THE DEBATABLE LANDS (OOC/Sign-Ups) [Closed]

[The Grey Wolf]

Hey Grey, any idea on what I can be? Well anything besides a badass uber-warrior.

The wet nurse?

[Zeinbrad]

Hey Grey, any idea on what I can be? Well anything besides a badass uber-warrior.

The wet nurse?

I don't even want to know.

[Nationstatelandsville]

Damn you, Norv.

I've reconsidered; I'll try and cook up an app by the end of the night, but it might be postponed to tomorrow.

[Reverend Norv]

Damn you, Norv.

I've reconsidered; I'll try and cook up an app by the end of the night, but it might be postponed to tomorrow.

Whenever you have time, Nat. I'm just glad to have you with us.

[The Grey Wolf]

Damn you, Norv.

I've reconsidered; I'll try and cook up an app by the end of the night, but it might be postponed to tomorrow.

Whenever you have time, Nat. I'm just glad to have you with us.

Nat.

I'm just glad to have you with us.

Damn, you're really into sadism, aren't you.

[Reverend Norv]

Incidentally, Robert is accepted. I'll get him added to the Dramatis Personae and Relationship Tracker sometime in the next six hours. His Prussian wife will have a hell of an adjustment to make, though.

[Cylarn]

APPLICATION

Name: Job (pronounced Jobe) Elliot.

Gender: Male.

Age: 34.

Appearance: Job.

Powergrid Attributes:
INT - 3
STR - 1
DUR - 2
SPD - 1
FS - 3


Armor, Weapons, and Possessions: Job is never caught without his steel longsword, which was a weapon that he had stolen from a commanding officer of his. The weapon measures in at 50 inches, and has a metal handle that is bound in leather and sharkskin, while the hilt itself is made of silver and steel. In addition to his longsword, he also carries a handaxe, with an iron axehead and a strong oak shaft for the weapon.

For his armor, Job prefers to be light on his feet yet still able to take a hit. When not actively in combat, he often wears a hardened leather chestpiece, along with leather boots and leather braces. He may switch out the leather cuirass for an iron one when he is planning for a fight, along with iron greaves. Occasionally, he will wear a helmet.

In terms of other possessions, he has his own homestead, where he owns 30 head of cattle and mainly acquires what he needs through trading, raiding, and other pursuits.

Personality: Despite being a Reiver, Job isn't one for fighting everyone first. In fact, he is one to favor a drink over an unprovoked fight, though when he intends to pillage, he is going to pillage to the best of his ability. Towards his kin, he is friendly and open, eager to share a story over some strong drinks. When around strangers, he still maintains his characteristic friendliness, though under this outward display, he is hesitant to trust strangers until they prove to him that they are worthy of his trust. Those who offend his family can set Job off into a fit of anger, and when he is angry, he tends to be inclined on causing harm to those who made him angry. That is not to say that he is irrational; he won't attack someone indiscriminately or without a proper cause. He is fiercely loyal to the Elliot clan, and to his older brother, Red Duncan Elliot, though Job does have his doubts about some of his brothers activities, which are giving Job cause for concern.

In terms of his raiding, Job raids and pillages about as much as the next Reiver, however he isn't too keen on killing women, children, or the elderly, simply because they don't put up much of a fight. That isn't to say that he hasn't struck down an old man who attacked him during a past raid, or beheaded a woman who attacked him in order to defend her children. Rape is another thing he doesn't much care for, due to his lack of interest in the whole practice. He tends to pillage gold and luxuries, along with cattle and wine.

Abilities and Talents: Like all Reivers, he is adept with weapons of all types and a natural when in the saddle. He has trained with swords and axes since he was a boy, along with spears and even longbows. Whether it be slashing at a wooden target with his sword or bringing down a deer with a longbow or even a firearm, he honed his skill with weaponry. His youth as a Reiver, coupled with his service in the English army, time as a mercenary in the south, and his continued time as a Reiver has only honed his skill in combat, from his fearlessness to his ability to command others. He has a firm grasp on cavalry tactics up to the operational level, and he has commanded men in the field.

Unlike other Reivers, he has gained the basic knowledge of to read and write, a skill he learned during his time in England, though he isn't a skilled scholar by any means. He isn't an idiot, and his travels around Europe have shown him many things, from the decline of Catholicism in the Holy Roman Empire to the wars and battles fought by France and Spain, which he participated in as a mercenary.

Weaknesses and Fears: Although it isn't widely known at this time, Job suffers from what would later be known as "Post-Traumatic Stress." He suffers regularly from nightmares and is prone to blacking out and activating his fight mechanisms, due to his experiences in battle and such. In addition to his PTS, he is terrified of demons, due to some experiences in his youth that his family attributed to demonic influences, though the legitimacy of these demons in his youth is up for question.

Despite being in an adequate physical condition, he still suffers from an injury to his left shoulder, in which a musket ball tore clean through, resulting in painful treatment and months of even more painful recovery in order to learn how to cope with his injury. He can't raise his left arm up over his head, and his ability to utilize a sword and shield and even his sword and axe is at least partially hampered by the injury.

Likes (optional): Figure it out.

Dislikes (optional): Figure it out.

Personal History: Job Elliot was born in 1533, as the brother of Red Duncan Elliot. Reiving was the past time of the family, and it was no surprise that Job and Duncan did the same, learning from their elders the skills and training needed to be a Reiver. At the age of 10, while still but a boy, Job made his first Reive with the men and drew blood for the first time in his life. For the next 6 years, he would hone his craft through diligent training and "on-the-job" experience, at least until he was captured by some of the English Crown's men for cattle thievery. He was offered two choices: be hanged in Carlisle for his family to witness, or serve the Crown in a light cavalry capacity with other Reivers who had befallen the same fate. Job hated the English Crown, but his desire to live past 16 pushed him to hop into bed with the English.

Job proved himself as an able mounted warrior, fighting in several small rebellions in England and even in the border war (where he had fought for both sides, much to his chagrin), however his personal conduct left much to be desired. During his four years of service, he was often noted for his unruly behavior, rampant alcohol consumption, lack of desire to fight other Reivers, insubordination, and disrespect towards his English counterparts. Even his longsword was stolen from some knight that commanded his outfit, and in order to escape death for that offense and escape the lack of fighting in the army, he and several other Reivers took their nags and armor and deserted, instead seeking to become mercenaries elsewhere.

At this period of his life, Job was ashamed to call himself an Elliot. It wasn't due to the clan's Reiver history, but because he had fought opposite his kinsmen against his will. For the next 7 years, he lived in a self-imposed exile, earning a reputation as a dangerous mercenary in various conflicts throughout Europe and even in parts of North Africa and the Middle East, along with his band of other deserters. Job soon became the leader of this outfit when he turned 24, and upon his 27th. birthday, he led his battle-hardened band of Reivers back to Scotland, utilizing much of his own personal wealth to get his men, their horses, and their equipment back to the Border. Job was intent on returning home and living his days out back in his homelands, but he wasn't going to come back empty-handed and hope for his clan to forgive him.

The band cut a bloody swath from Scotland down to Harelaw, raiding villages, stealing many heads of cattle, and causing plenty of grief for the Kingdom of Scotland. They soon returned to Harelaw, where they parted ways and returned to their families. Instead of being scorned for his apparent treachery many years earlier, Job was instead welcomed back, along with substantial contribution of cattle and gold to his family's fortune. He found it pleasant to be a Reiver once more in his homeland, and he has continued to raid, pillage, loot, and burn through those unlucky enough to cross his path.

Tell me if I need to make any edits.

[Zeinbrad]

Well I have an idea for my characters personality.

He's a pervert who hunts mainly young women for obvious reasons.

Do not know if to go with this or not.

[Reverend Norv]

I'll take it, Cy. Job is an important man, then: the younger son of the Elliot of Harelaw himself - a prince among Reivers. Very, very interesting. I'll get the two new arrivals up on the dramatis personae and relationship tracker tonight.

[The Grey Wolf]

Even though this is about a member of the Armstrong family, it's an interesting ballad for anyone interested in old literature on the Reivers.

A video about the Border Reivers in general.

[Aurinsula]

Two: I like Isobel, but she cannot be that well accustomed to a better and higher class of people, or to surroundings that much finer than the Debatable Lands. The whole of the Borderlands were a grimy, dirty place, filled with rough men; wealth was measured in cattle alone from Carlisle to Newcastle. In some ways, this may make Isobel even more interesting - she has convinced herself that she deserves a way of life with which she was never actually personally acquainted. But it does have to be taken into account.

Third: if Isobel is indeed a powerful witch, then her capabilities will essentially be twofold. First, she will be able to brew potions of various kinds, using local vegetation and herbs. These potions can heal, poison, or alter the mind. They are not, strictly speaking, supernatural; rather, they are a kind of folk wisdom that gives a woman with a mortar and pestle all of the power that we moderns associate with advanced pharmacology. If a modern drug can do it, then Isobel can make a potion to do it.

Second, Isobel will have a strongly developed Second Sight; there was probably a magical mentor somewhere in her past, and the loss of her husband would have sharpened her gift. This allows Isobel to see and commune with all of the invisible creatures with whom the Elliots share the Border. Billy Blind and the gigelorums could help her spy on her neighbors, for example. With the help of the Green Man o the Wood, she could even cause trees to move, and with the help of the Fair Folk, she could steal children or kill a man in his sleep. But - and this is very important - any dealings with the more powerful spirits requires that Isobel pay a price; the Otherworlders do nothing for free. And the risks are terrible: the Fair Folk are only too ready to betray a mortal and break their bargain if they think that they can get away with it. So spying on your neighbors with Billy Blind is low-risk; striking a deal with the Green Man is dangerous; and trying to bargain with the Fair Folk is as lethally hazardous as any raiding foray across the border.

Now I will add the two of them to the Dramatis Personae, and suggest some relationships to the other characters in the appropriate section. Let me know if you think that my suggestions are appropriate.

Eeee, I knew I was going to trip over expressing this properly. When I say that she is aristocratic, I mean purely by the standards of the Reivers; her clan is one of the better-off clans, and her family group was well-placed within it. She is from the finest part of the Debatable Lands, which gives her the impression that she is a better class of people, but by outside standards, it doesn't account to much. Probably her girlhood hame was made of cow shit like everyone else's, but they had all the cow shit they wanted.

As for powers, that pleases me tremendously. I have two paths to take with filling out her history; I'm debating which one to take. On the one hand, maybe she and her husband were genuinely happy together, and his loss made her terribly bitter; on the other, maybe he was very unkind to her, and she used her witchery to get him killed. Still deciding.

EDIT: I went to the Clan Jardine wiki page, and saw a photograph of their very beautiful tower with its little chimneys. So I figure that, compared to the people who live in the houses in your OP, the Jardines must be fairly well-off - again, though, within the general standard of the Borderlands.

[Nationstatelandsville]

APPLICATION

Name: "Iron" Kenneth Elliot

Gender: "Last I checked, male; but ta be fair, that was a mighty long time ago."

Age: 47

Appearance: "Mother once told me I was a brick. I've come ta believe she was wrong; I'm many bricks, and they're all fallin' apart."

Kenneth wasn't necessarily going to be mighty; he was the runt of his litter, the younger (and smaller) of a pair of twins. But the older one - Bruce - he died in a month, and Kenneth grew only stronger. He stayed small, but compact, layering muscle upon muscle. His work certainly helps in that. He's gone into middle-age, though, and is leaving it with all the fury he came into it; his hair is graying, his muscle is failing, his bones creaking. He's still healthy enough for a raid or two, but after that?

He's got a beard - not a terribly long one, it was cut off just recently when it caught fire in a rather unfortunate accident - and its raven black has started to turn to mangy gray. His eyes are brown and sad - at least, that's what his old hag says. If you ask him, they're not sad, they're "grizzled", don't be such a bloody romantic. "Grizzled", in general, is a good adjective for his increasingly leaner and bonier body. Nobody grows old and fat 'round these parts. His skin is covered in dry skin, crackled and bleeding on the occasion, and the whispers of some old burns; not as many scars as some have, but he's got a few long scrapes running down his back from one particularly nasty Armstrong. Smashed that boy's brains in extra hard, just to spite him. He ought to have learned the kid's name, but he never quite got around to it.

Powergrid Attributes: INT 2
STR 3
DUR 2
SPD 1
FS 2

Armor, Weapons, and Possessions: Some of the finest of the Elliot mail, hand-crafted; a helmet and shield made likewise, though the shield is wood for scarcity's sake; and his grandfather's hammer, dubbed "Backbreaker" by its original owner, though Kenneth isn't nearly so dramatic.

Personality: "There was some thrill in it once, the Business; not so these days. Though, s'pose we got ta keep at it."

Iron Ken is getting old; he knows it, the family knows it, the outsides know it, and that goddamn banshee sure as hell knows it. He's got no issue with it - well, almost no issue - but it has imbued him jointly with a sense of wisdom which needs to be shared and a desire to smash any young, cocksure clown to tiny, tiny pieces. Hammers, he figures, solve most problems; those they can't, he'll settle for words, but only if he must.

Ken's bored with his life, but it's not like he's got anywhere else to be or any other opportunities to snatch up. And it's certainly not as though he has any moral objections to the Business, like any of these simpering children, though sometimes he wonders. Ken's a pious man, and though he figures God's got no quarrel with any well-earned smiting, he's still careful to confess to all the little things. Might as well be careful.

Ken is a man without ambition, personal or otherwise, and he's sure to quash any of that nonsense in his cousins and children alike. Life has been good to the Elliots, if a little dull - only a moron brimming with youth and lacking in sense would try and change that.

Abilities and Talents: Ken is decent with a war hammer, but excellent with its sister of the forge. He can make a sword sing like no man in the world can.

Weaknesses and Fears: Ken's always been suspicious of magic and womenfolk for the same reason - they're shifty, they lie, and they're a bit too good to be trustworthy. He's also feeling the age in his bones, and fears he may soon be unfit for either of his jobs; though why else does a man have children?

Likes (optional): Music, a good drink, smithing, his family.

Dislikes (optional): The Business, excessive drinking, smithing, his family.

Personal History: Iron Ken was the son of Somebody and Someone Else, living as an Elliot his whole life and doing what the Business entails. He married some unimportant and mildly pretty woman whose name he's long since forgotten, but who is universally acknowledged as "Elliot's old crow", a sentiment he much agrees with; they've had two children who they find largely agreeable, except when they don't, and who Elliot is proud of, except when he isn't, and only in moderation. Elliot once wanted to be a priest, but the priesthood doesn't take men like him, so he's settled on being his family's smith. He'll occasionally smith for the milkdrinkers for some extra earnings, but never a rival clan - he might be old and disdainful, but he's got loyalty. Besides, their pay's shit.

Never has Ken done much of note, and never does he aim to.

[Reverend Norv]

Works for me, Aurin. As for Isobel's relationship with her husband, it's up to you. As you can see on the Dramatis Personae and the relationship tracker, I have given the husband a name and I have assumed that he loved Isobel dearly - but of course, I can easily change that at any time. I have also assumed that Mither Lileas gave Isobel some training in the Second Sight - the point in which is mostly just to build a network of preexisting relationships by which to mirror the structure of the Border clans. If any of the stuff on the relationship tracker disquiets you, I can easily change it. Just let me know.

[Rupudska]

APPLICATION

Name: Willful Moira Elliot [Also 'Adder' Moira Elliot, but she hates this, so don't call her that.]

Gender: F

Age: 19

Appearance: On the left. Has a rather small chest (Modern historians would probably give her A's at best) and medium hips, not to mention she is quite short, at a mere 5'3".

Powergrid Attributes:
INT 4 (The smarterest, and close relatives know it. She knows it, too, and that's a bit problematic. Very much literate. Speaks a fair amount of Gaelic.
STR 1 (Not as strong as a fighter, but she could kill you with a sword.)
DUR 2 (Pretty durable, could run for quite a distance without tiring.)
SPD 2 (Also pretty fast, capable of reaching 20 mph in short bursts and cruising at around 14-15. Very flexible and nimble.)
FS 1 (Better than some other women, though still not as good as the warriors of the Elliot clan, and not enough to be a 2.)

Armor, Weapons, and Possessions: Witchcraft-making materiel. Averagely-well-dressed, prefers light or warmish colors. Owns a pair of sgian-achlais knives of high quality her brother may or may not have lifted off some Scotts. Of these, she usually only wears one at a time. If she wears both, it means she's nervous about something.

Personality: A walking entity of sass. Consistently openly nice only to a select few, namely The Elliot, Red Duncan, Mither Lileas, Hamish, and her parents. Frequently teases her brother, mostly due to his (comparative) stupidity and his objection to learning how to read, despite her repeated attempts to teach him to. See? She really does care about him. Some married-in members find her to be rather a smartass, but soon realize she acts this way to basically everyone, unless she deeply respects you, which requires earning, be you king or beggar. However, her respect, once given, is very strong and open. Seems to like Duff somewhat, much to the chagrin of her brother. Somewhat pessimistic, thinks things will get worse before they get any better.

Abilities and Talents: Besides being quite smart and a skilled witch, Moira is an excellent singer, with a mezzo soprano voice and a surprising range. Fitting, considering the standard roles of mezzo sopranos. Is entirely convinced that the cannon has a future as a musical instrument. Would probably be a skilled composer if she knew how to compose. Very good at hiding and finding.

Weaknesses and Fears: Absolutely terrified of spiders. Can't swim.

Likes (optional): Music. Singing. Dancing, various other forms of merriment. Knowledge. Being smarter than her brother. Her brother.

Dislikes (optional): Being called an 'adder', spiders, the water (Can't swim), being slower than her brother

Personal History: Moira was born to Finlay and Rodina Elliot under a full summer moon in the July of 1548. They had already had a son - Rory - and while Moira's birth was unexpected, it was certainly welcome. As soon as she could talk, it was apparent that she and her brother would behave towards each other like typical siblings for the rest of their natural lives. Which meant quarreling, though nothing too violent. This intensified twice: Firstly when Rory finally exceeded her in running speed around when she was five, secondly when she hit puberty at nine.

Her gift of the Sight made itself readily apparent at an early age, and as a result she received training in this from Mither. It's not abnormally strong, but it is by no definition of the term weak, either. Her mother helped teach her to sing, and sing she can, and can well.

APPLICATION

Name: Tall Rory Elliot

Gender: M

Age: 21

Appearance: On the right. Exceptionally tall, at 6'4", though with a light build and wiry frame. Big eater. Very big. Also very fast, possibly because of a fast metabolism.

Powergrid Attributes:
INT 2 (Not exactly smart, but means well, and very good at diplomatic things.)
STR 1 (Upper range of 1. Pretty strong, but not the strongest out there.)
DUR 1 (A glass cannon, for sure...)
SPD 3 (...but when he moves, he moves.)
FS 3 (An expert with the latch and sword, great with a buckler and lance, too.)

Armor, Weapons, and Possessions: Some fairly high-quality jack-o-plate armor and steel helmet. Hand-crafted latch, well-made sword and buckler. What clothes he wears besides armor are usually black or a dark color.

Personality: A bit overprotective of his younger sister, though he still teases her, mostly about her (lack of) height. And being faster than her, which she hates. Easygoing, gets along well with most people. Somewhat optimistic, unlike his pessimistic sister. When she starts to get herself in trouble (usually by applying sass where it is unsafe to do so), he is usually there to bail her out of it. In fact, he's good at ending a lot of arguments due to his level-headedness. He enjoys battles, more as an exercise of skill than anything else.

Abilities and Talents: A crackshot with the latch. Very good with the sword and lance as well... most of the standard pointy-type fare of Reiver life, really. Good at reading the tide of battle, and very high situational awareness. While he isn't physically strong, he makes up for it with speed and technique. He is also blessed with very high agility.

Weaknesses and Fears: His sister drowning, his sister getting kidnapped, his sister getting raped, etc. Also fairly fragile and not exactly the most skilled at repairing his weapons.

Likes (optional): Family, his sister, stiff drinks, music, battle, the quiet moors

Dislikes (optional): Excessive 'noise', excessive bloodshed, his sister when she's in an attempted-teaching mood,

Personal History: The first child of Finlay and Rodina Elliot, he was a month under two when Moira was born, and they quickly 'hit' it off, rather literally, once she became old enough to fight back, around when she was three. It cooled off to bantering soon after an incredibly severe scolding from Finlay. He's good at scolding. Rory went on his first rieve fairly late due to a childhood illness, not going out until he was almost 13. But he did a decent enough job, and has been in a number of raids since, each time proving himself adept with the latch's bolt. A few years ago, near the start of the Elliot-Scott feud, he nabbed a pair of daggers that he gave to his younger sister, which she almost always wear at least one for protection.

[Nationstatelandsville]

At first, I thought I should play a woman, just to inject some variety into the traditionally male-dominated realm that is historical fiction.

I had forgotten this was P2TM.

[Rupudska]

At first, I thought I should play a woman, just to inject some variety into the traditionally male-dominated realm that is historical fiction.

I had forgotten this was P2TM.

That, and that is my shtick.

[Nationstatelandsville]

At first, I thought I should play a woman, just to inject some variety into the traditionally male-dominated realm that is historical fiction.

I had forgotten this was P2TM.

That, and that is my shtick.

Where would the world be without the many Ladies Rupudska?

[Reverend Norv]

Nat, I damn well love it. Welcome. I'll add Kenneth to the Dramatis Personae and Relationship Tracker.

Rup, it looks good so far. Just a note - no one spoke Gaelic on the Border, so I'm not sure how Moira could have learned the language at such a tender age. Otherwise, it looks great, and I look forward to seeing what you will do with Tall Rory.

Everyone, just a note: for the purposes of this RP, it would probably be best to refer to your characters exclusively by their nicknames and first names. Calling anyone "Elliot" is going to get very confusing, very quickly.

Finally, given the gratifyingly high level of interest, I am going to kick-start the IC within the next few days - it's always good to strike while the iron's still hot, eh? But the sign-ups will remain open for at least another week, so if you still know people who you think would enjoy this, then do not hesitate to give them a call.

[Nationstatelandsville]

Calling anyone "Elliot" is going to get very confusing, very quickly.

A tactic Blind Hamish once adopted against he English, confusing them until they just gave up and went home.

[Reverend Norv]

Calling anyone "Elliot" is going to get very confusing, very quickly.

A tactic Blind Hamish once adopted against he English, confusing them until they just gave up and went home.

This is now canon. I am going to find a way to work it into the IC.

[The Grey Wolf]

Calling anyone "Elliot" is going to get very confusing, very quickly.

A tactic Blind Hamish once adopted against he English, confusing them until they just gave up and went home.

Rumor has it that the Scots-Irish used this tactic during the American Revolution, confusing the redcoats long enough for the French to arrive.

[Nude East Ireland]

A tactic Blind Hamish once adopted against he English, confusing them until they just gave up and went home.

This is now canon. I am going to find a way to work it into the IC.

"The milkdrinkers can na stab all o us!"

[Reverend Norv]

Dramatis Personae is updated. Now for the relationship tracker. Damn, but this is going to get complicated fast.

[Nationstatelandsville]

Dramatis Personae is updated. Now for the relationship tracker. Damn, but this is going to get complicated fast.

Once this closes, one of us should make a family tree.

[The Grey Wolf]

Dramatis Personae is updated. Now for the relationship tracker. Damn, but this is going to get complicated fast.

Read it just a few seconds before you posted about said update.

I like it. You managed to sum up every character pretty well.