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 Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 1:08 pm
STATUS: FINISHED.
I want to thank everyone who took the time to give me constructive criticism so I could make
this quest the best it can be! I do believe I incorporated every single suggestion, lol!
.. biggrin rustan, the Grimm:..
..:Cybele, the Plague:..
.. razz lot Twists:..
..:The Carmodys:..
..:Timeline:..
..:Winter Event Prompt Response:..
..:The Stunteds of the Carmody House:..
Why were they proud? Because their marble founts
Gush’d with more pride than do a wretch’s tears?—
Why were they proud? Because fair orange-mounts
Were of more soft ascent than lazar stairs?—
Why were they proud? Because red-lin’d accounts
Were richer than the songs of Grecian years?—
Why were they proud? again we ask aloud,
Why in the name of Glory were they proud?
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Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 1:15 pm
Name: Drustan Carmody Age: 19 Region: Grew up in Eyacre, currently resides in a townhouse owned by the family in Prybridge. Appearance: Drustan is a lean, gangly youth who looks younger than his nineteen years, much to his chagrin. He's sort of at that tall gawky stage most boys hit when they're in their mid-teens, though Drustan hasn't seemed able to grow out of it yet. He never looks like he gets enough to eat and his massive appetite can support this suspicion. His hair is a dark black with a sheen of blue to it and while he tries to comb it nicely for his mother's sake, it prefers to grow long and curly. His eyes are a dark, vibrant blue that seem too large for his narrow face and his skin, regardless of how much time he spends in the sun, remains fair. He always dresses well, his clothing is well made and clearly expensive. But somehow it never seems to fit him quite right; the pants are too short or the sleeves are too long or one corner of the shirt is coming untucked. Theres something that feels almost off about Drustan, as if he's trying too hard to be somebody but he's not entirely sure who that somebody is. Personality: Drustan is a zealot. He was raised in the church of Obscuvos since he was an infant and has been steeped in it's dogma his entire life. As such he embraces the faith blindly - chaos is the nature of things and the nature of things does not change. His adoptive parents, Devlin and Alistair Carmody, raised him strictly and it has never occurred to Drustan that there are other valid ways of life. The Carmody family is well known for their merchant wealth and their influence within society. Therefore, showing public preference for any faction (especially the cult) would be a bad business decision. They maintain a strict illusion of tolerance and uninvolvement. Drustan keeps his faith close to his heart, one would never outwardly guess he is a fervent cult member. He's friendly and fairly easy to get along with but there is something almost reserved about him; as if he's preparing to pass some sort of judgement on you (which he probably is). Being a very fundamental Obscuvian, Drustan has a superiority complex that he tries very hard to hide. He truly and deeply believes that it is his duty to help bring the unbelievers to the true faith and that if they should choose to spurn the Devouring God, they are simply "asking for it" and deserve whatever fate awaits them. Of course, allowing people to know he feels this way would be detrimental so Drustan makes great efforts to treat every person he comes across with kindness and respect and to make himself as likeable and inoffensive as possible. Drustan can sometimes comes across as a little awkard both socially and physically. Oftentimes people mistake him for shy and he could certainly be considered bookish. He definitely enjoys cerebral pursuits and spends a great deal of time hunched over ledgers and correspondence. But the main reason for his seeming awkwardness is that he is struggling to hide his real feelings (generally disdain or pity) about people who are not Obscuvians and his attempts sometimes render him stiff and seemingly shy. When he is in the midst of like-minded individuals (read: cultists) he is a more relaxed and significantly more charismatic fellow who actually displays a high potential for leadership. Drustan's devotion to the cult and to his family are good indicators of his interactions with people and causes that he cares about in general. He's a very devoted and loyal person and for better or for worse, once he has determined that you are genuinely his friend he will go to great lengths to protect and nurture that friendship. Drustan has not had the opportunity to pick and choose his own companions in the past. He grew up in the company of other children that his parents deemed acceptable. As such, actually making new friends (not just being nice and pretending to be friends with someone) will probably be difficult for him in the beginning. Drustan also has very little experience with women. He has had a few sweaty, groping encounters with servant girls but on the whole he really wouldn't know what to do with a girl if he had her alone and willing. He is adept at flirting with the wives and daughters of important social contacts and certainly comes across as confident, but that kind of flirting is just part of the game he was trained to play as a Carmody. If he were actually romantically interested in a woman, Drustan would likely find himself at a complete loss as far as what to do about it. He is certainly not a playboy and once he figured out how, would woo a woman with the single-minded devotion he applies to those things that are important to him. Once Drustan does discover himself romantically, he will prove to be an attentive and faithful lover. Drustan's lack of experience with genuine relationships renders him vulnerable to people that he comes to trust and care for. It would be quite easy, once you were within that small circle of true friendship, to take advantage of him in a variety of ways. While Drustan is adept at dissembling and playing his part within the larger scheme of things, he isn't likely to expect that sort of behavior from those he is close to. This may be part of the reason why his Plague is so protective over him when it comes to relationships. Above all, Drustan seeks to please his adoptive parents but he never quite feels as if he succeeds. This creates a great deal of consternation and conflict within his young heart but also serves as a driving force behind his ambition. Living away from his parents gives him the opportunity to develop into a person not of their making and raises uncomfortable questions that he would prefer not to have to face. Questions about his beliefs, his history, his real thoughts on what the purpose of life might be. Theres a strange, yearning emptiness inside him that begs to be filled. But with what? Pros: Easy to get along with, clever, has a high level of commitment to things he considers important. Cons: Has a superiority complex, awkward around people who aren't cultists, can be too single-minded. History: Drustan's mother died giving birth to him and his twin sister. He and his sister were seperated as infants and Drustan was adopted by Devlin and Alistair Carmody. He knows nothing of his heritage or ancestry and in his early life had no desire to discover where he came from before the Carmodys adopted him. As he has gotten older and distanced himself a bit from his parents, Drustan has found himself wondering who his biological family might have been. He sticks out like a sore thumb amidst the golden, regal presence of Devlin and Alistair and this has created in him a desire to learn something about his origins. Drustan has many desires, however, and this one generally gets pushed to the back-burners of his mind. Drustan was raised wealthy and obedient, he has always tried to be the perfect son. He was given an education that befitted his status in life and he took to literature and mathematics with great zeal. Despite the fact that Drustan lacks his adopted parent's high level of charisma, he has proven that he's quite adept at social sciences, especially profiling and analyzing people. He displayed a knack for predicting social trends that has stood him in good stead. Raised as a devoted follower of Obscuvos, Drustan developed some skewed perspectives regarding people and the world in general when he was younger, and these flawed concepts have followed him throughout his life. For example, Drustan believes that poverty is a symptom of a soul that lacks the proper religious beliefs (i.e. the cult of Obscuvos) and that those who are struck by the plague deserve their fate. He believes himself to be quite impervious to disease or poverty or any of the other unfortunate things he sees befall other people. The God will shelter and protect him for as long as he believes and serves. When Drustan was fifteen, his father decided that it would be appropriate for him to learn more of the family business and so Drustan was apprenticed with various high-ranking employees within the Carmody's business holdings. He gained a very well-rounded perspective on what the family did in regards to buying and selling and proved that he had a keen eye for determining what the consumer would want and what they would actually need. He began making a name for himself with his clever business decisions and gained respect within the public eye quickly. He was lauded as "his father's son" which brought him both a sense of extremely pleased accomplishment as well as the distinct pressure that he must Never Fail. Recently, Drustan has been awarded a very high honor by his father and has been sent to Prybridge to oversee the family's business interests there. With the recent famine and the onset of the plague, even the Carmodys are feeling the pinch in other people's pockets. It is therefore extremely important that all elements of business are watched carefully during this difficult time. Drustan has been in Prybridge residing in a well appointed townhouse for just over six months and he finds himself thoroughly enjoying himself. This is the first time he has ever lived separately from his parents and the freedom is a heady thing for a young man. Of course, Devlin and Alistair Carmody have eyes and ears everywhere and Drustan's actions and decisions are well documented. Thus far he has not given his parents any cause for concern or doubt. He remains well behaved, attends cult meetings on a regular and discreet basis and has made all of the appropriate social contacts. Relationship with Plague: Drustan appreciates Cybele for the status that she brings him. Owning a Plague raised him within a variety of circles, the most important of those being the cult. Because the Obscuvians place such high value on the Plagues, Drustan places high value on Cybele. He pampers and indulges her and generally lets her have what she wants. He puts up with her mothering and her possessiveness and rarely expresses frustration or anger with her. He does find himself frequently rolling his eyes at her vanities, but this doesn't stop him from going out of his way to procure trinkets and baubles that he thinks she will like. As the two get to know each other better, Drustan stops seeing Cybele as merely a status symbol and begins to get to know her for who she is. They become very close friends and confidantes.
“I am a shadow now, alas! alas!
“Upon the skirts of human-nature dwelling
“Alone: I chant alone the holy mass,
“While little sounds of life are round me knelling,
“And glossy bees at noon do fieldward pass,
“And many a chapel bell the hour is telling,
“Paining me through: those sounds grow strange to me,
“And thou art distant in Humanity.
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Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 1:17 pm
Name: Cybele (SIB-uh-lee) Gender: Female Tainted Item: Mulled Wine Item History: During the winter months it is a tradition that the Carmodys throw lavish parties to honor those they do business with. As the family representative in Prybridge, it was necessary for Drustan to be responsible for one such gathering. Luckily, his housekeeper took care of organizing the details and also luckily, his townhouse is small enough that he can entertain only a modest amount of people before quarters grow uncomfortably close. Rosemary, the housekeeper, did an admirable job of arranging and decorating and cooking and cleaning and taking care of all the various little details that required attention. Especially since she wasn't feeling very well. On the day of the party, once she had the serving girls all organized, Rosemary took a goblet of mulled wine and a small plate of pastry and retired to the small garret room which were her quarters in the townhouse. The poor woman, overworked and ill, curled up in her bed and drank the comforting drink before succumbing to a sleep from which she would never wake. The plague had taken Rosemary so quickly that she barely had the time to exhibit the usual symptoms. She was lucky that she escaped the more brutal ending that many people suffered. Her body was discovered the next morning by Drustan, who went in search of her when she did not appear with his usual breakfast. Drustan called the authorities to remove the body, and then was called away himself on an urgent business matter. The housekeeper's room remained untouched and Drustan largely forgot it was even there and that it ought to be gone through and cleaned. Drustan himself was not the sort who tidied up after himself, or anyone else for that matter, and so the small room was left alone. The remains of the mulled wine, all of about a single sip cloudy with sediment, began to blacken and give off a terrible odor unnoticed by the house's solitary occupant. Not one to suffer in silence and deprivation for more than a week or so, Drustan eventually got around to hiring another housekeeper, whose first duty was to clean out the garret room that was to be hers. When she brought down the dishes from the party, her nose wrinkled in distaste, Drustan finally noticed the goblet. Not being a foolish man, he had his immediate suspicions and ordered the new housekeeper to set aside the cup and not touch it. This was too much for the poor girl, who immediately quit on her very first day. Dustan knew, though, that what the goblet contained could potentially grow into a Plague. And if that were to happen it would be worth a thousand lost housekeepers. So he waited, hiring yet another housekeeper who was not as pretty as the last but had a significantly more practical head on her shoulders. She didn't mind leaving the festering cup untouched, she merely moved it out of the way and got on with her business. Personality: Cybele is warm and kind to everyone she meets. She genuinely cares that people are comfortable and enjoying themselves and she often bustles around making sure that nobody is left wanting and that everything is where it should be. She loves to play Lady of the House and fancies herself a gracious hostess and an excellent homemaker, though in reality she's far too small to effectively be either of these things. Order and neatness are two things that are very dear to Cybele's heart and living with a bachelor (albeit there is also a housekeeper that works daily at the townhouse as well) often causes her to throw her tiny arms heavenward in despair. She'll putter around on Drustan's desk organizing papers laboriously into neat piles and completely ruining whatever bizarre order he had carelessly created, only to come back ten minutes later and find that he has shuffled around for something and left things in more disarray than they were in the first place. Her love for cleanliness and perfection are reflected upon her own person, she takes great pains about her appearance and always seems to be perfectly dressed and coiffed. Cybele is a social butterfly and loves nothing more than entertaining. She adores every aspect of planning a gathering or a party and can get quite detailed and demanding, earnestly trying to make sure that every single little thing is absolutely perfect. She doesn't care that she is Very Small, she orders the staff around like she's the Queen of the manor and expects immediate obedience to even her smallest whim. She enjoys being in a crowd of people, perched proudly upon Drustan's shoulder and being the center of attention. She is well aware that for the Obscuvians (and for many other Panymese citizens as well) her very existence raises Drustan up in the world. She enjoys the feeling of importance she gets from this, as well as from first organizing and then being the star of small friendly get-togethers as well as large, lavish parties. An extraordinarily vain little creature, Cybele wants to be in the lime-light and truly believes that she is a stunning creature who deserves to be the center of attention. Cybele is quite generous with compliments and gifts and will happily drag others into the limelight with her, but she certainly expects to be given gifts and compliments and attention in exchange. This fact is not helped by Drustan, who goes out of his way to procure little gifts and trinkets for her and compliments her often. She would be quite easy to dislike due to her constant bids for attention if she weren't so damn sweet to everyone. Supremely confident in herself, Cybele has trouble recognizing that not everyone has her level of self-esteem and she struggles to understand why people turn out meek or unhappy. She has adopted a lot of Drustan's beliefs, finding it a simple task to explain people's poverty, discomfort and unhappiness on their lack of proper religion. Cybele is quite possessive when it comes to Drustan. She never approves of his lady friends and will abandon her usual sweetness to hover around her Grimm making passive aggressive comments and glaring at any woman he might dare try and woo. Though it is never Drustan's fault, as far as his Plague is concerned. Cybele believes that Drustan is irresistible and that women crawl out of the woodwork to try and seduce him for his charms and his money. She also believes that men have no impulse control and that it is her duty to make sure he doesn't get involved with the "wrong sort" of woman because his poor man-brain can't tell the difference. Sadly for Drustan, every woman he has met since he got Cybele has been deemed grossly inappropriate. There is a significant difference in Cybele's mind between your average human, a Grimm and a Plague. Humans who are also Grimms must have done something special to make them worthy of the honor, and as such they should be given special consideration over those humans who don't have a Plague. While Cybele doesn't necessarily view the average human as deficient, she does secretly consider them to be inferior and finds that she pities them. Plagues, as far as Cybele is concerned, are all blessings from the God and that they deign to let a human care for them at all is a badge of honor for the human. She tends to conveniently overlook the fact that most Plagues, herself included, would be utterly lost and helpless without their caretakers. While Cybele does not generally care for human women she gets along well with both male and female Plagues. Pros: Kind, generally good-natured, tidy, high level of confidence. Cons: Oblivious to uncomfortable realities, vain and self-centered, can get jealous. Relationship with Grimm: Cybele is very fond of Drustan and she dotes on him. She considers herself to be the alpha female in his life and as such, believes that she always knows whats best for him. She will offer unsolicited opinions and advice in an important sounding voice and always endeavors to make sure he is well cared for, fed and happy. Cybele is very protective of her Grimm and gets jealous easily when there are other women around. If she senses even the slightest bit of chemistry between Drustan and a woman she will turn territorial and passive aggressive. No woman thus far has met her standards for her Grimm and it is unlikely that any woman ever will. Cybele subconsciously views herself as a "wife" of sorts and doesn't believe anyone else could take care of Drustan the way she can. She and Drustan do develop a very close relationship. They share a great deal with each other and there is certainly an abiding love between them, though for Drustan it is probably more of a filial love than a romantic one. Concept Ideas:I see Cybele's color palette as warm and sumptuous. Burgundy, gold, orange and browns are her tones. She is vain, feminine and a bit of a perfectionist which are all traits that might influence her appearance one way or another. Exactly how is up to the artist. I'm big on artistic freedom and don't like to give a lot of specific details, but if the artist would like more input I'm happy to provide it. As far as alignment goes, I'm not entirely sure what my preference would be, except that I have trouble picturing Cybele as a Caedos. I will leave it up to the artist to make the final call on what type of Plague she turns out to be, I can work with anything! Cybele always smells wonderful, like mulling spices. This has nothing to do with her art, but I thought it would be worth mentioning anyways. Inspirational pictures of mulled wine and mulling spices:X X X X X X
And she had died in drowsy ignorance,
But for a thing more deadly dark than all;
It came like a fierce potion, drunk by chance,
Which saves a sick man from the feather’d pall
For some few gasping moments; like a lance,
Waking an Indian from his cloudy hall
With cruel pierce, and bringing him again
Sense of the gnawing fire at heart and brain
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 9:02 pm
-Drustan will do a great deal of soul-searching when he's out on his own. This could involve him falling deeper into the spell of the cult or it could bring him to the realization that he might not be as strong of an Obscuvian as he always thought. A lot of this will be determined by the interactions he has with others. -I've had the idea that a sub-sect of the cult could devote themselves to worship Andromeda as some kind of "mother Mary" figure. I'm not 100% sure how this ball would get rolling, but it's something I think worth considering. I believe that Cybele would certainly be most impressed with Andromeda were they ever to meet and that would set the bar against which all other women will be compared to when it comes to Drustan's love life. -I foresee a decent amount of potential travel in Drustan and Cybele's future, I think that after a length of time in Prybridge Drustan might become sort sort of journeyman consultant, going wherever the family business needs him to go though Prybridge would probably always remain his base of operations since it's a good distance from his parents. - As Drustan starts to gain emotional independence I would like to see him discover or create his own business venture seperate from that of his family (though begun using family funds). This would likely happen through Drustan taking a business partner who has some unique skill or idea and financially backing them. I love the idea of a shop that sells items aimed at Plagues, especially Excitos. Tiny furniture and miniature jewelry or whatnot. I think something along those lines could be extremely fun to play around with. If there were another PDer who had a character with an entrepreneurial dream it would be a fun plot for them to go into business with Drustan. - The issue of his twin is left open because I want to do something with it in the future, though I'm undecided whether she's alive or dead. If another player-to-be wanted to create her I think that could be splendid fun. Drustan himself is not aware of her existence on any level. I want to develop his ancestry at some point but I'm currently undecided on many of the details.
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 4:38 pm
Name: Mrs. Devlin Carmody, born Devlin Evangeline Rosseau Age: 41 Region: Eyacre in Imisus. Though the Carmody family has holdings of some sort in most major trade and port cities throughout Panymium. Appearance: Statuesque with a pile of honey colored hair that she wears elaborately styled, Devlin Carmody is a beautiful woman to look at. She has a delicate bone structure and a slightly upturned nose that gives her a sense of youth. Her eyes are a soft bleached out shade of green that seem unnaturally pale in her warmly toned skin. Everything about her is golden and appealing. She holds herself well and always seems to be the perfect hostess and the perfect wife, gentle and demure. Personality: Devlin Carmody is a shrewd and intelligent woman. The facade she puts on for the sake of the world is that of a pretty, youthful wife who adores her husband and does everything exactly the way a dutiful woman should. Her face is the one associated with the Carmody family's seemingly extensive funding of charities and causes. Devlin is the mind at work behind many of the Carmody family's current successes. She has a good business sense and a sharp wit and above all, a deep and abiding devotion to the cult of Obscuvos. She is not afraid to manipulate people to have her way and behind closed doors she can be downright cruel. Devlin never gets her hands dirty herself, she is accustomed to living comfortably and expects people to do her bidding immediately and without question. When she is pleased she exudes a warmth that makes you glad you are alive and blessed to be in her presence. When she is angry or dissapointed she retreats into a cold, hard shell that can be devastating to the subject of her ire. History: Devlin was raised much the same way she chose to raise her own son, with high expectations and little warmth. Her father, Jonathan Rosseau, was a widower and when Devlin was ten years old he remarried. Millicent Rosseau was not exactly an evil stepmother, but she was an ambitious and grasping woman who immediately saw potential in little Devlin. She raised the girl to be a cold, hard miniature of herself. The Rosseau estate was wealthy, but a series of unfortunate tragedies with dark circumstances had tarnished their name. Millicent had high social ambitions and knew that wealth alone was not enough to make up for the stigma attached to her new family name. Her best hope was to make a good marriage for Devlin, cementing ties to a family with a sterling reputation that was already highly established in polite society. The young girl was 16 when she was married to Alistair Carmody, but she was equipped with knowledge and skills beyond her years, as well as her stepmother to offer "guidance". The Rosseaus had always been Obscuvians, generally of the quiet and unoffensive sort. Eventually Devlin, young and in a marriage that turned out to have certain disturbing qualities, found herself caught up in the teachings of Molyneux and threw her focus into the more extreme elements of the religion. And by focus, I mean money. While Devlin may harbor extremist tendencies she is not interested in getting her hands dirty or being caught out as a cultist, but she is more than eager to show her support through generous funding. Despite her own personal religious preferences she recognizes that a semblance of moderation is key in many things, and therefore even within the cult she is cautious of what she does or says. Should it ever be discovered that the Carmodys have indeed aligned themselves with the Obscuvians it will be better for business if the evidence points towards a sane measure of faith. __________________________________________________ Name: Mr. Alistair Montmorrisey Carmody Age: 55 Region: Eyacre in Imisus. Though the Carmody family has holdings of some sort in most major trade and port cities throughout Panymium. Appearance: Alistair Carmody is a tall and sturdily build man, sliding very slowly but inexorably towards possible paunchiness. He is sober and serious and rarely smiles, when he does there is a predatory and possessive edge to the expression that makes many people uncomfortable. He is rather handsome, though, with a thick head of golden-brown hair, reddish brown eyes and tanned skin. Personality: Alistair is a man who is used to success. He has become incredibly comfortable lording over his trading empire and does not always pay strict attention to the manipulations his wife takes part in behind the scenes. He considers himself the king of his castle so to speak, and takes credit for the good name of the Carmody family. There are only two things that Alistair truly cares about in his life, and he pursues them both with the skill and aggression of a hunter: Money, and his wife. Indeed, he considers Devlin his prized posession and he guards her most jealously. His fascination with her never quite goes away because he never feels he has the complete control over her that he craves. He has learned some of the art of subtlety from her and while he is a cultist, it is because of his wife's influence and not from any real religious devotion. Although he tends to be more blunt than his wife, Alistair Carmody is a shrewd and intelligent man in his own right. He possesses an almost demonic determination and once he has decided he wants something, nothing can stop him from pursuing and, eventually, obtaining it. He spends a great deal of time in his study and has very little time for his family during the day. In fact, Drustan barely even spoke to his father before he turned fifteen and was introduced to the family business. History: The Carmody family has always been well known for their merchant ties to all of Panymium and indeed, the wider world. Alas, despite their good name a series of unfortunate events left them approaching bankruptcy. Alastair was the younger brother of Phinneas Carmody, who was destined to inherit all the family holdings and business ties. Alastair always had trouble resigning himself to the fact that he would never be in the spotlight despite being convinced that he had a superior intellect and business sense. As it turned out, he was right. Two events altered Alastair's life forever. First, it was discovered that Phinneas had a penchant for gambling and had lost the vast bulk of the family fortune as well as some very important properties. The older Carmody brother was exiled in disgust and all eyes turned to young Alistair to make up for his brother's losses. Alistair was prepared to beg, borrow, steal and kill to achieve his ends, but it turned out that he didn't have to. He met Devlin Rosseau instead. The marriage was arranged largely without Devlin's consent, Millicent and Alistair bargaining and haggling for the girl as if she were a goat at market. Devlin was not foolish, however. She knew the political potential at stake and married Alistair willingly enough. Between the two of them, they began the hard work of turning things around for both of their families and within ten years of their marriage found themselves wildly successful. __________________________________________________ Family DynamicDevlin and Alistair make an excellent pair when it comes to business. She takes care of things behind the scenes, such as organizing funding for cult activities. She also endeavors to create a positive social impact by doing a great deal of charity work and donating large amounts of money to hospitals and orphanages. He takes care of the front end of the business. The buying, the selling, imports and exports. He was raised to do this, being a wealthy merchant is in his blood. Between the two of them, they are immensely successful. Behind closed doors things are not quite so rosy. Both Devlin and Alistair prefer to be in control of those around them and they are constantly engaged in subtle battles and struggles with one another to prove who is the most powerful person in their marriage. This marital strife is well hidden from everyone but themselves and their household. As a child and an early teenager, Drustan found himself caught up in his parents machinations frequently. His mother handled the religious portion of his education while his father taught him business acumen and oversaw his apprenticeships. Drustan himself, torn between to parents who he loved deeply, tried his best to please everyone and found himself never quite succeeding at pleasing anyone. Which is why it meant such a great deal to win his father's praise and the trust of both his parents, being sent to Prybridge to oversee things. O Melancholy, linger here awhile!
O Music, Music, breathe despondingly!
O Echo, Echo, from some sombre isle,
Unknown, Lethean, sigh to us—O sigh!
Spirits in grief, lift up your heads, and smile;
Lift up your heads, sweet Spirits, heavily,
And make a pale light in your cypress glooms,
Tinting with silver wan your marble tombs.
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Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2011 7:35 pm
7-21-2011: edited for typos/grammatical errors. The lovely Snifit was kind enough to point out some things that I had missed. heart Also, added a couple more categories to be filled in later to help flesh out the characters.
7-24-2011 Added a few songs that help give a sort of "emotional" feel for both Lira and Elcarim.
7-29-2011 Came up with a cheesey Elcarim idea and added it under the concept section. Also: more stupid quizzes. I do these because I'm bored. And I must say that I'm not impressed by the quality of quiz on Quizilla, so if anyone knows any fun quizzes let me know. XP
9-25-11 Have been up to a lot in RL and therefore not updating the quest thread as much as I'd like. Entered the Three Mariners FS, didn't win but my character concept was approved for play so I'll be working him into this whole mess. Also in the works are plans to build on the Carmody family as well as build/clarify information on the Sul. Since school started and I'm taking 21 credits as well as working an unpaid internship time is not as friendly or available this semester so I'll be updating when I can! Critiques on anything/everything are totally loved, btw!
12-19-11 OMG OMG OMG!!! Winter event! Prepping the thread, dusting her off, getting rid of character stuff that isn't Lira or Elcarim and storing it elsewhere. VERY EXCITED.
12-20-11 Getting things tweaked and edited, requesting PM'd constructive criticism from any interested party! Currently working on hashing some details for Lira's adoptive parents. Happy to return crits if you want to PM me with a link to your thread!
12-23-11 Added a portrait of Lira. It doesn't quite capture the ornate hair/clothing described but I had a short amount of time to paint it. Overall it captures her decently (I had pictured her thinner and more waifish initially but found I liked a bit of baby-plumpness). I hope to eventually amass more pictures of her.
12-27-11 Prompt response is up, though probably not finished. It needs some work. Added a post for the stunteds, figured they'd all like to be included too!12-28-11 Got some excellent crit and did some extensive editing. 1-4-12 Took advantage of the extended crit deadline. More editing. I think this is as good as it's going to get for now!
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Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 12:48 pm
Excito OR Anhelo
The perpetual frozen winds of the Northern Sanct travel down to the rest of Panymium from the frigid mountains. Jack Frost's breath whips and nips at your dainty flesh, whether you be human or Plague. A harsh Winter, this one will be, and all folks poor and rich, comfortable or homeless, will have to work hard to survive. How does this Winter go for you and your Grimm? What hardships do you endure and how do you overcome them?" Oh! Oh!" Cybele's distressed wailing made Drustan look up from where he sat, going over recent shipping ledgers. Seeing that she had her Grimm's attention, the little Plague threw her hands into the air miserably. " Oh Drustan! Nobody will come! How can anybody come with weather this terrible? We are all but snowed in! This is awful! What will we do?" Drustan took a deep, calming breath. This outburst had been running in one form or another for the last hour and he was starting to get tired of it. " Cybele, we will have the party on another day. It was only going to be for a few people anyways." He told her in the same calm voice he'd been using all afternoon. " But I worked so very hard! And now nobody will see how hard I worked and how pretty everything is!" plopping down ungracefully to sit at the edge of Drustan's desk, the forlorn Plague cut a most piteous figure. The fact that she was incapable of producing tears did not prevent her from emitting loud sniffling sounds. " Aw Cybele..." Finally roused by his companion's pathetic whimpering Drustan ran his hands through his unruly hair and gave her a helpless look. " I'm sorry the weather is bad, okay? I'm very sorry that there is a snow storm and that nobody can go out in it." The weather was, indeed, bad. In fact, despite Imisus being accustomed to extreme climates, this winter was proving to be more ruthless than usual. It was already having a negative impact on business and now it appeared to be hamstringing his personal life as well. At Drustan's admission of sympathy, Cybele seemed to perk up a bit. " I suppose" she said in a quiet little voice, " that we will just have to make our own party. Just the two of us." A coy, shy smile spread across her tiny face. " Will you dance with me, Drustan?" " Dance with you? But we've no music!" The young man protested foolishly. " How am I supposed to dance with no music?" His point was certainly valid, Drustan Carmody was awkward on a good day and he never danced if he could help it. Not a rythmic bone in his body, he always claimed. Alas, his Plague was having none of it, caught up in the romanticism of the idea. " Oh Drustan, we don't need music." Yes, the idea of slowly circling the firelit room with her Grimm while a storm raged outside certainly did have an appeal. Especially if you were predisposed to read the sort of novel no self-respecting citizen would ever be caught dead reading. " Here, just pick me up. Hold me in the palm of your hand." Managing to only roll his eyes slightly, Drustan set his hand palm-upward on the desk so that Cybele could stand on it and then raised her to eye level. " Now what?" " You have no sense of romance!" She stomped her foot daintily. " Spin, silly! Dance!" It would have been a comical sight, had anyone been there to witness it. Drustan made awkard circles in his sitting room, dipping and spinning the way a drunken lumberjack might if he had upset a hornets nest. He certainly felt foolish, trying to move with some sort of rythm so that he didn't trip over his own feet. But the expression on his Plague's face as she spun, far more gracefully than he, in the palm of his hand almost made it worth it. Almost. When what he deemed the minimum amount of acceptable time had passed, Drustan spun slowly to a halt, reeling a bit with dizziness. " Drustan, that was lovely! I had no idea you could dance like that!" Anyone would have been hard pressed to determine whether Cybele was gently mocking her Grimm, or trying to make him feel more at ease or whether she genuinely believed that he had executed that little "dance" with any sort of grace and talent. But the little face that turned upwards towards his shone so brightly with pleasure that Drustan felt his sense of awkardness retreat the tiniest bit. " Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it then." He replied in his best attempt at solemnity. It was terribly hard to be appropriately solemn around Cybele when she was so credulous. He often found himself trying not to laugh when she imparted advice or responded with any level of indignanation. Taking something so small very seriously was a challenge for Drustan, but he was learning that, like many things in life, it was usually better to at least pretend. And he truly did want to see his Plague happy. " Here, I've something that will cheer you up." He stated, walking (albeit with a bit of a wobble) back over to his desk. " I was saving it for a special occasion, but I suppose now will do." Setting Cybele down on the desk, he opened a side drawer and pulled out a little bundle of cloth. Unwrapping it, he revealed his gift to her. " For me?" Cybele stared at the offering, almost speechless. " But Drustan, it's wonderful!" It was a tiny bird mask, just like the Obscuvians wore to their meetings. But it was folded cleverly out of paper, painted painstakingly in red and gold with two short lengths of thread to tie it on. Immediately the Plague had to try her new bauble on, preening and prancing and smoothing her dress unecessarily. " Do I look pretty? Do I, Drustan?" " Of course you do." He responded, smiling fondly down at her. In the recesses of his mind he cursed himself for not coming up with this distraction an hour ago, when she had first started wailing. he should know by now that the easiest way to change Cybele's mood was to give her a present. And he was particularly pleased with this one. So pleased, in fact, that he intended to place a bulk order for the tiny Plague-sized masks from the gentleman who crafted them. They would be all the rage among the Obscuvian Plagues in no time. " Absolutely lovely." He added, his mind already drifting away from Cybele in the direction of profit margins and shipping costs. " You'll have to wear it to the next meeting we go to. Everyone will want one, you know." He added off-handedly. Cybele did not even notice that his attention was wavering, she was so busy flitting from semi-reflective surface to semi-reflective surface admiring herself. " I suppose" she began, running a tiny hand over the fragile edges of the mask, " that everyone will want one. That should be okay, as long as they all remember I had one first. Yes. As long as everyone remembers that I started the trend then it's okay if they all get one." She smiled contentedly. " I suppose winter can't be so horrible when you're as pretty as I am." She added with her customary confident vanity. " But I do wish it would stop snowing so that I could show everybody my new mask."
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Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 12:54 pm
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