Name: k2 Age: old Contact: shambolism @ discord/plurk Other Characters: Lazar, Cedric, Isaac, Sennara Interests: I'd like to write a new and different jerk.
CHARACTER
Name: Lamentation Strand Canon/OC: OC Journal:anthracite Race: Human Nationality: Ander Occupation: Grey Warden Division: Scouting, probably Mage or Not: No Age: ~35
History
Raised in a mining community outside Tallo, by a man who probably wasn't his father.
Child labour! Religion! Convenient tunnels and port access for trafficking goods!
Falls in with the wrong crowd, drags some friends down with him.
Eventually, hops a boat to Antiva. BFF / right-hand comes with.
Exposed to ideas like a legitimized criminal class, technically non-hereditary rule, and taking votes.
They travel. He begins organizing immigrant labourers in coastal outposts controlled by smaller merchant interests.
Establishes himself in one of these, and makes a project of building a power base (aka "gang of thugs and racketeers").
The mayor dies. Strand makes a play for the opening way too early, without the security of generational wealth or remove from the crime funding him.
And at the end of the day, he's not seen as Antivan.
Things go badly very quickly.
The girl takes off. He sticks around a little too long, even after bestie tells him they should run.
No one's spending the money / doing him the honour of a Crow execution. They just have him arrested the ordinary way.
Conveniently conscripted off the gallows, by one of the many splintered Warden groups who'd taken some recent, heavy casualties.
BFF dies in the Joining ritual. Strand doesn't.
This Warden group includes a mage doing Blight research.
He volunteers for the guy to do a lot of blood magic taint experiments on him.
That guy gets ripped apart by an ogre or something. RIP.
As the closest thing to his living notes, Strand is now the mutant expert around here.
Sent to Riftwatch, after Siorus (and/or an NPC Warden) sent word about Sarrux Pass.
Will be introducing himself as a Senior Warden. Good luck fact-checking that!
Personality
LOYAL / CONTROLLING
Strand is intensely loyal to people and causes, even when they've hurt him. This isn't necessarily positive: He refuses to let go of negative sentiment, and no matter what he tells someone, he doesn't forgive and forget. It's just that he doesn't always have clear boundaries between what he's willing to do for an enemy, or for a loved one. Which is a great deal — his chosen family and close friends are a weak spot in any discussion of ends or means.
IDEALIST / CYNIC
Somewhere under there, Strand's an empathetic man who wants better for the world. He roots for an underdog, he's sentimental about a wound, and he'll ignore all of that to scramble for personal control. He venerates an idea of freedom that his choices don't live up to, because he doesn't trust people to make their own decisions.
At this point in life, he's largely given up on big dreams and big change. Strand is focused on accruing power and legitimacy for himself, out of a stung sense of safety. He covers for that by claiming it's necessary to get things done.
BRAVE / ARROGANT
Strand's proud, and has a bad habit of thinking he's the smartest guy in the room. He esteems people who can "keep up with him", by which he actually means yes-and-ing his ideas. He's a gambler who doesn't know how to pass up a risky opportunity, and leans in even when it's a bad idea. He joined the Wardens, and proceeded to commit to the bit so hard that he bleeds Taint.
This is partly a bid for control. Strand attempts to project calm and fearlessness not because he really is, but because he can't stomach begging. He doesn't mind jokes at his expense, but he remembers and resents underestimation.
PRAGMATIC / RESERVED
Strand mediates his personal limitations through others. Curate a few nerds, and your own lacking education doesn't matter. Contain your thoughts and feelings, and the people around you will speak more loudly.
Theoretically, at least. His unwillingness to engage fully in emotions or interests can look pretty mercenary, and put people off. Expressing less has made Strand worse at expressing appropriately, and a long fuse on his temper gets increasingly smoky as it burns. If he loses his shit, it's at full volume.
Opinions & Affiliations
RELIGION
Raised Andrastian, but influenced by Tallo's nearer proximity to Tevinter than Val Royeaux (doctrinally, it's a mess). An atheist who turns to ritual when stressed.
CLASS
The nobility should be [ redacted ]. The people should have a voice. That voice shouldn't be buyable, but it is, so it's up to him to acquire the wealth and prestige necessary to interpret that. He'll get it right.
MAGIC
Courts mages for the power they offer, but southern Circles aren't his priority. He knows a lot of people threatened by soldiers, and most of them weren't well-fed or -read. Or able to electrocute him with their brains. He'd take lyrium in an instant if it weren't for the addictive properties.
THEDAS RACE RELATIONS
Humansplaining the revolution.
THE WARDENS
Deeply bitter about the Wardens, and blames them for killing his bestie. Also considers them his best shot at real power and legitimacy. He'll invoke their storied, honourable history whenever that seems helpful. He'll also talk shit about them whenever that does.
THE WAR
Previously skeptical about conscription and the extent to which Tevinter was a real problem. Considers it a very real problem now that Corypheus can be in his brain.
Adaptation Notes
N/A
Strengths & Weaknesses
VIOLENT CRIMINAL
Nasty scrapper, used to close quarters and weapons small enough to conceal. The Wardens trained him in longer blades, but it's not his skill in the same way as a lifetime of knife-fighting. Good shot with a crossbow.
Straight-faced liar, doesn't startle easily, knows his way around a cave and small watercraft. He can pick your basic lock, or lift a pocket, but he's not a specialist. There are places and people who'd be very unhappy to see him again.
EDUCATION
Speaks Ander and Trade, only literate in Trade. Understands Antivan well, but his speaking skills have eroded.
Self-taught, and limited in scope. He reads voraciously, but not for fun, and has a hard time with anything that he can't brute-force his way through. Good with numbers.
SPEC - POWER OF BLOOD
Based loosely off this from DAO. Cool to remove or change any of these around, I'm mostly interested in the themes.
He knows this isn't advertiser-friendly. Also: May not be great to be tapped into Blight (?) magic given the state of the plot. I'd have fun with consequences there.
Ghoul - Passive
He reads more like a Darkspawn than a normal Warden. Animals don't like him.
Darkspawn and Blighted creatures have a chance to ignore him if he's not actively causing problems.
Think Darkspawn-specific stealth. This isn't a guaranteed thing, and won't work if it makes for a better thread.
Doesn't spread Blight directly, but is non-lethally bad for you.
You can use it like poison if you're a real freak about it.
Dark passage - Passive
Enhanced speed and reflexes. He's not the Flash, but he's noticeably faster than an ordinary man.
Rupture - Active
Spurts concentrated tainted blood from his eyes. Small AOE of nasty, acidy effect. Super goth.
BAD VIBES
The weird blood magic powers and scars are a bit of a "PR liability".
Inventory
Standard Warden armor / weaponry
Meticulously-kept civilian clothes
Some vaguely-defined research notes
Bestie's knucklebone
Motivation
Siorus (or a vague NPC if mj prefers) sent word about Sarrux Pass and his sweet new nictating membranes. Strand was sent to check in with Riftwatch about it.
Lamentation Strand | Native OC
Name: k2
Age: old
Contact: shambolism @ discord/plurk
Other Characters: Lazar, Cedric, Isaac, Sennara
Interests: I'd like to write a new and different jerk.
Name: Lamentation Strand
Canon/OC: OC
Journal:
Race: Human
Nationality: Ander
Occupation: Grey Warden
Division: Scouting, probably
Mage or Not: No
Age: ~35
History
Personality
LOYAL / CONTROLLING
Strand is intensely loyal to people and causes, even when they've hurt him. This isn't necessarily positive: He refuses to let go of negative sentiment, and no matter what he tells someone, he doesn't forgive and forget. It's just that he doesn't always have clear boundaries between what he's willing to do for an enemy, or for a loved one. Which is a great deal — his chosen family and close friends are a weak spot in any discussion of ends or means.
IDEALIST / CYNIC
Somewhere under there, Strand's an empathetic man who wants better for the world. He roots for an underdog, he's sentimental about a wound, and he'll ignore all of that to scramble for personal control. He venerates an idea of freedom that his choices don't live up to, because he doesn't trust people to make their own decisions.
At this point in life, he's largely given up on big dreams and big change. Strand is focused on accruing power and legitimacy for himself, out of a stung sense of safety. He covers for that by claiming it's necessary to get things done.
BRAVE / ARROGANT
Strand's proud, and has a bad habit of thinking he's the smartest guy in the room. He esteems people who can "keep up with him", by which he actually means yes-and-ing his ideas. He's a gambler who doesn't know how to pass up a risky opportunity, and leans in even when it's a bad idea. He joined the Wardens, and proceeded to commit to the bit so hard that he bleeds Taint.
This is partly a bid for control. Strand attempts to project calm and fearlessness not because he really is, but because he can't stomach begging. He doesn't mind jokes at his expense, but he remembers and resents underestimation.
PRAGMATIC / RESERVED
Strand mediates his personal limitations through others. Curate a few nerds, and your own lacking education doesn't matter. Contain your thoughts and feelings, and the people around you will speak more loudly.
Theoretically, at least. His unwillingness to engage fully in emotions or interests can look pretty mercenary, and put people off. Expressing less has made Strand worse at expressing appropriately, and a long fuse on his temper gets increasingly smoky as it burns. If he loses his shit, it's at full volume.
Opinions & Affiliations
RELIGION
Raised Andrastian, but influenced by Tallo's nearer proximity to Tevinter than Val Royeaux (doctrinally, it's a mess). An atheist who turns to ritual when stressed.
CLASS
The nobility should be [ redacted ]. The people should have a voice. That voice shouldn't be buyable, but it is, so it's up to him to acquire the wealth and prestige necessary to interpret that. He'll get it right.
MAGIC
Courts mages for the power they offer, but southern Circles aren't his priority. He knows a lot of people threatened by soldiers, and most of them weren't well-fed or -read. Or able to electrocute him with their brains. He'd take lyrium in an instant if it weren't for the addictive properties.
THEDAS RACE RELATIONS
Humansplaining the revolution.
THE WARDENS
Deeply bitter about the Wardens, and blames them for killing his bestie. Also considers them his best shot at real power and legitimacy. He'll invoke their storied, honourable history whenever that seems helpful. He'll also talk shit about them whenever that does.
THE WAR
Previously skeptical about conscription and the extent to which Tevinter was a real problem. Considers it a very real problem now that Corypheus can be in his brain.
Adaptation Notes
N/A
Strengths & Weaknesses
VIOLENT CRIMINAL
Nasty scrapper, used to close quarters and weapons small enough to conceal. The Wardens trained him in longer blades, but it's not his skill in the same way as a lifetime of knife-fighting. Good shot with a crossbow.
Straight-faced liar, doesn't startle easily, knows his way around a cave and small watercraft. He can pick your basic lock, or lift a pocket, but he's not a specialist. There are places and people who'd be very unhappy to see him again.
EDUCATION
Speaks Ander and Trade, only literate in Trade. Understands Antivan well, but his speaking skills have eroded.
Self-taught, and limited in scope. He reads voraciously, but not for fun, and has a hard time with anything that he can't brute-force his way through. Good with numbers.
SPEC - POWER OF BLOOD
Based loosely off this from DAO. Cool to remove or change any of these around, I'm mostly interested in the themes.
He knows this isn't advertiser-friendly. Also: May not be great to be tapped into Blight (?) magic given the state of the plot. I'd have fun with consequences there.
Ghoul - Passive
Tainted blood - Passive
Dark passage - Passive
Rupture - Active
BAD VIBES
The weird blood magic powers and scars are a bit of a "PR liability".
Inventory
Motivation
Siorus (or a vague NPC if mj prefers) sent word about Sarrux Pass and his sweet new nictating membranes. Strand was sent to check in with Riftwatch about it.