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

[Constaniana]

I may still be behind in the IC and working with flashbacks, but you can take my blokes off the "emeritus" list.

Welcome back. I look forward to seeing what heroics Ivan gets up to in the battle. Bonus points if that sergeant from the ship is there to bully him once again.

I mean, how could I not after you asked so nicely?

In all seriousness, I didn't intend to be gone so long. Just ran into some pretty bad writer's block. I'd find a perfect block of time, brew up a cup of coffee, crack my fingers, sit down in front of the computer...and stare at the word doc for a couple minutes, write nothing, and then peace out.

Eventually I was like "I'll get back to it one of these days, not like I'll miss an update or anything" and then I missed three updates. Oops.

Aw, you listened to me!

Kind of at least. Katya only came up once in that post

In all seriousness I sympathize with that, been there many times before. I'd say it probably has to do with how ambitious the storylines surrounding your characters are, that can often begin to feel like a big burden once you hit a roadblock of any sort. Especially when the setting is also rich in lore and you want to incorporate as much of it as you can into every little story segment.

Not that I'm saying any of this is a bad thing, mind you. Just that I get how it can be overwhelming.

Same here. Sometimes I'll try writing stuff for this, get maybe a paragraph down, and then see that two hours have passed and that I have other things I need to attend to.

Oh- oh no. I actually forgot Katya still thought Erosen was dead. That, should be an interesting reunion...

Katya joined the others for breakfast, her mind still troubled by all the death and violence she had witnessed yesterday, including the death of Erosen. How were the rest of the group so calm and cheerful about it all? In her anguish, it seemed that she could even see Erosen's ghost!

"Hey," said Erosen, before he took another bite of scrambled eggs. Katya fainted in shock.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

So I just finished reading the last Memories of Champion's Field post. Nice to see Kroie found someone after Charlie's mysterious disappearance

[Constaniana]

So I just finished reading the last Memories of Champion's Field post. Nice to see Kroie found someone after Charlie's mysterious disappearance

The Commonwealth of the North can neither confirm nor deny allegations of attraction between Prince Kroisoto and Crown Princess Flora. Meanwhile, unnamed sources within the palace say that Kroisoto is relieved at not having to deal with constant disappearances and bouts of narcolepsy in a woman. It would be funny seeing what would happen if that couple ever bumped into the group currently escorting a Garmiccian noblewoman.

It was nice getting to use some old characters again for that. I have ideas for a few other Memories of Champion Field posts. One is a random infantryman in Villdernheim hearing Executor Eldharch's fiery speech contrasting Lord Protector Aurenheim's, showing general conditions in the capital. Another is High Admiral Ralvs ruminating on the naval defeat the Federation suffered before that battle in the canal that permitted the Northemen to advance westward, before he gets offered a deal with the devil. I have another idea involving showing what the White Rose is currently up to, but I'm not sure whether to go ahead with that one.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

The Commonwealth of the North can neither confirm nor deny allegations of attraction between Prince Kroisoto and Crown Princess Flora. Meanwhile, unnamed sources within the palace say that Kroisoto is relieved at not having to deal with constant disappearances and bouts of narcolepsy in a woman. It would be funny seeing what would happen if that couple ever bumped into the group currently escorting a Garmiccian noblewoman.

That's what I thought too. That would be something alright

It was nice getting to use some old characters again for that. I have ideas for a few other Memories of Champion Field posts. One is a random infantryman in Villdernheim hearing Executor Eldharch's fiery speech contrasting Lord Protector Aurenheim's, showing general conditions in the capital. Another is High Admiral Ralvs ruminating on the naval defeat the Federation suffered before that battle in the canal that permitted the Northemen to advance westward, before he gets offered a deal with the devil. I have another idea involving showing what the White Rose is currently up to, but I'm not sure whether to go ahead with that one.

I can see why you'd be uncertain. Given the mystery the White Rose is shrouded in, at least currently, it may seem off to make a post directly from her perspective. I'd perhaps suggest to wait until after we meet her, assuming we will, but I don't know if we will or when that will be so really I don't think there's much advice I can offer there

The other two sound plenty interesting, though.

[Constaniana]

The Commonwealth of the North can neither confirm nor deny allegations of attraction between Prince Kroisoto and Crown Princess Flora. Meanwhile, unnamed sources within the palace say that Kroisoto is relieved at not having to deal with constant disappearances and bouts of narcolepsy in a woman. It would be funny seeing what would happen if that couple ever bumped into the group currently escorting a Garmiccian noblewoman.

That's what I thought too. That would be something alright

It was nice getting to use some old characters again for that. I have ideas for a few other Memories of Champion Field posts. One is a random infantryman in Villdernheim hearing Executor Eldharch's fiery speech contrasting Lord Protector Aurenheim's, showing general conditions in the capital. Another is High Admiral Ralvs ruminating on the naval defeat the Federation suffered before that battle in the canal that permitted the Northemen to advance westward, before he gets offered a deal with the devil. I have another idea involving showing what the White Rose is currently up to, but I'm not sure whether to go ahead with that one.

I can see why you'd be uncertain. Given the mystery the White Rose is shrouded in, at least currently, it may seem off to make a post directly from her perspective. I'd perhaps suggest to wait until after we meet her, assuming we will, but I don't know if we will or when that will be so really I don't think there's much advice I can offer there

The other two sound plenty interesting, though.

We'll probably meet the White Rose some time in the 2020's. Given our pace who knows when it'll actually be.

Thanks. I'll start working on those bits in the background then.

[Kassaran]

I like how meeting a key element of the inter-IC time is liable to take the better part of the decade at this rate. hehe

[Constaniana]

I like how meeting a key element of the inter-IC time is liable to take the better part of the decade at this rate. hehe

Indeed. This June it will have been nine years since Heilaga first got kidnapped, and Aldraniri and friends still haven't found her. We truly do operate on a geologic time scale.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

I like how meeting a key element of the inter-IC time is liable to take the better part of the decade at this rate. hehe

Indeed. This June it will have been nine years since Heilaga first got kidnapped, and Aldraniri and friends still haven't found her. We truly do operate on a geologic time scale.

Worse, now we have to find Aldraniri too

[Constaniana]

Indeed. This June it will have been nine years since Heilaga first got kidnapped, and Aldraniri and friends still haven't found her. We truly do operate on a geologic time scale.

Worse, now we have to find Aldraniri too

Elementals: A fetch quest, but for people

[Zarkenis Ultima]

You know what's funny? Katya's back on the active character roster, but the link to her app still leads to the Garmiccian lore dump instead of her app.

[Kassaran]

You know what's funny? Katya's back on the active character roster, but the link to her app still leads to the Garmiccian lore dump instead of her app.

[Lazarian]

You know what's funny? Katya's back on the active character roster, but the link to her app still leads to the Garmiccian lore dump instead of her app.

Oops. I might have deleted the app to make space for the lore dump.

I’ve got it stashed somewhere, so I’ll just repost it. That being said, the backstory I originally started with is pretty far from what I ended up with, so I may as well rewrite it.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

You know what's funny? Katya's back on the active character roster, but the link to her app still leads to the Garmiccian lore dump instead of her app.

Oops. I might have deleted the app to make space for the lore dump.

I’ve got it stashed somewhere, so I’ll just repost it. That being said, the backstory I originally started with is pretty far from what I ended up with, so I may as well rewrite it.

Yeah, you made space for the lore dump and said you'd post it again once you rewrote it, IIRC. Mentioned something about the age of Katya's brother not fitting anymore I think?

[Lazarian]

Oops. I might have deleted the app to make space for the lore dump.

I’ve got it stashed somewhere, so I’ll just repost it. That being said, the backstory I originally started with is pretty far from what I ended up with, so I may as well rewrite it.

Yeah, you made space for the lore dump and said you'd post it again once you rewrote it, IIRC. Mentioned something about the age of Katya's brother not fitting anymore I think?

Yeah, it didn’t quite work. She was originally supposed to have an older brother who was the presumptive heir and died in a hunting accident, leading Nikolai to raise her more like a son.

But then I crunched the math and that puts Nikolai at sixty (at the youngest!) and forty during the Garmiccian Civil War, which sort of makes Katya comparing herself to him a little silly. And writing the older brother out doesn’t really change the story at all - the “expected heir” bit works with or without him. Removing the brother fixes the timeline, so instead of death he runs into a far worse fate - retcon.

Also I’ll have another two posts up by the end of the weekend. Got most of a draft for nobody’s favorite baggage carrier and about half of Alexei/Katya’s accounts of the battle.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Yeah, you made space for the lore dump and said you'd post it again once you rewrote it, IIRC. Mentioned something about the age of Katya's brother not fitting anymore I think?

Yeah, it didn’t quite work. She was originally supposed to have an older brother who was the presumptive heir and died in a hunting accident, leading Nikolai to raise her more like a son.

But then I crunched the math and that puts Nikolai at sixty (at the youngest!) and forty during the Garmiccian Civil War, which sort of makes Katya comparing herself to him a little silly. And writing the older brother out doesn’t really change the story at all - the “expected heir” bit works with or without him. Removing the brother fixes the timeline, so instead of death he runs into a far worse fate - retcon.

Also I’ll have another two posts up by the end of the weekend. Got most of a draft for nobody’s favorite baggage carrier and about half of Alexei/Katya’s accounts of the battle.

Consigned to eternity in the abyss of unrealized timelines in the Elementalsverse, along with the casts of The Return of Kayarost and Ashen Skies. Poor lad.

Looking forward to seeing more of our de facto protagonist

[Lazarian]

Looking forward to seeing more of our de facto protagonist

What can I say? I know you all are chomping at the bit for more Ivan content, so it’s well on the way.

[Constaniana]

Yeah, you made space for the lore dump and said you'd post it again once you rewrote it, IIRC. Mentioned something about the age of Katya's brother not fitting anymore I think?

Yeah, it didn’t quite work. She was originally supposed to have an older brother who was the presumptive heir and died in a hunting accident, leading Nikolai to raise her more like a son.

But then I crunched the math and that puts Nikolai at sixty (at the youngest!) and forty during the Garmiccian Civil War, which sort of makes Katya comparing herself to him a little silly. And writing the older brother out doesn’t really change the story at all - the “expected heir” bit works with or without him. Removing the brother fixes the timeline, so instead of death he runs into a far worse fate - retcon.

Also I’ll have another two posts up by the end of the weekend. Got most of a draft for nobody’s favorite baggage carrier and about half of Alexei/Katya’s accounts of the battle.

Cool beans, looking forward to it.

Yeah, it didn’t quite work. She was originally supposed to have an older brother who was the presumptive heir and died in a hunting accident, leading Nikolai to raise her more like a son.

But then I crunched the math and that puts Nikolai at sixty (at the youngest!) and forty during the Garmiccian Civil War, which sort of makes Katya comparing herself to him a little silly. And writing the older brother out doesn’t really change the story at all - the “expected heir” bit works with or without him. Removing the brother fixes the timeline, so instead of death he runs into a far worse fate - retcon.

Also I’ll have another two posts up by the end of the weekend. Got most of a draft for nobody’s favorite baggage carrier and about half of Alexei/Katya’s accounts of the battle.

Consigned to eternity in the abyss of unrealized timelines in the Elementalsverse, along with the casts of The Return of Kayarost and Ashen Skies. Poor lad.

Looking forward to seeing more of our de facto protagonist

He will crash into this timeline piloting a mecha-MiG, with edgy-Kroisoto, the Pickle Priest, and that eldritch slime who liked apples following him.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Yeah, it didn’t quite work. She was originally supposed to have an older brother who was the presumptive heir and died in a hunting accident, leading Nikolai to raise her more like a son.

But then I crunched the math and that puts Nikolai at sixty (at the youngest!) and forty during the Garmiccian Civil War, which sort of makes Katya comparing herself to him a little silly. And writing the older brother out doesn’t really change the story at all - the “expected heir” bit works with or without him. Removing the brother fixes the timeline, so instead of death he runs into a far worse fate - retcon.

Also I’ll have another two posts up by the end of the weekend. Got most of a draft for nobody’s favorite baggage carrier and about half of Alexei/Katya’s accounts of the battle.

Cool beans, looking forward to it.

Consigned to eternity in the abyss of unrealized timelines in the Elementalsverse, along with the casts of The Return of Kayarost and Ashen Skies. Poor lad.

Looking forward to seeing more of our de facto protagonist

He will crash into this timeline piloting a mecha-MiG, with edgy-Kroisoto, the Pickle Priest, and that eldritch slime who liked apples following him.

Don't forget the no-longer-evil Queen Asuage.

[Constaniana]

Cool beans, looking forward to it.

He will crash into this timeline piloting a mecha-MiG, with edgy-Kroisoto, the Pickle Priest, and that eldritch slime who liked apples following him.

Don't forget the no-longer-evil Queen Asuage.

Technically there's nothing saying that Asuage didn't have the same change of heart in this timeline as she did in the Return of Kayarost world. The only difference is the main characters haven't run into her. Hmm, maybe that would be a good idea, at least for Erosen's redemption arc?

I was rereading some of the first OOC to double check any historical differences between the two versions of Tyrnath. Ash's reign was over 40 years in that world, whereas she lasted less than a decade in this one before the Witch War forced her out of power. Maybe I'll have her pre-war reign last longer to give her more time to build up as an evil overlord. Anyways, I came across this exchange:

Speaking of which, you should post.

Sorry .... been prank calling over the weekend.
I'll get a post up soon.

Honestly, that's as good an excuse as any.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Don't forget the no-longer-evil Queen Asuage.

Technically there's nothing saying that Asuage didn't have the same change of heart in this timeline as she did in the Return of Kayarost world. The only difference is the main characters haven't run into her. Hmm, maybe that would be a good idea, at least for Erosen's redemption arc?

I was rereading some of the first OOC to double check any historical differences between the two versions of Tyrnath. Ash's reign was over 40 years in that world, whereas she lasted less than a decade in this one before the Witch War forced her out of power. Maybe I'll have her pre-war reign last longer to give her more time to build up as an evil overlord. Anyways, I came across this exchange:

Sorry .... been prank calling over the weekend.
I'll get a post up soon.

Honestly, that's as good an excuse as any.

At least he was honest.

[Tomia]

Hey, Zark told me you all were looking for people and now was a good time rejoin so... third time is a charm for Viv?

[Constaniana]

Hey, Zark told me you all were looking for people and now was a good time rejoin so... third time is a charm for Viv?

Yeah, welcome back. The main characters are having some downtime and getting breakfast the morning after a big battle. They're currently in a town a mile away from Towraigth, the one that the characters including Viv were in.

[Honghai]

Name: Averlia Argania
Sex: female
Age: 16 (though looking a bit more older - as in her mid-20s)

Appearance:

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse3.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.g4qp_n-1FMDl-VJkAZ_QAAHaLH%26pid%3DApi&f=1

more or less except her hair is black/ravenhaired and longer.

Element: Ice

Skills:

Averlia is very fast-on-her-feet and flexible - being able to easily outrun others or spin in/out of "awkward" situations. Averlia seems very shy, but in those times one could get her to speak, one would notice that she's very good with words and the "art of Diplomacy," though because of her self-consciousness, this is rare.

Personality:

• Playful
• Observant
• Curious
• Childish
• Jumpy/Hyperactive
• Likes Music, shiny things, animals, and collecting things
• Friendly (when one'd really get to know her)
• Loyal (when one'd really get to know her)

Weaknesses:

Averlia (or "Avery," for bref) is very emotional and prone to lashing-out or attacking others. Also, she cannot control her icy powers, so, under/around her feet would constantly be ice (or the soles of her feet would be frozen/icy completely) and her skin would feel cold-to-the-touch. Because she cannot control her element, she is very self-conscious and would run away if one would try talking to her, or if she was in any social situation. Avery is, essentially, the very definition of an Emotional Rollercoaster, going from happy to sad at the drop of a hat.

Avery is loyal and dedicated, to a fault, and is very unflinching in this - being very loyal and trusting, even when betrayed or made fun of.

Equipment, if any:

Avery is an avid collector, and as such, holds a bag on her side - almost-always filled to the brim with useless junk and shiny things. Avery almost-always wears silver or iron bracelets on her arms. Besides this, she owns or has nothing else.

Bio:

Averlia had grown up to a very happy family, her mom was a musician and her dad, a blacksmith. Her dad was a very rich and accomplished blacksmith, working to make swords, maces, breastplates, shields and daggers for armies. Her mom played the flute - and had even taught her how to play, but Averlia hadn't shown any interest in instruments. Averlia had always liked to roam and travel, sneaking off on adventures when she was little - and her mom had no reason to protest it. Averlia had always liked to "play Daggers" with her newly-acquired friends - the daggers usually coming from her dads' smithery - she'd usually steal them and fidget with them or throw them at people. Averlia had almost gotten in trouble a few times, but because of her speed, she'd always find her way out. When she was 9, her element started to manifest.

She had had accidentally and unknowingly frozen her own feet against the ground/floor numbers of times, or touching someone and freezing/wetting their skin or unintentionally blasting them with Water. She was frustrated, because she knew no way of controlling or mastering her own ability. She had even hurt her friends, or broken things because she knew no way of controlling the Ice. She started to gain Infamy - she had stabbed other townspeople with ice daggers and icicles, and because of this, she had to skip town and remain on-the-run. She'd never see her parents again. She never truly matured, but had always looked older than she was. Averlia would get taken in, and would learn Swordplay - instantly taking a liking to it, but then freezing the blade and turning it into ice - then it'd break. This happened countless times and her "teachers" would grow tired of this, deciding to not teach her how to duel anymore.

Averlia's from the far-west, Halvefor specifically - her community was a splinter community from the continent of Galllia, thus making her an isolate from everyone else. Not that she'd ever minded...

All throughout this time, she'd collect things, attack people in split-fits of rage - increasing her Infamy, and continuing to run and roam around from place to place.
Theme Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5N7JaURMxQ

RP Sample: I am not new to the NS RPing game, or the RPing game in-general. I had an account on NS sometime ago.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Element: Ice

One of us! One of us!

[Constaniana]

Name: Averlia Argania
Sex: female
Age: 16 (though looking a bit more older - as in her mid-20s)

Appearance:

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse3.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.g4qp_n-1FMDl-VJkAZ_QAAHaLH%26pid%3DApi&f=1

more or less except her hair is black/ravenhaired and longer.

Element: Ice

Skills:

Averlia is very fast-on-her-feet and flexible - being able to easily outrun others or spin in/out of "awkward" situations. Averlia seems very shy, but in those times one could get her to speak, one would notice that she's very good with words and the "art of Diplomacy," though because of her self-consciousness, this is rare.

Personality:

• Playful
• Observant
• Curious
• Childish
• Jumpy/Hyperactive
• Likes Music, shiny things, animals, and collecting things
• Friendly (when one'd really get to know her)
• Loyal (when one'd really get to know her)

Weaknesses:

Averlia (or "Avery," for bref) is very emotional and prone to lashing-out or attacking others. Also, she cannot control her icy powers, so, under/around her feet would constantly be ice (or the soles of her feet would be frozen/icy completely) and her skin would feel cold-to-the-touch. Because she cannot control her element, she is very self-conscious and would run away if one would try talking to her, or if she was in any social situation. Avery is, essentially, the very definition of an Emotional Rollercoaster, going from happy to sad at the drop of a hat.

Avery is loyal and dedicated, to a fault, and is very unflinching in this - being very loyal and trusting, even when betrayed or made fun of.

Equipment, if any:

Avery is an avid collector, and as such, holds a bag on her side - almost-always filled to the brim with useless junk and shiny things. Avery almost-always wears silver or iron bracelets on her arms. Besides this, she owns or has nothing else.

Bio:

Averlia had grown up to a very happy family, her mom was a musician and her dad, a blacksmith. Her dad was a very rich and accomplished blacksmith, working to make swords, maces, breastplates, shields and daggers for armies. Her mom played the flute - and had even taught her how to play, but Averlia hadn't shown any interest in instruments. Averlia had always liked to roam and travel, sneaking off on adventures when she was little - and her mom had no reason to protest it. Averlia had always liked to "play Daggers" with her newly-acquired friends - the daggers usually coming from her dads' smithery - she'd usually steal them and fidget with them or throw them at people. Averlia had almost gotten in trouble a few times, but because of her speed, she'd always find her way out. When she was 9, her element started to manifest.

She had had accidentally and unknowingly frozen her own feet against the ground/floor numbers of times, or touching someone and freezing/wetting their skin or unintentionally blasting them with Water. She was frustrated, because she knew no way of controlling or mastering her own ability. She had even hurt her friends, or broken things because she knew no way of controlling the Ice. She started to gain Infamy - she had stabbed other townspeople with ice daggers and icicles, and because of this, she had to skip town and remain on-the-run. She'd never see her parents again. She never truly matured, but had always looked older than she was. Averlia would get taken in, and would learn Swordplay - instantly taking a liking to it, but then freezing the blade and turning it into ice - then it'd break. This happened countless times and her "teachers" would grow tired of this, deciding to not teach her how to duel anymore.

All throughout this time, she'd collect things, attack people in split-fits of rage - increasing her Infamy, and continuing to run and roam around from place to place.
Theme Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5N7JaURMxQ

RP Sample: I am not new to the NS RPing game, or the RPing game in-general. I had an account on NS sometime ago.

Welcome! It's an intriguing character design you have there. I'm curious to see how a younger, less stable Ice Elemental interacts with two older, more experienced ones, particularly the literal Champion of Ice. I just have a few questions about Averlia.

In the part of her biography where it shows her powers going haywire, you mention Avery splashing people and getting them wet. To clarify, Water and Ice are separate Elements in this setting. From the rest of her backstory I assessed you envisioned her as only wielding Ice, so the water bit would need to be edited out. Unless she can use both Elements; it's a very rare trait even among Elementals (who are already a rare breed). That could explain some of her difficulty in controlling her powers, since it's like trying to learn two different instruments simultaneously, but you certainly don't have to pick that.

Additionally, where is she from? I assume Galllia, the main continent in the setting and the place the characters currently are, but I wanted to make sure.