Fire Emblem: Dissident [SU] [PG-13]

[Tangeh]

- Fire Emblem: Dissident -
(An AU RP based on Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
[Rated PG-13 for fighting and mild language]​

*RP thread
*Discussion thread

Long ago...

It is presumed that thousands of years ago, the young continent of Fódlan lived in relative peace. It possessed a large and diverse topography, and a few ancient artifacts showed its people devout in their worship of its Goddess.

The earliest recorded history of the continent of Fódlan, however, was not one of a peaceful nation, but of a conquered realm ruled by violence and disorder. The leader of the army, the self-proclaimed King of Liberation, Nemesis, sought to destroy and uproot the religion and values of Fódlan's people. Rather than rebel, many people sided with him in his quest for ultimate power, causing an epidemic of thievery, murders, and other crimes across the nation.

It has been said that the Goddess gifted Fódlan with the appearance of Saint Seiros, whose appearance brought light back to the land and inspired those purest of heart to establish the Church of Seiros. The Adrestian Empire was subsequently founded, which marked with it the beginning of recorded time. The Empire was said to be blessed by the Goddess, and in Year 32, the first emperor raised an army to unify Fódlan and fight Nemesis.

This began what would in present day be known as the War of Heroes. The allies of Nemesis clashed with the Empire's Imperial army. Among the allies of the Empire were the Ten Elites and Four Saints. These legendary figures possessed inhuman strength gifted to them by the Goddess and were able to use Sacred Weapons to great effect in the battle.

It wasn't until Year 91 that Nemesis was personally defeated by Seiros herself, but the war would not end for another seven years, at which point Fódlan had been wholly conquered by the Adrestian Empire.

Even now, one thousand years later, the descendants of the Ten Elites and Four Saints occasionally possess what's known as a “Crest”. It is believed that the appearance of a Crest signifies that the blood of one of the great heroes runs through their veins, and it has evolved to become an essential mark for nobility. The nation is run by the major families possessing one of the fourteen sacred Crests, and possession of the correct Crest is necessary for inheritance of this power. Noble families whose children are born without Crests have sometimes been known to adopt children of lesser houses or even commoners who have spontaneously inherited a Crest, just to secure an heir. Noble children born without crests are overlooked in favour of siblings with crests.

Hundreds of years ago, the Church of Seiros took it upon itself to establish the Officers Academy for these noble children in Garreg Mach – a central nation within Fódlan – giving easy access to all citizens, and together with the Church it became known as Garreg Mach Monastery.

Nowadays the Officers Academy primarily teaches noble children, but commoners are also welcome to attend, provided they can afford the very high entrance fee. Typically commoners that attend are those with special talent that have been sponsored by their village or a noble. Well known as the best institution in Fódlan for training in the art of warfare, students routinely engage in various competitions and are even tasked with real combat missions across the continent to help the people, gain practical experience, and affirm the strength and benevolence of the Church.

CONFUSED? THERE'S SOME DIFFERENCES FROM CANON:

• Neither The War of the Eagle and Lion nor the Crescent Moon War ever occurred. The entirety of Fódlan is still united under the control of the Adrestian Empire. Therefore, neither the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus nor the Leicester Alliance exist in this RP. That's not to say there aren't tensions within certain areas of the Empire, and lesser power quarrels have occurred between the noble houses over the centuries.
  
  
• Crests show up physically somewhere on their bearer's body, similar to Brands from previous Fire Emblem games. This marks an individual as having a strong blood connection to one of the Ten Elites or Four Saints. They typically appear either at birth or sometime in childhood, though the presence or absence of a mark can be detected by certain spells and technologies before it physically manifests. This could range from a large mark in an obvious place, to a small mark that is easily hidden. These grant an enhanced power of some sort, be it proficiency with a weapon, abnormally strong healing abilities, or faster speed.
  
  
• Crests are a universal requirement to become an heir to a noble house as proof of birthright (similar to how House Gautier functions in canon, for example).
  
  
• The basic map and Crests are the same, but we can rename areas / Crests and alter their powers to suit your needs. Political NPCs similarly will be altered from canon as needed by players.

The RP

You have been enrolled as a student at the Officers Academy. Maybe this was because you were born of a noble house and it is a basic expectation, or maybe it's a blessing beyond your wildest dreams that you were ever sponsored to attend. Either way, you've settled into your dorm room, made a few friends, and were just starting to get into the swing of your lessons. But political tensions are getting higher, allegiances are starting to waver, and the Empire is teetering on the edge of a civil war. Though students are routinely asked to engage in real combat missions, the tasks are beginning to hit closer and closer to home. Now in the odd position of being simultaneously sheltered yet having the ability to go where much of your homeland cannot, you must make a decision. Who will you fight for... and who must die in the process?

NPCs:

Spoiler: Professors

Professors:

Gloriana:
Reason, Faith, Bow, Sword

A brilliant scholar and powerful sorceress, Gloriana was coaxed into a teaching role in exchange for access to the church's resources to aid her own pursuits. Her intelligence on the topic of black magic were so groundbreaking that she served in the Army of Seiros for a period of time as a tactician, training the Church's army in magic spells and related strategies that had never been used before. Recently her interests have shifted to the science behind crests. Mysteriously, despite being well past the age where a crest should first appear, within the last year several crests – of indiscernible origin and unknown power - have intertwined themselves onto her right arm.

Moritz:
Axe, Brawl, Bow, Heavy Armor

His impressive height and generous muscles make Mortiz appear much more intimidating and imposing than he really is. Older students lightheartedly call him a big teddy bear due to easygoing nature and lax attitude when it comes to studies, often giving out bonus points for ridiculous reasons and shrugging off late assignments. Make no mistake though: his experience in the Imperial army have made him a formidable opponent, and outside of a classroom setting he is a ruthless opponent.

Estevan:
Sword, Lance, Riding, Reason

If not evidenced by his accent and odd marking under his left eye, Estevan hails from the vassal state of Brigid. The firstborn son to a high ranking noble family, he was shipped over to serve in the Empire's army as a teenager to keep up good relations with the mainland. A dominating commander in his younger years, his reflexes and talent are still as sharp as ever. A strict man who tolerates little except perfection, he's renowned for pushing his students to their fullest potential. Why he uses a cane and wears glasses is a bit of a mystery, as he doesn't appear to require either of them. He does have a habit of wielding his cane as if it were his old sword, swinging it swiftly to demonstrate fighting techniques or to deal a swift whack to any students acting out of line.

Indra:
Flying, Riding, Lance, Axe

Born with both an obvious Crest of Charon on her left arm and three elder siblings that bear the same mark, Indra was determined very unlikely to become an heir of House Charon. That was a good thing, as her interests lay very far from political pressures. Having had a way with animals from a very young age, she jumped at the chance to train as a pegasus knight. She served briefly in the Imperial army, but retired in favor of studying and teaching others the art of pegasus and wyvern riding. Her pegasus's name is Dalanie, and they are typically seen together.

Spoiler: Church of Seiros

Church of Seiros:

Archbishop Vitalis: The archbishop and leader of the Church of Seiros, and therefore also the head of the Army of Seiros and the Officers Academy. A level headed and compassionate man, he seems to exert a calm aura wherever he goes. His track record of good and fair decisions have earned the trust of devotees across the nation, and though he holds no actual political power, he holds good relations with the Empire's Monarch. After all, he's been tasked with training many of their top soldiers – and, now, their Princess.

Aislinn & Michan: Orphaned eight-year-old twins that now reside under the care of the Church. Their mother was a devoted member of the church, and the Archbishop took in her children when she passed away unexpectedly. Its only been in the last month that the Crest of Gloucester appeared on Aislinn's forehead. This is the only clue of their ancestry, as they otherwise have no known relatives. Well mannered and curious, they have an unbreakable bond and are usually seen exploring the monastery together.

Ivetta: The Head Knight of the Church of Seiros. Ivetta is a stern, serious woman who is deft with her sword and blunt with her words. Rumour has it that she possesses a Crest of some sort which has gifted her with her signature strength, but it isn't visible to the naked eye. In fact, she never allows herself to be seen without a full set of armor on, as she feels she has an image to uphold.

Remy: One of the newest recruits to the Knights of Seiros, Remy is more outgoing than the other guards and eager to prove himself. Something of a gossip, he is probably too liberal with telling outsiders the current goings-on of the army and the Church.

RULES

1. No god-modding / no Mary Sues (no perfect/ invincible characters. You cannot dodge every hit or land every strike!). Characters should be well-balanced, with defined strengths and weaknesses. Remember that you are still only a student, and would not be expected to be a perfect little soldier yet, and be reasonable with your Crest abilities should you choose to have one. The Academy offers training weapons to students for use without additional fees.

2. The character limit is one per RPer.

3. Your character is limited to a maximum of ONE crest, and a maximum of either TWO of ANY skill (see the list below), or up to three ONLY if they wish to eventually become a canon class in Fire Emblem: Three Houses that specializes in three skills.

Example: Your character could specialize in Flying and Reason [which does not line up with any canon class], or they could specialize in Lance, Bow, and Riding [which lines up with the canon Bow Knight].

4. Please do not use any classes that are canon in other Fire Emblem games but are not featured in Three Houses. (for example, Manakete)

5. Please ask if you have any questions, or want to suggest something to add to the world. This is a flexible alternate universe that will be melded based on the characters that are accepted into it. Please keep in mind other characters when you are designing your own and feel free to PM me if you have an idea for a specific niche in the plot that you don't want others to know about just yet.


List of weapon skills:

Sword
Axe
Lance
Bow
Brawl
Reason [black magic]
Faith [white magic]
Riding
Heavy Armor
Flying

Sign-Up Form:

Name: (first and last)
Gender: (sexuality can optionally be listed)
Age: (age 15-22)
Crest: (OPTIONAL, you can either use canon crests and modify the abilities to whatever you'd like, or make up your own. You are also welcome to rename existing crests)
Region / House: (where you are from. House would only be applicable to those of Nobel birth. Again, you are welcome to rename canon places or use existing names, just give a general descriptor of where this would be on the continent, or alternatively the region you are overwriting)
Skills: (recommended 1-2 skills from the above, maximum 3 if they correlate to a canon class)

Appearance: (minimum 100 words, avatar optional)

Personality: (minimum 100 words)

History: (minimum 100 words. Feel free to modify existing canon, but please be mindful of changes others have made and do not override them)

Other: (anything else not covered above)


RPer List:

1. Tangeh - Zella Redstone
2. Monster Guy - Princess Lillian Valecourt
3. Vern - Niko Arkwright
4. Schade- Luca Von Aurochs
5. GoldenHouou - Rowan Valecourt
6. Dragalge - Phina Bennett
7. TheSequelReturns - Risali LaFlamme
8. InnerFlame - Maximus Rothslyn

 

[Monster Guy]

Reserve for the princess of Fódlan plz

 

[Tangeh]

Gotcha, marked down. I'm not designing my own character until more people have gotten theirs out, so that I know what niche needs to be filled.

 

[Vern]

Can I get a reserve? I'll be Mon's retainer.

Name: Niko Arkwright
Gender: Male (Bisexual)
Age: 19
Crest: N/A
Region / House: Enbarr
Skills: Lance, Bow, Riding
Appearance: (minimum 100 words, avatar optional)

Spoiler: More Accurate (face)

Niko's most obvious characteristic is that he has fairly feminine features. Not enough to be immediately thought of as a girl, but definitely enough to make people pause for a moment to wonder if he is, perhaps, a somewhat boyish-looking one. His figure, which is on the shapely, slender side (built more for speed and agility than strength), does no wonders to dispel this image. His height is somewhat below average for a guy his age, although his typically relaxed posture, coupled with his tendency to stretch out whenever he gets the chance, makes him appear a bit larger than he actually is. He carries himself with the carefree confidence of someone confident in themselves, both in terms of their skill and their self-esteem. You'll often find him with a knowing look in his eyes and a faint smirk on his face. His eyes and hair are both a light grey, bordering on white -- he has noticeably long eyelashes and hair as well, often tying it back in a long ponytail for convenience. Considering his status as a royal bodyguard, his hair is often surprisingly unkempt.

In terms of casual clothing, Niko tends to dress as lightly and simply as possible, not exactly being someone who has a lot of flair (outside of battle, at least). He usually opts for loose grey clothes that mirror his hair and eyes, although he isn't exactly choosy, often throwing on whatever's close at hand and comfortable to wear or move around in. He also enjoys being barefoot, and will avoid footwear when possible. You'll often find him with a light turquoise sash around his waist -- he's very attached to it, and tends to wear it everywhere, even in battle. As such, it's a little bit worn and torn, but he takes good care of it. You'll rarely see it, but he often hides a small knife on his person even when outside of battle -- you've got to prepare for everything, after all.

When dressed for combat, Niko favours light armour, prioritising mobility over protection. He wears simple greaves and arm guards, as well as a shoulder guard that extends downwards to protect his heart area. His preferred weapon is a light spear, and occasionally wields a bow and arrow. Other than that, he more or less sticks to his normal attire.

Personality: Niko isn’t exactly the kind of person you’d think of when you think of a ‘retainer’, especially a retainer to the future empress. He’s aloof and often described as ‘cold’ — while he isn’t antisocial and can in fact be quite friendly, there’s a certain biting edge to him. Often people find that he gives off a vaguely scornful air, like he considers you a terrible person. He also has a sarcastic, somewhat accusatory sense of humour, which doesn’t do him many favours in this regard. He enjoys teasing people, and isn’t above abusing his feminine appearance to make others uncomfortable — even he himself isn’t quite sure if he does all this out of malicious intent, or if it’s just simple playfulness. Either way, he certainly does get a kick out of messing with people.

The concept of respect for authority seems lost on him: he’ll treat nobles and even the princess herself like just another person, much to the chagrin of many. You’ll often find him standing to the side of the room (if he doesn’t have a princess to protect, of course), leaning back with his arms crossed and a bored expression on his face — but don’t be fooled. While he often is bored, he’s always alert, and if you look closely enough you’ll find that even when he appears to be slacking off he’s always taking stock of the situation around him. Many people have tried to sneak things past him. Very few have succeeded.

Niko’s aloof demeanour and his lack of respect for most authority isn’t baseless — he’s confident in himself and his abilities, having always been able to learn new skills and get things done as long as he pushed on through setbacks and put in effort. To him, strength, both mental and physical, is the most important thing in the world. To be strong means that you don’t have to live life by the whims of other people, going to sleep every day knowing that your fate isn’t in your hands. His existential crisis as a young child left a lasting impression on him, and he’ll stop at nothing to ensure that he never has to experience that feeling of helplessness again. He’s done everything to make sure that he’s in control of his life, and that he’s the only one with that control. In order to maintain the strength that allows him that freedom, he isn’t afraid to work himself to the bone. And it’s paid off — because of his skills, the royal family tolerates his ‘attitude’ (so to speak), and allows him his freedom to do as he wishes. He sleeps comfortably at night knowing that even if they chose to cast him out, or he finally decides to leave this life behind, he’ll be able to make a living for himself.

This obsession with control over himself, however, doesn’t mean that he doesn’t care about others — even though he comes off as aloof, he does in fact form attachments to people. The most obvious example of this is the Princess — having been raised together, he treasures their friendship greatly and would loathe to do anything to jeopardise it. He’s also formed close friendships with many of the estate’s servants, and even though the two aren’t exactly close, he holds Prince Rowan in high regard for his role in training him to be a fighter. What’s more, he feels indebted to the royal family for raising him even after the deaths of his parents. If not for all this, he would have left this job long ago.

The truth is, Niko finds no joy in being a retainer. He dislikes interacting with nobles, disillusioned with all the manipulation and discrimination that happened all around him as people jockeyed for power — over the years he’s tried to protect princess Lillian from the worst of it, but he knows that there’s no real point in doing so, and has vowed to stop. He also dislikes the responsibility of having someone else’s life in his hands, and finds constantly staying alert to be both draining and profoundly unrewarding — it doesn’t help that most of what he sees isn’t exactly pleasant. There’s a reason he’s a cynic, after all. Despite his attempts to prevent it, some of the resentment towards the so called ‘high society’ he’s found himself embroiled in will occasionally seep through into his words and actions. None of this animosity extends to the princess, however. He’s more than willing to make sacrifices for her — although he isn’t sure if he’d put his life on the line if it came down to it — and if you so much as harm a hair on her head, you’ll be in for a bad time. Thankfully, you probably wouldn’t get a chance to — at least not under his watch.

Strangely enough, despite his desperate thirst for control over his life, Niko has very little idea what he’d do with it. Having dedicated his entire life first to being ‘useful’ and then to being ‘strong’, he has very few actual hobbies, or any real aspirations. This only serves to further add to his feelings of resentment and being trapped, and he often finds himself questioning the point of everything he’d done in his 19 years of life. Nevertheless, he regrets nothing — after all, anything is better than returning to that dark void of helplessness and despair that he’d painstakingly pulled himself out from.

History: Niko was born into a family line that has served the Valecourt house for generations. Both his parents lost their lives while he was still a toddler — his father to an unfortunate accident while hunting, and his mother to an illness that struck while she was still in poor health after a fairly troublesome pregnancy. Unwilling to cast out the one remaining individual of a bloodline that’d been in their service for a long time, the king and queen took in Niko as their own. He had very few memories of his parents, and for the majority of his youth considered himself (somewhat ignorantly) to be a part of the royal family.

From early on, Niko was paired with the princess (Lilian) and designated as her retainer (the son, Rowan, already had one). He spent much of the time playing with her, and the two of them grew quite close — he also became rather fond of Rowan, although they did not interact quite as much. He also received some training in how to be a servant from the more respected servants employed by the house, but they didn’t take up much of his time, and he didn’t mind them. All in all, it was a fairly idyllic childhood.

When Lilian’s crest first appeared, things changed drastically for the two of them. Suddenly elevated from being simply the retainer of a princess to being the retainer of the future empress, the burden of expectation placed on him increased exponentially. That, along with watching Rowan cast aside so suddenly due to his crestlessness, sparked the realisation that he’d been naive. He realised that he was wrong about being part of the family — and that if he didn’t prove himself useful, he too would be cast aside. For a while, he was tormented by this realisation, suddenly having had that sense of security he’d had for his entire life torn away, leaving him anxious and scared and feeling helpless. After the announcement, he was subjected to many, many sleepless nights.

But eventually, he pulled himself out of his ‘funk’, so to speak. The first thing he did was to formally begin learning martial arts. While he’d dabbled in it with some of the more playful servants and guards before, it was nothing but play — but now, it became his first priority. To be strong is what’s most important: if you’re strong, you’re useful, and you won’t be cast out — and even if you are, you’ll be able to take care of yourself. Surprisingly, Rowan offered to teach him (having a few extra years of experience), and Niko accepted gladly. Despite a few jabs thrown at him due to his feminine appearance (although more playful than mean-spirited), it was soon obvious that a natural talent for lance-work, and that, on top of his efforts, meant that he improved quickly.

Additionally, he began studying under other servants within the palace, juggling pseudo-apprenticeships with chefs, butlers, maids, guards, and pretty much anything you could think of. For a long while it was rare to see him get any rest at all -- time not spent ensuring that he could do everything well was spent assisting the princess with her leadership lessons and keeping her companionship. Even after Niko's sobering realisation that his usefulness to the princess was the primary determinant of whether he'd have a future under the royal roof, the two of them remained close friends. His relationship with Rowan, which was previously a little distant, also developed into a semi-friendship.

As Niko grew older, his efforts began to pay off -- the servants began regarding him not as a burden and an outsider but a coworker of sorts, and even the king and queen recognised the fact that he was growing into quite the excellent retainer. While he didn’t quite have a servile temperament, he performed his duties excellently and took pride in his work. As soon as he grew old enough to be reasonably expected to act as an effective bodyguard, he was quickly appointed that role with little drama -- his skill in battle, his penchant for being constantly alert, and his close relationship with the princess made it a no-brainer of a decision. When the time came for the princess to enroll at the academy, he quite naturally went with her.

Other: (anything else not covered above)

 

[Schade]

Reserving a character. Ill work on a su soon.

 

[GoldenHouou]

Reserving princey boi. He'll eventually be a Dark Knight, in case we're mentioning classes.

 

[Hydrangea]

Reserving a noble pls and thank you

 

[Dragalge]

I’d like a reserve too! I don’t know if I’ll be a noble or some filthy commoner but I should be able to make my decision when I’m not posting at unusual hours in the morning!

Edit: I'll be a filthy commoner!

Name: Phina Bennett
Gender: Female
Age: 19
Crest: None
Region / House: Fensalir Town, Southern Adrestrian Empire
Skills: Lance, Riding (To be a Pegasus Knight)

Appearance: Phina's height clocks at six feet with her weight being at 155.6 pounds. Her hair color is black and is curled up in a bun with a red scrunchie. In addition, without the scrunchie, Phina's hair goes down to the midway of her neck. Phina's skin color is a dark brown and her overall physique is healthy. Her eye color is yellow and she wears glasses as Phina is nearsighted and thus can only see things close to her without them.

In regards to Phina's attire, she wears a white, button-down shirt with a brown vest over it. Phina also dons brown-colored pants that come down to nearly the top of her ankles. For walking around and whatnot, Phina sports plain black socks with black shoes. Finally, Phina wears a gold necklace with a diamond in the center; this was given to Phina by her mother.

Finally, for battling attire, Phina wears a light blue Pegasus Knight tunic that goes down to above her knees. She also wears black stockings and sports blue colored boots just like her tunic. Phina also wears black-colored gloves when riding a Pegasus into battle. Phina still keeps her hair in a bun in battle despite the change in attire.

Personality: One of the first things that someone notices about Phina is how often she yawns here and there. Nonchalant, Phina is not known to erupt over certain stuff as she would rather nap on the ground than argue about something tedious for hours. Sometimes, she will even try to sleep on her Pegasus in the air during the midst of battle. In addition, her sense of direction is also bad as she has led newcomers into places far away from the monastery.

In academics, Phina is not a failure in learning contrary to her sleeping habits but at the same time, does not typically desire to aim for the highest grades. She considers "just enough to get by" as a good achievement herself. Thus, she prefers to take naps over times where one would be putting in more effort to excel in the monastery. Training for combat does not make things any easier for her as she will start slow in sessions before getting into rhythm.

Despite her tendencies to nap and such, Phina does care to protect the ones she loves. Granted, Phina might ask to nap over going into battle or attending class but sucks it up and just goes into the battlefield all the same. Phina's true desire in the future is to simply have a normal life without needing to fight which opposes her father's wishes to have her run his free company n the future. Despite Phina's father's wishes, she typically keeps this dream of hers to herself to not anger her father. Finally, Phina enjoys meat a lot as sugary foods will wake her up and she does not want that happening when she desires a bed to sleep on.

History: Phina was born under a family that runs a free company in the southernmost area of the Adrestrian Empire. Her father kickstarted Phina's training in combat at the age of nine despite his wife's opposition saying that at Phina's age, she should not be using weapons. He hopes that Phina will be strong enough to take over his family's free company one day when the time arrives. Due to Phina being pushed so hard at an early age, it caused her to get complacent and fall behind in training exercises. Because of this, Phina's father eventually sent her off to a lance-training school up north near the monastery at age thirteen. Phina's father hoped that the school would be able to mold her into a proper soldier for battle.

During her first year in the lance school, Phina was far from the top student. She would slack off in training regimes here and there as, like her father, the school pushed Phina a lot which caused her to get tired easily. The following year, all students had the chance to be able to partake in a rigorous exam that would allow Phina to go to the Garreg Mach monastery the following year. Phina's father strongly insisted that she passed that exam to get to the monastery or would be coming home to never be allowed to attempt to run his free company in the future. While this did not faze Phina per se, her father's words managed to drill into Phina's head in that she took this as her father giving up on her own daughter should she fail. Although Phina did not study rigorously, she managed to put more effort in learning compared to before. Once the results were in, Phina learned that she barely got by in the exam and landed the final spot to be able to to attend Garreg Mach this year. Before departing to Garreg Mach, Phina's mother gave her a necklace to keep as a gift before Phina went to the monastery.

Now in the monastery in her first year, Phina was often getting lost in the grounds due to how large and complex the area was. Phina even thought class was being held in the mess hall a few times. Despite this, Phina enjoyed how comfortable her bed was, stating that it was a huge improvement over sleeping on the ground inside tents, and would sleep here and there in the daytime. At age sixteen, a year after her initial one in Garreg Mach, she finally learned the ins and outs of the area. Phina used her knowledge of the campus to direct new students to where they wanted to go...only for them to end up getting lost themselves and having the school's staff find them. It got Phina scolded at a few times but she unintentionally kept continuing to lead students astray although it lessened each passing year.

This year, Phina was expecting the same old but with everything being more difficult in classes. The times where she can nap, eat, attend class, etc it was sure to be the most interesting year for Phina yet. As long as Phina got a decent bed to rest on and plenty of meaty options in the mess hall, Phina felt confident that she would do fine despite those hopes being rather strange to have over wanting decent professors and such.

Other: N/A

 

[Tangeh]

Reserves all noted! Sidenote that since there’s just the Empire, there’s therefore only one royal family, but I know you guys already discussed being siblings so marked you down as that.

 

[Schade]

Name: Luca Von Aurochs
Gender: Male
Age: 20
Crest: None. He has no crest and he is very bitter about it.
Region / House: House of Aurochs. The noble house of Aurochs hails form what canonically would be Holy kingdom of Faerghus. His family is of high standing in the noble society, and they follow the noble traditions to a point, and are very strict on bearers of crests and their role as heads of the family. As he was born without a crest, he was effectively evicted from the noble lineage and treated as less than garbage by a good solid portion of his family. His mother, however, managed to secure him an arranged marriage with a crest-bearing woman of another noble house to save him from total social humiliation.
Skills:
(Axe) Luca wields a forged replica of his house's holy relic, the Aurochs Axe. While not nearly as powerful as its sister-weapon, the actual holy relic Aurochs, it is still a formidable dual-bladed greataxe shaped and decorated to resemble an Iron maiden.
(Sword) While not his preferred weapon of choice, Luca is proficient in the arts of swordmastery.
(Corresponding to the Hero Class)
Theme song

Appearance: Luca is an averagely tall young man standing at around 184 Cm tall. He has a slim yet relatively muscular physique due to his regular handeling of heavy weaponry. His skin is pale with a slight tan, and is free of any natural blemishes. However, he has small scars all over his body from the constant abuse he endured during his early teens which are barely visible to the eye unless you know what you're looking for. Due to these, he norally wear clothing that covers most, if not all of his body. He has medium short black hair, which he keeps up just enough to let you know that despite his lack of a crest, he is still a man of noble stature. He has icy blue eyes, which emits a certain indifferent coldness, which again contrasts to his normally cheery laid back attitude. His face is overall symetrical, with high cheekbones and a chiseled jawline. He has a chin strap beard matching his hair, which he keeps neatly trimmed at all times.

For clothing, Luca dons a somewhat standard casual attire consisting of fine quality clothing. His go-to casual consists of a white shirt with wide sleeves which he buttons all the way up, covered by a black vest with the house of Aurochs crest on it. He proudly bears this crest as a big middle finger to his father face, as well as to establish himself as independent from the chains a crest comes with on the social ladder. He wears a pair of simple black pants to go with this, as well as forma footwear designed to tolerate a lot of activity. He doesn't wear any accessories to go with this outfit, as he considers it to be hindering to his movement.

For battle, Luca wears a pretty standard armor. It consists of a dark red form-fitting iron breastplate with matching shoulderpads. He also wears full iron greaves and gauntlets in a metallic grey color to go with this. Around his waist, he wears a dark brown leather sash, with dark red clothing surrounding it. He also wears a long black scarf with the family crest on both ends. Under the armor, he wears very form-fitting tights, as well as a tight black long-sleeved shirt. The armor is lighter than its appearance would suggest, making Luca able to move surprisingly quickly while wearing it.

Personality: Luca is pretty much everything you'd expect from a man of noble birth. He is charismatic, friendly, helpful and generally pleasant to be around. While he prides himself on being open-minded and kind to everyone he meets, he can't help but feel a sting of dislike and distrust towards those born with crests. Due to his background as a crestless noble and all the fun shenanigans that followed, he openly despise crests not only for what they represent, but also due to the fact that Crests are used as societal leverage by most nobles as a sign of their prestige when they themselves have shown nothing worthy to earn such respect in the first place.

Luca is a dutiful young man who just wants to do his best for the people. Always wanted to prove himself to be better than his sister has made him a formiddable solider, and he fights for what he believes in while supporting those he trusts. He tries to keep a positive attitude in most situations, and always have some sort of encouraging way of lifting the air in tense situations.

Touching upon his feelings regarding to nobility and crests again, he dislikes it when people bring it up in conversations, as he has more than once been scorned and looked down upon for his lack of crests, even going as far as to having been challenged to duel by crest holders of noble standing, whom he defeats mercilessly. He hates those who relies on their crests and use them as leverage, as mentioned, as he believs that training and bettering yourself both as a knight and as a person should determine your social standing rather than a shiny crest.


History: Luca was born into the prestigous Aurochs family, who are a family of noble descendants from one of the 10 Elites, named Aurochs. He was born second to his older sister, Hannah, in an attempt to provde a male heir to the family name, as is the norm with many of the traditional noble houses. Both of the children recieved the education and upbringing befitting that of a noble, and eventually Hannah popped her crest, pleasing the family, albeit bittersweet as they hoped Lca would pop his crest first. However, Luca never showed any signs of bearing a crest, making the suspenseful family grow impatient.

This again would peak during his early teen years, where his father would make it his personal mission to make sure that Lucas crest would appear just as his sister's had. Luca was put through vigerous training and hardships to try and force the crest forth. However, nothing happened, and his fathers methods started bordering on downright torture. While the rest of his extended family didnt know Luca didnt have a crest, his mother and sister grew increasingly worried. Not wanting a crestless son, yet still not wanting him to be tortured as he was, his mother was very torn between upholding the traditions of throwing Luca out, and finding a way to help him. She decided on the latter, and began her own personal mission while Luca endured his fathers increasing rage for years.

Subtly hiding the fact that her son didn't have a crest, as that would mean dishonor to the family name, Luca's mother somehow managed to arrange it so Luca could marry into a wealthy noble family of lesser status than them. The heiress was a woman bearing a Crest of Snoot, named Magnolia. Nobody really liked her, but in this case, it wasnt about liking someone or love, but rather finding a way to save her son from total embarrasssment. Reluctantly agreeing to this, if only to escape his father, Luca agreed, and would move away from the family manor at the age of 18.

While living with Magnolia DeSnoot wasn't as tough as he had feared, his situation was still not a preferred one, and using the family's resources, Luca would enroll himself at the Garrec Mach monestary's officer's academy to try and find a new and better life as a knight instead. Wanting nothing to do with the weird corrupt noble system, not to mention having to provide Magnolia with an heir, , he was glad to put all of that resentment behind him and start anew, promising himself that he would never go back into that structure and lifestyle.

Other:
- As he was physically abused by his father in his effort to try and bring fourth a crest, he resents the man, as well as the crests themselves and what they stand for.

- Luca is currently engaged to a noblewoman of another noble house: Madam DeSnoot. She is well over 10 years older than him, and he harbors little to no feelings for her.

- While his father has disowned him, Luca still bears the family surname. Mostly to stick it to ol' pa, but he also don't want to rename himself to DeSnoot... Ew

- He has an older sister named Hannah Von Aurochs. While she's just a year and a half older than him, she popped her crest years ago, which made her the favorite child of his parents. She is a loving sister and doesn't hold Luca to the norm of non-crest people. Despite that, Luca resents her for the special treatment she has recieved all these years, even though he knows he should be able to look past it. She understands this, and doesn't hold it against him.

- He is left-handed

 

[GoldenHouou]

i think im done bc im ded

Sign-Up Form:

Name: Rowan Valecourt
Gender: Male
Age: 22
Crest: N/A and oh, is he reminded of it every day
Region / House: Imperial House Valecourt, the ruling family of Fódlan. Theirs is a lineage that dates back centuries and places high value on tradition.
Skills: Reason, Lance, Riding (corresponding to Dark Knight)

Appearance:

Standing tall at 6'5'', Rowan strikes a proud, regal image. Though no longer the heir, he certainly carries himself as if he expected to become the future Emperor. Each one of his steps is taken with purpose, with a posture so straight it looks unnatural - or would, if it didn't come to him like second nature. He has broad shoulders and an angular a face, with a well-defined jawline. Having trained most of his life, more so in recent years as an attempt to prove himself, Rowan is well-defined and muscular, accustomed to walking around in heavy armour. Much to his displeasure, he has a "beauty mark" under his left eye. He finds it a nuisance. Please don't point it out.

The prince's resemblance to his sister is readily apparent, from fair skin to blonde hair and blue eyes - all traits long passed down in their family. In Rowan's case, his eyes are a deep, dark shade, with an equally dark look to them. He isn't very expressive, and tends to exude an aloof aura - at least, when he's not conversing. If one does dare strike up a conversation, they'll quickly notice that not only does he have a surprisingly warm voice, he can be quite talkative.

Rowan keeps his golden hair cut short and neat, as is most practical. He finds the silkiness of his hair a little unfortunate as it gives it a "soft" look (heaven forbid!), but there's little to be done about it. His hair tends to grow quite fast, so he has to cut it often to maintain it. He's also prone to facial hair, but makes sure to keep himself clean-shaven at all times. Like his sister, his skin doesn't tan easily - but the amount of time he's spent outside in the past few years has given him some colour, at least compared to her.

As one would expect, the prince dresses the part of royalty - but also seems in his element in armour. He would trade extravagance for practicality any day when it comes to combat, but on the hallways of the monastery, he makes it a point to remind everyone of his status - ever since it came to light that he bore no crest, all too many forgot, after all. He prefers blues and purples, and can often be found in garments bearing both. At present, he has a vest in blue and black, embellished with the royal emblem on the chest. A blue cape can be found draped around his shoulders, reaching the floor behind him. He has black pants and matching shoes, all made of the finest materials.

All in all, Rowan is markedly royalty, much like his sister. But while she exudes a radiant, warm light, he's a figure cloaked in a dark, chilly aura, ever biding his time.

Personality: Rowan is everything one would expect from a prince. Calm, poised and polite, he knows his way around etiquette and small talk, yet keeps an appropriate distance in all that he does. He rarely shows his feelings and is almost terrified of letting himself be caught at a moment of weakness. He believes that to earn the respect of his people, he must act the part of a perfect leader. A pillar to his people, unwavering, unflinching, and above the common folk. Only then can he ask others to follow. Due to all this, it's easy to mistake his distant demeanor for indifference or lack of feeling - when that could not be further from the truth. Underneath the practiced calm, he feels perhaps a bit too much. Rowan is passionate about the people and things he cares for, and is willing to go to great lengths to do what he believes benefits his people. There is no sacrifice too great when it comes to upholding order and justice, and he is no stranger to spilling blood. Those who would do others harm must be removed from society, one way or another.

Having spent most of his childhood learning from his father through means both direct and indirect, he still upholds some of the same values he's learnt - for better or for worse. A few of such values used to mean more to him in the past, until his personal experiences begun to conflict with them. Rowan used to make a very clear distinction between noble and commoner for example, yet his hatred for crests and the importance placed upon them by society at large has made him second guess that thought. He's still endlessly bitter over lacking a crest, and having his future crown stripped from him over something so seemingly arbitrary has made him wonder... aren't crests, age and gender all equally arbitrary means to measure merit and the right of inheritance? What of commoners, are they truly worth any less than nobles, simply due to how they were born? And if birth matters not... what does that make royalty? He fears to continue that thought. The land needs a leader. It needs someone to place on a pedestal, lest it all erupt into chaos.

For that reason, he hesitates to voice his thoughts on any such matter. He's as likely to help a commoner as a noble, but would not defend the former against the latter in public, unless he could find a proper excuse for it. In addition, he continues to demand due respect towards himself, and will not accept nicknames or any such nonsense when dealing with others. Unless you're a friend, and you're doing it in private. Not that he's... blessed with any friends, at the moment. He finds the concept of bonding with others complicated and everything that comes thereafter, such as friendship, puzzling and difficult. Not to mention dangerous; the last person he dared to care for died protecting him, and he's not about to let it happen again. He may not be ever crowned the Emperor, but he does plan on leading the country - one way or another.

History: Though he was born to house Valecourt a few minutes after his sister, as the only son of the current Emperor, tradition appointed Rowan as the heir apparent. The weight of a future crown defined his entire childhood, as his father wasted no time trying to mold Rowan into his own image. In addition to the usual etiquette lessons he took together with his sister, Rowan was also put through many an extra lesson and exercise to better prepare him for the responsibilities of a ruler. Tough as it was, Rowan never did think to question or complain, believing he was fulfilling a goddess-given duty. He had to be strong so that people could rely on him, and he could properly protect and guide them all. These beliefs were quite apparent in the way Rowan interacted with his sister in particular. The two were very close, and Rowan was very protective of his twin. Having learnt some of his father's traditional beliefs, he thought that as a man, it was his job to keep his sister safe, despite her being the older of the two.

Years passed and the twins grew, with no crest appearing on either of them. Despite this, the Emperor did not seem concerned. He bore one himself, and perhaps in part due to how much Rowan resembled him, he never thought twice about whether his son would develop one as well. The boy must've. So when it turned out that Rowan was particularly gifted in dark magic, far more so than his peers, the Emperor thought it a curious early sign of the Crest of Valecourt. Though the crest traditionally increased the power of healing magic in particular, the Emperor wondered if, perhaps, it had just taken on a different form this time. How exciting if so; it must've been a sign that his son would leave his mark in history for centuries to come.

Then, a little after the twins turned twelve, everything changed. The family crest manifested on Lillian's left hand - yet Rowan was still without his. Anxious and feeling slighted, the Emperor ordered a number of tests, some quite unpleasant, to be run on his son. The results confirmed his fears; Rowan did not, nor would he ever, bear a crest. The news came as a shock to the proud Emperor, and he was left with a dilemma: to keep his crestless son the heir, or to pass the right to his daughter - a woman, yet one with a crest. Either option was at war with his traditional values, yet the choice was clear in the end. Crest triumphed all.

If the news had shocked the Emperor, they left young Rowan absolutely devastated. He felt as though he'd let down not only his family, but also his country - and therefore, practically, the entire world. He'd dedicated his whole life to training for a future crown - a crown he would never wear now. The very foundation of his life was stripped away, and he had no idea what he had left.

Except bitterness.

Rowan didn't want to feel that way. He loved Lillian, always had. Yet to be forced to witness her take his place in every conceivable way was difficult to bear. And so, with his heart heavy, Rowan started to put distance between them. He immersed himself in the military side of things, spending long days, weeks, months practicing with guards and soldiers to better his martial skills. It was a way to let out his frustrations - and also to try and prove himself. Perhaps, he thought, if he could just prove his worth as the best soldier in the whole of Fódlan, his father would have no choice but to return him the crown that was, as far as he was concerned, rightfully his.

However, although Rowan did not want to spend too much time with Lillian in fear of starting to resent her, he didn't forget about his sister. Fearing for her safety - now more than ever, considering she was the heiress - he took it upon himself to personally train her retainer to ensure her safety. He was strict on the boy, but grew rather fond of him over the years - not that he would ever tell the other such at thing. The few words of praise he gave ought suffice. Such was the case with his own retainer, Leonard, as well. Though he would not publicly refer to him as such, he considered the man somewhat of a friend.

Which meant it hurt all the more when Leonard died.

An assassin had managed to sneak his way into the royal palace. He was caught sneaking around the hallways, seemingly headed for his sister's chambers. Rowan caught him by chance, and alerted the guards - before giving chase to the fleeing crook. He managed to catch him, and a fight quickly ensued. Just as he was about to deliver the finishing blow however, another assassin sprung on him from the darkness, blade drawn. All Rowan remembers is flash of cold steel and the sickening sound of tearing flesh. But not his flesh.

Leonard had managed to intercept the blow, taking the knife straight into his own chest. He died on the spot, with no dramatic final words - and Rowan found himself mad with rage. By the time the rest of the guards arrived, the assassins were no more. But though the prince was relatively unharmed on the outside, it left its mark on the prince. He blamed himself for the death of Leonard, and worried what would have happened should the assassin have reached his sleeping sister. If only he'd been more alert, Leonard wouldn't have needed to die. If only he was still the heir, his sister would've not been targeted. If only he was stronger, there would've been no problems.

He had to be stronger.

From there on out, Rowan had trouble sleeping at night, reliving the attack over and over again. For a few months, he stayed up until everyone else had fallen asleep, then checked the perimeters multiple times before he could even think of shutting his own eyes. He used the time he was unable to sleep to train instead, his motivation to become the best fighter in all of Fódlan now tripled. His poor sleeping habits continue, to an extent, to this very day.

The next few years Rowan spent training, until he felt strong enough to approach his Father. He told him of all his accomplishments and begged for a chance to show his might, so that perhaps, perhaps, he could get a chance to earn back the crown. His father would not lend him an ear. It woke Rowan to an unpleasant truth; no matter how strong he became, how good he was at anything he did, nothing could ever match up to the value of a crest, a symbol randomly granted at birth to a select few. It... was a devastating thing to realize, and yet he did not have time to mull over it for long. Before he'd had a chance to figure out what it was he wanted to do from here on out, he and his sister were sent to Garrek Mach Monastery.

And just like that, he was faced with a new set of problems.

Other: N/A

 

[Monster Guy]

Name: Princess Lillian Valecourt
Gender: Female
Age: 22
Crest:

Crest of Valecourt: Increases the effect of recovery magic. It appears on her left hand
Region / House: House Valecourt, the ruling family of Fódlan. The palace is located in in Enbarr, the capital city of the Adrestian Empire.
Skills: Faith, Lance, Riding (corresponding to Holy Knight)

Appearance: Lillian stands at exactly six feet tall. She's used to being the tallest woman in the room at any given time. She has perfect posture, something that has been ingrained into her since young. She moves with elegance and grace. Things a princess should always have. She has a slender build, but still has a feminine figure. She was born with fair skin that does not tan easily. Her hair is long, silky smooth, and perfectly straight. It’s naturally blonde, and and her bangs are side swept. She normally wears it down, but does put up for occasions that require it. She has a heart shaped face, with a small upturned nose, and her features are soft and feminine. She has bright blue eyes, a feature that is common in her family.

When it comes to clothing, Lillian wears only the best. Her royal gowns are made from the finest silks and fabrics you can get. She wears elaborate gowns around the palace, usually in various shades of purple, the color of the Royal family. Around the academy, she wears a more practical purple dress and overcoat. It is still made from expensive fabrics most people can’t afford. On her feet are purple boots that are more comfortable than the heels she often wears around the palace. She also wears a lot of gold jewelry, as is common for royalty. Her most prominent accessory is her golden tiara that sits on her head. A symbol that she is next in line for the throne. She is never seen without it.

While in battle, she dons armor made especially for her. It is lavender in color, and has intricate designs carved into it. Her entire body is covered with matching chestplate, greaves, gauntlets, shoulder pads, and cussies. She also wears tall lavender boots. She dons a purple cape, and her signature gold tiara on top of her head. Under the armor, she wears a form fitting long sleeved purple bodysuit, and tights. She rides into battle on top of her golden horse, named Apollo.

Personality: Lilian is a true princess, and carries herself as such. Since birth, she was taught to be elegant and graceful at all times, and still holds herself to those standards. She's a cool, calm, and collected young woman, who can keep a level-head when going into stressful situations. Her calmness also means she doesn't openly show her emotions too often. She is very slow to anger, and if she finds something funny the most you'll get is a smirk. When she talks to someone, she'll be blunt and get straight to the point. Lilian is not shy and submissive in the slightest. She was trained to be the Emperor one day, which means she can't allow people to walk all over her. She will not hesitate to correct someone she deems is being rude.

Until she started attending the academy, Lilian spent much of her time on her family's estate. She was homeschooled her entire life, and taught all of the rules and expectations that come with being the future emperor. She spends a lot of time alone, or with her retainer. She doesn't have much experience dealing with people who don't work for her. She expects to be treated like a Princess at all times, and as such often doesn't know how to respond when she isn't. She also can be a spoiled brat at times. She enjoys living the glamorous princess lifestyle, being given lavish gifts, and having wealth to spend on whatever she likes. Lillian is eager to prove herself the best Emperor this country has ever seen. She wasn't supposed to be the next emperor, so now that she's an heir, she's determined to prove that the Goddess' will was correct.

Her calm nature sometime makes her come off as cold to others, but that assessment couldn't be further from the truth. She's actually quite friendly around people she actually does know. She does have emotions, it's just that one has to try very hard to get her to show them. In conversation, she is a great listener, who will quietly and politely take in and absorb what others have to say. She pays attention, and offers advice if it's wanted. She's also very good at calming people during bad situations.

She has a fascination with myths and legends, and has read a bunch of books about them. She is a believer of the goddess, and spends time praying while in the monastery. On the subject of Crests, she rather likes them. Hers gave her power, and a chance to rule when she otherwise would not have had one. She feels like the people that complain about them are only upset that they don't have one themselves.

History: The Emperor of Fodlan and his wife wanted to have children. It was their duty to produce heirs. They've tried many times to conceive, and would either fail to do so, or miscarry. After praying to the Goddess many times, the queen finally got pregnant, and carried the children to term. The couple was happy, and they were even more thrilled to discover that the goddess had gifted them with twins!

Lillian was born to house Valecourt a few minutes before her brother. Despite this, her brother was chosen to be the heir because tradition stated that first born son inherits the throne. For years, her brother was the one trained to be the heir. Even though Lillian and her mother didn't find this fair, they both accepted it, as that was the tradition. For most of their childhoods, Lillian and her brother Rowan were very close. They played together often, and Rowan was very protective of his sister. In addition, Lillian was also close with her Retainer, Niko. Whenever Rowan was busy, she would often play with him. As a child, she enjoyed styling his long silver hair into elaborate hairstyles.

Things changed when the twins turned twelve. The Crest of Valecourt suddenly appeared on Lillian's left hand one day. The same Crest did not appear anywhere on Rowan despite all the tests they put him through. So, right then and there, Lillian was made the next heir instead of her brother. Now she would receive the same leadership training her brother had gotten. Her mother was very happy that her daughter would be the first woman to carry the title of Emperor.

Gradually, the twins grew apart. Primarily because Lillian was so busy with her leadership training, having to catch up on twelve years worth of lessons. Her brother was also busy with his own agenda. Lillian didn't really have much time to spend socializing with others her own age. The only person she was really close to was her retainer.

At some point, she was also enrolled at the Officer's Academy at the Garech Mach Monastery. Mostly out of necessity. It was important for the future Emperor to be able to defend her country when needed. In Lillian's case, she also needed to learn white magic in order to properly make use of her Crest and support her allies. Despite being surrounded by others her own age, Lillian didn't have much interactions with her fellow students. She was preparing to be the next Emperor, she didn't have time for friends. The Companionship of her Retainer was good enough.

Other: Insists on being called Lillian, Princess, or Princess Lillian. Only close friends/family members are allowed to call her Lilly.

 

[Hydrangea]

Name: (first and last)
Gender: Female
Age: 19
Crest: (OPTIONAL, you can either use canon crests and modify the abilities to whatever you'd like, or make up your own. You are also welcome to rename existing crests)
Region / House: (where you are from. House would only be applicable to those of Nobel birth. Again, you are welcome to rename canon places or use existing names, just give a general descriptor of where this would be on the continent, or alternatively the region you are overwriting)
Skills: Lance, Axe, Flying (Corresponding to Wyvern lord)

Appearance:

Personality: (minimum 100 words)

History: (minimum 100 words. Feel free to modify existing canon, but please be mindful of changes others have made and do not override them)

Other: (anything else not covered above)

 

[Tangeh]

@Schade - Looks good, if you could clean up some of those typos that would make it a little easier to read. Accepted

@Monster Guy - All good. Accepted

@ Everyone else, I don't have a hard deadline date nor am in any rush, but it has been two and a half weeks since reserves were taken and we only have 2/6 people done, so if you could let me know if you're still interested in playing that would be great. (Vern and GoldenHouou I can see that you guys edited recently so don't worry about that; I can see you're still working away)

I'm still accepting reserves but am going to start piecing together plot devices incorporating the existing PCs soon / crafting my own character, so please let me know if you'd like to join sooner rather than later!

 

[TheSequelReturns]

I'll drop in with a character. Let me know if I've overlooked anything important or need to make any adjustments.

-+-+-+

Name: Risali LaFlamme

Gender: Female

Age: 19
Crest: Minor Crest of Indech

Region / House: The merchant town of Edmund. Legally adopted into the LaFlamme household, and the hier apparent of the small, almost influence-less family.

Skills: Sword, Reason, Faith (To correspond to a Mortal Savant)

Appearance: Risali could be mistaken for a royal retainer at first glance. Her purposeful stance, watchful eyes, and confident gait lend her the appearance of someone who's well versed in looking out for trouble. Her ever watchful eyes are the color of warm honey. Her hair is a cool color close to a minty green and the elaborate series of loops and curls at the top will grab your attention immediately if its prodigious length doesn't first. Her Crest is easy to miss, as it rests on the back of her neck. To top it all off, her armor and the lining of her cape are a striking magenta color. Put all the pieces together, and you've got a look that simultaneously catches the eye of everyone in the room and then tells them to look somewhere else.

Though her skin is well tanned and her hands bear the callused marks of a practiced swordsman she has suspiciously few scars and her armor is pristine in its appearance. Its hard to tell at a glance if this is due to her skill or lack of actual combat experience. Her armor is lightweight but effective, as befitting a nimble sword wielder. A solid and sturdy breastplate with shoulder pads is the main piece, beneath which is a durable and sturdy layer of leather-reinforced fabric. Slung across her shoulder is a small cape, black on the back and magenta on the inside. The cape is a little lopsided, and is suspended from her left shoulder. A flowing magenta fabric wraps around her waist, hiding the metal rings that reinforce it. Leather boots dyed to match her armor and black leggings complete her look.


Personality: Risali spent much of her youth the care of the Chruch, and it shows through in her demeanor. She's calm, collected, and has an eye for the small details. Not one to fuss over minor issues, she'll instead make light of any misfortune that befalls the party. Its an effort to calm nerves and quiet worries, something she does as much for others as for herself. Though she she holds no desire to be a knight of the Church, she still holds strong in her faith and its not uncommon to see her offer up a quick prayer before a battle, a meal, or at other small moments throughout the day. Even in her pursuit of the sword arts Risali trains with the inner focus and peace of a master. She learns the sword to better herself, not to hurt others. In a way, training with her blade has become as much of spiritual pursuit as her godfather's priestly duties. A way for Risali to let go and focus on the moment. To let the world fade out and her pain and worries with them until her only thoughts are the movement of the blade through the air, the sliding of her feet on the ground, the pacing of her steps and the twisting of her wrist seamlessly blending together. Her godfather calls it her way of meditating. Risali would agree.

Though she can be deeply spiritual at times and aloof at others, Risali likes to build a strong rapport with the people she works with. Making friends is important to her, as is helping those she can. Being from such a small town, Risali has been relatively sheltered. She is used to seeing the same small set of familiar faces day in and day out and the large assembly at Garreg Mach has her a bit out of sorts. She is as likely to get clingy and possessive of her classmates as she is to actively avoid encounters with those she doesn't know. She fears being alone and can be a bit sensitive to rejection as well. As much as she tries to keep up a facade of strong confidence, it is still just a facade and when it breaks she likes to find somewhere nice and quiet to recollect herself.

For someone of her station, desiring to become a knight of the Empire may seem like a long shot. But Risali has her reasons. She was still young when she lost her parents and that loss weighs heavily on her mind. She doesn't want anyone else to suffer needlessly. Risali has her sights set on knighthood because she believes that the Empire needs soldiers of strong moral stature. A sword without an honorable hand to wield it is a tool for killing. A prayer without the courage to act on it is wishful thinking. Both are needed. A sword for protecting. A call to action. Both are crucial. This is the compass of Risali's soul. The thoughts that guide her hand to lift her blade or sheath it. To say a prayer of blessing or hold back a string of curses. It with this principle in mind that she takes up her weapon and sets out to face each new day as it comes. Of course, despite her best wishes, there are times when taking a life is necessary. At those times, she doesn't hesitate. She strikes true and kills clean. One swift stroke, if she can manage it. Killing brings no pleasure for her, but she doesn't shy away from it either. Risali does what must be done to keep the peace.

Risali was blessed with a quick wit. She can spout off jokes quick and smooth and has no problem dropping compliments or partaking in battles of wordplay. She's used to thinking on her feet and likes to keep the momentum she's built up once its there. Once she's going its hard to get her to stop. And once she's called it a day its hard to get her going again. But this can make her stubborn to a fault. Its a flaw she is mostly oblivious to for better or worse. Not only does she try to press on no matter the adversity but she's quick at coming up with reasons why she should press on. Or vice versa during downtime. And any battle of words with Risali will be one long and hard fought. She can be opinionated at times depending on the subject. The things that are most important to her she places up on a pedestal and can't stand to see someone talk bad of them. But everything else she's content to keep her thoughts to herself or to make her remarks only to dismiss them herself with a snappy pun or a self-depreciating joke.


History: Risali was destined to be a simple farmer. Or at least, that's what her prospects looked like when she was born as an only child to Herschel, a wheat farmer, and Iona, a baker. It was a simple life in the tiny little town of Haven, located in the far eastern portion of the empire. Several times a year, her parents made the long journey to a larger town to sell their excess wheat and baked goods at the market to buy what they needed to get through another winter. Unfortunately Risali doesn't remember much of what her life was like in those days. Her time as part of a family was cut short when she was just 7 years old. Bandits were always a concern in outskirt towns like theirs. But their village was nestled deep in the fertile valleys. Perhaps a bit too far from a proper city and a garrison of knights.

It was the first time that Risali was to accompany her parents on their trip into the city. It was also the last trip of the year before winter. One last attempt to trade for the supplies they so desperately needed. But they weren't the only ones who needed supplies. Bandits had picked this road to stalk out, themselves desperate for food and supplies. Not long after leaving Haven, as their town's little caravan of carts crossed the second of several ridge lines, the Bandits descended. Though the villagers fought back as best they could, they were no match for the bandits. In the chaos, the young Risali slipped from the roadway and landed at the bottom of the ridge. Hurt and alone, Risali could do nothing but huddle in the forest undergrowth and listen as the bandits took everything from her. Eventually, she ran. She didn't know what else to do except to get away from that horrible place and go back home. But she didn't know where home was anymore. She ran and ran and ran through the forest aimlessly until her little legs gave out and she collapsed beneath a large tree.

When her eyes opened next, she was in a bed. A fire was crackling nearby and the room was warm. For a moment, Risali thought she had died. That somehow, the afterlife was a warm place with scratchy sheets to wrap around herself and stone walls to keep her safe. When the door opened a short while later, revealing a man in a white robe, she wasn't sure what to think anymore. She threw herself under the covers and asked if he was a ghost. As it happened, the man was not a spirit. He was Nolan, a priest of the Church of Serios. A bit older than her father, but not quite graying yet, the man told her the tale of how he had found her battered and unconscious at the base of an oak tree just over the ridge. He immediately brought her here, to this little local branch of the Chruch of Serios near the remote town of Edmund, and entrusted her to the staff while he set out to find her parents but couldn't find anyone else in the area. So he gave up the hunt and returned to look after the young girl. That was two days ago. With nowhere else to go, Risali wound up remaining at the small countryside monastery under Nolan's supervision. In time, the priest would come to think of Risali as a daughter of sorts, and she looked up to him as a father figure in turn.

Nolan did the best he could to raise her, given the fact that he had never raised a child before. He did his best to teach her about all the things in this world that were good and true, things worth fighting for and holding onto. He showed her how to pray and how to bandage wounds. How to speak with tact and kindness and how to stand up for herself. In some ways his lessons took root and bloomed in her. Risali grew into a kindhearted yet strong-willed young woman who was capable of looking after herself and concerned with looking out for others. In other ways though, his teachings had an impact he could have never predicted. As a priest , Nolan was inherently passive by choice. He did what he could when people came to him. But for Risali, who had taken no vows, had decided on no code of action, it left a scar on her spirit every time someone came to the monastery with a tragic tale or a trouble to forget. She could not sit idly by while people were suffering in the world out there. She had to do something.

And so, when she came of age, Nolan asked her if she wanted to become a priest. And she told him that she could not make that choice. Instead, with her stubborn will, she shot down every one of Nolan's protests and told him that she wanted to leave the monastery to find sponsorship for her dream of knighthood. It was only then, that Nolan told her about her Crest. He had noticed it on the day she had arrived, a small mark on the back of her neck. A place she herself couldn't see. But he had hid that knowledge from her out of a desire to keep her safe. As he knew that an orphaned child bearing a Crest would be sought after by noble families for all manner of purposes. Risali took this as a betrayal of her trust and stormed out of the room without another word.

From there, she knew she would have to accomplish her goals on her own. She did whatever she had to do to learn. She pestered visiting knights with questions. She sparred with anyone who would give her the time. She read every book of technique she could get her hands on. She devoted herself fully to learning how to master the blade in all its stances and forms. Picking a one-handed sword as her weapon of choice, she trained day and night. With single-minded determination she learned everything she could possibly learn on her own. But it wasn't going to be enough. Effort alone wasn't going to be enough. If she wanted to be the best, then there was only one place to go to train, the Officer's Academy at Garreg Mach Monastery. Risali took to entering every fighting tournament she could find, making a point to show off the gift of speed and finesse her crest bestowed upon her. Eventually, she found what she was looking for. A representative of small noble family by the name of LaFlamme approached her one day with an offer to meet with the family. She agreed.

Cassius and Miranda LaFlamme were not what Risali was expecting. They were nobles, yes, but they were a family in decline. Dignified and arrogant, but surprisingly welcoming to her, the noble couple were unlike any of the commoners Risali was used to. They were older than she was expecting, but had no heirs to speak of. Miranda was unable to have children of her own, a fact that caused her tremendous grief as she was the bearer of a Crest. But so was Risali. She heard their tale, and they heard Risali's. And in the end, the deal they offered was thus: They would sponsor her trip to the Officer's Academy, but in return she would go under their family name. And should she graduate and achieve knighthood? She would do it not as herself, but as the heir and representative of the LaFlamme household. It was nothing short of legal adoption into the noble house, with all the benefits and baggage that that entailed.

Risali had never wanted to be a noble. She was not a noble by birth. She knew nothing of their customs and expectations and responsibilities. But she had no other options. If she let this opportunity pass her by, she might age out of her chance to join the Academy and then her dream of knighthood would be as good as gone. So, reluctantly, she agreed to their terms.

Now there was nothing left to do but to tell Nolan the news. She had prepared to argue her case for leaving, to defend her choices if need be. But when she opened the door to Nolan's study and poured out her story, all either of them could do was cry and apologize troubles that no longer seemed to matter. Her last discussion with Nolan before she left for the Academy was one of honor and duty and justice. About the power of a blade and the weight of wielding it responsibly.

Other: Risali loves getting the chance to try out new weapons, and jumps at the chance to try out new types of swords she comes across. Though her skills with swords are exceptional, her narrow-minded focus has left her lacking in other areas such as tactics or how to handle other weapon types. Even her magical skills, both offensive and supportive, trail behind. On the other hand, her time with Nolan has given her a wealth of mundane skills such as cooking, treating injuries, and making herbal remedies.

 

[Tangeh]

@TheSequelReturns - Looks great, I love her! One question I had though was your note says that she doesn't know how to fight without her blade, yet one of her skills is reason? It's totally fine if reason is just something she's studying and isn't super competent with yet, I just thought that was a little odd. Accepted though!

@Dragalge @Hydrangea - Let me know your status please. If you're still working on it, great! But I haven't seen progress and I need to know whether or not to incorporate your characters into the plot. Thanks!

 

[TheSequelReturns]

@Tangeh - Ah, I'll edit that bit for clarity. Going to have Reason be something she is still learning for sure, one of those traits the Academy will help her become proficient in. But my main intention was to express how inexperienced she is with other weapon types.

 

[InnerFlame]

Name: Maximus Rothslyn
Gender: Male
Age: 16

Crest: Ravenmire Crest: Increases the power of dark magic attacks; the mark is located on his right cheek.

Region / House: Rothslyn noble household located in the northern Fódlan. The Rothslyn family are well-known as a magic-centric noble family. They recently have had a low number of crest born within the family.

Skills: Reason and Flying

Spoiler

Appearance: Maximus is a fair-skinned guy with very few blemishes that stands on the short side for a guy, around 5'5" (165). A quite thin build and small stature give him the image of fragility. However, the gentle yet firm look in his green eyes gives off a feeling of kindness and strength despite his physical appearance. Fluffy rose pink hair reaches down to about eyes in the front and rests at about the base of his neck in the back. The bangs are combed to the left side preventing it from covering Maximus's entire face. The dark-colored crest that covered most of his right cheek stands out on his light skin.

Maximus is dressed in the finest and highest quality of clothes that his adopted parents have provided for him. A prim white button-up shirt properly wore with a royal blue vest over it, some long black pants. The royal blue cape is often draped over his shoulders and a nice pair of dark brown shoes are worn on his feet. The coloration of his clothing goes from navy blue up to a light teal shade of blue.

Maximus's battle outfit is a dark navy blue hooded cloak with a dark red-trimming that goes down to his knees. It is made from thick and sturdy material and he has the hood pulled down over the top of his face when he wears it. Underneath the cloak, he has a loose-fitting blue robe and dark grey pants. Some heavy-duty black boots are worn on his feet.

Personality: Maximus comes off as quiet and somber individual at first. The boy doesn't approach strangers and tends to keep to himself a lot. There is often this melancholy atmosphere circling him as he is staring off into space. He is so often seen wandering alone in isolated areas that most believe that he's a silent loner. Much to people surprise, that dismal air around Maximus vanishes in an instant when he is called upon by another. His eyes light up, cheerful smiles appear, and kind mood comes from him.

Very friendly and even talkative, Maximus is a very likable kid that doesn't judge anyone despite their faults. He is kind and comforting, full-heartedly accepting the good and bad of everyone he meets. After connecting with another, Maximus will put himself out there to help them whenever they need it. However, because of his selflessness, he puts up with others' selfish demands and cruel behaviors towards him. No matter how much Maximus is being used by someone or malice to thrown at him, he will always forgive the person without a second thought. Thus, Maximus often gets trapped in vicious relationships where he is constantly ordered around and bullied without ever fighting back.

Anger, sadness, disappointment, stress, all the negative emotions Maximus has, he never shows it to another person. It's because he doesn't want others to worry about him... that what he wants to say but in reality, he doesn't want anyone to see the hideous, disturbing feelings he has. He doesn't want anyone to know all the pessimistic and depressing thoughts that fill his head. The boy keeps it lock in tight so that no one can find a trace of it. Maximus will seek complete solitude where he can let out the emotions, voice all the pain and stress that's building up inside. He'll suddenly disappear for a while when his negative emotions become too much for him to suppress.

When alone, Maximus never seems to be enjoying himself except when in the presence of animals especially horses and pegasi. Innocent happiness and much more comfortable aura emit from him. Unlike with other humans, he's able to be more relaxed and a bit more true to himself. He's able to speak and show his displeasure without fear of scorning and disapproving eyes. Animals have a soothing effect on him and calm him down when he becomes completely overwhelmed by his feelings.

History: Born into a commoner family, Maximus was meant to lead a common lifestyle. His family raised and bred horses and pegasus that were to be used for military reasons. As a result, he gained a strong love for the elegant yet powerful horses and pegasus. One of the biggest highlights of his childhood was seeing a lively baby pegasus born. That joyful moment was followed by the most devastating time of his life. Only nine at the time, Maximus village was raided by brigands. While his parents put up a fight, it all ended when they held him hostage and killed them in front of him. He might have died too if it weren't for the bravery of that young Pegasus that protected them. Knights from the nearby town arrive to drive the Brigands away but the death of his family left him sorrowful and alone.

After that devastating event as they were deciding what to do with the orphaned boy, his crest appeared on his face. Maximus became desirable to many noble families who wanted an heir but Rothslyn family manage to beat everyone else to the punch. Barely even having time to say goodbye to anyone he was sent off to northern Fódlan. As the adopted new heir of the Rothslyn nobles, they did their best to teach Maximus all he needed to be successful for the family. While not showing my promise in anything other than using magic, his adoptive parents were still encouraging and kind to him. It was something he could only reply with indifferently as a kid due to the losses he suffered.

Lance, the actual son of Rothslyn, pointed hostility and hate towards his new little brother. Maximus didn't respond to his attitude towards him either, which only infuriated him more. Lance reached the limit of his anger and physically assaulted him. It was then Maximus learned the reason for his hatred towards him. His parents' attention, his title as the heir and respect of those around him; Maximus had taken all that from Lance without even caring. He felt ashamed of himself. Trying to mend his ways, Maximus did his best to keep his depressing side to himself and appreciate what he had. Though it seemed too late for him to change Lance's hatred and violent tendencies aimed at him.

Despite his best efforts to be happy and positive, some days just were too much for him to keep it up. Maximus found himself wandering alone outside when he was particularly overwhelmed with negative feelings. It on such a day, he came across a runaway pegasus. He immediately recognized it as that young pegasus that protected him before he became a Rothslyn. The pegasus also seemed to remember him as well, since she immediately attached herself to him. With the Pegasus entering his life, it became easier to breathe and be more positive.

As Maximus turned sixteen and his family reached the limits of what they could teach him, they decided to admit him into Officers Academy to improve their heir of the Rothslyn even more.

Other:

Loves horses and pegasus and will gush with happiness over them when he sees them.

Most horses and pegasus feel comfortable around him.

In general, he is remarkably well-liked by most creatures tame or wild.

He has Pegasus that is named Zephyr. She doesn't like anyone other than Maximus riding her. She also has a scar near her left eye.

Maximus's brother, Lance Rothslyn, is also attending the Officers Academy.

Maximus has glasses but only wears them when he is reading or studying in private. There is a crack on the right lens.

 

[GoldenHouou]

Fffiinally, I'm done! Hope it works.

 

[Dragalge]

Alright hopefully my SU is good enough. Let me know if I need to make any changes!