Zharia: City of Ruins [FULL]

Zharia: City of Ruins

The jewel of the Zharian Empire for a thousand years, Zharia, at its height, spread the entire area of the small island its life began on. From the skyscraping towers of the Emperor's Palace, to the unparalleled depth of knowledge present on the towering stacks of the Royal Library, Zharia was a city unmatched across the entirety of the White Sea.

And then, as the Empire tore itself apart from within as the War of the Ten Emperors spilled countless blood, the island itself ripped in two. The ground opened up and swallowed people and building alike.
--Extract from A History of the White Sea Peoples by Phinalis Ethalrad

The Setting: Zharia, city of ruins, on an island in the middle of the White Sea. Formerly the most famous city in the known world, now home to outlaws, mercenaries, adventurers and pirates. See below for more details

The Concept: Fantasy storybook with many of the familiar tropes, spiced up with a few unfamilar ones. I will act as a GM, driving the plot, as well as owning a character, but the main direction, goals and conflicts will come from you guys, the writers.

The Now: A powerful merchant consortium has brought together a group of talented individuals to investigate the ruins of Zharia after hearing rumours of a powerful artifact buried in the city. However, they are not the only ones hunting for it.

The Cast: Created by participants. A few limitations:
1) All characters must be approved by me, the GM, before posting begins.
2) Characters must fit the world. You can see some guidelines below that you should use when creating a character from the White Sea region. This is a fantasy storybook, and as such will include magic, elves, dwarves, adventurers and the like. However, the world will have a few differences to the typical fantasy norms. Furthermore, I expect creativity: avoid gruff Dwarves who like gold and noble Elves with magic powers. Break out of the conventions and create something unique. It will benefit the whole storybook.
3) Most of the cast will be part of the merchant's group, but if your character is more likely to start elsewhere, I am open to ideas.

The Rules: (Thank you Grif and Dono)

1) No team-killing: If an active character is going to die, make sure it is thoroughly discussed between both parties involved.

2) On Writing Style: This is a Storybook RPG, so players may write in any style they please. First person, third person omniscient, it's all dependent on your personal preference.

3) On God-Moding:

God Moding is vague. Here are the rules for it.

-- Other authors may control another author's character as long as it keeps the character IN CHARACTER. For extra help, communicate with the author of the character being god-moded first.

-- Authors have every right to determine what is in or out of character for their character. As such, any action they feel is wrong for the character can be vetoed within a few days of the post.

-- This isn't a turn-based RPG, it is a real-time RPG. That means that you aren't obligated to stop and wait for the author to reply to your character. This way, we don't wait three days for a response.

4) If you join this storybook, I am going to expect that you will be committed. This means posting on a regular basis, discussing the plot and characters in the DT, and being involved. If you think you won't be able to post for a while, please PM me.

If a character hasn't been posted for in a long time then it will go into the NPC pile. Another writer may choose to write for that character until the original author returns. If the original author returns, the character once again returns to his or her possession. If the situation calls for it, the character may also be killed off.

5) Out of character discussion is to be carried out in the Discussion Thread for this Storybook, found here.

6) Enjoy.

7) I reserve the right to edit any post to add a timestamp or modify content as needed in order to retain the continuity of characters and plot.

The World: General History, Setting, and Guidance

Spoiler

Map:



Zharia is unmarked on the map, but exists on the small island in the middle of the words "White Sea."

The White Sea: A large inland sea which connects out to the Neverending Sea through the narrow channel called the Gate of Charity. Famous for its sudden fogs, hence the name White Sea. Difficult to navigate due to this.

The Zharian Empire: Formerly the major power of the White Sea for over a thousand years, it was a huge Elven Empire reknowned for its great learning, magic and peacefulness. Fell apart in the War of the Ten Emperors, which created several city states in its aftermath. Power is balanced between these cities.

The City States: Prospero, Abrica, Silia, Pinia, Antuba, Phensae, Kassia, Tremio, Arnak, Destra, Cesia.

Humans: Exist pretty much everywhere and can lend their talents to almost anything.
Dwarves: In the White Sea, Dwarves are common. They are not tied to Mountain ranges in the same way as the typical fantasy trope. Although there are mountain dwarves, White Sea Dwarves are famous seafarers. Their island abide of Seacliff is often their home, but they roam far and wide on huge sailing ships. They are often pirates, too. Many of them still believe they have a right to all of the White Sea on account of the fact their race was the first to settle here.
Elves: Elves hit their zenith during the Zharian Empire. In the war that tore it apart, thousands of Elves lost their lives. They are now a diaspora and lack a homeland. Can be found in many of the cities across the White Sea. Less noble than their typical fantasy trope, Elves are often self-obsessed, rude and manipulating.
Halflings: Rare in cities but present in many settlements in the countryside. Halflings are despised by the great majority of the White Sea residents and are a scapegoat for many of the region's ills. Hated inexplicably.

Other races exist, but please PM me about using them.

Magic: Low level. There are a few magic users but their spells are often tricks, illusions and gimmicks. Magic was more common before the fall of the Zharian Empire, however, so there are magic items and artifacts scattered about. Wizards and sorcerors are often men of learning.

Character Profiles

Spoiler

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[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Race:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Class/occupation:[/b]
[b]Physique:[/b]
[b]Appearance:[/b]
[b]Weapons/equipment:[/b]
[b]Skills/abilities:[/b]
[b]Weaknesses:[/b]
[b]Personality:[/b]
[b]Background/history:[/b]

Zharia: City of Ruins DT

Name: Stanndrik “Grey Wolf” Eldenbekk

Race: Human

Age: 45

Gender: Male

Class/occupation: Fighter/Mercenary Captain

Physique: Tall and solid. Imposing. Radiates strength.

Appearance: Stanndrik looks like a man who has lived his whole life fighting. His face is scarred and ugly. His nose looks like it has been broken many times. His ears are battered. His eyes are always lively. Silvery-grey, they are always watching, observing and analysing.

Stanndrink is bald but has a groomed grey beard. His clothes are so ordinary you cannot recall anything he has ever worn.

Weapons/equipment: --Battleaxe – Hand-to-hand weapon of choice. Stanndrik wields it with brutal efficiency.
Spear – Utility weapon. Thrown early on in combat or used as a reach weapon.
Repeating crossbow – Holds five bolts and can be fired quickly. Stanndrik uses this when outnumbered.
Chainmail armour and helmet– Stanndrik prefers the flexibility of chainmail versus the confines of plate armour.
Medium wooden shield – A grey wolf against a sea blue backdrop is painted on the front on the shield.

Skills/abilities: Close-combat fighting – Stanndrik has spent his whole life killing men. Brutal, dirty fighter with no mercy.
Leadership – Stanndrik has commanded men his whole life. Leads from the front.
Seamanship – Born on a ship and has lived much of his life on the sea. Sailing is as easy to him as running.
Wily and shrewd – Stanndrik is no intellectual, he can barely read. But he has street smarts. He has seen a lot in his life and goes by gut feelings. Can see through lies and tricks easily.

Weaknesses: Age – No longer in his prime, although refuses to admit it. Decades of fighting have left Stanndrik with battered bones and aching muscles. Long adventuring leaves him tired, although he shows this weakness to nobody.
Uncompromising – Not a man to use diplomacy. Will solve anything he can with an axe. Angers other people easily and doesn't care. Not a team player by any means. He lives to lead and fight and doesn't like to take orders from others.
Selfishness – Has survived many a lost fight by simply running and saving his own skin. Does not care a jot for pride, honour or duty. If the going gets tough, Stanndrik will look to live another day over anything else.

Personality: Decisive, resolute and uncompromising. Tough, hard and serious. Selfish.

With others, Stanndrik respects other warriors and can gain a temporary fellowship with them. Otherwise, he is unlikely to make friendships. He will ally himself with others to survive and will be unlikely to betray them unless he thinks his life is in danger.

Background/history: Born below decks in the midst of a battle, Stanndrik's life has always been one of war. From age 13 he has spilt other men's blood. Raised as the youngest son of a Jarl, Stanndrik took his place as a warrior under the fealty of Norfeld. During the bloody wars of the Northmen, Stanndrik gained a reputation as a deadly warrior and earned the name “Grey Wolf.” However, when the war turned ill for Norfeld, Stanndrik fled rather than face justice. He lent his talents to a mercenary group who operated in Ice Bay, far to the north. Stanndrik eventually took command of the men, and they migrated south, where there was more work and thus more coin.

For the past ten years, Stanndrik has worked under the auspices of the Silversword Merchant Consortium, a powerful group based in Prospero. He and his mercenary company run illegal missions for the consortium, from killing rivals to stealing precious items.

Name: Marlon Grey

Race: Human

Age: 25

Gender: Male

Class/occupation: Assassin/Mercenary

Physique: Tall and slim, he is normal.

Appearance: Marlon is a young man, who makes a point of not standing out. His clothes are chosen for their utilitarian aspects, not their fashionable aspects. The clothes themselves have been repaired on many occasions or otherwise modified to make themselves more useful.

Like Standrick, his eyes are grey and intelligent.

Weapons/equipment:
Short sword
Dagger
Bow and quiver,
Grappling hook and rope.
Leather armor

Skills/abilities:

Stealth: Marlon is well versed in moving quietly and unseen. He often takes advantage of this fact to launch a cloak and dagger attack.

Scouting: Marlon has excellent eye sight and can use his grappling hook in order to reach high locations to look around. He is also able to travel quite quickly because of his light gear.

Ranged Combat: While Marlon is equipped with the standard close quarter gear, his specialty is in firing from longer distances at approaching enemies.

Intelligent: Marlon is an intellectual. He is very clever and uses his brain to make clever plans, which Stanndrick usually ignores in favor of something more direct.

Weaknesses:

Vulnerable: His armor is very light, which makes him easy to injure in combat. Further, he doesn't carry a shield, although he can make use of one if he finds one.

Arrogance: He feels that his education means that everyone should listen to him, because he knows things.

Ambition: He is very aware of the fact that Stanndrik is getting old. Marlon wants to take over the job from him, and he might even let Stanndrik retire before he does. Maybe.

Personality: Marlon is a gentleman, which is to say, an Assassin. Not an assassin, but an Assassin. He has the traits of a good Assassin, he's smart, patient, and he's quiet. He doesn't shout at people, and if people abuse him with words or pranks, he'll simply take it quietly and begin working discreetly on a counter-stroke.

He works with a quiet energy, everything is done deliberately and exactingly. He can be quite likable and charming, but how much of that is authentic and how much is part of his deception training is hard to know.

Background/history: Marlon comes from a rich family, the sort which is either in risk of being assassinated, or is composed of Assassins. He received training as an Assassin. He joined Stanndrik's company a year ago.

Spoiler

With Ryan I basically created my own race of rain forest elves. I thought about what would be needed to survive in a rain forest, about what would be most important. I came out with two of the most important things: camouflage and weapons. So I based Ryan's appearance and skills off of these things. He would need to be strong to fight against some of the bigger animals that dwell in rain forests and camouflage - mostly his hair, I imagine him laying down and hiding in it - to help him stay hidden from game he can't fight.

Name: Ryan Crosslin

Race: A type of wood elf.

Age: 25

Gender: Male

Class/occupation: Mercenary/Theif

Physique: Lean. Arms more muscled than his legs.

Appearance: Tall and lithe with long, lean legs and strong arms. He has big hands, his fingers are topped with thick, sharp inch long nails. His feet are long and heavily arched with hook-barbed pads on the bottom. Ryan's hair falls down to the back of his knees and is varying shades of green. His skin is a tanned color.

Ryan has strong features, his mouth is wide, his top and bottom canines are pointed, his eyes are almond shaped, slightly slanted, and pale green in color. His ears are large and shaped much like a bat's ear.

Weapons/equipment: Daggers. A Rapier with two cutting edges.

Skills/abilities: Everything about Ryan and his people is geared towards running, staying hidden, and fighting. His hands and feet make it easier to climb and traverse trees and other tall structures. He is fast and agile, able to run very quickly and his quick reflexives are paired with flexibility.

Weaknesses: Ryan's life is centered around sneaking, fading into the shadows, and attacking with the element of surprise always on his hands - basically night work. Direct, sudden combat is difficult for him, he needs time to work out a plan before going in for the kill. He needs time to map out his attack approach. Anyone with a ranged weapon will be hard to Ryan to fight, he's an expert at close combat, and if you stay far away you're nearly untouchable.

He is also too skeptical, he puts his trust in no one. He's hard-headed and doesn't take the advice he usually needs. He likes doing things his own way. Also, he's unstable mentally. He suffers from PTSD - born from his time being captured and tortured as a teen - which leaves him with persistent nightmares. Because of this he sleeps very little, depriving himself so much that he will sometimes pass out from exhaustion at unexpected times.

Personality: Hard and guarded. He prefers to work alone and to be alone. He doesn't trust others at all and is unwilling to open up to anything. All he wants is to finish the job, get his money, and look for something else to do. Now, he isn't mean, just closed up. If you tried I suppose he could be engaged in some friendly conversation, but he's a loner and doesn't like crowds. He has a dark sense of humor and can respect anyone who knows their way around a blade.

Background/history: In the present, the Rain Forests are not hugely populated. Before, there were many different tribes, and lots of members of each, but now there are few, and none of them are free. Before Ryan's birth, slavers invaded the forests, catching the natives, and taking them away. Ryan was born on one of these slave sights and lived there for ten years. During his upbringing his parents spoke to him of the wonders of the rain forest, and Ryan always knew one day he would return to his homeland. At the age of ten he ran away with his parents and another family. He and Gunther, the father of the other family, were the only ones to make it back.

In the forest Gunther taught Ryan to fight, to hunt, and how to embrace his roots. He spent his years from ten up to sixteen learning how to kill, picking off slavers, hunting game, etc. At the age of seventeen slavers invaded Gunther and Ryan's home, killed Gunther, and captured Ryan. Rumors had been circulating about a hidden tribe of forest dwellers trying to re-populate the area. Ryan had no idea this was happening, but the slavers didn't believe him. He was tortured for half a year before the slavers actually believed he knew nothing, and then kept in captivity for another three. He escaped again with the help of a new slaver that did not really believe in what his father - the boss - was doing, but was required to follow his work.

After Ryan got out he never returned to the forests, instead he began to get into thievery, and then mercenary work, first being summoned by underground bosses, and then more upscale people and corporations. The Consortium hired him next, and that's why he's here.

Name: Chandler Marsden

Race: Human

Age: 22

Gender: Female

Class/occupation: Widow/ranger

Physique: Tall, thin. Just enough muscle to be strong yet still look feminine.

Appearance: She has pale freckled skin and dark curly hair that reaches her waist. She has wide, forest green eyes and face people would say was neither ugly nor pretty. As she was born of limited means, she wears simple clothing that is comfortable for her to move around it.

Weapons/equipment: Chandler's weapon of choice is a bow and arrow. he also carries a knife in case her fights ever come to close ranged.

Skills/abilities: She is a good shot, and can often remain undetected by her enemies. She also has a great deal of endurance.

Weaknesses: Chandler is terrified of close ranged combat. She is handy with her knife, but she does not like being an a position where her enemy has a real shot at killing her. It would make sense, seeing as how her husband, also a ranger, was killed when he received a battleaxe in his skull.

Personality: Chandler was once a dreamer and excited about each new day that life would bring. She was vivacious and a lively person who one would want to spent their time with. However, time and tragedy and the death of her husband have turned her into a cold and bitter loner. She trusts few and has negative view on the world. She has some hope that she can experience happiness again, but not much, and she just tries to survive through each day.

Background/history: Throughout much of her childhood, Chandler lived a quiet life in a small village with her loving parents. At the age of fifteen, she met and fell and love with a ranger-in-training, who was another boy from her village named Kassian. They were married three years later when they were both eighteen and moved into their own house. Chandler was a doting housewife for much of this time. At the age of nineteen, she became pregnant, only to miscarry a few months later. Chandler's heart was broken, but just as she thought things couldn't be any worse, her husband was killed in combat. Upon his death, she taught herself how to hunt for food, and eventually her skills were realized and she became a ranger like her husband.

Name: Elliot "Lucky" McAron

Race: Halfling

Age: 17

Gender: Male

Class/occupation: Deckhand/Musician

Physique: Short, scrawny and measly.

Appearance: A young and meek character. He has worried blue eyes and short brown hair, with a almost expression of fear on his face.

Weapons/equipment:

Knife- Not particularly handy with this weapon, but it provides some protection

Guitar- Uses this in his free time for entertainment for him and the crew

Skills/abilities: He is rather clumsy, though has a tendency to hide well, due to his size. He is very lucky in times of crisis, which is part of the reason he is kept around by the crew.

Weaknesses: Not particularly strong and a bit cowardly, making him somewhat useless in fights.

Personality: Quiet, but with a quick wit when he does open his mouth. He does his best to stay out of trouble and get his work done with efficiency. He's quick thinking when it counts.

Background/history: Parents were killed for little reason other than they were halflings. Without food or money, he sneaked aboard the ship. He was eventually found, and he was put to work as a deck hand, with the plan that he would one day be tossed overboard. This day has yet to come for he has been working aboard the ship for around two years.

Name: Kahlak'tisht (Kahlak for short)

Race: Orc

Age: 38 (Orcs mature at around 10 years of age and die around 40, if bred in the captivity of their Queen. "Free orcs" can live to just older than 70)

Gender: Male

Class/occupation: Fighter/Guard

Physique: Tall, big boned, well muscled

Appearance: Humanoid; bipedal, two deep set eyes and a hanging brow. Two short tusks protrude from either side of his mouth. His teeth are tapered to points, accustomed to ripping and tearing flesh. Large hands with multi-jointed fingers. His skin is rough and hardened, dark brown from years in the sun; a ridge of hair runs down his spine from his nape to lower back. His feet are gnarled, widespread with long toenails; he wears no boots. Kahlak's relatively strange appearance and racial background often results in mistreatment, with humans and elves alike spitting at his feet, or making fun of his brutish face.

Weapons/equipment: Standard orc-issue wooden club with spikes. Whilst their multi-jointed fingers allow for dexterity, they are trained never to learn their potential, thus awkward with finer weapons.

Skills/abilities: Kahlak has extreme endurance, trained to hunt for days until bringing back a kill for the hive. Orcs, as a race, also have fast regeneration, meaning that wounds knit, scab over and heal in a matter of hours, as opposed to days.

Weaknesses: He relies on brute strength in fights, putting no thought into technique or prediction. He has fast reflexes but almost no ability to react to fast paced action. He aims to first maim, then kill. He has a deep weakness for gambling and drink; he works only to feed his obsession on both vices.

Personality: Kahlak is quite withdrawn and barely speaks. He has no loyalty beyond coin and has deserted a caravan procession before. He is rarely impressed by anything, but he can have a deep respect for a person who does impress him.

Background/history: The orc society is similar to that of an ant or bee; there is one queen orc and the male orcs are divided into hunter/gatherer, guard/fighter or mate. As a hivemind, each orc knows what the other orc has learnt, but is limited in his actions due to the orders of the queen, destined to work for her survival and approval only. Kahlak'tisht is an outcast, formally a guard/fighter orc. Either from a birth defect or strong will, he was able to break the Queen's compulsion and escape to free lands. He is not the first to do so, and he won't be the last. Over the last 20 years, he has been working mostly as a guard to caravan troupes.

Name: Magnus FitzGerald
Race: Human
Age: 52
Gender: Male
Class/occupation: Magician/ Artifact Specialist
Physique: Medium and round.

Appearance: Magnus likes to wear boldly coloured robes and he looks like your traditional street entertainer but with a bit less flair. He keeps his hair short and it's entirely grey and in 'mild recession'. His eyes are a sharp blue that crinkle when he smiles, which is something he does often. Magnus has a rounded belly and a walking staff he has no need for.

Weapons/equipment:
Walking Staff - A very simple wooden staff with a rounded head and a weighted bottom. He likes to jab it at people.
Artifact One - A ring with a minor perception filter that makes Magnus more/ less noticeable depending on the effect he is going for. Twist the stone one way for one and the other for another.
Artifact Two - A goblet which purifies anything placed in it, such as water.
Artifact Three - A small wooden carving of an owl which gives out a pale light when it interacts with heat, such as the warmth of a human hand.
Artifact Four - A wooden spoon he is convinced does something but has never been able to determine what.
A Light-Weight Crossbow - He's learning how to use it and was tricked into buying it when told it was enchanted to never miss. Apparently the seller was simply a far better shot than him, who'd have guessed it?

Skills/abilities:
Ranged-combat fighting - Magnus has a crossbow and can follow the general principal of aim and shoot.
Showmanship - Magnus is good at attracting attention and blustering his way through situations. He's not the best showman ever, but it's difficult to tell if he's bad at it or being honest.
Magic - Magnus has some low level magic that isn't much more than parlour tricks. He can create a small flame and supposedly do things like 'confuse' a target. It's difficult to know which of his abilities are genuine or fake though as he uses powders to vanish in a puff of smoke, etc.

Weaknesses:
Age and Weight - Magnus is slow and not nimble.
Bravado - Magnus is a lot of talk but doesn't always follow through. He's not likely to go running into battle, though he'll gladly tell you stories about thieves he's helped to capture or swindlers he's chased down. Daring fights with mercenaries over artifacts.
Pathetic - Magnus is a man with few real skills and little to show for his life. Once you get past his bluster, there's not much left to work with.

Personality: Dishonest, Loud and Jovial. Magnus is a man with a lot of stories and not a whole lot of good sense. That's not to say he isn't intelligent, because he actually has a lot of smarts, but not all of them in the right places.

Magnus will talk to anyone and loves to entertain.

Background/history: Magnus presents himself as a collector of artifacts and wisdom and has brought a few of his favourite toys with him. The reality is that he doesn't have anything of use besides these either because he has been tricked out of them or had to sell them when times were tough. All he owns is what he has brought with him.

Magnus claims to have an education but he didn't actually graduate and he spent most of his youth as a street entertainer or questing after magical artifacts, half of which never existed. He's never been good at planning ahead and its left him in a difficult situation as he's getting too old for magic tricks and adventurous quests.

Name: Pietofrey "Etto" Talomirk

Race: Half-elf, half-human

Age: 52 (Chronologically) / 13 (Physiologically)

Gender: Male

Class/occupation: Salve-maker/ Runic Scholar

Physique: Average height and weight for his physiological age.

Appearance: As a half-elf and half-human, he carries characteristics of both elves and humans. An elf, he has longer ears than normal and beautifully clear complexion and skin. However, his back is marked with burn scars and his feet are always covered in wounds. Etto's suffering from heterochromia so his eyes are of different color; the left is grey and the right a deep jade.

He's very old, but he looks very young. His hear is silvery white with a few strands of ebony by the forehead. He always hides his eyes, ears and hair in the hood of either brown or green robes he had sewn from old rags.

Weapons/equipment:
--Quill: He had the very writing quill since he can remember. He discovered while on his travels that the quill can squirt out small, but dangerous, bits of poison.

--Bell: Nobody's sure that the bell could be a weapon of some sort, but always does Etto reason that the shiny chime strapped on his belt is where he will 'turn in times of trouble'. He uses it to accompany his poems.

--Ragged Robes: Hooded cloaks sewn from rags

--Old tome: A book where he writes accounts of the group's travels. Around the book are notes on enemies, places, wild animals, people and especially plants possessing healing properties, all of which are written in since he can remember. Ancient Ellr runes are also inscribed around its pages, but only the most long-lived of elves can decipher such language.

--Medicine bag: where he keeps potions, tonics, salves and herbal plants for the party's use.


Skills/abilities:
--Interpretation: As a scholar of rune lore, he understands the ancient languages very well. Thus he can easily decipher hidden messages in passages, songs and riddles. There are some runes and ancient script he can't decipher, though, like Ellr and Mythoq.

--Medicine: He possess much knowledge on medicine, being able to concoct potions most party member's aren't familiar with. This is mostly the reason why they accepted him in the party instead of sending him back where he came from.

--Intelligence: He's got a lot of know-how's about history and culture

--Evoking: An ability kept a secret even to himself, he, as a descendant of the High Order of Wood Elves, can communicate and even command wild creatures at his whim with the help of the bell. He discovers this ability by the middle of the story.


Weaknesses: He's socially inept. He only joined the party with the hope of knowing more about the Higher Elves (the ones who're prominent in terms of magic and intellect; his ancestors), so early in the story, he didn't try giving his trust to the other adventurers. Also, he isn't even physically fit to fight with enemies. He's weak and clumsy, and has a fear of deep waters.


Personality:
Etto is quite selfish, resulting from the many years of his isolation from civilization. He knows his motives well and is ready to sacrifice EVERYTHING, even his friends, to get what he wants. He's also very childish, again because of his isolation. Being without much of an example, he developed physically and mentally, but his nature remained a bit child-like.

He only exhibits his selfishness on humans, dwarfs and elves, though. Being raised in a Halfling monastery and lived many years as a hermit, he developed a keen kindness to the most detested race of the world and many living things. Also, he's very optimistic, always looking in the bright side and the last to lose hope. All of these positive traits are exhibited in the middle of the story as he's starting to warm up with everyone.


Background/history:
His parents are Hildorey and Lapheasa Talomirk. Lapheasa was one of the KNOWN last of Ellr, the High Order of Wood Elves. Lapheasa's parents, Etto's gramps and granny, joined the Ellr, Mithoq and S'Vila orders to fight for Zharia. After the war, Lapheasa lost all hope to live, but regained it a few hundred years later when he met Hildorey, a knight. They loved each other so much, but when they gave birth to a half-elven child, news spread out of their human to elf affair which is considered heresy. They were hanged.

Before soldiers get Etto as a baby, he had been left at the doors of a Halfling monastery at the rural of Tremio with a book and a quill. There he lived for 8 years, with the belief that his long ears and white hair together with his eyes are results of rare disease. He was told that his parents were hung just by giving birth of him. With nothing to do, he spent his last few years there studying the elven section of their archives, where his love for elven lore and runes grew. When he was told that he was actually half-elf, he decided to run away from the monastery. He took his belongings and some books from the archives and ran away far from any village or tribe.

He found in a forest a cottage where he decided to live together with his newly found Noctair bird friend and some other animals. His knowledge grew well with his books and, being alone, he learned to take care of himself. Also, since he always pass by some kind of sick animal, he taught himself how to make and brew medicines. He didn't grow very much physiologically or mentally, though.

In 43 years of isolation, he almost forget about the outside world, but when he suddenly woke up dreaming of his parents alive, his hopes of finding more of his identity sparks once again and thus he sets out to the city-states, only to find out that people are then allowed to explore newly-discovered part of the Zharian ruins.

Name: Merla Waterdaughter

Race: Elf

Age: 872

Gender: Male by reputation, female by nature.

Class/occupation: Merchant/rich merchant

Physique: Straight, tall, slender

Appearance: Merla's got that whole ageless thing going on. You'd place her anywhere between mid-twenties and mid-fifties. Long silver hair- whether silver from birth or from age it's unclear, generally knotted into a complicated pattern of plaits to stop the wind getting at it. Her eyes tell her age. Black as the devil, full of the secrets of the centuries she's seen- ha. Merla laughs in the face of such sentiments. But yeah, she does have old eyes.

Weapons/equipment: Her disarming wit- wait that doesn't count?

She carries a sword that she doesn't use unless absolutely necessary, but if called upon, she's picked a few tricks up. Also a small dagger and a hatchet used for manual work.

She also has a fully crewed ship, if that's worth anything.

Skills/abilities: Her disarming wit.

She can use the sword if needed.

She can sail just about anything and can navigate under a dark sky with no compass. Even on foot. She just has a feel for the prevailing winds of the White Sea. You will never get lost with Merla in your group.

She's also very very shrewd with money. As in very. Also good at relieving other people of money they don't need in return for expensive silks, tobacco and other luxury items that they clearly really do need. This comes from a combination of having met a lot of people in eight centuries, and really, really liking money.

Weaknesses: She's extremely lazy, used to other people doing things for her. That involves fighting, she'll defend herself if she has to but absolutely won't defend anyone else. She doesn't make friends very easily, but she's excellent at making enemies. Generally not a likable or charismatic person at all. Not good at planning or strategy, especially not on the spur of the moment.

Personality: Embittered, rude and very self-important. Merla does not suffer fools. Especially fool humans and halflings who have this weird vision of elves being kindly or- ugh.

Merla also thinks she's hilarious. She always laughs at her own grimly sarcastic one liners. Nobody else does, because she's actually not funny at all. That's possibly a race thing. Orcs always get all the laughs. This annoys Merla. When Merla gets annoyed- which is regularly- she shouts a lot. She also is very proud of her schemes for revenge. People who mess with Merla had better watch their backs.

Background/history: Merla's grandfather remembered Zharia, but he was old. Really old. He was an Elf who died of old age. So Merla's family slummed it out in Prospero- ironic naming for such a desolate, impoverished place.

She used to sit outside the classroom where human children were taught their numbers and Merla's head became full of the things. Soon she was begged for at the market because she could haggle for merchants and customers alike, could always strike a bargain no matter the circumstances. People would give her pennies for this and it occurred to Merla that she could do well for herself in a business like that.

So she went into ships. She chopped off all her hair and climbed aboard one as a cabin boy and worked her way up, cutting people down on her way until she was a captain of her own merchant ship at the age of fifty, practically still a child.

She saw the consortium rise, and laughed in their faces. Of course they begged to have her. Her persona, the Black Captain, was renowned in all the corners of the world. They said he was a heartless man, heartless because he had literally sold his own heart for ten guineas, and that he would crush anybody who opposed him. The merchant consortium sent this kind sir a letter asking him to join their ranks. Merla got offended that they assumed she was a) male and b) human and c) real. She was enjoying her mythical existence, running her business under ten different pseudonyms. Only her crew knew the truth, that this ship was older than any of them could fathom, only changed and remodelled and rebuilt over seven hundred years. The history of the sea was written on its-

ha. Got you. Merla doesn't like sentimentality. And she doesn't like talking about herself. She just likes money. And, let's face it, she likes a little adventure. Which is why she agreed to the quest.

Name: Terry (Tara the Magnificent Acrobat)
Race: Human
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Class/occupation: Thief/Acrobat

Physique: 5'5. Slender and moves graciously, like a dancer, can easily be mistaken for a woman.

Appearance: His long raven hair, big brown eyes surrounded by long eyelashes, plump lips and soft voice can make even the most observant person believe he's a woman, and a very beautiful woman at that. He dresses as an Indian dancer (see pic and history). Whenever he gets serious he drops the jewelries and makeup and puts one something more practical, most likely black.

Spoiler

Weapons/equipment: Hides a couple of small knifes in his clothes, just in case. Also has some tools that he uses for climbing, mostly ropes and hooks.

Skills/abilities: He's a extremely flexible and agile, and a skilled acrobat. He's also a very quick sprinter and ambidextrous. A born actor who lies just as easily as he breathes.

Weaknesses: Couldn't fight if his life depended on it. Isn't very strong, at least not when it comes to fighting. Horribly greedy. Doesn't think things through before he does them.

Personality: Even though he's a great actor, he is never quite able to hide his greed. He sees Tara almost as another person, and has in the past been dangerously close to developing a split personality disorder, although he's over that now.

He's playful and likes pulling pranks when he has nothing better to do, but give him a task and suddenly he's completely serious. Tara flirts a lot (with men), but since Terry is quite straight (or at least he likes to believe that he is) he does it solely out of amusement.

He doesn't mind taking risks, since it's a part of his profession, but tries his very best to not get into a fight, since he's a lousy fighter, and if he has to defend himself he prefers to do it with a surprise attack using one of his hidden knifes. But mostly he just uses his speed and outruns the person.

He's not a leader, and doesn't want to be either, but he isn't contempt sharing the treasure with others, so he'll most likely try to steal it. As stated before, he is greedy and always looks to himself first.

He can be quite stubborn and headstrong, and often acts on impulse, which has caused him a great deal of trouble in the past.

Background/history: Terry started his life in an orphanage, but due to his habit of stealing he was soon thrown out on the street. He kept stealing to survive, and one day when he was running from an angry shopkeeper a circus manager saw him climb up a vertical wall and up on a roof where he got away. The circus manager found Terry the next day and offered to let him join the circus, and since Terry had nothing better to do, he accepted.

He trained for a few years, until he was skilled enough to perform in the show. The circus manager thought it would be more exciting to watch a woman perform, and that's how Terry got his second name: Tara.

Of course, Terry wasn't satisfied with working as a female acrobat. He wanted money and fame, and that was when he heard some passing mercenaries talk about the treasure of Zharia.

Terry, dressed out as Tara, joined a small group of dancers who were going to entertain the leader of a band of mercenaries that were traveling towards Zharia. When they had just arrived at the island the leader tried to have his way with Tara. Terry cut the mans throat and ran of, searching for another group of mercenaries that might be in need of his services.

Name: Belle LeDon

Race: Human though her her grandmother was an elf.

Age: 20

Gender: Female

Class/occupation: Thief/sailor

Physique: Tall. She is slightly large, but think Marilyn Monroe.

Appearance: She has bright green eyes and dirty blonde hair. She has high cheekbones and a large nose with a bump on the bridge. Her skin is a pinkish pale, though she tans easily. She doesn't wear clothes that would attract attention her and they're normally androgynous.

Weapons/equipment: She only carries a short sword on her for protection.

Skills/abilities: She is a very skilled sailor and the ocean is her home.
She is a thief but not in the manor one would suspect. She doesn't pick pocket or rob houses, she tricks people out of their money with scams. She is quite good at any form of mathematics. she prefers not to use her sword when she fights. She will normally dodge any attacks, then, when they are worn out, she will give a final blow. In this way she saves a tremendous amount of energy. The only ability she retained from her elf side is the ability to create light that emenates from her palms. It is only visible to her and she has no uses for it other than sight.

Weaknesses: If she faces someone with insurmountable energy, she will always lose. Despite being a good crook, she will always fall victim to a gambit herself. She is also so empathetic, she will always be upset if someone else is upset.

Personality: She isn't an awful person, she just is making sure that she succeeds. She is easy to get along with and is quite kind. She is quite generous with achohol and can never seem to have enough so she is almost always tipsy. She can be cocky at some times and will put you in your place if she feels it.

Background/history: She was born on a boat, was raised on a boat, and plans to die on a boat. Her mother and father owned a ship called the Angelique. When her parents grew too old for the trade her two brothers inherited the boat. Desiring something different, she went to Zharia with the rest of the merchants.

Name : Kane

Race: Halflelf

Age: 26

Gender: Male

Class/occupation: Fighter/ Slave

Physique: 6'0, athletic build (think heavy weight boxer), broad shoulder

Appearance: Short brown hair he has pale blue eyes and a short beard with a strong jaw, nose slightly crooked. His body is riddled with injuries from Whips, blades, burns and animals. He currently wears a battered vest of armour and various items of clothing.

Weapons/Equipment:
*Longsword- Preferred weapon
*Dirk- secondary weapon
*Vest-A vest of armour it consists of various items of torso armour held together by chain mail and leather straps. It might look raggedy but it has been tried and tested in dozens of fights.

Skills/Abilities:
*Close combat- Kane has always been a fighter he first realised his talent in the brawls that the guards of the mine he was a slave in put on. His skill was developed by his last master. His last mast had been a champion gladiator in his youth and past on his wisdom to Kane. With his sword or his hands he is a force to reckoned with.

*Resilience- Years of beatings and terrible conditions have hardened Kane.

*Strength- Kane is unnaturally strong

Weaknesses:

*Kane cannot read very well and vocabulary is limited this makes his social awkwardness all the more awkward.

*Limited interaction with the outside world means he is unaware of many things from the purpose of women (despite his last masters attempt at explanation) to the history of the world he is clueless.

*Very little armour

*Excellent killer but clueless strategist

*People don't like seeing a dirty fight they want a fair matching of skill as such Kane has had a sense of honour engrained into him.

*No long range combat ability

Personality: Black and white Kane is confused by people and how they act toward him for most of his life people have either been above him or below him. Out in the real world he is finding out that life is a lot more grey. Actions have far more complicated reactions. Still he is not a cruel man and will often default to a subordinate manner. That being said he is learning.

Backstory: Kane was born on the east coast of Soffeld on the west side of slavers bay. His father was an elf and his mother was a human, he doesn't remember either of them very well but he knows that it was his father who taught him what little literary skills he does have. When he was seven slavers came and Attacked his village. Much of the village managed to escape but Kane's Mother was killed and Kane was captured. Kane was sold to a establishment know as a Hatchery in the Tigerian empire where they kept him and other young boys in horrible conditions until they were old enough to sell for a decent amount of money. After three years at the Hatchery Kane was sold to a mining company. Years past without Kane ever seeing in the sun as he worked in the deep mine. When the mining company went bust, and he was once again sold on he was a man.

Kane was picked from the hundred of slaves by the discerning eye of Richard Manet who saw Kane's potential. Richard was an ex gladiator and planned of becoming a distinguished Fight master. Kane was his first attempt and the two formed a close bond over the years even if it was limited by both mens social awkwardness. It was only mounting debt that forced Richard to put Kane into the stadiums luckily Richards training was solid and Kane rose to become one of the best gladiators in the whole land. Naturally then it was not long before one of the members of the consortium approached Richard with an offer so substantial that he had to accept. Kane is just one of five gladiators sent by the consortium. All of them bolstered by the promise of freedom on the successful delivery of the Prize.

(This is my first storybook and I wrote this quite late so I expect it to require some revision. My apologies in advance) Blue

Stanndrik

They sailed through a cloud.

It hung above the waves like a great billowing smoke and in the moonlight it glowed like silver. It was everywhere, so thick you could wave your hands in front of your face and barely see your own skin.

Stanndrik had spent half his life on the sea and survived countless storms. He had pierced through the White Sea fogs for years. But he had never feared for his life as much as he did as this moment, in this fog. It was denser than he had ever experienced. The plethora of lanterns swinging from rigging and spar and anything barely penetrated the stuff. They looked like distant stars, even though he knew they were but yards from him.

He thought he was standing by the mainmast, but he had no frame of reference anymore. Time no longer had meaning. They were sailing without knowledge of their heading. No sailor would dare to clamber up above and reef topsails in this weather. So they plunged forward, helplessly.

It had been a fool’s mission from the start, Stanndrik knew. Ancient artifact or not, it had been reckless of the Consortium to recruit a group of unknown quantities on a madcap chase of some rumour no doubt from the lips of a tavern wench. He had grit his teeth and accepted the strange recruits to his mercenary company. Odds and ends, all of them, thieves and slaves and orcs and all sorts. Talented, no doubt; he had put them through their paces after all. But he wouldn’t trust one of them. But the Consortium decreed they needed new blood and new blood Stanndrik had found.

And now they all fell through cloud into unknown waters, together. Their fates were bound, whether he wanted them or not.

He had never sailed near Zharia. Folk called it cursed. No wonder. Few people had ever set foot on the island, and fewer still returned with their minds or body intact. There was something evil lurking on that island, folk said. The Gods had deemed Zharia unworthy and ripped the island apart for a reason. It would be harebrained to blaspheme the judgement of the Gods themselves.

Not that Stanndrik paid much mind to the Gods. But the so-called curse had caused half his company to desert before he set sail, leaving him with the barebones of a crew. Coupled with the cocktail of personalities he’d recruited, the journey had been unpleasant. Poor navigation, poor preparation, poor everything. The Consortium had forced him to leave with haste, lest some other interested party got to Zharia first and found the artifact. And it had cost them.

What he would do for just one everburning fog lamp at this juncture.

The ship was eerily silent. The lull of the waves and the soft pat of water against wood was all the noise that accompanied his desperate thoughts. Most of the crew were below, hoping, praying. Stanndrik preferred to face silent enemy, pointless as it was. The fog said nothing. It simply consumed him.

He stood there for minutes or maybe hours or maybe days. The fog swallowed time.

The end came with a terrifying roar. The wood creaked and screamed as it met solid rock, ripping for what seemed like an age, until it gave in and there was an almighty snap and then it was not the fog that swallowed but cold, icy water, everywhere, and then darkness.

Kahlak'tisht

The orc came to his senses slowly. His mind felt foggy and his mouth was as dry as if it had been packed with cotton. Kahlak'tisht's breeches and jerkin were soaked through, but he did not feel the bitter cold. He duly realized that his club no longer hung tethered to his belt. Sand sprayed against his thick slightly scaled skin, carried by a swift breeze, bringing the scent of brine.

He slowly sat upright, his head pounding and body aching from the familiar feeling of bones knitting together, muscles micro-tearing and bruises fading. His usually clear eyesight was hindered by the sand storm, but even with his limited vision he noted the bleak and desolate landscape, the shore pebbled with sharp rocks and spiky coral clinging to boulders.

Abruptly and without any warning, the wind died down and the orc was blasted by the direct heat of the sun. Everything within reasonable distance was now visible; he was visible. Uncomfortably aware of his lack of defences in this hostile environment, Kahlak rose ungainly to his feet and surveyed his surroundings.

Bits and pieces of the ship had washed up on the stony shore; a broken barrel, some sail canvas, wooden planks and lengths of rope. With no wind and the sweltering heat at his back, the orc started to collect some materials to build a shade.