Description
Name: Hali
Nickname: Fishy
Age: 24
Birthday: 28.6
Star Sign: Cancer
Height: 169 cm/ 5.5 ft
Weight: 66 kg/ 145.5 lbs
Sex: Male
Gender: Male
Sexual/Romantic Orientation: Pansexual/romantic
Family:
Agapa (Mother, Siren, deceased)
Solom Silvertongue (Father, Human Sorcerer, alive)
Species: Songster
A Songster is the male equivalent to the more commonly known Songstress. Songstresses are the children of Sirens and humanoid Magic-users, most commonly human Sorcerers. Like Sirens, Songstresses are mostly female. While the first Songstress was a willingly concede child between an elven Druid and a Siren it is not common for a Songstress to be born out of love.
Usually a Sorcerer will set out to capture a Siren during their mating season to produce a Songstress. If that happens the Siren dies quickly after giving birth to the child or, if male, withers away after being forced to mate. The third possibility to conceive a songstress, mostly used by Sorcerers to weak to capture a Siren is striking a deal. The price asked is often heavy and involves multiple human sacrifices for consumption by the Siren. Only in the event that a Siren is forced to mate does she die afterwards as this species is very sensitive to emotional distress in any way.
Songstresses inherit some of the aquatic features of their Siren parent, like webbed hands and feet, scaly patches of skin, finned ears, shark like teeth and gills with whom they can move quickly and effectively underwater without needing to come up for breath. Sometimes they even retain some bioluminescent, freckle like markings - a weak testament to the often intricate patterns on Siren skin. But while Sirens have a tail, Songstresses are always bipedal.
They also inherit the bewitching voice of Sirens. However, unlike a Siren, a Songstress is never able to abstain from using the power of her voice and can never talk freely, but is forced to be mute her entire life outside of practicing her craft. Also unlike a Siren, a Songstress does not die or lose her power if taken from the ocean or kept in captivity which is why they are so highly desired. This is due to the magic inherited through their human parent, it fuels the power of their voice but can not be shaped in any other way to learn a different kind of magic.
Most Songstresses and Songsters are born to serve. They are not given a Surname and aren't officially recognised as a child of their human parent. Instead, they're used as a tool and trained and educated at a very young age to serve their Master. This Master is either the parent themself or a wealthy King or Queen who managed to pay the considerable amount a Songstress is worth (often whole Kingdoms). To make sure the Songstress can not rebel against their Master they're forced to wear a magic imbued collar that suppresses their voice and forces them to be mute. This collar can only be unlocked with a specific key and is only unlocked by the master of the Songstress when the former needs their voice to be used.
This way the Songstresses Master can make sure that he is never affected by their servants voice unwillingly. To communicate with their Masters most of these children are taught sign language at a very young age.
In the world of Themlis there is no known magic protection against the influence of a Songstress. Only if the Songstress is identified as such can he be forced into muteness or can the King apply protective measures to block out voices. Some Kings have known to be so paranoid that they wear wax in their ears almost all hours of the day or never allowed to speak anyone in their general vicinity. While it brought few advantages for the general populous, it did lead to a widespread knowledge of sign language in richer classes.
However, few Kings actually ever experience the might of a Songster as Sirens are already rare and capturing one or striking a deal with one is even rarer. Due to the fact that Songstresses are not able to reproduce this leads to a few dozent Songstresses and Songsters ever existing in the whole of Themlis at the same time.
To make sure a Songstress or Songster is not immediately recognized as such a Glamour will be placed upon them when they are send to do their master's bidding. As already hinted upon, this bidding often lies in shaping the mind of influential nobles to their masters will. This can be the change of opinion, but may also entail that the person influenced is driven mad or to suicide, which equals a political assassination but without any discernable murder weapon.
Songstresses and Songsters born in a willing union will often grow up with their human parent on land but occasionally enjoy visits from their Siren parent. These Songstresses also need to stay mute all their life but aren’t forced into silence by a collar. These children have to hide their being and heritage all their life and often choose to life a life in solitude as they will often be captured and forced into servitude if discovered.
No matter the upbringing, Songstresses usually don’t develop the same taste for human meat as Sirens, but they do have a fondness for red meat. All Songstresses and Songsters are sterile and can not reproduce.
Dimension: Themlis
Themlis is a wast world deeply entwined with magic. It’s reaches span from the lush golden forest Kingdoms of the elves to the chilling, icy fields of the frost giants. And nestled in between and all over is a patchwork of tiny human Kingdoms almost always at war with each other or someone else.
The climates of this dimension are many. There are some quite akin to earth's. Cool, damp forest regions with high trees that almost look like pines, but then again, pines usually aren’t blue. There are big, lush steppes of green grass, cows grazing on them and tiny villages nestled in between in this mild and balanced climate. Wast forests of trees with crystalline bark and golden and silver leaved trees dot the landscape and are, no matter the climate around them, always in a state of perpetual spring. In their heart resides a guardian - often these guardians are unicorns, but tall stags or ents are also known to protect these woods. These forests grow around gigantic golden trees imbued with powerful magic who are often worshiped as gods by those who life around it.
Further east are deep jungles, shimmering emerald green. A long time ago they were the seat of a highly advanced civilisation that died long before the first humans emerged and of which even the long living elfs have only distant memories. Their ruins are full of technology that is fueled by a kind of magic long forgotten. They are a frequent goal for adventurers, but few ever return.
Even further east, many months journey from the lush almost-pine forests is the desert. Scorching hot by day and freezing cold by night. Their sands are black and so wispy that they seemingly refuse gravity, floating down as slow as a feather. This makes their sandstorms extremely deadly but amazingly beautiful to behold from afar. Those who live there cluster around oases and the few rivers that stretch across the wasteland.. They build their houses on stilts to avoid the flood that happens every 50 years.
For a whole month this flood turns the desert into a giant lake and then, after it’s subsided, leaves back a fruitful, blooming land for just a week before everything slowly starts to wilt away once again. (This flood does in no way contribute to the overall survival of the desert tribes via food. The desert tribes mainly survive through fishing in the rivers by which they life and through using the river's water for agriculture on a limited space around these water sources. However, the floods do flush new fertile river mud over these fields which is crucial to the survival of the crops.)
The hotlands are too hot for humans to survive. It is a sort of sea Kingdom that exists on boats made of refractory metals swimming on seas of lava. A race of coal black, shark like humanoids primarily lives in these parts. They are much larger than humans and are so resistant to heat that they can swim in the lava surrounding them.
The underwater Kingdoms of the seafolk are just as diverse. There are tropical coral cities, almost visible from above on clear days were the sea is quiet.
There are the cave Kingdoms in the harsher northern regions, and the luminos castles of the abyss that tend to lure in unwise divers that think themselves safe behind their magic shells and suits. And these are just to name a few.
Hali himself was born on a small island country close to the desert and rather mediterranean in climate. It’s tall white pillars could be seen from far away, the cities prosperous and brightly painted in all manner of colours.
Most, but not all races on Themlis are governed by one material ruler who leads them in the material matters of the World. This leader may, but does not always also leads his people in spiritual matters. In some cases however the spiritual leader is a separate entity from the King.
Most human societies have a very classist structure in which there are few chances for ascension. There are the noble, the rich, a small middle class, the poor and the slaves. The noble are exclusively allowed to enter high spiritual or political position, the rich have a limited influence on politics, and those are foremost trading politics. Sometimes a noble will marry down to amass more fortune and allow a rich family to ascend into more influential circles. The middle class is small and must always worry to not fall into poverty again, trying to climb the ladder by educating their children. The poor will almost always stay poor and uneducated, often illiterate. If they are short of starving they’re likely to sell themselves into slavery. Other slaves are captured during war or by slave hunters in other countries, sometimes illegally. The only humans who can ascend from the lowest rank to the highest are those who show magic potential.
Personality: Caring| Curious| Creative| Resentful| Fearful| Distrustful
Hali is extremely curious and talkative. He enjoys company and likes to find out about all manner of odd new things – and there are now a lot of those! However, although he will happily engage with people, trusting them is a whole other subject. He will be reluctant to share personal information--be it about his past or present struggles. If his trust is betrayed, or he or his friends are hurt, he is quick to become resentful and will hold that grudge for a long time. Hali scares easily and despises horror movies, raised voices, and violence.He is in general extremely apprehensive of confrontation and will never get violent in any way.
History:
Summary:
Hali was born to a Sorcerer who treated him more as a tool and a servant than his child. He never got to know his mother and was deeply unhappy about what his father forced him to do. At some point in his youth his father took an apprentice named Karem and him and Hali became unlikely but good friends. It was Karem who eventually freed Hali when the Songster was supposed to be sold to a foreign King. In a fit of anger Solom, Hali’s father, slew his apprentice after he found out he had aided his Songsters escape. Stricken with even more anger and grief over this death, the man started a brutal hunt for his son. Hali however eventually escaped to the World Train and fled his father's reach.
Hali was born as one of the few male Songsters to Solom Silvertongue, a human sorcerer of considerable power, and Agapa, a captured Siren. Hali's Mother died soon after his birth and Hali doesn't even know her name. Hali was kept by his father and grew up in his household. He had a governess and was educated in etiquette, history, math and literature as well as the use of his voice. He was also taught Sign Language for the purpose of communication with his teachers.
Solom and he saw each other seldomly until Hali was around 14, at which age his father started using him as a means to amass power. He was brought to courts under the guise of a glamour to whisper to Kings and Queens and bend their will to that of his Father. He made people fall in love and fall into despair and more than once he stood next to a man singing as he threw himself off a balcony into deadly depths. He didn't want to do these things, but the punishment for disobedience was far more terrifying than simple beating. Fleeing, sadly, was also not an option. Solom’s home was guarded by many wards and spells so that no one could leave or enter the grounds without his permission. And even if Hali could have simply left the place he would have left his power, the only thing he had, behind as his voice was banished by a magic collar locked around his neck. Only Solom had the key to it.
When he was 16 his father took an apprentice. A young man that he treated more like a son than he had ever treated Hali. But Hali wasn't envious. He had long since distanced himself from the idea of Solom as a father.
Karem was from a rather poor family and had only recently shown talent for magic. This talent however was extraordinary, and while he was only the apprentice of a lesser mage in the beginning, soon other Sorcerers offered to take him on as their apprentice. Karem however had turned them all down in favour of asking Hali’s Father to be his teacher as the man was known to be the most powerful magic wielder on the whole island. It was to his utmost surprise and delight that Solom accepted his request and received him with open arms.
To Hali’s surprise he soon grew fond of Karem and a peculiar, often secret but strong friendship blossomed between the two. Years passed by and Karem became the only thing keeping Hali from a deep melancholy. Eventually his father was offered half a country and yearly tributes in taxes for Hali and swiftly Hali was made ready to leave. He was frightful of what was to come and even more frightful to lose his only friend.
But Karem, who knew about the King that was to acquire Hali, and knew he was terrible and cruel and mad couldn't leave his friend to this destiny. The apprentice, older now and having learned much from his teacher didn’t make his decision lightly. As warmly as Solom had received him, as warmly felt he about him. Yet he saw that his friend was already miserable being a prisoner to his father and knew it would only be worse for him in his new ‘home’. And so he stole the key to the collar that kept Hali's voice sealed and snuck him out of the tower, past the magic wards that kept him from leaving and onto a departing ship.
Karem, unbeknownst to Hali, had been found out as the perpetrator that led the Songster to freedom. Against all Karem had expected, and against the kindness Solom had shown him over the years the old Sorcerers wrath was brutal. In a strike of fury he lashed out against his apprentice and his magic tore him in half killing Karem just a few days after Hali had escaped the islands. After the man had come back to his senses he was very aggrieved about what he had done. Still angry, he proclaimed that this too was Hali’s fault and that he would find him and punish him for what he had done.
The King that was to acquire Hali was naturally enraged as well and offered aid to Solom on the condition that he was to still uphold to their contract and deliver the Songster into his service. Solom agreed, not for one moment planning to stand by this promise but determined to use every resource he could get to hunt down Hali.
Hali in the meantime had come a far ways away and didn’t know about his friend's demise. In the beginning he could stay for days in one place and soon found himself drawn to the places were the outcast and those needing to hide and flee meet. It was there that he first heard about the World Train, a strange construction of metal that could visit other worlds and protected those that travelled with it. At first Hali didn’t think he would need to get that far away. He thought if he could make his way into some far away, abstruse jungle he would be save from Soloms reach. He soon learned how wrong he was and the train quickly became his only hope. When he finally found the World Train his father's hunters were hot on his tail. Hali boarded quickly and without looking back. He only ever missed his friend Karem, promising himself that he would someday come back to see him again and thank him for all he had done for him.
Skills:
Underwater Breathing – Hali's gills allow him to breath in clear and mostly clear sweet and salt water. However, while he can breath underwater he can’t see better underwater than an average human.
Sirens Song – Through singing Hali can provoke strong emotion in everyone who hears them. He can thus inspire great courage and valor, but also crippling sadness and terrible wrath.
Sirens voice – through simply talking Hali can influence opinions and shift thoughts. Strong viewpoints will take longer to subvert, less important opinions will shift faster.
Technical rules for the Siren Powers:
Dice:
To resist one of the Siren powers a D20 would be rolled. To resist Siren's Song the resisting character would have to roll higher than an 11, to resist Sirens Voice a resisting character would have to roll higher than a 10.
Modifier:
If a Character is inclined to follow a suggestion made by Sirens voice or in an emotional state that would easily transition towards the suggested state of emotion, if they want to give in to the charm of the voice willingly or in other favourable instances a modifier is given that lowers the initial number they have to role against.
(Example: Sirens song is used, so you have a base stat of 11 against which to role but you want to give into this song anyway so you get a modifier of plus three. 11+3=14 you now have to rule higher than 13 to resist)
If a Character is aware of Halis powers, possessed similar powers to his, is naturally strong willed or in any other unfavourable instances a modiver is given that heightens the initial number of the base stat.
(Example: Sirens song is used, you have again your base stat of 11. You know Hali is trying to influence you and you do not like it so again a modifier of 3 is given. 11-3=8 now you only have to roll higher than an 8)
For every 5 meters away from Hali a modifier of - 1 is subtracted from the base stat
Modifiers will be individually discussed with RP partners to make sure that every situation is accustomed fittingly. A single modifier can be no higher than plus five, but multiple modifiers can be added onto a single role.
Duration and casting time:
Sirens Song: Siren's Song instantly affects people but it’s effect dissolve after one to two minutes after Hali stops singing.
Sirens Voice: Sirens song needs at it’s weakest 30 minutes of continuous conversation to take effect. After 30 minutes only weak, not very important opinions can be influenced if the check against the ability is failed. To subvert stronger opinions more 30 minute intervals must be spend in conversation. How long this takes individually is subject to discussion between RP-Partners. The duration of this influence lasts exactly as long as casting time has been spent on establishing it. (So if Hali spend 30 minutes trying to convince someone of something, that person will then be under the influence of that suggestions for 30 minutes.)
Note that convincing someone to kill or harm themselves or others is very hard and can even take days in a sheer time form, not to mention that they could also try to resist
Resistance:
A person may resist being charmed in the aforementioned way by rolling a dice and adding the appropriate modifiers. They can attempt to resist this charm a set number of times:
Sirens Song: Siren's song can be resisted when it is cast. If that resist fails and the opponent falls under the charm of Halis voice. They can then attempt to resist without any modifiers every 10 minutes. If they succeed they are freed of the effect of Halis power and Hali would have to attempt to influence them again in his next ‘turn’ if his target can’t find a way to block his voice.
Sirens voice: A person may resist this power in intervals of 30 minutes.
Costs:
Sirens Song: Using Sirens song consumes 50 magic initially and then continuously 25 Magic every 5 minutes.
Sirens Voice: Sirens Voice costs 60 magic per 30 minute casting time interval.
Weaknesses:
Mute – Hali isn't able to control his voice to the extend a Siren would and is thus forced to remain mute if he doesn't constantly want to bewitch everyone who hears him.
Area of effect – Hali has no control over whom his voice effects. If they hear him, they're affected, no matter if friend or foe. (The effect grows weaker the further away you are from the origin of the voice and thus easier to withstand.)
Earplugs – If you simply put some earplugs in your ears Hali can sing his throat hoarse. If you can't hear him, he can't affect you.
Easy to intimidate - Due to his past Hali is extremely easy to intimidate and might even be startled into a paralyzing silence for multiple turns in a battle environment, depriving him of the ability to use his voice.
Sensual deprival - Because of the particular method his father used to punish him for any mishaps, Hali is extremely sensitive to sensual deprival and will panic if he is deprived of even one of his senses. He is also even easier to intimidate if his opponent threatens him with sensual deprival of any form.
Arid climates - While not a weakness per-se Hali’s skin does become itchy and dry very fast in Arid climates or if he can’t re-hydrate often enough. This is not really hindering him in anything it’s just reeeeally uncomfortable.
Afraid of the dark - Hali is afraid of the dark and will not venture into dark places without a light. If he is forced into darkness he will panic.
Stats:
Health: 80
Magic: 320
Attack: 20
Defense: 20
Speed: 60
Weapons: None
Items:
Likes:
Dislikes:
Conflict
Loud Noises
Horror Movies
Misc. Facts:
Hali has insomnia, and if he does manage to fall asleep he often has nightmares or wakes extremely easy.
When he goes to bed, Hali wears his collar to supress his voice during sleep in case he talks or screams.
Hali likes to and is rather good at drawing. His main tools are graphite pens and watercolours.
Relationships:
Karem – friend (deceased, unbeknownst to Hali)
Solom Silvertongue – Enemy, Father
RP Sample:
The rain was beating on Hali's ragged old cloak with heavy, persistent fists, soaking right through his only protection. He was wet to the bone and shivering, but he pushed on. Needed to push on. He'd fled the last village he'd stayed in because Solom's hunters had caught up to quick. What lay ahead of him was his only chance. He hoped, no he prayed that it was really there.
Breaking through the last few trees that stood in his way he stepped onto a large clearing and stopped dead in his tracks. It looked like a gigantic metal snake was nestled in between the trees. For a moment Hali was more scared of it then of the people searching for him. The way it loomed above the scenery frightened him, glowing lights shooting beams outside into the inky dark. And the noises it made, like a persistent huffing. With trembling hands Hali pulled a piece of paper from a pocket. It was wrinkled and stained and now wet, but the sketch on it was still clearly visible. No doubt, this was it. This was "The World Train". His one chance to escape this world and Solom. And yet he hesitated, took a step back and swallowed. That thing did not look like a safe heaven to him. But....– voices. Behind him in the forest. He could hear them, talking, searching, the sound of dogs barking and suddenly it didn't matter how scary this thing in front of him looked because everything was better than going back. He bolted forward running towards the hulking dark shape in front of him towards a light filled opening in the hull. He jumped and warm light engulfed him. He hit his knee against something and toppled over. The floor was hard and cold and slowly, slowly started to move....