History Tropers / Nazmazh

Descibe Nazmazh here:

Ok...

Nazmazh is a LovableCoward [[OurGoblinsAreDifferent Goblin]] [[GadgeteerGenius Artificer]] currently a member of the [[DungeonsAndDragons Total Mercenary Solutions Inc.]] company. Wait, no, that's not right...

Nazmazh is an [[KnifeNut Assassin]]/[[TheArcher Ranger]] who sees much less use than his [[GuildWars alts]] and will likely give his name to an [[GuildWars2 Asura mage]] of some kind. No that's not quite right either...

Nazmazh is a [[BlatantLies bad-ass]] [[Left4Dead2 zombie]] [[TheMillstone killing]] [[TraumaCongaLine machine]]. No, that's definitely not right. How about...

Nazmazh is a [[{{Civilization}} great leader]], guiding his [[ZeroPercentApprovalRating adoring people]] to glorious [[GameOver victories]] that [[EpicFail stand the test of time]]. Nope. Definitely not.

Nazmazh is a [[MostTropersAreYoungNerds 25-year-old geek]] heading back to university to get another [[ForScience degree]] because his last attempt, while successful hasn't yielded desirable opportunities. While he once again delves into science, he has always been somewhat more proficient with Language Arts and Social Studies, but didn't really see much of a future in those fields. Nazmazh is also an expert on all sorts of {{Trivia}}, going so far as to captain a Reach For The Top (Think a four-player-per team two team {{Jeopardy}} game. [[DisSimile But not quite exactly that]]) team back in his high school days.

Has been accused of being [[DeadpanSnarker funny]] on occasion. This is most likely an exaggeration, as are any [[CanadaEh rumours]] of him being [[BrilliantButLazy smart]].

Definitely spends too much time reading {{Webcomics}}, playing VideoGames, watching [[{{Television}} TV]]

Ok, that's probably enough of the ThirdPersonPerson stuff. It gets kind of old after a while.

I've been surfing TVTropes ever since {{XKCD}} led me to it. TVTropes is responsible for me finding out about ThatGuyWithTheGlasses and many other interesting things, for which I am very [[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife grateful]]. I've made some minor edits here and there in the past. (I have Wiki Gnome tendencies.) [[strike:My main project as of late has been creating and filling out the [[Characters/GuildWars character]] page (Feel free to help with it at all if you'd like) for GuildWars, which I recently started playing again.]] The bulk of it is in place now. [[strike:This is mostly because I've hit some writer's block]] Now going to try and figure out some of the tropes I'm using in the DungeonsAndDragons campaign (which may instead be turned into an outright story/comic, if/when I learn how to draw any better) I've been writing to kill some time. TVTropes has been a [[SugarWiki/TVTropesWillEnhanceYourLife great help in writing]], helping me better describe and understand my characters and giving me ideas for plots and settings. I thought it'd be nice to give back in some way.

I am slowly learning how to use proper wiki formatting.

Oh, about the [[WhoNamesTheirKidDude name]]: It actually wasn't chosen for the XtremeKoolLetterz. I got it from a LordOfTheRings fansite that had a "your name in... x" generator. I've been using the [[OurOrcsAreDifferent orcish]] name it gave me [[SpellMyNameWithAThe (Nazmazh the Raider)]] as an internet handle for a while now. In spite of it being an orcish name, I've always preferred to apply it to Goblin-type characters. It's also served as the name of many characters of mine, from [[{{Warhammer}} Wolf Rider Commanders]] to [[{{Diablo}} Werewolf Druids]].

Below lies some tropes relating to the [=DnD=] Campaign mentioned above. Mostly for my own personal reference. Somewhat of an AbandonedInfoPage right now.

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Goodwyn's Code of Personal Preservation]]
!Goodwyn’s Rules of Personal Preservation
!!A Total Mercenary Solutions Inc.™ Training Document[[labelnote:1]]Total Mercenary Solutions Inc.™ is a subsidiary corporation of Solutions Inc.™ Document for internal use only.[[/labelnote]][[labelnote:2]]Gathered from personal experiences, the depths of my own madness/boredom and good advice from many varied sources[[/labelnote]]

# [[RuleNumberOne Know your limitations]]
# Know your crew
# Know your job and what it entails
# Know your role
# Don’t take work you don’t feel comfortable with
# The only side you should be on is your own
# [[TheRealMan Kicking in doors, swords drawn]] is not the only way to get a job done
# It’s probably a trap or a set-up
# Have a way out
# Have another way out
# Never trust a cornered rat
# Watch your back
# Walking away is always an option
# It’s easiest to walk away before you accept a job
# There’ll always be another opportunity to make money
# Do whatever you can to keep complications to a minimum
# Grudges and vendettas are bad for profit
# Know the laws of the region you’re in and the fervour with which they are enforced
# Use your head so that you don’t lose your head
# The situation is always fluid
# Keep track of who owes you favours
# Keep track of who you owe favours to, but don’t remind them – knowing you owe them a favour is their job
# Know the extradition treaties of the regions you’re in with regards to regions that you’ve previously been in
# Never go anywhere without a weapon of some sort
# [[EmergencyWeapon Have a second weapon]]
# Be the person that holds onto the money. If this is not possible, don’t let the person holding the money out of your sight until you have your share
# Divide up shares fairly
# Never be the first one through a hazardous zone
# [[ShootTheMedicFirst Prioritize targets]]
# [[ShoutOut Be polite]]
# [[TeamFortress2 Be efficient]]
# [[CrazyPrepared Have a plan to kill everyone you meet]]
# [[ProperlyParanoid Have a plan to avoid being killed by everyone you meet]]
# Dress appropriately
# Eat appropriately
# Get plenty of rest when you can afford to
# Have somewhere that you can lay low for a while if you need to
# Always have a scapegoat
# Know when to have things in writing
# Know when to avoid having things in writing
# Leave [[NumberTwo someone competent]] in charge
# When something more powerful than you tells you to kneel – you kneel
# Write it down, especially if it’s [[RiddleMeThis cryptic.]] It’ll probably be important later
# Experience and treachery will beat youth and enthusiasm every time
# Apparently, nobody bothers to store potions that aren’t in fact horrible, horrible poisons.
# Do NOT desecrate a church. Ever.
# Do NOT desecrate a graveyard. Ever.
# There's always time for pants!
# It is never just one job when it comes to wizards
# Most clients aren't telling you the whole story
# Wizards never tell you the whole story... at first
# Make sure you know what is the true objective of your mission when you accept it
# Divide duties as necessary
# Form the best teams possible for each task
# Sometimes, the right information is the most valuable thing you can possess
# All the knowledge in the world won't stop a heavy axe with a determined wielder
# [[DontGoInTheWoods Forests are always dangerous.]] No exceptions.
# An [[RingOfFire ominous orange glow]] seldom means anything good.
# A [[SicklyGreenGlow green glow]] usually means something bad.
# A [[RedSkyTakeWarning red glow]] ALWAYS means something bad.
# Blue glows can go either way.
# A bright white glow either means something [[PowerGlows very good]] or [[WhiteVoidRoom something very bad.]] There is no middle ground.
# Glowing of any colour should be treated with caution.
# Whenever possible, avoid using stolen goods as payment to a legitimate organization.
# When trying to be deceptive or at the very least pleasant, avoid a tone of voice that suggests pure ire. Also avoid saying sarcastic comments out loud.
# Devise your cunning plans out of earshot of your [[ImStandingRightHere opponents.]]
# Sometimes its best just to wait and see what happens.
# Always have a prearranged danger signal or emergency code word
# Do not trust beings made of pure anything. Especially darkness.
# If something is oozing a black goo, don't touch it.
# If something is oozing any colour of unnatural looking goo, don't touch it.
# Negotiate before blindly accepting terms offered. Especially if from a shadowy organization, menacing creature or generally creepy person/thing.
# [[WarHammer A single blade in the night can be worth a thousand swords at dawn.]]
# Not all enemies are snarling beasts lurking in the woods.
# Not all snarling beasts lurking in the woods are necessarily enemies.
# Powerful things pay less attention to you when you obey their direct commands. This gives you some time to think of something.
# All people and creatures have potential value.
# All people and creatures pose a potential risk.
# The absence of a deep booming voice and/or imposing figure does not mean the absence of a threat.
# Never stand in front of something when opening or disarming it.
# People are often quite grateful when you acknowledge the deeds they have done for you, however small.
# People are far more likely to focus on your failures than your successes.
# If you react poorly to bad news and setbacks, eventually people will stop telling you. This does not mean that the bad news and setbacks are not still happening, it just means that the people who would have told you are now more concerned with self-preservation instead of supplying you with important information.
[[/folder]]

!Characters
[[folder:TMS]]

Tropes applying to the whole of Total Mercenary Solutions:

* CharacterMagneticTeam
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters
* {{Nakama}}
* OddlySmallOrganization: Averted
* RagtagBunchOfMisfits

!Goodwyn [[spoiler:Phoenicius]]

* Race: Tiefling
* Gender: Male
* Age: 26
* Class: Warlord

Founder and leader of the Total Mercenary Solutions company. His typical way of operating is finding the right mercenary for the job (and taking a finder's fee) instead of actually fighting every battle himself. Despite this, he does have a small crew of regulars that he goes on missions with, if the situation calls for it. Wears a long, purple coat, which is his old uniform jacket from when he was part of of the Wizards' Guild Security in his home city of Pactstone.

Tropes applying to Goodwyn
* BadassLongcoat: His purple trench coat
* [[spoiler:BlueBlood]]
* ChronicHeroSyndrome: Despite any of his claims otherwise, he is compelled to do the right thing.
* CombatMedic: More combat than medic, but he has healing and some StatusBuff capabilities. Overlaps this role with Velia, who is more medic than combat; and Nazmazh, who is more just a plain TheMedic with StatusBuff capabilities.
* DeadpanSnarker
* DisappearedDad: See Parental Neglect below
* GuileHero
* HalfHumanHybrid / OurDemonsAreDifferent: In DungeonsAndDragons, a child of a Tiefling is always a Tiefling, regardless of the other parent.
* HeroesPreferSwords + LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: To be fair, this is pretty standard warlord weaponry
* HornedHumanoid: Much to his annoyance. He frequently catches his horns on doorways and typically has to move beds away from walls just to sleep in them.
* MagneticHero [[spoiler:The gods, it seem, intend this to be his ultimate destiny: Gathering the best the world has to offer to face the most dangerous foes ever seen]]
* NeutralGood: Though he claims to be ChaoticNeutral or TrueNeutral.
* OnlySaneEmployee: At times
* ParentalNeglect: Goodwyn's mother is a high-ranking member of the Wizards' Guild in the Imperial Capital, Pactstone. [[spoiler: The Archmagus, in fact]]. She never really had time for him as he was growing up. She ensured that he had the finest of all things while growing up, but was utterly distant. She even more or less told Goodwyn that he was conceived solely because she needed "the blood of a Devil child of her own bloodline" as a spell component.
* {{Railroading}}: The whole TMS angle is used as a framing device for the story. If the [=PCs=] get a little too out of bounds, he's there to nudge them back on course.
* [[spoiler:RebelPrince He is the son of the Archmagus of the Mizrican Empire and nephew to the Grand Duke of Phoenicia]] He instead has chosen to forge his own path as a mercenary.
* TheAragorn: The [=PCs=] will be out doing the major missions, but what of their allies? They're off doing another related task.
* TheCaptain
* TheHero: Amongst the NPC allies, anyway.
* TheStrategist
* UnfortunateNames: Goodwyn is named after an obscure mythical figure. In one of the myriad versions of mythology, Goodwyn was the name of one of a group of fallen adventurers that ushered in the great Cataclysm that wiped out all civilization some 4500 years ago. Most people are not aware of this context to his name, thankfully. Those who are wonder why anyone would name their child that. (I guess the best way to compare it would be to imagine someone in our world naming their kid [[CthulhuMythos Dagon]])

!Huanya

* Race: Deva
* Gender: Male
* Age: 10 (Since last ressurection)
* Class: Invoker of Ioun

The second permanent member of TMS, Huanya joined up with Goodwyn after Goodwyn's timely intervention prevented a misunderstanding from getting out of hand.
As a Deva, Huanya has reincarnated from previous forms. Usually Devas have access to the memories of all their predecessors, however, Huanya's last incarnation is completely absent from his mind. Known only to Huanya because he left a tome containing a brief introduction at his sacred resurrection site, the wizard Vercinge is a complete mystery, aside from his mission to create a grand library of arcane knowledge.

Huanya's own mission is slightly different, he is to gather as much knowledge as he can about all manner of things, mundane or otherwise. As such he is constantly chronicling all manner of things as he travels through the world.

Aside from Vercinge, Huanya has had a few previous incarnations that he is aware of:
!!General Zumah
A warlord sent to organize a formerly nomadic tribe into a proper fighting force in order to defend the nexus point that they had settled on. He perished in the final battle to secure the region. The city that was founded there bore his name.

!!Moctegamesh
A cleric of Ioun sent to help formalize worship of the gods and foster understanding of magic and the power of the nexus point. He saw the city of Zumah through a peaceful golden age, but at the height of the city's power, was assassinated by a cult of Vecna.

!!Torix
An avenger of Ioun. This female Deva was sent as an incarnation of Ioun's wrath. Her mandate was to seek vengeance for the death of her predecessor and purge the cult of Vecna from the region. She operated in secret, not entirely sure of how widespread the corruption was. With the assistance of a few trusted confidants, she was able to ferret out a few cells of Vecna worshipers, all the while seeking the leaders of the heretical movement. She eventually did find those responsible: The elders of the Church of Ioun and the entire City Council had been drawn into Vecna worship. Before she could spread the word to the remaining innocent citizens of Zumah, she was betrayed by one of her confidants and slain.

!!Kasander
A paladin of Ioun. With Torix dead, Vecna worship became the formalized norm in Zumah. Ioun sent her champion once again, to rally an army of the righteous and rid the world of this foul infestation once and for all. His siege of the city culminated in a final confrontation with the high priest of Vecna. The priest cast a curse upon him, one designed to slay and bind a person to the caster's will as an undead servant. However, the curse was not designed to harm immortal beings such as the Deva. With his final act, Kasander struck down the priest. The city of Zumah was all but destroyed in the siege and lost to the sands of the surrounding desert. This was a strange death and it took many long years before the wizard Vercinge was reborn in Kasander's place.

Tropes applying to Huanya:

* BadassBookworm
* BadassLongcoat: Has a long, dark blue great coat
* BagOfHolding: Contains his ever expanding library of observations on the world.
* GentlemanAndAScholar: Unfailingly polite, despite the fact that he's not entirely aware of proper social conventions
* {{Immortality}} Type IV
* NoSocialSkills / FishOutOfWater: Doesn't quite grasp all the subtleties of society. For instance, most people do not consider discussing their mating habits to be an appropriate subject upon introduction. No matter how politely you ask. The others are helping him get better at normal interaction.
* OurAngelsAreDifferent
* OmnidisciplinaryScientist: Well, he tries to be one anyway
* NumberTwo: Goodwyn's right-hand man. But not TheLancer, that role typically falls to Morana
* [[spoiler:SealedEvilInACan: Vercinge was the one who sealed [[EldritchAbomination the Abomination]] in the chamber beneath the mountain. The creature struck him in the process and to avoid falling victim to TheCorruption, Vercinge ordered himself slain and his corpse sealed in the larger surrounding chamber. This is why his memories are lost and he was unable to return to the resurrection site to provide more information to his successor.]]
* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: Very frequently
* ShootTheShaggyDog / DownerEnding: After many long years of toil to establish a thriving city upon the nexus point, Huanya's many incarnations were ultimately forced to destroy that which they had created.
* SimpleStaff
* TheSmartGuy / TheProfessor
* TraumaInducedAmnesia: An explanation as to why Vercinge's time is missing from Huanya's memories. See the spoiler above for relevant information
* TrueNeutral --> NeutralGood as Goodwyn's influence rubs off on him.

!Morana Medea

* Race: Human
* Gender: Female
* Age: 24
* Class: Warlock

Morana grew up as an orphan on the streets of Rughal. She was raised in the orphanage House Medea, most raised there use Medea as a surname. She managed to make her way through life as a thief and pickpocket, constantly moving around the city once she was old enough to be on her own. One day she made the mistake of trying to steal from the wrong man, a high-ranking member of the local Gustavson criminal syndicate. Spotted by one of the gangster's bodyguards, she had no choice but to run and hide. They were persistent, however and she quickly found her normal escape routes cut off. She ducked into the nearest building, a library.

With the thugs still in pursuit, Morana scurried between rows of bookshelves, hoping to find a place to hide. She came across a door at the back of the building, which led her down a long, winding hallway. At the end of the hall, she found a small room, containing several very old books, written in languages she didn't read, some in a bookcase and some stacked on the small desk in the corner. One tome in particular, sitting open on the desk, seemed to call out to her. Morana's every instinct told her to leave this place, but she could not resist the compulsion to reach out and touch the book.

As soon as her hand made contact with the dusty page a sudden surge of energy overtook her. Images flashed before Morana's eyes, too quickly to make anything out clearly. When Morana regained consciousness, she grabbed the book and headed for the entrance of the library. She saw an old man talking with some city guards. The guards saw her sneaking around and approached her. On instinct, Morana fled. Outside, the Gustavson thugs were still hanging around the library, waiting for her to re-emerge. Morana turned the corner into the nearest alley, the gangsters and guards both in pursuit. Unfortunately, the alley was a dead end.

Cornered, Morana thought that the game was up when suddenly, a bolt of arcane energy sprung from her raised hands, blasting the nearest guard backwards. This gave her pursuers pause, but they soon started closing in again. Once more, Morana raised her hands. This time the energy struck a thug. He dropped to his knees and appeared to wither slightly. She channeled this strange new sensation and fired several more blasts, sending her foes reeling. The man she had originally stolen from fled the alleyway screaming for his life.

As Morana left the alley, she caught a glimpse of herself in glass window. Her light brown hair had turned to a blood-red colour. Her brown eyes had become an unnaturally pale blue. Her skin had become very pale. Before she could really consider this, she noticed a larger contingent of guards approaching down the streets. For the first time in her life, Morana left the Phoenician capital city. Not knowing where to go, she drifted, heading northeast, catching rides with trade caravans and walking with other travelers. Eventually she found herself in the Principality of Graedia and its capital city, Kono.

Seeking to get out of a quickly worsening snowstorm, she headed into a tavern and found a seat near the fireplace. While warming herself, several local barflies took it upon themselves to harass the pretty new stranger. She calmly and politely told them to leave her alone, which they took some exception to. As one grabbed her wrist, two figures sitting at a table in the corner jumped up, looking to intervene. Before these would-be rescuers could do anything further, Morana's arm glowed with a purple energy and her assailant screamed in agony. "She's a witch! Get her!" The Tiefling and Deva intercepted several of the barflies friends and together Morana, Goodwyn and Huanaya easily fought off the drunkards.

After the dust settled, Goodwyn asked the young lady if she would like to join them in their small mercenary company. Though she was used to being self reliant, the strangers unprompted kindness intrigued her and she accepted.

Tropes applying to Morana:

* BadassLongcoat: (Yes, I know, it seems like I really like this trope) Unlike Goodwyn and Huanya, Morana's long vest really serves no purpose. She just wanted a long coat so that she fit in with the others.
* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: Her reason for joining up with TMS. Goodwyn and Huanya's RedundantRescue was one of the first genuine acts of kindness that someone had preformed for her.
* BlackMagicianGirl
* BlueEyes: Piercing and icy. Witch's eyes definitely describes them.
* ChaoticNeutral
* ConvenientlyAnOrphan: [[spoiler:The man she stole from when the chain of events was set in motion is actually her uncle. Her father, who never knew about her is the current head of the Gustavson Crime Syndicate]]
* CuttingTheKnot: Goodwyn proposes long, complex plans, Morana prefers to take the direct route to problem solving. Sometimes to LeeroyJenkins levels, especially if she's suffering a SuperPowerMeltdown / UnstoppableRage.
* DeadpanSnarker: Much more so than Goodwyn.
* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: Well, her hair's more red than brown.
* FingerlessGloves
* LaserGuidedAmnesia: She's not exactly clear on how she gained her powers. [[spoiler:This is intentional. She did make a [[DealWithTheDevil pact with the demonic spirit]] sealed in the book in order to escape her pursuers but the memory was wiped from her mind.]]
* LifeDrain: Not as a necessity, but is one of her abilities.
* LoveableRogue
* PeekABangs
* PerkyGoth: She's not exactly {{Goth}}, but it is a fairly apt description of her nature compared to her look.
* PowerGlows: Whenever she uses her warlock abilities, her eyes glow purple and there is a visible purple aura around her hands and forearms.
* RedOniBlueOni: Red to Malachite's blue.
* SatisfiedStreetRat
* SealedEvilInACan: Her tome
* SuperpoweredEvilSide: You wouldn't like her when she's angry.
* TheLancer
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Was the only female member of TMS until Velia joined. However, Morana was definitely never TheChick.
* TouchedByVorlons: Her gaining of powers from an ancient tome.


!Malachite

* Race: Warforged
* Gender: None, identifies as Male
* Age: Unknown
* Class: Warlock

While camping alongside a lonely stretch of road in the Vidus principality en route to a mediation job, Goodwyn, Huanya and Morana were approached by a mysterious figure in a long fur-lined coat. It was a strange looking Warforged, plated in copper and brass instead of the usual steel and iron. He had metal slats fashioned into horns, of sorts, meant to resemble a Tiefling. There were ribbons of alchemical metals inlaid into his armour, as well as several runic inscriptions. He had a few wisps of lichen sprouting from gaps in his armour, mostly around his head. He joined them at their fire and while brewing a kettle of tea, told them his strange tale.

Malachite, as he was called, had awakened in the ruins of what had once been a laboratory of some sort. From what he found scattered around, it belonged to a Dwarven artificer, named Haarmann Zincheart, and this was one of his many hidden workshops. Zincheart had apparently unearthed a tomb where a large regiment of Warforged soldiers had been sealed in stasis, as a sort of honour guard. Zincheart had been removing the Warforged and tinkering around with them, experimenting with various combinations of weaponry and power sources. Malachite bore the mark, Wk-2, indicating that he was the second warlock experiment.

Ever since he awoke, Malachite had been wandering, searching for Zincheart or his other labs (the locations of which were purposefully left out of Haarmann's journals); any other awakened experiments (which were only alluded to in the reports, serial numbers without locations) or the original tomb (a closely guarded secret of Haarmann's which only he and a few trusted assistants knew).

Why the coat? Well, even though Warforged aren't exactly seen as monsters in the Mizrican Empire, a lone, strange-looking wanderer can often be mistaken for some sort of beastly creature. Malachite found that wearing a coat and carrying a few unnecessary provisions, such as his tea, made people less likely to assume he was a mindless brute.

Goodwyn was very intrigued after hearing Malachite's tale. He offered the Warforged the chance to join them. In exchange, they would help him with his search when downtime and funds permitted. True, that they already had a warlock in their group, but Goodwyn has never been the type to turn away an interesting, useful person simply because of ability overlap.

Tropes applying to Malachite:

* BadassLongcoat (Last one, I swear)
* BlackMagic: DarkIsNotEvil
* {{Golem}}: Warforged are a type of Golem. They are, at their core, plant-based and covered in metal armour.
** {{Immortality}} Type II
* LifeDrain: One of many attacks he and Morana have in common
* LivingRelic: SleptThroughTheApocalypse, possibly
* NervesOfSteel
* RedOniBlueOni: Blue to Morana's red
* RogueElephant: Warforged were created to be soldiers. Haarmann Zincheart deliberately rebuilt Malachite to be a mage.
* [[spoiler:SealedInsideAPersonShapedCan: Haarmann made an infernal pact, but instead of accepting the power for himself, he tricked the devil into Malachite's body and sealed it in their with a series of runes]]
* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: Occasionally, but not to the extent of Huanya.
* SpockSpeak: MachineMonotone to a certain extent.
* TheSpock: Especially noticeable since [[TheProfessor Huanya]] is not one.
* TheStoic
* ThemeNaming: Malachite and his "brothers" (see below) are all named for minerals and ores.
* TrueNeutral
* VagueAge: He's not really sure how old he is.
* WalkingTheEarth: What he was doing before joining up with TMS.
* [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes Why Did It Have To Be Mirrors?]]: Normally unresponsive Malachite [[NotSoStoic turns into a gibbering mess]] whenever he gets a clear look at his reflection. [[spoiler:Because he sees the SealedEvilInACan looking back at him. Haarmann programmed this response into Malachite to keep the devil sealed inside him from reading the runes that would allow it to escape]]

!Vidar Ashborn

* Race: Minotaur
* Gender: Male
* Age: 32
* Class: Fighter

Vidar was a guard in his relatively isolationist village in the steppes of the Vidus principality. His village, Ashendale, was downhill from a mining community, Ironbury. A miners' strike had turned violent. Miners fleeing the Ironbury Magistrate's local soldiers and mercenary forces triggered a rockslide, causing extensive damage to the Minotaur village and trapping several villagers, including Vidar, beneath rubble. Believing the Minotaurs to somehow be in league with the miners, the Magistrate's forces began attacking the village. Vidar was helpless, unable to free himself. A soldier closed in to deliver a fatal blow.

But, the blow was parried. A Tiefling in a purple coat blocked the attack. His allies disarmed and chased off the soldier. They were apparently mercenaries hired by the Prince of Vidus himself to act as mediators during the negotiations that were supposed to take place. TMS helped Vidar out of the rubble and protected the Ashendale villagers from the overzealous soldiers. Vidar's culture demanded that because Goodwyn had saved him from certain death, that his life now belonged to the Tiefling. Goodwyn tried to politely decline this eternal servitude, but there was little that could persuade the Minotaurs in the matter. To refuse this offer would imply that the life was not one worth saving, a most grievous insult.

After communicating the day's events to the Prince, TMS's instructions were to do what the could to mitigate the violence and damage to surrounding areas while the Prince's army was dispatched to put an end to the violence. Goodwyn instead came up with a plan that he hoped would bring resolution to the conflict and resume meaningful negotiations before the Prince's forces arrived. After a brief trek to the nearby Dwarven citadel, [[ShoutOut Boatslain]] [[DwarfFortress Fortress]] to arm themselves with better weaponry, TMS split its now 5-strong forces. Vidar, Morana and Malachite slipped past the Magistrate's guards and took the noble himself hostage. Vidar's brute strength, with the support of the two warlocks repelled any rescue attempts by the Magistrate's guards. Meanwhile, Goodwyn and Huanya infiltrated the miners' camp and spoke face-to-face with the foreman that had initiated the strike. He had been unable to control the violence used by some of his more aggressive workers and surrendered himself to Goodwyn's custody in hopes that it would keep his men in line.

The two groups brought their respective prisoners back to the negotiation table and were able to get them to agree to a mutual agreement, including restoration work in Ashendale village. Vidar continues to serve as Goodwyn's faithful bodyguard and the go-to muscle of TMS.

Tropes applying to Vidar:

* ALoadOfBull
** HornedHumanoid
* AnAxeToGrind / ShieldBash
* CombatCompliment: Frequently critiques the fighting styles of his opponents.
* {{Determinator}}: He must not and shall not fail in his duties, no matter the cost to himself.
* GoodOldWays: Ashendale isn't really a barbarian village, but they are traditionalists. Vidar carries this attitude with him, often scoffing at magic users or the excess of the larger cities.
* IOweYouMyLife, though Goodwyn considers it a DisproportionateReward
* LawfulNeutral: Vidar is mainly concerned with his duty, which is to protect Goodwyn and those close to him. Though it often overlaps with noble causes due to Goodwyn's nature.
* OverlyLongName: Minotaurs on the continent of Cresota use a naming convention which typically describes aspects of the individual's life. Hence his full name: Vidar, Son-of-Halma-Born-beneath-the-ash-on-a-chilly-night-of-two-full-moons-in-the-late-summer-Slayer-of-five-wolves-Toppler-of-two-Orc-catapults-Slayer-of-20-Orcs-Village-Guardsman-He-who-owes-his-life-to-the-Tiefling-Goodwyn
* PerpetualFrowner
** He's not exactly TheStoic, but he's slow to show emotion, mostly as part of the ProudWarriorRaceGuy / GoodOldWays attitude. He's actually a bit of a [[{{Kuudere}} softie]] on the inside.
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy
* TheBigGuy - Tending towards MightyGlacier
* TheComicallySerious


!Nazmazh

* Race: Goblin
* Gender: Male
* Age: 20
* Class: Artificer

Nazmazh's early life is mostly uninteresting, he was raised in large warren of Goblins in the mountains of Vidus, near the Dwarven citadel known as Boatslain Fortress. The Goblins were more or less peaceful towards their more civilized neighbours, even if they did not officially join civilization. They still would attack the occasional caravan or raid a local farm if the need arose, but they were considered pests at most. At the age of 14, as part of a coming-of-age ritual, Nazmazh, along with several other young Goblins snuck into Boatslain Fortress. They were tasked with retrieving an object of value each and then sneaking back out of the citadel, unnoticed. Nazmazh broke into the laboratory of an artificer.

While looking through the lab for something of value to steal, Nazmazh accidentally started up a small music box. It began to play, but was broken. Nazmazh was suddenly seized with a compulsion to open up the trinket and repair it. Using the tools he found in the workshop, Nazmazh took apart the music box, replaced the faulty part and had just finished reassembling it when the artificer, finally roused from his sleep by all the racket, stumbled into his laboratory to find the intruder sitting at his workbench.

The Dwarven artificer was impressed that the Goblin could grasp the mechanical principles involved in the music box repair and had the skill with the tools that he found laying around to repair it and took Nazmazh as an apprentice, not exactly something the young Goblin expected to happen. He never returned to his warren, finding this new vocation much more satisfying. In a few short years, Nazmazh had mastered many skills and could be called a talented artificer in his own right. However, Nazmazh was often considered little more than a novelty by the Dwarves, as one might consider a dancing bear or painting monkey.

When Goodwyn and his growing band of mercenaries travelled to Boatslain Fortress during the Miners' Dispute, they looked to stock up on magical and alchemical weapons. Goodwyn was quite impressed by the quality of work Nazmazh was able to produce. With the Dwarven master artificer's blessing, Goodwyn offered the young Goblin a chance to join his team as a permanent craftsman and tinkerer after the resolution of the conflict, making him the sixth permanent member of the group.

Tropes applying to Nazmazh:

* ChaoticGood - He looks to help, generally. But he's not above "borrowing" components for his work. His UndyingLoyalty to Goodwyn helps to keep him honest.
* CombatMedic, mostly specializing in StatusBuff
* CuriousAsAMonkey - Likes to tinker and see how things work. This can cause some [[WhatDoesThisButtonDo problems.]]
* DancingBear - How the Dwarves other than his master saw he before he was recruited into TMS
* DoAnythingRobot - Can make some mechanical assistants. Any attempts at MechaMooks have failed spectacularly.
* EloquentInMyNativeTongue - He can speak Common and Dwarven somewhat, but in a YouNoTakeCandle sort of dialect that masks his keen mind.
* GadgeteerGenius
** {{Magitek}}
* LovableCoward
* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch - Most Goblins in Cresota are NeutralEvil scavengers and bandits. Nazmazh has turned his back on that kind of life
* NonActionGuy
* OurGoblinsAreDifferent
* PluckyComicRelief
* TheSmartGuy
** TheEngineer
* TrickedOutGloves - A device on his right hand that functions as a BagOfHolding for his crossbow and a few other useful devices.
* WeaponOfChoice - AutomaticCrossbow + SimpleStaff, depending on the specific ability he needs to put to use. Not that he actually looks to participate in combat all that often.
* WhereDoesHeGetAllThoseWonderfulToys? - A {{Watsonian}} explanation for TMS. Nazmazh can create magic and alchemical items a few levels above his own, meaning that any equipment the group needs, he can provide, as long as the material costs are acquired.

!Torvald

* Race: Longtooth Shifter
* Gender: Male
* Age: 41
* Class: Warden

!Vrahin

* Race: Elf
* Gender: Male
* Age: 108[[spoiler:0]]
* Class: Druid

!Velia

* Race: Human [[spoiler:Actually, Changeling]]
* Gender: Female
* Age: 21
* Class: Cleric of Erathis

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Later Additions to TMS]]

!Lokee-Lokee

* Race: Kobold
* Gender: Male
* Age: 10
* Class: Ranger (Beastmaster)
* Companion: Jub-Jub, a giant Monitor Lizard

!Dunstan Copperhammer

* Race: Dwarf
* Gender: Male
* Age: 89
* Class: Runepriest

!Alvhild

* Race: Drow
* Gender: Male
* Age: 143
* Class: Archer Warlord

!Daltrey

* Race: Wilden
* Gender: Male
* Age: 20
* Class: Seeker

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dashing Dirk & Company]]

!Dashing Dirk, Hero of the Empire!

* Race: Human [[spoiler:Actually, Half-Half-Orc]]
* Gender: Male
* Age: 26
* Class: HERO OF THE EMPIRE! [[spoiler:Rogue]]

!Lyuben Moonmarked

* Race: Dragonborn
* Gender: Male
* Age: 22
* Class: Paladin of Shehanine

!Byron Culier

* Race: Human
* Gender: Male
* Age: 39
* Class: Wizard

!Kubla

* Race: Hobgoblin
* Gender: Male
* Age: 25
* Class: Bard

!Salia

* Race: Half-Elf
* Gender: Female
* Age: 23
* Class: Cleric [[spoiler:Actually, Avenger]] of Bahamut

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Melora's Hand]]

!General Lamorak

* Race: Eladrin
* Gender: Male
* Age: 278
* Class: Warden

!Senka

* Race: Shadar-kai
* Gender: Female
* Age: 113
* Class: Ranger (Twin-Blade)

!Altyn

* Race: Gnome
* Gender: Male
* Age: 243
* Class: Sorcerer

!Lyhr Muckmaw

* Race: Gnoll
* Gender: Male
* Age: Uncertain, likely mid-teens
* Class: Barbarian

!Soren

* Race: Eladrin
* Gender: Male
* Age: 57
* Class: Wizard

!Selene

* Race: Eladrin
* Gender: Female
* Age: 57
* Class: Warlock

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Other Recurring Villains]]

!Other Zincheart Constructs

!!Bauxite

* Race: Warforged
* Gender: None, Identifies as Male
* Age: Unknown
* Class: Wizard

!!Obsidian

* Race: Warforged
* Gender: None, identifies as Male
* Age: Unknown
* Class: Assassin

!!Pyrite

* Race: Warforged
* Gender: None, identifies as Male
* Age: Unknown
* Class: Paladin of Bahamut

!!Feldspar

* Race: Warforged
* Gender: None, identifies as Male
* Age: Unknown
* Class: Rogue

!Crime Syndicates

!!Baxter Goldwheat

!!!Scales & Rocko

!The Abomination

* EldritchAbomination
** HumanoidAbomination
* SealedEvilInACan

[[/folder]]

!!A Total Mercenary Solutions Inc.™ Training Document[[hottip:1:Total Mercenary Solutions Inc.™ is a subsidiary corporation of Solutions Inc.™ Document for internal use only.]][[hottip:2:Gathered from personal experiences, the depths of my own madness/boredom and good advice from many varied sources]]

Nazmazh is a [[MostTropersAreYoungNerds 24-year-old geek]] heading back to university to get another [[ForScience degree]] because his last attempt, while successful hasn't yielded desirable opportunities. While he once again delves into science, he has always been somewhat more proficient with Language Arts and Social Studies, but didn't really see much of a future in those fields. Nazmazh is also an expert on all sorts of {{Trivia}}, going so far as to captain a Reach For The Top (Think a four-player-per team two team {{Jeopardy}} game. [[DisSimile But not quite exactly that]]) team back in his high school days.

Below lies some tropes relating to the [=DnD=] Campaign mentioned above. Mostly for my own personal reference.

* Benefit: '''The Man with the Plan''': Will recommend plans and proper social interaction tactics

* Benefit: '''Obsessive Note Taker''': Will always write down any details once they have been discovered, meaning the party doesn't have to write them down and will have them for the rest of the relevant time. (eg: obvious ones like cryptic riddles on the wall; less obvious ones like the type of stonework, if someone points it out to him after a perception check)

* Benefit: '''Name''': Description

* Benefit: '''Eternal Sentry''': Like all Warforged, Malachite does not need to sleep and must only be idle for 4 hours to be considered rested. He is fully aware during this time, meaning that everyone else can get a full night's rest while Malachite is in the party.

* Benefit: '''Name''': Description

** Not A BoisterousBruiser, but not TheQuietOne
** Not a GeniusBruiser, but also not DumbMuscle

* Benefit: '''Name''': Description

* Benefit: '''Name''': Description

* Age: 108[[supersecretspoiler:0]]

* Benefit: '''Name''': Description

* Race: Human [[supersecretspoiler:Actually, Changeling]]

* Benefit: '''Name''': Description

* Benefit: '''Name''': Description

* Benefit: '''Name''': Description

* Benefit: '''Name''': Description

* Benefit: '''Name''': Description

* HornedHumanoid

* UnfortunateNames: Goodwyn is named after an obscure mythical figure. In one of the myriad versions of mythology, Goodwyn was the name of one of a group of fallen adventurers that ushered in the great Cataclysm that wiped out all civilization some 4500 years ago. Most people are not aware of this context to his name, thankfully. Those who are wonder why anyone would name their child that. (I guess the best way to compare it would be to imagine someone in our world naming their kid [[CthuluMythos Dagon]])

* [[spoiler:RebelPrince He is the son of the Archmagus of the Mizrican Empire and nephew to the Grand Duke of Phoenicia]] He instead has chosen to forge his own path as a mercenary.

# Know your limitations

# Kicking in doors, swords drawn is not the only way to get a job done

# Have a second weapon

# Prioritize targets

# Have a plan to kill everyone you meet
# Have a plan to avoid being killed by everyone you meet

# Leave someone competent in charge

# Write it down, especially if it’s cryptic. It’ll probably be important later

# Forests are always dangerous. No exceptions.
# An ominous orange glow seldom means anything good.
# A green glow usually means something bad.
# A red glow ALWAYS means something bad.

# A bright white glow either means something very good or something very bad. There is no middle ground.

# Devise your cunning plans out of earshot of your opponents.

[[folder:Characters]]
!TMS

I've been surfing TVTropes ever since {{XKCD}} led me to it. TVTropes is responsible for me finding out about ThatGuyWithTheGlasses and many other interesting things, for which I am very [[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife grateful]]. I've made some minor edits here and there in the past. (I have Wiki Gnome tendencies.) My main project as of late has been creating and filling out the [[Characters/GuildWars character]] page (Feel free to help with it at all if you'd like) for GuildWars, which I recently started playing again. This is mostly because I've hit some writer's block in the DungeonsAndDragons campaign (which may instead be turned into an outright story/comic, if/when I learn how to draw any better) I've been writing to kill some time. TVTropes has been a [[SugarWiki/TVTropesWillEnhanceYourLife great help in writing]], helping me better describe and understand my characters and giving me ideas for plots and settings. I thought it'd be nice to give back in some way.

Oh, about the [[WhoNamesTheirKidDude name]]: It actually wasn't chosen for the XtremeKoolLetterz. I got it from a LordOfTheRings fansite that had a "your name in... x" generator. I've been using the [[OurOrcsAreDifferent orcish]] name it gave me [[SpellMyNameWithAThe (Nazmazh the Raider)]] as an internet handle for a while now. In spite of it being an orcish name, I've always preferred to apply it to Goblin-type characters. It's also served as the name of many characters of mine, from [[{{Warhammer}} Wolf Rider Commanders]] to [[{{Diablo}} Werewolf Druids]].