Dark Souls: Heroes of Ashborne Temple (OOC/Signups)

[Naval Monte]

So it's going to be a race to the bonefire than. So who here is willing to light themselves on fire?

[Illan]

So it's going to be a race to the bonefire than. So who here is willing to light themselves on fire?

Who said there only had to be one chosen undead?

[Torsiedelle]

Chester is cool.

I love Catarina, though. Catarina, and Astora, with Seigmeyer being so jovial and characters from Astora being so noble.

I should make Nico's Kingdom an offshoot of Astora.

[Illan]

Prepare for a very interesting and potentially story integral character

[Tinfect]

Dark Souls RP? And I didn't know it existed? Absolutely Heretical.
Looking at the Apps, I'll be operating under the assumption that it's okay to use equipment that isn't straight from the games.

Nation Name: The Imperium of Tinfect
Character Name: Rennen
Sex: Male
Age: 23
Appearance: Lanky and gaunt, naturally tanned skin made pale by a lack of sunlight. Hair is black, and medium-short, crudely cut so as to keep it out of the way, but hardly maintained otherwise.
Armour & Weapons:
Armour:
[If you don't know what a particular piece is, look it up.]
Ruined Sallet [Heavily Rusted, rended slightly in some areas.]
Ruined Knight's Armour [Consists of a Plate Cuirass, and Spaulders. All Rusted and lightly rended. Also a chainmail suit in equally poor state.]
Ruined Knights Leggings [Consists of basic Greaves, and the rest of the Chainmail suit, all in poor shape.]
Ruined Knight's Gauntlets [Gauntlets, obviously. Again, poor shape.]

Weapons:
Khopesh [Again, look it up, if you are still confused, it's basically a lesser Shotel. Acquired off some mercenaries after an extended stint in a prison.]

Background: Was once a lower-class noble. Or the son of one, he doesn't quite remember, and it doesn't really matter all things considered. Bought himself a lesser knighthood, and set off in the King's army to bring honour and glory to his family name. Happened to be cut down with the rest of the Group when foreign mercenaries flanked the army mid-battle. Got up after the fact, and attempted to make his way back into the Kingdom. It was during this attempt that his condition was first detected by a band of clerics. He has spent most of his days since then, dodging clerics, or escaping whatever cells they leave him to rot in.

His wanderings have led him far over the years, specifically, to Djuta, as though drawn in by some instinct, or perhaps merely because it was the only place that didn't have wandering bands of clerics to dodge.

Strengths: Knows his way around most weapons, short of Rapiers, and anything over half his size. His travels have left him with quick reflexes, and a fair knowledge of anything that might be used to his benefit.

Weaknesses: Master of no weapons, as he has been unable to keep any constants due to loss, breakage, or it simply being confiscated during a stay in a prison. Isolation due to him being Undead, and some particularly nasty experiences with the desperate denizens of Undead Prisons have left him somewhat distrustful of others. Hates clerics, and the particularly pious, with a burning passion.

Stats & Class (50+ free points to add to your class stats - this does not 100% determine what a character can and can't do, but should give a general idea of how well they handle themselves. Attunement Stat not used for this RP):

Class: Wanderer
Vitality: 20
Endurance: 20
Strength: 18
Dexterity: 20
Resistance: 17
Intelligence: 18
Faith: 8

Short RP example:
Pretty much anything in the GA Subforum
And a quick little now-dead RP between myself and a buddy of mine.
#PraiseTheSun

[Naval Monte]

Dark Souls RP? And I didn't know it existed? Absolutely Heretical.
Looking at the Apps, I'll be operating under the assumption that it's okay to use equipment that isn't straight from the games.

Nation Name: The Imperium of Tinfect
Character Name: Rennen
Sex: Male
Age: 23
Appearance: Lanky and gaunt, naturally tanned skin made pale by a lack of sunlight. Hair is black, and medium-short, crudely cut so as to keep it out of the way, but hardly maintained otherwise.
Armour & Weapons:
Armour:
[If you don't know what a particular piece is, look it up.]
Ruined Sallet [Heavily Rusted, rended slightly in some areas.]
Ruined Knight's Armour [Consists of a Plate Cuirass, and Spaulders. All Rusted and lightly rended. Also a chainmail suit in equally poor state.]
Ruined Knights Leggings [Consists of basic Greaves, and the rest of the Chainmail suit, all in poor shape.]
Ruined Knight's Gauntlets [Gauntlets, obviously. Again, poor shape.]

Weapons:
Khopesh [Again, look it up, if you are still confused, it's basically a lesser Shotel. Acquired off some mercenaries after an extended stint in a prison.]

Background: Was once a lower-class noble. Or the son of one, he doesn't quite remember, and it doesn't really matter all things considered. Bought himself a lesser knighthood, and set off in the King's army to bring honour and glory to his family name. Happened to be cut down with the rest of the Group when foreign mercenaries flanked the army mid-battle. Got up after the fact, and attempted to make his way back into the Kingdom. It was during this attempt that his condition was first detected by a band of clerics. He has spent most of his days since then, dodging clerics, or escaping whatever cells they leave him to rot in.

His wanderings have led him far over the years, specifically, to Djuta, as though drawn in by some instinct, or perhaps merely because it was the only place that didn't have wandering bands of clerics to dodge.

Strengths: Knows his way around most weapons, short of Rapiers, and anything over half his size. His travels have left him with quick reflexes, and a fair knowledge of anything that might be used to his benefit.

Weaknesses: Master of no weapons, as he has been unable to keep any constants due to loss, breakage, or it simply being confiscated during a stay in a prison. Isolation due to him being Undead, and some particularly nasty experiences with the desperate denizens of Undead Prisons have left him somewhat distrustful of others. Hates clerics, and the particularly pious, with a burning passion.

Stats & Class (50+ free points to add to your class stats - this does not 100% determine what a character can and can't do, but should give a general idea of how well they handle themselves. Attunement Stat not used for this RP):

Class: Wanderer
Vitality: 20
Endurance: 20
Strength: 18
Dexterity: 20
Resistance: 17
Intelligence: 18
Faith: 8

Short RP example:
Pretty much anything in the GA Subforum
And a quick little now-dead RP between myself and a buddy of mine.
#PraiseTheSun

Yeah it's alright to use stuff not from the actual game but I chose to follow closely to the game.

[Videssos]

I'm thinking that a Shrine Maiden be something in between Sorcerer and Cleric, since they can be said to share elements in common with both, and whilst they seem obviously eastern female (usually, but not in the case of my trap) versions of Clerics to some extent, DS has Amana Shrine Maidens as Sorcerers, rather than Clerics.

[Illan]

The calling to be Garl Vinland V.2 is strong, but I must stick to my original character idea...

[Videssos]

Nation Name: Videssos
Character Name: Saionji Rei (western naming order would be Rei Saionji)
Sex: Male
Age: Unknown (Biologically 11, although that's simply because he died at that age, and he may be somewhat older in actuality)
Appearance:

Armour & Weapons: Miko clothing, shrine maiden bell chime, some amulets/talismans, staff, and a gohei. Ring of Restoration. Blue Clearstone Ring.

Background:

Rei was born to a family of kannushi/priests and shrine maidens in the far east, in Yamatai, whose daughters were traditionally ascribed the position of Miko for several noteworthy shrines in the area. By the time Rei was born, however, they were desperate. Not only were reports of dark spirits and demons on the rise in those lands whilst Onmyouji, priests and Miko numbers began waning, and feuding noble lords were destabilising the realm as they sought to grow powerful enough to rule over it, his parents had also struggled to produce children, and the last straw arose when following his particularly troublesome birth, his mother was left barren and infertile. Their family was said to trace descent from a Kami of long ago, which gave them natural talent, and the authority that they possessed. Their most famous ancestor was said to be a shaman queen from millennia ago. This bloodline requirement also ruled out adoption, accordingly, which was usually the next go-to option for a shrine maiden family without a blood heir, though the adoptee had to have potential.

With no other choice, they thus began training Rei, who already had a rather feminine appearance, as a shrine maiden. Regardless, this break with tradition alone was enough to cause trouble in the family, and his mother made it clear in no uncertain terms that she was of the view that Rei should have been born a girl. Whilst outwardly cheerful, he thus became a little withdrawn and shy, gravitating towards playing with toys and dolls on his own, or reading books, which he'd learnt to do from a young age.

His grandmother taught him the techniques required to be in control of a trance state, which as shamans was a major aspect of their activities. This would be done by rituals including washings with cold water, regular purifying, abstinence and the observation of the common taboos like death, illness and blood. Rei would also study how to communicate with kami and spirits of the deceased, as a medium, by being possessed by those spirits. This was achieved by chanting and dancing, and the boy was taught melodies and intonations that were used in songs, prayers and magical formulas, supported by drum and rattlers. Rei was also taught of the Kami, of their names and roles. Finally he learned a secret language, only known by insiders (other shamans) and so discovered the secrets of fortune-telling and magical formulas. He learnt how to use healing and purifying magic, and to exorcise spirits. Whilst still in training, he travelled with a group of Miko, led by his mother, who were travelling to a town in the west where a major festival was taking place. There, he witnessed how important rituals for large areas were carried out, though being somewhat shy, he avoided the more raucous events and the bigger crowds.

Nonetheless, to the north, a course was set in motion that would change everything. A gateway opened up to the abyss, rumoured to be the work of a notorious dark sorcerer - said also to be a serial killer - experimenting with foul magics, in the forest of Tsukigahara, and untold horrors fell upon the land of Yamatai. The darkness began spreading in the area, taking a nearby village. As soon as news reached them, the nearby shrine maidens, clerics and Onmyouji, along with some of the samurai and militia of the nearby feudal lords, began assembling, this inhuman threat quickly recognised by at least some of them as more important than the country's politics and the internecine squabbling of various Daimyo, who wished to gain the most power and influence over the emperor of those lands.

The next target of the growing dark forces was the ancient necropolis of Takamatsuzuka, built into the mountainside. It was thought that the Abyss-spawn and the tainted sorcerer that was transformed by his own actions into a monstrous entity, would add the remains interred at this site to their forces, and so it would be an important place to stop them at. At first it seemed they had overestimated their foe, and things were going to be mopped up rapidly. Rei was amongst the contingent of Shrine Maidens there, brought by his mother to witness proper battle against demonic and undead adversaries. He was only eleven at the time.

They set up sacred barriers and arcane traps around the place. Then the ambushes happened. They began being picked off rapidly, before a massive surge of enemies cascaded out of various hidden locations, causing havoc. The sorcerer-turned monster revealed himself, a parasitic, shadowy abomination infesting various victims, and possessing or consuming them. It was revealed that much of his army had been assembled in this manner. Many of these were at least somewhat aware of their predicament, and it became obvious that the monster took some sort of enjoyment out of causing such suffering.

The Miko and Onmyouji focused on attempting to "cut off the head of the serpent," by targeting the sorcerer's main form, and sealing, if not destroying it, whilst the brunt of the battle took place between more conventional forces and the majority of the sorcerer's forces. It seemed the tide was turning in their favour when a barrier activated and cut off the sorcerer from the rest of the forces. Now under fire from magical and holy attacks, it fled down into a tomb. Some of its army were weakened, especially those furthest away, as their link to the parasite-mage's main consciousness became unsteady. Then an infested Shrine Maiden broke the barrier, and in the chaos, the structural integrity of the underground tomb began weakening. In the havoc many were corrupted or killed, and Rei, relegated to a rear guard meant to be away from the frontlines, was separated in the winding chambers, which in their decay, had opened up to the catacombs honeycombing much of the area.

Lost, terrified and uncertain, Rei heard sounds of fighting in the distance. One of the Onmyouji, a reputed prodigy named Tenpouin Chōkei summoned several Shikigami, and after weakening the monster with them, attacked with a blast of divine fire. Severely injured, the abyss-corrupted sorcerer split into a number of weaker, dying bodies, devouring anything it could find to recover and grow stronger, its mind more animalistic. One of the bodies devoured several Shrine Maidens, and split off down a corridor. It soon came across Rei in the recesses of a burial chamber. Having fed on whatever it found along the way, it had recovered to a large degree, whilst some of the vermin and creatures it had found had also become infested puppets.

Casting a purification enchantment on himself to protect him, he put up something of a fight, though he was inevitably doomed to defeat, at the hands of a foe stronger than anything he'd been taught how to fight before. A monstrous demon that still recalled the sorcery it had once used when human, overwhelmed him before long. It began tearing through the purification enchantment, tendrils tearing through his flesh and tainting his form. Corruption spread even as he was slowly mutilated, and not even his mind was spared from this violation.

Whilst this happened, the fighting reached a crescendo, and parts of the catacombs began collapsing as they were too damaged. Much of the Sorcerer's army was destroyed, yet so too were many of its foes. The remnants of those dark forces remained and licked their wounds, whilst the Onmyouji, Shrine Maidens, samurai and militia retreated, setting up an even greater barrier around the area. The Onmyouji Chōkei had irrevocably wounded several remnants of the sorcerer's main body before he too retreated, but for Rei, this mattered little. The monster had struggled with the purification enchantment, so its progress was slow, but it was regardless tainting him.

The chamber they were in began collapsing, and a stone slab crushed some of the sorcerer as it was consuming him. They were trapped, and that remnant of the demonic Abyss-thing had some of its consciousness merge with him, even as it did its earlier work. The consciousness of the demon partially merged with a splinter of his own consciousness, whilst it attempted to further assert its dominance by gradually tearing him apart, disembowelling, blinding and dismembering him even as his memories were twisted and his thoughts devoured.

Rei should have become a mere host of that creature, a wrecked puppet, but things would not be so simple. When he was meant to die, Rei simply rose again, in undeath. An unknown amount of time passed, perhaps decades or even centuries, before a group of adventurers came across the ruins. In time, the creature had tortured his mind into submission, and Rei veered at the edge of being a Hollow, his sense of self, and his memories flickering and fading. The demon infesting him devoured the adventurers when they dug through the rubble in search of treasure, and he could do little but watch.

Before long, it became apparent that whilst the brunt of the sorcerer's army had been destroyed, the gateway to the Abyss had become a source of trouble to the north, for a time. Undead and monstrous entities had often fought against the defenders of Yamatai for the decades succeeding the battle, until a big push instigated by an unusually authoritative emperor pushed them back to the forest, and in a grand ritual that took a decade, the area was sealed within a great barrier, and a Shrine Maiden temple was established to maintain the barrier, whilst efforts to cleanse the forest and permanently seal the gate were regularly made. How long since those events had happened, however, was uncertain.

He vanished and reappeared in different parts of Yamatai, the demon that controlled him attempting to grow stronger and spread its influence again consuming and infesting victims, though it was considerably weaker than it once was, still being a remnant of an original whole. This attracted attention inevitably, and a group of Onmyouji began hunting it down. At a critical moment, remnants of his consciousness fought for control with the demon, distracting it, and allowing the Onmyouji to deliver a major blow. Attempting to flee, it was cornered via magical traps and paper talismans that weakened and trapped it.

They then went about the task of exorcising it, with some level of success, seemingly casting out the entity from his body, though it was more complicated than that. His fractured mind split into two, during the process. One was the dark, tainted horror fused with remnants of a former dark sorcerer twisted by the abyss into malevolent demon, and the other was a shell of what he once was, outwardly cheerful, though troubled, and somewhat fearful of others. He can appear rather childlike, but that's not too surprising. He also seems to be unusually comfortable around death, both in seeing it, and carrying out related activities. Rei may also be a bit untrusting of others, though should he grow fond of others, he may become overly attached. Either way, he's not entirely stable, and hasn't been for a while. During the exorcism process, he fell unconscious, and later awoke to be bombarded with questions by the onmyouji. Not remembering much, his answers weren't particularly coherent. A day later, he left, travelling aimlessly.

At some point he found himself in a kingdom to the west, at some point he died again, was captured, and taken to the asylum. Further details pending.

Strengths: Cute. Good at healing. Shrine Maiden skills. [insert more stuff here]
Weaknesses: Physically weak, and still essentially an eleven year old. Useless in melee. Has issues. [insert moar here]

Stats & Class (50+ free points to add to your class stats - this does not 100% determine what a character can and can't do, but should give a general idea of how well they handle themselves. Attunement Stat not used for this RP):

Class: Cleric (Makes the most sense for a Shrine Maiden, though I would say a Shrine Maiden also shares elements in common with Sorcerers, and indeed, DS has Amana Shrine Maidens as sorcerers, rather than Clerics. Perhaps a Shrine Maiden would be something in between Sorcerer and Cleric?)
Vitality: 19
Endurance: 9
Strength: 4 (-8 from a Cleric's standard 12 to reflect that someone who is physically an eleven year old would be weaker, especially one not used to intensive physical activity/labour)
Dexterity: 13
Resistance: 16
Intelligence: 17
Faith: 45


Short RP example: I already know you. Granted, typing my name in the "search Torsiedelle's posts" thingy comes up with one post from 2012, but still.

[Illan]

Nation Name: Videssos
Character Name: Saionji Rei (western naming order would be Rei Saionji)
Sex: Male
Age: Unknown (Biologically 11, since the char whose appearance I nicked was also of this age)
Appearance:

(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)

Armour & Weapons: Miko robes, shrine maiden bell chime, some amulets/talismans, staff, and a gohei. Ring of Restoration.

Background:

Rei was born to a family of kannushi/priests and shrine maidens in the far east, in Yamatai, whose daughters were traditionally ascribed the position of Miko for several noteworthy shrines in the area. By the time Rei was born, however, they were desperate. Not only were reports of dark spirits and demons on the rise in those lands whilst Onmyouji, priests and Miko numbers began waning, and feuding noble lords were destabilising the realm as they sought to grow powerful enough to rule over it, his parents had also struggled to produce children, and the last straw arose when following his particularly troublesome birth, his mother was left barren and infertile. Their family was said to trace descent from a Kami of long ago, which gave them natural talent, and the authority that they possessed. Their most famous ancestor was said to be a shaman queen from millennia ago. This bloodline requirement also ruled out adoption, accordingly, which was usually the next go-to option for a shrine maiden family without a blood heir, though the adoptee had to have potential.

With no other choice, they thus began training Rei, who already had a rather feminine appearance, as a shrine maiden. Regardless, this break with tradition alone was enough to cause trouble in the family, and his mother made it clear in no uncertain terms that she was of the view that Rei should have been born a girl. Whilst outwardly cheerful, he thus became a little withdrawn and shy, gravitating towards playing with toys and dolls on his own, or reading books, which he'd learnt to do from a young age.

His grandmother taught him the techniques required to be in control of a trance state, which as shamans was a major aspect of their activities. This would be done by rituals including washings with cold water, regular purifying, abstinence and the observation of the common taboos like death, illness and blood. Rei would also study how to communicate with kami and spirits of the deceased, as a medium, by being possessed by those spirits. This was achieved by chanting and dancing, and the boy was taught melodies and intonations that were used in songs, prayers and magical formulas, supported by drum and rattlers. Rei was also taught of the Kami, of their names and roles. Finally he learned a secret language, only known by insiders (other shamans) and so discovered the secrets of fortune-telling and magical formulas. He learnt how to use healing and purifying magic, and to exorcise spirits. Whilst still in training, he travelled with a group of Miko, led by his mother, who were travelling to a town in the west where a major festival was taking place. There, he witnessed how important rituals for large areas were carried out, though being somewhat shy, he avoided the more raucous events and the bigger crowds.

Nonetheless, to the north, a course was set in motion that would change everything. A gateway opened up to the abyss, rumoured to be the work of a notorious dark sorcerer - said also to be a serial killer - experimenting with foul magics, in the forest of Tsukigahara, and untold horrors fell upon the land of Yamatai. The darkness began spreading in the area, taking a nearby village. As soon as news reached them, the nearby shrine maidens, clerics and Onmyouji, along with some of the samurai and militia of the nearby feudal lords, began assembling, this inhuman threat quickly recognised by at least some of them as more important than the country's politics and the internecine squabbling of various Daimyo, who wished to gain the most power and influence over the emperor of those lands.

The next target of the growing dark forces was the ancient necropolis of Takamatsuzuka, built into the mountainside. It was thought that the Abyss-spawn and the tainted sorcerer that was transformed by his own actions into a monstrous entity, would add the remains interred at this site to their forces, and so it would be an important place to stop them at. At first it seemed they had overestimated their foe, and things were going to be mopped up rapidly. Rei was amongst the contingent of Shrine Maidens there, brought by his mother to witness proper battle against demonic and undead adversaries. He was only eleven at the time.

They set up sacred barriers and arcane traps around the place. Then the ambushes happened. They began being picked off rapidly, before a massive surge of enemies cascaded out of various hidden locations, causing havoc. The sorcerer-turned monster revealed himself, a parasitic, shadowy abomination infesting various victims, and possessing or consuming them. It was revealed that much of his army had been assembled in this manner. Many of these were at least somewhat aware of their predicament, and it became obvious that the monster took some sort of enjoyment out of causing such suffering.

The Miko and Onmyouji focused on attempting to "cut off the head of the serpent," by targeting the sorcerer's main form, and sealing, if not destroying it, whilst the brunt of the battle took place between more conventional forces and the majority of the sorcerer's forces. It seemed the tide was turning in their favour when a barrier activated and cut off the sorcerer from the rest of the forces. Now under fire from magical and holy attacks, it fled down into a tomb. Some of its army were weakened, especially those furthest away, as their link to the parasite-mage's main consciousness became unsteady. Then an infested Shrine Maiden broke the barrier, and in the chaos, the structural integrity of the underground tomb began weakening. In the havoc many were corrupted or killed, and Rei, relegated to a rear guard meant to be away from the frontlines, was separated in the winding chambers, which in their decay, had opened up to the catacombs honeycombing much of the area.

Lost, terrified and uncertain, Rei heard sounds of fighting in the distance. One of the Onmyouji, a reputed prodigy named Tenpouin Chōkei summoned several Shikigami, and after weakening the monster with them, attacked with a blast of divine fire. Severely injured, the abyss-corrupted sorcerer split into a number of weaker, dying bodies, devouring anything it could find to recover and grow stronger, its mind more animalistic. One of the bodies devoured several Shrine Maidens, and split off down a corridor. It soon came across Rei in the recesses of a burial chamber. Having fed on whatever it found along the way, it had recovered to a large degree, whilst some of the vermin and creatures it had found had also become infested puppets.

Casting a purification enchantment on himself to protect him, he put up something of a fight, though he was inevitably doomed to defeat, at the hands of a foe stronger than anything he'd been taught how to fight before. A monstrous demon that still recalled the sorcery it had once used when human, overwhelmed him before long. It began tearing through the purification enchantment, tendrils tearing through his flesh and tainting his form. Corruption spread even as he was slowly mutilated, and not even his mind was spared from this violation.

Whilst this happened, the fighting reached a crescendo, and parts of the catacombs began collapsing as they were too damaged. Much of the Sorcerer's army was destroyed, yet so too were many of its foes. The remnants of those dark forces remained and licked their wounds, whilst the Onmyouji, Shrine Maidens, samurai and militia retreated, setting up an even greater barrier around the area. The Onmyouji Chōkei had irrevocably wounded several remnants of the sorcerer's main body before he too retreated, but for Rei, this mattered little. The monster had struggled with the purification enchantment, so its progress was slow, but it was regardless tainting him.

The chamber they were in began collapsing, and a stone slab crushed some of the sorcerer as it was consuming him. They were trapped, and that remnant of the demonic Abyss-thing had some of its consciousness merge with him, even as it did its earlier work. The consciousness of the demon partially merged with a splinter of his own consciousness, whilst it attempted to further assert its dominance by gradually tearing him apart, disembowelling, blinding and dismembering him even as his memories were twisted and his thoughts devoured.

Rei should have become a mere host of that creature, a wrecked puppet, but things would not be so simple. When he was meant to die, Rei simply rose again, in undeath. An unknown amount of time passed, before a group of adventurers came across the ruins. In time, the creature had tortured his mind into submission, and Rei veered at the edge of being a Hollow, his sense of self, and his memories flickering and fading. The demon infesting him devoured the adventurers when they dug through the rubble in search of treasure, and he could do little but watch.

Before long, it became apparent that whilst the brunt of the sorcerer's army had been destroyed, the gateway to the Abyss had become a source of trouble to the north, for a time. Undead and monstrous entities had often fought against the defenders of Yamatai for the decades succeeding the battle, until a big push instigated by an unusually authoritative emperor pushed them back to the forest, and in a grand ritual that took a decade, the area was sealed within a great barrier, and a Shrine Maiden temple was established to maintain the barrier, whilst efforts to cleanse the forest and permanently seal the gate were regularly made. How long since those events had happened, however, was uncertain.

He vanished and reappeared in different parts of Yamatai, the demon that controlled him attempting to grow stronger and spread its influence again consuming and infesting victims, though it was considerably weaker than it once was, still being a remnant of an original whole. This attracted attention inevitably, and a group of Onmyouji began hunting it down. At a critical moment, remnants of his consciousness fought for control with the demon, distracting it, and allowing the Onmyouji to deliver a major blow. Attempting to flee, it was cornered via magical traps and paper talismans that weakened and trapped it.

They then went about the task of exorcising it, with some level of success, seemingly casting out the entity from his body, though it was more complicated than that. His fractured mind split into two, during the process. One was the dark, tainted horror fused with remnants of a former dark sorcerer twisted by the abyss into malevolent demon, and the other was a shell of what he once was, outwardly cheerful, though troubled, and somewhat fearful of others. He can appear rather childlike, but that's not too surprising. Either way, he's not entirely stable, and hasn't been for a while. During the exorcism process, he fell unconscious, and later awoke to be bombarded with questions by the onmyouji. Not remembering much, his answers weren't particularly coherent. A day later, he left, travelling aimlessly.

At some point he found himself in a kingdom to the west, at some point he died again, was captured, and taken to the asylum. Further details pending.

Strengths: Cute. Good at healing. Shrine Maiden skills. [insert more stuff here]
Weaknesses: Physically weak, and still essentially an eleven year old. Has issues. [insert moar here]

Stats & Class (50+ free points to add to your class stats - this does not 100% determine what a character can and can't do, but should give a general idea of how well they handle themselves. Attunement Stat not used for this RP):

Class: Cleric (Makes the most sense for a Shrine Maiden, though I would say a Shrine Maiden also shares elements in common with Sorcerers, and indeed, DS has Amana Shrine Maidens as sorcerers, rather than Clerics. Perhaps a Shrine Maiden would be something in between Sorcerer and Cleric?)
Vitality: 19
Endurance: 9
Strength: 4 (-8 from a Cleric's standard 12 to reflect that someone who is physically an eleven year old would be weaker, especially one not used to intensive physical activity/labour)
Dexterity: 13
Resistance: 16
Intelligence: 17
Faith: 45


Short RP example: I already know you. Granted, typing my name in the "search Torsiedelle's posts" thingy comes up with one post from 2012, but still.

An eleven year old in Dark Souls? Oh boy.

[Videssos]

Nation Name: Videssos
Character Name: Saionji Rei (western naming order would be Rei Saionji)
Sex: Male
Age: Unknown (Biologically 11, since the char whose appearance I nicked was also of this age)
Appearance:

(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)(Image)

Armour & Weapons: Miko robes, shrine maiden bell chime, some amulets/talismans, staff, and a gohei. Ring of Restoration.

Background:

Rei was born to a family of kannushi/priests and shrine maidens in the far east, in Yamatai, whose daughters were traditionally ascribed the position of Miko for several noteworthy shrines in the area. By the time Rei was born, however, they were desperate. Not only were reports of dark spirits and demons on the rise in those lands whilst Onmyouji, priests and Miko numbers began waning, and feuding noble lords were destabilising the realm as they sought to grow powerful enough to rule over it, his parents had also struggled to produce children, and the last straw arose when following his particularly troublesome birth, his mother was left barren and infertile. Their family was said to trace descent from a Kami of long ago, which gave them natural talent, and the authority that they possessed. Their most famous ancestor was said to be a shaman queen from millennia ago. This bloodline requirement also ruled out adoption, accordingly, which was usually the next go-to option for a shrine maiden family without a blood heir, though the adoptee had to have potential.

With no other choice, they thus began training Rei, who already had a rather feminine appearance, as a shrine maiden. Regardless, this break with tradition alone was enough to cause trouble in the family, and his mother made it clear in no uncertain terms that she was of the view that Rei should have been born a girl. Whilst outwardly cheerful, he thus became a little withdrawn and shy, gravitating towards playing with toys and dolls on his own, or reading books, which he'd learnt to do from a young age.

His grandmother taught him the techniques required to be in control of a trance state, which as shamans was a major aspect of their activities. This would be done by rituals including washings with cold water, regular purifying, abstinence and the observation of the common taboos like death, illness and blood. Rei would also study how to communicate with kami and spirits of the deceased, as a medium, by being possessed by those spirits. This was achieved by chanting and dancing, and the boy was taught melodies and intonations that were used in songs, prayers and magical formulas, supported by drum and rattlers. Rei was also taught of the Kami, of their names and roles. Finally he learned a secret language, only known by insiders (other shamans) and so discovered the secrets of fortune-telling and magical formulas. He learnt how to use healing and purifying magic, and to exorcise spirits. Whilst still in training, he travelled with a group of Miko, led by his mother, who were travelling to a town in the west where a major festival was taking place. There, he witnessed how important rituals for large areas were carried out, though being somewhat shy, he avoided the more raucous events and the bigger crowds.

Nonetheless, to the north, a course was set in motion that would change everything. A gateway opened up to the abyss, rumoured to be the work of a notorious dark sorcerer - said also to be a serial killer - experimenting with foul magics, in the forest of Tsukigahara, and untold horrors fell upon the land of Yamatai. The darkness began spreading in the area, taking a nearby village. As soon as news reached them, the nearby shrine maidens, clerics and Onmyouji, along with some of the samurai and militia of the nearby feudal lords, began assembling, this inhuman threat quickly recognised by at least some of them as more important than the country's politics and the internecine squabbling of various Daimyo, who wished to gain the most power and influence over the emperor of those lands.

The next target of the growing dark forces was the ancient necropolis of Takamatsuzuka, built into the mountainside. It was thought that the Abyss-spawn and the tainted sorcerer that was transformed by his own actions into a monstrous entity, would add the remains interred at this site to their forces, and so it would be an important place to stop them at. At first it seemed they had overestimated their foe, and things were going to be mopped up rapidly. Rei was amongst the contingent of Shrine Maidens there, brought by his mother to witness proper battle against demonic and undead adversaries. He was only eleven at the time.

They set up sacred barriers and arcane traps around the place. Then the ambushes happened. They began being picked off rapidly, before a massive surge of enemies cascaded out of various hidden locations, causing havoc. The sorcerer-turned monster revealed himself, a parasitic, shadowy abomination infesting various victims, and possessing or consuming them. It was revealed that much of his army had been assembled in this manner. Many of these were at least somewhat aware of their predicament, and it became obvious that the monster took some sort of enjoyment out of causing such suffering.

The Miko and Onmyouji focused on attempting to "cut off the head of the serpent," by targeting the sorcerer's main form, and sealing, if not destroying it, whilst the brunt of the battle took place between more conventional forces and the majority of the sorcerer's forces. It seemed the tide was turning in their favour when a barrier activated and cut off the sorcerer from the rest of the forces. Now under fire from magical and holy attacks, it fled down into a tomb. Some of its army were weakened, especially those furthest away, as their link to the parasite-mage's main consciousness became unsteady. Then an infested Shrine Maiden broke the barrier, and in the chaos, the structural integrity of the underground tomb began weakening. In the havoc many were corrupted or killed, and Rei, relegated to a rear guard meant to be away from the frontlines, was separated in the winding chambers, which in their decay, had opened up to the catacombs honeycombing much of the area.

Lost, terrified and uncertain, Rei heard sounds of fighting in the distance. One of the Onmyouji, a reputed prodigy named Tenpouin Chōkei summoned several Shikigami, and after weakening the monster with them, attacked with a blast of divine fire. Severely injured, the abyss-corrupted sorcerer split into a number of weaker, dying bodies, devouring anything it could find to recover and grow stronger, its mind more animalistic. One of the bodies devoured several Shrine Maidens, and split off down a corridor. It soon came across Rei in the recesses of a burial chamber. Having fed on whatever it found along the way, it had recovered to a large degree, whilst some of the vermin and creatures it had found had also become infested puppets.

Casting a purification enchantment on himself to protect him, he put up something of a fight, though he was inevitably doomed to defeat, at the hands of a foe stronger than anything he'd been taught how to fight before. A monstrous demon that still recalled the sorcery it had once used when human, overwhelmed him before long. It began tearing through the purification enchantment, tendrils tearing through his flesh and tainting his form. Corruption spread even as he was slowly mutilated, and not even his mind was spared from this violation.

Whilst this happened, the fighting reached a crescendo, and parts of the catacombs began collapsing as they were too damaged. Much of the Sorcerer's army was destroyed, yet so too were many of its foes. The remnants of those dark forces remained and licked their wounds, whilst the Onmyouji, Shrine Maidens, samurai and militia retreated, setting up an even greater barrier around the area. The Onmyouji Chōkei had irrevocably wounded several remnants of the sorcerer's main body before he too retreated, but for Rei, this mattered little. The monster had struggled with the purification enchantment, so its progress was slow, but it was regardless tainting him.

The chamber they were in began collapsing, and a stone slab crushed some of the sorcerer as it was consuming him. They were trapped, and that remnant of the demonic Abyss-thing had some of its consciousness merge with him, even as it did its earlier work. The consciousness of the demon partially merged with a splinter of his own consciousness, whilst it attempted to further assert its dominance by gradually tearing him apart, disembowelling, blinding and dismembering him even as his memories were twisted and his thoughts devoured.

Rei should have become a mere host of that creature, a wrecked puppet, but things would not be so simple. When he was meant to die, Rei simply rose again, in undeath. An unknown amount of time passed, before a group of adventurers came across the ruins. In time, the creature had tortured his mind into submission, and Rei veered at the edge of being a Hollow, his sense of self, and his memories flickering and fading. The demon infesting him devoured the adventurers when they dug through the rubble in search of treasure, and he could do little but watch.

Before long, it became apparent that whilst the brunt of the sorcerer's army had been destroyed, the gateway to the Abyss had become a source of trouble to the north, for a time. Undead and monstrous entities had often fought against the defenders of Yamatai for the decades succeeding the battle, until a big push instigated by an unusually authoritative emperor pushed them back to the forest, and in a grand ritual that took a decade, the area was sealed within a great barrier, and a Shrine Maiden temple was established to maintain the barrier, whilst efforts to cleanse the forest and permanently seal the gate were regularly made. How long since those events had happened, however, was uncertain.

He vanished and reappeared in different parts of Yamatai, the demon that controlled him attempting to grow stronger and spread its influence again consuming and infesting victims, though it was considerably weaker than it once was, still being a remnant of an original whole. This attracted attention inevitably, and a group of Onmyouji began hunting it down. At a critical moment, remnants of his consciousness fought for control with the demon, distracting it, and allowing the Onmyouji to deliver a major blow. Attempting to flee, it was cornered via magical traps and paper talismans that weakened and trapped it.

They then went about the task of exorcising it, with some level of success, seemingly casting out the entity from his body, though it was more complicated than that. His fractured mind split into two, during the process. One was the dark, tainted horror fused with remnants of a former dark sorcerer twisted by the abyss into malevolent demon, and the other was a shell of what he once was, outwardly cheerful, though troubled, and somewhat fearful of others. He can appear rather childlike, but that's not too surprising. Either way, he's not entirely stable, and hasn't been for a while. During the exorcism process, he fell unconscious, and later awoke to be bombarded with questions by the onmyouji. Not remembering much, his answers weren't particularly coherent. A day later, he left, travelling aimlessly.

At some point he found himself in a kingdom to the west, at some point he died again, was captured, and taken to the asylum. Further details pending.

Strengths: Cute. Good at healing. Shrine Maiden skills. [insert more stuff here]
Weaknesses: Physically weak, and still essentially an eleven year old. Has issues. [insert moar here]

Stats & Class (50+ free points to add to your class stats - this does not 100% determine what a character can and can't do, but should give a general idea of how well they handle themselves. Attunement Stat not used for this RP):

Class: Cleric (Makes the most sense for a Shrine Maiden, though I would say a Shrine Maiden also shares elements in common with Sorcerers, and indeed, DS has Amana Shrine Maidens as sorcerers, rather than Clerics. Perhaps a Shrine Maiden would be something in between Sorcerer and Cleric?)
Vitality: 19
Endurance: 9
Strength: 4 (-8 from a Cleric's standard 12 to reflect that someone who is physically an eleven year old would be weaker, especially one not used to intensive physical activity/labour)
Dexterity: 13
Resistance: 16
Intelligence: 17
Faith: 45


Short RP example: I already know you. Granted, typing my name in the "search Torsiedelle's posts" thingy comes up with one post from 2012, but still.

An eleven year old in Dark Souls? Oh boy.

Well, technically not, since it's slightly more complicated (that was when he became undead).

[Torsiedelle]

Dat's a whole lot of faith. Accepted.

So, sorcerers and shrine maiens, eh? I'm going to continue to try and add onto Nico, myself. Anyways, we've established that the first location will be the Undead Asylum, which I have some surprises for.

[Illan]

Dat's a whole lot of faith. Accepted.

So, sorcerers and shrine maiens, eh? I'm going to continue to try and add onto Nico, myself. Anyways, we've established that the first location will be the Undead Asylum, which I have some surprises for.

Does Pyromancy depend upon intelligence and faith like in Ds2 and Ds3?

[Torsiedelle]

Dat's a whole lot of faith. Accepted.

So, sorcerers and shrine maiens, eh? I'm going to continue to try and add onto Nico, myself. Anyways, we've established that the first location will be the Undead Asylum, which I have some surprises for.

Does Pyromancy depend upon intelligence and faith like in Ds2 and Ds3?

Hmm...I want to say yes...but no.

[Illan]

Does Pyromancy depend upon intelligence and faith like in Ds2 and Ds3?

Hmm...I want to say yes...but no.

Cool

[Tinfect]

Dat's a whole lot of faith. Accepted.

So, sorcerers and shrine maiens, eh? I'm going to continue to try and add onto Nico, myself. Anyways, we've established that the first location will be the Undead Asylum, which I have some surprises for.

Hey mate, don't mean to be rude, but can I get some confirmation whether or not my app is acceptable?

[New Aksarben]

Dat's a whole lot of faith. Accepted.

So, sorcerers and shrine maiens, eh? I'm going to continue to try and add onto Nico, myself. Anyways, we've established that the first location will be the Undead Asylum, which I have some surprises for.

Hey mate, don't mean to be rude, but can I get some confirmation whether or not my app is acceptable?

might want to link it to him, its gotten busier so he might have missed it

[Naval Monte]

If this was related to DS2 instead of one my character would have been a hexer. But I would have still made her into a wanderer since most of the times I always use both weapons and magic in these games.

[Torsiedelle]

Well, I'm going off of DS1 out of preference, but I never said that Dark Souls II wasn't related.

Oh, and you're good, Tinfect. Another knight would be nice

[Naval Monte]

Well, I'm going off of DS1 out of preference, but I never said that Dark Souls II wasn't related.

Oh, and you're good, Tinfect. Another knight would be nice

So if I wanted my character to learn more spells I can use more hexes besides the three that was in DS2?

[New Aksarben]

creativity Naval, I'm sure torsii wouldn't be against you figuring out new ones

[Torsiedelle]

Yeah. While I prefer to stick to Dark Souls faithfully myself, I don't care if others get creative. I'm more of a laid-back roleplayer. For reference, PL is the only RP I've really done for a long time, and it's pretty laid back with creativity while still being structured and whatnot.

In other words, if it fits, it ships.

[Naval Monte]

Yeah. While I prefer to stick to Dark Souls faithfully myself, I don't care if others get creative. I'm more of a laid-back roleplayer. For reference, PL is the only RP I've really done for a long time, and it's pretty laid back with creativity while still being structured and whatnot.

In other words, if it fits, it ships.

I guess I can make new hexes while still keeping them close to what Dark Souls would do. Hell maybe I can have dark miracles and pyromancy be a thing in this RP.

[Illan]

Yeah. While I prefer to stick to Dark Souls faithfully myself, I don't care if others get creative. I'm more of a laid-back roleplayer. For reference, PL is the only RP I've really done for a long time, and it's pretty laid back with creativity while still being structured and whatnot.

In other words, if it fits, it ships.

I guess I can make new hexes while still keeping them close to what Dark Souls would do. Hell maybe I can have dark miracles and pyromancy be a thing in this RP.

Both of those are in Dark Souls 3, so it should be allowed.

[Holy Lykos]

Back, just retagging this.