Calling All Demon Hunters!

[Lady_Firehawk]

OOC: Portals of Destruction

Hello, and welcome to the little portion of CF set aside for the mad banterings of various demon hunters! *points to various magical wards set about to keep the Evil Stuff at bay* We could always use more cannon fodder-- errr, allies-- so go ahead, stop on in, poke around and maybe even join up if our collective craziness doesn't scare you off.

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THE LIST THUS FAR-- Who's who in Portals of Destruction!
---
Lady_Firehawk: Phaedros Dahlmarrin-- male half-Elf; Geomancer
Daem Savaris-- male Human; Historian/Archer
Blessed-one: Allarena Ellufe-- female Human; Red Mage
VigilanteHamster: Tsaien Sirachsdottir Mir'savi-- female Sk'kirrim; martial artist/sword wielder
Buskanaka: Tosan Garvek-- male Human; Ranger
Iartal Nefartha Arakkan-- male Sk'kirrim; Kho (translates roughly as 'Enchanter')
Thaman Starlight: Maliris-- male Elf; healer/crossbowman

(Will update periodically!)
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NPCs--
Lucia Argenquiris-- female Sk'kirrim; known to most simply as the Prophetess. A skilled demon huntress, among many other things. Most people despise her. (Currently vanished, apparently taken by the Hierarchy in a well-laid trap.)
Kethri Mir'savi-- female Sk'kirrim; Tsaien's older sister and a loyal follower of the Prophetess. (RIP)
Daem-- male Human; a writer with an unknown agenda and message, and a friend of Alarena's. (Recently promoted to Player Character status)
Oamra Calmcacil-- Black Mage/Shapeshifter (Still tagging along with The Group... sorta.)
Meyel-- male Human; the obligatory gruff Bartender.
Berlein Aeschyliir-- male Sk'kirrim; chapter leader for the local Knights of Caladun. (Now the lone survivor.)
Morius-- male Sk'kirrim; Hierarch infiltrator among the Knights (*WEDGIED!*)

Barieth-- Male... uhhhh, what IS he, anyway? All-around Bad Dude(TM), better known as the guy who kicked the Prophetess's butt.
Enoch Turaldin-- Male Sk'kirrim; Kethri's killer and Tsaien's new archenemy.

****************

Anyway... some basic, common-sense rules--

1) Just come in with your ideas and a love of fantasy! Things will work out if all goes well.
2) Romance- yes. Blatantly sexual stuff- no.
3) Ridiculous powers and posts will be whacked with a Nerf bat! (No ridiculous/outlandish powers; stick with the basics!) Even the uber-powerful make stupid mistakes occasionally.
4) GMing-- pretty fast and loose here; just make stuff up.
5) Cussing-- pretty obvious, yes?
6) Character limits-- NPCs fine; go ahead and have as many charries as you can reasonably develop!
7) There IS no Rule 7. But feel free to make one up.
8) The most important rule-- HAVE FUN!

**Check here for occasional updates **

UPDATE-- October 26, 2004
Phaedros, Alarena and Tosan are now out of Farselm, strange dagger in tow. Oamra and Tsaien soon joined them, which caused a lot of fireworks-- Phaedros absolutely despises sk'kirrim, so Tsaien's presence was quite... problematic. After a very one-sided hissy fit between the two, Tosan finally got fed up and told Phaedros off, which in turn caused the Geomancer to get angry and split off from the group. After some discussion, the remaining four have decided to go off without him and trek back to see the Prophetess, who apparently has something she wishes to discuss with them.
Phaedros, after running off, walks in on the tail end of a somewhat heated discussion between the Prophetess and the sk'kirrim mage Iartal Arakkan. The latter has come at the request of Lucia in order to investigate a portal found open, because he is one of a very few who might have the expertise to close it. However, their plan goes awry when Barieth shows up with a retinue of sk'kirrim in the employment of the Church of the All-Father, just minutes after the arrival of Tosan, Alarena, Tsaien and Oamra. A heated battle breaks out, Lucia's Farselm allies are decimated and she herself vanishes.
Now, in the aftermath, the survivors of the sk'kirrim begin to suspect a trap-- and one of their number was complicit in it. A rash comment from Morius leaves little doubt of who it was, not to mention it royally ticks off Iartal. And there aren't very many things scarier than an angry Kho...

 

[Lady_Firehawk]

Some Preliminary Information

Ah... now for the good stuff... what's in and what's out?

First of all, bio info needed--

Name (duuh)
Gender (duuuh)
Class (see below)
Race (see below)
Physical Description
Brief Background (optional)
Personality
Objectives?
Age (in human years-- quick lifespan rundown: Humans--generally up to 120 years, average 65-70; Elves-- up to 1200 years, average 800; Sk'kirrim-- up to 1500 years, average 650; Dwarves-- up to 550 years, average 400; Halflings-- up to 150 years, average 110; half-Elves-- up to 180 years, average 120. Sounds about right...)

Races:
Human (DUUUH)
Elf (Wood Elf, Drow and High Elf for those familiar with D&D)
Half-Elf (self-explanatory)
Halfling
Dwarf
Moogle (Final Fantasy race)
Sk'kirrim (See details in next post)

Classes:
***Mage/Wizard--
*White Mage (your basic healer)
*Black Mage (NOT to be confused with evil mages-- much more offensively minded, but lack in defense)
*Red Mage (some of both, with greater physical abilities thrown in-- known as the Threefold Path)
*Blue Mage (the most naturalistic of the Mages; generally wander the wilds and pick up magic techniques from watever's out there)
---Mages might specialize in certain stuff, but still generally fall within one of the four schools of magic. Wizards have to study their tails off, but Sorcerors inherit their powers from their parents.
***Warrior-- run the gamut from the classical swordsman to sharpshooters to polearm experts. Rangers hang about in the wild as defenders, and don't like it when you kill their pet squirrels.
***Rogue-- pretty self-explanatory; run the gamut from the classical Thief to... well, what have you.
***Monk-- the hi-yah, karate-chopping kind, not generally the Catholic kind... martial artists, essentially.
***Cleric-- found in various sects, but all the good guys serve the Supreme Being of this world-- Skasthiir, aka the Sky Lord. (He delegates a lot of authority...) Though White Mages dedicate themselves to the good of all, Clerics also have ecclesiastical obligations.
***Bard-- Ah, who can forget these guys? There's a certain amount of magic to their music...
***Paladin-- the Sky Lord's holy warriors, who stand against the darkness.

These are mostly generalizations; also, any kind of career a commoner might take up would be welcome, too. Hey, don't quit your day job. And besides... in the Bible, God had a habit of choosing the lowliest of people to become heroes...

NOTE-- Any other info beyond this point is optional, but still helpful!

 

[Lady_Firehawk]

Sk'kirrim Information

For those interested in playing a sk'kirrim-- Not recommended for the faint of heart, seeing as they're a race I made up...


Sk’kirrim
Sk’kirrim aren’t an unusual sight in most lands, and are often found looking for… well, trouble. Though they wander among other races a lot they very rarely warm up to others, preferring to keep themselves aloof. They are well known for their martial prowess but in the past two hundred years have come under extreme fire; the once-respected sk'kirrim have been made pariahs and have been effectively forced into hiding.

Personality: Sk’kirrim are very aggressive by nature, slow to trust, and generally very serious and focused on their duties. They have a very strongly traditional mindset and are slow to change and accept new ideas. They forget neither friend nor foe and can bear grudges that last for centuries—it is nearly impossible to earn the forgiveness of a wronged sk’kirrim. All have a fondness for liquor, though, and no sk’kirrim is ever caught without a bottle or four.

Physical Description: Sk’kirrim are typically 5½ to 6½ feet tall and are built very lightly—only about 100 to 175 lbs. They have a martial grace that is quite different from Elven elegance and most are well conditioned for battle, including commoners. There is a noticeable difference between men and women, with men built more heavily, and all possess Elf-like faces, long ears, and blue markings on their faces, limbs and backs. They are usually fair-haired and almost always have blue, green or gray eyes, which are larger than those of other races. They prefer simple, modest clothing cut for easy mobility, usually in lighter colors. Sk’kirrim live to be 650-800 years old on average, barring the inevitable casualties caused by demons, but they can reach 1200 years. Out of necessity they grow up very quickly, reaching adulthood at around 65 years.

Relations: Sk’kirrim get on surprisingly well with Dwarves, view humans as being too loose and chaotic, and think Elves are too flighty, though they have a grudging respect for Elven martial skills. Gnomes and Halflings are viewed as annoyances (though Gnomish technology is occasionally of interest) and sk’kirrim have no real opinion about half-Elves. Sk’kirrim come across as arrogant and condescending and rarely form lasting friendships with those of other races, but when they do they are staunch friends for life. Demon threats provide the biggest reason to ally with others.

Alignment: Sk’kirrim have a particularly strong tendency towards lawfulness, since their culture is heavily steeped in tradition, with lawful neutral probably the most common alignment. Overall they favor good slightly over evil, but evil sk’kirrim are not as rare as many people think and can indeed be quite frightening.

Sk’kirrim Lands: Sk’kirrim are semi-nomadic, though they tend to base themselves in the mountains, typically near sheltered passes. They have a very high tolerance for cold weather and hide their cities where few others dare tread. They often carve their cities into the cliffs themselves, with balconies, ledges and walkways overlooking a thousand-foot vertical drop. Visitors are rather rare, but can find available healing, provisions and plenty of liquor in well-provided outposts. Magic supplies are very difficult to come by, though, and arcane spellcasters are watched very closely.

Religion: Sk’kirrim worship Skasthiir, the Sky Lord, and have a highly organized church hierarchy—in fact, the Church basically is the government. The Sky Lord’s Clerics fulfill multiple functions, often running small outposts and serving as judges in mixed communities, and are almost fanatical in their devotion. Many sk’kirrim seemed to have strayed from Skasthiir’s original tenets, which have been buried in historical and ecclesiastical detritus.

Languages: Skiriit (their native language) and Common, though they often pick up others. Sk'kirrim-accented Common can be very difficult to understand.

Names: Sk’kirrim follow a fairly set naming tradition: all have three names—the personal, the patronymic (designating paternity) and the family name. Married women sometimes append their maiden name after adopting the husband’s surname. Personal names are often derived from those of sk’kirrim heroes. A sk’kirrim may earn other names, but if they commit a serious enough transgression they may be stripped of that name. In human lands they typically adopt a Commonized form of their personal name.

Sk’kirrim Male Names: Ignatius, Cadoc, Yaltumos, Malakhias, Luseijyhnn, Belhidon.
Sk’kirrim Female Names: Julia, Caladun, Liuceijya, Thayde, Raia, Sendelia, Kimurri.
Family Names: Argenquiris, Irolo, Kestiirith, Ral’koreth, Tal’rasha, Torres, Vek’le, Velnirryn.
Or just make up something that sounds cool.

Adventurers: Sk’kirrim frequently end up as adventurers, most often as demon hunters or wandering healers, but they occasionally sell their services as mercenaries. They usually stick with other sk’kirrim, but some fall in with other races and may form lasting friendships with these other adventurers. Sk’kirrim outposts cater to wandering adventurers and provide plenty of materials for would-be demon and undead hunters. Other sk’kirrim take up the adventuring life because they don’t fit into their normal society.

((The above was a D&D Player's Handbook-style entry on the sk'kirrim...)


Historical Notes
Though they served as a buffer against the demons in the past, lately internal struggles among the sk'kirrim have rendered them all but ineffective in their defense. The ranks of the praesthii have dwindled to a mere fraction of their former number, and the sk'kirrim civilization is, for all practical purposes, in ruins. Because of this inability to perform their sacred duty, and the strife they've caused in the past two centuries, the once revered sk'kirrim now face a great deal of discrimination, bitterness and outright hatred from the other races. They are now almost universally shunned and distrusted, Among the most reviled sk'kirrim is the prophetess Lucia Argenquiris, the woman believed to be the primary cause of this schism, and her followers come under considerable fire as well.

Playing a Sk'kirrim
Sk'kirrim player characters (PCs) will most likely be relatively young and inexperienced, wishing to hunt demons because of great legends surrounding those who went before, or perhaps out of a wish to redeem their race in the eyes of everyone else. They will probably have known a great deal of conflict for most of their lives and probably will not get along very well with other party members at first, because trust will be at an all-time low. As a warning, sk'kirrim PCs will face a LOT of discrimination, and threats against their lives from more than just demons, and will face seemingly impossible situations. In short, the odds of survival for a sk'kirrim PC are quite grim. This will definitely be a major challenge to roleplay, therefore a sk'kirrim PC is best left in the hands of a more experienced roleplayer. (The GM will smite godmoders!)

Need more info, PM me.

 

[VigilanteHamster]

Oh! Lady_Firehawk forgot to link to the RPG thread, so here it is... *goes to make up a charrie*

 

[Lady_Firehawk]

OPTIONAL READING

Hehe... I'm an idiot!

The loooong summary...

This RPG is based off the aftermath of another RPG I was in for 2 years on a previous forum. (That, in turn, was based heavily off of Final Fantasy, though by now about the only thing it has in common with Final Fantasy is Chocobos, Moogles and a guy named Cid.) The story itself is relatively simple at first glance... the realms of this world had come to the brink of destruction once before, two hundred years previously, but the timely intervention of a group of heroes had prevented that. Unfortunately, it seems as if their actions have played into the hands of the forces of darkness...

((Summary taken from previous attempt to start RPG))

Most of the main heroes of the previous Final Fantasy RPG have passed on to other planes of existence, forever immortalized in history for ending what is now known as the Season of Shadow. After confronting their worst fears in the realm if the demons, unlocking the secrets of the Crystals and banishing the darkness and insanity that had plagued all of their home continent of Stonshire, they had returned to Delfia triumphant, though missing a few of their party. And all the heroes had gone on to seek their own fortunes...

Two hundred years later, though, the situation is once again degenerating- and it has recently been found that the heroes who ended the Season of Shadow unwittingly helped set this in motion. The sk'kirrim, a race that served as a buffer between the demons and the other races, are riddled with internal religious conflicts that have rendered them all but ineffective in their defense. This is the result of a schism brought on by Lucia Argenquiris, one of the heroes from the Season of Shadow who has now become a prophetess. Because of this inability to perform their sacred duty, and the strife they've caused in the past two centuries, the once revered sk'kirrim now face a great deal of discrimination, bitterness and outright hatred from the other races. They are now almost universally shunned and distrusted because of this inability to perform their sacred duty.

Now the other races have little choice but to band together in the face of this impending threat from the demons. The heroes of 200 years previously couldn't have known this, but their actions have touched off a chain of events that could spell d*mnation if not somehow averted...

Perhaps, in saving the world before, they'd merely condemned it to an even more hideous end. It is up to a new band of heroes to make sure that doesn't happen... and hopefully find a way to stave off the impending demonic threat.
***
Cheesy, but who cares?

 

[Lady_Firehawk]

Updated peoplies list.

 

[Lady_Firehawk]

Expecting another player sometime today, hopefully.

AND WE STILL NEED A HEALER!!!

 

[Lady_Firehawk]

And yes, stuff will start happening very shortly... I've set the ball rolling on that one. (Nadi kinda got swept along with it, but hey, that's the GM's job! ) All things will converge soon enough... hehehe.

 

[Buskanaka]

pffft who needs a healer? I've got some bandaids...

We've turned Farselm into the armpit of the land!

lol

 

[Lady_Firehawk]

And don't forget the duct tape! That'll keep those limbs from falling off again!

Awwww, my poor widdle Farselm... You've ruined it, you meanies!

 

[Malakar]

Eh, Nadi doesn't have a specific role yet, let's make her a healer.

 

[Buskanaka]

erm nadi is a him I think

 

[Malakar]

Whatever, BTW what is a Moogle?

 

[Lady_Firehawk]

It's a weirdo Final Fantasy creature. And Nadi IS a him... I'll make the suggestion to Pressing_On, though; see what she thinks of it.

 

[Malakar]

A weirdo final Fantasy creature... well that explains a lot.

 

[Lady_Firehawk]

Here's what one looks like, as of Final Fantasy 3... (6 in Japan)

Moogle

 

[Lady_Firehawk]

Well. Hope Pressing_On didn't get too discouraged by the million posts in her absence.

 

[Blessed-one]

uh! i was thinking of playing a female healer earlier, but that was so typical and since i'm currently playing one already....

i guess you can always pick up a healer later, or that someone might want to have a second character.

 

[Lady_Firehawk]

Or we could all just limp around and chew on herbs. And Minion could nick potions from vendors who charge up the nose for 'em!

 

[Blessed-one]

ok, so the group at Farselm basically can't go anywhere till the two Sk'kirrim arrive, correct?