Mana Academy: Beyond Borders OOC

[Danceria]

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[Luminesa]

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Hai Dancy!

[Danceria]

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Hai Dancy!

It has been a while...

[Elysian Kentarchy]

Just going to repost the Abramovs. That and they had a birthday IC judging by it being November IC now.

Organization or House Application. Remove elements in parenthesis

Name:House Abramov
Age: They can trace their history back to the 9th century with the Boyars of the Kievian Rus, making them firmly a house of the old blood and among the earliest Christians in what would become Russia.
Size: 23 fullblooded mages, 29 household servants, 7 affiliated agents scattered over their territory
Hierarchy: The House has not strayed too far from their feudal past. The Boyar (or Prince depending on preference of speaker) is the unquestioned leader whose word is effectively law and the position has, for the most part, been passed from father to son for generations. Assisting the Boyar is the Council of Elders which consists of the three oldest members of the house. After that though everyone else is considered equal, all are subject to the Boyar.
Vassals or subordinate organizations They have a series of vassals bound by oaths of service to the House of Abramov, mostly mages and their Houses who survived the time of the communists thanks to House Abramov's protection at great risk to themselves. Overall they also hold some political power in western Russia thanks to their vassals and connections to the post Soviet political class.
Goals: Survival
Seat of power or Headquarters: Public: the newly renovated family estate in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Private: their ancient family estate hidden in what is now the Murmansk Tundra State Nature Reserve in Russia.
Territory of influence: Their traditional holdings are severely reduced from what they were at their height but currently the strongest place of their influence is concentrated in the Northwestern Federal District of the Russian Federation, most especially around Saint Petersburg along with moderate influence in western Russia (especially the Central Federal District) and they have minor influence in Finland as dictated by security concerns. Though they still consider themselves the protectors of Russia (circa 1910 borders) despite their reduced influence, numbers, and territory.
Short History:

An old House dating back to the Kievian Rus their lineage is tied around the history of Russia as they have been there since the beginning of it all arguably. They did have an estate (for lack of better words) in Kiev but with the fall of the Kievian Rus they migrated northwards, establishing an estate in the far north. Already potent in Aquo magic it was further refined in their family until they reached a point where Aquo to them was solely an ice based magic, the common observation from outsiders about it being “they adapted far too well to their environment”, though this focus on Aquo means that most of them are lacking skill or use in other departments of mana. This deep use of Aquo mana reflects in them as some remark that the best way to tell if someone claiming to be an Abramov is to touch them. Abramovs are absolutely cold to the touch and there is no color in their face, "their skin is pale and cold and their blood is ice" is a common description for them and people who don't know that fact in advance have actually mistaken them for ghosts. Very few know though that they are free to make their bodies warm and normal and do so on occasion when with outsiders or order to appear normal but they choose to be this way because it is familiar to them. Until the reign of Peter the Great their title in Russian society was "Boyar" afterwards they had the title of “Prince” as recognition of their part in the ancient nobility but it was not used in the estate, giving preference to their old title of Boyar out of dislike of Peter's reforms. With the fall of the Russian Empire their use of "Prince" or "Boyar" for the leader of their house is a very fluid issue with either being acceptable, in fact some correspondence by the leader of the House is signed "Boyar-Prince", but in the Abramov estate only "Boyar" is acceptable unless the Boyar has said otherwise.

Their relation with the various Magi houses in Europe over history has varied depending on who the boyar was, most recently, under the previous boyar, there were friendly overtures towards House Rise, seeking to align the House with the Rise for reasons probably only the involved parties know. However at another point they adopted an extreme anti-French belief, and consequently anti-Rise belief, due to Napoleon's invasion of Russia. More often than not they were neutral, not wanting to get involved in the politics of the other houses but stepping in firmly if anyone caused trouble in their territories. Come the October Revolution and the subsequent rise of Communism they had to go underground, cutting off contact with all outsiders, even with other mage families, for fear of being purged, which is understandable since they were nobles from the olden days and mages, and they had not renounced their oaths to the Emperor. This led to their power abroad diminishing and many fearing they had been wiped out as no word was received at any point for a long time, the last known sighting of an Abramov being in 1925 at the funeral of Patriarch Tikhon. When they came out of hiding at the fall of the Soviet Union they had seemed different to those who remembered how they were so long ago, nearly 80 years of hiding and being in fear of being found and exterminated by the communists led to a change in attitude in them. Now their mentality is based around one goal: survival. They and their bloodline must survive at all costs and no matter the sacrifices that are to be made. Though not everyone in the family agrees with that "no matter the cost" view. But it is clear that all in the family, from the mages to their servants, think about the impact their actions will have on the continuation of the House.

Currently led by the twin mages, Konstantin and Anastasia, following the unexplained death of their father two years ago, and they have recently declared the House for Aleramici-Gramont, after talks with Lord Henry of House von Kressel. Beyond that they have been noted as cautious but fair leaders and dedicated to making sure that House Abramov doesn't descend back into how they were during the Soviet Era. Both have an interest in reasserting the old influence and power of the House but are patient to. While both of them are pretty traditional servants would say they are fair and treat them extremely well.

Thanks to being part of the ancient nobility, with traceable history showing they actually predate the Conversion of the Rus, the family is heavily Russian Orthodox and, while they are understandable, most of their spoken and written Russian is pretty antiquated.

When House Abramov goes to war often it is with curses towards the enemy they are facing on their lips, expressing the wrath of the winter they claim to embody and common warcries include (translated into English) "Until the end! Until the death of the Cross!", "Our souls remain pure!", and "For the Boyar!"

More lengthy history:

The Abramovs had always had significant influence in the Imperial Court, often being referred to as 'the Tsar's Mages' for their influence and (most of the time) dedication and loyalty (and lays basis for their claim at the time that they represent Russia to the magical world), they were an old and powerful family with quite a few vassals or Houses related to them through blood or marriage and thus could sway minds often. To reformers though they were simply viewed as obstinate and stuck in their ways, thinking in mindsets discarded centuries ago "Rather than the eighteenth century the good Boyar seems to think it is the eighth century" being one comment made once upon a time. Mostly though they were in the background, content with ceremony and the absolute power of the Emperor. However they weren't absolutely loyal to the Emperor or Empress, most notably having great differences with Emperor Peter I and Empress Catherine II and generally refusing to endorse many of their reforms. It is also known that, while they had nothing to do with the actual assassination, they were not the fondest of Alexander II or his reforms and had considerable influence in how autocratic Alexander III was and backed him fully.

But at times they were not above killing if they felt someone was exercising undue influence over Russia, especially if it undercut them or came from the lower orders and the most notable case was with Rasputin. As the Boyar at the time noted: "Rasputin gaining the influence he did was brilliant, unexpected and must be dealt with, but brilliant." And moved to eliminate him with various other noble mages coming along. The murder though was a miscalculation as it immediately put House Abramov and their allies at war with rival families who supported Rasputin (and by extension them) having influence in the Imperial Family. This infighting meant the Russian Revolution caught most of the Russian mages off guard as they were distracted with fighting and undercutting each other and by the time any of them acted it was too late. The following October Revolution took them similarly off guard as they were too distracted with arguing whether to accept the new system or to fight it. By the time they realized the reds were already descending on their estates as most of them had homes in Saint Petersburg or Moscow.

As expected the entire House, barring a few radicals who have been purged from the histories of the House and any other historical document the family finds, elected to fight against this 'revolution' as did most of the surviving mage nobility who did not flee Russia. However for many of them their family trees and estates were matters of public record and so many were purged during the Russian Civil War, their homes destroyed and their inhabitants executed. The Abramov however was different, they had a refuge, a place to retreat to in case of the worst, and thus they marched north, retreating to their ancient estate in the Kola Peninsula, any house willing to swear absolute loyalty to the Abramov Boyar was allowed to join them in their retreat, taking along normal people, primarily of the Russian nobility who could be sheltered. Any member of the House who, in the past, had even shown an inkling of support for Communism was immediately purged as a security risk, the same was done by the vassals for their own Houses, ironically if they were not killed by their own family then they were 'dealt with' by the Communist regime itself.

The purges, coupled with their aging family and isolation, meant the House declined even further in number until, closer to the end of the Communist era, there were few Abramov mages left and to the greater world it seemed like the family was completely gone after their last sighting in 1925. However in their estate was not what one would call peaceful, the inhabitants were paranoid with being found out, family members spying on each other being common, movements were monitored and privacy was rare. To the inhabitants of the estate the world had ended and devils taken on the guise of humans outside it. Devils that must never know they exist, it was both xenophobia and religious mania wrapped into one and more than once it seemed though the estate would collapse into flames thanks to infighting. After the fall of Communism it could not be believed by many of the family but it is said that when they finally realized they could stop hiding, that they survived that era, that the world had not ended, the entire estate broke out into what was the first party held there in nearly a century and they were near insane with joy. That day after the ancient Boyar of the House died in his sleep leaving the position to his son who was already an old man and died in 1997, causing the position to fall to the man who was the father of the infants Konstantin and Anastasia.

Current state and Activities: Preparing for war and moving their mages around to assist in the fighting.
Heraldry: The heraldry of the House is a silver double headed eagle with a dark blue background. Often the image is accompanied by the House's motto, "God With Us".

Character Application.

Name: Konstantin Abramov
Age: 23, born October 10th 1995
Gender: Male
Appearance:Since I wouldn't be able to come up with a good picture I will submit a written description. He is extremely pale with no color in his face. very athletic and well built with pure white hair cut short, though it has a bit of a curl, and deep brown eyes. He is starting to grow a beard. Most of the time he is in a silvery robe but when he is not wearing that his clothing takes on a more practical approach being a set of leather armor that he uses when out hunting. Though he keeps a set of "normal" casual clothes for when he goes out into society. He tends to keep a longsword strapped to his side (I'm not the best at making descriptions ) A good image I found later
Height: 6'2|188 cm
Weight: 200 lbs|90.7 kg
Element: Aquo with a specialty on ice. He specializes in defensive magic, manipulating the ice he creates to form protective barriers for himself and others while creating ice and snow to distract his opponent or for another purpose. Despite this focus he doesn't lack offensive power but instead holds back waiting for an opening or subtly manipulates the environment to his advantage if he is fighting in an area of snow or ice before moving in for the kill.
Personality: Konstantin, despite the coldness of his skin, has a warm and welcoming personality, if a bit formal, his kindness being a cornerstone of his personality, in addition he is very old fashioned with a sense of honor that he has gotten out of his books. His one downfall is probably that he is a mite bit too trusting. Though he is also fairly forgetful but that is driven by a near constant headache.
Likes: Honorable conduct, hunting, chess, reading, dueling, the color of blue, particularly a deep blue, a fine glass of wine, his sister, the piano, religion, classical music in general but especially Tchaikovsky and Bach.
Dislikes: Summer, warm water, dishonorable acts, threats to his family, House Rise, lies, communists, his father
Goals: Reform House Abramov in order to step away from its cold and isolated history, the era of communists is over so their paranoia needs to end. Ensure the survival of House Abramov. Expand the number of members of House Abramov.
Alignment: House Abramov, recently declared the House for House Aleramici-Gramont
Animal companion or familiar: An Akhlut in wolf form
Bio: The young boyar of of House Abramov, Konstantin is the elder of a set of twins, the younger being his twin sister Anastasia. He was always favored by their father but was still thrown into fights against his sister and other creatures to test him. His father also made every effort to keep the siblings apart besides when he gave permission, and most of the time when he did it was to have them fight each other. Despite this he made an effort to create and maintain a relationship with his twin and developed an extremely close bond but it was one they had to maintain in secret and go to great lengths to keep hidden. This they managed to do over the years and it gave them a shelter from the stresses of life. What happened upon his father's death speaks to his absolute trust in his sister in that he named her co-boyar to lead alongside him, an act unprecedented, since, as the only son of his father, he was the only one who should have ascended to the position but generally approved among relatives, seeing as the two balance each other out in both skill and political leanings. Though it also made it clear to their relatives just how far they went behind their father's back but some of them admitted they knew and had turned a blind eye to it, they could not defy the boyar like the son and extend their hands like he did but that didn't mean they couldn't support them by keeping silent as the father's approaching of House Rise angered many in the House.

Much like his sister he always found life to be lonesome in the estate, enforced isolation causing that isn’t a surprise, but in his spare time he went hunting or spent time in the library reading. He also learned how to play the piano out of boredom and became fairly good at chess. In the background of all of this was his hatred towards his father, the hatred that could be described as pure winter itself, but he never acted in it. He celebrated the day his father died and tends to celebrate every anniversary of his death. Besides being regarded as a bit too much of an idealist he is well respected in his own house as a just and fair boyar, which has smoothed over the anger some have towards him for being so uncaring about his father's death.
Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZd2q3BYPwI

Character Application. (Remove elements in parenthesis)

Name:Anastasia Abramov
Age: 23, October 10th, 1995
Gender: Female
Appearance: She is quite similar in appearance to her brother, barring her more feminine parts, it is clear they are twins with a strong family resemblance and the same eye and hair color, though her hair reaches her waist and is more wavy compared to her brother, though she normally has it in a ponytail when outdoors. She is clearly extremely athletic and her figure could be described as willowy. Though if it was possible she is even paler than her brother. Her clothing is most of the time practical, normally seen in leather armor and her casual wear makes for good camouflage in snowy environments seeing as it is mostly completely white. Though when out fishing her clothing is fairly light, a tunic and pants, which seems at odds with her kind of fishing which is ice fishing, she is occasionally seen in a robe of pure white when at home, though underneath it she wears a very conservative white dress. All of this and her disposition combine to make her have a very sharp appearance. best image I could find
Height: 6'0|183 cm
Weight: 163 lbs|73.9 kg
Element: Aquo, ice specialization. Compared to her brother's defensive focus with the aim to defeat the opponent with one decisive and built up blow Anastasia is much more aggressive, going on the attack immediately and trying to destroy her opponent via an overwhelming attack with ice. Beyond that she is pretty much the same to her brother in being cold to the touch but she has a bit less control over her mana in the sense of she tends to radiate cold when she is stressed or scared, the only indication she is suffering either thanks to her mask.
Personality: Unlike her brother's warm and inviting personality Anastasia seems to be an extreme ice queen, cold, calculating, almost callous. The only person she is relatively kind to, or pays any real deference to, is her twin. Despite this coldness she is not a bad person, and her brother would certainly be the first to say she isn't, but don't expect to be friends with her. She has a dependency on her brother for interactions thanks to her personality. Even with this closeness with her brother she is still someone who is frequently outside alone or isolated. All of the above traits about her though is only a mask that she dons to cover up a scared girl who was traumatized by her father's actions and afraid of her brother leaving her behind, under any circumstances. To describe her real personality would be a very shy person, indecisive when it comes to risks involving her brother, with a rather nervous streak if her mask falls apart but with her own special way of showing concern or kindness. Speaking too much, especially to strangers, tires her out as she is not used to it. She is extremely devout in her faith and is driven to prayer quite frequently if she thinks of the old days or needs to make a decision that she doesn't want to make a decision on. She is similarly driven to tears if she thinks back to the old days too much. Much of any of those more human feelings she buries however, so much so the only person who knows what she truly thinks about things is her brother.
Likes: Fishing, reading, painting, drawing, ice skating, her brother, cooking (to an extent), religion.
Dislikes: Fire, pointless talking, those who threaten her brother, summer, the color red, communists and her father. She also doesn't feel much for other people but it isn't out of dislike for them.
Goals: Ensure the survival and the expansion of House Abramov's power. Make sure her brother doesn't do anything stupid, protect her brother from the world.
Alignment: House Abramov, recently declared for House Aleramici-Gramont
Animal companion or familiar: An Amarok.
Bio: "The other twin" "that girl" those two were the descriptions Anastasia's father would give her when he even deigned to speak of her. Left alone and isolated her father neglected her favoring her elder twin and ordered that everyone pretend she does not exist. The only use her father ever saw for her was as a test against her brother and he forced the two to fight often, that or as a backup had the brother proved unsatisfactory. These tests also served to show the two are about equal in both mana and skill, causing her to start to form a resentment against her brother. Why did their father treat her brother so well? Why when she was his equal? Before she could act on anything, or before the resentment could develop further, something changed. Despite the orders of the father, the brother extended his hand to her in secret, offering her friendship and a warmth she never knew, calming the anger in her heart against him thanks to his kindness and sympathy. They grew closer and instead of hatred or neglect towards each other they focused their hate against their father. However as they had to keep their closeness hidden they could not be together often so she buried herself in hobbies like painting and drawing and outdoor activities such as fishing and ice skating, becoming proficient in all of them and they frequently kept each other up late talking in secret rooms in the estate about their latest activities and this showed no signs of stopping for all the years of their lives.

The only person to ever give her warmth was her elder twin who defied his father's instructions, leading her to only trust him and depend on him for her interactions with others. In fact according to her diary she says she depends on his warmth and it is probably all that kept her sanity intact. While the brother celebrated the death of their father she initially did not due anything due to lack of caring but then she got drunk on her brother's insistence and she expressed how she felt, how much she truly hated their father for all he had done. The next day he made her his co-boyar, or princess depending on context reflecting the friendship they maintained in secret all these years. Generally speaking they do not act without the other and they are rarely far apart from each other.
Theme: This is more or less what I spent my time writing her listening to

[Luminesa]

Just going to repost the Abramovs. That and they had a birthday IC judging by it being November IC now.

Organization or House Application. Remove elements in parenthesis

Name:House Abramov
Age: They can trace their history back to the 9th century with the Boyars of the Kievian Rus, making them firmly a house of the old blood and among the earliest Christians in what would become Russia.
Size: 23 fullblooded mages, 29 household servants, 7 affiliated agents scattered over their territory
Hierarchy: The House has not strayed too far from their feudal past. The Boyar (or Prince depending on preference of speaker) is the unquestioned leader whose word is effectively law and the position has, for the most part, been passed from father to son for generations. Assisting the Boyar is the Council of Elders which consists of the three oldest members of the house. After that though everyone else is considered equal, all are subject to the Boyar.
Vassals or subordinate organizations They have a series of vassals bound by oaths of service to the House of Abramov, mostly mages and their Houses who survived the time of the communists thanks to House Abramov's protection at great risk to themselves. Overall they also hold some political power in western Russia thanks to their vassals and connections to the post Soviet political class.
Goals: Survival
Seat of power or Headquarters: Public: the newly renovated family estate in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Private: their ancient family estate hidden in what is now the Murmansk Tundra State Nature Reserve in Russia.
Territory of influence: Their traditional holdings are severely reduced from what they were at their height but currently the strongest place of their influence is concentrated in the Northwestern Federal District of the Russian Federation, most especially around Saint Petersburg along with moderate influence in western Russia (especially the Central Federal District) and they have minor influence in Finland as dictated by security concerns. Though they still consider themselves the protectors of Russia (circa 1910 borders) despite their reduced influence, numbers, and territory.
Short History: An old House dating back to the Kievian Rus their lineage is tied around the history of Russia as they have been there since the beginning of it all arguably. However with the fall of the Kievian Rus they migrated northwards, establishing an estate in the far north. Already potent in Aquo magic it was further refined in their family until they reached a point where Aquo to them was solely an ice based magic, the common observation from outsiders about it being “they adapted far too well to their environment”, though this focus on Aquo means that most of them are lacking skill or use in other departments of mana. This deep use of Aquo mana reflects in them as some remark that the best way to tell if someone claiming to be an Abramov is to touch them. Abramovs are absolutely cold to the touch and there is no color in their face, "their skin is pale and cold and their blood is ice" is a common description for them and people who don't know that fact in advance have actually mistaken them for ghosts. Very few know though that they are free to make their bodies warm and normal and do so on occasion when with outsiders or order to appear normal but they choose to be this way because it is familiar to them. Until the reign of Peter the Great their title in Russian society was "Boyar" afterwards they had the title of “Prince” as recognition of their part in the ancient nobility but it was not used in the estate, giving preference to their old title of Boyar out of dislike of Peter's reforms. With the fall of the Russian Empire their use of "Prince" or "Boyar" for the leader of their house is a very fluid issue with either being acceptable, in fact some correspondence by the leader of the House is signed "Boyar-Prince", but in the Abramov estate only "Boyar" is acceptable unless the Boyar has said otherwise.

Their relation with the various Magi houses in Europe over history has varied depending on who the boyar was, most recently, under the previous boyar, there were friendly overtures towards House Rise, seeking to align the House with the Rise for reasons probably only the involved parties know. However at another point they adopted an extreme anti-French belief, and consequently anti-Rise belief, due to Napoleon's invasion of Russia. More often than not they were neutral, not wanting to get involved in the politics of the other houses but stepping in firmly if anyone caused trouble in their territories. Come the October Revolution and the subsequent rise of Communism they had to go underground, cutting off contact with all outsiders, even with other mage families, for fear of being purged, which is understandable since they were nobles from the olden days and mages, and they had not renounced their oaths to the Emperor. This led to their power abroad diminishing and many fearing they had been wiped out as no word was received at any point for a long time, the last known sighting of an Abramov being in 1925 at the Intercession of Patriarch Tikhon. When they came out of hiding at the fall of the Soviet Union they had seemed different to those who remembered how they were so long ago, nearly 80 years of hiding and being in fear of being found and exterminated by the communists led to a change in attitude in them. Now their mentality is based around one goal: survival. They and their bloodline must survive at all costs and no matter the sacrifices that are to be made. Though not everyone in the family agrees with that "no matter the cost" view. But it is clear that all in the family, from the mages to their servants, think about the impact their actions will have on the continuation of the House.

Currently led by the twin mages, Konstantin and Anastasia following the unexplained death of their father two years ago, and they have recently declared the House for Aleramici-Gramont. All that aside thanks to being part of the ancient nobility the family is heavily Russian Orthodox.
Current state and Activities: Preparing for war and moving their mages around to assist in the fighting.
Heraldry: (Optional)

Character Application.

Name: Konstantin Abramov
Age: 23, born October 10th 1995
Gender: Male
Appearance:Since I wouldn't be able to come up with a good picture I will submit a written description. He is extremely pale with no color in his face. very athletic and well built with pure white hair cut short, though it has a bit of a curl, and deep brown eyes. He is starting to grow a beard. Most of the time he is in a silvery robe but when he is not wearing that his clothing takes on a more practical approach being a set of leather armor that he uses when out hunting. Though he keeps a set of "normal" casual clothes for when he goes out into society. He tends to keep a longsword strapped to his side (I'm not the best at making descriptions ) A good image I found later
Height: 6'2|188 cm
Weight: 200 lbs|90.7 kg
Element: Aquo with a specialty on ice. He specializes in defensive magic, manipulating the ice he creates to form protective barriers for himself and others while creating ice and snow to distract his opponent or for another purpose. Despite this focus he doesn't lack offensive power but instead holds back waiting for an opening or subtly manipulates the environment to his advantage if he is fighting in an area of snow or ice before moving in for the kill.
Personality: Konstantin, despite the coldness of his skin, has a warm and welcoming personality, if a bit formal, his kindness being a cornerstone of his personality, in addition he is very old fashioned with a sense of honor that he has gotten out of his books. His one downfall is probably that he is a mite bit too trusting. Though he is also fairly forgetful but that is driven by a near constant headache.
Likes: Honorable conduct, hunting, chess, reading, dueling, the color of blue, particularly a deep blue, a fine glass of wine, his sister, the piano, religion, classical music in general but especially Tchaikovsky and Bach.
Dislikes: Summer, warm water, dishonorable acts, threats to his family, House Rise, lies, communists, his father
Goals: Reform House Abramov in order to step away from its cold and isolated history, the era of communists is over so their paranoia needs to end. Ensure the survival of House Abramov. Expand the number of members of House Abramov.
Alignment: House Abramov, recently declared the House for House Aleramici-Gramont
Animal companion or familiar: An Akhlut in wolf form
Bio: The young boyar of of House Abramov, Konstantin is the elder of a set of twins, the younger being his twin sister Anastasia. He was always favored by their father but was still thrown into fights against his sister and other creatures to test him. His father also made every effort to keep the siblings apart besides when he gave permission, and most of the time when he did it was to have them fight each other. Despite this he made an effort to create and maintain a relationship with his twin and developed an extremely close bond but it was one they had to maintain in secret and go to great lengths to keep hidden. This they managed to do over the years and it gave them a shelter from the stresses of life. What happened upon his father's death speaks to his absolute trust in his sister in that he named her co-boyar to lead alongside him, an act unprecedented, since, as the only son of his father, he was the only one who should have ascended to the position but generally approved among relatives, seeing as the two balance each other out in both skill and political leanings. Though it also made it clear to their relatives just how far they went behind their father's back but some of them admitted they knew and had turned a blind eye to it, they could not defy the boyar like the son and extend their hands like he did but that didn't mean they couldn't support them by keeping silent as the father's approaching of House Rise angered many in the House.

Much like his sister he always found life to be lonesome in the estate, enforced isolation causing that isn’t a surprise, but in his spare time he went hunting or spent time in the library reading. He also learned how to play the piano out of boredom and became fairly good at chess. In the background of all of this was his hatred towards his father, the hatred that could be described as pure winter itself, but he never acted in it. He celebrated the day his father died and tends to celebrate every anniversary of his death. Besides being regarded as a bit too much of an idealist he is well respected in his own house as a just and fair boyar, which has smoothed over the anger some have towards him for being so uncaring about his father's death.
Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZd2q3BYPwI

Character Application. (Remove elements in parenthesis)

Name:Anastasia Abramov
Age: 23, October 10th, 1995
Gender: Female
Appearance: She is quite similar in appearance to her brother, barring her more feminine parts, it is clear they are twins with a strong family resemblance and the same eye and hair color, though her hair reaches her waist and is more wavy compared to her brother, though she normally has it in a ponytail when outdoors. She is clearly extremely athletic and her figure could be described as willowy. Though if it was possible she is even paler than her brother. Her clothing is most of the time practical, normally seen in leather armor and her casual wear makes for good camouflage in snowy environments seeing as it is mostly completely white. Though when out fishing her clothing is fairly light, a tunic and pants, which seems at odds with her kind of fishing which is ice fishing, she is occasionally seen in a robe of pure white when at home, though underneath it she wears a very conservative white dress. All of this and her disposition combine to make her have a very sharp appearance. best image I could find
Height: 6'0|183 cm
Weight: 163 lbs|73.9 kg
Element: Aquo, ice specialization. Compared to her brother's defensive focus with the aim to defeat the opponent with one decisive and built up blow Anastasia is much more aggressive, going on the attack immediately and trying to destroy her opponent via an overwhelming attack with ice. Beyond that she is pretty much the same to her brother in being cold to the touch but she has a bit less control over her mana in the sense of she tends to radiate cold when she is stressed or scared, the only indication she is suffering either thanks to her mask.
Personality: Unlike her brother's warm and inviting personality Anastasia seems to be an extreme ice queen, cold, calculating, almost callous. The only person she is relatively kind to, or pays any real deference to, is her twin. Despite this coldness she is not a bad person, and her brother would certainly be the first to say she isn't, but don't expect to be friends with her. She has a dependency on her brother for interactions thanks to her personality. Even with this closeness with her brother she is still someone who is frequently outside alone or isolated. All of the above traits about her though is only a mask that she dons to cover up a scared girl who was traumatized by her father's actions and afraid of her brother leaving her behind, under any circumstances. To describe her real personality would be a very shy person, indecisive when it comes to risks involving her brother, with a rather nervous streak if her mask falls apart but with her own special way of showing concern or kindness. Speaking too much, especially to strangers, tires her out as she is not used to it. She is extremely devout in her faith and is driven to prayer quite frequently if she thinks of the old days or needs to make a decision that she doesn't want to make a decision on. She is similarly driven to tears if she thinks back to the old days too much. Much of any of those more human feelings she buries however, so much so the only person who knows what she truly thinks about things is her brother.
Likes: Fishing, reading, painting, drawing, ice skating, her brother, cooking (to an extent), religion.
Dislikes: Fire, pointless talking, those who threaten her brother, summer, the color red, communists and her father. She also doesn't feel much for other people but it isn't out of dislike for them.
Goals: Ensure the survival and the expansion of House Abramov's power. Make sure her brother doesn't do anything stupid, protect her brother from the world.
Alignment: House Abramov, recently declared for House Aleramici-Gramont
Animal companion or familiar: An Amarok.
Bio: "The other twin" "that girl" those two were the descriptions Anastasia's father would give her when he even deigned to speak of her. Left alone and isolated her father neglected her favoring her elder twin and ordered that everyone pretend she does not exist. The only use her father ever saw for her was as a test against her brother and he forced the two to fight often, that or as a backup had the brother proved unsatisfactory. These tests also served to show the two are about equal in both mana and skill, causing her to start to form a resentment against her brother. Why did their father treat her brother so well? Why when she was his equal? Before she could act on anything, or before the resentment could develop further, something changed. Despite the orders of the father, the brother extended his hand to her in secret, offering her friendship and a warmth she never knew, calming the anger in her heart against him thanks to his kindness and sympathy. They grew closer and instead of hatred or neglect towards each other they focused their hate against their father. However as they had to keep their closeness hidden they could not be together often so she buried herself in hobbies like painting and drawing and outdoor activities such as fishing and ice skating, becoming proficient in all of them and they frequently kept each other up late talking in secret rooms in the estate about their latest activities and this showed no signs of stopping for all the years of their lives.

The only person to ever give her warmth was her elder twin who defied his father's instructions, leading her to only trust him and depend on him for her interactions with others. In fact according to her diary she says she depends on his warmth and it is probably all that kept her sanity intact. While the brother celebrated the death of their father she initially did not due anything due to lack of caring but then she got drunk on her brother's insistence and she expressed how she felt, how much she truly hated their father for all he had done. The next day he made her his co-boyar, or princess depending on context reflecting the friendship they maintained in secret all these years. Generally speaking they do not act without the other and they are rarely far apart from each other.
Theme: This is more or less what I spent my time writing her listening to

Accepted! Make sure you place these in the Archive if you haven’t already!

[Danceria]

So, I know this is an ongoing sort of "franchise" (as best of a word as I can describe it)...is there any room for sort of an Afro-Carribean magical household?

[Luminesa]

So, I know this is an ongoing sort of "franchise" (as best of a word as I can describe it)...is there any room for sort of an Afro-Carribean magical household?

Sure! Make an App and we’ll take a look!

[Elysian Kentarchy]

Going to be making some more updates to the House Abramov, nothing that would play much into the current RP besides heraldry, but I just felt like writing some history for the House.

[Luminesa]

Going to be making some more updates to the House Abramov, nothing that would play much into the current RP besides heraldry, but I just felt like writing some history for the House.

Go right ahead!

[Saleon]

So, I know this is an ongoing sort of "franchise" (as best of a word as I can describe it)...is there any room for sort of an Afro-Carribean magical household?

so vodun? With a bit of care of course.

[Galnius]

Hey Lumi, is this still open?

[Nea Videssos]

Hey Lumi, is this still open?

Well, if it's closed, then Lumi's pulled a sneaky on all of us, but I doubt it.

[Galnius]

Hey Lumi, is this still open?

Well, if it's closed, then Lumi's pulled a sneaky on all of us, but I doubt it.

Hey vid!

[Nea Videssos]

Well, if it's closed, then Lumi's pulled a sneaky on all of us, but I doubt it.

Hey vid!

Greetings. Been a while, eh?

[Galnius]

Hey vid!

Greetings. Been a while, eh?

A year actually.

[The Federation of Spokane]

I need a RP I can get into that is not war, so...here we go!
Student Application

Name: Jarvis Grant
Age: 16
Gender: Male
Appearance: Tall, Athletic, Black Hair and Hazel-eyed Male. Usually is wearing jeans with a t-shirt or a hoodie. Speaks with a Scottish accent.
Height: 6’2|187.96 cm
Weight: 200 pounds|90.7 kilos
House|Element: Fulgur|Lighting
Personality: Cunning. He can get what he wants, but can be brash when his interests are threatened, including his family.
Likes: Snakes, Storms, Football, and reading.
Dislikes: Spiders, the Dark, and cats.
Animal: A snake, not just any snake, but a king cobra. It is very tame, and won’t eat anyone.
Bio:
Jarvis was born to two rich astrocrats, who incidentally were also elementals, a fire and a earth one. He began showing signs at an early age, but it never truly manifested until the summer after his freshman year of high school when he accidentally electrocuted a bully. His parents sent him to this school in a attempt for him to learn to control his elemental power.
Theme: (This is not mandatory, and just helps to set a tone for a character's personality.)

Short RP Sample:
1:Nathan nodded in thanks and took her spot before responding to the man “Yeah, Thank you!” He wrote his name on the sheet that was offered and then smiled as he stepped away and took a look at his watch, noting the time and started to head to the assembly hall. He turned as he bumped into someone and then apologized as he met the most stunning eyes he would ever meet.
2:Orion stood up and began to make his speech. “Spokane believes that what the Sardinian’s idea of a ‘deal’ is a sham and we have a better idea. We could merge our Israelstine land, set up a government that should be aminstered by a NEUTRAL party. We will personally pay the Ausinians 1 million as a apology for our former ambassador’s kidnapping attempt.”

[Luminesa]

Hey Lumi, is this still open?

Why hello! Yes it’s open!

[Luminesa]

I need a RP I can get into that is not war, so...here we go!
Student Application

Name: Jarvis Grant
Age: 16
Gender: Male
Appearance: Tall, Athletic, Black Hair and Hazel-eyed Male. Usually is wearing jeans with a t-shirt or a hoodie. Speaks with a Scottish accent.
Height: 6’2|187.96 cm
Weight: 200 pounds|90.7 kilos
House|Element: Fulgur|Lighting
Personality: Cunning. He can get what he wants, but can be brash when his interests are threatened, including his family.
Likes: Snakes, Storms, Football, and reading.
Dislikes: Spiders, the Dark, and cats.
Animal: A snake, not just any snake, but a king cobra. It is very tame, and won’t eat anyone.
Bio:
Jarvis was born to two rich astrocrats, who incidentally were also elementals, a fire and a earth one. He began showing signs at an early age, but it never truly manifested until the summer after his freshman year of high school when he accidentally electrocuted a bully. His parents sent him to this school in a attempt for him to learn to control his elemental power.
Theme: (This is not mandatory, and just helps to set a tone for a character's personality.)

Short RP Sample:
1:Nathan nodded in thanks and took her spot before responding to the man “Yeah, Thank you!” He wrote his name on the sheet that was offered and then smiled as he stepped away and took a look at his watch, noting the time and started to head to the assembly hall. He turned as he bumped into someone and then apologized as he met the most stunning eyes he would ever meet.
2:Orion stood up and began to make his speech. “Spokane believes that what the Sardinian’s idea of a ‘deal’ is a sham and we have a better idea. We could merge our Israelstine land, set up a government that should be aminstered by a NEUTRAL party. We will personally pay the Ausinians 1 million as a apology for our former ambassador’s kidnapping attempt.”

1.) Fulgur doesn’t exist. Pick a different house.
2.) Bio needs to be a little longer.
3.) Elaborate on personality a little! Be creative!

[The Federation of Spokane]

I need a RP I can get into that is not war, so...here we go!
Student Application

Name: Jarvis Grant
Age: 16
Gender: Male
Appearance: Tall, Athletic, Black Hair and Hazel-eyed Male. Usually is wearing jeans with a t-shirt or a hoodie. Speaks with a Scottish accent.
Height: 6’2|187.96 cm
Weight: 200 pounds|90.7 kilos
House|Element: Fulgur|Lighting
Personality: Cunning. He can get what he wants, but can be brash when his interests are threatened, including his family.
Likes: Snakes, Storms, Football, and reading.
Dislikes: Spiders, the Dark, and cats.
Animal: A snake, not just any snake, but a king cobra. It is very tame, and won’t eat anyone.
Bio:
Jarvis was born to two rich astrocrats, who incidentally were also elementals, a fire and a earth one. He began showing signs at an early age, but it never truly manifested until the summer after his freshman year of high school when he accidentally electrocuted a bully. His parents sent him to this school in a attempt for him to learn to control his elemental power.
Theme: (This is not mandatory, and just helps to set a tone for a character's personality.)

Short RP Sample:
1:Nathan nodded in thanks and took her spot before responding to the man “Yeah, Thank you!” He wrote his name on the sheet that was offered and then smiled as he stepped away and took a look at his watch, noting the time and started to head to the assembly hall. He turned as he bumped into someone and then apologized as he met the most stunning eyes he would ever meet.
2:Orion stood up and began to make his speech. “Spokane believes that what the Sardinian’s idea of a ‘deal’ is a sham and we have a better idea. We could merge our Israelstine land, set up a government that should be aminstered by a NEUTRAL party. We will personally pay the Ausinians 1 million as a apology for our former ambassador’s kidnapping attempt.”

1.) Fulgur doesn’t exist. Pick a different house.
2.) Bio needs to be a little longer.
3.) Elaborate on personality a little! Be creative!

Alright.

[Elysian Kentarchy]

Just to inform in advance I am not going to be very active in June with posting, summer classes.

[Luminesa]

Just to inform in advance I am not going to be very active in June with posting, summer classes.

Yep, I remember how those were. No problem!

[The Federation of Spokane]

Just to inform in advance I am not going to be very active in June with posting, summer classes.

Yep, I remember how those were. No problem!

Egads! I forgot to post my re-app, but I’ll wait.

[Luminesa]

Yep, I remember how those were. No problem!

Egads! I forgot to post my re-app, but I’ll wait.

You can go ahead and re-post! I'm always close to my computer, no worries! : 3

[Danceria]

Student Application

Name: Carlos Leon Carabalí-Peláez de Lucumí
Age: 19
Gender: Male. Very Male.
Appearance: A tawny skinned lad of muscular build, and a rat’s nest of hair, and an ever present grin plastered on his face.
Height: ~6”1|~186 cm
Weight: 189 lbs|85.73 kg
House|Element: Air-Water (alchemy-fu)|Ventus) Carlos is well versed in the casting of Runes and potions, and often uses his innate magic to aid in chemical reactions, as well as utilize his own magic ink. When not utilizing Runes, Carlos prefers to utilize Aerokinesis.
Personality: To say Carlos is an extrovert is like saying water is wet. Much to the chagrin of Oliver, his outgoing nature has won him friends and enemies in equal measure. He will always be the first to initiate anything, either in conversation, in projects, and life in general.
Likes: Animals, dancing, exercise, all sorts of music (including the art of soundcloud shitposting), pretty girls, warm weather.
Dislikes: Cold Weather, veggies, awkward pauses, “sticks in mud”, written tests
Animal: A Chickarney named Arribisto. Only understands and speaks in Spanish.
Bio: Hailing from Hialeah, the first thing that Carlos remembers was either his father telling his mother a corny pick-up line, squabbling with his younger siblings, or the smell of incense against a sunny Floridan day. Like many of his lineage, when it was revealed that he had a talent in magic, the young man would live a double life. On one hand, he was a typical American kid who played baseball, went to parties, and was up to no good, but during his family’s “vacation” to their ancestral Caribbean, he would train diligently. He would come back with occasional injuries, often excused as the hazards of vacationing abroad, be it from magic related combat, rituals gone awry, or an uppity cryptid. At age eleven, the Peláez branch of the family would be entrusted with the safety of one Oliver Hofmann. The two were diametrically opposites in personality, but over time and tribulation, the two would become close friends. However with rise of Hofmann related murders, and the vast coils of intrigue that occurred during the Tournament War, the upbeat demeanor of Carlos is gradually cracking at the seams...
Theme: I’ll think up some witty shitpost for later.

Short RP Sample: Ugh, fiiiinnnneeee

House Application

Name: Carabalí de Lucumí, or known more commonly as as the de Lucumís
Age: Legends and boasts state that the dynasty can trace its lineage to the 1500s, or “ever since the first Yoruba priest was put in irons and shipped to the Americas, and suffered with the Taíno shamans”, but official Hofmann records suggest roughly 400 years.
Hierarchy: There are various cadet branches across the eastern side of Dixie, and maintain a presence in Caribbean/Hispanic communities across the US. This is evident in their naming convention where someone would be known as a part of the Carabalí de Lucumí “family” (either by birth, marriage, or adoption) and would be associated with another family with that (typically an extant member of the original households, such as the Peláezes, who typically run anything from Miami to NYC. If you were adopted/initiated into a high enough rank, you could be known as John Quincy Carabalí-Smith de Lucumí (First & middle name, Carabalí-Paternal Surname de Lucumí). You are also maintain that name if you’ve married into the lineage.

The current head is [i]”La Madrina[“/i] Marianela Racquel Carabalí-Abrego de Lucumí, who, in spite of being 102 years young, looks roughly in her upper seventies, very hale, and has roughly “a few more years” before she retires. While her grandson, Felipe Fermin, is the official face of the crime syndicate, she maintains a quiet, grey eminence position on most meetings.

They maintain cordial ties with the Brazilian, West African and any dynasties hailing from the Congo region. Houses of Iberian origins are likely to have met or garnered the de Lucumí’s patronage. It is a bannerman of House Hoffman in the New World, and is currently keeping an eye on the young Mr. Oliver Hofmann during his stay in the Americas, keeping him out of sight and out of mind from the intrigues of Europe and the bloody culling of the most recent succession.
Vassals or subordinate organizations Officially, none. However, being a mutual aid group, they grant financial support to their employees, be it actual mages, hitmen(and women), or any other businesses they maintain. They maintain presence in Abakuá lodges and the Santería religion, the two often being synonymous and are best described as a “strange hybrid between an Afro-Cuban Freemason’s lodge and a well oiled criminal syndicate”. While not always maintaining prominence in Yoruba-based Afro-American religions, it should be noted that much of their magical “traditions” are based off of them.
Goals: Maintain the influence they presently have in the southern-central Americas, and maybe get Oliver Hoffman off his ass to become a half-decent Mage.
Seat of power or Headquarters: Key West, Florida is the “agreed on” capital.
Territory of influence:The entirety of the Caribbean and pockets across the Americas adhere to their influence. Whether or not their boast of being able to smuggle anything and anyone from Cabo de Hornos to Kodiak may be an exaggeration, but their network is indeed vast. Almost every crime family in the Caribbean, central America, and northern South-America knows of them in some way. In the United States proper, there is a lot more headbutting between long-time mafia dynasties and the de Lucumís, complicated by the fact they technically work for the Hoffmans.
Short History: Allegedly descended from captured African nobles mingling with Taíno shamans, the earliest history of the de Lucumi dynasty is often shrouded in half-truths and sparse record-keeping, folk tales and hearsay. What is known however is that a collective of freed African slaves would go on to become the modern Abakuá secret society. Their less than glamorous role was to maintain the status quo between the impoverished Africans/Natives and their white overseers, be that as slave-catchers, policemen, or even plantation and slave owners, the “Carabalí de Lucumí” functioned as a “tribe”, where freed Africans would aid one another in esoteric ways, typically through the traditions of spells and magic. This was considered the first iteration of the de Lucumí “family”, being rather instead a loose cabal of African mages under the employ (or ownership) of Hofmann estates in the Caribbean until their loss of Schleswig-Holstein in 1605, when they began to gradually gain more independence and expand their master’s network in the New World. Earliest records of “independent” activities was in 1836, when the name Carabalí de Lucumí, and their “Lodge for African Workers” was first recognized by the Cuban government, also around the time when Spiritism was beginning to make their way throughout Latin America. It was through this quiet and well recorded funding of groups, and calling in favors from around the Caribbean Sea that one can begin to piece together the complex network of grassroots smugglers. In the impoverished districts of Latin America, and in the former slave barracks, the long-standing rituals of African magical traditions was tested against the more “mainstream” thought and practice, forming the modern Afro-American religions such as Voodoo, Santería, Palo and Espiritismo. Throughout the 1800s, families and cadet branches would begin to strike their fortunes across the Americas. With the tumultuous end of slavery in the United States, and America’s war against Mexico and Spain, a few close calls allowed for the seeds of future influence to be sowed in the ever changing times and destitution. While on paper, the Hofmanns are the de Lucumí overlords, this fact is of course ignored whenever convenient, and typically see each other as equals or capable of benefiting the other in some way.

At the turn of the 1900s, it was considered the “Golden Age”, especially with the rise of African units in both World Wars, Prohibition, and the Great Depression. Several branches would provide patronage for the jazz musicians, the rumba, and the entertainment districts of Hollywood and Disneyland, such as the Peláezes practically building the town of Hialeah from the foundations, and aiding Miami’s future nightlife scene. Of course, there was opposition. There was just about a Mafia for everything, most famous being Al Capone and the various Italian, Irish, and Russian Gangs that would come, and the rise of the “Gangsta” scene with rap (which has been universally agreed among the de Lucumís as a mixed blessing), further pushing the criminal focus away from the genteel families to individual rag-tag rabbles. This, combined with the Abusus Ordinis and Inquisition surging forward, risking compromising their criminal enterprises, forced many of the syndicates to go underground or disband completely, for fear of being rendered extinct by the combined forces of the major Magical Houses.

However, with the Tournament War drawing to a close, and much shifting of power was had in Europe, the de Lucumís are called upon to protect their masters from a string of assassinations that are directed at changing the Hofmann’s inheritance.
Current state and Activities: Mafia dynasties have sort of had a slump in activities during the turn of the millenia, but with the Tournament War and intrigue of Europe coming to a close, they still prove how well they could keep their holdings consolidated after all these centuries. Business proceeds as usual in the criminal underworld, with the growing fear that the chaos in Europe may spread to their side of the Atlantic, and disrupt their way of life. Plans and contingencies are being drawn up and enacted in order to either protect their masters from this most recent wave of bloodshed, or find out how to profit off the inevitable power vacuum that would ensue.
Heraldry:

[Luminesa]

Dancy is accepted! Welcome back! :3