Friday, December 24, 2010

Tala

Height; 5' 6"
Weight; 178 lbs
Age; Immortal (7482)   -Deceased-
Relationships; Count Vladimir 'Dracula'; Ex/sparing partner/friend, Yuri Sveldana; estranged son, Countess Courtney Yellsdana, heir/descendant, Zink; personal hero/mentor figure

Physical description;
Tala is one of the most distinctive looking figures in all of history.  At the root of her appearance is a single act of magic, a display of magic that nearly killed her.  When she awoke, the previously blue-eyed brunette found that her appearance had been changed by the elements she had channeled through her own body.  Her hair was made blue as the clear skies and her eyes bore the fury and power of lightning.  At most times they would be yellow, but at times they were known to flicker blue or purple.  She was also very short, especially by Nieldic standards; especially unusual considering the fact that her father was eight and a half feet tall.  She remained fit all of her life, even though she rarely fought physical battles, which is hardly unusual. 
Tala was always practical, and her wardrobe reflected it.  Despite the fact that she preferred to use magic to fight, she wore cargo pants and T-shirts more often than ornate dresses and robes.  Even in her days in the military she forwent uniforms for such casual attire. 

To see a picture, click here --> Tala, Artwork by Motley Mince
Bio;
Tala was born the princess of Gasca at the height of the hierarchy period.  Gasca held dominance over the western third of the empire under a string of weak emperors.  Tala's father had aspirations to ruling the whole empire, and she was the perfect tool to do so.  Since a young age she had been a skilled commander and she had no equal in combat.  It was while she was on an assignment to persuade the lord of Appeni to accept her father's leadership.  While there her men reported a strange woman in a stone circle; she quickly responded and after failing to talk the woman into submitting to the custody of her men, she attempted to breach the enchantments of the stone ring.  But even her most powerful spells couldn't breach the divine barrier.  So she turned to the resources around her.  She drew in the air and water from around her and forged a storm drawn from across the world.  Then she drew its power and channeled it through herself in an effort to destroy the barrier.  The power was more than she could bear, and she was near to death when the circle's inhabitant, an immortal named Ceanne, relented and dropped the barrier.  Tala lapsed into a coma that lasted three years, and woke to find one of her younger sisters in rebellion against her father.  At first she worked to oppose her, but as she began to see the war in a new light and witnessed the atrocities her father committed for his own gain.  She ultimately chose to go against her own loyalty to her father and chose to serve her people.  Her father died in the end, fighting rebels on the front lines as he had his whole life.  Tala rushed her army to the throne of Gasca and held her brothers at bay while her younger sister was coronated.  To seal the deal, she officially abdicated as her father's heir, ensuring that their could be no further doubt as to her sister's legitimacy as lady of Gasca.  She then left quickly. 
It is considered to be soon after that time that she obtained immortality.  She attended the Arcane Academy, and took an interest in a past student.  The longest inhabitant of the Academy, one who had made it her palace; the one they called Death Herself, Zink.  Tala followed the clues and found a fountain deep within a mountain, a single draught granted her immortality, invincibility, and youth eternal.  She used the clues that had lead her to that fountain and began searching the school for other clues, other trails.  She eventually found two trails; one showed her vast regions of inhabitable space down and south of Krove, and the second was an ancient prophecy of sorts.  She tracked down the one to whom the prophecy related, and found that it related to her.  Count Dracula, an old schoolmate of Zink's, introduced them by looking down the blade of her sword and telling her what interesting hair she had.  After what any mortal would deem a very long romance, she bore him a son. 
As any one who knew her well could tell you; it was the single act she never forgave herself for.  She referred to it as her one moment of cowardice.  But she abandoned young Yuri with his father at the hospital.  She fled and though she eventually reconciled with the Count, she never saw her son again.  She lead colonists into the region that would become Seclora, and was instrumental in the establishment of that empire.  She also helped to organize the immortals for the first time, with the aid of twins named Doron and Norod.  The leadership she set in place would become the so called 'Pantheon' of the immortals.  She also built a personal fortress within a nebula of her own creation; Stormguard.  And she had many adventures; and is accounted the third greatest number of kills in the unending war against Demonkind; after Zink, who's lessons and writings she studied rigorously, and Petra, Zink's daughter.  Among such exploits were her defeat of the demon that had hidden itself in the Pantheon since its conception, and her battle for the ashes of Dracula in the cathedral of St. Peter. 
But it would all change with the coming of the Frostbourne.  Tala was one of the first to notice the threat, and began to gather a force of her own to combat it.  Her first recruits were her own descendants; the coven named for her son, the Yellsdana.  Soon thereafter she enlisted the aid of the Elves, a mysterious race that had lived in hiding in the deep parts of space.  And there were many other races beside who found a permanent haven in a much expanded Stormguard.  And so, as the unnatural storm unleashed by the frostbourne crashed over the universe, Tala's own storm held fast before it.  She played host to many disenfranchised peoples as the war raged on, but in the end it would be one of her own, Jor, the emperor-elect of Danielland, who slew her.  She stood before him and drew her blade.  As he drew hers she heard a voice from beyond, beyond the grave.  Zink, Death Herself, whispered to her that the Lord was calling her home.  Tala lowered her blade, bowed her head, and answered the call.  So fell the Storm Mage; Tala, called by some Svel, died on the steps of her fortress in the heart of the Voalsvei Nebula.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Arcania

Height; 6' 9"
Weight; 245 lbs
Age; Immortal (6673)
Relationships; Empress Thalia Immerstad (deceased); mother, Cystronella and Igor Von Gravaga; Sister and Brother-in-law, Countess Courtney Yellsdana; complicated, ZeeGee; semi-sentient pet/companion

Physical Description;
Pale is one of the first words that comes to mind when looking at Arcania.  Her hair has grown white over the ages; not from age but from excessive use of magic.  Not unheard of, but not common either.  Similarly, her eyes have been purged of all traces of color, invluding causing her pupils to turn inexplicably white.  But unlike most, not only did her hair and eye color change, but even her skin color has been bleached by her spell craft.  She has made no attempt to conceal it by spell or science. 
She chooses her wardrobe to fit the theme.  Pale blues and whites almost exclusively, as befits her status as the former gueen of the frostbourne.  She prefers robes, but has been known to go as casual as jeans and T-shirts or spandex. 

Click here for a depiction of Arcania; Courtesy of MotleyMince

Bio;
Arcania is the eldest daughter of the Late Thalia, ruler and creator of the Gravagans.  From an early age she made it clear that she had no interest in following either her mother's path of casual villainy or her father's heroic way of life.  It caused no small amount of friction with her mother; who made every effort to make her a proper villain.  Her father was more understanding, but less available to guide her.  While she never quite gave in, she learned ruthlessness and the value of power at an early age. 
Her true passion is, and always has been, the pursuit of knowledge.  She is fanatical in her pursuit of all things written, typed, or passed down orally.  Even before she was known as Arcania her fellow students at the Arcane Academy knew her as a repository of knowledge, and she was often referred to as a living library.  She ultimately chose the name Arcania for herself based on her love of the arcane things of the universe.  It would be in the pursuit of knowledge that ultimately lead her astray.  In the deepest parts of space, on a quest to find a legendary book supposedly cast into the void by a repentant warlock, she stumbled upon a circle of standing stones not unlike the ones found across the known universe.  Unlike the others, this one had been desecrated in a decidedly Shadithic fashion; it had been changed from a divine protection to a demonic gate.  Curiosity got the better of her, and in deep space, all alone, she used it and called the demon forth.  She fought the demon Ecthon there and lost.  But instead of death, she was dominated.  For a thousand years she gathered her strength, practiced magic, and did any number of uncertain and unrecorded things.  Somewhere in this time she acquired a companion she calls ZeeGee; a rather unique semi-sentient anomally.  For all intensive purposes, ZeeGee is the rather clever and strangely affectionate thermal equivalent to a black hole.  With it at her side she returned to the known universe and set out to take control of the universe, the unwilling pawn of Ecthon.  Her undead armies crushed the furthest reaches of space quickly, and only a sparse collection of immortals even took notice.  Then as her army grew in numbers she began to find willing recruits amongst the mages and warriors of the universe.  Through Ecthon they were granted great power and she named them the Lych, for amongst her army of the dead they were the greatest.  ZeeGee too was empowered; and through its abilities an unnatural weather pattern whipped across not only the surface of planets but across space itself.  Many immortals, villains and heroes alike, died in the initial efforts to stall her.  At last, the major governemnts of the universe were warned.  For the first time time history, the whole universe joined together and readied itself to face the threat.  Danielland, the Ga-Vok, the Harakai, Humanity, and many of the lesser races were forced to flee in the face of the frostbourne hordes.  The Secloran and Gravagans stood as the last holdouts, much of the universe behind their bulwark as refugees.  Two things changed at that point; the first was the death of Tala the Storm Mage at the hands of one of Arcania's supporters.  The Emperor-elect of Danielland, Jor, killed her in a duel for dominance of Stormguard.  He was quickly expelled and went to the side of his beloved, Arcania's sister, the Arch-Lych Lirelle.  This provoked the second change.  Thalia, Empress of Gravaga and mother of Arcania, though that was not known to most, heard of Tala's death and launched a campaign to destroy the frostbourne.  Billions of Gravagans were pitted against the uncountable dead.  But it was all a diversion.  Thalia herself slipped into Arcania's palace and attempted to find her daughter in order to talk her down.  Circumstances had not smiled on her, and she found that her daughter had gone to the frontlines to do battle with her army.  Instead she met the demon Ecthon; and without her necromantic legions, Thalia was slain.  Before her death she managed one last telepathic call, telling a lone vampire of the Yellsdana coven of the true nature of their foe. 
And so it was that Courtney Yellsdana came to Arcania's palace.  Using every power and spell in her arsenal she slipped past the armies of the frostbourne and Jor's traitorous Nielda.  After many years of careful manuevering, planning, and training the young daywalker managed to position herself to defeat the demon.  In single, unarmed combat she dealt Ecthon a humiliating defeat.  Though the war did not end there, Arcania was free.  Jor and his men, alongside the Lych and other free followers of Lirelle, fought to the death in a last battle against the combined fleets of the Universe, and the frostbourne were at last defeated. 
Arcania submitted herself to Courtney and the Pantheon, the inner court of the most powerful Immortals.  Courtney spoke in her defense, explaining the demon's dominance and playing up the newly established unity of the universe's great races.  Despite all their misgivings, they granted her life on the grounds that she be bound by a deep magic.  She was given life on the condition that should she ever kill or willfully cause harm to come to another being she would herself die.  She and ZeeGee departed that court and she returned to her original quest for knoweldge humbled and repentant.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Rea

Height; 5' 9"
Weight; 193 lbs
Age; 14(detectable), 11,984(actual)
Relationships; Father[no name provided](deceased), Krell Casat; travelling companion/partner, Kelvin Bladeheart; travelling companion, Igor and Cystronella Von Gravaga; friends

Physical Description;
Young.  By human standards she probably looks a bit older, but because of the way Nielda age she's actually fairly normal for her age.  The number one indicator is that she's shorter than almost any adult Nielda; although there are other signs that she is not yet fully matured.  She is also very fit for a Nielda, let alone one of her age.  Even she isn't quite sure how much of it is natural athletics and how much is simply magical augmentation though. 
It's also known that she wears her hair short, straight, and black, but those who know her best have their doubts that this is her natural hair colour.  Considering her apparent knack for cosmetics of all varieties, their suspicions seem well founded. 
To see a picture click here -> Rea; artwork by MotleyMince
Bio;
Rea is relatively reclusive, despite a generally upbeat personality.  She's a self admitted assassin, and possibly the most powerful natural being alive.  It goes almost without saying that she is immortal, although it is not known by what means.  She seems to be permanently locked at the age of fourteen, with no prospect of aging.  Coupled with her extreme actual age, this seems to be a point of despair for her.  She has made mention of a means for resolving it, but she has never been quite willing to flesh out the details of said means. 
As for her history, she has revealed little more.  She grew up during the Great Ga-Vok war, and seems to have fought on Anatolia during the first phase.  She has also mentioned being involved in a few critical fights of that war, some of which are unmentioned in most historical texts.  Since that time she has undertaken what she seems to believe is a divine mandate; to kill immortals named in a mysterious book she carries with her at all times.  It has served to make her inordinately powerful; to an extent that it interferes with her capacity to percieve time and to measure her own strength.  It's a dangerous combination, and combined with her own hesitation to associate with other immortals, has left her with few social ties.  It's unknown why she has chosen to reveal herself now, but she doesn't seem to have any ill intent towards her companions...for now.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Former Admiral(Daniellandish Imperial Navy) Father Krell Casat

Height: 6' 3"(living), +4" natural levitation(as Lich)
Weight: 263 lbs(living), 87 lbs(as Lich)
Age: 178(obituary), 576 actual
Realtionships: Lewiza Casat; wife(deceased), Emperor Kvald III Laerdsmuld; best friend/superior officer(deceased), various descendants, Rea; travelling companion/partner, Kelvin Bladeheart; travelling companion

Physical Description;
It is said that one can not mistake a Lich for any thing else unless the Lich is using magic to conceal himself. 
And it is quite true.  Even for as odd a Lich as he is, Krell can't help but look the part.  The part, of course, being a skeleton without an ounce of flesh remaining with a steady, red glow emmenating from his empty eye sockets.  What he has managed to differentiate himself with though, is his garment.  In lieu of the usual black, or at the bare minimum dark blue, robe, Krell wears a Monk's habit.  He wears it with the hood up at all times, and a masking enchantment prevents passer's-by from becoming curious in his appearance. 
As for his appearance in life a Nieldic description seems fitting.  'For someone who looked death in the face,and punched her in the nose; he sure wasn't running very fast'.  Or in more simple, human terms; considering the life he'd led, he aged well. 

To see a picture, click here -> Krell; Artwork by MotleyMince
A Depiction of Krell, after the events of The Witch and the Lich; Courtesy of MotleyMince
Bio:
Krell Casat was born to a relatively ordinary family on Gasca roughly seventy years prior to the plague of Danielland.  He was a steady A+ student and excelled in Tacsim from an early age, earning him an officer's commision in the Imperial Navy.  He was well known as an avid player of many games, including Realm; where he saved a fellow player from a Secloran ambush.  He soon discovered that his new friend was in fact his Emperor, and their friendship quickly expanded into the real world.  Through a mixture of political ties and strategic prowess, Krell was made one of the youngest Admirals in the history of the navy, a position he would hold the rest of his life.  One such political tie was made by the request of the emperor.  He married Lewiza following what is generally called a whirlwind romance; a relationship that had been started at the prompting of the emperor in order to bring her father, a dissident colonial governor, closer to the Empire.  Both were very private, and few details are known of their relationship, save that they had five sons and two daughters, all of whom followed in their father's naval lineage. 
Then the plague broke out.  A rather large human cult, working under the Frost Lych Xanadu, dropped canisters of a disease specially modified to attack and replace the blood of Nielda.  While the Nielda infected by it did not truely die, they were condemned to a hideous half life.  Krell had been with his fleet in the colonies, visiting his wife and children for the holidays.  They were spared the fate that met their friends and families in the Empire, and by order of Kvald III Krell was given command of what came to be known as the Last Living Fleets.  He called upon every ounce of his tactical and strategic expertise, and their retaliation took a mere week to complete.  Civilian casualties amongst the humans were low, despite the bloodlust of the survivors, thanks primarily to Krell's charisma and determination.  In the final conflict of the campaign, Krell himself took to the field and challenged Xanadu, perpetrator of the heinous act, in single combat.  Krell managed to defeat the last of the Lych, and lead the Last Living Fleets into a colony region just outside the edge of the Daniellandish Empire proper, and established it as a bulwark against any future human attacks.  The region was renamed in his honor, the Casat Line.  He remained in command for the rest of his life, and his command was spared the horrors of the war with the Seclorans that followed.  His last public appearance was at the commemorative service for Emperor Kvald III, who died in a crippling attack against Seclora. 
Necro:
Sadly, Krell was not allowed to die as his friend had.  Without his knowledge and against his will, Holine, the youngest daughter and newly coronated Empress of Danielland, stole a fragment of his soul and bound it to a phylactery.  In his own home, and in the presence of his horrified family, Krell was transformed into an undead Lich.  They faked his death and his men mourned his passing unaware of their Admiral's fate.  Holine arrived, her own Lichhood concealed within her armor, and told him what she had done, and commanded him to return to the Imperial service as a field operative.  As the war with the Secloran Empire began to escalate once more, Krell found himself thrust deep within the enemy homeworlds.  For forty years he was forced to fight, destroying enemy shipyards, battleships, and fortresses alone and without support.  He was the perfect agent of chaos, for even if he were slain in his efforts he would be forced to simply regenerate at the phylactery Holine had bound him to.  Then he heard that Lewiza, his wife, had fallen ill and was dying.  He abandoned his post, slaying every agent Holine sent to recapture him, and arrived home in time to witness his beloved's funeral.  He checked in with his descendants, who followed in his footsteps and lead the Casat Line with the responsibilities of nobles, but with none of the priveliges.  But he retreated to a monastary not far from his home town on Gasca, studying theology and trying to repent for his actions during the war with Seclora.  He was eventually made a lay-priest and given a post in a local parish.  For nearly four hundred hears he waited and continued as he had in life, a servant of his people, until one day, his studies were interrupted by a wounded traveller...

Most recently, he managed to enter the Imperial Palace by exploiting his phylactery and with the aid of Rea and Arcania he was able to defeat Holine and regain his body.  It has yet to be seen what course he shall take now that he is properly immortal.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Dedication

I'd like to introduce this by saying; this is a peripheral blog to my main blog, http://red-redsblog.blogspot.com/.  It exists specifically because I've had people point out that they have a hard time remembering who people are and what I've already said about them. 

The format will reflect that.  Each entry here will be for a single character, and will be updated as I reveal new elements of their character, backstory, and such things of that nature.  At the begining of each chapter on the main blog I will provide a sort of credits listing of the links to the main characters entries here.  That way people reading that can easily refrence the characters and more easily know what's going on. 

Personally, I always used the tried and true 'memory' technique.  However, seeing as I do inconsistently paced entries over a long span of time, I can understand the confusion. 


And lastly, I wish to dedicate this venture to Apollo's sacred tree.  May your dreams be always as wonderful as you are.