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alliegiance) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
barovians2024-10-11 10:08 pm
alliegiance) wrote in barovians2024-10-11 10:08 pm
ooc icebreaker/au workshop?
OOC STUFF
ok fellas, here's the situation:
- you've been trapped in the shitty valley of barovia by a megalomaniac vampire who is obsessed with one of his subjects (read more here or honestly just ask me if you want more info)
- the megalomaniac likes to play with his food
- so do the powers that be here
- the gods cannot help you
- your gods can't even contact you
- you're not getting out any time soon (the mists are poisonous and will kill you)
- (maybe) you have a modern character that you now have to establish a full dnd/fantasy au for
- what does your character do in this situation
use this post to give people a jumping off point for that, and also to get to know each other/plot stuff maybe
- you've been trapped in the shitty valley of barovia by a megalomaniac vampire who is obsessed with one of his subjects (read more here or honestly just ask me if you want more info)
- the megalomaniac likes to play with his food
- so do the powers that be here
- the gods cannot help you
- your gods can't even contact you
- you're not getting out any time soon (the mists are poisonous and will kill you)
- (maybe) you have a modern character that you now have to establish a full dnd/fantasy au for
- what does your character do in this situation
use this post to give people a jumping off point for that, and also to get to know each other/plot stuff maybe
Rikki
Vasilka
In truth, Vasilka is not the Abbot's natural daughter but a "living doll" created for the express purpose of becoming Strahd's wife. Forbidden from leaving the abbey without her father to chaperone her, she has led a sheltered life, shielded from the many evils and untold suffering of the outside world. With only a crumbling library of half-deteriorated books to serve as her window to the world beyond the abbey's walls, her education is quite limited, and the Abbot has been carefully training her in social etiquette, with limited success. Though she strives to mimic human behaviors to the best of her ability, she is often confused by their irrational behavior and emotional outbursts.
Unbeknownst to her, she was crafted to resemble Tatyana, the woman whom Strahd yearns for, and Saint Markovia, whose portrait hangs above the mantle in the abbey's rectory. When the party first encountered her, they were shocked to see the uncanny resemblance between Vasilka and Ireena. Zhulong performed a Tarokka reading for Vasilka, which revealed that she is "a minion of a greater power" and that removing her from the abbey may allow her to "cut her own strings". Though Zhulong obscured the true meaning of the reading from her at the time, he did imply that she was being offered an opportunity to make her own choices.
At her core, Vasilka is kind-hearted to a fault and believes herself to be a "holy vessel" containing the Morninglord's love for all the people of Barovia. She was made to love the unlovable and to forgive the unforgiven. Even when others treat her with disdain or outright disgust, she strives to meet them with love and acceptance within her heart. Emotions such as hate, anger, or envy are foreign concepts to her, yet the more time she spends around humans, the more she is beginning to learn how fragile the human heart truly is, and how easily it might be corrupted.
Now, with each new experience carved into her memory, Vasilka is beginning to awaken to her own latent emotions, a fact which deeply troubles her. For to become "human" means that she will be unable to fulfill her divine duty, and without that duty driving her every action, she will have no purpose. She views herself as a mere extension of the Abbot's will, and finds it difficult to take initiative or make her own decisions without his input.
Above all, Vasilka finds her true purpose in acts of service—both to her father and to those around her. She is fascinated by humans and wishes to learn more about them. Though naïve and awkward in social situations, she demonstrates great emotional intelligence at times and wisdom beyond her years. She is quite skilled as a healer, both through magical and mundane means, and functions as the party's medic.
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Also amused at the idea that it's specifically tieflings that are being extremely gung-ho about this whole self-actualization "you're actually a person!" thing with Vasilka. An interesting pattern, no? Much to think about.
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her shoulder devilthere to convince her to become her own person outside of the Abbot's will (and honestly screw the gods).no subject
Let Vasilka say "fuck," come on...Probably wouldn't hurt for her to be a little bit selfish, really! It can be a good thing!
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its gonna be really fucking funny for godfrey to roll up on vasilka with the fucking blood of lathander
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she's gonna be tugging on the abbot's sleeve like "dad, are you seeing this shit? he's got the sun on a stick HALP"
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Shadowheart
Orphaned at a young age, Shadowheart was raised in one of Shar's secret covens in Baldur's Gate. She has spent much of her young life training to become a Dark Justiciar—an elite soldier who seeks to enforce Shar's dominion over the world. She has erased many of her memories in order to protect Lady Shar's secrets, and therefore finds it difficult to connect to others. Due to her devotion to the Lady of Loss, Shadowheart eschews love and affection, seeing it as no more than a distraction from her mission.
She's going to be drawn into Barovia during some point in Act 2, before she's actually completed the Gauntlet of Shar, perhaps even during the midst of undergoing the trials. At this point, she is beginning to question her faith, which causes her to cling even more fiercely to Shar's teachings in order to maintain her footing. This means that she will be searching desperately for any sign from the Lady of Loss that she is on the right path, and that this is merely another test of Shadowheart's devotion.
Surely, no one would possibly take advantage of this crisis of faith lmao
As a cleric devoted to trickery and darkness, she possesses many skills that will hopefully help her to survive in the blighted land of Barovia. She is extremely driven and not above using unsavory methods in order to obtain what she wants, though she's not nearly as cruel as she pretends to be. Despite her devotion to an unloving goddess, there is a softness at Shadowheart's core that she desperately tries to protect. She has an insatiable hunger for secrets, and while she keeps her cards close to her chest, she very much enjoys poking her nose into other people's affairs.
Shadowheart will very much be interested in investigating any leads that might lead to escaping Barovia and/or ridding herself of that pesky brainworm. She's also going to be very annoyed at all the vestiges of Morninglord worship lying around and will probably be unhappy to work with those devoted to His works, but if it means finding a way out of this hellhole, she will put her grudges aside to work with them, so long as they prove useful to her cause.
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No, but seriously, she's gonna have a fun time trying to figure out which of these creepy voices whispering in her ear is Shar (spoilers: none of them). Maybe make a few deals with some Dark Powers, who knows?
Also, might be fun for her to learn about her lycanthropic heritage because some werewolves smelled wet dog on her idk
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The werewolves catching a whiff would be a FUN way to spring that info on her, especially since her memory of it is compromised. No Dame Aylin to offer context here!
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But no, seriously, I love the idea of the whole party trying to keep one another accountable, to varying degrees of success. If any. This IS Barovia we're talking about.
I'm not saying there's no possibility of pulling her back from the brink, but I don't even know what that would look like at this point. The only other angelic being in this setting is kind of insane, so probably no help from that quarter!
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Halsin Silverbough
Recently, he's forced himself to set aside personal desires in order to research a means of breaking the Shadow Curse that has blighted the land. He maintains a calm, level-headed demeanor, but when he or his loved ones are threatened, he can transform into a monstrously large cave bear capable of taking down even the most stalwart of foes. Outside of battle, he's the dad friend to the team, offering guidance (and warm hugs) to those who need it. He's far more gentle than his intimidating stature would have you believe, and his heart has a lot of love to give, provided no one attempts to tie him down and curtail his freedom.
He's also going to be pulled from Act 2, before he's managed to unite Thaniel and Oliver. So, basically going from one benighted, cursed land to another. Perfect. He is definitely not going to get a little antsy from the lack of sunlight and fresh air and green growing things, nope, whatever gave you that idea?
While Halsin's first priority is to return home and break the curse plaguing his own land, he can't exactly turn a blind eye to the events plaguing Barovia, as well. Especially given his intimate connection to nature, he is going to have a bad time, being constantly surrounded by the feeling of suffering and blight from the very land itself. As someone leaning toward do-gooder behaviors, he'll be interested in learning about Strahd's connection to the land and his influence on the natural order.
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Really, what have they done to deserve even more time away from the sun?
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Julien de Beaumont (BG3 Tav)
A haughty noble raised in Baldur's Gate, they dreamed of leaving the city to become an adventurer, but their family didn't support this notion and they were subsequently disowned. They were taken under the wing of a prominent elven patriar, Coran, and given the means necessary to train in swordsmanship and magic. While working under his patronage, they sought to build a reputation for themself as a knight-errant: a champion of the people who would defend the city from corruption.
Julien tends toward making good-aligned, heroic choices in most circumstances, but they're not above using subterfuge to bypass obstacles. They've fashioned themself after the wandering chivalric knights one reads of in faerie tales, which makes them a bit idealistic in their views. As a high elf noble, they can come off a bit haughty and conceited, but they're generally good-natured and open to new experiences. Loyal to a fault, they will stubbornly brute force the third option at every turn, seeking a means of helping their companions, no matter the personal cost. They try to resist the tadpole's allure, but if they can use that power to save those they love, then they'll gladly accept whatever consequences result of their choices.
Basically, they are the sort of glory-seeking adventurer that Barovia loves to chew up and spit out. They're extremely vain, especially concerning their glorious red hair, and this will in no way cause them any kind of trouble, nope. They're going to try to fumble their way through this whole hero business, but without someone more experienced to give them a reality check, they're very likely to end up dead, or worse. They'll probably end up with a stupid schoolkid crush on the likes of Ezmerelda d'Avenir, much to her annoyance.
Joon-gi Han
Though Yeon-ki was the more skilled of the two, the elder twin doted on his younger brother and promised to look after him, no matter what. Even if everyone else should abandon them, the brothers swore never to abandon each other. They trained hard to perfect their talents, often working together in order to take down the same target. They used their mirrored appearance to confuse their victims, taking turns flitting in and out of the shadows, so that it seemed as if they were a single figure moving faster than the eye could see.
As they grew into adulthood, the then-leader of the Ba'al Verzi acknowledged the elegance of their mirrored fighting style, the tenacity with with they hunted their targets, and their loyalty to the brotherhood itself. Along with their exceedingly high body count, they earned the right to assume the identity of Joon-gi Han, and eventually became the new leaders of the brotherhood.
One day, Yeon-su was called away from headquarters to take on a special assignment. Though reluctant to leave his brother's side, he relished the chance to prove himself just as capable as his brother in combat. His mission was successful, his target slain, but when he returned to headquarters, he was met with an eerie silence accompanied by a feeling of dread.
The Ba'al Verzi were slaughtered, down to a man. But strangely enough, it looked as if no struggle took place. The halls were littered with crumbled piles of clothing filled with silver ash. Forbidden magic? An unknown plague? Yeon-su was baffled.
He searched frantically for his brother, but by the time he located the body, it was too late. His twin was dying in his arms, a Ba'al Verzi blade thrust through his ribs. Through blood-flecked lips, he whispered to Yeon-su of betrayal and conspiracy, of the very darkness itself turning against them—a black shadow in the shape of a man. Its mere touch instantly drained one of life and reduced the body to ash.
The order was lost, but Yeon-ki swore vengeance on those responsible. But he would need his brother's help in order to accomplish that goal.
We entered the world together, and together we'll leave it. But not before our fallen brothers have been avenged.
This was the dark promise forged between two brothers, and as Yeon-ki's body slowly dissolved into ash, his spirit entwined itself with Yeon-su's own. Two souls, one body, bound to a singular purpose. The brothers cast aside their former names to become the last incarnation of Joon-gi Han forevermore.
Now, Joon-gi Han travels Barovia, trading in secrets and rare antiquities in the hopes of finding the one responsible for wiping out the order. He continues to ply his trade as an assassin, for those with the means to pay. Rarely does he accept coin for his services. He often seeks out those newcomers drawn into Barovia, offering his services as a guide to those desperate for information on the lay of the land and important figures that might help or hinder them. In exchange, he hopes to leverage information that will help him to accomplish his own goals.
Joon-gi Han keeps his face covered at all times, wearing a black hood and cowl to hide his features, save for his eyes. Anyone who comes close enough will be able to note his deathly pale pallor and the glowing red pinpricks in his black eyes, indicative of his undead nature. Though not created in the typical manner as other revenants, he has bound himself to his brother's soul and cannot truly die until his thirst for vengeance has been sated. Those with a sensitivity to spirits may be able to catch glimpses of a silvery shadow lingering near his right shoulder, with some part of it always in physical contact with Joon-gi Han's body.