[Characters] Halva's Newest Lords And Ladies

[dalarangreen]

Character Application: Rough Draft Name: Brood , First-born Tal'gos Race: Tiefling (Child in the Dark) Sex: Female Age: 32 Class: Rogue/Sword Sage/Hand in the Dark Alignment: Chaotic Good Deity: The Sword in the Dark Speciality: Sneak, skill monkey, assassin maneuvers, all of your ninja needs. Traits & Flaws: Pensive, Unsociable (just made some up for RP purposes) Bonus Skills: Knowledge: Slavery, Perform: Flute Description:   Granddaughter of Quip, a Tiefling who was Humility's Swordbrother, Brood has two short horns that jut out prominently from her undercut hair. One of the Hands in the Dark, Brood always wears two short-swords strapped across her back: they are the symbols of her freedom and adulthood as a Child in the Dark, and she bears them proudly. Other than her swords, the only other thing Brood is loath to part with is a tattered grey and black scarf with silver embroidery that is worn around her neck--a gift from her teacher and mentor Humility. Brood rarely smiles, and when she does it is more visible in her eyebrows than in her lips. Indeed, people who are well acquainted with Brood know to judge her current mood by her eyebrows as they are often the most expressive part of her face. People who don't know Brood may assume that she is unhappy, judgemental, or reproachful, but usually they are misinterpreting Brood's thinking face. She is often seen looking out into the distance or into the darkness, as if searching for something just around the corner or just beyond the horizon. Personality:   Pensive, discerning, and analytic are the first words which come to people's minds when describing Brood. It is true: Brood is frequently thinking about life--both hers and those around her. Hence her nickname. But just because Brood chooses to contemplate her feelings and opinions in her own head does not mean that she is unwilling to share them. On the contrary, Brood simply prefers to collect her thoughts before sharing them. Combined with the subtleness of her facial expressions, Brood can be perceived as emotionless or stoic. While Brood may be a slow but thorough thinker, in situations of combat and danger, Brood is quick and decisive. Her full nickname is "Brooding-Storm", and just like a storm, once it is moving, its arrival can be swift and sudden. Brood can quickly assess a situation, figure out where she needs to be, and what she needs to be doing, and then take action. Whatever thoughts, feelings, and questions that normally occupy her consciousness and replaced by an almost meditative clear state of flow and movement. The best analogy she has found to describe it is that it is like when you are playing a musical instrument and you become the music. This analogy, of course, only works with her musician friends. A talented wooden flute player, Brood finds that music is one of the only ways she can express her emotions and feelings to other people. Sometimes, it is also one of the only ways that she can sort out her emotions and feelings for herself as well. Background:   Family and Upbringing Family and Upbringing: As a child, Brood was curious and inquisitive. Of her teachers and family members, she would ask questions that were difficult to answer, such as, "Why do Fiends keep slaves?" and "Where do Fiends come from?" and "Why can we not visit the Freeborn if we are all free?" Most people would give Brood short and unsatisfactory answers, roll their eyes at her, or tell her to go ask her Grandpa Quip. The Tal'gos family is a family of the sword, preferring to speak through martial skill and actions, rather than through philosophy and words. If not for the fact that Brood was also quite talented with the sword as well, her teachers would likely have had even less patience for her persistent questioning. Brood's grandfather Quip, however, was always willing to humor Brood, patiently answering her questions to the best of his ability. This is one of the reasons why Quip is one of Brood's favorite people, and one of the few people Brood opens herself fully around. In addition to answering her questions and curiosity, Grandpa Quip would also tell her stories of things he had seen, places he had been, stories about Breaker and the Mother and He Who Comes Wrapped in Darkness. To those who thought Quip would never smile or laugh again after what had happened to his sword-brothers were surprised to see the twinkle in his eye when he was spending time with his granddaughter. During her time growing up, Quip's sword-sister, Humility, was another person who Brood enjoyed spending her time with the most. Aunt Humility (or simply, "Auntie" as Brood called her) frequently gave Brood tips with her sword work, cautioning Brood about the dangers of being too arrogant and too proud. Much as Humility looked up to Breaker, so did Brood look up to Humility. Aunt Humility was often gone traveling, on some mission or another, but perhaps that only encouraged Brood's respect and idolization of the woman who would ultimately become her mentor.   Brood's Swordright Brood's Swordright: Most Children's Swordrights are pivotal and life-changing events. In that respect, Brood's experience was no different. However, unlike most Swordrights, Brood's Swordright was part of one of the largest raids ever arranged. Critical information had been provided to Breaker about how to defeat one of Invidia's favored fiends, Thuktal, who held a large number of slaves. Thuktal had acquired a large number of slaves mostly to prove his worth and demonstrate how strong and powerful he was. It turned out that Thuktal's power was being bolstered by three magical artifacts he had stowed in different parts of his domain. Should these artifacts be destroyed, Thuktal would be revealed to be a much lesser Fiend than he made himself out to be. There were three parts to the mission: 1.) To destroy the 3 artifacts, 2.) To free as many slaves as possible, and 3.) to defeat Thuktal, should the chance seem portent. Knowing that the scale for this particular raid was greater than most, Breaker arranged several groups from different families in the First-born clan to participate in the raid. Four swordright's groups were charged with freeing specific slave encampments which were likely to see the least danger, while adults and veteran raiders from the In'ira, Tal'gos, and a few other families provided distraction, destroyed the artifacts, and attempted to strike at Thuktal. Brood's group consisted of five people: two from the Tal'gos family and three from the In'ira family. Brood, Violet, Later renamed Fallen LeafLeif, Velhan, and Peg. Peg was an adult, having already completed his swordright, and was assigned to lead the group as a security measure. Velhan was the only other person that Brood knew in the group. A fellow member of the Tal'gos family, Velhan and Brood had been classmates, training partners, and friends. Velhan was smart and good with a sword, in Brood's opinion, though Brood had never allowed Velhan to best her in a match. Velhan seemed to take it in stride, smiling at Brood and standing up after each match, even though Brood sometimes saw him clench his fists tightly (in frustration, she supposed). Calamity struck Brood's group from the outset. Thuktal just so happened to be visiting the encampment that her group had been assigned to liberate. Thuktal did this from time to time, visiting his slaves and forcing them to do the most pitiful, disgusting, and demeaning acts to appease his pride. None of the group were strong enough to take on Thuktal in his weakened form, much less before the three artifacts were destroyed. Thus This is one of the key moments which has reinforced Brood's belief that slavery must end in all planes.they were forced to sit and watch in the shadows while Thuktal tortured several slaves before their very eyes. This was too much for Velhan. Revealing himself before the Fiend, Velhan charged Thuktal in a desperate attempt to get him to stop. Thuktal was startled but soon laughed at the Child's foolishness and quickly paralyzed Velhan in his footsteps. Brood will never forget what happened next. The child now frozen in place, Thuktal began to taunt Velhan for his own powerlessness. "Always bested by your female-friend, fool?" Thuktal said, "Too weak to cause her to sweat even once. You envy her strength, don't you, boy? Hahahahaha! You want the power to defeat me. You want the power to defeat her. It is one and the same!" From the shadows, Brood had a clear view the scene. Brood knew that Thuktal was referring to her, reading Velhan's mind and twisting the truth. But she could hardly believe the expression she saw etched across Velhan's face: did he truly hate and envy her strength so? "Very, well boy, I'll give you power. The power to reveal those foolish friends of yours who must be hiding in the shadows somewhere. All you have to do..." the fiend began to smile, "Is beg for it." Thuktal released Velhan from his paralysis and Brood was stunned as she saw Velhan drop to his knees in prostration before the fiend. Thuktal laughed uproariously and Velhan began to glow a vibrant shade of green. Several things happened at once. Peg, realizing that Velhan's loss of will before Thuktal could jeopardize the whole operation, leaped from the safety of the shadows in an attempt to prevent stop Velhan's transformation. From somewhere in the distance, a loud crash could be heard, signifying the beginning of the Children's main distraction group attacking Thuktal's stronghold. Violet gasped aloud in horror at Velhan's continuing transformation. Without hesitation, Brood grabbed Violet and darted from their revealed hiding place, throwing Violet ahead of her and tumbling into the shadow of a nearby tree. Leif did not react quickly enough and was struck by an explosion of nearby debris, dislodged by a flick of Thuktal's wrist. Leif's ankle twisted and he cried out in pain. "Well, it seems as though I have more important things to take care of. Minion," Thuktal addressed Velhan, "Show me that you are slightly less pathetic now than you were before." And with that, Thuktal vanished leaving the rest of the group behind. Velhan stood up and when he turned to face Peg, his eyes had turned a deep green. Peg and Velhan began to cross blades while Violet and Brood hid amongst the shadows. "We have to help him!" Violet whispered to Brood. It was unclear to Brood who Violet was referring to: Peg, the immobilized Leif, or Velhan--an imprecision which greatly worried Brood. Brood took a deep breath and steeled herself. In hushed tones, she told Violet to go silently and finish their task. To free the captive slaves. Brood would do something about the situation here. Violet nodded and left Brood's side. Brood watched as Peg was pushed back by the corrupted Velhan. Velhan had indeed grown more powerful and Peg was unable to find a disabling blow. Unfortunately, Velhan was under no such restrictions and quickly found a life-ending blow on Peg. Upon slaying Peg with no remorse, Velhan searched the darkness calling out for Brood to reveal herself. He knew she was there in the darkness! Unable to draw Brood out with his taunts, he eventually strode over to the disabled Leif. Panicked eyes shown on Leif's face. Velhan threatened to lop off Leif's head then and there unless she revealed herself. Brood clenched her teeth tightly and waited. And waited. The opportunity to strike had not shown itself. Finally, growing too impatient, Velhan raised his blade and began his downward swing towards Leif's head. In a burst of speed, Brood shoved her sword deep into Velhan's backside just as Velhan's own blade passed through Leif's head, severing his skull from his body. Velhan shouted in pain and anger. Turning around, with the sword still embedded in his body he fell to one knee, glaring up at Brood with unmistakable unleashed hatred. Velhan gasped for breath, attempting to sputter out words, but could say nothing intelligible. Then, before Brood could react, Velhan fled with fiendish stamina and strength. Brood could not bring herself to follow him, though she certainly could have caught up. Instead, she herself dropped to the ground and began to cry, the image of Leif's recently removed head staring blankly upward engraved in her mind's eye. A few minutes later, Violet returned, and with her Sword-sister's help, escaped into the World between Worlds and the rendezvous point. For the next few days, Brood was completely silent and was often seen looking into the deep darkness of the Shadow Plane. It was Aunt Humility who eventually approached her. For a long time they did not speak. Then, Aunt Humility stood up and wrapped around a tattered and old grey-black scarf around her neck. "This belonged to my Sword-brother Smiles..." Aunt Humility then revealed a story about her Sword-brothers that Brood had never heard from her Grandpa Quip. The story was Humility's own painful experience of being the betrayer of her sword-siblings. Though others may have heard the story before, Humility had shared this story with very few individuals, certainly never in as much detail as she currently shared with Brood. When Aunt Humility had finished her story, she left the scarf with Brood, together with all of its unanswered questions. How was it possible that Aunt Humility, Brood's idol had done something so horrible? Had it been Brood's fault that Leif had died? Was it possible for Velhan to be saved? At what cost? To this day, Brood wears this scarf. It reminds her of the deep unanswered questions of her life, of the importance of remembering who you are and what you have done, and to continue to move forward in life with determination.   Wounds of the Heart Wounds of the Heart: After her Swordright, Brood earned her nickname, "Brooding-Storm". Her previous curiosity and inquisitiveness still was still a part of her, but no longer did she persistently challenge and share her questions with others. Rather, her questioning became more personal, self-reflective, and contemplative. This change is no doubt a direct result of her Swordright. Brood devoted herself to pursuing the art of the sword and quickly became well-known as a masterful Hand in the Dark, receiving a great deal of special tutelage from Humility. Breaker, feeling somewhat responsible for the tragedy that befell Brood's Swordright group, has made it a personal point to let Brood know if he learns anything of Velhan. Also, Breaker encouraged the heads of the Tal'gos and In'ira family to support Brood and her sword-sister Violet's relationship in the wake of their Swordright. This led to Brood completing a number of slave raids and missions with the In'ira family, and through these missions she has met Whisper and Screech as well as other members of their family. When Brood was 21, she found a suitable partner named Brick First-born Tal'gos. A kind and strong-willed man, Brood and Brick got along well because they both could communicate much without sharing a single word. However, unlike Brood, Brick was both easier to read and more expressive than Brood. So it is no surprise that Brick was considered the friendlier of the pair. Still, most in the family of Tal'gos could not imagine a more perfect bonding than Brood and Brick. They were together for four years before their relationship suddenly ended. Few people know why, and neither Brood nor Brick like to talk about it. In any case, most people assumed that Brood was at fault. After all, Brick was a kind fellow. What could he possibly done to ruin such a perfect relationship? This kind of thinking was very common in the Tal'gos family and resulted in Brood receiving dirty looks and being the subject of much negative gossip. Both because of Brood's own pained feelings about Brick and because of the gossip, Brood began to spend a lot more time with her Sword-sister, Violet, in the In'ira family. While never officially joining the In'ira family, Brood is certainly respected and welcomed by the In'ira family. Whisper, having shared similar experiences with Brood, was a great support for Brood. Brood has also become close with Min and her Sword-brothers. Bird has a unique understanding of Brood's difficulty in expressing her emotions, which has led to them being closer friends than others might expect. Brood was technically one of Min's sword mentors. Though, Min learned so fast, that it was sometimes difficult to say who was the mentor and who was the mentee. Regardless, Min sought Brood out after dueling Brood's own teacher, Humility. Perceptive as always, Min knew that asking Humility herself to practice with her would make Humility more than a little uncomfortable, and thus had sought out Brood as a practice partner instead. It was not long before Brood could scarcely keep up with Min. However, this, if anything, only motivated Brood to seek Min out more often. Brood felt like every time she lost to Min, not only did she learn something about swordsmanship, but also felt like she was learning something about how Velhan had felt dueling her all those years ago... While unable to join Min for her Swordright, Brood is nonetheless close with Min and her sword-siblings. All the more so because of Violet's recent (though unofficial) and Unlikely because of the difference in their sizes and appearance. Though if they love each other, who is Brood to judge?unlikely bonding with Geld.   Meeting with Shadow Meeting with Shadow (retconned): Whisper and Screech came to Brood one day asking if she knew where Humility was. It turns out there was some sort of mysterious fiend lurking around the encampments, potentially very powerful, and they were hoping that Humility would join them on patrol to help them sort out what was going on. After all, there had been no attacks despite that the fact that the fiend seemed to be following them. Brood had just happened to have sparred Humility earlier that day and so together, Whisper, Screech, and Brood sought out Humility. After explaining the situation, they set out in search of the mysterious fiend. It was there that Brood met the mysterious figure named Shadow. Brood was watching from a hidden spot nearby as Humility approached the woman, and overheard most of the conversation. She met with Whisper and Screech at the rendezvous point and was equally mystified as they were about the identity of the woman. Shadow looked at Brood knowingly, though Brood was unsure how Shadow knew her and her name. It was strange. Also the nagging feeling like they had met somehow before... In any case, Brood was not privy to the private conversation Shadow had held with Humility, but Brood knew Humility well enough to recognize that it had either been about that fiend Invidia or otherwise about Humility's tainted blood. Whenever those things were brought up, Humility was always appeared troubled. However, Brood knew better than to ask her directly about it. Hell, Humility avoided Min precisely because it brought up Humility's heritage. In any case, Brood joined the others in bringing the captured Prince to the Sword in the Dark. However, she was not invited to join them in travelling to the land of the Freeborn afterwards.   Involvement in Sharak Involvement in Sharak: Most recently, during the crippling of Sharak, Brood assassinated Jular, the Orphan Handler. Jular was a priest of Invidia working in Sharak, making false promises to children with no homes and parents who sought to make a profit from their children. While sometimes, acting as a miracle worker who gave great boons to the meek, Jular really just offered the bought and sold children in his "orphanage" to become the slaves of Fiends. As if being a terrible, awful human being were not enough, Jular was also chosen by Brood to be her target during the assassinations in Sharak because Breaker had passed along information that Jular had been rumored to have had dealings with Velhan. Thus, both Brood and her Sword-sister Violet decided to strike at Velhan when the opportunity arose. This turned out to be a difficult task, though certainly not out of reach for two veterans such as Brood and Violet. Mostly, the problem was that because of his dealings, Jular had been granted the protection of a number of troublesome, if weak, fiends. After defeating Jular's minions and freeing the current orphans, Brood and Violet confronted Jular about Velhan. Unfortunately, all that they could drag from his lips was that Velhan was indeed living and that Jular could confirm having had dealings with someone who fit Velhan's description. In addition, he had been seen by Velhan talking with the Enchantress, though this fact is not known to Broodsome woman from the Church of Inanna. Apparently, going by the name of Melissa. As if that were of any use at all. After gleaning as much as they thought was possible from Jular, Brood and Violet ended his life swiftly. Perhaps more justice than he deserved.   Another strike against Luxuria Murel is a particularly 2-faced fiend who hates Toy about as much as Toy hates him. Part of Luxuria's forces, Murel always envied Toy because of how Toy was favored by Luxuria during Toy's enslavement. This lead to Murel doing some rather unfortunate torturings that Toy will not speak about to this day. When Toy found out the Fiend was in Caldawn during the Fiendish Invasion, he almost left his companions on the spot to face Murel alone. Despite Min's godling status, Min's swordbrothers weren't comfortable leaving Min to her own devices. On the other hand, letting Toy go on his own mission for revenge without help was not prudent either, even if see resume below (Age 26)the relic they had acquired several years earlier would provide protection. Thus it was decided that Bird would stay to watch over Min and the rest of the gang (Geld, Violet and Brood) would go with Toy. The battle was hard fought. Murel is called two-faced for a reason: he had the ability to use his wit and charm to disarm and lure foes into a sense of security on the one hand, and on the other he could have a powerfully evil and fear-inducing side on the other. Brood was thankful that she had been given the relic at the start of the fight because otherwise, she surely would have been caught by the mental traps meant to disarm her. As it was, Toy was partially tricked (his prior encounters and life experience with Murel served him well) and while Geld and Violet struggled greatly, their burgeoning bond supported them in shaking off the Fiend's temptations. At first, they thought they had Murel tricked: the plan was that Brood would mostly hide in the Shadows and strike out consistently whenever Geld charged the fiend. In other words, Geld would serve as the main point of distraction appearing to do great amounts of damage while in actuality it was Brood striking from his shadow. However, Murel was aware of this trick and grabbed Brood when she wasn't expecting it. Once caught, Murel attempted to take over her mind but was rebuked by the relic. This provoked his ire and caused him to release his second face. Toy dismembered the hand that held Brood allowing her to retreat several steps before being struck by Murel's total wrath. The infuriated Murel spun on Toy, and forced Toy back. Violet and Geld attempted to provide support, but Brood was able to sneak up and attack Murel, taking off one of the fiends legs and severely wounding the creature. Toy served the fiend the killing blow. Toy whispered something in Murel's ears before doing so. There was very little celebrating from the crew afterwards. Something about the look on Toy's face just made everyone feel somber. But they were successful, and Toy was one step closer to striking a serious blow to Luxuria herself. Resume of Achievements:   Brood's Accomplishments in Chronological Order Age 16: Completed her Swordright with Violet (see above for details). Brick is one of the slaves freed during her Swordright. - Age 16-22: Nothing of note. Mostly continued to join Tal'gos family raids on the Fiends. Her family comes to recognize her skills at staying hidden and striking at the key moments. Brick completes his Swordright during this time. - Age 21: Together with Brick, Humility, and two others from the Tal'gos family, successfully stole a magical artifact from Bekkun, a fiendish servant of Avaritia. Bekkun and his minions had stolen this artifact from Invidia himself and was en route to deliver it to Avaritia, the Hoarder. - Age 21-24: Successfully freed many slaves in Fiendish raids together with Brick. Their bond becomes much closer. - Age 24: Violet, Whisper, Screech, and Brood defeat an elite group of assassins of Ira. They crossed paths in the World Between Worlds while the group was on patrol. No one is sure about what the assassins of Ira were headed out to do, but based off the difficulty of the encounter, it was clear that Ira had intended to do something rather big. - Age 25-27: Becomes more involved in In'ira family affairs, including In'ira family slave raids and also assisting in the Swordrights of several youngsters. Meets Zil during this time. - Age 26: Assists Toy in the recovery of an item said to be powerful enough to protect one's mind from Luxuria's influence. Bird suggested Toy go with Brood rather than go by himself. - Age 27: Joins Ir and the Young-blood Deadwings in an extended battle with the forces of Acedia. Recommended by Breaker for this task because of Brood's talent for targeting and eliminating single targets. In the battle, Brood struck several of the main commanding Fiends, allowing the Young-blood Deadwings to decimate the Fiends. - Age 28-30: Because of the troubling stirring of Fiend-worshipping and hints of something more dangerous happening in Sharak, Brood goes on several preliminary expeditions to Sharak. She meets Cypher during her time doing this work. Brood was selected because, despite officially being a Hand in the Dark, Brood is well-known to be able to hide and camouflage herself. - Age 31: Assassination of Jular together with Violet. - Current (most recent Fiend Invasion): Geld, Toy, Violet, and Brood went after one of the Luxuria's prize companions, Murel, during the most recent fiend invasion. They successfully defeated Murel. Current Goals and Aspirations To settle the score with Velhan, preferably by somehow saving him To learn more about what Nehrak is doing to change fiends (with the potential of learning how to change Velhan back into a reasonable Child in the Dark again) To assist in the freeing of the Mother To end slavery and Have to be ambitious, after allinvoluntary servitude in all planes of existence Roleplaying Sample:   A Bout with Zil The sounds of blades crashing in short bursts could be heard echoing down the corridor. 'How quickly does Zil learn?' The thought was brief, but even this momentary lapse in concentration put Brood on the defensive. Sweat poured down Brood's brow as she brought both of her blades upwards to defend another mighty blow from Zil. Dropping low to the ground and twisting around in the opposite direction, Brood attempted to trip Zil with the back side of her leg. Zil easily evaded the attack by jumping backwards, but this relieved the pressure from Brood and allowed her to tumble behind a nearby boulder. Already today, Brood and Zil had fought four matches. Brood had only been able to best Zil in one of them. It seemed that the more that they practiced together, the more that Brood's record against Zil was steadily declining. Brood had taken a moment too long to catch her breath. Behind her there was a loud cracking sound, and before Brood could react, the boulder behind her split apart, some of the scattered pieces bludgeoning her backside and sending her flying to the ground. Brood rolled over to stare upwards at the ceiling. Though the cavern ceiling was more than twenty feet above her, she could still see the lines and grooves of the rocks all going more or less north-south. How many times had Velhan seen a similar view of the ceiling? Still looking up at the ceiling, she attempted to turn her head to follow the cracks and groaned. "That is going to be sore tomorrow..." Brood muttered to no one in particular, returning her head to a neutral position. A smiling face encroached her view of the ceiling and offered her a hand. "You alright, Brood?" Zil asked. Brood nodded and took the young girl's offer to help her up. "I've felt better, to be sure, but its nothing a warm bath won't fix," Brood replied. "Well, that's good to hear. I didn't want you to get the jump on me, so I figured I would try and destroy your cover before you had a chance to react," Zil said grinning, "And I was pretty happy when it worked!" Of course. Only a Godling would destroy a giant boulder in the middle of a training cavern just to reveal their opponent in a practice bout. But Brood thought it better to keep these thoughts to herself. "Anyways, I was worried that you were seriously injured, since you seemed to be spacing out and staring up at the ceiling," Zil continued, "Are you sure you didn't get knocked in the head?" "I am sure Brood was just brooding about the past," a voice came from the cave entrance. How was it that Brood's Sword-sister, Violet, always seemed to name her thoughts? "Isn't that right, Brood?" "Reading minds, again, are we Sister?" Brood responded, her eyebrow lifting ever so slightly. She loved Violet, but it was a damned annoying habit of hers to speak aloud what Brood was thinking. "It's true. It is hard to think of anything other than the past when you've just been bested four times in a day by a girl who has yet to complete her Swordright." There was no enmity or envy in her voice, Brood was just relaying the facts. Behind Violet, Geld and Toy entered the cavern. Toy whistled, amused by the current scene, "What happened here?" Nearby, Zil put her hands on her hips proudly and shared the story of Zil and Brood's most recent bout. Brood let Zil do all of the talking. Truth be told, seeing the joy on Zil's face made the pain she felt in her back and neck totally worth the suffering. Besides, it wasn't as though Brood hadn't learned something from the fight. Despite the fact that Geld was chastising Zil for using her extraordinary strength rather than her mind, the fact remained that Zil had surprised Brood. Brood had thought the boulder behind her would provide her with safety and cover. Zil had shown her that Brood's feeling of safety had been misguided. Some fiends could have just as easily destroyed the boulder as Zil had done... "Upset much?" asked Toy, trying to read the look on her face. "Quite the opposite," Brood replied. "I was actually just appreciating the lesson his pupil," she continued, gesturing towards Geld, who was still lecturing his pupil, "Over there taught me. It won't be soon before Zil surpasses me..." 'And how much longer,' Brood wondered to herself, 'Before I surpass Humility?' Key Concepts:   Running List of Related Characters: Children of the Dark: Shadow (one of the unknown): Brood met with Shadow briefly during an encounter with Humility, Whisper, and Screech. Recognizes Shadow but has been unable to place her. Breaker: Head of the First-born clan. Feel's partially responsible for what happened during Brood's Swordright. Promised to share information he discovered about Velhan. Bane: Son of the Sword in the Dark. He's an Eye in the Dark, older brother of Min. Whisper & Screech: Of the In'ira family. Brood recently went with them and Humility to investigate a mysterious fiend lurking nearby the In'ira family's settlements. Brood and Whisper are good friends having experienced similar health issues. Min: Youngest of the Sword in the Dark's children. Brood was one of Min's many sparring partners and mentors. Though with Min, it was always hard to say who was the mentor and who was the mentee. Bird, Geld, and Toy: Sword-siblings of Min. Friends of Brood, in particular Bird. Violet: Member of the In'ira family, Brood's sword-sister and best friend. In an unlikely but developing relationship with Geld. Humility: Member of the Tal'gos family. Brood's teacher and mentor. Quip: Sword-brother of Humility, Brood's grandfather, and a member of the Tal'gos family. Canter & Lithe: Brood's mother and father (Canter is Quip's son). Brick: Membor of the Tal'gos family. Past partner, left each other on poor terms but have since mended their relationship. Ir (of the Young-blood Deadwings): Met after a joint raid on the Fiends. Jammed together at the campfire afterwards. Velhan: NPC potentially bad dude. Would have been Brood's sword-brother but was tempted by the Fiend Thuktal, giving into his pride and desire for power. Last seen in Sharak talking with "the enchantressMelissa" Brood's Opinions on Things: About Drow: Mixed feelings. Generally, dislike, but Brood is willing to accept that not all Drow are terrible as individuals, since Humility, her teacher, was a Drow. -

Personal Notes

[Alphaeus]

Forge ~~There is no bad in life -- only good we have yet to understand~~ Name: Silverforge "The Nightbringer" of the Wild-Soul Darkborn, born Luen Shaol Race: Fey'ri (Fiend-Drow mix) Sex: Male Age: 200 (Young by race) Height: 6'3" Weight: 230 lbs. Alignment: Neutral Good Deity: Sword in the Dark Zodiac: Val'erin Specialty: Devious Divine Caster. Uses many forms, planar abilities, disguises, and more to stalk, trick, surprise, spy, and otherwise demolish opposition. Traits/Flaws: Aggressive (Trait): Forge is ever the combatant, albeit his style is stealthy and subtle (usually); Metal Intolerant (Flaw): Forge is uncertain of why, but he suspects that his mother's labors in the foundry while pregnant affect him adversely enough to give him this slight weakness. Bonus Skills: Perform (Oratory), Knowledge (Literature) Classes at Lvl 15 (LA fully bought off): Druid 2/Rogue 3/Planar Shepherd 9 -- he just calls his course of study Nightbringer due to his astoundingly close ties with Shadows and the Shadow Plane"Nightbringer" 14/Face in the Dark 1 Classes at Lvl 20: Druid 2/Rogue 3/Planar Shepherd 9/Face in the Dark 3/Daggerspell Shaper 3 {Most likely } Description: Forge's "base" appearance is his own normal form. Despite being more fiend than anything else as a third generation Fey'ri, his mother's Drow bloodline remains the dominant aspect of his appearance. A closer look, however, will reveal uncannily glowing eyes and rather pointed fangs. More noteworthy would be the dark black scales that dominate his torso, but he generally keeps them well covered if in his natural form. Another telling factor for those familiar with Drow is that he is far larger than any true Drow could possibly be, suggesting the presence of another more powerfully built bloodline. His features are those of a commander -- rugged and strong, though not without enough refinement to suggest a keen mine behind those gleaming eyes. What needs to be noted, however, is that between his natural ability to use "Alter Self" at will, as well as his propensity for shape-changing into a variety of creatures, Forge more often than not will appear to be someone or something else entirely. Though compounded by his fondness for general mischief among his own Wild-Soul clan of the Children in the Dark, Forge is painfully aware of his own less-than-endearing appearance (perhaps more due to his own placement of stigma upon carrying fiendish blood than upon true bigotry) and therefore tends to be found in more benign forms, quite often merely choosing humans. Though proud of what he has made himself into, he is not directly proud of his heritage, and responds accordingly when the mood suits him. In fact, he is perfectly willing to even take on the form of a woman if such an appearance would serve his ends, meaning that one can never quite be certain when they might be interacting with Forge or not if he does not wish for them to know. As to his clothing, though he will generally try to acquire whatever clothes would be fitting for his circumstances, Forge himself prefers subtle but fanciful styles. More often than not, however, one will find him in his own universal outfit. Over his leather Druidic armor (stained a dark silvery hue like the moon on an overcast night, and always polished meticulously) he wears black leather clothing, tailored into a suit-like style and worked with intricate designs. His legs are typically covered in similar pants and knee-high boots with soft soles for moving silently and gripping while climbing. All of his garments are specifically designed to further his Druidic abilities, and to a surprisingly quality level. One motif many pass off as an allusion to his name is the presence of a flaming forge motif on his armor and over-cloak. While he is more than happy to indulge that idea, the fact is that his gear were obtained during his time as a Fiendish Captain and graduate of their "Forge" elite training. On rare occasions he has dropped this tidbit of information as a kind of unspoken threat when encountering someone too petulant for their own good, but it is, again, a secret he prefers to keep between himself and his fellow clan-mates. He takes care to bear himself with dignity. Though he is well-versed in martial formality, he prefers a more lithe and graceful bearing he has adopted over the years. This is both natural for him as well as purposeful, since he uses it to subtly express the fact that he is perfectly comfortable in the presence of farmers and royalty alike. Also of note is the fact that unless he is putting on an act (see Personality) or playing a role/disguise, he will never truly bow to anyone (excepting The Sword in the Dark or The Mother). The most they will receive is a slow, respectful bow of the head only while placing a hand over his heart -- his waist never bows, his knees never bend. Despite this, he does take care to remain on the best side of etiquette (at least as best he knows the customs of the company he's among). Personality: Forge is best described as bewildering. His mentality and personality are complex, and while you can generally say he is Neutral Good, the way in which he expresses this is often confusing to someone unfamiliar with his ways. Forge believes in the balance of Law and Chaos -- it is a byproduct of his intense studies of nature. Unlike many of his alignment, however, he therefore regulates his behavior by only two measures: first, his actions must result in the good of the many; secondly, all things are pure in moderation. This "a little bit of everything keeps the balance" mentality means that Forge's behavior can swing drastically towards either vehement lawfulness or giddy chaos. On one mission he might behave with a cold efficiency, facing his foes boldly. The very next day he can be a sinisterly cheerful deceiver gaining underhanded advantages while enjoying the pain he inflicts upon his frightened quarry. Some might suppose these variances to be a sign of near insanity, yet those who have known him longer understand the truth. Forge believes in the art of "image manufacturing." A talent of politicians and spies alike, this term is used to describe a diplomatic tactic -- carefully calculating one's behavior, appearance, speech, and overall persona to convey precisely the personal image one wants to convey to those around him. Thus, the cold lawful efficiency he displays one day might be calculated to inspire similar boldness and resolve in new young recruits on the same mission; his laughing bloodlust could be a ploy to spin the fiends' own tactics against them. Despite this seemingly erractic behavior, he is at his root an honest and good fellow with a genuine love of life and beauty. When around friends he generally dispenses with his "image manufacturing" and shows his true personality. At times like this, Forge is a truly jovial person. He is well educated and versed in etiquette, but often chooses to be more down-to-earth, valuing happiness and laughter above most other elements of life. Joy and beauty, in his eyes, are treasures vastly undervalued by those that possess them, and things that he has determined not to overlook. Among the Wild-Souls it is a well known fact that at any time you could unwittingly be entering into a prank crafted by this master of duplicity, and while these pranks have resulted in many humorous mishaps they are always intended to be remembered with smiles. His love of Beauty has led him into two affections: fine literature, and women. Regarding the first, there is a long history to his affection for a good tale, poem, song, or story, as well as his talent for oratory. In official capacities this talent serves him well when interacting on a political or legal level, and in casual circles has passed many a long night cheerfully. His love of women is equally deep, although when mentioning it he will always accompany it with a smile and a wink, for many of his stories are more oratory fiction than truth. In honesty, he has indeed had his share of spouses over the years, though he has (ostensibly) remained monogamous during this relationships. Most were short lived, as he had a talent for attracting new interest as well as a generally short attention span when it came to his romances. He often waxes poetic in regards to sometime finding a "true match befitting the depths of his soul" but has yet to show signs of actually seeking this with any true interest. He does, however, have a sustained "on and off" relationship with a certain slightly younger Fey'ri by the name of Rosethorn who was the first Child in the Dark he ever met, and is now a member of his family. Theirs is a non-committal and spotty affair, however, when it comes to romance. In general they are flirtatious friends only, often paired off to other spouses. He's earned the nickname of "Nightbringer" from his ties with shadows. The common joke among those that work closely with him is thus: "He is a shadow casting shadows, summoning shadows, commanding a shadow, surrounded by shadows, spreading shadows, and fighting with a shadow." Darkness is his element to say the least, but in a way that is rather more intense than most. His rather rare abilities -- highly reminiscent of his God, The Sword in the Dark -- have earned him notice even beyond his shapeshifting...which inherently can often go unnoticed. His Story:   Luen Shaol chose the name Silverforge upon the completion of his Swordright. This was no mere momentary decision reflecting a single action or aspect of his behavior, but rather a carefully crafted multi-layered metaphor and symbol of everything he is. This is the story of Silverforge.     His single cry was drown out by the hellish din around him. One feeble voice lifted itself in protest to entered a world so different from what it had known for nine months. Tendrils of smoke curled around his tiny form as if they sought to tenderly caress that which would soon known only the same suffering as those around it. Voices rose and fell in somber, soulless, hopeless chant as the fires of the ore foundry were tended, as hammers fell in metallic drumbeat, as the lamp of life was starved, suffocated, and extinguished. Yet the mysterious force of life still insisted defiantly upon bringing forth this little being. His mother's chest heaved as she smoothed her sweat-matted hair back from her face. Even in this condition it was obvious she was graced with unusual beauty. Her form was graceful and sensual, her hair long, face slender and comely -- truly something unfitting for its condition, yet capable of transforming a tiny bit of shadows into a throne room befitting her born nature. She sat up straight and reached down to wrap her son in her arms. He was not a product of love, nor even of promiscuity. He was the product of slavery, yet in that moment she could not have cared less. A glimmer of light had pierced the darkness of her life. "I will call you...Luen, my son. Luen Shaol...a beautiful name for a beautiful child." Beauty, it must be said, is certainly in the eye of the beholder. The child was not ugly, in its own way, but the silver-grey skin, black-scaled torso, pointed fangs, and glowing amber eyes certainly would not have drawn the coos of many other beings. A mother's gaze sees not these things, however, and he was as wonderful in her sight as the offspring of an angel. In a few moments she had done what she could with the water from the foundry supply to cleanse both herself and her son. No sooner had she finished that a large fiend approached stalked towards them. Instinctively she held her son closer. His voice slid forth like shadows as sinister as his own pitch black skin, as lethal as his claws. "I suppose you know that I cannot afford to have one of my best workers off her job for the time required to raise a child, Tirilla?" Tirilla nodded slowly. As she replied, her body and voice showed the posture and pitch of a slave...her eyes, though, told a more fervent story of the spirit that lay within. "I am strong, sir...I will tend him when I can and carry him with me when I cannot. I will continue to do my full duties either way." A smile parted the fiend's lips. "Good, good...I knew there was a reason I took a liking to you." He reached out and used a single claw to peel back the cloths she had used to swaddle her son, and his smile broadened. "Ahh...my son was born with my own darkness in his veins. Good. When he is old enough to handle himself expect him to come work for me personally." Tirilla shrank from what she knew she had to say. The decision between life and love was a frightful one. She bowed her head low. "Yes...sir. It will be as you wish."   Luen wiped the tears from his face. "But Mommie, I don't want to go away. Why can't I stay with you?" Tirilla herself struggled to wear a smile for the sake of the child, her own eyes glistening. The fact that she could smile at all was a feat capable of being performed only by a mother whose love knew no bounds. She caressed his face. "Because, my son, many things happen in life that we do not want. This will help you grow into what you are meant to be, I know it. I have taught you what I can for now...it is time you learn to live. You don't want to spend the rest of your life here, in the foundry, do you?" The little boy sniffled, trying to find a way to stay with the only person who had ever cared about him. "But...but...why does everything have to be so bad? Can't you come with me?" His mother squatted down so that she was looking him in the eyes. The years had been hard on her. She still retained the vestiges of her beauty, but Time and Death had started to etch their writing upon her face, and the words spell "numbered." To the child, though, she was everything she had ever been, for the eyes of a child cannot perceive such things. "Luen, we are Fey'ri. My mother's drow blood determined my appearance almost completely, and I am therefore a slave. You, however...you have the look of a fiend about you. Many people might be ashamed of this...but don't be." Luen cast his eyes down to the ground, tears dropping into little puddles that the parched ground quickly consumed pitilessly. She reached out, tilting his chin up until their eyes met again. Her voice sparked to life, the soft intonations of a slave replaced by whatever was left of her spirit, as if spending itself in one last effort and keeping alive the fires of life, keeping them more brilliant than the fires she had spent her life tending. "Listen to me! I've taught you to draw close to the world around you as my mother once taught me, but that will mean nothing if you don't hear me now. Sorrows exist only to teach us joy. Pain exists only to teach us pleasure. Chains to teach us freedom. Trials are our tutors. Obstacles are our opportunities. There is nothing bad in life -- only good that we have yet to understand. Remember this, my son. Use what you have. Turn it to your good. Do not remain a slave...do not serve the fiends. Do this for me. I love you." Luen grasped only the fringes of the beautiful tapestry she had woven for him, but the words still sank into his mind. As she gave him one last fierce embrace, heavy footsteps sounded behind him as his father placed a hand on his shoulder, pulling him away into a future he neither saw nor wanted. Pulling him away from love.   "...darkness swirled about him as the acrid smoke from the dragons nostrils drifted through the caves like the hand of Doom summoning mighty Ca'rikallon to his last match with fate. Yet the warrior feared not, so stout of heart was he. Suddenly, he rounded the last curve in the Abyssal labyrinth and...BEHOLD!! the head of terrible Aurnan the Dragon snarled in his face. A thousand tongues of fire leapt from the monster's lips, but Ca'rikallon merely braced his feet and lifted his shield to save himself from the blast. Well night ere the flames has ceased to sear the stones the warrior gave his battle cry and lunged straight into the dragon's maw! His burnished spear gleamed as it was tilted high in Aurnan's very throat! As the dragon clamped its ivory teeth down upon our hero like horrific bars to an eternal dungeon the spear caught between his jaws...but did it shatter?! NAY! It held firm, and tore through the creature's mouth and sank into its brain! With a laugh Ca'rikallon jerked free his spear from the lifeless Aurnan as it tumbled to the stony floor of its lair! Death's own hand had been turned against it!" The teenager stopped here to accept the applause of those who had gathered around him. One skinny fiend raised a claw in query. "Ey, we all know Ca'rikallon was one of the greatest fiends, ah'll give ya that, but tell me 'ow 'e did that, eh? Mah shield woulda melted, it would!" The young orator's gleaming amber eyes fixed upon the man, and with animated tone held to a low key as if revealing a secret he spoke forth his reply. "I tell it that Ca'rikallon the Slayer held not a shield and spear of ordinary merit, but one smithed upon the anvil of Sharadon! The finest ores worked in the hottest fires to the greatest strength, and beat to the most magnificent workmanship! That was his key, my friends...if you seek to be like Ca'rikallon, you need only a mighty spirit and gear from Sharadon." The crowd seemed to consider this for a moment as another rotund fiend laughed, waggling a rather slack coin-purse. "The day I can afford something like that is the day I'll be a young fiend again, too. Why, that --" The teen wares-hawker cut him off in mid sentence, drawing his own scythe. "Behold! I myself, but a young lad, carry a gorgeous weapon from Sharadon's Anvil. Surely you, fine sir, have a few coins to spare! Sharadon's wares are not lofty works designed for lords, but works crafted to fill the hands of every fiend who lifts a blade! Come then! Wait not another moment!" Most of his audience surged forwards amid excited whispers into the store behind the teen's stage. A tall black fiend leaned out of the front window from behind the clerk's desk, grinning broadly. "Luen, my boy, another fine bit of work! You've got quite the spirit, you know...I haven't sold this much since the last war! And this isn't even as many people as you had last week. I'll need to start charging them just to hear you perform." Luen gave a knowing smile, then gave a respectful nod. "Thank you, father. I do my best. Tell me, though, have you considered my proposal?" Sharadon frowned for a moment, leaning in to whisper a few words to the clerk, then swung himself out the window and onto the small stage beside his son. "Well, I do enjoy your salesmanship, my boy...but it isn't every day I get the honor of a commander personally requesting my son to join his officer's program. Promise me you'll come back as soon as you have the opportunity, and I'll let you go there for training. That would improve your skills...and my own reputation. So...fine. Agreed. Go get your things." Luen gratefully bowed, then rushed off the platform to clamber up the building's front wall into his room. It was a simple affair, but sufficient. Luen was under no illusions that Sharadon loved him -- his father loved profit and position. His son had helped further both of those ends, therefore he had been happy to continue his investment. Luen had never been back to the foundry Sharadon owned on the other side of town -- in fact, he had been almost no where since coming to live with his father besides the small mining outpost itself. Still, an opportunity was an opportunity, and he had indeed used it wisely, he assured himself. His mother would be proud, if only she knew his plans.   The young fiend saluted the person who sat behind the polished desk. "Captain, they're bringing the new shipment of amusements!" The captain looked up from the scrolls he had been reading, marking his place with a ribbon before setting his current one on the table. His dark leather clothing bore the insignia of a well honored fiend, one that had earned as many accolades as possible during the time he had spent in training. Displayed prominently upon his armor was a rendition of a forge, flaming furiously. The armor did not do much to conceal the powerful body beneath it. The face that looked up was strong, rugged, and intelligent; the eyes that studied the page glowed a soft amber as if shadows were colluding with them to conceal whatever powerful mind lay behind them. Long white hair draped over his shoulders, groomed meticulously. Strong hands pushed Luen up from the table."Very well, Yylser. Go join the others. I'll be there momentarily. Tell them tonight all but the guards are off duty." The youth nodded and saluted before running out of the room. Luen sighed. The "amusements" of the fiends were rarely things he particularly enjoyed, but his position required him to at least make a show of it for the sake of the other soldiers. He had been the champion graduate from the premier officer training program known as "The Forge," and rightly so. Luen had certainly come into his own, working both his mind and an inherent combat ability to his advantage. He strode out of the captain's quarters, one of the few private buildings in the fort. The rest were reserved for when senior officers arrived on their rounds. In their absence, he held the commanding position here, and ran things as efficiently as possible. Generally speaking, however, there was little for them to worry about. The series of carts rolled to a stop in the central courtyard, allowing the gates to be closed behind them. Soldiers gathered around, veritably drooling over the liquor, foods, and slaves that had been brought to them. It was not precisely a policy Luen supported, but not one he considered particularly harmful, all things considered. The lead wagoner brought a key around to Luen. "Cap'n Shaol, your father sent you a personal gift. Said too much work wasn't good for anyone. She's in the last box cart. Might want to be a bit careful, though...the foundry lost five guards to that one." The bored man delivered his information distractedly, watching the soldiers opening kegs of liquor. Luen gently but firmly directed him away from their wares. "Tell father I thank him deeply, and wear his sword with pride." The man nodded, the directed his attention to the other wagoners who were finishing unloading the supplies. Luen headed around to the rearmost cart as indicated. He seethed inwardly, now more than old enough to know his father's amusements were responsible for his own birth. He wore his sword with the pride that one day it would draw Sharadon's blood. One day. For now he faced the bigger issue of handling the slave. Freeing her was out of the question, but neither was it his nature to abuse someone from his own former position. The cart itself was a small wood box, the rearmost side consisting of an iron gate. {in progress}   Luen Shaol was born a slave, the offspring of a female Fey'ri named Tirilla Shaol of primarily Drow heritage (her mother was a Drow, and she shared her mother's appearance primarily) and a fiend by the name of Sharadon. He was born into a town known as Flame Gorge centered around the ore foundry business of Sharadon -- quite a long-running and successful operation, located in a somewhat obscure corner of the Plane of Shadows and guarded fiercely. As he was growing up, his mother passed onto her son what she remembered from the knowledge held by his Drow freeborn grandmother, who was a Druid. This time of maternal guidance, however, was cut short when Sharadon demanded his son come work for him while still a boy. Under Sharadon's raising, Luen followed his mother's last words of advice -- "Sorrows exist only to teach us joy. Pain exists only to teach us pleasure. Chains to teach us freedom. Trials are our tutors. Obstacles are our opportunities. There is nothing bad in life -- only good that we have yet to understand. Remember this, my son. Use what you have. Turn it to your good. Do not remain a slave...do not serve the fiends." The main aspect in Luen's favor was that, while Fey'ri, his features were sufficiently fiendish to earn him some level of acceptance by his overlords. Luen took this a step further and cultivated himself into one who fit with their society, learning a bit of roguish ways and teaching himself to be Chaotic Neutral. His labors for his father were in the smith shop located in town instead of the foundry itself. He quickly progressed from menial work, however, to attracting customers. Sharadon was not a studied person, but he did regularly enjoy a good tale. Luen absorbed these stories, and soon was adding his own twists and telling them dramatically...with emphasis always upon some weapon or whatnot made by Sharadon. For years his tactics worked as he grew into a fine young lad by most fiendish measures, until one day he attracted the notice of a passing Fiend Commander. In short order the youth impressed he Commander enough to earn an invitation to join an elite training program known as "The Forge." He soon gained Sharadon's permission, and attended the training with great success. His Druidic inclinations proved rare among the fiends, and he developed them with vigor. Missions to Aheka strengthened his ties with nature more than before, and he soon found himself in command of remarkable power. Within a matter of years he was now a grown young man, placed in charge of the small fort that guarded Flame Gorge. He held this position with relative ease, considering little of note occurred. All the while he continued to ponder in his heart how he might fulfill the wish of his mother and escape the fiends. His intricate act was working, but he knew in time he would become like them in heart if he did not escape soon. That was, however, until his father sent him a certain foundry slave for "amusement" purposes. Rosethorn (born Raia'ki Milanta) of the Wild-Soul Shadowhands was a female Fey'ri who had been born among the Children in the Dark, but was captured during an spying mission targeting Flame Gorge.Learning that she was from the foundry, he asked first about his mother. Rosethorn informed him that she was dead, but learning that he was born a slave changed her view of Luen, and left her questioning... He treated her respectfully, instead of as a fiend would have done, although for appearance's sake he kept her as a personal slave/attendant. While she served him, she tested him by giving tidbits of information about the outside world -- something Luen desperately longed for. His own mother's urge to escape the fiends had never been forgotten, and every part of him longed to end the lifelong charade he lived. Weeks of this slow dance of testing and learning turned into years as Luen's heart thawed from his chaotic roots. Mere escape was no longer his wish -- the abolition of the evil that had birthed him into a cursed life was what he thirsted for. It was not long before he gave his faith to the Sword in the Dark, became Neutral Good, and began to seek a way to finally break free of the world of the fiends. Time eventually gave him opportunity when he encountered a group of Children while on a scouting mission. He made plans to betray the fort into their hands, and within three days he, Rosethorn, and the Children were leaving a smoldering and defeated fortress. He returned with the Children to their home, and learned that they were of the Wild-Souls. Despite his eagerness to join them, they remained wary of him. Spies had been planted in their midst before, and there was no chance they would let this happen again. Rosethorn -- now at home with her family -- again became the agent of his future. He had grown fond of her, and trusted her. The clan decided that she should be the one to keep an eye on him. The Shadowhands were, after all, a family of excellent spies and likely would have been chosen for the task anyway. Several years passed as Shaol slowly began to realize the position he was in. They tolerated him, though his fascination with literature and oratory gained him admirers among the younger members of the clan (as well as a few older ones, although they did not admit to this). He practiced his druidic talents in domestic uses, but still yearned for more. He steeped himself in their culture, observing the connection that their very best bore to the Plane of Shadows they called home -- Eyes, Faces, and Hands in the Dark. He sought not to copy their skills, but to understand them and subject them to his own personal usage. He was reprimanded for his observations on their training, but the honesty, courage, and fervor with which he faced their accusations abated the potential conflict temporarily. Yet again in his life he was injected into a culture in which he needed to live, but which would not naturally accept him. He eventually managed to pry to truth about their suspicions from Rosethorn, and instantly declared he intended, for his Swordright, to sack the town of Flame Gorge and demolish the foundry. His bold -- and by many opinions, foolish -- declaration was accepted as a fair test of his true allegiances. For the attack he reserved the powers he had practiced in secret. His observations had helped him to become what he called a "Druid in the Dark" -- a Planar Shepherd connected to the Plane of Shadows. When the day of reckoning came, he did not make some brash attack. Rather, he smoothly, silently melded back into town life. He altered his form to look like identical to Sharadon, and calmly toted in his new collection of "slaves" -- the other Wild-Souls accompanying him on his Swordright. They slipped into the foundry unchallenged...and all hell broke loose. While the other Children slew the fiend task-masters and released the slaves from their bonds -- swelling their forces by the moment -- Shaol hunted down his father. He swiftly dropped his guise upon meeting the fiend, and after a confrontation used one of the dark forms of the Plane of Shadows itself to finish the deed he had set out to do so many years ago, tossing the body into the fires of the foundry as its last fuel. He and the other Children armed the slaves with the weapons from the foundry's storehouses, and turned upon the town, razing it to the ground. None of the enemy escaped his hand. It was Rosethorn who gave him the name Silverforge -- a metaphor she thought fitting for the one who so loved the great works of literature. As silver is repeatedly tested for quality, so had he been tested and tried throughout his life. His life had been strewn with ties to the fires of forging, both literal and metaphorical. Now, he had come out of those fires a new man, purified and entering into the future he had striven to achieve. He accepted the name with pride, satisfied that he had fulfilled his mother's hopes. After returning to the Wild-Souls, booty and freed slaves in tow, he was met with a warm welcome. He had shown himself true to their cause. As new Child in the Dark, his first act was to establish himself within the clan. He chose to found his own family, the Darkborn, and began it by taking Rosethorn as his spouse...a relationship many of the older members. The two were identical and perfectly paired, but after only a few years (and two children) their relationship drifted apart. Both of them were far too independent and adventurous minded to remain in a permanent bond. In time, however, Silverforge found himself praying to The Sword for guidance. His role as a scout and spy was successful, as was his skill in training new recruits to know the ways the fiends fought and lived, but somehow he sensed he was meant for something...different. He had spent almost all his life in the Plane of Shadows, and yet he had repeatedly felt drawn to Aheka. He feared the break from his home plane, however, as he had come to found many of his powers and abilities on the premise of his connection here. To break his connection was to destroy decades of training and study. During one fervent prayer, The Sword in the Dark appeared to him. Though Forge has refused to ever repeat the words his god spoke, the next morning a deep crimson ruby was observed fused to his breastbone. He called it The Heart of Darkness, and said that it would ensure his connection to The Plane of Shadows permanently. Over the course of his decades, his ability to shift dramatically, freely, and skillfully has drawn the attention of other Children from various clans and families. His tactical skills and first-hand knowledge of the Fiends has also proven invaluable many times, making him a rather desirable instructor, particularly for Children who wish to focus upon deception, divine casting, and military tactics. It was this reputation that encouraged Cypher to choose him as her mentor. Despite being excelled by her in many inherent ways, his time-honed wisdom and experience is still something she'll only gain over the years of her life. His instruction revolves less around teaching how to use her powers, and more around the tactics for using them successfully. Spending extensive amounts of time with the Freeborn and Cypher led him to make the acquaintance of Bane and Min, as well as many members of the Clan in general. His gregarious nature was always a tool he used well, after all. Once Cypher had born her twins, the charming and fatherly trainer took the role of God-father to the children. He wasn't the type to truly raise them -- he never raised his own, after all. Still, he was that one family member that always brought them gifts, told the best stories, and let them do naughty things they weren't supposed to do when their mother was around. He grew to love them much like his own offspring, and treated them with that level of care. These actions further ingratiated him into the Freeborn. As he progressed towards becoming a Face in the Dark, he began making regular trips to Aheka. His initial interest was primarily just to orient himself on the new plane and explore, but as years passed this shifted to a deeper involvement in both the cultures there and the rumors. One particular point of interest for this is Val'erin. With his Zodiac befitting his personality deeply and his fascination with literature, Silverforge was more than familiar with the legends that Val'erin had not truly died after all. He had researched this topic to the best of his abilities, but being on Aheka offered a whole new wealth of knowledge. His curiosity was deeply piqued by news of another Zodiac being brought back, and he marked that as a topic he should look into further. One of the major events of his travels, however, was encountering Many Faces. Silverforge had been tracking a set of Fiends that were working stealthy and evil missions in rural areas of Aheka when he was joined by a mysterious traveler. Over the course of his mission he quickly learned that this traveler was, in fact, Many Faces. Again, he's never truly clarified what interaction they had besides that he worked with the Unknown God for a week, but since that time his attention has shifted to primarily involving Aheka, trusting the safety of the Plane of Shadows to other members of his Family and the many people he trained over the decades. During his sojourns he has typically done his best to find and aid any Children, particularly as relates to training them for combat and intrigue. Additionally, he made something of a name for himself as an "Ambassador for Hire" -- his specialties in diplomacy and interpersonal skills made him a rather excellent representative, mediator, and politician as need arose. In such a capacity he has served in both major and minor positions across the lands, never staying with any one job for more than a couple years. In these jobs he invariably concealed his identity as a Child in the Dark -- as well as his race -- thoroughly, merely learning of the worlds in which he lived and performing his jobs well. After three decades of wandering, spying, serving, and fighting, he found himself intrigued by the troubles that had beset Havla. From what his spying had confirmed, much was at stake, and evil was involved. Perhaps, then, he had found the reason for his calling to this plane...   Relationships: Rosethorn of the Wild-Soul Darkborn Over the years both have had numerous other spouses, each one held for only a couple years or less, but the wiser clan members have always noted that Rosethorn has never left the Darkborn family. In fact, the two have reunited on and off over the decades, and are always friends and rivals. In fact, though their relationship regularly flares into romance, the two of them value the friendship that has come from years of close ties, aide, and mutual trust. Theirs is a strange friend-rivalry, but a happy one nonetheless.   Name: Rosethorn of the Wild-Soul Darkborn, born Raia'ki Milanta Age: 185 (Young Adult for Fey'ri) Race: Fey'ri (of uncertain heritage) Gender: Female Zodiac: Val'erin Alignment: Chaotic Good Class at LvL 13: Rogue 10/Hand in the Dark 3 Appearance: Personality: Backstory: Touchheart and Thinker of the Wild-Soul Darkborn Despite loving children, Silverforge doesn't fully trust his skills as a father, considering the only example he has had was Sharadon...not precisely a shining exemplar. Besides, the level of rooted commitment require to fully raise them doesn't befit him. Thus, he chose Touchheart and Thinker to be the "Care-takers" of the Darkborn family. The couple -- Touchheart, an Egoist Teifling woman; and Thinker, a Human/Lycanthrope Male Seer -- were mild mannered and domestic minded, which obviously suited them perfectly for the job. Companion:   (OOC: Elemental Companion Druid ACF used.) Pe'er (Pronounced "Peer") is an odd creature. He's quite, befitting a Shadow Elemental, and generally doesn't participate much in the affairs around him. He bonded with Silverforge through a long-lasting ritual following Silver's bonding to The Plane of Shadow. The two have learned to function almost as one, now. Pe'er is the name given to the shadow by Silverforge -- for, in fact, Pe'er was created when by Silver's own powers awakening the divine connections of The Plane of Shadow. Almost a side-effect, the creature itself spawned out of Silver's own shadow during the ritual, and continues to hold that position quite often (Silver will still cast a shadow, do note). Most of the time, when out and about, Pe'er will perfectly imitate part of (or the entirety of) Silver's shadow. Being incorporeal, he can meld himself flat inside of surfaces, and quite commonly will move down to vanish almost entirely from view except for a spot of darkness around Silver's feet. Claiming to have drawn his name's inspiration from an old fairy tale, Silver is personally rather fond of Pe'er and treats him like a little sibling of sorts often times. Pe'er in turn, is usually inquisitive and mischevious...fittingly like his progenitor. Shadow Elemental, Large (CR 7) Large Elemental (Extraplanar and Incorporeal) Alignment: Usually neutral evil Initiative: +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Senses: blindsight 60 ft., Listen +7, and Spot +8 Languages: unknown AC: 12 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +1 deflection), touch 12, flat-footed 10 Hit Dice: 8d8+24 (60 hp) Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +2 Speed: Fly 40 ft. (perfect) Space: 10 ft./10 ft. Base Attack +6; Grapple +10 Attack: Incorporeal touch +7 melee Full Attack: 2 incorporeal touches +7 melee Damage: Incorporeal touch 1d8 plus 1d8 cold Special Attacks/Actions: Shadow mastery, Darkness Abilities: Str -, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 11 Special Qualities: elemental traits, incorporeal traits Feats: Alertness; Combat Reflexes; Improved Initiative Skills: Listen +7 and Spot +8 Advancement: 9-15 HD (large) Climate/Terrain: Plane of Shadow Organization: Solitary Treasure: None Source: Tome of Magic Combat When confronting a threat or light-bearing creatures, shadow elementals slash at foes with freezing tendrils of absolute darkness. If possible, they retreat from combat in lighted areas, or blot out light sources with dusk and dawn, to gain the advantages of their shadow mastery power. Shadow Mastery (Ex): A shadow elemental gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls if both it and its foe are in an area of darkness or shadowy illumination. Within an area of bright light (such as sunlight or that caused daylight spell), shadow elementals take a -4 penalty on attack rolls and damage rolls. Darkness (Su): Three times per day, a shadow elemental can use darkness. It has a caster level equal to one-half its HD. RP Sample: See IC Backstory for now...   **App to be continued**