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 Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 5:49 pm
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 6:31 pm
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 6:35 pm
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.post o4 [Banner, Maybe, Coming Soon]
Biel as a Hatchet ``
Much of the “modern” world has advanced, and moved on from the days of simple tribalism. For Maiya’s clan, however, this isn’t entirely the case. Most evident in this is their use of tools. Hatchets are still very popular amongst her family, as both tools of agriculture and construction, and as weapons. It has been years since the latter use was ever really necessary, considering their only adversaries were wild beasts. However, no matter how it ages, no matter how few its calls to duty may be, a hatchet is still a most precious possession. Maiya was also given one for the sake of her journey, considering her magic talents alone would not save her from bandits or animals.
But the story of this particular Hatchet trailed farther back, to three or so years before Maiya thought to set out on her Pilgrimage. It was once owned by an adventurer, a man who had chosen to leave her clan long before she was born. He treasured it through his travels; but as he went on with his years, those same travels began to take a toll upon his aging body. Reluctant to return to his home, he settled into a line of work within a traveling circus. It would bring him back to his birthplace eventually, while lining his pockets with a comfortable sum. Certainly, his family would forgive his long absence if he came baring gifts and stories of the outside world.
This Circus was a truly marvelous place, its boasting right being the large array of animals that, exotic and native, were trained to perform. Having lived in the wilds during his youth, this man took an immediate liking and talent to handling the creatures. The Circus was a reprieve from the worries of the Plague, and no matter where they went a group of people always seemed to line the benches to watch their shows. His hatchet was always at his side, unused as he placed utter trust in his animals.
But as stories often go, it seemed fate had other plans – intending to reenact the folklore of olden times. Given their travels, and the many visitors, it was no surprise that some of the beasts acted… strangely. If one was assumed to be ill, the ever stingy ringmaster would insist on quick treatment. Exotic beasts were difficult to obtain, and native ones just as difficult to train. So, when a large wolf began to exhibit signs of the Plague, it was brushed off. The creature was an import from the Eastern Continent – there would be no euthanizing such a magnificent beast! The events of the night began, and with the “Hero of our story”, or rather, the owner of said hero (this is all about the hatchet!), being directed to lead the decorated wolf out towards the crowd; there was no changing the unfortunate events that were soon to occur.
Perhaps the Plague that poisoned the wolf’s blood was to blame, or perhaps it was its primal, wild nature – whatever the case, the beast became a monster. Its teeth were bared, its eyes became savage, and it attacked its beast master. He was pounced and pinned by the hulking animal, and the crowd jeered and laughed, thinking it all a part of the act. Although when the aging man raised his hatchet and began to beat the wolf’s skull in, those sounds of excitement quickly became shrieks of terror. No matter what hellish effects captivity and the plague might have played on the wolf’s mind, it was still but a simple beast – and fell quickly. But the man had nearly had his throat ripped out; his arms lined with gashes and gore. As the bloody victor of this terrible ordeal was dragged off to have his injuries dressed, he saw with bleary vision that something had.. changed. The hatchet he held so tightly in his hand was soaked with the blood of beast and man, yet something… emanated from it. He could swear that beneath the red liquid, it looked sharper, newer. Something unnatural and downright terrifying rose like steam from the heated hatchet; but as consciousness faded, so did the vision.
When he awoke some days later, sore but alive, he found the hatchet atop his clothes, nearby. The blade had been wiped clean, and no longer emanated that unnatural glow. The blade seemed as normal as ever, and the man decided that what he had seen was a vision – not real, and likely the result of his blood loss.
But with the accident, he decided that his days of adventure and beast taming were over, and so, returned home.
It should come as no surprise that he was a member of Maiya’s tribe; her grandfather, no less. And for her pilgrimage, he imparter to her a special gift; the hatchet that had gone unused since the terrible ordeal at the circus. He had for months kept it tucked within a chest, doing his best to forget those days of foolish youth.
Oddly enough, only days after Maiya had departed with the hatchet, her grandfather began to fall ill. His body became covered with legions, and her family, for the first time seeing the Plague, was left at a loss. Meanwhile, while using the hatchet’s aged blade to skin a rabbit, Maiya could not help but notice a most peculiar thing. Perhaps her eyes were playing tricks on her… but the hatchet seemed to grow sharper, newer as the blood touched it.
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 6:37 pm
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.post o5 [Banner, Maybe, Coming Soon]
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 does not seem keen on speaking of where or how she attained it. 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 secured 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 practitioner 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-confident, 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. Often enough, the Auvinian's behavior can be best described as lighthearted. It takes a good bit to rile here, and often enough, Maiya will at her worst fumble awkwardly with her words if she is uncertain of what or when to say something. While in many aspects, she may seem like a bit of a clutz, when it comes to the practice of magic and her clan, Maiya is quick to halt her shenanigans and get to business.
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 rite 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: Tue Oct 05, 2010 7:01 pm
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 7:19 pm
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.post 1o
Blood Magic and You, the Nature of Maiya's Magic
(This snippet is heavily under construction. I would appreciate input from staff, as I don't want to make Mary Sue magic desu.)
Maiya's magic, often referred to as "blood magic," due to it's primary element, or rather, most common element involving the use of human blood, is a varied technique. In fact, it can encompass many magical abilities, although no single practitioner is a master of all; just as any Mage within the Fellowship would be incapable of mastering all of their techniques. Blood magic can, however, involve the more commonly known elements such as voodoo dolls, necromancer, and to a rarer extent, dark magic.
Blood Magic is founded on the idea that life itself sprouts from the blood; or at least, is attributed to it in such a large part that qualities of the blood's contributor can be detected, and used, by manipulating their extracted blood. At some point in time, men and women who were naturally talented as warriors or in magic, would contribute their own; storing it in vials, where it failed to ever coagulate. Younger generations would then be able to enhance their own inherent abilities, supplementing them with the strength of their ancestors through use of what was seen as their very life essence. In this way, blood can be seen as a precious commodity. Even Maiya herself, if in the presence of one who was born with great talents, would find herself desiring a "sample" for her own uses.
Blood magic can, and often, takes on medicinal uses. The people of Dalae have looked to improve their understanding of medicine and anatomy for years, and this seems to have passed on to their small, branch-off tribe.
What may be the most curious is the use of blood in offensive purposes. Intended as an adventurer to go out into the dangerous world, this is an area that Maiya herself has trained in. Another being's body can be manipulated through the blood within them - searing, burning pain as blood begins to boil within the veins, or debilitating cramps as arteries are forced to clamp down are just some means of fighting from within. Though these methods are rarely employed, essentially seen as abusive, "dirty" tactics.
Yet, the blood mage's arsenal grows yet stranger, as some are capable of Haemopotent Replication - the ability to replicate another's abilities, after possessing their blood. Though, frequently, this requires rather large quantities while being only a fraction of the strength and duration of the original skill. Not only this, but by coating one's hands in blood, one may cause rapid coagulation - no, something else, as if commanding the very iron within to harden. A variable number of weapons can be produced upon whichever patch of skin the blood mage places their "weapon" - so for example, if coating the arm and fingers, a small dagger or sharpened claws can be produced, provided the mage has the strength to maintain it. This ability to create Haemokinetic Constructs is a bit of give and take. A wise blood mage will not use their own blood, and so, will rely on a certain amount obtained and stored prior to use. However, if a weapon is "broken," a mage may find themselves with less than what they need, and so they may have to switch to a smaller weapon-type until the point where there no longer remains enough collected blood to continue creation. Also note that because most trained mages of this type do not carry actual weapons, but stores of blood, they can be left defenseless after repeated weapon breaks.
Additionally, constructs require extensive concentration to maintain; concentration that can easily be broken by a wound in battle. For this reason, the people of Maiya's tribe are trained less like mages, and more like rogue-types, moving and seeking out weaker, fast-paced hits as opposed to heavy blows so that they may reduce their chances of receiving damage. While not ideal, a mage can harness the drawn blood of their enemies in a when it is drawn, combining it with their own and gradually increasing the size of their constructs. Though the deluding effect may have adverse effects on the strength and durability of said weapon.
This is not to suppose, however, that Maiya has mastered all, or any, of these abilities. Some she has yet to learn, mostly due to still being seen as a "child," until her pilgrimage has been completed.
As with any magic, however, there are drawbacks; the most obvious being the large quantity of blood required for most offensive magic. It is why Maiya carries vials with her; though in emergencies, she is capable of using her own (the tradeoff being, even if her magic grows stronger, she becomes physically weaker with the loss of blood). There is also the fact that the effectiveness and strength of most magic is largely based upon the strength of the person who gave the blood. This is, in part, why Maiya chooses to forgo storing and using her own - compared to most warriors, she is inexperienced.
With the plague, there is an obvious danger in handling and tampering with the blood of others. While owning a Plague item seems to have staved off the plague so far, the fact that she is so fearlessly willing to tamper, touch and even taste blood, leaves her at a high risk for infection; though this risk may lessen as she becomes more knowledgeable about the plague and it's spread.
There is also the matter of just how mentally taxing using her magic can be. Blood magic requires intense concentration, at least at her level of skill. Overextending her abilities by trying to effect more targets than she can handle, for example, will result in a failure of her magic, period. Rather, Maiya must learn to train her abilities, and her body, so that she can handle the stress. As such, Maiya can currently only effect one target at a time with her magic. For example, she can not form a weapon from blood, while simultaneously trying to effect the blood of another in order to weaken them. As such, her magic can either supplement a normal combat approach, or be used directly.
Voodoo Dolls
A large part of their tribal practice is the use of voodoo dolls. Many may make the assumption that these objects are means of casting hexes, curses and misfortunes upon others, and to a degree, this is true, as a voodoo doll often requires the essence of the person it is connected to. However, the purposes of the voodoo doll are far less nefarious than most expect. As such a close-knit, although remote group, there is little contact with outsiders. At least, unless one is to undertake a pilgrimage, such as Maiya. Because of this, great importance and respect is put upon the dead. At birth, many have a part of their "essence," sealed within a voodoo doll. The ritual for this isn't quite known, and whether it simply involves blood, or the shamans who perform it are actually capable of manipulating the aether, is known only to a select few elders.
Some parents may opt not to have a part of their child sealed; while some, when a loved one is near death, will have a part of them sealed within a voodoo doll - so that even after passing to the aether, a part of them may remain. The sentience of voodoo dolls is up for debate, though they display basic motor skills - able to clumsily walk on their woven, stuffed legs. They respond exclusively to their owner's voice; be it the person who they were born from, or a loved one who had it specially crafted.
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 7:20 pm
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 7:22 pm
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 7:25 pm
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 7:35 pm
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