Character Applications

Name: Algernon Royce

Algernon Royce, Human Runepriest
Init +2 HP 44/44 Bloodied 22 Healing Surge 11 (0 used /8)
AC 23 Fort 18 Reflex 16 Will 18 Speed 5
Str 19 (+4) Con 12 (+1) Dex 10 (0) Int 13 (+1) Wis 15 (+2) Cha 10 (0)
'AW: Word of Diminishment', 'AW: Word of Change', 'AW: Word of Binding', 'E1: Executioner's Call', 'D1: Rune of the Undeniable Dawn', 'U2: Shield of Sacrifice', 'E3: Symbol of Wrath Reversed', 'D5: Rune of the Final Act'
Notes

Race: Ilan, Human

Archetype: Swashbuckling Mad Scientist, Knight in Shining Magitek, with a bit of TheSnarkKnight mixed in.

Potential Classes: Runepriest is the current favorite, mostly because I've deliberately defined him as Magitek-using, but generating quasi-divine powers. His background currently specifically justifies Runepriest abilities. That said, I could reflavor The Rig into bestowing Paladin or Invoker abilities. Avenger might be harder.

The obvious first thing about Algernon Royce is the Rig. A jumble of mismatched junk-parts, sporting bits of crystal clearly jammed into whatever tight spaces would hold them. The entire thing constantly looks on the edge of falling apart, and yet somehow hangs together, both physically and in terms of its visual appearance. Algernon himself looks like a well-bred Ilan, with brown hair that he ties back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck, and comfortable, if not expensive--clothing beneath his armor. His face tends to linger on expressions of frustration or manic, fascinated interest, but he's capable of a casual, wisecracking demeanor where appropriate.

Algernon is a fervent Neo-Transcendentalist, raised by an upper-class family, members of Order of Liberty. With his mother a prominent Paladin of Erathis and his father an inventor of reasonably high standing, Algernon found himself in the midst of a late teenage rebellion against his parents, not because they were overbearing, but because he did not want to spend the rest of his life standing in their shadow. Since they followed Erathis, his parents always encouraged him to seek out new viewpoints and find his own path, which made his attempts at rebellion thoroughly more frustrating.

In the end, he chose the path of active denial: Neo-Transcendentalism, and decided that he would take a chance at twisting the gifts his parents had been given. After a protracted intellectual argument with his mother (one she rather utterly enjoyed, delighting in her son's explorations of knowledge and once again thwarting his attempts to be rebellious and spite his parents), he proceeded to lock himself in the cellar and began working on a device he referred to as the Believing Engine. A machine whose sole purpose would be to prove that magical technology could work not only in the realm of the arcane, but also the so-called divine, and that a sufficiently programmed piece of magical technology could generate enough belief to sustain a minor divinity field.

He scavenged and scrapped and tested a hundred prototypes, before finally entering a state of half-mad, manic productiveness, linking together broken fragments of crystal, binding them with runes, pulling together a congregation of mind-fragments and binding them with runic symbols so that they were forced to resonate with one another.

The results was an incomplete Believing Engine, held together by elbow grease and runic artistry, a series of floating chunks which Algernon referred to as "The Rig." In his manic genius, Algernon had made the Rig wearable. One piece automatically wrapped around the hilt of a sword. Another interfaced directly with his armor, and so on, until the Rig was thoroughly integrated into his personal wardrobe, so to speak. It was incomplete, to be sure, but it certainly could fake belief convincingly, albeit not in something quite as impossible as a god. Algernon could convince the Rig to believe either in the fundamental value of living beings--Protection--or in the need for death and decay as a form of renewal and the essential removal of damage, disease, and other inherent flaws--Destruction.

Needless to say, his parents were rather impressed, which, despite ruining the sense of rebellion, somehow managed not to mitigate Algernon's sense of accomplishment. He's garnered some minor fame ever since he used the Rig to defend his ancestral home from a Tymordian raiding party long enough for his family to escape and relocate to somewhere more secure.

*What are your character’s defining virtues and vices? Algernon cares more about ideas than implementation. Sometimes this means that he doesn't notice when he's going Beyond the Impossible, other times this means his ideas are impractical, and crash and burn. He's also quick to challenge and question authority and accepted explanations, which makes him a good spy, a good inventor, and a terrible soldier. He does much better with free reign and a goal than he does with explicit orders.
*Their likes and dislikes? Algernon likes debating, discussing, arguing, investigating, and all the other sorts of processes involved in figuring out the truth and testing how the world might work. He dislikes accepting pat answers, ignoring interesting mysteries to focus on simpler things, and not feeling intellectually challenged. Boredom quickly turns to anger.
*Their moral limits? Algernon has acknowledged that individuals, their viewpoints, and their knowledge have fundamental objective value. This, however, does not stop him from fighting to stop them if their attempt to infringe on the fundamental value of others by attacking or enslaving them. Pointless killing angers him, but he's willing to fight and kill for valid intellectual arguments, or for the sake of preserving the value and freedom of people.
*What makes them angry? See above.
*If your character had godlike power what would they change? How would they change? Algernon would probably create a private realm and spend time tinkering around with the laws of magic and physics. He might also invite philosophers to show up and debate him on whether he's a God, or merely godlike.
*What is justice for your character? Justice is a world in which equitable rights and freedoms are provided to beings in accordance with the principle that each being has intrinsic value by virtue of its unique life experiences and viewpoint. Justice requires blinding oneself to biases and examining opposing viewpoints in as scientific a manner as possible.
*Do they have a code of some sort? It's sort of like the Socratic Method meets Enlightenment-era views on Natural Law. Question, consider, decide, act, and above all else support your actions with reason.
*How do they react under stress? Algernon gets frustrated, then manic. Then manic, but terse and deathly quiet. That's when you should be afraid.
*What do they respect in others? Intellect, but also clear thinking. An ally who isn't the most scholarly will still be admired for his or her common sense and solid thinking. He also admires practical people who are willing to entertain his crazy theories and make them fit the real world. Open-mindedness, regardless of your outlook otherwise, is appreciated.
*What do they expect from themselves? Clear-thinking, rationality, and consistent additions to the body of knowledge.

Simon Veschenko, NeoTranscendentalist AntiPriest: Simon was the one who converted Algernon to the lack-of-religion. While Algernon wasn't exactly a fanatical devotee of Erathis, it was Simon who first engaged him intellectually on the topic of divine essences. After an in-class debate that held the rapt attention of an entire lecture hall, the two of them became school buddies and eventually roommates. Simon is a steadfast friend and a supportive comrade, albeit more thoroughly invested in proselytizing for his lack of faith. However, he regards the Believing Engine as a dangerous step, both in terms of Algernon's religious development, and in terms of its implications. If the Gods could build such engines, they would have no need of mortals, which could shatter the already tenuous link between these constructs of belief and their worshippers.

Vedlen Dryfus: Algernon's Magitek mentor. An inventor and professor considered borderline insane by most of his colleagues, but whose willingness to strip down the field to only the most basic assumptions attracted the young Master Royce. Commonly asks questions like "That's why nobody thinks it will work, but has anyone actually tested it?" or "It's only called impossible because it hasn't been figured out, yet!"

Carthanon Galdraith--a long time colleague of his Mother's in the Church of Erathis, who disapproves of Algernon's work. Unlike his mother, who believes that his explorations follow the Order of Liberty's tenets and allow for the accumulation of more fascinating exposure, regardless of his faith, Carthanon dislikes the anti-religious undertones of the process. Worst of all, he sees Algernon as misguided and often attempts to condescendingly steer him "back on course," a brand of irrational, patronizing drivel that Algernon despises.

Significant Others: Algernon has none, being shut up in a lab for much of his adult life. He had a few flings with female schoolmates, and has a tendency to hire beautiful lab assistants, have torrid affairs with them, become inspired to solve a problem by said affair, and then promptly ignore the woman to focus on his work, causing each one, invariably, to quit.

Algernon's father is Damius Royce, an airship engineer who made a name for himself designing more efficient replacements for old airship parts. He's credited with being one of the leaders of the movement to make airship components interchangeable, which would allow for improved manufacturing and military production. Algernon's Mother is Helena Royce-Waters, a boisterous Paladin of Erathis and a heroine in her own right. She rescued Damius after he'd been kidnapped and forced to build airships for a minor warlord, and the two fell in love in the process. She is very much an adventurer at heart, and tries to live vicariously through her children. Algernon also has a younger sister, Catenine Royce, who spends most of her time being sweet and cheerful and trying to look pretty, but occasionally has flashes of technical insight and shrewd logic. In her defense, she's about 11 years old.

See the info about "The Rig" and "The Believing Engine." His Runepriest powers have a divine origin brought about by a magitek device that generates a minor field of belief which can influence reality enough to generate helpful effects. The Rig itself is a big haphazard, and thus the effects might be unexpected for Algernon, or might somehow reflect the Rig trying to find an acceptable outlet for its religious tendencies. Unintelligible chanting, muddle holy symbols, and emotionally charged imagery will accompany many of his power uses.

“Why would your character want to join up with the Boreal Consortium for this mission? Did you seek out Boreal himself, or have you done something to get his attention?”
Algernon came into some minor fame when a Tymordian raiding party attacked his family's estate. Though at first merely annoyed at the interruption, Algernon eventually donned the Rig and fought off the raiding party long enough for his family to board an airship bound for safer harbors. Having discovered the Rig's combat capabilities, he acted as escort and guardian to that airship, eventually accumulating a small fleet of refugees and fighting off minor Tymordian attacks as he guided the group to safety. His role as Guardian of the Fleet of Tears not only won him some fame, but brought him to the attention of the Boreal Consortium's Forbidden Research interests, who found his inquisitive nature and his magitek accomplishments to be just the sort of thing they were looking for. With his family tucked safely away deeper in Ilan, he is free to join the mission, feeling he has reason for a grudge against the Tymordians. Besides, if this new Rig of his has combat capabilities, it's up to him to properly test them, after all.

OPTIONAL: Do you have a piece of inspirational art or a song you connect with your character? The Future Soon, by Jonathan Coulton, and The Seven Seas of Rhye, by Queen. Okay, and a certain Scientist Salarian, too.

Sengher isn't a whitebread human by any definition, at first glance one would assume him a mutt of various nationalities. But he actually represents a long tradition of nomadic travellers that have wandered the lands as long as mankind has domesticated horses. He clothing appears to be an analogue of a gentleman’s clothing, though made of various dusty and worn leathers instead of finery, and usually shrouded under a duster. His heritage is expressed through minor outlandish touches in garish fabrics native to his people. A handkerchief, a necktie providing a dramatic contrast to the worn and drab leather of his travelling gear.

His face seems perpetually trapped at 5'oclock, his eyes tired looking and his chin lightly stubbled. An inscrutable gaze meets those that defy him, and the last thing they hear before the turn of the cylinder and the fall of the hammer is an unsettling rattle of a tambourine. A lever-action .41 calibre pistol at his hip is his brother, treated with far more care than most of his other possessions. His boots clank to announce his coming and going, and his choice of cologne is gin. He's had a hard life on the road, and it shows through every dusty line on his young face.

Sengher is a proud descendant of a line of proud travellers. Staying in one place is abhorrent to them, and their caravans only stay in place long enough to earn some coin from the locals and enjoy some music and wine. Often their wagons are moving towards the horizon before the angry locals can find their pitchforks.

Sengher himself, prefers to wander on his own. Though proud of his lineage, he finds the caravan life restrictive and banal. Unlike his brothers, he's not on the run. His wandering from place to place is in search of the greater good, problems he can apply his skills to solve, lives to better. This persona he's crafted for himself is as much of a weapon as his pistol, and has sometimes been enough to defuse situations before a gun needed to be drawn.

"Mister Moran," is not actually unfriendly or antisocial. But at this point in his career he's gotten in too deep, and any going back will end up with him riddled with bullets in a horsetroth. The gunslinger has a deep spiritual side rooted in his family heritage, in the Arcana. An ancient set of cards patterned after forgotten constellations, the Arcana reveal truths about the world and about the people before them if one looks at their messages with the right eye. Moran has that understanding, and seems to have accepted his role in the world’s fate well.

Sengher is well aware the world balances on the edge of a knife, as a youth he was often bedridden with a congenital illness affecting his nerves and causing seizure-like twitches. Despite the boisterous nature of his people, he never got the ability to experience that joy first hand, as he usually observed it trough the window of a wagon. At the age of thirteen, as if someone had flipped a switch, the malady was gone. But no one could give him back the childhood he had lost. The fates had devised to make him a loner among nomads, and had succeeded.

A creature of bad habits, as a tradeoff of this bond with these ancient forces, he often leaves doors ajar, smokes, swears, leaves his boots on when entering people's homes, yells at horses for no reason. He's made his peace with the constant expressions of irritation he sees on the face of others.

What are Moran's defining virtues and vices?
Moran is ruthless in the good definition of the word. Certain of the world around him, he's not one to waffle or squabble or complain. He looks at the world with blinders on, dead ahead. The very definition of the Chariot Arcana. Determined, self aware, that's him. Audacity runs through his veins.

But the aspects he embodies also apply negatively, he often takes unnecessary risks and doesn't think problems through. What one could see drive, another could see as obsession. What one sees impetuousness, another would see as disregard. It's a very fine line between ballsiness and hubris.

His likes and dislikes?
Moran enjoys the simple pleasures denied to him by his bedridden youth. A hot meal makes him happy regardless of its preparation or ingredients. A cigar from the finest tobacconeers, or found under the hoof of a goat would make him equally as happy. The pleasures people enjoy and take for granted were denied to him and his nomadic lifestyle, so to enjoy these luxuries for even a day brings him much pleasure. He likes leather, but would never buy an item made from hide that was brand new as he thinks the wear gives leather all its charm.

Riding on vehicles and animals makes the nomad uncomfortable, but it's a necessary evil. The idea of being that out of control of his situation is irksome to him. He's not a fan of red meat, or meat in general but again: a necessary evil given lack of alternatives. In general, the gunslinger hates animals that just do nothing but sit there and stare at him, such as horses, crows and cats. Such animals often are on the receiving end of words not repeatable in mixed company and a flung coffee cup.

His moral limits?
Sengher, like most people of his alignment, doesn’t like to worsen the lives of the common people. Most of his efforts are to protect and deal with problems that your average cooper or matron isn’t able to solve with their own two hands.

Though he has a loose attitude regarding theft, he won’t personally take things he’s not absolutely sure the owners can’t replace with ease.

Like most gunfighters, he's accustomed to taking a life without a second thought or regret. But unlike most, he actually doesn't consider the victims to not be people, he's just resigned. Moran more often than not does feel almost the same amount of minimal regret if he were shooting an owlbear or a Warforged. Unlike most, he sometimes gives heavy thoughts to the ethical implications, even if it doesn't show on his face or alter his actions.

What makes him angry?

With apologies if I end up repeating myself...

Moran abhors social strata, to the point where the concept that some invisible barrier seperates "them" and "us" angers him enough to drive him to intervene out of pure noxious spite. Exploitation, slavery, war crimes and the like offend his sensibilities.


If your character had godlike power what would he change? How would he change?

Moran's perfect existance is pretty low key. If given unlimited time resources and capabilities, he's probably wander the streets and darkest poorest corners, and offer the poor indigent suffering sorts simple comfort and respects they lack. A clean blanket offered, a kind word uttered. A simple moment where they don't have to be afraid, cold and starving, and know that the world in itself is intrinsically kind.

Most of his energies wouldn't turn inward. Sengher has always walked the path laid out for him by the turn of the world, and doesn't care much for what happens to himself. But given unfathomable powers, his natural impulse would be to replicate himself so he can spread out instead of being solitary and stretched thin. He might also bestow upon himself the ability to fling a cigarette 45 miles and hit a jerk square in the eye with the smoldering tip. But who wouldn't?

What is justice for your character?
His people have a different eye for justice than most societies, and in that regard Moran is no different. Punishment is exacted upon a criminal either quick and decisive or slow and exhausting. A crime may be met with several lashes and forgotten about, or have their lives ruined with a curse that he isn’t even sure exists, depending on the severity of the crime. The nomads would rather execute one that wrongs them, than provide them with food and shelter that they themselves struggle over nightly.

Moran doesn’t always right a wrong at the end of a gun. Even when unable to exact a curse of sufficient power to anguish a criminal, is no stranger to harrying them for months until satisfied. His usual motives involve counting coup psychologically, a process his people call “one thousand tiny deaths.” He’ll follow them from town to town. His quarry may wake up smelling of kerosene. They’ll contract a harmless itch that can’t relieve. A good night’s sleep is very valuable, and Moran will keep them looking over their shoulders by stripping away the little things in their life until he’s satisfied.

How does he react under stress?
When pressured, Moran tends to sink into whatever vice he has at hand. If he has a gin bottle in hand, he'll down the contents and smash the rest against the wall. If there's a comfortable chair, he'll flop into it and sink away. If he has a pack of cigarettes in his vest pocket, he may smoke three consecutively.

But in tense combat situations where time is of the essense, Moran runs like a well made watch. If robots existed, it's likely people would assume that he was one, if seen in a gunfight.

What do they respect in others?
Sengher has a strong respect for the common person, and the part they play in the clockwork of the world. Barrels need to come from somewhere, someone has to dig ditches and skin animals. He doesn’t hold these tasks as being menial, he often holds these sorts in higher regard than your average adventurer. Sengher has a strong respect for hard work, and doesn’t think those that toil should be made to toil more.

He also has a strong respect for men of action, those that take initiative and take a problem by the horns instead of doing things like shuffling blame or delaying action to plan in order to get out of taking any responsibility for the fate of the world.

So, about his friends...

In a town on the fringe of the Taskor Mountains, is a small shop that sells curiosities. Stog the goblin‘s shop (Named ‘Things of Stog!’) is filled with unusual items from all over the globe. From simple blown glass figurines, to complicated clockwork toys, Sengher always enjoys stopping into the shop to find something new to talk about. Stog and Sengher have a running arrangement where the gunslinger can borrow a book, and exchange it for a new one the next time he passes through town.Sengher has no idea how Stog stays in business, but presumes the goblin is a fence.

And his enemies...

More often than not, Mister Moran has found himself on the opposite side of the situation of the Mulholland Consortium, who control brewing interests of a swampy lowlands. Their chairman, Simon Mulholland often slams his hands on his desk and bellows to his subordinates about whatever that “Wagonborne drifter-garbage gunslinger” has done to hinder their plans to monopolize the brewing industry. Despite his personal dislike for Mulholland, Sengher Moran doesn’t necessarily seek out ways to hamper the brewers, it just seems to happen coincidentally with increasing frequency.

Kieran Striek, Mulholland’s right hand, is getting pretty tired of constantly having his job and life threatened, and has actually started planning the consortium’s ventures with the assumption of the gunslinger’s intervention to the extreme of capturing monstrous creatures to unleash on interlopers.

And his significant others...

Though Sengher has strange beliefs about commitment and monogamy, he is only male and craves company and affection at times. He’s always very upfront that he can never be tangled up, and that fate will carry him away eventually. The closest thing he has to a significant other is a school teacher in a port town he finds himself drifting through, whose bed he finds himself in more often than he’d care to admit.

And his family?

Sengher is the youngest child of 8, though the only one with any elven blood running through his veins. He’d never know his father, and his mother was a charlatan who used her knowledge of human nature to peddle advice and answers through the guise of being able to speak to the dead. His infirmity would color his siblings’ perception of him, seeing him as the weakest of them, a burden to be protected, the runt of the litter. To their surprise once he flourished into a strong willed man, he left the caravan never to return.

Reflavoring:
Sengher wields a firearm, obviously. Which sort will depend on what class he ends up as. If I use one of his mystical options, I will probably theme his powers after Tarot cards. As a Vestige Warlock, all this will require is changing the names of the Vestiges to the Major Arcana and his chosen implement to be reflavored as a firearm that shoots magical energy but cannot shoot conventional ammunition. As a Seeker, the spirits the cards represent will latch onto his ammunition and hitchhike to the targets, and as a Prescient Bard, he's simply spend most of his time divining the future in ways that make sense only when things are just about to happen.

“Why would your character want to join up with the Boreal Consortium for this mission? Did you seek out Boreal himself, or have you done something to get his attention?”

It was like a moment paused in time, when their eyes met. Motion trapped, the world contained in the space between their eyes. All Bastura Tremaine, a freelanced gun on the payroll of the Mulholland Brewing empire could do is watch the terrifying approach of the gunslinger's bullet.

Mister Moran, pulled out a small maroon hankercheif with a paisley pattern, as his characteristic weapon wheezed out steam which a quiet whistle reminiscent of a harmonica. That one bullet was enough, impacting his opponent and sending him tumbling ass over teakettle off the catwalk railing. The cylinder ejected the shell casing with a sound reminiscent of a jangle of a tambourine, the scalding hot brass caught in the garish fabric.

Sengher Moran took no joy in the defeat of the hired gun, though he couldn't help but subconsciously question the sanity of sending mercenary after mercenary after him one at a time, and expecting different results. Glancing down into the ballroom, the roadweary traveller saw his adversary plunge through a chandelier constructed of wine glasses and square through a beclothed folding table into the ballroom floor. Despite the clatter of various noises, he could make out the surprised female shrieks of wealthy dowagers.

Reloading and holstering his trademark firearm, he strode across the catwalk high above the ballroom where Mulholland Industries would be announcing a new product line. Ignoring the chaos below, borne of his own hand and killer's eye he crouched by one of the many floodlight that rendered the ballroom unnecessarily over illuminated. Drawing a long phillips head screwdriver, he began to disconnect the wiring supplying it with power and affixing it to the grating with a surgeon's grace.

"A lot of trouble for one floodlight," a deep voice said from over his shoulder.

"The barrio on the edge of town has a problem with shade creepers," Moran answered dryly. "I wouldn't have disrupted your lovely ball, had there not been so much interference. I'd apologize, but there are worse things in life than to cause a spectacle."

"Far be it from me to be offended," The tall darkskinned man in the nobleman's suit grinned a predator's smile. "These occasions are a bore, I only came up here to make sure that this wasn't a problem that required intervention. Like wights and such."

"Moran," the traveller said with a grunt, introducing himself. With a tug, he stood up with the floodlight in his gloved hands, the aquisition complete.

"Smythe," the recruiter said, brandishing an embossed business card bearing the mark of Lance Boreal.

"A pleasure," Moran said, lifting the mechanism to allow the large man to tuck the card into a pocket before continuing on his way.

Possible Inspiriation: "The Seeker" by The Who comes to mind initially, as does "Flowers on the Wall" by the Statler Brothers. Steven King wrote like...80 tiny books about a gunslinger, but I only read the first two.

Name: Elkantar Helvindar

Race: Drow

Archetype: Elkantar is an obvious example of Dressed To Kill, Bad Ass Longcoat , Wicked Culture and Anti Hero.

Potential Classes: Bard (PH2), Sorcerer (PH2), Wizard, ranger, swordmage.

Description: Elkantar is 6'0 tall with fiery red eyes with long white hair, no way to escape his midnight black skin. He has pointy ears like many of the elven brethren. He is usually wearing a dark leather suit with a pilgrim hat, that often put a shadow on his face. He has big dark gloves and same can be said about his boots, obviously not looking to get noticed when he is walking around. His weapons are sheathed carefully in black scabbard.

Background:
In the shattered land, Elkantar Helvindar, was the youngest of House Helvindar. His parents like expected of Drow parents did not shower him with affections instead teaching him early what he needed to know to survive out there. Maybe in a twisted sense, that could be the best way to show appreciation to your children in this society. In town, while he was going in among his various lessons in the arcane arts. There were talks of revolution and various wars starting everywhere.
The rumors were talking about a new faction rising under the banner of the spider queen, a deity named Lolth. His House had control of this underground and did not fear the rumors.

One night, one guard in his house, actually opened the gates to his house. A group of Assassins invaded his house at night and his parents took arms and fought them but they were obviously overwhelmed and eventually taken prisoner.

The leader of the assault Ill'Za walked through the gate and first she wanted, was to get Elkantar as one of her new servant and toy. So working under her, Ill'Za told him to do horrible things, mostly involving the killing of other head houses and help with the propaganda and spreading of Lolth.

It did not take too long for the totalitarian government to take over. Lolth was everywhere and people followed in lines or ended leaving their houses feet first. Elkantar was there, helping in the taking of their lives.

The Lolth cult started to make people go through strange processes supposedly to make them better, driders and the likes. He took part in the raids outside to obtain magitech and study it. They needed modern weapons as they would be expanding to the surface.

One day thought, as his live was essentially condemned in becoming one of the many male soldiers of Lolth. One of his mission took him to a small resistance place, House Vyll. Vasquarra with the help of a stranger had apparently managed to fend off most of the attackers.

When he got there, he managed to get some of his men passed the defenses but ended fighting the strange drow male. The man after capturing introduced himself as Belchior. This guy was strange and spoke of things that he did not even picture in his mind until now. What if the drow were supposed to unite and not just blindly follow the spider queen? Was it really a life? Living underground killing one another while the world out there kept getting stronger.
The persuading to be frank, was not the hardest part, as from the beginning, Elkantar knew that there was something wrong with this new cult. Her methods were too chaotic and this new deity did not exactly care about her people, supposedly trying to make them stronger by weeding them the weak. Plus failing at his mission essentially guaranteed that he was going to be a dead man.

So Elkantar did what made sense at the moment, joining the resistance and after sometime, traveled away to the main land. If they hoped to defeat the spider queen, they would need to get the best weapons and tools possible and only on the mainland, did they make such a thing.


Personality: Elkantar while of course heavily influenced by his upbringing qualities has a few redeeming qualities. He always does his best to get a job done, no matter the cause, as seeing it as a good reason to keep his head off a few things but this came with his own problem, he is a proud individual. He often believes what he is doing is the right thing and would prefer to keep on going on his task at hand then giving somebody the satisfaction of letting anybody know that he is wrong. He enjoys the company of people who knows what they want and are willing to do what must done to get it. He dislikes signs of weakness in general, coming from an elitist society where it's all about proving who is the best and independent, so anybody who seems to be dependant on somebody else is almost sickening to him.

When it comes to moral limits, short of selling his soul to the devil, there aren't many kind of things that he is not willing to do, if he believes in his cause. What tick him off the most, is the look that those have in his eyes, like they pity him or think his kind had been defeated and pushed to the ground by the Eladrin, so in general yeah this does include an enmity toward the Eladrins in general but he is willing to make an exception to fight another Drow blindly following the spider queen.

If he could change the world, Elkantar would make sure that the Drow had the place that they deserve on top of the world and make sure that the cult of the spider queen never came to his lands. Justice for him work this way, who is doing something wrong and who is he supposed to strike and where? If the cause of the problem is eliminated, justice will come on his own.

His code is very simple, an eye for an eye, so if somebody want to make him suffer, he will make sure that they suffer the same fate. Under Stress, Elkantar keeps an almost Olympic calm, having learned to keep his mouth shut when facing the various nobles of the drow houses.

He expects a lot from himself, hoping to one day find a way to chase the spider queen away from his land and bring back a more honorable Drow society.

Friends: Belchior, a renegade Drow that is living on the edge of the drow lands and forming an alliance against the spider queen.

Enemies: Ill'za, a drow high priestess, the one who took down his house personally and since then, he has been swearing to take her life down.

Significant Others: Vasquarra Vyll, A drow warlock of another house, she is trying to get her house back into power, she is dominant and angry woman. While he doesn't go out of his way to say that he likes her because you know in drow society, that would not be appropriate. He will like to be able to tell her one day.

Family: His parents are cold and distant and did not show him any kind of affections and made sure that he was self reliant from an early age which is important in this cutthroat society. He doesn't hate them or like them, but knows that without this kind of education, he would have been dead his first day out of his house.

Re-flavoring:
For the re flavoring, well for Bard possibly change the title to Hextech knight. Well all the magical effects would come from a combination of his voice and the songblade which would make more modern sounds almost metallic in a way. As the sword would make horrible noises because of a combination of technology and curses that have been put into his implements.

For a sorcerer, it would simply be a gun user, using a strange big gun (the implement) that does chaotic magic effects, the technology would be unpredictable why he is getting all those random effects from the weapon.

Finally, answer these questions: “Why would your character want to join with the Boreal Consortium for this mission? Did you seek out Boreal himself, or have you done something to get his attention?”

He sought the Boreal Consortium, a mission that involved taking down Eladrin and the main reasons all the problems happened in the shattered land? He would sign up for this mission for free as it was a personal vendetta and pleasure to kill every single of them. Plus by doing such action, he hoped to get the attention of the other drow, in a way to show them that they could make a place for themselves in this new world and put the seed of House Helvindar as being there when the Eladrin fell down.


OPTIONAL: V for Vendetta speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DRAD-j8ObI

Name: Marius Travelyan "The Clockwork Lion"

Race: Human, Illan

Archetype: In an age of gadgetry and gallantry few exemplify the ingenuity and spirit of the Illanians better than the CogKnights of Federatis. These noble warriors balance the tri-fold path of martial, magical, and mechanical discipline. Warrior Scholars they have long served Illan and its patron pantheon.

Potential Classes: Paladin+… probably… maybe, many of the other martial as well as the divine classes are also viable. A feat for plate armor would have to be burnt though as a minimum for any other class.

Description: Marius is an old veteran playing at a young man's game. His hair is long and shimmering white, his eyebrows are bushy and his beard is full, yet for all his years he is still in excellent condition. His muscles are lean and iron tough from decades of rigorous training, and he moves with an intimacy and body knowledge that can only come with great experience. Marius is adorned in the noble trappings of the CogKnight his articulated CogPlate seems almost antique in design and aesthetic. It has clearly been personalized and customized over its many years of service. Though it has been some time since Marius has worn his armor it feels like the embrace of a long absent friend. It has clearly been maintained with exacting care as has all his gear and gadgets. Travelyan's Mageblade burns with the same intense blue light that shines in the old warriors eyes.

Background: (To be expanded upon) Marius is a hero of a past age , now well into his fifties Marius has served a career of distinction with the CogKnights a noble order who have made a home of Illan’s Capital. CogKnights are a private militant order devoted to the ideals of Lady Erathis. They stand for Justice and Progress as the foundation for civilization. Viewed in their golden age as warrior scholars they ascribe to a broad discipline which they know as the Tri-fold Path a mingling of Magical, Mechanical, and Martial arts. Their doctrine is best exemplified by their CogPlate. Each Knight wears mystical/mechanical Plate armor known as CogPlate which they believe to be blessed by the Lady of invention and represents the tri-fold path. With the permission of King Belorem the knights built their large Order house in the city of Federatis equal parts, fortress, cathedral, and laboratory. The CogKnights have made Illan their home. Many times they have served the royal line and helped to defend Illan’s people. Under the rule of Fyodor however the Order fell into disfavor.

Fyodor worked hard to discredit the “antiquated order” fearing their loyalist leanings for the crown. Though Fyodor’s treachery has been exposed the damage to the order has already been done. While still welcome in the city of Federatis, they are now seen as obsolete or odd. Recruitment into the order under the reign of Fyodor fell drastically, and so the order declined as its members aged or lost their lives still defending those who have dismissed them. Some go so far as to mock the order even today call those who are foolish, stubborn, proud, senile, or simply aged “Coggers, or Cog-head”.

Marius had officially retired from active service to the order some ten years ago. Few of his comrades remain from those more adventurous days. Since his retirement Marius has continued to serve order by training its new recruits sharing his considerable experience. He has also dedicated himself to more intellectual pursuits instructing at the Academy of Ioun in the realms of military tactics, history, and applied arcana. Though his name appears more than once in many of these courses text books Marius's jovial and humble nature give him an almost paternal aura in the classroom and he has become a popular lecturer and much sought advisor.

The Passing of King Belorem, the betrayal of Fyodor, and the kidnapping of Reza has affected Marius deeply. Watching his own beloved city slowly fall to chaos in the shadow of uncertainty and looming invasion has become too much for him to bear. Ever a man of action Marius can no-longer sit upon the sidelines. He was a hero once and that same heart burns true beneath his wrinkled skin. If the people need him he will rise to be one once more.

Personality: Valiant, humble, exacting, and mirthful all are characteristics that would quickly come to mind when describing "The Old Lion". While all these are accurate descriptors of the man, there is much more below the surface. With recent events unfolding as they have, Marius has become far more reflective and introspective as he examines his life and choices. Part of him burns with guilt for not having rallied to the call sooner. He believes he should have been at the King's side, perhaps then things would have gone differently. This pain is amplified each day he passes the roll of fallen in the Order-House. Reading the names of those who have died or been lost he find among them to many friends. the list is filled with young and old compatriots, those he served with and worst of all those he had trained each day this tears at his soul. He is driven to succeed in this new undertaking, to Marius this is a chance at redemption if he does not succeed at least he can pass to the next world with honor. Nothing will stand between Marius and the prize Death or Victory these are the only outcomes.

I think I’ve answered a good number of these already, but why take chances.

What are your character’s defining virtues and vices?

Virtues:
Marius strives towards a sense of justice. The world does not have to be fair, but for civilization to persist law must exist and order must be maintained. A law is not proven right however simply by its existence an exploitive law is no more just than anarchy.

Courageous, Marius has a lion’s heart will not cower or back away from adversity or insult.

Insight, Marius has the mind of a scholar and the instincts of a tactician. He knows that strength is not measured simply by force, but by knowing when and how to apply it.

Vices:
Stuborn- for such a forward thinking and creative individual Marius can prove to be more stubborn and headstrong then any when his mind is set upon a task or a path.

Proud- Marius is a true believer in his path and so takes insult to his order and faith poorly. He may believe that the old ways are the best ways.

Likes:
Exploration of historical, magical, mechanical, tactical research and ideas. Martial conditioning, new gadgets, experimentation, order, logic.

Dislikes:
Chaos, deceit, stagnation, inventions with the purpose of destruction, barbarism.

moral limits:
Marius believes in a code of justice which he strives to abide by and expects no less of others. Marius will kill to defend himself or others. Marius struggles with the concept that the ends justify the means. While he believes in the greater good, he fears losing oneself in the process can be to high a price.

What makes them angry?
Those who knowingly exploit the rule of law for their own gain. Those who stand by and do nothing in times of trouble, ignorance and the close-minded.

What is justice for your character?
Acting in the best interest of the greatest number of people. Being clear and consistent and operating openly so that all are aware of what is being done and how it effects them.
How do they react under stress? – When stressed Marius strives to rise above the chaos and act as an example for those around him. Stress is what tempers the soul, and Marius views it as a challenge to his virtue and combats it as he would any other foe.

Friends: Describe at least one NPC who is a friend to your character. What do they do? How are they like?

Enemies: Describe at least one person your character dislikes; a rival, a wronged party, or just someone who rubs you the wrong way. Why do the two dislike one another?

Significant Others: Odds are you have one (or at least a crush of some sort if your character is really young). Describe them. How is your relationship?

Family: Describe your family. Maybe you have children of your own, and you almost certainly have siblings. What is your relationship with your family?

Reflavoring:
If you are planning to reflavor your character, provide a write-up of what you'd like to change. The length of this section pretty much depends on just how wild you're planning to get.

Finally, answer these questions: “Why would your character want to join up with the Boreal Consortium for this mission? Did you seek out Boreal himself, or have you done something to get his attention?”

OPTIONAL: Do you have a piece of inspirational art or a song you connect with your character?

On a ship full of radical individualists and larger-than-life personalities, Wilshire is the one you don't notice. Average in height and colouring, with a tendency to remain silent unless he believes some observation might be germane ("The carpet behind you seems to be on fire, sir,") Wilshire goes about the ship unobtrusively making communal life livable. He cooks, he cleans, he makes minor repairs (greater repairs are of course left to the genius Artificers to wrangle). In the field, he knows the rituals that will create campsites and prepare meals and set wards, and if ritual materials are not available, he knows how to set the campsite up and feed everybody the old-fashioned way.

If he's allowed to be a Psion, there will be a little Merlin/Bewitched stage business happening, where doors open and close for him while he carries the tea tray, the sheets turn themselves down while he lights the lamp, etc. This is particularly appealing to me because when I use the Insider to generate a Psion, it keeps telling me I am breaking the rules if I try to up his base Dexterity at the cost of his Strength or Constitution, so I like the idea that he's using his mind to compensate for weak and shaky hands or balance. He would pride himself on ensuring that there's never a ripple in the soup when he's bringing the tureen to the table, even in stormy skies.

I'm guessing that my character is on board the ship because he's either

a) the servant of someone else who is on board, or
b) a servant whose former employer has disappeared already on one of Boreal's missions to locate the Warforge.

In either case, Wilshire owes his employer a great personal debt. Wilshire would have died in the Maelstrom, a nobody from a family of ignorant, unlettered peasants too poor to escape their doom and too unimportant for others to reach out and save them, if he had not been scooped up at the last minute by his employer's family. Wilshire has been trying ever since to repay his salvation, and to be so useful that he will never be left behind again by the greater world. He strives never to forget information, and will likely choose the Jack of All Trades feat.

This might require co-ordination with another player, who's willing to play their character as Wilshire's employer.

Virtues:
loyalty, industry, patience, selflessness, cleanliness

Vices:
stubbornness,
paladin syndrome (even when situation demands, Wilshire finds it hard to abandon principles, especially if he thinks only he will suffer for maintaining the right),
some blindness to the potential contextual value of rule-breakers and deliberate trespass against social norms,
desperate fear of becoming useless

Likes:
competence, hygiene, discipline, social finesse applied for the benefit of all, string instruments, that which has been well-loved and well-cared-for

Dislikes: disrespect, sloth, slovenliness, selfishness, disorder

Moral limits:

He will risk a great deal of personal distress to further the welfare of his employer, but he will not countenance any but the most minor harm to innocents and the vulnerable.

He recognizes suffering as a source of character growth, so he will not step in to deliver people from what he believes to be appropriate consequences for their behaviour, if he thinks those consequences will help correct that behaviour in future. But he will offer enough assistance to ensure that there _is_ a future for those who have erred, if he thinks their continued existence is likely to prove a net gain.

What makes him angry?
Deliberate and selfish disregard for the welfare of others, injustice, attacks on his employer or the vulnerable or his own dedication to his work

If deified,
Wilshire would end (or significantly slow) the cycle of terrestrial rebirth and destruction, give the world a chance to settle down, for civilizations to explore peace and harmony for a time. Presumably, he'd have to find a way to reconcile his desire for order with the need to allow things to happen to the world, so that it doesn't stagnate.

When stressed,
Wilshire reminds himself that while there are greater goals at stake, personal injury is not relevant. When those greater goals are secured, then steps can be taken to ensure that stressors are removed.

Perhaps, in the course of the game, Wilshire will learn a sense of his own value, independent of his utility to his employer's house, and that some debts either need no repayment or were never owed in the first place.

Friends, Enemies, Significant Others:

In all cases, these people are likely to be associated either with the employer's family household(s), allied households or rival households. Other possibilities might include tradespeople with whom Wilshire's duties might occasionally bring him into contact.

By far his closest relationship is likely to be with his employer, although Wilshire realizes that employment is not necessarily equivalent to friendship. Other friends might include a mentor or colleague, someone who helped him learn to perform his duties (a castellan, a cook, a housekeeper, a head porter, a wine steward) or taught him how to defend his employer (a captain of the household guard, or a trainer at an Ilani fencing/boxing studio).

An enemy is likely to be someone who either opposes the welfare of his employer's household, or threatens Wilshire's position in it: a rival servant, a member of the employer's family whom Wilshire has offended, or someone who bears his master/mistress ill will.

His significant other could be someone in service to an allied house; or worse still, he might have a crush on some unattainable Actual Member of The Employer's Family, Too Good for the Likes of Wilshire. Wilshire's interest in another could never compete with his devotion to duty, however.

Name: Sovalias

Race: Eladrin

Archetype: The tinkerer and the creator. The soft spoken scientist but the long winded lecturer. Man of many hats, with hands in more than a couple "back alleyway" deals.

Potential Classes: Ideally, I would prefer him to be an Artificer|Runepriest hybrid, although if required, I could split and go either way (would prefer not to though).

Description: The first thing people probably notice about him is that he isn't the person who puts off the "shady" motif, possibly due to his successes with black market dealings and sponsorship by larger companies (who remain unnamed). A little atypical for an Eladrin however, are his facial features. Whereas his eyes are without pupils like his brethren, his are an "electric" shade of blue, and his silken hair is much darker than the typical Eladrin, being a shade similar to the magnetic Hematite, appearing almost onyx in low light. His hair is usually pulled back and braided. His clothes consist of silvery underclothing, upon which a lattice of small metallic plates cover, strapped to his body by iron bands of belts of dark leather. These bear many silver runic symbols that lead into one another, forming chains and phrases across the covering. The whole of his outfit is covered by multiple belts and cords, hidden pouches, random tools, and other objects of runic artifice. When he wants to appear a little more inconspicuous, he dons a simple silver duster type coat, and a matching wide brimmed tri-corner hat, much like the captains of the airships that travel about the skies. The issue with his "inconspicuous" attire is that on the shadier streets, the clothing pattern is rather well recognized in the districts where he is from, allowing potential customers and other merchants to find him, including those that would seek to do him harm. It's for this reason that he goes through jackets and hats rather quickly, removing them at the first sign of trouble so to ease his escape.

Background: Sovalias was the first born of one of the remaining families on the Luzea colony, and rather surprised his parents and caretakers because of his physical traits. Many took this as evidence that they were drawing closer to their doom, the Abyss making its presence known amongst his people. This leads him to have a rather outcast form of childhood, becoming a tinkerer with the magic of runecraft at a young age. By the time he reached an age where he could sustain himself, he chose to go off to the Kingdom of Illan by boarding one of the few airworthy vessels of his people, hoping that his travels would lead him to a way to save them from their certain death, and to show them that his omen may have been a good thing, rather than a bad one. When he arrived in the capitol city, he was exposed to the shadier side to his craftsmanship, taken in by an intrepid inventor who always seemed to have more up his sleeve than what he revealed. It was during these days when he first learned how to write runes that held power within their markings, far different from what he had ever worked with before. As a result of this, he began to walk down a dual path: one of artifice, crafting new technologies and one of rune magic, strengthening his body for the force of the runes he created.

In due time, a fire broke out in the building he had been living in with his mentor. No remains of any sort were found, and all of the research papers that had accrued in the building had been vaporized. Having no place else to go, he began trading his services on the market, making items here and there for others, while slowly accruing enough money to outfit himself. Given a few years’ time on the streets, he had gained a fairly strong reputation amongst his clients, although the infrequent bad deal caused him to require a little more caution on the streets. He was protected by a few large companies who did not want to admit they were making shady deals, but mostly by allies in the trade. His problems have been perpetuated with the rise in demand for unethical or outlawed forms of technology within the recent years, his name appearing on a few underground businesses hit lists, and imposters trying to ruin his reputation. However, with a recent offer extended his way, he has emerged from the dark alleyways, using his knowledge to get a job as Engineer on a near-suicide mission to retrieve something he would very much like to study.

Personality: Being one of the better respected members of the criminal underground, Sovalias has few Vices, and even fewer Virtues. His largest ambitions are things that can further him, usually in the form of the gathering of knowledge or the retrieval of an ancient piece of technology. He holds himself to a high code of honor despite his status, feeling that even though his actions may not be the best in society's terms, he puts all of his effort into his work (at least, the amount of effort the price called for), and if he is not satisfied with how something results, he will rework and refine it until it meets the specifications of his job. Typically, his code does not falter, unless he knows that the intent of the item he is making it to have incredible malicious intent, and will attempt to right it in a way so that it will not work or backfire at the pivotal moment (this is the means through which he has gained his enemies). His biggest vice would likely lie in his thirst for knowledge, and that he has used others at times as stepping stones so that he may achieve what he wants. This could be an endangerment to allies, but when stressed or on a battlefield, he realizes that he will likely need his allies sometime in the future and therefore allows for them to work at an optimum condition, usually by means of being their repairman, alchemist, and enchanter.

He expects perfection from himself in his art, as detailed in his code, and he holds high pride for having been able to produce an armblade for one of the few Warforged of the world. He expects something less of perfection from his allies, but nothing too short. If they do not function together, he will teach them why they need to work together (by means of only buffing one ally, healing sparingly, (but not enough to cause someone to die) etc.). He realizes the need for cooperation and will frequently reference the similarities between the arcane and divine runic alphabets and acts of artifice to bind them together in a way to show that even the most different of existences can be used together to achieve a higher, greater purpose. He respects the individuals that show this (somewhat uncommon) trait, even though at times, he may not show this trait. His highest respect is reserved for those who are humble enough to know that even though they may be "masters" of their art, they are still a novice in the eyes of someone else. He realizes that even with a godlike power, he would change very little, and probably use it to further the advancement of people's ways of life, because it is both the difficulties and the successes in one's life that define them as a character; without some of each, they are merely hollow.

His largest motivators lie in a few scattered categories, although what he wishes to do is rather improbable. One of these things is to find a way to either save the people of his home or create a technology that will slow down, if not halt the progress of his homeland towards the Abyss. His second largest motivator lies in discovering his long lost mentor's secrets, and the full extent of what he knew about the merger of arcane and divine runic arrays. Third, finally, and most obviously, his largest motivator is the retrieval and preservation of knowledge, and of one single thing disturbs him more than anything, it is the belligerent destruction of great works of technology, magic, and artifice (of which he views the destruction or enslavement of a Warforged to be a crime nearly above all others).

Friends: Being in the underground, Sovalias required multiple allies to be able to get around and do the things he needed to do. This includes nearly twenty different small time dealers around his level of production and one crime lord type person. Also are the rogues and mercenaries that he at times relied upon to get into hostile territory to retrieve works he desired to observe. Two notable merchants he knows are a rather stout and more upbeat Dwarf by the name of Hargrim, who specialized in making multi-purpose or utility items - the other merchant being a very shady, very elusive Drow by the name of Cheren, who could supply him with nearly any piece of magitech he desired. The crime lord, and one of the "bosses" in Sovalias' part of town, was a very cunning, crude, never seen, yet honorable and respectable Shadar-Kai by the name of Razbhan, who was frequently the wing Sovalias could hide behind in times of trouble (It is also he who pointed him in the direction of the Boreal Consortium). The most notable mercenary that he has come across happened to be the partner-in crime of Cheren, a gnome who was rather strong for his size who only ever referred to himself as Orocc, who could break into any security system and hold off any number of guards while Cheren made away with the target.

Enemies: The largest enemies of Sovalias are the companies and gangs that he has given a faulty product to or otherwise ruined. The most notable of these crime rings is an organization known as the Black hands, whose operations can probably be traced up fairly high into the government's budget. The members of the organization denote themselves by placing some kind of a black hand shaped tattoo somewhere below the collar, as so a swift tug can reveal their occupation and standing. The particular member that Sovalias rubbed the wrong way was one of the higher ups in the organization by the name of Victor (Human) who asked him to create an explosive device that would be able to be placed and then detonate when a certain individual passed by. Twisting the man's words, he made the device explode a delayed amount of time after the man passed through the hall where it was placed, also leaving a threatening message and a note saying where to find Victor to capture him.

Signifigant Others: At one point in time, Sovalias had a moderately close relationship with Cheren, with both their ambitions being relatively the same and their abilities and resources complementing each other very nicely. The relationship however, never took off, partly because they didn't want it to get in the way of their jobs and because they did not want to face any possible repercussions of being an Eladrin/Drow coupling.

Family: As stated in the history, Sovalias was the first child that his parents had, and as such, had no siblings until just a few months before his departure to Illan. His parents themselves were fairly average members of their clan, his father being a hunter and his mother being a care provider for the sick and injured. Because of his physical traits, the only people that he could really turn to were his parents, who offered him a great amount of support and backing in his desires. They pushed him towards his dream, but never really thought he would go so far as to leave the clan in order to find a solution for their problems. Although they did respect him, and they believe that he can survive out in the world on his own, since they haven't seen him since he was around the age of 13 or 14, they can't be for sure as to what fate lies in store for their son.

Reflavoring:
Nothing is being majorly reflavored, other than the idea that runes form two schools are compatible (if that counts).

Finally, answer these questions:
"Why would your character want to join up with the Boreal Consortium for this mission?" The possibilities of what could be revealed as a result of the expedition are immeasurable and would yield a massive leap forward in technology and magic, and it would also serve him some purpose for seeing and attempting to reverse engineer or understand the patterns and runes behind breathing life into the Warforged. "Did you seek out Boreal himself, or have you done something to get his attention?” A little of both occurred. On Sovalias' side, the crime lord Razbhan pointed him in the direction of the expedition, and seeing as he required a competent and experienced engineer for the ship, Boreal found him doing an exhibition of artifice on one of the many crowded trading district's streets.

OPTIONAL: Jokingly, I want to say Technologic by Daft Punk... Although it may be a little more than joking and more serious given the character.

Sovalias, Eladrin Artificer|Runepriest
Init +3 HP 44/44 Bloodied 22 Healing Surge 11 (0 used /7)
AC 21 Fort 16 Reflex 18 Will 16 Speed 5
Str 17 (+3) Con 12 (+1) Dex 13 (+1) Int 19 (+4) Wis 11 (0) Cha 8 (-1)
Fey Step, Far Hearing, Mental Tools, Sensing Eye, Healing Infusion: Curative Admixture, Healing Infusion: Resistive Formula, Rune of Mending, Magic Weapon, Rune of Exchange, Flames of Purity, Caustic Rampart, Icon of Victory, Burning Weapons, Rune of the Final Act
Notes +1 to damage when hit