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[Johnny Paradise]

 

Tally Ho, Adventurebound!

 

Intro

Spoiler

Once, long ago, an Empire ruled the world with the power of various artifacts. There were those that shaped the earth they walked on, those that let humans reach the sky, those that turned man to beast. The immutable power of these artifacts left no place for rebellion, for anything but obedience to the Empire that controlled them. To strike back against the Empire was, quite simply, idiotic. No one would throw their life away so meaninglessly, so the Empire was secure in their rule.

 

This complacency would be their downfall.

 

Using these artifacts against the Empire, nations regained their independence, and the powers of the Empire fragmented and scattered to the corners of the world. The power of these artifacts was the cause of much strife now that their power was scattered throughout the world. War was inevitable, and indeed the scars of war can be found in the ruins of Yunta, where we find the only written record of ages past.

 

Yet, where are the people we warred with? No matter where we go in this world, we cannot find any of the artifacts written about in Yunta, nor can we find any of the people of Juna, of Tendor, of Washi, of Feln—the only human beings in this great world of ours can be found beneath the Great Vane in Matala.

 

That is, of course, until we found the door.

 

Premise

Spoiler

The people of Matala are figuring out that they might not be the only people left in the world! In an exciting turn of events, the ghosts of civilizations past seem to be living somewhere in this world, hiding with the power of the artifacts that an ancient Empire once controlled.

 

Much like how the Matalans forgot, after about a thousand years, that those people existed, those people too have likely forgotten that there is a world beyond the one they locked themselves in so long ago. It is as though they have locked themselves in a vault, protecting their culture and their people from the horrors of war by removing them from anyone else.

 

Groups of scholars and adventurers are studying the ruins of Yunta, looking for hints as to the location of hidden civilizations and as to the power of the artifacts they are using to hide themselves, hoping to expand the world to its former glory. These groups are known as Seekers, looking to crack every vault in the world.

 

These bands of adventurers hire additional hands to help in the exploration, which is where you come in! Perhaps you too are a scholar wishing to study these seemingly magical artifacts of the past, or maybe you are a craftsman looking for foreign materials never before seen in Matala. Whatever your reason is, you make a living going along with these folks into foreign lands.

 

Tally ho, adventure awaits!

 

Locations

Spoiler

Matala, City of Beginnings

Spoiler

 

Once thought to be the world's largest, and only, city, Matala is a place of acceptance and adventure. Eager to take in new cultures and ideologies, the people of Matala were quick to embrace the people of Eligaas, and their desire to find even more nations talked about in their history could be aptly described as zealotry.

 

The Crystal Lake, Eligaas

Spoiler

 

After a large earthquake, a river that ran through the mountains surrounding Matala dried up. An investigating party found, where a waterfall used to run, a door. The door led into the mountain, where they found the people that lived around the Crystal Lake, Eligaas. In a temple at the highest point of Eligaas, they found an artifact from which an endless font of water flowed. Broken by the earthquake, the river it fed out into Matalan lands dried up.

 

The people are more reticent than the Matalans, and their skin is darker. They value privacy, but are still quite curious about the Matalans and of the world outside their cavernous home.

 

Artifacts

Spoiler

There are two general categories for artifacts: lesser and greater. Lesser artifacts are not common, necessarily, but they aren't that out of the ordinary. Often the focus of a collector's obsession, or perhaps a family heirloom, there are quite a variety of useful knickknacks found throughout Matala and Eligaas. Greater artifacts are much more powerful, and only two are currently known: Matala's Great Vane, which controls the weather, and the Endless River in Eligaas, which broke during the earthquake.

 

You will all receive an artifact to start with, but it will be distributed by me. You will be able to find many more during your travels.

 

Character Sheet

Spoiler

[Appearance]

Theme Song: Something for me to listen to while I read your character.

Name:

Age:

Gender:

 

Bio: A little something about you.

Purpose: Why are you exploring?

Specialty: A few things (up to 3) that you're good at--cooking, talking, playing the flute, cooking flautas...

[Unbelievably Majestic]

Vann West

Spoiler

"To stand in the jaws of adventure one more time. That's all I want. One more adventure. Always one more."

Theme Song: FLASH! AHHHAHH!
Name: Vann West
Age: Twenty-One
Gender: Male

Bio: I guess I've always had adventure in my soul. I just didn't know it until I was maybe four? Somethin' like that. That was when I made my expedition into the mysterious caverns of darkness. In reality I was just a very small child crawling under a very big bed sheet, in the dark. But nothin' had been so fun in my life. That coulda been the first time I realized that adventure was the thing I had been after. The thing that felt missin'. So I went headfirst into more adventures. I'm still movin' full speed. Takin' on every new challenge and experience with a grin. One of my favorite things to do is ta climb that great big windmill in Matala. You should try it. Work your way out to the very end of the wind-catchers. It's a thrill and a half to walk the beams as it spins round.

Needless ta say I've been in quite a bit of trouble in my life. I've always been seen as a wildcard. Unpredictable. I guess they're right. My problem is that I can't stop. I'm always on. Always gotta be doin' something to stave off the boredom. Climb a dangerous wall. Fight a dangerous thing. Eat a weird thing. Whatever. As long as it's entertaining. But nothing beats an adventure. Nothing tops shoutin' 'TALLY HO!' at the top of your lungs before ya jump into a deep hole to find out whats down there.

I feel like I should say more. But I ain't really got much in tha way of family or friends ta talk about. I mean, sure, people seem ta think I'm pleasant enough. But my... exploits, often leave them quite taken aback. Pretty often they almost treat me like a wild animal. I'm okay with that to be honest. While it's is a sad truth that no humans I've ever met have shared my passion for purely dangerous adventure. Plenty of animals seem to embrace life and, more importantly, adventure in the same way I do. So I tend to get on with animals. I have a few pets out and about in the mountains near Matala.

Purpose: The reason I explore is a very simple one. Ya might be disappointed. Ya see, I explore 'cause Im an explorer. Always have been, always will be. Adventuring is just a part of me. It's carved inta my core. Adventure is the wind beneath my wings. The wood that fuels my fire. It's the sole reason of my existence. To see new sights. Smell new scents. Hear new sounds. Taste new foods. And to have a heck of a lot of fun. Everything else gets boring. But not adventurin', so there's nothing more worth doing.

Specialty: I'm pretty great at climbin'. Like. Really. I climb pretty much everything. And I have a "hearty constitution" that others don't. I've eaten things others wouldn't even think of eating, drank more than anyone else in the tavern, and fallen from heights others wouldn't dare to climb to. All in one night sometimes. It may be painful or unpleasant, but it all comes out good in the end. Apart from those I don't have a great many skills. The only things the spring to mind are bravery and experience. Though I don't know if either of those are skills. They're more like, uhh... personality or something... I do get on really well with a lotta animals. They tend ta like me. Is that a skill?

Artifacts: The Holy Gr-Ale ~ A simple wooden chalice that changes the properties of any liquid you fill it with. Once imbibed, the liquid can do one of the following: ease aches and pains, get you drunk, make you sober, help put you to sleep, keep you awake, clear your mind, or cause you to hallucinate.

[Ilyse]

Spoiler

 

 

“The sword has never spoken. It’s just the sound of the swing and your head rolling off your neck. Yes, I quoted that from a book.”

 

Theme Song: Anna Molly – Incubus

Name: Jackie Kerrigan

Age: 17

Gender: Male

 

Bio:

 

Matala always seemed so small to Jackie. Perhaps it was because of his naturally violent personality, or the fact that the entire world seemed to be so boring considering it only consisted of one city. Of course, when he was feeling violent, he’d go hack away some scarecrows and be subsequently arrested for property damage, and if he wanted to be adventurous, he’d just hop around and do something silly to entertain himself and his sister, Ellen.

 

Neither Ellen nor Jackie were particularly fortunate or rich. In fact, it could be said that both of them were the poster children of poverty. That said, they weren’t homeless, but the little apartment they lived in consisted of a kitchen with a tub and toilet in the corner, in which Ellen and Jackie set up a curtain to try and create a sense of privacy, and a single bed in which both children would spend the night, using each other and their single blanket to keep warm.

 

Ellen was fine with this sort of life, and she was just the sweetest girl. She had another ten years before she became an adult, and Jackie would not have her suffer through the conditions she does.

 

When new civilizations were discovered and as a result, more opportunities, Jackie could not help but jump at the chance to explore and make some money with the skills he wanted to display. Perhaps all the shadow fencing and the destroyed property gave Jackie a magical talent at the sword, but the boy could attest to his skill. The chance to see a world outside of Matala was such a promise for an adventure.

 

Purpose:

 

Hm? People can’t just go an adventure for the excitement, the violence, and maybe the drinks? Fine. To raise some money and make sure his sister is raised into a nice proper lady.

 

Specialty:

 

Swordsmanship, taking care of kids, doing busywork.

[Mors]

Pascal Cesare

Spoiler

"To enjoy the fragrance of a rose is to accept the thorns it bares."

 

Theme Song: Emancipator - Safe in the Steep Cliffs
Name: Pascal Cesare, the Phantom of Matala
Age: 21
Gender: Male
 
Bio: 
The life of a master thief is both romantic and exhilarating, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I would know after all. No doubt you've heard of me, the Phantom thief Pascal Cesare - mastermind behind the theft of the Portrait of Jeanne, the heist of the statue of the weeping widow, the robbery of the grand merchant Adolfo. So you might be wondering why someone as famous as I would be doing, toiling away with treasure hunters and other riff raft in Eligaas? Well let me tell you. Like all great tales, this story begins with a girl...
 
"Open up!" shouted the voice from behind the door.
 
Isabelle got up from bed next to me, silken sheets flowing off her bare body like water. Nakedness suited her well. She was sweeter than her elder sister, sharper than her younger. Though beautiful as she was, at that very moment I had more pressing matters to attend to. The thing about beautiful girls is they often came with very angry fathers. This one in particular, Don Nicoletti Valdini, the biggest crime boss to ever show up in Matala, was not a man to cross. Though that didn't stop me from raiding his wares. Or sleeping with his daughter for that matter.
 
The door shook violently. "Cesare you snake, I know you're in there!" a familiar voice shouted out. I didn't stop to reply to the good Don, instead vaulting out the window into the bushes below. 
 
Landing is always important. I do a lot of falling and it's not how you start that matters so much as how you finish. In this instance, I finished less than graceful, heels to ass, chin to knees, half a rose bush up my nose and all the air driven from my lungs, but with no bones broken.  fought my way out and limped towards the garden wall, gasping for breath and hoping the goon squad was too busy with whatever it is they do to be poised and ready to hunt me down. I had a little over twenty years under my belt and a great long list of things still to do - with the Valdini sisters near the top and dying to a knife in my gut not even making the first page.
 
The Valdini's wall was a high and forbidding one, but it and I were old friends. I knew its curves and cracks as well as any contour Isabelle, Sharon, or Andrea might possess. Escape routes have always been an obsession of mine. I jumped the wall and landed on the street, less heavily this time, free and clear and smelling of sweet roses. But what awaited on the other side made my stomach curl.
 
"Well rat, it looks like your time is up," Nicoletti Valdini sneered at me with those ugly crooked teeth of his. Him and approximately ten of his goons. Seeing no way out of the situation, I put up my hands and did what I did best - I bargained for my life.
 
Purpose: Debts to pay, angry mobsters to please
Specialty: Thieving, Flattery, and Love Making

 

Artifacts: Mask that makes people forget him.

Edited by Mors, 19 June 2014 - 04:32 AM.

[Juro]

Sascha Naumberg

Spoiler

Theme Song: Visions

Name: Sascha Naumberg
Age: Nineteen
Gender: Female

Bio: Born into a family stricken with great poverty, despite being an infant, Sascha was left at an orphanage by her parents, hoping that through this method, they could at least bestow their daughter with a chance of having a better life. Their actions, although probably frowned upon by many, was fruitful in a way. With the city of Matala being home to hundreds of scholars, it wasn't uncommon to see these same individuals adopting potential apprentices and assistants from the many orphanages scattered across the city. This was the type of life Sascha was granted.

For the years that followed, Sascha had found herself a home in the Matala Menageria, an extremely large compound located in the northern part of the city that slightly extended outside the confines of the city. Here, her potential had been discovered and had rapidly bloomed as she was exposed to several hundreds of beasts, both common and exotic, and was thought by those considered to be the most skilled when it came to animals. Her talents further improved over the years and her knowledge continued to expand.

Amazed by her outstanding growth and never ending interest on the study of beasts, the scholars that had guided Sascha since her days as a child decided that it would be a waste to keep their young apprentice locked up within the Menageria. It was time for her to explore the world, come across animals that she has only read of, and even discover those that were still unknown to man.

Purpose: To expand her compendium of beasts
Specialty: Knowledge regarding beasts, her strong affinity to them, and her ability to handle them

Artifacts:

• Bestiarum Vocabulum - An encyclopedia that automatically fills up when you learn about a new animal. The information given isn't that extensive at first, but lets you know the name of the creature, its diet, et cetera. As you learn more about it on your own, the book will fill up with that information.

Edited by Juro, 28 June 2014 - 07:36 AM.

[XLegs]

Wallace Wayne

Spoiler

 

Theme Song: The Calling

Name: Wallace "Wally" Wayne

Age: 20

Gender: Male

 

Bio: 

Wally is the eldest of six children, born into the wealthy Wayne family. Both his parents are high-ups in the Matalan government. Pampered (by most people's standards) his entire life, Wally hasn't known much hardship. His parents got him the best education money could buy, with the goal of having him replace one of their positions in the government when he came of age.

 

But that thought disgusted Wally. They weren't at the top of the government. The positions they held were nothing impressive, nothing that had any real power. He was destined for more than just being a small-time politician. His siblings always followed him. His friends always looked to him when deciding what to do. He was born to be a leader.

 

And so he spent every second he had studying anything and everything that could help him with his goal. He first memorized every Matalan law, teaching himself to find loopholes and errors that could be exploited. He learnt about past leaders, studying what made them successful and what caused them to fall. 

 

He molded himself into what he perceived to be the perfect leader. Strong, assertive, committed, confident and inspirational. Two other qualities he deems important, kindness and understanding, he has more trouble with. He tries his best, but he does get annoyed quickly with people who fail at tasks and make excuses. As a leader, though, he feels it's his job to make sure the people around him don't fail in the first place.

 

Feeling he's learnt everything he can from books and the streets of Matala, he's decided to get field experience by joining a group of Seekers. The Artifacts he might acquire could certainly help him out too.

 

Purpose: 

Wally's ultimate goal is to become the leader of a powerful nation, whether that means taking one that already exists or building his own from the ground up. What better way to do that than to acquire large amounts of powerful artifacts?

 

Specialty: 

- Politics: Having heavily studied politics his entire life, he understands it's ins-and-outs.

- Swordsmanship: Wally often dueled with his siblings growing up, so he feels very comfortable with a sword. Though the main reason he keeps a fancy sword at his waist is to further help his leadership image. 

- Leadership: A natural born leader, he knows how to inspire, how to plan, how to use those around him to the best of their abilities, and he always keeps the bigger picture in mind. He has the utmost confidence in himself and his intuition. Once he has decided a certain way is the best way, he will not be persuaded otherwise.

 

Artifacts:

- A scuzzy looking hat that is totally unfashionable. When worn, however, people can't help but pay attention to you.

[Whirlwind]

Nicole, the treasure hunter

Spoiler

Theme Song: Who say you can't go home - Bon Jovi
Name: Nicole Sherman
Age: 19
Gender: Female

Bio: Treasure! Riches! Shiny things! I love them all! I'm Nicole, a treasure hunter. I was born into a family that didn't have much to start off with. I'm the third child of my family, and the only daughter too. My parents both worked hard to support me an my brothers, and I felt bad about them doing that while i laze around doing nothing like my siblings. So one day I decided to go out and find away to get money to help my parents.

For several days I've done odd jobs here and there. I virtually did everything from being a waitress to being a gardener. However, one day I found a shiny rock looking thing in an old looking place that I was exploring one day out of boredom. I knew a museum owner, who is also a good friend, from a previous job I had with him as a cleaner. I brung the shiny rock thing to him and asked if he knew what it was. When I showed it to him and he was astonished. He told me about how rich the history of the object was and asked if I knew if there were anymore of them. He also said he'd pay me to collect more of them. So I did, and wow... He gave me a hefty amount for them. Because of this, I now hunt treasure for easy money. I was able to get enough money to support my family and give my parents a break from their hard work.

Purpose: She has been employed to seek anything worth a high value or anything that has a significant history to it.
Specialty: Treasure hunting, Inspection, Navigation

Artefact: Four-tiered eyeglass lens that lets Nicole know the relative value of the things around her. Nicole has to have a person in mind to see what the relative value of the things seen, otherwise it just shows how she values things.

[Jod]

The Great, The Profound, The Mysterious Pynfure

 

Spoiler

 

Theme Song: 

It's A Kind Of Magic

Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIZFq3VDeUY

Name: The Great, The Profound, The Mysterious Pynfure

Age: 26

Gender: Male

 

Bio:

Baking Bread?! Is this to be my life? I asked myself, one day as I saw my self toil away in the Bakery with my mother and father. From deep in my soul a voice arose, powerful, commanding “ NO!” it said, and I agreed. I felt it from the minute I was born, there is Magic in my veins, so I knew the voice to be true, I could not would not waste away being a baker, there was a grand destiny awaiting me how could I waste it!

 

Your might say that their is no such thing as magic, that it is a thing of grandmothers tales. But I say you only need to look in the right places to find it,  for example let me ask you a question how are you alive, what is it that keeps you breathing, makes you, You? Why it is nothing but magic! Thats right Thats right Life and all it entails IS magic! This very fact of me speaking to you is magic! O daughter mine, that you are the damned most precious thing in my life IS MAGIC! Is Magic not wonderous, and that dearie is what I deal in. The tricks and flourishes, the smoke and mirrors is not the Magic, No, it is the smiles I bring to the audience, that I bring joy even for a moment into their lives, no matter who they be, or what they are, that dearie is Magic!

 

I know that the search for magic is tough, requiring resolute will and endless diligence, requiring a quick and adaptable mind as well as a strong and dexterous body. Yes, I know that I have spent my youth in this endeavour, and yes I know that it will never give gold to give all that I desire to give you. But when I see those smiles, I know in my heart that my path is right. So fret not precious, Saryie, their none greater at magic than I, and there is nothing that can stop me from finding a cure. There is an entire world unknonw, filled to brim with life, and with it magic. So heed not the physicians word, this sickness of yours is NOT incurable. I know there is a cure, I know It!

 

However to find this cure I must bid adieu my dear, my sweetest. I know you will miss me and you know I will miss you, but know this no matter how far apart we are, I am always beside you. Being the great magician I am, I will give you a magical charm, this medallion. Whenever you are troubled and need me, speak to this medallion and you can be sure that it will give you courage and strength, keep it with you always. So sleep my child, and cry no more…..

 

Purpose: To find a cure for an incurable slow wasting sickness inflicting his daughter Saryie

Specialty:

Magic!( The smoke and mirrors, sleight of hand kind)

Persuasion

Dexterity

 

[VorgX]

Spoiler

 

 

Theme:

Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG6kZuzPha4

 

Name: Zaire Sahin

Age: 23

Gender: Male

 

Bio:

Ever since Zaire was a child he loved to perform. It was always his dream to become a famous entertainer who was known throughout the land. A performer who entertained men, women, and children across the city.  Even at the age of nine he would put on small shows for his siblings and the other kids in Matala. Behind his parents backs, he would take knives from the kitchen and practice juggling and throwing them so that he could use this skill for acts in the future. This obviously led to some accidents and some scars here and there but by the time he was thirteen, he could do his knife act blindfolded.    

 

Zaire’s family was very poor, however.  His father worked in the coal mines for most of the day while his mother would watch over the other children. Zaire knew that he would have to live on his own soon, and seek the fame that he wanted so badly. Once the boy turned sixteen, he decided that being a street performer would be his first step towards becoming a famous entertainer. Though many people would come to see his various acts, the pay was small. Eventually the people became tired of seeing him perform his knife acts, and the crowds stopped coming. Zaire realized that being a solo performer with one trick in a single city, had become boring for him and his audience. Luckily there was a circus that would hold shows and acts for all of Matala to see. It started once every couple of months and it attracted a huge crowd. It seemed like it was the perfect place to take his talents to, while learning some skills for himself.

 

After years of having his own act among many in the circus, he picked up a couple of new tricks and skills that he could use once he went back to his village. Along with his juggling and throwing knives he learned to incorporate that into an acrobatic set. Zaire even learned to play the lute and bongos during his stay at the circus. Even though Zaire was making more money than he ever had made before he joined the travelling circus, he knew that he worked better alone. After saying his goodbyes to his friends at the circus, he set out to seek that fame he desired.

 

Now Zaire wishes to venture the land and bring joy to places that have never been seen before through music and entertainment. One day he hopes to become famous for his acts and songs, so that one day, people will sing about him as well.

 

Purpose: To bring joy through entertainment, and find inspiration for new music.

 

Specialty: Knife expert, acrobat, and musician.

 

Artifact: A pair of shoes that are too big for him. They flop around and squeak when he takes a step. However, they let him jump very high and land without being hurt from the fall. If you ever take a tumble, if you're wearing these shoes, you'll end up landing on your feet without any damage taken.

Edited by VorgX, 20 June 2014 - 04:53 AM.

[Ichihimefan!!]

Holly Montgomery~

Spoiler

 

Theme Song: Crystallize - Lindsey Stirling

Name: Holly Montgomery

Age: 20

Gender: Female

Bio: The Montgomery family is known throughout Matala for being the best jewel crafters and merchants in the city. People from all across Matala come to them for wedding rings, jewelry, etc. Due to this her family is quite well off and Holly has lived in the lap of luxury for most of her life. Holly’s father, Darian Montgomery started the family business back when he was a mere thirteen years old. But as he ages more and more responsibility has been thrown at Holly. She didn’t exactly ask for this life, usually she found herself daydreaming about what could be outside of the city. She felt trapped. She wanted to explore. But she couldn’t desert her family. The love of gems however did get passed down to her. The different colors, shapes, and textures that her father was able to create fascinated Holly. Due to the popularity of her family, Holly is quite popular around the city. Her beauty is often compared to the gems that her father sells.

Holly wants to explore. She wants to find gems that even her father hasn’t seen before. She wants to be recognized for her own greatness, and not live in her father’s shadow.

Purpose: Holly wants to find the rarest of all gems and bring them back to her family.

Specialty: Holly’s a pretty good cook. She has a wonderful singing voice. She has an eye for finding rare stones/gems.

Artifact:You get a looking glass that lets you see really far away. Like a normal telescope except way the fuck better in literally every way. We can also say it's fashionable if you'd like.

Edited by Ichihimefan!!, 20 June 2014 - 05:56 PM.

[Wandering Rogue]

Spoiler

"I wanna be where the stories are
I wanna see
I wanna see 'em happenin'"

 

Theme Song: Imagine Dragons - On Top of the World

Name:  Allen

Age:  36

Gender:  Male

 

Bio: What brings you round here, friend?  I don't much to offer you but if its a story, well, I think I can do that.  So what kind stirs your interest?  A new one you say?  Filled with action and romance?  And based on true happenings no less?  That's a tall task, stranger.  A tough one but one I can manage if your willing to content yourself to two out of the three.  I can tell you one you've never heard and fill it with all that makes a story worth telling but it won't be true.  I can tell you a new one that's true but it'll be duller than the edge of an old knife.  Which leaves us with the old stories that you know.  

Shameful isn't it?  All the years we've lived in Matala and what do we have to show for it?  Nothing that amounts to much.  The old stories are still great.  Lovely things.  I've been telling them for decades and used every trick of the trade to make them fresh and interesting but there comes a time when the well comes up dry.  I have no more cards up my sleeve and no more stories to spread.  I could make them up.  It's what I've been doing for the last few years and people like them enough.  Have even heard a few of my fables make the rounds back to my ears from another's lips.  It was cute, adorable even.  I could hear them for what they were though.  Desperate fictions.  I don't mind them from time to time but they are like a meal that doesn't fill you.  Like eating air. 

I want more than that.  Matala deserves better stories than the ones I can conjure.  They need real ones with meat to them that they can sink their teeth into.  I'm going to find them.  Tomorrow, or the next day you'll see.  I will walk out this door and find new legends filled with fresh faced heroes.  The drama and suspense needed for stories aren't here.  Not anymore.  If I want to find them I'll have to seek em out because that's what makes them worth telling.
 

 

Purpose: To find more stories. 

Specialty: Talking.  Writing.  Sketching.

 

Items:  A quill and parchment. No matter who tries to write with it, nothing seems to happen. But at the end of every day, the parchment is filled with a story, detailing the things you did that day. The narrative voice is very rude.

[ANIMA]

Avriitt Lightfoot
 

Spoiler

 
 
Theme Song: The A La Menthe
Name: Avriitt Lightfoot
Age: 22
Gender: Female
 
Bio: Avriitt was born a 14^th child in an otherwise pretty average family of Eligaas. Having to deal with so many children, Avriitt’s parents often neglected their youngest daughter, leaving her to explore the streets of the underground town by herself. In a sense, this young girl was literally raised by the streets, something which instilled her with resourcefulness, disreputable skills and, above all, adventurous spirit. Unfortunately, Eligaas was a rather small, peaceful place and peace is, well, kind off dull as far as Avriitt is concerned. So she used her connection on the streets to get a ride to Matala for an affordable fee and a few favors. Matala was everything the young girl hoped it would be and more. The great city provided numerous opportunities for the rogue of Avriitt’s caliber and she quickly discarded her old family name as a symbolic gesture of letting go of her past life and adopted her nickname, Lightfoot, as her new last name.
 
After operating for couple of years Avriitt’s thieving skills earned her great fame but also great many enemies. Following one particularly high-profile heist she found herself chased by a powerful mob family which had little patience to listen to her excuses how she didn’t know who she was robbing (lie) and how it was others who hired her and she just did their bidding (half-truth). After dodging a bullet for a good part of the year (sometimes literally), Avriitt decided to join the Seekers, hoping that it would get her out of mob’s reach.
 
Purpose: The main purpose is to stay away from Matala for as long as possible. Avriitt is convinced that no matter what she finds among the ruins and behind those mysterious doors, it will be less dangerous and less painful compared to what awaits her if mob gets their hands on her. Also, Avriitt hopes that if she acquires some powerful artifact and gifts it to her pursuers she might placate them enough to be able to operate again in Matala.
 
Specialty: Larceny, stealth, escape artist.  

 

Artifact: A stethoscope that lets you hear the heartbeats of everyone in a small radius (~15 meters-ish) around you. It only picks up heartbeats so you can see how many people are around and whatever. Does not work on animals.

[Vafhudr]

 

Spoiler

 

Theme Song: Kaze no Tani no Nausicaä
Name: Florence
Age: 27
Gender: Female
 
Bio: 
 
Florence has always been an energetic child - and a major source of anxiety to her parent. Already by the age of 5 she was climbing the highest spot on Malata's weather vane. By the age of 10 she was already roaming at the edge of the cities, playing in the fields and forests. By the age of 20, she had browbeated her way into the Medical Association and was one of the few girls who sat on dissection and worked in the laboratories. Not that she spent much time in the laboratories. She spent most of her time in the woods, in the mountains, and in the valleys surrounding Malata - in other words, in the land most people consider off limit. Her spirit is one of relentless and enthusiastic curiosity. Her passion, though, is ultimately for flowers and insects - and their applications for the health of humans. Medicine is a bit rough and backward in Malata, and after spending some time in Eligaas, she found that their own knowledge was not that better than their own. She did, though, took the opportunity to explore the dark caverns beneath and around the great underwater lake. Many species of mushrooms and insects dwelled in the poorly explore darkness. 
 
Her exploration and scientific efforts brought her a modest amount of fame, but she did not capitalize on it. She did not have time, or space, for people in her life. She spent most of her time locked away in her lab, treating her samples, or locked in her head, trying to figure out some missing links. Her correspondence with other members of the Associaiton had a tendency to pile up at her door, either from neglect, disinterest, or absence. For Florence was restless. She would disappear for weeks on ends into the wilderness - either looking for samples or for novelty and solitude. To stay in one place for too long, to see the same thing all the time, leads only to stagnation and rot - the bad kind of fermentation. Movement is life - and tiny spaces made her uncomfortable. Recently she began to involve herself with various Seeker groups - explorers and archaeologist of all sorts who scatter to the four winds in search of lost civilizations. She usually followed them as team doctor and participated enthusiastically in the research effort. She is also motivated by a sort of humanitarian instinct - it has been said that many of these old civilization contained knowledge of the medical arts that would make their own efforts look infantile. She yearned for that knowledge - and hopes to find it one day. 
 
Purpose: To find more material for medicine. Flowers, animals parts - whatever might lead me to the ultimate panacea.

Specialty:  Medicine, Hunting/Bow, Science

 

Artifact:  a lantern that, when lit, creates a light that only you can see. To others it seems as though the flame went out when you try to light it, but you get perfect illumination.
 

[Orcraniil]

The Scholarly Lyn Kessec

 

Spoiler

 

 

Theme Song: Time to Say Goodbye

Name: Lyn Kessec

Age: 20

Gender: Male

 

Bio: Lyn Kessec was born into a commoner family in your usual Matalan neighborhood. He fooled around with the other children, learned with them in the classes they did attend, but he never really stood out. He was an above average student and the teachers praised him often, but he never showed any sort of ambition or drive like the others. He always carried out his assigned tasks with little complaint, but was never really motivated to try his hardest. Everything he did was slow, ponderous, and not without heavy thought beforehand. 

 

It took 16 years for something to truly catch the interest of Lyn, but when it caught, it stuck. A band of Seekers passed through the quiet Matalan neighborhood where he lived and the other youths of the area gathered around and sat in awe listening to the tales from the adventurers. Lyn sat, listening to the tales, when he noticed a member of the group of Seekers sitting off to the side by herself, reading a book of some kind. Lyn's curiosity caught hold the moment he laid eyes on the ragged old tome, and he approached the Seeker. The Seeker was cute, but that wasn't what lit Lyn's heart ablaze. The book's mysterious writing and letters called to him, as if between the two hard covers lied an immense amount of knowledge. The female Seeker seemed to be at the very least amused at Lyn's interest, and allowed Lyn to thumb through the pages. She described the dark cave where they found the book as he scanned the cryptic glyphs inked on each page. 

 

Lyn sat, bewitched as the Seeker began to read the tome aloud in their own language. The tome held tales of love and betrayal, war and peace, of people at both their greatest and darkest moments. From this moment on, Lyn became obsessed with the lost records of the past and what knowledge they held. The female Seeker, named Ann, continued her visits to the neighborhood after each one of her group's adventures, and with each visit she taught Lyn more of the mysterious glyphs and what they meant. She passed on shortened versions of many other stories she had read that described artifacts of unspeakable power, but often commented she knew of none that existed and that the text could be a piece of fiction rather than truth. The curiosity raged within Lyn, and he spent the next few years studying and researching.

 

When he turned 18, Lyn set out to join a group of Seekers, his curiosity still burning fresh in his heart. He bounced from group to group of Seekers, and while most sought the treasures that lie hidden in the land, to Lyn there was no treasure more precious than knowledge. He spent 2 years traveling both solo and with groups, and could at the very least manage to survive on his own in the wilderness, he became somewhat skilled in the wielding of swords, though mostly as a means of self-defense. Lyn has no love in his heart for violence, but in his travels came to understand that one can never be too cautious.

 

Purpose: The Pursuit of Knowledge

 

Specialty:  Linguistics, History, Swordplay

 

Artifacts:

 

- Lockbox: If you put a piece of paper inside with a question written on it and keep it closed for an hour, the paper will have an answer written on it. The answer may or may not be helpful. If you open it before the hour ends, it won't work for the rest of the day.