Hercine, City of Wonders and Magic - Intest, Worldbuilding and Signup

Hmm. I suppose it's time to start figuring out a few things about Lady Motoko's organization too.

How many characters are we allowed anyway? And is it a good idea to laet a player concentrate all their chracters in one household?

Is that a reasonable explanation, dalt? ^^.

So, and this is the final one*

• Name: Nela Damerik
• Species/Race: Nem

• Gender: Female
• Age: 18
• Appearance: Much like how you occasionally get humans that are unusually small for their time and place without any precise medical condition, Nela is small for a Nem. Given how small they are anyway, this makes her smaller than her sister: she's three foot two and has pretty much stopped growing, now being one of the smallest adults in the city. Naturally, despite her not actually looking that childish since there's something of a bust there and she's a bit too on the lean side, Nela often gets confused for a child by inattentive adults. Sometimes this helps. When she wants to buy strong alcohol or the like, it gets her in trouble.
  Being so small and disliking haircuts, the pale girl's black hair is nearly as long as she is, often seeming like a cloak thrown across her clothes. They're nice clothes, too.
• Possessions: A lot of empty bottles, though it generally takes her a few days to safely finish a small one given her alcohol tolerance (when she actually manages to get served in bars and stuff, they tend to give her one drink and then just give her milk for the rest of the evening) along with a rather large bookshelf. As in, twice a normal person's height, with a ladder of many rungs attached so that she can actually get at the books. She actually has a room to herself in Whitebolt Academy, though whether that's to do with her graduation or her being small enough that it's safer...
  Most of the books are stuff absolutely no-one else wants. There's at least a dozen volumes on the magical properties of different types of alcohol if you cast the right spells on them beforehand.
• Personality: She's... rather perverse for someone so small. She also likes alcohol. This tends not to go so well and neither does how easily she's offended. It's best not to point out that she's so small, even if it's practically impossible for Nela to forget it. In fact, there's rather a lot of things that can set her off. Don't touch the hat and never, ever pull on her hair.
• Skills: Force magic. Whereas most mages would use fire, air, or pretty much anything they can easily see in the world around them, Nela opted to learn on controlling it and just using it to directly blast people. If she has enough time to gather and focus it, this could potentially blow off a limb—though it'd be an astonishingly clean cut—but for the most part will just knock people off their feet. Or blow them across the street and through two doors if they've sufficiently annoyed her.
  She can also enchant alcohol, which has had a few minor effects—namely, she's not as fragile as her appearance and race would suggest, though still on the flimsy side. She's also learned a spell to deal with the chance of sunburn.
• Bio: She's Emi's sister. She used to know a lot of children, though, so the knowledge that she actually has a sibling is mostly forgotten and she doesn't really remember that one particular child was her relative, everything got rather hectic. This is also the reason for the different family names: hers is properly remembered; Emi's isn't.
  Nela, as indicated, has studied as a mage and spends a lot of her evenings in pubs. If anyone recognises her, they're hasty to spread warnings not to provoke her (either by treating her as a child or manhandling her) after the last person... got blown across the street and landed awkwardly, breaking a leg. As for her actual job, that seems to be demolishing buildings.
• Other: Yes, she's tiny~

edited 5th Apr '12 9:27:40 AM by RainehDaze

• Name: Astrea-Caelum, Dragon God of the Blessed Night Sky
• Species: Dragon
• Gender: Male/Female/It
• Age: 2000+(?)
• Appearance: Human Form◊ / Dragon Form◊
• Possessions: N/A
• Personality: Astrea, as a dragon, was malicious and unforgiving. It killed and killed without remorse in order to cover the sky in a never ending night. That's one thing the dragon held compassion for was the night that gave birth to it. It may have been out of thanks, or out of love, but that's the one thing that drove the dragon to do what it wanted to make the Night Sky happy. Now, after the battle with Niveus and her defeat, it slepts. The Dragon God experienced the night it sought after for so long. An eternal peace and an eternal rest. In its sleep, it realized something. The world was a beautiful place at night.. and in the day. Everyone was a child of the same sky, the same night. It was selfish, demanding, and overly cruel. Realizing its mistakes, Astrea now wishes to give back to the world in any way it can.
• Skills:
  • Human Form to Dragon Form: Astrea is capable of transforming into its dragon form via offering of blood. It can't be its own blood, either. It has to be from someone else. It's not a lot, actually, just a bite and it can transform.
  • Dragon Magic: Being a Dragon God, she has access to magic of the same status. Due to its sheer destructive potential, she's mentally blocked herself from even using it or accessing it. There are a few spells she can use, however. The spells below, due to being intensely high-level and being in human state, take a bit of time to chant out. Perhaps thirty and forty seconds at a time.
    • Blessed Star: A healing magic she came up with after the fight with Niveus. It mimics the glow of the stars in the sky, healing any and all injuries inflicted upon any mortal being, save for death.
    • Nightgale Guard: A protective magic that takes the form of a large, black wind that encircles Astrea or its comrades.
    • Nightdoor: The shadows nearby expand and encase Astrea and its allies, taking them to safety.
• Bio: Astrea is the twin of the Dragon God of Life Niveus. In the Niveus clan, there's an old legend that speaks of Astrea as the dragon who cast a neverending nightfall on the hill that the clan now resides. The Dragon God Niveus came forth to oppose Astrea and the two fought. It's an old legend that seems to explain the clan's home in position to the rotation around the sun. They're plagued with three months of sun and then three months of night. That's how the legend goes, anyway. Some believe now, some don't. Truthfully the two dragons did fight, and the victor was Niveus. Now, Astrea awakens from her/his deep slumber in order to see the world once again.
• Other: Astrea takes the form of a female due to the fact it considers women to be gentle in nature. It reflects its own inner wish to show the world compassion.

edited 5th Apr '12 9:55:06 AM by RagnaTheSaviour

If she get's approved, it would be nice for Bat to meet an actual dragon.

Also, Diane would laugh at the concept that woman are gentle.

Nela is approved, though tone back a bit the strength of her Force Magic.

Astraea too is approved, though her powers as a Goddess are sealed and unable to be used. Her dragon form will only be used under authorization and in very few instances.

Can I just... increase the time requirements? I didn't really specify. I mean impractically long times for the devastating stuff. The drunk guy just failed to realise that the reason she didn't struggle when he picked her up is because she was casting.^^;

Another NPC bio made, eh-heh:

• Name: Silette Westeilwell
• Species/Race: Human
• Gender: Female
• Age: 12
• Appearance: "I made it in class!"
• Possessions: A book of Beginner's Magic, some basic spell ingredients, and an emergency "spell charge" in case something happens to her life support spell. Basically, it auto-casts it if the spell is dispelled. She only has the spell charge when she goes out, though.
• Personality: Silette is quiet and not particularly outgoing. Unlike the other two Westeilwell sisters, she is much shyer and far less inclined to interact with people outside of her family or her magic teacher. She is deeply affectionate towards her sisters and her parents, though, and she has a remarkably positive outlook on life. Silette also enjoys various board games, and takes her magic lessons very seriously. She likes her magic lessons, even though she's not particularly good yet.
• Skills: Silette knows some very basic magic, but aside from that she tires easily and is rather frail.
• Bio: Silette was born, and from the start something was wrong. However, it wasn't until she was seven years old that it was properly diagnosed: Silette had a rare birth defect that caused her heart to beat weaker over time. By the time she was ten, it was predicted that she would die. However, the Westeilwells managed to find a skilled mage, who cast a permanent spell on Silette. It was a small construct, a magically-constructed device designed to keep her heart pumping. While it wouldn't allow her to be as active as other children, it would allow her to live a mostly normal life. A year ago, she began magic lessons.
• Other: N/A

Hmmm with long casting times it should be alright then. I was actually worrying about the possibility of quick repeated pushes that can send someone flying through two doors.

Anno: Approved.

Dalt, not to sound a bit pushy or anything, but did the explanation for the Order of Salvare make sense? ^^.

Ah, sorry GS. A bunch of stuff happened and I forgot.

Hmmm... I kind of don't like it. The only things you are defining is how they defend people and lots of measures to make it so that the people they protect can't be touched by anyone ever.

• Name: Traxxar Gaius
• Species/Race: Gnoll. Gnolls are big wolf-men. Their fur can range most natural colors based on tribe, and on average stand about 6' even, though with a great deal of range from that height. They have humanlike paws, and while they run fast despite their massive bulk they don't run on all fours; that's a sick, sick stereotype, you bigot. They have large eyes, larger ears, night vision, and have muzzles that stick out a good three inches from the rest of their face. Once again, bigots, their teeth and slobber stay fully inside their mouths, though the fangs keep speech in anything but Gnoll obfuscated into a rough, growling dialect. They live as long as humans do, on average, if disease and war didn't kill them at around 50.
• Gender: M
• Age: 20
• Appearance: Traxxar is a very large man-wolf; really more like a wolf standing up than a man. He's about 6'7", with broad shoulders and thick treetrunk arms—as F. Scott Fitzgerald would have put it, a cruel body. He has an angry, observant expression on his face all the time, like he's about to mug you. Also, he probably is about to mug you. He wears basic light leather armor, the inside of which is embroidered with the logo of the Thieves Guild—if it has one, or whatever. He wears a pair of battered leather gloves constantly; they're crisscrossed with symbols that glow with arcane potency and are written in a terrible mistreated pidgin of a couple dozen different languages from the wilderness of Gnolls and Orcs and such—all that's actually readable is that they're allegedly holy artifacts and give off strong disruptive magical signatures.
• Possessions: Traxxar lives in the "small, hotly contested woodland to the far South West" of Hercine, in a collection of tents and huts spread throughout there; he never sleeps in the same one twice in a week. He owns several changes of sturdy leather armor, but his most prized possessions are the gloves he wears: The Egg Scramblers. They're his dad's, technically, but since he won't be using them he'll just hang onto 'em. Whenever he, say, wallops you across the head, or the gloves otherwise feel an impact or strike, they release a pulse of magic-scrambling energy in a one-foot radius. This pulse dissipates weak spells or causes stronger ones to go haywire, causes wands to discharge, and temporarily—like five seconds temporarily—nullifies the powers and distorts the physical form of magical and magically created creatures—such as Carbonara or a Golem or something. This effect increases in intensity the closer you are to the Scramblers when they go off.
• Personality: Traxxar has been screwed before. While he's not particularly learned or intelligent, Traxxar is cunning. He can generally sniff out a lie, or someone who thinks that they think Traxxar's just more dumb muscle. He takes offense to people who think they're better than him. He's extremely selfish, and if he thinks there's something to exploit he'll take it. Traxxar's also naturally inclined towards violence, but he won't attack someone who could actually maybe cause real problems; look out for number one and all that. He is, in a word, a bully.
• Skills: Traxxar is not, by any means, a Thief. Traxxar is a rogue. He is strong and cruel, and is skilled at fighting dirty and striking weak spots when he sees them. Traxxar prefers fighting hand-to-hand, though the occasional Improvised Weapon isn't below him or anything. And no, he doesn't rip out throats with his teeth, that's just anti-Gnoll slander by the elves and half-dragons and such. He also speaks fluent Gnoll, and has a near-encyclopedic knowledge of their culture and habits. This is not very difficult, as a complete anthropological treatise on the "intricacies"—read:mass of intentional and dense contradictions intended to xenophobically keep outsiders out—and "history"—read:a series of old Gnolls arguing who beat up who and when—of Gnoll culture could be written on two and a half pages.
• Bio: Do you even know who you're talking to? Traxxar's frickin' royalty. Well, fallen royalty, but still. Dear old Dad was a great fighter back at the Tribe outside Hercine, and took over the Gnoll tribe before Traxxar was even born. Those were damn fine years; the tribe was fed well, the other tribes respected this tribe—it didn't have a name, because that was impractical—and life was good. However, like many of these stories go, Traxxar got screwed. As his final test of manhood, he was—with a great deal of excitement and gratitude—assigned a more difficult test of manhood than most young Gnolls. He was to go to Hercine with fifteen gold and the Egg Scramblers and bring back proof that he had taken over some kind of organization there, not unlike Dad... unfortunately, about a day after he arrived in Hercine he received a letter informing him that their tribe had been slaughtered down to the last individual—sent by said tribe who found Dad's journal and tracked down Traxxar's location—and that now Traxxar was on his own, in unfamiliar territory, and he was down to... five gold. Traxxar wandered the streets for awhile then, completely at a loss for what to do. He started assaulting civilians for cash to buy food, only to receive an offer from one particularly wily mark: join the Thieves Guild, and we won't hunt you down for trying to rob a member. In exchange for not being a target for the rest of his life, Traxxar became an enforcer, professional mugger, and muscle for the Thieves Guild, for when prancy nancyboy thieves aren't necessary. But still he dreams of something greater, dreams and lusts for power.

Ach. Is there anything you would recommend then to make it work better?

Hmmm alright Taco. Lets talk of the Egg Scramblers. I don't know if they would make wands discharge, a powerful spell might go haywire but it would still function on some level... like for example, if the lava ball was affected by the Egg Scramblers Chandri would probably lose control of his lava ball but it would still be a concentration of fire mana... it might begin to collapse but it would still travel in the same direction it was going towards and if it strikes something it would still be the same spell.

Also, on the effect of those with magical forms... It would depend on whenever magic is actively sustaining such a new form. For example, someone might use magic to transform themselves into another shape temporarily. In this case it's more likely that magic is constantly used to remain in that shape and if affected by the Egg Scramblers they would most likely turn back to normal. However, if someone transformed permanently, changing their form so that they truly become their new shape then the Egg Scramblers wouldn't work since magic changed them some time in the past and then wasn't involved in sustaining it since then.

Form changing spells and magic that are sustained are much more practical for people who only plan to stay in the new shape temporarily. It requires less mana to cast and then they just need to provide a fixed but small amount of energy wile changed to maintain their new shape. Permanent spells require a lot more of mana but are way more definitive. You aren't sustaining a new form through magic or use a magic spell to disguise yourself, you literally for all physical intents and purpose become your new shape and will require a similar spell if you wish to go back to your usual form.

Anyway, what I want to get to is that the Egg Scramblers would affect a sustained form but would do nothing to a permanent one.

Grey Star: I would recommend that you completely think over the Order and start from the very beginning. Not what you want them to do, but rather why would they do that?

Start by what God do they follow, what are their teachings, how did they begin their worship, why are they all warrior priests, where do they convince people to join their Order, what kind of problems they would get into if they provide safety to everyone... And such and such. Do take into account that providing Sanctuary doesn't need to be their central thing... I imagine many Churches offer such services to people they symphatise with. Also, something that rubbed me the wrong way is how you described how opposing them automatically means war with a whole religion. I imagine they would make lots of enemies if they declared war every time someone didn't approve of them giving sanctuary to someone. Still, they would surely be able to offer protection to someone that goes to their halls... just don't make it so absolute and be aware that if pressured by local government and stuff like that they might have to surrender their protection of someone.

Well, if they're all warrior priests, I'd think local government might be a bit wary, dalt, just due to the number of people they might lose.

Those chasing after those given sanctuary might be very wary of going against the Order but the local government surely wouldn't

After all, the Doge can just expel the Order from his city and that's not mentioning the other resources he has on his disposal.

edited 6th Apr '12 12:42:42 PM by daltar

Oh, I thought you meant individual districts, not the entire city. XD

Can't think of many people you'd harbour that would warrant mobilising so many resources, though.

Even the people in charge of an entire district would surely have enough influence to go against the Order. Still, as you mentioned it may never come to pass that they would harbor someone who would draw that much attention but still, as it was written before, the Order seemed omnipotent in their ability to protect someone.

I think what GS intended is that if someone is completely innocent, they would protect them until they're dead. Since they're still around, it seems implied that it's never been an issue thus far.

Yeah, that. Sorry for not explaining it properly, dalt. ^^.

• Name: Ial Lesson
• Species/Race: Human
• Gender: Male
• Age: 38
• Appearance: A thin yet athletic man with short brown hair and grey eyes. Almost always dressed sharply.
• Possessions: Goes out on the town with a sword disguised as a cane and a pouch of cash, along with whatever he feels is necessary for him to have at the time. Lives in a well furnished apartment in the entertainment district.
• Personality: Acting aloof and always knowing more than he lets on, Ial speaks in an overly formal, flowery manner. Tends to act above it all. Super arrogant. A lifelong member of the Court of Dreams, he believes that all the world is a fiction; the stage of Hercine is one of many directors and writers, and he is but one actor out of many...
• Skills: As it turns out, he's not that far off. He likens himself as a character who can read the script of the story he is in; he is aware of all things happening (on screen) in Hercine at any time. However, he is limited by the fact that by all other means, he's only human - if he wants to influence events, he must travel there himself, what with having no means of telepathic communication, and he has no real magic outside of this semi-omniscient ability. He is decently skilled in a fight and has decent strength and endurance, but that's only more than the average layman. On the plus side, the eccentricities in his sanity prevent any unwanted mental interference.
• Bio: Ial was born and raised in the lavish streets of Hercine's noble quarters but early on in life he aspired to be a member of the Court of Dreams. As a young man he got a chance to join in a production held in that magnificent theater and ever since has lived in the entertainment district serving as an actor, writer, director, and acting coach for aspiring new stars. Living there for so long, he has fully absorbed the "separate from reality" culture and fully believes this world is fictitious. Still, he is ironically well-informed about the going ons of the city and can be counted on to provide information. Perhaps because of this, he enjoys playing sages or tricksters in various productions.
• Other: I once dreamt I was in a world of heroes and villains... it must've been another story...

edited 13th Apr '12 10:49:54 PM by Starbound2

So he's some sort of super-strong clairvoyant with his power always on?

He knows everything we post.

Still, to people in game he's but a crazy guy who knows stuff he shouldn't be able to know. So basically, your typical Court of Dreams person.

Ial is approved.

edited 14th Apr '12 12:20:42 AM by daltar

Except of course what's in their minds. Only what would be visible if he were standing there.

Right?