So, in addition to the character-centric fluff of The Trainer Fan Club, I've also decided to run something a little more action-y. I was considering doing something a little more complex plot-wise, but realized I'm just terrible at that sort of thing. So this is basically a beat-em-up as an RP, with me just throwing random plot hooks to see what sticks. This is going to be running on pure rule of cool; the amount of character building and plot is entirely up to you ^_^.
Backstory:
Gameplay:
Sign-Ups:
Characters:
RESERVATIONS:
Any questions or clarification needed, just ask Renewal!
And here are the sign-ups for my two characters:
Name: Aina Erys
Name: Marcel Wyrdhart
THE MAGITEK WARS
Introduction:Magic is a rare and powerful thing--at times revered and worshiped, at others feared and hated. More than once Sorcerers threatened to destroy the world, seeking to dominate and control. But no longer. At the dawn of a new age, the tides are turning again the Sorcerers of old--for the non-magical have discovered how to manipulate the natural magical energies of the world for their own purposes. Where once the Sorcerers stood unopposed and unchallenged, for fear of their power, now Magitek can more than match their might--weapons and technology imbued with spell power, in ways Sorcerers never dreamed of.
Both sides fear mutual annihilation, and so restrain their greatest weapons, wishing to avoid cataclysm and ruin. But raids? Tournaments? Chance skirmishes in the wastelands of the world? Well, beyond the walls of civilization, anything is fair game. So this is where you find yourself, thrust into the chaos of the Magitek Wars...
Both sides fear mutual annihilation, and so restrain their greatest weapons, wishing to avoid cataclysm and ruin. But raids? Tournaments? Chance skirmishes in the wastelands of the world? Well, beyond the walls of civilization, anything is fair game. So this is where you find yourself, thrust into the chaos of the Magitek Wars...
Backstory:
Simply put, there's practically none. I want this to be player-defined, player-driven. So here are the bare bones. The complications, twists, developments--that's all up to you guys.
The People:
There are three types of magic users in this world:
The Factions:
In general the three types of magic users belong to their own factions, though exceptions are far from unheard of.
The People:
There are three types of magic users in this world:
- Sorcerers - individuals who use the mana within them to freely impose their will on the world. This can manifest itself in any number of ways--elemental attacks, illusions, warp gates. The only limitation is that Sorcerers can only use the mana within them; under sufficient pressure, they can easily run out of mana, rendering them powerless. Due to the nature of their power, they tend to be spontaneous and creative, able to adapt their magic instantly. The most famous Sorcerer is The Queen-in-Exile.
- Magitek Knights - individuals who utilize Magitek, harnessing the natural mana of the world to power their enchanted technologies: magical weapons, suits of enchanted armor, automated golems, etc. Unlike Sorcerers, a Magitek Knight never needs to worry about running out of mana. The only limitation is that Magitek Knights can't create new spells and enchantments on the fly--their abilities tend to have strictly defined limits, and new ones need to be researched and designed and crafted into their Magitek. Due to the nature of Magitek, Knights tend to be more methodical and patient, putting in the work to craft new items. The greatest Magitek Knight is The Arch-Paladin.
- Espers - individuals whose inner mana has been influenced by the natural mana of the world, and thus transformed. Unlike Sorcerers and Magitek Knights, Espers can't freely use their mana to cast spells. Instead, they have been permanently transformed, with any range of abilities, like shapeshifting, growing armored scales and spike, sprouting wings, and so on. Espers can never lose their powers--unlike Sorcerers whose mana runs dry, or Magitek Knights without their gear--but are also the least adaptable of the three. The most feared Esper is The Incarnate Dragon.
The Factions:
In general the three types of magic users belong to their own factions, though exceptions are far from unheard of.
- The Sorcerer Clans - a loose confederation of humans who are descended from the destroyed Sorcerer Kingdoms, and origin of most Sorcerers. Driven back from their ancient strongholds, they now longer on the outskirts of modern society, and have sworn to take revenge and rebuild their Kingdoms. Ruled by The Rebel Prince.
- The Magitek Guilds - the society that keeps the secrets of Magitek, training new Knights. The defenders of those without magic, they are stalwart guardians--though some say they guard their power jealously... Led by The Guildmaster.
- The Wild Enclaves - hidden places where Esper society shelters itself from the rage of the Magitek Wars. Long scorned as freaks by the rest of the world, they simply wish to hide themselves from the world. Guarded by The Far Rider.
Gameplay:
Gameplay is a bit more complex, but is also designed to be player-driven. There are four gameplay components for every character.
Hallmarks:
This is a key bit of character building.--it's your character's defining concept, and it says one unique thing about your character. And by unique, I mean unique--whatever you say your character's Hallmark is, your character is the only one in the setting who has that exact description. Your character can be the only shapeshifter with three different forms. Or the only honest Paladin in the wasteland. Or the only baker who can make cactus pie taste good. Or the inventor of the Seven-Swords Style. Or the fastest coward on one leg. From the mundane to the silly to the epic, your Hallmark is your way of asserting your character's individuality and your agency on the setting. Go crazy--this is meant to be a sandbox RP ^_^.
Bonds:
As a way of avoiding the RP becoming a mess of isolated adventures, your characters also have bonds--their most precious relationships. It doesn't have to a romantic or friendly relationship (arch nemeses is a valid Bond), or even with a specific person (you could swear undying loyalty to the Magitek Guild, or some other organization, or even an ideal). What matters is that when something involving your character's Bonds comes up, it immediately becomes their top priority. You can use one of the predefined factions or NPCs as your character's Bond, or another player's character, or create an NPC or organization of your own. You're free to make anything up, to define what's most important to your character.
Talents:
These are your character's particularly special skills and abilities. They're not as unique as a Hallmark, but they still distinguish your character, identify them as more than your average schmuck. For example, any old mage could cast a fireball--but you have a Talent for creating Flame Flower Disks that spiral into clouds of flame. Any sword-fighter can dual wield--but you have a Talent for Wielding Dual Sword-Chucks. Consider these your character's signature abilities, and use them to make your character as awesome as you want.
Mana Points:
Talents may be your cool abilities, but Mana Points are how you control the story. When you spend a Mana Point, you can declare a story detail, and it's immutable and incontrovertible fact. Mana Points give you narrative agency and authority. If you want to say you've been hiding a secret ace-in-the-hole up your sleeve the whole time, that will completely turn a fight around, you can spend a Mana Point to make it so. If you want to pull off an impossibly cool stunt, which should by all rights break your neck, you can spend a Mana Point to make it so. Hell, if you want to reveal that your last defeat was just the latest step in your secret master plan, and that you've already basically won, you can spend a Mana Point to make it so. In a sense, Mana Points give you single moment of godmodding, no questions asked.
Sounds broken, no? But there are two limitations, that hopefully prevent the story from being completely derailed. First, someone else can also spend a Mana Point to complicate your own usage of Mana Points--they can't outright negate the effect of your Mana Point, but they can also twist the effect to their advantage. Say you try to finish the Big Bad once and for all with a swirling dragon of flame, and spend a Mana Point to make it so. But then he also counters with a Mana Point, redirecting the blast into a nearby building. But he can't negate the benefits of your Mana Point outright--so now the building collapses, threatening to crush the both of you. So his Mana Point adds to the story, while still giving you the upper hand at maybe taking him out.
Second, you can earn Mana Points in only one of two ways. One: you pull off a crazy awesome feat, that most people/the GM think is pretty damn cool, without spending a Mana Point to achieve it. In a sense, if you pull off the crazy awesome without godmodding, you earn the chance for godmodding later. Two: you concede a fight. And not just run away, or back off--you need to properly acknowledge that you lost, that your plans were set back, that you suffered a proper defeat. In this case, the Mana Point is a reward for complicating your story, and thus gives you insurance to solve the problem.
Everyone starts off with three Mana Points. Mana Points can only be granted by the GM, but they can certainly be recommended for you by other players (in essence, if the rest of the players think you've contributed to the RP in an awesome way).
Hallmarks:
This is a key bit of character building.--it's your character's defining concept, and it says one unique thing about your character. And by unique, I mean unique--whatever you say your character's Hallmark is, your character is the only one in the setting who has that exact description. Your character can be the only shapeshifter with three different forms. Or the only honest Paladin in the wasteland. Or the only baker who can make cactus pie taste good. Or the inventor of the Seven-Swords Style. Or the fastest coward on one leg. From the mundane to the silly to the epic, your Hallmark is your way of asserting your character's individuality and your agency on the setting. Go crazy--this is meant to be a sandbox RP ^_^.
Bonds:
As a way of avoiding the RP becoming a mess of isolated adventures, your characters also have bonds--their most precious relationships. It doesn't have to a romantic or friendly relationship (arch nemeses is a valid Bond), or even with a specific person (you could swear undying loyalty to the Magitek Guild, or some other organization, or even an ideal). What matters is that when something involving your character's Bonds comes up, it immediately becomes their top priority. You can use one of the predefined factions or NPCs as your character's Bond, or another player's character, or create an NPC or organization of your own. You're free to make anything up, to define what's most important to your character.
Talents:
These are your character's particularly special skills and abilities. They're not as unique as a Hallmark, but they still distinguish your character, identify them as more than your average schmuck. For example, any old mage could cast a fireball--but you have a Talent for creating Flame Flower Disks that spiral into clouds of flame. Any sword-fighter can dual wield--but you have a Talent for Wielding Dual Sword-Chucks. Consider these your character's signature abilities, and use them to make your character as awesome as you want.
Mana Points:
Talents may be your cool abilities, but Mana Points are how you control the story. When you spend a Mana Point, you can declare a story detail, and it's immutable and incontrovertible fact. Mana Points give you narrative agency and authority. If you want to say you've been hiding a secret ace-in-the-hole up your sleeve the whole time, that will completely turn a fight around, you can spend a Mana Point to make it so. If you want to pull off an impossibly cool stunt, which should by all rights break your neck, you can spend a Mana Point to make it so. Hell, if you want to reveal that your last defeat was just the latest step in your secret master plan, and that you've already basically won, you can spend a Mana Point to make it so. In a sense, Mana Points give you single moment of godmodding, no questions asked.
Sounds broken, no? But there are two limitations, that hopefully prevent the story from being completely derailed. First, someone else can also spend a Mana Point to complicate your own usage of Mana Points--they can't outright negate the effect of your Mana Point, but they can also twist the effect to their advantage. Say you try to finish the Big Bad once and for all with a swirling dragon of flame, and spend a Mana Point to make it so. But then he also counters with a Mana Point, redirecting the blast into a nearby building. But he can't negate the benefits of your Mana Point outright--so now the building collapses, threatening to crush the both of you. So his Mana Point adds to the story, while still giving you the upper hand at maybe taking him out.
Second, you can earn Mana Points in only one of two ways. One: you pull off a crazy awesome feat, that most people/the GM think is pretty damn cool, without spending a Mana Point to achieve it. In a sense, if you pull off the crazy awesome without godmodding, you earn the chance for godmodding later. Two: you concede a fight. And not just run away, or back off--you need to properly acknowledge that you lost, that your plans were set back, that you suffered a proper defeat. In this case, the Mana Point is a reward for complicating your story, and thus gives you insurance to solve the problem.
Everyone starts off with three Mana Points. Mana Points can only be granted by the GM, but they can certainly be recommended for you by other players (in essence, if the rest of the players think you've contributed to the RP in an awesome way).
Sign-Ups:
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Appearance: Can also include equipment and gear here
Personality:
History: Optional, if you intend to reveal it in-game
Class: Sorcerer, Magitek Knight, or Esper
Hallmark: One unique thing about your character; see Gameplay for more details
Bonds: The most important relationships your character has; see Gameplay for more details. Make sure to explain the nature of each Bond
Talents: Your character's signature abilities (you can have up to three); see Gameplay for more details. Make sure to explain how your characters powers work, both in general and for specific Talents.
Other: Anything else?
Age:
Gender:
Appearance: Can also include equipment and gear here
Personality:
History: Optional, if you intend to reveal it in-game
Class: Sorcerer, Magitek Knight, or Esper
Hallmark: One unique thing about your character; see Gameplay for more details
Bonds: The most important relationships your character has; see Gameplay for more details. Make sure to explain the nature of each Bond
Talents: Your character's signature abilities (you can have up to three); see Gameplay for more details. Make sure to explain how your characters powers work, both in general and for specific Talents.
Other: Anything else?
Characters:
- Aina Erys - Renewal
- Marcel Wyrdhart - Renewal
- Jin Urahara - Heroic Sociopath
- Drew Scarlet - Naoto
- Lee Alwood - Peaceful Giraffe
- Philip Whice - BadAssKoala
- Gemini Leonidas - Heliolisk
- Nellie Sanderson - Joltik
- Chrysanthos - Arcturus
- Adam Sinclair - Flaze
RESERVATIONS:
- Wild Jr.
- zookinator
- kush232
Any questions or clarification needed, just ask Renewal!
And here are the sign-ups for my two characters:
Name: Aina Erys
Age: 21
Gender: Female
Appearance: A wild-looking girl, with long, messy raven-colored hair and intense hazel eyes, who stands tall and lean. Often dirty and disheveled, she wears a sturdy but worn Sorcerer's cloak over functional dark traveling clothes. Her cloak bears the crest of the Erys family on the back and the sigils of a registered member of the Magitek Guild on the shoulders, but both have been slashed through. The ornate gilt on the cloak's edges have been similarly removed, and its long billowing sleeves have been cut away, leaving her forearms free and exposed.
Personality: Harsh, quiet, and relentless, Aina's ultimate concern is first her self-preservation, than her revenge on the Magitek Guild. She doesn't care about the innate differences that separate Sorcerer, Knight, and Esper; instead, she cares only about one's conscious affiliation, whether or not they side with the Magitek Guild. As such, she is indifferent to those who have no strong ties to a faction, will support an enemy of the Magitek Guild--though with minimized risk to herself--and will vehemently pursue any advocate of the Guild. Beyond that simple judgement, Aina simply values people on their present and long-term usefulness to her.
History: A prodigy formerly of the Magitek Guild, and was one of the rare Sorcerers sanctioned and sponsored by the Guild. When her Sorcerer powers were discovered at a young age, her aristocrat parents surrendered her to the Guild, which immediately began grooming her as a Sorcerer-Hunter, trained to turn their magic against them. In her teenage years, she performed magnificently; the Sorcerer Clans whispered her name fearfully and hatefully, dreading the day she would truly come into her own. But the discovery of her special power changed all that: Blood Magic, an art so foul the Guild could no longer condone her. She was cast out, betrayed by the Guild. Now, she seeks only to destroy the organization that took her life from her and left her with nothing.
Class: Sorcerer
Hallmark: The only known Blood Mage, a Sorcerer who can manipulate others' blood within their own bodies, even though the mana within them--active or not--normally prevents anyone from doing so.
Bonds:
- Aina is completely defined by her hatred of the Magitek Guild. They raised her, trained her, cared for her: they are her teachers, comrades, friends. And in her eyes, every single one of them betrayed her. She will stop at nothing to bring about the ruin and destruction of all who declare allegiance to the Guild.
- However, among the Guild, there is one individual who stands above all the rest: Master Erys, her father's sister and her personal mentor from her time in the Guild. Master Erys was the one who taught her to value and admire her Sorcerer powers in her youth--and it was Master Erys who first raised a blade against her when her Blood Magic was discovered. In Aina's eyes, Death is too kind a fate for her aunt.
Talents:
- Blood Puppetry. By exerting her will upon the flow of blood in another being's body, Aina can control their motions. The level of focus determines the precision of her control; a simple thought can let her force someone aside, dedicated concentration can allow her to move someone's limbs in a coordinated fashion, and absolute focus--almost to the point where she loses awareness of her own body--can let her manipulate someone's fine motion perfectly (even to the level of controlling speech). Of course, the focus required leaves her vulnerable, especially as her control increases; moreover, someone snapping free (usually by flooding their body with raw mana to flush away her influence) will leave her drained. Controlling multiple target also requires exponentially greater focus.
- Blood Vitality. Like a Vampire, Aina can gain energy from blood--not by drinking it, but by ripping the mana from the vital energies within. This allows her to circumvent the mana limits of Sorcerers; in drastic circumstances, she can even use her own blood to augment her spells. However, it is a grossly inefficient process: most blood contains very little mana, and can power only simple, blunt spells of pure force. Only beings whose body is saturated in mana can make an appreciable difference: Sorcerers and Espers. But such a target is a risky proposition: until her victim's mana is completely drained and the victim dies, the victim can try to reassert control of their mana, making draining magical targets like Sorcerers and Espers dangerous.
- Blood Crafting. Aina can shape weapons and other tools out of her own blood, with absurd toughness for their material. As such, she is very difficult to completely disarm. Of course, since she uses her own blood for such constructs, there's a finite size limit to what she can create, with the blood loss appropriately impeding her.
Gender: Female
Appearance: A wild-looking girl, with long, messy raven-colored hair and intense hazel eyes, who stands tall and lean. Often dirty and disheveled, she wears a sturdy but worn Sorcerer's cloak over functional dark traveling clothes. Her cloak bears the crest of the Erys family on the back and the sigils of a registered member of the Magitek Guild on the shoulders, but both have been slashed through. The ornate gilt on the cloak's edges have been similarly removed, and its long billowing sleeves have been cut away, leaving her forearms free and exposed.
Personality: Harsh, quiet, and relentless, Aina's ultimate concern is first her self-preservation, than her revenge on the Magitek Guild. She doesn't care about the innate differences that separate Sorcerer, Knight, and Esper; instead, she cares only about one's conscious affiliation, whether or not they side with the Magitek Guild. As such, she is indifferent to those who have no strong ties to a faction, will support an enemy of the Magitek Guild--though with minimized risk to herself--and will vehemently pursue any advocate of the Guild. Beyond that simple judgement, Aina simply values people on their present and long-term usefulness to her.
History: A prodigy formerly of the Magitek Guild, and was one of the rare Sorcerers sanctioned and sponsored by the Guild. When her Sorcerer powers were discovered at a young age, her aristocrat parents surrendered her to the Guild, which immediately began grooming her as a Sorcerer-Hunter, trained to turn their magic against them. In her teenage years, she performed magnificently; the Sorcerer Clans whispered her name fearfully and hatefully, dreading the day she would truly come into her own. But the discovery of her special power changed all that: Blood Magic, an art so foul the Guild could no longer condone her. She was cast out, betrayed by the Guild. Now, she seeks only to destroy the organization that took her life from her and left her with nothing.
Class: Sorcerer
Hallmark: The only known Blood Mage, a Sorcerer who can manipulate others' blood within their own bodies, even though the mana within them--active or not--normally prevents anyone from doing so.
Bonds:
- Aina is completely defined by her hatred of the Magitek Guild. They raised her, trained her, cared for her: they are her teachers, comrades, friends. And in her eyes, every single one of them betrayed her. She will stop at nothing to bring about the ruin and destruction of all who declare allegiance to the Guild.
- However, among the Guild, there is one individual who stands above all the rest: Master Erys, her father's sister and her personal mentor from her time in the Guild. Master Erys was the one who taught her to value and admire her Sorcerer powers in her youth--and it was Master Erys who first raised a blade against her when her Blood Magic was discovered. In Aina's eyes, Death is too kind a fate for her aunt.
Talents:
- Blood Puppetry. By exerting her will upon the flow of blood in another being's body, Aina can control their motions. The level of focus determines the precision of her control; a simple thought can let her force someone aside, dedicated concentration can allow her to move someone's limbs in a coordinated fashion, and absolute focus--almost to the point where she loses awareness of her own body--can let her manipulate someone's fine motion perfectly (even to the level of controlling speech). Of course, the focus required leaves her vulnerable, especially as her control increases; moreover, someone snapping free (usually by flooding their body with raw mana to flush away her influence) will leave her drained. Controlling multiple target also requires exponentially greater focus.
- Blood Vitality. Like a Vampire, Aina can gain energy from blood--not by drinking it, but by ripping the mana from the vital energies within. This allows her to circumvent the mana limits of Sorcerers; in drastic circumstances, she can even use her own blood to augment her spells. However, it is a grossly inefficient process: most blood contains very little mana, and can power only simple, blunt spells of pure force. Only beings whose body is saturated in mana can make an appreciable difference: Sorcerers and Espers. But such a target is a risky proposition: until her victim's mana is completely drained and the victim dies, the victim can try to reassert control of their mana, making draining magical targets like Sorcerers and Espers dangerous.
- Blood Crafting. Aina can shape weapons and other tools out of her own blood, with absurd toughness for their material. As such, she is very difficult to completely disarm. Of course, since she uses her own blood for such constructs, there's a finite size limit to what she can create, with the blood loss appropriately impeding her.
Name: Marcel Wyrdhart
Age: 19
Gender: Male
Appearance: A plain-faced, weather-beaten boy, with pale sandy hair and sharp grey eyes. Well-accustomed to life in the wastes between cities, he wears toughened leather armor and a dull but well-cared-for steel breastplate and gauntlets, and carries a shield on his left arm. Both the shield and his breastplate are marked with the sigil of the Magitek Guild, and along with the gauntlets are marked by the traceries of protective Magitek enchantments. Hanging from his left pauldron is the white braided half-cape of a Paladin apprentice, but it is so tattered as to be near unrecognizable. His sword is plain an undecorated, but its blade is pitch black and sparks and flashes with the light of Magitek.
Personality: Reserved but not aloof, Marcel is a wanderer at heart. His Paladin training often shines through, and his first instinct is usually to offer aid or protection unconditionally. However, his time in the wastes has hardened him, and though the ensuing shame weighs at his heart, he has learned how to keep his head down and let the injustices of life be.
History: Formerly a Paladin apprentice for the Magitek Guild, he was among the band of Paladins dispatched when one Aina Erys was declared a persona non grata by the Guild, after she struck down Master Erys when she fled. The Blood Mage was a canny and dangerous opponent, and struck down the Paladins one by one as she made her escape. The effort took its toll on her however, and when Marcel caught up to her--the sole survivor of the band--she was wounded and exhausted, her mana almost gone, though she had replenished it twice by desperately draining her own life force. The sight of the battered girl stirred pity in his heart, and though she struck him and speared him through the shoulder, Marcel left his sword sheathed and let her go. His failure saw him stripped of his rank and exiled from the city. He accepted the punishment with good grace, knowing that in truth Aina did not deserve to be free, but still unwilling to strike her down. Now he wanders from city to city, trying to atone--and already he has made something of a name for himself, when he won the Sacred Sword Gram.
Class: Magitek Knight
Hallmark: Bearer of the Sacred Sword Gram. The blade is a masterwork of Magitek: it has enchantments cleverly worked that allows mana to be gathered and channeled through the blade in many different ways. Most Magitek enchantments have a singular function; complex Magitek is thus composed of countless simpler enchantments working in tandem. Sacred Sword Gram is enchanted by a variable rune, giving it unparalleled versatility.
Bonds:
- As an outcast of the Guild, Marcel now follows the example of the Arch-Paladin, seeking to emulate his code of ideals as a paragon for all, regardless of allegiance or loyalty. However, he is learning that the legend of the Arch-Paladin is often more myth than substance, and that his code is often untenable and even more often unwelcome in the parts of the world that hate the Magitek Knights.
- Because her initial escape is his fault, Marcel feels that Aina Erys' continued freedom is his responsibility. He follows the trail of her path, hoping to atone for his failure by capturing the rogue Sorcerer.
Talents: as a Magitek Knight of limited resources, most of Marcel's talents are rooted in his ability to use Sacred Sword Gram
- Swordsmanship. Even without Sacred Sword Gram, he is a talented and quick swordsman, favoring pragmatic attacks over the formal style of the Paladins.
- Sacred Sword techniques: as the bearer of Sacred Sword Gram, Marcel can unleash the myriad of enchantments inscribed within its variable rune, from simply augmenting the blade with mana to creating chains of energy to forming shields of light. However, with his education and training as a Paladin of the Guild incomplete, Marcel is hard-pressed to unlock many of the more complex spells the blade is capable of.
- Manastealer. Sacred Sword Gram has a terribly powerful secondary effect--the blade's enchantment is very mana-intensive. Compared to a sword with an identical enchantment, Sacred Sword Gram's enchantment costs almost twice as much mana. In the case of more powerful spells, Sacred Sword Gram can noticeably drain the vicinity of mana beyond its natural replenishment--sustained use of its enchantment can leave an area a lifeless waste devoid of mana. While it can thus feed on Sorcerer's spells even more voraciously than other Magitek weapons, Marcel must be careful that it not drain too much of his own mana, as he is often the most convenient source for the sword.
Gender: Male
Appearance: A plain-faced, weather-beaten boy, with pale sandy hair and sharp grey eyes. Well-accustomed to life in the wastes between cities, he wears toughened leather armor and a dull but well-cared-for steel breastplate and gauntlets, and carries a shield on his left arm. Both the shield and his breastplate are marked with the sigil of the Magitek Guild, and along with the gauntlets are marked by the traceries of protective Magitek enchantments. Hanging from his left pauldron is the white braided half-cape of a Paladin apprentice, but it is so tattered as to be near unrecognizable. His sword is plain an undecorated, but its blade is pitch black and sparks and flashes with the light of Magitek.
Personality: Reserved but not aloof, Marcel is a wanderer at heart. His Paladin training often shines through, and his first instinct is usually to offer aid or protection unconditionally. However, his time in the wastes has hardened him, and though the ensuing shame weighs at his heart, he has learned how to keep his head down and let the injustices of life be.
History: Formerly a Paladin apprentice for the Magitek Guild, he was among the band of Paladins dispatched when one Aina Erys was declared a persona non grata by the Guild, after she struck down Master Erys when she fled. The Blood Mage was a canny and dangerous opponent, and struck down the Paladins one by one as she made her escape. The effort took its toll on her however, and when Marcel caught up to her--the sole survivor of the band--she was wounded and exhausted, her mana almost gone, though she had replenished it twice by desperately draining her own life force. The sight of the battered girl stirred pity in his heart, and though she struck him and speared him through the shoulder, Marcel left his sword sheathed and let her go. His failure saw him stripped of his rank and exiled from the city. He accepted the punishment with good grace, knowing that in truth Aina did not deserve to be free, but still unwilling to strike her down. Now he wanders from city to city, trying to atone--and already he has made something of a name for himself, when he won the Sacred Sword Gram.
Class: Magitek Knight
Hallmark: Bearer of the Sacred Sword Gram. The blade is a masterwork of Magitek: it has enchantments cleverly worked that allows mana to be gathered and channeled through the blade in many different ways. Most Magitek enchantments have a singular function; complex Magitek is thus composed of countless simpler enchantments working in tandem. Sacred Sword Gram is enchanted by a variable rune, giving it unparalleled versatility.
Bonds:
- As an outcast of the Guild, Marcel now follows the example of the Arch-Paladin, seeking to emulate his code of ideals as a paragon for all, regardless of allegiance or loyalty. However, he is learning that the legend of the Arch-Paladin is often more myth than substance, and that his code is often untenable and even more often unwelcome in the parts of the world that hate the Magitek Knights.
- Because her initial escape is his fault, Marcel feels that Aina Erys' continued freedom is his responsibility. He follows the trail of her path, hoping to atone for his failure by capturing the rogue Sorcerer.
Talents: as a Magitek Knight of limited resources, most of Marcel's talents are rooted in his ability to use Sacred Sword Gram
- Swordsmanship. Even without Sacred Sword Gram, he is a talented and quick swordsman, favoring pragmatic attacks over the formal style of the Paladins.
- Sacred Sword techniques: as the bearer of Sacred Sword Gram, Marcel can unleash the myriad of enchantments inscribed within its variable rune, from simply augmenting the blade with mana to creating chains of energy to forming shields of light. However, with his education and training as a Paladin of the Guild incomplete, Marcel is hard-pressed to unlock many of the more complex spells the blade is capable of.
- Manastealer. Sacred Sword Gram has a terribly powerful secondary effect--the blade's enchantment is very mana-intensive. Compared to a sword with an identical enchantment, Sacred Sword Gram's enchantment costs almost twice as much mana. In the case of more powerful spells, Sacred Sword Gram can noticeably drain the vicinity of mana beyond its natural replenishment--sustained use of its enchantment can leave an area a lifeless waste devoid of mana. While it can thus feed on Sorcerer's spells even more voraciously than other Magitek weapons, Marcel must be careful that it not drain too much of his own mana, as he is often the most convenient source for the sword.
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