The premise of this system is a tier-based (1 to 5) “point-buy” where a set number of points (or XP) are allotted and the character ‘buys’ the abilities he or she wishes. (Note that only third tier is permitted at character creation; once s/he is awarded XP in-game then s/he may raise to a higher tier)

As a rough guide:
A Novice is 1 in 10
An Expert is 1 in 100
A Master is 1 in 1000
A High Master is 1 in 10, 000
A Grand Master is 1 in 100, 000 (there are perhaps five or six of these in the entire world)


There are several categories:

Core rules:
Attributes (your basic stats)
Skills (skills of what your character knows and what your character can do) Weapon Mastery (Weapons your character can use (well))
Magic (A form of energy that is supernatural, but still follows laws. There are five categories)
Signature Techniques (Signature techniques (attacks or defensive) known to the character – also includes ‘innate powers’)
Essence Pool/(Essence Points) (This fuels/allows your abilities)
Currency (the amount of cash your character has on hand)
Equipment (your character's inventory!)

Optional Rules:
Disadvantages

Other Rules:
Character Creation: The Costs (What you start with)
In Game Costs
Level Up Costs
Character Sheet Template

Your key, primary stats. There are eight attributes and they are ranked on a scale of 1 to 5. Everyone starts with a single tier in every statistic. The ratings are as follows:
1 is below Average
2 is Average
3 is above Average
4 is Genius
5 is Superhuman

Strength (Gee, if I have to explain this...)
Agility (Your speed, dexterity, etc)
Endurance (Your Constitution) Intelligence (Somewhat obvious, but your ability to learn, retain knowledge)
Perception (I'm not sure how to explain it other then "your perception and ability to notice things)
Aura (your "charisma" and force of will)
Spirit (Your “magic”, “supernatural”, “innate energy” stat; the ability to control and resist it) Luck (How lucky you are - increases the chance at succeeding at impossible odds or gambling)

Skills are fairly self-explanatory, and though I've tried to keep the list fairly simple, if you want to add more, feel free to. I've have absolutely no objections to anyone adding additional material (provided they clear it with me first).

Skills have three levels of expertise to them: Novice, Adept and Master



Acrobatics
Animal Handling (& Training) [Domestic]
Animal Handling (& Training) [Wild]
Animal Handling (& Training) [Exotic]
Appraise
Armoursmith (inc. repair of armour)
Blacksmithing (inc. repair of blacksmithy items)
Brewing
Climbing
Crafting [..] (anything you want to "make" that isn't already listed)
Dance*
Disguise
Fishing
Flight (winged critters only)
Forgery
Gamble
Gem/Stone/Rock Cutting
Haggle
Herbalism (using herbs to treat wounds/infections)
Hunting
Jumping
Knowledges (Pick something, like Diplomacy & Negotiation, Astrology or Forests or...)*
Instruments/Music
Lock Picking
Persuasion (inc. influence, intimidate, manipulate, seduce, etc)
Pickpocket
Read Lips
Riding
Sabotage (disable devices and such)
Sprinting/Running
Stealth
Swimming
Tailoring
Tracking
Traps (disarm/set, etc)
Weaponsmith (inc. repair of weapons)
Woodworking

Dance:
Dance is divided into styles (example being country/empire name then high/classic, folk and unique, (the first being for royalty/nobility at balls; folk is country used by commoners/rural nobles and unique is a dance unique to that empire.)
Certain dances do not go under "skills" but rather under "Weapon Mastery" due to their nature as doubling up as martial arts. These dances can be learned by characters who cannot ordinarily take 'Weapon Mastery' (Check with DM)

Knowledges:
Music: knowledge of that empire's music
History: First the empire/country is chosen, and then the skill is divided into two categories: Ancient and Modern.
Mythology: the empire/country/racial(in certain cases) name is chosen

As previously noted, Weapon abilities have five categories: "Acolyte", "Expert", "Master", High Master & Grand Master. Mastery is the best you can be and Acolyte is proficient - or "able to use". Expert is somewhere in between. It's really that simple.
The list is unfinished and you can apply it to almost any weapon (within reason - no Far Eastern style weapons please in a medieval 'pseudo European' for that matter and likewise, no scimitars in a European setting. Each weapon must fit the background of the realm the character comes from.)

Unarmed Martial Arts (boxing/wrestling, etc)
Bow
Crossbow
Sabre
Short Sword
Spear
Sling
Quarterstaff
Short Lance
Dagger
Whip
etc

The long and short of magic is this: Magic is an extension of nature. It's supernatural, but it still follows laws. It's a form of energy tapping; manipulation & wielding of energy. It comes from within the user. External sources are sometimes tapped, but they have dire effects. Magic is not 'nuke' style, although it can be, but it always exacts a cost on the wielder. The more magic used, the greater the cost.

There are five tiers per magical discipline, and each tier must be purchased in sequence.

Here are some examples of spheres of magic.

Air
Blast of Air (channel air into a focused punch; or focus it form an "air bubble" around you that can block some attacks)
Gust (stir a wind strong enough knock others backwards)
Twister (stir up a five foot 'twister' with the power to batter/damage things/people)
Tornado (if there is a storm present, conjure a tornado - lasts a short while)
Cyclone (stir up a cyclone that can destroy houses)

Mental
Mind Speak
Mind Read
Telepathic Bond
Dominate Mind
Voices across the Void

Sight Sphere
Sense Magic
See the Unseen: (View beyond the physical veil to see invisible persons and the like)
Sense Aura (sense if an aura is true, or false – or if its nearby)
Discern True Form (see a creature’s true form)
Foresight (see a flash of the future)

Fire Sphere
Fiery Blaze(short range flame attack)
Searing Torch (touch attack)
Jet of Flame (long range attack)
Smoulder (touch attack that reduces living targets to ash over time and melts non-living)
Incinerator Cloud (area of effect spell that sears and burns all within it)

Ice Sphere
Freezing Touch
Diamond Shards (icy daggers: thrown)
Ice Strike (lance of ice: thrown/from the sky)
Freezing Ray (long ray of freezing ice)
Storm of Ice (ice shards fall from the heavens)

Water Sphere
Divine water (a 'mental radar' of emotion rather than blips; learn about where it is, how much, how deep, exact details etc)
Manipulate water (change the flow, make it run in different ways; heat it, cool it etc)
Torrents (make geysers; walls of flowing water; may be used indirectly or offensively - a torrent of water at the target)
Cause waves (as the name. wave size varies depending on how much essence is poured in. may also turn waves away)
Control the flow (a far, far stronger version of manipulate water)

Earth Sphere
Shift soil (shifts earth - the amount depends on the amount of essence used)
Shape mineral (can shape certain metals and other minerals (the more complex the shape, the more essence is needed)
Grow stalagite/stalmite (magically grows a stalagmite/tite rapidly; the bigger it is, the more essence needed)
Rockslide (causes a magical/artificial rockslide)
Cave in (caves the roof in)

Life/Healing Sphere
Cure
Antidote
Heal
Regenerate
Restore Life (not resurrect)

Light Sphere
Illuminate (lights a globe of bright white light, illuminating the area)
Shatter the Darkness (shatters shadows and light shines on those hiding in the darkness, may also blind opponent temporarily)
Bolt of Light (ranged attack that deals damage from a blinding bolt of white light)
Outward Sphere (A globe of light emanates from you and spreads outwards in a single burst pulse, creating a shockwave of light and damaging opponents twice; first the initial and then the wake; the ripple effect may also temporarily blind if the initial burst does not)
Pulsar Beam (projectile long ranged attack of a wider spread that deals blinding and physical damage)

Enchantment Sphere
Hypnotism
Bewilder
Charm
Control
Dominate

Animal Sphere
Commune with Beasts
Calm Beasts
Charm Beast
Summon Beasts
Share Mind

Illusion
Split Reflections (up to five projections of yourself (spr + aur/2)
Projection (project an illusion up to a short distance)
False Strike (confuses opponent with fake attacks)
False Aura
Clone (Create illusionary self that lasts a long time - just how long depends on the caster's power and will)

Shadow
Shadow Image (your shadow fights for you // may be multiple shadows depending on the light; (if there is only one, or no light source: spr + aur/2))
Shadow Merge (Hide in the darkness)
Dark Strike (ranged attack that damages opponent with their own shadow)
Control Shadows (control other's shadows)
Shadow Shroud (shroud the entire area with shadow)

Battle Magic
Shield (spherical globe of invisible force surrounds you or ally)
Enhanced Strike (your blows do more damage)
Armour (Invisible force protects you or ally)
Multi-Strike (strikes several times rather then just once)
Avatar (invisible force surrounds you and chosen allies rendering you invincible for a short time against all but the strongest magicks and attacks)

Divination ~ Ydalon
Mindread
Detect Magic
Foresight
Scry
Find Trouble

Protection
Sentry
Blend
Spiritward

'Raw Force' Sphere
Stun Strike (stuns opponent; no actual injury)
Discharge (magical discharge that injures/wounds opponents)
Mind blast (stronger version of 'stun' but freezes the mind and blinds the senses temporarily)
Detonation (area of effect blast that shatters objects and stuns those within blast radius)
Shock Wave (lethal version of detonation)

Hidden*
Conceal (person blends in with natural surroundings more readily)
Invisibility (conceals person completely from sight)
Undetectable (the person is completely undetectable from sight, sound and other mundane means of scrying)
Untraceable Presence (The person cannot be tracked, leaves no tracks and his/her presence is little more than a 'void' both magically and mundane)
Apathy (the person cannot be read emotionally, physically, mundane or magically; cannot be traced, cannot be analysed, is completely devoid of emotions, signature energy, magic, etc. It is not so much an effect as an absence of effects)
*Division magic of equal or higher level may counter this sphere

Weather/storm
Influence Rain
Manipulate Winds
Control Lightning
Call clouds (to an already cloudy area)
Bring Storm (call a storm to the area)

Signature Techniques are innate or learned abilities, so to speak. Special attacks, or special defensive manoeuvres, innate powers – that sort of thing. There are three tiers of these: Lesser, Greater and Unique. Naturally, as the name suggests, the last is unique to the character, and cannot be taken by anyone else.

Below are some examples of attacks.

Greater:
Cutting the Wind: (A powerful sabre attack performed from horse that has potential to deliver a critical or crippling injury. On lesser opponents there is a small chance of an insta-kill.)
“Skewer” – Impale: (Impale an enemy (usually through the throat with the sabre tip reversed). This may also be used with for a "Slaying downwards thrust" style attack –used to slay a downed enemy instantly by thrusting the sabre into him)
Backstab (can backstab opponents for increased damage)
Sunder: (sunders an opponent's weapon or armour, damaging it.)
Cut-throat: (sneaks up on an unaware (mostly behind) a target and cuts their throat)
Silent Kill: (sneak attack from behind using a knotted cord for strangle attack, or a knife for cut-throat)
Dismember: (destroys/cuts off a limb, or severs a joint.)
Critical Strike: (breaks through defences and deals severe damage)
Rapid precision shot: (as name)
Whirlwind: (a series of highly concentrated and focused blows in rapid succession)

Minor:
Trample: (When on horse, may select the option to rear and trample adversaries underfoot.)
Ride Through/Overwhelming Charge: (From horse: Can elect to attempt to break-through a formation or those blocking the rider’s path. (may result in scattering/breaking the formation))
Disarm: (can attempt to disarm an adversary)
Deflection & Parry-counter thrust: (deflects an incoming attack and counters)
Bull’s Eye: (can throw a knife to an uncanny accuracy from a medium to distance range)
Camouflage: (may hide in natural terrain, adept and move more easily than most others. (not an actual attack per say))
Claw-kick: (brawling combo with brass knuckles or claws. Scratchy-catty.)
Careful Aim: (takes longer to aim, but gets a more precise shot)
Thrust: (stab attack that penetrates defences)
Sneak Attack: (when catching an opponent unaware, may choose to use a signature sneak attack for extra damage)
Street-fighter: (dagger and brawling in combination - eye-gouge and whatnot)
Steady aim: (can fight as normal during rolling seas or drunk, or otherwise movement impaired)
Bar fight: (can use improved weapons while fighting with daggers, such as tankards, chairs and generally rowdier weaponry)
Low blow: (hit vital areas on targets while in close combat)
Brawling: Grapple & Trip - unarmed combat; as name

The Essence Pool is the sum of the character’s power; it is their inner energy, an innate source that fuels all their powered abilities, from magic to hypnosis to meditation techniques to signature attacks – it is what gives a character their power.

Simply put, the Essence Pool is a metre of Essence Points. If say, our character “Bob” has an Essence Pool of 10 EP (essence points), he may choose to spend those points on anything that uses Essence Points to power it. We’ll say that Bob has fire magic and his first spell costs five essence points to use; that leaves him with five to spend on other spells or signature techniques. Next Bob swings his sword (because Bob uses both magic and swordsplay), and spends three points on a lesser signature attack – that leaves him with two essence points left. Bob has been hurt in combat, and so, uses hypnosis on himself to speed up his recovery rate for as long as he’s in a trance. That costs his last two essence points and his pool is empty for the day, until he rests. He will recover one essence point a day, and by the end of ten days, his metre will be fully charged again. Until then, Bob had better be careful. (The values in this example are not set and should not be viewed as ‘accurate’.)

A character starts play with five Essence Points in his pool.

There is a simple three coin type tier system (though the last is rarely seen):
Crowns & Pennies

(10) Ten Pennies (CP) is worth a (1) Single Crown (SC)

Pennies come in copper
Crowns come in silver


There is a third, final coin – a golden sovereign (GS).

A golden sovereign is worth (50) Silver Crowns (and subsequently, (500) five hundred Pennies)

Pennies tend to be smaller than their counterparts, being 2.5 cm in diameter.
Silver Crowns tend to be the highest form of currency that anyone aside from Merchants, Minor and Upper Nobility and of course, Royalty will use. It's rare to see gold coins in use, as gold tends to be valued a lot more highly in this world than in ours. Copper tends to be regarded as the lowest form of currency, and some 'classier' merchants won't accept it. Generally, its regarded as the currency of the peasantry - so even if you have bagfuls, it may not buy you anything within the upper regions of a city (unless you know where to look). Likewise, most peasants won't accept gold - usually because its too valuable for them to use.

You can assign yourself however many coins you wish, but as a general rule of thumb, I personally wouldn't recommend you take more than 5 Silver Crowns at the very, very most and even that may be excessive. Two SCs and a few Pennies should be more than adequate. Unless you're a noble, in which case, I'd suggest no more than three Gold Sovereigns

Equipment is pretty much left to the player's discretion but bear in mind there are no magic items or weapons. Although weight isn't taken into account, don't go over the top. The character still needs to carry everything. Check to confirm with the DM. Aside from that, you've pretty much completed your character stuff, save for the background and the like.

Fore word: these are optional, and it is not necessary that you take it.

How they Work:
As with the rest of the system, you ‘purchase’ disadvantages. However, disadvantages work a little differently: rather than pay XP for your disadvantages, you are awarded XP for taking them based on the severity of the disadvantage. There are five tiers of severity of Disadvantage, which each one growing increasingly in ‘deadliness’. The more severe (and how common/rare) the disadvantage, the more XP you're granted. Simple, eh?

Disadvantages may include phobias, allergies, vendettas, addictions, psychotic/compulsive disorders and the like.

A general scale to go by is:
Tier I: Will do everything within the legal boundaries to obtain objective/minor allergy/slightly annoying to others

Tier II: Will consider breaking the law for objective/prolonged exposure will make you sick/annoying to others

Tier III: Will break the law, steal – will betray friends’ trust for objective/can tolerate a small amount of exposure before being ill/people will go out of their way to cause you misfortune because you spoke to them

Tier IV: Will kill/mass murder for objective/a small exposure will make you seriously sick/you’ll be beaten, and they’ll do their best to bring about your ruin and downfall for inflicting your annoyance others

Tier V: Will do whatever it takes to obtain objective (would sell your own – and your mother’s soul)/The slightest exposure may kill you/people will kill you for speaking to them


For rare disadvantages you will get only a small amount of XP**:
Tier I: 1
Tier II: 2
Tier III: 3
Tier IV: 4
Tier V: 5

For common disadvantages, it may be a lot more – between:
Mild:
Tier I: 2
Tier II: 4
Tier III: 6
Tier IV: 8
Tier V: 10

Severe:
Tier I: 3
Tier II: 5
Tier III: 7
Tier IV: 9
Tier V: 12

Examples of common disadvantages: an allergy to nuts, heyfever, pollen, fear of the dark; vendetta against the Lords of Vision(you’d be surprise how common that is), obsession with a specific person(read: stalker); needing to bathe every day, annoying personality: arrogance – you know, that sort of thing.

Examples of rare disadvantages: fear of hornbilled toad, hunted, necrophilia(com’on, it’s not that common), allergy to a specific fruit/nut* - I’m sure you can think of some unusual conditions

There is a limit of 30 CP awarded for disadvantages. If you feel your character is some poor depraved soul who must suffer horribly – speak to me and I’ll consider it. The absolute maximum is 50 CP, however, and it may never go over that.

Finally, disadvantages may be redeemed*** and bought back over the course of the game and new disadvantages may be added. Currently, I’m thinking a straight cost exchange: a rare Tier 1 advantage would cost you 1 CP to buy out (just as you paid 1 CP for).

*Note I: this sort of thing may net you even less XP depending on how rare it is.

**Note II: the reason that 'rare' disadvantages bag a character less XP is this: the rarer something is, the less likely you are to encounter it, therefore, the less XP you receive. The more common it is... well, you get the idea.

***Note III: you can’t cancel a disadvantage unless you have XP to buy it out with though.

The first part of Character Creation covered what each section consists of. The second part details the costs:

New Characters start off with 150 Character Points(CPs) to spend. Up to an additional +25 Character Points may be granted in exceptional circumstances (check with DM)


They may spend these on any aspect of their character up to and including Tier III of any attribute, skill, martial ability, magic, & signature techniques. Use the “Level Up” thread for the cost of purchasing upgrades.
All attributes start at base 1 and may not be lowered. A character with a “0” in any attribute cannot exist and therefore, is deemed “dead”. A character may not raise any attribute past ‘3’ at character creation.
Signature Techniques “Unique” abilities cost 20 Character Points and must be justified in the character’s biography as well as approved by the DM. Unique abilities are generally more powerful than their lesser and greater counterparts.

Essence Pool/(Essence Points): A character begins with a base ‘5’ Essence Points (just as a character has a “1” in every attribute). This may be expanded at the cost of additional character points in character creation.

Costs using the Essence Pool/(Essence Points) (per usage/charge) are as follows:

Magic:
Tier I: 1 EP
Tier II: 2 EP
Tier III: 3 EP
Tier IV: 4 EP
Tier V: 5 EP

Signature Techniques:
Lesser: 2 EP
Greater: 4 EP
Unique: 6 EP

The DM decides how many points a character is awarded at any given time, but usually XP is given after a task is completed, or the chapter ends - or occasionally for outstanding roleplay.

Usually though it is when a 'quest' is completed that XP is given and this is often in the realms of between 3 to 7 points, depending on the difficulty of the task and how well the characters succeeded at it.

In order to "level up", a character is awarded XP in the form of Character Points with which to purchase “Upgrades”. These may Character Points be spent on any of the items on the character sheet found below (Equipment & currency are the exception, which is bought/acquired by more conventional means - i.e. money, theft, or rewards and the like.) The costs of purchasing upgrades are listed below:

Attributes
Skills
Weapon Mastery
Magic
Signature Techniques
Essence Pool/(Essence Points)

Important: Just to clarify everything must be raised in tiers; you cannot jump ahead and buy the mastery rank from nothing. Each tier is bought and paid for separately, in order.


Upgrades

Attributes:
An attribute costs are as follows:
6 points to increase to 2
8 to raise it to 3
12 points to raise to 4
16 to raise to 5

Skills:
A skill raised to Novice level costs 2 points
A skill raised to Expert level costs 4 points
A skill raised to Master level costs 6 points

Weapon Mastery
Martial skills raised to Acolyte cost 3 points
Martial skills raised to Expert cost 5 points
Martial skills raised to Master cost 7 points
Martial skills raised to High Mastery costs 15 points
Martial skills raised to Grand Mastery costs 20 points

Magic

Tier I – costs 5 points
Tier II – costs 7 points
Tier III – costs 10 points
Tier IV – costs 15 points
Tier V – costs 20 points

Each tier grants a single spell per ‘type’ of magic. Each tier must be bought in order before the next rank of tier may be bought.

Signature Techniques

Each Lesser Meditation Technique purchased costs 10 points
Each Greater Meditation Technique purchased costs 15 points
Each Unique Meditation Technique purchased costs 20 points*

Essence Pool/(Essence Points)

A character may purchase additional (or extend) Essence Points for his Essence Metre/Pool. Obviously, this increases the amount of times he can use his powered/charged abilities.

It costs five Character Points to extend the metre. The metre is extended three EPs. This may be bought multiple times and each time, the metre increases.

Note: No more than fifteen essence pool total at startup for mortals, and in-game above twenty requires DM permission.
*Unique Signature techniques may only be bought once and must be cleared by the DM.

Name:
Gender:
Age:

Height:
Weight:
Build:
Skin Tone:
Hair Colour:
Eye Colour:

Level-Up Points:
Current XP: - Character Points
Spent XP: - Character Points
Total Awarded XP: - Character Points

Attributes
Str
End
Agi
Int
Per
Aur
Spr
Luck

Disadvantages
Rare: (Tier I-V)
Common:
Mild: (Tier I-V)
Major: (Tier I-V)

Skills

Magic

Sphere
Tier I:
Tier II:
Tier III:
Tier IV:
Tier V:

Weapon Mastery
Mastery:
Adept:
Acolyte:

Signature Technique<o:p></o:p>
Lesser:<o:p></o:p>
Greater:<o:p></o:p>
Unique:<o:p></o:p>

Essence Pool
Total Metre: # (5 + upgrade)
Spent/Remaining:

Inventory

Background
Appearance & Personality:
Biography:

Name: Isokla
Gender: Female
Age: Anywhere between 17 & 23

Height: 5'8
Weight: It isn't polite to ask a girl her weight
Build: Slender
Skin Tone: Ashen-fair
Hair Colour: Silver
Eye Colour: Pale Blue - like water opals

Level-Up Points:
Current XP: 4 Character Points
Spent XP: 235* Character Points
Total Awarded XP: 239** Character Points
*70 + 48 + 29 +15 + 55 + 10 = 235
**200 + 25 + 14 = 239

Actual updates:
30/08/07 – revamped sheet.

Attributes (78)
Str 1
End 2
Agi 3
Int 2
Per 2
Aur 3
Spr 4
Luck 2

Disadvantages: (+25)

Common:
Mild:
Tier I: ‘Allergies’: ignorance (+2)
Tier I: ‘Allergies’: chauvinistic men (and an unhealthy desire to prevent certain individuals from procreating) (+2)
Severe:
Tier II: Phobia – Being Buried Alive (+5)
Tier III: Obsession – Hidden Agenda (+7)
Tier IV: ‘Outwardly Pacifist’ (refuses to kill in front of the party for any reason and preaches against violence) (+9)

Skills (48)
Apothecary & Alchemism (read: poison) (Expert)
Herbalism (Mastery)
Tracking (Novice)
Stealth (Novice)
Gem Cutting (Expert)
Tailoring (Expert)
Crafting: Metallurgy Jewellery-making (Novice)
Knowledges: Anatomy [Humanoid](Novice)
Knowledges: Astrology (Novice)
Knowledges: Astronomy (Novice)
Knowledges: Mysticism (Expert)

Magic (29)

Healing
Tier I: Cure
Tier II: Antidote

Ice
Tier I: Freezing Touch
Tier II: Diamond Shards

Hidden:
Tier I: Conceal

Weapon Mastery (15)
Mastery: Dagger (thrown & melee)

Signature Techniques: (55)

Greater: Cutting the Wind: Thrown daggers/knives return to her hand after striking the target with deathly accuracy. She can pierce with precision accuracy, striking anywhere on the target's body - though she normally aims for a nerve point. Recalling the dagger is optional.

Greater: Fan of Blades: Isokla can throw multiple daggers at once, in a 360 degrees arc around her if she so chooses. Up to three daggers may be thrown per 90 degrees arc. In addition, for this one attack, if Isokla is using her 'fan blades', she can have her daggers split off at the hilt into three shards and reform them after the battle is over. These daggers do not return unless 'called'.

Greater: Meditation: – restore essence points equal to Spirit & Aura attribute divided by two, rounded down. It takes an hour per essence point regained and the character is in a trance all that time; he feels what is going on around him, but he cannot act unless he breaks concentration, meaning he has to start over. As such, he is more or less helpless.
(e.g. If Spirit & Aura together were 5, 2 points would be regained over the course of two hours - bearing in mind the cost of using the Meditation technique is 2; thus only making this effective with high stats. Ordinarily a character regains 1 essence point a day)


Lesser: Isokla can recall any of her daggers at any given time, as long as she is within range. The range varies, but as long as she has a clear line of sight, or knows where they are, she can recall them easily. If they are close to her, but she cannot see them, she may also recall them - if they are further away and out of sight, she cannot.

Essence Pool (10)
Total Metre: 11 (5 + 6 upgrade)
Spent/Remaining: 11/11

Iventory
Clothes: Dress, Sandals, Cloak, Scarf, Undergarments, etc
Jewellery: Earrings, Necklace, Ring
Satchel
Set of Silver Fan Daggers* (x3)
Belt Dagger
Belt Purse (x2)
Herbs
Antidote Vial (x2)
Medicinal Vial (x3)
Poison Vial (x2)
Empty Glass Vial (x4)
Light-Focusing Gem (Like a magnifying glass, but an actual gem)
Sewing Needles
Bolts of Cloth (x2) (8"x5")
Whetstone
Waterskin (x2)
Willow Switch 'prodding stick'

- Purse of several silver coins:
Silver Crowns (x7)
Golden Sovereign (x1)

Inc. Tuition fees from the late Kagarioni; Single Golden Sovereign upfront & Two Silver Crowns per month

*(Fan Daggers may not only be thrown, but contain additional twin blades secreted in the hilt that activate on command, essentially creating a three bladed dagger, though the two outer edges are shorter than the mainstay blade)

Biography:

Isokla. In order to understand this young woman, one must know of her origins first. They begin with her mother; the daughter of a princess, though she herself was merely a bastard child. She was exceptionally beautiful, and so, was given to the local monarch as a concubine. The seventh of many more to come. Because her mother was a concubine, Isokla herself, could never amount to anything more than a bastard daughter. It did not matter her grandmother noble raised to a princess by marriage; her daughter, Isokla’s mother, was illegitimate, and so, it did not matter what her father was. As it so happened, her father was none other than the head of a temple order. He was not the one her mother was promised to; not the one a concubine belonged to. The master her mother belonged to was a monarch – the ruler of that region, and his reputation for ruthlessness was unparalleled in the neighbouring provinces.

An illegitimate child born of a concubine would never have been tolerated. It was an irony, perhaps, that this lord kept his neighbours in check by close ties with the temple of the region. A temple that had a dark underside and a cult of temple assassins at their command. These assassins led double lives, and it was of no coincidence that the leader and head priest of this section of the temple was the man who assigned Isokla’s father to run messages between himself and the monarch. It was perhaps, inevitable, that being a go-between, spy, and out-of-sight ‘shadow’ that her father would one day bump into her mother. Her father at the time was the cult master’s protégé; his youngest and best out of his other apprentices. The monarch of course, had no idea of his ally’s behaviour, but grew suspicious in time. When Isokla’s father first met her mother, she was in the presence of her rightful lord and master; serving him with several of his other concubines. Their eyes met, and he vowed she would be his; she was more beautiful than even Isokla would become, and such a challenge to take her from under her lord’s watchful eyes. Her own brilliant blue eyes were saddened; like those of a caged animal and that was the one thing Isokla’s father could not tolerate; a lotus flower should feel the air and breathe fresh before it wilted. And so, he snuck into chambers in the dead of night when he visited and befriended her. Over time, a relationship grew between them and before long, they became lovers.

He could have changed things, had he chosen; he could have made her his heir. He chose not to. It was a shame, really, for it would have changed the entire course of Isokla’s life. She never knew he was her father. However, some small mercy was for his child was shown. Instead of killing her off at birth, she was placed within the local temple. Her mother later paid for this with her blood.

While studying at the temple as a priestess as she was raised from the cradle, her father also kept him under his wing and in secret, she was trained as an assassin; she became his protégé, for by now, her father’s old master was dead – by her father’s own hand and he usurped his master’s place as head of the assassin cult. He still answered to the high priests, but he was more or less free to do as he willed. Convinently, the death of his master was blamed on his in-house enemies, as he had intended, and they were removed for the murder of their master. He had personally slain them.

Isokla knew none of this though; but as she spent her childhood training and studying, she would steal moments of peace within the temple gardens, under the blue sky, vines, trees, and flowers. Her favourite was also the name she was gifted with – after her father saw how much she loved those flowers. It became her code name. “Isokla – the Blue Lotus.”

There was a coup in the temple, though it was unknown to the girl. Although her father was unharmed, he worried for the safety of his now beloved and precious daughter; though she never knew who he truly was. In truth, she both hated and adored him; he was hard on her; harshest of all his disciples and students, but he also showed her kindness. The sort that brings out loyalty in anyone. He set her to studying the ancient prophesies and histories of the land… of the Capital. It was this coup that sparked her journey; her master and unbeknown to her father ordered her to leave; leave her home, leave her life. Give up her ways as an assassin and walk the world as a healer, as a priestess. She was to hunt down the source of the prophecy.

Shortly after she left, the temple was ransacked by the monarch. He had learnt of her father’s activities with his concubine, and he had slit Isokla’s mother’s throat. After storming the temple with his troops, the assassin cult leadership met a violent end. Isokla was spared only because she was not there.

Not two weeks later, the monarch and his entire household lay dead, slaughtered by a mysterious assassin. At the burnt-out scene was only one indication of who it might have been; a single flower, a white lotus, in honour of her mother.

By the time Isokla left, she had bloomed into a young woman and was a competent assassin, having removed many targets at her master’s and her monarch liege lord’s command. Once she left her life, her home, her wars, she left her violence behind and outwardly sought a path of pacifism – as her temple had outwardly taught. Her cover was complete.

In-game Clues to her personality...
- Isokla seems a traditionalist when it comes to gender issues, firmly believing that women should not fight in battles nor wear armour as men do
- Isokla has a strong sense of duty, responsibility and dedication to those who consider her their mentor/master and will feel slighted if she feels they show her up, subsequently apologising to those they are rude/abrasive to. She feels that her students should follow her lead, set by example, and if she feels a person is worthy of being 'leader', then her students should acknowledge that too, whether they agree or not. Isokla believes that what she does is for her student's own good, and feels that she has failed them if she does not maintain a sense of decency, however harsh it may appear. Because of that, she will insist that her students maintain a certain level of standards, such as dining properly, basic manners and if they are noble-born, then acting as such.

Age: 16
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 102 pounds
Build: Thin
Skin Tone: Pale
Hair Colour: Blonde
Eye Colour: Blue

Character points: 224/225
(88+66+57+3+10 of 200+14+11)

Attributes (88)
Str 1
End 2
Agi 3
Int 3
Aur 4
Per 3
Spr 3
Luc 1

Disadvantages (-11)
Allergic to horses (5)
Vendetta (6)

Skills (66)
Climbing (Novice)
Concentration (Adept)
Cooking (Novice)
Disguise (Adept)
Distraction (Mastery)
Drawing (Novice)
Herbalism (Novice)
Knowledge: Architecture (Novice)
Knowledge: Astrology (Adept)
Knowledge: Mysticism (Adept)
Knowledge: Etiquette (Novice)
Knowledge: Law (Novice)
Locksmith (Novice)
Sleight of Hand (Novice)
Sprinting (Novice)
Stealth (Adept)
Swimming (Novice)
Tailoring (Novice)

Magic (57)
Divination (Detect Magic, Mindread, Foresight, Find Trouble, Scry)


Weapon Mastery (3)
Kris (Acolyte)

Signature Attacks (0)

Special Power (10)
Blood Magic: When using magic, the caster can choose to pay for part of the casting cost with blood rather than essence.

Essence Pool: (0)
5
+5 from Horton's starstrike

Worn boots
Patched, tan trousers
Needle and thread
Dirty 'white' shirt that's sooner yellow
Another dirty 'white' shirt
Nine socks; two grey, one dark-grey, one 'white', dirty, and full of holes, and the fifth a faded red. More recently, two pairs of actual whole white ones.
Undergarments (but that's private)
Blue mage robe with forked lightning pattern, 'gifted' by Caspus the Apprentice
Clean white wrap, about 3' in length
Tin locket on a leather string
Blood-covered, rusty kris
Blood-covered, rusty metal bowl
Cleaner knife, wooden bowl and large wooden spoon
Commoner's beltknife which can be thrown despite its imbalance
<s>Reasonably large mirror shard</s> ~Hidden under a Talryr bed by Suki~
Speckled handmirror from the Talryr market
Lump of charcoal and similar disguise tools
Blunt razor
Tinderbox
Length of string
Short metal rods, bent at the edges
Waterskin
3 copper coins
Packet of healing herbs from Isokla
<s>Cloth map of the stars from the Bandit Tower</s> ~lost in Horton~
Meteor-chunk from the Talryr temple
Most of that in a water-proof sling over his back
Also on his back is coiled a good length of rope

Bandit Tower loot (potentially considered collective treasure):
Rock Crystal chunk(fist-sized) (x3)
Alexandrite (x1)
Small Silver Pennies (x14)
Large Copper Marks (x25)
<s>Silver ewer (x1)</s> ~sold~
Onyx “spire” statue (x1)
<s>Two well-made (but not mastercraft) silver-hilt daggers</s> ~sold~

Name: Jason De'Angelo Fain
Gender: Male
Age: 21

Height: 6'0
Weight: 175
Build: Muscular
Skin Tone: tan
Hair Colour: Short,spiked, White
Eye Colour: steel grey

Str: 3
End: 3
Agi: 2
Int: 2
Aur: 2
Per: 4
Spr: 2
Luck:1

Weapon skills:
Acolyte: Martial Arts, Archery, spear throwing, throwing daggers
Mastery: Longsword, shortsword

Novice Skills:
Acrobatics
Climbing
Jumping
Pickpocket
Herbalism
Mapmaking
Armoursmith
Weaponsmith
Medical


Adept Skills:
Stealth
Alchemism
Sprinting/Running
Swimming
Discipline
Forests


Master Skills:
Tracking
Riding

-Black and white gaurdsman uniform of his home (red eagle crest)
-x2 silver earrings (one in each ear)
-1x silver wedding band (right hand ring finger)
-sliver chain necklace with large, sharp tooth on it.
-Longsword(black leather hilt, inlaid with gold. Slightly curved with old writing on it.)
-Balanced throwing dagger
-Leather money pouch (four crowns, five pennies.)

Signature attack: No Pain,
Jason can enter a state in which pain is distanced and he can fight with extra strenght, though it weakens as he becomes fetid.

Background: Jason comes from a hard working family which was most prosperous until the bandits started comeing out in large numbers and capturing their caravans,fearing for their only sons well being, they sent him to be be a guard, where he would learn how to fight and maybe get rid of the bandit problem.But because of reasons known only to Jason and a man now long dead, Jason turnedtoward another road

Jason is a headstrong youth who likes to help people (especially ladies) in distress.His Training as a gaurd has given him good perceptions of what people are like. When he was nineteen, he was kicked out of the academy for fighting with another student. Although he is young,he knows how to use his looks to his advantage.Jason is a good friend and a fearsome enemy.He will be loyal until the end.

Name: Telryn Gale
Gender: Male
Age: 27

Height: 6 foot 3 inches
Weight: 15 stone, 7 pound
Build: Tall, muscular
Skin Tone: Light
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Dark brown

Level-Up Points:
Current XP: - 11
Spent XP: - 246
Total Awarded XP: - 257 (250+7 disadvantages)

Updated: 5/11/08 - Moved to "newer" system

Attributes (100)
Str 4
End 3
Agi 3
Int 2
Per 3
Aur 3
Spr 2
Luck 2

Disadvantages
Rare: (Tier I-V)
Common:
Mild: (Tier I-V)
Major: (Tier I-V)
Arsonphobia (Fear of fire) (Tier III)

Skills (12+48+8) 68
Sprinting (Master)
Armoursmith (Expert)
Blacksmith (Expert)
Climbing (Expert)
Forgery (Expert)
Knowledge (Urban Policing) (Expert)
Read Lips (Expert)
Riding (Expert)
Weaponsmith (Expert)
Hunting (Novice)
Knowledge (Rural Policing) (Novice)
Swimming (Novice)
Woodwork (Novice)

Weapon Mastery (78)
Mastery: Flail, Shield, Unarmed (45)
Adept: Axe, Long Sword, Spear (24)
Acolyte: Bow, Crossbow, Halberd (9)

Signature Technique
Lesser:
Greater:
Unique:

Essence Pool
Total Metre: # (5 + upgrade)
Spent/Remaining: 5/5

Clothes: Undergarments, tough leather boots, cloth leggings, dark blue cloth shirt, travelling cloak.
All Telryn’s other items are still in what was the prison.

Appearance & Personality:

Telryn is fairly tall for a human. The way he leans over people as he talks to them gives people the impression that he is intimidating. This is far from the case, but it does make his life easier.

He has short, ruffled, black hair and dark brown eyes.

He can be quite jovial if people are friendly in return. He is, however, extremely cold towards magic users, no matter whom they are.

Telryn has a scar across his left cheek from a bar fight which broke out in the town he was working in. They soon regretting throwing bottles around, as Telryn threw them out onto the street in their birthday suits.

If someone pushes Telryn, he will push back, usually twice as hard. He is the one who, in fights, causes the most pain, but also gets the most injuries if the fight isn’t over quickly.


Background

Telryn was born into a poor family in a large city, the city of Port Fallenham. He worked his way up until he became Captain of the Guard. Unfortunately this led to many problems with gangs, groups, especially one group involving fire-based wizards. As Telryn did not let them get away with things the last Captain of the Guard have, the group burned down Telryn’s home, his family. He spent the next three years hunting down every last one, which gave him a hatred of magic. Being exposed to such a vast amount of magic has given him a high resistance to it. Most basic spells will hurt him very little. Fire spells, however, will cause great damage to him, as he has a phobia of it ever since the incident with his family and the wizards. A campfire will not bother him, although he will never be the one sitting close gazing into the dancing embers, but an uncontrollable inferno will terrify him.

Telryn will work for the greater good, but if it is needed he is not afraid to stoop below moral boundaries to get the job done.

Name: Nivram
Gender: Male
Age: 37

Height: 178 cm
Weight: 69 kg
Build: normal
Skin Tone: paler than the average
Hair Colour: blond
Hair Length: long, reaches to the middle of his back
Eye Colour: blue

Experience points: 5

March 5th 2006: 2 experience points used to gain Fishing as a novice skill.

Atributes

Strength 1
Endurance 2
Agility 3
Intelligence 4
Aura 1
Perception 4
Spirit 2
Luck 1

Skills

Mastery

Sprinting/Running
Knowledge (psychology/human mind)
Discipline

Adept

Knowledge (nature) (as in knows a bit about the whole of nature)
Knowledge (astrology)

Novice

Acrobatics
Woodworking
Tailoring
Armoursmith
Weaponsmith
Fishing

Magic
Major: Life/Healing sphere
Minor: N/A

Disadvantages:
Depressive: tier IV
Alcoholic: tier III

Weapon Mastery
Mastery: N/A
Acolyte: Sling, Daggers

Inventory

A sling given to him by his father, made from the leather from a bull.

A leather sack with about two dozen small rocks for the sling (but he can just pick up any convenient sized rock if the need arises)

Three throwing daggers, and a slightly longer, heavier non-throwing dagger.

Some money, mostly just small change, but a lucky silver coin also, given to him by his mother, however he would never use it, because it has too much sentimental value.

Provisions for about a week (mostly dried meat and dried fruit, but also some bread)

Cloth shirt, leather pants, a pair of sandals, a pair of shoes, a large fur overcoat, a sheepskin hat, fur stockings, underwear.

Some flint for making a fire.

A long, thin fishbone, used for tailoring.

Some spare clothes.

Signature Attack

None

Special Ability

Manically Depressed

Background and biography

Born in a poor family living in the countryside, Nivram could look forward to a bleak existence, doing exactly what his father had been doing and what his grandfather had been doing before that. Due to not having any friends, he developed depression in his mid-teens, and in his early thirties this even turned into manic depression. In his opinion even plants, and inanimate objects like chairs are happier than him.

Around the house he learnt what his father taught him and potent healing magic from his sister, who had married a mage and visited occasionally.

When Nivram was 16 a band of outlaws attacked their home and killed his parents and two younger brothers. He went to live with his sister, who was 11 years older than him

His sister's husband taught Nivram much about the human psyche and the ways in which the human mind worked. These studies gave Nivram an even better opportunity to come up with wild theories as to why he was depressive. At the age of 25 he left his sister's home and wandered around, looking for a purpose in his life. But he did not find one. Three years later he returned to see his sister, but was told that her husband died due to an illness and she moved away with her infant son.

Seeing all the misfortune life piled on top of him and his family Nivram became even more depressed and set out to find his sister.

He has been looking for her for the last 9 years.

Apperance & Personality:

Although he looks physically charming as soon as most people get to know him and see his manically depressed side they turn away from him most of the time. However if someone would have managed to see through his outer shell they could have spotted a very fragile, caring person inside. But that side had been long hidden and only his sister had ever managed to see it.

Gender: Male
Age: Apparently 60+

Height: 5’ 8”
Weight: 150 lbs
Build: Thin
Skin Tone: Pale
Hair Color: Gray and white
Eye Color: Blue

Level-Up Points:
Current XP: 150(starting) + 13(disadvantages) – 162(spent) = 1 Character Point
Spent XP: 162 Character Points
Total Awarded XP: - 0 Character Points

Attributes (34)
Str 1
End 1
Agi 1
Int 3
Per 2
Aur 1
Spr 3
Luck 1

Disadvantages (+13)
Common: Tier III Hypochondriac (6 points)
Severe: Tier III Fear of heights (7 points)

Skills (12)
Knowledge (Magic Lore): 3

Magic (98 points)

Mental Sphere
Tier I: Mind Speak
Tier II: Mind Read
Tier III: Telepathic Bond

Sight Sphere
Tier I: Sense Magic
Tier II: See the Unseen: (View beyond the physical veil to see invisible persons and the like)
Tier III: Sense Aura (sense if an aura is true, or false – or if it’s nearby)

Light Sphere
Tier I: Illuminate (lights a globe of bright white light, illuminating the area)
Tier II: Shatter the Darkness (shatters shadows and light shines on those hiding in the darkness, may also blind opponent temporarily)
Tier III: Bolt of Light (ranged attack that deals damage from a blinding bolt of white light)

Battle Magic
Tier I: Shield (spherical globe of invisible force surrounds you or ally)

Hidden
Tier I: Conceal (person blends in with natural surroundings more readily)
Tier II: Invisibility (conceals person completely from sight)
Tier III: Undetectable (the person is completely undetectable from sight, sound and other mundane means of scrying)

Life/Healing Sphere
Tier I: Cure

Weapon Mastery (3)
Acolyte: Quarterstaff

Signature Technique
Lesser:
Greater:
Unique:

Essence Pool (15)
Total Meter: 14 (5 + 9)
Spent/Remaining: 14/14

Inventory
Brown cloak (1)
Nondescript tunic and leggings (gray) (1 set)
Old pair of brown boots (1 pair)
Coin purse on belt (1)
Gnarled walking stick (1)
…and perhaps one day he can get that wizarding hat… ;)

Background
Appearance & Personality: A humorous old man, often considered the kind-hearted grandfather. His extensive travels have made him rather easy-going and maybe even odd. His repertoire of magic is considerable, though he uses it rarely. Every now and then he likes to put on an act of senility… Or maybe it’s not an act? Coupled with his fear of heights, and the often comical hypochondria, some will consider him a fool. It’s hard to tell at times what this old goofball is thinking. Whatever the case, his great age generally ensures he is treated with respect, and his magic is potent.
Biography: Toman has a long history, some of which he has surely forgotten. His travels have been frequent, and without a long stay anywhere. Because of this, he has no repute whatsoever, even among the magic users of the world. Many would call him a shiftless wanderer, without aim. While this description isn’t without merit, there is no guarantee he is without his own goals and motivations.