rikunobodyxiii

{Jerod: The Tumula Village} Jerod has a sad little smile when the rakshasa made their move. It was always a disappointment when anyone gave into their base natures. Jerod dances out of the way of their first strikes, moving away from the others to divide the attention of their opponents’. While the others moved to attack, Jerod hung back to study the raks, getting a feel for how they moved and acted. Finding weakness and opportunity. “There we go.” He said with a smile as Galla’s summon formed. Springing into action, the Blind Sage pulled the sword from his cane in a flash. Closing on the Elder Rak, he sliced at the legs, looking to sever tendons in the legs. If everything worked out, the elder Rak would fall forward into the King of Skeletons’ attack.

{Jerod: Near Tumula Village} Jerod opted for silence as the group of hunters headed for the village, focusing on the area around them for trouble. He listened to the discussion on the dragon they were after. It was not a variant he was familiar with. He had been pretty sure he would need Lexa's help when facing the creature, now it seemed certain. He had hoped for a little more time to get to know these people before introducing them to Lexa, but the Call had its own timetable. And it still might come to pass that the Lady of Light would not be needed this time. Fate's dice were still rolling. The appearance of the rakshasa caused a subtle change of grip from Jerod on his cane. He liked to assume the best about people, but he had walked the winding path the Call led him down for too long to not take precautions. Especially when Pang lent his knowledge of the creatures to the rest of the party. "Let's hope they've already breakfasted." He said, breaking his silence with a little smile. The arrival of the elder gave Jerod a feeling of...something. He wasn't quite sure what. That was the problem with the Call. It seemed to delight in being vague at times. You just had to play its game. "Thank you for your hospitality, kind one." Jerod said politely, removing his glasses. He carefully folded them and placed them in a jacket pocket. "We have much to discuss." Now carrying his cane rather than using it to walk with, Jerod strode towards where the elder rakshasa indicated. He paused briefly to turn to his not comrades and wink a sightless eye at them. He would give these people a chance to be helpful and be helped, but he was more than ready if they lived up to their reputation.

Oh, nothing like that. Though the idea of it having kleptomaniac tendencies has crossed my mind.

Plenty would be fun to hang with, but the option I voted for was Roxas. I think he brings Sora’s friendliness without as much of naivety (not that hanging out with Sora would be bad, mind you).

@Mystics Apprentice adding a parrot familiar to Valery to aid in her communication, along with some scouting and fetching duties. Might have been a pirate in a previous life.

*eye twitches* one letter off... oh, I miss the Witch.

@Mystics Apprentice Gerik has no Lineage in Umbra. Or at least, that he knows of. His family tree wasn’t believed illustrious enough to be kept track of, so he can’t say for certain. Not that he cares. Might go with the NPC option for Valery’s interpreter, but haven’t decided yet.

Alrighty, finally finished my second character. Due to a verbal impediment,I’m trying to decide if I’m going to make a partner/interpreter for her, or have a magic item do that. Name: Valery Age: 26 Gender: female Appearance: Court affiliation (if any): Vivifica Weapons: Polearm Shotgun Magic: earth magic and limited light magic (focused lasers). “Gifted” with unnatural strength, stamina, durability, and regeneration. Familiar; a magical parrot who can act as scout, fetch small items, and translate her sign language for Valery. Personality: Valery tends to be blunt and to the point. While she is not tactless, she does sometimes view it as a waste of time. If she likes you, she'll hug you. If she doesn't like you, she'll not keep that dislike on the inside. While blunt, she is not unkind. When it comes to friends and colleagues, Valery is generally quite friendly with an odd sense of humor that pops up from time to time. She has little patience for trickery and deception. She is devoted to her Court, lending her indomitable will and strength to seeing the Courts goal of bettering the world done. She harbors a deep distrust and hatred for the Umbra Court. Due to her “condition”, she is constantly cold, especially to the touch. While she’s use to it, she does prefer warm drinks year round. In her off time, sun bathing (despite not tanning) and warm baths are her favorite indulgences. Because of her lack of ability to speak, she remains mostly silent. She will sometime uses grunts and simple shouts to communicate, but she primarily signs. (Translator likely coming). Background: Valery doesn’t remember much of her childhood. She remembers living on the street with her older brother Davide. It was hard, but Davide would always provide and keep her spirits up. Then, when she was 8, she remembers a dark night when a dark man came and took her, Davide screaming her name helplessly as she was taken away. The next thing is waking up in a lab, inside a cage. Someone was trying to speak to her, but she was so hurt and frightened, she couldn’t process the words. Acting on instincts, she broke out of the cell with her bare hands and ran into the night. She tried to find Davide, but he was no where to be found. A few day laters and giving up hope, Valery was found by members of the Vivifica court and taken in. It was discovered by Vivifica healers that she had been infused with dark magic, augmenting her physical attributes. The cost seemed to be her ability to speak, though she could still make sounds, and an unnaturally low body temperature. Despite this tampering, Valery was more of a frightened child than monster, so the Court took her in to keep an eye on her. Eventually learning sign language, she was discovered to have some magical talent. She was fully accepted into the court, despite the misgivings of some, given training in Earth and Light Magic. As she grew over the next 18 years, she would work as muscle for the court, sometimes working with members of the Ignis court towards common goals. In her off time, she still tries to piece together what happened to her and, more importantly, what happened to Davide.

Thanks! I’ve been wanting to play a “lawful evil” kind of character who’s code and goals are actually admirable, but it’s the lengths he goes to that mark him as “evil”. Gerik (hard g) promises to be fun and I’m looking forward to playing as him. I’ve got most of a Vivifica character plotted out and the start of Somnum (no preference to name) that might pan out.

First character. Still working on some other ideas, but this felt good. Though I apparently have FFXV on the brain when it comes to visuals, heh. Name: Gerik Lockford Age: 43 Gender: Male Appearance: Court affiliation (if any): Umbra Weapons: Sword and dagger Revolver Magic: Dark magic and necromancy. Specializes in Dark Matter manipulation. Personality: Gerik is usually pleasant and polite to those he meets. He’s well read, has a quirky sense of humor, and a love of art. This hides a manipulative mind who will use anything to achieve his goals. While he isn’t above using crude methods such as murder and blackmail to get what he wants, he prefers to engineer situations where people do his bidding unaware and of their own perceived volition. It is hard to tell if he derives pleasure from his work and dark whispers of his own vices chill even those of the Umbral court. What is perhaps most interesting about him is his atypical interest in society at large beyond the Umbral court. A truly keen mind could notice a pattern in his webs, in that many seemed designed to prevent order from being lost. Background: Not much is known about Gerik Lockford’s early life. Just that in his late teens, he was discovered with a talent for dark magic. He gained entry into the Umbral Court and then vanished from the public spotlight. Recognized for his talents, Gerik was made a fixer, an agent of the court intended to curb and manage the excesses of the self-centered organization. As the years past, he became more of a fixture for the Umbral Court, easing tensions, and making sure everyone had a place at the table. A few recognized the influence he was garnering, with access to many secrets and many people in his debt. Some tried to move against him, but his webs made most attempts useless. While many didn’t like him, his continued good health and work made everyone’s life more convenient and safe. What most don’t know is that Gerik’s influence extends to the other courts as well. He uses this influence to ensure that the balance of power remains intact and life proceeds as it always has. This business with Vivifica is just another mess to fix...

Thanks! He’s been bouncing around in my head for awhile. I’m very excited to get this version with Lexa off the ground. @Vaude I’m just doing some light introductions, so skipping ahead wouldn’t be a problem.

{Jerod: Haven; Shops} Jerod smiled a little at Hektor and Rhiannon’s greetings. The sound of Hektor’s cane and his greeting completed Jerod’s mental picture of the man. He was still a little fuzzy, but up close it wasn’t a problem. Rhiannon’s reaction to Jerod seemed guarded. He wondered if she had recognized him. He and Lexa were something of urban legends in their current form back home, and merely stories now for their lives before. “Oh, I’m sorry.” He replied to Rhiannon’s question. “Forgot my manners. My name is Jerod Montrachet. I am new here, though I have heard stories of Haven. Do I wait for someone to tell me about lodgings and duties, or should I go someplace?”

It is! I really liked that look for Noct and it matched up with some ideas I had for the early draft of Jerod. I also ended up borrowing from Ignis for the scar pattern, again because it was the closest I could find to what I had in mind.

{Jerod: Haven; Shops} Jerod leaned against the wall next to the gate room, silently completing a count down. Nothing. No signs. No tremor in the Call. So, it seemed coming to Haven was going to work out. For now, at least. The Blind Wanderer let out a deep breath before pushing off the wall. Unhooking his cane from the crook of his arm, he made his way into Haven’s shopping section. His cane would tap ahead of him as he maneuvered between shops and shoppers, sampling the sounds and smells of this new place. He paused by some escalators, the sound of a conversation filtering through. “...for our next mission...” The voice was female and seemed to be accompanied by one other. As Jerod stretches out with his senses, the woman seemed to...fit the surroundings, more than others. And her companion seemed slightly “blurred” to his blind sight, an effect Jerod had encountered in those who weren’t as confined by things such as “here” or “now”, even both, as most people. “Interesting.” He murmured before following after the the two anomalies. After an escalator ride, Jerod approached Hektor and Rhiannon. “Sorry to interrupt.” He said in a clear voice, coming to a stop a respectful distance from the two, both hands resting on the handle of his cane, planted squarely before him. “I’m new to Haven and still trying to get my bearings. Would I be intruding too much to ask both of you a few questions?” As he spoke, Jerod didn’t really attempt to give the impression he was looking at them. His dark sunglasses hid his sightless eyes well enough, though moving a little to his sides could get an observer a peek around them.

Oh, no. I got suddenly buried in work and didn’t have the fuel to get started. I’ll post later today, likely following @Scrapmaster‘s suggestion. I think I have a good line on why Jerod brought them to Haven, though I’ll probably need to double check something with you in a PM. (Sadly, no kudos for me).