Of Magic and Dungeons [OOC/PG-16/Accepting]

LordCowCow · December 8, 2019

Premise

Spoiler

How much would you be willing to do for everything you’ve ever wanted?
What if you were told that there was an object, hidden deep underground, that could give you such? What would you do? Would you fight, lie, cheat, steal?

What was once a small fishing town had been transformed into a sprawling city. With a multitude of prominent families vying for control over a single location known simply as The Dungeon.

For housed within this Dungeon is supposedly The Spark. An artifact that was the basis for the creation of the world. Whoever holds The Spark would have access to the most ancient of magics.

Many methods were taken to try and break through The Dungeon. Destroying it from the outside, teleporting inside, but to no avail. The only thing that seems to affect The Dungeon is traveling through it.

At first various families would consistently spend large amounts of gold to send powerful warriors and mages into The Dungeon but, as none have succeeded, the practice grew too expensive.

Nowadays explorers are more rare, though not unheard of, and the city became more of a place of interest. With several strong families looking over The Dungeon. Still, the dream stays alive, and from time to time attempts are still made to reach the bottom of The Dungeon.

You are one such explorer, driven by greed, or a dream, your own or someone else’s, who has decided to brave The Dungeon.

This RP will be based on city exploration and dungeon combat but also daily lives of those living in the city. You will deal with not only the dangers of The Dungeon but also with others who seek to reach The Spark. Not everyone has given up on trying to find other means to delve to the depths of the dungeons. The danger comes not just from the creatures that lurk inside but also those who live in the city itself.
Get to know the people in the city, learn secrets, grow stronger, and perhaps you will be the one to reach the goal.

I’ll likely only accept, at least at first, 6-8 players to avoid clutter. More may be added later as the RP is set in a single city so coming and going isn’t incredibly difficult.

World

Spoiler

Spitha, a land of magic and mystery. Historians disagree on the start of the world. Its believed there was some entity at the start who created everything but the path the world took from then is up to debate. Some claim that the God created the world then left and others say they still watch over us. Still others even say the God walks among us today. The world itself is vast but The Dungeon is located in Katochos, the largest country, which itself is divided into territories controlled by various lords and ladies of important families.
Technology is minor but has advanced since the days of fire and steel. While most still use weaponry such as bows and swords and travel by boat or horse newer technology, primitive firearms, trains, and the like, have been growing in use.

City

Spoiler

Froura. Once a small fishing village everything changed when The Dungeon appeared nearby. Those who saw it appear claim that the entrance simply rose up from the ground one day. Once some explorers entered, bringing with them ancient texts and artifacts, it was discovered that, somewhere in the dungeon, the most powerful magic artifact was held. Since then the city has expanded around the dungeon and stretched out farther and farther. Multiple major families call this city its home now and an order of knights was formed just to protect the city and The Dungeon.

Magic

Spoiler

Magic in the world comes from the world itself. Mages take the energy around them and use it to cast their spells. Various materials connected to the magic they’re attempting to cast,verbal invocations, and magical artifacts, can aide in the spell and strengthen it but it isn’t necessarily required. Magic crystals have been created as well, which are pure magic contained in small gems, which can also help in casting complicated spells. Mages must train and learn to cast various spells. The types of magic that can be used is broken up into various “schools” of magic, and most mages can usually cast from only two such schools.

When making characters imagine the magic as though it were DnD. For instance people would have a variety of spells they can use from each school. An Enchanter can both enchant weapons and charm people as long as they had the experience for it.

Abjuration: Spells that block, protect, or banish. Can be used for dispelling other magic.
Conjuration: Spells that bring physical materials to the caster. For use of summoning or otherwise. Including summoning things like acid and ice for offensive purposes.
Divination: Spells that reveal information.
Enchantment: Spells that imbue objects with various properties or alter one’s mental state.
Evocation: Spells that manipulate energy or creates it from nothing. Differs in Conjuration in that it doesn’t have to be something that physically can be handled, such as fire and light.
Illusion: Spells that alter perception or create false images.
Necromancy: Spells that manipulate, create, or destroy life or life force. Can be used to hinder one’s physical health.
Transmutation: Spells that change an object or person’s physical properties.

Races

Spoiler

Humans are the main race in the world. They dominate it almost entirely. There are various other races that many humans think of as “mutated humans”. Races such as Dwarves, Orcs, Elves, Devils, and so on are, while not hunted or openly attacked, are generally discrimnated against. This is due to their apperances which, while humanoid, vary in obvious ways. But also because they tend to struggle with magic more than humans. Leading some to believe they are lesser forms of humans. Some claim they have various other supernatural traits, such as higher lifespans, but this has no real basis.

Major Families of Froura

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There are ten major families that live in Froura. Many tied closely to a specific school of magic. There are also other, more minor, families. The Main Branch of each major family have a single mansion they own but there are other members of the family spread through the city as well. They all report to the Main Branch, however.

Empodio Family: Focus, Abjuration. The first family to make a place for themselves in Froura. They came with the knights sent to guard The Dungeon and helped with placing barriers around the area. This gave them a great sense of self-worth. Even though, as many of the families are apt to say, The Dungeon’s own magic has protected it better than theirs could. They often send their mages to try and break through the protective spells and allow them to access the lower levels easier. Children born into this family are immediately trained in the magical makeup of The Dungeon in the hopes that eventually they will be the first to figure out its secrets.
Their mansion is set up nearest to The Dungeon.

Kalo Family: Focus, Conjuration. The Kalo family, unlike most, don’t seem to be very interested in the interior of The Dungeon. Though they seem very interested in how it came to be. They theorize that it was conjured there by some powerful mage and want to try and recreate the magic used to do so. Their members are known to be somewhat detached from real objects and people. Seem to believe that summoned creatures can do anything a person can for less. Thus they have very few servants. Their mansion is located near the docks and sometimes their members can be found late at night standing by the water’s edge.

Mellontikos Family: Focus, Divination. The second richest family in Froura. And also the most private. They tend to stay holed up in their mansion, which is located near the base of the Frouran Knights, and only rarely venture out. Instead of going into The Dungeon themselves they tend to send mercenaries, using them to test theories, by sending them in with specific, bizarre, instructions and using their magic to predict the outcomes. They sell services to the other families but the price is usually so high that they aren’t often used.

Thelgo Family: Focus, Enchantment. The richest family in Froura. Unlike Mellontikos though they can often be found throughout the city. Selling equipment enchanted with magic. And they seem to think of The Dungeon as more of a business opportunity than something to conquer. Rumor says that the head of the family wasn’t originally from a major family and got that position through intense focus on commerce and enchantment. Many of the other families look down on them and believe they’re not fit to be counted among the upper echelon. Located near the largest market in the city they tend to have some hand in many of the businesses.

Fereis Family: Focus, Evocation. The smallest family in the city. Their leader recently passed away. Leaving their son, a young man of merely 18, in charge. Much to the chagrin of the other members of the family. They don’t hold as much sway as many other families but often send mages into The Dungeon. Their size seems to make them more ambitious. They once had among them a mage that was said to rival the archmages but an accident weakened them greatly.

Apati Family: Focus, Illusion. The least trusted, and most recent, family living in Froura. Illusion magic is often not trusted and it’s not helped by the fact that members of this family tend to use it often and freely. They have the least amount of limits on the members of their family not part of the Main Branch and have occasionally been found living with those in other families without their knowledge. Causing many of their lesser members ending up with fines and prison time that they always end up paying for without any trouble. The number of members in the family is unknown. They haven’t made many large moves but most believe they know more and are doing more than they let on. A thought that the family themselves don't deny. No one knows where their actual mansion is as there are several “fakes” across the city that sometimes moves location. They also seem to avoid direct interaction with The Dungeon but members of their family do end up in groups taking it on anyway.

Ptoma Family: Focus, Necromancy. It took the Ptoma family a long time to earn the trust of those in the city but, surprisingly, over time, they became beloved by the people there. Their methods can sometimes be unusual, even disturbing, but they have a hand in most community projects and charity work. The actual head of the family is never seen in public but his, twin, son and daughter are much loved by the public. The other families learned quickly that if they didn’t stay on this families good side they’d lose face in public and so most of them work with Ptoma family members regularly. Oddly they have a close relation with the Theos Family, and their mansion is located near the Grand Church.

Allagi Family: Focus, Transmutation. A rather odd family that set up their mansion directly on the outskirts of the city. Their mansion is the largest of all the families but they also have less minor members of their family across the city. Seen by many as oddities if not for their impressive abilities in combat, and thus being the family many seem as likely to conquer the dungeon, then they would likely be shunned entirely by the others. However as it is they’re tolerated and many families try to negotiate with them.

Machi Family: Focus, Martial. Their mansion is located near the center of the city and they control the majority of the mercenary companies in the city. They tend to distance themselves from the other families personally but keep close professional relationship. Regarded as the backbone of the city they even have members in the Frouran Knights. The main family members don’t often set out into The Dungeon, nor do they send people on their behalf, but groups they control have been inside The Dungeon more than any other. Seem content with the current situation but some say there are those in the family that want more.

Theos Family: Focus, God. An oddity in the city. The church is large, and most people in some regard worship its God, but they distance themselves completely from most of the other families. Thinking that they flaunt their magic and, worse, sell it too frequently. They use magic themselves, but tend to keep it more subtle than most. They have a close connection to the Ptoma family, due to many years of working together on city projects and the like, but they see themselves as a group who is saving the city by keeping the other families at bay and making sure none of them rise too high in power. They often enter The Dungeon, with the belief that what lies beneath isn’t magical in nature but instead divine, and seem frustrated that others are allowed inside without them. They don’t have a mansion for their Main Branch but instead live inside of the largest church in the city.

NPCs

Spoiler

To be added to as RP goes on.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/16ZPE8GJBTiwsZwj_t_YbIwwVy-7AmdmNUrl4owHl_QU/edit?usp=sharing

Locations

Spoiler

To be added to as RP goes on

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hEigMblsOimhquATmr47fIggSTaxx0w9_2bxnmzvydQ/edit?usp=sharing

App Format

Spoiler

Note, just use this as a basis. As long as the info is there and it's readable.

App skeleton

Spoiler

Name:
Age:
Gender:
Race:

Appearance:
Personality:
Biography:
Family History:

Experience Level:
Magic Level:
Non-Combat Skills:

Magic Schools:
Combat Style:
Equipment:

Other:

Specific information

Spoiler

Name: Only do first name unless you’re part of an important family (doesn’t have to be one from the city). Most people have no surname.
Age: Anything under 16 or over 50 will likely struggle physically
Gender: It’s gender
Race: Most humanoid races would be allowed. Nothing that gives major physical advantages. Avoid most "monstrous" races. If unsure, ask.

Appearence: If description, spoiler, otherwise put image in link and add height and weight (or just brief description of body type)
Personality: Put into a spoiler, at least one paragraph. Doesn’t have to be long but must get a clear picture.
Biography: Put into a spoiler, at least one paragraph, but older/experienced characters should have more.
Family History: If part of a family what is their history and general place in the world? If not part of a major family can leave out.

Experience Level: Beginner, Average, Experienced. (No veterens) Any can work as long as you put the effort into making it make sense. Higher experience level will be closer scrutinized.
Magic Level: Pure/Hybrid/None. Pure magic can use magic much better than rest, but very little martial skills. Hybrid can do both but neither as well. (Stressing this because it’s a big gap) None might have minor magic ability but nothing impressive.
Non-combat Skills: This would include things such as cooking, mending clothes, and musical talent.

Magic Schools: If any. Pure can choose up to two from start, Hybrid 1.
Combat style: How does your character fight? Include weapons they’re versed in.
Equipment: A general overview on the weapons, armor, and so forth your character has. Can get more in depth during the RP.

Other: Doesn’t fit in rest of app, put it here.

Accepted Apps

Spoiler

Christopher Ellwood - radio414

Lana - Skaia

Ziun - Chaos Sonic

Skaia · December 8, 2019

I got your interest right here.

Doggo · December 8, 2019

Me like magic.

MetalSonic · December 8, 2019

Sure, I’d be interested.

Thar · December 8, 2019

~~Okay, I'll bite.~~

EDIT: Withdrawing my interest

Edited December 11, 2019 by Thar

ChampionZero · December 8, 2019

Curious...

MetalSonic · December 8, 2019

Cowcow, I’m curious. What would be the result of destroying The Spark? Can it even be destroyed?

LordCowCow · December 8, 2019

1 minute ago, MetalSonic said:

Cowcow, I’m curious. What would be the result of destroying The Spark? Can it even be destroyed?

No one knows. No way of knowing really.

LordCowCow · December 9, 2019

Hi yes double post

We're OOC now. Put a lot of info in the OP but if there's any other questions let me know.

MetalSonic · December 9, 2019

-not finished-

Name: Turturok Gungur

Age: 30

Gender: male

Race: minotaur

Appearance:

Spoiler

Standing 10 feet tall, Turturok is a white furred minotaur with dark black horns that curl from the sides of his head. He has a long tail with a band around the tip, forming something like a ponytail. He wears a brown tunic with a matching brown kilt.

Personality:

Spoiler

Loud and boisterous, Turturok will always dive head first into any situation thrown at him, yelling about how awesome he is in the process. Often times, this attitude of invincibility is what gets him into trouble, taking on more opponents at a single time than he can handle.

Biography:

Spoiler

Family History:

Spoiler

Experience Level:

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Magic Level:

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beginner

Non-Combat Skills:

Spoiler

Magic Schools:

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conjuration

Combat Style:

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Turturok, naturally as a minotaur, is all about constant offense. With his tower shield in hand, he charges forward with the force of an angry bull (hehe) and does not let up on the overwhelming force his raw strength can provide. Once on the attack, Turturok seems to go into a blind rage and doesn't stop until he stops hearing the screaming.

Equipment:

Spoiler

Armor? Pfft, please. A big bad minotaur like me doesn't need armor.

A giant round shield (Spartan style) that allows for brute force charging attacks

A one-handed axe

Other:

LordCowCow · December 9, 2019

11 minutes ago, MetalSonic said:

-not finished-

Name: Turturok Gungur

Age: 30

Gender: male

Race: minotaur

Appearance:

Hide contents

Standing 10 feet tall, Turturok is a white furred minotaur with dark black horns that curl from the sides of his head. He has a long tail with a band around the tip, forming something like a ponytail. He wears a brown tunic with a matching brown kilt.

Personality:

Hide contents

Loud and boisterous, Turturok will always dive head first into any situation thrown at him, yelling about how awesome he is in the process. Often times, this attitude of invincibility is what gets him into trouble, taking on more opponents at a single time than he can handle.

Biography:

Hide contents

Family History:

Hide contents

Experience Level:

Reveal hidden contents

Magic Level:

Reveal hidden contents

beginner

Non-Combat Skills:

Reveal hidden contents

Magic Schools:

Reveal hidden contents

conjuration

Combat Style:

Reveal hidden contents

Turturok, naturally as a minotaur, is all about constant offense. With his tower shield in hand, he charges forward with the force of an angry bull (hehe) and does not let up on the overwhelming force his raw strength can provide. Once on the attack, Turturok seems to go into a blind rage and doesn't stop until he stops hearing the screaming.

Equipment:

Reveal hidden contents

Armor? Pfft, please. A big bad minotaur like me doesn't need armor.

A giant round shield (Spartan style) that allows for brute force charging attacks

A one-handed axe

Other:

One, don't have to spoiler everything lol

Two, um, this would probably fall into the " Race: Most humanoid races would be allowed. Nothing that gives major physical advantages. "

Maybe I should also add nothing that normally would be "monsters" in most things? Then again Orc would be fine...

Summer Aix · December 9, 2019

On the flip side, a Minotaur would suffer even more than most in social situations.

Anyway, I'm interested. App is done.

Spoiler

"Alright, let's go for a walk in the Dungeon~"

Name: Leon Empodio
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Race: Human

Appearance: Pretty boy who put a lot of effort into the slightly ruffled and effortlessly pretty look. He's relatively tall, though average for a knight (179 cm), and has a slender, but well-toned physique.

Personality: Leon likes to act lackadaisical, like nothing is a big deal in his eyes. Any sort of failure, scorn, or insult is easily deflected with a dry joke. Everyone else makes a fuss out of things like money, love, success, glory, etc., and he's above that. If he does something or works at something, it's because he just felt like it, and he totally did not even try anyway.

In social situations, Leon may be polite, but he makes it obvious enough there is no sincerity to it. People think he's a selfish bastard and he lets them. In return, he is pretty cynical of others and will try to get on people's nerves, just to probe them and prove to himself that they are as shitty as he thinks they are. There are those who still do win his respect though, his jokes with them never go past friendly banter and he does what he can for them while remaining discrete.

Biography: Being a scion of a major family, Leon had a very comfortable upbringing with all the trappings of wealth. He was quite the star child, too, receiving high praise from most of his tutors. However, as Leon's studies in Abjuration advanced, it became revealed that he had very little aptitude for the more intricate aspects of warding. His magic was powerful, but crude and he was not good at making wards that lasted. Leon was twelve at the time. There was only a slight change in the attitudes of his family members and his own parents assured him that it was no big deal, but he was extremely sensitive. It bothered him greatly and affected his mood and motivation, making him slip further. He would not tell his parents anything though, he was a proud and independent prodigy.

The one person he did confide in was his best friend, Morgen. Morgen was the son of a mercenary that worked regularly with the Empodios and he suggested Leon try training with their Company, as he was eager to see more of his best friend. Leon saw it as a way out and he left the family estate without telling anyone and refused to go back until at least a year had passed.

Suffice to say, a boot camp type training was a huge character-building experience for a pampered rich boy, especially when he refused any help from his family except a minor living stipend. His parents visited regularly, and he actually began to appreciate them more. He was not very popular among trainees, with his background and his attitude of giving respect to no one. After a few years of training when the Company recognized him as a proper companion, he accepted a graduation gift from his parents of a full suit of enchanted gear (he commissioned it from the Thelgo Family, his parents paid), in part just to flaunt it in the faces of those he despised.

Unfortunately, disaster struck almost immediately. On his second major expedition into the dungeon, his party was wiped, including Morgen. Leon, with his fancy enchanted armor, managed to survive out of luck. When he returned, he was accused of abandoning his party as he was a front-liner. He was too devastated at the time to defend himself and it did not help that he ended up laughing before these accusations.

With that, he was banished from the Company and spent a few years as a worthless dandy. It was only a month ago that he finally got out of his slump and decided he may as well try being a mercenary once again, but unaffiliated with any of the major groups. Because of his reputation and refusal to accept backing from his family, he is not particularly successful.

Abilities:

Spoiler

Experience Level: Average, he's gone on quite a few expeditions and faced death before

Magic Level: Hybrid

Non-Combat Skills: Art, Literature, Dancing, Manners in High Society

Magic Schools: Abjuration

Combat Style: The best defense is offense in a full suit of armor. Leon makes good use of his full plate, knowing how to use minimal movement to let blows glance off him while he overwhelms foes with ferocity. Against larger foes that require more defense and more firepower though, he serves in a tank role, preventing enemies from advancing and sometimes guiding them to where they can take the full brunt of his allies' attacks.

Equipment:

Enchanted Full Plate Armor: The armor has a magic coating on the inside of the metal that protects against electricity and heat. This actually makes most electrical attacks useless as the electricity just goes straight to the ground following the path of least resistance.
Shock-Absorbing Round Shield: A medium-sized round metal shield with an enchantment that absorbs physical force. It has a magic strap that allows it to be easily attached and detached from his back.
Lightning Longsword: Usable with both hands or one, it is a hefty sword with a pricey electric enchantment that allows it to still be useful against entities that cannot be cut or are hard to cut. It also is useful against many melee enemies as their weapons and armor conduct electricity.

Spells:

Spell Ward I: Takes two seconds of focused chanting and drawing a symbol in the air to invoke, creates a slightly domed circular ward 1.5 meters in diameter that deflects magical attacks. It was optimized by the Empodio family.
Spell Ward II: Takes five seconds of focused chanting and drawing a symbol in the air. Creates a larger and more powerful ward.
Spellbreaker: Enchants an enchanted object with the ability to smash wards and enchantments and deal great damage to evil and unnatural creatures. Requires a bit of focus to maintain and the caster must let it go to cast other spells. The rim of Leon's shield remains unenchanted for this purpose.

Edited December 23, 2019 by Aix

LordCowCow · December 9, 2019

7 hours ago, Aix said:

On the flip side, a Minotaur would suffer even more than most in social situations.

Anyway, I'm interested. App is WIP.

Reveal hidden contents

Name: Miriam
Age: 22
Gender: Female
Race: Human

Appearance: asdf

Personality: asdf

Biography: asdf

Abilities:

Reveal hidden contents

Experience Level: Average

Magic Level: Hybrid

Non-Combat Skills: Modest skill with a lute. Her depth perception manipulation can be used as a subtle beautifying glamour.

Magic Schools: Illusion

Combat Style: Miriam is a deadly single target duelist. Her specialty is manipulating depth perception, it is a low cost, but subtle and complex glamour, and Miriam takes great advantage of it with both sword and spear. Gauging range is imperative in weapon combat, but she robs her opponents of this ability, her strikes seem to hit from way too far away while her feints come far too close for comfort. Those who are unaware of her ability may die to a single lethal thrust, while those who are aware of it still need great instincts and adaptability to overcome it. It is a single target magic and to onlookers it looks like she just walks in and stabs her enemy without real resistance. The magic takes three seconds of focus to activate on a new target.

Weaknesses:

Enemies who use other senses in combat (tremorsense, echolocation, etc.)

Enemies who attack relentlessly before she can activate her magic.

Multiple enemies. (Though, a group of goblins are easy to just pick off with a spear and plenty of room to backpedal)

Berserk enemies.

Equipment:

Spear

Sword

The main issue is the size tbh. But the idea is the other races are barely different than humans. So the discrimination is even more highlighted as something odd. The races suffer it despite how small the differences are.

As to the magic...perhaps I need to be more clear. Hybrids are weaker in magic but not THAT limited. Think of it like....less fairy tail more dnd

Or perhaps like we'd be mages and not servants.

Summer Aix · December 9, 2019

Well people pick on others for the smallest of differences is just how we are, but people would definitely be more averse to a giant cow (no offense).

Do you mean DnD magic as in it requires actual casting every time it's used?

Power level-wise, as I have it now, despite being really "minor" magic, it's actually quite powerful since any melee combatant who doesn't just physically overwhelm her by a large margin or have full plate (now that I think of it people would highly likely invest in full plate since they expect to be in a constant state of danger) would have a very hard time. Ranged fighters I suppose would be tough, I might need more spells to at least have a decent chance. Or a drow crossbow would be a good idea.

Edited December 9, 2019 by Aix

LordCowCow · December 10, 2019

1 hour ago, Aix said:

Well people pick on others for the smallest of differences is just how we are, but people would definitely be more averse to a giant cow (no offense).

Do you mean DnD magic as in it requires actual casting every time it's used?

Power level-wise, as I have it now, despite being really "minor" magic, it's actually quite powerful since any melee combatant who doesn't just physically overwhelm her by a large margin or have full plate (now that I think of it people would highly likely invest in full plate since they expect to be in a constant state of danger) would have a very hard time. Ranged fighters I suppose would be tough, I might need more spells to at least have a decent chance. Or a drow crossbow would be a good idea.

That's exactly my point. That's the idea I'm going for. It's not supposed to be a "Yeah, I suppose I can see why you're concerned over the large furry cow man" lol

In part yes, though it won't be like long casting times except for higher level rituals and such. As I put it material and verbal components can strengthen it but isn't necessary.

The thing with the magic is as you have it it's more of a "power" instead of magic. For instance everyone who does Illusion technically could do something like what you have. Except that what you have is very "Either I do nothing or win" which isn't a good model for this RP imo.
Basically what I mean is that you're looking at this as if everyone has their own specific magic but that isn't the case.
Having a spell they like to use often is one thing but this feels more like this is their "thing". If that makes sense.

I had DnD in mind while writing this so it's possible I didn't describe it as much as I should have. Since I was thinking "Yeah this is what I'm doing." Though I know RP is often more familiar with the "power" type of magic.

Summer Aix · December 10, 2019

Okay, I see what you mean. Though, often people end up with "rare" or heritage spells with RP, I might have one minor rare signature cantrip of sorts.

Is the number of spells Vancian (like DnD) or vaguely mana-based?

I did think about the fact that it is a very narrow sure-win thing, but I figured it's sort of a potential wincon that the party can choose to navigate a situation towards. Besides that, she'd still be a reasonably good fighter who uses a spear, which keeps her safe-ish and dealing consistent damage.

I'm probably going with something else though.

Edited December 10, 2019 by Aix

LordCowCow · December 10, 2019

11 minutes ago, Aix said:

Okay, I see what you mean. Though, often people end up with "rare" or heritage spells with RP, I might have one minor rare signature cantrip of sorts.

Is the number of spells Vancian (like DnD) or vaguely mana-based?

I did think about the fact that it is a very narrow sure-win thing, but I figured it's sort of a potential wincon that the party can choose to navigate a situation towards. Besides that, she'd still be a reasonably good fighter who uses a spear, which keeps her safe-ish and dealing consistent damage.

I'm probably going with something else though.

Mana-based. Otherwise I'd have to base encounters off what people have to not throw totally unfair challenges. Which will come important the farther down the dungeon people go. I'll try and give people a general idea of how much mana they've been using as we go so they know if they need to start being careful.

MetalSonic · December 10, 2019

What's another race that can work for minotaur then? Something at least known for being moderately aggressive.

LordCowCow · December 10, 2019

32 minutes ago, MetalSonic said:

What's another race that can work for minotaur then? Something at least known for being moderately aggressive.

Classically known for I assume? I'd say...something like...Dwarf, Orc, you could potentially do something with some animal traits, just not to the extent of Minotaur, Devils (which I suppose might be be closer to Tiefling the way they'd work here) possibly.

Doggo · December 11, 2019

The Shining Star

Spoiler

“I hear what you say
There's the tiniest hope
You can change yourself If you want to
Then you find the door
We can walk from the past
I was a frog in a well

Smile like you've never done”

Name: Estellise Fereis
Age: 25
Gender: Female
Race: Human
Height: 5'7" / 170 cm
Weight: 115 lbs / 52 kg

Personality:

Spoiler

Estellise is a force of positivity in the world, or at least that's what she tries to be. It comes fairly naturally but she still takes the effort to try and shine a little bit on other people's lives.. She looks to disarm tense situations and arguments with a smile and understanding. Everyone should calm down and take stock of all the things they have to be happy about around them. This leads to a tendency to take the scenic route when not pressed for time, and sometimes even under such stresses. Slowing down is a key to feeling better.

For the most part, her feelings are very apparent. When hurt she'll speak up, when happy she'll laugh, when sad she'll cry. But she has learned somewhat to adapt to the situation. Sometimes she has to hold it in for a bit which she does poorly and it's very apparent when she's working something over in her mind and heart. So naturally, Estellise wants others to be more honest with their own emotions and will try to slip through cracks in cold hard facades if she can.

The woman can be very talkative, depending on the subject. Magic of course she talk at length about but her favorite topic is people. When she likes a person, she really likes them. To the point she loves to share stories about the silliest little things she did with them. This can go on for a very long time so interrupting her in these rants is about the only way out. She takes it fairly well so long as people aren't rude about the person she was talking about.

When thrust into responsibilities she tries to be more serious but the discomfort can be spotted by the looking eye. She hates the thought of letting her family down, even if she's not excited about what's being asked of her. She will research magic and the dungeon as much as she can for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes it's fun, at other times it's to help the family.

Biography:

Spoiler

From as far back as she can remember, Estellise has been trained in all sorts of things. Magic of course was foremost in these lifelong lessons. Rather than fairy tales for good night stories she was taught of evocation theory and practice and shown wonderous applications before being ushered off to sleep. But alongside it were lessons of what a proper lady would do or what a leader would do. She was being prepared for something that as a little girl she couldn't have known or cared much about. But as she grew she slowly began to put things together.

The Fereis were the smallest of the major families established in the city. As such they had much to prove both in and out of the dungeon. With fewer members involved it might be reasonable to assume a different branch of the family might easily gain power. Such was the motive of Estellise's mother. The woman wanted nothing more than for her daughter to be the next family head whenever her brother should pass. There was never any visible tension there but her mother always carried herself like she thought herself better than her brother. So in a way, being strict with Estellise and her training was a way of getting back at the man who took the job she felt herself better suited to.

Estellise's father had married into the Fereis and as such had interest in other forms of magic. He helped inspire an interest in the other schools of magic. As she was trained in evocation he taught her of enchantment. A particular point of bonding was a series of spells he had long been researching. It was an ancient text and so he taught her the language skills needed to understand it which she readily picked up on. The Seven Falling Stars, Pleiades the old magics were called. Seven spells of varying and incredible power. With a legendary eighth spell said to be nothing short of a miracle. The Pleiades captured the young girl's imagination and she took to applying the schools of magic she had become versed in to begin understanding and using them.

Of course, the young girl didn't only ready old books and practice magic. This made up a lot of her day but however much more her mother wanted to push her she would often wander off to satisfy her own curiosities. She'd get scolded for the distractions but it never stopped her. The girl would go so far as to brag about how obedient she was while actively shirking lessons or practice.

Though a decent bit older, she was always close as a child to the now head of the Fereis family, viewing him as more a younger brother than cousin. Doting on him has long been a favorite pass-time of hers. No matter how their individual learning of magic was progressing or however much her mother pressured her not to, she never cut this connection. His continued happiness is critical to her own.

It shook the entire Fereis family when the young man took over as head at his father's passing. With one so young to lead them compounded with their size, how was their family to be taken seriously by any of the others? Estellise herself was more concerned with the burden placed on her cousin who was only barely now a man of course. But she could tell the bitterness her mother in particular felt at the course of events.

In light of all of this, Estellise turned her attention to The Spark, rumored to be somewhere in the dungeon. If this object really held all the magical power it was rumored to, she had a course of action in mind. If the ultimate power of the spells she and her father studied was to bring about a miracle, surely the Spark would be able to speed that long. And maybe, just maybe, she could give her cousin back her father and mend the wounded hearts of the Fereis family.

Maybe it was all just playing god. But then again, maybe some things are worth crossing the line for.

Family History: Estellise is a niece to the late head of the Fereis family, her mother being his sister, and thus cousin to the current, much younger, head. Her immediate family is focused on researching the mixing of the Evocation school of magic, the Fereis' focus, with other schools to produce unique results. This sees Estellise accompanying many of the groups the family sends into the dungeon for support and information gathering. While her parents serve a formal counsel position to the new head she does not.

Experience Level: Experienced
Magic Level: Pure
Magic Schools: Evocation, Enchantment

Combat Style: Estellise takes a more supportive role. From evocation she can use light to attack and from enchantment she can support allies. So in general she sticks to the back of fights and attacks from a distance while providing helpful enchantments. She is capable of more direct offensive magic and negative enchantments for enemies but rarely resorts to it.

Equipment:
-Leather Armor: Wears leather armor while venturing into the dungeon over the shown clothing which covers her chest, back, arms and legs.

-Enchanted Cape: The blue cape that Estellise always wears has been thoroughly enchanted with the aim of making it resilient to magic. She can use it to attempt to deflect spells sent her way. But this depends on the strength of the spell and the caster. If they are far and away more powerful than her she won't be able to redirect the magic. Weapons, claws and the like can tear the material but it mends itself over time afterward.

Non-Combat Skills:
-Cooking: Competent chef who enjoys experimenting. Always has a certain flair to presentation.

-Linguistics: Learns languages very quickly. Has mostly been applied to reading ancient texts.

-Dancing: Elegant and talented.

Seven Falling Stars, Pleiades

Spoiler

As they're to be the character's main gimmick aside from more common evocation and enchantment magic, these spells bear clarifying. Listed will be the name of each, it's function and incantation as well as what schools of magic the caster must possess knowledge of to use that given spell. In general the later spells are more powerful and thus more taxing though they're all fairly demanding. As a focus of Estellise's and her father's study they are her strongest tools. She is currently only capable of casting the first three stars.

The Seven Falling Stars, Pleiades is a series of seven more formally cast spells with chants required to use that while focused in Evocation mix various schools of magic. The effects vary and there is said to be an eighth spell requiring mastery of the known seven to uncover. The spells are all documented together in an ancient tome. Simply translating and reading is insufficient, a would be caster must take time to study and understand the words of the incantation and give them substance.

First Nurturing Star, Maia: A glyph of light, a heptagon in shape, forms in front of the user no farther than five feet away and is about six feet in diameter. A column of light springs up and begins healing anyone inside. Feels like a mother's embrace and will bring to mind in those it is used on memories of those who have loved and cared for them. The rate of healing depends on magical exertion and the severity of wound it can heal depends on magical endurance on the part of the caster.
- Incantation: "Seven sisters rest in heaven. Fountain of life. Spring's renewal. Let flow streams of light and embrace the broken. Grant me mercy, for I am [caster's name]!"
- Required Schools: Evocation
Second Grieving Star, Electra: Summons seven spears of light about the caster. These function as physical spears, capable of inflicting damage if they strike something or clashing with other objects. Whatever the case, once the tip of each spear strikes into something it will disappear a few moments later. They move according to the caster's will and move fairly quickly through the air, though tight maneuvering is beyond them. Living things struck by one of the spears will have negative emotions and memories brought to the forefront of their mind. The spell is more powerful the more anguish, sorrow and grief the caster has experienced and is capable of calling to memory while casting.
- Incantation: "Seven sisters mourn in heaven. Depth of anguish. Autumn's decay. Lift up the song of lament and cry out. Light of justice, pierce the harbingers of loss. Strike true through oceans of tears. Grant me resentment, for I am [caster's name]!"
- Required Schools: Evocation, Enchantment
Third Devoting Star, Taygete: Scatters stardust about a target that imbue them with a soft glow. Under the spell's effect, magic used by the target will be echoed by the light. For example, if the target uses a fireball a second fireball made of light will follow close behind it, essentially increasing the damage done. An enchantment would be increased in effectiveness. The schools of Abjuration, Conjuration, Evocation and Enchantment work best with it while the effects on Divination, Illusion, Necromancy and Transmutation would make very little sense leading to no real effect. Strength increases based on caster's and target's devotion to a cause/organization/person.
- Incantation: "Seven sisters stand in heaven. Well of strength. Summer's labor. Rejoice in the master's shadow and silently sustain. Grant me loyalty, for I am [caster's name]!"
- Required Schools: Evocation, Enchantment
Fourth Warding Star, Alcyone: An heptagonal shield twenty feet in diameter forms in front of the caster capable of blocking both magical and physical attacks. The strength of the barrier is relative to the malice born in the attack that assails it. The more anger or hatred invested in the blows the more the shield will repel. Once in place the caster and shield are anchored in place until the spell is released. Very draining of magical energy so not sustainable.
- Incantation: "Seven sisters safeguard in heaven. Bond of hope. Winter's enclosure. Unyielding wall of stars illuminate the way of peace. Rampart of heaven repel the impure. Grant me sanctuary, for I am [caster's name]!"
- Required Schools: Evocation, Abjuration
Fifth Darkening Star, Celaeno: Scatters stardust about a target that turns from familiar bright sparkles to black shadows. A dark haze surrounds the target, increasing the magical energy demands for them to use their magic. Additionally requires exertion of their magical energy to activate an otherwise independent magical item. If maintained long enough even moving will require magical energy. The effectiveness of the spell is purely a battle of magical power between the caster and target.
- Incantation: "Seven sisters shudder in heaven. Shroud of bewilderment. Earth's despair. Frigid night sky, consume the heartless and the heathen. Grant me shadows, for I am [caster's name]!"
- Required Schools: Evocation, Necromancy
Sixth Storming Star, Sterope: Sends a spire of light up into the sky where storm clouds gather then part to reveal a miniature star which starts raining down prominence across a large area in front of the caster alongside lightning strikes. Material spewn from the star is incredibly hot and capable of melting through objects if there's a direct hit. Aiming isn't precise, better used to destroy without restraint or control space. Strengthens depending on the caster's own raw ferocity. Incredibly draining on magical energy as it needs to be sustained to begin to be effective.
- Incantation: "Seven sisters stir in heaven. Quake of the firmament. Sky's fury. Let fly the arrows of the divine. Cleave mountains. Upheave valleys. Lay waste to the realm of mortals, unworthy to touch the world beyond. Stoke the rage of almighty Zeus and rain down the inferno; the cradle of creation and destruction. Grant me annihilation, for I am [caster's name]!"
- Required Schools: Evocation
Seventh Blinding Star, Merope: A ring of light forms around the user that grows steadily in brightness. When released it rapidly expands outward at great distance. Magic in use while the ring passes through will fade out of existence. Those hit by the ring will be momentarily unable to use their magical energy. Caster cannot cancel magic they themselves lack the magical energy capacity to cast and cannot entirely block the magic of a person much stronger than them. Does not prevent the use of magic items.
- Incantation: "Seven sisters withdraw in heaven. Silence of the divine. Creation's pause. Bid all who twist the essence of nature to know perfect stillness. Unbiased authority, divest man of their god given strength. Light of the king, engrave feebleness and humility into their souls. None shall dare lift their gaze to the sky above. Grant me calm, for I am [caster's name]!"
- Required Schools: Evocation, Abjuration
Seven Falling Stars Progenitor: Pillar of Heaven, Atlas: Next to nothing is known about this spell including if it's real. The legends says that only one who has mastered the Seven Falling Stars will begin to understand both the incantation and purpose of the spell. Most believe it to be a miracle. An act of god performed by men with the power to bring back the dead.
- Incantation: The words, though written and documented with the rest, are unintelligible to one who has not thoroughly mastered the other spells.
- Required Schools: As the details of the spell have yet to be deciphered by anyone this is unknown. However it would be reasonable to assume knowledge of all schools of magic would be required to activate it.

Edited December 12, 2019 by Doggo

LordCowCow · December 12, 2019

Oh right so there's a, very barebones, Discord chat now for this. Usually I wait for people to be accepted before adding anyone but if anyone wants the link to pop in there to ask questions or w/e easier lemme know.

LordCowCow · December 13, 2019

On 12/11/2019 at 2:30 AM, Doggo said:

The Shining Star

Hide contents

“I hear what you say
There's the tiniest hope
You can change yourself If you want to
Then you find the door
We can walk from the past
I was a frog in a well

Smile like you've never done”

Name: Estellise Fereis
Age: 25
Gender: Female
Race: Human
Height: 5'7" / 170 cm
Weight: 115 lbs / 52 kg

Personality:

Hide contents

Estellise is a force of positivity in the world, or at least that's what she tries to be. It comes fairly naturally but she still takes the effort to try and shine a little bit on other people's lives.. She looks to disarm tense situations and arguments with a smile and understanding. Everyone should calm down and take stock of all the things they have to be happy about around them. This leads to a tendency to take the scenic route when not pressed for time, and sometimes even under such stresses. Slowing down is a key to feeling better.

For the most part, her feelings are very apparent. When hurt she'll speak up, when happy she'll laugh, when sad she'll cry. But she has learned somewhat to adapt to the situation. Sometimes she has to hold it in for a bit which she does poorly and it's very apparent when she's working something over in her mind and heart. So naturally, Estellise wants others to be more honest with their own emotions and will try to slip through cracks in cold hard facades if she can.

The woman can be very talkative, depending on the subject. Magic of course she talk at length about but her favorite topic is people. When she likes a person, she really likes them. To the point she loves to share stories about the silliest little things she did with them. This can go on for a very long time so interrupting her in these rants is about the only way out. She takes it fairly well so long as people aren't rude about the person she was talking about.

When thrust into responsibilities she tries to be more serious but the discomfort can be spotted by the looking eye. She hates the thought of letting her family down, even if she's not excited about what's being asked of her. She will research magic and the dungeon as much as she can for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes it's fun, at other times it's to help the family.

Biography:

Reveal hidden contents

From as far back as she can remember, Estellise has been trained in all sorts of things. Magic of course was foremost in these lifelong lessons. Rather than fairy tales for good night stories she was taught of evocation theory and practice and shown wonderous applications before being ushered off to sleep. But alongside it were lessons of what a proper lady would do or what a leader would do. She was being prepared for something that as a little girl she couldn't have known or cared much about. But as she grew she slowly began to put things together.

The Fereis were the smallest of the major families established in the city. As such they had much to prove both in and out of the dungeon. With fewer members involved it might be reasonable to assume a different branch of the family might easily gain power. Such was the motive of Estellise's mother. The woman wanted nothing more than for her daughter to be the next family head whenever her brother should pass. There was never any visible tension there but her mother always carried herself like she thought herself better than her brother. So in a way, being strict with Estellise and her training was a way of getting back at the man who took the job she felt herself better suited to.

Estellise's father had married into the Fereis and as such had interest in other forms of magic. He helped inspire an interest in the other schools of magic. As she was trained in evocation he taught her of enchantment. A particular point of bonding was a series of spells he had long been researching. It was an ancient text and so he taught her the language skills needed to understand it which she readily picked up on. The Seven Falling Stars, Pleiades the old magics were called. Seven spells of varying and incredible power. With a legendary eighth spell said to be nothing short of a miracle. The Pleiades captured the young girl's imagination and she took to applying the schools of magic she had become versed in to begin understanding and using them.

Of course, the young girl didn't only ready old books and practice magic. This made up a lot of her day but however much more her mother wanted to push her she would often wander off to satisfy her own curiosities. She'd get scolded for the distractions but it never stopped her. The girl would go so far as to brag about how obedient she was while actively shirking lessons or practice.

Though a decent bit older, she was always close as a child to the now head of the Fereis family, viewing him as more a younger brother than cousin. Doting on him has long been a favorite pass-time of hers. No matter how their individual learning of magic was progressing or however much her mother pressured her not to, she never cut this connection. His continued happiness is critical to her own.

It shook the entire Fereis family when the young man took over as head at his father's passing. With one so young to lead them compounded with their size, how was their family to be taken seriously by any of the others? Estellise herself was more concerned with the burden placed on her cousin who was only barely now a man of course. But she could tell the bitterness her mother in particular felt at the course of events.

In light of all of this, Estellise turned her attention to The Spark, rumored to be somewhere in the dungeon. If this object really held all the magical power it was rumored to, she had a course of action in mind. If the ultimate power of the spells she and her father studied was to bring about a miracle, surely the Spark would be able to speed that long. And maybe, just maybe, she could give her cousin back her father and mend the wounded hearts of the Fereis family.

Maybe it was all just playing god. But then again, maybe some things are worth crossing the line for.

Family History: Estellise is a niece to the late head of the Fereis family, her mother being his sister, and thus cousin to the current, much younger, head. Her immediate family is focused on researching the mixing of the Evocation school of magic, the Fereis' focus, with other schools to produce unique results. This sees Estellise accompanying many of the groups the family sends into the dungeon for support and information gathering. While her parents serve a formal counsel position to the new head she does not.

Experience Level: Experienced
Magic Level: Pure
Magic Schools: Evocation, Enchantment

Combat Style: Estellise takes a more supportive role. From evocation she can use light to attack and from enchantment she can support allies. So in general she sticks to the back of fights and attacks from a distance while providing helpful enchantments. She is capable of more direct offensive magic and negative enchantments for enemies but rarely resorts to it.

Equipment:
-Leather Armor: Wears leather armor while venturing into the dungeon over the shown clothing which covers her chest, back, arms and legs.

-Enchanted Cape: The blue cape that Estellise always wears has been thoroughly enchanted with the aim of making it resilient to magic. She can use it to attempt to deflect spells sent her way. But this depends on the strength of the spell and the caster. If they are far and away more powerful than her she won't be able to redirect the magic. Weapons, claws and the like can tear the material but it mends itself over time afterward.

Non-Combat Skills:
-Cooking: Competent chef who enjoys experimenting. Always has a certain flair to presentation.

-Linguistics: Learns languages very quickly. Has mostly been applied to reading ancient texts.

-Dancing: Elegant and talented.

Seven Falling Stars, Pleiades

Hide contents

As they're to be the character's main gimmick aside from more common evocation and enchantment magic, these spells bear clarifying. Listed will be the name of each, it's function and incantation as well as what schools of magic the caster must possess knowledge of to use that given spell. In general the later spells are more powerful and thus more taxing though they're all fairly demanding. As a focus of Estellise's and her father's study they are her strongest tools. She is currently only capable of casting the first three stars.

The Seven Falling Stars, Pleiades is a series of seven more formally cast spells with chants required to use that while focused in Evocation mix various schools of magic. The effects vary and there is said to be an eighth spell requiring mastery of the known seven to uncover. The spells are all documented together in an ancient tome. Simply translating and reading is insufficient, a would be caster must take time to study and understand the words of the incantation and give them substance.

First Nurturing Star, Maia: A glyph of light, a heptagon in shape, forms in front of the user no farther than five feet away and is about six feet in diameter. A column of light springs up and begins healing anyone inside. Feels like a mother's embrace and will bring to mind in those it is used on memories of those who have loved and cared for them. The rate of healing depends on magical exertion and the severity of wound it can heal depends on magical endurance on the part of the caster.

Incantation: "Seven sisters rest in heaven. Fountain of life. Spring's renewal. Let flow streams of light and embrace the broken. Grant me mercy, for I am [caster's name]!"

Required Schools: Evocation

Second Grieving Star, Electra: Summons seven spears of light about the caster. These function as physical spears, capable of inflicting damage if they strike something or clashing with other objects. Whatever the case, once the tip of each spear strikes into something it will disappear a few moments later. They move according to the caster's will and move fairly quickly through the air, though tight maneuvering is beyond them. Living things struck by one of the spears will have negative emotions and memories brought to the forefront of their mind. The spell is more powerful the more anguish, sorrow and grief the caster has experienced and is capable of calling to memory while casting.

Incantation: "Seven sisters mourn in heaven. Depth of anguish. Autumn's decay. Lift up the song of lament and cry out. Light of justice, pierce the harbingers of loss. Strike true through oceans of tears. Grant me resentment, for I am [caster's name]!"

Required Schools: Evocation, Enchantment

Third Devoting Star, Taygete: Scatters stardust about a target that imbue them with a soft glow. Under the spell's effect, magic used by the target will be echoed by the light. For example, if the target uses a fireball a second fireball made of light will follow close behind it, essentially increasing the damage done. An enchantment would be increased in effectiveness. The schools of Abjuration, Conjuration, Evocation and Enchantment work best with it while the effects on Divination, Illusion, Necromancy and Transmutation would make very little sense leading to no real effect. Strength increases based on caster's and target's devotion to a cause/organization/person.

Incantation: "Seven sisters stand in heaven. Well of strength. Summer's labor. Rejoice in the master's shadow and silently sustain. Grant me loyalty, for I am [caster's name]!"

Required Schools: Evocation, Enchantment

Fourth Warding Star, Alcyone: An heptagonal shield twenty feet in diameter forms in front of the caster capable of blocking both magical and physical attacks. The strength of the barrier is relative to the malice born in the attack that assails it. The more anger or hatred invested in the blows the more the shield will repel. Once in place the caster and shield are anchored in place until the spell is released. Very draining of magical energy so not sustainable.

Incantation: "Seven sisters safeguard in heaven. Bond of hope. Winter's enclosure. Unyielding wall of stars illuminate the way of peace. Rampart of heaven repel the impure. Grant me sanctuary, for I am [caster's name]!"

Required Schools: Evocation, Abjuration

Fifth Darkening Star, Celaeno: Scatters stardust about a target that turns from familiar bright sparkles to black shadows. A dark haze surrounds the target, increasing the magical energy demands for them to use their magic. Additionally requires exertion of their magical energy to activate an otherwise independent magical item. If maintained long enough even moving will require magical energy. The effectiveness of the spell is purely a battle of magical power between the caster and target.

Incantation: "Seven sisters shudder in heaven. Shroud of bewilderment. Earth's despair. Frigid night sky, consume the heartless and the heathen. Grant me shadows, for I am [caster's name]!"

Required Schools: Evocation, Necromancy

Sixth Storming Star, Sterope: Sends a spire of light up into the sky where storm clouds gather then part to reveal a miniature star which starts raining down prominence across a large area in front of the caster alongside lightning strikes. Material spewn from the star is incredibly hot and capable of melting through objects if there's a direct hit. Aiming isn't precise, better used to destroy without restraint or control space. Strengthens depending on the caster's own raw ferocity. Incredibly draining on magical energy as it needs to be sustained to begin to be effective.

Incantation: "Seven sisters stir in heaven. Quake of the firmament. Sky's fury. Let fly the arrows of the divine. Cleave mountains. Upheave valleys. Lay waste to the realm of mortals, unworthy to touch the world beyond. Stoke the rage of almighty Zeus and rain down the inferno; the cradle of creation and destruction. Grant me annihilation, for I am [caster's name]!"

Required Schools: Evocation

Seventh Blinding Star, Merope: A ring of light forms around the user that grows steadily in brightness. When released it rapidly expands outward at great distance. Magic in use while the ring passes through will fade out of existence. Those hit by the ring will be momentarily unable to use their magical energy. Caster cannot cancel magic they themselves lack the magical energy capacity to cast and cannot entirely block the magic of a person much stronger than them. Does not prevent the use of magic items.

Incantation: "Seven sisters withdraw in heaven. Silence of the divine. Creation's pause. Bid all who twist the essence of nature to know perfect stillness. Unbiased authority, divest man of their god given strength. Light of the king, engrave feebleness and humility into their souls. None shall dare lift their gaze to the sky above. Grant me calm, for I am [caster's name]!"

Required Schools: Evocation, Abjuration

Seven Falling Stars Progenitor: Pillar of Heaven, Atlas: Next to nothing is known about this spell including if it's real. The legends says that only one who has mastered the Seven Falling Stars will begin to understand both the incantation and purpose of the spell. Most believe it to be a miracle. An act of god performed by men with the power to bring back the dead.

Incantation: The words, though written and documented with the rest, are unintelligible to one who has not thoroughly mastered the other spells.

Required Schools: As the details of the spell have yet to be deciphered by anyone this is unknown. However it would be reasonable to assume knowledge of all schools of magic would be required to activate it.

And here we have...an accepted app!!!

radio414 · December 15, 2019

Presenting: Past Prince, Present Pauper

Spoiler

“If it isn’t nailed down, it’s ripe for the pickings I say. Maybe even if it is…”

Name: Christopher (“Chris” is acceptable) Ellwood
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Appearance: The One And Only (Height: 5’8” (173 cm) Weight: 130 lbs (59 kg))

Family History:

Spoiler

The Ellwood fortune is not one that can easily be traced; they are a lineage that has always seemed to be rich. Legend has it that an unnamed ancestor managed to slay a dragon and claim its hoard for themselves, though the exact details -- like all legends, perhaps -- are vague at best.

Still, its venerable house sits overlooking a vast and varied countryside, with such features as farmlands and forests and even a small lake. It’s a situation that the majority of the family -- including and especially its patri- and matriarch -- find comfort in maintaining; They are not looking for worldwide notoriety (more than they already have as lesser nobility) or expansion.

This lack of outward movement has allowed the Ellwoods to focus more on inward development. Their aforementioned “venerable house” has undergone a Ship-of-Theseus-like transformation, becoming more impressive with each revision. The servants of the house, too, have become almost like a second family, growing and developing in much the same fashion as the house’s owners.

For the same reasons, though, it’s not impossible to not have heard of the Ellwood family or to not be aware of their domain’s politics or more recent history. And to make explicit a point subtly made earlier, this is something the family is more-or-less fine with.

Biography:

Spoiler

“That’s all ancient history. Here’s the stuff about me:”

Christopher has developed into the black sheep of the Ellwood family. It started with a particularly mischievous youth where he learned such skills like how to walk down stairs without them creaking or how to sneak something onto the seat of someone just about to sit down. As he grew older, these pranks escalated in complexity in scope, with the prerequisite skill required to pull them off escalating as well. The staff in charge of the larder quickly learned that even medium-complexity locks were not good enough if they wanted to keep their stock safe.

Despite these incidents, and much to the consternation of the staff who had to put up with him, Christopher’s parents constantly doted on their son. It wasn’t that they didn’t believe their servants’ reports of Chris’ misdeeds, they simply failed to discipline him in any way that would deter his behavior. For example, in the above-mentioned larder raids, they largely punished him by revoking his supper privileges, blithely ignoring (in Chris’ mind, anyway) that he had already fed himself well enough for the evening. To put it another way, as the mischief and the pranks escalated, the punishments did not.

Until the week after his eighteenth birthday. For just after Christopher Ellwood came of age, he decided to take revenge on a woman named Myrtle, a particularly strict member of the kitchen staff who had been on to him since the beginning and had enacted a few of her own disciplinary actions against Chris when she felt his parents had been too lenient. Even as Christopher neared maturity, seeing Myrtle running after him spatula raised was a common occurrence.

The revenge plot was simple enough. Sneaking around had become second nature to Chris, after all, as too did lifting the necessary keys, picking the locks he couldn’t find the keys for, and navigating the house’s labyrinthine servants’ passageways. The only other ingredient necessary was a handful of wolfbane leaves, a toxic herb that can look just like one of several common tea leaves. So all Chris had to do was sneak some -- just a pinch -- into Myrtle’s morning tea and she’d be out of commission for quite a while.

It didn’t work. That is to say, the plan worked perfectly, actually, but the fallout was much worse than Christopher had anticipated. The day after Chris poisoned Myrtle’s tea, he developed a rather nasty rash on both of his hands. For all his plotting, Christopher had neglected one fact about wolfbane: mere contact with the stuff irritates the skin and, without a thorough washing with an herbal scrub, will cause the contacted skin to develop a rather nasty rash.

Christopher Ellwood was literally caught red-handed, and he quickly found he was unable to talk his way out of it. No servant in the house would vouch for any lie of an alibi he came up with, and the seriousness of this particular plot meant he couldn’t even argue he meant no harm in it. Many servants were calling for his head, and his parents, as forgiving as they had been, had started to realize what their lax discipline had brought upon their house. The compromise they came to was exile. Christopher Ellwood was forced to leave their domain until, to quote his mother, “he can make something of himself and reclaim the nobility to his name.”

Months have passed, months that Christopher has spent largely performing odd jobs to anybody who will give him one. What he’s excelled at the most, though, are the underhanded ones. The ones where he’s been instructed to sneak into a house and pilfer some heirloom, well, what is that but the same thing he’s been doing all his life?

Personality:

Spoiler

There’s still Ellwood blood in Christopher, and that comes with a sense of quiet nobility despite his occasionally ragged appearance. That only lasts as long as Chris doesn’t open his mouth, though, as there’s also that spoiled brat in him that has resisted being sanded off by the outside world. How this generally manifests is in being used to getting things his way, not to mention his overconfidence. Of course he can do something, he’s Christopher Ellwood. He claims he can steal anything that isn’t nailed down, but that isn’t really true, and if his first attempt fails, he’d rather give up and have somebody else do it than try again.

He can be charismatic enough when he tries to be. This generally comes up when someone recognizes his surname and tries to suck up to him, which is also how he prefers to be addressed. It also comes up when he tries to talk his way out of things, though that has a much higher failure rate than he’d like to admit (again, for example, it failed when he was kicked out of the house).

There’s also a quiet, frequently ignored part of him that’s started to feel guilty for what he did to Myrtle, and not just that he got caught. Other misdeeds, especially ones that involve his current line of work have not caused quite as much guilt, but Chris occasionally lies awake at night and wonders if he’ll ever get to apologize. In the morning, he’ll wake up and dismiss it as homesickness, but the feeling never truly leaves.

Experience Level: Beginner
Combat Style: Befitting a rogue like him, Christopher likes to get in quickly and get out while the getting’s good. His combat style has evolved to reflect that; if he always had his way, he’d get out of dangerous situations with a quick knife to the back and an expeditious retreat. Besides those lucky few moments, though, he can be as scrappy and underhanded as it gets to guarantee that he gets out safely.
Non-Combat Skills:

The traditional rogue’s arsenal of abilities, from sneaking to lockpicking and pickpocketing. His thieves’ cant isn’t the greatest, though, speaking to his lack of expertise with that part of the rogue experience.
Chris doesn’t like to admit it, especially since other musical teachings frustrated him as a child, but his singing is not bad.

Equipment:

His sword (see character image), the only family heirloom he was allowed to take with him. It’s sturdy, and bears the Ellwood family crest on near its base, but is otherwise unremarkable.
A pair of daggers, a primary one he uses in most situations and a backup just in case.
A set of lockpicking tools.

Magic Level: None
Magic Schools: n/a

Edited December 24, 2019 by radio414
always making edits; it's what i do

LordCowCow · December 15, 2019

33 minutes ago, radio414 said:

Presenting: Past Prince, Present Pauper

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“If it isn’t nailed down, it’s ripe for the pickings I say. Maybe even if it is…”

Name: Christopher (“Chris” is acceptable) Ellwood
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Appearance: The One And Only (Height: 5’8” (173 cm) Weight: 130 lbs (59 kg))

Family History:

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The Ellwood fortune is not one that can easily be traced; they are a lineage that has always seemed to be rich. Legend has it that an unnamed ancestor managed to slay a dragon and claim its hoard for themselves, though the exact details -- like all legends, perhaps -- are vague at best.

Still, its venerable house sits overlooking a vast and varied countryside, with such features as farmlands and forests and even a small lake. It’s a situation that the majority of the family -- including and especially its patri- and matriarch -- find comfort in maintaining; They are not looking for worldwide notoriety (more than they already have as lesser nobility) or expansion.

This lack of outward movement has allowed the Ellwoods to focus more on inward development. Their aforementioned “venerable house” has undergone a Ship-of-Theseus-like transformation, becoming more impressive with each revision. The servants of the house, too, have become almost like a second family, growing and developing in much the same fashion as the house’s owners.

For the same reasons, though, it’s not impossible to not have heard of the Ellwood family or to not be aware of their domain’s politics or more recent history. And to make explicit a point subtly made earlier, this is something the family is more-or-less fine with.

Biography:

Hide contents

“That’s all ancient history. Here’s the stuff about me:”

Christopher has developed into the black sheep of the Ellwood family. It started with a particularly mischievous youth where he learned such skills like how to walk down stairs without them creaking or how to sneak something onto the seat of someone just about to sit down. As he grew older, these pranks escalated in complexity in scope, with the prerequisite skill required to pull them off escalating as well. The staff in charge of the larder quickly learned that even medium-complexity locks were not good enough if they wanted to keep their stock safe.

Despite these incidents, and much to the consternation of the staff who had to put up with him, Christopher’s parents constantly doted on their son. It wasn’t that they didn’t believe their servants’ reports of Chris’ misdeeds, they simply failed to discipline him in any way that would deter his behavior. For example, in the above-mentioned larder raids, they largely punished him by revoking his supper privileges, blithely ignoring (in Chris’ mind, anyway) that he had already fed himself well enough for the evening. To put it another way, as the mischief and the pranks escalated, the punishments did not.

Until the week after his eighteenth birthday. For just after Christopher Ellwood came of age, he decided to take revenge on a woman named Myrtle, a particularly strict member of the kitchen staff who had been on to him since the beginning and had enacted a few of her own disciplinary actions against Chris when she felt his parents had been too lenient. Even as Christopher neared maturity, seeing Myrtle running after him spatula raised was a common occurrence.

The revenge plot was simple enough. Sneaking around had become second nature to Chris, after all, as too did lifting the necessary keys, picking the locks he couldn’t find the keys for, and navigating the house’s labyrinthine servants’ passageways. The only other ingredient necessary was a handful of wolfbane leaves, a toxic herb that can look just like one of several common tea leaves. So all Chris had to do was sneak some -- just a pinch -- into Myrtle’s morning tea and she’d be out of commission for quite a while.

It didn’t work. That is to say, the plan worked perfectly, actually, but the fallout was much worse than Christopher had anticipated. The day after Chris poisoned Myrtle’s tea, he developed a rather nasty rash on both of his hands. For all his plotting, Christopher had neglected one fact about wolfbane: mere contact with the stuff irritates the skin and, without a thorough washing with an herbal scrub, will cause the contacted skin to develop a rather nasty rash.

Christopher Ellwood was literally caught red-handed, and he quickly found he was unable to talk his way out of it. No servant in the house would vouch for any lie of an alibi he came up with, and the seriousness of this particular plot meant he couldn’t even argue he meant no harm in it. Many servants were calling for his head, and his parents, as forgiving as they had been, had started to realize what their lax discipline had brought upon their house. The compromise they came to was exile. Christopher Ellwood was forced to leave their domain until, to quote his mother, “he can make something of himself and reclaim the nobility to his name.”

Months have passed, months that Christopher has spent largely performing odd jobs to anybody who will give him one. What he’s excelled at the most, though, are the underhanded ones. The ones where he’s been instructed to sneak into a house and pilfer some heirloom, well, what is that but the same thing he’s been doing all his life?

Personality:

Hide contents

There’s still Ellwood blood in Christopher, and that comes with a sense of quiet nobility despite his occasionally ragged appearance. That only lasts as long as Chris doesn’t open his mouth, though, as there’s also that spoiled brat in him that has resisted being sanded off by the outside world. How this generally manifests is in being used to getting things his way, not to mention his overconfidence. Of course he can do something, he’s Christopher Ellwood. He claims he can steal anything that isn’t nailed down, but that isn’t really true, and if his first attempt fails, he’d rather give up and have somebody else do it than try again.

He can be charismatic enough when he tries to be. This generally comes up when someone recognizes his surname and tries to suck up to him, which is also how he prefers to be addressed. It also comes up when he tries to talk his way out of things, though that has a much higher failure rate than he’d like to admit (again, for example, it failed when he was kicked out of the house).

There’s also a quiet, frequently ignored part of him that’s started to feel guilty for what he did to Myrtle, and not just that he got caught. Other misdeeds, especially ones that involve his current line of work have not caused quite as much guilt, but Chris occasionally lies awake at night and wonders if he’ll ever get to apologize. In the morning, he’ll wake up and dismiss it as homesickness, but the feeling never truly leaves.

Experience Level: Beginner
Combat Style: Befitting a rogue like him, Christopher likes to get in quickly and get out while the getting’s good. His combat style has evolved to reflect that; if he always had his way, he’d get out of dangerous situations with a quick knife to the back and an expeditious retreat. Besides those lucky few moments, though, he can be as scrappy and underhanded as it gets to guarantee that he gets out safely.
Non-Combat Skills:

The traditional rogue’s arsenal of abilities, from sneaking to lockpicking and pickpocketing. His thieves’ cant isn’t the greatest, though, speaking to his lack of expertise with that part of the rogue experience.

Chris doesn’t like to admit it, especially since other musical teachings frustrated him as a child, but his singing is not bad.

Equipment:

His sword (see character image), the only family heirloom he was allowed to take with him. It’s sturdy, and bears the Ellwood family crest on near its base, but is otherwise unremarkable.

A pair of daggers, a primary one he uses in most situations and a backup just in case.

A set of lockpicking tools.

Magic Level: None
Magic Schools: n/a

A second for the Accepted group! Just be careful, he'll have a hard time in combat ironically more in the simpler floors, given their more open nature.

Summer Aix · December 16, 2019

How would conjuring weapons and armor work? Would it be costly? I'm thinking about a character that conjures a full plate of armor to wear and weapons. Eventually when they get better maybe conjure an armored horse as well or a nightmare.

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