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This is the OOC page for the story, “The Ruin of the House of Blood”. For the story itself, click here.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1) Link to main page, Table of Contents
2) History
3) Nobility
4) Clergy
5) Bourgeoisie
6) Bohemians
7) Proletariat
8.) The Sunken Ones
9) Rules
10) Foreword to Characters
11) Explanation of Character Skeleton
12) Blank Character Skeleton
13) White/Black Lists
14) Accepted Character Profile Index
15) Accepted Character Profiles and OOC discussion

THE NOBILITY (singular: noble, nobleman, noblewoman, courtier)
For the rich, life in the House of Blood seemed easy on the outside. Everything that they could ever need was placed right on their plates, complete with a full set of high-quality silver utensils. Wine poured freely—indeed, it came gratis. Debauchery ran rampant throughout the halls of the House of Blood: whether it was lechery, drink, fine opiates, grand displays of wealth, or gossip, virtually everyone took a fancy in some dignified sin. One didn’t have to pay to survive; a noble’s disposable income thus went to virtually useless items that nobody else in their right mind would consider purchasing. Thus, dress and décor became highly valued. Though carousing and meeting in common rooms consumed a great portion of a noble’s time, the highlights of one’s day was a dance (especially masquerades) or a ceremony, each steeped in formality and tradition.

Yet, even though they wanted for nothing and spent their lives in merriment, being a noble was a heavy burden. Two nobles could drink together and by all outward appearances seem to be friends, but odds were they were sworn enemies who were deeply suspicious of each other. Appearances meant everything—one social mishap could ruin someone utterly, leading to a lonely, miserable life of ostracism. Power was extremely important; behind every pristine smile was a sharp tongue, mind, and sword. Viciousness was an admirable trait, as it increased the likelihood for survival. Some people would stop at nothing to get power; it wasn’t at all uncommon to sleep with a dagger under one’s pillow because of this. Money was especially important: to run out of money was to run out of life. What’s more, unknown to them, the nobility were the prime scapegoats of the other classes, since they were closest to the unseen King.

A nobleman considered all other classes to be common, vulgar, and entirely beneath them. Naturally, this made them the prime enemies of many of these classes. They despised the clergy, as some of their life-money had to be devoted to tithes and pay-offs. The clergy, on the other hand, were rather friendly in return.

THE BOURGEOISIE (singular: bourgeois)
Considered the “middle class”, the bourgeoisie contained a wide assortment of occupations, from artisans to foremen and even major industrialists. They controlled the means of production and owned at least some capital. They lived somewhat comfortable lifestyles, working for their meals but not needing to exert themselves by doing so. Since their burden was lighter than some, they often had a good amount of leisure time. This free time allowed them to relax, enjoy life, and most importantly, think. Within the middle class, philosophy and education were prime concerns. Of course, this only occurred when they were not preoccupied with worldly possessions.

Mimicking the nobility, they often took pride in material goods and assimilated the noble decadence into their modest culture. In actuality, though, they deeply hated the nobles. No matter how much money a bourgeois was able to produce, his or her name stopped ascension to nobility. As such, the bourgeoisie put on a guise of respectability, of being almost-noble. This made their relationship with the lower classes strained; since they often worked in close contact with the proletariat, they couldn’t appear too superior. In fact, some bourgeois took on a fatherly role toward proletarians and led them in philosophical and political discourse; after all, the bourgeoisie had greater access to education and exposure to classical thought.

Nevertheless, their prime motivation was to some day end up on top, leading the masses. This was evident enough in their architecture: the bourgeoisie occupied only the upper levels of houses and shops. They traveled from building to building by way of “sky-bridges”, which were usually hollow pipes or sturdy planks of sheet metal bolted together over the streets below. There was a small, lush garden atop a tower on the outskirts of the city; the bourgeoisie considered it theirs. Also in their demesne was a large marble bridge that separated the palace from the main street of the city, which served as a popular meeting place.

Their sentiments toward the nobility and proletariat were mixed. They were envious of the nobility but strived to be more like them. The nobility generally looked down upon them, though. The proletariat was beneath them, but they interacted a lot and could even be quite friendly; however, this was a ruse, if anything, as the bourgeoisie preferred leadership over them. The proletariat similarly envied them, but they shared a sentiment of trust tempered with caution. The bourgeoisie and the sunken ones, for the most part, ignored each other and went about their daily lives. The bourgeoisie were on fairly good grounds with the clergy and Bohemians.

THE PROLETARIAT (a.k.a. working class; singular: proletarian, prole, worker)For the lower classes, life was rather difficult. Both poverty and unemployment were on the rise. If a proletarian had a job, he or she would spend a vast amount of time there, simply trying to earn enough money to keep living. Keeping one’s job was a constant worry—losing it was a death sentence. As such, strong relationships needed to be held with employers, and often a worker would maintain his or her job for life simply by maintaining a cheerful visage. Some, of course, were less fortunate. After all, an employer’s main customer was himself or herself. What’s more, the upper classes maintained a distinction between them and their underlings. While the nobility simply avoided contact, the bourgeoisie tended to act a little too paternal for the proletariat’s liking.

Recent times seemed to show a change in the proletariat, however. Even though the economy was in shambles and every family member had to work around the clock to make money, life was getting easier. Technology was quickly taking the work out of many tasks, and the sheer possibilities it afforded gave a small glimmer of hope to the people. Those who could innovate and invent were highly prized among the poor, and the most recent generation seemed to be naturally competent with all things made of steam and clockwork. As a result, practical knowledge seemed to proliferate at such a speed that it seemed like everyone knew something about either mechanics or construction. People were taking an active interest in improving themselves and becoming more valuable as workers and members of the community. In fact, it is in this state of being—living in horrible conditions but steadily improving—that revolutionary ideas are best incubated. For most proletarians, it seemed that a better life was just barely out of their grasp. Unfortunately, with little to no formal education and similar levels of political knowledge, they had to rely on the guidance of the bourgeoisie.

Indeed, people were ready for a change. At the time, both working and living conditions were atrocious. Hours were long and the work was exceptionally dangerous. Pollution and poor sanitation were having an ill effect on the average worker’s life span; this in particular may have made the proletariat realize that their time on Earth was too precious to waste. The government wasn’t hardly providing enough bread, and the circuses meant to pacify the mind were becoming fruitless. In fact, the poor were creating their own lives already. When the factories closed for the night, grand attractions swung open their doors. Every street was ripe with theatres that parodied the upper class, tinker-shops that displayed the latest technology, and associations for just about every interest. These places were exclusive to the proletariat and would only accept machs—an iron, gear-shaped currency invented to replace the already-scarce gold sovereigns.

The proletariat was bitter toward the nobility, who looked down upon them from the palace built with the blood of the poor. The proletariat was suspicious of the bourgeoisie’s motives and excluding behavior, but it was necessary to maintain a good relationship anyhow. The bourgeoisie also had cause to profess friendship, but they felt superior all the same. The proletariat could sympathize with Bohemians and very much enjoyed their presence, but the Bohemians were still mooching off of their hard work. They were also quite amicable toward the clergy, as was the reverse. Perhaps the closest of all, though, were the Sunken Ones, with whom they could most easily relate; the proletariat tried to support them when possible, but often they could do little without endangering themselves. Needless to say, the Sunken Ones were grateful for whatever they could get.

RULES
1) At all times, you shall be governed by the rules of Gaia, The School of Dedicated RolePlayers, and Illarion Fyodorov. My word, the wishes of the guild moderators, and Gaia’s T.o.S. are all to be considered law. Remember, you do NOT have a God-given right to participate in this role-playing story; by submitting an application, you are implicitly asking me for permission. It is a privilege that can be taken away at any time. If you wish to discuss a grievance done to you, I would be glad to discuss it over private messages. I expect you to act maturely and write as if children are present.
2) I am going to be holding myself to a very high standard of literacy. I expect all participants to attempt to match this standard, if not exceed it. Therefore, all posts must demonstrate your best spelling and grammar. Chat-speak (“lol”, “hax0rz”, “l8r”, and the like) is forbidden under penalty of expulsion. Speech is to be contained within quotation marks, “Like so.” Actions are to be fully written out, with no asterisk (*) in sight. All out-of-character speech (OOC) shall be encased in two sets of parentheses (( like so )). Cursing in speech may vary depending on a character’s personality and status (i.e. nobles and clergy members will seldom curse, or else they’ll find subtle and indirect ways to curse), but anything outside of quotation marks should be near-barren of curses. If you need assistance with spelling and grammar skills, I would be happy to discuss it over private messages.
3) Along the lines of literacy, I also expect you to make an effort whenever you type. At the very least, each post should be two full paragraphs (about eight sentences). I can understand if you have writer’s block or if you need to speed up your messages, but your goal should be to write well. Don’t worry—nobody’s perfect, so just take your time and edit it later, if needed. However, one-liners are illegal, under penalty of expulsion.
4) If you apply for this role-playing story, I will assume that you actually wish to participate in it. From this premise, I will also assume that you will be able to do so on a regular basis, preferably at least once a day. If you cannot meet this standard, please let me know at the soonest possible moment. If I see that you have not posted recently and have not taken the time to let me know why you haven’t done so, I will assume that you no longer wish to participate.
5) For those who do not know, one of the main goals of a role-playing story is to craft an intricate, enthralling story that is worthy to be read. Among other goals, such as having fun and improving yourself, the goal of “winning” is conspicuously absent. In real life, you don’t always win. Sometimes, life hands you some lemons, and a corporation across the street opens a branch of a world-renowned lemonade empire, thus preventing your entry into the market. It isn’t often that things go just your way, so don’t force it upon other players. That is to say, NO GOD-MODDING. If you are dueling someone, you can fire a gun or throw a punch, but you can under no circumstances predetermine the other person’s actions or the final outcome. Likewise, you are human; you cannot dodge every single punch, let alone two bullets in a row (the first one is unlikely, but I suppose, possible). Accept some losses, and cope with them in a way that enhances the story. The thing that makes role-playing intriguing is that you DON’T have full control over the storyline, and you usually accept what happens to you (within reason, of course). If someone has God-modded against you, or if you yourself are guilty of the crime, I will step in.
6) Along the same lines, do not create a “Mary-Sue” or a “Gary-Stu”; that is to say, do not create a character that is good at everything, popular, successful, and all that. Those are two-dimensional characters that ruin storylines and inspire nothing but envy. The best part about being human is that you’re not perfect; you make errors and learn from them, and having unique backgrounds and personalities only adds to your character’s character.
7) The overall theme of this story is sociopolitical in nature. It is set in a kingdom not unlike Victorian England, during the Industrial Revolution. Since it is close enough to real life, some romance can be expected and is allowed. However, we may have children reading or participating in the plot. If you want to cyber, take it to private messages. Another idea is to create a “fade-out” scene, where the audience loses “sight” of your characters. For example, “Rushing into the honeymoon suite, Rebecca and Amos locked the doors and closed the shutters. After a brief kiss, they made their way to the bed and drew shut the curtains of the canopy. It was there on that bed that they consummated their marriage, eventually falling into a deep slumber that lasted until morning.” Nothing more needed to be said—the most explicit thing there was the term “consummated”.
8.) This story is set in a turbulent world, filled with crime and malcontent. Obviously, this is a breeding ground for violence and mayhem. However, do not go about killing others without their consent. If you wish to terminate another’s life, send a private message to them expressing your character’s intent, and instruct them to notify me if they agree. Upon receiving the victim’s confirmation, I will send a message back to the perpetrator and the action will be allowed.
9) If you wish to take on the role of two or more players, submit them separately and make sure to use them both actively. This translates into one post or more per day for each character, and logically, it also means two posts or more per day in total. Also note that if the reason for having two or more characters is not quite apparent in your profile, I might ask for one. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the characters have to be related or even have met each other before—I just like being told this kind of stuff beforehand.
10) Submit your characters to me through private messages. I will closely study them and select the ones I feel are both appropriate and of sufficient quality to join. This means that your profile itself will act as a role-playing sample and will be judged accordingly. If I find that a character is decent but can be improved in certain areas, I will return feedback on the profile and ask you to submit it again after making some changes (not necessarily the ones I suggest, though it helps to consider my advice). If I find that a character is just plain rotten, or that the author did not put in nearly enough effort, I will simply scrap it and inform you that it will not be allowed. Remember, my word is law in this matter. So, please be acutely aware that the profile you submit will be interpreted as a measure of your quality as a role-player. I’ll… try not to be mean.
11) Nobody can read this. Nobody wants to read this. Please use normal fonts between sizes 10 and 14 (or just use Gaia's "Normal"), and only use dark colors such as black, green, dark red, and navy. I'm saving indigo for administration purposes, and anything else disrupts the flow of reading and hurts people’s eyes.
12) This thread, along with the main thread, is for players only. If you have not yet been accepted, you will be removed. Advertisements will be removed and blacklisted. If in doubt, or if you simply must say something, send me a private message.

SOCIAL STATUS: Noble, Clergy Member, Bourgeois, Bohemian, Proletarian, or Sunken.
HISTORY: (Minimum: at least three paragraphs) Please, write as detailed a history as you can manage. Older people, having lived longer, will usually have more to write about. For this section, I will not put any limit to the maximum that you can write; in fact, the more, the better. Still, try to write things that make sense. A noble child who, in accordance with the ridiculously overused history, lost their parents and had to fend for themselves for several years will definitely not be a Noble any longer. More likely, an orphaned child may try to seek out parental figures and promptly develop severe separation anxiety. Consider how the person grew up (if they have yet) and how those events would have carried over into adulthood. If you couldn’t tell, I’m an avid subscriber to Freudian principles and those of other developmental psychologists. One thing I will NOT TOLERATE a person with “amnesia” or “a mysterious past”. I do NOT want any sudden surprises later, so tell me as much as you can now. If you’re insistent upon having one of the two, you WILL write their entire history and what precisely caused the absence of knowledge. Then, indicate how much the character himself or herself knows along with how much others know. What I’ll do is save the complete history in a separate file and remove certain sections before posting it; that way, you can have your amnesia or mysterious past without provoking my wrath later. This section will undoubtedly receive the heaviest examination before acceptance. Anyway, have fun with your history. biggrin
PERSONALITY: (Minimum: at least two paragraphs) It would be best to build your personality off of your history. Consider how the past affects who you are in the present. You have as much space for this as you want, and at least two paragraphs to cover, so say whatever you want about your character, within reason. I’d like to know what you’re like, how you react to stimuli, what you like and dislike, what your quirks are, and especially what your strengths and weaknesses are. Try to make your character as human as possible—flaws are what make us unique and three-dimensional.
SKILLS: (Write complete sentences here) Take your social status, history, and personality into account here. Consider what your character would need to be able to do to survive and what they may have already done in the past. For example, older members of the proletariat would likely have stone-working and construction skills left over from the building of the House of Blood. Bohemians would be great artists, writers, speakers, and performers. Use the information on the social classes a few posts up to enhance this. Also, think about how things work in the real world. To master the art of hat-wearing, it may take a week, tops. To master a trade, it would take a few decades—you’d have to go through apprenticeship and the journeyman level, taking tests before each level. To master combat may take even longer than that, and even a prodigy might not be able to defeat all opponents until battle-hardened for another decade beyond that. What’s more, they all require a great deal of dedication. I do NOT want to see 15-year-old masters of ten different forms of combat and twelve different careers; that’s just not possible, and it’s definitely God-modding.
APPEARANCE: (Minimum: at least two paragraphs) I infinitely prefer written descriptions to pictures. Among the numerous reasons is the imagination: with a picture, you have no choice but to see what is provided; with a write-up, each person can create an image in one’s mind of what the character looks like. What’s more, pictures only display what the character looks like in a specific pose and setting, which makes it difficult to imagine the character under different circumstances. Also, it’s difficult to format and takes up the whole page if not properly linked. If you’re capable of writing the history and personality, this should be a breeze for you, anyway. Now, what I really don’t want to see are 5,000 beauty queens or body builders. If you’re a Sunken One, you’re definitely not going to be beautiful. If you’re a Noble… consider it carefully. Underneath all that thick make-up, the wigs, and the ostentatious clothing, you still might not be a looker. So, just be practical when it comes to appearance. Keep in mind your social class, the time period, and the part of the world—blue jeans and a katana generally wouldn’t be seen on a Noble, whereas a proletarian wouldn’t be able to obtain a hoop skirt or zoot suits.
AGE: Your character’s chronological age goes here. Be realistic in choosing your age; life spans were shorter than they are now, and since nobody is immortal or of another race, nobody at all will be over 100. Remember, playing a character that’s not in the prime of their life (teens to early 30s) can be both challenging and rewarding. An older adult would have more experiences upon which to draw and build, and a small child can often show the effects of lifespan development more clearly than adults. One thing I do not want to see, though, is the phrase “but looks like” or any of its equivalents; the appearance of age is subjective and doesn’t even belong in this category, anyhow.
CHARACTER NAME: Your character’s name goes here. Remember that one’s name and social status go hand-in-hand.
GAIA NAME: Your name goes here.
ANSWERS: In order to make sure you’ve paid attention to this flood of text, I’d like for you to answer five questions. One of them will depend on the social class you have chosen. Sorry for making you read all that, but the more you’ve read, the better prepared you’ll be. The answers can be as short or as long as you want them to be, but you’ll have to do
1) What is the name of the city?
2) Why is it on the verge of revolution?
3) What is the name of the palace?
4) How did it get that name?
5) For what purpose was it created?
6) (Class-specific question; you only need to answer the question for your chosen class)
NOBILITY: Why wasn’t a noble person’s life carefree and happy?
CLERGY: Where did the clergy members take their sins, and what purpose did it originally serve?
BOURGEOISIE: What was the bourgeoisie’s relationship with the nobility and proletariat?
BOHEMIANS: Politically speaking, what were the Bohemians’ goals?
PROLETARIAT: What served to lighten the lives of the working class?
THE SUNKEN ONES: Why aren’t the Sunken Ones concerned with improving their lives (esp. politically)?
7) What is one of the major aims of a role-player (the one I stressed in the Rules)?
8.) What is the proper technique for preparing a character with missing memories?

WHITE LIST
Merry patrons of the arts, your names are listed here.
((Those listed below have shown exceptional skill in role-playing, and they may even have submitted additions to their profiles since beginning.))

--none as of yet--

BLACK LIST
Heinous offenders, you shall be shackled away in gaol.
((Those listed below have shown reprehensible behavior and are prohibited from posting any further.))

--none as of yet--

SOCIAL STATUS: Bohemian
HISTORY: As a child, his parents were constantly away at lavish masquerades and formal ceremonies. They tended to leave him in the care of wet-nurses, servants, and whichever friends they could find that were willing to take him. Often times, these temporary caretakers were no better than the parents. As such, he was often left alone to his own devices and had little contact with others. Often, he had to create his own friends or find them within inanimate objects. Still, he longed for parents of some kind. On the wall closest to his crib was an oil painting: a portrait of a refined, middle-aged woman. In lieu of a true mother, this became a mother figure to him. With his infant eyes, he studied the painting thoroughly, examining the cracks along her eyes and mouth and committing every brush stroke to heart. He took in the particulars of her countenance as well as the painting as a united whole.

The one credit that he later gave his parents was that they left him with a wide assortment of stimuli. Small charms, mobiles, and baubles littered the floor of his quarter. He grew into a constantly curious child, scrutinizing anything that came into his path. He was naturally drawn to things that were shiny, had moving parts, or were paintings. He took endless delight, in particular, to the hallways in his residence, as they were filled with portraits of people long deceased. He loved them all and constantly chattered inane conversations with them. Around the age of four, however, he came to an impasse: a landscape. This had no person in it! It made no sense to him, as all the other paintings he had seen were definitely human and could easily be imposed with personalities of their own. Therefore, he reasoned, these portraits must also have a personality, complete with lives, interests, and grievances. In this fit of overgeneralization, he extended this belief to still life paintings, abstract paintings, and anything else he could find. Later it would prove a blessing that inspired his work, but at the time his caretakers grew worried.

Soon, he was old enough to be brought into public. This was a great shock to him; he had been, for the most part, alone for his then-short life, and he was unprepared to interact with other people. He had mostly seen portraits, whose character and candor were so greatly apparent to him that he built up an exaggerated view of humanity. Naturally, the insincere world of the nobility quickly made him disillusioned, heartbroken, and absolutely terrified. Formal events became a horror filled with people whose immoral intentions he could read like a book. At such events, he took to squirming noticeably, loudly denouncing others, running away, and finding the trickiest little hiding spots from which he watched the faces of others.

His care staff was promptly fired. His father, a stickler for discipline, took matters into his own hands by enrolling him in etiquette courses and teaching him about the major ceremonies and events. Initially, he was quite reluctant, but he eventually warmed up to them, viewing them as forms of art in themselves. They still felt quite stuffy and uncomfortable, but that was mainly due to the disreputable characters within them. Masquerades became his favorite event, as he was quite skilled in identifying the people behind the masks.

His behavior seemed to have improved. He appreciated the concepts of the ceremonies and events, and he behaved while participating in them. Of course, he was still uneasy, and he began to draw and color on any sheet of paper he could find. These sensations and tendencies grew more severe over time, like a crescendo in a piece of music. They finally reached a peak in his early teenage years. At this time, he had discovered his father’s books on classical philosophy, which filled his head with radical thoughts. This only added to his discontent with the self-contained world of the House of Blood, and one day he decided to leave. He took his most precious belongings, along with a parasol and his father’s generous stash of drinking money, and fled across the rooftops.

Reality soon taught him a valuable lesson: never move directly from a pampered lifestyle to a life of poverty, especially at a young age. His money lasted for a while, but a life of temptations and rashness soon saw it dwindling. He became addicted to drink, which opened the way to a number of disastrous relationships. Two whole years of his life flew by in a blur, leaving only a sullen face, an unhealthy liver, and a much smaller bag of sovereigns. It wasn’t until he came across a small community of Bohemians that he snapped out of this spell. They began to reinforce the ideologies that had interested him in the past, and they instructed him in the way of fine arts. He swore off drink (much to his body’s chagrin) and used the last of his money to buy art supplies. Under the apprenticeship of a young sculptress and a middle-aged, up-and-coming painter, his career began.

It was tough in the beginning. He struggled to master the basics, and his work met heavy criticism from both others and himself. He was notorious for ruining canvasses and throwing them away in a fit of frustration. In fact, anyone wandering the streets would realize it was Tuesday at 4 PM by merely observing the raining canvasses that struck the cobblestone streets. Still, he pressed on, sharing food and supplies with other Bohemians on good days and taking meals at charity houses on worse days. By the age of 20, he managed to produce his first marketable painting. It sold for a decent amount, and he was able to pay back some of his broken-canvas debt. Within the following months, he kept producing more and more paintings, each more skilled than the last.

It wasn’t long before all his debts were paid and he could eat well again. While he was working, his paintings began to circulate; his fame began to grow entirely without his knowing. Surely enough, he found his first patron by 22, known simply as Madam Violet. She became his sponsor and muse, keeping him in work for a long time. His paintings took on the characteristics of his childhood; his portraits picked out the very essence of a person, for all of their faults and particulars, while in his other works he imagined distinct lives and personalities. All the while, he diligently studied philosophy and the ways of the Bohemian.

PERSONALITY: Having missed a great deal of social interaction, he may seem very gruff and rude at times. He’s naturally withdrawn and doesn’t speak very much, but if under the right circumstances, he can open up. Thus, anti-social might not be the right term. He prefers quieter, more harmonious company, and he doesn’t care much for great crowds. Close friends are all he needs, though he has a nasty habit of finding parental figures in some of them.

His temperament is usually calm and slightly cheerful; however, frustration with either his art or other people is likely to cause him to lose his temper. He tilts toward neatness, and he is exceptionally playful, but he is rather lazy and tends to fall behind deadlines. He’s a little less lusty than most and is more humble than proud and covetous, but greed and indulgence are no strangers to him.

He absolutely adores philosophic conversation. He stays true to many of the Bohemians’ views, especially the opposition to material views and the desire for governmental change. However, he’s a pacifist at heart and will only support change through methods that are both peaceful and subtle. This translates into a distaste for both war and any non-violent means that still disturb natural harmony. He prefers to enact change gradually through his art, striking at the very heart of culture and beliefs.

Among art and philosophy, he also has a number of other interests. He likes tea and other strong drinks, which were substituted in for his addiction to alcohol. He surprisingly holds a love for ceremony and tradition, as he merely hated the participants he had met. To this very day, objects that move and are shiny attract him; he has a hard time prying himself away from such objects. He’s also fascinated with masks and fine clothing, though the definition of the latter has evolved into “well-made clothing” due to political beliefs. He strongly dislikes loud sounds and being alone.

SKILLS: His main skills are in painting, though he has occasionally branched out into other media with limited success. He has an uncanny ability to read people and pick apart their true feelings, distinguishing features, and small nuances in the skin. He’s an avid reader and can handle rather difficult texts, so long as they’re not in specialized fields. Like most Bohemians, he’s great at balancing, especially on rooftops and pipes.

APPEARANCE: He appears rather short for his age, and his arms look a bit thin and unexercised. His legs are in good shape, though that’s to be expected from traversing rooftops. He seems a little overweight, but it’s not terribly noticeable, and he doesn’t usually wear clothing that reveals it. He has impeccable posture and tends to step lightly; perhaps his earlier years have never truly left him.

His dress is usually very conservative, with most tops reaching high up the neck but only slightly past the elbows. His clothing is usually a bit looser than most and reveals little besides the lower arms. When not painting, he puts on gloves and a scarf, and he’s usually seen with a hat. He seems rather attached to such articles; he could very well be standing naked, but as long as his neck and hands were covered he wouldn’t feel ashamed. This trend becomes even more noticeable when noting his parasol; he is never seen without one on hand. Many a man has tried to part him from his parasol, and many a man has failed. Why he’s so protective of it is anybody’s guess; he refuses to explain.

His head is fairly small and oval-shaped, but his face is closer to a heart. He has high cheekbones and a long nose, all wrapped in slightly pale skin. His mouth is rather small with thin lips. His round eyes are grey and faded, and the surrounding skin is slightly wrinkled with age and wear; when he examines a person or a work of art, they bunch together to form a hundred tiny creases. His hair, when uncovered, is a shade of walnut and is very unruly. It is matted and curled in every direction, as if given free reign to grow as it sees fit.

AGE: 34
CHARACTER NAME: Maximilian Gloucester (pronounced “Gloster”)
GAIA NAME: Illarion Fyodorov
ANSWERS: ((100%!))