Fade Rift Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
faderifting) wrote2020-01-06 09:45 pm
faderifting) wrote2020-01-06 09:45 pm
Applications
APPLICATIONS
Applications generally always open (unless otherwise announced and noted) and will be processed on a rolling basis, as quickly as possible.
Before applying, please read the FAQ and the Rules. In addition to a lot of other useful information, the Rules page details the caps and restrictions in place for certain character types. Native characters need to conform to Fade Rift's World State and should take a look at the Timeline of major events that have occurred in the game's version of Thedas. You may also want to check out this post about our incorporation of Veilguard canon and characters.
↠ Reserves
↠ Format Notes
↠ Native Application Form
↠ Rifter Application Form
↠ CRAU Application Form
↠ Canon Updates
↠ Apping Previously Played Characters
RESERVES
To reserve a character, you can comment to this page with a blank comment. You'll have one week to edit your comment to link to a completed application. E.g., you can post a blank comment for Dagna at 1 p.m. on June 1 and will have until that same time on June 8 to finish your application and edit the comment to include it. Do not update your comment until your application is complete. Expired reserve comments will be removed after the deadline passes. Consecutive reserves for the same character are not allowed—you must wait at least one week after your reserve expires to reserve the same character a second time.
FORMAT NOTES
Please paste your application into the comment body, rather than linking it. The subject line of your comment should include your character's name and canon (if they have one). Please don't include any images or adjust the app's style—it's plain to make it easy to read. Also, please make sure you're truly finished with your application before you post it; there are no app deadlines to meet so no rush, and we get notifications for every edit you make, which can get annoying very quickly. And note that we do strictly enforce our word count limits, even if you're only a little over!
If you need help with samples, check the the test drive meme for prompts—you're welcome to either link threads or write starters, whichever is easier for you.
NATIVE APPLICATION FORM
PLAYER
Name:
Age:
Contact:
Other Characters:
Interests: What sort of RP are you hoping for in Fade Rift? Are there particular aspects of the world you're hoping to dig into? Types of plots or threads you're excited about? Do you love action scenes? Political intrigue? Rescuing lost animals? This doesn't have to be long or complex and there is no right answer—it's to help us make sure our plots stay in line with people's interests.
CHARACTER
Name:
Canon/OC:
Journal:
Race:
Nationality:
Occupation:
Division:
Mage or Not:
Age:
History
This section has a 500 word limit. Bullet point timelines are fine! We're less interested in a list of every event in a character's canon/life, and more interested in a description of key moments that shaped the character.
For Dragon Age canon characters, you're welcome to just link to the wiki and then fill in any holes or significant headcanon as needed. If your character has been off-screen for a while since their last canon appearance, please provide a write-up of what they've been doing since their last appearance. For AU'd canon characters, please link to their canon history and write up their AU history. For OCs, just write their history.
Personality
Please describe your character's personality in 300-500 words. No need to touch on every aspect of their being, but do hit the key traits and motivations (as you see them) and demonstrate balance.
Opinions & Affiliations
This section has a 300 word limit. Please briefly note your characters' opinions on topics such as the Chantry, the Qun, the Mage/Templar War, Thedosian race relations, and anything else you feel is worth mentioning for a particular character! If your character is currently or has previously been a member of an IC organization or identifiable group other than Riftwatch, please also briefly describe their relationship with that organization or group. This includes obvious things like Templars, Seekers, Circle Mages, and Grey Wardens, but it can also be used for less organized groups such as Dalish elves, landed nobility, etc., if you have something you'd like to say on the topic that isn't covered in the personality section.
Adaptation Notes
If your character is being AU'd from another canon, please explain in 300 words or fewer how the adaptation you've chosen is a good fit for your character. This should include things like why you've chosen to make them a mage, or a particular race, or a member of a particular organization. How do these choices reflect essential aspects of their canon character? What key features are you adding or subtracting from the canon version of their story and why? There is no single right answer to this question; there may be lots of plausible ways to AU a given character. We're interested in understanding why you've chosen the things you've chosen as part of evaluating your grasp on the character and on the setting.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Basically, what are they best at, and what are they worst at? How can they assist Riftwatch and where will they be a liability? This can include personality strengths and weaknesses as well as any skills or special abilities. It is not necessary to pick a class or to provide lists of specific Dragon Age skills or skill trees, but you can use classes and skill trees as a reference to discuss what your character is and isn't good at, such as saying a mage is good at primal magic but useless with entropy, etc. It's sufficient to give us a general idea of areas and level of ability, but please make sure you mention any magical ability or significant skill/resource/connection you hope to rely on in-game. Please make sure to read and comply with the FAQ sections on character abilities.
Inventory
Please list any notable objects your character will be bringing with them. This doesn't have to be exhaustive, but weapons, magical objects, and items with plot importance must be listed if you plan to use them in the game.
Motivation
What brings your character to Riftwatch? This can be as brief as "he's got a sliver of weird magic in his hand he'd like Riftwatch to deal with" or "he wants to help," though more complex reasons are welcome, and shouldn't be more than 200 words.
SAMPLES
Please provide 2 samples. It doesn't matter if they're written or linked and we don't care if you prefer brackets or normal punctuation, but at least one of your samples must take place in the game world, and at least one must be a log rather than network tags (or their setting-appropriate equivalent). They can be of any length, as long as taken together they provide a good sense of your character and your writing ability. If we feel they aren't sufficient, we'll ask you for more.
RIFTER APPLICATION FORM
PLAYER
Name:
Age:
Contact:
Other Characters:
Interests: What sort of RP are you hoping for in Fade Rift? Are there particular aspects of the world you're hoping to dig into? Types of plots or threads you're excited about? Do you love action scenes? Political intrigue? Rescuing lost animals? This doesn't have to be long or complex and there is no right answer—it's to help us make sure our plots stay in line with people's interests.
CHARACTER
Name:
Canon/OC:
Canon Point:
Journal:
Age:
Canon World
In no more than 500 words, please describe the world your character comes from. Don't try to cover everything, just focus on the key points that an unfamiliar reviewer would absolutely have to know in order to understand your character and their abilities.
History
Please provide a summary of key points in your character's history in no more than 500 words. Bullet points are fine. If there is a wiki history for your character available, please also provide a link in addition to your summary. We're less interested in a list of every event in a character's canon/life, and more interested in a description of key moments that shaped the character.
Personality
Please describe your character's personality in 300-500 words. No need to touch on every aspect of their being, but do hit the key traits and motivations (as you see them) and demonstrate balance.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Basically, what are they best at, and what are they worst at? Where can they help and where will they be a liability? Give us a general idea of areas of expertise and level of ability. While this needn't be 100% exhaustive, any powers/magic/significant areas of expertise not listed here cannot later be used in game.
If your character has superhuman abilities, please describe these abilities in plain terms. Although Fade Rift is based on a video game, we don't write about abilities or attacks as if they are occurring in a video game. For example, characters will not have an ability called "Whirlwind" that enables them to spin in a circle and strike things with a sword. Just tell us they can use a greatsword and they're agile enough to spin in circles with it.
Please make sure to read and comply with the FAQ sections on character abilities.
Suggested Nerfs
Many (if not most) abilities from other canons will be nerfed or adapted to Thedas. We want rifters to be unique and retain what makes them fun to play, but not to be so powerful that they render natives and especially unpowered characters superfluous to missions. A list of universally applied power limits is in the FAQ (http://faderifting.dreamwidth.org/966.html#nerfs). These nerfs will apply to all rifters unless we discuss a specific exception with you. Additionally, we may place other limits on rifters' abilities to prevent them from being too powerful compared to natives and unpowered characters. So if you have a high-powered character, we encourage you to use this section of the app to suggest your own nerfs or let us know what's most and least important to you about their powerset so we can take it into consideration when we establish limits.
Arrival Inventory
What will your character have with them in the dream they arrive from? Please go ahead and list weapons, technology, and magical artifacts, though they may disappear in the passage through the Fade. And please note that we do mean what they have with them in their dream; they can arrive in plainclothes with their usual belongings from a dream about buying groceries, or they can arrive in a gorilla suit with a deflated hot air balloon from a dream that was a little less mundane.
Humanization
Please describe any ways that your character's canon form differs from that of a normal real world human. This should include all physiological differences, even if they're purely cosmetic (for instance, hair or eye color if not standard real world colors). Passage through the Fade will convert each character into a Thedas-standard human, elf, dwarf, or qunari. This means that in every physiological respect, both internal and external, they will be a member of one of those races.
If your character is not a human, elf, dwarf or qunari in their canon, which would you like them to exit the rift as?
Fit
Is there a reason you think this character would be particularly interesting in this setting? Are there particular aspects of the world you're hoping to dig into? Things about your character you think Thedas will help you explore? Will they have a personal connection to an issue, or act as a foil to another character/group/opinion? Give us a sense of what you think your character will bring to the game world and what you think they might take away from it. Basically, why did you choose this character in this game? This shouldn't be more than 300 words.
SAMPLES
Please provide 2 samples. It doesn't matter if they're written or linked and we don't care if you prefer brackets or normal punctuation, but at least one must take place in the game world, and at least one must be a log rather than network tags (or their setting-appropriate equivalent). They can be of any length, as long as they provide a sense of your character's voice and internal narrative. If we feel they aren't sufficient, we'll ask you for more.
CRAU APPLICATION FORM
PLAYER
Name:
Age:
Contact:
Other Characters:
Interests: What sort of RP are you hoping for in Fade Rift? Are there particular aspects of the world you're hoping to dig into? Types of plots or threads you're excited about? Do you love action scenes? Political intrigue? Rescuing lost animals? This doesn't have to be long or complex and there is no right answer—it's to help us make sure our plots stay in line with people's interests.
CHARACTER
Name:
Canon/OC:
Last Canon Point:
Previous Game:
Arrival Point: (At what point in the past game is your character arriving in Thedas?)
Journal:
Age:
Canon World
In no more than 500 words, please describe the world your character originally comes from. Don't try to cover everything, just focus on the key points that an unfamiliar reviewer would absolutely have to know in order to understand your character and their abilities.
Canon History
Please provide a summary of key points in your character's history in no more than 500 words. Bullet points are fine. If there is a wiki history for your character available, please also provide a link in addition to your summary. We're less interested in a list of every event in a character's canon/life, and more interested in a description of key moments that shaped the character.
Past Game History
Please provide a link to the main navigation for the game your CRAU character is arriving from, as well as a summary of key points in your character's prior game history, in no more than 500 words. Bullet points are fine. (There's no need to recount the basics of the game setting, we'll get that from the link.) We're less interested in a list of every event, and more interested in a description of key moments that shaped the character into who they are now.
Personality
Please describe your character's personality in 300-500 words. No need to touch on every aspect of their being, but do hit the key traits and motivations (as you see them) and demonstrate balance. Please make clear which aspects of their personality are from canon and which have changed as part of the CRAU. While it's expected that characters will have changed as a result of their experiences in other games, we expect that they will still remain true to the fundamental nature of the canon character, and that any development will logically follow from the events described in your history sections.
Prior CR
Please list 2 to 5 of your character's closest relationships (of any kind--canonmates or cross-canon, platonic or antagonistic or romantic) from their past game and briefly explain what that relationship was and how it influenced the character's development. This section shouldn't exceed 300 words.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Basically, what are they best at, and what are they worst at? Where can they help and where will they be a liability? Give us a general idea of areas of expertise and level of ability. While this needn't be 100% exhaustive in detail, any powers/magic/significant areas of expertise not listed here cannot later be used in game.
Please note which skills or abilities are from canon and which were developed in your prior game. If your character has superhuman abilities in canon, in their past game, or both, you can choose (1) to keep their canon power set, (2) to keep their game power set, or (3) to lose both. Your character cannot keep both game-granted abilities and canon abilities. If your character's canon abilities were removed in their previous game, you can choose to have them regain them in FR.
If your character has superhuman abilities, please describe these abilities in plain terms. Although Fade Rift is based on a video game, we don't write about abilities or attacks as if they are occurring in a video game. For example, characters will not have an ability called "Whirlwind" that enables them to spin in a circle and strike things with a sword. Just tell us they can use a greatsword and they're agile enough to spin in circles with it. And while we don't want to hear about saving throws or hit points, we do want a sense of the scale of their abilities, so please do include some ballpark parameters for stuff like how big a thing can they lift, how big a ring of fire can they create, how long can they stay transformed into a spider, etc.
Please make sure to read and comply with the FAQ sections on character abilities.
Suggested Nerfs
Many (if not most) abilities from other canons will be nerfed or adapted to Thedas. We want rifters to be unique and retain what makes them fun to play, but not to be so powerful that they render natives and especially unpowered characters superfluous to missions. A list of universally applied power limits is in the FAQ (http://faderifting.dreamwidth.org/966.html#nerfs). These nerfs will apply to all rifters unless we discuss a specific exception with you. Additionally, we may place other limits on rifters' abilities to prevent them from being too powerful compared to natives and unpowered characters. So if you have a high-powered character, please use this section of the app to suggest your own nerfs and let us know what's most and least important to you about their powerset so we can take it into consideration when we establish limits.
Arrival Inventory
What will your character have with them in the dream they arrive from? Please go ahead and list weapons, technology, and magical artifacts, though they may disappear or be bricked or altered by their passage through the Fade.
And please note that we really do mean what they have with them in their dream. They can arrive in plainclothes with their usual belongings from a dream about buying groceries, or they can arrive in a gorilla suit with a deflated hot air balloon from a dream that was a little less mundane. Since your character is arriving from a dream, they may be able to regain canon items, animals, etc. that were not permitted in their previous game.
Humanization
Please describe any ways that your character's canon form differs from that of a normal real world human. This should include all physiological differences, even if they're purely cosmetic (for instance, hair or eye color if not standard real world colors). Passage through the Fade will convert each character into a Thedas-standard human, elf, dwarf, or qunari. This means that in every physiological respect, both internal and external, they will be a member of one of those races.
If your character is not a human, elf, dwarf or qunari in their canon, which would you like them to exit the rift as?
Fit
Is there a reason you think this character would be particularly interesting in this setting? Are there particular aspects of the world you're hoping to dig into? Things about your character you think Thedas will help you explore? Will they have a personal connection to an issue, or act as a foil to another character/group/opinion? Give us a sense of what you think your character will bring to the game world and what you think they might take away from it. Basically, why did you choose this character in this game? This shouldn't be more than 300 words.
SAMPLES
Please provide 2 samples. It doesn't matter if you write a fresh top-level style starter for the app or link us to existing threads, and we don't care if you prefer brackets or normal punctuation, but at least one must be a log rather than network tags (or their setting-appropriate equivalent). One must take place in the world of Fade Rift, and the other in your previous game. They can be of any length, as long as they provide a sense of your character's voice and internal narrative. If we feel they aren't sufficient, we'll ask you for more.
CANON UPDATES
Once in Thedas, rifters don't return to their home universes unless they are dropped and later reapped by the same person. However, your character may acquire new memories from time after their originally apped canon point while asleep and traveling in the Fade. (If your character is a dwarf, please contact us for alternate options.) Your character will not change physically--no new scars, no overnight aging--but the memories will feel as real as if they've experienced them directly. This option is available to both canon and original rifter characters.
If you would like to use this mechanism to update your character, you can do so by submitting the following form as a comment during the rifter application period.
APPING PREVIOUSLY PLAYED CHARACTERS
We allow reapps of dropped characters by both the previous player and new players. Unless their players make other arrangements, dropped native characters generally fade into the background or are sent away on long-term missions. Dropped native AU characters may be reapped by their previous players with their in-game memories intact or by both previous and new players as a new person entirely, with a clean slate. Dropped rifters will have disappeared mysteriously from Thedas, unless killed off in-game prior to a drop. Previously played rifters may be reapped by their previous players with their in-game memories intact, or by both previous and new players with a clean slate.
Dropped Dragon Age canon characters are a little trickier. For characters who were only briefly present in the game or who were dropped a long time ago, it may be possible to retcon their involvement entirely and allow a new player to start fresh. For characters that were around for a while and may have established CR that other characters can't easily retcon, you can work with other players to determine what to keep and what to discard from character histories, and we can work with new players to allow for (selective) memory loss via an in-game mechanic.
If you plan to app a Dragon Age character, we recommend checking for a tag to see if they've previously been played, then contacting us to let us know if you're interested in a clean slate. If you don't want an entirely clean slate, most players who app previously played DA canon characters make OOC posts after acceptance to ask people to recap their previous CR, if any, and decide what CR to keep or change on a chase by case basis.
Truthless | Rifter OC
Name: Dahlia
Age: 32
Contact: rozenthorns on Discord
Other Characters: N/A
Interests: I love all forms of RP, from slice of life and romance, to grimdark and horror. I was told by a friend that I might be a good fit here, and I've played the first and part of the second Dragon Age games, but don't remember much. I'm down for any kind of RP that involves good, involved stories and characters!
Name: Truthless, also known as "The Truthless, a Truthless, and The Butcher"
Canon/OC: OC
Canon Point: Four years after her Oath of Truthlessness
Journal: roseandthorns
Age: 24
Canon World
Truthless comes from Covalte, a world that is slowly losing its sense of self. A long time ago, the humans kicked out the magical species in what was known as the Cold Iron Inqusition. The Fey, chief amongst the magical races, didn't take kindly to this and unleashed a form of ancient and forbidden magic that consumed and destroyed the true names of people, places and things. This left them as warped, strange entities whose forms desperately tried to bend and change into something, ANYTHING to be recognized.
Several hundred years later, humans live in large, magi-industrial cities. Truthless comes from Steelclad, the capital of Korrundum. At 12, she joined the Lucite Silver Academy to become a soldier, graduating at 16 to provide for her sickly halfling love, Sejunna. After 16, she rose through the ranks quickly, becoming a Lieutenant by 20. Shortly after her promotion, she uncovered a series of awful war crimes perpetuated by Victriss Aurim, the woman in line to become the next Commander General of the Lucite Silver Army. Victriss used her influence to pin all the crimes on Truthless, and she was found guilty. Instead of execution, they made her take an oath, the Oath of Truthlessness. The subject would hold a simple, carved stone called an Oathstone that would be the sign and sigil of her crimes. Being Truthless meant having no name, the closest the magicless humans could get to erasing someone's name as the Fey did. It was no magic oath, no brand upon the soul. It was purely held by laws. Laws and honor. And Truthless held her honor close and tight. She spent four years as the lowest class of being in Covalte. Lower than pack animals. Laws regarding the Truthless were sparse. As long as they were fed and not worked more than 22 hours a day, they were fine. Then, the Rift took her to somewhere new.
Somewhere dangerous.
Somewhere that reeked of magic.
History
Truthless (Born Sentri Dyfientt) entered the Academy at 12
Graduated at 16
Married at 19
Became a Lieutenant at 20
Betrayed and named Truthless at 20 as well
And swept away in a Rift at 24.
The most memorable moment of her life was her wedding ceremony with her long-term love, Sejunna.
Personality
Truthless is stoic and reserved. Almost scarily so. She reacts to everything with a scrutinizing attention, but a lack of expression. She follows orders to the letter, never questioning, never complaining, and never differing from the exact wording used. If one tells her "sit down and talk to me", she will sit immediately where she stood and begin to speak. If told to hold something, she will hold it until ordered not to. If told to patrol an area, she will patrol it until absolutely ordered to cease. She will do the minimum amount of self-maintenance when necessary. Eating, sleeping, etc, but only when absolutely necessary or when ordered. She keeps a strict log of her macronutrients, calories, and workouts to determine her caloric intake and necessities and formulates her diet based on maximal nutritional value and nothing else.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Truthless is, at heart, a martyr and protector. She wields a truly massive poleaxe that's incredibly long and heavy, even for her 7'2" frame. She defends others, sometimes to the detriment of her own health and safety. This lead to her discovery of her own abilities. If someone she wishes to protect is fighting alongside her in battle, she can take some of the damage done to them onto herself, as if her body had been there to take the wound in their stead. It doesn't block all damage, and the damage she takes can't be blocked, even if she's wearing armor. But, that's fine with her. She fights harder when she's injured. Instead of losing stamina as she is wounded, as she loses blood, it's as if the woman grows stronger and faster. She still gets exhausted, of course, but it all hits her at once when the fight is over. Until then, she can push through, persevere, and protect those who must not be allowed to die before she does.
Truthless also has very exploitable weaknesses. Due to her Oath of Truthlessness, she is almost like a Tranquil. If given an order by someone, she must follow it on her honor. This is no magic effect, but the sheer determination to stick to the word she gave when she forcibly took the Oath. Because of this, orders must be thought out and dictated clearly, and if traitors or spies learn of this, she can prove to be a great liability. Truthless is also expressly forbidden to lie, deceive, or lie by omission. The only exceptions are, she cannot deny the crimes she's been accused of, and she cannot give anyone her original name, only her Truthless moniker.
Please make sure to read and comply with the FAQ sections on character abilities.
Suggested Nerfs
I'm willing to discuss Truthless's powers and work with you on them. I don't mean them to be overpowered, and I'm willing to start her out small and work towards larger things in the future. These two abilities, taking damage for other people, and gaining strength and speed as she's damaged, are her only two powers.
Arrival Inventory
Truthless's dream would have been a nightmare. In it, she'd look like the demon people accused her of being in her life. She'd have the oathstone around her neck, and a shattered polearm shaft, and the clothes on her back.
Humanization
Truthless was a normal looking human in her original world, but the dream made her feel like a horned beast, the beast others made them. When traveling through the rift, this altered sense of self would become true, shaping her into a Qunari with twisted horns and pale features. The kind of 'monster' she feared others saw her as.
Fit
My friend who plays on here kept hyping this place up, so I wanted to join and Truthless is a character I've always wanted to play. When I described her to them, they said "Oh that sounds like a Tranquil, but by choice" and that made me SO excited to see how other Rifters and natives would interact with someone who wasn't magically bound to these rules and regulations, but couldn't break them by choice regardless.
Sample 1: Fade Rift.
The cave was dark and damp, a perfect place for demons and things of the night. The green glow of the Rift illuminated the surrounding area. A war, a war of one versus a dozen. A woman stood, holding a single shattered polearm haft in her hands, a chunk of inscribed Onyx hanging around her neck. Horns twisted from her scalp, and blood pooled in growing, rosy patches across her dirty, stained clothes. Her face was stoic, calm, rational.
But her eyes were wild with anger. With hate. These... Things, could not be permitted to live. And she was not permitted to die. Not here, not in this damp cave that smelled of sulfur and rot, of death and demons. Not here, in this unknown world with the spawns of Hell Itself staring down at her with tooth and claw.
No, not here, not now. And that meant no one ELSE was allowed to die. Not before her. Other people were important. Other people had names, had honor, had truth still left within them.
But not Truthless, no. So if she wasn't permitted to die here, and neither was anyone else, the solution was elegant in its simplicity.
She had to kill each and every one of of these Name-Devoured scourges. One. By. One. Truthless twisted the broken, sharp polearm shaft in her hands, a wild grin breaking across her once-stoic façade. "Then we shall dance, devils. I only pray you do not bleed out too quickly."
Sample 2: Covalte
The skies were gray as always, choked by smog and cloud until the sun above was a mere suggestion, a faint brighter patch in the steelwork-colored sky above. Truthless stared up for a moment, feeling the sweat trickle down her brow. Her current command was not a bad one, all things considered. It was backbreaking, exhausting, monotonous, and the effort of moving the rough-hewn bricks and laying lye-laden mortar without any tools left her hands scarred and bleeding.
But it could be worse.
It had been worse. Like the command to kill any intruders who came along. The command to stand outside in the snow until she passed out, purely for the enjoyment of the others in the tavern. The command to hold her head in the sewage drain until she nearly died. This was much easier than those stains upon her soul. There was a... Freedom in the labor. Yes, she was working for no wages and probably wouldn't earn more than a worm-laden loaf of bread and a mug of warm, possibly polluted rainwater tonight, but no one was ordering her now. No one was forcing her to obey every whim and choice, no one was testing the limits of her honor to her Oath.
All she had to do was keep quiet, keep moving, and ignore the growing pain in every muscle, joint and bone. Ignore the burning of her hands as the mortar ate away at the first, then second layers of calloused skin upon her hands. Ignore the stains on her once-proud Lucite Silver Army. Ignore everything.
Compared to the pain in her heart, this was much easier.
It could always be worse.
REVISIONS
Before we can approve your application, we need to request a few changes!
Please respond within 48 hours. (You may request an extension if necessary.) If you have any questions, let us know.
Re: REVISIONS
Name: Dahlia
Age: 32
Contact: rozenthorns on Discord
Other Characters: n/a
Interests: I love all forms of RP, from slice of life and romance, to grimdark and horror. I was told by a friend that I might be a good fit here, and I've played the first and part of the second Dragon Age games, but don't remember much. I'm down for any kind of RP that involves good, involved stories and characters!
Name: Truthless, also known as "The Truthless, a Truthless, and The Butcher"
Canon/OC: OC
Canon Point: 4 years after her Oath of Truthlessness
Journal: roseandthorns
Age: 24
Canon World
Truthless comes from Covalte, a world that is slowly losing its sense of self. A long time ago, the humans kicked out the magical species in what was known as the Cold Iron Inqusition. The Fey, chief amongst the magical races, didn't take kindly to this and unleashed a form of ancient and forbidden magic that consumed and destroyed the true names of people, places and things. This left them as warped, strange entities whose forms desperately tried to bend and change into something, ANYTHING to be recognized.
Elk became multi-armed abominations with screaming human faces lining their torsos, moths became winged deer skulls with razor-like teeth. The changes did not stop, it spread like a corruptive virus, a magical contaminant that made humanity shore up in massive cities with walls that rose above even skyscrapers. Safety in cages, with only the Lucite Silver Army to go out and destroy or drive back these Alterabeasts and Pseudofauna. But even that was just enough to protect the cities, they could never truly reclaim what had once been theirs. And the world continued to decay, bit by bit as the centuries wore on. In the furthest reaches, near where the Fey had their Ancestral Home, where this... Gnosiphage started, there are even worse abominations. Generations of beasts that had no name from birth, no true form to hearken back to. And, the humans know if they ever exit the Nameless Forest, that would be the end of their civilization. It's a world that seeks technological innovation, fusing it with the sparse remnants of magic to create great and terrible things.
And it is also a world of unchecked ambitions, where those who are the most ruthless and cutthroat rise to the top, and the others are mere bodies to climb over. Or worse, fuel for experimentation. There are rumors that not all the effects of the Gnosiphage Epidemic were Fey-made. Some of these Alterabeasts, some of these Pseudoflora, may be human engineered.
But anyone who had proof had been silenced, or made Truthless.
History
Truthless comes from Steelclad, the capital of Korrundum. At 12, she joined the Lucite Silver Academy to become a soldier, graduating at 16 to provide for her sickly halfling love, Sejunna. After 16, she rose through the ranks quickly, becoming a Lieutenant by 20. Shortly after her promotion, she uncovered a series of awful war crimes perpetuated by Victriss Aurim, the woman in line to become the next Commander General of the Lucite Silver Army. Victriss used her influence to pin all the crimes on Truthless, and she was found guilty. Instead of execution, they made her take an oath, the Oath of Truthlessness. The subject would hold a simple, carved stone called an Oathstone that would be the sign and sigil of her crimes. Being Truthless meant having no name, the closest the magicless humans could get to erasing someone's name as the Fey did. It was no magic oath, no brand upon the soul. It was purely held by laws. Laws and honor. And Truthless held her honor close and tight. She spent four years as the lowest class of being in Covalte. Lower than pack animals. Laws regarding the Truthless were sparse. As long as they were fed and not worked more than 22 hours a day, they were fine. Then, the Rift took her to somewhere new.
Somewhere dangerous.
Somewhere that reeked of magic.
Personality
Truthless is stoic and reserved. Almost scarily so. She reacts to everything with a scrutinizing attention, but a lack of expression. She follows orders to the letter, never questioning, never complaining, and never differing from the exact wording used. If one tells her "sit down and talk to me", she will sit immediately where she stood and begin to speak. If told to hold something, she will hold it until ordered not to. If told to patrol an area, she will patrol it until absolutely ordered to cease. She will do the minimum amount of self-maintenance when necessary. Eating, sleeping, etc, but only when absolutely necessary or when ordered. She keeps a strict log of her macronutrients, calories, and workouts to determine her caloric intake and necessities and formulates her diet based on maximal nutritional value and nothing else.
Her Oath of Truthlessness is something that is confusing and confounding to others. While to others it seems like some unjust punishment, to Truthless, it's her word and without her word, she is nothing. She rigidly adheres to any orders given, unless someone above the order-giver's station has given a standing request to ignore such demands. For instance, should a commoner say "kill that man", and her Direct Commander has forbid that, the command would not be followed.
She tries to remain stoic, tries to uphold that this is a burden she can bare willingly, but inside it eats at her. Every day, she feels less... Human, which is only compounded and confounded by the changes to her form. She hates her new body, hates this horned form with pale skin and strange eyes. She hates that she feels every bit the monster that her Military pinned her to be. So, she hides behind the mask of Truthlessness, never letting others get close. Only speaking when told to, only adding when absolutely necessary. It's easier that way, when you see others as better than you.
It means they can hurt you physically, but never emotionally.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Truthless is, at heart, a martyr and protector. She wields a truly massive poleaxe that's incredibly long and heavy, even for her 7'2" frame that she seems to wield with the ease that others would wield a greatsword. She defends others, sometimes to the detriment of her own health and safety. This lead to her discovery of her own abilities. If someone she wishes to protect is fighting alongside her in battle, she can take some of the damage done to them onto herself, as if her body had been there to take the wound in their stead. It doesn't block all damage, and the damage she takes can't be blocked, even if she's wearing armor. But, that's fine with her. She fights harder when she's injured. Instead of losing stamina as she is wounded, as she loses blood, it's as if the woman grows stronger and faster. She still gets exhausted, of course, but it all hits her at once when the fight is over. Until then, she can push through, persevere, and protect those who must not be allowed to die before she does.
Truthless also has very exploitable weaknesses. Due to her Oath of Truthlessness, she is almost like a Tranquil. If given an order by someone, she must follow it on her honor. This is no magic effect, but the sheer determination to stick to the word she gave when she forcibly took the Oath. Because of this, orders must be thought out and dictated clearly, and if traitors or spies learn of this, she can prove to be a great liability. Truthless is also expressly forbidden to lie, deceive, or lie by omission. The only exceptions are, she cannot deny the crimes she's been accused of, and she cannot give anyone her original name, only her Truthless moniker.
Please make sure to read and comply with the FAQ sections on character abilities.
Suggested Nerfs
I'm willing to discuss Truthless's powers and work with you on them. I don't mean them to be overpowered, and I'm willing to start her out small and work towards larger things in the future. These two abilities, taking damage for other people, and gaining strength and speed as she's damaged, are her only two powers.
Arrival Inventory
Truthless's dream would have been a nightmare. In it, she'd look like the demon people accused her of being in her life. She'd have the oathstone around her neck, and a shattered polearm shaft, and the clothes on her back.
Humanization
Truthless was a normal looking human in her original world, but the dream made her feel like a horned beast, the beast others made them. When traveling through the rift, this altered sense of self would become true, shaping her into a Qunari with twisted horns and pale features. The kind of 'monster' she feared others saw her as.
Fit
My friend who plays on here kept hyping this place up, so I wanted to join and Truthless is a character I've always wanted to play. When I described her to them, they said "Oh that sounds like a Tranquil, but by choice" and that made me SO excited to see how other Rifters and natives would interact with someone who wasn't magically bound to these rules and regulations, but couldn't break them by choice regardless.
Sample 1: Fade Rift.
The cave was dark and damp, a perfect place for demons and things of the night. The green glow of the Rift illuminated the surrounding area. A war, a war of one versus a dozen. A woman stood, holding a single shattered polearm haft in her hands, a chunk of inscribed Onyx hanging around her neck. Horns twisted from her scalp, and blood pooled in growing, rosy patches across her dirty, stained clothes. Her face was stoic, calm, rational.
But her eyes were wild with anger. With hate. These... Things, could not be permitted to live. And she was not permitted to die. Not here, not in this damp cave that smelled of sulfur and rot, of death and demons. Not here, in this unknown world with the spawns of Hell Itself staring down at her with tooth and claw.
No, not here, not now. And that meant no one ELSE was allowed to die. Not before her. Other people were important. Other people had names, had honor, had truth still left within them.
But not Truthless, no. So if she wasn't permitted to die here, and neither was anyone else, the solution was elegant in its simplicity.
She had to kill each and every one of of these Name-Devoured scourges. One. By. One. Truthless twisted the broken, sharp polearm shaft in her hands, a wild grin breaking across her once-stoic façade. "Then we shall dance, devils. I only pray you do not bleed out too quickly."
Sample 2: Covalte
The skies were gray as always, choked by smog and cloud until the sun above was a mere suggestion, a faint brighter patch in the steelwork-colored sky above. Truthless stared up for a moment, feeling the sweat trickle down her brow. Her current command was not a bad one, all things considered. It was backbreaking, exhausting, monotonous, and the effort of moving the rough-hewn bricks and laying lye-laden mortar without any tools left her hands scarred and bleeding.
But it could be worse.
It had been worse. Like the command to kill any intruders who came along. The command to stand outside in the snow until she passed out, purely for the enjoyment of the others in the tavern. The command to hold her head in the sewage drain until she nearly died. This was much easier than those stains upon her soul. There was a... Freedom in the labor. Yes, she was working for no wages and probably wouldn't earn more than a worm-laden loaf of bread and a mug of warm, possibly polluted rainwater tonight, but no one was ordering her now. No one was forcing her to obey every whim and choice, no one was testing the limits of her honor to her Oath.
All she had to do was keep quiet, keep moving, and ignore the growing pain in every muscle, joint and bone. Ignore the burning of her hands as the mortar ate away at the first, then second layers of calloused skin upon her hands. Ignore the stains on her once-proud Lucite Silver Army. Ignore everything.
Compared to the pain in her heart, this was much easier.
It could always be worse.
APPROVED
Your application has been approved, with the following notes:
Welcome to Fade Rift! Before you start playing, please:
You're then welcome to post an introduction to the OOC comm! Since your character is arriving via rift, you're welcome to post a rift arrival log or to begin RP in the Gallows and simply handwave that members of Riftwatch met your character on their arrival through the rift, helped them close it, and brought them to Kirkwall. If you have any questions, let us know.