Empirica Application

[shadow_caste]

➺ PLAYER

Name: Zocura
Age: Old enough to drink.
Preferred Contact Method: zocura
Current Characters: Nope.

➺ CHARACTER

Character Name: Cyrus Brairtongue
Character Age: 27

Setting: Much like Middle Earth, the world of Terranthea is a world that belongs to the in the genre of fantasy. There are a vast number of races that inhabit the land, each with their own culture and history. Magic is quite prevalent and shapes the world, for better or for worse. Due to its widespread use, technology has advanced little and is most similar to the European Renaissance. Because of these, the world is heavily dynamic in both its politics and economy.

It has been nearly ten decades of relative peace after end of the Ravishing. The Ravishing was the name given to the monolithic war that took place when gates to the nine Hells were made on the Material Plane. This devastated all of Terranthea and left many races on the brink of extinction. The northern elves and humans were the most heavily impacted of the races, as the war first originated close to the elven cities. The humans became involved long after the war had begun, taking up arms only because if the elves fell, it would leave the humans as the next target for the demonic armies. This left much underlying turmoil between the humans and the elves, though neither struck out against the other.

The human capital, Lightwell, was left fairly unscathed during the Ravishing. The society, and most of human culture, is still very much stuck in its old ways of thinking; allowing for a drastic difference between an upper class and lower class. The lower class is more predominant at the outer rings of the city, while the wealthy take hold around the center. The slums are poorly regulated, because guards do not have the numbers to attend to the large populations. In turn, many underground and illegal practices are done without much worry for backlash from the law. Many of the poor keep their heads down, finding that turning a blind eye usually allows one to live longer than trying to deal with the crime themselves. The masses, however, are outspoken about their disdain for those that live within the ivory walls of the upper class, who do nothing to help change the fates of the working class. The nobles own some of the best land atop hills and paved streets near the castle of the queen. Within the center are the eight Mage Colleges that surround the castle in a ring, each teaching a different school of magic. These in turn help keep the economic classes firmly cemented; it is almost unheard of for a member of the lower class to be accepted into these prestigious institutions.

The name that a person is born with makes a very large difference in the land of humans. If you were born into a wealthy family, the chances are that you will stay in a powerful position the majority of your life. They often become powerful merchants that deal with trade from other lands, diplomats, or politicians. Then there are those in lower castes, who are most likely doomed to stay in the outer slums. There are, however, some exceptions to these norms but they rarely occur. Human society holds strongly to tradition, and hierarchies and systems made centuries ago still stand firmly.

Human culture was primarily governed by a monarchy, until the Ravishing. After the war, power was spread more throughout noble families to become an oligarchy of influential diplomats in Lightwell. Though the royal family is no longer a sole power, they hold a title in the council and still have a strong family lineage. The current queen is known as a champion of the people, being the first of the council that seeks to level the playing field of all humans. She has met insurmountable resistance from all others and has been unable to make much of any headway.

Cyrus had spent a substantial time within a guild of mercenaries known as the League of Hounds, an organization that works outside all other governments. The League, as it is commonly known, is a bureaucratic group that was formed in order to help keep mercenaries (and occasionally assassins or other forms of specialty hires) in good graces with nations and to promote jobs. It’s one stop shopping for all your war mongering needs. For those who join it, the League of Hounds is a free home with meals; they also give protection and is a free home with food and shelter—as well as protection from those who may look to get back at the mercenaries. Fighting amongst members is also forbidden and punishable by death for the instigator. Being kicked out of the League is no small ordeal either, depending on how long you may have been a member, you could have built up a substantial number of enemies that are now free to target you without reprimand.

History: Cyrus was born in the city of Lightwell, son to Malinda and Jonah Stonecrow. Like the larger percentage of the local population, they were members of the lower class. For many, this meant growing up hungry and cold, only making enough to get by. Luckily for Cyrus, his parents were a bit more well off than some of their neighbors, if only by a margin. Having been born with a heart condition, his mother wasn't capable of doing hard labor or much strenuous work that would have put coin in their pocket. In place of this, she spent her time putting together and teaching a small makeshift school to help educate children of the lesser city as best she could. Jonah, on the other hand, spent his time with very different work. He had no 'official' job title, yet everyone knew what he did to earn his meals. One could say that he haggled or that he was something of a tradesman; dealing with anything from imported grain to silk that clothed the nobles. Jonah used words to make his way in the world, lying and deceiving to obtain and resell goods. For obvious reasons he never established a business because the work he did never left him in good regards. He didn't keep his wealth to himself, no matter how lucrative working alone could be. Jonah always had a strong emphasis on community and shared what he earned with those around him. In turn, the common folk would lie for him, misleading city guards and the merchants who felt cheated and throwing them off his scent.

Naturally, with Cyrus' mother being the local teacher, he learned from her and studied under her tutelage at an early age. When he was around the age of 12, she had noticed how engrossed Cyrus had become on obtaining knowledge in the arcane. He had quickly read through any and all the books that she could get access to (which was fairly bare in comparison to anything a wealthy individual could offer). They had to make a decision; to keep their son with them and try to raise him the best they can, or try and give him the best future they could foresee. There was only one place that Cyrus could learn all he could about the arts of magic and find his full potential; the mage colleges. However, the colleges' demands were far too expensive for anyone in the lower class to ever able to afford, so Cyrus would have to demonstrate his ability.

Against all odds, and with some helpful bribery, their request for an appeal had been seen and accepted. A mage that worked within the colleges would come out to them to inspect the prospect of a young student from the lower city. Cyrus was put though a number of tests to measure his knowledge, his ability to reason, and how well he could interpret script. He passed all the tests, which had thoroughly shocked the older wizard. There was one last thing Cyrus had to do. He had to prove that he could influence the winds of the arcane, and cast a simple spell. To any well versed spellcaster the cantrip would have been a trivial matter, but to a student that had never once cast a spell before this would prove to be a daunting task. It was at that moment that Cyrus out shined any other applicant, his first spell went off without a hitch, filling the room with a cold blue light, that hovered just over head. Against the prejudice of the inspector, there was no denying that Cyrus had a natural gift in magic.

Cyrus left his home later that year to begin his rigorous studies at the mage colleges. Even though he had been given the same privileges as the other students, he was not treated the same. Many of the other students and professors had not given him a second glance or offered to give him proper instruction. Even his mentor had shut him away from most of the lessons that should have been administered to him; claiming that the child had no competence and would jeopardize his safety and the safety of those around him. Cyrus began to do his own studies and worked hard to teach himself how to make diagrams and glyphs in order to manipulate magic behind his master's back. The boy developed a strong devotion to the school of illusion, finding ways to bend the senses and paint images in the air with a spell. Even without his family or his friends, he felt joy for the skills he was developing and the endless materials at his disposal.

His studies went uninterrupted for a little over five years before his family stopped returning his letters. This worried Cyrus, and for one of the first times since he had arrived he remembered that there was a world beyond the walls of the colleges. What could have been so important that his parents would lose contact with him? Cyrus sneaked off the campus, breaking the rules that had been set for all junior students, and went to the streets that divided the upper and lower class. To his dismay, he found his entrance into the southern part of the city barred off with guards, stopping all flow between the two areas. Using a few illusion spells, Cyrus cloaked himself and made his way past the patrol line into the other half of the city. The horror that he stumbled up on was something he was barely able to comprehend. The streets were littered with cold bodies, their eyes still moving within their sockets and mouths jabbering, following the young man as he made his way towards his home. His home was cold and bleak; no signs of distress or unwanted entry.Two corpses strewn were across the floor, their lifeless eyes glaring into his own. His shouts of terror alerted the guards to his position, and dragged they him back to the safe parts of the city. He spent the next week in isolation, leaving him with thoughts that scratched at his mind.

It was a month later that he learned that it was a disease. It had been mistakenly released by a student at the school of necromancy, and had killed all those in the southern district. The colleges had covered up the tragedy, making the divide between classes was clear; with the lack of concern for the victims and the attempts to hide the mistake. The rage swelled within Cyrus, and he swore revenge on the upper class and on the student that had developed the magical blight. After much preparation, Cyrus set out to kill the man in his sleep. The ordeal was a disaster, leaving blood strewn across the room in a rash scene of vengeance. This crime would never allow Cyrus to show his face in the city ever again. Stealing the few spellbooks he could fit into his bag along with his clothes, he set out on the road. At this time he took up the name Brairtongue, breaking all ties with his previous life in the human city.

For a while his life was sustained with thievery, moving from town to town, gathering enough gold to buy his rations. After he came of age, he joined the League of Hounds to ensure his safety and with their protection he was able to further his studies. It was about a six years later that he was employed under a girl named Iris Fletcher. The Fletchers were a very wealthy family that lived in the city of Lightwell, that owned a large amount of farmland outside of the capital, which allowed them to monopolize a large majority of the agricultural trade. He took the job and even though he despised where she came from, he saw it as a way to make his way back into the city.

Over the next three years, he was repeatedly hired by Iris, having proven himself useful in combat and gathering information. Many of the missions they went on were dangerous, having almost lost the lives of their companions multiple times. But they weren't without their intrigue. A book of great importance was found by the group. This tome explained the exact nature of the winds of magic and how to manipulate them to change Terranthea itself. Of course, Cyrus found this to be something necessary if he were to change the world for the better. He devised a plan that once the book was deciphered, he would take it for himself. The problem was that there were key stones that were required to read the text. Reading the book was dangerous without them, which they had experienced firsthand. One individual, an elder from the mage colleges that was now living in a small village east of the capital, had tried to read it. The horrors that were revealed from the book were beyond imagination. The village had been putrefied with other worldly beasts and monsters, destroying all that they touched. Fortunately, the group was able to undo the magic caused by the book and burn down the town to prevent any remnants to survive.

Study of the tome proved near impossible without drawing attention people that would otherwise try and claim it for their own. In order to better understand how the book worked, Iris had taken it to the one person within the underworld with connections. Word has gotten to the leader of the resident mafia, Tatianna. She offered her services for fair pay and a few favors from the Fletcher family. Seeing no other option, Iris took the deal.

The new goal of Iris' group was now to gather all the key stones so she could use the book. Cyrus did not object, since it allowed him to stay close to it. They had trusted the book with the head of the mafia of Lightwell, and used her vast knowledge and network to help locate the key stones. The first keystone was located in the north, amongst the elves. As it turned out, it was in possession of a shape shifting mage. Cyrus had originally tried to swap the stone with a decoy that had been provided by Tatianna. A magical alarm had triggered when he tried to get away with the stone and had alerted the mage. He had been using it for the past decade to further his research into polymorphs and was not willing to part with it in the least. He also would not allow the group to leave, assuming that they would be the first of many if they had let loose the information of the key stone he possessed. They had fought back in defense and had killed the mage. The group returned to Lightwell with the stone in tow, fitting it into the book. Two more slots remained.

From first finding the book to the return of the stone took about two years, and in that time Cyrus had grown to know the other members in Iris' band of hired swords quite well. A good amount of the time he spent with the group was during travel from small towns that littered the plains. That is until they had headed north where of the voyage was by boat, leaving little to do but make small talk and study. He learned about their aspirations and goals in life, but he never grew very fond of them. He kept himself at a safe distance, knowing that one day he would have to betray them to get the book from Iris. It would be another year till Iris once again called upon her adventuring group to find the next stone.

During this lull in work, Cyrus spent his time secretly trying to build an army against the upper class. Step by step, he built up a previously existing underground resistance against the nobles that held the power over the humans. His goal was the put the queen back in power and restore the old monarchy. He used his mastery over illusions and enchantments to kill key members of the council and blackmail others into submission. It was all working in his favor; but no one can make such big moves without drawing attention from others.

Though he did attempt to keep his identity anonymous from any outsiders, Tatianna heard of his plans for one final battle. The night the city would burn with justice. Tatianna then informed Iris of the resistance's plans, but never told her of Cyrus. Tatianna actually did not oppose of Cyrus's plans. In fact, she supported them, but his continued meddling would prove troublesome for her later on. She withheld this information, until it would prove most opportune for her to turn the tables. Everything Iris had would be crushed in this civil war, so she gathered the people she thought most capable, which included Cyrus, to help her prevent it. Without warning, the city came under attack by a second force, the northern elves. Unknown to everyone, Tatianna's decoy stone had warped the magic in the north and forced the hatred of the elves harbored for the humans to multiply. It had built up to a breaking point, and led the elves to war against Lightwell. Their main target was the Mage Colleges, because if they took out the stronghold of the wizards there would be little humanity could do to stop further onslaught. Iris, being a mage herself, took up defending the colleges along with her hired guard. Once the battles were beginning to wane, and the humans were holding ground, Cyrus broke off from the group. It was the best time he could ask for to start the attack on the upper class. All of the city guard were concentrated on the mage colleges, and no longer the civil war that threatened the rest of the upper class.

Cyrus gave the orders to attack, once reaching the resistance and wave after wave of fighters attacked the mansions and council halls. He didn't even wonder why everything had managed to happen without a hitch. It was then, when victory was secured, that Tatianna told Iris it was Cyrus trying to crush the upper class and incite a war. It took a great deal of time, but Iris's guard had managed to track down the mage and attacked him. He was unable defend himself against a whole band of individuals that knew every trick he had up his sleeve. The night the council fell from power was the same night that Cyrus lost his life.

Personality: Cyrus is an extremely intelligent individual, as any other mage would be in order to conquer the winds of the arcane. However, his intelligence comes at a bit of a price; Cyrus has an almost insatiable curiosity that drives him into dangerous situations in order to obtain more knowledge. There have even been moments when he found himself in the clutches of death due to his careless need to investigate. Though dangerous, the rewards often prove great, making him a true believer of the adage "knowledge is power". This is only further accentuated in a world where magic is concerned. What Cyrus has learned in the last decade is, in many ways, more than what most mages will ever learn; not so much in terms of spells, but in the application of them. Most mages are not tested by battle and are incapable of casting spells to save their lives from an oncoming attacker. In order to perform such a feat, it requires one to be very well versed in how spells work, because missing any part of the incantation could send the spell careening into dangerous territory.

Along with his vast knowledge in the arcane, he is also extremely versed in languages, picking them up through his jobs as a mercenary (often due to long stationing in a given land). Though he is less fluent in Dwarvish, Orcish or similar tongues, languages such as Elvish come more naturally due to their close relation to Draconic (the language of magic). In a way, he has become more cultured, needing to know how to slip through society without drawing attention to himself. A quick mind lent to this necessity. He has learned to look from many different perspectives when need be, but this doesn't stop him from being stubborn at times. Especially when it comes to the inequalities he himself had faced. He sees the power that others hold and often grows angry at the fact that they refuse to see from his perspective; something he has had to do to understand others many times over.

Depending on the situation, Cyrus often takes on a bit of a different guise in his demeanor. He will seem aloof to those he does not want to draw attraction from, or can afford a convincingly harsh tone when he believes he can force someone's actions. This was a skill that was observed from his father's trading habits and then later sharpened through his travels in the League. His skill set often put him in jobs that required a form of undetected infiltration, strongly aided by his use of illusions and enchantments. The job also came with a need of a silver tongue; lying in his position is only second nature. However, a web of lies only puts one into only a more dangerous predicament when they are unraveled.

Due to his upbringing, Cyrus has a strong relation to the poor or underprivileged. This was the main reason he started an uprising, the help "his people" rise up and even the playing field. This is a true example of Cyrus's devotion to his beliefs and morals, even though to many they would seem misguided. Even though he may not show it, he is always looking out for those who he sees as wronged by the more privileged. This is a kinder side that much of the world never gets to see of him. Cyrus also longs to be with those that see his perspective and feel the same way he does. Having been killed by his companions, he will be ever more in need of a like soul, but will also be much more hesitant of others and somewhat distrusting.

His devotion can also be perceived as stubbornness, which a good amount of the time it is one and the same. Whether it is a strong sense of self confidence or stubbornness, Cyrus often won't let himself be moved by the words of others. This makes him look calloused and uncaring to many. He only builds up his own ideas, trying to pick away any imperfections that they may have, and then cling to them for dear life. This, as we all know, never truly works. Thinking his ideals perfect, or the best option, is a very naive mindset. He may be well educated in how the world works, but that does not mean that he is always wise. Stubbornness, however, only runs so far. When it comes to a fight or a precarious event, he many times would rather turn tail and run, keeping himself safe. Cowardice runs deep sometimes, and there have only been a few shining moments where he has proved that he would do otherwise than to think of his own safety.

The trauma of seeing his dead parents had a profound effect on Cyrus that has followed him into adulthood. Cyrus is deeply disturbed by a festering corpse (more than the normal person) and begins to have a panic attack if forced to stay in the same room. Undead cause an even more extreme fit, often causing him to run full speed the other direction, disregarding all others or the danger that could lie in the other direction.

Even though at times he is a coward and avoids fighting, that is not to say that he can't be a large asset to any group. The majority of his magic lies in misdirection and muddling the minds of attackers. He is always looking at the big picture; how can he give an overwhelming advantage to his allies. In this way, he is a strong teammate, always looking for the best result for the team in a fight. However, this doesn't mean that he is always a good "group" member. He isn't unfamiliar with butting heads or having unpopular opinions that voices aloud.

Cyrus's mental acuity is most often a great boon, allowing him to perceive and approach problems from multiple angles. However, a hungry mind is always looking for more to digest. Curiosity can sometimes lead Cyrus onto a dangerous path in his desire for more knowledge. In some cases, he will brave dangerous (and sometimes lethal) traps in order to get to what he wants.

Power & Abilities: Naturally, as a mage, he has an array of spells at his command. These range from dark illusions, mind bending enchantments, and insightful divinations. However, these all take a toll on him, and wear him down if he casts them repeatedly. Stronger spells take a much heavier toll on his mental faculties. Those with a strong awareness of themselves or their surroundings are harder to trick with these spells, often glancing off them without any profit. The spells Cyrus focuses on are most often directed towards defensive means, almost never targeted to deal physical damage. All his spells that he practices are kept within a relatively small spellbook that he carries on him. Though he does not need to read from it to cast spells and uses it as more of a collection of his studies, without it some spells are unable to be cast due to their complex nature. Spells can prove to be very powerful, but when interrupted can be more devastating on the caster than any product would have done to an enemy. When magic spirals out of control, they can be unpredictable and haphazard, changing the world around them at random. In order to help keep these in check, somatic and verbal components are used to house the spell, keeping them more stable, but never are a guaranteed safety. If you want a better idea of the kinds of spells he can use, you can look here at the permissions post I have set up for him, and an nearly exact list of what he knows can be found here. Below, I will give a quick overview of what each kind of spell can do and what he all knows.

Illusions: These spells are exactly as they sound; creating an illusion. With these spells Cyrus can create false sensations of any of the 5 main types. None of the effects of these spells are real however. He can create a multitude of effects and is only limited by his imagination. The largest illusion he can create has about a 50ft radius, but bigger is not always better. Cyrus must continually control the illusion through his mind. Static images and effects are easy to maintain but are very easy to spot as an illusion. Dynamic and interactive illusions are hard to keep convincing. The more complex the illusion, the harder it is to hold. Illusions can be seen past if you can spot what is wrong with them. The best way I can explain it is you have to train your mind to see a "Magic Eye" picture and once you can, seeing past the image isn't difficult.

Shadow: Much like illusions, albeit with a more devious effect. They create false sensations, but instead of making them out of nothing they are comprised of material from the shadow plane. This gives them a realistic aspect. Shadow material is capable of forming itself into anything the caster wants: a flame, a dog, or someone's worst fear. Shadow magic boasts being able to contort itself into horrifying images that ravage the targets mind. Unlike illusions, some of these can have very real effects.

Enchantment: Enchantments are spells that twist the opponents mind and changes their train of thought. They can convince, disrupt, and alter thoughts. Tricking an opponent into thinking you are their friend is a enormous boon. They can also cause someone to obey any command given to them. Often these spells do not last long and the recipients usually realize what had happened after the spell has ended.

Divination: This kind of magic is all about detection. Cyrus only lightly dabbles in this type of magic, enough to detect a few thoughts and other magic. All of these take immense concentration, often taking up all his attention when cast. Unfortunately they are also easy to thwart. Simply thinking "bricks on top of sand, sand on top of stone, stone on top of bricks" over and over can beat a thought detection spell.

Other: He also knows a few spells outside of these types. Things that any thief would find beneficial: climbing on walls and unlocking doors. Nearly all of Cyrus's repertoire is non-offensive magic.

Through his work as a thief and an infiltrator, he has figured out how to move silently and deftly. Cyrus is a very agile man, making him good at avoiding large amounts of danger. What he gains in his speed, he greatly lacks in strength. He is considerably weak and is unfit in most physical tasks. This makes him horrible at close combat and he does all he can to stay at a distance in a fight. He does however keep an enchanted sword on him and often uses it for show or to threaten someone who is unaware of his inexperience with a blade. Its magic enables it to cut through magic and dispel it, all except for more powerful spells.

Inventory:

-Set of leather armor and normal clothing
-Necklace with religious charms
-Silver ring with elven text
-Enchanted shortsword (magical item)
-Dagger
-Spellbook (entirely nonmagical)
-Spell components pouch (odds and ends needed for casting magic, examples: bit of tar, small red cloth, etc.)
-A small pack.

Game Plan: I want to play around with change in Cyrus's view of government. In one way he is very much for the betterment of all (especially the oppressed) but at the same time he doesn't like overarching governments that are overly involved in others' affairs. It would be interesting to see how he develops and chooses a side. Personally, I think he would be most fun to play as an Insurgent and if given the chance, a double agent wouldn't be outside of his experience or expertise. He seems to be caught right in the middle of the two sides so I think development could go either way and the events in the game could very much affect what all happens to him.

➺ LINK TO SAMPLES

Samples from a previous game here and here. Top level at the Empirica TDM here.

May we use your application as an example if it's accepted? Sure.