The Riders of the Storm - Characters

[Valen]

Name: Kian Le
Race: Human
Class/Occupation: None (Untrained)
Gender: Male
Age: 18

Appearance:

Kian Le is every bit the youthful peasant that he appears to be. With youthful features that actually paint him as younger than he actually is, yet his appearance belies the fact that Kian is more than he would appear to be. He has seen much in his eighteen winters, yet it is his spirit and his heart that are evident in the way that he carries himself.

Simply put, he refuses to let the world ground him down irrespective of what happens to him.

Kian Le's innocent eyes sparkle with an inner light and life. His long black hair falls past his shoulders, seemingly only accentuating his youthful appearance yet further. His smile is infectious. When he does smile, it is with the effect to make everyone else want to smile with him.

He wears a blue silk brocade across a white, silk shirt belted at the waist. His dark hair falls long when it is let free, and it often seems to have a life of its own, however most of the time Kian has it tied back into a ponytail.

Personality:

The thing about Kian Le is that there is no dissembling with him. There is nothing hidden and he does not conceal anything from anyone. Kian Le wears his heart on his sleeve, and the youngster, despite his humble origins, holds within him dreams of becoming a martial artist or swordsman.

Kian Le is both naïve and innocent. He honestly believes that there is good in anyone and refuses to believe that others are not like him, at least until he is proven otherwise, as he often is. Yet, despite the number of times he is let down, he bounces back regardless, refusing to allow himself to be affected by a world that, to be perfectly honest, doesn't deserve him.

However, there is an edge to Kian that most do not and cannot see. Kian pushes things perhaps further than he should. He is daring, recklessly so..... If he sees a rich merchant cross the marketplace, then he will make an attempt to steal the man's purse despite the risks associated in doing so -- because even a lovable scamp like him needs to eat, right?

Kian is surprisingly resourceful, evidenced by the fact that he has lived his life on the dangerous streets of Shou Lung and has survived thus far. In fact, it is fair to say that Kian is someone with many hidden depths.....

Backstory:

Kian's origins are a mystery, even to himself. He does not know who his parents are....indeed he has believed them dead for so long now that it is inconceivable to him to think otherwise. For his entire life he has lived on the streets of Shou Lung, and he has survived. The deceptively resourceful youngster has lived amongst the many gangs that roam the streets, and he has carved out a niche of his own despite the odds seemingly stacked against him.

Yet his existence has amounted to little more than scrounging whatever he can to ensure that he lives another day.

However, things are about to change for the plucky orphan, in ways that he could not even begin to comprehend. It began one day when he saw an armed contingent the likes he had never seen before in the streets. The guardsmen, dressed in armour with an unfamiliar insignia, seemed to be carrying with them a small, golden container. What lay within it Kian did not know, but surely, or so his mind told him, what was inside must have been valuable beyond all reckoning. If he could somehow liberate it from the guardsmen, then his fortune was assured.

But such an undertaking was dangerous -- suicidal even. There would be no hope for him if he managed to get himself caught.

However, Kian Le, humble orphan, would not be dissuaded from his course of action. Stealing along the shadows, the youngster boldly stole right into the midst of the guardsmen, stealing the golden container from them and running as fast as he could into the busy marketplace..... He knew of a merchant caravan leaving the city that evening, and if he could steal himself aboard it then his fortune would be made.....

 

[Valen]

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Name: Tsenya Bhrokiti
Race: Human
Class/Occupation: Sorceress
Gender: Female
Age: 21

Appearance:

This dark haired beauty has an unearthly look about her. As well she should, she is the daughter of the Dalai Lama himself. Rumours and whispers persist that she is a powerful sorceress in her own right, and certainly the Princess manifests an aura that suggests she expects to be obeyed.

Personality:

Strong willed and fierce, this young woman is not one to be easily cowed by the martial might of her peers and the horsemen of the steppes. Bhrokiti is considered to be impetuous, willful and self-centered.

Princess Tsenya Bhrokiti has little concern for the spiritual matters that are the focus of so much of Ra-Khati's social life. Deep down though, she realises that she cannot ever hope to lead a people with whom she has so little in common.

The cause of Princess Bhrokiti's eccentricity is not hard to understand. Her mother died in childbirth, leaving her in the care of the Dalai Lama's staff. From infancy, her father's advisors took turns delighting her with gifts, games and sleight-of-hand wizardry.

Background:

Raised within the confines of the Hidden Kingdom, Bhrokiti has lived a life of peace and luxury. Doted on by her father, the spoiled girl has wanted for nothing in her life. However, when the Emperor's forces come to invade, she learns she is about to make the ultimate sacrifice to keep her kingdom safe.

Little does she realise though that in her hands she holds a key that will decide the fate of the lands of Ra-Khati and that she is to play a central role in the events to unfold. For fate and destiny are about to bring her into contact with a group of adventurers lost on the steppes, and together they will decide the future of the Hidden Kingdom......

 

[Maeriel]

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Name: Yamako "White Fox"
Race: Human
Class/Occupation: Rogue
Gender: Female
Age: 21

Appearance: Mako is short, but her mixed blood gives her a more curved feminine shape than most women from Kara-tur. Her very long straight hair hangs in either ponytail or braid and is a little more to dark brown than black colored. On her back, a large white fox tattoo stands as one of her less clever, alcohol addled ideas. Now that she is on the run, she started to dress in a manner that shows she is a woman. A silken kimono robe, now of grey and silver patterns, covers her to the ankles, belted tightly on her thin waist, slits on the sides and back give her a wide range of movement. Its long loose sleeves possess hidden pockets in which to quickly stash items, just as the inside of her silken sash. She seems to always have a useful item when needed. Or a shiny coin. Underneath the robe, black leather pants, a black shirt and leather armor snugly fit her lithe body for her trade. A wakizashi, a variety of daggers and a short bow are her main weapons. Her striking emerald eyes are both piercing and mysterious and her delicate, beautiful face offers no expression of anything she didn't mean to show.

As a rogue, Mako has a wide range of useful skills. Her disguise, sneaking and acrobatic abilities are impressive. Her nimble fingers know few pockets she cannot empty, few locks she cannot pick or traps she cannot disarm. She is clever in her use of rope, grappling hooks and clawed gloves to get to where she needs. Her keen perception skills and sharp tongue have gotten her as much out of trouble as in it. The woman can accurately appraise the worth of most things and her dancing and singing skills have aided her in more than one infiltration. In the outdoors, however, she is like a fish out of water. It was always a city life for her. Her reading and writing skills are limited, even though she can understand and speak a variety of languages, and her fighting is much more opportunistic than a drilled ability. She can handle herself well with simple weapons, has a great aim and doesn't refrain from a cheap shot. She tends to avoid direct confrontation, though, and is quite nimble in dodging harm.

Personality: Mako is clever and pragmatic. She enjoys her freedom, good music, good drink and food, expensive things and pleasant company. She is too curious for her own good and sometimes a little too selfish, but it is counter balanced by a great generosity at times. She never had an easy time killing and if there was blood on the job she refused it. Every time she had to use a weapon she considered it a botched job, even when getting what she sought. Fighting for her is a means for survival, used for self defense. For that, she is sure to make the fight a short affair, her arrows or blades aiming for vital places.

Backstory: Growing up without a past and as a half-breed wasn't simple. One of her parents was definitely from Kara-tur, the shape of her eyes, long straight hair and more petite frame showed as much. But the other parent... Some other kind of human responsible for her striking green eyes, more rosy complexion and the difference of her eyes to those purely from Kara-tur. She knew not who they were. Her earliest memories were from the orphanage. Her only memento from her past, a silver pendant of a fox head with the engraving "Yamako". Whether or not it was meant as her name it didn't matter, the staff named her so upon finding it.

The orphanage life was too strict and punishment too harsh for a curious and defiant child as she was. She didn't belong anywhere, being weird to most. The streets weren't an improvement, however, and she was soon starving and growing desperate. That's when Mako met her dark-skinned friend Huzal. An urchin on the prowl had to learn skills to survive, and she was a quick learner and he, her eldest by a few years, most of it lived on the streets, a willing teacher.

Huzal was strong, fast and deviously clever. A latent gift with magic had made his parents abandon him, afraid. They became fast friends and partners in crime. He cheered Mako on the bad days, helped her with her wounds, shared his food with her and his warmth in the cold of night. He was the first good thing that had ever happened to her.

Mako was cunning, quick and resourceful. Life on the underworld of a big city suited her and she grew in skill and boldness. Unfortunately, the streets started becoming less safe as she grew from girl to beautiful youngster. As her body changed, new dangers started surfacing. That's when she became White Fox. Looser clothes and a mask helped her sell the illusion of a thin teenage boy. She got into more fights, but Huzal, now trying for a place in organised crime, helped her learn to defend herself well.

White Fox opened way to more disguises and she quickly gathered infamy as a thief who could get into most places. A chameleon. A daredevil. A whispered name. With it, she started hopping from city to city in Shou Lung as soon as things grew too heated. It was not to last. Mako stole from whom she shouldn't and soon found herself the target of a manhunt. Taking advantage of the fact that people thought White Fox was a man, she hid in plain sight as a woman, but is pressed to find a way out of town before her enemies catch up...

Strengths:

1. Cat-like Grace: Mako possesses a deftness, preternatural grade and sure-footedness that makes most feats of dexterity easy to accomplish.
2. 1000 Faces: Mako has used disguise as a means to survival for almost half her life. She is adept at changing her features, hiding tells and swaying people with her charms.
3. Street-Smarts: Living most of her life in the streets of Shou Lung, Mako has gathered many useful skills and bits of knowledge. She knows where to get food and shelter in a bind, how to pick pockets, pick locks and disarm traps, read signs left by gangs/thieves' guild and where to find a fence or a job offer.

Weaknesses:

1. Hunted: Mako has pissed off the wrong people and stolen the wrong item and now there is a manhunt for White Fox around the place.
2. Hubris: Mako was brought low her whole life, she is a proud woman and can sometimes make biased decisions that turn out not in her best interest out of that sense of pride and independence.
3. Authority Issues: You're not the boss of me! Mako was never good with the powers that be and often refuses to follow instructions simply because someone in power has told her so. That can and has led to all sorts of complications...

Aspirational Powers/Abilities:

- Pick Pockets/Stealth
- Pick Locks/Disarm Traps
- Sneak Attack
- Dual-Wield
- Point-blank Shot
- Uncanny Dodge
- Cat Fall (as in, able to fall certain distances unharmed)
- Darkvision
- Darkness
- Shadow Jump (enter one shadow and come out another within sight)
- Shadow Illusion
- Shot on the Run
- Far Shot
- Rapid Shot

I added more than 10 in case you think some of these things don't belong in the list or are not appropriate.

 

[inkdragon]

Name: Kavya of the Dulkazar
Race: Dwarf
Class/Occupation: Cleric
Gender: Female
Age: 25 (Human equivalent, I dunno what dwarf lifespan is in your lore)

Appearance: Solidly built, broadshoulderd and fairly well muscled. Thick dark hair tied back out of her face with braids, tanned skin, flinty grey eyes. Wears scale mail armor, bearing both the crest of her clan (a hammer contained in a diamond) and the symbol of Galdair, (a hand marked with three conjoined circles).

Personality: Loyalty and duty are important to Kavya, she holds her bonds to god, clan, kin, and friend above all else and would readily lay down her life to defend them.

While she's friendly enough, even to strangers, Kavya often comes off as serious or grim to those who don't know her. Spend any time traveling with her, though, and she'll show a dry humor borne of a sharp wit.

Kavya is slow to anger, but injustice and cruelty push her over the edge like nothing else. And once she's there, her temper is something fierce. Despite everything she's seen in her travels, Kavya steadfastly believes in the goodness of people, which is why seeing evil affects her so strongly. There is no cause for anger towards a storm, she would say, for the storm knows nothing more than destruction. But people who can choose to be kind but instead choose to be cruel, they are the trul dark parts of the world, and Kavya has a hard time finding forgiveness for them.

Backstory: Kavya left her home in Bhelthorm somewhat reluctantly when she began having visions from Galdair, the god of sun, moon, and land, calling her to the order of the clerics. He told her in vague terms of a great evil mounting, and that she had been chosen for a role in standing against it. Leaving her clan and family was the most difficult decision of her life, but Kavya could not ignore the pull from above. She trained under the clerics for a few years, then began to travel around the land, helping where she could along the way, curing disease-ridden towns and healing the injured.

The clerics of Galdair traveled in pairs, and Kavya grew very close to her partner, a human man named Tobias. But as the pair fought to defend a small coastal villiage from a goblin raid, Tobias was mortally wounded, and Kavya did not have the power to save him. Grieving for her friend and ashamed of her incompetence, at the start of the story, Kavya is passing through the city on her way back to her temple to inform the elders of her failiure.

Strengths/Weaknesses:

Intelligence- Can read a scene easily, be it a fight or someone's body language, and make logical decisions based on observations. She isn't rash in her judgements, often acting as the voice of reason in a reckless group.

Healer - In addition to her healing magic, Kavya knows mundane medicine and herbal remedies. She was trained by the clerics of Galdair and can brew medicinal teas and potions, set bones or dislocations, and clean and dress wounds.

Combat- Has some offensive magic, knows how to use a battle axe (even if not as well as a warrior class)

---

Combat - It isn't her skill with a weapon that's lacking, she technically knows how to fight, but Kavya can't bring herself to kill, even in self defense. I'm going to say that at the start of this campaign, she's been in fights, she's landed some hits, but she's never actually killed anyone.

Courage - While she tries to hide it, Kavya is often afraid. She fears her own mortality, of course, but more than that, she fears for those close to her. She's usually able to make the logically right decision regardless, but it isn't always easy for her to do what she needs to, or to watch her friends run into danger.

Stealth - Yeah... there isn't much to this one. Kavya isn't light on her feet. And she wears scale mail armor, which doesn't help. She has good strength and alright dexterity, but she's never going to be able to sneak around undiscovered. Send someone else to do the rogue work.

Aspirational Powers/Abilities:

I'm blatantly stealing most of this from DnD. I'm assuming my character already has some basic healing magic, maybe a couple other basic spells (cast light, a couple offensive moves, simple things). I'd also say she knows how to fight with a battle axe- not as well as a warrior, but she's had some training.

-Revivify, allows you to resurrect a creature that has been dead less than a certain amount of time (a minute?)

-Resurrection, would come later than revivify, and that would bring back a creature regardless of how long it had been, recreating its body with it.

-A sort of mass healing spell? I feel like she would start out able to heal on an individual level, but this would be more like, extends hands over a whole group of people to cure them all.

-Speak to dead, or something along those lines. Conjure some sort of specter for a limited amount of time.

-Some sort of read thoughts spell, although there would probably be some way to at least try and resist it.

-A degree of divination/clairvoyance. Could be something under control, where she can see at will or something that comes and goes in flashes or dreams

-Truth spell, or maybe just something that prevents people from lying outright for the duration, even if they don't feel compelled to tell the truth.

-Elemental manipulation in some form, because elemental magic is awesome and I love the spell fireball.

-Some sort of summoning undead magic, get a set number of undead that follow my commands.

 

[MJK2431]

*Disclaimer-images don't belong to me*​

Name: Azayla Aquus (nickname: Aza / Az)
Race: Elf
Class: Warrior
Gender: Female
Age: 20

Appearance:

Azayla is slightly below average height for a human and is considered to be teetering on the short side for an elf. The female has tanned skin that starkly contrasts with her white - blue eyes framed by dark lashes. Her hair is the colour of golden, ripened wheat that reaches just past each of her scapula, usually worn either loosely in a wind - tousled manner or held back by intricate braids that leave the front parts of her hair out of her face. Living near the ocean has led to her hair having a constant wave as well as sun - streaked tones.

Delicately placed white markings stretch across her cheek bones, stopping an inch before her nose on either side but curling up to very tips of her elongated ears. The patterns are specific to the elven tribe she belongs to. Curling up her right forearm in the same white ink is a minimalistic tattoo (pictured above) that upon inspection looks like a dragon.

This woman usually wears anything that suits the occasion, from intricately embroidered, cyan-coloured silk dresses to sturdy brown leather pants with a light - weight cotton top that billows in the sea winds that beat against the cliffs where her town is located. Her voice can be equated to that of bells...sometimes as soft and polite and small sleigh bells but when angered can morph into that of church bells which are large and thunderous. It's pitch is not too high nor too soft and she speaks with conviction and understanding. She may at times speak without thinking it through and this lands her in trouble with village elders.

The only items that are always present on her person are a bone- handled dagger carved at the hilt with all manner of sea creatures and a simple silver necklace that hangs a thumb length from the base of her neck. On it is an odd but plain pendant shaped like a rounded, tapered triangle pointing downwards, approximately the size of a small coin. The material from which the pendant is made is not obvious, although it has a strange mother-of-pearl luminescence to it and appears to be the texture and shape of a reptilian scale.

Her features are elongated and exotic to those of the human settlers, her hair and eyes light as most of her peoples were. She is neither buxom nor petite, but rather curved softly with a strength to her body that is undeniable when watching her in conflict. Her movements are graceful yet full of certainty, once she has decided upon an action she really backs down from it.

Personality:

This elven girl is often defiant, following her heart and what she believes to be right rather than what she is told to do. She doesn't not seek to undermine authority simply because it is placed there to control her but rather does what she believes will lead to the best outcome for all. She is loyal to her tribe though, willing to defend them should any potential threats arise from the outside world. While she enjoys her home and holds it dear to her heart, she can't help but feel some strong tugging in her gut towards exploring the outside world. This adventurous spirit has been growing stronger and stronger, making her head-strong and at times makes her wonder off into her own thoughts for a few seconds when she should be paying attention to her instructors and tutors.

Her fighting style is often dependent on her opponent, the girl either being quick and ruthless or rather dragging things out should she need to teach someone a lesson.

She finds herself creating grey areas between good and bad, nothing is hard set or clear cut for the female because of her upbringing, the stories she has heard and the people she has met. She is not quick to trust but once her trust has been gained, it is very difficult to break it...however, once you have betrayed her you should consider your bridges burned as there will be very little chance for redemption.

Backstory:

Azayla was raised on the south-facing sea-side cliffs of Hellora, an elven village protected by thick forest to the west and east, mountains at their back and the treacherous steep drop of rock to their front. The village has known very little warfare in recent years, although that by all means does not make them docile or easy targets. All youngsters are trained from the age of four to be warriors, the best ten of each generation being chosen for more elite and specialized training by the age of thirteen. These ten are the dragon-born, warriors who are joined by blood and loyalty to the elder dragon-borns that came before them. Aza is part of this group, the bonds of friendship and hatred of enemies formed in her last few years of training until the age of twenty-two between her and the other dragon-borns bringing her a sense of kinship she did not think possible.

The elders tell stories of the village's past, of the era's before the Great Wars in which the dragon-born were given their namesake. Most believe the tales to be nothing but stories, but Azayla has always been convinced in her heart that the time when the dragon-borns were charged with the greatest responsibility of all could be nothing but the truth...the times when they were trusted with caring and rearing the blue-dragons of the south. The Water-dragons, said to have been born of the love between the ocean waves and the great sea storms themselves. The Great Wars decimated them though, as the stories go. They have been gone for some time, but the tradition of training generations of the most worthy dragon-borns still stays with Aza's people.

Her generation is different though. It has been many millenia since the last dragon walked the seaside cliffs, using their steep drops to the ocean as a place to take flight. However, the time has come for their return, whispers of a hidden treasure kept within the dark cliff-caves circulating among the villagers - eggs the colour of blue-sea glass or gray oceanic storms, all marbled with streaks of molten silver lay waiting and soon the best of the dragon-born must be chosen to bring up the new generation.

Strengths:
- Quick with a blade or bow and arrow...
-....even quicker with the water magic graced on her by the previous generation of dragon-borns.
-Courageous despite being filled with immense fear
- No fear of heights
- Intelligent and good with military/combat strategy.

Weaknesses:
- Petrified of fire after an incident when she was younger almost cost her her life.
- Often makes hasty decisions.
- When the right buttons are pushed, she angers easily,
- Often acts defiantly if she believes she is doing the right thing.
- Prone to not be very trusting despite her easy smile

Aspirational Powers/Abilities:

1) Can manipulate any water present or conjure up her own, although the latter takes a lot of energy
2) Trained enough to hold her own in a sword fight (definitely has space for improvement though)
3) Agile and quick
4) Calling upon ancestors of dragon-borns for improved ability or insight (i.e- seer-like abilities)
5) Breathing underwater
6) Silver-tongued (i.e.- can talk very manipulatively to get her way out of trouble)
7) Enhanced hearing/sight
8) Reading opponents well
9) Speaks five languages (fluent in human, the multitudes of elven languages, dwarf and such)
10) In times of immense anger/stress, can conjure up storms if enough water is present.

Still need to fine tune things, comment if I need to change anything.
@Valen