[SIGNUPS] Wind and Water

[Anomaly]

A lone steamship sails across vast, dark waters, a storm brewing on the horizon. A reptilian captain stands on deck, watching the choppy waters ahead with grim determination. Her crew works in silence, trying to draw no attention to the vessel as rain begins to pour. The more superstitious among them scan the skies, searching for a sign. Soon, a cry goes up, as a deckhand points toward some nearby rocks. There stand three penguins, prompting a cheer from those very same superstitious crewmen. Though the captain silences them with a glare, they can spy the faintest of smiles on her face. A good omen. Maybe they’ll live through this day.

This world was different once, before the flood. They say that in those days, the oceans weren’t so dangerous. That the gods were always there for the faithful, and that attacks by terrifying monsters weren’t so frequent. They say a lot of things about those days, a thousand years ago. Doesn’t much matter to anyone but archaeologists and historians now. Fact is, the world is a dangerous place - but it’s where you live, so you’ve got to deal with it one way or another. Maybe you’re an adventurer, setting out to explore the vast, uncharted oceans. Maybe you’re a cleric, devoting yourself to one of the mysterious goddesses of the seas. Maybe you’re an industrialist, looking to exploit the resources of the depths.

Whoever you are, whatever you do, may the waters be calm and the winds gentle.

---

Welcome to Wind and Water, a PM-based fantasy RP about adventures in a world long since flooded. This game shares a setting with a D&D 5e campaign of mine, a totally original concept that hasn’t been done before, especially not with a somewhat similar setting, no way.

I’m pretty open to most character concepts, but you should be at least somewhat near the beginning of your journeys, rather than being legendary or famous or what have you. To continue on the D&D analogies, think “low-level character”. No, we won’t be using actual D&D mechanics here. Various lore on the setting is in the post below this one, so feel free to use that as a baseline - or just make shit up. I’m okay with that too.

And now, the application!

Name: Include aliases as well, if any.
Race: Common ones are listed in the codex. Feel free to go with uncommon ones instead.
Description: Appearance, personality, and what have you.
Skills: Things you’re good at. Be as specific or general as you want. Magic is fine, whether standard D&D fare (clerics and wizards and whatnot) or something a little more unconventional.
Background: How’d you get where you are now?
Ambition: What do you want out of life? Naturally, this might change as the game goes on, but it gives you a sort of rough “end goal”.
Connections: List some important people in your life, whether friends, family, members of your crew, or whatever else.

[Anomaly]

MAP:

LORE COMPENDIUM:

Races

Humans: Once the dominant race of this world, humans disappeared entirely following the flood 1000 years ago. Though the ruins of their once-great civilizations are scattered across the seas, no trace remains of humans themselves, as far as anyone knows. At this point, most think humans simply went extinct in the aftermath of the catastrophe.

Because of this, humans are non-playable (unless you have a really interesting explanation for a human being here).

Elves: A humanoid race with some connection to the fey, dwelling mostly on the island of Alshara and surrounding lands. Elves are often noted for being the most human-like race that still exists, although their appearances tend to be just a little strange and uncanny compared to humans. Elves are organized into roughly three distinct subgroups, based primarily on their connection to whatever fey realm they originated from. High elves, despite their name, are actually the least connected and the most human-like, inhabiting mostly the less-wooded outer regions of Alshara. Wood elves are less commonly-sighted, dwelling among the massive trees closer to the middle of the island and having something of a strong mystical tradition. Dark elves, finally, are the most mysterious of all the elves, almost solely living in the deepest depths of the forest, where the trees are so dense and massive that no sunlight reaches the forest floor. As a whole, most elves project a frustrating air of better-than-you, but culturally they tend to be rather hospitable and maintain good relations with many of the other people of the sea.

Dwarves: Another human-like race, fond of industry, over-engineering, cowboy hats, boots, and alcohol. Said to be the descendents of a mole-like race that once inhabited the deepest depths of the world, dwarves live mainly within numerous mountain peaks scattered across the sea. Dwarven culture is unhealthily capitalistic and exceptionally nihilistic, their religious views focusing strongly on the fleeting and futile nature of life. Dwarves are also known for such delicacies as chili, pecan pie, and more.

They’re nihilistic Texans, okay? That’s basically it.

Dragonborn: Essentially humanoid dragons, the origin of dragonborn isn’t entirely clear - whether they are the distant descendents of an ancient union between mortals and dragons, or a distinct offshoot from dragons that adapted a more humanoid form over many millennia, no one is entirely sure. They are found most commonly all across the island of Khrebeta and the surrounding regions. Dragonborn tend to organize themselves in large clans, with the most powerful ones controlling large regions of Khrebeta. These arrangements are, of course, not ubiquitous among Dragonborn, and thanks to the large scale of their home island, there are many distinct Dragonborn cultural groups in existence.

Lizardfolk: Native to the frigid northern archipelago of Aslita, lizardfolk are a race of tall, hardy humanoid lizards. So exactly what the name sounds like, honestly. Unlike their lesser reptilian cousins, lizardfolk are adapted extremely well to the cold conditions of their home islands. While the exact reason that cold-blooded reptiles can survive perfectly well in these conditions isn’t really understood, common lizardfolk belief holds that the lizardfolk have some mystical connection to the stars that keeps them warm even in the coldest places. Some posit that lizardfolk are descendents of a race that traveled from another world, but most think that this “ancient aliens” theory is frankly ridiculous. Nonetheless, the pronounced magical heritage of the lizardfolk makes them among the foremost magic-users in the world, with magical prowess seen as something of a status symbol among their society.

Kobolds: The least of the reptilian races, in the eyes of many, kobolds are a race of exceptionally short humanoid lizards, rarely over three and a half feet tall. Kobolds are found all across the sea, but are most at home in the mountains and especially the deserts of Khrebeta. Kobolds are known, above all, for their ability to survive just about anywhere, and kobold communities have popped up all across the sea. Dragon worship used to be popular among kobolds, but this has declined dramatically as of late, as advances in magic and weapons technology have somewhat leveled the playing field.

Orcs: Big, green, and generally muscular, orcs are a scattered race with a generally poor reputation among the larger islands of the world. Traditional orc society values strength and combat prowess, leading many orcs to become pirates and bandits and the like. The largest orcish settlements tend to be large pirate havens, considered a menace by large nations but having a more amiable relationship with smugglers from across the world, not to mention smaller island states paying them off or hiring them to attack their enemies. In spite of the violent reputation, though, many orcs are peacefully integrated with various societies, and there are even majority-orc settlements that are focused more on, say, agriculture than krumpin’ gits. The idea that orcs are evil and/or dumb by nature is, of course, both preposterous and incredibly racist.

Tieflings: Offspring of mortals and infernal beings, tieflings are found infrequently across the sea. Typically lacking in the glamers possessed by their fully-infernal ancestors, tieflings tend to look like especially monstrous members of one of the mortal races, easily identifiable by their horns, tails, hooves, excess eyes, tentacles, sharp teeth, or whatever other features they might have the fortune/misfortune to inherit. Opinions on tieflings vary greatly from island to island, and naturally, they tend to be met with the most suspicion and bigotry in places strong in anti-infernal religious views. Those tieflings unlucky enough to live in such places usually have to take pains to hide their heritage, while in other places they usually don’t bother.

Merfolk: Perhaps the most common race in the world, due to the sheer amount of ocean, merfolk are an amphibious race spread across much of the ocean. They tend to be clustered together in large underwater states that are often in conflict with each other, but smaller settlements also exist all over the place. Other merfolk exist in the Sunken Sea, and tend to resemble deep-sea fish more than their shallow-water counterparts. Merfolk tend to have markedly different views on the sea goddesses than other races, seeing them in a mostly-positive light and having proper, organized religion centered around them.

Selkies: An enigmatic ocean-dwelling race, Selkies are a race of seal-like creatures that can shed their skins to take on human form. So, you know, pretty standard selkie lore. Selkies tend to live in nomadic groups, travelling across the various seas, though there are at least rumored to be selkie settlements, possibly entire cities, hidden away deep in the ocean. An interesting note is that, due to the extinction of humans, the fact that selkies can take on a human form is now a dead giveaway of their true natures. Because of this, most selkies disguise themselves as elves when travelling on land.

Undines: Undines are an amphibious race of humanoids, said to descend from water-aligned spirits from another plane. Physically, they look human-like, but with blue skin, gills, and variable amounts of fish-like features. Undines primarily inhabit the Nereiian Republic, a large archipelago in the south of the sea with towns and cities both above and below water. The dual nature of Undines’ existence has led to numerous interesting developments in magic and technology - the most famous of which, perhaps, is the submarine. Most undines practice a form of ancestor-worship, focused on the spirits of their ancestors that have returned to the Sea of Mists and become one with it.

Other: Obviously, these are not the sole races in this world. They’re just the most common ones. You’re free to make your character pretty much whatever race you want - just describe it if it’s not listed here. Obviously, I still have the power of veto, but I can’t imagine I’ll have to use it. This is not intended as an invitation.

Places

Alshara
Alshara is the main island of the elven lands, while simultaneously referring to the state that comprises all of the archipelago it’s in. Alshara is a mysterious place to outsiders, with most never travelling too far beyond the shores - with good reason. Most of the island is covered in forest, carefully cultivated over the thousand years since the flood. However, though the terrain of Alshara is actually mostly flat, the trees get bigger, taller, and more imposing the deeper one travels inland, almost like a forested reflection of the ocean itself. Strange and terrible beasts wander the deeper parts of the forests, and many explorers have met their end straying too far from the few paths that lead inland. In spite of this, culture in Alshara tends to be very welcoming toward outsiders - even, occasionally, in a way that isn’t extremely passive-aggressive.

Dwarven Lands
The various cities of the dwarves are spread across the sea, underneath various peaks, plateaus, and other such landforms above the water’s surface. The dwarven cities form a loose coalition but have no central government, with the majority acting as independent city-states. Most dwarven cities are located mostly or entirely underground, due to dwarves’ aversion to sunlight and love of all things rocky. A key feature of dwarven cities is excess in all things - needlessly large tunnels, huge statues, grand palaces, needlessly complex mechanisms to accomplish fairly simple tasks, and so on. Many dwarven cities are also industrial centers, and many manufacturers of ship parts, weapons, and so on are located in dwarven lands. Some dwarven cities, such as El’Plateau and Hew’Stone, also serve as central hubs of the rapidly-expanding oil industry.

Khrebeta
The largest continuous landmass in this part of the sea, Khrebeta consists of a long stretch of mountainous terrain nearly a thousand miles long. The mountain range itself is sometimes referred to as “The Spine” due to its shape. Much of the eastern side of Khrebeta consists of vast stretches of desert, while the western side is largely plains, forests, and swamps. There are numerous distinct nations and city-states all across Khrebeta, as well as large stretches of wilderness. Khrebeta is also home to most of the world’s dragon population, as the vast majority of dragons live in large groups all across the mountains. Also of note is Port Chryseus, one of the world’s largest cities and a hub of trade between Khrebeta and much of the world, situated on an island just east of the mainland.

Aslita
A set of islands far in the north of the sea, Aslita is home to much of the world’s lizardfolk population. Much of the region is frigidly cold and covered in snow and ice year-round - and as such, the most populated parts of Aslita tend to be the southern ones. There is no centralized government in Aslita at all - the region is more of a loose coalition of individual states, settlements, and variously-inhabited territories. Magic in many of its forms is exceptionally important to the culture of Aslita, serving as a status symbol among many of its inhabitants - the most powerful people also tend to be the most magical. Some of the technologies of the rest of the sea are markedly less common in Aslita, often because a magical analogue is already widespread in the area, or merely preferred because “magic is better”.

Nereiian Republic
The Nereiian Republic comprises both the large archipelago in the south of the sea, and the stretches of the sea between and around the islands. Due to the majority-undine population, the Republic exists between both the surface and underwater worlds, with some limited tension between the two. Much technological development in the Republic has focused on creating technologies that operate just as well both above and below water. The Republic is controlled by a senate that meets in the nation’s capital, in the ocean exactly between the three main islands. The Nereiian Republic also possesses the strongest navy in the world, with a large complement of heavily-armed battleships, reconnaissance submarines, and more. Due to this, the Nereiian High Admiralty has a huge amount of power - arguably more than the senate itself.

Gods

The Three

The Three (otherwise known as the Sea Goddesses, amongst various other names) are a trio of goddesses that appeared after the flood, and who have almost total domain over the oceans of the world. The goddesses have a notably more hands-on approach to godhood, interfering directly in the affairs of mortals on the regular. Simultaneously, though, there is little in the way of organized religion worshipping the Three (except among some of the merfolk), with most of their followers being sailors, adventurers, and the like.

Adélie, Goddess of Adventure
Adélie, or Rockhopper, embodies the spirit of adventure, discovery, and travel, and most often plays patron to explorers and fortune-seekers. Her name is invoked most frequently amongst those sailors looking for good luck on their travels, and she is often given offerings in the hopes that she’ll grant them safe passage across the sea. The success of this, of course, varies - Rockhopper is a capricious goddess, if nothing else. It’s said the best way to gain her favor is to entertain her.

Despite her capricious and seemingly free-spirited nature, some say that Rockhopper is always up to more than she lets on, that the adventures she sends people on always end up serving some higher purpose. Most people don’t particularly care about this, because there’s usually treasure involved or something.

Diomedea, Goddess of Vengeance
Diomedea, commonly known as Albatross, is the goddess associated with vengeance, consequences, and second chances. She’s most often worshipped by the oppressed and downtrodden - her influence grows when unrest is higher, with more and more vengeance cults popping up around the world. Conveniently, now is one of those times. She also gets some prayer and offerings from those desperately seeking revenge, but such active pleas frequently fall on deaf ears - or even backfire. Albatross is known to sometimes spare the dying and the drowning, keeping them from Henet’s grasp and giving them a second chance at life (though often as one of her servants).

Albatrosses are simultaneously the symbol of Diomedea and, sometimes, the form her divine servants take. Seeing an albatross at sea is an omen of hardship to come, a warning to prepare oneself or face terrible consequences. Killing an albatross is, by the same token, thought to invite disaster.

Henet, Goddess of Death
Typically the most feared goddess of the sea (though, at the same time, one of the most revered amongst sailors), Henet is the goddess with domain over those lost at sea - the shipwrecked, the drowned, and so on. It’s said that her wrath is unending, that those at sea live and die by her whimsy - and she’s also said to claim the souls of those who die at sea, sending them to the Sea of Mists for eternity. For this reason, shrines to Henet are very common on seagoing vessels, constructed in the hopes that praying and giving offerings to Henet will placate her and ensure a safe voyage. Often, of course, this is not the case.

Henet is most strongly associated with storms - it’s said that every storm that erupts at sea is by her will, attempts to drown those she decides are unworthy of survival. She’s also strongly associated with pelicans (to the point where “Pelican” is a common name for her), and having pelicans land on one’s ship is considered a terrible omen at sea.

The Divines

The Divines (otherwise known as the Divine Bureaucracy or the Land Gods) are the older gods of this world, at least most of which were present prior to the flood. They serve as more traditional gods, usually with specific domains, private godly realms, and the like. They don’t tend to interact directly with mortals, except by proxy via their clerics. It’s rather well-known that their power has diminished somewhat since the Flood, at least on the Material Plane - presumably due to the influence of The Three.

The Crusade
Originally founded by the honorbound warrior-god Bardamadur, the Crusade has grown over the years into a vast celestial bureaucracy dedicated to keeping the Abyssal Host in check through recruiting legions of mortal warriors to cull their numbers. By locating mortals filled with fervor, in need of direction, or willing to sacrifice for good, the Crusade builds cells throughout the mortal realm dedicated to hunting down demon incursions into the material plane and throwing the interlopers back into the Abyss.

The Crusade is abetted and supported by gods from across the spectrum. Even evil deities have been known to lend support to the Crusade when it suits their purposes to reduce the power of the Abyssal Host. The Crusade's bloated organization has led to something of a scattershot approach – there's usually a few followers of the Crusade in every major settlement at this point, though each Chapter tends to follow its own arbitrary ethics based on whatever angelic bureaucrats they have been in contact with.

The Gods
Other than the god Bardamadur, no specific Land Gods have really been established for this setting. You are totally free to make up your own if you so desire.

[Acolyte Doctor]

Name: Delta Fury Sharkpuncher

Race: Dwarf Tiefling

Description: Looks like a dwarf in awful sea-dragon cosplay – horns, fins, tails, the works. Has a fondness for bolo-ties and ten-gallon hats. Charming and handsome, he has an inherently weird charisma that makes it difficult to decide whether you should like him or punch him. Delta’s mostly out for himself and expect others to do the same, but there is a righteous streak of justice in his heart somewhere. He comes from El Plateau.

He likes good cigarettes. He dislikes racism, exploitation of poor, and when people mock his maiden name.

Skills: Delta is a pretty good gunslinger. He’s accustomed to the rough-and-tumble life and can do anything a lonesome cowboy on the do in a mostly aquatic setting, like rope-swinging, poker-cheating, et cetera. He also is surprisingly good at cleaning.

Delta also has a Warlock Pact with Henet. Said pact tend to manifest in indirect, insidious ways against foes. Sapping vitality, choking riptides, and other aquatic, slow-death themed maledictions.

Background: Delta was conceived in a liaison between a rich, married merchant and a poor cleaning maid. The maid was already of poor physical and mental health, her subsequent pregnancy took an even greater toil on her. She died at childbirth. Minutes before bleeding out, she desperately offered her newborn to Henet. Hoping Henet would care for her child when she could not.

Delta was cared by his mother’s immediate relations. They cared him well. Delta came of age and became a janitor. Cleaning sustained him well enough but it was hard work with little to no respect. It became even harder when he saw pelicans roosting near his workplace, heard the sound of crashing tides, and saw the visions of shifting faces in the spills he cleaned…

It became easier when he realized it was all an omen. Turned out Henet came to collect. He was now her bitch. In other words, a warlock.

It has been a good couple year since then. He got too easily into the seafaring lifestyle for his own tastes, but what can you do. Sometimes you come to the sea. Sometimes the sea calls for you.

Ambition: Delta does Delta wants. Sometimes Delta does what Henet wants.

Connections:

Mr. and Mrs. Sharkpuncher – Dwarven janitors. Technically his grandparents but they love Delta as a son nevertheless. Retired from the Henet cult lifestyle but still put up an occasional prayer or ritual for the Echo Queen. While generally pleasant people, they still hold a boiling resentment for the merchant who left their daughter for dead.

Mom – Tiefling janitor. Delta knows very little of her.

Deadbeat Dad – Dwarf. Rich and from an even richer clan. He’s an asshole who thinks he could get away with everything and usually gets aways with everything. Frankly, he deserves to die. WINK. WONK.

[Protoman]

WIP!

Name: Zorion Aritza and Cariad!

Race: Halfling! And an ancient sword.

Description: Zorion androgynous looking halfling with short blonde hair, brown skin, and golden-brown eyes. They have gentle features, but a rather annoyed look in their eye most of the time. Cariad is a black-iron greatsword with its name etched across its hilt in ancient lettering.

Zorion is fairly serious and straight-forward, approaching problems from a diplomatic point of view. However, in spite of her cool-headedness, she gets annoyed rather easily. This has gotten worse since she's obtained Cariad, as the blade has a hair-trigger temper, and will take advantage of slight peeves to seize control of his user.

Cariad is proud, haughty, and violent. He believes the best solution to be the most direct, and believes any challenge to his nobility ought to be met with violence, and potentially death.

Skills: Zorion is a fairly well-rounded individual - smart, but not well-educated, charming, but not a superstar. They're particularly well-versed in trade, sailing, and navigation. They are fairly strong, but it is not strength tempered by battle - it is not a warrior's strength, but that of a farmer. In another world, with different luck, they may have been something of a bard. Unfortunately for them, they've been eternally bound to Cariad, an ancient sword of uncertain origin. Cariad grants them access to magical abilities and is an exceptionally powerful blade in his own right, but also does his best to push Zorion into battle at every opportunity.

When the two are one - that is to say, when Zorion is possessed by Cariad, by her own volition or no - Zorion moves with the coordination of an experienced warrior, though her body lacks the strength and dexterity of one. They become a demon of the battlefield, and Zorion can only manage to exert their control over their body once more when Cariad has either drawn blood, or decided he is ready to give it back.

Background: Zorion was born on Halensisle to two loving sharecroper parents. A rough, rocky island inhabited solely by halflings, Halensisle is a farming community where survival is eternally in the balance. Forced by circumstance to help her parents with their work on the farm, Zorion began yearning for something greater from an early age. She left as soon as she could: Come the time she hit sixteen, she took her savings, bought a boat ticket, and ventured into the unknown. She made a modest living as a trader, and sent a chunk of it back home to help her folks.

One day, she came across a rotting shipwreck on a stranded isle. She was COERCED into helping this DANG SWORD via some HAND-POSSESSED CONTRACT SIGNING and it SUCKS. Now she wants OUT. Proto wrote something better before but his browser crashed. he will write it something better again later.

Ambition: Zorion would very much like to be released from their bond, while Cariad desires that the whole world know his splendor and power!

Connections: Glombox Typsrat: Goblin gunrunner. Very rich and successful, and rubs it in Zorion's face like a foppish douche. Specializes in self-propelled explosives.

The Gnomish Mob: An organization Zorion did some transport for back when she was just a wide-eyed kid who had no idea what the fuck she was doing. She no longer associates with them, but if she ever runs into anyone from it who recognizes her, they'll DEFINITELY try to talk her into doing work for them.

Bromblecromble: Bugbear magic-salesman. Sells staves, spellbooks, and artifacts of all sorts. A real softy. Gives good hugs, makes good cookies. Zorion has a soft spot for him but tries to act tough.

Esti Iturburua: Ex-girlfriend. A tough adventurer, specifically a sorcerer of the storm bloodline. Confident, show-offish, and very very cute. Broke up on not-so-great terms (with Zorion arguing Esti was too reckless with her adventures and Esti arguing that Zorion was too stodgy and afraid of even minor risks) but Zorion still carries a serious torch for her.

Berezi and Endika Aritza: Zorion's parents. Hardy, strong people who manage to find the energy to be loving parents between long shifts of hard work in the fields. Don't love each other, exactly (as theirs was a shotgun wedding) but are still good friends. Encouraged Zorion to go her own way and find a better life than they had.

[Demonsul]

Name: Yannath, Scourge of the Iron Rift, Wizard-King of the Seven Crags

Race: ???, formerly lizardfolk.

Skills: Yannath used to know a lot of arcane secrets, but he lost his spellbook years ago and went mad in the meantime. Now he's sane again, but that knowledge is long since lost to him. However, his vague memories of the nature of necromancy will make it easy to learn new magic in that field. At the moment, all he can do is cast prestidigitation. He also vaguely remembers some swordplay, but it's been a long time and he will need a lot of practice to get good at it again.

Background:

Yannath used to be a mighty lizard-wizard of great power. Back in times of yore, he travelled to Khrebeta and raised an army of the dead, conquering himself a small mountain kingdom where life was surprisingly fair and just if you didn't mind the skeletons everywhere. He reigned from a dark and palatial wizard tower for many years, leading only minor expansions into neighbouring territories, but then he started to grow old. Whereas when he was young he had been unafraid of risk and death, in his old age he grew cautious and cowardly, fearing his mortality.

Seeking eternal life, he delved into arcane secrets. He sent his armies to attack his rival wizard-kings, raiding their archives and labs, turning respectful rivalry to poisonous enmity and causing even his friends to begin to view him as a threat. In his search, he turned to an old ally back on Aslita, his birth-home. Meeting him under the maple trees, Yannath promised the fellow legendary wizard Suthis wealth, and a place of power in his kingdom if he wanted it, in exchange for the secret to immortality. Suthis offered him a ritual that would let him live forever, to which Yannath greedily agreed.

Suthis had already been approached by Yannath's rivals and former friends, however, and the ritual was a trap. Not risking the possibility of Yannath choosing to pursue immortality through dread lichdom, they betrayed him and imprisoned his soul. Humiliated and trapped, Yannath was thrown into the sea, and as far as all were concerned, that was one of the world's evils removed for good.

The details of Yannath's imprisonment are a mystery. Eventually, he passed all the way through insanity and emerged on the far side, terribly sane. It has been almost two centuries since he was last unleashed on the world, and he has waited a long time for revenge.

Ambition: Firstly, to recover his lost power. Secondly, to get revenge on Suthis and those who betrayed him. Thirdly, to undo his curse. Finally, to take back his kingdom.

Connections:

Suthis, Master of the Soul Forge, a Lord Magus of Aslita – The lizard who cursed him. Legendary wizard. Has some kind of immortality which he refuses to share the secrets of. Lives up in Aslita – if he's not gone north into seclusion, he's undoubtedly an important figure. One of the most powerful mages known to have lived in recent centuries.

Dagrak Ironeye, the Green Hammer, Wizard-King of the Shattered Reach – An orc, one of Yannath's old rivals and a heroic spellsword (spellhammer?), who ruled a region of Khrebeta and was involved in convincing Suthis to betray Yannath's trust. Probably not still alive – if so, Yannath wants to destroy his legacy instead.

Blidroth, the Lord of Glass, Wizard-King of the Sovereign Dunes – A dragonborn by birth, and another of Yannath's old Khrebetan friends-slash-rivals who went to Suthis. Vain and materialistic, he sought eternal youth and claimed to have found it, though Yannath was never able to uncover his secrets even after raiding his laboratories. If he's dead, Yannath wants to raze his famously opulent desert castle, if it still stands.

Benevolence – A mighty blue dragon who lived in a nearby part of Khrebeta. Although not a wizard-king, she viewed them all as potential threats, and was another rival. Intelligent and not above scheming, she helped plot against Yannath after he raided her hoard for arcane secrets related to immortality. She's almost certainly still alive, so Yannath wants to see her slain.

Sia Spellsinger (who probably has a title by now), Wizard-Queen of the Glittering Coast – Barely more than a youth when Yannath was betrayed, she inherited her realm from her father, Grilor Spellsinger. Far more ambitious than her old man, she was part of the plot against Yannath. After Benevolence, she's the most likely to still be alive, simply by natural lifespan. Yannath intends to fix that.

[Corn]

Name: Reverent-Of-The-Blessed-Currents, which she hates because it makes her sound like some kelp farming hick, so she goes by Rev.

Race: Selkie

Description: In her below-sea form, Rev is beautiful. Her body takes the pattern of a Ross seal, varying shades of grey swirling like ribbons from her darker back to her lighter belly. She is strong, plump in a very shapely manner, has bright wide eyes, and she has a cute little mouth with a set of teeth she takes pride in. Sharp, strong, pearly. Without her precious pelt... she’s not quite so pretty, in her opinion. Her complexion is pale, and her hair is coarse and grey. She has a flat nose and thick lips and cheeks, and she is teased by her sisters for her ears, which stick out from her head in an admittedly comical fashion. She wears her hair down for this reason. Her family wears staunch garb when in their longer-limbed shapes, plain robes of sea-silk. No shoes, for what do they have that is harsh to walk on, no nothing. She may or may not do or have done some lifting of cooler clothes (and baubles, she LOVES baubles,) because that shit was breezy, cold, and unfit for life on land. (And Ugly.)

Personality wise, Rev is... young. An adult as her kind consider it, but upsettingly sheltered and inexperienced. She’s always been the rebellious sort, but her moral character has yet to be tested. She likes to think she’s good in any case, she just needs the freedom to seek out the sort of person she is. From a Perfect Docile Daughter bubbling with rage, her stepmother’s work has helped her come to a spot she rather likes. Wild, reckless, confident. Of her father, she is terrified, but of many other frightening things she knows too little to be afraid.

Skills: Deep sea Witchcraft! Mainly practiced by mermaids. The old gods may no longer tend her kind directly, but Rev’s stepmother taught her that the new sea goddesses sure do! Works like pathfinder witches for simplicity.

She’s also a fairly seasoned kelp farmer, and does in fact know an awful lot about the currents. What they bring and where they flow. She knows as much about things under the sea as any Selkie, and is obviously a strong swimmer.

Background: Rev was born in a small commune to the far west of Aslita. In it lived only one family, Father Schooler’s. He once had a wife, a brilliant weaver, and with her he had 7 daughters. Their home was secluded far from any prying eyes, but they were a friendly sort, and traveled when resources permitted. They made a happy home, nearly self sufficient (they never quite got medicine,) tending their needs and living in respect of an Old God, Lord of the Seas, Chettain. Life was good, Rev remembers, when she was small. The Lord always provided, after all.

Rev was eight years old when her younger sisters were born, the day their mother died. Her sister Prudence helped her father deliver the children, and Constance tried her best to stop the bleeding, and Rev and Clem stood by helpless, holding onto two unnervingly calm newborns while Verity left to find someone who could help. In spite, Schooler named Fee and Grace, and when their mother passed, so did most of their lives not bolted down in the dogma Rev is no longer sure he didn’t make up.

Since then, the daughters were raised in a stereotypical Puritan manner. Many parts of the old manor have fallen into disrepair, and have been flooded without use. They tend their roles, and keep up with their faith, and leave rarely. It’s a good life. Surely. Only it isn’t much of a life at all in Rev’s standard, and she and Verity aren’t convinced that Chattain is the greatest, or that Chattain even expects the things Father says he does. Rev can’t read, and while Verity is good with numbers and can read a little, Father doesn’t let her read from The Text. Only he and Prudence can read from The Text. In this way, she’s led an incredibly sheltered life, with a great desire for freedom only quelled by her father’s new and predictable temper.

A year ago, her father remarried, and while her reception hasn’t been too warm, Rev has found kinship in her stepmother. They’re close now, so close in fact, that she revealed herself to Rev. Her stepmother is a witch, who praises these three fancy new goddesses, who she’s told Rev about in great detail. For the last several months, she has been teaching her about witchcraft and the goddesses of the sea, and... what a cool world there is outside their grotto. She and Rev both agree that Rockhopper holds a sway over her, and Rev made the decision to try and follow her pull.

Stepmother tells her that she’s found her a friend (Noms: the snek) in the eastern trench, and that given such, a ceremony would begin soon. Before Verity’s next trip to the mainland. Rev’s plan now, is to dedicate herself to Rockhopper, and escape her father’s reach on Verity’s next trip.

Ambition: Rev just wants out. Rev wants freedom, adventure, and... some forms of sin. Like excess in vanity, and relations, and eating something that isn’t fish and kelp, and... to know more about this magic thing. She fully intends on letting Rockhopper guide her to whatever is good, honing her skills, and becoming the sort of successful smiling sinner her father wouldn’t approve of. She knows Rockhopper isn’t kind to everyone, but even if Rockhopper brought her to her sister’s door, it would be far better than her life otherwise.

Connections:
-Шωlมaw “Shoal•maw” , her stepmother. A deep sea mermaid who resembles an oarfish. Wild, wild mane. She married Schooler a year ago, being a childless widow. How they met and why they married hasn’t been discussed with the kids. She looks scary, but she is polite to her stepchildren, who for the most part hate her. After all, she’s a mermaid, and we aren’t supposed to trust those, and she looks SCARY, which they shouldn’t trust, and they’re SURE she doesn’t magic, which Schooler has always said was only for Devil-type sinners who spit in the face of the Lord of Seas, Chettain. She doesn’t do her craft in front of them. She speaks like a chain smoker, and dresses in a youthful sea-witch manner. She has a ‘pet’ hagfish.
-Father Schooler, her father, who leads them in faith. He is also a shepherd figure, schooling the fish they eat and live with. A strict man with a mean temper, and whose kindliness waned for the younger ones since the death of his wife. He’s been a little better since he remarried, but uhh. Still. He’s a crazy cult leader. Daughters are NOT allowed to leave, or have relations, or sin in any large manner of ways.
-Prudence-in-Temptation, the eldest (25), keeper of faith and protection. Her human form is the spitting image of their mother, firey narrow features and thick dark hair. She accompanies Verity on ventures farther than the mainland, and protects their commune otherwise. Father’s favorite, and very much aligned with him.
-Constance Resolute(24), Weaver. Was closest with their mother. Sad, meek, docile. She has an illness of the lungs, and stays in her human form, in the driest areas of the home because of it.
-Sound Unending Verity(22), entrusted with trading with outsiders. Closest with Rev. She’s cunning, and can be sneaky. She is the only sister told that Rev plans on leaving, and supports her. She doesn’t like their stepmother as much as Rev, but doesn’t actively dislike her like everyone else. She refuses to leave the home for good, as she’s the one who brings medicine home for Constance, and is fearful her father wouldn’t if she left.
-Clement Vigil(20), a schooler like her father. She’s hardworking and strong, and generally helps everyone out. Kind, but not trusting, except with Father.
-God-Fearing and From-The-Ashes-Grace(10), the twins, and her only younger siblings, who killed their mother from the trauma of childbirth. Schooler does not favor them. Rev worries. They have their mother’s speckles in seal form, the only ones who take after her in such a way.
-Wanderscale Gord, her Lizardfolk friend from Aslita who she may have kissed on a couple of occasions but is not in any committed sort of deal with. They’re not like, together, or anything. He journeys to trade with other parts of the world. He really liked Dwarves and their culture after a trade journey took him to Fort Wehrth. He wears a kilt and cowboy hat. He was trained in use of slings as a youngling, but has since picked up a revolver, which he loves. They met when Verity had Rev accompany her on a trip to the mainland, where he was also trading. They’ve since hung out whenever Rev could steal away with Verity for Aslita trips. He’s kind of a dork, with a heart full of adventure.

[MQuinny1234]

Name: Bracknareánkenísedanádúr T. Wólfe­schlegel­stone­jóyeun­bórgamtó, or Barry.

Race: Elfy mcelfington the elfecond, or in the general common tongue, a dark elf

Description: Oak coloured skin, that's beginning to darken as he matures. Vert short dark green hair and light brown eyes. 5 foot 9 and looks like he's scrawny under his woolen robes, but definitely isn't. Wears tattered layers of brown and green robes, and thick grey trousers. Bare foot, with some slippers tied to his belt and a quarterstaff over his back and a small satchel for his personal effects.

Skills: Punching! And kicking too! And some smattering skill with other weapons, but any unarmed weapon is wielded in similar ways. It gives the appearance of being skilled with each weapon, but it's more like he knows how to use weapons in their basic shapes and forms and to incorporate them into his martial training. After that, some mad jumping and acrobatic skills. Dude is speedy and quick. He's got some natural strength, but speed and skilled strikes are what defines his attacks, not raw power.

Apart from that, some basic self-sustaining skills like cookery, as in, what's good and healthy to eat and what's good for the body, sewing and some medical knowledge, to fix battle wounds and stress injuries rather than diseases or natural problems. And some knowledge in ancient history of the world, specifically elven history and of the nation of Alshara, and the before times.

Background: Barry is from one of the few remaining elven monasteries, training their people as martial defenders and book-keeping the ancient knowledge of their race, marking the world's changes. This job became a lot more valuable and important to the remaining elves with the flooding of the world. A large focus of it tells of how the world used to be, and even before then, of a time when trees covered the entire world. Generally speaking, if you're in Alshara and you need some random information to find, a monastery may have it, or you're an elf going on a dangerous mission that could benefit the elven race, they may send some monks to help you out. Their populace are made up of orphans or children given over at young ages, no exceptions. They have a tale of something similar to a certain tale of a time long, long ago where wise knights of order and justice trained someone too old in their order whom then went nuts with very little effort and murdered most of them like a crazy maniac.

Ambition: Barry took on a noble quest of his temple. Each temple will send out at least one monk every seven years on a quest to explore the world, to see if they can find a way to return the world to it's ancient state and return the dominion of the trees and land to the world. A monk is not allowed to return until they either find out information relative to this event, or with some other valuable knowledge. In these times, most of these monks either die, or return with other random information, maybe new medical techniques, as masters of strange new martial forms, or with eldritch artifacts. Barry has volunteered for this quest, and hopes to be the first in a long time to find something relevant to the original intent of this quest.

Connections: List some important people in your life, whether friends, family, members of your crew, or whatever else.

[SupahKiven]

Name: Atakita Tallaria and Baron Rartenson

Race: Orc Tiefling and former Undine

Description: Atakita is tall and imposing, her heritage doing her no favors when it comes to non-scary looks. She's stands at 7'1" and is built like a brick shithouse, though she is also on the younger end of her life. Atakita also has the classic fangs of an orc, the rugged jawline, and the black, greasy hair, alongside green skin quite a bit darker than normal orcish skin that is latticed with scars from battles well fought. From her infernal heritage, Atakita has gained horns similar to an impala's, soupy red eyes, hooves, and a massive tail about as thick as her arms.

Atakita takes from her orcish heritage quite a bit. She is blunt and straightforward, as well as prone to outbursts of emotion in either direction. In battle, Atakita is as ruthless and violent as any, loving a good, messy scrap more than anything. Still, she knows how to control herself for the most part. Recently, however, Atakita has found herself extremely irritated due to one particular spirit named Baron.

Baron appears as typical as Undine come. Alongside the typical blue skin and gills, Baron possesses fishlike eyes, fins along his forearms, calves, and back, and sharp, shark-like teeth. However, Baron is set apart from other Undine in the fact that he is a spirit, appearing translucent and ethereal, and is bound to Atakita's body. His being is 'stuffed into' Atakita's body, alongside the Orc Tiefling's own soul, though Baron is capable of partially existing outside of his 'host body'. As far as the two understand, Baron and Atakita have had their souls 'grafted' together and now 'overlap', and thus they cannot continue to exist without each other. This has caused quite a bit of annoyance and irritation between the two.

Baron is snooty and nerdy, a true elitist scholar at heart. He tends to look down on those who have a disregard for the pursuit of knowledge, such as Atakita. His interests are skewed towards the pursuit of knowledge, arcane knowledge in particular, and he seems almost obsessed with magical objects.

Skills: Atakita is proficient with many forms of ranged and melee weaponry, with her favorites being things like great axes and warhammers. She is a strong, skilled and veteran warrior, and can easily hold her own in a variety of overwhelming combat situations. In addition, Atakita is competent when it comes to sailing (many people are), and knows quite a bit about how to conduct maintenance on weapons, armor, and boats.

Baron, on the other hand, is a well read and very experienced mage. He knows a variety of spells and rituals, and how to pull them off. His forte, however, is experience with magical objects (which turned out extremely well for him). Baron had spent his life studying, documenting, and even creating magical artifacts, and his experience sent him across the world. Up until it got him killed, of course.

Background:

Years ago, long before Atakita's birth, there was an Undine named Baron Rartenson. He lived, like many Undine, in the Nereiian Republic, and performed many a scholarly duty for his home. Though he disliked extreme amounts of adventuring, he would frequently travel away with adventuring parties in order to experience live subjects for his studies. Those subjects? Active magical artifacts. From things as common as spell focuses to ancient dormant mechanisms, Baron was insatiable in his pursuit of subjects. To the chagrin of his party members, Baron was a dangerous combination of unsettlingly knowledgeable and suicidally curious.

And death is what Baron unsurprisingly found himself faced with. One foray into an ancient temple of sorts on a shitty little isle left Baron dead, speared on some sort of magic triggered trap. Or... at least, everybody (including Baron himself) assumed he was dead. In reality, this trap was a bit more sinister than that. Upon his death, Baron's soul was separated from his body and sealed within the trap itself, likely never to be released again. Truly a fate worse than death.

Fast forward more than half a century later. A young beast of a creature, a half-Orc Tiefling known as Atakita was part of a group of pirates known as 'The Undertow'. She was 'adopted' by the pirates, and found that, as she grew up, she fit right in. Not particularly because pirates profited off of doing a lot of illegal shit (though the benefits from that certainly didn't hurt), but because pirates got into a lot of fights, and Atakita loved fights.

Atakita accompanied one scouting group one day, for they had retrieved a map that was said to lead to magical treasure that would fetch quite a bit of money from multiple sources. The map lead them to a shitty little isle, topped with an entrance to what appeared to be a small, dilapidated building. Instead, they found a sprawling temple beneath the isle's surface, rife with traps and dangers built up from more than half a century's worth of time. Deep within the temple, they found what looked like an altar, with a desiccated corpse speared on some sort of trap nearby. The rest of the scouting party began arguing, as they hadn't found anything particularly strong in magic within the temple aside from some baubles and trinkets.

Atakita, however, was interested in the altar. It looked like it was... closed. She ignored the speared corpse and approached, finding a strange indent on the side. It seemed... almost too good to be real when she pushed against the indent and found it pushing further into the altar, and a harsh groan filled the air as the altar opened up...

And struck Atakita with a device that stuck itself to her chest. Her group panicked and tried to rescue her, but it didn't seem like there was anything that could be done, and they spent almost an hour fucking with the altar. Then, out of nowhere, the trap holding the corpse retracted, as did the device stuck to Atakita, and the altar opened the rest of the way up, revealing a plethora of magical objects. The group took the objects, gathered up the still unconscious Atakita, and booked it as quickly as they could, wanting to get the hell out of dodge.

Atakita woke up about a week later from her magic induced coma, and seemed no worse for ware at first. To the others, she simply seemed a lot more confused, looking around for something that didn't seem to be there, and occasionally snapped at something as though she was in an argument. Still, she seemed completely fine, up until an Undine popped out of her back, arguing with her. The crew was understandably freaked out, and it took a while for Atakita to convince them that this piece of shit Undine didn't have any control over her.

From there... well, Atakita had to listen to the piece of shit Undine, calling himself Baron, yak on and on about what he think happened, about how their souls were 'merged' and that they had to figure out how to separate because he wasn't keen on being connected to 'criminal scum like you'. Atakita was far from happy with the situation herself, but she did her best to put up with it for as long as she could.

Which turned out to be not very long at all. He had broken her after about a week of constant yammering, and Atakita simply couldn't take it anymore. With reluctance, she separated from her crew, taking a few gemstones and magical objects to sell for money if needed. And with that, Atakita was faced with her newest task: find her way to the Nereiian Republic before this stupid ghost made her chop her own head off.

Ambition: Despite their differences, Atakita and Baron want the same thing at the current moment: to figure out a way to separate themselves. Easier said than done.

Connections:

Atakita:

The Undertow - A group of pirates that Atakita is/was a part of. Like any typical band of pirates, they sailed around the seas, plundering and raiding. Atakita split from them because, while she adored the lot of them, it would be kind of a stupid idea to approach the Nereiian Republic flying pirate flags and then asking for help.

Kordallus - The captain of the Undertow. He's a large Lizardfolk, and he owns The Vengeful Star, the ship that the Undertow use. Kordallus is a hands on captain, and tries to accompany his crew on as many missions and raids as he can. He loves to cut peoples' arms off with a broadsword. Aside from that, he is a relatively quiet person, and takes good care of crew members that remain loyal.

Nana - Nana is one of the head scouts for the Undertow. Nana is a Selkie that is one of the fastest individuals Atakita has ever seen. She runs almost all of the water based scouting runs for the Undertow by herself, and makes it out unscathed most of the time. She's unbelievably cocky, and enjoys raw fish and chewing on gemstones.

Tillian 'Seven-Fingers' Jerdran - An elf that makes sure The Vengeful Star remains in one piece, Tillian lost three of his fingers in a cannon misfire. Since then, he's been borderline obsessed with keeping things in tip top shape so that such a thing doesn't ever happen again. When he's not working on keeping things maintained, which is almost never, Tillian enjoys helping people on the ship take care of their equipment. He's where Atakita learned how to maintain her stuff, and he's probably the closest thing to family Atakita has.

Baron:

Delfin - A Merfolk adventurer and fellow scholar. Considered herself a 'rival' of Baron's before his 'death'. While Baron focused on magical objects, Delfin instead sought in-depth knowledge of weapon enchantments. She was worried about Baron, but not enough to take initiative to search for him. Now much, much older, Delfin doesn't leave the Republic much anymore, having long since lived past her expiration date, and dedicates most of her time to her studies.

Nereiian Republic - Though Baron was far from widely recognized, he was still a fairly prominent, if extremely small time, name in his magical studies field in the Republic. Though most of the people that knew Baron have most likely long since past, it's not like he doesn't still know some of his credentials or whatever it is that the Republic uses to manage their scholars. He's still gotta be able to get something from his old place of work.

[Cidellus]

Name: Roldryrindalionathis

Nickname: "Dalion the Defender"

Race: White Dragon

Description: She is a small and rather young dragon, being a mere fifteen feet tall and one ton in weight. She has large, bright wings and a strong, spiked tail. Her eyes are dark blue, and she generally seems chipper and cheerful!

Skills: Dalion believes herself to be a fine fighter, public speaker, and a truly glorious leader of men! She is also a devout follower of the ancient draconic god Grildir, Lord of the Sky and Protector of All Under His Wings. Grildir is long forgotten by most dragons, but not Dalion! She aspires to be a MIGHTY PALADIN, protecting the innocent and punishing the villains of this world!

Background: Dalion was born 26 years ago to Frombur and Myrledar, far in the frozen north. Her parents, however, were rather wicked dragons, and Dalion grew up horrified by their various evil deeds! When she came of age, she departed the north as quickly as she could, and soon met a group of bards. Intimidated though they were, Dalion eventually befriended them, and they regaled her with tales of mighty heroes, paladins, and glorious quests. Dalion bit that hook immediately, and has since been traveling around trying to be a hero! From what the tales said, that meant defeating the enemies of all that is good and helping those in need!

Ambition: To become a great hero and vanquish all evil! Or help evil people be less evil. That works too.

Connections:
Frombur - Father
Myrledar - Mother
Risel, Som, and Devla - The bards that inspired Dalion to great deeds! She hopes they're doing okay.