Fantasy Ninth Winter -- Character Signup and Roster

[Coin]

​

Character Creation
Before creating a character, review the lore page of The Ninth Winter to ensure your character concept falls in line with the world's canon. Any further questions not covered in the lore page should be directed to me. Please join us on Discord, where we will be working on characters together. For the time being, please limit yourself to no more than two characters.

The following block of code will provide a basic character sheet for you to use. Please note that you may elect not to use the provided code for your CS. If this is the case, ensure to include at least all of the required information listed in the sample code.

Spoiler: Optional Code for CS

[font=Spectral][center][PRIMARY IMAGE GOES HERE][/center]
[centerblock=80][size=4][center][CHARACTER NAME][/center]

[tabs][tab=Basics][column=span3][justify][u]Essentials[/u]
Full Name: 
Nickname:  
Age: 
Gender:
Profession:
Allegiance(s): [If any.]

[center][OPTIONAL IMAGE GOES HERE][/center]

[u]Appearance[/u] 
[In at least a couple short paragraphs, briefly describe your character's physical appearance.]

[u]Persona:[/u] 
[In at least a couple short paragraphs, briefly describe your character's personality.][/justify][/column][/tab]
[tab=Memoir][justify][u]History[/u]
[In at least a few short paragraphs, explain your character's upbringing and defining experiences.] 

[u]Determination[/u]
[In at least a couple short paragraphs, explain what drives your character to continue on.]
[/justify][/tab]
[tab=Capabilities and Starting Inventory][justify][u]Equipment[/u]
[List, and optionally describe useful things your character possesses. Refer to the Lore Reference on Technology to determine what is reasonable for your character.]

[u]Armament[/u]
[If your character has any physical weapons, describe them here. Refer to the Lore Reference on Technology to determine what is reasonable for your character.]

[u]Magic[/u]
[If your character has any magical capabilities, describe theme here. Refer to the Lore Reference on Resonance to determine what is reasonable for your character.]

[u]Shortcomings[/u]
[In at least a couple short paragraphs, explain some shortcomings about your character.]
[/justify][/tab][/tabs][/size][/centerblock][/font]

Discord

 

[Coin]

Character Roster​

Name	Role	Allegiance	Player
Flora Turner​	Medic​	Circle of the Owl​	-ferret-​
Callum Moore​	Volunteer​	Horizon League​	Chordling​
Landry Cantemir​	Volunteer​	Unaffiliated​	The One Eyed Bandit​
Henry Monmouth​	Sentinel​	Order of the Wolf​	Shireling​
Frederick Tamerlane​	Volunteer​	Horizon League​	The One Called X​
Hask Wilder​	Sentinel​	Grey Lodge​	simj26​
Lucien Ryder​	Volunteer​	Labor Union​	_gallifrog_​
Conrad Millange​	Volunteer​	Labor Union​	Tenma​
Verity Wells​	Sentinel​	Circle of the Owl​	Life.​
Prudence Bagstock​	Herbalist​	Labor Union​	Absurdisan​
Anastasia Isla​	Guardian​	Royal Marines​	Zerulu​
Marina Pope​	Guardian​	Royal Marines​	Goonfire​
Tulio Elesos​	Volunteer​	Labor Union​	Anne Boolean​
Willona Henderson​	Volunteer​	Labor Union​	Dethrix​
Malcom Soot​	Climatologist​	Horizon League​	Togy​
Seren Cypress​	Sentinel​	Grey Lodge​	local cryptid​

 

[Coin]

[PRIMARY IMAGE GOES HERE]​

SAMPLE CHARACTER SHEET​

• Basics
• Memoir
• Capabilities and Starting Inventory

• Essentials
  Full Name:
  Nickname:
  Age:
  Gender:
  Profession:
  Allegiance(s): [If any.]
  
  

  [OPTIONAL IMAGE GOES HERE]​

  
  Appearance
  [In at least a couple short paragraphs, briefly describe your character's physical appearance.]
  
  Persona:
  [In at least a couple short paragraphs, briefly describe your character's personality.]
• History
  [In at least a few short paragraphs, explain your character's upbringing and defining experiences.]
  
  Determination
  [In at least a couple short paragraphs, explain what drives your character to continue on.]
  
• Equipment
  [List, and optionally describe useful things your character possesses. Refer to the Lore Reference on Technology to determine what is reasonable for your character.]
  
  Armament
  [If your character has any physical weapons, describe them here. Refer to the Lore Reference on Technology to determine what is reasonable for your character.]
  
  Magic
  [If your character has any magical capabilities, describe theme here. Refer to the Lore Reference on Resonance to determine what is reasonable for your character.]
  
  Shortcomings
  [In at least a couple short paragraphs, explain some shortcomings about your character.]
  

 

[-ferret-]

Flora

meanie by Pheberoni on DeviantArt

www.deviantart.com

• Basics
• Memoir
• Capabilities and Starting Inventory

• Essentials
  Full Name: Flora Jane Turner
  Nickname: Flor or FJ
  Age: 18
  Gender: female
  Profession: medic
  Allegiance(s): Circle of the Owl
  
  Appearance
  Flora is five foot two with a slender build. She's got natural, curly brown hair, a large smattering of freckles, green-hazel eyes, thick eyebrows, and a scar across her nose. She's got rather large ears as well, but her thick hair helps to hide them when it's down. While some opt to wear pants, Flora wears long, wool skirts and an over skirt made of fur. She wears thick, fur lined leather boots and thick wool socks. She wears a corset with a thick cotton shirt and to help combat the cold, a wool and fur shawl with leather gloves. She also keeps on her a pair of mittens. She has a favorite cashmere scarf and fur lined hat, though her hair helps keep her warm. She is forced to wear this by her mother who believes women wear skirts.
  
  Persona:
  Flora is a naturally curious girl. It's why she became a scholar. She wants to know all about the world and all about everything in it. She's a budding medic and takes pride in her job. Though not magically inclined, Flora does have a knack for emotions, she's extremely intuitive and can usually tell how someone is feeling. Because of this, Flora feels a responsibility to lighten the mood and provide comic relief. She'll do all sorts of things to get a laugh out of another. This means she often comes across as childish and irresponsible. Which at times can be true. Though she is able to take her job seriously.
  
  Flora is young and therefore tends to complain a lot. Whether it be about the cold, her annoying style of dress, annoying patients, and especially her little brother.
  
• History
  Flora was brought up in a home with her father, mother, and two brothers. Her father, a Sentinel for the Order of the Wolf, was a kind and generous man. Despite her mother, a weaver whose status was elevated when she married Flora's father, Flora was brought up among other Sentinels. Her mother believed that women do women's work, and thought Sentinels were a man's job. Her father, however, was much more progressive and encouraged Flora in her studies. When Flora expressed interest in becoming a scholar and medic, her father was proud and ecstatic. But at fourteen, tragedy struck the Turner family and Flora's father was lost to them. Flora would go on to study harder than ever and pushing herself to become worthy of her father's pride. All her life her mother has insisted Flora be a 'proper woman' and therefore dressed her in skirts and dresses. She kept the young girl mostly inside and tried her best to teach her elegance and manners. It hasn't stuck. Now at eighteen and a member of the Order of the Owl, Flora has decided to board the Ophelia and journey to the mainland.
  
  Determination
  Flora idolizes her father. He was brave, fierce, and loving. She believes that boarding the Ophelia and heading to the mainland is what he would have done had he still been alive. Therefore, though daunting, Flora is determined to ignore her fears, ignore the cold, ignore her mother and follow in his footsteps. This is what keeps her going when she is afraid and cold. Just imagining her father telling her she can do anything she sets her mind to is enough to help her grit her teeth and bare it. It does also help that in the process she's spiteing her mother and proving to whoever cares that she is capable of everything.
  
• Equipment
  Flora carries a large pack of medical supplies and aid. She also has a hunting knife, canteen set, bedroll, and thermometer. Among her pack she has alcohol, bandages, gauze, tinctures, poultices, syringes, needles, scalpels, and other medical supplies.
  
  Armament
  She has a small hunting knife given to her by her father on her thirteenth birthday.
  
  Magic
  N/a
  
  Shortcomings
  Being at a young age, Flora is still maturing. Therefore she can be a bit childish at times. She also complains and whines to others. Because she grew up with an unapproving mother and since her father died when she was younger, she's a bit too desperate to prove herself. She takes failures personally and being the middle child, she tends to seek out attention among other people which can be annoying in its own right.
  

 

[Chordling]

Callum Sterling Moore​

• Basics
• Memoir
• Capabilities and Starting Inventory

• Essentials
  Full Name: Callum Sterling Moore
  Nickname: Cal
  Age: 38
  Gender: Male
  Profession: Explorer, Retired Merchant
  Allegiance(s): Horizon League
  
  

  

  Portrait of his late wife, Iris Moore​

  
  Appearance
  Moore towers over most at six-foot-three. Red locks spills from his head and his beard. Those who get a close enough look can admire the green color of his eyes. Luck endowed him with handsome, rigid facial attributes- or so his late wife claimed. His smile isn't half bad either if you're given the chance to see it. Moore keeps warm with heavy jackets, hiking boots, and gloves. He keeps a grey handmade scarf wrapped around his neck at all times.
  
  Persona:
  You should be ready and willing to die for your family.
  Moore will not hesitate to endanger his life at the height of a crisis in exchange for someone else's. He would rather sacrifice his own right to live in order to let someone else he cares about to be free.
  
  Conflict is a pathway to personal growth.
  Moore addresses conflicts between himself and others in a direct manner in order to gain more understanding of the world around him. He seeks different perspectives on the same problem before trying to come to a final conclusion.
  
  There is no such thing as chasing happiness.
  Why try to fix something that doesn't need improvement? You either have happiness and do not realize it or you haven't achieved your sense of happiness yet in life. Moore strives to live in the moment and enjoy what he currently has rather than try to chase something that might never be obtained.
• History & Determination
  Moore grew up among merchants and married a childhood friend, whom he had two children with. He and his young family relocated to Belar when they were promised a decadent lifestyle. Moore enjoyed many years as a successful merchant and father, who was close to his wife and children. However, the ninth cruel winter after the Monoliths were discovered brought a premature end to his sources of happiness. Moore fell into a deep depression when both his business and family were gone. He isolated himself from many of his remaining friends and colleagues.
  
  Hope arrived when the Horizon League formed. Moore emerged himself back into the small society and found a new sense of achievement and family despite the horrifying conditions. However, More does not share the same kind of wanderlust as his fellow league members. The death of Moore's family placed a heavy toll that he would never wish for anyone else to ever experience. Bringing an end to the Monoliths and the Mortalis is the only way to ensure that this can be permanently fulfilled.
  
• Equipment & Armament
  Furs, padded cloth, leather padding, sling, rope, canteen set, bedroll, and compass
  
  Shortcomings
  Moore is not a trained fighter in any regard. He wouldn't know what to do with a weapon if you gave him one. Some may consider his parenting tendencies as overprotective.
  

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Landry Cantemir​

• Basics
• Memoir
• Capabilities and Starting Inventory

• Essentials
  Full Name: Landry Cantemir
  Nickname: Laundry
  Age: 29
  Gender: Female
  Profession: Fisherman, Retired Royal Marine
  Allegiance: N/A
  
  Appearance
  A woman to which a weary atmosphere clings, Landry has never been much for appearances. She swaddles herself in heavy layers of hide and cloth, most often sporting a combination of a thick, durable overcoat, and a fur-lined parka. Likewise, she keeps her face rapped and hooded, protecting it from the elements as much as she can. While she usually obscures her appearance by proxy of her heavy dress, a shock of dirty-blonde hair can be seen peeking out from below her hood, only kempt to the point keeps her vision unhindered. Her eyes, gleaming a cold grey, are often ringed by deep-set bags, indicative of her nocturnal habits. She stands at five foot seven and sports a build that isn't particularly telling in one way or another, not that it would be visible beneath her manner of dress.
  
  Persona:
  An asocial and mostly bland woman. Landry has little regard for others, much preferring the company of ice sheets and gale wind to that of the citizens of Cask. She doesn't have a profound dislike of Cask or her people, but rather finds the hustle and bustle of society, even in its death throes, more tiresome than it is worth. What few friends she does keep know her to be a woman of reservation, being perfectly comfortable with enjoying one's company, not just conversation.
  
  She's able to maintain a relatively cool head in times of crisis, or is at least able to hide her expressions in enough layers of animal hides to appear as such. Her levelheadedness, though, is not a tell of some sort of mental prowess. She has no head for leadership, nor the scholarly pursuits, only ever concerning herself with the needs of the day, and the demands of tomorrow. High-mindedness, she thinks, is reserved for those with bloated egos and equally bloated stomachs, and she'd rather avoid both.
• History
  Even during Belar's golden years, Landry had never been much of a people-person. Her childhood and adolescent years were defined by isolation and self-sufficiency. Her father was a hunter by trade, and her mother a clothier that pedalled garments made from the furs and hides he'd bring as bounty from his hunts. Landry herself originally intended to follow in his footsteps, but was convinced by the both of her parents to see at least some of the world before she settled on such a dull lifestyle. With that, she decided to enlist herself within the Royal Marines, intending only to improve her skills as a sharpshooter and return home as a better huntress for it.
  
  It was during her service that the Mortalis arose, and the Ninth Winter began its assault. She found herself swept up in the chaos of the early winter, and before she knew it, was ice-locked upon the isle of Cask. For the first year of winter, she remained loyal, but the biting cold eventually wore away at her will and she left their ranks in favour of a simpler life spent ice-fishing. Now she whiles away her days on the ice sheets that were once called the ocean, living from meal to meal and placing as little of a burden on the colony as she can muster.
  
  Determination
  While she is now very much her own woman, the voyage of the Ophelia affords Landry a chance to answer a question that has haunted her for many nights: the fate of her parents. She is aware that both are likely dead, but they were folks of a hardy make, so she has some hope that they still draw breath. Even that aside, she considered the Ophelia a choice; One between dying on a backwater island, or meeting her fate in the lands she calls home, and it's not a choice she finds very hard to make.
  
  
• Equipment
  Compass, Goggles, Hunting Knife, Rope, Canteen Set, Bedroll
  
  Armament
  Light Crossbow, Ice Pick
  
  Magic
  N/A
  
  Shortcomings
  Landry is more a marksman than a brawler, and as such her ability to defend herself degrades significantly in close quarters. She's able to put up some level of fight, but will most often only do so in an attempt to flee back to a position of safety, something easily taken advantage of. Furthermore, she is first and foremost a hunter, not a soldier. She excels in ambush and pursuit, not in bare-knuckle brawls with an assailant, or epic duels against the Mortalis.
  

 

[Shireling]

​

Henry Monmouth​

• Basics
• Memoir
• Capabilities and Starting Inventory

• Essentials
  Full Name: Henry Duval Monmouth
  Nickname: 'Enri, Duv, Monty
  Age: 29
  Gender: Male
  Profession: Soldier, Explorer
  Allegiance(s): Sentinels (The Order of the Wolf)
  
  

  ​

  
  Appearance
  Henry Monmouth is, in comparison to most soldiering types, slight of frame and build. He stands 5-feet, 8-inches tall and cuts a slim figure. His hair is black and often unkempt, he is generally clean-shaven, save for a pair of sideburns that hug his jaw tightly. His eyes are an icy blue color. In general, if he is not dressed for cold weather, he will default to a set of military-style woolen breeches, boots, and a woolen tunic with an old officer's coat. Even in the elements, he tends not to wear a hat, but will don a pair of earmuffs.
  
  Persona:
  Henry is what is classically considered the "strong and silent military type." He rarely speaks, unless it is to give orders or to acquiesce to them. He rarely engages with alcohol, women, merriment, or diversion and spends much of his time at watch posts or cleaning his equipment in stoic silence. To those that know him best, Henry has the personality of a guard-dog: fiercely loyal, none-too-cunning, but with the tenacity of a lion. He was, in previous times, also characterized by his religious zealotry. He, more than most, believed in the Sovereign as a semi-divine, benevolent figure that would protect Belar from danger. After the Ninth Winter, he never rejected his faith openly, but deep within he began to nurse doubts. This will often manifest in violent outbursts when the topic of the Sovereign is brought up in conversation, with Henry often giving conflicting opinions on the former leader's whereabouts or his status as Sovereign over Belar.
  
  
• History
  Henry Duval Monmouth was born to a noble family who were themselves members of the Sentinels, part of the Circle of the Owl. While his father and mother were both erudites, it seemed that from an early age Henry would be of a more martial spirit. Thus at twelve he was apprenticed an acolyte within the Order of the Wolf, to be trained as a sword and shield of the Sovereign. His early detachment from his parents likely robbed him of a stable attachment in his early teenage years, leading to disciplinary issues during his training. To instill discipline, he was harshly beaten, running the gauntlet several times as punishments for minor indiscretions, thefts, etc.
  
  When Henry was 19, he met the Sovereign in person as he came to tour the small battalion of Sentinel warriors he had grown up among. It was a transformative experience for him, and the regality and imperial glory of the Sovereign's person awakened a will to be obedient, loyal, and silent within the rebellious youth. Through much of his twenties, he thought of only service. He learned the sword with twice the rapidity of the other cadets, and those skills served him well when the Ninth Winter arrived.
  
  Initially, Henry was part of a garrison on the mainland. During the first attacks by the Mortalis, his contingent of troops became part of a rear-guard action. They were cut off from the rest of the defense and hunted almost to a man. Henry survived the engagement, barely, and rejoined the scattered garrison in enough time for them to flee to Cask, as their city had been destroyed and their charges killed. The resulting retreat was a death march, half in boats and half on foot across the growing ice sheet, and only Henry and a few others remained to make it to Cask, frostbitten and beleaguered. They became pillars of the island's defense and survival effort, with Henry being the least notable of the arrivals because of his penchant for silent obedience to duty.
  
  After years at Cask, Henry's formerly rock-solid devotion to the Sovereign has begun to waver. First, he was dismayed by news that the Sovereign had fled the capital. Next, he was shaken by the dissension within the ranks of the Sentinels themselves, with some electing to forsake their devotion to the Sovereign and form new orders. Finally, he was ravaged by his own personal doubts. He had vested so much hope in the Sovereign, and if he too was a coward clinging on for dear life, what of him? What of anyone?
  
  Determination
  In recent times, Henry's primary determination is to know. To know where the Sovereign is and why he has gone into hiding. He holds out hope: perhaps he has gone to prepare a safe haven for all Belarians where they can regroup and fight back, perhaps he is preparing some powerful magic that can fight back the Mortalis. Henry thinks of little in his private time except this larger-than-life questions, questions that he seeks to find the answer to.
  
  By helping the people of Cask reestablish communication with the mainland, he hopes that it will open up new sources of information that will either confirm or deny his suspicions and hopes. Such desires spurred him to volunteer as muscle and protection for the icebreaker Ophelia, and such has driven him to his wits end until he finds the answers he seeks.
  
  
• Equipment
  Henry is, by training, a swordsman first and a combat mage secondly. While he is trained in combat, he is otherwise quite uneducated. He has only the vaguest understanding of science or medicine, and additionally is a poor hunter (but a decent fisherman).
  
  His inventory consists of:
  --Furs with Leather Padding
  --A Sword
  --Goggles
  --A military knapsack, with dried provisions
  
  Armament
  Henry's primary weapon is his sword, a military-issued, well-forged blade from before the Ninth Winter. It bares on its scabbard inscriptions of his Order, and on the blade his family name is inscribed in runic characters from Old Land script.
  
  Magic
  Henry was trained as a combat mage with command of fire: generally a useful skill in a blizzard if only it did not burn through so much resonant energy. He can make small flames with his hands, and given access to more resonant energy he could produce gouts of flame to burn enemies.
  
  Shortcomings
  Of Henry's shortcomings, the following are the most glaringly obvious:
  --Little Survival Ability: Henry is primarily good at killing things and protecting people, perhaps moving boxes or other mundane tasks. He does not have the skills necessary to survive on his own for long stretches of time in the wilderness.
  --Uncharismatic: Henry's lack of affable charm or desire to approach people is generally off-putting, and his military stoicism makes it difficult for him to befriend people or have a normal social life.
  --Crisis of Faith: Undergoing a Crisis of Faith, Henry finds it difficult to focus on more pressing matters at times. He is unsure of himself and his place in life, which can manifest in depression and despair. His desire to seek out the Sovereign will gradually become all-consuming, which may lead him to make brash decisions like striking out on his own in search of the Barrier Mountains.
  --Slight of Build: Henry relies on his skill and dexterity in combat rather than strength. While not a weakling, he is also not particularly strong and can be overpowered by many enemies.
  
  

 

[The One Called X]

Frederick Tamerlane​

• Basics
• Memoir
• Capabilities and Starting Inventory

• Essentials
  Full Name: Frederick Tamerlane
  Nickname: Tamerlane, Tam
  Age: 26
  Gender: Male
  Profession: Dogsledder
  Allegiance(s): Horizon League
  
  

  

  Witch, at rest​

  
  Appearance
  Frederick is fairly tall, 6' on a good day. Features that were probably handsome once. His face and hands are weathered. He keeps his hair longish, mostly for insulation, and he's almost never cleanshaven- he'll cut off his beard when it gets long enough to annoy him, but having some facial hair is, again, insulation. He's got a gaunt, underfed look about him, like a wolf in winter- not starved, not quite, but it's clear he doesn't eat enough. Mouths to feed, see.
  His clothes are simple, patched and repaired. His overcoat was a rich blue once, expensive and beautiful. It's more of a grey now, and marred with repairs done in whatever thread or twine was at hand.
  
  Persona:
  There's a reason Frederick gets on better with dogs than people.
  It's not that he's antisocial, really. He doesn't mind people, even likes some of them. It's more that they generally don't like him.
  He's got something of a wry melancholy about him, or perhaps the unsettling calm of a man resigned to the gallows. He cracks morbid jokes that are usually amusing to no one but him. He wonders aloud with a madman's confidence about the philosophy of man, of winter, of beasts; and seems hardly to realize that anyone else is listening. Perhaps he's grown too used to dwelling on the fringes of society with only his dogs to talk to, or perhaps this is why he retreated there in the first place. He is mad, you know.
  He has fits of strangeness, when his thoughts grow scattered and twist out of his reach. Ask him a question and he'll answer a different one- to him it makes sense, but to the observer it seems random. His malady, whatever it may be, does not line up neatly with any known affliction. It is not, after all, a natural madness.
• History
  Frederick was born on Belar, this much he knows, and on Belar his family was wealthy. Not prominent, perhaps, but well-off enough that he was educated- and educated well enough for it to be noticed that he was an uncommonly bright boy. Sharp of mind, strong of will, clearheaded and determined.
  Arrogant, too, and shortsighted, but of course he hadn't known that.
  His tutelage in the arcane arts began when he was thirteen. He studied under a skilled mage, and progressed quickly. By the time he was twenty-two, he was nearly a master in his own right. Ambitious, too, and curious- dangerous traits, for a magician.
  He took a crystal, one day, and bent his mind to the future- after all, if resonance could twist causality, couldn't it extrapolate the future from the present? Maybe, maybe not. Frederick's memory gets a bit fuzzy on that. He knows that he looked too long at that which men were not meant to see, and he's paid the price.
  He doesn't have the head for magic, anymore. Too many paths, too many dead ends. It was then that he fled mainland Belar- at twenty-three, when he might have been in his prime- and exiled himself to a quiet life in Cask, collecting dogs and avoiding society. It was the next year that Winter came.
  
  
  Determination
  He's always thought that he was mainly driven by inertia. He is alive, and so he continues to live.
  Of late, though, he's begun to feed the dogs before himself. He only has the four left of the two dozen he'd gathered before the Mortalis, and two are starting to age. For the first time he is faced with the prospect of being really, truly alone. He has decided, in his matter-of-fact way, that the only way he'll be able to keep feeding his pack is to salvage rations and equipment from the abandoned settlements- and if that isn't enough, he and his team will stay on the mainland. They'll die, yes, of exposure or hunger- but these last four won't be eaten, and he won't be completely alone at the last.
  
  
• Equipment
  Sled and equipment: With four dogs, the sled can carry a moderate amount of weight. Most of the spare harnesses have been used for other things.
  Fishing gear- the source of most of his food.
  Collection of used resonance crystals: completely useless and a waste of space.
  Small Resonance Lantern: Rarely used.
  
  Armament
  Hunting Knife: of questionable sharpness, but useful for stabbing.
  Wooden Club: Does its job. He'd rather not talk about it.
  
  The Dogs
  All are large, wolfish, and mistrustful of strangers, as more than one scavenger has discovered. Only four are left- all the others have either died or been culled as food grew scarcer and their health began to fail.
  Whitefoot: Four years old, male. Calm. Floppy ears, mainly gray save for a white sock on his front left leg. The strongest of the dogs, runs in the right rear position.
  Spot: Four years old, male. Lazy. Pricked ears, solid coat of dark brown. No spots. Runs in the left rear.
  Notch: Three and a half, female. Clever. One notched ear. White coat. Runs at the left front.
  Witch: Two years old, female. Pack leader. Half-wolf, the only puppy Frederick's favorite dog had before he had to put her down. Vicious when provoked, wary and watchful, but obedient to her master and affectionate to her pack. Runs at the right front.
  
  
  Shortcomings
  He's not good with people. Neither a diplomat nor a particularly effective fighter, he relies either on being too useful to dispense with or on the dogs being a conflict deterrent. As people get more desperate, and there's less use for a dogsled... well, there's a reason he's choosing to leave Cask.
  
  

 

[Anne Boolean]

​

Tulio Elesos​

• Basics
• Memoir
• Capabilities and Starting Inventory

• Essentials
  Full Name: Tulio Elesos
  Nickname: N/A
  Age: 25
  Gender: Male
  Profession: Mechanic
  Allegiance(s): Labor Union
  

  ​

  
  Appearance
  Tulio has brown skin, black hair, and dark brown eyes. He has a slender build, but in terms of musculature he is fairly fit due to the physical nature of his work. As of the Ninth Winter he has been losing weight, due to the lack of rations as well as the emotional toll the death of his significant other has taken on him.
  
  In terms of clothing, whenever he has to weather the harsh elements, he has on his fur coat, a fur hat, winter trousers, fur boots, and woolen gloves. Underneath, when on the clock, he wears trousers and a loose-sleeve shirt. While off work he also dons a waistcoat for an appearance that is a bit less casual.
  
  Persona:
  Before the Ninth Winter, Tulio was a determined optimist with a general feeling of contentment towards his life. After the snow didn't melt in the spring, more specifically after his beloved passed, his outlook became bleak and the most common emotion he expressed was apathy. His hopes and dreams of living a successful life with his partner and starting a family have just changed to surviving.
  
  Even if his view of the world is less than ideal nowadays, he still finds time to indulgence in the more pleasant things the world still has to offer. Tulio is always happy to down a drink with a coworker or an acquaintance. Although it has taken him some time after his partner's passing, he has once again started indulging in his more carnal desires. Although he is attracted to both men and women he solely gets intimate with men, as he doesn't want to accidentally bring another life into their dying world.
  
  In terms of interpersonal connections, he keeps people distant. It is quite rare for him to consider someone he is familiar with more than an acquaintance, because as far as he knows they could perish the very next day. And of course since earning the title of "friend" is difficult with Tulio, becoming romantically involved with him, at least in terms of emotion, is next to impossible.
• History
  Tulio's family were the mechanics of the Ardenson family, one of the big names in the industrialization of Resonance. Belinda Ardenson developed versions of appliances which normally ran off of fire and heat that took the power of Resonance crystals. Soon enough these newer versions of appliance became widespread, and more common than their predecessors. While Belinda was happy with the strides they had made in technological advancement, her son, Antoni Ardenson had ideas to make these appliances even more efficient. There would be no more need for torches and lanterns, even those that ran on Resonance, as he had devised lighting made from glass bulbs. Heaters and stoves would no longer need open flames, but rather could heat through radiation and cook through induction. Sadly, Belinda did not like Antoni's ideas, and would not help him bring them to fruition.
  
  While Antoni had developed his invention, he had also developed a romantic relationship with Tulio. It seemed both the young men's parents would be a thorn in their side, as Tulio's parents did not approve of him being romantically involved with another man. Due to the lack of support, the two young men decided to elope to Cask, when Tulio was just fifteen and Antoni was seventeen. Along with essentials and rations, Antoni also stole enough money from his mother to fund his inventing and start a business. The two were planning to go for broke, but thankfully their endeavors ended up paying off.
  
  Antoni's invention was a huge success, and just like his mother's work, ended up becoming a common appliance in every home. At this point, the two were able to buy a nice house in Cask and live together comfortably. Though they were still young, they were adults, and were having talks about potentially starting a family in the future. Sadly that wasn't meant to be, as not long after the Ninth Winter arrived.
  
  With the Mortalis raiding towns for Resonance crystals, people began to feel that they had messed with something they weren't supposed to, and unleashed these beasts on themselves. They started to blame Resonance for the calamities that struck, and those who industrialized it, including Antoni. The two became scapegoats as the climate of the world turned more and more apocalyptic. Fearing Resonance being no longer available, Antoni worked to find an alternative to power appliances. He came out with lighting that ran off of electrical energy as opposed to Resonance, in the form of a lamp. Before things could move any further though, he sadly succumbed to the never-ending cold.
  
  Tulio, having been only trained as a mechanic, could only help implement the ideas that Antoni put forth. With his death, their technological advancements came to an end. Tulio ended up doing mechanical work and repairs for the people of Cask, and eventually joined the Labor Union. When the expedition to the mainland aboard the Ophelia was announced, Tulio volunteered to join the expedition and work as the crew's mechanic. Truthfully, he didn't see this excursion being anything but suicide, but joined anyway as he felt he had nothing to lose and everything to gain.
  
  Determination
  At this point, Tulio's main drive is simply survival. Despite how pointless it seems, and how bleak the future looks, he feels he the only way to justify the work and struggle that went into his past would be to keep going as far as he can. He feels it is what Antoni wants while watching over him from beyond, and believes he owes it to him.
  
  Beyond survival, he hopes to eventually clear his late beloved's name. People's malice towards Resonance because of recent events has translated into bad mouthing Antoni, and he hopes to show people that even if Resonance brought along humanity's downfall in the end, it was very beneficial at first, and Antoni could not have predicted this outcome.
  
• Equipment
  - Bedroll
  - Canteen set
  - Furs
  - Padded cloth
  - Resonance Gauntlet: a glove which can draw power from an inserted resonance crystal and conjure fire from the palm and shoot bolts of electricity from the finger tips. It is mostly used for lighting fires and giving electrical charge to appliances that can use it
  - Antoni's lamp: the last invention of his beloved. After being charged with electricity, it can give off the same amount of light as a bulb powered by resonance for a few hours
  
  Armament
  - Hunting Knife
  - Spear
  
  Shortcomings
  Beyond working with machinery and welding, Tulio doesn't have many skills. His cooking skills are limited to roasting fish and meat over fire, and boiling ice or snow into drinkable water. He doesn't have have any experience in hunting, and aside from what the layman can do, would not be all that useful in combat.
  
  Physically, his capabilities leave a lot to be desired. Although he's relatively fit from the work he does, in terms of strength and stamina needed to survive out in the wild, he would be lacking. His abilities continue to diminish as his weight continued to decrease after losing Antoni.
  
  Interpersonally, he can hold a conversation and empathize, but as outcomes became more and more bleak he prefers to keep a distance between himself and those around him. He isn't stubborn or hard to work with, and doesn't mind working with others, but beyond work, ideally he would keep to himself.
  

 

[simj26]

​

HASK WILDER​

• Basics
• Memoir
• Capabilities and Starting Inventory

• Essentials
  Full Name:
  Hask Wilder
  
  Nickname:
  Hasker is one name he does not mind, and acquaintances have taken to calling him that
  
  Age:
  34
  
  Gender:
  Male
  
  Profession:
  Axeman, or so he says.
  
  Allegiance(s):
  The Grey Lodge
  
  

  ​

  
  Appearance
  A tall, lean man with a pale, ghostly complexion, and wild, wiry ash blonde hair. There is no fire, no joy, and no cheer within his ice blue eyes, opaque and impenetrable. Occasionally, they burn coldly with violent, silent fury, and rarely, with murderous rage, and those bursts of emotions foretell danger.
  
  Persona:
  Hask is a quiet man, but there is no peace in his heart. There has been no reason for joy or expression for many years in his life, and it has hardened his heart, enough that there is nothing in this life for him than to seek battle after battle after battle. He does not smile, he does not laugh, and 'tis not an act- he truly feels no joy in anything, with, perhaps, the exception of burying his axe into the hide of Mortalis and man alike.
  
  Sometimes, he grows even more detached from the world around him, and he gains a distant look in his eyes, but not one of longing. Instead, it is one of searching, as if peering into a future that has not come, or perhaps he is simply reminiscing on the feeling of his axe striking into flesh, or imagining different ways that his axe might break skin and meat. Perhaps this can be considered a madness, but it is a madness that keeps Hask Wilder tethered to his humanity. It is best, then, to leave the man to his thoughts.
  
  For what it is worth, Hask has no interest in anything else. He does not care if others wish to know of his past, he will reply curtly and truthfully. He does not care if they shun him, that would be beneficial for both parties. He does not care about the world's end, so long as he goes into that night swinging his axe.
  
  
• History
  There is no dirty little secret to dig up. Hask does not have a family he wishes to avenge, he does not have a lover who wronged him, he did not have a family that shunned him. Hask is simply a man who finds some sort of solace in swinging his axe, and the resistance that replies when it strikes true.
  
  What many can attest was that, perhaps, he was a better man than he is now, when he still walked amongst the Sentinels, though many also bore witness to the seeds of madness that have now borne fruit in his mind. Time, the deterioration of the world, and the cowardice of the one he served, watered and tended to the soil of the garden that his madness grew in, and so it cracked his psyche completely, and he turned his back to the Sentinels. To hold onto the remnants of his past, and himself, he allied himself with the Grey Lodge, but grew even distant from the people around him. So long as his axe was not directed at the people, however, he was kept as a proper member, for there was no mistaking that his swings were powerful and his aim unerring. Better to have the madman on a leash, than be set free.
  
  To the surprise of all, Hask has offered his services to the Ophelia. Why, remains a mystery to everyone, though some can take a guess.
  
  Determination
  His axe thirsts for adventure, and he is only kind enough to oblige it. It may be a simple and nonsensical determination to others, but in his cold, unfeeling eyes, it is reason enough for the madman.
  
  
• Equipment
  Hask wears a chainmail suit of armor, and packs a lantern, hunting knife, and a bedroll with him for traveling. He has a whetstone that he periodically sharpens his closest friend with. He prefers to travel light.
  
  Armament
  Hask has with him his most stalwart friend, a bearded axe that has served him for many years, and will be for many years to come, to the day he dies on the battlefield.
  
  Magic
  N/A
  
  Shortcomings
  Hask is interested only in whetting his axe's thirst. He has no care for strategy or tactics, and if no one around orders him otherwise, he will be the first into any confrontation to introduce the edge of his axe to whatever threats that lie in their way. It is best to get a leash on him, as soon as possible, lest he starts to carve a way through hell and ice. Thankfully, he at least understands the concept of what is a threat and what isn't.
  
  It bears clarification that Hask is not a diplomat, nor is he capable of talking or reasoning with others. That job is reserved for the Owls and the Foxes, or those more blessed in the gift of silver tongues. Others should speak more than he should, for his only reply to direct confrontation is a retort, and it will draw more blood than any pen or sword would.
  
  

 

[_gallifrog_]

LUCIEN RYDER

• Basics
• Memoir
• Capabilities and Starting Inventory

• 
  Essentials
  Full Name: Lucien Ryder
  Nickname(s): Luke, Lucas, Ryder (he’ll take literally any variation of his name, he’s not fussy)
  Age: 34
  Gender: Male
  Profession: Former Sailor/Dockworker, but with ships out of commission he is now an ice hunter/fisher
  Allegiance(s): Labour Union
  
  

  
  (not my own art)​
  Appearance
  Lucien is the kind of person who always looks haggard and weary as if he’s travelled a long distance, even when he’s just woken up. He has a perpetual stubble, sometimes sporting nicks in his chin as he shaves with a hunting knife (which isn’t the ideal instrument for the job). His hair is long and black, usually tied back in a sort of bun with one part hanging loose over the right hand side of his head due to the fact that he is missing the majority of his right ear (It was cut off during the heat of a fight with one of the Mortalis). His eyes are dark brown, bordering on black and watch the world around him with suspicion.
  His clothes are old, patched and worn, consisting of thick trousers, various longsleeved garments, a fur lined jacket (with hood), gloves and knee high leather boots with old nails hammered into the soles for a better grip on the icy wastes. He always has at least one weapon visible and one concealed.
  Lucien isn’t the tallest man around, coming in at about 5’ 10”, but his slim build is deceptively muscular from all his years spent working on boats. His hands are calloused and he bears various other scars from a lifetime of hard labour and is missing the majority of his right ear.
  
  Persona
  Lucien is what is known colloquially among sailors and sea-faring types as ‘a wandering soul’, a person with no discernable past, who travels from place to place working as a crew hand, but never settling anywhere or staying more than a couple of months. They have nobody to return to and nobody to go to, they just go where the tides take them, until eventually they die, as unknown as when they lived.
  
  Lucien is utterly calm in a crisis, choosing to watch and take it in and attempt to formulate a plan. Screaming and worrying won’t help him, and any freaking out can be done later once it sets in just what you had to do to survive. In times of crisis he tends to take a leadership role, giving orders and formulating plans. He has a sharp, strategic mind. He also remains level headed in arguments.
  
  Lucien is suspicious and wary of people, but unlike many of the others, he hides it well. Lucien is charismatic and has excellent people skills, as well as being well versed in a couple of languages (his native tongue and some he picked up while at sea). These are skills that were necessary in order to get along with new people on new crews. He is known for his ability to listen to both sides of an argument and is often the peacemaker in situations, on Cask pointing out that life is pretty bad for everybody and fighting won’t solve anything. Lucien is open minded when it comes to people and their beliefs. The flip side of this is that Lucien is also an excellent liar.
  
  Lucien isn’t easily impressed and has no time for egos, it’s a tough world out there, and he makes his opinion on egotistical people pretty well known.
  
  Lucien is a survivor most of all, he is resourceful, a decent physical fighter both with blades and his own hands, as well as being a decent archer,
• 
  History
  Lucien’s story isn’t particularly unusual among the poorer people. He grew up near Belar, not in the city itself, but the dockside slums. The slums contained the people who had no real hope of a future in the city. The people who didn’t benefit from the developments made with Resonance crystals unless they had some gift (academic talent or mechanical ability for example) that allowed them to catch the attention of a wealthy merchant. Lucien had no such gift, he was the second eldest of five children, so money was always tight in the family.
  
  As the oldest boy, he began working as soon as he was able to. Lucien was tall for his age, hitting puberty early, and found employment in the docks, shifting freight and doing basic ship repairs. His oldest sister was married off, for money rather than love when Lucien was fifteen and shortly after his younger sister died of one of the infectious diseases than ran rife in the slums.There was no future for him there, so shortly after he turned seventeen, Lucien left his family, enlisted on a ship and never looked back.
  
  At first it was guilt that kept him travelling, ashamed that he’d simply abandoned his family as if they meant nothing. But as the years passed by the guilt diminished and he found himself enjoying life at sea. The work may have been hard and crews weren’t always the nicest, but the places he travelled to were fascinating and enchanting. He saw the rise of places thanks to Resonance, but was skeptical of how long it would last.
  
  One journey he made was on a ship carrying Resonance crystals, it was attacked by the Mortalis and in the process Lucien lost a chunk of his right ear. He escaped by jumping into the sea and making his way back to port. There was no damage to his hearing, but the sight where his ear used to be was a mess of scar tissue and blood. He began keeping his hair loose to cover the injury.
  
  Lucien ended up on Cask on one of the very last freighters to get in. He had intended to leave the island on another boat, but shortly after the waters froze permanently, leaving him stranded. He had no choice but to adapt as the winters set in, working as a casual labourer mainly to insulate houses against the biting cold. In more recent years he has become an ice hunter and fisher, having just enough food to scrape by. He joined the Labor Union once he realised he was going to be stuck on Cask for a while, and any extra food goes to the inhabitants of the slum ships (where he himself lives now).
  
  Determination
  Restlessness:
  Lucien is a restless soul and doesn’t like staying in one place for too long. Being a sailor gave him the freedom to go anywhere. Being stuck on Cask is driving him up the wall, and he isn’t ashamed of making it known he wants an out. He volunteered for the journey knowing they needed an able sea crew if they were to have any chance of making it off the island.
  
  Death:
  Lucien’s secondary motivation is not wanting to die on Cask. He doesn’t consider himself a native of Belar anymore and understands that his family are more than likely dead, a small part of him wishes to find out, but the rest of him is focused on his own survival. If he is going to die, then he’d rather it be on a doomed expedition. He feels he has some sort of control over his own death when he is going to it, instead of wasting away on an island and letting death come to him.
• 
  Equipment
  Basics:
  Rope, canteen, bedroll, bone needles and thread, goggles, whetstone (for his blades)
  
  Armament
  Sword (there are no identifiable markings on the blade or pommel, and the hilt is wrapped in leather. He stole the blade years ago and has never lost it since. It is an old weapon, but he takes good care of it)
  Two hunting knives (often tucked either in his boot or at his waist, they have leather bound handles are are regularly sharpened)
  Hunting bow (not as useful as it used to be, given the lack of proper game, but who knows what they’ll see on the journey)
  
  Magic
  Lucien isn’t a magic user, he used a harpoon gun years back, but given the scarcity of Resonance he prefers to use his bow to attack from a range.
  
  Shortcomings
  Lucien has a strange attitude towards death, seeing it as an inevitability rather than something to fear. He speaks of death casually, almost flippantly, some would say without respect and does not grieve for very long, if at all. He doesn’t mind risking his own life or those of others in order to execute a plan.
  
  Lucien’s bluntness often gets him into trouble, he’s not afraid to say what he thinks or stand up for people (which makes him very popular in the Labour Union). He can come off as a rude to authority figures he has an issue with.
  

 

[Zerulu]

​

Anastasia Isla​

• Basics

• Essentials
  Full Name: Anastasia Isla
  Nickname: Ana, Anny, Anne
  Age: 30
  Gender: Female
  Profession: Soldier
  Allegiance(s): Royal Marine

• Basics
• Memoir
• Capabilities and Starting Inventory

• 
  
  

  ​

  
  Appearance
  Anna makes sure her appearance is always clean, she prides herself on her clean look and believes it reflects on her family and mother nation. She always makes sure her hair is done up neatly and never out of place, as well as assuring her clothes are never wrinkled or dirty.
  
  As for her general appearance, Anna stands at a respectable 5'9 in height, she has a fair complexion and clear skin. She has luscious long black hair that she always keeps to the side and tied up, which compliments her mesmerising brown eyes perfectly.
  
  Persona:
  Anna is a woman who is very proud of her heritage, shes quite a demanding person also, who tends to speak to other people as her subjects rather then comrades, which makes her sound rather condescending at times. However, she has a strong sense of hierarchy and respect for her superiors, trying her hardest to set and exemplary standard for her peers whilst also maintaining her high social status.
  
  Anna isn't know for the type of person to be casual or fun, especially in the times of The Ninth Winter, she has rarely smiled or felt as if she was having fun, everything has just gotten a whole lot more serious. She doesn't indulge in stuff such as alcohol or casual games, instead she often decides to use her spare time patrolling and making sure everyone else's including her own gear are in tip top shape, ready to be used to its full capacity.
  
  However, Anna isn't the type of person who is slow to trusting, she trusts anybody that claims to have sworn an oath or given their word, as to her those two things are very sacred and should never be broken. This just means for people who have broken promises or oaths would find it hard to find forgiveness or any sort of trust from Anna at all. Tenfold for people who broke their Oaths from the Sentinels and Royal Marines, as they were seen as humanity's defenders and they left their posts.
  
• History
  
  Anna was born into a military family as an only child, with both of her parents having had served in the Royal Marines themselves. At a young age her father had encouraged her to learn how to use a rifle, this set her up for her future as at a young age she was already proficient with a rifle. As for her living condition, she would waiver onto the more wealthier side of society, she grew up in a big house and was sent to some of the most expensive schools in the country. Her father had even hired a personal trainer to continue teaching her to use a rifle when he wasn't available, her mother however had hired someone to teach her how to use a violin, so usually if she wasn't studying she was usually at shooting or violin practise.
  
  Due to such a heavy and booked schedule, Anna didn't really grow up with any friends as she never found the time to actually hang out with other kids her age, instead her father continued to reinforce his patriotic values and teachings into her, and when she did become of age she immediately enlisted into the Royal Marines without a second thought, she didn't think of it as a choice, but more of a need from her nation for her to serve. Anna was an exemplary soldier, she never wavered her duties, instead completing them all to the best of her capabilities.
  
  During her service she was assigned to a freighter to haul crystals to the garrison on Cask, just before their arrival their ship had been assaulted by some sort of beasts, she fought valiantly alongside her comrades, though they were hit pretty hard. After some intense fighting they had fended off the Mortalis, and then they had to deal with the dead, the hierarchy on the ship voted for throwing them overboard as they didn't have any room for the dead on the ship. This wasn't well received from the other crew, but they had bigger problems to worry about, like The Ninth Winter.
  
  After the voyage Anna was reassigned to the garrison on Cask indefinitely. However, as news had travelled around about the new grand Ophelia freighter that would travel back to mainland Belar the Captain of the Cask garrison had started asking around for some volunteers of brave men and women to reinforce the Ophelia and ensure the security of the crew from Mortalis attacks and scavengers, however after she had already volunteered she was briefed on the true nature of the mission, to find a connection to the retinue back in the mainland, if there is any.
  
  Determination
  
  Anna is driven to continue solely on her unwavering dedication and pride in Belar. She trusts that there has to be something back on the mainland, because if there isn't, what has her life amounted to other then serving an empire that fell to the Winter? She is determined to find life back on the mainland, to reinforce her meaning in the empire.
  
  She also uses the memory of her brave ancestors and believes if they were in her shoes they'd do the same. Its a case of carrying her family legacy, as she has had war heroes and champions, she strives to amount to be one of the greats and not be another whimper of a dream that succumbed to the cold.
  
• Equipment
  
  Anna has a bedroll, canteen and goggles supplied to her by the Royal Marines.
  
  Armament
  
  As for protection and weapons, Anna has access to a powder gun, though the Captain didn't supply her with a whole lot of ammunition, it would only have to be used in dire situations when it was life or death. On the other hand, she does have a Spear to use in the meantime to avoid wasting ammunition. She was also supplied with Leather padded clothes to survive the cold mostly.
  
  Magic
  Anna is not a magic user.
  
  Shortcomings
  
  Egotistical: Anna sees the commonfolk as below her, not even deserving of her attention unless its absolutely needed. She is even harsher towards people who have broken their Sentinel Oath or dishonourably discharged from the Royal Marines. She only sees people who are serving and have served honourably before as her equals.
  
  Anything for The Cause: Anna strives to fulfil the big boots of heroics left by her ancestors, due to this Anna is willing to do stuff others would claim to be insane just in the hopes of having her name in the history books.
  
  Injury from The Mortalis Attack: During the Mortalis assault on her freighter enroute to Cask, Anna was struck by a beast on her left arm. The injury wasn't too bad to warrant it being cut off, but it was bad enough where she would be honourably discharged and barred from joining the Ophelia mission before she even makes a name for herself, this means Anna is hiding the injury as to not be discharged and keep her position on the Ophelia mission as a Royal Marine. The injury will heal in time but in the meantime Anna avoids using her left arm, as when she does it hurts immensely.
  
  

 

[Tenma]

CONRAD MILLANGE​

• Basics
• Memoir
• Capabilities and Starting Inventory

• 
  Essentials
  Full Name: Conrad Millange
  Nickname: Cook, Sir Gruel
  Age: 36
  Gender: Male
  Profession: Cook, provisions personnel
  Allegiance(s): Labour Union
  
  Appearance
  A tall, gaunt figure (6'1), Conrad was never the most attractive of individuals but his appearance was certainly done no favors through thehas been aged beyond his years by the bitter winter, his face wrinkled and sagged, his skin pallid and sallow. His muddy yellow eyes still hide a certain fire behind them, but are obscured under dark pits. His nose is thin and beaklike, overseeing what is perpetually a thin leer and an unevenly shaven goattee. He keeps his graying hair messy and overgrown and his decorum poor to encourage others to underestimate him, and also because he genuinely doesn't care how he carries himself.
  
  Conrad generally wears mismatched brown and gray furs and with a rat-eaten white undershirt, with a good many pockets both obvious and hidden for his assorted business. In the kitchen he wears an apron over his crappy undershirt. Conrad wears frayed leather working boots at basically all times.
  
  Persona:
  Conrad is a man of two halves- a bitter, shrewd, unscrupulous fellow, the 'Cook' and mercenary provisions man, and the creative, spirited artist. He's generally a distrustful, manipulative fellow, doing anything to survive in the dog-eat-dog world that the low-wage workers of Belar live in. He hs grown skilled at positioning himself in areas of advantage and slithering his way around the rules while being able to avoid ending up at the wrong end of a Royal Legionnaire's pike. Cynical, practical and pragmatic, Conrad tends to keep a relatively low profile.
  
  As expected from his pre-resonance profession, Conrad has an incredible eye for detail and peternatural observation, capable of picking up the smallest details on a scene on instinct. Although his skills have gone to rust, he remains a highly talented artist and sculptor, able to dabble into both great realism and dazzling stylization.
  
  
• History
  Before the eternal frost, Conrad was an artist. Graduating from the Belar Academy of Fine Arts at the age of 20, he ingratiated himself with sculpture, drawing and oil paints. Millange never rose to become among the greats, but his work was not disrespected, and he could make ends meet provided he took up some side work from time to time. This was usually spent at the baker's. He eventually married, and had a son. The duties of being a father forced him to take on a 'real job', but he knew an opportunity to be an artist would once more arise. And it looked like it, as a businessman expressed interest in some of hia older works. But some men couldn't let sleeping Mortalis lie, and the great winter struck. His wife vanished amidst the chaos of the exodus, leaving him alone with his son. That too was taken by the winter, leaving him with grief, missed opportunities and a life which seemed to have been without purpose. If he had remained the 'Artist', it is unlikely Conrad's psyche would have been able to withstand the tragedy, so he forced it down and became a survivor, the 'Cook', like most residents of Belar subsisting barely above an animal.
  
  The work of an artist was already...somewhat trivial during Belar's prime, and became altogether irrelevant during the great famines in the years that followed. He scrounged away at his work in rations, his spirit torn away bit by bit in the cold that ate away at everything and everyone around him. So when Ysabelle Anvil started going on about this expedition to faraways lands, to where the Mortalis were, something overcame him in a fit of madness, and he leapt at the opportunity simply to get out. He packed his things, gave the jackass landlord a solid kick to the balls, and was on his way into the cramped carcass of the Ophelia. Conrad Millange had no idea what was up for him, but he did not particularly care. Anywhere but here, he hd figured.
  
  Determination
  Conrad's core motivation is that of escape, away from the hopeless, miserable everydays in Belar. He has scarcely considered the full danger and importance of what he has plunged himself into.
  
  The part of Conrad that remains an artist, however, has taken this journey in search of something more, to reclaim the part of himself he has lost. That remains, however, deeply buried under bitterness and tiredness.
  
• Equipment
  Storage Keys
  Canteen Set
  Rope
  Dagger
  
  Kitchen carver- As a cook aboard the Ophelia.
  
  Brush and Canvas- Still an artist in spirit, Conrad has brought along his drawing materials- many of which are twisted and worn from the Golden Age, others improvised in its winter. He does not expect to find much use of them, having not drawn in years.
  
  Winter's Red- Conrad is a middleman in an underground economy aboard the Ophelia, using his position in the distribution of the opiatic flower Winter's Red. Although he does not typically keep it on his person, Conrad is aware of the location of most of the stashes and the people who hold them.
  
  Magic
  N/A.
  
  Shortcomings
  Millange is deeply self-centred, calculative and lacking in morals, being engaged in several forms of corruption aboard the Ophelia. His lacking of constitution and character has developed a deep cowardice within the sour man, seeing little as more important than his immediate survival and satisfaction. Secretive and untrustworthy, Conrad gets along with his sort amongst the workers of the Ophelia, but is likely to bounce off poorly with more noble crewmembers.
  
  Further, as someone on board essentially to run from reality, he is seriously lacking in motivation with regards to the purpose and magnitude of the mission. Despite having several skills which would be helpful in the expedition, Conrad is currently more than happy to battle for his position in the social ladder of the Ophelia among the various workers of the Union who work there.
  
  Conrad is lacking in physical capabilitiea and fighting skills compared to many onboard the Ophelia; as a survivor he is still a generally tough fellow but he lacks any sort of formal combat training or skill with arms, beyond being reasonably good with a cleaver in the kitchen and a brush on the canvas.
  

 

[Life.]

Verity​

• Basics
• Memoir
• Capabilities and Starting Inventory

• Essentials
  Full Name: Verity Noe Wells
  Nickname: Wells
  Age: 32
  Gender: Female
  Profession: Researcher/Scholar
  Allegiance(s): The Circle of the Owl
  
  Appearance
  Wrinkles from stress, noticeable bags under her eyes, and a burning light in her green eyes. Stress of research and colleagues have affected her appearance but not her passion. Always standing at a proud height of 5'4", Verity has a petite body that proves difficult to handle heavy objects. But underneath her hand-made (by her mom) parka, she actually has some muscles. Although she has some more muscle mass on her legs than her arms from many events of running and swimming.
  
  Upon first glance, her salt-and-pepper hair stands out. With more of her silver hair dominating compared to black. She mostly keeps her hair in a loose braid or in a messy bun. Verity also has many layers of clothing from a simple tank to the protective, fur-lined parks, the cold climate definitely not serving to be her cup of tea. She also has quite the worn boots with their still-standing steel tips lined inside of them.
  
  Persona
  Verity knows that first impressions count for the most part, but almost everyone would describe her as a simple, quiet, and studious woman. At least that's how she came across most of life. That is until someone really gets to know her.
  
  As soon as that initial icebreaker is met, Verity begins to reveal the many facets of her personality from her humor to her temper. Like most individuals, she's complex in that even with a surface trait that can be used to describe her has more layers to it. But for an overall look, Verity may not say much at first since she likes to observe the situation and gauge the appropriate actions. She's a learner. Hardly will she ever act on impulse, unless it's more of mundane tasks or entertainment. This reflects on her work ethic. Thorough and detailed. She's always thinking even when she's trying to calm herself down.
  
  Verity doesn't flaunt it off but she's very sharp on picking up new skills or information. However, this does not mean she's quick to master. She's just tenacious on gaining a great understanding of what she does.
• History
  Compared to her more recent years of existing, Verity's childhood and upbringing was fairly stable and calm. She was born in a family of scholars, her father and mother both with large reputations in the scholastic community. This set for big footsteps for her and her twin sister, Amity, to fill in. Although, respectfully, her parents understood if they chose a different path. Amity Wells took that opportunity and deviated down towards a more artistic route, while Verity stuck to logic and science. As they grew, it was clear that Verity had a knack for formal education, excelling well through programs and studies. Victor Wells, the patriarch of the Wells family, saw Verity's brilliance and supported her greatly in her school career.
  
  Geology, biology, and metallurgy. These were all disciplines she heavily invested in. Understanding chemistry influences on these matters and how they apply to the world, Verity enjoyed the thrill of obtaining new knowledge and sharing it with others. Her marks in the scholastic community didn't appear until the first Monoliths appear. A bright-eyed, vigorous Verity was ready to pour all her time and dedication to researching and learning about this new material.
  
  Alongside her father, Verity and Victor were able to work with and collaborate with some of the first scientists to obtain the newfound energy source that was named Resonance. From that moment on, it was clear that Verity had a greater ability of absorbing the idea and knowledge that Resonance had to offer. So for the past 9 years that Resonance has existed, Verity has collaborated with numerous researchers and eventually joined the Circle of Owls. Or really, she needed funds to help with more of her borderline-insane research on Resonance. Verity was one of the first to boldly attempt with working on other Sentinels to understand Resonance on the human body. She would observe and record the effects this energy source had on others, all the while experimenting on herself.
  
  Continuously working on Resonance for not only herself but to help other researchers, Verity found herself adventuring to different spots on Belar. But Cask was her latest and longest spot, having stayed at the town for five years. Now with the hope of Cask lying on the voyage of Ophelia, Verity seeks to understand that influence the Monoliths and Resonance potentially had on the climate.
  
  Determination
  To discover more of the unknown. Plain and simple. Verity simply wants to understand more of what appeared on the land before them to the eternal winter. There's a lot of the world to understand along with its inhabitants. So don't think she won't try to get to know about others personally either.
  
• Equipment
  Water canteen
  Fitted leather gloves (can't be touching unknown objects with bear hands)
  Scratched-up goggles (not the cleanest to see out of, but always ready for explosions--icy or fiery)
  Poorly-knitted handkerchief (she tried to take it up as a hobby once)
  Resonance Dowsing Rods
  
  Armament
  Slingshot with a bag of rocks
  Hunting knife
  
  Magic
  As a scientist, Verity has worked with Resonance for many years. Within this time-span, she has controlled the power of this material to manipulate water. While she can maneuver and shift the movement of water as she pleases, Verity cannot change the water's molecular phase--solid to liquid to gas and vice versa. However, the scientist has been working on manipulating with ice. Re-working her mind on the properties of ice and how it is just a more solidified phase of water.
  
  Shortcomings
  A busy-bee, that's what she needs to be or she's uneasy. Verity can be chilled and in control if she's occupied with something mentally and/or emotionally taxing or entertaining in her eyes. Otherwise, if she's left with not much to do Verity will be sure to find something to do, even if that means talking someone's ear off.
  
  She's horrible, horrible, HORRIBLE with directions. Landmarks are her method of navigating but in the lands of Belar, well that's not much considering it's mostly rocks or ice at this point.
  
  Verity hates to apologize, even if the situation calls for it. It's something rather unnatural to come out of her tongue. Rather she'd stomp or laugh off a situation than verbally apologize.
  

 

[Absurdisan]

Prudence Bagstock​

• Basics
• Memoir
• Capabilities and Starting Inventory

• Essentials
  Full Name: Prudence Bagstock
  Nickname: Pru
  Age: 36
  Gender: Female
  Profession: Herbalist & Gardener, Assistant Manager of the Cask Greenhouses
  Allegiance(s): Labor Union
  
  

  

  
  Appearance
  Prudence is lithe and angular in both face and body, her features sharp as if hewn from icy stone. At 5’07” she stands modestly beside most people, but her close-cropped hair, arched brows, and piercing brown eyes can make many feel small. Understated authority is the rule of her wardrobe, favouring high boots and close-fitting pants to any sort of skirt, and gloves were a mainstay even before the dreadful cold. Her skin is pallid, which becomes almost sickly in the reflected light of the ice and snow, heightening the dark circles around her eyes. Her top is the most artful piece of her usual ensemble, her cropped jacket bearing false leaves, flowers, and twigs in a choice to denote her station. These days it is most often hidden beneath thick furs.
  
  Persona:
  A poignant reflection of the winter itself, Prudence’s reception to others is cold, frigid enough to earn her few friends. Despite assisting in keeping the island alive through her management of the greenhouses, she harbours little compassion for others, suffering fools lightly even before the Ninth began, and even less-so now. To-the-point and direct, she will not sugarcoat her feelings or the situations in which she finds herself.
  
  Besides her wintry disposition toward people, she takes great pride in her work and her composure. Serving with skill and efficiency is her passion, and chances are she would have taken such an approach to whatever job she took. As it is, she has developed a high understanding of food production and management and revels in making such processes work to their greatest potential.
• History
  Prudence’s childhood was unremarkable. One of six children born to a family of middling repute, she grew and worked before and during the resonance boom, taking every opportunity she could to gain independence and purpose. She worked in food production before the Ninth Winter, serving Cask and Belar in one of the many companies that called the bustling metropolises home. She had done the usual ladder-climbing required of and available to the middle class, skipping several lower-rung positions thanks to her station, instead paying her dues and ensuring her prosperity by first shipping, and then organising the shipment of crops and fruit between the mainland and Cask. She was good at what she did, and she relished her successes.
  
  She lived in Belar, travelling to the island as her work required. Unknown to many, she had a family - a husband and three children, two boys and a girl. They remained on the mainland when she travelled to Cask as the winter set in, and has been separated from them since. These times were understandably hard on Prudence, but she shut out others rather than revealing her weaknesses, just as she always had done. While she hadn’t been the personable sort before the winter, her demeanour devolved year after year of being stuck on Cask, developing into the icy harshness it is today. The expedition that returned from the mainland only served to confirm her fears that her family were likely all long dead, and with that her heart was shut to the world for good.
  
  Determination
  Her work and her composure are all that Prudence has left, and she has clung to them with a death-grip to keep her from giving in to despair. Keeping the food growing and the greenhouses working are her highest functions now, regardless of the fact that they in turn sustain Cask’s populace. A campaign to the mainland offered her a chance to salvage essential equipment and supplies she needed to keep the greenhouses going.
  
  Although, perhaps - just possibly - the faintest glimmer of hope for her family remains. It would take seeing their bodies before her to truly extinguish that fire within, which could indeed have had a bearing on Prudence taking up with the expedition, though she fights that notion at every turn.
  
• Equipment
  - Furs; a large cloak to wear over her other clothes.
  - Leather Padding; her clothes, nicer than other Labor Unionists simply due to her station in the greenhouses.
  - Canteen Set
  - Bedroll
  - Tyrant Root; two pre-diluted, ready-to-use solutions, produced in the greenhouses before she left. She knows how to make more if they find Root samples.
  
  Armament
  - Hunting Knife; simple and chosen for its wide utility.
  - Light Crossbow; along with twenty bolts, Prudence acquired this from the provisionists for the expedition after staring them down for a good while.
  
  Magic
  Prudence chides herself daily for not following through with learning some basic magic to assist in plant growth and manipulation before the Ninth started. She had the opportunity to do so and read some of the basic materials she was provided, but never put it into practice.
  
  Shortcomings
  Prudence is short with people to the point that few choose to be around her. Her brusque manner earns her few friends, and she is highly intolerant of people failing her, her temper rising to chastise them without remorse or restraint.
  
  She is no warrior, nor an explorer. She must rely on others for directions and protection, as much as it grates on her to do so. Those who do help her should expect no great offering of thanks from her beyond the barest acknowledgement of a job well done.
  
  While Prudence could be said to have little fear in the face of danger, in truth she is no longer afraid of death. As such, her survival instincts are lacking, and she may be a little too eager to meet her end.
  

 

[Goonfire]

​

M A R I N A
​

• Basics
• Memoir
• Capabilities and Starting Inventory

• Essentials
  Full Name: Marina Pope
  Nickname: Mari, Pope
  Age: 25
  Gender: Female
  Profession: Combat Engineer
  Allegiance(s): Royal Marines
  
  Appearance
  Marina is not a hulking woman, standing at 5’6. Her tan skin and dark hair and eyes are usually obscured under thick cold-weather gear. She sports an excellent athletic build, though closer inspection might reveal the signs of malnutrition, evidence that she isn’t in peak condition anymore. She usually keeps her hair in a neat bun so it doesn’t get grabbed or caught in machinery while she works.
  
  Her clothing consists of a scuffed—but otherwise clean—Royal Marines uniform with padded cloth and a fur pelt layered on top. She wears a fur hat with her goggles on top.
  
  Persona:
  Positive and good-natured, Marina presents herself as an overall reliable person, especially when it counts. She is loyal to her commanding officers and proud of her achievements thus far—among them, having survived this bitter winter. She is distraught that she hasn’t seen her father, who went missing along with others on the mainland.
  
  Marina is a brave and bold soul who takes great personal risks to ensure people survive. She repurposes any and every piece of junk she can, with great efficiency and attention to detail. Although she is a great soldier, rank and status symbols mean nothing to her if everyone who acknowledges such civilized concepts is dead. Highly independent, she will try something herself before asking anyone for help—unless the solution obviously requires multiple people, of course.
  
• History
  Marina’s father was a military chaplain. Her parents raised her well and instilled solid moral and religious values. She learned to use a gun and a blade as a teenager, in addition to a fife. She took great interest in machinery, rudimentary as it was in her youth. The explosion of new technology with the Resonant Age further motivated her to study it.
  
  When she finished her years at university, Marina enlisted in the Royal Marines. Some Of the less mature folks teased her for the similarity between “Marina” and “Marine”, but her relentless determination, fiery attitude, and exceptional skill cemented her position in the engineering corps.
  
  The infamous ninth winter plunged Marina and other servicemen into an icy hell. The Mortalis threat was the least of her concerns; she was assigned to the garrison on Cask, far from where her father was stationed. The bitter winters and deaths upset her so much, she lost faith in any gods. What she lost in that department, she gained back in a different kind of faith: faith in others. In these trying times, it seemed most survived better together by combining knowledge and skill sets. That’s why she chose to contribute her expertise to the Ophelia expedition. She helped rig the icebreaker bow to the front of the ship and opted to join the crew, making repairs as needed.
  
  Determination
  Marina has two reasons for boarding the Ophelia. The first is to fulfill Captain Artelok’s request; she needs to find the other Royal Marines on the mainland. The second, to investigate her father’s disappearance; she wants closure, though she is almost certain she won’t like what she may find.
  
• Equipment
  
  • Basic gear - a bedroll, canteen set, and goggles. Standard things a survivalist and an engineer should have.
  • Tool set - a handful of tools for servicing machinery. Contains a screwdriver, a wrench, a wooden mallet, pliers, and a crowbar.
  Armament
  
  • Crossbow - a simple weapon for sure, but still effective. Marina opts to use this for ranged combat because it’s less vulnerable to the elements.
    10/10 bolts remaining.
  • Broken sword - originally a full-length sword, its blade cracked in half and it was sent to some tragic scrap bin. Marina fished it out and filed the broken end of the blade, as well as parts of the crossguard. It is now more akin to a machete.
  • Hunting knife - the other half of that sword’s blade was crafted into Marina’s personal knife. Its tang is wrapped in coarse cloth for a better grip. One edge has become horribly dull from heavy use, so Marina marked that edge with black paint to quickly remind herself which edge she shouldn’t use.
  Magic
  None.
  
  Shortcomings
  
  • Gluttonous - it’s easy to coax Marina into doing something if the reward is food, though she would draw the line at betrayal.
  • Soft-hearted - Marina will likely try to help without first considering the repercussions. She is easily moved with pity.
  • Stubborn - When she knows something is correct or just, it’s difficult to get in her way. She will argue and fight for what’s right.

 

[Dethrix]

W I L L O N A​

• Basics
• Memoir
• Capabilities and Starting Inventory

• Essentials
  Full Name: Willona Henderson
  Nickname: Brawn, Workhorse, Willy
  Age: 28
  Gender: Female
  Profession: Metalworker
  Allegiance(s): Labor Union
  
  

  

  
  Willona with eyes covered in ash.​

  
  Appearance
  Willona is a physically intimidating woman, who stands approximately six-foot-seven with her hair down. Weighing in at a whopping two hundred and fifty pounds, her height directly correlates to the immense bulk and muscle distributed all throughout her body. Much of which ties directly into her nickname "Brawn" by those within the Labor Union, seemingly due to both her robust nature and attitude. Despite these features, Willy is also a lady of great raw beauty, though some would refer to her as "handsome" mockingly. With a brutally well-cut jawline and strikingly prominent facial features, swirled together with a darkened olive skin tone, the Workhorse has been known to sway even the most dejected of hearts. Furthermore, testaments of Willona's metalworking skills can be found as decorations in the form of piercings or hair beads, many of which can be shown to have small engravings that tell simple stories. Perhaps the most unusual of her characteristics, besides her grand size is that of the many markings that can be found symmetrically placed throughout her body.
  
  Persona: Willona is a woman of logic and straightforward action. Her life as a lowly street urchin taught her to restrain her emotions, and in turn to rely more heavily on her wit and intellect to survive even in the worst of circumstances. It's because of her indomitable nature and keen mind that she was able to escape some of the more brutal periods of her adolescence that made her into the woman she is today. Though she can seem abhorrently cold and ungrateful, many within the Labor Union know that after a few drinks the giantess is the life of the bar. With a little liquid courage in her system, Willy's been known to spout all manner of jokes and crude remarks, alongside instigating brawls that turn the drinking taverns into hospitals. Nevertheless, when pushed into a corner she's the first to analyze and methodically approach any form of situation.
  
• History
  Willona was orphaned after a group of marauders ransacked her home and mercilessly killed her parents. The action was senseless, but nevertheless it landed the girl in an orphanage far from her rural upbringing. It was here that Willy would learn the meaning of a "Living Wage," as all the children under the care of the foster program were sold off during the day to work at various establishments in need of cheap labor. With the slow, but steadily increasing need for outsourced work due to the formation fo Labor Unions, child supplementation was the next best thing. Willona was nine when she learned how to smelt metal, and only ten when she learned all the ways a wrench could be used to reconfigure mechanical gears. The years passed by, and the girl continued to work for the right to a bed full of stained dirty rags and a roof but little else besides basic amenities. The practices weren't fair, but the kids that tried to object were lashed, so instead, Willona stayed quiet and did her job. The only exception that made things worth it, were the specialized rations they were given daily by a nearby Apothocary every morning. Made to increase their efficiency, while reducing the need for meals, their small amounts of food were regularly mixed with shavings of Tyrant Root in order to produce greater results. Unfortunately, the developments were mixed throughout the program. While some kids became horribly ill and began showing signs of food poisoning, others like Willy herself became extraordinarily more productive, though increasingly restless and quick to anger as well. As one of the prodigies of the masses, Willona picked up the slack where others fell and became renowned for it. She worked various jobs in a single day, hopping from sweatshops to wheatfields and carrying out her duties like it was nothing. At night, she'd sneak out and make her own money by upsetting alley fights with her unnatural spikes in adrenalin and tenacious drive. With each fight, she learned more and perfected her skills for the next night until she was a regular champion, though never for too long. With the coin she did win, Willy would buy actual food to feed her ravenous appetite and hoarded what she didn't spend for her escape plan. For years, the cycle continued with her young body slowly maturing to match her ambition and drive at their mountainous peaks. The strenuous work and nightly brawls gave her form, while her steady consumption gave her protein and muscles to build upon. Gradually but surely, by the age of eighteen Willona was a hulking giant that could undertake virtually any job and pummel functionally anyone. Upon leaving the orphanage, she took to life as a tradeswoman that continued to undersell the Labor Unions in order to make quick cash. It wasn't until she saw a man die in a machinery accident that her outlook on the circumstances changed. She changed her profession after that, taking on a short-lived apprenticeship with a blacksmith to earn a true education in metalworking. After which, she worked with the Union in order to demand safer conditions and to end the child labor she'd experienced throughout her life. All of which, gradually became increasingly mute as life turned from mechanical wonder to frostbitten nightmare. As the world she'd come to understand plunged into an artificial ice age, Willona found herself crafting tools from scrap metal and salvaged parts just to keep things functioning. Pickaxes for wearing down the frozen shores and locked away waters, hammers for cracking the icy surfaces that could be found functionally everywhere, axes for cutting down chilled trees, and even thermometers that used rum instead of mercury. In the rare circumstances where she got her hands on a few crystal fragments, Willy even took to making low output resonance equipment, though most of such technology wasn't used or even produced in fear of the Mortalis.
  
  Determination
  Willona chose to embark on the Ophelia in place of a meager boy who drew a short straw, whereas all the others had simply accepted his fate. Knowing fully well that the mission was likely one of terrible consequence and pain, she swapped roles with him in order to present a far more suited candidate for the role. Her chances of dying were statistically lower than his own, and she didn't want to send a kid off to freeze.
  
• Equipment
  
  • Padded Cloth Backpack
    • Bedroll
    • Goggles
    • Canteen Set
    • Mess Kit: A small tin box containing a cup and simple cutlery. The box clamps together, and one side can be used as a cooking pan and the other as a plate or shallow bowl.
    • Tinderbox: This small container holds flint, fire steel, and tinder used to kindle a fire. Using it to light a torch - or anything else with abundant, exposed fuel.
    • 10 torches: Simple wood stakes, that have been dried and wrapped in oil-soaked cloth.
    • Dried Rations: Pieces of meat, bread, and even preserved vegetables that were salted and dried for later consumption. When left out in the icy tundra, they can last even longer due to the effects of the cold.
    • 50 feet of Woven Rope: Hand braided rope, that can be undone for greater length at the cost of less durability and strength.
  • Fur Clothing
    • Leather Padding: Many years of working near machinery taught Willona to wear protective clothing in regards to her more vital regions, though such adornments also provided great safety in her back alley brawls. Nevertheless, such paddings are worn underneath her normal fur clothing.
  Armament
  
  • Modified Pickaxe: Willona's primary weapon and tool, her pickaxe functions as the perfect tool for both piercing hard surfaces and cutting into hardened wood trunks. Instead of the traditional weight found on the back of a pick, the metalworking woman reformed the counterbalance into an axe edge strong enough to hammer away at trees or enemies.
    • Compass: Furthermore, she integrated a well-functioning compass into the pickaxe head.
    • Thermometer: Similarly, a thermometer filled with brandy was placed into the side open side of the tool after being bolted into the wood.
  • Hunting Knife: Simple and functional, Willona can be found regularly sharpening this blade. Alternatively, it's housed in a specialized slot on the side of her boot.
  Magic
  While not directly magic, Willona was biologically altered after years of being subjected to Tyrant Root Poisoning which was never actually treated. Through forced adaptation alone, her body learned to cope with the stress of having such a toxin in her system. As a result, she grew unnaturally to possess great height and unwieldy strength, which allows her to wield a pickaxe singlehandedly with brutish power. Similarly, she holds a natural resistance to plant-based poisons after the continued ingestion of such a substance.
  
  Shortcomings
  
  • Poisoned: Though she seems to be supernatural, the true nature of WIllona's circumstance is one of deadly proportions. Despite her body coping with the years of exposure she had to Tyrant Root, the low doses were the only thing that saved her besides the overhauled work of her immune system. As a result, overexerting herself can lead to immune system failure, and ultimately her death if not treated appropriately. This can first take the symptoms of great weakness or fatigue, before turning into complete exhaustion and a bodily shutdown.
  • Post Traumatic Stress: Willona saw her parents get murdered first hand while hiding in the kitchen cupboard. The long-lasting result of such a horrible incident, coupled with the dangerous lifestyle she lived as an orphan has greatly affected her mental state. Though she typically can keep her emotions in check, one wrong move or thought can send her spiraling down.
  • Malnourishment: The boisterous physique Willona sports isn't one without cost, as a great deal of maintenance is required to keep her hulking form in proper shape. As a result, an excessive amount of food or supplements have to regularly be in her diet to avoid adverse effects similar to her poisoned state befalling her. To avoid these consequences, Willy packed extensive amounts of dried food singularly for herself.

 

[Togy]

​

M A L C O M​

• Basics
• Memoir
• Capabilities and Starting Inventory
• Capabilities and Starting Inventory

• Essentials
  Full Name: Malcom W. Soot
  Nickname: Malcom
  Age: 29
  Gender: Male
  Profession: Engineering, Meteorology
  Allegiance(s): Horizon League
  
  

  ​

  Appearance
  Standing at 5'6, weighing 121 LB, and with little muscles, Malcom doesn't strike an imposing sight. With windswept hair and frost often coating his facial hair, Malcom does look to be an outdoorsy type though. Where his skin isn't a slight tinge of purple from the cold, it's remained a light tannish color but is steadily giving way to pale white skin due to an abundant lack of sunlight. With bags under his eyes from sleepless nights, a slightly hunched posture brought on from bending over weather equipment, and cramped hands brought about by constantly scribbling down notes, Malcom doesn't look to be a pleasant sight. The usual disinterested and tired expression scrawled on his face just illustrates the fact.
  
  For clothing, Malcom has a tendency to dress in as many layers of clothing as he can as to combat the cold. He wears a thick parka over two layers of cotton shirts, a fur jacket, thick gloves, a thick woolen balaclava, a scarf, earmuffs, goggles, two layers of thick fur trousers, leather boots wrapped in furs, and a pair of crudely fashioned snowshoes he made himself. His clothes cover every inch of his skin, often causing people to only be able to recognize him by his choice of clothing.
  
  Persona:
  Malcom is a man of science, first things first. What he can't solve with strength he solves with ingenuity and intelligence. Because he is a man of science, Malcom throws himself headfirst into his work, frequently overworking himself. Because of his focus on his work, Malcom hasn't formed an actual bond with another human being in years. Part of him doesn't want to, really. He refuses to bond with the people around him and wards off anyone who tries with snark, indifference, and pessimism. If anyone tried to actually interact with him beyond greeting him, being insulted, and leaving him be, then dealing with his rude attitude would just have to be a fact of life.
  
  If, somehow, you actually get Malcom to like you, then the man can be surprisingly humorous, loyal, and even kind at times. It's difficult to become his friend, and he will regularly try to force you away, but it's possible.
• History
  Born and raised to the lord and lady of the city of Devons, Malcom had life easy. His family owned the land rights of a large commercial seaside city, ensuring that they profited heavily off of trade tariffs and taxes. Living in luxury with so many servants answering at his beck and call, Malcom quickly became a rather entitled child. He couldn't be blamed, really. His parents had never said no to him and he'd never worked for anything in his life. His early years carried on, following the average nobleborn stereotype of a spoiled child being prepared to take over the family business.
  
  Then, a day after his 8th birthday, his father forced him down into a chair and hired a tutor for the boy. At first, he was a terrible, whiny brat, but after a month of constant lessons he proved to actually be a good student. What lessons that needed weeks to be taught now took days, and before he knew it, Malcom was flying through the curriculum planned out for him. After a while, he began to enjoy his education. He'd never been particularly good at anything before, so he took a certain amount of pride in his intelligence.
  
  At the age of 12, his tutoring reached the end of the lessons his father had planned out for him. Not planning on stopping, Malcom had his father buy an entire library's set of academic books for him to read through. He read through anything that caught his interest, be it an academic essay or a 200,000 word book on the basics of engineering. at the age of 13, Malcom began following the scientific community by way of newspapers as well. Any new discovery or theory absolutely fascinated the boy. The theory of evolution and the discovery of subjects like barometric pressure and blood pressure were mindblowing discoveries that only fueled his need for knowledge.
  
  One interesting subject Malcom found when he was 15 was weather. It was mostly an uncharted field of science, with the discovery of atmospheric pressure only being made very recently. Intrigued by the idea of making his own discoveries in an unknown field, Malcom asked his father to get him the best up to date equipment. Surprisingly, they said no and told the teen to attend a university if they wanted equipment and funding. Malcom did just so, although disgruntled.
  
  The University of Wessex was the second best university in Belar. Malcom would have attended the number one university, but their standards had been too high even for him and no amount of money would sway the scholars. Malcom had thought that he'd be the youngest student in the university at the age of 16, but to his great surprise, there were others there his age. Apparently, he wasn't the only 15 year old genius running about. This realization thankfully squashed his ego, making him bearable to interact with for his stay at the university.
  
  For just over a year Malcom made leaps and bounds in studying the science of weather, going so far as to present prototypes for equipment that could monitor it. Though, 2 weeks after his 17th birthday, Resonance was discovered. The discovery initially intrigued him, but he lost interest when all that happened with was that it replaced candals. A month later though, when the new substance kept popping up in scientific debate, he decided to study the subject a little more closely.
  
  Another month later, the Resonance Revolution began. Malcom had suddenly became the crystal's main supporter and had caught on to the tidal wave of invention that the Resonance created. They were determined to make a discovery that would stick out above the plethora of other being made daily. After studying the Resonance and it's capabilities, Malcom joined with a group of scholars to look into the Resonance's capabilities as a fuel source. Half a year of research later, Malcom and 19 others had successfully turned the Resonance into a fuel source for sophisticated machinery. It was difficult to credit 20 people, so the news and scientific community chose to praise a few and leave the others as footnotes. Unfortunately for Malcom, he was one of the footnotes.
  
  Furious, Malcom tried to lead the way for another discovery in Resonance. His attempts at discovery was plagued with disaster though, with years of research being burned in a house fire, failure after failure of experimentation, and the discovery he was trying to make already being made by other scientists. After months of trying, Malcom finally threw down his hat and simply went back to the weather field. Upon reentering said scientific field, he found that others had used his research to further the applications of weather forecasting. At that point, there was nothing left to discover about the field.
  
  Frustrated, Malcom took a handful of months to take a break while he figured out what he'd do next. He hadn't seen his family in years by this point. He didn't know whether he was disowned or not by now, so he decided to head for his family's city manor.
  
  As the 9th winter approached, Malcom trudged into his family's house for the first time since he was 16. He was not met with a warm welcome, as he suspected, but he wasn't particularly bothered. Moving back in with his family, Malcom spent the next few months studying in hopes of having a sudden burst of inspiration.
  
  3 months into his studies, he, along with the rest of Belar, realized that winter should have ended by now, or at least calm down. He'd been studying the weather for weeks now, and according to his results, it showed no signs of stopping. Then along came the Mortalis, and the society of the city of Devons was collapsing. From what Malcom could learn, the small archipelago of Cask was fairing slightly better as a refuge from the cold. Believing that anywhere was better than Devons by now, he told his family. His parents hired a small ship to transport him, his younger sister, and a handful of servants while they stayed behind in one last attempt to salvage the situation.
  
  In the present day, Malcom's sister is long dead and his parents never came. He doesn't like to talk about it.
  
  Malcom now works as Cask's weatherman on behalf of the Horizon league, walking out of the settlements borders, sometimes for miles, to effectively read the weather trends. His ego and pride are dead and buried, having been replaced by a more experienced survival instinct. Upon learning about the plan for the ophellia's voyage, Malcom volunteered to act as the weather man for the ship in hopes of fimding his family on their travels.
  
  Determination
  To simply find and protect what left's of his family
  
• Equipment
  -A large backpack sewn from furs, with tools and gear strapped to the sides and a bedroll sitting on top
  -A bedroll made of thick bedsheets and furs that Malcom could find
  -A small canteen set consisting of various cups, bowls, plates, and cutlery for cooking and eating
  -Portable weather equipment such as:
  -Alcohol thermometer
  -Barometer
  -Wind vane
  -Psychrometer
  -Some short wooden stakes and a bundle of furs to set up a tent with
  -20 feet of rope
  -A fire starting kit consisting of matches and flint and steel as well as kindling consisting of sticks and wood shavings
  -A compass
  -A journal for recording details of the weather and drawing maps
  -A canteen holding a liter of water
  -A bag of high calorie oat grain
  -A few inches of fishing reel attached to a small hook
  -A small hand drill used to make a hole in the ice for fishing
  -A small vial of alcohol for drinking or medicinal purposes
  -Scraps of cloth to be used as bandages
  -Binoculars
  -Two homemade wax candles
• 
  -Tree Resin for torches
  -Pine Needles to make tea rich with Vitamin C
  -Cat tail heads
  
  Armament
  -A survival knife
  -An ice pick made from scrap metal and bindings
  -A short military shovel with a bladed edge that makes it double as an axe
  
  Magic
  N/A
  
  Shortcomings
  Malcom has little to no muscles and as little combat experience. He's all brains and no brawn, meaning he's useless in any any brute strength scenario. Combined with the lack of mobility brought on by his insistence on always wearing multiple layers of thick fur clothing and fighting Mortalis begins sounding more like an elaborate suicide attempt more than anything. Despite that, Malcom is ready and willing to learn how to fight.
  
  In a social situation, Malcom doesn't fare any better either. Withhis general sass to anyone he speaks too, it may prove hard to get along with the weatherman.
  

 

[local cryptid]

Seren​

• Basics
• Memoir
• Capabilities and Starting Inventory

• Essentials
  Full Name: Seren Cypress
  Age: 27
  Gender: cis man
  Profession: informant
  Allegiance(s): the Grey Lodge, the Creed of the Fox
  Image credit: LAS-T on dA
  
  Appearance
  [Moodboard]
  Seren is someone who either stands out in a crowd, or goes completely unnoticed. He is a tall, and very lean figure who leans towards looking more androgynous than masculine. He has cool almond skin, peculiarly unmarred by hard labor, battle, or the cold. His long, straight black hair is cut cleanly just below the shoulders. The strangest feature about him is not his apparent wealth, signified by his physical elegance, but instead is his frosty blue, resonance-stricken eyes.
  Typically he wears several long layers of dark clothing, and a small handful of rings that are visible only when he is not wearing his usual, black skin tight gloves. His clothes tend to be on the nicer side, but some of his more delicate clothing items have begun to fray at the ends. He almost always wears tall boots and fine black fur
  
  Persona:
  Despite people’s assumptions about his appearance, Seren is quite personable. He appears kind, charitable, and patient, and often finds himself lending an ear to those who may need another perspective. He’s collected and rational, yet not dismissive of other people’s experiences. He is quick to act, and seems to always know what people are trying to communicate, no matter how poorly it is done. To most people, it would seem as though the endless winters have gotten to him.
  However, this is simply not true. Seren is suffering, just as others are, and truthfully has little interest in relationships with others if they do not advance his goals. It is not that he is resentful towards others, but it is simply that he is jaded, and very tired. Unfortunately, with the downfall of the Sentinels, he finds himself in a position where it is likely for the best that he develops no more genuine relationships with people. He would much rather quietly cherish those who are still in his life.
• History
  Seren grew up in a humble, yet wealthy home as the middle child, where he received a fine education, and was sheltered from many of the perils typical citizens had to endure. His family was oddly egalitarian, and while his immediate family had quite a healthy dynamic, although relationships with his extended family were strained due to the circumstances of the eldest daughter’s birth.
  Growing up, Seren always knew he would end up in politics one way or another. Given he wasn’t fit to fight, he was sure to bury himself in his studies. His father was a renowned warden, and he used his connections to try and establish a bright future for his children by maintaining his power, connections, and wealth. It was no surprise that he was quick to get his hands on some fragments of the Monolith.
  Seren found himself fascinated by the crystals, and through observing them in his own time, he realized he could quite easily interact with them, and use Resonance. He had a portion of the raw crystal he was allowed, broken down so that he could fix a small pendant to wear around his neck.
  After a bit of investigating, he found a scholar who taught him the basics of magic. He originally wanted to learn for the sake of learning, but as the winter began to stretch on, his new position as an agent of the Creed of the Fox began to occupy his mind, and his life. As the world around him began to descend into chaos and desperation, it became clear he had to put this magic to use--for better or for worse.
  The small acts of magic he had learned suddenly became incredibly important. Once the Creed of the Fox caught wind of his abilities, he was called out of his humble agent position, and became a spy.
  The Creed of the Fox smelled the downfall of Belar’s Sovergin before others were aware of it, and it became Seren’s job to observe it all from the shadows, and without question, nudge officials in the direction that best suited Belar, as according to many of the Sentinels.
  However, Seren was quick to recognize that many of these plans put into place were for self preservation, and not for the citizens. His father especially was guilty of such selfishness, as were many of the most respected Sentinels. Yet, he feared speaking out against the Sovereign, for he feared his future would depend on his allegiance to the Creed of the Fox.
  Quietly, he came to realize that he could no longer align himself with rulers who abandoned their people in their most desperate time of need. He pretended that his magic was no longer something that he could do, and insisted to board Ophelia as an informant. He turned around the following day and in secret, he vowed his loyalty to the Grey Lodge.
  He never informed the Creed of the Fox about his departure, and only a select few figures know that he is now sworn to the Grey Lodge. This is possibly the most dangerous move he has made, if not one that will result in his demise, but it is a risk he is willing to take. Officially, he is on the Ophelia to act as an informant for the Creed of the Fox, and to record the happenings upon their journey and the stories and motives of people aboard.
  
  Determination
  Seren’s secret mission is simple on paper, but more complex in action. He is an informant for the Grey Lodge, and intends to make sure that the Grey Lodge will have no information kept from them, and no misinformation spread. He is using his unique position within the Creed of the Fox to help the Grey Lodge’s strongest players achieve their mission from the shadows. Effectively, he is using the Creed of the Fox’s own tactics against the Sentinels.
  Above all else, Seren is motivated by a need to truly help and protect the people, and do what is in his power to make sure the Grey Lodge stands strong against the Sovereign and the loyalists. Although he will never admit to it, not even to himself, he wants to make up for the damage that he has done.
  Secondly, there is a strong part of him who recognizes the importance of adequately documenting what happens on the Ophelia. He knows that there is likely no other person who will be able to obtain the amount of information he will, and he plans to still put his full effort into completing this mission for the Creed of the Fox.
  
• Equipment
  Furs
  Canteen set
  Bedroll
  Resonance lantern
  Parchment
  Quill pen
  Charcoal
  Candles
  Replacement quill tips
  Ink well
  
  Armament
  A simple knife
  Three crystal shards
  
  Magic
  Shadow walking--where he is able to quite literally melt into near invisibility in the shadows, so long as the shadow is large enough to completely engulf him.
  Dream leeching--he is able to remove a limited amount of snapshots, or clips from people’s dreams and read them
  Silencer--creating an oppressive and disorientating orb where no sound can be made from within
  
  Shortcomings
  Manipulative--Seren uses his charisma to charm people into giving him information, or amusing him for a short while. He has created a facade that has become so habitual to him that he is uncertain of who he was before he started using it.
  Petty--Disagreements or passive aggression are never forgotten, and will make sure he gets his way or satisfaction one way or another.
  Condescending--he assumes that he is the smartest person in the room, and will sometimes unintentionally talk down to people when he is just trying to understand.
  Hypocrite--he often gives out good advice, but seldom ever follows it. That, and he tends to give out contradictory advice from one person to the next, typically because he believes it is what they want to hear.
  

 

[madame moiselle]

JASPER MACFARLANE

• Basics
• Memoir
• Capabilities and Starting Inventory

• Essentials
  Full Name | Jasper MacFarlane
  Nickname | Jax, Jas, Perry by his mother
  Age | twenty
  Gender | male
  Profession | Sailor's (?) apprentice, aspiring cartographer
  Allegiance(s) | the Horizon League
  
  
  Appearance
  Like anyone in the prime of their youth, Jasper is a strapping lad with sharp, angular features, hair as red as rust and eyes as warm and dark as chocolate. His years of hauling and working on ships has molded him into a sturdy, skillful young man with an eye for detail and a penchant for hard work. wip
  
  Persona
  
  
  
• History
  [In at least a few short paragraphs, explain your character's upbringing and defining experiences.]
  
  Determination
  [In at least a couple short paragraphs, explain what drives your character to continue on.]
  
• Equipment
  [List, and optionally describe useful things your character possesses. Refer to the Lore Reference on Technology to determine what is reasonable for your character.]
  
  Armament
  [If your character has any physical weapons, describe them here. Refer to the Lore Reference on Technology to determine what is reasonable for your character.]
  
  Magic
  [If your character has any magical capabilities, describe theme here. Refer to the Lore Reference on Resonance to determine what is reasonable for your character.]
  
  Shortcomings
  [In at least a couple short paragraphs, explain some shortcomings about your character.]
  

 

[Destin]

​

Gareth Ashfall​

• Basics
• Memoir
• Capabilities and Starting Inventory

• Essentials
  Full Name: Gareth Ashfall
  Nickname: N/A
  Age: 23
  Gender: Male
  Profession: Fisherman, secret magic wielder
  Allegiance(s): Labor Union
  
  Appearance
  Gareth has straight brown hair that he attempts to keep in some kind of order with mixed results. He has brown, almond-shaped eyes and a few freckles here and there if you look closely enough. The set of furs he bartered for was already slightly too big when he first got them, and the harsh conditions of the Ninth Winter have only increased his gaunt appearance. He is slightly above average height and has a medium frame.
  
  Image courtesy of jw8401 on DeviantArt
  
  Persona:
  Gareth is friendly enough. He doesn’t want to stand out too much in either direction -- being too quiet so that people wonder what he’s up to or being loud enough to be the center of attention. He tends to engage with people at middle distance.
  
  He is a keen observer of human behavior, watching body language and facial expressions as closely as possible to try to predict how people will react. This helps him avoid confrontation as much as possible, which helps him keep a low profile.
  
  He tries to approach situations as logically as possible. He was responsible for building out his family’s business before the Ninth Winter began, and he attempts to be as thoughtful as possible when trying to solve problems. He is a reasonably good negotiator when he needs to be.
  
  Gareth tends to startle easily, especially if someone approaches without him noticing.
• History
  Gareth is a Cask native, growing up in a family of fishermen in the once lively port. Gareth and his three siblings helped with both the fishing and running the marketplace stall, with Gareth in charge of checking the finances with his father’s help. They were never the most well-off family in Cask, but they were rarely left wanting.
  
  Gareth was eleven when the first Monolith was discovered, and eventually news of the strange powers of resonance reached Cask. He lived for rumors brought by sailors from the mainland of powerful magicians able to harness the properties of the resonance - they reminded him of the fantastical stories his mother told growing up about heroes and monsters. At thirteen, he decided he was going to be one of the people he heard stories about, and vowed to learn to use the power of resonance himself one day.
  
  That’s all well and good for a boy to dream about, but the reality was that he was still needed to help run the family business. As his parents grew older, he and his siblings had to take even more responsibility. Gareth found himself in charge of growing the business, examining market dynamics and developing relatively lucrative contracts to supply fish to local businesses. But he never forgot about his aspirations to learn magic.
  
  Several years later, just before everyone realized the Ninth Winter wouldn’t end, Gareth discovered a lost talisman filled with resonance. He began to practice in secret, keeping up with his duties during the day and training in the late hours of the morning. After several weeks of trial and error, he finally managed to manipulate the snow on the ground, creating a low wall of snow around him. He was amazed! He had burned through most of the resonance from the talisman, but there was still plenty more to go around at the time.
  
  A few nights later, he was practicing maintaining a sphere of icy wind in a small circle in front of him. He had been practicing in an alleyway without much traffic, and didn’t hear the footsteps of someone approaching behind him. He suddenly felt a knife at his back and heard a low, hoarse voice telling him that he was being robbed. Gareth turned, frightened, and watched with horror as he lost control of the ice sphere. It blasted forward and froze the mugger instantly. He stared, mouth agape, and reached forward to check the frozen man. As soon as he made contact, the man shattered into thousands of ice fragments.
  
  Gareth ran from the alley towards the docks, vomited into the almost frozen ocean. He sat on the edge of the dock for an hour, debating his next course of action. He dropped the talisman, which had shattered from the expenditure of resonance, into the ocean. He barely remembered walking home, but as he collapsed into bed he decided he would turn himself in in the morning. He vowed never to use his ice magic ever again.
  
  The next morning, one of the first substantial blizzards of the Ninth Winter slammed Cask. Gareth realized with a mixture of guilt and relief that the ice fragments would be buried under inches of snow. The storm raged on for several days, and with each passing day, his fears diminished slightly as no one came to arrest him. By the end of the week, he reasoned that there was no way to link him to the mugger’s disappearance, especially with the talisman at the bottom of the ocean. Weeks passed and the storm did not let up. By the time he was able to dig his way out of his family home to look for more food, he decided he would turn himself in after he helped take care of his family. As the Ninth Winter continued, Gareth, wracked with guilt as he was, realized that his family needed him more out of jail if they were going to survive.
  
  Over the next three years, the Ninth Winter was not kind to Gareth and his family. The family business folded almost immediately with the lack of fish production. His father passed away just months after the business went under from illness, and his mother sank into a deep depression. Gareth got a job with the labor union as an ice fisherman to help make ends meet, but times were still hard. In the first year, his older brother, Sven, died on a hunting trip. In the second year, his mother and younger brother Karl both fell ill with a fever. Karl recovered, but his mother did not. As the oldest remaining member of the family, Gareth did his best to take care of Karl and his younger sister Ava. As the years passed, his paranoia about the discovery of the mugger’s death dwindled, but he still wanted to know more about the magic that led to the tragic accident. The harsh winter was a particularly cruel reminder of what he had done.
  
  When he heard about the Ophelia attempting to return to Belar, he knew this was his best chance to learn more resonance and see if he could change the nature of his powers. He discussed the possibility of volunteering with Karl and Ava, hesitant to abandon them. Ava nearly decked him when he expressed his concern, pointing out that she and Karl couldn’t have survived to this point if they were helpless. Karl was slightly less enthusiastic about Gareth leaving, but reasoned he could take Gareth’s fishing shifts while he was away and that would be enough to support the two of them. Gareth promised them he would return, though it remains to be seen whether he will be able to keep that promise.
  
  Determination
  Gareth has three main motivations:
  
  Learn more about the nature of resonance and whether magic powers can be changed - and specifically whether he can change his ice powers.
  
  Ease his guilty conscience over the accidental death of the man who attacked him by helping ensure Cask’s survival.
  
  Survive the trip to return to Karl and Ava.
• Equipment
  Furs, hunting knife, fishing rod, bedroll
  
  Armament
  Hunting knife, although he’s not a trained fighter.
  
  Magic
  Ice/snow manipulation. He will not use it unless he is in a life-threatening situation (and there is resonance available to use up).
  
  Shortcomings
  When push comes to shove, Gareth is not a fighter. He can hold his own in tavern brawl style combat (or so he thinks, having only been involved in one), but has no formal martial training. His guilt over the accidental killing of his attacker also makes him somewhat secretive. He has a hard time opening up to people, so he may have a hard time earning others’ trust. Occasionally, he can get moody and has bouts of self-loathing if he spends too much time thinking about what he’s done.