OOC

Minecraft Username: G_Gugnelius

Are you at least 18 years old?: Yes

Have you read the rules? (Link): Yes

(Optional) How did you hear about Avalore?: Research into fantasy RP servers online.

(Max. 1) Were you referred by someone? If so, please provide their in-game username: I was not.

(Optional) Introduce yourself if you’d like, as well as any creations you want to share (e.g. art, builds, skins): Most usually, I am referred to as Tiger or Ethan, so that is what I will put here. I am a long time D&D player who is finding it harder and harder to set up sessions. I want to RP in some capacity, so I decided to do some research. I've been playing Minecraft since it first came out, so it was the first thing I decided to look into. That led me to this server, and this application.

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In-Character

Read the following prompt:

The rhythmic lull of hoofbeats are a marching drum to the small group of pioneers and variety of folk you have found yourself amongst, packed into a wobbling wagon. The rolling plains of the Southern Reach and a clear sky stretch out all around you, the buzz of excited chatter a dull wash in your ears as your mind strays to your former life and what has led you here to new lands.

“Nervous?”

You blink, returning to the present moment. A kindly older woman sat near you is smiling warmly with a crinkle to her eyes.

“I can tell it’s your first time. Still remember mine,” she flashes a grin and leans in.

“Tell me my dear, why have you come to the Reach?”

How do you respond (in character)? (250 word minimum - please make sure to include at least three references to our lore in your response, with two coming from different pages in the Compendium.  Two of the three selected should also be in-depth, avoid simply name-dropping lore terms. Tie the terms into your character's backstory. Why are they important to them?)

The young man paused for a moment before letting out a quiet laugh, his deep red eyes fixed on the old woman. His fingers drummed absently against the wooden floor of the wagon as he regarded her.

"Nervous? Not quite. Simply... thinking. Planning."

His gaze drifted past her, out the back of the wagon and into the sprawling fields of the Southern Reach. The faint smile on his lips faded as he started to think of the past.

"You know, I hail from the Midlands. Valkian Midlands, specifically. From a city I don’t much care to remember the name of."

He hesitated for a brief moment before continuing.

"My father was a great merchant, my mother a woman briefly charmed by his mannerisms. It didn’t last long, things with my father never did, but it lasted just long enough for me to be born, and for my mother to return to her homeland, Fallstone, leaving me in his care. He raised me to be exactly like him, you see... a merchant. He was a good man. Honest. Hardworking. And in his later years, trusting to a fault."

A mixture of scorn and grief twisted his face.

"Being a trusting man, much less a merchant, in a city where people would step over your corpse to elevate themselves was never going to end well. And it didn’t. The lord of our city was too busy claiming ownership of lands outside his own to properly govern his people. Crime thrived, and eventually it reached our doorstep. Merchants all over the city had daggers aimed at my father’s back. He trusted someone he shouldn’t have, and he paid with his life. His wealth was stolen, and I was left with nothing."

He fell silent, staring at nothing as old memories rose from the darker corners of his mind. Images of his father’s body sprawled across the marble floor of their home. The warmth of blood soaking his hands and arms. Anger surged briefly, directed at the leaders who had allowed such ruin. It took him a few moments to shake it off, to steady himself, before he turned back to the old woman.

"I had nowhere else to go but Fallstone, where my mother lived. I scraped together what little coin I could and set out. When I arrived, I learned she had gone to the Southern Reach, for one reason or another. So... I rebuilt myself. I worked bargaining in the markets for a couple years, gaining enough money to afford the ride and then some, and now, here I am."

He exhaled, uncertainty creeping into his voice.

"I’ve heard it’s dangerous, though. There’s no guarantee I’ll find her. In fact, it’s unlikely. But I’ve nothing to lose, and if nothing else, I’ll have a chance at a new beginning. I’ll follow in my father’s footsteps and see if I can set up shop here. Either that, or die trying."

He gave a small nod at that final thought, curiosity flickering in his expression.

"Enough about me, though. What about you? Why did you come to the Reach?"

—

Character Name: Valorian Ven Elcen

Character Race: 50% Human, 50% Fey-Touched (Fire Fey)

Character Age: 23

Brief Physical Description: 5'0 Male wearing typical garb for a Valkian merchant. His hair is red in color, being thick and quite messy. His skin is white in color, but slightly darkened by tan. One might mistaken him for a human of interesting attributes if not for his deep red eyes shedding light on his Fey-Touched heritage. Overall, his build suggests more daily physical activity than what a regular Valkian merchant might go through.

Image of Skin and Figura Model: