This thread is for character biographies for the "The Quest for the Shiny" roleplay contest. I will post my character's bio as an example, but you do not necessarily have to follow the same format.

[b][u]General Information____________________[/b][/u]
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Race:[/b]
[b]Occupation:[/b]

[b][u]Appearance____________________[/b][/u]
[b]Hair:[/b]
[b]Eyes:[/b]
[b]Skin:[/b]
[b]Build:[/b]
[b]Other:[/b]
[b]Equipage at Start of Roleplay:[/b]

[b][u]Skills/Abilities____________________[/b][/u]

[b][u]Public Background Info____________________[/b][/u]

[b][u]Secret Background Info____________________[/b][/u]



0mega_Virus
General Information____________________
Name: Merro Kisan (Meh-row Kee-sahn).
Age: Nineteen.
Gender: Female.
Race: Human.
Occupation: Nothing formal. Daughter of a merchant prince.

Appearance____________________
Hair: Black, straight, and down just slightly past her shoulders. Cut in rough layers with ends that reach between her chin and the top of her shoulderblades.
Eyes: Dark blue.
Skin: Peachy pale.
Build: Average height and weight. Somewhat on the scrawny side due to lack of exercise.
Other: No prominent scars or tattoos. Ears are pierced once on each side. She's somewhat attractive but what beauty she might have is usually marred by a dark or sullen expression.
Equipage at Start of Roleplay: Very finely embroidered white silk blouse, pearl drop earrings on gold chains, a matching necklace with three pearl drops. In contrast to this finery, the crimson short-sleeved tunic and brown pants she's wearing are of mediocre wool trimmed in cheap golden thread and are so baggy that it's obvious at first glance that they were not made for her. The worn leather boots on her feet are also too large for her. There is a brown leather belt cinched around her waist and it's about all that's keeping the pants up. There is a utilitarian steel dagger with a ruby pommelstone - fake - and decorative gold wiring - also fake - around the hilt in a leather sheath attached to the belt. She has on a silk chemise underneath this mismatched outfit. No other belongings on her person at the start of roleplay.
Current Equipage/Inventory: She has now discarded all of her start-of-play clothing except for the earrings and necklace. She is currently wearing the shift and cloak and is barefoot.
2 cream shifts/underdresses, wide and square necked, long and slightly bell-sleeved
1 indigo blue bodice, square necked, laced up the back with fitted sleeves that end in turned-back drapes
1 indigo blue skirt
1 natural grey overdress, round necked, laced up the back with slit bell sleeves that go down to just above the elbows and then drape out
1 leather belt
1 pair leather boots that lace up to mid-calf
1 natural grey cloak

Skills/Abilities____________________

Merro is decently well-educated. She is, after all, the daughter of a rich man. She can - if forced - speak politely, dance the standard dances, embroider a pillow, and write her own name. She's an excellent rider and is a decent shot with a bow. She has picked up a bit of swordplay on her own through spying and solo practice sessions in an abandoned storage tower but hasn't been formally trained. She has also picked up some healing magic - offensive magics were too dangerous for self-teaching - but they drain her because she wasn't taught any of the basic "tricks" a mage uses to draw energy from their surroundings rather than their own strength.

Public Background Info____________________

Things that most people in her region would probably know are...her father is one of the wealthiest merchant princes and a scheming, manipulative b*****d to boot. He trots Merro out for fancy dinners (Mum is dead and a female hostess is necessary for polite society do's) but no one sees her otherwise. His Lordship spends all his time training up a young man who according to town gossip is anything from an assassin to His Lordship's b*****d who is being groomed to inherit instead of Merro.

Anyone admitted to social interaction with the Kisan family will know that Merro can ride and hunt with a bow as well as the usual indoor accomplishments of a noblewoman. She has a reputation for being headstrong and a bit wild.

Secret Background Info____________________

Your character must not know the following unless Merro herself reveals the information during roleplay. You as the roleplayer may, however, use this information as a sort of help file to manipulate the storyline if you wish. Just don't go overboard.

Merro is a little bit of a sociopath. She is guided by her own logic and makes up her own rules. She's afraid of most things to do with loss of control such as being restrained. She hates animals and children in general terms. She can fake decent people skills but in reality she's not close to anyone.

Her limited abilities with sword and magic have not been revealed to anyone pre-roleplay. She trusts no one.

[07/21] Merro has picked up a special sword. It was dormant but she has awakened it and bonded it to her by spilling her own blood onto it. The details of the sword's abilities are that it bonds to a single Master for the duration of that Master's life and then goes dormant once more. It requires "feedings" of life force and these can be either fresh blood or the act of taking a life. The length of time a feeding keeps the sword happy depends on the amount of blood spilled and the vitality/size of the bleeder. An actual killing will keep the sword happy for quite a while, but the exact length of time still depends on the vitality/size of the sacrifice. If the sword is not fed in a timely manner it will draw on the bond and begin to suck the life out of its Master. The up side to bonding this sword to one's self is that the sword will take on the "essence" of what life force it is fed and share that with its Master. If you nick a mouse, no extra effect. If you kill a mage, it's party time.

The sword was crafted by a magical race (elves if you prefer) a hilariously long time ago as a last resort weapon. A leader would activate the sword and then several volunteers would sacrifice their lives to imbue the weapon with great butt kickery. The leader would then go out and pwn whatever Great Evil was then threatening the land. The sword would be kept happy for the rest of the leader's natural life by being assigned dinner meat dispatch duty. Now Merro has awakened this last resort and is hauling it around without any idea of what it does, both to her and for her.

[07/11/08] Merro now has a vague idea of what this sword does. Letalus was able to translate the word "sacrifice" for her as well.

Her father plans to marry her to a well-connected but not wealthy young man, using monetary wealth and Merro herself as a lure in order to bring the young man into the family instead of marrying Merro out of the family. Lord Kisan then plans to use the man's connections to further his own power and wealth. The only people who know about this are Lord Kisan, the young man, Lord Kisan's cronies, and Letalus.


0mega_Virus
General Information____________________
Name: Letalus Peior
Age: Unknown, appears to be in his late twenties.
Gender: Male.
Race: Golem.
Occupation: Servant/Mercenary

User ImageAppearance____________________
Hair: Light brown with some blonde lights, longish in the front but shorter in the back, shaggy
Eyes: Light grey.
Skin: Pale Caucasian.
Build: Taller than usual, toned almost to the point of being muscular.
Other: One small scar in the shape of an unusually detailed symbol on the nape of his neck. The discerning eye would be come to the conclusion that it is a brand of some sort, and they would not be incorrect.
Equipage at Start of Roleplay: A simply cut brown tunic with no decoration over a somewhat coarse white shirt with long but practical sleeves. His trousers are the same shade and material as his tunic, and they are tucked into common black boots ideal for work. Around his waist is a black leather belt with a few small pouches attached one one side. On the other side, a brown leather scabbard holds a simple longsword. Wears a heavy brown cloak over his shoulders.

Skills/Abilities____________________
Due to the original purpose of his creation, Letalus has skill in swordfighting and hand-to-hand coordination. His endurance for pain and the uncanny ability to just keep coming are an asset in any fight or duel, though he does have his breaking point. His poker face makes him a hard read, and this coupled with his admirable patience, makes him quite good at dealings with money and merchants. With the sort of common sense one gets from observing others making mistakes, Letalus is a decent strategizer.

Because he is not human, he has no need for food or rest. But due to his strange circumstances, he will often "space out," as if broken down.

Aside from these original talents, his employment of the last 10 years has given him the basic knowledge of a life of servitude -- cleaning, cooking, equine management, and essentially being the go-to boy for a certain wealthy merchant prince.

Unbeknowest to most, he also plays the lute exceedingly well.

Public Background Info____________________
Publically, few notice Letalus. The rich and important pass over him because he has no birthright and is a servant besides, and the common and poor avoid him as much as possible, for his stony, blank demeanor frightens them. He is strange without any flamboyancy, and so unusually quiet that people don't enjoy being around him too long. At the large social galas of the merchant prince he serves, he is usually seen in the back, arms folded behind his back, staring almost unblinkingly into empty space.


Secret Background Info____________________
Letalus is a golem, created with dark sorcery some 300 years ago. The imprint on his neck is the brand of his creator, pushed into the smooth surface when he was still pliant clay. His original master, as most sorcerors were wont to do when they created such a servant, plotted for power and destruction, which Letalus (then unnamed) carried out mechanically. Unfortunately for the sorceror, Letalus came across a priestess in his chaotic path, who, at the moment Letalus was prepared to crush her throat, granted him a horrible gift: she awoke the soul within him that had somehow been trapped during his creation.

Horrorified, Letalus fled from the temple, the priestess still living, and cornered his master, begging to be freed from the chains of his servitude. The sorceror, of course, had no inclination to free his coveted slave, but luckily for Letalus, his master was killed by a rival sorceror later that night.

Suddenly free, but guilt stricken at what he had done, Letalus -- the golem with a soul -- retreated into obscurity, hunted by powerful men who wanted the unique creature for their own. The next few centuries were spent under the control of sorcerors and clever men who wove their control over him like a spider's webbing. Now, the soul he had gained is quite crushed, forced as he has been to do things he had no will to do. He sees no point in fighting it now -- regardless of the spark within him, he is still a golem, and a slave to the whims of men.

It's highly unlikely anyone would know this, as the symbol on his neck is from a dead language only a few highly educated magic users might recognize.


0mega_Virus
General Information____________________
Name: Tomlin, The Whistler
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Occupation: Aquisitior of rare Artifacts

Appearance____________________
User ImageHair: Short, Jagged Brown Hair (cropped around eyes and back of head)
Eyes:Blue
Skin: Pale
Build: Athletic
Other: Scars line his body, a testament to his travels. Three horizontal scars stand as a reminder of a bad barfight. Two slashes on each of his cheeks are the reminder to always get paid before you deliver the goods. [Image to come]
Equipage at Start of Roleplay:
Rapier
Dagger
Leather Clothing
Small lighter
Backpack filled with sleeping gear
Lockpicks concealed inside his belt

Skills/Abilities____________________
Dagger Thrower
Skilled at fencing and swordfighting
Lock-picker & Trap-finder
Acrobat
Skilled at Tracking and Information Gathering

Public Background Info____________________
~~Odd Job Man...
Looks to be good with a knife or sword...~~


Secret Background Info____________________
Started life as a circus performer with his family. After the busniess went under (Due to shady dealings that the owner had on the side) Tomlin traveled all over, learning what he could from the streets. Learning to take what he needed when he couldn't earn it, he became more and more skilled in recovering items. Never staying in one place too long, he travels from town to town, looking for odd jobs and big scores.

His identity has been changed several times over the years, due to some bad business dealings..
Once Known as Ashe the Tumbler, and Solice the Slasher ...


BridgeChan
General Information____________________
Name: Nova Orion
Age: Several centuries as it would seem.
Gender: Female
Race: Ferret/Elf Hybrid
Occupation: N/A

Appearance____________________
User Image-Hybrid Form-
Hair: - Black with cream streaks
Eyes: - Raspberry
Fur: - Cream with segments of black.
Build: - Lean and Athletic
Other: - Irises and whites in her eyes are not distinguishable, they appear to be similar to just two glistening dark raspberry gems in the sockets.
Equipage at Start of Roleplay:
A bottomless magical bag of various equipment and treasures she has acquired in her journeys.

Skills/Abilities____________________
Extreme agility, endless energy, great speed, and ability to make most people squee with delight at the sight of her small fuzzy self.

Public Background Info____________________
Named for her insane amount of energy, Nova Orion appears to be nothing more than just a regular, run-of-the-mill, ferret. Like the normal species, she has a soft coat that covers her entire body; the pattern consists of white and black segments on her arms, torso, and legs. She also harbors the typical "bandit mask" marking across her eyes. Her tail is all black with a white tip and a bit fluffier than normal, especially when she's excited. Not to mention her eyes are a deep raspberry coloration, fairly rare among the species.

Secret Background Info____________________
Present - Upon nightfall every few days, Nova must expel a stored reservoir of gathered energy. Her seemingly perfect ferret form is flawed with the fact that she can not release enough of her energy in such a small body when it was stored at levels only her humanoid self can release. When she is in her altered form, she still harbors the traits and features of a ferret, making her quite a spectacle among the average towns people if ever seen. She hides this secret knowing that if she is spotted out in the open with her animal appearance, she risks her life and sanity.

Past - Nova is a very aged creation of a marriage between magic and alchemy research. During this historic event, the magically preserved remains of a Druid Goddess had been injected into an animal for maximum acceptance. That creature's body was then broken down by ways of alchemy and merged with a humanoid race (Nova just happens to be a mix of ferret and elf). Many, many failed attempts of this homunculus shell experiment caused rifts within the schools of magic and powerful religious figures. With so much controversy, the project was ordered to be shut down and all evidence and research was to be destroyed. The very powerful head of the group was none too thrilled with the idea of all his hard work being tossed into a pile of twigs and burned from existence.

Before the board could order a seizure of the documents, the man had made off with a bulk of the core research and hidden himself away in a place where he could continue his work without interference. From his diligence, 3 perfect specimens had been made; Nova was the first of homunculus trio. Being prized fruits of his labor, he kept them stored in tubes of liquid magic that preserved them in their natural perfect state. Since having a world shaking discovery was next to nothing without someone to brag about it to, the mage made a critical error and had been ratted out to the authorities by one of his former colleagues. His hidden laboratory was seized and the mage was sentenced to death for his inability to abide to the common decency of humanity and life. The specimens were ordered to be destroyed along with the entire building that housed them.

During the eradication process, the mage let forth a powerful display of apocalyptic magic that nearly decimated a portion of the country in it's wake. Some say the mage destroyed himself due to the overload, some still believe he's alive, planning his revenge on the world for rejecting his belief in controversial success. Those people tend to refer to him as "The Mage of Tainted Reality."

As it was, Nova's preservation container had been rocketed from it's location after a large explosion when one of the mage's attacks on the soldiers, hit the tower by misfire. She was the only surviving specimen from the ordeal and was fostered by a couple that lived near her landing point. They were unaware of what she was, but never discriminated her for being who she was and loved her like she was their own. She was protected and hidden from the rest of society for several years of peace and tranquility with her family.

When she was in her "teens" her family's home was set ablaze one night when they were resting in their beds. Her father battled the burning wood and heat to rescue her and her mother. Upon reaching the outside of the blazing timber she once called home, both of her parents were murdered in cold blood before her eyes while a band of mages bound her in twine and hauled her off. This group of mages were apparently followers of "The Great Mage of the Era" for his dedication to his cause and loyalty to embrace the magic arts, no matter the cost. Nova was obviously nothing more than a test subject for them to attempt a recreation of the man's work. Luckily for her, her father had been a locksmith and taught her well on the mechanics of how they worked, what their strengths were, and their weaknesses. She was able to escape the clutches of the Mystic Organization and has been running for many many years since then. She's learned many things about her body and abilities in her travels across the known world, one being the ability to morph into a small ferret and avoid detection with ease.


0mega_Virus
General Information____________________
Name: Leana Dienvall (lee-AH-nah DEE-ehn-vahl)
Age: 19
Gender: Female
Race: Half Elf, Half Human
Occupation: Nightblade (but is also known to be a thief)

Appearance____________________
User ImageHair: Red
Eyes: Green
Skin: Pale
Build: Athletic but curvy
Other: She has some light scarring from her encounters in the past, but nothing major. However on her body, hidden by her clothes, she has icy blue markings on her skin, but she doesn't know what they symbolize.
Equipage at Start of Roleplay: Typically this is what she goes around in, but also does have a coat for colder temperatures, and formal clothes for events she may sneak into. The ribbon on her leg is the only thing she has in memory of her mother. Her weapon is a set of katars, and she always carries a pouch with a bit of money, and also hidden somewhere on her person are a few lockpicks.

Skills/Abilities____________________
She knows quite a bit of magic used for movement, but is better using her raw skills to get around. She can steal things quite easily, and is sneaky. But when she's not up to her shady acts, she's as clumsy as an ox and breaks things a lot or spills stuff. And it's not an act to make people drop suspicions of her or anything. She can pick locks better with tools than magic and does it skillfully, but if the lock is enchanted she finds herself quite stuck. She also has a bit of a temper when she gets started up, and also has a great weakness to any magic based off of Ice elements. She's also a bit too daring and it's landed her in trouble a lot.

Public Background Info____________________
Leana is a known thief, but avoids popular cities who know who she is. Sometimes she does help people out, but only if she feels they truly deserve it.

Secret Background Info____________________
Leana was raised in a monastery full of monks, where they kept her safe from the world and taught her many things. One monk in particular was the one who completely raised her from infancy, but he was not her father, nor was he related to her.

Despite what the monks tried to teach her about martial arts, Leana was more suited for stealth. She learned quickly that yes, stealing was wrong, but she was very good at it, and usually if she stole something she returned it before the person realized it was gone.

Eventually Leana knew she'd have to leave the monastery to explore the world outside. She had one main reason for doing so, and that was after discovering a very old note, written by someone she had to find.

Since then she's been out in the world for three years, searching but not quite finding what she wanted. In that time she's learned the tricks of the world and has discovered the thrill of stealing for keeps.


0mega_Virus
General Information____________________
Name: Sentelle ZhaDurn Ne'Havareruil (Sen-tell, Za-Durn, Nay-ha-var-ee-rule)
Age: 21
Gender: Female
Race: Human with a celestial bloodline
Occupation: Paladin with some training in rogue—she can pick a lock (typically will do so to gain access to knowledge that is locked away), but she's not going to pick your pocket.

Appearance____________________
User Image - Blocked by "Display Image" Settings. Click to show.Hair: Coppery Blonde
Eyes: Green
Skin: Fair
Build: 5'8" & 180 lbs. She appears quite fair (thanks to her celestial bloodline). Her features are soft, and her figure, while not overly curvaceous, is clearly feminine.
Other: She has an aura (or glow) about her that hints at her celestial bloodline. She can choose to dim this aura when needed, but it does take effort/concentration.
Equipage at Start of Roleplay: A light shirt spun of a soft, but durable, moss protects her skin from the chain shirt she wears under her sapphire-blue tunic. Over the tunic she wears plate chest and shoulder guards. Plate gauntlets adorn her wrists and something similar to large plate beads are set about half way down two ponytails (each one falling over either of her shoulders). On her forehead rests a sapphire-colored jewel into which has been etched a surprisingly detailed symbol of C'vesia. At her waist a belt holds a number of small pouches in which she keeps belongings that she may need easy access to. White leggings cover her legs and Plate guards cover her boots.
Her backpack contains essential adventuring gear such as rations, flint and steel, a waterskin... strapped to the bottom of the pack in a roll are a sleeping mat and blanket. Sewn to her pack by means of a cloth casing is a quiver of arrows and on the other side of her pack is slung a composite shortbow. Her glaive, to encumbering to strap to her pack she carries in her left hand.
To be noted among her belongings are also a Holy Symbol of C'vesia and two signet rings. One belonging to the family she was born to, the other belonging to the family she married into.

Skills/Abilities____________________
Sentelle is an accomplished diplomat, good in negotiations and very good at reading people. She has a knack for tracking down information be it from a book or from a person. She has a way of putting people around her at ease and as such people often confide in her. Valuing this ability when she is after some particular information and cursing it when it leads to people confiding things she would rather not konw. Either way people's trust in her is not often misplaced; confidences are not hers to betray unless they put another in danger.
She has a love of old tales, both historical and fanciful. Easily able to recall many of them she enjoys reciting them. A celestial tinge to her voice makes it quite pleasant and when she recites these tales the listener is often drawn into her tale almost magically.
Through C'vesia's grace she is granted the ability to heal wounds. Her deity also grants her immunity to a number of ailments, and through prayer she is able to offer some protection to her companions should they fall into battle.
She is trained in the use of polearms, favoring the glaive, and is a fair shot with bow and arrow.
She speaks Common, Celestial, and Elven

Public Background Info____________________
It is well known that she is a devoted follower of C'vesia, and is often on an errand of faith. Most commonly she is sent on a diplomatic errand.
A ZhaDurn by birth, Sentelle was born into nobility. She neither resents nor embraces her birthright—to her it is who she was born as and not who she is. Her signet ring is kept in her belongings rather than displayed on her finger for she prefers to be approachable and not judged by her title.
Married to Avery Ne'Havareruil (an elf) at 17. The unexpected, and apparently hasty, wedding was explained as Avery's decision to evoke the betrothal agreement that had been arranged at Sentelle's bith. After the wedding Sentelle took up residence in the elven community. She has not been home since.
She has never felt comfortable in the limelight and prefers to work in the background. She can not abide evil acts, but has no love of the law as she has seen it used to oppress as often as she has seen it used to allow people their freedom.

Secret Background Info____________________
Please remember that this is information that your character would not know.

Unknown to Sentelle the truth is that she had indeed, at her birth, been betrothed to Avery–the second son, and third child–of the house of Ne'Havareruil. Avery, 48 at the time of Sentelle's birth (and ever the hopeless romantic) asked the betrothal to be kept secret from Sentelle for he wanted her to love him of her own accord.
Avery made arrangements for Sentelle's education among his people so that the two could "meet" at school. Enamored of the graceful fey, Sentelle was thrilled to be given the opportunity to live among the elves for a time while furthering her education. She met Avery for the first time in a history class and the two quickly became friends as they shared a love of the subject. To Avery's great disappointment it seemed that was all she would ever view him as.
Though it was not how Avery would have liked things to have gone, an opportunity presented itself when Sentelle became pregnant after having been raped by a fellow student whom she had been dating. Nayadin (human & one year Sentelle's senior), on ruse of showing Sentelle some historic artifact, had lured her away to a private room of the building where the dance was being held. When Sentelle refused his advances he took by force what could never be replaced.
Avery, whom she thought she loved only as a friend, married her when she refused to abort the pregnancy. Avery Truly loved her and promised to wait until she was ready to consummate the marriage. Shortly after the birth of the baby boy, whom Sentelle gave up to an adoptive family (without looking upon for feat she would be unable to give the child up), Avery was killed and that is when Sentelle realized that she truly loved Avery.
At times Sentelle blames herself for his death "If I had just been there..." Their wedding bands were bestowed with the magical ability to protect the wearer of the other ring. However Avery had gone down into an old cairn looking for historical artifacts before Sentelle was fully recovered from the birth of the child. Avery's friend who had accompanied him on this expedition returned the ring to Sentelle and offered his condolences.
When Sentelle lets the sorrow of this loss weigh heavy on her heart her celestial aura fades. During these times of deep sorrow her abilities as a paladin ebb as she doubts herself and her faith.
Chosing to dam up her sorrows and drown herself in the selfless service of her faith Sentelle hung the two wedding bands from a thong around her neck. To explain her loss to the world was more than she could take. “I will love you always” kissing her rings she secured the thong and returned it to rest between her bosoms.


0mega_Virus
General Information____________________
Name: Korix the Lightning Guru!
Age: 24
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Occupation: Lightning Guru (aka sorceror)

Appearance____________________
User ImageHair: Blonde hair always standing on end as if by static electricity (which it is)
Eyes: Stormy Blue
Skin: Caucasian
Build: Tall and Lean
Other: Always wears blue
Equipage at Start of Roleplay: A blue cloak. A rapier. A shocker-lizard familiar. A little gold and a lot of trouble.

Skills/Abilities____________________
Spells using electricity. Very good at being loud and obnoxious.

Public Background Info____________________
Corix is basically a wandering adventurer for hire. He never stays in any one place long enough to gain any reputation other than those who know him as "the Lightning Guru."

Secret Background Info____________________
When Korix was 19 he accidentally killed another young man from his village in a fight over the girl they both had a crush on. Korix at this time was just beginning to discover his innate talents for electrical sorcery and could not fully control his powers, and did not fully control his temper, which led to the accidental killing As a result Korix is wanted in and around his hometown for murder and cannot return there without risking being arrested. This is why Korix never uses his family name while traveling.