Song of Heroes OOC (Fantasy RP, CLOSED)

[Radea]

I have RETURNED, as General MacArthur use to say. I'll be working on a post soon.

[Auropa]

City App

Name: Tarboh
Dominant Group: Humans and orcs (though many different races call Tarboh home)
Region: Tejis Desert
City Size: Megalopolis

Notable features: Between the towering dunes and raging warbands of the Tejis desert, lies the great independent city of Tarboh. Originally made from lost seekers of the flame and based around one of the few water sources in the region, the surrounding lands ultimately proved to be flush with resources to the point where many of the lost pilgrims saw it as a sign and began the task of creating a home. Over the years the settlement grew, at first it was slow with only the odd lost traveler or wondering soul deciding to settle, but in time, as the town and its industry started to form and flourish, merchants, warriors and scholars of all sorts started to arrive, each looking to find, claim or understand the many secrets in the sand. For a while the city began to seem like a utopia full of nothing but opportunity and riches, though in time, it started to sour and blacken.

As it became ever more rich and famous, more and more made the the arduous journey and flocked to the city, as they did, less and less of the once abundant resources were left to claim. Though by being so separated from the rest of the continent, many of those that found themselves without coin in Tarboh also found themselves trapped within its borders with no way to return home. Before long, the golden city was surrounded by rundown, crime ridden slums though from their misfortune, opportunity arose for a wealthy few. Fueled by desperation and starvation, many of the poorest started to take on dangerous, back-breaking tasks for pitiful wages. Before long, the city and its entrepreneurs had access to cheap, disposable labour that could work in near any environment and under any condition. From this, a new wave of lucrative, previously untouched resources opened up to the city. Spice, gold, ebony, gems, glass, and a thousand more goods began to flow once more but unlike before, only some had access to the wealthy boons.

The next century or so of the city’s past varies from unclear to blatantly misleading but what is known is that with ever less pay and ever more goods being sold, the lowest classes of the city eventually rose up and tried to take control for themselves. The result was a short but bloody conflict as the well trained, armed and fed forces of Tarboh cut down the disorganized revolutionaries. Those that survived however were given an offer, a death sentence for their treachery or a lifetime in service. And so the first slaves of Tarboh were made. From there, the practice slowly picked up and spread across the city, eventually going so far as to become one of its main economic features.

While illegal in most ‘civilised’ nations, Tarboh continues to practice slavery to this day, relying on its economic power and vast natural walls of sand to protect it from any foreign intervention or claims against it. Where its natural barriers fail, the city relies on a wide combination of mercenaries and a small core force of Janissaries for protecting both its internal and external interests. As for leadership, the city’s management is mostly loose, allowing for areas to regulate and police themselves so long as certain laws are met and their taxes are paid. Lacking a king or queen, the city is led by a small, self-elected group of highly influential and wealthy individuals dubbed as the Ember Council, who come together to dictate the main laws, taxes and defences of Tarboh but separate to ‘rule’ their own districts as they see fit. Nowadays, its mercantile industries have continued to flourish with new developments forming in mercenary work and a very specific type of entertainment in the form of bloodsports. For many, Tarboh is a city of riches, rare goods and gold, a beacon of opportunity and business hidden in the sand. To others, it’s a hellish place of violence, betrayal and greed, a forsaken pit void of morals, gods and the salvation either could bring.

Age of City: 900 years
Major Industry: Entertainment, luxury goods, mercenaries.

OOC- finally got around to putting that city app up. Though I didn't have time to properly look it over so feel free to let me know if anything seems wrong or should be changed!

[Finland SSR]

OOC- finally got around to putting that city app up. Though I didn't have time to properly look it over so feel free to let me know if anything seems wrong or should be changed!

Are the Janissaries like real Janissaries? (i.e. children kidnapped and enslaved to serve as loyal soldiers)

[New Antonalia]

Tag for illusionist fencer/duelist

[Absolon-7]

deleted

[Finland SSR]

Name: Dido Ricine
Age: 25
Gender: F
Race: Dark Elf
Appearance (pics if possible):

Statistics:
Strength: 5
Agility: 5
Endurance: 1
Magical Prowess: 3
Bio: Dido Ricine was born as the fourth child to the family of a smuggler on the volcanic island of Solfatara, off the coast of the continent of Anthem. Though her father and mother were nominally aligned with the Dark Elven cause, cheering for their liberator/new tyrant Malekith much like many of their peers, in truth, both of them profited from the seemingly endless conflict, shipping weapons for both sides and racking in the cash. They expected their children, including their daughter Dido, to follow in their path of ignoring morality and laws and just profiting from the pain of others.

However, while Dido, much like many of her fellow Dark Elves exposed to the corruption of Malekith's wisp, was born far from pleasant, this corruption in Dido manifested as a complete disdain for any sort of authority, including that of her parents. Though pretending to follow her father's teaching about ripping off people on prices and making deals with pirates to have them avoid your smuggling ships, the teenage elf soon began to wander off, ending up embroiled in several youth groups who spent their days squabbling with weaker kids and harassing slaves. In her teenager gang, Dido soon earned the notoriety of being attractive, but untouchable, who'd be much more likely to shove your face in and beat you down with a stick if you tried to touch her without her consent, and fairly easily disarm even older teens in wooden sword duels with a combination of speed and ferocious strength.

Eventually, this ended up with her being noticed by Hamilcar, one of the lieutenants in Malekith's army, whose eye caught note of Dido's surprising swordfighting skill and potential. Attracting the teenage girl to the military was the easy part - she was impressionable enough that the promise of adventure and getting out her teen gang routine was enough to have her on the lieutenant's doorstep - but shaping Dido into a soldier was not. The girl quickly absorbed the lessons in Hamilcar's Flaming Falcon swordfighting style, training herself in the usage of dual falchions, but getting her to follow military discipline, marching orders, or even keep a straight upright stance were all difficult, frustrating, and as the lieutenant and all the other teachers in the Solfataran military training grounds soon learned, pretty much impossible. Even Dido was getting frustrated with all the crap her teachers were forcing to go through.

The breaking point was when Dido was finally let out of the training grounds to join a Solfataran division in a war against one of the many minor nations sprawling across the Western coast. What was supposed to be the moment when all of the boring crap she was forced to go through culminated in something lovely, turned into a nightmare for the young Dark Elf. She just couldn't charge forth and fight on her accord, she had to wait for orders, she had to march in formation, she had to only use specific weapons according to her commander's orders... no, the military life was not for her. It wasn't the freedom she wanted, it was just an another authority she had to escape from.

Immediately after returning to Solfatara, the 20 year old Dido packed up all which she had with herself - what she had obtained from her parents or could buy from the meager payment for her military service - and headed straight for the continent, leaving her past life behind and becoming an independent adventurer. Hamilcar, upon learning of her departure from the army, immediately declared her to be a Temperance traitor in the making, in between constant curses and swears - in reality, however, Dido wasn't interested in that diaspora. She had no scorn for the society she grew up in, it simply did not fulfill her expectations.

And only possible outlet for fulfilling those expectations arose in the from of the Paean Legion, which, though receiving more than just a few cursory glances from her... less corrupt Elven peers, Dido promptly ended up joining, soon earning the reputation of a feisty, unchained warrior. The Legion was better than the army she departed from, but it was not a perfect place either - the Legionnaire code was an unwelcome limiter, and far from all available contracts interested her. Perhaps this was the reason why, despite having been a member of the Legion for almost four years, with plenty of experience to follow, the Dark Elf spellblade warrior only barely managed to claw her way up to becoming a Blue Cloak.
Heroic Boon:

Spellblade: Dido's heroic boon allows her to imbue weapons she wields with magical energy, granting them increased striking strength and speed, as well as a recognizable dark red glow. The Blue Cloak upgrade to her boon also grants Dido the ability to manifest the magical energy in her weaponry as a physical construct, extending their length or width at will.

Abilities:

• Black Lightning Wisp: Dido's symbiotic wisp, which she has dubbed Aeneas, is a Black Lightning wisp, and allows her to channel black lightning, an electric current of darker, more destructive and detrimental nature than its normal state.
  
  • Electric Weaponry: Dido's wisp is able to imbue her already magically enhanced weapons with an electric current, zapping and shocking opponents upon touching flesh.
  • Spirit Discharge: A variant of the universal Spirit Spitfire ability, it allows Dido's wisp to release a wave of sparking, destructive magical-electric energy rolling across the battlefield.
• Flaming Falcon Style: Dido is trained in the Flaming Falcon style, a Dark Elf swordfighting art emphasizing unstoppable offense and superior mobility to constantly keep the opponent on edge. The Flaming Falcon Style dismisses the combat value of shields and armor and instead has an affinity towards dual swordwielding, as well as light, single-edged weaponry for maximized cutting power.

Limitations:

• Anti-Magic: Much like all elves, Dido is weak to weapons and curses employing anti-magic due to her innate Wisp connection.
• Wisp Recharge: Dido's wisp, Aeneas, is not an infinite source of power, using its powers is very draining on vitality and using it too much leaves it inactive for a time before it naturally recharges its strength.
• Imprecision: The Spirit Discharge is even more inaccurate than the usual Spirit Spitfire ability, practically being a discharge of magical-electric energy all around her, and is thus pretty much useless unless you are at point blank range to to the opponent.
• Attack! Attack! Attack!: The Flaming Falcon style emphasizes offense and mobility over defense and Dido thus relies upon them in battle - which leaves her as a frail glass cannon which, if the battle is not going her way and her opponent has the clear upper hand, is not bound to last very long.

Equipment:

• Light Leather Costume + Cape
• Dual Steel Falchions
• Dual Steel Daggers
• Adventurer's Kit - bedsheet, replacement clothes, water pouch, some rations, flint and steel

Optional
Likes: Coffee, sailing, the coastal winds, roast beef, the thrill of combat
Dislikes: High Elves, being forced to a routine, following orders, enemies with heavy armor, strawberries
Theme song: The time has come and so have I...
Greatest Fear: Large heights.

[Auropa]

Are the Janissaries like real Janissaries? (i.e. children kidnapped and enslaved to serve as loyal soldiers)

Damn I was hoping I could drop that bomb as a surprise IC
But yup, I'm thinking they'd mostly be made out of people bought or 'recruited' from a young age and then trained ever since. (Had this one idea that Corven would have been chosen to become a Janissary but with his former owner being a council member, he was able to keep him as a gladiator instead).

[Absolon-7]

City App

City Accepted

Group Name: Solfataran Elves (Dark Elves)

Racial Group Accepted wait something's off here!

Name: Dido Ricine

Character Accepted

[Union Princes]

Name: Romilda Schaus
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Race: Human
Appearance (pics if possible):

Statistics:
Strength: 5
Agility: 3
Endurance: 3
Magical Prowess: 1
Bio: As far as Romilda was concerned, war is the only thing she remembers growing up and killing is the only thing that she learned that matters. Being born into the Inquisition, there was no such thing as everlasting peace. Skirmishes and full-on battles against heretical forces occur on a daily basis and given the eternally high demand for reinforcements, Romilda was thrust into combat as soon as she was able to hold a sword. Irresponsible of the Inquisition? Yes, but at least she had the luxury to fight alongside her mother who was also an Inquisitor and can be her trainer. Blood and Death followed Romilda and as she grew older, her friends and comrades were cut down like grass in a field. Even her mother would eventually fall upon her sword, her armor pierced by a crossbow bolt.

Barely even an adult, Romilda spent the last of her teenage years hoping from one sect of the Holy Orders to another in the Free City of Faith, desperate to fill a hole in her heart left behind from her mother's passing. But the Holy Orders all said the same: move on and fight. Her mother is dead but now she can fight in her name and enact vengeance. Romilda took their advice and resumed her witchhunting duties. For a time, it did seem to work. Bringing wrath and righteous fury upon the heretics improved her mood quite a bit and she felt truly alive and impassioned as she beheaded on opponent after another.

However, her enthusiasm would die out like quenched fire as more and more Inquisitors die around her and with her faith finally broken, Romilda did the dishonorable and deserted. She grabbed her belongings and whatever coins she could grab and fled the city under a lie of "fulfilling a personal quest." Romilda wandered the countryside until she found the desire to take up membership in the Paean Legion. She wants to experience something more than just slaying heretics.
Heroic Boon:Indomitable Romilda has the ability to resist psychological attacks or extreme stress that would otherwise destroy a normal person's mentality and will to fight.
Abilities:

• [Screens]: Romilda has access to creating flashbombs that both blinds and disorients enemies with its bright light and smoke.
• [To the Front]:Her arms and armor has been blessed by holy runes and prayers that grant increased durability and cutting power.

Limitations (Reasons why your char can’t singlehandedly conquer a kingdom):

• Sacrifices speed in exchange for protection and damage output.
• Inexperienced in creating protection against black magic and hexes
• Her proficiency in two-handed weapons and polearms makes her ill suited in tight spaces

Equipment:

• Longsword
• Knife
• Armor and weapon repair kit
• Medical herbs
• Torch
• Armor as seen in the pic. (Chainmail and plate)

Optional
Likes: Her mother and ale
Dislikes: Unrelenting combat
Greatest Fear: Becoming a coward.
Theme: Light of the Seven

[Absolon-7]

Name: Romilda Schaus

First, I'm concerned about the bio's tone as it seems very grimdark and overly violent in its description but as your Inquisition is fairly self-contained in the Center I'll give it a pass. My first issue I need to bring up is that the Boon doesn't seem like one as it could easily be a special technique. A Boon is supposed to be a special power not some fairly mundane attack. My second issue is how both of her abilities aren't abilities: The first is just an attack anyone can do and the second one seems too much of a video game mechanic but if you could expand it to some sort of magical charm I can perhaps see it working.

[Finland SSR]

Several brave Legionnaires, for their peers in the Paean Legion, have taken it to the streets to go through the markets and shops of Velathiri to compose

The Velathiri Prices Index

Foreword

The Paean Legion, as one might know, receives travellers and applicants from the entirety of Anthem - and more often then not, as these new recruits take on their first missions and receive their first rewards, it become painfully clear that many are still unaccustomed with the economic system of Velathiri. Receiving their payment in Velathiri Ducats, our young comrades have no clue exactly how much their savings are worth and thus end up in laughable mishaps. Either they see themselves as far wealthier than they actually are, or they believe themselves to be ripped off when they have actually received a fair reward.

To help newcomers and old veterans alike, we have composed this Prices Index which will hopefully make you understand and compare the cost of living in Velathiri and plan out your budget as you work in the Paean Legion!

Coinage system

The currency of the Republic of Velathiri is the pure gold mint Velathiri Ducat. The Velathiri Ducat is divided into smaller units this way:

1 Ducat (D) = 24 Grossi (G)
1 Grossi (G) = 32 Piccoli (P)

Food

Item	Price
Alcohol
Wine (1 gallon, cheapest)	1 D 12 G
Wine (1 gallon, highest quality)	4 D
Ale (1 gallon, second-rate)	7 G
Ale (1 gallon, first-rate)	10 G
Beer (1 gallon, good quality)	1 D 15 G
Foodstuffs
Dried Fruit (eg raisins, dates, figs, prunes), one pound	10-40 G
Spices (cinnamon, cloves, mace, pepper, sugar, etc), one pound	5-15 D
Two dozen eggs	10 G
Cheese, one pound	5 G
Oats, one gallon	1 D 8 G
A day's meal for one (second-rate)	1 D 5 G
A day's meal for one (highest quality)	2 D 20 G

Accommodation

Item	Price
Rent (monthly)
Cheapest cottages available	2 D
Average house/inn/hotel	8 D
High quality accommodation (wealthy inn or hotel)	192 D
Most prestigious accommodation available, with services	600 D
Dwelling purchase
Cheap wooden cottage	200 D
Standard urban housing (e.g. a craftsman's house)	960 D
Two story house with courtyard	8640 D

Clothing and weaponry

Item	Price
Clothing
Full fashionable gown	960 D and upwards
Linen chemise	3 D 5 G
Shoes	2 D 10 G
Full woolen garment	14 D 10 G
Full fur-lined garment	32 D
High-quality woolen hat	4 D
Peasant tunic	1 D
Armor
Full mail armor	480 D
Full plate armor	800 D
High-quality cuirass (torso armor)	192 D
Cost of full armor set repair	12 D
Weapons and etc.
Cheap steel sword	2 D 10 G
Battle axe	2 D
Cheap Elven bow + 16 arrows	5 D
War horse	480 D
Swordfighting instructor (per month)	40 D

[Absolon-7]

The Velathiri Prices Index

Great job once again, Fin! I'll add it to the OP right away.

[Radea]

The Velathiri Prices Index

Great job once again, Fin! I'll add it to the OP right away.

We hurdle headlong further into D&D territory. GIVE US DICE ROLLS

[Absolon-7]

Great job once again, Fin! I'll add it to the OP right away.

We hurdle headlong further into D&D territory. GIVE US DICE ROLLS

Interesting proposal...

[Absolon-7]

Double Post

[Finland SSR]

We hurdle headlong further into D&D territory. GIVE US DICE ROLLS

Interesting proposal...

d20 modified by one of the specific stats for puzzle solving and stuff?

[Segral]

A Brief History of Spice Trade in the Southern Regions
Chapter XVII of "Analysis of the Economic Trade Between Civilizations" by Abraham O. R. Tellius

Introduction:

Spices such as cloves, mace, sugar, and salt have become invaluable goods in Anthem's economic trade. In the fine city of Velathiri, one could buy three gallons of the finest wine and a brand new battle-axe at the local blacksmith for the same price as a pound of cinnamon. They have become something of a polarizing topic in the present day, an invisible border between social classes, a topic of struggle between the wealthy and the poor. Part of the reason why spices have become so exuberant in price is the lack of suppliers; no vendor would ever carry them in a public marketplace without the fear of being robbed and murdered in broad daylight by those searching for the lucrative goods. In fact, this criminal activity surrounding spice has created something of an unlawful trade for them, a criminal underworld concerning mere flakes of mace, mere grains of sugar, a topic that will be touched upon further in this chapter.

However, the main topic concerns not the criminal connotation of the spice trade, but how the trade of spices effects the Southern regions, the Southern Bog and the sprawling Tejis Desert, both of which were barren wastelands before the trade came into place, but are now hotbeds for countless droves of nomadic merchants, oasis-side shantytowns, and burglars. This chapter aims to explain the exact specificities of the spice trade in the South, the civilizations, towns, and races involved, and the connections it has created across the world.

It is important to take notice of the fact that this analysis is an incomplete one. The South makes up a quarter of Anthem's landmass and is widely known for being sparsely populated and harsh in nature. In particular, the desert is notorious for being a sprawling landmass almost devoid of water or vegetation, and many attempts to map it are partial or incomplete, whether due to lack of resources, inclement weather, or lootings. Today, our estimate of activity within the Tejis Desert is little more than an educated guess, and as such, our knowledge of trade in the desert could change drastically upon further exploration. In ten to twenty years, this chapter may become terribly outdated. However, this study strives for accuracy in all areas and is generally accepted by expert cartographers and geographers to be relatively factual.

---

Early History of Spice Trade:

There is no definitive time-frame for when spices were first discovered, but most historians estimate that they were first found roughly five thousand years ago, near the area presently known as the city of Tevasheem. During this prehistoric time period, humans were still extremely primitive, and lived a very simple, small-village lifestyle of hunting and gathering, mostly living off the many trees. Many of these spices grew upon nearby trees, in the form of flowers, seeds, bark, and other small growths. It did not take long for early humans to begin cultivating these spices for use. However, despite the rich soils and intensive care of these spices, there was very little success in growing them due to the abundant rainfall, which would often leach soil of nutrients and cause the delicate crops to deteriorate. However, as farming technology advanced and human settlements become larger and more interconnected, the farming of spices improved and the trading of spices became an option.

Spices were highly sought after due to certain customs and beliefs at the time. Many believed spices were rare, exotic foodstuffs and many were eager to purchase them. Some organizations and vendors went as far as to claim they had special attributes, special powers that could be granted to an individual upon consumption. While this has been widely described as a myth and an attempt to sell more wares, several individuals who purchased the spices from these vendors claimed that they experienced heightened physical and intellectual capabilities. Indeed, it seemed like spices were special goods, things of value, things of prestige. And soon, cities and kingdoms outside of the Western Heartlands were requesting spices. In particular, those in the Urban Center and the Northern Reaches.

However, this posed several issues. Reaching cities in the Northern and Eastern regions required lengthy days on horseback through the snowy mountain ranges bisecting Anthem, which at the time, was uncharted and relatively unknown to most creatures aside from Giants. As a result, many human traders became lost in the dense web of mountain peaks and forests, often having trouble locating food and shelter in the harsh, snowy climates. Many were inadequately prepared for the cold climate, as well as inadequately prepared for if their food supplies ran out, and many starve or froze to death without proper shelter from the winds.

To make matters worse, ogres and trolls ran rampant in the mountains, and would often prey on unguarded horses in the case of ogres, and wagons in the case of humans. It is estimated that hundreds of spice traders were killed by ogres alone, and very few made it to their intended destinations. Those that did charged dozens of Ducats for mere ounces of spices, and hundreds for pounds. One pound of sugar was worth just as much as a purebred war horse from a reputable stable, and prices were only growing steeper. Something had to change.


The Role of the Tejis Desert:

It wasn't until roughly three centuries ago that a wealthy merchant and amateur cartographer named Marc Copollo found a more efficient travel route across Anthem for the delivery of spices. Copollo was a wealthy merchant from Velathiri with his own shipping company, a company that employed traders on horseback to travel in between cities in the Western Heartlands to perform deliveries for him, mostly dealing in salt. Salt was a commodity at the time in the Western Heartlands, as many merchants required the salt for use in preserving meat and other foodstuffs for long journeys. However, he too was tired of how the mountains limited his trade routes, and eventually, he attempted to plot a route across the Tejis Desert that would circumvent the mountains and help him reach the Urban Center and Eastern Archiplego much safer and more efficiently.

Hiring a team of bodyguards, Copollo went south from Velathiri by barge to the city of Mathmor in the Southern Bog. From there, he used the low foothills of mountains to guide him to a large river, which eventually lead to the small city of Torbah. After leaving Torbah, he moved directly to the northwest, hugging the coastline and eventually coming out on the other side of Anthem's spine of mountains. The path formed a deep crescent cutting across the North-Central area of the Tejis Desert and stayed close to distinguishing features in the landscape, such as an unnamed mountain range in the Southern regions, and the mighty river that the Torbah is based upon. After the journey was complete and Copollo made a small fortune selling his wares, he authored and published the volume "A Journey Across Tejis", which is now a staple in the world of geography. The volume detailed a several-month-long journey across the Tejis Desert, one that was undertaken by a mixture of river barge and horseback through the Bog, and by camel and caravan across the desert. This was instrumental to the cartography of the Tejis, as it provided eyewitness accounts of the climate, geology, and demographic structure of the Tejis.

According to the findings of Copollo (and many other traders' accounts), sand and dust storms often racked the landscape, which was very flat aside from occasional sand dunes and fields of cacti. Water was mostly contained to a sparsely placed oasis, one which usually had a poor shantytown grouped around the edges, a place rife with burglars, as well as livestock and the human slave trade. Many nomads lived in the desert, roaming by camel while carrying handmade goods such as clothing, silks, carpets, and shoes. Even more commonplace was nomadic thief gangs, ones that traveled by donkey or mule and attacked any caravan in sight in the hopes of stealing valuable goods. To prevent being robbed, Copollo carefully hid spices in hidden compartments of the walls of his caravan, a technique which would be emulated by many traders who took his route in the future.

In any case, even if it was not the most efficient route, it was certainly groundbreaking. Droves of merchants traveled to the bog and desert in hopes of making their own fortunes from the lucrative trade. Soon, outposts and stables were set up along the trade route to officially mark the various desert routes, usually in the form of small inns, taverns, and camel stables. The routes became more developed over time, eventually being collected under the singular term; "The Spice Roads". While Copollo's original route was the main and most developed route, other faster routes were created, albeit with more mountainous regions and fewer safe dwellings across the route. Torbah and Mathmor grew massively in size due to the burgeoning trade routes, and they became prime destinations for the shipping of spices. When a merchant didn't want to go through the hassle of travelling through the desert, they would travel by boat from Mathmor or Torbah, using the various rivers and coastlines to trade spices. Soon, shipping lanes were created alongside the usual caravan land routes, oftentimes resulting in even more profit for the lucky entrepreneurs who created their shipping companies.

However, criminal activity became omnipresent and attached to the very connotation of spices. Looters were common across the desert, usually poor citizens from oasis villages that made their salaries looting spices and fabrics from merchants, and selling them in their local villages for high prices. The more determined ones would travel to the Eastern Islands and sell them there in a wider, more expansive market, often cheaper than the merchants than they looted from. In the ocean, pirating became a great business, with seafarers plundering and often destroying peaceful merchant ships, and selling them all across Anthem. Occasionally, they would be hired by kingdoms to destroy rival kingdom's ships, crippling their economies to a severe degree. Even in the cities, spice vendors were often robbed and had their homes looted, and the spices were consumed or sold in the more disreputable markets. Author Ann R. Ule's work of literature "The Associations of Illegal Robbery and the Anthem Spice Trade" details the heavy prevalence of so-called "Back-Alley Markets", places where individual dealers often buy and sell cheap, stolen goods, particularly spices.


Impact of Spice Trade on the Wider Southern Region:

The spice trade is arguably the most deeply interconnected economic trade network within Anthem. Many kingdoms and states, such as Ashar, Nur, Velathiri, Torbah, and Mathmor can attribute their size and wealth to the spice trade bringing economic investment, populations, and employment contracts for freelance workers into their townships, opening dwellings and inns for travellers, and generally increasing the hospitality of many regions, particularly in the Southern Bog and Desert. According to shipping records in Velathiri, seven thousand pounds of spices were shipped from Velathiri to Torbah alone and assuming they are sold at roughly 30 Ducats a pound (the typical market average within the Tejis Desert), this means that spice trade from Velathiri to Torbah alone equated to two-hundred-and-one thousand Ducats.

It is clear that the Tejis Desert would be nearly inhospitable without the trade. However, some argue that it has become even more difficult to make a living. The trade has shifted much of the labor force within villages to innkeeping, cleaning, and other forms of service, and it is more difficult for laborers to find work. As well, it has put a significant toll on the various oases in which these villages are based upon, often draining them of water supplies and causing damage to water quality. Several doctors such as K. Enjeong have documented the case of oasis water causing various diseases of the stomach and bowels. However, due to environmental and population concerns, very little research has been done to the matter aside from poorly trained and low-level Tejis medical professionals and midwives. In any case, it is undeniable that the spice trade routes have blossomed into something much larger than Copollo's original dream.

[Absolon-7]

[box]A Brief History of Spice Trade in the Southern Regions

great job seg. So far no complaints from me after reading it. To the OOC it goes!

[Adunu]

Name: Skarhide Rottusk
Age: 30
Gender: Male
Race: Orc
Appearance:

Statistics:
Strength: 5
Agility: 2
Endurance: 4
Magical Prowess: 1
Bio:

Born in a savage orc tribe where size and brute strength are the very traits that society rotates around. Skarhide has always been more fortunate than his peers, having been blessed with such traits at birth. In fact, his sheer size and strength were enough to guarantee his path to a position of leadership; his numerous victories in the tribe's dueling pits over the years gaining him prestige and clout - enough so that he posed a serious threat to the then current Warlord's - Beegbloke Tuffclaw's, rule.

At the age of 28, Skarhide challenged Beegbloke to a duel that would decide the tribe's Warlord. After a long, bloody duel - in which Skarhide had executed Beegbloke - Skarhide was proclaimed the new Warlord of the Brokentuskz. For the past two years Skarhide has set his sights on unifying the Southern Bog's orc tribes, something that could only be done by force. His insatiable thirst for combat being the driving factor behind this newfound goal.

Heroic Boon: None
Abilities:

• [Superior Physical Condition:]: Skarhide is notably larger and stronger than his peers, giving him a massive advantage in savage orc tribal politics - in which orcs will typically listen to the biggest, meanest and strongest orc.
• [Supreme Fighter]: Skarhide knows only war and combat, having been trained from birth and his dozens of pit duels to be an efficient melee fighter.
• [Refined Thrower]: The average orc can accurately hit a target with a javelin from 250-300 meters away, with the javelin travelling at a speed of 50 m/s or 180 km/h. However, an experienced orc can hit their target from 300-350 meters away with the javelin travelling at a speed of 55 m/s or 200 km/h. Pair this data with Skarhide's strength and javelin skills, he is able to chuck a javelin at 61 m/s, or 220 km/h.
• [Proficient Archer]: While Skarhide specializes in melee combat, he can fire a bow with a draw weight of 500 pounds, and is able to accurately hit targets at a range of 700 meters.
• [Seasoned Soldier, Veterancy]: Skarhide knows only war, and - like all savage orcs - is accustomed to the battlefield and it's horrors.

Limitations:

• No Comprehension of the Arcane
• Tendency go into a battle frenzy, severely reducing his ability to think and often times getting him into a bad situation.
• Death Before Dishonor - Skarhide will often refuse to back down from a fight, even if the situation is grim and he has little-to-no chance of winning.

Equipment:

• [Heavy Black Armor:] Heavy chain mail and scrap metal armor set cobbled together by the tribe's finest 'Forgaz'.
• [Da Basha:] A large mace Skarhide uses when a blunt weapon is required.
• [Da Gnawa':] A menacingly large axe Skarhide uses against opponents with little armor.
• [Throwey Spears(10x):] A set of javelins.
• [Pookey:] A pack mule that carries the equipment Skarhide doesn't have on him.
• [Da Long Range Killa':] A long ranged bow that Skarhide keeps on Pookey when he does not have it equipped. It has a draw weight of 500 pounds, and an effective range of 800 meters.
• [Arrows(20x):] Crude Bodkin arrows used against armored targets
• [Arrows(20x):] Crude Broadhead arrows used against unarmored targets

---

Group Name: Savage Orcs
Region Inhabited: Southern Bog
Group Appearance:

Description/Lore: Savage orcs typically stand at 6 feet tall however they can be as tall as 7 feet. Savage orcs are naturally bald, and are bulkier than other orc races, with a majority of their body weight being their muscle mass, strength being determinate of position in the hierarchy in their culture. However, the greater strength and bulk comes at a cost, as savage orcs are typically far less intelligent than other orc races. In addition, all savage orcs have a strong under bite in which long, viscous tusks and fangs protrude.

War and combat play prominent roles in Savage Orc culture. Infighting is rampant within tribes, as duels are often times used to determine strength and position in the tribe, with no concrete laws to regulate such activities. The tribes are more likely to be at war with each other than be at peace, Warlords raising their warbands to conduct such wars. Orcs who perform well in battle are given higher positions within the tribe and warband. Smaller and weaker orcs get the short end of the stick, however. As they are bullied into menial labor tasks and are given little opportunity to climb the ranks of the tribe.

While a majority of tribes are ran by a Warlord who has achieved their position through sheer strength, some are ruled by a Shaman who has achieved dominance through use of powerful magic and a strong cult of personality. Orc tribes ruled over by a Shaman are typically regressive, having devolved into a stone age intellect and odd feral rampage due to the magic employed by the Shaman. The "Wyrdgick", an orc colloquial term for "Weird Magic", used by the Shamans allows them to exert greater control over their subjects, at the cost of the subject's intellect.

There are six major tribes that are scattered about the Southern Bog. The Brokentuskz, the Grimskinz, the Redteefs, the Yella Fangz, the Irontuskz and finally, the Nighteyez and the Bone Prophets. The Nighteyez and the Bone Prophets are ruled by Shamans.

Innate Abilities:


• Superior Physiology: Savage Orcs are genetically stronger compared to other races
  
• Resilient: Savage Orcs generally have high damage tolerance.

Innate Weaknesses:

• Hilariously Low Intelligence: Most savage orcs are have low intelligence, with very few being able to be called even remotely intelligent. This is worse in savage orcs ruled by a Shaman.
• Bloodlust: Cultural trait that generally causes division among Orc societies

Additional info: Savage orcs mature very quickly.

---

Faction Name: Brokentuskz
Faction Region(s): Southern Bog
Description/Lore: The Brokentuskz are one of the major savage orc tribes in the Southern Bogs. The tribe is led by Skarhide Rottusk, an ambitious orc who rose to power after defeating the former Warlord, Beegbloke Tuffclaw, in a duel pit match. In the two years since his abrupt rise, Rottusk has solidified his rule by defeating potential political rivals in the duel pit, a show of force that ensured the loyalty of the weaker orcs.

Rottusk has also begun leading more and more raids on human settlements in the Bog, in an attempt to gather more resources for his planned conquests of the other tribes.

Races that are part of the faction: Savage Orcs
Additional Info:

[Absolon-7]

Notable NPCs around the Paean Legion Velathri HQ

Louise is a new clerk that manages the front desk at the lobby's front desk as her task is to manage and transcribe what contracts are given to the Legion, which Legionnaires take them, how much money goes in and out, etc. She is a 19 year old immigrant to Velathri from a decent sized village in the large Kingdom of Soissons in the north Greater Atrium. She moved to the large metropolitan city in hopes of "making it big" as her country peers used to say. Little did she know that her idealized view of the famous city isn't exactly the most accurate as harvesting apples isn't exactly the most applicable skill in an urban workforce. Thankfully she made quick friends with a Legion clerk who managed to secure her a job at the world-renowned Paen Legion HQ in Velathri. However some sights at her new job, such as a Hobgoblin head being planted in front of her desk by a swamp woman, have made her warier then usual. When there's no one around she likes to write fairy-tales and hopes to one day be able to publish a book of them but she prefers to keep it to herself for now. Rumors say the tattoo on her hand holds some hidden power but she denies those rumors.

Oliver is about the best you can find when it comes to blacksmiths. Give him a overly complicated blueprint? He can make it to the letter. Give him armor beyond repair? He can fix it to be good as new. The 38 year old hails from a mining community from the Madrigal Mountains dividing the Greater Atrium portion of the Heartlands and came to Velathri 18 years ago to make his fortune and what a fortune he has made. His skill was immediately sought out by the Legion as they had a huge demand for smiths and he took the job without a complaint. Nowadays he's the foremen of the HQ's Foundry and oversees its team of blacksmiths in their day to day duties. He lives with his wife and family in a nice cottage gifted to him by the Legion in a nearby residential district and from time to time he likes to stop at local theaters as he can't help but laugh at how melodramatic some popular plays are. Secretly he enjoys them but don't tell anyone.

Lanassa could easily be described a flighty rabbit or a cowardly woodchuck. The 20 year old High Elf works at the Velathri HQ's Grand Archive and spends her time running errands for the full librarians or helping Legionnaires looking for a book. She was born to family that originally came as refugees to Velathri during the Thapsus-Solfatara War and once the war ended her parents chose to stay as they had made an enjoyable life in the diverse city. After during schooling in a Elven academy in the city she chose to seek out the Great Sage Orion to be his apprentice as soon as she heard he was in Velathri. She had long looked up to the old elf as a rolemodel and had regulalry bought books of his adventures, bestiaries, and other works. Thankfully he agreed but little did she know he was also the head librarian of the Legion's Grand Archive but she doesn't mind the job too badly. These days she spends her time in a paradox of wanting to help people in the library and also avoiding them to soother her nerves. She likes to spend her weekends having picnics at the Repubblica Zoo observing and drawing the fantastical beasts there.

[Turmenista]

Documentation of the Rise & Fall of The Blight
Chapter XXX — "Fallowmire and The Final Wars" by Dain Ironfoot

Prelude

...Under Blight God Erysivius's rule, the Blight had expanded far beyond its arrival site in central Anthem, consuming more land and corrupting more creatures to enlarge its terrifying army of hideous monsters and enthralled creatures. Many factions, such as the mysterious White Sun Syndicate and various bandit groups, voluntarily joined the forces of The Blight, looking to achieve their own aspirations of gaining limitless power like their new master, Erysivius, by pledging allegiance to him, while others tried to oppose his advance, determined on surviving and resisting the encroachment of The Blight. Faced with an enemy that would be otherwise impossible to defeat alone, the ancient armies of the world, in a sudden show of unity, banded together in spite of their differences and the overwhelming threat of the Blight. The epic five-year war that ensued would be known as The Final Wars," in which many of the ancient civilizations of Requiem would reach their greatest heights and would be utterly wiped out, in which heroes would rise and fall, but yet the Blight's offensive was contested, then halted, then pushed completely back.

The Blight had come upon Requiem, but not uncontested. Darkness born in eons past, it had quickly became a threat to all life on Requiem as we knew it, with Erysivius at the head of its onslaught. But many of the ancient empires that stood in its path, who had drowned for so long in each other's hatred and blood in countless wars of past, who had bravely stood in front of the impending storm and against impossible odds, were united if only for the briefest moment.. against one terrible foe that they all shared. And as they fought together, they stumbled together...into a sudden peace. Differing states, now brought together by a common threat. Heroes rose and fell, ready to face the armies of Erysivius for the greater good of all life on Requiem.

The stories of some of the world's greatest heroes and battles of myth and legend originated in the Final Wars as the defenders would successfully eliminate The Blight's grasp on much of ancient Requiem, before finally holding Erysivius himself at bay at the site of the greatest battle in ancient history, as well as one of the greatest duels in history: Fallowmire.

The Hollow Kingdom

After the Final Wars, Fallowmire had become the large, empty city of ruins buried under trillions of grains of sand it is now today. But, before this, the city was highly prosperous and industrial, and considered the heart of southern Anthem. The city was well-known in much of Anthem and the world for its skilled fighters, and even more skilled artisans and engineers. Dwarven innovation had led to much of the city being automated by automaton servants known as Ancillas, while automated guardians known as Sentries patrolled the vast subterranean streets and tunnels of the city. Visited by ancient heroes, diplomats, and traders alike, Fallowmire was essentially the perfect blend between Dwarven technology and the magic available at the time, using best of both worlds to create a harmony of magic and technology, and a truly modern society never seen anywhere else. The Dwarves of Fallowmire had mined out huge swathes of the land that was rich in natural resources, including Gold, Diamond, Mithril, and a black oil known as Ichor, used in creating Thapsian Fire (See Chapter XXXI - Weapons of The Final Wars).

The city remained prosperous for much of its several thousand years of existence. When Erysivius rose to power and his armies began taking over vast swathes of Requiem and Anthem, Fallowmire continued to survive, primarily because the ancient armies of Central Anthem had kept the Blight out for long enough, though the city itself was perpetually preparing for the day that the defenses would be overrun soon. However, that day would not come the day the Dwarves of Fallowmire were originally expecting it to, after Erysivius's advance through Requiem and Anthem had been halted and eventually pushed back by the ancient armies. Steadily losing land and influence, Erysivius would then find his forces pocketed in the Southern Bog and Desert in Anthem, at which point he would attempt to take over the city to use its defenses as a stronghold for his final stand. However, the city would not falter easily, all thanks to its strong leadership, careful planning, and superior firepower, and one certain noble warrior-king.

At the time, the kingly city was led by King Doruhl Stormhammer with an iron but fair fist, a man well-aware of Erysivius's plan to take over his city and use the high population and automated advances to his advantage. So, King Doruhl prepared for the worst, quickly devising a plan with his engineers that was put into action and enacted in less than three months. All the while, Erysivius and his most elite enforcers and heralds would encroach upon Fallowmire and quickly occupy the city as the Final Battle raged in the background, not knowing that a trap had been lain for them.

The Duel of Fate

Erysivius scoured the evacuated city, cutting through its defenders like a hot knife through butter, as he searched for the King of Fallowmire. King Doruhl was in possession of a scepter that could control the powerful automated defenses of the city, though, in his blind search for the King, it soon dawned upon the Blight God that he was being led further down in to the deeper levels of the mountain, into the vaults that kept the incalculable amount of treasure and loot the city had earned in its many years of existence. While his loyal heralds were ambushed by King Doruhl's best and held at bay, Erysivius would continue alone, down into the lower levels of the city, chasing the king into the cenote of Lower Fallowmire, where he expected to find the King and his scepter.

Erysivius found what he was looking for after what seemed like an eternity, engaging into a duel of mortal combat with King Doruhl. The overwhelming power of Blight God and Legendary Hero alike led to King Doruhl's scepter being broken in half—a rather intentional move on the king's end, as it would trigger a series of traps that would entomb himself and Erysivius in the lower vaults, producing a chain reaction effect on the whole mountain as it began to sink into the sands it once stood proudly atop. Much of the city locked down as many of Erysivius's blight monsters warring outside would die or weaken as the control link connecting them to their master was broken, while many of Erysivius's elite heralds and Blight Beasts fighting in Fallowmire would eventually fall to the automated defenses of the city after intense and epic duels, unable to keep up with the speed and ferocity of the powered machines.

Meanwhile, Erysivius himself continued his duel with King Doruhl and eventually bested him in combat, holding him at swordpoint and demanding for his surrender. However before this would happen, King Doruhl would sacrifice himself to banish Erysivius to the lowest point of the vault, his actions causing the floors to collapse as the Blight God and the fallen king would plummet to their deaths below, entombed forever in time in the lowest and most secure of vaults, inaccessible only by entry into the city, and by passing the various tests and traps.

King Doruhl and Erysivius were dead, the battle was won, but at the cost of the city itself—much of Fallowmire and the surrounding area had been dessicated and ruined, leading to a mass diaspora as the entire population of Fallowmire would evacuate the city and head north to other Dwarven settlements in the mountains. All the while, the ancient armies of the world would dissolve their truce and go their separate ways, history going on as normal. Erysivius and the Blight had finally been defeated.

A Monument

At the end of the great battle—and the great war itself—the leaders of the ancient armies would gather in the hills near the fallen city of Fallowmire, overlooking the ocean. There, as the sun set in the background, they would dub the mountain that had sank into the ground "Mount Doruhl," in honor of their great dwarven comrade and noble friend, King Doruhl, who had sacrificed everything to save his people and defeat the Blight. At his empty grave, marked by the crossing swords that they embedded in the ground, a eulogy would be given, forever engrained into the rocks by a magical spell:

"As we start to rebuild, this hillside shall remain barren. A Memorial to heroes lost, who made the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good. Ever entombed in time, they ennobled all of us; and they will never be forgotten."

Fallowmire today

Though much of Fallowmire has been desiccated among the sands of the Southern Desert and lost to time, and even memories of its existence have been lost, Fallowmire still remains important to an esoteric few who know of its existence, namely those who believe in The Blight and those who are professional treasure hunters. Fallowmire is important to these Blight Worshippers because they believe Erysivius's entombed remains — along with some powerful Blight Beasts — lie somewhere deep in the vaults of the underground city. It is important to treasure hunters for one main reason: it holds more treasure than one man could ever imagine to have in their lifetime. Many have tried—all failed—to enter the city and best its traps, all becoming either lost in the deep, winding tunnels and empty corridors, or falling victim to the automated defenses or traps.

It is believed to be somewhere west of the Aria River, near the mountains that are directly west of there, though that mountain is currently inhabited by Formicans. These rather repulsive numerous insectoid beings live an isolated lifestyle, mostly choosing to staying up in their expansive colonies in relative isolation, due to the low contact they have with other sentient life. Most Formicans live in honeycomb-shaped tenements built into the walls of these massive colonies to conserve space, which are able to be easily constructed, destroyed, or exited from, for a Formican, of course. A select few recount some tales of The Blight and Fallowmire, though their settlements now are mainly used as waystations for traders at small southern ports or for harboring weary travelers.

[Turmenista]

Name: Earl of the Warren Thatcher Damned-I-Be-If-I-Hath-Been-Despoiled-By-Thou Thunderchief XI; Earl Thatcher
Age: 53
Gender: Male
Race: Beastfolk (a race of animal-like humanoids that occasionally take on the qualities of whatever animal they resemble. Thatcher is a Leporid Beastfolk. Not to be confused with Lycans.)
Appearance:

Statistics:
Strength: 2
Agility: 5
Endurance: 1
Magical Prowess: 6 (Alchemy)
Bio:

Thatcher Damned-I-Be-If-I-Hath-Been-Despoiled-By-Thou Thunderchief XI is the eleventh son of Silas Until-The-Gods-Hadst-Blessed-Me-Thou-Hadst-Been-Bloodied-On-The-Mill Thunderchief, and is a member of the extensive Thunderchief family, a clan that had produced many great fighters, engineers, and intellectuals with similar hard-to-pronounce names in its prime. However, as of late, the Thunderchiefs had garnered themselves a reputation of not noble warriors and heroes...but bankers, much to Thatcher's chagrin. Thatcher's father—and his father's father, and his father's father, all had begun this streak of banking and were evidently good at it, turning Darkwood, their small village in the Western Heartlands, into a bustling trade and banking hub in only 50 years. However, Thatcher wasn't willing to follow in his father and grandfather's footsteps with something as boring as banking—no. He wanted to see the world for himself outside of Darkwood, go on heroic adventures and quests and garner himself some good old clout through his epic journeys.

As soon as he was old enough to do so, he took a sizable amount of Ducats from his own savings (as well as some of his Father's) and journeyed out into the world, learning the way of the swordsman, gentleman, and, most strange of all, alchemist. It seemed the young Thatcher had found that he had a natural affinity to science and alchemy, barring what little he was taught of what otherwise amounted to a foolish pseudoscience back at Darkwood. Coincidentally, he happened to come across the Grand Republic of Nur, a center well-known throughout Anthem for its status as a commercial hub, and—perhaps more famously, one of the few places that actively uses the mysterious gunpowder in war. Thus, Nur made for the perfect spot for alchemists like Thatcher to learn the craft, coaxing the young Thatcher to move into the city and pay big money to learn all about alchemy, potion-brewing, and bomb-making, while also turning a profit and teaching those who were less-endowed the same craft—just in his style. It was during his time in Nur that Thatcher would extensively work with explosives and later "perfect" many of his ingenious creations he still uses today, such as combining gunpowder and explosives with potions to make a horrific potion-bomb hybrid. This was also when he coined his signature "Lycanmiran Fire": a deadly incendiary weapon made up of a complex concoction of gunpowder and a thick, black oil found in the Southern Desert called Ichor. Capable of covering things with sticky flames or burning atop the surface of water, Lycanmiran Fire made for a perfect naval weapon that Thatcher even tried selling to the very Lycans he named the product after, who didn't seem interested in his outlandish new weapon.

One day, a cheery young man about Thatcher's age, carrying along a lute and wearing a bright purple cape, came into the alchemist's business, asking if he wanted to go on an adventure as he perused what things he had for sale. Deciding he had nothing else to do, Thatcher closed shop for the day and joined the man, not knowing that a simple one day journey for fun would turn into a weeklong campaign to retake a small settlement in the mountains from a group of goblins with a knack for making fortifications. It took the mysterious man's singing and skill with a fighting style mixed with unpredictable movements and feints (and giant gauntlet), combined with Thatcher's skills with dismantling fortifications and clever use of potions and bombs, to rescue denizens of the settlement from the goblins. The newly-liberated people turned out to be Leporid beastfolk, like Thatcher, who dubbed both men "Earls of the Warren" in honor of their selfless actions. The man introduced himself as Barnabus the Bard, a purple cloak of the Paean Legion who offered to mentor the alchemist and recruit him to the Legion as a Legionnaire. Thatcher gladly took the opportunity and became a red cloak under Barnabus, the two becoming great friends with one another ever since.

Under Barnabus's wisdom, Earl Thatcher would refine his skills in combat and earn his Heroic Boon to transmutate raw materials into refined materials, useful for his role as an alchemist. He'd put his skills to the test as a sort of unofficial alchemist for the Legion, taking up as many leadership opportunities as he could do so while being a red cloak. All the while, Thatcher and Barnabus would embark on many missions and adventures together, defeating powerful foes and seeing bizarre wonders of the world. Eventually, though, Thatcher's curiosity with explosives and stubborn antics would get the better of him while he was testing a new contraption of his, a trap comprised of a dwarven blast charge and a rather sensitive pressure plate. The weapon would be accidentally set off by its own creator, blowing part of his left leg clean off in the ensuing explosion. While the injury was grisly, it was nothing that the healers at the Paean Legion could fix. Sadly, the same could not be said for his missing left leg. Barnabus returned to find his best friend in that terrible condition, offering him an unusual item, a dwarven prosthetic leg, which he had salvaged in one of his adventures. But by that time, the physical and emotional damage dealt to Thatcher was too great. Depressed and demoralized, he retired early from his Legionnaire duties and became a recluse, taking up a position as a part time Quartermaster and full-time alchemist for the Paean Legion HQ in Velathri, where his services were needed most. Although he underwent intensive physical therapy following the accident and was in full walking condition, it seemed as if his days of pursuing his goals of a legendary hero were over.

It seemed as if an incalculable number of years had passed since that fateful day, Thatcher growing older by each passing year. On one regular day, Thatcher received word of the sudden and horrific death of his friend. Barnabus the Bard was on a regular contract to investigate a dragon sighting at the abandoned Castle Talon in the Western Heartlands, when he was brutally ambushed and slain by an unknown assailant. His prized lute was cruelly smashed in two, his titular gauntlet and what little cash he had stolen as the killer was nowhere to be found. The only other things that the Legion knew Barnabus carried were two doodle-covered maps, both of which placed an emphasis on a mythical city known as "Fallowmire" in the Southern Desert and Bog, and one of which was missing.

Stricken with grief and anger, and determined to find the murderer of his best friend and their relation to the mythical city of Fallowmire, Thatcher immediately exited his retirement to join back into the ranks of the Paean Legion. Over the next two years as an out-of-retirement red cloak, Thatcher found that his refinement of his alchemy abilities during his hiatus proved to be an important tool in accelerating him to the rank of blue cloak, where he gained an upgraded form of his Heroic Boon that specifically related to his affinity with explosives and bombs. Vengeful as ever and dismissing his senility to the youngsters of the Legion, Earl Thatcher had effectively re-asserted his status in the Paean Legion as an older, wiser, and at times unhinged Legionnaire, ever determined to find whoever killed his best friend and bring him to justice by any means necessary, even if it meant someday crawling to a city that, effectively, did not exist. All for revenge.

Heroic Boon:

• Shine on Crazy Diamond: Allows the alchemist to transmutate "petty materials" (raw materials) into refined ones, like iron into steel, useful for bomb-making.
• Shine on; Grade Two: The upgraded version of this boon gained from Earl Thatcher's Blue Cloak ranking, this allows for the transmutation of some small objects (or small animals, like mice) into potion-bombs..how it would be useful is unknown.

Abilities:

• [Beastman]: Thatcher's Leporid qualities are readily evident in his quick speed and superior agility, as well as his impressive jump height, as he is still able to scale small walls despite his old age. He is also an experienced tunneler and entrencher, provided he is given a shovel to work with.
• [Hohohohum! I'm the Mad Alchemist]: Thatcher is highly skilled in the art of alchemy, using it to transmogrify materials for various uses, such as creating throwable potions, making potent poisons and acids, and, most notably, creating explosives. His skills also give him minor experience as a blacksmith in transmogrifying and manipulating metals using science, as well as in creating restoration potions for his allies.
• [Sapper/Demolitions Man]: Earl Thatcher specializes in destroying things, especially large things. Primarily, this is done through the use of acids and explosives, but especially the latter. Thatcher has a strange fixation for explosives and knows where to place them on important structural positions of fortifications in order to bring the entire house down. He also is capable of placing traps that can kill, maim, or simply cause a large amount of boom when they go off to hurt large things...or just go overkill on smaller ones. He also has made himself out to be a sort of "alchemist-grenadier," throwing potion-bombs and poisons at his opponents and assist potions at his allies, as well as throwing insults at his opponents. Of course, this specialty does come with its drawbacks.

Limitations:

• Earl Thatcher is rather average when it comes to physical strength, and doesn't have anything larger than a spade to protect himself.
• Earl Thatcher isn't a master when it comes to fighting in the conventional sense—he's about as average as any trained sword fighter will get with one-handed and two handed weapons as per his Legion training—instead relying on his alchemy abilities in transmogrifying objects and tossing potions and bombs to gain the upper hand in combat, as well as his superior mobility. He's most vulnerable in close quarter combat.
• Thatcher's old age means he is distracted quite easily by trivial things, and, of course, he is not in his physical prime. Along with his regular aging, setting off so many explosives without ear protection in his time has taken an additional toll on his once-great hearing, making it harder for him to hear quiet noises.
• The majority of Earl Thatcher's potion-bombs and regular bombs have a large blast radius, meaning they have the potential to damage their user and friendlies alike when in large, enclosed areas. All of them are also very loud, destroying any chances for stealth.

Equipment:

• [Clothes/Armor]: Over his working clothes, Thatcher wears an ornate steel cuirass and potion belt for holding potions, as well as his blue cape behind his back. A flint and steel striker tool is also attached to a chain on his curiass, should he need to light a fuse or something else on fire at any moment.
• [5x Heal Potion Bottles]: These potions, when they come into contact with whoever it is thrown at, will result in the target being healed of minor injuries. It should be noted that the healing process can be administered via drinking the potion, but throwing it at someone and dousing them in the healing potion has an identical effect.
• [5x Lycanmiran Fire]: These incendiary explosives are composed of a viscous, highly flammable oil called Ichor that has the ability to explode and ignite on contact with whatever it shatters upon, painting whatever was hit by the oil in sticky "liquid fire." It is capable of burning on the surface of water, but can be taken out by another contact with water or any other regular fire extinguishing means. If he is low on Lycanmiran Fire, Thatcher can either make more on the fly, or transmogrify something small into a bomb.
• [10x Empty Potion Bottles]: Self-explanatory. Useful for making potion-bombs or regular thrown potions, or serving as impromptu water containers.
• [1x Medium Rucksack]: Earl Thatcher carries along with him a medium rucksack that carries all of his survival necessities, a bedroll, and a canteen, as well as practical items for alchemy and gunpowder for making bombs on the fly...why he carries gunpowder in this pack is unknown.
• [1x Prosthetic Leg]: That's what you get for messing with explosives. This prosthetic leg is a dwarven creation fitted on the missing part of Earl Thatcher's left leg that is still capable of all degrees of normal motion, and can give the user added power to their sprints or jumps..but it just sucks to have it for PR and serves to give him bad memories.
• [1x Blast Charges]: These Dwarven satchel charges are multi-use, intended for serving as traps, setting off or destroying existing ones, and blowing really big fucking holes in fortified positions. In summation, they are rather expensive to produce, costly to use, and, above all, dangerous to use. It is primarily comprised of a copious amount of mining-grade explosives, small gears and mechanisms, and other substances bundled together, and is carried in a device similar to a messenger bag. The charge may be activated by pressure plate—at which point it becomes an improvised trap. Other means of activation include a dwarven clock timer, regular fuse, or pull igniter. Making these sort of things is an expensive and time-consuming process, so these charges are used sparingly.
• [Sharpened Spade]: For when you really need something for close encounters, a folding spade sharpened to the point where it is practically a blade will work. This wacky contraption is a hybrid between a conventional spade and polearm for portability, its metal end sharpened to such a degree that it is practically a sword. It still works great as the tool it was originally intended to be. However, Earl Thatcher is only an average polearm fighter, so this weapon is used only to stave off enemies or keep them at bay—not for frontline combat.

Optional
Likes: Dismantling things, thinking outside the box, being right, fisticuffs, and bossing people around
Dislikes: Being called old, and fish
Greatest Fear: Not doing enough with his life
Theme Song: Oddly Fitting.. (Don't You Forget About Me)
Voice Actor: Hunter S. Thompson

[The Imperial Warglorian Empire]

tag

[Turmenista]

Name: Earl of the Warren Thatcher Damned-I-Be-If-I-Hath-Been-Despoiled-By-Thou Thunderchief XI; Earl Thatcher

Done.

[Praeceps]

Name: Tride Attle
Age: 18
Gender: Female
Race: Human
Appearance:

Statistics:
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Endurance: 4
Magical Prowess: 5
Bio:
Tride was left as a child on the doors to the Sisters of Thapsus's Home for Lost Children and is where she spent her childhood. At a young age at the orphanage, she was always a bubbly, happy child who got along with her peers. In the one incident in which she fought with another student, she grabbed onto the other girl's hair and ripped a chunk out, her affinity for Phyoul Magic was discovered as in the process she turned her own hair into the colour and style of her combatant. The Sisters of Thapsus attempted to suppress her use of magic under the reasoning it created inequality as not everyone could use Phyoul Magic. Yet, a dissident Sister taught her in secret how to use Phyoul Magic.

After becoming of age and leaving the Home, Tride went to work as a barmaid. While she was successful—as successful as one can be as barmaid—she eventually had a member of the Tyranny's bureaucracy attempt to accost her. She reacted quite poorly and violently, permanently blinding the man. She immediately escaped the inn with nothing but the clothes on her back, ducats grabbed from the bureaucrat, and a kitchen knife.

After escaping the city, Tride decided to move to Velathri using her magic to avoid detection and suspicion although there were a few situation which necessitated use of her knife. Upon arriving at the city, with nothing to her name but what she had on her and lack of ability to find any jobs immediately, Tride decided to join Paean Legion. There, she hopes to use her magic to gain money with the ultimate aspiration of having an easy life.
Heroic Boon: Teleportation: Tride is able to exchange places with anyone she sees.
Abilities:

• Phyoul Magic: Phyoul Magic uses body parts/energy from others and/or the practitioner to affect others and/or the practitioner, eg. changing skin/hair/eye colour, body shape, changing what the eyes see, the nose smells, the ears hear, etc.
• Education: Was taught how to read and write as well as proper manners by the Sisters.
• Cooking: Learned how to cook at her time working at the inn.
• Basic Knife Skills: Knows how to use a kitchen knife not just to cook but also in fights.
• Runner: A strong runner from her childhood and running away from Thapsus to Velathri.

Limitations:

• Phyoul Magic requires materials to be effective, in the absence of such, the practitioner is able to use their own blood/energy but will be drained by such use.
• Lack of combat experience
• Untrained with use of weapons
• Physically weak
• Immature

Equipment:

• Normal clothes
• Ten ducats
• A long kitchen knife: Not used for cooking.