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 Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2012 9:50 pm
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Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2012 9:51 pm
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Hero alias: Daemonkeeper
Real name: Warslik Witherson
Powers/abilities: Daemon Summoning – Having made a compact with a court of extra-dimensional beings, Daemonkeeper has the ability to summon said beings from the token of the compact, a small pewter cauldron (about a half gallon in size).
Daemonkeeper utilizes this power by feeding the cauldron a blood sacrifice, usually his own – but in a pinch he can use others but it's no preferred and has the consequence of halving the time the daemons can stay in the material plane – it must also be freshly excised from the body, so I would say a shelf life of about five minutes from time of cut to get it in the cauldron – daemons don't like the taste of coagulating blood. The number and strength of the beings he summons is proportional to the amount of blood he surrenders to the cauldron – however the beings are less likely to listen to him the stronger they are. He can also only have one kind of creature summoned at a time and must let the natural course of the binding (five minutes, or two and a half if he uses someone else blood) run its course before he can summon a different one.
The kinds of beings he can summon are: (Note: Numbers detonate number of daemons summoned per sacrifice. He can only summon one type of daemon at a time, I.E. if he summons imps, he can either re-summon them after their times up or he can summon hounds, or he can just summon hounds as the situation warrants.)
Rookie:
Imps x3
Daemon-Hounds x2
Fallen x1
Sidekick:
Imps x4
Daemon-Hounds x3
Fallen x1
Fury x1
Hero:
Imps x5
Daemon-Hounds x4
Fallen x2
Fury x2
Abomination x1
Daemon Prince x1 (Special Ritual)
Minor Daemons:
Imps: Require very little blood to summon but are very weak. They are however the most obedient creature he can call forth and rarely ever ignore his orders unless they are scared or severely damaged. Imps mainly attack with small lighting spells from their finger tips, that is only just slightly stronger than the jolt from a TAZER. Imps only require an ounce of blood to summon. (1/5000 chance to summon Alebelozth, King of the Imps.)
Daemon-Hounds: Canine type creatures that have a fairly nasty bite. Daemon-hounds require about half a pint of blood to summon, and they prefer to chase their prey and keep it still until their master reaches them. However, they are less likely to follow Daemonkeeper's orders than the imps, preferring to explore and play than focus. (1/5000 chance to summon Khargamorger the Hungry.)
Fallen: Those who have lost their way after death and have found their way into the court of a Daemon Prince may soon find themselves enslaved into twisted servitude. Former shells of what they once were, Fallen manifest as gray completely hairless humanoids with glowing runes burned into their skin. They are incredibly strong and desire only to inflict pain upon the living. They require a pint of blood to summon, but will only listen to Warslik if his orders involve causing harm to a living entity. (1/5000 chance to summon Ozymandias, King of Kings.)
Major Daemons:
Fury: Fury's are the reason the saying “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” exists. These feminine Daemons are deceptively beautiful – at first glance, they seem extremely delicate and gentle, almost inviting. However, once engaged in combat the claws come out – literally. The transformation of the Fury into a monstrous beast of devastation happens so quickly that even the most keen eyes can miss it. Fury's require a pint and a half of blood to summon. They will rarely listen to Warslik instructions unless they involve vengeance. (1/5000 chance of summoning Lilith, The Mother.)
Abomination: The Abomination is just that – an abominable thing of infernal matter that takes on a humanoid shape. It is strong, and its endurance is almost endless, but it cannot long exist on the mortal plane before it requires the life giving essence of the pits it was dredged from. The Abomination will listen to Daemonkeeper if it feels like it, but odds are it will just do what it wants for the five minutes it can exist on the mortal plane. The Abomination requires a two pints of blood to summon. (1/5000 chance of summoning Maelfistan, The Formless)
Daemon Prince:
Aezeleth the Defiler: Aezeleth the Defiler is the Prince of the court to which Warslik is bound. By performing a special summoning ritual, Warslik can call for the Prince to impart a favor, however, this favor comes with a price. Whatever Warslik asks of the Prince, he must give an equal exchange in return. In order to summon the Daemon Prince, Warslik must first gather three assistants, who must willingly offer up a pint of their blood for the ritual – to be joined with Warslik's own to draw the symbols required to bind Aezeleth to the material plane long enough for the transaction to be made. This can be considered an evil act by some (as they are dealing with an extra-planar being of questionable morality) and those that volunteer their blood must be present for the ritual. Once the ritual is complete, Warslik must ask for the boon from the Prince, and if a bargain is struck, the deal will be made. (In the interest of keeping this from becoming completely overpowered – an example: If Warslik asks the Daemon Prince to kill someone for him, the equivalent exchange is the life of one of the volunteers. A life for a life. The price of the boon is equal to the power granted or the action performed, the more strain it puts on the material plane to bear – the higher the cost to the ask-er. So Warslik cannot ask for world peace and total world dominance simply because it is far too costly – that and he's already in hock for his own soul.)
The Daemons cannot leave a leash of ten feet at Rookie, fifteen feet at sidekick and twenty feet at Hero. They will no do so willingly, but if they are pushed, pulled or otherwise taken out of the radius of their leash they will disintegrate into ash and return to their infernal realm.
Daemons will follow Warslik's orders in a tier system. At their initial summoning level (let's use Fallen for this example) at Rookie, Fallen will only listen to Warslik if his orders involve causing harm to a living being – otherwise they'll probably do whatever they want... which is cause harm to living beings. Well that's not very beneficial right? At Sidekick – now with more control over his power, and a better understanding of the Fallen and Summoning – the Fallen will now listen to Warslik even if his orders don't involve causing harm to a living entity, because he has improved his summoning skills to the point the geis on the fallen is much stronger to obey him. They still might balk every now and then if they start to get bored – but are less likely so. By hero he would have full control over them like he would an imp – and only the more major daemons would give him trouble. (An abomination will probably never listen to him, since they are essentially a force of destruction and one does not simply tell destruction to sit down on its a** and listen.)
When a named daemon is summoned, it take the place of ALL of the Daemons that would be summoned at that time (since it is the strongest of all of them). Each Daemon comes with a price though – a direct influence on Warslik, for good or ill (usually both). These Daemons have 'earned' names – or rather, all daemons have names, but only the truly powerful share them. With that power some degree of influence on other realms of existence. In the case of the mortal plane, those that summon them are doomed to suffer the affects of the named Daemon's strong presence. When summoned, they apply a “rider” (that is, the changes in personality below) onto the summoner, a boon or a curse, which remains until they exit the plane. This is caused by the extremely strong personalities of the named daemons, who – given time, enough energy and followers, may eventually become Daemon Princes themselves.
When they break through into the mortal plane there is a loud cracking noise and they appear in the place of the other Daemons who would come. If Warslik speaks their name - he can ask a favor of them - or he can just order them around (they are by all intents and purposes still bound, but they are less likely to listen than normal daemons due to their elite status.) They are stronger than normal Daemons, but only just in the mortal realm. As far as boons - anything Warslik asks from a minor daemon vanishes when it leaves the mortal realm, so if he asked for healing aid from one - the wounds return after five minutes. If he gets healed by a major daemon it is permanent, but he can only ask for things that wouldn't really alter the fabric of reality (I.E. he can get his or his allies wounds healed, but not have the daemon transfer them to the enemy - he can ask for a boost in strength, but not more than his body could honestly bear (so no gaining additional super powers). With the Daemon Prince ritual, he can be granted a wish like boon - but it comes at the price of something equivalent. If he were to ask for a new power - he'd have to give up the compact and never be able to summon a daemon again. There are a lot of rules in regards to daemonic bargains, the Daemon Prince is not going to give away something for nothing - he wants something in return, be it souls or be it someone's happiness (think One More Da...*gags on own bile* <.<; I still can't get over that comic...). So really, odds are Minor Daemons would be asked for temporary healing, and Majors for permanent healing. Or something similar. Keeping in mind he can only ask these Daemons a favor ONCE per year and a day of time. And at 1/5000 chance of summoning, such events will be rare.
Alebelozth, King of the Imps – Servile Nobility: While Alebelozth remains in the mortal plane, he instills in Warslik a feeling of Servile Nobility, that is – if Warslik thinks he's better than you, he is going to lord over you like a king – if he thinks he's not better than you, he's going to be kissing the ground you walk on and doing anything you ask in order to impress you.
Khargamorger the Hungry – Insatiable: While Khargamorger remains in the mortal plane, he applifies Warslik's most greatest need and turns it into an insatiable desire. If Warslik is thirsty – then no amount of drinking will sate him. If he's hungry, no amount of food will fill his stomach. If he longs for companionship or talk – no amount of interaction will fulfill his need. He will be compelled to fulfill this need, even though it can never be so long as the beast remains.
Ozymandias, King of Kings – Despair: While Ozymandias remains in the mortal plane, he causes Warslik to sink into an inescapable pit of Despair. No matter what Warslik has accomplish or might accomplish, they will never amount to anything – and that is what he believes. No matter how hard he tries – nothing he does will ever succeed.
Lilith, The Mother – Scorned: While Lilith remains in the mortal plane, she causes Warslik to take every slight personally. It could be something minor or something major – but if there is a potential to offend, he will be offended. I can reach the point where he will begin to plot revenge on the party(ies) that spited him.
Maelfistan, The Formless – Unrelenting: While Maelfistan remains in the mortal plane, it causes Warslik to no longer care about limits – for good or for ill, Warslik will push himself, his allies and his enemies to the breaking point – He will not relent until his task is complete, or Maelfistan returns to the infernal pits from which it was dredged.
Summoning: This is the fun part of Warslik's power – when summoning his Daemons, he has to place the cauldron on the ground, cut open his hand and bleed the proper amount into the container (it has markings on the side to identify amount, so Warslik doesn't give too little or too much on accident – unless he's rushing and not looking.) After that, the blood 'melts' into the cauldron, leaving it clean and producing a summoning circle beneath it. At this point, Warslik removes the cauldron and waits for the Daemon to summon. (Random number 1-5000, on a 13 – named daemon, 1-12,14-5000 – normal summon) The next round the Daemon(s) appear ready to serve their five minutes. This means a summoning can be interrupted if Warslik is attacked before he can bleed the right amount, or create the circle. Or if the cauldron is knocked over and its contents spilled.
Which area is the character based/from: Tasea
Age upon entering academy: 13
How did your character get their powers: Upon turning 13, Warslik was presented his cauldron by his “Grandfather”, the patriarch of the Withersons, and taken to the innermost room in their home – a place which until that day he had been forbidden to step foot. His Grandfather summoned the Prince of the Daemon Court, and Warslik entered into a covenant with them, signing his name in their black book with his own blood. This act empowered his personal cauldron, enabling him to summon the daemons to his aid so long as he paid the proper price.
Motivation for entering academy: Warslik's reasoning and desire to enter the academy is very – complex. One the one hand – why not just stay home and learn from those who have mastered the art to the point where summoning a Daemon Prince is second nature. To that – he would tell you that he is tired, so very tired, of having to dodge the politics of the family factions – Not to mention the constant worry of being targeted himself – while trying to learn, that it just doesn't seem beneficial to deal with his own family in this matter. Why not seek out a rival or different Occult group? Maybe they don't do things the same way – maybe they don't serve the same Daemon Prince. Maybe they are a rival and would attempt to learn his own secrets – which he has been told since birth are the Witherson's alone and should not be taught to others. (He is less inclined to follow this granted, but the indoctrination into the family party line is there.) While he does want to better understand and control his new powers. Which he will honestly admit, scare him at times. Warslik really wants to prove that well – you don't need to have a soul to be good. It seems to him, that his family tends to use the fact they no longer possess their souls to walk the darker side of life as if it has no consequence. To Warslik, who knows that he still feels the same since giving his soul to the Prince, he wants to prove that he can still be a GOOD GUY. That, and snit the nose of all his family who said he'd never amount to anything – because you know, comeuppance.
Strengths:
Occultist: If you need a piece of esoteric or long forgotten lore Warslik is your boy. Rituals, spells, if it deals with an outer-plane or higher dimension, odds are there's a book about it in his foot-locker. While Warslik doesn't really focus on any other kinds of magic save the one of his compact, he does understand the basic theory and isn't afraid to stay well versed in other schools. At rookie, he is by no means an expert on any subject, but he has the books and is more than willing to do the research. This strength grows as he grows - by Hero, he will have a very firm grasp of the esoteric and eldritch arts - but it will take time for him to absorb all there is to learn from his tomes.
I Name Thee...: Warslik knows the true name of some minor daemons. When in his servitude, if he utters their name, they are obligated to perform some favor or task that is within their power to do so. He can only make such a request once per year and a day per named daemon, and they rarely come to the material plane willingly. (1/100 chance of one appearing when Warslik summons a daemon) As he grows in power, he may learn the names of Major daemons, but at the start, he only knows those of some minor ones. If he took the time to dig through his books, he could probably find the name of any he encounters, but it could take weeks or even months of study. (Minor Daemons can only perform tasks that do not greatly alter the world around them – therefore, they can at most grant one beneficial magical effect or bestow a part of their power to someone temporarily. Nothing they do lasts however – any benefit will vanish when they leave the mortal plane. Only Major Daemons can have any lasting effect on the material world – and only Daemon Princes can grant “wishes”)
Sense Magic: Being born of such a strongly magical family, Warslik has an innate sense of when magic is present in an area. He hasn't really honed it yet – its more of a nagging feeling that something powerful is in the room, or something magical has happened or is happening, but he can't quite pinpoint the source without laying his hands on the item or being right next to the person casting the spell. As his skills and knowledge grow, he has the potential of being able to identify magical objects and artifacts on sight – but as it stands, right now all he could really tell you was that it was very-very powerful.
Weaknesses:
The Chains that Bind: As part of his compact with the Daemons, any deal Warslik makes he must complete – unless absolved by the other party – or he will suffer from gradually increasing negative feelings (to the point of being physically ill) until he completes his end of the bargain. However, if the other party doesn't hold up their end of the deal and breaks it before him, he is freed of this effect but it doesn't help him if they break the deal off after he completes his half of the deal.
Soulless: For all intents and purposes, Warslik does not own his own soul, traded to the Daemon's of the compact for their aid, Warslik no longer possesses his own soul. Should he enter hallowed ground without invitation from a member of the clergy (or their equivalent), he begins to feel very uncomfortable and warm – like he is being watched, until the point where he is compelled to leave the space. This goes for any sacred ground, if it is sacred to any creed or religion, Warslik cannot stay there very long uninvited. He is also plagued by constant nightmares of the Daemon's court, where his soul is currently confined, resulting in an often very tired – and very grouchy Warslik.
What does this button do?: Warslik does not understand technology at all. The Witherson household brooks no modern amenities. Light is provided either by candle or lamp, and the most technologically advanced item is a printing press used to print compendiums of long lost lore into new issues. This is due to the Daemon's innate dislike of technology (one of their greatest enemies) and for as long as the original compact has been drafted, the Withersons have abstained from using advanced technology out of respect of the daemons. Modern technology baffles and fascinates Warslik, often leaving him frustrated and confused.
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Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2012 9:51 pm
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Personality:
[+] Noble – If you gave Warslik a shiny suit of armor, a white horse, and a lance, people might confuse the boy for a knight. Warslik is nothing if a not a fair sport – willing to give others a sporting head start before giving chase. Warslik will be the first to hold the door open for anyone, male or female – and isn't above walking old ladies across the street either. However, he is not one to turn the other cheek when slighted, and he isn't above calling someone out and challenging them to a duel.
[+/-] Cautious – Growing up in the Witherson manse taught Warslik one very important life lesson. You are either cautious, or you are dead. After narrow escapes after attempts on his own life (both at 12, right before he turned 13), Warslik is less inclined to not follow this lesson. Warslik likes to plan out his actions as best he can (but let's face it, there is only so much you can account for in the heat of battle) and he prides himself on being able to map out as much of his future as he can. The downside to this caution is an almost paranoid over-caution when it comes to food, drink, sleep and people. Warslik will often test food and drink before allowing himself to enjoy it, he doesn't sleep in his actual bed, but instead changes up where he beds down in his room every night – leaving a decoy in his bed (that old pillow trick) and he has an issue with allowing people to stand behind him for very long – it makes him twitchy.
[-] Bloodthirsty – Maybe it's the ritual bloodletting, or the fact he has no soul, but Warslik tends to be a bit on the violent and bloodthirsty side when his dander is up. In the heat of combat, he can often loose control and goes for blood – even if the intent is to keep the target alive, he will do so in the most violent and painful way possible. Interrogation is the same way – and Warslik isn't above using his ritual dagger to get people to talk.
[+] Loyal – Once you have made a friend of Warslik, you have made a friend for life. Not only that, but a friend that will happily give you the shirt off his back and ensure that you get home safely to boot. Loyalty has been pounded into him from birth. Loyalty to the Withersons, loyalty to the Daemon's of the compact. Those that earn his trust and respect can expect him to come to their aid no matter what the personal cost to himself. Just be wary you do not break your loyalty to him, because that is about the worst thing you can do in his opinion. Doing so is a quick way to earn his contempt – even become labeled as an enemy.
[-] Vindictive – Once slighted, Warslik will do everything in his power to ensure the other party gets their comeuppance. For small things it's pretty easily handled – usually calling them out for being jerks and maybe getting in a shouting match is enough to vindicate him most days. For big things thought – he isn't above hatching elaborate plans to out and practically ruin people's lives and reputations – if he feels they deserve it for the wrong they did him.
Hobbies:
Reading: Warslik likes nothing more than to curl up with a good tome and study long into the night. He can often be found reading well into the dawn, only to crawl into bed as the sun begins to crest the horizon. It's even better if he can do so by candle-light, because some of his tomes require just the right atmosphere in order to be properly appreciated.
Tarot/Cards: While by no means a master of the Art, Warslik does keep a Tarot deck on him at all times. He does readings, as well as basic divination – but they are by no means accurate all the time. It is yet to be seen if he actually has the gift or not – but he would like to think he does. He also likes to play other card games, and tends to keep a traditional deck of cards on him as well. He practicality favors the game Hearts.
Horsemanship: Warslik is quite fond of horses. His roan gelding – Lancaster – is probably the only friend he has at the Witherson manse. Given the chance, Warslik would ride all day, study all night and never sleep – EVER.
Favorite Food: Haggis – YES, that Haggis. If only because of the color people's faces change when they find out what it is.
Birthday: Sept. 13
Zodiac: Virgo
General Backstory:
I'd like to tell a story all about how Warslik's life got flip turn.... No... No... We're not doing that.
Let's begin at the beginning shall we?
The Witherson Clan can mark it's beginnings a very long time ago. How long ago? Well no one is quite sure, but the first patriarch, Mathias Witherson – is still alive and running the family, but nobody is sure how old he actually is – or why he doesn't seem to age past the age of 50. (But that's a different story entirely and you're not interested about learning about some grouchy old man are you? No? Didn't think so!)
One thing is for certain – the Withersons are a diverse bunch. The Family is large. Their Manse, more of a compound really, roosts in the more obscure and less traveled part of Tasea. They are a very private people, but they do venture into the outside world. They are by no means a self-sufficient settlement. Their location does not avail itself to farming or ranching or producing food at all, so they are inclined to seek sustenance outside of their Manse. Generally all that grows in the area is hardscrabble grass – barely suitable for riding horse – which the Withersons all enjoy with great gusto. (They actually have a champion polo player in the family, but he doesn't play much anymore.) The Withersons also segregate themselves willingly. Not just by their political factions – but by gender.
When this occurred – again, no one is quite certain, but it is generally agreed it happened shortly after Mathias Witherson and his wife Elpiera, got into a rather loud and drawn out argument that leveled the original Witherson Manse.
Oh, I forgot to mention this wasn't the first Witherson Manse? How silly of me! Yes, the current Witherson Manse is the second constructed. Again, more of a compound than anything else, it provides both the male and female sides of the Witherson family space to follow their dark and eldritch pursuits. That's not to say that there still aren't explosive arguments that cause damage to the superstructure... But they've been mitigated somewhat. Also, pity the poor husband who forgets to visit his spouse on occasion – there have been reports of men being turned to toads every so often for missing important dates... Like birthdays and anniversaries.
Oh? Did I forget to mention all female Withersons are Witches? Yes, while some do follow in their Daemonist father's footsteps, most of them chose to serve the Daemon Prince as Witches, taking the power of the compact to achieve great magical feats. But this isn't about them.
This is about Warslik, who is the eight son born to the sixth, seventh son (the seventh son of the seventh son of the seventh son of the seventh son of the seventh son) of the Witherson clan. This is his story, so why don't we focus on him for a bit?
You'd like that? Awesome – cause even if you didn't it's what you were going to get!
Now, Warslik knows nothing about his mother or sister, only his brothers and father. Why? Well, the children of the Witherson family tend to stay together until they turn three – at that point, they are segregated by sex. The girls stay with their mothers to learn their ways, the boys are taken to their fathers to learn theirs. If Warslik has any sisters he doesn't remember them, or his mother. He knows he has a mother – else he wouldn't be here – but he doesn't know her name or what she looks like. Sometimes he does wonder if he has sisters, or what his mother looks and sounds like. The only time he asked his father he got a slap upside the head for his trouble – so he's decided that's not the route to go. He is banned from the Woman's housing, until he comes of age and is married himself. He figures if his mother really wants to see him, she'll single him out after that, the same with his sisters – if any of them are left in the manse and haven't been married off.
Oh yes, I almost forgot, the Witherson's grow their family through marriage contracts and arranged marriages. The Withersons are not the only eldritch slinging family out there, and while rival clans and occult groups tend to fight like cats in a sack – there are benefits to allying bloodlines through marriage contracts. Not the least of which being keeping the peace – and also avoiding inbreeding. You ever seen an inbred warlock? No? Probably for the best – the result of inbreeding in environments such as these tend to be almost daemons themselves. Creation of such things is generally frowned upon in the community and tends to come with consequences (that is, we will come and kill your entire family, burn your house to the ground and salt the earth upon which it stood.) When Warslik is old enough, he will meet his betrothed and they will see if they get along well enough for marriage. If this is the case, then odds are they will get married. Warslik does not look forward to this – and has pretty much wiped it from his memory. He doesn't like the thought of being told who he has to marry. Granted, he is a bit nervous of girls in general, having actually not really interacted with one at all. (All the servants in the male side of the Manse are male – more because the men don't want to be accused of being unfaithful by their wives and the eventual scale covered punishment to follow.)
Now, Warslik is not the only son of his father. He has seven older brothers and three younger. He only deals directly with his older brother, Saul, who had the prestigious honor to be born the seventh, seventh son, and is being groomed to become the next patriarch of the clan. Warslik has lived in his shadow from birth, and no matter how much he studied, learned, and strove to be “better” than his brother – none of his achievements mattered. Is he jealous of his brother? No – not really, he doesn't want to be the next patriarch and have to deal with the bickering rival factions trying to control the family. No, he is content to stay obscure and out of the way... That is, in the family. He doesn't like the fact that both his father and brothers think he will account for nothing. Warslik has a cool – if not cold relationship with all of his family, the other siblings he doesn't deal with at all - they have their own issues - but most of all his older brother, who constantly reminds him that he is to be the next patriarch and nothing Warslik will ever do will bring him out of the shadow of obscurity. So Warslik would like nothing more that to prove them wrong and make something of himself.
Just not in the family – because forget that.
Now, Warslik witnessed his first death at age six, when his uncle, the sixth, sixth son, was poisoned during a family gathering. From that point onward, Warslik quickly learned that there were rival factions within the clan – each vying to gain control of the family. As he grew, Warslik found it more prudent to align himself with none – and instead focus on staying alive. He was soon able to figure out the striations of the family. There were the Traditionalists, the Progressives, the Loyalists and the Radicals. If you were to put a gun to his head (though he wouldn't know what that even was) he'd probably say he would fall under the umbrella of the Progressives – since he dislikes the general ideas of the Traditionalists of keeping the status-quo, could care less if you wanted to leave the family unlike the loyalists – who feel that you are a blood traitor if you even think about leaving the family – and the Radicals just scare him. Anarchists with Daemons – yeah... They're a small group, and one that is tightly controlled by the other family members. But there have been “accidents” during rituals before cause by the Radicals that resulted in parts of the Manse being closed off for a few months for repair after opening up into places they should not have. Of all the factions in the family, Warslik is most familiar with the Progressives and Traditionalists. His father has pretty much mapped out all the family members. Most of Warslik's brothers and uncles fall under the Traditionalists. Warslik himself is a Progressive, as well are two of his uncles he has had a passing acquaintance with. Saul is shaping up to be a Staunch Radical – and Warslik is unsure if he should be fearful of that, or if it is just a phase that Saul will eventually grow out of... Of all the factions in the family, the Progressives have lobbied the hardest for pulling down the segregation and trying to live as normal family units, but they are constantly thwarted by the Traditionalists and Loyalists. The Radicals don't care either way. Some have left the manse and lived as individual families, but Warslik is told to never ask about them – he assumes it is because it sets the loyalists hackles up. Or, that certain more “radical” members of the loyalist faction killed them. He's not sure – and not willing to ask.
Warslik was raised to understand that regardless of the factions, the Family is the Family and you are loyal to the Family. Even though the Withersons are a bickering, backstabbing bunch, when moments of catastrophe strike, they do band together as a unit and solve the issue. It is a rare and magical thing, seeing a Traditionalist and a Progressive shoulder to shoulder trying to seal a portal to a dimension that should not be traversed but was accidentally opened. Only to know that as soon as the crisis is over – they will be back to bickering like cats and dogs. But Warslik understands that they are a family, even with all the blood feuds. He is loathe to leave, but at the same time, he doesn't feel like he has a place in the family.
Warslik's only real friends at the Manse are his Roan Gelding, Lancaster, and the stable hands. He spent a lot of time riding Lancaster and he feels the horse is the only one that really understands him. Well that and the stable hands. Though they really don't talk much and just listen – mainly because they want to keep their jobs.
The closest Warslik ever was to his father was on his seventh birthday – when he received the first and only gift his father has ever given him. His ritual athame. He tends to sleep with it in his hand, and it has helped him survive til now – so it holds the only positive memories of his father and gives him mixed feelings.
Warslik's father is not a kind man, he obviously favors Saul, and fosters the idea for Warslik to leave the Manse – because he knows the boy will not survive long. Saul is too powerful for Warslik to ever overcome in his opinion, and if the younger son wishes to survive to adulthood, it is probably best for him to leave. Besides, Warslik is an outlier – probably taking after his mother in that he is far too noble for the twisted machinations of the politics surrounding the goings on at the Manse.
Maybe its a desperate attempt to save his son that drives Mathias the Second to push Warslik out of the Manse and into Sidekick Academy. Maybe he wants his son to prove he's a better person than most. Mathias II has spent a lot of time away from the male side of the Manse at late, and general suspicion is that it is to talk to Warslik's mother, Melissa. It is generally thought that he is seeking her advice on their son, since it is generally assumed she keeps a constant scry on all her children. It may be her hand that moves Mathias II to do the things he does, pushing Warslik out of the nest as fast as possible. But only time will tell.
Warslik himself has mixed feelings about going to Sidekick Academy. For one – it's a co-ed campus. He is... curious, about girls. Having never really met one. He's seen them of course, with his father and brothers when they would take the rare excursions out into town when it was their turn to do supply runs. But talking to girls – while not exactly forbidden, was generally not considered a good idea. Not only that, but most of the townsfolk were not appreciative of the manse near their property, it drove values down – not to mention the strange yowls and moans that could be heard from the compound at times. It is local legend that the manse is haunted by the ghosts of those Withersons who were murdered – but the truth of that is shaky at best. Warslik would very much like to meet girls. Some of his older brothers have bragged about their dealings with them, but Warslik things some of this is hot-air. Why would you want to put your mouth on a girl's mouth anyway?
(Note: Because I couldn't think of a really interesting and lyrical way to put this in the actual backstory! Why so many kids? Traditionally, seven is a very, very magically number. In the case of wizards (and daemonists) the most powerful are usually the seventh born male child. In this case, the “seventh son.” So the Withersons follow this line of logic and therefore, they have kids till they hit seven, and maybe a few more are born after [not big believers on birth control]. Does this cause issues? Yes – that's a lot of kids and not a lot of modern medical tech. Sometimes children die in infancy – some to childhood diseases. Sometimes the mothers die in childbirth. Magic can really only help so much in these cases – and even the greatest healing focused witches in the family can only do so much. So there are a lot of children for the sake of power – not so much for the sake of sanity.)
Looks Department:
Eyes: Green, round and somewhat sunken from lack of sleep.
Hair: Red, falling down to his shoulders in messy curls.
Height: 5' 3”
Weight: 120 pounds
Costume:
A black cloak that cover the majority of his costume. However, underneath the cloak is an ensemble of black and red. His shirt is a blood-red jerkin over a black undertunic. His pants are blood-red as well, and are simple
pressed slacks. His shoes are jet-black knee-high boots. on his face he wears a simple red domino mask. In his left hand he carries his pewter cauldron, and in his right, his ritual athame.
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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 8:36 am
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Hey Torvil! : D
I'll just go ahead and start you off with a crit~
@Powers
My suggestion with the special daemons you can summon, make the chance more around 1/5000. I've talked with Mori about it, and we think that 1/100 is a bit too often. And there should be consequences to the summoner when/if the special daemon gets summoned. What exactly ensues when they do?
Another thing I would suggest, is to note on how long each daemon he summons sticks around and on what terms, since you mention they stay for the duration of their terms… But what are the terms usually? And are there time limits? After he summons them can they just roam where they please or they must stay in a vicinity near him?
Also in question is, what's the point of summoning a majority of these types of daemons considering that they will rarely listen to him unless they're imps?
Will he ever gain more control over them? And how will he? Does it have to do with strength of personality or something else…?
The numbers you've listed on each stage, are they in terms of one after the other or each type only once at a given time? Example, at sidekick would he be able to summon all these imps and when their time's up, then summon all those hounds and so-on-so-forth? How do these numbers work out? Cause if they're consecutive, that's quite a lot of blood loss. lol.
That also makes me ask, how long does it take him to recuperate? And how does he actually provide the blood for summoning? It has to be fresh blood, right?
This is just a lot of technical stuff. But I do really like the daemon summoning. We haven't had anything like that, which is great!
@Motivation
I'm a little confused here as to why he would choose SA over his family, since his family is clearly knowledgeable on this daemon stuff. SA is for those aspiring to be heroes/learning control, but as for being experts in occult…. Less certain. Does he have a future goal to become a hero of some sort? I feel his reasoning here is a bit thin.
Also taking into consideration how dark his powers are, there should be a very solid reason besides the general 'learning control'. A lot of kids come to learn control, but the eventual goal would be to become a hero. After all, it's a school for sidekicks which is the general main track aspiration. Or at least something to keep in mind of what the school is meant for. Aspiring heroes, not simply super powered kids. Why SA and not another occult group, you know?
@Strength/Weaknesses
The Occultist bit brings me back to question why he would need to come to SA if he's already so knowledgable on the topic.
Also, at the 'I Name Thee' part, I'm kind of confused. Are these daemons the ones you listed above, i.e. Alebelozth, Khargamorger, etc?
I also find his absolute lack of tech savviness wonderful. lol. Considering how tech-oriented SA is thanks to Binary. It'll be a really interesting contrast.
@Personality
At the cautious bit, has Warslik actually experienced any attempts on his life?
I can see a lot of issues with his bloodthirst in the future, well in regards to when teachers have to tell that the point is to save the person with as little harm possible. lol.
Don't get me wrong, I think this is a fantastic negative trait. It's gonna come in great for plots, etc. Just wanted to mention that. Hahaha.
Overall I think it's a really solid personality. It'll be great seeing him develop!
@Backstory
Alright. Here is where I have the most questions cause I'd like to know more.
What about the rest of Warslik's siblings? How does he feel about them? Really nothing? How was it like growing up with them, was there any interaction at all? There's no mention of any of his other siblings except the seventh son. And does he only have brothers? What happens to the girls?
Was there school at all or was he taught only by his family? How do they expand their clan…? Cause I find it hard to imagine that they'd marry outsiders with how close knit everything is. Also makes me wonder how Warslik feels about people outside of the occult? What's his view on the world outside his world?
The big question:
Is he jealous of his older brother? Does he want to be the next patriarch? I get the impression that he quite enjoys the dark/shadows, so why does he want to break out of that? Does he crave attention? Also, with his personality description it seems like he's a very outspoken person, is this not true for when he's with his family? Does he have friends outside of his family?
Is there anyone close to him? For someone growing up in a situation that he can't trust anyone, how did he manage to cultivate and nurture his loyalty trait?
He seems nonchalant about his family, and yet at the same time it's like he wants to be seen by them? I'm kind of left in a state of confusion about it.
If you could elaborate and straighten out his relationships/feelings towards his family members, I think that'd be a good start to make this more seamless. Cause there's some clashing between his personality and the way he grew up/family situation.
Anyway. I hope this crit's helpful. I'm really looking forward to seeing more in his backstory! I'm most curious about this. (:
Good stuff so far!
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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 10:06 am
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X3 Thanks for the crit!
I was wondering how long it would take someone to pick up the fact I don't mention anything about girls in his family <.< There is a reason for that - I will go ahead and explain it in the back story, though I was gonna save a bit of the reveal for future RP. Suffice it to say, the Witherson "clan" is a very interesting Microcosm.
X3 I will make the edits as suggested, and work a bit more on the mechanics - I realize that yes, I did forget to include durations and the fact that as he grows more in knowledge and control that he will have a better command of the Daemons. (except for the Daemon Prince and Abomination because hahahahahahaha... no - one does not simply control a force of nature of that magnitude. The Abom is pretty much an OHSNAPIAMGOINGTODIEHALP button, but with the potential to backfire on him. Kind of like cooking a grenade - maybe it goes off right when you want it to in the enemy's foxhole... maybe it gos off it in your hand...)
Yes, the named daemons he summons are the ones that would fall under the I Name Thee... function. I can also set up a set of consequences and etc. For their summoning (usually they replace the total number of Daemon's summoned, so in the case of the King of Imps, instead of his three imps at rookie, he'd get the minor daemon instead.)
As far as the numbers. That is standard progression for same blood cost as he gets stronger and more powerful. *Again, I will be putting all this under his power section as I work to tweak and balance it.* Their Natural Duration is five minutes - Daemon's do not survive well in the Material Plane and much prefer their infernal realm where they can just gather their energy from around them. They are also 'leashed' to Warslik, and really can't travel more than about twenty to thirty feet away. They won't willingly, but if say someone were to pink up an imp and punt it across town, once it hit the thirty foot mark it would shatter into all its respective pieces and return to its realm - rather pissed, cause Daemons hate dying in the material plane - but with no real harm done.
I am glad you like the lack of tech-savviness X3 I figured it would bring an interesting dynamic to him as far as a world where we have cyborgs - androids and Technopaths. X3 He will be all "WHAT SORCERY IS THIS!" But it's not <.< and therefore even more confused how to handle it.
@Cautious: Yes, one or two - Mostly by siblings trying to get a feel for it. He personally saw no reason to do so - but yes. I will add that in. And develop that trait a bit more X3
@Bloodthirsty: Yessssssssssss... That was something I wanted him to deal with on a moral standpoint. He realizes that its probably wrong - but he can't help but want to cause suffering (and is unsure if its his lack of soul or just the culture he grew up in - and it rankles him sooooo much... Plus the Nightmares... oh the Nightmares X3)
Occultist/Motivation: I don't think I made this as clear as I needed - and I will address that. With the Occultist trait - At rookie - he has a very basic and modest understanding of the Occult, much like any neophyte would. He has access to books (his footlocker(s) are full of tomes of forgotten and forbidden lore) but he still hasn't quite... read it all or gotten all the information memorized. If he encounters an occult question or conundrum, he is going to have to spend time doing extensive research in his books and such to learn how to fix it. (He'd be more than happy to donate some of his less rare tomes to the schools library if they are interested in starting an occult wing X3; but that is neither here nor there.) As he ranks up... Sidekick, Hero,etc. His general knowledge of the occult grows and the time it takes to research things gets shorter. Cause now he "knows" certain things about stuff. Right now he's just got the basics hammered out - I don't think I wrote that strength quite right - since it is supposed to progress as he progresses X3;;;
As for his motivation: Why not some other Occult group? Because he's still technically loyal to his family (funny that) Why not his family? Because he doesn't want to deal with having to watch his back every time he uses the chamber-pot. (Because indoor-plumbing is for losers *SHOT*) I am glad you picked up on his general (I'd don't care... LOOK AT ME) vibe >.>; Yes, that was intentional and I apologize that it was confusing X3; Suffice it to say, he wants to become a hero because he doesn't WANT to be evil like he knows would probably happen if he stayed home. (or dead, which he doesn't want to be either) for him, becoming a Hero would be like a big giant F'You to his family, and snit their noses. He's not really wanting the patriarch position (cause yeah - no thanks dictatorship), but he does want to make his own way.
As for people close to him... well... X3 I will address that too.
Alright, Thank you again for the crit - I will address these and edit this post once they are in.
Edit:
Crit addressed... I apologize for the novel that is now his backstory *Shot*
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Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 3:55 pm
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Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 6:31 am
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Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 6:33 am
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Reply
