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 Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 5:18 pm
Sergeant Sodomy is questing a Plague of her own.
The keeper is Maiya Enslin, and her Plague is Bloed, the vial of blood.
[Critiques are appreciated and loved. I haven't written in a while, so your input will hopefully make this better.]
So, enjoy some chocolate cake.
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Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 9:18 pm
Character name ``
Maiya Enslin
Age ``
Nineteen
Region ``
She is a descendant of Dalae immigrants, and up until recently, has resided in the wilder parts of Auvinus. However, having started her pilgrimage, Maiya is simply moving North on foot.
Appearance ``
While her clan originates from the Southern continents, the many years that have passed since their first immigration means that much of the original blood line has been mixed. As such, much of Maiya’s features are far from what you might find on the Southern Continent. Despite her skin being copper-toned, many of her features are common of Panymium. It can initially be difficult to realize she is one of foreign descent. Although the faint accent certainly gives some clues.
She is a girl of relatively average height, although her features are toned; likely from life in the harsh, heated conditions of Auvinus. Her legs are sheathed in mostly metalic greaves, all the way from foot to knee, where they join with more armor. Her legs are completely sheathed all the way to the hip, where they are joined by a simple protective garment for her lower body. Although even this is not often seen; for over her chest, the ruined and tattered cloak of a fallen soldier covers her chest, all the way to her thighs; while at the back the cloak only goes down as far as mid-back, leaving a small portion of flesh exposed. The insignia of the Knight’s house still shows at the back of the cloak, although Maiya will not speak of where she retrieved it. Although considering the tears, and old, rust-colored stains at some portions of the white material, it is doubtful that it’s original owner met a kind end. The cloak is not worn as originally intended, and is instead draped around her neck and shoulders, and clipped together beneath each arm so that it forms a proper “top”. A leather strap is also secrued near the neck of said cloak, to keep it from sliding off.
Maiya’s arms are covered to a lesser degree; undoubtedly for the sake of flexibility. Instead, they are sheathed in dark-colored gloves, which extend from the thumb and wrist, all the way to the shoulders, where they are pinned and thusly connected to the cloak. As for whatever else she is wearing; it is rare for Maiya to be without her belt, having various dolls, pouches and vials visible at the sides and back of her hips, hastily tucked or tied to the leather strap.
Maiya’s face is simple enough, and likely the most telling part of her original heritage. Her hair is dark, bangs chopped messy and framing her youthful face. At the back two pigtails; one at each side of her skull, are tied towards the top of her head, falling all the way down towards the nape of her neck. A second, smaller set of pigtails also reside, although they lie just in front of the larger ones.
Personality ``
To understand how Maiya works, some thought must first be placed into her mission, as well as her family. Maiya’s family functions much as a tribe, or clan; while not all are related, most are. They practice their own religion, which is a watered down version of one of the main Southern Continent religions. Because of this, “God” has been as much a part of her life as any magic. Although, as she is a teenager, and being sent out on her own, it should come as unsurprising that she deviates a little from her usual religious practices.
Maiya is, quite simply, eccentric. Having spent her entire life in a close-knit, but small community, her social skills are, to say the least, a little off-putting. As an inexperienced practitionere of such taboo magic, it can be quite surprising how bold she is. This can in part, however, be chocked up to youth and naivety. To her, ritualistic bloodletting and voodoo dolls are completely normal. It’s a simple stroke of luck that being out on her own has caused Maiya to falter and become neglectful of religious practices. Overall, Maiya seems to take her religion with a bitter note; regarding it as restraining and ridiculous, yet quietly accepting her imprinted beliefs.
The most important aspect in her life is magic, which has influenced her personality most of all. She can be described as almost wise in her respect and curiosity about the various forms of Magic existing in the world. Having learned much about the magic long practiced by her clan, Maiya is quick to come off as over-confiden, even arrogant when discussing forms of magic unknown to her. To put it simply, she thinks she knows everything – but the majority of her knowledge of the outside world is long outdated.
Aside from these factors, Maiya is typical of a young woman. She is both cunning and willful, with an interest in people. While bold to the point of being rude, she may just become a “proper young lady”, once she learns the social norms of the outside world. Her odd habits extend even to her brashness. With people her own age, Maiya is often quite... "in your face", as well as joking. While this is simple friendliness to her, the outside world can often get the wrong idea about her enthusiasm. Although when it comes to discussing magic and her family, Maiya is quick to halt her shenanigans.
History ``
The stories that circle around Panymium are many, and have only come to grow through the Plague’s years. Many tell of causes for the Plague, although there’s much more folklore than there is truth in such tales. One such tale tells of Mages, who many years ago, broke free from the Fellowship. On their own, they turned to forbidden, taboo arts. These mages manipulated life itself – evil witches and wizards with no regard for holiness or the human body. They became outcasts, hated by the Church and the Fellowship alike; and as an act of revenge and scorn, these mages created the plague.
Of course, such is just a story, one of many to explain the fast-spreading consumer of life. While the creating of the Plague is undoubtedly false, to say there was no validity in such stories would be just as untruthful. Many Mages existed outside of the Fellowship, and some, they even practiced such “dark arts”. In fact, there were entire clans of such magic-users; although they practiced in secret, far from the Fellowship’s or House’s prying eyes.
Maiya is one such mage; or perhaps, closer to an Apprentice. Never has she known the Fellowship of Mages, or their forms of magic. So long has it been since Maiya’s clan immigrated from the continent of Dalae, that many of their original features have been altered. Some names were lost as people married in and out, and fewer were born with the “gift” of magic. Their features changed, became lighter with the new continent’s influences. People were, after all, marrying outside of the family, and even long before the rise of the Bubonic Plague, much of their Southern Continent heritage was lost. That was, of course, all but one thing; the magic. Even in such ancient years, the arcane arts of their clan were far different from those practiced in their new home.
And so, even to current day, they uphold tradition, and a magic much different from what is deemed acceptable in Panymium.
Maiya herself grew up in a close-knit community, a “clan”. Most of them were related, and religiously practiced their own form of magic. Their “family” would never know the power of the their ancestors, due to being so far from their original home, but with nothing but tradition to cling to, things remained unchanging. Even Maiya began to learn the art of Magic at a young age, considering she had shown some magical talent, or at least the potential, as a child. Although rather than learning to heal injuries, or to manipulate the natural elements of Earth, Maiya was trained in a different “art”. The forms of magic she began to learn could only be described as Forbidden – dealing with the manipulation of living entities, of the dead, of blood. Those same ancient tales spoke of witches reaching into the Aether itself to force abominations to do their bidding; and the magic Maiya learned was so very close to that.
Aside from the strange curses and magics she learned, Maiya lived relatively… well, normal. Her community was small, and she knew every person by name and relation. While they had long ago left the Southern continent for Panymium, their inclination for harsh climates remained. Maiya’s clan has remained within Auvinus, “living off the land”, for many years. Far enough from civilization to be unbothered, yet close enough to be the stories of Farmer’s folklore. Wild sorcerers and witches, killing cattle for their blood sacrifices – and human children, on occasion.
Really, the things people would say to put restless children to sleep.
However, the very traditions that had Maiya learning unorthodox magic, would also be the things to tear her from her simple life. The plague was spreading, and even as cut off from the world as they were; living in the open plains and among the trees, their clan could not sit idly by. A right of passage for any young mage of their family was a pilgrimage. To test the waters, to see and challenge the conventional magics, and to seek out the remainder of their power away from home. At least, this was what young Maiya was taught. Being the only child born for many a year, in their already dwindling family group, it was decided that her journey would be of specific importance. A terrible disease was upon the world, and who better to study it than a mage who specialized in bodies?
Since then, Maiya has reluctantly left home, all alone. She has headed North, towards the more populated cities, where stories tell of the Plague running rampant.
Notes:
-Maiya’s clan often consume hallucinogenic plants before a “Pilgrimage”, so that they may converse with their God and learn of where they need to go. Maiya has, however, with her slightly modern thinking, cast aside the belief that consuming strange plants will allow her to speak to a higher deity.
-The magics practiced within their clan are wide and varied. Much of it is simply varied talents taken from other arts; such as voodoo, necromancy, and blood magic. Very few excel at more than one feature of said magic within their clan, however, and much of it is practiced only for religious events. Still, shamans within the clan still work diligently to contact the Aether – whether they truly are capable of this is up for debate.
- Maiya herself is still not a fully realized "Mage" - at least to her group. Only when she completes her pilgrimage will she be allowed to practice higher level magic. Although, without the keen supervision of her Elders, there is no telling as to whether or not she will oblige such rules.
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Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 10:22 pm
Plague ` `
A vial sealed with wax, as well as a thin metal cap. The contents within the vial seem to be blood, although it has somehow remained uncoagulated.
Plague Name ` `
Bloed
Plague History ` `
While Enslin’s clan has very rarely crossed outside people, there are many stories of skirmishes between the Outcast Mages and the common folk of Auvinus. One such story tells of how when the Plague began to first spread through the Southern regions, the farmlands were devastated. Workers fell ill, they were unable to bring in the harvest. The plague festered, despite many farms being far and wide apart. Perhaps it had something to do with the House of Obscuvos being set so far in the South, but there remained no shortage of fanatical religious folk, hoping to sack the blame.
Some blamed the Mages directly; accusing them of not only creating the plague, but spreading it. While others, they saw the Plague as a message from their God, wishing for sin to be purged. Certainly, even the Fellowship must have seen such insanity amongst the citizens of Panymium in those early days. Maiya’s family, however, lacked the harsh cold and thick brick walls that protected the Mages alligned with the Fellowship. Not to mention, they were in the middle of cultist country. What began as petty feuds with their neighbors escalated into something of a small war between the locals and their clan. And this is, of course, where young Maiya’s plague was to originate from. It is said that after a battle between the clan and a nearby farmland, a bloody cloth was retrieved from the fields where the corpses of their brethren still lay. The blood soaked garment was wrung out, what liquid remained emptied into a small vial. The essence of both commoner and mage who had perished in the skirmish was contained, as a reminder of the massacre.
The vial was sealed away, although as many of the people who had perished that day suffered some form of the plague, it should come as unsurprising that the blood was tainted. As for how young Maiya attained it; it was a gift for her pilgrimage. With their numbers dwindling, and being desperate for answers themselves, she was entrusted with the sacred item – which has been left untouched since the early days of the Plague. It is rumored that magic keeps the liquid inside from drying out, although some would swear it is the very souls, and anger of those who perished, that does not allow the flow to cease.
Since receiving the vial, Maiya has kept it close at hand, the metal cap recently attached to a strap, to keep the vial tied around her upper arm. As for why the plagued item has yet to change, it may be due to having been sealed away, untouched for several years.
Personality ` `
Bloed was born from the combined essence of many deceased people. As such, his personality can be described as… conflicted. He would initially be a creature of great spite. He was, after all, created on a battlefield. His anger is most evident amongst people – a natural reaction, undoubtedly. Another aspect of this confliction is that he is not a simple mage – likely, he had a warrior’s spirit, and prefers to leave the magic to his “master”.
To say that Bloed is hopeless, however, would be untrue. He was born from many humans, and despite the rage that had gone into his creation, Bloed would eventually learn to explore the other emotions he’s capable of. The best way to describe this would be to say he is flexible (or he would learn to be), just as his original liquidous stage. The more people he meets, the more likely his humanity is to awaken. One would hope that his inner turmoil might finally reach a calm.
There is, however, no ridding Bloed of his hot blooded demeanor. This is certain to lead to stubborness; initially, anyways. Bloed is, overall, not a malevolent being, simply an aggressive one.
Concept Ideas ` `
- Very mixed clothing, likely a meld between the simple mage’s garb and armor; at some point, at least. Maybe a big scary helmet or mask?
-For reasons I can't really explain, I want him to have an ax. Axes are bad a**.
-Perhaps, in a later stage, Bloed could become more human in appearance, reflecting the emotions and humanity he has rediscovered. Initially, he might be a bit twisted, bloody, something creepy like that, since he is composed of something rather liquid.
-ileavetheresttoyourightnowuntilithinkofsomethingttlyrad
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