Elementals 3: The White Rose (OOC, FANTASY, OPEN)

[Constaniana]

Wait, there’s an east-Asian themed country?

Sahranjja is kind of like a weird mix between ancient china and medieval arabia I think.

Behold my video editing powers

[Observation Post 13]

I'm not sure if this'll be a problem but I just wanted to ask to make sure - in a future flashback is it okay to have the Sons of the Phoenix be bodied by the White Rose leading to Aerion's capture? I wanted to write a little about the experience of opposing her. But Aerion won't actually fight her or anything they'll just be squashed and run away.

OMG Awesome work! It was a pleasure to read. Even if the fight was short-lived, the contrast between the Sons and what was essentially a demi-god(?) was really well done!

[Woodstovia]

I'm not sure if this'll be a problem but I just wanted to ask to make sure - in a future flashback is it okay to have the Sons of the Phoenix be bodied by the White Rose leading to Aerion's capture? I wanted to write a little about the experience of opposing her. But Aerion won't actually fight her or anything they'll just be squashed and run away.

OMG Awesome work! It was a pleasure to read. Even if the fight was short-lived, the contrast between the Sons and what was essentially a demi-god(?) was really well done!

Thank you, it was the titular White Rose, a rare light Elemental. but I guess that would mean she is a demi-god, and a far more capable one than Aerion.

[Constaniana]

OMG Awesome work! It was a pleasure to read. Even if the fight was short-lived, the contrast between the Sons and what was essentially a demi-god(?) was really well done!

Thank you, it was the titular White Rose, a rare light Elemental. but I guess that would mean she is a demi-god, and a far more capable one than Aerion.

The power that comes when you don't hate your patron deity.

A minor correction on your most recent post: Lisoette is hiding she's a Daemonness. The characters from Elementals 2 (and Timur, the sneaky git) know, but she hasn't revealed that to any newcomers yet.

I had a chuckle at the mental image of LIsoette intentionally stopping along the way to help strangers with random errands just to troll Aerion though.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Sahranjja is kind of like a weird mix between ancient china and medieval arabia I think.

Behold my video editing powers

Ahaha, just looked at this. Top OP

Didya make the audio there or was it some preset.

[Constaniana]

Behold my video editing powers

Ahaha, just looked at this. Top OP

Didya make the audio there or was it some preset.

The song was present with the video. The website let you add in other funny audio samples so I threw in the anime wows.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Hey Laz, think you'll get that hook up tonight? No rush, just trying to get a feel for when I should think of starting work on a post

[Woodstovia]

Thank you, it was the titular White Rose, a rare light Elemental. but I guess that would mean she is a demi-god, and a far more capable one than Aerion.

The power that comes when you don't hate your patron deity.

A minor correction on your most recent post: Lisoette is hiding she's a Daemonness. The characters from Elementals 2 (and Timur, the sneaky git) know, but she hasn't revealed that to any newcomers yet.

I had a chuckle at the mental image of LIsoette intentionally stopping along the way to help strangers with random errands just to troll Aerion though.

Thanks, edited the post

[Lazarian]

Hey Laz, think you'll get that hook up tonight? No rush, just trying to get a feel for when I should think of starting work on a post

I would put the odds as 70%. In a cruel twist of fate, I don’t have writers block but now am struggling to find time to sit down and write. Depends on how long grocery shopping takes, most likely.

[Lazarian]

Sheesh, that’s grim. I’m looking forward to see where it goes, though.

The tone shift between Elementals 2 and 3 is truly something to behold.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Hey Laz, think you'll get that hook up tonight? No rush, just trying to get a feel for when I should think of starting work on a post

I would put the odds as 70%. In a cruel twist of fate, I don’t have writers block but now am struggling to find time to sit down and write. Depends on how long grocery shopping takes, most likely.

Alrighty.

Sheesh, that’s grim. I’m looking forward to see where it goes, though.

The tone shift between Elementals 2 and 3 is truly something to behold.

Right? I've said it before, but I can't help feeling like mostly happy Tristan and Lisoette are a bit out of place in this gloomy cast

Eric's brand of comic relief can fit anywhere, though.

[Woodstovia]

TBF 3 is also set only a year after the entire continent was at war and now the Watchtower control the largest country on said continent. I'm not too knowledgeable about the previous chapters but it seems like the setting is darker too.

[Lazarian]

TBF 3 is also set only a year after the entire continent was at war and now the Watchtower control the largest country on said continent. I'm not too knowledgeable about the previous chapters but it seems like the setting is darker too.

Yeah, the setting is definitely darker. The crew that's assembled is pretty fitting - I just think the contrast is pretty amusing.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

I think another pretty big aspect is that aside from the cast, the playerbase of E2 were mostly teenagers, as was the OP. That probably had something to do with the more lighthearted atmosphere

[Observation Post 13]

Sheesh, that’s grim. I’m looking forward to see where it goes, though.

The tone shift between Elementals 2 and 3 is truly something to behold.

Thanks! This makes me want to backtrack to Elementals 2 now

I'll finish the post as soon as I have some free time!

[Constaniana]

Elementals 2: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Elementals 3: Mickey Mouse in Vietnam

I would put the odds as 70%. In a cruel twist of fate, I don’t have writers block but now am struggling to find time to sit down and write. Depends on how long grocery shopping takes, most likely.

Alrighty.

Sheesh, that’s grim. I’m looking forward to see where it goes, though.

The tone shift between Elementals 2 and 3 is truly something to behold.

Right? I've said it before, but I can't help feeling like mostly happy Tristan and Lisoette are a bit out of place in this gloomy cast

Eric's brand of comic relief can fit anywhere, though.

Tristan and Lisoette are the happy, well-adjusted parents whose children are all going through an emo phase now.

I think another pretty big aspect is that aside from the cast, the playerbase of E2 were mostly teenagers, as was the OP. That probably had something to do with the more lighthearted atmosphere

Elementals 3 is what happens when I have to pay car insurance.

Sheesh, even the time of year is darker this go around. The Black Beast was set in late spring, whereas this arc started in autumn and is now in an early winter.

[Lazarian]

There we go! Back to the present! Ignore the foreshadowing!

I would put the odds as 70%. In a cruel twist of fate, I don’t have writers block but now am struggling to find time to sit down and write. Depends on how long grocery shopping takes, most likely.

Alrighty.

Alright, move that to 80%. I should be able to knock something out in the next hour. If it's not out by then, though, it'll probably be tomorrow.

[Lazarian]

Aaaand, hook. There's something for Trish and Aerion and Willis and possibly Eric/Lis/Tristan to work with, so now we can get moving along.

[Constaniana]

Sheesh, that’s grim. I’m looking forward to see where it goes, though.

The tone shift between Elementals 2 and 3 is truly something to behold.

Thanks! This makes me want to backtrack to Elementals 2 now

I'll finish the post as soon as I have some free time!

Backtracking to read all that would keep you entertained for a while. It would also help explain things as I bring back other NPC's the characters crossed paths with once or twice before...

Aaaand, hook. There's something for Trish and Aerion and Willis and possibly Eric/Lis/Tristan to work with, so now we can get moving along.

Meanwhile Ivan is just waking up, having gone to bed early last night and missed the entire battle.

[Lazarian]

Oh, and here's an updated app for Katya (alternatively, Little Miss Daddy Issues), Timur (Captain Creepy), and Ivan (Local Man Refuses To Do Anything Useful).

Name: Katya Kuznetsov
Sex: Female
Age: 20
Appearance:

Katya is 5’2, thin, and frail. Her hair is slightly past her shoulders, colored a light whitish-blue. To call her ugly would be too harsh, but she has a very sharp jaw, a plain face, and an overall lack of feminine features.
Element: Wind
Skills:
- Obviously, the whole Elemental thing. Katya isn’t nearly as competent as say Tristan or Eric, but she can hold her own.
- Katya can speak Gallish and Garmiccian fluently, although she has a thick Russian Garmiccian accent.
- One on one with a rapier in a formal setting, she’s pretty good.
- Seems to have a knack for attracting strays and ruffians?
Personality: Katya is outwardly proud and stubborn, although inwardly rather insecure. A little reserved at first, but quite talkative around close friends. She is headstrong and foolish, following her own path whether wise or not. She also enjoys the recognition and attention of others, perhaps a little too much for her good. At heart, though, she's pleasant and good-natured - for the most part.
Weaknesses:
- Some say that the powers of a Spellborn draw from their individual vitality, channeled from their own life-force. Whether this is true or not is a mystery. However, Katya seems to tire more easily than the average Elemental, with more complicated spells enacting severe exhaustion which takes a while to recover from.
- Katya also is slightly emotionally unstable. Maybe father issues, maybe the stress of exile - but the mood swings are there.
- Katya detests Yelhennians. This has not come up and likely will not, but five hundred years of feuding cannot be ignored! Cowardly rat-dog Yelhennian bastards, can’t trust a single one!
- Overconfidence is not a virtue. Katya feels compelled to live up to the accomplishments of her father, without having the mental fortitude to go with it. This leads to some poor decision-making.
- Cannot cook, cannot dance, cannot knit, cannot sew, cannot play instruments. Not the best wife material by Garmiccian noble standards.
Equipment, if any: A few sets of clothes, a dark blue cloak, thick winter boots, a chestplate with greaves and leggings, a rapier, and a large grimoire stolen from her father’s prized library.
Bio: Katya is the firstborn child of Baron Nikolai Kuznetsov, a fearsome Metal Elemental warlord and current regent of the Morozov Province, a far-flung northernmost polity of Garmiccia. Katya’s mother died in childbirth, and Baron Kuznetsov refuses to speak about her to Katya at any point.

Despite this tragedy, Katya’s childhood was a happy one. Her father was willing to raise her as his rightful heir, and he was a doting and caring father. She learned the customary arts of any noble - horseback riding, dueling, studies of history, how to use her gift for practical purposes. It was a busy childhood, but not an unpleasant one.

That is, of course, until he remarried. When Katya was around 14, her father accepted an offer of marriage for the hand of Nadia Szelmalom, one of the daughters of the Szelmalom House of East Vasovia. It was a loveless marriage, arranged for political reasons at the bequest of Jeremiahde.

As Nikolai failed to produce a son and time continued to wind along its way, he became harsher and more demanding, beginning to confront the fact that perhaps he would not end up with a real heir. Though he has raised his daughter like a proper son, this had been more of a contingency than anything else. In his eyes, she was not ready for the responsibility she seemed destined for. She had inherited both the sins of her father and mother - too stubborn and prideful, and yet too free-spirited and carefree. If he died, his life’s work would fall to pieces under her care. And in her eyes, he became cruel and callous, a tyrant of a father. Satisfied with nothing and always asking for more. Their formerly close relationship unraveled and strained, threatening to fall apart completely.

Things only grew worse when little Bohdan was born. Nikolai was overjoyed, elated beyond belief to have a real heir, a son to carry the family name. Katya’s world dropped out from under her in weeks. Her fate had gone from ruling her father’s lands to marrying some suitor and becoming a dignified lady of the court. But she had spent her life training for the wrong thing, and couldn’t dance, or play an instrument, or follow table manners, or organize the matters of servants and maids.

Her father did his best to find her a suitor to her liking, but she rejected them all with disdain and hatred, reacting more poorly to each subsequent attempt. It all rose to a climax when her father attempted to wed her to Duke Kowalczyk, a shipping magnate and a valuable trading partner. She insulted him, he insulted her in return, and she challenged him to a duel in front of the entire court. Kowalczyk was not an Elemental and not a fighter, but to reject a challenge like that would be humiliating. Rumors would spread. He drew his sword to defend his honor - and lost terribly. Filled with victorious glee, Katya sliced his long beard right off his face.

The room fell silent. That very night, Nikolai banished her, threatening her with immediate execution and certain death if she ever set foot in his lands again. Despite what Katya thought, this was difficult for him. He still loved his daughter, but to let her continue on in this way would ruin his reputation beyond repair. Nikolai had sacrificed much and suffered plenty to gain what he had, and even his love for his daughter was not more important than his dream. His Captain of the Guard, Alexei, who had raised Katya like a daughter he had never had, protested - banishment without terms was too cruel. He pled her case to her father, almost begging for an alternative.

In a surprising twist of fate, Nikolai relented. There was a task that had been given to him by Emperor Jeremiahde - one that involved going overseas to deliver a letter. Perhaps, he supposed, if she managed to complete this - he could let her return home.

Two men were sent to accompany her by Nikolai. The first was Ivan, a petty guard who had been caught taking bribes from the peasantry. This was an exile in all but the official decree - if his daughter was to mature, she would have to learn to deal with adversity. This miserable little man would prove to be challenging enough, he hoped.

The second was Timur, one of Nikolai’s trusted captains, sent to ensure that the mission was completed and that his daughter did not stray from her path. Alexei volunteered to attend as well, not willing to let his adoptive daughter travel to a faraway land with no family and two wicked men. Reluctantly, Nikolai dismissed him as well.

The ship they boarded was caught in a fierce storm at sea, and blown far off course. The sinking vessel landed on the city of Carogne to make repairs. An embargo between the Commonwealth and the Federation kept them stuck on the island, with no way to continue their journey. They hid low on the Watchtower-infested island for near a year, learning the language and attempting to find a way onwards. But the gods had other plans for them, apparently. After a year of languishing away, they encountered Eric and Belle in a crowded town square - and the rest, of course, is history.

Theme: Music from a game about the cold. Seems fitting.

Name: Timur
Sex: Male
Age: Unknown. His voice and face is of a man in his early thirties, but something about the man seems distinctly off. The wrinkles and scars of a seasoned veteran mark his visage, obfuscating the truth.
Appearance:

Timur is an average height, approximately 5'8, and probably weighs about 140 pounds with a thin frame. He is unpleasant to look at. His face has many scars and pock-marks, which seem to shift from time to time. The most distinctive feature he has is a set of three lined scars down his left eye. He has long, rust-red hair, which extends to around his chin - a truly unusual trait among Garmiccians.
Skills:
- Timur has exceptional aim with almost any projectile weapon - musket, crossbow, or bow.
- Somehow, this man from the backwater of Garmiccia knows multiple languages, and is well versed in many academic
- Timur claims to be able to see the “auras” of Elementals, a glowing light which surrounds creatures of supernatural powers.
Personality: Timur is an inquisitive man, prying for secrets and eavesdropping at every available opportunity. He is polite but not friendly, obedient but not loyal. There is an air of inauthenticity about his pleasant words and fake smiles, which can be seen through by discerning individuals. He has a tendency to stare too long and to say things which should be left unsaid.
Weaknesses:
- Timur has a perverse obsession with the Dark. His persistence and unseemly curiosity on this matter is a highly offputting trait.
- For whatever reason, he seems very uncomfortable around Belle.
Equipment, if any: A crossbow, a long coat of chain mail, a thin longsword, a long blue overcoat, and a large tricorne hat to hide the sun.

Bio: Timur is one of Baron Kuznetsov’s most loyal captains - and yet, Katya knows very little about the man. He was not a regular member of the guard, never at the training yards, and not a village bailiff or sheriff. She had seen him a few times in her father’s study before her exile, but no more than a handful of times.

And while Katya believes that Ivan was sent away as some sort of exile or punishment, she can't say the same for Timur. Her father specifically assigned him to this task to keep a close eye on her. Oddly enough, he's literate, which...is quite uncommon for men of his station. Literate in several languages, actually. Timur's background and his purpose are a complete mystery.

Theme: Something's off about this guy.

Name: Ivan
Sex: Male
Age: 36
Appearance:
[img]I%20will%20get%20the%20image%20cropped%20tomorrow.[/img]
Ivan is slightly taller than average at around 5’10. He is overweight and smells of onions.
Skills:
- Ivan is an excellent thief and pickpocket.
- Despite being fat and seemingly out of shape, Ivan is deceptively quick at running away.
- Ivan seems to be good at gambling. Loaded dice, perhaps?
- Ivan is decent at hauling around the group’s luggage.
Personality: Ivan is a coward, a scoundrel, a thief, and a liar. He is a lazy do-nothing no-good crook. He does not care about the good of his liege, about the good of his companions, for the continent, for the nation, for the weather, or for anyone not named Ivan. Ivan is self-interested to an extreme, seeking comfort in all things.
Weaknesses:
- Ivan is a complete coward and scoundrel. He is aware of this and does his best to shirk.
- Ivan is also extremely lazy.
- Ivan also thinks that Watchtower has some good points about Elementals and the natural order of things.
Equipment, if any: a halberd, a helm, lightweight plate armor, and some great running legs.
Bio: Ivan is a street rat and a thief that was conscripted into the Garmiccian army. One thing led to another and he got exiled from Morozov and forced on this journey. He now carries the luggage and avoids doing any real work. I might flesh out this bio, but this man is extremely unimportant.

[Lazarian]

Meanwhile Ivan is just waking up, having gone to bed early last night and missed the entire battle.

Oh, I have a little bit written up for him, but I figured it could wait. I was in a bit of a rush to just slam this post that's been sitting in drafts for like, a month, out.

[Observation Post 13]

Aaaand, hook. There's something for Trish and Aerion and Willis and possibly Eric/Lis/Tristan to work with, so now we can get moving along.

I LOVED the wholesome bond between Katya and Alexei. Good portrayal of a chaotic battle, and additional lore bits for me
1. spear-musket formation is interesting...
2. Garmiccian gunships barraging the frontline while their troops are advancing... :fear:
3. MAGIC IN LARGE SCALE CONFLICTS

My only question is, as a Wind elemental, when is Katya gonna fly?

[Zarkenis Ultima]

---

There's our favorite cutie -nods-

And also Katya and Timur.

I'll try to get around to working on posts tomorrow, but I'll have to do a lot of reading. I've been caught up in other projects and haven't been paying a lot of attention to the IC lately. Probably not a great idea when there's a surge in activity

[Hinzland]

Damn dude! There's no way I would be able to join this RP. It would feel weird trying to just jump in and join the lore. But I'll definitely be lurking around and reading what you guys post. Best of luck, and sorry for not being able to join.

[Constaniana]

Damn dude! There's no way I would be able to join this RP. It would feel weird trying to just jump in and join the lore. But I'll definitely be lurking around and reading what you guys post. Best of luck, and sorry for not being able to join.

Sorry to hear that; you're always welcome if you change your mind.

...speaking of there being too much lore, I finished adding another block to the races section in the OP. I meant to compile tech-level stuff and/or explanations of the magic system, but somehow over the past two nights I instead got the urge to write about the presence of non-human/Elemental people in Gaiaca.