11 replies to this topic

[BottomGuy]

It have been a long time since I have posed around here. Going back to school will do that to me. And I tend to disappear from the forums every once in a while. I remember what everyone wanted so we will be doing Fantasy! Don't know if this is going to be my best work for creating a setting. It's such a broad genre with my biggest concern being races. As far as that goes going to allow any fantasy races but you damn well better describe it. Beyond Human, Elf, and Dwarf, I will probably be lost. Besides, it will go toward making a better character the more descriptive you are. Hopefully people are still interested in doing this.

Setting

"The Delfar Empire has come to enjoy nearly 200 years of relative peace. Through that time they have prospered in nearly every way imaginable. Agriculture and food is plentiful, merchants stimulate the economy in every city, it is a golden age for the arts and science, and somehow there is political stability as much as there can be in politics. All of this is due in large part to the Crimson Clan, the current ruling family of the Empire. Even though a member of the clan established 80 years ago that the emperor shall be elected every five years, a member of the Crimson family has been elected without fail every time. And who could really argue against this decision by the High Council. The Crimson Clan has somehow managed to keep at bay desires for absolute power and kept corruption from their hearts. They have ruled with the interest of the people more than for themselves. Many claim that it is because of the extensive education that is provided to every clan member which gives them the wisdom and will to govern with such grace. Not that they keep such knowledge to themselves as they have vastly increased education to the populace under their rule. There is not a child who cannot read or write within the Empire among other academic achievements.

It has only been relative peace though. While most citizens of the Empire are unaware of it, there has been constant turmoil on the borders. These come from many sources such as wandering bandits, rogue mercenaries, other kingdoms desperate for resources and many other troubles that can be found on the fringe of civilization. For outside of the Delfar Empire the world is a far different place in what is called the Outskirts, which the Empire uses to refer to everything outside of its walls. No other kingdom, territory, realm or what have you has come close to rivaling the glory of Delfar. Tribes and kingdoms are constantly at each other’s throats over food, gold, and power. And there are just as many powers that lie beyond the reach and knowledge of the Empire. Many dark practices can still be found outside the Empire from forbidden magic to cruel forms of governance that center around murder. For some these ways are their best chance at survival in the Outskirts, for others it is the best chance at seizing power in a chaotic world. It is for this reason that while the Delfar Empire is at peace within, it must still maintain a large military presence to keep these marauding and despicable groups at bay. Considering how long there has been peace for Delfar it would appear that they have been doing a fair job.

Things are rarely as simple as they appear.

Many attacks and troubles on the borders of the Empire have appeared to be individual and unrelated events. With so many forces banging on the doors of the Empire and each other, there is little ability for any of them to work together. There is one force that has found a way to do just that. Among all of the warring kingdoms and tribes, there is one ruler who has risen above everyone else. Lord Bolshivar. Originally a noble from the Delfar Empire, Lord Bolshivar left the Empire for the Outskirts some 15 years ago. He was not exiled nor did he run away from something horrible he had done. In fact he was one of the members of the High Council for many years. He was one of the few people who had garnered nearly as much respect and power as the Crimson Clan. He saw things differently than the Crimson Clan though. He believed them to be too kind and slow in their rule of the Empire. So much more could be accomplished with the power that the Empire has amassed over the decades. Yet he was always modest and quite with his ideas. Lord Bolshivar never forced his beliefs on other nor did he try to violently put them into practice. He was waiting for the right moment to strike, but as no such opportunity revealed itself he began to realize something. Despite all of the influence and power that he held in the Empire, it would always be dwarfed by the Crimson Clan. They had held power for so long and done so with enough support that it was unlikely they would ever falter. More than anything Lord Bolshivar knew that the citizens of the Empire would always side with the Crimson Clan. Even if his ideas could bring untold wonders and power to the kingdom, they came from such methods that the Empire had always been taught were wrong or too violent. No matter what he did, Lord Bolshivar knew that the people would never willingly stand for it. Lord Bolshivar and his ideas appeared to be forever trapped inside the Empire. Then one day Lord Bolshivar simply disappeared from the face of the Delfar Empire. Many believed that some foul work was at play but after months of searches nothing was heard of him. No one knew that he had secretly left the Empire of his own volition in order to begin his plan. A master plan to conquer the Delfar Empire.

For the last 15 years Lord Bolshivar has been gaining resources, wealth, and power in the Outskirts in order to enact his plan. He is probably the only one who could possible pull this off in the chaos of the Outskirts. Unlike the other leaders, kings, and rulers found in the Outskirtts, Lord Bolshivar is well educated. He is quite familiar with every field of academia from diplomacy to astronomy and from classical literature to warfare. He is also quite familiar with many of the dark arts that are forbidden within the Empire. Intelligence and cunning are not enough to prosper in the Outskirts though and get most men killed who rely solely on these traits. Many have tried to steal or murder their way to the power that Lord Bolshivar has been amassing. None of them expected him to be able to defend himself on the battlefield where all conflicts in the Outskirts are ultimately settled. Whenever anyone has challenged his authority, Lord Bolshivar has always met them on the front lines with hits men. And every time he has emerged the bloody victor. Over the years he has forced many follow him, while others have followed because they see him as their best chance at cracking the walls of Delfar. Many of the attacks and incidents on the borders of the Empire have been his doing, seemingly unrelated but all with a purpose. His forces have been prodding to determine the strength of the Empire’s defenses, drawing forces away from key locations, planting the seeds of chaos on the fringes of the Empire. Now at long last the pieces have fallen into place and Lord Bolshivar is ready to strike at the heart of the Delfar Empire. But even though he is capable of fighting on the front lines himself, Lord Bolshivar much prefers to send his most loyal commanders into the field to ensure the success of his plan.

This is where you come in.

You are one of Lord Bolshivar’s most loyal commanders and servant. You are one of many who have come under the ruthless control of Lord Bolshivar but one of the few that has managed to earn your own authority and prove yourself. Exactly how you have come to this position or why you have sought it out has yet to be seen. Perhaps you truly believe in the words and fantasies that Lord Bolshivar has weaved around you. Or do you simply want to cause as much destruction as possible. Maybe you are loyal to the Delfar Empire and wish to infiltrate and destroy Lord Bolshivar from the inside. Could you possibly be a jealous warlord who seeks to usurp Lord Bolshivar’s power for yourself? Regardless of your reasons, you are one of Lord Bolshivar’s highest commanders about to begin the most ruthless war that the Delfar Empire has seen in over 200 years. While Lord Bolshivar might guide the conflict, you are the one who will surely determine its outcome."

[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Title / Rank[/b]
[b]Homeland:[/b]
[b]Race:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Height:[/b]
[b]Appearance:[/b]
[b]Skills / Abilities:[/b]
[b]Personality:[/b]
[b]Personal Ambition:[/b]
[b]History:[/b]
[b]Other:[/b]

Deadline: December 31st

Normally it is two weeks, but if I did that the deadline would be Christmas Eve. That didn't seem very nice so extra time! Yay! If anyone has questions feel free to ask me or post in the Triple C Discussion Thread but please, leave this topic for character submissions.

Happy Character Creating!

[BottomGuy]

The Contest has begun!

[Kamau]

I am suddenly reminded of all the things my brain came up with for this last night!!! *gets to work* (For the record, I posted this here before I saw the 'do not post here'...Consider it a positive bump!)

[Glaciermage]

First one in! This is a really long submission. I'm sorry. I'm not much of a writer, and I don't really know if I'm doing this right. If not, please let me know. I think I may have gone a bit overboard. :)

Name:
Xanorin Coates

Title / Rank
Profession: High Council Attendant
Class: Wizard

Homeland:
The City of Drayton, Delfar Empire

Race:
Half-Elf

Age:
25 years old

Height:
5'11”

Appearance:
Tan skin. Emerald Green eyes. Elvish facial features, including the ears, though more rounded and less pointy than “normal” Elvish ears. Always wears a chain necklace with an “X” attached in the middle.

Skills / Abilities:
Xanorin has very high charisma and is able to charm and negotiate. Both Humans and Elves alike find him good natured and likeable. He also is an apprentice Wizard, and able to perform many spells. He could be a very powerful wizard if only he had the opportunity to be battle tested.


History:
Xanorin never knew his Elvish father. He grew up with his human mother in Drayton. His Uncle Ned has served on the High Council, like Ned's father, and Ned's Grandfather. In fact Ned is the 6th line of the Coates family to serve on the High Council. With no son, Ned has taken Xanorin under his wing, and has tutored him in the ways of the High Council, hoping “Xan” will one day take his place. Therefore, Xanorin has received the best education the Delfar Empire has to offer. He also has met many important contacts on the High Council, as he regularly serves as an attendant for Ned, delivering messages and performing mundance tasks.

Personality:
Xanorin is a hard worker, and everyone enjoys his company and praises his efforts. They all feel he has much potential. Despite that, he has grown up as a Half Elf surrounded by humans. Although being welcomed by all, he has never felt a part of his community. He feels that everyone is judging him by his race, and not by his personality and abilities. So although warm and light hearted and amiable on the outside, he has withdrawn internally, and won't allow anyone to actually get close to him and know the real Xanorin.

Other:
The pressure on his chest had been building all day. He just couldn't get it to go away. He went through the list again. … Yep. He had made all the necessary arrangements. It was a shame that it had to come to this. He had liked his family well enough. Uncle Ned had been so kind. But this was the only way. Xanorin felt he really had no choice. He was doing the right thing, and making the right sacrifices, and it was only a matter of time before he felt good about the choices he was making.

Xanorin ducked under a branch and stepped into a clearing. Instantly, the pressure in his chest went away. She always had that effect on him. At first sight, he knew he had made the right decision. She always made him feel better. She was the only one that did. She was so easy to talk to. He had opened up to her and only her. She had done the same to him. He was leaving everything else he knew behind. Many dangers awaited him. But he didn't care. All he needed was her. And yet, as he approached her, he could tell something was wrong.

“How do you feel?” He asked. She looked away. That was not a good sign. Was she having second thoughts?

“I always feel good when I see you.” She said. She looked up at him and smiled. A smile instantly came to Xanorin's face as well. Her smile didn't last long, though. “But...”

With that one word his heart sank. He knew it as soon as he entered the clearing. She wouldn't be able to go through with it after all. He didn't say anything as she paused. He didn't know what to say. Or what she would say next. He could see a tear on her cheek.
“I've decided to turn myself in. No wait! Don't say anything yet. I can't go with you. And it's not because I don't love you. It's because I do. I would be miserable if we left. You have a life here. A family. You have the opportunity to make a difference. I can't let you throw that all away because of me. We have to do the right thing, X.”

A number of emotions swirled in his head. One was anger. But he pressed it down. He couldn't be mad at her. The trait he liked most about her was her unselfishness. Here she was again thinking only of him. For a brief second he thought that maybe she was doing this because she didn't love him after all. But he pressed that down too. He knew what they had. Xanorin thought about talking her out of it. He was ready to do anything for her. But he could see in her eyes that her decision was made. It was time then, for him, to make the most difficult decision. It was time to say goodbye.

“I had this made for you.” she said. She handed him a small box. “To remember me by." Xanorin opened the box. It contained a chain necklace with an “X” on it. She was the only one that ever called him “X”. He smiled through tears and put it on. And with that, she left.

8 years have passed

Xanorin put his hand on his necklace, as he usually did when thinking about her. She had been shipped to the Outskirts. Xanorin had made a deal with Lord Bolshivar on the day his life changed, when he thought he was running away. He thought Lord Bolshivar would be upset when he told him he wasn't leaving Drayon after all. But instead this seemed to please Lord Bolshivar even more. Now Xanorin could be an agent on the inside, secretly relaying all of the High Council's dealings. Many years of planning and waiting and working followed that day in the clearing.
And now the time had come. It was time to put all the plans in motion. Xanorin had worked so hard. It was time to finally make a difference. It was time that the people of the Outskirts receive the same benefits of those in the Delfar Empire. And if some people, even his family had to suffer, well then that was a sacrifice worth making for the greater good.

Personal Ambition:
Xanorin feels he is doing what's right. He thinks that Lord Bolshivar is correct in revolution. That the people outside the Delfar Empire need things to change. But in reality, it is insecurity, anger, and jealousy that has driven him. He got caught up in Lord Bolshivar's plans a long time ago, and at the current time he is too weak to change his ways.

[BottomGuy]

Name: Orban Antikythera

Title / Rank High Engineer & Weapons Master

Homeland: Austro Province in the East

Race: Dwarf

Age: 73

Height: 4’11”

Appearance: Orban has the short but broad physique of most dwarves. At his height he is actually slightly taller than most dwarves, but his shoulders are just as broad to match. He has a granite grey beard that reaches halfway down his chest, braided in the middle where he often strokes it. His face has deep ridges that show an aged appearance far beyond his actual years, at least for a dwarf. Staring out from his deep set sockets are a pair of piercing blue eyes. Orban’s clothes are thick leather and hide that that he is always brushing soot off of.

Skills / Abilities: Orban has an uncanny ability to hear the resonance of metals and minerals. He will approach the wall of a cavern or mine and bring his ear to it carefully. With one hand he cups his ear and with the other he gentle begins tapping and flicking the wall. Between each rap of his hand he will have it glide around the stone, looking for the next place to tap. After a few minutes Orban has a crystal clear image in his mind of what kind of minerals, ores, or possible caves and passages are locked away inside the stone. He also applies this method with refined metals and weapons and can tell the strength and purity of the material. Orban uses this receptive hearing to find only the best materials for his creations.

In addition Orban is a skilled engineer and blacksmith. He has crafted the finest weapons that any warrior will be graced enough to wield. While this makes him valuable for any army, his higher skill lies with the devices and machines he has crafted. Orban has created intricate devices and machines full of cogs and chains, pullies and gears, far beyond anything most people will ever see.

Personality: There are two sides to Orban. The first and one which most people encounter is his working disposition. When working on any task Orban becomes absorbed and quiet. He also insists that everyone around also be quiet and he will not hesitate to correct that mistake. He will not verbally scold them though. Instead Orban will make a strong, quick gesture to silence them or if the person is particularly annoying, Orban will strike them with his broad stonelike hands. His eyes and hands will dart around quietly and effortless as he figures out how to tackle whatever task is at hand, no matter how mundane or difficult it may be.

The other side of Orban is one which most people prefer, but which very few people ever have the pleasure of seeing. When he is not working Orban is a cultured individual who enjoys the more simple pleasures in life. When one has the rare opportunity, they may enjoy sitting by a roaring fire with Orban, drinking a strong stout and talking a new musician or play that is popular at the moment. It is a shocking side for people to see in Orban because of the kind of work he does and because he usually appears as coarse as his hands. Just do not say that you enjoy the work of Franz Golcheck III, else you will most likely find yourself being thrown into that roaring fire by Orban.

Personal Ambition: Orban wants nothing more than to see the advancement of all people through his mechanical and engineering inventions. It is often difficult to find someone to fund his work though as it does not come cheap. When he is hired it is often for his skills in finding desirable mineral and ores and to then use those to fashion weapons. Over the course of time Orban has found that he has produced some of his most profound creations and ideas while working in war conditions. It has come to his conclusion through a great war his greatest ideas will surely emerge and with them, he can change the face of the world of the better. It does sadden Orban that a war must be waged against such a great entity as the Delfar Empire, but they are the most suitable target for this war. Only they and Lord Bolshivar can produce a war on the scale that he needs to improve the world in the long term. And he knows that in the end the Delfar Empire will crumble under the weight of his war machines. It is a necessary sacrifice.

History: Orban Antikythera comes from the Austro Province far to the East of the Delfar Empire. It is so far away that there is perhaps contact between the two powers once every 50 years. The infrequency is due both to how far away the Austro Province is and how insignificant it is compared to Delfar. Like much of the world there is little structure or control in the Austro Province, but Orban hails from one of the few kingdoms that has managed to retain a resemblance of authority within its own borders. Orban was trained as one of many engineers within this kingdom and received some of the best education in metallurgy and engineering. This is because the kingdom draws its authority from possessing the best weapons and technology to keep their enemies at bay. It was a constant struggle for survival for everyone and it began to tire Orban. He had so many ideas of how he could improve life for his kingdom. But his ideas were always set aside for when there was peace and when they had the resources. He knew that there would never be peace and that his ideas would never see the light of day.

One day a mysterious figure arrived in the kingdom seeking audience with the rulers. This was granted and he revealed himself to be a ruler from the West, near the borders of the Delfar Empire. He had come seeking new opportunities and alliances to strength his rule back in his homeland. The rulers of the kingdom were wary of trusting an outsider and kept him at a distance. He was allowed to view some of the military technologies of the kingdom, if only to make him think twice of attacking them. As he inspected the advanced machines and sophisticated weapons, he met with Orban. The outsider sensed there was something special about Orban and asked to see more of his work. Orban gladly showed him more of his blueprints and ideas which had not come to fruition. The man was immensely impressed with Orban’s work and offered him the chance to work on his creations that his own kingdom had shown no love for. Orban knew there was something…wrong with this man, but his desire to see his work finally come to life got the better of him.

Secretly he left his kingdom with the man who revealed himself to be Lord Bolshivar. When they arrived back in Bolshivar’s land in the Outskirts, Orban was provided with everything he could possibly hope for. A private work space, the finest tools, his own mine, it was everything he had dreamed of and more. Several months later he had produced machines that improved the milling process of grains, increased the efficiency of plowing fields, and along the way he had created new weapons of war. Orban ventured back to his kingdom by the side of Lord Bolshivar and with his newly created weapons, they conquered the kingdom that had spurned his creativity and the olive branch by Lord Bolshivar. The kingdom was now in ruins, all of its resources, including people, under the control of Lord Bolshivar. It saddened Orban greatly to see this happen to his home, but at the same time he was glad. Glad that out of it his ideas and inventions had been allowed to mature and grow. Much pain had happened, but much success and progress had come with it. Orban knew that as long as he was funded and supported by Lord Bolshivar, he would have the means to shape the world for the better, even if others would have to pay for his success with their lives.

Other: Orban has tried several times to better understand plants, animals, and essentially biology. He realizes that he could apply so much from them in his inventions. Every time he has tried he has ended up covered in slime, sap, or blood. Biology is really quite a bother to understand.

Oh, and Orban detests wine.

Named after Orban, the engineer who built the mega cannon that smashed Constantinople, and the Antikythera mechanism, an ancient analog computer.

[Stars]

And when I saw "in plenty of time," I of course mean "barely in time." *cough*


Name: Percival, the Crimson Lance

Title / Rank: Cavalry High Commander, disenfranchised Crimson Holy Knight

Homeland: Delfar Empire, birthplace unknown

Race: Half-Orc

Age: 29

Height: 6'

Appearance: Percival is bizarrely beautiful, as far as half-orcs go. He is fairly muscular, with high cheekbones and a prominent cleft chin. He has trouble managing his stringy black hair, so it is usually hidden under his helmet or some other headgear. His ornate bronze armor, which carries a rhinoceros motif, is polished to the point where it is often mistaken for gold. Gillian - his large, gray warhorse - is similarly armored.

Skills / Abilities: Percival is a surprisingly charismatic diplomat. Once people get past his shocking appearance, his honesty and straightforwardness can easily convince most to see things his way.
He is similarly able to connect with even the most savage beasts on some empathic level. He acquired his formerly feral horse in this way.
When the time for words has passed, Percival is skilled in the use of many types of melee weapons. Despite his moniker, however, he rarely uses a lance. Percival has no idea how he got his nickname, but he will sometimes ride into battle with a lance to capitalize on his reputation.

Personality: Percival is very simple. For the most part, he is mild-mannered and genteel. He doesn't anger easily, but when he does lose his temper, you don't want to be anywhere nearby as his orcish side takes over. This aspect makes Percival a fearsome foe in combat.

Personal Ambition: Percival seeks nothing for himself. His only desire is to serve the greater good, which Lord Bolshivar represents. At least that's what he tells himself. Deep down, Percival just wants to see the Crimson family fall.

History: A military chaplain from Delfar discovered Percival as a toddler. The young half-orc was found wandering a recent battlefield in the Outskirts, uncomprehending of the carnage that surrounded him. Although the Orcish tribes were all enemies of Delfar, the chaplain took pity on the child and brought him to an orphanage.

Like all children in the Empire, Percival was given a good education and was raised to be a proper little gentleman. Being raised in a church orphanage, Percival was also taught the practices of the imperial religion, instituted by the Crimson Clan. He was even named for one of their saints, a patron of outsiders welcomed into the Empire.

When he was old enough, Percival joined the Crimson Holy Knights. Their duty was to defend the Crimson family, protect the faithful, and stamp out heresy. But what with how peaceful the Delfar Empire seemed to be, there was little for Percival to do most days except spar with the other Knights and execute the occasional criminal.

Percival never knew where the people he executed came from or what they had done. He only knew that it was his righteous duty to put them to death. Then, about a year after Percival joined the Knights, an Orc prisoner-of-war from the Outskirts was sent to him to be killed. As usual, Percival's superiors had not told him where the prisoner had come from, but the look of betrayal on the Orc's face when they met made him hesitate long enough to receive a disgusted tirade about what was going on outside of the Empire's borders.

Percival had always believed that the Delfar Empire and the Crimson Clan were bringing peace to the world. He carried out the order to execute the Orc prisoner, but his views had been shaken. Over the following months, he tried to learn more about what was happening outside of the Empire. The Crimson Clan did their best to hide such information from the general populace, but Percival learned more about their dealings than his honor would allow him to accept. In one of his rare but terrible fits of anger, he left the Empire entirely and found his way to Lord Bolshivar.

His nickname, which once represented his commitment to the Crimson Clan, soon came to stand for the armies that had been pierced by his lance. His hypothetical lance.

Other: Based on an old D&D character idea that I never got to use. For some reason the idea of a Half-Orc Paladin that looks like Dudley Do-Right amuses me to no end.

[Puffin]

Name: Enitan Lusala

Title/Rank: Lord of the Order

Homeland: Renkoria, far in the south east of the Outskirts

Race: Human

Age: 54

Height: 5'11"

Appearance: He wears clothing in shades of neutral grays, browns and greens. Never anything too bright or too dark that would cause him to stand out. His clothing is only as loose as it needs to be to effectively blend into shadows and hide weapons (but not so loose that it would snag easily). His hair is short and the style tends to vary from day to day. One day it might be spiked, another slicked back or left alone. He's a natural blonde, but he tends to dye it different colors every couple of weeks, especially after he's recently completed a job (regardless of if he suspects someone might have seen him). Though, since he doesn't take on too many jobs personally anymore, a lot of this is mostly habit from the life he's led.
(Side note: his hair, when allowed to be its natural shade, is streaked with gray and silver, but due to all the dying it's rare when anyone can see this small bit of evidence to his age.)

Skills / Abilities: He can walk without making a single noise when needed and even if he were to be caught, he has plenty of skills beside that to get him out of most tricky situations. He's proficient in a variety of weapons, but he prefers those that are quick, quiet and easily hidden, like knives, darts, or cord. He was, at a younger age, skilled at scaling buildings and running across rooftops and a variety of other feats, but his skill has diminished over time. He still retains these to some degree, but they're not as sharp as they used to be, especially now that he's in command, rather than in the field (though this doesn't bother him, as even the best assassin just needs one misstep to become a smear on the side of the road and that's one fate he'd rather not experience).

Personality: Due to his line of work, he does not waste much time with words and can often times be entirely silent for long periods of time, if he's left alone. Which can be often, as he has a very neutral effect on people, which allows him to escape notice most of the time. However, when he needs to speak, he can manage as well as any other person, so he's not shy, nor is he antisocial. Just quiet.

History: Enitan comes from an Order of assassins who swear to always deliver a fair and neutral judgement. This doesn't mean staying out of fights and letting people solve their own conflicts, but instead following their own code of ethics. In Renkoria, their purpose is to keep the government from becoming corrupt. When an official follows greed, pride and sin more than the needs of their people, the duty of the Order is to make that official disappear. They are supposed to be incorruptible themselves, taking no money for their duty and living only on the charity of the people they serve. However, in recent years, the Order has fallen far from where they were and now turn a blind eye to every official who pays them, while slaying all those that oppose their employers.

This trend was started by Enitan, who in his youth, opposed the naivety of the Order, as he believed no one could be truly neutral, especially if they had anything to do with politics. He would have left the Order if he could, but it's something one is born into and is never able to leave behind if they want to keep their life. So, instead, he opted to rise to the top and change it. As it happened, he was not alone in his opinion of the Order and the higher he rose, the more of his like minded friends he appointed to highly sought after ranks. By the time he finally became the Lord of the Order, he had fully surrounded himself with only those that would follow his command, thus paving the way for his vision of the Order.

Some time into his career as Lord of the Order, Bolshivar hired the Order to slowly bleed into the empire and eradicate his enemies from the inside. This, of course, fits right into Enitan's plans for branching out. If they can succeed in taking down the Delfar Empire, then the entire world will know the strength of his Order. And they'll know who to come to when they want things done.

Personal Ambition: His goal is to spread the reach of the Order further than just his homeland. He wants people from all over the world to seek the blade of the Order and raise it to a level of infamy it has never seen before.
His reasoning for this is more complex than I initially let on. Since Enitan had no choice in being a part of the Order and disagreed with their ethics, he understandably resented it. He was stuck there no matter what he did, even if he rewrote the Order's laws and left, as soon as someone more traditional stepped into office, he was as good as dead. The most he could do was disassemble it from the inside, so that one day, no one else would be forced into its bloody business. But that was a tricky thing in itself, as the Order is deeply ingrained into Renkoria's culture and is highly revered. Even corrupting it within Renkoria's own limits wouldn't be enough, someone else would one day try to 'restore' the Order to its former glory, thus making all his work just one small spot on their otherwise seemingly flawless history.
No, if he intended to kill the Order, he would have to turn it into something much, much worse. The only way he saw was to extend its reach across the land and commit as many atrocities as possible, until no one saw fit to defend the Order without making an outcast of themselves.

Other: Enitan's parents were not assassins themselves, as being 'born into' the Order isn't a hereditary occupation. Rather, all orphans under the age of ten are put under the guardianship of the Order. In their culture, they consider it a mark of fate if you lose your parents and have the rare honor of joining the Order. However, this is so all the assassins of the Order are harder to traced, as their bloodline won't be easily mapped out (as no records of the parents or relatives are kept after they've been 'adopted' by the Order) and they won't have many contacts outside of the Order. His last name, Lusala, is a generic name given to all assassins of the Order.

Technically late, but w/e. :P
Edited a bunch, added some stuff, cleaned it up, changed other stuff... Just hoping this character seems a bit more 'finished' now, since it was totally rushed before. Also changed the order of content here, since I feel like the personal ambition is easier to understand after you've read the history. At least in this context.

[Xteven Xavier]

dammit, I was gonna do this will you let me post mine still? with a yes I can get it up tomorrow.

[Puffin]

omfg, how did I not realize I was quoting my post instead of editing it there. augh.

[Kamau]

Name: Lute

Title / Rank: Traveling Bard / Leader of the 234^th Battalion

Homeland: The Town of Celtivar, province of the Delfar Empire

Race: Human

Age: 27

Height: 5'8"

Appearance: Lute has short auburn hair that falls just above his eyes and tapers off near his ears in small waves. His eyes are a deep brown that seem to take in everything around them. He alternates between having a short, neatly trimmed beard and no facial hair at all depending on his mood (and whether he's going for the "young boyish" look or a more mature one).His skin is darkened naturally by the sun, and his ears are pierced through with small emerald jewels (one of his few admissions to any sort of wealth)

For the most part, Lute wears only slightly-fancier-than-normal travel clothes. Darn brown boots and pants, and a white poet's shirt with a royal blue vest. His main concession to the flowy clothes that so many of his associates at school love to wear is a navy blue cloak with touches of silver lining the edges. (Lute loves his cloak.)

Skills / Abilities: Lute has a way with words. He's mastered the ability of weaving sentences in a way that can make anything seem positive, down to "they've got us outnumbered 500 to 1." As such, he's become extremely popular among the troops as a morale booster.

His bardic background has trained him to be extremely perceptive and observant. Always on the lookout for a good story, it isn't unheard of for him to pop a question days after the initial conversation – one he wasn't even a part of, mind you – in order to get any facts he might have missed. (As he's never explained where his information comes from – in part because no one's persisted in asking – many people assume that he knows everything going on,many times before it even happens. In reality, Lute just has the uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time.)

Oh, and he plays a mean harpsichord.

Personality: As mentioned, Lute is very good with words. He is deliberate when he speaks, but fills his pauses with light banter that keeps his listeners occupied until he figures out the point he wants to make. (As such, he's also extremely good at multitasking.) His ability to(usually) say the right thing at the right time, coupled with the ability to make others think it was their idea to do something, has landed him a great number of friends – also known as people he can count on when he needs something quickly.

On the flip side, his background as a bard makes some inclined to believe that Lute turns everything into a story, and, therefore, an exaggeration. (He, in turn, is inclined to believe that associating with such people would be a detriment to his lifestyle, and so surrounds himself with other friends.)

Lute loves music. (He likes to joke that he's in love with himself. He follows this comment with the presentation of one of his many instruments, and then waits patiently for someone to get the joke.)This is a given, but is still mentioned because many of his fellows back at school would say he "didn't have the passion" for his lifestyle that they did. This couldn't be farther from the truth –it's just that, unlike them, Lute isn't satisfied with perfecting the songs that have already been sung, nor with the material that everyone else is working with. He shows this through an itch to constantly be on the move, never staying in one place for too long – at least, not until he found himself in the company of Lord Bolshivar.

Only then did the possibilities suddenly become endless.

Personal Ambition: To find "The Song". The Song of legends. The Song that will be sung, The Tale that will be told for generations to come. I can sense it, brimming beneath the surface, waiting for The One to bring it to life.

History: Lute isn't his real name, but it's the only thing you'll get from him aside from a dance around the subject. You also won't get any information on where he came from past a town name. To Lute, the past is in the past, and is no place for a bard to dwell. He left his family behind to pursue his love for music at the most prestigious bardic school in the Delfar Empire, but, despite the initial shine of promise, Lute soon found himself firmly at the bottom of the class. Not for lack of talent, mind you,but for lack of interest. To Lute, the school was unable to offer him what he needed to reach his goal of finding what no one had ever found before. School quickly became the reluctant means to an end. (The only reason he stayed was the necessity of graduating in order to receive a Traveling Pass, which would allow him to finally pursue The Song in earnest.) And when that end was reached, he took his Pass and disappeared into the lands in hopes of finally finding It.

It quickly became apparent that the school hadn't been the problem – it was the land itself that was the issue. After more than 200 years of peace…the Delfar Empire was boring.And so when rumors came trickling in about a man thinking of disrupting that peace, Lute saw his opportunity to be on the front lines when The Song finally,finally came to light…and he took it.

Succeed or fail, this Lord Bolshivar was the answer to it all. And for the sake of The Song, Lute would follow him to the end of the world.

Other:

He hadn't wanted to be in the limelight. No sense of accomplishment ever came with telling your own story – no, for a story to be great,you needed to witness it being born firsthand through someone else's eyes.

That's why he turned down the other promotions. Oh, he had taken the first one when it came around, thinking it would help him on his quest. But he had quickly discovered that moving up in the ranks only decreased the number of people he came in contact with. People no longer shared their accomplishments with you when you had a rank; they simply reported to you.

It was a dreary thought, but he did with it what he could. He transformed the role of squad leader to one of a friend, a loyal companion who just happened to be above you. The men of the 234^th Battalion loved him, and he knew them well. Their names, their families, their stories. Each had come to him at one point or another, and he was inclined to think he knew them better than they knew themselves.

Somewhere within that group was a Song waiting to be told.It might not be The Song he was waiting for, but for now, it would do. He would watch, he would take it all in, and he would transform his men into the heroes of stories that would be told for generations to come.

[Xteven Xavier]

Name:Sand

Title / Rank:Brigadier General of Bolshivar's army

Homeland:Edge of the Delfar empire, just inside enough to be in it but still susceptible to raider attacks

Race:Human

Age:28

Height:6'2"

Appearance:A Fairly average looking person, no real distinguishing characteristics save for the above average Height. He has short, neatly trimmed dark brown hair, blue eyes and he never dresses Fancily. He looks at it like if they can tell who the commander is it makes their job of killing him that much easier.

Skills / Abilities:A master swordsman with astonishing intelligence in the field of battle and mostly tactics. He was actually valedictorian of the academy 15 years prior, being such a quick study that he actually excelled past his grade 4 times and was the youngest to ever graduate. He is basically a born General and thusly had become one of the youngest to ever be one.

Personality:He is a fairly formal individual who is a mostly Logical thinker, he very rarely uses emotion making any decision and only does what he has to do to excel He doesn't really have any friends due to his advanced intellect he never really was able to get along many people. He will tell you the fact of the matter and not really worry about any ones feelings because he doesn't view them as important. That is actually a very strange and confusing thing for him considering he really has passion for what he does. He has to block off his emotions most times because he feels such hatred for people because skipping all those grades and getting bullied had rattled his inner being in the time of growth.

Personal Ambition:To Kill General Bolshivar, and take Control of all his armies, that way he could watch everyone suffer as he did.

History:Growing up on the edge of a nation has benefits and it has disadvantages, primarily having your parent's killed when you are away at the academy on your 13th birthday. After skipping his final grade to be a senior in the academy at the age of 12. he was the youngest to ever even enter the final year. He had received nothing but honors and great reviews and
pats on the head from all the adults in his life all his life. He thought the world was all butterflies and rainbows. When he was young A high council member even took a special interest him him, a lord bolshivar. At this point in his life he thought he might get to be a council member eventually and it did indeed look like that was going to be the case, until the day.

the day his parents died was the day lord Balshivar took him in and began to raise him as his own, it wasn't until years after that he realized how valuable he really was to balshivar and did the math and the researchthat proved that balshivar had his parents killed and blamed it on the raiders but by then they already had an army built and he thought it would be an amazing opportunity to rule the world. after all someone had to make it safe for the parents of children.

[BottomGuy]

This has technically been over for quite a while, but I got distracted when the Werewolf game started as this ended and never got around to making it official. But now I am.

Congratulations Kamau and her character, Lute!

You had a clear win and I didn't have to be the tie breaker vote this time! Woo! Everyone created some great characters and I hope everyone who enjoyed who entered. We certainly had quite a nice amount of entrants.

Go over to the Triple C Discussion thread to vote on the theme for CCC #4! Do it now!

Until next time everyone!