So, while the RP is nautical, are there cities and the like on the assumed islands?
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You are approved aye
Aye
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A couple of trivia bits I forgot to add:
The average total wingspan of an adult Marabou Stork is 12 feet (3.t meters). Dolphus’ wing is exactly 6 feet from shoulder bone to wingtip, and Dolphus himself is short for his age.
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What about water?
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It’s extremely rare for humans, as the only known masters of it aren’t exactly friendly (Man I wish I had a good way to get all my lore onto the Boards lol) due to a major war in the distant past. I suppose it is possible for a character to know it though
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Most times when RP GMs want to give lore dumps about the surrounding world, they’ll make a lore dump Literature topic like this one which explains as many details as can be fit into the character count (20,000 characters). That would be useful here, if you have the time, as I have no idea about anything in the setting whatsoever.
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@MakutaOisli @Winger @Atobe_Brick if y’all are still interested I did a lore write up like Ghid suggested
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well
that’s a little awkward, I guess
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it’s an absolutely huge physical attack with the power to shatter bone. It makes up for the incredible lack of any conventional armor or way to cover ranged offensives.
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No I understand, I’m just saying that it being 6 feet long would be a little awkward to maneuver if he’s under … like whatever average height is, 5’8 or so.
Name: Nico Anatoly Markl - preferably Markl; has been referred to as Ghost-hands, or sometimes Hands.
Personality: Nico’s personality is gentle, caring, empathetic, and compassionate. His frank, honest face is stronger than any raised voice, and as quartermaster he will gladly show you how something is to be done with his own two hands. These two hands, however, stay hidden behind white leather gloves at all times, only ever coming off when there is killing to be done.
Nico’s mind is so refined and polarized to the concept of swift and efficient murder that it remains simply part of who he is; there is no conflict of interest in Nico’s mind as his charming, youthful face will radiate happiness and empathy even as he is goring the throat of some unfortunate fool. He feels nothing contrary to his cheery demeanor; frustration and anger only ever occur on a level comparable to others. He views assassination and murder as simple as pulling weeds out of a garden, or playing a game of chess - an action with little consequence outside of the visible. He cares and genuinely empathises with the less fortunate, the more fortunate, and everyone in between - the rotten, the gentle, the caring, the vicious. However, if the path forward means clawing your fellow man’s throat out with your fingers, well, a tear or two may be shed for his discomfort and the inconvenience being dead would cause the poor fellow.
All men die eventually; how could Nico be found at fault for rearranging the calendar a little?
Weapons: Nico carries a heavy cane of exquisite make, with a silver, toothed seahorse’s head on the top and a blunt steel tip at its base. He washes it on a regular basis with seawater and a natural sponge, so if he ever uses it for its intended purpose - a sinister and brutal club - his cleanliness would not be considered suspicious. He also carries two knives, one a small, curved hunting knife and the other a heavier dueling blade. He is also a crack shot with a crossbow, but does not currently own any. In his childhood, Nico briefly began training as a Caelin, and understands the mechanics, theology, and even experience of Fire Magic, but possesses very little ability - or at least trust in the ability - to perform it.
Armor: Nico’s garb unfortunately prioritizes form over function, his only armor being in the form of a hardened leather breastplate, beneath which he wears a long-sleeved white fabric tunic and black dhoti pants, fastened halfway up his calf. Over it all he wears a heavy black coat in the style of a gambeson, which provides some additional protection. His head is usually bare.
Position: Quartermaster
Backstory:
Nico Markl was an unknown corpse, ripped from the bay. Maybe not an uncommon occurrence, but definitely uncommon in that he was not, in fact, dead.
A good amount of those he had worked with were, however.
Nico believes in the circularity of existence. How else to explain his state? From a gifted student, to an apprentice Caelin; to the lowest of the low, a street urchin barely getting by; to a cabin boy on a trading ship who’s real trade had nothing to do with commerce; to a lineman on that ship, and then to quartermaster. But that was the pattern in which life operated; the rich grow richer, the rich grow poorer, the living live, the living die. Ultimately, this was the course of all things. So why did the crew of the Saint not seem to understand that? The captain had been an unscrupulous, greedy man, whose actions would have destroyed trust in the shipping trade for hundreds of years to come. Every sailor on the sea would be out of work; the military would lose the trust it had earned from the general populous. In vain Nico had explored every opportunity to swing the captain’s opinion, to convince him that a more legitimate form of business was the only way things could be done.
Murder, after all, was looked upon rather poorly by the public. But after a long and fruitless endeavor of poking and prodding, with no possible sign of relenting, Nico knew he had to eliminate Pyotr Gorov. The youngest Gorov had spoken long hours about the villainy and cruel manipulation from his eldest brother Gregor as if he were one of the gods, so flawless and righteous that mortals destroyed by his hand and left to rot away were blessed by his goodness. Perhaps all the Gorovs exhibited this kind of wickedness and seemed to revel in it so. The crew did not much care for the murder of their captain, but the Saint happened to be carrying explosives that day, and a well-laid fuse plus a quick and strained use of fire magic gave Nico enough time to plunge off the boat and into the water below. Now, he picked himself up, wringing out his coat as he stepped onto the dock. He had been out at sea for a while… Maybe he should check the post. Who knows; perhaps there was someone else in need of a charming, cheery young quartermaster with a good reputation.
Additional Information: Nico is shockingly young, and precocious in his profession to say the least. He gained the rank of quartermaster on the Saint at the age of 16, and sunk the vessel a year later after the murder of Pyotr Gorov.
His cane, being visibly more ornate than any other part of his attire, will often prompt him to fake some kind of ailment, such as a limp or cramp, but only when trying to blend in with the public. Nico wears a pair of white leather gloves at all times outside of murder - understanding his hypocritical worldview, he enforces a strict separation between assassination and any other action - a habit that gained him the nickname Ghost-hands during his time as a sailor and eventually quartermaster. When making a getaway, he can also be seen wearing a bandanna covering his nose and mouth.
Nico is of average height, but skinny, bordering on gangly. His clothing blends to both hide some aspects of this and emphasize others, giving him a somewhat unsettling presence. His hair is black, and he often wears it pulled back into a tight, short ponytail. His face is unmarked except for an X-shaped scar on his left cheek. If he has any other scars, or tattoos, they are not visible.
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he’s also 14
basic search says average height in the US at that age is 5’5", so probably a little less than that
maybe 5’2" or just 5’
what is he, a mobster or somethi-
hmmmmmmm
yes let’s bring a child around mr. murder hands
wait where did the post go I wasn’t done
oh it’s back ok
oh
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i think I’m going to modify it pretty heavily in terms of his personality/disposition, it feels pretty …
samey, to me, or at least for me
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It does feel a little edgelordish, but that doesn’t mean it can’t work. You might want to try pursuing violence being more of a way of life for Nico rather than just being a batman thug at 16; what I mean by that is Nico not pursuing violence and revenge and murder because he’s just that violent and vengeful and murderous, but treats it more as a matter-of-fact scenario - not a ruthless killer, but a casual one who sees no issue with it simply because he’s never known any different.
pleasant to get along with, very orderly and tidy, will shank a stranger in the street who attacks him and be in time for tea
just a thought
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that’s um
the intent
so um
uh
let me rewrite some stuff
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If you want that to get across, I would change these things:
Nico is a constant optimist, always friendly, always visibly caring, even when stabbing someone in the throat
“I’m sorry this is visually uncomfortable for you, truly, but when ya gotta shank a man because he’s trying to rat you out, well, that’s how the crumpet crumbles”
Nico’s past is a complete mystery, even to him. His muscle memory for committing murders and fighting people is fantastic, however, and he’s cheery in spite of his prowess. Have him be as real and genuine as possible while still only seeing two extremes to an issue - there are problems which can only be solved with very polite gentleness and those which can only be solved with kicking your face in. Ah, life and its randomness
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The first couple modifications have been made, but I need to do productive things, now. thank you for the input.
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Interesting, interesting. In regards to the backstory less can sometimes be more. Don’t wanna too heavily front load the information. We seem to have a theme here with the Canes it’s pretty good
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So is he still being worked on or is he done
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It was fun making a more “villainous” character for a change. Hopefully I didn’t make him too much of an edgelord 
Name: Rook Andreas (Alias: “Count Coal”)
Appearance:
Andreas has heavily sun-tanned skin, dark hair, and sharp facial features. He was once was a handsome fellow, but has let himself go a bit. He has a frail bony face framed by a shaggy beard and shoulder-length a hair mottled with dirt. Something like a mix between Rasputin and Morbius, I suppose.
Edit- forgot to include this: whilst in prison, he got a large tattoo of a dragon that starts on his lower back, wraps around his torso, with the head ending just past his left wrist. The dragon was “decapitated” upon the loss of his hands.
His height is aproximatley 5"5’(~165 cm.), and he’s 38 years old.
Personality: Andreas is typically quite bitter and cynical to others, though deep down he hopes that his comrades succeed in life. He is a natural leader, and often feels the need to be the one calling the shots-- he’s not selfish, he’s just the only competent person around.
Weapons: Both of Andreas’s hands were sawed off due to his higher rank amongst those who were captured. Later, while in prison, he was able to have a blade painfully bound to each arm, thanks to some friendships and connections he had forged in captivity. The blade connected to his left arm is essentially a short sword, whereas the blade on his right side moreso resembles a machete or axehead.
Additionally, he carries three viles in a sachel. The first, a scarlet potion, allows him to breath fire temporarily after being ingested. The second, a black gum-like substance generates a flurry of flames when it absorbs a lot of kinetic energy. Lastly, he owns a vile of liquor (with an extremely detailed piece of sugar cane floating in it), gifted to him by a colonel, which supposedly had been aged for 1,000 years. It is very dear to him.
Armour: Andreas doesn’t wear much traditional armor, besides an irregularly shaped metal plate strapped directly onto his belly. He wears a jacket over a prison Uniform (which he has been wearing for the last decade or so). He also wears a sachel.
Job on a ship: Due to his lack of hands, Andreas has difficulty performing tasks that require dexterity. He is, however, a pretty good strategist and navigator. He is also exceptional in close-quater combat, a skill he acquired through years of military service in addition to a need to constantly defend himself when he was inprisoned.
Backstory: Rook Andreas was a young, stern, respectable captain of the Armada. 20 years ago, he led a small expedition to examine a faraway island. Shockingly, his voyage was cut short when Northern ships began to close in on them. He later learned that his good friend, Pyotr “Petey” Gorov had previously sold details pertaining to the mission to the North in exchange for a generous sum of money. Andreas and the eight others who accompanied him were taken back to the North, where they were imprisoned and tortured extensively. Inmates there quickly learned to always watch their backs; over time Andreas became increasingly unsympathetic as he gained a reputation of being one of the most powerful inmates there, earning the nickname, “Count Coal.” He spend 16 years in jail before he managed to escape with two if his partners by stealing a boat. Currently he lives as discreet outcast, having few friends and no permanent home, remembering his glorious life as a captain fondly.
*fun fact: I originally made this character for Winger’s RP “sovereign.” Back then his gimmick was that he had no arms, and had invented a form of martial arts that involved tying swords to his thighs. In retrospect I don’t know if that would’ve been cool or silly…
Looking back at Nico’s character description, it seems like we have a share unfortunate similarities. Whoops.
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Why that dirtbag
I sure hope this was an isolated incident and that the Gorovs don’t have a long-standing history of being terrible people ahaha
So wait
If he doesn’t have hands how does he drink these
It’s Morbin’ time
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