What the Emperor Doesn't Know

Welcome to Pash- land of pristine beauty, wealth and majesty.
Welcome to Pash- land of bloodshed, heartbreak and corrupt leadership.

Emperor Tharin rules over a kingdom of cleanliness, wealth and pleasure. Everything has order, and every street is teaming with the ones who are trusted to keep that order. Never has one seen a such a peaceful, thief-free market square or such clean stone walkways. Everywhere you look, you see beautiful, carefully selected and placed decorations, and beautiful people who wear beautiful clothes. The parks are the most beautiful things a pair of eyes could ever hope to glimpse, and they offer a safe haven for locals and travellers alike. The arena that’s located in the center of the city is an architectural feat- the stone walls tower over the majority of the housing in Pash, and the inside offers many a morning, afternoon and night of the best entertainment around.

But all of this perfection has to come at a price- one that is overlooked by the majority of Pashan people. Emperor Tharin has multiple, strictly enforced rules that aid Pash in keeping its rather fashionable state. Orphans, street-rats, beggars, the homeless in general- they are all outlaws. If caught, they’re killed on sight, sold into slavery, or used in games at the arena. Any man, woman or child who is dubbed ‘abnormal’ by somebody with power suffers the same fate. The slums of Pash are located near the south-east of the city, blocked off by a giant stone wall. The people here are not allowed to own weapons, and are only allowed outside the walls one day a week- usually referred to as the Day of Filth. Most avoid the streets on these days, and the level of guards in the city is doubled. To make matters worse for them, their own little section of city is often raided by guards and those of higher rankings. The people are sometimes pulled out of their homes and forced to work as slaves, or shoved into the games for no other reason than that their supply of victims is running low. Sometimes, the guards just do whatever they want to whomever they want and leave them in the middle of the street to die.

However, a resistance is being put up, led by a man by the name of Leinad Marsuvis. He is advanced in both age and experience, and holds a very stunning amount of power and respect in the city. He runs the most famous weapons and armor shop in Pash, and many of his items are hand-crafted by him and one-of-a-kind. Leinad is trusted, thought to be loyal to the emperor and his son, and is secretly plotting against them. His resistance is not one of blood-shed or advertisement, but one of secrecy and a level of respect that nobody but him seems to understand. Leinad has many a secret, and his biggest one is what he believes will one day liberate Pash, if not save many lives.

Beneath the city, there is a network of underground tunnels and rooms. Hiding in these rooms are a shockingly large population of the abormals, the street-rats, escapee slaves and dozens of orphans, all of varying ages, and the majority of which are young girls who would have been forced to marry at disturbingly young ages in order to stay out of the arena and off of the blade of a sword. Down here, Leinad is known as Papa Lein, and he adores every single person he’s taken under his wing. Everybody down here has a position and a job in his little resistance, even the children. The tunnels also house supplies that’s smuggled to the mouths of slaves or to those who are struggling in the slums. The stores are full of food, clothes and little pieces of furniture- and toys for the children. The meeting room is locked at all times, and only those Leinad trusts most are allowed to enter.

The man has people all over the city- men and women of low and high rankings that are scattered throughout Pash.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION- The city

Spoiler

Note that Pash is Ancient Rome-esq as far as landscape, the arena and clothing go.

The Arena The arena, located at the heart of the city, is the source of Pash’s entertainment. Nearly every day, there’s a bloodbath. Gladiator fights, bloody executions, and different shows and performances that are always changing are major attractions for travelers. Wild beasts, wild dogs and wild people draw a much larger crowd than they should. It’s also a place for traveling performers to hold their shows, and in Pash, there’s never a shortage of those- every single day, there’s something worth seeing. On occasion, private shows are held for the Emperor, his son and his closest friends.

The Market Located near the arena, the market teams with stands owned and run by merchants and peddlers, both travelling and local. Around the large, crescent-shaped market is an iron fence. Merchants and peddlers are expected to arrive at the break of day to open up their little mini-shops and stands, giving the Market Guards time to thoroughly inspect every single one of them before opening the gates for the public. The market gates are closed in the late evening, and anybody locked inside usually ends up staying there until the next morning. The markets are always clean, and are very well-known for being thief-free.

The Guards There are multiple classes of guards in Pash, each designated to the area that their title implies:
•Palace Guards• Highest ranking guard; guard the palace and the palace grounds. They also guard the gates to the city. They are recognized by purple crests on their swords, armor and belts, as well as rings that they wear when off-duty.
•City Guards• Second-highest ranking guard; they guard the city and oversee the other minor sects of guards, as well as relay orders from the Emperor/palace guards to the minor rankings. Usually found patrolling the housing areas. Recognized by blue crests on their armor, swords and belts, and by a blue ring when off-duty.
•Arena Guards• Third-highest ranking guard; they guard the arena, both inside and out, and are in charge of supervising clean-up both pre-show and post-show. They keep the gladiators in-line and make sure that all who are being pushed into the games are pushed into the games. Recognized by red crests on their armor, swords and belts, and a red ring when off-duty.
•Business Area Guards• Third-lowest ranking guard. They patrol the business area of town, keeping the shops free of thieves and everything in-order. Recognized by green crests on their armor, swords and belts, and a green ring when off-duty.
•Park Guards• Lowest ranking guards. Definitely the guards with the dullest job. They guard the parks, keeping them free of peace-breakers and making sure they stay clean. They are also in charge of the park keepers. Recognized by black crests on their armor, swords and belts, and a black ring when off-duty.
•Market Guards• They share the position of lowest-ranking with the Park Guards, though their position is just barely more exciting. They are in charge of the markets, inspecting the stands, keeping things clean, keeping the grounds pick-pocket free and the opening/closing of the markets. They also have a lot to deal with on the Day of Filth once every seven days.

Religion The religion in Pash is similar to that of Ancient Rome. They worship multiple gods and goddesses, each with their own purpose. However, after the main gods and goddesses, the rest are split into three categories: gods/goddesses that benefit men, gods/goddesses that benefit women and children and god/goddesses that benefit both genders. A list of these deities can be found in another spoiler at the bottom of the post.

The Balance of power Men are the overlords in Pash, as was natural for the time. Though women with wealth do have relative freedom as far as marriage and governing their own lives goes, once married, everything they own becomes their husband's, and he has complete control over what he does with it. Though it's getting less and less common, there are men with more than one wife, and many wives are much younger than their husbands. The women hold very little, if not any, political power.
The heir to the Pashan throne holds much power, and his father is allowing him more and more as time progresses. The emperor himself has fashioned his son after his own heart.

Slavery Slavery is a very large part of Pashan culture. The slaves have many function that range from hard labor to house-hold tasks to merely acting as collectors' items and objects of trade. Gladiators are all slaves- captured during war or exploits, brought to the arena and trained to fight. Though some men became gladiators "voluntarily," they have all but sold themselves into a bondage that lasts until they have acquired enough money to buy their freedom and make a good life for themselves.

The city gates The walls are huge- long, tall and thick, they encompass the entire city and offer protection. They are impossible to climb or scale, and are assumed to be virtually impenetrable. The gates themselves are also huge, and very heavily guarded. (Often by a mixture of Palace and City Guards) Anybody seeking entry into the city goes through examination, must register themselves and their reason for coming to the city and pay a small fee for travel papers that they must have on their person at all times.
The gates open at the break of dawn, close for an hour around midday and reopen until midnight.

The papers Pashans are required to carry papers with them whenever they are out in public. These papers prove their citizenship and certain aspects of personal information including the full name of the person in question, the date of their birth, family relationships, social standing, rank and any extras that the citizen felt they should add. Without these papers, unless you are very well-known by the guards, you can suffer a number of punishments, depending on the mood and the nature of the guard who caught you.
Traveler papers are similar in nature, though they do, obviously, state the person as a traveler before anything else. The paper requires your full name, place and date of your birth, you hometown/county/kingdom and your business in the city. You are not permitted to leave without these papers.

The slums Located in the southeast of the city and cut off from the rest of Pash by a huge brick wall, the slums are a depressing place to live. There are always guards stationed at the only entrance/exit, and there are many a night, or even a day, when guards, soldiers and others raid the entire mini-village. They take and do whatever they please to whomever they please, and since it is illegal for any people of the slums to carry a weapon, the people there are often left defenseless. Despite a growing population, the emperor refuses to allow the people to extend the walls. It's over-crowded and dangerous. A lack of supplies (as the people are only allowed out on the Day of Filth and what they can purchase is very limited) has caused many fights and deaths.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION- The outlaws

Spoiler

Blinds, deafs and mutes Any people who were born with (or deprived of during very early years) one or a combination of the three aforementioned disabilities are illegal. Punishment is usually death on sight or being thrown into the arena games as bait for the beasts or a public warm-up for some of the most famous gladiators. However, if one lost one or a combination of the three abilities after the age of ten, so long as there was an obvious reason, they are typically not treated any differently.

The deformed Any human born with a deformity of some sort is illegal, typically killed at birth. Otherwise, if caught, punishment is death-on-sight.

Severe mental disabilities/insanity cases Any human known to have a major mental disability (it would have been assumed that they were a child of a devil in ancient Pash) is killed on sight. However, if this person is merely insane or something of the sort, they can be used as entertainment in the arena, or sold into the darker sects of slavery.

Street-rats, the homeless and beggars Under this category also fall thieves and pick-pockets. These people are all killed on sight or in a public execution depending on the nature of their crimes, how much they've irritated the guards and disrupted the peace, among other things.

Orphans Orphans are considered to be the scum of Pash- lower than the other street-rats and pick-pockets. They are typically shoved into the games, and they all suffer brutal deaths. A few are killed on sight, and the prettier girls are kept for a week at a time- men can come and purchase them off of the Arena Guards and ‘train’ them to be good wives, marrying them at the legal age of 12. (Most women don’t marry until they’re between the ages of 14 to 18) The emperor despises them, and he makes life as hard as possible for them. Even children who come from rich families are killed when orphaned if nobody takes them in within the first week.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION- The tunnels and the resistance

Spoiler

The five entrances The tunnels have a grand total of five secret entrances- one behind the counter and under an old mat in Leinad's shop, one in an old and relatively unused hallway in the palace, one in the city's library- way in the back and covered by a tapestry and a rolling bookshelf over that, one in the furthest corner of the slums, a nearly invisible door that leads into the outer wall and down a ladder into the tunnels, and one that's carved into the outer wall of the arena, far from the gates. It goes under the bleachers, into a cramped space with a ladder. This entry tends to be the most tricky, because if you don't close the doorway just right, it's noticeable by patrons.

The tunnels The tunnels themselves run all through through the city's underground. The five main tunnels all have multiple twists, turns, forks and intersections to keep the unwanted lost. There are many rooms in the tunnels, each used for different things. The main room has three sects and two walls on either side. Currently, they function as a boy's hospital on one side and a girl's hospital on the other. The center of the main room is where everybody currently living in the tunnels loiter about and mingle.

The "Council"] Not a real council, but made up of seven who dwell in the city itself and two people who have been in the tunnel the longest. The 'council' has both men and women, and is ultimately lead by Leinad. His granddaughter, the prince's slave girl, a physician, a palace and the two tunnel darkness who have been around the longest are the unofficial members. They meet in the Meeting Room on a regular basis, often to dissect, ponder, discuss and ultimately solve hard decisions. They are also responsible for filling out jobs, have different assigned says for feeding, cleaning, scouting above-ground (though the two tunnel-dwellers are not allowed in the city for obvious safety reasons), etc...

Different jobs in the tunnels Although the tunnel-dwellers are typically free to do whatever try want below-ground whenever they want, Leinad often assigns the people with jobs that they are to complete in a day. There's always a reward for job completion, especially for the younger children. Leinad and the other seven always try to keep the jobs revolving around a tunnel-dweller's personal interests. It keeps the resistance up and running, mouths fed and the tunnels safe.

The resistance This resistance is not one of bloodshed, loud rebels, swords and advertisement. It is one that quietly gets under the city's skin, finds weak points and relays the news to the tunnel leaders. They will undermine the emperor quietly, and the tactics for this peaceful battle are still ending decided.

Note that the tunnels have been being used by Leinad for the past seven years, though it wasn't until five years ago when he rescued his first orphan did anybody live in them. For the next few years, it was a group effort made by he and his daughter to rescue as many 'outlaws' as they could. Two years ago, the resistance began to form. They've only just started truly planning for it recently

rules

•-- The people running this SB are always right. Always. ( )
•-- No godmodding. It isn't fair, and it's really very annoying.
•--No perfect characters or Mary/Gary-Sues. It isn't fair, and just like godmodding, it's very aggravating to have to deal with.
•-- No double-posting unless there hasn't been a post for 24+ hours. If you have more than one character, have their separate point of views contained within one post.
•-- Posts must be at least 250+ words. It's not lots, and you can use This word count tool if you aren't sure.
•-- Romance is allowed, but no written sex scenes. Nobody wants to have to read the details, thank you very much.
•-- Swearing is allowed, but don't overdo it and no f-bombs. I'm sure that your characters could find better words to use.
•-- All out-of-character (OOC) posts to the DT, except for the character profiles. No OOC posts in the SB, please, as it ruins the flow and it's just annoying.
•-- This SB is co-modded with SisterItaly and ScarlettFire. What they say goes.
slots

Leinad (m)- Me (IshaThePirate)
Leinad's Granddaughter (f) - gleek456
Palace Guard - (m) - Dante - Destiny110
Prince's slave (f) (council member) - Asha- IshaThePirate
Physician (council member) - Synnovev
Orphan (council member) - (m) - Xanthus -Skins
Tunnel-dweller (council member) - Bartimaeus - DSF6647

Tunnel Dwellers (no more than three of each until we have more slots filled)

Orphans

Eselda (Essy/Ezzy) - (f)- IshaThePirate
orphan 1- Alicia - (f) - Noelle
orphan 2 - Tiberius - (m) - Skins

Other outlaws

Lyra (f)- SisterItaly
Tunnel Dweller 2- Lumi
Maura - (f) - Lauren101

Resistance Members (not council members)

Immigrated Warioress - Hestia - Ignorance
Resistance Member 2- Apple
Resistance Member 3- - thatoddkid
Leinad’s Apprentice - (m) - Louarn -ScarlettFire


Non-resistance Members

Prince - Riaghán - ScarlettFire
Emperor Tharin- Lumi
Empress Kalle - CelticaNoir
Slave Lord - Darren - DSF6647
(any other slots can be added- guards or rich civilians)

Character Templates

CodeSelect all

[b]Name:[/b] (first and last, unless they don't know their first)
[b]Age:[/b] (3-16 for orphans, 16+ for others)
[b]Gender[/b] (keep the boy:girl character ratio even)
[b]For or Against:[/b] (Are they for or against the resistance?)
[b]Rank/Title/Occupation[/b] (What roll do they play? Royalty, gaurd, orphan, blind, etc...)

[b]Appearance:[/b] (Written is mandatory, picture is optional. Put the picture in a spoiler if you have it. No emo/scene (keep in mind the time period). Anime is allowed)

[b]Personality:[/b] (Strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes. How does your character tick, what are their motives? At least 80 words can go here)

[b]Flaws/Weaknesses[/b] (Yes, your character does have them. Whether they're physical or emotional or mental is up to you, but please make sure that they're real and have some affect over your character)

[b]History:[/b] (Yes, you have to fill this out, an no, you can not have your character forgetting. What happens before yor character lost his/her memory? At the very least two five-lined paragraphs)

[b]Up For Love:[/b] (Yes, no, conditions, have you planned it with somebody else yet?)

[b]Other:[/b] (Anything we forgot or anything that doesn't fit with the above categories that you felt you needed to add)


****

The Gods/Goddesses

Spoiler

The Supreme Gods
Overlord/God of the gods: Törn
Steward of the earth: Ramyn (R-ah-min not Ramen)
Goddess of Fate: Lilisia
Messenger god: Babu

For Women and Children:
Goddess of Fertiity: Danina
Goddess of Sons (ensures the birth of a son): Meline
God of Protection (ensures a good-willed husband/father): Leo
Goddess of Beauty: Sanvina
Goddess of Wealth: Sanura
Goddess of Graceful Aging: Oaken
God of Submissiveness (makes it less pride-scarring to submit to a husband/father): Lilly-Gia

For Men
God of Wealth/Good Fortune: Xelia
God of Wives (ensures a submissive/beautiful wife/wives): Iago
Goddess of Fertility (different than the womens’): Bard
God of Financial Stability (keeps businesses afloat): Finias
God of Power and Strength: Feros
Goddess of Romance (makes wooing a bride easier): Aszrah
Goddess of Pleasure (ensures that life will be happy and blissful): Nearha

For Everybody

Goddess of Agriculture and Famine: Selese
God of the Waters and the Skies: Cobin
Goddess of Rain and Drought: Deføs
God of Weather (often argues with Selese and Deføs): Retahn
God of Animals and Beasts: Wistam
Goddess of Animals and Beasts: Nesheiah

Link to the DT: post911980.html#p911980

I went a little overboard, but I worked on Lyra for a week straight so I have an excuse. I’ll put quick sum-ups in spoilers or something.

Name: Lyra Peyton Davenport
Age: 19
Gender Female
For or Against: For
Rank/Title/Occupation Outlaw

Appearance:

Spoiler

To sum up her general appearance: That girl with scars all over her body.

Lyra isn’t an ugly girl, or a mysterious looking one. She’s rather average through her own eyes. She’s not unhappy with that, of course. Her remaining eye is aqua in color. Her hair is a light brown and bounces below her shoulders.

Her most visible scars are the one on her left arm that trails from an inch above her wrist to her elbow, and one that goes along her shoulder blades. They’re the thickest of her scars. On her front left shoulder, she has a burn in the shape of a crescent moon, and on her right is one of a sun. Her two slave scars. Her left eye is missing, and she covers it with an eyepatch.

She’s small, standing only at 5’2” and weighing in at 120lbs. She uses her nimble figure to her advantage. She may not be the best dead weight, but strength isn’t the only thing you need in a fight. She proves this well.

She keeps out of sight and in the shadows where no one can see her. She has been spotted before, but the best description anyone could give you of her is ‘a small, cloaked girl.’ She has a slight limp, but it’s only an old injury that doesn’t bother her unless she thinks about it.

Personality:

Spoiler

To sum it up: She looks strong and she will probably bite your ear off, but she’s actually horrified of everyone and everything.

Lyra seems mysterious and unknown to the outside eye, but she’s just afraid. She’s afraid of what would happen if someone recognised her slave-burn and sent her back. Or if someone wanted her dead for being a pain in the past. She’s been known to talk down to even the highest lords and ladies. Claiming they didn’t know what suffering was with all their tea and servants.

Of course, Lyra would never let anyone know she’s afraid. She stands with a strong back and fights for those weaker. It’s her main moral. She relies heavily on rules to keep herself safe. One of those rules being ‘Never show your face.’

When backed into a corner, Lyra tends to lose focus and just throws all her strength and energy into fighting (when she knows her speed and agility are what makes her a great fighter.) If captured or injured, she goes a little... insane. She’ll start with crying, then laughing, then begging. Though, she’d never admit that. No one smears her pride.

Lyra doesn’t trust easily, and it’s yet to be discovered if she can trust at all. She refuses to talk to people for as long as she can. To the few she’s close enough to talk to, she refers to herself as ‘A Sun’, especially when she’s talking about what a dark place the world really is.

Flaws/Weaknesses She’s horrified of silence and darkness. She doesn’t trust anyone. She doesn’t move if she knows she’s going to lose. She treats people like chess pieces, not humans (except for children, of course), and if she had the choice between saving Lein and anyone from the counsel or saving one child who was probably going to die from a sickness or something, she’d still save the child.

History:

Spoiler

She ran away while she was young and ignorant. Was branded a slave twice. During her time with her first master she was beaten and lost an eye. Her second master was killed. Her friend was killed. She found the tunnels and hid in them ever since.

Her father was a doctor, and her mother was a blooming socialite. Neither of them had much time for Lyra, so she ran away from home at a young age -- hoping to find someone would take her in and pay more attention to her. No one did. She found that life on the streets wasn’t as easy as she had thought it would be. She had to steal, and fight for food and clean water.

One day, a certain lord took interest in her and pulled her off the street and into his carriage. He said he was going to take her in and make her his new servant. She wouldn’t have to work hard and she’d be fed and taken care of. Being as cold, underfed and dirty as she was-- she simply nodded and went with him.

She came to find the lord to be a cruel, sadistic, and abusive man. Several of his servants trembled in fear when he walked by. They considered themselves to be slaves. He constantly beat them and burned them. On her right shoulder is a burn mark in the shape of a sun, from where he marked her as one of his servants. One day, while pouring wine she spilt the glass into the lap of a guest. She was dismissed immediately and told to wait in the servant quarters for her ‘lecture’. When the master came in, he beat her to the near inch of her life and gouged out her left eye.

She was put into intense care within the manor until she healed. Unfortunately, her eye wouldn’t be able to be replaced. She had enough, and at nine years of age she ran away for the second time in her life.

She was picked up from the side of the road, tied up, and held captive by malicious slave traders. They knew that servants were constantly running from the lord’s manor, and took advantage of them by pulling them off the streets before they could reach the town and get taken, or get killed.

When they reach their quarters, she was stripped down and branded for the second time in her life. This time, on her left shoulder in the shape of a crescent moon. She was quickly sold to a tea trader, who wasn’t nearly as abusive as her first lord. She wasn’t happy being a slave, but she was content with life.

Unfortunately, her new master wasn’t the brightest man. He owed several debts that he refused to pay-- for personal reasons that Lyra never heard. Since he wouldn’t pay them, he was killed. Along with anyone who got in the way of the killers. When they left, the three slaves that remained all took off running.

The older slave left her and a boy named James Andreas to fend for themselves. By this time, she had given up on humanity. James rekindled a small light in her. She took him under her wing like she was his older sister, and guardian. One day, he was ran over by a carriage. He was killed. The man who did it showed her no condolence, and called her and her adopted brother ‘filthy street rats.’ After that, Lyra refused to love. But she knew she couldn’t let this happen again, the streets were no place to live.

She found the tunnels, and has been hiding in them ever since. She helps out, but she avoids talking to people.

Up For Love: Sure, if you can stand what a pain she can be.

Other:

Save me a female slot please! People will be up tomorrow! Thank you!

Could I make a warrior female? Like a really high-ranked warrior? Perferably female!)

Name: Leinad Marsuvis (Papa Lein)
Age: 71
Gender Male
For or Against: For, I would think.
Rank/Title/Occupation Armory owner, Resistance leader, "Papa Lein"

Appearance: Leinad is a cheerful-appearing old man, and out of all of his wrinkles, his laugh lines are the most noticeable. He always seems to be smiling, save for during the more serious matters involving the resistance, and he has a tendency to laugh until his cheeks turn bright red. His eyes are a soft grey-blue in color, hidden behind thick circular spectacles and prominent bushy white eyebrows. His hair is all there, though it's snow-white and very curly. His happy old man appearance is complete with ablong beard that seems to match his brow quite well. His nose is large, and his lips have thinned with age. (It's safe to say that he still has all of his teeth, an he uses Agathian methods to keep them in tip-top shape). His belly is quite round, though not huge, and he always wears a dark, itchy-looking tunic and a leather chest piece while working to protect him from the elements of his shop. Once every month, as Agathian tradition demands, he celebrates Adari Mato- Day of Rest. Though the Pashans are unaware of his religion, they have to wonder why he closes his shop once every thirty days and wears the old crimson hood. On this day, his tunic is white with a golden belt.

Personality: Leinad is a generally cheerful man, one who laughs a lot and is able to crack jokes and hold long conversations with just about anyone. Above the tunnels, he is a sociable man with many friends and contacts. Though he does not attend banquets or the arena games, he manages to keep up with both friends and enemies-who-are-unaware-that-they-are-enemies. He does not hate those who oppose his secret views, or even those who would kill him and all who were connected with the tunnels if they were found out- true that they frustrate him beyond belief, but he genuinely feels sorry for them, an he's convinced that every single one of them just need to find their heart. He's the type to live and treasure everybody, hence his refusal to take the kingdom by storm. He does not believe that it his right or place to kill another man, regardless of what they've done or who they've been. Everybody can change, and everybody is human- everyone feels the sting of dejection and nobody genuinely loves to be hated. He takes a person's rage or heartlessness and breaks it down, gets to the core and finds out what could be causing a person so much pain that they would feel this way.

Aside from this, Leinad can be a genuinely tricky man. He is an excellent actor, knows how to lie and when it is necessary to do so, and definitely knows how to twist people the way he needs to. His precense, though his countenance is inviting and gentle, still demands some form of respect. Leidan is big on respect. All of these are necessities to be the leader of the resistance. He's observant, more if people than of other things, and it doesn't matter how well someosy plays it, Leinad will know what you're feeling, and just by putting a hand on another's shoulder, he can make them break down and cry- get it all out. He never asks questions as to the source of the hurt, however, until he is one hundred and seventy percent sure that the person in question is completely comfortable with him asking. He looks after his resistance members and tunnel dwellers, and he treats them all as his own sons and daughters, which is what earned him the nickname "Papa Lein," which is quite honestly what everybody who's part of the resistance call him.

Leinad also has a very strong moral code. When he came to Pash, what he found disturbed him. The games, the slayings, what happened for the gladiators after they performed well, the inequality and just about everything else. Where he came from, no man had more than one wife and no woman had more than one husband- girls were not forced into marriage so young to such old men, and orphans were not killed for not having parents. He views Pash as a lost city, and Emperor Tharin as a lost man who is dragging his son along with him. He wants to see a change in this land, and this strongwilled and stubborn man will get it.

To brush up on his temper- it's there, but it very, very rarely comes through. He scolds and disciplines, but not harshly and never physically. Extra chores or 'time outs' for the younger ones, often lectures, but never hitting and never spankings, and it pains him greatly to do what little he does to keep th peace. Though a genuinely angry Leinad is a very rare sight, but it is not one that anybody would wish to see any time soon.

He's a natural leader, and has the skills and experience to be one. He is also a teacher, and to him, a curious mind is one of the best kinds.

Flaws/Weaknesses Currently, Leinad's weaknesses are, for the most part, physical. Long before he came to Pash, he was an excellent fighter, choosing rods and staffs over swords and bows and arrows. However, his health is declining- everything hurts when he first rises in the morning; though it is usually treatable with stretches and a long walk. His left leg is a constant bother, and though he manages to hide his limp, it's there. He is getting arthritis in his fingers, which is extremely troublesome for his line of work, and is using any remedy he can get his hands on in order to delay its getting worse. He can walk at a brisk pace, but never ask the man to run unless he has no other choice but to do so. He is winded easily, and it puts an immense amount of strain on the joints in his left leg.

Of course, his vision is dimming, hence his need for the spectacles that he wears. They're an expensive pair, even more so than most, and he has a tendency to lose them (oh yes, he's one of THOSE old men). Without them, he claims that it looks like 'being in a dimmly-lit room with your eyes only half-open.' It irritates him like you wouldn't believe.

He seems to refuse to want to let go of his youth, and often pushes himself to the point of over-excersion. It leaves him exhausted at the end of the day, and his stubborn side kicks in. He refuses to rest, claiming that he can't leave things undone and rest easily with them as such. It leaves him even more exhausted come morning, and it's not helping his health by any means.

History: Leinad was born in a land from far oversees, a rather small country called Agathia. His mother was an Armor, his father a teacher and philosopher. Leinad was their only child, and so it would seem natural that both parents wanted him to follow in their footsteps. Leinad, for one, grew with a passion for both weapon craftsmanship and for leading and teaching others. It wasn't uncommon in Agathia for one human to have more than one profession; but his were very diverse, which was unusual, but he persued both. Typically, Agathians begin work at a young age, as they attend classes year-long from the ages of five to fifteen. The first parent that Leinad was able to succeed was his mother, starting right away in her own weapons and armor shop. He took after his father at the age of sixteen, teaching young children at first and elevating to the highest, most advanced classes within the span of a few months. He was a gifted man, and demanded respect even in Agathia.

Ten years later, not long after Leinad had reached the age of twenty-six years, Agathia was taken by storm. Though a normally peaceful country, they had no choice but to fight back or lose everything, and though they came out victorious, Leinad's life in Agathia was crushed. The town he reigned from had been completely demolished, leaving both parents dead along with his students. Heartbroken and desperate to escape the memories, Leinad left in the first ship he could catch- but not without a very large amount of money in his pocket. Or, money in the form of a few priceless jewels- his was a mining town, and it would seem that the raiders had 'dropped' a few treasures on their way out.

He isn't entirely sure of what led him to Pash, but by 27, Leinad had sold all three gems and opened up a new shop, outfitted with the newest, state-of-the-art equipment. He had saved up some money by doing little odds and ends on his voyage, which he used to furnish the small house above the shop and feed himself.

It didn't take long for him to realize, however, that Pash was not the city he thought it was. He had known of the arena games already, but after he found out what happened to the people in the slums, of the bizarre marriage laws and the heaps of different forms of immorality that the city stored, he was disgusted; but Leinad wasn't a man to give up on a place he had grown to love. (Yes, he loves Pash- he's just sorry to see what it's become) Withing months, he was smuggling food into the slums. It was his first act of business, as his knowledge was the sharpest with this area. It wasn't long before he fell in love with a woman who lived in a shack behind those walls, and he pulled her out of poverty to come live with him. Within the first seven months of living in the city, Leinad was both married and owned a very stable business. The foreign and different designs of his weaponry and armor made him a very popular man indeed, as- even though Agathia doesn't typically go to war- they are very well known for their mastery in such things.

Leinad and Resepha were blessed with a baby girl soon after, and when she became of-age (in the eyes of an Eidonian), she was allowed to marry a man with whom she had fallen very in love with, and who had decided to follow Eidonias' ways through Leinad and his family. Leinad and Resepha's daughter, Arisha, died in child-birth, and Leinad's broken-hearted son in law fell victim to a fever that had been sweeping the city at the time, and died, followed by Resepha. Leinad took his granddaughter in immediately, raising her as he had raised the girl's mother. The little child was the only one who kept him going during those hard years of his life. He allowed her ten times the amount of freedom that other Pashan girls were allowed, as the thought of molding her to fit with such a society as Pash disturbed him beyond measure.

Six years ago, Leinad came across his first orphan- Xanthus. The boy wasn't in the best shape, and it was easy to see that he was indeed an orphan. The tunnels that Leinad had discovered the year before beneath some floorboards in the building he had purchased for his shop seemed to be, and were, a suitable place to hide, treat and mend the young man. In the years that followed, Leinad and his granddaughter began picking people from the streets- ones who would have been slaughtered or sold into slavery otherwise, and cared for them below the city. Somewhere along the lines, Leinad met and befriended old Bartimaeus. The man was welcomed into the tunnels immediately, although he seemed to drift back to the streets often, even despite Leinad's pleas for him to stay in one place. Bartimaeus was determined, however, and the least Leinad could do was outfit the man's cane with that old metal rod- at least then he'd have some sort of protection while he was above-ground. Two years ago, the resistance began to take shape. Leinad became Papa Lein, and he formed a bond with every single individual under his care, whether they know about it or not.

Up For Love: Er. Not unless somebody feels like making another female character who is 50+, I don't think. He was married at one point, and he still misses his deceased wife. (And their daughter and son-in-law, at that)

Other: Leinad has been known to repeat the same sayings in certain situations:
If anybody ever says that they're worried about him being captured, he takes the words straight from an old Agathian celebration song:
"They can aim their arrows, but they'll never have the chance to break me."

When one gets prideful in their leadership, he often states:
"The greatest leaders are the ones who know when it's time to submit and follow the lead of another, even if this one is lower than they are." (It's how he's gotten by all of these years)

When a situation gets hard, and he notices that their flame and passion are dimming:
"If it isn't worth the prize, then why are we even fighting? A gladiator doesn't win his freedom by sitting idle; his task isn't an easy one by any means, but he perseveres, even if it means his death rather than his freedom." (He does plan on freeing the gladiators and giving them new lives at some point- the games disgust and horrify him)

When non-resistance members ask about the games and why he never attends:
"An old man like me doesn't have time for games- not to mention that my old life was a bit cushioned! Bloody fights don't sit well with me, I'm afraid." (Followed by a laugh)

When non-resistance members ask about his very large lack of slaves:
"Slaves? In a place like this? I'd have my throat cut open by one of my own swords in days!"

He also has a tendency to sing/hum while he works. All of the songs that he sings, he sings in Agathian- which I'm quite sure that no other character would understand, anyway. (There are a select few of you who might recognize the language- it's because I was too lazy to make a new one, and I don't feel like having gTranslate lie to me about my words)

****************************************

Name: Asha Yeahi
Age: 16 1/2
Gender Female
For or Against: For
Rank/Title/Occupation The prince's slave-girl, spy for the resistance, resistance council member.

Appearance: Asha is a beautiful girl- it's the cause of her sticky situation in the palace. She's an fairly average height, around 5'4", and her curves are... abundant and very noticeable. It's heritage and genetics, she assumes, though she can't be sure of it. Her hair is long and a beautiful raven-black. It's either word down or curled and put into an elaborate design on top of her head- it all depends on her task, the mood of the prince, and the company that the prince is in. Her eyes are a deep, though clear and mesmerizing brown, complete with long lashes and thin, well-pruned eyebrows. Her lips are full, though not typically colorful without use of cosmetics (which seem to be a part of her uniform at this point). The clothes that the prince makes her wear are alluring, but they still border just covering enough. She also has a tattoo on the side of her face, one that was courtesy of her captors. She very much Tasian in appearance.

Spoiler

Spoiler

Personality: Above the tunnels, Asha is a silent, mild and submissive girl who goes about her work with her head down and her eyes well averted from any passing face. Unlike many of the palace servants, however, you do not need to tell Asha to do something twice, and often times, you won't even have to tell her once. Everything that Prince Riaghán needs is set out before he even rises in the morning, and the chores that she does throughout the day are done quietly- she never has to be ordered to do them, and she never complains when a new one is added to her list (not out loud, anyway). She very rarely fights or argues the prince's orders, with a couple of exceptions, and tries her best to seem as loyal as a slave who'd rather see her master thrown to the lions can. Her calm demeanor in the palace is (usually) carried into the tunnels with her, and she honestly doesn't fear anybody. Except for Riaghán and, when he's around, Darren. Still, she refuses to quiver or show that fear when Darren is around; the prince seems to be the only person who can make her cower or whimper or cause her hands to shake. She fears him, yes, but her role in the palace has long aided the resistance, and so her position is one that she feels obligated to keep.

In the tunnels, however, there's a not-quite-dramatic change in her. She speaks freely and without restraint, and because she feels equal in that little underground villiage, she is automatically more comfortable with the people in it. She never flinches away from touch- not anymore, anyways- and she definitely does not fear the men or women that live there. Within those dark walls, all of the chores that she sets to do are done because she likes to do them, because she knows that she's keeping a resistance that could free her and many other on its feet. She wants to aid in the tunnels. Down here, it has been noted that not only does she tend to open up, but she displays leadership skills that have been smothered under the prince's watchful eye, and even here, there are times when she feels just slightly hesitant to show them. Of course, she is never rude, never blunt and she never, ever steps out of line- she still won't argue, even if she knows she should, and there are a few things that her slavery has beaten into her that she can't quite get rid of.

Emotional breakdowns are rare, and kept secret from most of the tunnel dwellers or resistance members, but after bottling everything up, she does need to let it go at some point. She has ended up sobbing for hours on end, hiding in the tunnels for as long as four days because she's afraid to go back- it never, ever ends well on her part, and she's been warned that hiding in the tunnels will earn her beatings in the palace, but she replies with a queit, "I'd rather be beaten tomorrow than what would be happening to me up there right now." She closes all over again afterwards, and usually, nobody tries to pry at her.

Flaws/Weaknesses Her emotional breakdowns are by far one of her greatest weaknesses- she tends to bottle everything up until the lid can't take so much pressure and it just explodes. She'll either exhaust herself crying, or scream at everybody around her until her voice gets hoarse. They leave her exhausted and regretful, which adds to her weariness. Though rare, these things are a force to be reckoned with. To match this is how ashamed she is of herself- she tends to assume that she's completely ruined, and therefore unloveable because of it. It holds her back from awknowledging that she really could be an excellent leader some day, and it has rendered her depressed and anxious.

On top of her emotional exhaustion, she's physically not the strongest woman out there. She's easily winded if she's been running, isn't the fastest on her feet, and has is noteably clumsy with her hands when nervous, which (secretly), is almost always. She drops and spills things on a regular basis, especially outside of the tunnels, and is easily distracted while in the palace- she tends to run into things because she isn't paying close enough attention.

History: Asha's early childhood history is one that's been beaten from her memory in the most literal sense. The people who took her do not want her to remember who she is or where she came from. She comes from a land that lies far to the east, and has a position of shocking power. Asha's parents had both died of fever when she was very young- the queen and emperor of Tasia. Dead. Asha was the rightful heir to the throne at the time, as her parents had no son. Thanks to many a prophecy and astrologist, Asha was placed on the throne at a mere six years old, and was backed up by a very large number of guards and advisors. She was henceforth known as The Young Queen of Tasia; now The Lost Young Queen.

The people blame her kidnap on her advisor not heding the warning of a great astrologer, who said not to place her birthday festivities on her birthday. It seemed perposterous, but now the kindgdom can't help but wonder. Asha was taken from her bed, the guards unroused, tied and gagged, and dragged hundreds of miles. During this time, they worked on beating her, torturing the little girl to ensure that she wouldn't remember her heritage, as the people of Tasia would rage war if they found out. She was brought to Pash, only reaching there by the age of eight, and was trained to be a serving girl. Sumbissiveness was beaten into her, just as her memory was beaten out, as was her accent and the knowledge of how to speak Tasian. She remained there until not long after her eleventh birthday, when she was brought to the markets for the first time to be sold.

It was the prince who bought her, apparently because she had a 'pretty face,' and brought her back to the palace. He was never the ideal master, and Asha learned to fear him immediately. The brutish Slave Lord that he kept as a friend was an equally intimidating man, although he was never allowed to touch her. Not that she can remember, anyway.

A couple of years ago, a guard took particular interest in her. He was a resistance member, and one of Leinad's most trusted. The man's name was Dante, and he brought Asha to the tunnels the first time. She fell in love with the opperation immediately, vowing to aid them in whatever way she could. This would secure her freedom, and the freedom of many others, in due time- she was going to do her part to help. She's now on the 'council' as one of Leinad's most trusted, and this is where her leadership traits began to shine through. It's obvious to anybody who knows of who she was before why she's a natural leader, but as far as she's concerned, it's just a talent that's been supressed over years of servitude.

Not too excessively long ago, Asha discovered that she was pregnant with the prince's child, and when he found out, he didn't take it well. The child was lost, to say the least, and Asha's emotional breakdown was one that she doubts the tunnels will ever forget. Unfortunately, she's two months in with another child, and is trying her very hardest to hide it from the prince. She refuses to lose this one too, and she's trying to avoid beatings as much as humanly possible. The only person who knows, so far, is Leinad. She doesn't know how to tell the others- particularly not Dante- but it's quite obvious that she has to at some point.

Up For Love: Eh. Not particularly. (In other words, something is already being planned)

Other: She has a scar on her left hip that runs to about her knee- it's a nasty little sucker, and she appreciates being able to wear skirts that are long enough to cover it up.
If the prince catches you touching her- even just touching a finger to her shoulder- be prepared to face his wrath. It's forbidden that anybody touch Asha but he, unless he's given explicit permission otherwise.

**********************************

Name: Eselda Ebban
Age: 7
Gender Female
For or Against: For, obviously.
Rank/Title/Occupation Orphan

Appearance: Eselda is tiny, even for her age, which doesn't seem to match that vibrant (and often times exhausting) personality of hers. Her eyes are the focal point of her face, a dark, clear hazel in color, and big, curious and almond-shaped. Her lashes are long and dark, and her eyebrows are sloped just so. Every time she has a chance to see her own reflection, her eyes are the first thing she notes and smiles at. Her lips are something she's also proud of, full and shapely- she very firmly believes that she would be an excellent kisser some day. Her face is framed by a curtain of thick, brown curls that fall to just below her shouders, and she designs her own little ornaments to put into it out of whatever scraps she can find. Of course, she's a very pale little girl, having not been exposed to the sun for such a long time- but in Pash, the more pale and clear the skin (regardless of its natural color), the more beautiful the girl.

Spoiler

Personality: Eselda is a very rambunctious child. She has tons of energy, and having to sit still for long periods of time... well it doesn't happen. She's always fidgeting with something, or kicking her legs or squirming. She's playful, and though she's typically a very sweet little girl, she has a tendency to act spoiled and vain at times. She absorbs every compliment she gets, and she has 'moments of elegance,' as Papa Lein calls them, where she'll stand up straight with her hands folded in front of her, flutter her lashes a bit and keep her lips pursed in as regal a way as possible. During those moments, everything that comes out of her mouth is polite and spoken with an air of confidence that is often thought as haughtiness by some. The moment of peace, quiet and politeness often ends within the hour, however, or as soon as something catches her 'most wonderous attention' (usually, this is Xanthus. Lyra if she's in the mood for sisterly company).

The girl is also known to be a tab bit possessive of her things- particularly an old rag doll that was gifted to her when she first arrived in the tunnels. Do not let her catch you with this most holy of holies- it will result in yelling and a panic attack, during which she will attack you and start bawling. She has lots of these little panic attacks, and they're not all because somebody snatched her doll and is trying to tease her with it. They're set off by various things, and sometimes, they seem to just happen for no reason in particular. Either during or after, she'll start screaming for one person in particular (her little crush), and if he's not availible, she'll start wailing for her honorary older sister. Nobody really knows what causes them exactly, but it's never a pleasant ordeal when one comes along.

If Eselda finds herself getting attached to somebody, that's just what she'll be- attached to somebody. Quite literally, she will be either your shadow or a stuck to you like a growth, and if this person is gone for too long, she gets anxious. It's one of her little insecurities, and she's terrified that since they've been gone for more than a few hours at a time, that they won't come back. Ever. She's clingy, but with a second glance, you'll easily be able to figure out why.

Flaws/Weaknesses She's absolutely terrified of a number of things, the largest of her fears being the dark and water in large quantities (good thing they lack bodies of water in the tunnels, but bathes are always quite the ordeal). She cannot and will not be left alone in a dark room- she'll scream. And scream. And scream some more. If she is in the dark, she needs somebody to be right there, either carrying her so that she can hide in their shoulder or holding her hand so that she can hide in their side (or their thigh, depending on how tall they are). Then there are her panic attacks, which can quite obviously be caused by three of the most common things: water, the dark and somebody stealing her doll. As for the other panic attacks, nobody knows what causes them, but there have been times when she's fainted of fear.

She does get vain, and she has been known to act spoiled, and this coupled with how clingy she is can get somewhat annoying if you don't understand where she's coming from. It's usually clingy in a sweet way, and the fact that she still has the cute-factor protects her from too much annoyance or rage. She's seen a lot, and is terrified of somebody she cares about leaving her alone for too long- she has recurring nightmares, either about this person vanishing or being killed, or about memories from her past (usually just a lot of screaming, hollaring, maniacle laughing, and a dark room), and it leaves her tired and usually somewhat grouchy come morning.

History: Eselda was born into the slums, and remained a child there until she was three years old. The little sub-city was raided four weeks after her third birthday, and both of her parents were kidnapped. What happened to them, she isn't entirely sure, but she doubts that they're alive. For a time, she lived on the street with an older girl, who was also a victim of orphaning due to the raids. They couldn't stay in the slums, as they weren't allowed to buy food (due to being orphans) on the Day of Filfth, and so they took to the streets of Pash, hiding wherever the could and eating what little they could find. The older girl was named Octavia, and she seemed to know every nook and cranny in the city, the precise times where an area would momentarily be vacated of guards, and which people were trustworthy enough to ask for money.

Eselda watched Octavia decapitated when she was four years old by a guard- right in the middle of the street. The man took Eselda to the dungeons below the arena, with every intention of either selling her into slavery or allowing her to be gladiator-practice during a training session. She was brought up to the surface twelve times while the training was going on, each time used as a pawn in bets made by the man who had captured her. The bets had various objectives, but needless to say, they all involved fighting, criminals or training. Each time, Eselda was forced to watch something horrific, whether it was somebody being ripped apart by wild beasts or a gladiator, or two gladiators locked in a training spar (in each case, Eselda watched some graphic violence between the two- she's convinced that the training is more brutal than the actual fights).

She was sold to another man after seven months in the dungeons, and she was to serve his multiple mistresses. She was beaten regularly, though she did end up growing quite close to the man's three children, two of which were daughters and the middle child a son. In short, one of the daughters turned on her one day, accusing her of things that she never did. The girl was allowed to beat Eselda, and she did so within inches of her life. Eselda still isn't sure what she did wrong, but afterwards, the entire household had vanished without a trace, including the other two children. The ones Eselda felt closest to. She was just over six years old. The unknowledgable and weak little girl wandered back onto the streets, where she was beaten yet again by a group she had tried to beg on. She was found by the kindly Bartimaeus, and brought to the tunnels immediately.

She's formed a fairly close bond with both her rescuer and Leinad, and even closer bonds with Lyra and Xanthus. She follows Xanthus everywhere, and quite honestly has a bit of an obsession with him. (Or maybe that's an understatement)

Up For Love: She's far too young for anything serious, but she has the biggest crush on Xanthus- so much so that she daydreams about him constantly, and sticks to the poor boy like glue.

Other: She has an old rag-doll from her time with her second master, a gift from the less-destructive daughter who lived there. She protects this thing with her life, so beware.
She also talks in her sleep, whether she be dreaming about nightmares or her dream love-life.

Name: Hestia Woodlen.

Age: 24.

Gender Female

For or Against: For. She's a traitor to the Emperor.

Rank/Title/Occupation High-rank warrior from Azril.

Appearance: Hestia has long dark hair and mysterious blue eyes. She has an Amazon-like armour.

Spoiler

Personality:

Strengths: Hestia is physically strong. She was taught by the best generals of her country and she can fight better than most warriors. She is expertly skilled with a sword, daggers, riding a horse, and shooting an arrow. She knows self-defense and can knock a man off his feet in less than a minute.

*Weaknesses: She's terrible at comforting someone. She doesn't have the best romance life, so she's not that good at love. She hardly trusts or loves anyone, but when she does, she'd give up anything to save them.

Likes: Hestia loves someone who doesn't give up. She loves ginger ale, food (fatty ), horses, fighting, and music. She enjoys walking, running, staring at the sky/stars, traveling, and dancing.

Dislikes: She hates jerks, traitors (even though she is one xD), liars, and the Emperor. She hates arrogant men who try to put moves on her (usually, they don't get the hint until she knocks them unconcious).

Motives: Hestia is determained to kill the Emperor and save the city.

Flaws/Weaknesses *same as above.

History: Hestia is from a country called Azril. Azril is a country with money and power, rich with warriors, both men and women. After making an alliance with Azril, Azril sent their best warriors, including Hestia. Even though Hestia is a women, the Emperor had to accept her lest he cause a war with a country far more powerful than his own. Hestia was allowed to fight, and she lives in the castle with the other warriors from her homeland, being a royal guest. Hestia enjoys visiting the armour store, where her good friend Maylen works. He told her about the alliance, and what it does. Hestia joined immediantly, disgusted with the way the Emperor rules. She wants to overthrow him.

Up For Love: She's stunningly beautiul and firery, wanted by many. Yet she rejects them all, seeing how they only want her for sex or victory. She's hard to win over, but if you try really hard, you could win her heart.

Other: N/A.

Hope this is okay with you, Isha.

Placeholder. Profiles coming soon.

Edit: Profiles.

Princey;
Name: Riaghán "Rian" Serkan, Prince.
Age: 25.
Gender Male.
For or Against: Against. Definitely against.
Rank/Title/Occupation Prince.

Appearance: Riaghán is tall, around 6", a little bulky with dark brown hair, light brown eyes and lightly tanned skin. He's very strong and, as said before, a little bulky but not too bulky. He has a bit of a beard and always seems to be expressionless. His face is normally stoic, blank and unreadable--except around his father or while he's torturing someone. When he's torturing someone, he often has a cruel look marring his features, making him look unactractive. He is rarely seen in his dark bronze-coloured armour, unless, of course, it's a special occasion. He normally wears dark clothing--it fits his dark personality. He likes dark things.

Spoiler

/

Personality: Cruel, violent, cold-hearted, fiery, distant, determined and without mercy, Riaghán is a force to be reckoned with. As a child, he used to be kind, loving and all things good until he was attacked when he was ten (most likely on his father's orders). Someone beat all the kindness out of him and replaced it with darkness and cruelty. Riaghán does as he wants and only listens to his father. The only thing he kept from his old self was his temper, which is very short, very fiery and sometimes very violent. It's best if you don't make him mad--or then again, maybe you can distract him by making him angry .

Riaghán is very loyal to his father and what his father wants. He does tend to get a little frisky around the girls and has a soft spot for a pretty face, regardless of gender. Riaghán also likes to torture people, using all sorts of methods to get information, or whatever else he wants out of his victim. He's vicious and sadistic, preferring to get his hands dirty then to let his soldiers have all the fun. But don't be completely fooled--the kindness is there, somewhere, deep down. You just have to find it.

Flaws/Weaknesses Riaghán biggest weaknesses are probably that he hates being called a coward, or to be in a tense situation. He refuses to let people in, simply because he has almost zero trust--the only ones he does trust are probably his father and his closest circle of soldiers and guards, certain people included, despite the younger man's kind streak. Mostly, Riaghán fears himself; he often wonders how he might have turned out if he hadn't had the kindness beaten out of him. His biggest flaw is his cruelty. Perhaps, if one were to put effort into bringing out his kind side, then he might not be so cold-hearted and violent. He also has a huge weakness for a pretty face.

History: Riaghán was born to Emperor Tharin and his wife, the only child they ever had. His younger years are a blur to him, barely remembered, but he knows that they were full of happiness--true happines. Until he told his father something he probably shouldn't have. At the young age of eleven, he learnt a very important lesson. He'd told his fatehr that he liked his slave, that he considering letting the boy go free. Now, 'daddy' wasn't having any of that. He told his son if he continued, he would realize that he couldn't have everything he wanted, nor save everything he wished he could save.

Two days later, young Riaghán was beaten to within an inch of his life by a couple of strangers. His slave-boy was murderer as he lay there, passing in and out of conciousiness. While they were beating him, they kept telling him over and over that kindness was not something he should know or show in public and that he couldn't always have what he wanted. It was a hard lesson to learn. He was found by his mother a few hours later. That day, he almost died. He still doesn't know who had him beaten--but he knows the why.

From that day on, Riaghán burried everything he had known as a child deep down inside and became cruel, violent, cold-hearted and distant. He never told anyone but his mother about the beating and refused to talk to his father. A good prince remained strong, regardless of what he went through--another thing taught in his so-called 'lesson'.

As he grew up, Riaghán turned into a rather cruel young man who takes pleasure in beating those beneath him--often almost to the point of death or beyond. He covers up the deaths pretty well, with the help of his friend, the Slave Lord Darren. About five and half years ago, Riaghán brought a slave girl, Asha. Over the last few years, she's taken many beatings, among...other things, and faced the abuse hurled her way, thanks to Riaghán and his many somewhat questionable friends. The girl's been hiding from Riaghán lately, and it infuritrates and enrages him to no end; he wants the girl to suffer. He might even kill her this time if he gets his hands on her--even more reason for the slave-girl to escape.

Up For Love: Yes, if you can put up with him. He's also a fan of both genders.

Other: Riaghán carries a sword;

Spoiler

~~~~~

Lordett:
Name: Louarn "Lou" Savas, Lord.
Age: 28.
Gender Male.
For or Against: For. He wouldn't be Lienad's apprentice if he wasn't.
Rank/Title/Occupation He's a minor Lord and also Lienad's apprentice.

Appearance: Louarn is tall, about 6' with dark brown hair and dark brown, almost black eyes. His skin is lightly tanned and he's slim yet well muscled and stronger than he looks. He is often seen wearing earthy tones and prefers to fade into the background, not an easy feat for a Lord, no matter how minor. He has a reputation for being a bit of a flirt and a 'Bad Boy'. He has a natural grace that seems almost inhuman and likes to toy with people by using his so-called talents.

Spoiler

Personality: Lou, as he prefers to be known, seems like one of those not-so-nice jerks with a really nice side hidden deep within. He likes to pretend to be nasty and a jerk at first but then turns out to be something else entirely once he has your trust, or so you think. While in the palace, he shows others a playful but nice little 'boy'. He loves being a hero and saving people, but hates having to pretend to be even sort of mean when he's really nice.

He has a tendency to manipulation people and overuse his so-called skills on occasion. He 'likes' pain and destruction, but only when directed at the enemy, and he wants to see them gone for good. He likes to toy with others, yet he knows that it isn't exactly a 'nice' or 'good' thing. Tends to end up in a lot of trouble if he's not careful because of his really short temper--a temper he loses often.

Flaws/Weaknesses Louarn is the second son of a minor lord. He was brought up in the family's small castle, where his childhood was realatively normal for a young lord-in-the-making. As he grew up, he became a little distant and started to indudgle in certain pleasures. By 17, he was known for a player and has at least two children, both around two to four years old. Not that being a a poor Lord helps matters. The others tend to give him a wide berth whenever possible.

History: Louarn was born to Lord Midyan Savas and his wife, the Lady Aqila of Norasu, a neighbouring kingdom. His childhood was....slightly depressing. He was ignored in favour of his older brother, the heir to the Savas fortune. Or what would be left of it in ten to fifteen years time. Louarn was always in his brother's shadow, always forgotten or overlooked in favour of Aneirin, his brother. Life was hell, to put it simply; Lou never really got what he wanted, or what he should have had.

As the second son of Lord Savas, he was never expected to do or be much more than what he is. That was until he was visiting a young lady in his fifteenth year--the second one within months--and returned to find the family Manor burnt to the ground, and his family along with it. Lou was deversated, of course, but also supicious. The Manor wouldn't have burnt down unless one of the servants accidently dropped a candle or knocked one into something flamable. Or perhaps someone deliberately set the house of fire? Lou would never find out.

Rebuilding the Manor took more than half of what his father had left him. Lou didn't skip out on anything, either. And by the time he'd had the Manor rebuilt and refurbished, among other things, he'd almost used up all of the money. Frustrated, Louarn put the money away and gave himself a limited amount. His total worth now was...not very much actually. He was found by Lienad a few years later, when he was around seventeen. No one is quite sure what Lienad said him, but now, four years later, Lou's suddenly very interested in the Resistence. Rumour has it the old man is teaching Lou a few tricks.

Up For Love: Yes and he doesn't really care about how poor or rich said person is, though he's meant to be finding a 'rich' woman. He's straight.

Other: Lou carries a dagger. It's his only weapon;

Spoiler

~~~~~

Louarn's Daughter:
Name: Liora "Lili" Chosovi.
Age: 13.
Gender Female.
For or Against: Neutral. She doesn't actually know about the Resistance yet.
Rank/Title/Occupation Orphan-turned-slave, Louarn's Daughter, Darren's Personal Slave.

Appearance: Liora takes after her mother more than her father. She's short, about 4'9", 5' with long, dark brown hair--much darker than her father's and almost as dark as her mother's, who was Tasian--and pale, pale skin, something Pashans like very much. Unlike her father and mother, she somehow ended up with slightly hazel eyes, much lighter than either of her parents' brown eyes--as far as she knows. Liora may be at that age where she's in the middle of peburty and trying to hide it, but either way, people still notice. She's gained slight curves and, well, you get the idea. Considering Lord Darren's tastes, Liora isn't usually dressed in much more than enough to cover what's modest. She has a small, almsot unnoticable scar tracing down her left check--curtesy of rough slave handlers. Darren's seems to like it. Liora doesn't. She often wishes it had never been put there. Even with the scar on her face, she's still considered pretty.

Spoiler

Personality: Liora is very timid and very clumsy around her master, but otherwise she's fairly..energectic, for lack of a better word, but she's still shy. She dislikes not being around people, but dislikes large crowds even more. She's kind and naive but she's not afraid to speak her mind, which often gets her in trouble--if Darren's around. Fierce and loyal, Liora can't stand to see those she cares about hurt or threatened, but she doesn't exactly do anything to help. After all, she is just a slave.

Her strengths lie in being able to skirt the truth and trying to talk herself out of incredibly severe beatings--not that it helps much with a master like Darren, but she tries anyway. More often than not, it's not actually a beating he dishes out. Either way, it's still traumatizing and best if she tries not to let it be repeated. She likes it when it rains, and when it's sunny; she mostly loves to see blue skies--when/if she's let outside, which is rarely. She also likes flowers, bright colours and sunshine. She dislikes violence and being a slave, and highly dislikes getting hurt, in any way.

Flaws/Weaknesses Liora tends to drop things when in the presence of her master. Well, when the man makes her nervous, what else can she do? Besides, she fails at trying to behave most days, usually slipping up in some stupid little thing that she ends up punished for.

She has a weakness for pretty things and really likes flowers, not that she ever really gets a good look at one, but she likes the bright, pretty colours. Sometimes, Liora has a bit of a breakdown, which leads to her hiding under a bed in one of the upstairs bedrooms. She can't escape Darren for long, though, so she eventually ends up being found fairly quickly.

History: Liora's first few years are a blur, barely remembered. She remembers a man he mother used to see and her mother, but everything else is faded, blured and only half-remember. After all, she was only young back then. She knows she used to love playing in the sun and absolutely adored the garden her mother used to have--she remember playing in the purple flowers that were planted there. She also loved the puppies she only vaguely remembers for around the same time as the flowers. At least, she was having fun and playing right up until one day when she was about five.

A man broke into her mother's house, killing her mother and taking Liora with him when he found her hiding under a bed. She was sold into slavery a few days later, where Darren took a liking to her and kept her as a personal slave. She's been under his so-called care ever since, after being given some very 'memorable' lessons in being a slave. Liora's been trying to find a way to escape her master's clutches lately, despite knowing it's pointless and, not to forget mentioning, a hopelessly stupid idea.

Up For Love: No, she's a little young and besides, a little traumatized, thanks to her master.

Other: Liora has many scars on her body over than the one on her face; thanks to a couple of severe beatings that she was given during her younger years. The scar on her face came from Darren more recently.

((If there are any problems, just let me know.))


Name: Xanthus (Zan-thus) Vesuel

Age: 20

Gender Male

For or Against: For

Rank/Title/Occupation Orphan--council member.

Appearance: Xanthus looks very young for his age, and he always has. He's twenty, but people often mistake him for a child under sixteen, and he didn't start physically maturing properly until he was around 16-17 years old. The poor kid didn't have any facial hair until he was just over eighteen years old. He's got dark hair, but the rest of him is rather fair. He has eyes that are such a light shade of blue, they sometimes look clear, and his skin is pale. In general, he has rather girlish features. Like the picture below, but a lot more rugged... and not wearing denim. They didn't have denim back in the old days, believe it or not.

Spoiler

Personality: When it comes down to it, Xanthus is very arrogant. He has no patience, he's rude to people's faces and even ruder about them in his head, and he can come across as very selfish. He also tries to get intimate with anything that has a pulse, so that doesn't help. With all of this put together, it makes him come across as though he loves himself because that's the impression he purposely gives off. In reality, he's just terrified of being nice to people. He was brought up being told that he was a horrible person, and that if he ever let anyone like him, he'd ruin everything and let them down, and that's exactly what he believes. That's why he tries to get intimate with people. He thinks that if he does that, and then just ditches that person, they'll despise him, which is exactly what he wants. The fact that he's never felt loved has something to do with that kind of behaviour too, but it's more of a subconscious thing.

Although that is true, Xanthus is a completely different person around kids. He absolutely loves them, and they adore him too. Kids are young enough to be influenced in both a good and a bad way, and he knows that, so he tries his hardest to look after orphans. He makes sure they behave well, and makes them understand that they have to be good people, no matter how badly they've been treated. He's also very loyal and trustworthy. He might act as though he hates the majority of the adult population, but he'd never dream of betraying them, and the thought of letting people down scares him.

You'll find out more about his personality as the SB goes on. My characters tend to make up characteristics for themselves... They have a mind of their own, I swear.

Flaws/Weaknesses A lot of what I've said above, I suppose. Xanthus is hard to get along with, which can obviously cause problems. He's also very judgemental, especially towards adults, and he struggles to trust people. Due to a lack of nutrition while growing up, Xanthus' bones aren't the toughest, so they break easily. He's broken them a number of times by now, so they've toughened up a bit, but they're still pretty fragile.

History: Xanthus started off as an orphan after his parents were killed for being pick-pockets, but they managed to hide Xanthus before he could get caught too. After his parents' death, he was taken in by another pick-pocket, Bergdan, who provided him with shelter, but that's just about all he provided Xanthus with. Until he was thirteen years old, this man basically controlled Xanthus. Bergdan was the man who told him that he was a horrible person, and that all he did was let people down. He was also told that his parents death was his fault, and because of his naivety at four years old, he simply believed it. Bergdan basically used Xanthus to steal things for him, and for his general entertainment. He abused Xanthus in more or less every way possible, but because he didn't of know anywhere he could go, Xanthus just went with it.

When he was thirteen, he discovered the tunnels. He was taken in as an orphan, and he still lives there now. He has no idea what happened to Bergdan. He didn't even get a chance during his childhood, so that's why he feels like he has to look after the kids around him. Even though it may seem like they have nothing, he wants them to think that they do because the last things he wants is for the kids to end up like him.

Up For Love: Definitely (male or female--he's not picky). Xanthus could probably do with it, to be honest. You have to be patient with him though.

Other: Nothing I can think of right now.





Name: Tiberius Hayes

Age: 14-16 (no one knows for sure)

Gender Male

For or Against: For

Rank/Title/Occupation Orphan

Appearance: Tiberius has dark features. To begin with, he's tanned, and his hair is very dark... it's not exactly well tamed either. His one feature that isn't dark as such are his eyes because they're quite a light brown, sort of caramel colour. Tiberius has a lot of scars that cover his body, and he's quite self-conscious of them, so he often covers them up. He has one big scar that begins at his left eyebrow, and stretches to the middle of his forehead. That's the one he hates the most, so he covers it with his hair. He looks like the picture below, except less modern, obviously. xD

Spoiler

Personality: Tiberius is a very optimistic kid, no matter how many bad things happen to him. He thinks of life as a very special thing, and even if it can be hard at times, he's lucky to have been given one, so he appreciates it. He's outgoing, he doesn't stop talking, and he's extremely excitable. He loves being around people, but he hates being around people in a serious situation. He never knows how to deal with seriousness because whenever something bad has happened to him in the past, he's gotten through it by joking about everything. He's learnt that that technique doesn't work for everyone, and if he jokes about a serious situation, it can land him right in it.

Flaws/Weaknesses Tiberius can be incredibly annoying, especially for those who have no patience. He's always loud and chatty, and he loves attention, so he can get a bit moody if people ignore him. He also gets very panicky in stressful and serious situations. Although he's an optimistic kid, when he's in a situation like that, he panics. He's embarrassed by this fact, but he's scared of stepping forward and helping out in dangerous situations. It's not because he's scared for his life though... He's just paranoid that he'll embarrass himself. Tiberius is a bit weird like that.

History: Up until he was eight-years-old, Tiberius was actually part of a wealthy family. He had four younger siblings (three brothers and a sister), and he was the middle child. That's most likely why he has such a big character now: he wanted attention from his parents. He had a nice beginning in life, but when his parents began disliking the emperor and the way everything was run, things quickly went downhill. His family were found out to be against the emperor, and days after he found out, all of Tiberius' family were murdered. All except for him and his youngest brother, Arrian, although Tiberius has no idea where his brother is now. They both managed to escape in time, but he lost Arrian while they were running away. He never found him again.

For a number of years afterwards, Tiberius lived on the streets. He doesn't know how long he did so (hence the confusion about his age) because although he was well-educated, he simply lost track of the seasons and such. All he knows is that some years later, he was found by a young man (Xanthus), and directed to the tunnels. While he was living on the streets though, he went through a lot of traumatic stuff, and was often alone, and extremely lonely. If it wasn't for his optimism, his mind could be in a really bad state now. For example, he was caught pick-pocketing a number of times because subtlety isn't exactly his thing, so the people who caught him beat him severely and left him for dead (this is where most of his scars are from). Somehow though, he always made it through.

Although Tiberius lives a lot more safely now, he has nightmares about what happened to his family. He literally saw the majority of them being killed, so the memory haunts him a lot. He tries to bring the good out of it though. He looks at it like this: every time he has a nightmare, it reminds him of how lucky he his to be alive, but also reminds him of the fact that his little brother could still be alive. It makes him determined to find Arrian, or at least find out what happened to him.

Up For Love: Well, I suppose... but he's pretty young, so it wouldn't be anything serious.

Other: Due to feeling alone in the past, Tiberius hates being left on his own. He's known to be physically sick as well as pass out if left by himself in a place he isn't familiar with for too long. I suppose he has a phobia of being left alone.

Name: Emperor Raijin Tharin
Age: 50
Gender Male
For or Against: Against, obviously.
Rank/Title/Occupation Emperor

Appearance:
As the epitome of pure-blooded Tharin appeal comes, Emperor Tharin holds a wealth of weathered beauty from his years of ruling beneath the Pash sun. His skin is a sweltering mahogany gold; his eyes much the same, glowing like an intense blaze that is birthed from both power and darkness. The family’s signature long, dark hair is kept perfectly in line with his jaw line, and has eroded streaks of gray beginning to flourish with age. As is typical in the royal courts, he wears black robes with golden accessories--none of which he particularly cares for; around his neck, in lieu of a crown, is the draping broach of Pash’s major god, Törn. It is a golden amulet infused with the “Eye of Törn”--a brilliant blue sapphire.

Personality:
You seem him as a political villain; Raijin sees himself as nothing more than a glorified messiah, a savior of beauty and peace. Most things are black and white with Emperor Tharin. Good vs. Bad, Beautiful vs. Disgusting--there is never a between. And eliminating the black places in life is the only way to find peace, to find a sort of Heaven, as it were. Raijin Tharin believes that all men are created equal, and those that aren’t are not men, are not rightfully human. It’s a train of evolution, a strand of humanity’s growth that hasn’t quite caught up, and therefore are not fit for humane benefits--especially not at the price of his Kingdom.

And Raijin’s methods have brought beauty to his Kingdom.

Surface Tharin is a humble man--a caring man that will address each person as if they were his own child; it seems to be the way to the heart of the people (unless they’re not people).

And then someone makes a mistake, slips up in the presence of the Emperor. As his son discovered at a young age, there is no room for imperfections in the throne room.

Flaws/Weaknesses
The Emperor is rather haunted, kept awake at night seldom by one particular action in his past that he cannot seem to shake, despite his moral convictions. Only the Empress knows of this flaw, and has been sworn by her throat to secrecy. Raijin, by this action, detached himself from his childhood and upbringing by an emotional chasm.

And though he wishes to believe that this choice has subsided, something within him tells him that his brother’s eyes live on.

Raijin is a very superstitious man, laden with the ideas that power is given by the gods, and therefore will be taken away as they see fit. He is easily spooked, and will not hesitate to call upon mystics to ward off what he may believe is evil in his palace. He even once had his family leave all of Pash under the premonition that his family was in danger of malevolent spirits.

Yeah. Raijin gets spooked.

History:
The eldest son born into a royal family, raised with dignity and honor from all people--poor and rich alike--Raijin was the star of all of Pash as he grew up. His family revered him as brilliant and talented, and when his father fell ill, Raijin was raised to the throne at the age of 25. His father soon after perished. During the chapel service honoring his father’s life, Raijin was taken into a vision in which he saw a shining, beautiful Pash under his rule, a city without pain or suffering. Each person on the streets in perfect health and stamina--and Raijin understood his divine inspiration. What his father had begun under his rule, Tharin must then advance.

The next year, the intense purification began.

It began in the palace, when his brother was seized in the courts. Mentally unstable, babbling, unable to be understood--this was the venom in the veins of Pash. With a heavy heart, Raijin ordered his exile into the farthest reaches of Pash where the people could not see the shame of the royal family--nor the shame of the Emperor.

Into the royal family was born a son--a perfectly healthy, strong-bodied son. Raijin accepted it as a blessing from the gods, and, under superstition, withheld the desire for more children. He would not burden Riaghán with the same heartache he could so hardly bear.

Twenty-five years have passed since then, and the Kingdom of Pash has never been more glorious.

Up For Love: Raijin is married to the Empress.




Name: Rein ----
Age: 23
Gender Male
For or Against: For
Rank/Title/Occupation Outlaw -- Teaches Orphans

Appearance:

Spoiler

He wears cloaks. Constantly. Despite the strange fire-tone in his eyes, he always appears kind and loving, even to those who oppose him. He has this glare, though, that demands adherence to what he says. Many joke that he has a Ruler’s eyes.

Personality:
Rein is probably the sweetest rejected man in all of Pash. He tries his hardest never to say a mean word against anyone, and truly cares for those who will listen to him. As a child, his mother and father taught him all the things that he should have learned outside the rejects’ land, giving him more than enough to, in turn, teach the orphans and young outlaws in the tunnels and slums.

Rein loves to help out, and has even accompanied Maura in her thieving a time or two--though he admits as much as she does that he’s down-right awful at it. He can’t climb a wall to save his life, and panics if he thinks someone is watching.

He admires Leinad above most other people, and will often stop what he’s doing to catch a word from his lips. Rein believes in The Resistance’s cause, and will openly give anything to see this cause accomplished.

Flaws/Weaknesses
Rein has panic disorder and an array of other mental tics that he inherited from his father. As such, he doesn’t do well under pressure, and is easily frightened or made anxious. He easily gets depressed and will probably not take any chances at making himself happy for fear of failure and rejection.

He feels that he is a personification of the congregation of outlaws, that he of all people does not belong in society, and that leads to some interesting moments when he’s alone or with someone who can read into him.

He’s not very physically...awesome. While his physique is fine by all means, he doesn’t quite know what to do with his body, which makes him 1. a bad thief, 2. a bad assassin, and 3. a bad lover. He’d much rather let his words do his talking for him.

History:
He was born in the tunnels, raised in the tunnels, and imagines that he’ll die in the tunnels. His father was certifiably insane, and his mother had mismatched eyes. It goes to show you how many people society hates, right? His father died when he was still a kid--probably 13 or 14, and his mother died just a year later, so he imagines that he was an orphan by age 16. It was then that he realized that not many of the kids were as educated as him...and so he took it upon himself to teach them what he knew. It got him landed with a sort of kid-loving scholarly position for whenever Papa Lein isn’t around.

Up For Love: Uh, uhm, well, I guess...maybe, uhm. Yeah.

Other: He really, really loves blueberries and rare artifacts.

Can I claim an outlaw? (tunnel-dweller three??)

Here is Leinad's granddaughter! If there's anything you want me to change, feel free to PM me!

Name: Kaya Marsivus

Age: 19

Gender Female

For or Against: For, definitely for.

Rank/Title/Occupation Leinad's granddaughter, practically a resistance member.

Appearance: Kaya looks very much like her father, but she has her mother's smile. She has blonde and curly hair and dark chocolate brown eyes. Kaya is very pale and has rosy cheeks and lips. She is average height for her age and has a slim figure. Kaya is pretty skinny.

I couldn't let this picture go to waste, I absolutely love it!:

Spoiler

tumblr_l35w744iAy1qawm5mo1_500.jpg (31.07 KiB) Viewed 2081 times

Personality: Kaya is a kind and calm girl. She is patient and gentle, as to beliveing in the religion Eidonism. Kaya has a kind and strong heart, and will be willing to help anyone. She is a determined and sweet being. Kaya is understanding, and will believe things she wants to believe. Kaya is a bit of a dreamer, and would always just sit there and stare into space, as if she were possessed. Yes, Kaya is spacey. She has a bit of a temper, but she knows how to control it.

Kaya has a knack for sword fighting. She doesn't like fighting others, but just playing in a fun way. She loves to be outside, but can still handle being in the tunnels. She loves helping people, it's practically what she's raised for. Kaya likes music and anything happy, and hates dark things and the Royals.

Flaws/Weaknesses: Kaya's weakness is definitely defending herself without a sword. She can't do hand-to-hand combat or shoot an arrow. She is pretty good at sword fighting, but never likes to use her skill to hurt others. Kaya hates trouble. She absolutely hates trouble, and tries to stay away from a situation that she can help fix.

History: Kaya was born to Leinad's daughter son-in-law. She didn't get to know her parents well, since Kaya believes that her mother died of childbirth, and her father died from a brutal fire at his work area. Kaya was immediately taken in by Leinad, her grandfather, since her parents died, and shortly, so did her grandmother. Leinad gave her shelter, and cared for her as if she were his daughter and raised her with good manners and health. Kaya lived a good childhood.

Kaya was raised to be an Eidonism (a religion created by Isha). Eidonism is when someone worhips one god. She has a religion that is based more on worship, respect, and relationship with Eidonias, instead of rules and regulations and other religious things. Kaya is taught to treat everyone equally and as a whole. Kaya doesn't believe that she's better than anyone else, or that she should have the need to kill someone. Eidonism has some effect on Kaya's personality, which I will explain in the Personality category. Kaya is very strong on morals. (This is how Isha explained it, but I tried to put it in my words. )

Up For Love: Yes, if you like the strong, yet spacey girls. She's straight.

Other: Kaya has an accent, it sounds British and French.

Name: Darren Stal’vuth
Age: 27
Gender Male
For or Against: VERY Against
Rank/Title/Occupation Lord Darren, Slave Lord

Appearance: Darren is 6’1”, muscular and well fit. He is strong, but lithe and quiet nimble as well. He has piercing blue eyes, and black hair. He has a very young face, but uses that to his advantage. People often underestimate him because he looks young, and they usually regret it after he takes everything they have. He has an easy smile, and loves to laugh, especially when it is at the expense of others. He is very active, and loves to swim, wrestle, spar, and do any number of such things. His skin is tanned from constantly being out in the sun. When he goes out he is always immaculate, another perfect looking person in a perfect society, and that is something he enjoys.

Spoiler

Personality: Darren was once a soft hearted kind young man. Experiences have changed him, and he learned that people will take advantage of you if they smell weakness. He has just learned to hide it, and doesn’t think people will accept the “kind” him so he acts like a bully. In public he is a very domineering person, who enjoys watching people jump to his every word. Vindictive and manipulative, friends who get on his bad side either end up dead, or losing everything they have. A few even end up becoming his slaves, which he loves and doesn’t hesitate to make their lives miserable. He’s very rich, and feels like he deserves it. He hates the poor and the dirty, and thinks anyone who does not look beautiful shouldn’t even show their face in public. He is an elitist in every sense of the word, and very proud of it. One of his biggest issues is letting people get to close to him, and he usually picks someone up for a day and then drops them the next. His biggest fear is, ironically being used and dumped. He acts on this fear by trying to control everyone around him, and making sure he dumps you before you have a chance to do it to him. He does long to be in a relationship where someone actually cares about him, but the thought also terrifies him. He does have a kind heart, but he is afraid to show it.

Flaws/Weaknesses Well some are listed above. He is afraid of being hurt so he lashes out and tries to control everything he can. He is prideful, and doesn’t understand why the poor are poor. He sees it more as their choice, and not that they were born into it. He secretly really wants to love someone, but is afraid of everything that a relationship entails which could make him clingy. He is in fact very insecure, and afraid to be himself so he hides it.

History: He was born to the Lord and Lady Stal’Vuth, and everything in his life was given to him on a silver platter. His family is one of the oldest in the Kingdom, loyal to the Empire, and the ruling family. His family has been in the slave business for years and has a near monopoly on the whole thing. His great great grandfather was the one who had the arena built, with the permission of the Emperor at the time. The Stal’vuth family oversees a lot of the arena, and also runs the biggest slaving market in the kingdom.

He grew up with the most prestigious in the Empire, and many of his friends are like him. Rich, sadistic young men with nothing to lose and the whole world at their feet. He is good friends with Prince Riaghán, and the two share some common interests.

Lord Stal’Vuth started grooming Darren to take over his massive slave empire as soon as he was old enough to talk. His father was a cruel man, and Darren quickly learned to hide any feelings that his father considered “soft”. At a young age he learned to hide who he was, and slowly grew up into a powerful, yet vindictive young man. His father taught him many “lessons” in hopes of make Darren a strong man. These included killing Darren’s pet dog when he was four. Or taking Darren’s servant boy and forced Daren to watch as his slave was carved up piece by piece.

Darren quickly learned that anything he cared about could be taken, so part of him quit caring. And anything he did care about he hid, and did his best to protect. When he was seventeen he fell in love with the daughter of a Minor Lord. His father refused the match, and thinking he could outwit the old man Darren agreed, but continued to secretly see her. One day his father took him to the arena, claiming he had a “surprise” to show him. Darren had to watch as the girl he loved was fed to the lions, and that instance is what truly changed him. He stuffed away the kindness he once possessed, and became cold and bitter, This only pleased his father, and two years later Lord Stal’vuth and his wife both died. Supposedly they were killed by slaves, though this was never proven, and Darren inherited his father’s Slave Empire.

Since then the business has only flourished. Darren supplies most of the Lords and Ladies in the Kingdom with slaves. He also supplies the arena with victims, and sees to it that the poor are kept in place. He is probably the richest man in the kingdom, second only the Emperor himself. He keeps a small army employed, and mostly uses them to catch slaves. Often he sends them into the slums in order to find some “new recruits”, and he is also known to buy off peoples debts. The only catch is you have to be a slave to pay it off, and sometimes that can take your whole life.

Up For Love: Yes he would love too, but he is also very afraid. Guy or girl doesn’t matter; if he could find someone who truly loves him he would do anything for you.

Other: Not much to add, just don’t get on his bad side.

_____


Name: Blind Bartimaeus
Age: 47
Gender Male
For or Against: FOR!!!!
Rank/Title/Occupation Council Member – and a blind old beggar man on the side

Appearance: Batimaeus usually dresses up in a large cloak and a mismatch of clothes. He usually always has on a hood, or a blindfold tied over his milky white eyes. He is older, and usually has a sparse beard on his face. He’s bald, and stands about 5’7”, though he usually is hunched over. He is rather skinny, though it’s hard to tell underneath all the robes.

Spoiler

Personality: To describe Bartimaeus in one word would be hopeful. He always seems to see the bright side of things, even when it is hard to tell if there is one. He is a dreamer, and loves to talk about the future and how much better life is going to be. He is quick to laugh, and compassionate at heart. He has an ear that is always willing to listen to those who need it. He also hates the Empire and everything it stands for. He has had numerous people he cares about killed, sold into slavery, or sacrificed in the arena, and he looks forward to the day when it is all over. He has lived in the slums all his life, and knows the city like the back of his hand. Even though he is hopeful, he does not deny what is in front of him. He knows things are bad, but he believes they can be better. He is wise, and has learned what it means to survive. Always willing to help a hand, he seems to always stumble upon some poor thing that needs help, whether it be animal or child.

Strengths: Bartimaeus is blind, but he can also see. He possesses a third sight, and what he believes to be a gift from Babu, the Messenger god. It gives him the uncanny ability to know where things are around him, and sometimes even gives him glimpses into the future. He describes it as a type of sonar, and it allows him to “see” everything and everyone around him. The ability is not automatic, and sometimes it is there, and other times it is not. When it does come it is like he has eyes in the back of his head. The glimpses of the future he catches are half the reason he is still alive. Usually it will revolve on danger coming toward him, and the vision will give him minutes to escape.

Flaws/Weaknesses: Well he is blind, and his third sight doesn’t always work. He is only 47, but he looks to be closer to 60. He has lived a hard life, and though he tries to keep a joyful attitude it isn’t always easy. He has a desire to protect everyone around him, but since he is blind people often patronize him and write him off as being useless. He hates that, and strives to correct peoples view of the blind. And of course if he ever gets caught… he will be killed. Some people also fear him, and think him to be mystical and odd. He is actually a very down to earth person, but has learned to avoid people who wish to take advantage or use him. He is used to people wanting his gift, but not giving a damn about him. Papa Lein won him over with time and patience, but few have been able to actually get close to Bartimaeus.

History: Bartimaeus was born in the slums to one of the many whores that lived there. His conception was bought with a bronze penny, and when he was born his mother almost killed him herself. A child is hard enough to take care of in the slums, let alone a blind one. She decided to keep him however, and raised him until he was seven. Around that time he began to experience visions and odd times where he claimed he could “see”.

His mom scoffed at such things, hitting him and telling him not to make up lies. She did notice however that sometimes he would move around like a normal child, able to “see” things even though he was blind. One time he had a vision of guards breaking into the house and carrying off him and his mother. He told her about it, and begged for her to run but she refused, claiming he was an evil child for making up such lies.

Not knowing what else to do, Bartimaeus fled the house, and minutes late the guards came. When he went back all he found was a ruined home, his mother, and anything valuable they had was gone. He began to live on his own from then on. He begged on the streets, and did his best to avoid the wrong people. He got to know many of those in the slums, and has numerous friends and allies scattered throughout. His visions have saved more then one life, and some people claim he is an Oracle, while others that he is a demon.

His one solid companion is his walking stick. A few years after he met Leinad, the Armor took Bartimaeus’s staff and hollowed it out. He put a metal core in the wood, and now it is not only a walking stick but a weapon.

He joined with Leinad when the old man brought the idea of changing how things were run, and he has been with the armor since the start of forming the resistance. He has nothing but respect for the Papa Lein, and knows that the old man has connection with some of the “higher ups” in the city. Bartimaeu’s authority lies mostly with those in the slums. He knows who to go to in order to get a job done, no matter what it might be.

Up For Love: Probably not. You could try, but he is kind of set in his old guy ways.

Other: He hates getting left out of things because he is blind, but he knows that sometimes it is a handicap too large to overlook. He will often go out into the streets to beg, or check on people he knows. Leinad has asked him not to leave the tunnels numerous time, but Baritmaeus rarely listens. “They need help,” he is fond of saying, “And by Babu I will help them.”

Name: Maura Rowe
Age: 21
Gender Female (though often mistaken for male)
For or Against: For whatever side suits her needs most at the moment
Rank/Title/Occupation Outlaw - thief
Appearance: She has a very boyish appearance, though only by clever design. Maura cut her dark hair very short many years ago, and keeps it trimmed that way, though nearly always wears a cloak that covers her head to further the illusion. She’s scrawny, but flat-chested and lacks feminine curves so she looks much like a young boy in her stature. She has scars and burns that disfigure her face enough so that one can only detect her femininity upon close inspection. She wears men’s clothing always, carries a dagger at her belt, and wears a symbol of the god Feros around her neck.

Personality: Maura is very quiet unless she feels the need to voice an opinion (which she may do so very loudly, she just rarely feels the need to interject herself in such a way) and reclusive by choice. She forms bonds and partnerships when they suit her, but will change alliances on a whim if she finds she will be benefited more by something else. However, while she is allied with you she is fiercely dedicated. She is an excellent actor, and very convincing as a male (she can lower the pitch of her voice to imitate a man as well as appearing and carrying herself in very masculine ways). She can be quite cynical and cruel, and tends to mock and tease most everyone.

Flaws/Weaknesses Maura has never had stellar interpersonal relation skills. She doesn’t know how to conduct herself in lasting relationships, which is why she has no close companions of friends (for very long at least). She isn’t capable of expressing her thoughts/feelings/emotions to others and has become slightly unhinged in that way. She doesn’t think things through very well, or plan further ahead than her next whim.

History: Maura was born to a poor family of beggars and lived a life as a girl until she was old enough to see that being a woman would never benefit her in this world. Thus she began following her older brothers (of which she has five) and imitating their actions, learning how they acted with each other and with strangers. She finally cut off her long hair, stole her closest brother’s clothes, and left her family to seek her own fortune.

She only returned to them when she heard they had moved into a shack near where she had been staying, only to discover it in flames. She received burns all over her body (though some have healed to an extent) and was unable to save any part of her family. She suspects the fire wasn’t an accident, though doesn’t have any solid idea of what may have truly happened. As a result, she is suspicious of any figure of political authority.

She's come to live in the tunnels and work for Leinad purely out of convenience and the ways it currently benefits her situation. He seems to trust her (or at least acts as if he does) at the moment. She enjoys following him around (as well as his granddaughter and other council members) and picking at their morals.

Up For Love: If the right circumstances were to come along, yes, though it is unlikely.

Other: She’s rather skilled with a blade, and quite cunning, but has a limited knowledge of politics and economics that can often work against her understanding of the world around her.

[x]

Name: Alicia Spinnet
Age: 15
Gender girl
For or Against: For
Rank/Title/Occupation orphan

Appearance: She's short for her age, only around 4'9" (four inches below the average height). She has long, silky, black hair that is always dirty and messy. She has dark green eyes. Everyone says she looks like a witch. She walks tall and proud, her posture always perfect. She's skinny because she rarely gets any food, but she's not so skinny that you can see her bones. She's somewhere inbetween.

Personality: Alicia is a tough girl. She's very independent and knows how to take care of herself. She's also a naturally nice person. She doesn't like to hurt anyone and she can't stop herself from helping someone in need. Ever since her parents were sick, Alicia became more of an independent person. She wasn't always like that, but once she realized that she had to be, she became one. She didn't trust anyone on the streets.

Flaws/Weaknesses Alicia is a naturally nice person. Sure she's tough and everything, but she can't help helping out someone who's hurt or in need. On countless occasions she had almost been captured to be put into the arena because she could not bring herself to fight off the guards. She knew she had to, but she thought it would be mean and unfair to hurt them.

She also isn't very strong, as any 14 year old girl wouldn't be. She also doesn't have a lot of endurance. When she was running away from guards trying to catch her, she would get winded quickly and have to result in hiding in the shadows behind buildings.

History: Alicia was born to two loving parents. They took good care of her and fed her well. The disease struck her mother first, leaving her quite ill. Her father was by her mother's side day and night, leaving Alicia to take care of herself most of the time. Even though she was being tended to, Alicia's mother slowly began to slip away. About a week before she passed away, Alicia's father fell ill. He had caught the disease while he was trying to tend to his life. Alicia then had to begin fending for herself and take care of her two parents. She cried for days when her mother died and the same when her father left her a few days later.

Left on her own, Alicia took to the streets, begging people to help her. But once she revealed she was an orphan, she was left alone, thrown to the side like a piece of raw meat. She knew she needed to feed herself, so she started stealing food from the market. Luckily she never got caught, but the guards were always after her. On several occasions she was supposed to be sent into the arena, but she just barely slipped out of the guards' grasps. She would find a place to hide and stay there for a couple hours. Because of this she developed a great skill of hiding.

Up For Love: Yeah, as long as he's her age or a year older.

Other: She's a tad bit shy when first meeting someone, but can quickly make a great relationship. As long as you talk to her and don't try to harm her, she'll like you. Oh yeah, and be nice to her too. She hates mean people.