Baten Kaitos: Dark Conviction (OOC)

[Silvan Arrow]

Baten Kaitos: Dark Conviction

Introduction

"Unity.

Since the end of the Age of the Gods, we have known peace amongst the Six Great Nations. Foundations of trust built on survival, so strong that even Malpercio would struggle to shake them. We have carved out a life amongst the skies, and flourished in the clouds we now call our home. From the brink, we returned, stronger, more determined, to exist. In spite of Gods that once sought our destruction, we have survived.

But as with all things, time is unforgiving.

Memories are weak, and Legends lose meaning to the young. Where once trust and brotherhood reigned, deception and vanity stand triumphant. We have forgotten the threats of the past, and turned our eyes to the future. So blinded by success, we dare not fear what may still lurk in the dark.

We have come too far, sacrificed too many for this to be allowed to persist. A storm is coming. A storm to break the corroded foundations of our hubris. A storm not of sky and lightning, but a storm of steel and blood. A storm of mourning and unforgiving fury. Brother shall turn against brother. Friend shall turn blade against friend.

Our delusions of peace, of stability, of control will be torn from us, and all will be left raw in the wind to see the truth. To see what the vanity of power has done. And those highest, who guard the very fables and legends, yet so blinded by status…

They shall fall farthest, and unforgiving time shall march on. They will be forgotten to the very stories they guard, and only then will they understand what it truly is to be alone in their burden.

But time will not mourn.

It will forget the legend.

It will forget the trust."

Background

Six great nations are all that remain of a world poisoned and left uninhabitable in the wake of a terrible war that pitted the gods against humanity. Malpercio, known as the Ancient God of Destruction, destroyed the other gods and sought to conquer the world to herald an era of endless suffering. In a last-ditch effort, the Children of the Earth, led by the Wizards of Duhr, used their potent magic to rend him into pieces and seal him within five End Magnus, card-shaped tokens capable of absorbing the wicked god’s essence.

However, the war left the Earth barren and polluted, covered in poisonous Taintclouds and incapable of supporting life. Even more grim was the fate of the Ocean, the body of water sacred to humanity, and the Great Whale, the god of the Ocean. Both disappeared without a trace, and the people mourned that they would never hear the Great Whale’s song again. Five nations – Anuenue, Diadem, Sadal Suud, Alfard, and Mira – harnessed the power of the End Magnus to lift their continents into the sky. Wazn, The Ice Lands, joined the five nations in the sky using the tremendous power of the Ice Witches.

These last strongholds of humanity, known as the Six Great Nations, signed a peace treaty and agreed to work together to create a new future for their peoples in the sky. The peace-loving nation of Anuenue, led by the ageless Queen Corellia, stepped forward as the primary overseer of the treaty.

But Wazn bore a secret, one that not even Queen Corellia knew.

Following the defeat of Malpercio, the Witches of Wazn entered into a secret alliance with the Wizards of Duhr to salvage the Earth and Ocean. The Wizards remained on the Earth to begin reviving it beneath the Taintclouds, while the Witches absorbed the Ocean into the Ice Queen, the ruler of Wazn. Since that day, the matrilineal Ice Queens passed on the Ocean from mother to daughter, keeping the secret and awaiting the day when the Earth would be restored and they could return the Ocean to its rightful place.

Eventually the day would come, 1000 years later, when the Witches of Wazn would detect rumblings foretelling the Earth’s restoration. By this time, Wazn has isolated itself from the other nations, now known as the Five Great Nations, and taken refuge behind an impenetrable magical barrier. No one has heard from Wazn in 700 years, and only Queen Corellia still lives to recall the true reason behind Wazn’s retreat.

This is a tale of separation, but it is also one of unity – how a few individual, separate souls of conflicting convictions and backgrounds came together in unity to confront those who would see their homelands torn apart.

Role-Play Setting

The story begins on the Tricentennial Anniversary of the Six Great Nations’ ascension to the sky. The leaders of each nation travel to Komo Mai, the capitol of Anuenue, to sign and renew the terms of the peace treaty binding their peoples. The Ice Queen departs from Wazn aboard the White Dragon, escorted by airships and protected by a contingent of the Knights of Wazn and her Royal Guard. Among her entourage is Rhia Aymon, a young member of the Royal Guard with a dark past and an even darker mentality that she hides at all costs.

Meanwhile, in Anuenue waits Queen Corellia, attended by servants and her court mages, including a mischievous, rogue-like Chrono Mage named Elik Medwin. While the two could not be more different, impending events will soon force them to embark on a journey that will ultimately affect the fate of Wazn and the Ocean 700 years later…  

The World of Baten Kaitos

The Six Great Nations

The last strongholds of humanity that lifted into the sky after the War of the Gods. Each one is unique in its culture and system of governance.

Anuenue, the Rainbow Nation: A peaceful, fertile land filled with sunlight and lush jungles that leads the other nations in maintaining the treaty. Its School of Magic trains the world’s strongest magicians, aside from Wazn’s Ice Witches, and the people maintain a close bond with nature. Queen Corellia rules Anuenue and is immortal due to her bond with the Celestial Tree, which blooms once every 30 years. Rainbows circle the peak of Anuenue, and a magical barrier prevents attacks from the outside.

Wazn, the Ice Lands: A hostile environment of ice and snow far from the other nations. Wazn only has one main city, Cursa, and the people are true survivors and known for their magical prowess, especially the Witches. The matrilineal Ice Queens rule Wazn with quiet dignity from the palace of Kaffaljidhma and protect the Ocean in secret. The people greatly admire the Ice Queen and the White Dragon, the world’s last living dragon and Wazn’s national symbol.

Mira, the Illusion Nation: An eclectic nation that fluctuates between this dimension and the next. A mysterious glow and a sense of impermanence surrounds the land. Mira’s culture is the most diverse of the nations, ranging from a village made entirely of sweets to one consisting of 2D picture-book objects. A line of dukes rules from Balancoire, the large and most “normal” city. Of particular importance is Nekton, the Shrine of Spirits, where select individuals may bond with Guardian Spirits and become Spiriters.

Diadem, the Land of Clouds: A nation surrounded by pink clouds and closely aligned with the wind and water. The citizens tend to be superstitious and suspicious of foreigners and depend on fishing in the Lesser Celestial River for their livelihood. A monarchy, guarded by courageous and honorable knights, rules Diadem from Sheliak, the Castle Town.

Sadal Suud, the Ancient Land: The oldest of the nations prior to the ascension. The people rely on agriculture, particularly their apple orchards, for their livelihood and generally live in quiet serenity. Sadal Suud is the least developed in terms of technology, leading to the other nations, particularly Alfard, often looking down on its people. A lord rules from Pherkad, the Ancient Capital.

Alfard, the Empire of the Flame: The most technologically advanced of the nations and the most warlike prior to the peace treaty. Alfard tends to put the other nations on edge, but the citizens are proud of their country. An emperor elected by the people rules from Mintaka, the Imperial Capital, which is known for its golden buildings. However, Alfard has a darker side due to the caste-like system of its people. The well-off people of Mintaka look down on the impoverished miners of Azha Village and consider them second-class citizens. Many men from Azha take jobs as mercenaries to support themselves and their families, often serving the very people that despise them.

Magic

A force learned by mankind that dates back to the time before the gods and is used to perform powerful offensive spells. Magic reached the peak of its power during the time of the gods, and the most powerful mages were considered gods in their own right. The gods used their magic to help create a peaceful, harmonious world. After the War of the Gods and the defeat of Malpercio, magic lost much of its power as mankind turned to farming and primitive technology for day-to-day life. Anuenue’s School of Magic and the Ice Witches of Wazn produce the world’s most powerful mages.

Magic can be broken down into six main elements – Light, Dark, Water, Fire, Wind, and Chrono. Each element is in opposition to another – Light vs. Dark, Water vs. Fire, and Wind vs. Chrono.

Magnus

Card-shaped items that can absorb the “Magna Essence” of real-world objects, weapons, magic, and items and store them for later use. All objects and living things have a Magna Essence to sustain them, and the Magnus provides a convenient vessel to store them. Living organisms cannot be stored in Magnus. Some Magnus may change over time, becoming stronger, weaker, or completely different. Certain Magnus may also be combined in battle to create new Magnus. Mages use Magnus to store powerful spells for later use but have to recreate them every time they are used. Most weapons and armor can be re-summoned over and over from their Magnus cards, though some may lose any magical or elemental enchantments if not recalled quickly enough.

Technology

Since this story takes place a mere 300 years after the War of the Gods, the island nations are still fragile and in the process of developing. Machina, equivalent to an industrial revolution, will not be invented for nearly 700 more years. Therefore, the current technology revolves around the nations’ reliance on agriculture, livestock, and fishing for their livelihoods. Farmers use horse-drawn plows and basic agricultural tools, and fishermen rely on manpower and wind to propel their fishing vessels. Weapons consist of swords, spears, bows, harpoons, ballistae on airships, and cannons.

The most valuable piece of technology, however, is the airship. Each nation has a unique style of airship that they deploy in fleets for trade, travel, and military use. The people make these airships by creating large carriages that they attach to massive, domesticated species of skyfish. The nations put special efforts to breed and raise these skyfish to pull their airships, but they are, by and large, gentle giants that often form a close bond with their captains.

Wings of the Heart

Wings are the most defining trait of the people who live on the floating islands. Soon after the ascension into the sky, a sorcerer named Wiseman invented the Magnus technology and also taught the people how to project wings from their backs. These Wings of the Heart are projections of a person’s soul, and no two sets of wings are exactly alike. The beauty, size, and strength of a person’s wings depends on the strength of that person’s heart, and the wings take on whatever appearance best reflects that individual’s personality. As that person changes, his/her wings may also change shape, appearance, or color based on the degree of change in the person’s soul.

A person’s wings are both physical and spiritual entities. They feel like flesh and bone when summoned, and large wings can allow the person to fly. However, they do not tear clothing when summoned and are considered part of the soul rather than the physical body. If wings are forcibly torn from the body, a painful, inhumane process, the person is bedridden and usually dies.

Main Characters

Rhia Aymon (Silvan Arrow)

Spoiler:

Elik Medwin (Guilty Carrion)

Spoiler:

[Silvan Arrow]

Party Members (Coming Soon)

Narisa Faehild (Silvan Arrow)

Spoiler:

Belnor Tieul (Guilty Carrion)

Spoiler:

Calden Dumas (Silvan Arrow)

Spoiler:

NPCs

Anuenue

Queen Corellia: The immortal queen of Anuenue who maintains a close bond with the Celestial Tree and raises or lowers the barrier around the continent as needed

Bartemius: Elik's mentor, an elderly Chrono mage who has since retired from Queen Corellia's service and now resides in Opu, the Waterfall Village

Marle: Bartemius' daughter who begrudgingly cares for her father and puts up with his Chrono-induced personality quirks

Jorgr: One of Queen Corellia's six court mages

Wazn

The Ice Queen: The monarch and ruler of Wazn, currently in her fifties, who protects the Ocean and has taken a special interest in seeing that Rhia learns to loosen up

The White Dragon: The last living dragon, Wazn's national symbol, and a gentle creature who cares for the people and often serves as a ceremonial mount for the Ice Queen

Myka: Rhia's 18-year old sister

[Silvan Arrow]

Plot Summary

Act 1

Scene 1: Fragile Peace

Delegations from the Six Great Nations assemble at Komo Mai, the capital of Anuenue, for the peace talks and celebration honoring the Tricentennial Anniversary. Wazn makes a particularly impressive appearance, with the Ice Queen aboard the White Dragon and escorted by six airships' worth of Knights and Royal Guards. On the third and final day of the peace talks, twelve unidentified Alfardian airships appear and bomb the marketplace with cannon fire, intent on assassinating the Ice Queen.

The Queen escapes on the White Dragon while the six Wazn airships try to buy enough time to cover her retreat. Both sides sustain heavy casualties, but Wazn is seriously outnumbered. During the battle, Rhia Aymon, a young member of the Royal Guard, falls from the sky to the Holo Holo Jungle below after her airship is destroyed and a cannon blast sears her wings. Somehow she manages to survive.

Meanwhile, Elik Medwin, Queen Corellia's Chrono mage, visits Bartemius in Opu and creates a new Magnus with his mentor's help and the guidance of an old tome once belonging to the Ice Witches. He accidentally loses track of time, missing the first two days of the Tricentennial peace talks. While rushing back to Komo Mai, he witnesses the aerial battle between Wazn and Alfard and Rhia's fall. He finds her, unconscious but alive, and drags her to the highlands to camp for the night while he tends her injuries.

Rhia comes to that night, and, following a series of awkward introductions, learns that the White Dragon got away but that Queen Corellia has activated the barrier around Anuenue, meaning she's trapped until further notice. She and Elik rest for the night before setting out for Komo Mai at dawn to get Rhia to a healer who can mend her wings.

Rhia and Elik spend a long, arduous day trekking through the Holo Holo Jungle, trying to work together and fight the monsters that bar their way while Rhia also fights the weakness in her body from her injuries. That night, they fight a party of undead knights, including their leader who wears the armor looted from a fallen Wazn Knight. During the battle, Rhia suffers a grievous injury when the undead knight strikes a devastating blow with a war hammer. Elik uses his magic to keep the foe at bay, but Rhia somehow summons the strength to destroy it with a Finishing Move. Elik manages to carry the barely alive Rhia back to Komo Mai, where a healer named Fayne works on her through the night and treats her injuries.

Following Rhia's recovery, Elik arranges an audience for her with Queen Corellia, where she pleads to return home to her people. However, Corellia has activited the magical barrier that protects Anuenue and refuses to lower it to put her people in danger or to accuse Alfard without sufficient evidence, lest she incite war. After thoroughly putting an enraged Rhia in her place, she and Elik try to interrogate the townsfolk to see if they remember where any of the destroyed Alfardian airships landed. Only then does Elik absentmindedly remember that he saw one go down by the Celestial Tree, so he and Rhia set out to find it the next morning...

[Guilty Carrion]

Name: Elik Medwin
Age: 24
Gender: Male
Homeland/City: Komo Mai, Anuenue
Appearance: Most would agree Elik has the look of a lovable rogue about him. Tall with a slender frame, his messy-yet-stylish black hair and well trimmed goatee give him and air of refinement that still hints of his playful nature. His eyes are sky blue and vibrant, difficult to ignore when he fixes someone with them. He has several small silver earrings, spaced evenly along the lobe of his ear. With a strong jaw and chin, it’s not hard to tell why exactly Elik enjoys as certain popularity amongst the women of Komo Mai.

As a graduate of the school of magic, Elik doesn’t really attempt to hide the fact that he is well versed in the magical arts. Being a resident of Anuenue as well, Elik has a sense of style that is showy, like most residents of the Rainbow Nation. Over his shoulders, he wears a high collared, silver trimmed mantle that hangs just an few inches above his ankles, keeping it out of the way when he needs to run, but allowing those flourishes that only a full cape can perform.

The mantle has no true main colour, instead boasting a unique shine that changes with the light and how one looks at it. It can shift between countless shades of blue and green just with the flick of the fabric, creating quite the show for anyone watching. He wears light, sleeveless shirts that drape just slightly over his belt made of the same material, only his long dark blue pants and shoes being made of normal, more durable materials.

Personality: Elik, having lived in the peace of Anuenue for his whole life, has a personality appropriately accustomed to living in such a peaceful place. Elik is a friendly and outgoing man, unafraid of striking up conversation with any strangers he may run into. He’s difficult to offend or upset, and has a bit of a mischievous side, harmless tricks he enjoys springing on the unsuspecting.

As a mage specializing in Chrono magic, however, there are some…quirks. Near constant meditation on the nature of time during his youth has lead Elik to have a…distanced connection with it. While most of the time, he’s perfectly aware of things, when excited or distracted, it’s almost next to impossible for him to notice how much time has passed. His Chrono affinity has also helped his more laidback mentality blossom proper; as he’s well aware time shall march on regardless of what he does.

While all this makes Elik seem rather childish, he is quite good in most social situations, having a natural ease with people that makes him quite useful when handling a delicate verbal situation. Provided he doesn’t lose track of time.

Biography: Elik was born the fourth child of his parents in Komo Mai, capital of Anuenue and the infamous City of Flowers. Both of his parents were Mages of some talent, and both had graduated from the world renowned School of Magic. Elik is the youngest, and his three older sisters had a penchant for dragging the young boy with them wherever they went. When most boys would be rough housing and ‘sword fighting’ with sticks, Elik was being tugged off to fields of flowers and gazing beautiful birds that danced through the sky.

This out of the ordinary upbringing gave Elik a fascination of sorts with things of beauty and elegance, plus it made him quite comfortable around members of the opposite sex. When he displayed an affinity for magic, as all of his family had, Elik was promptly enrolled into the school of magic despite his relatively young of 8. While his sisters collectively had a talent for water magic, Elik surprised most of his teachers and family with his knack for the subtle ticking of Chrono magic.

Teachers of the oddest element were in short supply, and the only reputable practitioner of the art was the rather ancient court mage of Queen Corellia, Bartemius, who, despite his busy schedule, agreed to teach the young boy the ways of time.

Teach might not have been the operative term.

Chrono mages are notoriously well known for their sense of time. Which is to say they have a rather poor sense of it, which only gets worse as they get older. Bartemius spent more time being late for lessons than actually teaching Elik, but fortunately, the mage had insisted on holding his ‘lectures’ in his personal study. Most of what Elik learnt about magic, he learnt from massive tomes thicker than he was. Tomes that covered topics the School of Magic didn’t even attempt to teach. Learning from the books was difficult at first, with trial and error being the only real way forward, but soon enough, Elik began to blossom into his knowledge.

Over the years, and as his students own repertoire grew, Bartemius began to simply grant the boy access to his study and journals, letting the natural curiosity of a mage do the rest of the work. By the time he was ready to graduate from the School of Magic, Elik had devoured the entirety of Bartemius’s study and nearly half of the School’s own library. Elik’s natural talent with Chrono magic didn’t save him from its typical shortcomings, however, becoming almost as absentminded as his mentor.

Elik’s youth and ease of understanding the subtle workings of time caught Queen Corellia’s eye, and she invited the young man to her court a few months after his graduation. Serving at first as an understudy to Bartemius, Elik was taught the respectful ways of the royal court and how to properly act around those of noble blood. He took to it naturally, no doubt thanks to his sister’s demanding home schooling that followed after his lectures at the palace, and it was announced his succession of Bartemius as Corellia’s personal Chrono Mage.

Bartemius granted Elik his old study, along with its vast array of books, and retired gracefully to Opu to enjoy the rest of his days. Elik has served Corellia ever since, although she rarely actually calls upon him. Chrono magic is a rarity in the world, and rare is the occurrence that actually calls for Elik’s direct assistance.

With a remarkably free schedule, Elik occasionally teaches at the School of Magic on Chrono magic, helping students at least grasp the basics so that they might be able to harness the low tier spells. Without much else to do to fill his days, Elik is free to read, wander or simply ponder the march of time without care.

His carefree days, however, are soon to end…

Wings of the Heart: Elik’s wings reach a wing span of 15 feet, which, while large, is not overly massive for a man his size. They are vibrantly beautiful, reflecting light and shining like the tropical birds of his homeland. They have the same iridescent blue-green of his mantle, leaving little doubt that the clothing was custom made to match with his elegant wings. Elik, like with all other aspects of his being, takes meticulous care of his wings, preening them even though they are manifestations of his soul.

Weapons/Magnus:

Weapon: Elik lacks a true ‘weapon’ in combat, instead producing a single glove for his left hand. It has no obvious armaments for attacking, and seems mostly for show, save for deflecting incoming attacks with its protective leather.

Magnus: Elik boasts a wide variety of Magnus, hailing from almost all of the elements, save for Wind, his natural weakness and the dispeller of his primary element, Chrono. Of all his spells, the large majority are Chrono, and it is Chrono spells he is most capable of replacing. He prefers to save the other elements for when absolutely necessary, lest he spend all his free time replenishing his arsenal.

In terms of defensive Magnus, Elik is notably poorly prepared. While elemental attacks will fail quickly against the enchanted fabrics and silks he carries, they will do little to stop a persistent sword or arrow from finding the soft skin beneath. His camp Magnus mostly consists of oddities and trinkets collected for the School of Magic during his excursions. Some might be useful in the rare situation, but those times will be few and far between.

Finishing Moves:

To be announced...

[Silvan Arrow]

First character sheet:

Name: Rhia Aymon
Age: 26
Gender: Female
Homeland/City: Cursa, Wazn

Appearance:


The only differences from the picture are that Rhia does not wear the feathers in her hair, the hair clip is only for formal occasions, and she does not have the tattoo. Also, her attire is different than what is shown. She wears the black scarf and black leather armguard for archery, but the rest of her attire is more suited for the icy wastelands of Wazn. As a member of the Royal Guard, her outerwear depends on if she’s on active duty and/or making public appearances as one of the Ice Queen’s personal guards.

If Rhia is on a relief shift at the palace and not actively standing watch, she wears black leather corset-style body armor under her clothes to protect her torso down to her hips. Her outer clothing is primarily to keep her warm and consists of shades of white, light blue, and silver. On top, she wears a light blue, wool-lined, v-neck sleeveless sweater/tunic with white and silver trim around the armholes and neckline. It reaches down to the top of her thighs to conceal her body armor. The White Dragon, the insignia of the Royal Family and symbol of Wazn, adorns the front. The sleeves attach separately to her upper forearms with silver buckles so she remove and attach them at will. On the bottom, she wears wool-lined gray leggings under dark gray thigh-high, reinforced leather boots that double as protection for her legs. This way, if the Queen is attacked, she can still go to her aid immediately and still have some protection without wearing her metal armor all the time.

For active duty and public appearances, Rhia switches out the leather armor for lightweight metal armor that goes on over her sweater and leggings. The breastplate molds to her torso like a glove and flares out slightly at the hips but leaves her arms exposed so she can have full mobility when using her bow. She opts for leather bracers on her arms and the leather armguard on her left arm to protect her skin from her bowstring snapping. The metal greaves, the “boots” of the armor, are jointed at the knee and come all the way up to her mid-thigh. The armor gleams like silver, and the insignia of the White Dragon adorns the front of the breastplate.

Finally, she wears a silver, wool-lined hooded cloak that goes with both sets of attire for everyday excursions outside or a white parka if she has to leave the city.

Personality: Rhia is, to put it lightly, a tough nut to crack. She puts on a strong front to everyone around her and throws herself into her duties as a member of the Royal Guard wholeheartedly, often practicing with her bow in her spare time. She also has quite the stubborn streak and refuses to ask for help from anyone or show weakness, be it fear, weariness, etc. She is relentless in battle, whether it is firing off arrows with cold, calculated determination or in close quarters, wielding her bow like a Shaolin staff.

Her refusal to let people help means she has few friends, and none of them are men. In fact, she secretly fears men and does not trust them. She obviously works with them as part of the Royal Guard and sometimes the Knights of Wazn, but she keeps those encounters strictly for duty. If she were to be in close quarters with a man or feel cornered in any way, she would quickly start to freak out and break down mentally. Therefore, she avoids those kinds of situations at all costs. The other females in the Royal Guard have learned to accept Rhia’s personality, but Rhia does not consider them much more than close acquaintances. Due to events that happened to her as a teenager, she secretly carries a major burden of guilt and has forced herself into isolation because she fears having her trust betrayed if she opens up to someone. The only exceptions to this rule are her parents and little sister, Myka, of whom she is fiercely protective. She has a major soft spot for Myka, who in turn idolizes Rhia.

Biography: Rhia was born in Cursa, Wazn as the first child to her parents. Her father was a master ice sculptor who was often commissioned by the Royal Family, and her mother worked as a skilled seamstress. She was a happy, playful little girl who loved sledding, ice skating, and playing with the other children in the city. Her sister, Myka, was born when Rhia was 8. Her parents noticed that she was a bit of a tomboy and often preferred to roughhouse with the boys rather than play quietly with the girls. She was fascinated when the Ice Queen would make royal appearances, accompanied by the Knights of Wazn in their gleaming armor and her personal Royal Guard. After much begging, pleading, and misguided attempts to practice swordplay with wooden sticks and hurting herself, her parents finally turned her over to the Knights of Wazn for training at age 10. The culture of Wazn, ruled by matrilineal Ice Queens, was such that men and women had equal opportunities for any career, so women could become Knights as well as men. Granted, they were still a minority, but it was due to interest rather than any kind of prejudice.

Rhia trained as a page for the first three years and discovered that her talents lie with archery rather than full melee combat with a sword or spear. Eventually, her trainers figured out how to incorporate melee training by fashioning her bows with blades on the tips so she could use it like a staff. She became a squire at age 13 and also underwent the awkward stages of puberty. She hit her growth spurt and soon towered over the boys that she trained with. They eventually caught up, and she started casually dating one of her fellow squires at age 15.

At first, things were going great for Rhia and her boyfriend. Since it was her first relationship, Rhia was convinced that she was in love with him. One night, when his parents were out, he invited her over to his place to hang out. It was innocent enough at first, but as things got more heated, Rhia got caught up in her emotions and was completely blinded by what she perceived as love. When clothes started coming off, she got nervous and started doubting whether they should continue. She finally got up the courage to ask him to stop, but…he refused. She struggled against him, but despite all her training, he was still stronger than her.

Now completely terrified and horrified by what had happened, Rhia waited until he was passed out asleep and tried to sneak out of the house to tell someone what had happened. He woke up before she made it to the door and told her that no one would believe her, that it was her fault that it happened because she put herself in that situation. She fled from the house after that, crying her eyes out and brokenhearted.

Sure enough, Rhia told no one what had happened, but her friends could tell something was wrong because she wore her emotions on her sleeve. She refused to talk about it, though, and every time she saw her so-called boyfriend in training, she would try to avoid him while his sneer followed her everywhere. Things got even worse when her monthly cycle was late, and she started feeling sick to her stomach. Her heart sank into her gut when she realized that she was also pregnant.

Rhia decided to hide it for as long as possible and tried to continue with her training, but the onslaught of hormones left her weak as a kitten and constantly smitten with morning sickness. After about two months, she awoke in the middle of the night bleeding and with horrible abdominal cramps. She thought she was dying and snuck out of the house to knock on the door of the neighborhood healer. The elderly woman found her about to collapse in the snow and quickly brought her inside. By morning, Rhia was stable again and the healer gently explained that she had just miscarried, probably due to all the training she had forced upon herself.

After that incident, Rhia recovered physically but was emotionally scarred with a double burden of guilt, both for what had happened with her boyfriend and her unborn child. She never told anyone, not even her sister or parents, and started having emotional and mental breakdowns any time she was too close to another man. The Knights deemed her unfit for duty and dismissed her from their ranks. One of the women serving in the Ice Queen’s Royal Guard noticed Rhia’s distress and offered to let her transfer into their ranks, since her problems seemed to stem from being around men and not due to a lack of ability. Upon meeting the women of the Royal Guard, Rhia explained to them about the miscarriage but not the rape, and they offered sympathy and chalked it up to youthful passions gone awry. As the years passed, Rhia sublimated herself emotionally and focused completely on her training as a way to block out the memories of what had happened. She refused to accept help from anyone or let anyone past the walls she had built up to isolate herself from being betrayed again. Her personality put off some of the Royal Guard, but they could not deny that she did an exemplary job at fulfilling her duties. By age 20, she had been accepted as a full member of the female Royal Guard.

Rhia’s duties as a Royal Guard include standing watch in Kaffaljidhma Palace and protecting the Ice Queen and Royal Family when they make public appearances or travel to the other nations for diplomatic purposes. As a female, she is allowed into the royal suites when the men would be denied access and so can protect the Royals on a more personal level. She has held audience with the Ice Queen and Royal Heir and has earned their trust for delivering personal messages and waiting on them in their suites. Her fellow female guards have tried to get her to open up more, but she continues to remain a closed book.

Wings of the Heart: Rhia has a pair of imposing, bat-like dragon wings that reach a combined wingspan of 12 feet when fully extended. The main wing joint, analogous to a human elbow, of each is adorned with a wickedly sharp claw to size of her palm. At first glance, her wings appear white, but they actually take on an iridescent blue that shimmers when they catch the light of the sun, making it look like they’re made of ice. Furthermore, they feel frozen to the touch to anyone except Rhia, so she literally gives people the cold shoulder with her wings. The membranes are strong, like toughened leather, and easily capable of supporting her for short flights.

Weapons/Magnus:

Weapon: Longbow mixed with Deerhorn Knives. The bow is made of wood in the middle, but the latter halves transition to wickedly sharp blades with notches for the bowstring. The middle part has handles in the center on either side of where the arrow sits so Rhia can wield it like a Shaolin staff in melee combat.

Magnus: Rhia can make her own arrows (non-elemental) and capture their Essence in Magnus cards. As a member of the Royal Guard, the witches in Wazn have also enchanted many of her arrows with each of the six elements to give her maximum versatility in battle. Her non-elemental arrows are easy to replenish, but if she uses her elemental arrows, she has to retrieve and re-capture their essence in Magnus cards within a few minutes of using them, or they lose their enchantment for good. They also lose their enchantment instantly if they break. While she can use all six elements in archery, Rhia gravitates toward water, wind, and darkness over fire, chronos, and light.

She also has a selection of defense Magnus based on leather and lightweight metal armor. Most of it is non-elemental, but she has a few water and wind-based Magnus as well. Her defense Magnus protects mostly against physical blows but relatively poorly against magic. She can use some basic healing Magnus but nothing exceptionally powerful and keeps some basic trail rations as Camp Magnus.

Finishing Moves:

To be announced…

[Silvan Arrow]

Second character sheet:

Name: Narisa Faehild
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Homeland/City: Balancoire, Mira

Appearance:


Narisa stands at a modest 5’6” and has a petite, slender build. The only differences from the picture are that her hair is light brown, and she does not have the tattoos.

Personality: Narisa comes off as a shy, more reserved individual, but she possesses a truly gentle spirit. Having grown up as an only child in a big city, she values close bonds with a few people over loose acquaintances with numerous people. She would do absolutely anything for those she loves. She is very sensitive to other people’s emotions, and this natural empathy means that it breaks her heart to see other people suffering or in pain. If a friend is sad or hurt, she would do anything in her power to offer solace, whether it is healing their injuries or simply offering a hug or shoulder to cry on. She will also extend this kindness to strangers, though she is largely naïve about the dangers of the world outside Mira and that not all people mean well. In general, she tries to give people the benefit of the doubt and see the good in them, often at the expense of failing to recognize potentially dangerous or deceitful individuals.

Bonding with Zaira, her Guardian Spirit, has led to her developing an interesting personality quirk. While Zaira can speak directly into Narisa’s mind, Narisa usually speaks aloud when addressing her. For anyone that doesn’t know that Narisa is a Spiriter, this trait often leads them to question why she is seemingly talking or arguing with the air as if she were addressing a person.

Biography: Narisa was born as an only child to her parents in Balancoire, the capital of Mira. Naturally shy and reserved, she had a harder time making friends among the other children and often preferred to play with the neighborhood pets roaming the streets, particularly the Greythornes, and would even befriend the occasional Pollywhale in the city canals. The few friends she did make, though, she became very close to and kept them all the way through childhood. Overall, she was very happy.

Once she entered middle school, one of Narisa’s teachers, a skilled Mage, noticed that her Magna Essence had a particular affinity for light-based magic. After talking with her parents, they agreed to have the teacher tutor Narisa after school so she could learn to harness and control whatever powers she possessed. Teacher and student quickly realized that her talent lay with healing magic, and Narisa couldn’t have been happier. She saw it as a great way to help people, and she tried to apply her newfound magic everywhere she could, from healing people’s sick pets to mending scraped knees for the neighborhood children.

When Narisa turned sixteen and graduated from the school system, she wanted to take her healing magic somewhere that it could really be of use to people. Mira was a safe haven caught between dimensions and rarely saw conflict. After much research and consideration, Narisa decided to visit the various smaller islands surrounding the Five Great Nations and see where she could best apply her skills.

Before leaving, however, Narisa’s teacher took her to Nekton, the Shrine of Spirits, to see if she could bond with a Guardian Spirit. As a healing mage, Narisa lacked precious few skills to actually protect herself. A spirit did indeed gravitate toward Narisa, represented by a cloud of white dogwood blossoms, and formed a soul link with her. The spirit introduced itself as a female named Zaira and promised to help protect Narisa.

With her newfound spirit companion, Narisa traveled through the Trail of Souls and eventually wound up at an outpost in the Celestial Alps. A rugged, unexplored island, the Alps frequently saw mercenaries sent on behalf of the Alfard nobles to obtain valuable animal pelts. The outpost had a few healers that lived there year-round, but most of them specialized in healing with herbs and could only perform the most basic of medical procedures, such as sewing wounds closed. They had precious little magical talent, so Narisa was practically a godsend.

The first year of living at the outpost was a major culture shock for Narisa, who had grown up in a sanctuary compared to this place. Her natural empathy bordered on an obsession to heal the wounded, and she would often push herself beyond the limits of her magic. Not being able to completely heal a severe injury was like a stab in the heart for her, and the first time a man died from his injuries, she hid in her room and wept for days. She had to learn to harden herself just enough that she could perform her duties without dissolving into an emotional wreck every time she saw someone in pain, and Zaira helped fortify her mentally and would lend her powers to Narisa on occasion.

After Narisa had lived at the outpost for three years and had turned 19, she met Belnor. He dragged himself to the outpost, half-conscious and badly maimed from a monster attack. Without a healing mage, he would no doubt die within the day. Narisa worked on him all that day and through the night, chain-casting small healing spells and tapping into her more powerful healing Magnus while the wound sewers worked to keep him from bleeding out. She managed to repair the damage to his body with minimal scarring, but she could do nothing to save his left eye, which had been torn from its socket by some wickedly sharp claws. She had no choice but the heal what damage she could on his face and then have his eye socket stitched shut.

Narisa kept vigil over Belnor until he finally awoke. When he could only open one eye, she tearfully explained what had happened and could not apologize enough. For the first few weeks, he had to learn how to function with just one eye. Narisa, feeling guilty over not being able to save his eye, made it a point to keep watch on him from the sidelines. When he initially rebuffed her attempts at offering aid, she simply took to making sure he had hot meals and a comfortable room and would offer a friendly smile whenever they made eye contact. Eventually, he started to open up just a little, and he surprised everyone at the outpost when he decided to stick around as their full-time guard. When Narisa tried to assure him that he did not have to do that, he explained his sense of indebtedness and thought it was absurd that a handful of healers lived here, practically defenseless and in the middle of nowhere, without any guards whatsoever.

No one could really argue with Belnor’s logic, so he stayed for the next year. Everyone except Narisa grudgingly tolerated his presence, but Narisa genuinely liked him. Before long, she got used to sensing his watchful presence wherever she went. Fewer mercenaries and travelers frequented the Celestial Alps, and so the number of healers at the outpost dwindled until there were just a handful of people, including Belnor and Narisa.

Currently, the people of the outpost simply exist from one day to the next, constantly keeping watch in case a weary or injured traveler comes to them in need of sanctuary. Narisa doesn’t know how much longer the outpost will continue to run at this rate, and she does not want Belnor wasting his whole life protecting a few healers in the middle of nowhere. Zaira predicts that something momentous will happen, and soon, but doesn’t know what or how.

Wings of the Heart: Narisa possesses pure white, feathered wings that appear almost angelic and are extremely soft to the touch. They completely dwarf her tiny frame by reaching a combined span of 14 feet, indicating the strength of her heart when it comes to her overwhelming conviction to help people in need. They would easily let her fly, but she’s too timid and shy to try because she considers herself a klutz.

Weapons/Magnus:

Weapon: A white staff with a pair of outspread wings at the top

Magnus: Narisa specializes exclusively in light-elemental healing and support magic. The strength of her spells is directly related to the strength of her heart and how close of a bond she shares with those that she is helping. She can use low-level healing spells without invoking a Magnus, but more complicated spells that restore a lot of health, revive unconscious allies, hit multiple allies at once, or offer various defensive or offensive buffs require Magnus. Her light-elemental healing spells cause damage and can kill undead monsters. After using a high-level Magnus spell, it reverts to a low-level spell, and she must meditate to restore the Magnus to its previous strength.

Her defense Magnus consist of various elemental robes and hats that defend well against magical assaults, but she is prone to physical, non-elemental blows.

Her Guardian Spirit will occasionally transform one of her Magnus into an offensive Spirit Attack in the heat of battle. These spells are exceptionally powerful, but the element of the Spirit Attack often appears at random, and the Magnus reverts to its previous state afterwards. The Guardian Spirit intervenes most often when Narisa is in mortal danger, and the strength and frequency of the Spirit Attacks depends on the strength of her bond with Narisa.

Finishing Moves:

To be announced…

[Guilty Carrion]

Name: Belnor Tieul
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Homeland/City: Azha, Alfard
Appearance: Belnor is a career mercenary, and it shows. Tall, he is evenly muscled all over his body, but his entire frame is marred with scars. There is seemingly no part of Belnor that hasn’t been scratched, torn or mauled at some point in his life, leaving him rather disfigured. The patches of skin not marked are a tan colour from his desert heritage. Even his face isn’t free from scaring, a savage scar running across his right eye and down to his chin, splitting his lip slightly. His right eyelid is sewn shut, and his remaining eye is emerald green. His face in angular and sharp, and his dark blonde hair hangs loose around his shoulders, ragged and scruffy since Belnor typically cuts it with a knife.

Belnor’s clothing is usually in varied states of destruction, typically consisting of a simple vest over his bare chest and loose flexible pants with a black belt tying them off. He wears small metal greaves that cover most of his shin, the bottoms of his pants tucked into it. He wears a leather band that wraps around his forehead and covers his right eye as well as a small portion of the right side of his head.

Personality: Belnor is a calloused man to most, cold almost to a fault and more content to ignore you than offer a friendly greeting. Having spent most of his formative years fighting and killing beasts in Azha, it’s not a surprising development, and nearly ten years as a mercenary for hire to the nobles of Mintaka only serves to make him even more chilled.

While he is definitely stoic, Belnor is not without his positive traits. He has an overzealous sense of personal debt, loathing being indebted to someone for any particular reason. He won’t hesitate to help when his assistance is needed either, even if he complains about it a bit. Belnor’s personal honour is of great importance to him as well, and when he gives his word, he’ll do whatever it takes to uphold it.

He is knowledgeable about most of the world, having travelled all over in his years of mercenary work, and usually has useful insights on beasts common to certain areas. While his less then friendly attitude hasn’t helped, he also has a relatively decent network of people he can talk to for a little extra info.

Biography: Belnor was the firstborn of his family, and in Azha, you rarely have the time to be a true child. Once he was old enough to talk and walk, Belnor was being taught the ins and outs of mining and how to hold a weapon to help defend the village from beast attacks. Despite its essential supplies for Mintaka, Azha has no assistance in defending itself from the Empire’s army, relying purely on a ‘volunteer’ guard. As he got older, Belnor was more attracted to the prospect of fighting than mining, so he focused on the defence of his home while his younger brother, Dorian, learnt the finer points of mining.

When Belnor was seven, however, he first experienced the loss all in Azha must come to expect. His mother, weakened by pregnancy, fell ill days before the baby was expected. What little that could be done, was done, but it was not enough. His mother passed in childbirth, and it was considered a small miracle that his new sister, Celinda, had not died with her. Early and small, Celinda was uncommonly fragile, and it was quickly learnt that she would never grow as strong as the others. Despite this, she was welcomed into the family, and raised no different from any other.

As most families in Azha, they were close, and looked ouch for each other as much as they could. Belnor would protect the family, while Dorian and their father would provide through mining, with Celinda doing what she could for them from home. While life was far from the comfort other nations enjoy, it was the best they could provide, and for a while, they were happy. Things between them began to change when their father was trapped in the Lava Caves by a cave in. With no aide from Mintaka, the Azhani were forced to try and dig through the rubble themselves, nearly triggering additional cave ins that eventually forced them to abandon the effort entirely.

Of the brothers, Dorian was hit the worse by the loss of their father, and wasn’t willing to abandon the dig to save him, often sneaking out at night to work at the rock. Before long, Belnor noticed his disappearances, and followed his brother into the Lava Caves one night. Discovering his brother disobeying the words of their elders, and risking the lives of everyone who entered the caves, not just himself, Belnor had little choice but to confront his brother on it.

Dorian tried to convince Belnor to help, thinking two picks are better than one, and that together, the brother’s could dig out their father before any ill could truly befall him. Belnor told him to stop, and to think of the danger he was bringing onto the entire village. The brothers’ conversation quickly escalated, and in a fit of anger, Dorian lashed out at Belnor, striking him in the arm with the blade of his pick and slicing his brother’s arm open.

Belnor, stunned by his brother’s actions, retaliated, disarming Dorian and pinning him to the floor. After several tearful pleas from his younger brother, Belnor released him, but made no compromise on the issue of their father. Nursing his injured arm, Belnor left his brother in the mines to speak with the elders of the village. No further attempts were made by Dorian once he was ousted, but he and Belnor no longer shared the close bond they once had.

Their home, once a refuge from the harsh world outside, became cold, with Celinda trying in vain to mend whatever damage had been done to their relationship. Belnor spent more and more time away from home, visiting briefly to deliver his earnings and help with whatever issues they might be having. Dorian focused more into his mining, while Belnor learnt more and more of combat. Their paths grew further and further apart, and everything eventually came to a head when Belnor turned 17.

After months of thought, he had decided to head out for Mintaka, intending to gain work as a mercenary for the nobles there. Neither of his siblings were thrilled with the idea, but Celinda gave her hesitant blessings provided he came to visit as much as he could. Dorian was far less understanding, accusing Belnor of trying to abandon his duty to the village, and his family. It had become all too common for the brothers to argue, but for the first time since that fateful night in the caves, they came to blows.

Belnor was stronger and more skilled, but his brother had grown strong as well from long hours mining. Each threw punches that grew harder by the moment, and Celinda’s pleading protests fell on deaf ears, as their brawl spilt into the streets. It took several others to pull the two apart, and as they spat violent curses, Dorian delivered his final thoughts.

“Then go! Leave us to rot, just like you left Father! Go sell your soul to the men who leave us all to slave! See if you still have a home to come back to when you come to your senses!”

Nothing else was said. Nothing more needed to be said. That night, Belnor collected what few meagre things he felt were ‘his’, bade farewell to Celinda, and left Azha behind.

From that night forward, things became simple. Go to Mintaka, secure a contract, deal with contract, return for pay. The repetition saw success, and slowly, Belnor began to earn himself a reputation amongst the Alfardian nobles, who began to reward him with more challenging, but higher paying, contracts.

For nearly ten years, Belnor travelled all across the six continents, fighting men and beasts alike for coin. He seldom kept much, enough to provide for himself while the rest was sent to Azha for his siblings to use. He grew stronger and wiser, but every contract left him with another scar, another memory.

In the Celestial Alps, Belnor’s life took an unexpected turn. With a few other mercenaries, he’d been sent to procure several rare monster pelts from the resident beasts that called the mountains home. The job had been simple enough, but the ruckus provoked a creature of much greater power from deep within the mountains.

What exactly it was, Belnor never saw, immediately blind-sided by the monster and mauled within an inch of his life. Only a desperate roll that sent him careening down the mountain side spared him from its wrath, but at the foot of the mountains, bleeding and delirious, he was in little shape to be celebrating. Barely managing to stand, Belnor nearly dragged himself through the winding paths before stumbling across a small outpost nestled in the Alps.

What happened after that point is mostly unknown for Belnor, but when he awoke, his view of the world was limited, and no matter how he tried, he couldn’t force his right eye to open. It was then he properly met Narisa. A young healer, apparently living in the outpost, she quietly explained what had happened, and how, despite her best efforts, they couldn’t save his eye.

The next weeks were spent relearning how to function with only one eye, and Belnor spent every waking hour trying to undo the damage the loss had done. He preferred to be alone, but despite his attempts to keep a distance, Narisa would not leave him be. She kept her distance, somewhat, but there was always a fresh bed waiting when the day was done, and a hot meal sitting nearby when he felt hungry.

Despite himself, the Azhani found himself warming to the girl, however slightly, her cheerful and generous demeanour reminding him of his sister back in Azha. It was then that he began to notice the inherent issue with a group of healers living in the Celestial Alps alone. A quiet conversation here and there quickly revealed a serious lack of combat skills amongst the group, and Belnor, with little thought, promptly informed them that he would be staying on for the immediate future. To keep them safe.

His crippling sense of debt to them didn’t help matters much, and with little argument, Belnor became the guardian to the little outpost, and has been for almost a year now. The outpost is shrinking, and it’s not hard to tell that the outpost is finally reaching its last legs, but so long as Narisa and the healers remain, the mercenary won’t abandon his post.

Wings of the Heart: Belnor’s wings could barely be called wings at all, even by the most generous individual. Short, stunted, vestigial wings sprout from his back on the rare occasion he calls on them, barely anything resembling skin stretched over the boney protrusions. If he spreads them, and it is a small labour to do so, they reach almost five feet across. His skeleton-like wings are unsettling to most that see them, so it’s only when necessary that he’ll actually reveal them.

Weapons/Magnus:

Weapon: Belnor fights with long spears, although he actually favours no particular weapon inside his Magnus deck. Belnor’s personal fight style is more of a blitzkrieg than an actual combat practice, relying on an unending flurry of strikes from countless angles to overwhelm any foe he meets. Belnor is constantly firing off spears from his deck, using them as both weapons and springboards to increase his mobility in combat. When he truly fights, Belnor is something to behold, a whirlwind of hits that never seems to sit still.

Belnor however, doesn’t use any traditional defensive Magnus, using his spears as stand ins when he absolutely has to defend. His camp Magnus consists mostly of food and some flint and steel, as well as several spare changes of clothes.

[Silvan Arrow]

Name: Calden Dumas
Age: 37
Gender: Male
Homeland/City: Cebalrai, Sadal Suud (Lives here but grew up in Mintaka, Alfard)

Appearance: Calden is a robust, broad-shouldered individual due to his military training and outdoor lifestyle. He stands a solid 6’3” and has a well-muscled physique, particularly in his arms. His hair is a rich, dark auburn color, which he has since let grow out a couple of inches from its previous military buzz cut. He still tries to keep it tidy, but it’s often a lost cause when he’s outside tending his orchards. Dark blue eyes complement his hair color and sturdy facial features, while a few worry lines on his forehead and around his eyes start to betray his age. The closest thing he can manage to a beard is a bit of chin stubble, and, being a redhead, his skin is only slightly tanned even though he spends most of his time outside in the sun.

In terms of attire, Calden keeps his clothing simple but serviceable in the earthen tones common in Cebelrai. He wears a burgundy leather vest that laces up and ties in the front over a simple light beige long-sleeve shirt and can roll up the sleeves during the warmer months. He pairs this with dark brown, sturdy pants and old leather workboots. He also keeps his military uniform from Alfard, which consists of a blood red button-up shirt with gold trim paired with black pants and boots.

Personality: Calden comes off as an old soul to just about everyone he meets. His younger years spent in the Alfard military drilled matters of etiquette and decorum that he can’t shake even after years away from the service. Everyone is “sir” or “ma’am,” and he’ll often find himself giving small salutes or half-bows as an instinctive sign of respect. His Alfardian accent and mannerisms sometimes make his neighbors in Cebalrai uneasy, but they can’t deny that he’s never given anyone a reason to distrust him. He is perfectly content to spend his days in his little log cabin, tending his modest apple orchard with his few hired hands. And if any of his neighbors or a passing stranger needs assistance, he’s always willing to lend a helping hand.

Below the surface, however, Calden carries a burden of regret and a need for redemption due to actions that he took – or rather, didn’t take – as a youth in the Alfard military. In his younger days, he was hotheaded and impulsive, eager to prove himself and known for taking gutsy risks that usually worked in his favor. As an airship captain, his men respected his bravado, which occasionally bordered on an almost swashbuckling demeanor. However, when circumstances led to him expatriating from his home country and ditching his responsibilities, those impulsive tendencies eventually condensed into a single-minded, burning desire to atone for his cowardice. Coming from the Empire of the Flame, Calden has a natural affinity for his country’s namesake element in his swordplay. However, instead of charging into battle recklessly and impulsively, as he would have done in his youth, he channels that inner fire into a quiet, unyielding determination, and he won’t back down from anything that he feels strongly about.

Biography: Calden was born in Mintaka as the second son to a respected Alfardian general and nobleman. His father was a harsh taskmaster and expected only the best from his sons, and his older brother, eight years his senior, received the brunt of his discipline. As a result, Calden had a little more freedom and was the more rambunctious of the two children. He had a natural charisma that gained him new friends easily, and he was given to pulling childhood pranks on the neighbors. As he got older, though, he started to feel the sting of constantly living in his elder brother’s shadow, even though he looked up to him and had nothing but respect for him. While his brother went on to follow in his father’s footsteps as an army officer, eventually a general, Calden discovered a love for the skies and took the path of an airship sailor once he turned 18. While the Alfardian military was just as strict with their sailors as their infantry, Calden still felt liberated being in the airships. He learned to temper much of his impulsiveness when necessary, but he quickly earned the respect of his fellow sailors due to his charisma and ease of interaction with them.

Calden’s talents caught the eye of his superiors, and after seven years of working his way up the ranks, he eventually received a promotion to airship captain at age 25. Finally, he could tell that his aging father looked at him differently, as though he were finally acknowledging his existence and not simply comparing him to his brother. He quickly earned the respect of his crew thanks to his charisma and bold, assertive leadership style. In battle, Calden took gutsy risks and showed a lot of bravado, but somehow it paid off. Their ship saw a few skirmishes while on border patrol – mainly pirates who had defected from their home countries on stolen airships – and they won every battle, further adding to Calden’s reputation. He was a celebrated airship captain with enough power and wealth to rank him into the lower nobility, and he was never lacking for women seeking his company. In a word, his life was perfect.

However, the golden life wouldn’t last forever. About three years after his promotion to captain, Calden started hearing rumors in the nobility about a new member of one of the noble houses who wanted to sponsor a major charity project. The fleet commanders explained that the project involved recruiting airships and captains for a new relief fleet that would facilitate the movement of food and supplies among the nations to places that needed them the most, all in the name of peace. Calden and his men loved the idea and signed up right away, along with about a dozen other airship captains and crew. They were assigned fewer border patrols and instead spent more time traveling among the Six Great Nations, even to the illusive Wazn on occasion, transporting supplies back and forth. Calden never questioned what kind of cargo he carried. He saw enough of it to see that it was food, medical supplies, and sometimes coal or other kinds of fuel for the people’s energy needs. But otherwise, he was content to follow orders, let the port workers load the cargo boxes on his airship, and take them to their next destination. Life continued in this manner for another two years, until Calden was 30.

Calden had just returned from a particularly long run to Wazn and back to Mintaka and went to the hanger late one night to pick up something he had left behind. He heard movement and metal clanging deeper inside the hanger, so he followed the noise to a closed door leading into a carefully concealed supply room. Walking inside, he was horrified to find row upon row of Wazn-made weapons and armor, all being arranged and unpacked by men wearing both Alfardian and Wazn uniforms. Everyone stopped and stared silently at Calden as he walked in, as though he was seeing something that he shouldn’t.

“W-what is the meaning of this? These are weapons of war, not of peace…” he muttered to himself, horrified to think that these had been on his own airship, under his very nose.

As if on cue, a door opened in the back, and a nobleman – identified as such by his fine robes and breastplate – Calden had never met before strode inside. “Ah, what a surprise. The celebrated Captain Dumas has graced us with his presence. Raffeal Sieghart, at your service. Charmed, I’m sure.” He paused to survey the situation. “This is most trouble…a captain smuggling weapons.”

“What are you saying? I had no part in this.”

“No?” Raffeal replied. “What I see is the only ship currently within Alfardian air-space bearing weapons born from Wazn’s forges.” He walked among the rows of weapons, contemplating. "If you're exposed, it will severely limit the trade and ease of passage. If you die...surely there will be an investigation that will lead them here. We have ourselves...a troubling problem, Captain." His hand started to drift toward a weapon sheath. "But what if...you died trying to defend your illicit gains from a man who stumbled upon it?" A pair of shining wings unfurled from his back. "Would your crew serve as the scapegoat? The one to take the fall for their captain's blunders?"

Calden took a step backwards, his face a mix of horror and protective anger. If nothing else, he was fiercely loyal to his crew. "Leave my men out of this. They are good, honest sailors...unlike you."

"I am not a sailor, you are correct." Raffeal took a step forward, and his expression turned lethal as a second set of wings materialized beneath the first. "I am a man prepared to pay any price to save us from the follies of fools."

Calden didn’t miss the veiled threat, nor his chance to escape while he still had a chance. “And I am a man willing to take the fall for your evils so my men don’t.” He detonated a fire Magnus from his deck, creating a cloud of smoke and buying him a few seconds to run. He dashed back to his home long enough to throw the bare essentials into a bag, scribble a quick note to his father and brother telling them not to look for him, and leave again for the first transport airship out of Alfard.

Calden traveled from island to island, trying to get as far away from Alfard as possible, until he wound up in Cebelrai, a rustic farming community in Sadaal Suud. He worked as a hired hand to an elderly apple farmer for a year until the man retired to live with his children in the city and left the orchard to Calden. He’s dwelled there for seven years now, living a starkly simple life compared to the one he left behind. During that time, he has come to regard himself as a coward for expatriating from his beloved homeland, deserting his men, and doing nothing to try and right the wrongs that he fears Raffeal will bring to the Six Great Nations. Left with nothing but his dying wings and a small flame of desire for redemption, Calden merely exists from day to day, tending his orchards and keeping a low profile for now…

Wings of the Heart: When Calden was at the height of his career as an airship captain, his wings were quite a sight to behold. Deep crimson red feathers outlined in gold evoked the image of a phoenix, and their span of 16 feet meant he could easily take flight to defend his ship and crew if necessary. After he left Alfard, however, the guilt he constantly carried manifested in his wings, and they began to atrophy, starting at the edges and getting worse over time. Now the last three feet of his wingspan on either side, as well as the layer of feathers outlining the edges of his wings, have turned a sooty black, and he leaves a trail of ash wherever he walks if he summons his wings. He rarely summons them due to their sorry state, and they can no longer support his weight in flight. He doesn’t even want to try flapping them too hard for fear the sooty feathers will simply crumble away into ash. However, the base of his wings still hold their vibrant crimson and gold coloration, meaning he hasn’t given up completely and still clings to his quiet determination to atone for his cowardice.

Weapons/Magnus:

Weapon: As a soldier in training, Calden wielded a standard issue hand-and-a-half sword used by most men in the infantry. Once he became an airship captain, Calden swapped weapons for one with a more personal touch. Now he uses a lightweight cutlass with a hand guard allowing for one or two-handed combat. The blade, which is only sharp on one side, is slightly curved and widens at the end. The tip of the blade curves back on itself a few inches along the dull edge, forming a hook ideal for grasping a slippery foe and bringing it into closer range combat. The hook also gives Calden a longer reach if he’s at the helm of an airship and can’t take his hands from the wheel to grasp some random lever or object that’s just out of his reach.

Magnus: Calden has a balanced, versatile deck with a healthy mix of offensive and defensive Magnus. His offensive Magnus focus on either strengthening his non-elemental damage output or enchanting his blade with one of elements, sometimes even temporarily changing the blade’s shape based on the element or Magnus in question. Non-elemental Magnus that simply affect physical damage recharge almost immediately, but Magnus with elemental enchantments have to “rest” for a certain amount of time before Calden can use them again. Low-level Fire Magnus may only require a few minutes, high-level Fire Magnus may need an hour, and Water Magnus, his natural opposite, may take up to a day. He saves all but his Fire Magnus for when he absolutely needs them so he does not find himself in a situation where he needs a certain element but cannot use it. His defensive Magnus, mainly various medium-weight armors and shields, allow him to take a hit on both the physical and magical side, though he is by far better at deflecting physical blows.

Finishing Moves:

To be announced...

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