Crazy century plus history! Fleshing that out is what's taking the time. Nearly finished.

I hope to have Blammm's character done this week. Still need that info from the other players, or at the very least a, "No longer interested, Brom."

Thanks!

Sanya is complete. I just have to convert her to HTML and put her on my server.

OK, so, seeing how I still haven't heard from the other three players (Glory, Grugg, or Hammer) concerning their characters, I'm going to have to assume that their interest has dropped off and they are no longer playing. That's too bad because all I needed from Glory and Hammer were those questions answered. Grugg still needed to provide me with the whole kitten-kaboodle. So, unless I hear from them, this would mean that the character creation is complete for the time being. This means that I might be able to start the game here shortly, what with the demise of the Star Trek game I was playing in.

I'll keep you posted.

Well I for one cant wait to start this one. I know that Glory has been away for awhile because of what I can only assume is RL issues. I am sure she would still wish to play when she gets back.

As for Grugg and his Kitten-kaboodle… sounds like some inhuman food dish that Grugg is eating. Remember don’t feed Grugg!

I anxiously await the start of this game.

But I've posted the link to Blammm's character Sanya! I'll be checking with the other players as well as the two who asked to be put on stand by to see if their interest still stands. I think I'll be able to start the game within the next week or two barring the addition of more characters than what are completed, so sound off folks!

What's your character's name?

Caterina Luisa Maria Aguilera D'Oro


Three words to describe her disposition:

Spiritual, deliberate, contemplative


How she feels about people:

Caterina has a duty to protect justice is all it's forms, and so will place herself between innocents and injustice without a moment's hesitation. That ideal has come at a bit of a cost: having lost her entire family in a single day, Caterina turned to Rydor for justice, and has never looked back. As with most religious aesthetics, she can seem remote and cold, but those who know her know that it is duty and compassion that keeps her passion bound behind armour.

What she values most:

Justice, duty and sacrifice.


The person she values most:

Hard to say...I reserve the right to revisit this question


Her most valued possession:

Her holy symbol of Rydor.

Her general philosophy (alignment):

Lawful good. The needs of the individual are nothing compared to the greater good of all.

Caterina Luisa Maria, the last scion of the House of Aguila d’Oro of Drannon, strode through the Halls of Rydor, her booted feet sending echoes along the polished marble floors, the metallic whisper of polished half plate armour a further rippling disturbance in the hallowed air. With each stride, long blue-black hair streamed away from her face, the high cheekbones and proud nose jutting from smooth olive skin, golden eyes holding her destination in their shimmering depths.

Each step brought the raven-haired paladin to the altar of Rydor, but as the tall strong warrior moved forward in body, her mind moved back in memory, to this day ten years ago.

It had been the day before her sixteenth birthday, hers and her twin brother’s, Antonio Felipe, and a day of much preparation. On the morrow, Antonio was to be acclaimed as a paladin of Rydor, and she was to take solemn vows as a cleric of Merca, forswearing hearth and home as one of the Order of Faithkeepers. As heir to the Aguila d’Oro Keep and lands, Antonio Felipe would remain behind and complete his education at home, but Caterina would be leaving after the feast, headed for Throthgard.

A serious girl, who had excelled at her studies of law and history, Caterina had resented being sent to town to buy yet more fripperies that she would never wear. Her father had insisted, however, thinking it a proper paternal indulgence on a daughter he was to proudly lose to Merca. Caterina dutifully left the Keep with her duena, Mariana, but quickly left the road for the local swimming hole, for a last swim and taste of freedom. In their post swim state, clothes dripping, unbound wet hair down their backs, the two girls had been returning to the Keep, meaning to sneak in and address their attire before presenting an old, never-worn frock to Don Marco Antonio as the day’s new treasure. When they heard the sound of horse hooves pounding down the road from the Keep, the girls moved off the road and hid, rather than be seen in their improper state, but at the sight of the many fighters, grim and bloody, Caterina’s heart froze.

The two girls raced home as soon as they dared come out of hiding, and there they found a sight forever emblazoned upon Caterina’s soul. Every man, woman and child, from Don Marco to the cook’s newborn baby daughter, were dead, cut down where they stood. Children sheltered in the mother’s arms had been run through, and the women’s throats were cut. Caterina’s father and brother, dressed in sturdy clothes to move tables and raise banners alongside their people, were almost unrecognizable, so mercilessly had the unarmed men been butchered.

Mariana had gone into hysterics, and Caterina, her own eyes streaming scalding tears, had needed to slap the girl several times before she would quiet enough to listen. “Take your horse, Mariana, and go to Casa D’Estoban, quickly and quietly by the servants’ path. He and Father had their differences, but he is a good man, and will see to … our family. Go now, I must do something before I can follow.”

Without a further word or glance at the shaken girl, Caterina had gone to her brother’s room, across the hall from her own. There, she had wiped the shameful tears from her face, and girded herself in her dead twin’s armour, the two siblings so alike that it fitted her almost as well as it had him. Drawing his sword from the scabbard, she had shorn her woman’s hair to a nobleman’s length before tucking it into the eagle-crested helm. She then went to the family chapel, dedicated to Rydor and Merca, (Justicia y Deber traced beneath the Golden Eagle crest of the family) and laid her shorn hair on the altar, before going down on one knee. There she had prayed, “Lord God Rydor, Lord of Justice and Giver of Law, murder most foul has been done this day, to those who followed you and your sister Merca, Chancellor of Light. I offer you both my worthless life, surrendered to your Will, that I may be allowed to see Justice done, by my own hand and in Thy Name. Guide my hand and strengthen my arm, and my life shall be yours when my last enemy falls. “ In response, Caterina felt a cold hard strength pour into her, and the knowledge of swordplay and tactics, the heart of her brother’s studies, bloomed within her, and she knew that her prayer had been heard.

Running out to the stables (the armour an unaccustomed weight), Caterina saddled Rico, Felipe’s Andalusian warhorse, a big black stallion with a star blaze on his forehead. Rico pounded down the road in pursuit of the riders, and his superior stride soon brought Caterina within sight of them. She drew her sword as she closed the distance, and felt horror as they turned off the road in the direction of Casa D’Estoban, Don Marco’s closest neighbour and friend. Was Don Stephano the next target, or…Rydor forgive her, had he sent them?

Some of the riders in the back of the pack heard Rico’s furious hoofbeats and looked back, seemingly to see the boy they had just slain, riding in pursuit. They shouted and turned to face the lone rider, weapons drawn. The pack stopped its forward motion, but one rider continued on, redoubling his horse’s speed with shouts and lashes of his crop.

Caterina felt Rydor’s strength flowing through her as she rode through the crowd, her sword cleaving flesh as blows rang harmlessly off her armour. Rico whirled to face the mass of men and horses again, and Caterina had enough horsemanship to sense the tensing of his muscles in time. Powerful hindquarters bunching, the massive warhorse reared up, fore hooves lashing, and crow-hopped forward, crushing one man’s face and killing another man’s horse with a steel-edged hoof. Dropping back to all fours, Rico battered his way through the horses once more, and Caterina’s sword dispensed holy judgement freely, men and horses falling before her.

At last, Caterina’s tear streaked face looked upon the dead and feebly moving, and she turned Rico’s head once more towards Casa D’Estoban, to complete her life’s task. Don Stephano’s servants fled before her grim eagle’s eyes of gold, but the guards, seeing a slight boy begrimed with blood and dust, but somehow larger than life, simply fell back before her, but circled behind to follow her. She knew within herself, that she would not leave this place alive, and an angry joy filled her at the thought. Let House Aguila D’Oro perish in the single day, in a glorious fight for justice.

Her purposeful stride rang through the stone corridors as she made her way to the Grand Hall, and was not surprised to see Don Stephano awaiting her. His face, much to her surprise, bore signs of horror and sadness, and she realized that he was dressed in simple house robes, not attired for riding or battle. Nay, it was his son, Benito Luis, standing him before him, breathless, leather armour covered in the blood of her father and brother, who gazed back at her, his face covered in sweaty fear, as he saw Felipe’s ghost advance upon him.

“No, Felipe, no! I had to do it! Honour demanded it! I went to your father, man to man, and asked for Caterina’s hand in marriage, but he laughed at me! Said she was given to a greater destiny, and the likes of a man such as I would not stand in her way, “ he turned to his father Don Stephano, beseeching him for understanding, “It was an insult to our honour, Father! How could I not react?”

Don Stephano, aged twenty years in a day, shook his head sadly as tears started to gather in his eyes. “Never with murder, my son. Oh Benito, why did you not speak with me? Caterina could never be yours,” the tall man, shoulders newly stooped, turned to the armoured figure before them. “What must be done, Felipe?”

Caterina swept the helm from her head and tossed it aside, letting the two men know that flesh and grieving blood stood before them. Her face set in righteous anger, full lips thinned to an angry line, her rich voice proclaimed that Rydor would see justice done, and that she would avenge her family. At this Benito laughed, his atavistic fear disappearing as he realized that he faced a young untrained girl.

“We shall see about that, my betrothed! I wanted your hand to gain your lands, your fair face and form were merely nice additions to the sum. Now that the House of Aguila D’Oro lies dead, the lands will be ours, nonetheless. I can kill you now, or take you to our rooms, and we can be wed tomorrow…”

Caterina cried out at this, disgust and fury sweeping her blade out before her as she rushed at the laughing, insolent face. Benito drew his own sword and ran forward to meet her. Don Stephano held up his hands to forestall the advancing guards, his face grave and sad, tears rolling down to the salt and pepper of his mustache and goatee.

Two blades met with a crash; all the room’s light flickered along two deadly edges. Benito was a trained warrior but was surprised by the strength and fury of the maiden before him. He parried her thrust, blocked the next one, then began to push her backwards; his own strength and thwarted designs lighting a fire in his sword arm. Parrying desperately as she pedaled backwards, Caterina prayed fervently to Rydor, calling upon him this last time for aid in seeing justice done. As her back met the cold stone wall and Benito’s eyes gleamed with the triumph of having trapped her, Caterina’s prayers were answered as new strength flowed through her, and her armour seemed to shimmer with a royal purple hue. She blocked a killing blow from Benito easily, Rydor’s strength buoying her, and launched a fresh assault, blade flashing as it rang along Benito’s sword edge to reach past his defenses and cut deep into the flesh of his stomach. Open mouth gouting blood, Benito fell to his knees, one hand fruitlessly trying to hold the gaping wound closed, the other dropping the sword to reach beseechingly at his father.

Don Stephano gazed down at his son, felled in fair combat by the woman he had wronged, and turned away, waving a dismissal to the guards. Bent with new age, the old man made his painful way to the door and left, closing the door with tragic finality. Caterina looked down at the man she had known most of her life, as neighbour and friend, prank player with her brother, stealer of apples from orchards, and the murderer of all she loved. His life’s blood washed over her feet as she removed her dead brother’s armour, plain metal once more, her limbs aching with a weariness that Rydor’s blessing had held at bay.

The trembling maiden, heartsore and weary unto death, had one last task before her. As the light faded from Benito’s eyes and his soul winged it’s way to D’hurgen’s lands, Caterina set the sword pommel on the bloody flagstones, and held the keen blade in both hands, swordtip just piercing the soft flesh of her belly. “I offered my life, Lord Rydor, in return for justice. You have kept your promise, now do I fulfill mine. Forgive me, Lady Merca, a life in service to you was all I had ever wanted, but it was not to be.”

Caterina tried to bend her knees, to put her body’s weight upon the sword tip and send the blade home to her heart, but she could not, her flesh had turned to iron.

She looked up to see two shining figures before her, an older man in plain plate mail, aged face lined with care but still full of the strength of the warrior, and a tall, imperious red-haired woman, girded in gleaming armour of red burnished steel. Both were surrounded with a golden nimbus of light, and their faces were alight with pride and love.

That is for Us to decide, is it not? You offered your life to us, and We shall receive it, in duty, in honour and sacrifice, but not the sacrifice that you think. We have discussed this, and Our Sister agrees; you shall be our Hand, and in serving Us, you serve Her, as well. Rise now, child, and take up thy sword in Our Name.
Caterina’s eyes refocused on the present as she found herself before the Altar of Rydor, it’s gleaming marble surface a pool gathering the sunlight streaming through high open windows. Gazing upwards to the polished scales and burnished warhammer, the lithe paladin knelt once more before her God, as she had so many years before, touching forehead, lips and heart with a gauntleted hand.

"Your Hand I became, Lord Rydor, with years of training in battle by day, and studying Thy word at night. These long years made me into the strong paladin in truth that Thy strength let me be, briefly, the day my old life died. I have traveled the lands in Thy Name, dispensing justice and mediating disputes with the help of Thy Wisdom. I feel that I am ready, though I know not for what… Into Thy hands, I commend my spirit, oh Lord, for I know not the road before me."

I like what I see. I do, I do. Will look at the character sheet more closely over the weekend. Can I make minor changes to Sanya (in dialogue with you, Brom), or do I have to take her as is?

Thanks for your work on her!!

I like her! I dont think Brom will have a problem either! Welcome!

I just noticed something about Sanya that should be an interesting roleplaying opportunity:

She has a phobia of rodents in her history and a rat familiar.

Not sure if that was done on purpose, Brom, but it did make me laugh.

I also had a moment of deja-vu reading through your character, Van. Admiral just put up that thread about the Inn back in 2001 and I had read through a bit of it... one of them being Brom's old Gods of Audalis game. (which looked really neat, btw). And then, lo and behold, you resurrect one of the main characters! (think you can convince Alacrity to bring back in Angus? That could be fun!)

Anyway, looking forward to gettin this on!

Blammm

especially if I really put a lot into them and then didn't have an opportunity to do much with them. That time was my fault, as I couldn't put as much time into the game, and since she was the central character to an epic...the game kinda faltered after that. I still feel guilty, so this can be redemption for both Caterinas.

So, in light of not hearing anything back from Glory or Hammer, I've fallen back on the two players who requested they be put on the "List". Welcome to the game Vanadia and Suicidolt!

I've already accepted Caterina and will begin working on that character transfer (since I already have the old sheet) right away. Sui has suggested he wants to play a rogue, so that will cover that base, and Grugg has promised he'll submit his character to me pronto. So, three characters left to make, and I want to start the game within the next week or two.

That does mean I'll need to adjust some of your character's histories to mix in the new group, but if I can find the time, I don't foresee that being a huge issue considering I haven't sent any of you your full character sheet yet, just posted the statistical stuff.

I'll need to hear from everyone letting me know they are a go (those that haven't already recently posted): Septimus Sandalwood, Blammm, and Cap'n Lou.

I am still in!

I dont know about Capn Lou though.. he hasnt posted on there since the end of July. You might want to email him and see if he is still onboard.

Lou was having RL issues and dropped the two games he was running. I haven't seen him in months. Doesn't look good.

I'm in.

Brom, did you see my questions above re: making changes?

Blammm