithí to get lost in his work or a research project or any other number of intellectual pursuits, such that he often works right through his meals. He's open to questions and willing to go above and beyond to help the students of the university in their own research pursuits, but finds peace in quiet moments where he's left alone to read.

Fun Facts!:

• Loves perfumes, and always smells faintly of jasmine.
• Because he works through his meals, he subsists on mostly anything he can eat without making a mess of whatever he's working on.
• Collects all sorts of trinkets and tchotchkes, and has several shelves and tables in his quarters devoted to them.
• Is very allergic to iron and must wear gloves when handling high-iron content materials.

{SPECIAL ABILITIES}
A graduate from another university for magic, Daithí is capable when it comes to spellcraft, but prefers to engage with research than to be more hands-on. Like his mother before him, he is noted as being a particularly talented enchanter, but rarely puts it to use.

{RELATIONSHIPS}

• High Lord So-and-so Arran of Summervale - Unnamed as of yet, father. Has a decent relationship with him but the man is constantly busy.
• High Lady Eurwen Arran of Summervale - Mother. Daithí is much closer with her, though they can exasperate one another sometimes. A famous beauty and an even more talented enchantress, there's plenty of rumors about how exactly she landed the position of High Lady of Summervale.
• Elder sibling - Unnamed firstborn child, heir to the House.
• Elder sibling - Unnamed middle child
• Various colleagues, fellow graduates, former professors, etc.. His network is primarily academic.
• Ezka Shaans - One of Eurwen's many, many ""pet projects"", House Arran forked over a hefty sum to facilitate this poor man's magical education.

{HISTORY}
Born the third child to House Arran, and a mage to boot, it was only natural that Daithí be given the best of the best education. After graduating, he decided he was happiest in the academic world, preferably as far away from his mother's latest attempt to marry him off as possible.

   Valarenth found Nostyr out in the garden, head turned up to watch the late morning sky. Still carrying the tray loaded with a teapot and a dish of honey, Valarenth made his way across the hard, winter-frozen ground, the topmost layer of dirt squishing some under his bare feet. His teacher tilted his head, the only sign given that he had noticed Valarenth's approach, but otherwise said nothing.

   Rather than speaking out loud, Valarenth set the tray down on a flat-topped boulder, just to the right of the carved bowl set inside the centermost point. He turned his gaze skyward then, looking up at the endless expanse of deep grey clouds. Valarenth breathed deep through his nose, smelling the cold in the air, the wet, the coming promise of rain. It had been raining more often in the past few weeks, seeping into everything and leaving behind a musky odor where the damp clinged despite the best efforts of near-constantly roaring hearthfires.

   Far above, hidden by the clouds, a raven croaked deeply. Nostyr croaked deeply in return. Whatever it was that was said between them, however, only silence followed, and eventually Nostyr brought his gaze down to the world below again to regard his pupil.

   "I brought your tea." Valarenth said, mouth quirking to the side in a smirk to see the immediate revulsion on Nostyr's otherwise elegant face.

   "I'm doing well, today," he began, and before Valarenth could reply held up a hand to stop him, "I'll still drink it."

   "It's better to commit to maintenance than hope for a miracle when times are dire." Valarenth stated evenly, even more amused at the look this earned him from the elder wordsmith.

   "Don't quote me at me." Nostyr stepped over to the tray on the boulder and took up a cup, loading in several spoonfuls of thick honey before quickly downing the concoction. The moment he swallowed, he shuddered. "I think Feya is trying to kill me."

   "I think if Feya wished to kill you, teacher, you would be dead."

   "It's her game, playing with her food before putting an end to it."

   "Now you're just being dramatic."

   "Be sure to sing so at my funeral pyre."

   "Teacher."

   Nostyr waved his hand, refilling his cup and adding even more honey before drinking it down, turning the cup upside down on the tray after he finished.

{NAME}
Ever Courageous Marchand

{ALIASES}
"Ever", "Mouse", "Edelweiss"

{AGE}
21

{GENDER, SEXUALITY}
Male, homosexual but he is not likely to admit it

{SPECIES/ETHNICITY}
Human, Serenian

{HEIGHT/BUILD}
5'8", slender but martially trained

{OCCUPATION}
Student at Airelos University, with aspirations for a position as a battle mage within an organization like the Order of the Moon to combat monsters in Serendipity.

{RESIDENCE}
Airelos University for the past several years of study, with a family estate within Darken Vei.



{PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION}

Ever is a good-looking young man with well-kept close-cut brown hair, and large, lovely dark blue eyes that shift hue based on his focus and natural pupil contraction. He has brown skin that goes several shades darker every summer, and possesses a few dark freckles over his cheek and jaw as well as over his back. He's got a puncture scar on his left hand.

His state of dress is always immaculate, with crisp, freshly pressed overcoats and pants tucked neatly into well-shined boots. He's almost always covered from head to toe, even on warm, sunny days.

His only ornamentation is a single silver ring bearing his family crest, which he wears on his right index finger.

{PERSONALITY}

• No-nonsense; Ever is very much a by-the-book sort of guy, who prefers very strongly to follow the rules and has little desire or patience for tomfoolery. It's hard to say how much of this is his personality, however, and how much of this has simply been drilled into him from a young age.
• Tell me I'm good; Ever is very introverted and doesn't enjoy making a spectacle of himself. He hates having all eyes on him, but he absolutely wants to gain approval wherever he can. Doing well in his studies, mastering a skill, whatever it is he just wants to hear "good job".
• For the people; While a part of him just wants to make his family proud, his career choice is entirely because he wants to help those who are under siege by dastardly creatures of the night.
• Loves wordplay; Bookish as a general rule, Ever gets the most amusement out of wordplay and puns. He can't help but laugh even when he really doesn't want to.
• Silver spoon; He's from a noble house and he acts like it.

Fun Facts!:

• .
• .
• .
• .
• .

{SPECIAL ABILITIES}
The son of a mageknight, Ever has been trained from an early age to harness and amplify his talents, making him a very good shieldmage. Constructs are his specialty, and he's above average with magics involving such things.

His status as a mage has not stopped him from being trained in martial arts, and he is more than capable of defending himself in hand-to-hand combat.

{RELATIONSHIPS}
Born the first and only son to wealthy nobility, Ever has never wanted for anything except his family's approval. However, his parents are stern and emotionally distant, and with a cousin having already caused a family scandal, Ever lives in terror of disappointing the family any further.

{HISTORY}
There's totally one when I write it.

{NAME}
Sitkal (Remembrance) Arman

{ALIASES}
N/A

{AGE}
40

{GENDER, SEXUALITY}
Male, pansexual

{SPECIES/ETHNICITY}
Human, Cortlan Adelan

{HEIGHT/BUILD}
6'5" and super strong

{OCCUPATION}
Trapdoor, currently on guard duty for the Governor of Cortla

{RESIDENCE}
Skythread City, Cortla, Adela



{PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION}

Build; Sitkal is physically very imposing. He's tall and broad, with thickly muscled biceps and legs and a sturdy core. He's got a strong, square jaw, and his entire posture denotes someone who would not be easily knocked to the ground. Almost in perfect opposition to this initial impression is how he carries himself: his steps are graceful and quiet, and he moves with a fluid ease that one might not normally associate with his build. His voice is deep and rich, and when he does choose to speak it's very hard to not hear him.

Color; Like other Cortlans, Sitkal possesses medium-brown skin that darkens easily in the sunny summer months. His long, curly hair is a deep brown-black with some red undertones, and when he doesn't shave his facial hair grows in the same way. His eyes are a dark brown, though in bright direct light there is some green hazel to them.

Alterations; He human, human shape.

Modifications;  Like many of his people, Sitkal is pierced and tattooed. He has a bridge piercing, and two further dermal piercings high on either cheekbone. His tattoos are multicolored and geometric, with matching sets that go from his trapezius, down over his shoulder and along his bicep.

Dress; More often than not, Sitkal is in uniform as befitting of his station as a Trapdoor squadron member, and will braid his hair back into a single tail to keep it out of the way. However, when he is able to relax, he favors much more comfortable clothing. He often wears a shendyt, and a type of Cortlan shirt that is made of a hide panel in the front that reaches his neck, and is tied in the back, leaving much of his back open and uncovered. If it's the chillier months or closer to sundown, he'll wear a poncho overtop to keep warm, or just so he can bundle up all cozy-like by the evening fires.

{PERSONALITY}

Patient almost to stubbornness, observant, flexible, loyal, playful

Fun Facts!:

• Can fall asleep anywhere with minimal effort, and is much harder to wake than the rest of his squad.
• His favorite prank to pull on people is to sneak up right on them and go "boo". It's even funnier if someone manages to startle him instead.
• Is a favorite with the local kids for tossing them way up in the air to catch them.
• Does very well at haggling which gives me straight up anxiety.

{SPECIAL ABILITIES}

Telekinetic; Sitkal is able to use his mind to move things, but rarely utilizes this ability, almost to the point where many easily forget he's even capable of doing such a thing.

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}

Great-grandma Jahanara Arman; the daughter of an Essyrni merchant and twice as shrewd as any Merchant Prince, she settled in Cortla to make a more stable living facilitating her family's movements from Essyrn to northern Adela and beyond. The family story is that she bartered at Sitkal's great-grandfather rather than danced with him, and it's a story that usually has all the family members laughing fondly. The eldest child of each generation is given her ring to carry.

Great-grandpa; A quiet shepherd who was rather thankful for this break in tradition, because he was notoriously clumsy at dancing and had difficulty not stepping right on people's feet.

Grandma; A very strong presence in Sitkal's early life, he spent many many years toddling off to sit with her and listen to her tell stories while she knit or wove. His poncho was made by her in celebration of his apprenticeship with the Trapdoors, and he's had it ever since.

Parents; While his mother and father are not together, both play an active role in his life and he'll often split his free time to go visit both of them.

Various aunts, uncles, cousins and so on.

{HISTORY}
tbd

{NAME}
Tsoai Witchspear

{ALIASES}
Formerly Tsoai Quiet Song and boy howdy does he kinda wish that was still the case, but that's another story

{AGE}
29

{GENDER, SEXUALITY}
Male, demisexual

{SPECIES/ETHNICITY}
Human, Taluvan Adelan

{HEIGHT/BUILD}
6', sturdy build

{OCCUPATION}
Talon

{RESIDENCE}
Southcentral Adela, in Taluvan territory.



{PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION}

Build; Stronk. Tsoai is tall with broad shoulders, with well developed legs from a lifetime of walking. He's got a strong, squared jaw, but with thinner brows and full lips, he still tends to look a bit on the younger side.

Color; Tsoai has brown skin that gets darker during the summer months while he's out in the direct sunlight. His eyes are a bright, vivid yellow-orange and his hair is a soft, ash-brown color.

Alterations; Tsoai is very much a human being and has the typical human being shape.

Modifications;  As with the rest of his people in Talu, Tsoai has several face tattoos, most notably the band that goes across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. His only other tattoo is just underneath the band on his right cheek, which is a stylized arrow denoting his position as a hunter. His face is lined with a series of scars starting from his right jaw up to his left brow line, reminiscent of a human hand clawing across his face. If humans had claws, that is.

Dress; Like other Taluvans, Tsoai's mode of dress depends on the season. In summer, he wears a large panel of hide on the front and back of his hips, and soft leather shoes with thick soles. In the winter, he wears a long sleeved hide shirt and pants as well as his summer clothes with additional leg warmers to keep the snow out of his shoes and a large feather cloak for warmth. Like all other Taluvans, when outside of the safety of the wards placed by the strigi, Tsoai wears an ashwood owl mask painted with his tattoos to show his identity to those around him. Unlike other Taluvans, however, Tsoai wears two thin Sedvlin armbands around his upper biceps, a gift from a friend in a neighboring territory.

{PERSONALITY}

Quiet, reserved, humble, steady, pensive, tense

Fun Facts!:

• Does not like jump-scares, but you go through a horrifically traumatizing life experience and tell me you enjoy those after.
• Is particularly superstitious, and doesn't play around when it comes to magic or evil spirits.
• Is fairly friendly to outsiders in comparison to his more isolationist kinsmen. Still cautious, though.
• Loves the smell of flowers and is pretty good at identifying different ones.

{SPECIAL ABILITIES}

He's good at hunting and fighting, but otherwise is a regular ol' human bean

{RELATIONSHIPS}

Bird Eater - Tsoai's friend from Sedvli. They handled some rough shit together when they were both younger and that kinda bond isn't easy to break. He doesn't see them often, but when he does he spends a lot of his free time catching up.

Others tbd

{HISTORY}

Tsoai just wanted to spend his life out in nature, coming home to friends and family and a peaceful, calm life. If only, if only.

Books: open! DM to discuss the scope of your project and your budget

Estimated turnaround time: Dependent on complexity. I work full time and have chronic pain issues, so efforts towards a commission will be made on the weekends, or as I'm able during the week.

Specialties: Character portraits and design

Prices: I charge $15 an hour. Complexity of the character design will be reflected in time spent. I will be sure to be clear about how long a piece will take me, depending on how detailed the project is.

Order of operations:

• We will discuss your project, getting as many details as possible while keeping in mind limitations due to time and budget.
• I will present a sketch, wherein you will be able to approve it, or request changes.
• Once the project is approved, I will send a paypal invoice for half the estimated final cost.
• Upon receipt of payment, I will begin with the lineart and coloring. No major changes are possible at this time.
• Upon completion of the work, I will send you a second paypal invoice for the remainder of the project's cost.
• Upon receipt of payment, you will receive the completed artwork.

{NAME}
Tocholok

{ALIASES}
"Lok"

{AGE}
30

{GENDER, SEXUALITY}
Male, bisexual

{SPECIES/ETHNICITY}
Territok (Thunderblack Mountain) orc, of a northern tribe

{HEIGHT/BUILD}
7'3", BIG BEEF

{OCCUPATION}
Cowherd

{RESIDENCE}
Southern Adela, sometimes into the Terrin mountains



{PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION}

Build; Big, big, big. Lok easily towers over most human beings he meets, and is typically twice as broad as any he meets, too. Very well muscled from rich nutrition and constant physical activity.

Color; Like many of his kind, Lok's skin is a dark sage green. He has dark brown hair and pale aqua eyes.

Alterations; As an orc, Lok has a large set of tusks that protrude from his lower jaw, and  he has pointed ears. On his elbows and forearms are a set of pointed boney growths that Lok must keep shortened by grinding them against tree bark or boulders.

Modifications; Like others of his tribe, Lok has extensive and intricate scarification on his chin and shoulders. These scars range from simple small lacerations that were made to heal puffy, and round pebbling made by inserting small river stones.

Dress; Typical for his tribe. Lok wears leather-hide leggings underneath a leather panel loincloth. During the winter seasons, he's often wrapped in a very thick woolen poncho, which has been dyed a deep indigo. He wears a series of armbands and bracelets, mostly made from dyed strips of hide or cow horn and bones whittled into beads. Lok wears his long, thick hair half pulled back into a ponytail, with thick braids draped over his shoulders.

{PERSONALITY}

Jovial, mischievous, altruistic, gullible, a bit naive, more to be determined as a consequence of RPing lol

Fun Facts!:

• Enjoys a good smoke when he's out away from the main camp.
• Spaces out a lot.
• Favorite color is blue.
• Is a hugger.

{SPECIAL ABILITIES}

Above-human strength and endurance

Pyrokinetic of some talent, which makes setting up a campfire real easy.

{RELATIONSHIPS}

His piebald stallion, who he named Boulder-Hoof, and he loves more than anything else in the world.

His dad, and others TBD

{HISTORY}

Lok hails from a northern tribe of the Territok (aka Thunderblack Mountain) orcs. Rather than going south into the Serha plains, Lok's tribe travels north, and moves their cattle through the southern Adelan territories.

As such, Lok and most of his tribe know at least passing conversational words in the dialects they come into contact with, as well as the Ketran dialect of the Trader's Tongue. They keep their own orcish language to their camps and amongst themselves, and tend to automatically shift to Ketran when dealing with a non-orc, primarily because their language is so harsh and full of nuanced sounds it's simply less complicated to use human speech. Lok likes to mess with non-orcs a bit by pretending not to speak human, since he's always found them trying to pantomime words funny. Even better is their face when he speaks perfect Ketran shortly after.

Lok's always loved being out on the road - he likes the adventure that comes with travel, the new experiences on even a well-known road. He's happy enough in the main camp with the rest of his tribe, but is well known for wandering off after a couple of days.

{NAME}
Bird Eater

{ALIASES}
Secondborn of Red River

{AGE}
30

{GENDER, SEXUALITY}
?? / ??

{SPECIES/ETHNICITY}
Human, Sedvlin Adelan

{HEIGHT/BUILD}
6', athletic

{OCCUPATION}
Morning Star, emissary, hunter, healer, basket-weaver

{RESIDENCE}
Sedvli, occasionally Ketra as needed, Adela



{PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION}

Build; Growing up wrestling the other kids in your town, and learning from an early age to hunt in the grasses, has left Bird Eater with a fit form. Muscular shoulders are perfect for drawing a bow or pinning an opponent, and their leg muscles are well developed for riding their pronghorn across varying terrain. Very tall, with high cheekbones and a stern jaw, Bird Eater comes across as physically intimidating.

Color; Bird Eater is very earthy, with deep brown hair and equally rich brown eyes. Their skin is a deep tan, maintained by endless hours in the sun.

Alterations; Bird Eater is human, expect human shape.

Modifications; While they do not possess any tattoos or piercings, Bird Eater does regularly stain the sides of their head with plant paste, leaving a deep copper tone in the shape of repeating diamonds and triangles. A long stripe goes down from the base of their skull to the small of their back, also done in this plant paste staining process. As is the fashion in Sedvli, they paint slender white lines underneath each of their eyebrows daily.

Dress; Like other Sedvlins, Bird Eater dresses in a series of layers to maintain a unisex fashion, with chest wraps underneath a colorful sleeveless shirt underneath a hide vest. Similarly layered are their pants, which is cloth shorts under hide breeches with a cloth panel breechcloth overtop. Overall the effect makes quite the rectangle body shape. They often wrap their hands with similar cloth to their chest, with a set of iron knuckle dusters for each hand, as most Sedvlin adults do.

{PERSONALITY}

Stern, passionate, just, stubborn, steadfast, zealous, a bit of a wet blanket

Fun Facts!:

• Smells like campfire and tobacco.
• Doesn't wear their mohawk up much because it gives them a headache. Actually, a lot of things give them a headache. Headaches.
• Loves corn chowder during the first weeks of autumn.
• Has a penchant for visiting brothels while in Ketra, something they keep very much to themself.

{SPECIAL ABILITIES}

Like other pronghorn riders, Bird Eater is psionically empathic. They can get a general read of the emotional state of creatures around them, and can (with some concentration), project their own emotional state out.

{RELATIONSHIPS}

Red River, their mother. Famed for her strength and endurance, Red River has created quite the legacy for her children to follow, which she is proud to say they both have done very well.

Wildflower, their older sister. Bird Eater has a harder relationship with Wildflower, as Wildflower herself would have wanted the position of Morning Star, and the pair often disagree on personal choices that Bird Eater makes.

The North Star, (TBD). A very old friend who Wildflower and Bird Eater have both known all their lives. Aaand that's all I know until someone makes the North Star lmfao

Their pronghorn, who they have a very close bond with, and who is equally as stern and stubborn as they are. Bird Eater simply calls him "my friend" when referring to him in conversation.

Tsoai Witchspear - An old friend from Talu, and traumabuddies! Yaaaaay!

{HISTORY}

They... totally have one. >> Somewhere

{NAME}
Valarenth Zhyr

{ALIASES}
N/A

{AGE}
125

{GENDER, SEXUALITY}
Male, Resonancy

{SPECIES/ETHNICITY}
Starstrider, House Horizon

{HEIGHT/BUILD}
6'4", athletic

{OCCUPATION}
Wordsmith

{RESIDENCE}
Ztel Saryk, Veila Kaur



{PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION}

Build; Valarenth grew up on one of Veila Kaur's smaller isles, and knows hard work. He's athletic in his build, with a fair amount of upper body strength from a childhood of lugging around wood and other goods. Standing at six-four, he's not the tallest starstrider around, but neither is he one of the smaller Procyons, either, hinting that had his parents been resonances, he might have belonged to House Archernar.

Color; As a Horizon, Valarenth has a deep grey skintone and pitch black hair that doesn't reflect light. His eyes are a pale cyan color, with brighter irises and pupils that give the illusion of an otherworldly glow.

Alterations; A few small cuts and scrapes that have scarred over in his long life, but nothing that makes him particularly stand out.

Modifications; As befitting a wordsmith, Valarenth sports several tattoos, most notably the single mark that runs from his philtrum down to below his lower lip, which signals his status as a wordsmith of his particular school. He has a similar woven style on either side of his neck, and he often wears low necklines to better keep it on display.

Dress; As a wordsmith, even on a smaller island, Valarenth isn't hurting for comfort. He has access to plenty of dyes, but tends to favor soft grey-blues for his tunics, and dark grey fur trims on his cloaks. He typically favors silver jewelry, with matching brooches connected by a long string of bright, iridescent purple-blue beadwork. His leggings are typically black, if only because he spends much of his work kneeling in a trance and it's easier to hide the wear and tear, but he does wear bright silver ankle rings to compensate.

{PERSONALITY}

Sarcastic, witty, honest, energetic, mischievous, tired

Fun Facts!:

• Has a pair of hounds that follow him wherever he goes, and are very protective watch dogs.
• Constantly faintly smells of burnt herbs.
• Actually has very fast hair growth for one of his kind, and has to constantly shave his beard to keep it from getting overwhelming.
• Favorite food is tuna steaks.

{SPECIAL ABILITIES}

Wordsmith; Valarenth is a mage of his kind, who use words both written and spoken to adjust the strings of fate that connect the world. His usual method involves going into a kind of trance and chanting as part of his ritual, which can be fairly taxing depending on how intense the desired result is.

{RELATIONSHIPS}

Teacher who I will eventually name don't judge me; the starstrider who raised him and also taught him the art of wordsmithing.

{HISTORY}

Valarenth was orphaned at a very young age, left as an infant on a master wordsmith's doorstep and subsequently adopted. As he grew, he showed a talent for magic, which his teacher says is proof it was fate for him to be left on his doorstep when he was. The two retain a good bond even now that Valarenth is grown, though they always refer to each other as teacher and student versus parent and son.

{NAME}
Shuukaku Souma

{ALIASES}
N/A

{AGE}
32

{GENDER, SEXUALITY}
Male. Sexuality is a big ol' mystery.

{SPECIES/ETHNICITY}
Anathanati Rulastinian

{HEIGHT/BUILD}
5'5", well-toned.

{OCCUPATION}
Hunter

{RESIDENCE}
Oshiren, Rulastinia


{PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION}

Elegant; There's no mistaking that Souma comes from nobility. The way he carries himself is with the kind of grace that could only come from years of tutelage. Not that he has much use for it, given his duties as a monster hunter, but even now in his adult years, he holds himself with the kind of poise that wouldn't look out of place in a lord's court.

Petite; While not short for his people, he's not overly tall either, and though he'd never be pinned as weak, high cheekbones and slender joints certainly give the impression of delicacy despite the callouses on his hands and the strength of his back.

Fastidious; He takes excellent care of himself. Bathing is an absolute must, and he can't stand to go without one if he's not out on a mission. His hair is his one true vanity, and he'll spend plenty of time combing and grooming it into a silken shine.

Ink-stained; Despite his best efforts to maintain certain grooming standards, it's not uncommon for Souma to have ink blotches or stains on his hands. If he's too deep in thought at the time, he might even end up with a smudge or two on his chin from playing with his scruff.

{PERSONALITY}

Stoic, orthodox, painfully bad at conversation, artistic

Fun Facts!:

• Makes his own inks for writing and drawing with. He often incorporates the ashes from protective incenses in his inks, making for rather potent spell-tags.
• TBD.
• TBD.
• TBD.

{SPECIAL ABILITIES}

Astral walker; A talent inherited from his father, Souma is able to control his living spirit through a meditative state and astral project elsewhere in the world. This has the potential for being dangerous, either because his spirit might get lost, or other malignant entities might take the opportunity to "jump ship" into his empty body. As such, he rarely travels far, and he always leaves his body in the care of other Hunters and several purification seals.

{RELATIONSHIPS}

His father; a daimyo of Oshiren, Lord Shuukaku has been catatonic for a little over a decade now. He requires constant care, and has to be physically moved from place to place, though he is still capable of walking.

His mother; a Hunter of some renown, she was often sent out on dangerous missions. When she didn't come back from one such mission, her husband was devastated and devoted far too much of his spirit trying to find her again. All attempts failed, and she has been considered killed in action.

His younger sister; A stern woman who has taken over her father's duties to the city, and takes her responsibilities very seriously. In official matters, even Souma refers to her as Lady Shuukaku.

{HISTORY}

In Rulastinia, the horrors of the world are the great equalizers, and spare no one. It is better to stand than to lay in the mud and drown.

{NAME}

Tsai Jianjun

{ALIASES}

Tsaizi

Crown Prince of the Southern Province, the Hunter Prince, "ice princess" if you wanna get him real mad real quick.

"Jianjian"

{AGE}

29

{GENDER, SEXUALITY}

Male, bisexual

{SPECIES/ETHNICITY}

Shijie-ren, Gushui-ren

{HEIGHT/BUILD}

5'10 (antlers don't count), thin but muscled

{OCCUPATION}

Prince!

{RESIDENCE}

Kongdong, Gushui, the Shijie Empire



{PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION}

Build; This man does not get nearly enough to eat, even being as part of the upper crust of society as he is. Jianjun stands relatively tall, all long limbs and minimal body fat. He's fairly muscled from a lifetime of hunting with a bow and arrow, with strong shoulders and arms and legs made for walking. Miles and miles. Uphill both ways in the snow.

Color; Like other Gushui-ren, Jianjun is paler than others of his kind, with piercing blue eyes that are chilly enough even without the weather. His hair, like the rest of his kind, is a deep black, which he keeps long if somewhat unkempt.

Alterations; Shijie-ren differ from humanoids from Le'raana in several ways.

Modifications; A few knicks and cuts from a rough life.

Dress; Like the rest of his people, Jianjun prefers practical wear versus anything fancy. Being immune to the cold means there's less need for multiple layers, and so he goes about with a simple set of pants, with leg wrappings down to his ankles. He wears a long vest over a bare chest, with a mantle of fur from the hide of a beast he'd slain when he was younger. What ornamentation he wears is usually simple, with some carved bone beads for a necklace or a stick to keep his hair up.

{PERSONALITY}

Snarky, uncouth, intelligent, guarded, honorable, fair, sincere

Fun Facts!:

• Is actually the second born to the King and Queen, after the death of the first Crown Prince. He takes his survival very seriously, but understands he can be replaced.
• His vest is often lined with alchemical freezing oils when he must venture northwards to warmer climates. As such, he often leaves a small trail of frost in his wake.
• Can be a mischievous little shit when he wants to be, and has absolutely relieved himself in the Emperor's garden at least once.
• Has always wanted a younger sibling.

{SPECIAL ABILITIES}

Gushui-ren are all immune to freezing temperatures, and thus can survive during even the harshest cold so long as they have other needs met like food and water. However, they experience heat exhaustion much sooner than a human would, and thus have to keep themselves covered in cold to handle temperatures around 75 degrees and above for long periods of time.

{RELATIONSHIPS}

Ling - First Princess of Sheng-gu and his childhood friend, though their relationship is very unconventional as far as friendship goes.
Tingru - A Songtu-ren who managed to charm their way into Jian's good graces and has been unofficially adopted as "little sibling" as a result.

{HISTORY}

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Hey, y'all!

Just a quick announcement. I know this last year has been absolute hell and has wrecked even the most carefully laid plans. Which is understandable: even if you haven't been personally affected by you or someone you love having Covid, it's left its mark on all of us in terms of our financial, mental and emotional well-being. We're all stressed out, and we're all very antsy for a way to keep ourselves distracted from how the real world is.

It's with that in mind that I want to change up some of my plans, both for myself and the other members of the mod team, as well as for all of our members, (whether they're participating in the Explorer thread or not).

Firstly, an assurance: **the Explorer thread is not cancelled or on hiatus. We will continue it as normal, as people are able to participate and so on.** We're still gonna keep posting, but I've realized that tying lore releases to the progression of the thread just isn't in the cards.

So, instead, I've decided to release areas of the continent early for active play. You will notice at the bottom of the forums, there's new areas! Each section of the new continent has Information pages, which you can find the writeups for our new sections of the world.

As things are progressing in the Explorer thread, certain aspects of the new continent will remain "unknown" until our intrepid explorers can make their mark. As such, I do ask that any new characters in the new continent be natives to said continent. Le'raana has not yet established itself in connection with these new kingdoms and peoples, but they soon will! As always, I or Goblinfae will keep you posted.

We will be holding another discord Q&A lore session in the coming future to discuss all the information being released, and answer any of your questions! Keep an eye out for future announcements.

So, without further ado, friends and comrades, welcome...

To Panzhong.

Set at the northernmost point of the Panzhong continent, Veila Kaur is a cold land made up of several large islands. At night, the sky lights up in twisting shapes and colors, reflecting against glimmering crystal forests and outcrops that sing at the wind's touch.

Government: Collective monarchy
Official Leadership Title: High King/High Queen, Kings and Queens
National colors: Black and white
National Flag: A long black banner with connecting white stars forming the placement of each kingdom.
Capital: Ztel Amyr
Demonym: Starstriders
Pronunciation: VAY-lah COW-er
Location: North Panzhong
Biomes and Geography: Taiga and tundra, arctic ocean

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