Posts from Sylvester Archipelago

Gordian sat in a chair at his estate, slowly sipping wine from his private reserves. Life had certainly been a success; the portrait of an ancestor on the wall seemed to look with envy at the ancient wine flowing down the Madinian's lips.

Lately, this no-longer-young warrior found himself indulging in memories more and more often. There he was, still just a youth, alongside his equally fresh friends Julius and Marius, as they marched together, weapons in hand, to "evict" bandits from their den. His first operation; before that—only practice at the Academy of Combat Magic. The criminals put up serious armed resistance, but flawless command left them no chance. Although one recruit did perish... He died stupidly, shot by his own man with a rifle. Rifles simply had nightmare accuracy, then as now, in the dawn of such weaponry; that is why Gordian never liked firearms. Crossbows, however, were time-tested and grew better year by year—easy to repair and could be improved without effort if one's hands were steady...

A servant entered the room and asked to be dismissed: the cleaning was finished, there were no other assignments, and his pregnant wife was waiting... you see... Bruttium glared sternly at the lackey, who understood everything without words and withdrew with an apology. Servants these days—absolutely no respect, no diligence, not even a basic understanding of their duties!

He had served in the Haven Guild for a long time. His wealthy father, while understanding that Gordian was hardly at risk of starving to death, wanted his son to fulfill his duty to the Homeland to the end, as was the custom in their lineage. Julius, now, was lucky. He resigned quickly and devoted himself entirely to science. True, he was killed later... But that came later; Julius had already managed to write several books and make a name for himself as a most gifted, active, and versatile scholar. No, it wasn't like that in the Haven Guild: you lived by a schedule, stood watch by a schedule, and promotions also happened by a schedule. Although Bruttium became famous in his own way, especially among criminals. The reason was simple: no mercy. Any scum was shot on the spot; Gordian neither liked nor found it necessary to talk or educate them. For the most part, this served well, eliminating most "dangerous" situations. The superiors didn't always like it, but that was their problem if they were unable to understand obvious things.

Gordian rang the bell. Footsteps sounded on the stairs and the same servant entered the room.
-- I am listening, sir.
-- Add more wood to the fireplace. It's cold.

Once, criminals took hostages—very high-ranking individuals. They demanded the opportunity to keep their loot and leave the country freely; in exchange, the hostages would remain alive and be released at the border. Bruttium pretended to believe them, and then opened fire. The element of surprise failed: the bandits were killed, but not a single civilian survived either. The next day, Gordian was forced into retirement. Some even said he got off easy, that he wasn't put on trial... Trial for what? The hostages would have been dead anyway; those thugs know no other way. If not then, then later... And the robbers themselves would have escaped.
By that time, Gordian's father had already died. He returned to the estate and set about organizing the household: the manager had completely neglected everything and was stealing terribly... Now he was the one who got off easy: he was merely fired. For the sums that were lost, he could have been thrown in prison for a long time. But Bruttium didn't want to bother with the scoundrel, although at first he felt like strangling him. Be that as it may, the estate began to bring in a stable income again, and its owner, unable to stay within four walls for long, turned to mercenary work.

Remus, Gordian's son, entered the room. The father looked sternly at his son:
-- Need money again?
-- Yes, father, you see...
-- Gambled it away?! Or drugs? Look me in the eye!
-- I...
-- Get out! In my entire life, I never took a single setra from my father! Not one! And you... You blockhead. A disgrace to my name.
Remus bowed and silently withdrew. He knew his father would definitely give him money, but later... Was the carefree life he led not worth small periodic humiliations before an ancestor?

As a mercenary, Gordian had a surprisingly good additional income, although for the most part it wasn't about the money. He didn't take on overly suspicious work—mostly guarding or something of that sort—so in essence, Bruttium dealt with the same criminals and enemies of the Homeland as before. And, as before, he killed them without mercy, earning fame in certain circles.
Lately, after every job, Gordian invariably returned to the estate. For several weeks or months he would rest peacefully, though he didn't abandon a certain paranoia: locals had more than once seen a crossbow appearing from Bruttium's window. He himself says it is necessary caution when living in border regions...

Remus entered the room again.
-- Father, I forgot to give you a letter.
-- You touch my correspondence?
-- You were away; the servant gave it to me. I didn't open it.
A fleeting glance at the melted wax immediately refuted the last statement. "Probably thought he'd find money..."
-- Get out, so that my eyes may see you no more! -- Gordian said, taking the letter.
"From Marius. Found a job. Not very close this time, Ryjorvalia... As if I care about those maniacs!
Although... Come to think of it, why not? A walk wouldn't hurt me, stretch my bones, and in all my life I've never bothered to visit the kingdom. Why not see the world while there is still a chance?"
Bruttium set the letter on the table. "I'll think about it... Maybe I will take it."

Origin: Madinia, +10 Intelligence; additional 4 skill points and 2 talent points

Conviction: Madiism, +5 Intelligence, additional 3 skill points, 1 talent point (does not disclose their religion to anyone)

Talents and Skills:


Ranged Weapon (Crossbows)
I Proficiency with ranged weapons.
II +10 to evasion in long-range combat.
III Chance to paralyze the enemy for one turn; the next attack deals double damage (perception + critical hit chance).
IV Additional attack.
V Chance to deal triple damage to the enemy (perception).


Storm Halo
I The character's weapon gains the ability to deal additional electrical damage (will).
II A chance appears to paralyze the enemy for two turns (will + critical hit chance).
III Electrical damage increases fourfold (x3).

Assassin: attacking an unsuspecting character kills them (x3) Torn between Assassin and Leadership; can take either depending on whether we have another leader planned.
Inventor: ability to improve items, as well as create new ones if blueprints are available (x2)

Characteristics:
Constitution: 15
Intelligence: 15 +10 +5 = 30
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 10
Speed: 15
Will: 25
Perception: 25

Character Summary: nicknamed "Thunderbolt" for his tactical specialty of hitting with a crossbow bolt charged with electricity. Prefers "sniper" tactics—attacking from cover.

Equipment: improved crossbow, bolts, minimal set of tools and a crossbow blueprint, short sword a-la gladius, supplies: flask of good wine, tea (or an equivalent available in the world of Nebka), hardtack. And yes, some amount of money.

That should be everything, then. I hope there won't be any major discrepancies. All that's left is a healer and a leader for our dream team.

[...........] Creating name
[|||.......] Compiling suitable set of skills and abilities
[||||......] Checking ability compatibility, balancing
[||||||....] Drafting backstory, searching for image
[|||||||||] Character creation complete
Would you like to purchase the full version of the application? Automatic selection of imbalanced abilities, biography generates 79% faster, a single save from death possibility, ad removal and much more! Only for...

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-I will not do it! It's boring and absolutely pointless. I want to gather KNOWLEDGE, not distribute it to these stupid, clueless, and insolent youths.
-But listen, Tiberius, in my view, this is a very worthwhile continuation of your career. What could be better than teaching at the academy? It's a very prestigious profession right now; such a chance doesn't come to everyone! And over time you'll move to the center, become a wealthy and respected mage, and spend your old age in a luxurious mansion on the outskirts of town surrounded by numerous servants, wives, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great...
-No, that is not for me. -frowning, Tiberius interrupted the speaker. He generally loved to frown and interrupt very often, as well as move his eyebrows, snort loudly through his nose, grind his teeth, and scratch his small black beard. He also wanted to learn how to wink with one eye, but for certain reasons, he simply couldn't manage it. Tiberius was of medium height and build; he usually dressed in ordinary, unremarkable clothes, although he could easily have ordered some decent embroidery for himself. Simply put, the bright, flashy robes that local mages loved irritated the wizard more than they inspired a sense of dignity, pride, or power. Furthermore, he never kept servants or slaves because, as he believed, there was no need for them as long as he could look after himself and the small house he inherited from a long-deceased uncle. Tiberius generally felt quite cold toward luxury and power, since Madinia had plenty of both. But knowledge—that was a completely different matter.
Think about it yourself: what could be better than knowledge? No, absolutely nothing compares to it, Tiberius firmly believed. Knowledge leads to the same power, luxury, and omnipotence, but it grants them all at once and in unlimited quantities. However, various obstacles often appeared in a wizard's life, standing in his way and preventing him from fulfilling his plans.
The sorcerer hailed from a small settlement in the south of the Empire, where he met a representative of an almost extinct religious movement called Madism. Quickly realizing the advantages that faith provides to a mere mortal, Tiberius easily convinced himself of a deep respect for this religion, and soon felt a significant increase in his own magical abilities. All that remained was to channel this energy in the right direction.
Elemental and combat magic, as Tiberius reasoned, would be mostly useless for executing his plans, whereas the arts of manipulation and death looked far more attractive. The young wizard spent several years in diligent study at one of the academies, after which he spent a long time traveling through the cities of the Khalekhids, from where he brought back new knowledge and some supplies of blue medillium.
A bit later, Tiberius unexpectedly realized that he had simply burned out. He had spent many years traveling, but nowhere did he stumble upon hidden knowledge that hadn't already been discovered and known long before him. Of course, it would have been possible to devote himself more thoroughly to the study of all types of magic, but fulfilling his goals would take at least another two hundred years. Sorcery is a complicated thing. And then Tiberius was struck by an idea once again.
Artifacts! What could be better than knowledge hidden in ancient artifacts? And where are ancient artifacts usually hidden? Correct: in ancient tombs! There it was—the true source of obtaining new knowledge without wasting time. It must be said that over the years, Tiberius had become a very impatient man, and thus mastering archaeology proved to be a real torment for the aging sorcerer. On long evenings, he would sit before dusty scrolls, deciphering ancient messages from the past and carefully studying manuscripts, trying to detect hidden signs. He took up the study of the culture and history of peoples, memorizing epics and tales of artifacts and items of incredible power, not forgetting to practice "useful" spells of dark magic. The sorcerer caught the attention of the local academy, where a teaching position happened to be vacant.
-Think about it one more time, Tiberius, I'm begging you. -the man continued his persuasion. -You'll regret it later, you'll see; by tomorrow another candidate will find this spot. And don't come back to me later trying to exchange medillium for some long-studied tome, I'm warning you.
-Fine, I won't. -Tiberius grumbled indistinctly, without looking up from reading a book in a dusty, worn binding.
-Well, as you wish, buddy. -the speaker waved his hand. -Farewell!
-Uh-huh. -the sorcerer nodded.
That night, the gate of his small house opened for the last time. Tiberius took a deep breath of the fresh night air and looked at the cloudless sky, where the full moon and myriads of stars illuminated the vast plain opening before him with a bluish glow, after which he moved forward with a slow step. With him was his favorite staff, a bag with provisions and ancient books, and in his hand he gripped a small scrap of paper on which words like "Sjyotouyukyur" and "Lutiel the Sly" could possibly be discerned in illegible ink. Would they accept him into a team of seekers of adventure, glory, and wealth? What could he offer his employer? In any case, if failure awaited him now, he would have to return home with nothing once more. For the last time. That was Tiberius's decision. And if Fate itself had given him a chance to finally prove himself and find something yet undiscovered, thereby touching the ancient history, legacy, and power of the Setranomicon, then he would not let this chance slip away.

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Origin: Madinia: +10 Intelligence; additional 4 ability points and 2 skill points.
Beliefs: Madism. Believer's Bonus: +5 Intelligence, additional 3 ability points, 1 skill point.

Characteristics (115+10+5+15=145)
Constitution: 15 (+5)
Intelligence: 45 (+10+5+15+5)
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 10
Speed: 20 (+10)
Will: 35 (+25)
Perception: 10

Skills and Abilities (2|8 + 2|4 + 1|3 = 5|15)

Art of Manipulation
Mind Reading (30) The caster gains the ability to read the target's thoughts.
Subjugation (100) The caster gains the ability to control the target's actions for a period of time.
Invisibility (100, 150, 300)
I The caster (or their target) becomes invisible; however, the caster loses the ability to see anything.
II The caster gains the ability to see while remaining invisible. Invisibility disappears upon any harmful action performed by the character. Spells not directed at oneself also dispel invisibility (x2).

Art of Death
Undead (100) Raises a slain opponent from the dead.
Decay (-) Extracts the remnants of life from a dead opponent, restoring magical energy to the caster or their ally (amount based on opponent's health).

Additional Abilities
Wizard: +50 Magic Power (x4).
Scholar: +15 Intelligence (x3).
Archaeologist. Ability to recognize various items and ancient structures.

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Inventory:
Durable sorcerer's staff, convenient for a long journey, also slightly increasing the character's magical power (if possible);
Travel cloak, made of high-quality material that protects from bad weather and keeps one warm at night;
Leftover provisions after traveling (did they not implement teleportation or what);
Bag with writing utensils, various ancient books, own notes and markings etc.;
A couple of potions restoring mana (if possible);

I would like to clarify the correspondence between Gods and countries in more detail. R'lyeh - Yoltir & R'lyortir Seveseptim - Church of the Creator Madinia - Madism Lakelia - Chir Heliotria - Lord of Shadows Khalehids - Dead God Children of Winter (orcs) - Mother Khsaemsku And there are "unclaimed" countries and "unclaimed" Gods: Histheosia - ? Letians (light elves) - ? Blood God - ? Lokur - ? Tekura - ? Can these be combined in any way you like? I just sketched out a character "R'lyeh - Yoltir," but on the other hand, it turns out to be so weak that I'm drooling over 15 points in Mental skills. And making "Histheosia - Yoltir" would be silly. I don't want to do that. Why would southerners worship a northern God?

In Histia, there are temples to Lokur and Tekura, and in Heliotria, there is a temple to the Blood God. So, they are not abandoned either.

but on the other hand, it turns out to be so weak that I sit here and drool over getting 15 skill points for Mental.

Do you remember Irshad al-Askalani?

I just sketched out a character, "Rjorvalia - Yoltir," but on the other hand, he turns out to be so underdeveloped that I'm just drooling over getting 15 skill points for Mental.

Past experience has shown that a large number of skill points don't save you from death.

Added 7 minutes later

And making him "Hysteosia - Yoltir" would be silly. I don't want to. Why would a southerner worship a northern god?

This can be justified somehow. For example, Hysteosia could have been exiled from the clan in his youth and settled in the north. We can come up with something, but it needs to be realistic. Think about it. Send me the bio in PM, and I'll take a look and tell you what to fix.

In Madinia, atheism is prevalent, as I understand it. And I was torn between choosing Madinian or Haven. The deciding factor was that the skill points are not very useful. Although high stats are also good in their own way.
P.S. Yes, according to the lore, I could have justified choosing either one.

Why would Southerners worship a Northern God?

The same question should be asked to the Japanese: why do they worship a Western god?

Do you remember Irshad al-Asqalani?

Of course. I was even going to say that the character turned out "in Alex's style."

Is there any way to justify that?

I would like the character to be "natural." It's okay, I'll survive without skill points.

By the way,

Madinia: +10 to intelligence; additional 4 skill points and 2 talent points. => 10 stats, 4 SP, 2 ANY specialization (including IS)

Khalehids: additional 4 skill points; free skill in the art of death. => 4 SP, IS

Kind of not fair.

You might as well have mentioned the Hysteros. And the Rhyovaltians. It seems like it's designed so that playing as the "evil" factions is more advantageous.

WELL, MAYBE SOMEDAY EVIL WILL TRIUMPH OVER GOOD.

You might as well mention the Hysteosians. And the Rhyovaltians.

Hysteos => 17 stats, 1 skill, and 4 specializations.
More or less balanced when compared to Madinia. As for the second one, it's hard to say anything because they have a specific ability that can't be compared.

Added 5 minutes later
In short, I think the Halehids need a slight buff, if not with stats/abilities, then with some kind of ability. And I'm saying this not because I might create a character of that origin.

The Death Mark can be applied.

I don't like this spell.

In short, I think Halehids need a slight buff, if not with stats/abilities, then with some kind of special ability. And I'm saying this not because I might create a character of that nationality.

I'll think about it. Maybe I'll come up with some ability specifically for them.

No markers, no teleportation... This world definitely won't withstand a demon invasion without these spells.