[ooc] Holloway's Keep Application
Name: Strefan
Age: 23
Journal: dragoon1940
Contact: dragoon1940 - AIM
1. Character's Name: Iramaat
2. Age: Around seven hundred years old.
3. Background:
Iramaat hails from a world where gods literally walk the earth with their worshippers and interact with them frequently. A day-to-day basis, even. Iramaat is one of those gods. She is old - older by far than a human being and will probably live for far longer, provided her worshipers survive and they keep the faith in her.
She was born from prayer and blood sacrifice, when the people who would become her worshipers, called out for relief from a period of strife and terror that had plagued them with war and famine. From their need and want and blood, Iramaat became a reality - a goddess upon the earth. She united the disparate peoples of the great, trackless forest and called them Iramakat - “People or Iramaat” - and gave them rules and laws to live by, a government to unify them and a religion which would bring them succor, food and the ability to thrive. She also gifted them with a sign of her favor - the wooden horns which sprout from their heads as they do her own.
She was (and is) not like a human; she was born whole, with ideas and personality developed and prepared for the world into which she emerged. That does not mean she is incapable of learning or being affected, but much of her ideas on the world were already wholly-formed when she popped into existence. Of course, she has had adventures and encounters over the years that have taught her well about the differences between mortals and gods.
When she was still a very young goddess, as such things are reckoned, she fell in love with a young warrior of the Iramakat and after pining for a short while, convinced him to take her as a lover. And for a while, she was happy. But he was a mortal and she was a goddess and although she granted long life to her people, he still grew old and eventually died, as mortals do. For a time, she was overcome with the loss and withdrew deep into her forest to seek comfort and solace for her loss - and came to realize that she should treasure those mortal friends and allies and worshipers while they still walked the earth. Although she granted them long life, death was as much a part of her cycle as life and to remove them from it would be to destroy a part of herself - she was a goddess of nature and the wilds, after all.
So she continued to rule her people as wisely and fairly as she could. She walked among them and helped them fight against their enemies and struck down those who broke their oaths and those who threatened the safety and peace she had worked so hard to bring. And if her people sometimes brought her sacrifices from the strange people of the south, who did not live under the cool, green boughs of her forest, then that was fine - they were not her's after all and their lifeblood still fed the earth. And so she ruled them for four hundred years, as mortals reckoned it, and watched generations of her people grow, become men and women, become old and die and it was good.
But then travelers - guests and wandering knights of her people's courts - brought word of something strange happening in the south. Gods had come to those uncivilized peoples and now they had unified and become one. A country which they called Askoupur. And before long a delegation of these new gods came to her country and her people to ask (or demand) that her people stop their raids into the lands that they now considered under their protection.
One was a woman and a warrior both, strong and beautiful and Iramaat thought her interesting and a worthy opponent, if it ever came to blows. The second was all bluster and fire and wrath and Iramaat thought him a lout. The third was cool and reasoned and intellectual and Iramaat thought him blind to the the wonders of the world and that she could teach him to revel and dance and laugh and weep under the stars, if he would give her a chance. The fourth was weaker, but well-spoken and charming and Iramaat thought him amusing.
At first, Iramaat’s heart burned with wrath - who were these newcomers to demand that she stop what her people had been doing for her for generations? But she cooled her heart and thought, using all of her natural cunning - for their gods were many and their people many and if it came to a war, they would surely put her people to flight and burn her forest and perhaps even slay the mighty Iramaat herself! So she brought a delegation of her guardians and priests and spoke to these newcomers, extending tokens of peace and asking that every year they woul share and mingle their blood with her own and that in exchange, her people would stop their raids and instead, open trade with these Askoupurians (their histories say that the compromise was their idea, but it is well-known among the Iramakat that it was Iramaat who swore the oath of friendship first).
From that day forth, she and her people have lived in relative harmony with the southerners and more and more of her people have taken opportunities to wander southward and actually explore the strange lands. Iramaat herself has been content to ignore them, as along as they uphold their part of the bargain. Occasionally, she finds it amusing to play a joke or a trick by adjusting the border or diverting a river to see what they’ll do, but for the most part, she leaves them well enough alone. Recently, however, her curiosity has been piqued and she has considered going south to see for herself what sort of people they are....
4. Personality: IIramaat is a goddess, but she has a personality, of course. Her main 'domains' are wilderness, wild growth, the earth and fertility, although she certainly dabbles in the hunt and in war. She is, above all else, loyal and true to her people and you can respect her word (as long as you pay close attention, in any case). She will always keep a promise, but can (and will) find ways to twist the wording to her advantage in order to put herself in a better position. At the same time, she expects others to keep their promises to her (and also fully expects them to try similar tricks) and breaking a promise or oath to her is one of the easiest ways to earn her ire.
On that note, she has a terrible wrath when she is finally roused to anger and she will lash out at the nearest target of her anger without a second thought, unless she is restrained or takes time to think it through. It does take her some time (or a temper tantrum) to calm herself down, so when she's on the warpath, most people are advised to stay out of her way. Her anger is not blind, however - she will not hurt those she considers friends, followers or allies unless they happen to be the target of that anger. She can also be rather bloodthirsty when her wrath is roused - she is not a peaceful goddess.
By the same token, she is rather vain and believes herself to be one of the best, most intelligent, cunning and skilled goddesses of the world. Regardless of the truth of that particular belief, she certainly believes I and will flaunt her own beauty and that of her people as being above all else in the world, regardless of outside opinion. This vanity and pride has occasionally gotten her into trouble, but for the most part it is simply a vice. Although it can lead to exchanging barbed insults with those who don’t recognize her greatness.
She is rather chaotic, as well, being a goddess of the wilds, and she is fond of teasing or pushing others' buttons in order to see how they react. Diverting rivers, inching her borders forward, causing a sudden downpour - she will play all of these tricks if she thinks it will provoke an interesting reaction. She does not mean any real harm for the most part, but it can be quite frustrating to deal with when you are the target of her teasing.
For all of her faults (trickery, wrath, vanity), she truly does love her people and all wild, growing things and cares for them as a mother would her children. She is very protective of them and will go out of her way to make them comfortable or ensure their survival. By the same token, she can be expected to respect guests she has sworn to watch over. And when she does fall in love with someone (as she has in the past), she truly and deeply falls in love. She has had her heart broken, of course, but she recovers and moves on - she is a goddess and can expect to live for a very long time indeed. She also tends towards being a bit of a flirt.
With those she considers friends or allies, she’s actually quite warm and energetic. She’ll tease them (in a friendly manner), urge them to indulge their more “wild” side and try to get them to join her in appreciating the natural beauty of trees, the forest and anything else that catches her eye. Teaching others how to enjoy themselves is generally high on her list of things to do. Of course, that doesn’t mean everyone enjoys the same things she does, but they just haven’t come around to the right point of view yet. So, she’ll just have to enlighten them.
5. Previous Game Developments: None.
6. Appearance: Iramaat appears to be a young woman in her mid-twenties with dark hair and eyes. In the eyes of some, she'd certainly be attractive, although she differs from normal humans in that a pair of horns (made from wood) sprout from her head. They're not very long, but they are carved with a series of elaborate designs and patterns.
7. Abilities: In her home universe, Iramaat is a goddess. Literally. She is akin to one of the gods of Greek or Norse myth and tangible presence in the lives of mortals. Her powers there are great. She is impervious to mortal weaponry (although slaughtering her followers en masse would certainly weaken or destroy her) and she possesses a great many powers with regards to her various domains.
She can make trees, plants and other wild things sprout and grow. Under her direction a cleared field might become a closed in grove of trees and undergrowth in a few minutes. Iramaat is also able to command them - vines and roots might entangle her enemies or a wall of thorns might spring up around her. She has the ability to shape-shift, changing her form to that of animals or other living beings (and occasionally inanimate objects, such as the wind). She also has the power to change the form of another, whether for good or ill and has done so, both with her own people and with those she considers her enemies. She has the power of speech with animals and can command feral animals as her servants.
She is also an almost supernaturally skilled fighter and is effective with spear, sword or bow.
At the keep, of course, almost all of these are going to be vanishing or becoming shadows of the power she used to wield. Her ability to cause growth will be severely hampered. Where once it might take her minutes and almost no effort, now it takes hours and an exertion on her part (or she can cause very quick growth at the cost of totally exhausting herself for the day). Her command over roots and vines and other plants will also become limited. She will only be able to control very small movements and be limited to existing undergrowth and greenery.
Her shape-shifting will be severely hampered as well. She will not be able to change the bodies of others and her own will be limited to living creatures (and in specific, minor cosmetic changes to herself or assuming the forms of animals). Even then, it will take effort and be limited to a small selection: hawk, wolf and deer. Iramaat's power of speech with animals will remain, but she will not be able to command them. Her ability to fight will remain unhindered.
She will, however, be completely vulnerable to being killed by all normal means. Fire, being shot, stabbed, strangled, etc, etc.
8. Languages: Common, as well as the language of the Iramakat.
9. Items: Clothing, a belt, some leather pouches, leather armor.
10. Weapons: Belt-knife and her spear, both now blunted.
11. Writing sample - Third Person Prose: Iramaat sighed to herself, but did not move a muscle. She stood stock still and breathed in, letting the cool morning air fill her lungs, and then exhaled. Beside her, her high priest (a woman with the name Jika, whom Iramaat had always liked, even when she was a child), murmured a soft invocation as she carefully painted a stripe of dark green down Iramaat's arm, movements slow and reverent. She was quite literally surrounded by a veritable army of her followers and guardians, all carefully helping her to prepare for the traditional welcoming ceremony.
It was always like this when they received important visitors. Iramaat made it a point to welcome them to her forest personally and to give them her word and blessing of protection. That meant that no one would make any mistakes; as much as she loved her people, they did tend to enjoy tormenting outsiders. Normally, Iramaat didn't mind that so much, but when the visitor could make or break trade agreements or speak a word into another deity's ear, it was best to ensure that everyone knew that they weren't to be touched. And in this case, when the visitors were gods, here about the raids that still ranged southward, it was best not to anger them. At least not yet.
She let her eyes drift closed as she felt another brush dip down her face, carefully applying the paint in little strokes. Iramaat could've changed her own appearance easily enough, but that would've been... easy. Too easy. And it would've flaunted years of tradition. There was something that rankled her about that thought. She breathed in again, a small smile crossing her features as she felt the earth under her bare feet, sensed the air surrounding her, felt its currents, heard the roots growing a little deeper. Could sense the animals burrowing deeper into the warm embrace of earth, sense the life and energy that surrounded her. How could these southerners live in such hollow shells of life? How could they hide themselves away from the sun and the stars and the breeze?
She felt the last brush-stroke against her skin and she settled back onto her heels, eyes still closed as deft hands began to strap her armor on. Leather and bone and cloth, woven designs, feathers and charms. Spells of protection and growth. She held one hand out and felt the familiar, smooth wood of her spear as it was reverentially handed to her. For a moment the air around her was entirely still, as if all the world were holding its breath and then Jika spoke (and Iramaat could hear the smile in her face), “You're ready.”
Iramaat opened her eyes and her face broke open in a smile of her own as she looked around. All of her people, her closest, inner circle of worshipers and those she considered her favored children. “Then let's go meet these southerners, hmm? And see I they have grown any stronger since last I met one face-to-face.”
She turned her face up toward the blue sky and green branches and laughed in joy.
This was where she belonged. This was home.
12. Writing sample - First Person: So, you want to hear this story, do you? It is not a pleasant one, but I will indulge you. After all, it is still a fond memory. If not pleasant.
They came out of the north and out of the mountains and I know not what they called themselves. Nor do I care. Their name does not matter to me. They came with fire and steel and they tried to conquer my forest. They scattered the first group of knights who fell upon them and they despoiled my land. They took my trees to fuel their fires and build their walls and roofs to cut themselves off from the sky and the wind.
I watched and I saw and they did not know what they had done, for they roused my anger. You have never seen me angry have you, child?
Do not look at me like that! You are still a child as compared to me! And you are all my children, so do not think I love you any less or think you a fool.
Where was I?
Oh, yes. Consider yourself fortunate. I fell upon them with lightning and thunder and the clouds blotted out the sky at my command and they were afraid. They feared me.
I will not call them brave, because even a cornered rat will fight and they tried to fight me.
I slaughtered them all for their transgressions. Their blood stained my spear and fed my earth. It was a worthy sacrifice, even if they did not give it voluntarily.
And now there are trees where their walls stood.
If you go to the northern border and listen, perhaps you will hear their cries on the wind still.
An amusing tale, yes?
13. Tattoo: Right wrist.
14. Room Preference: None.
Age: 23
Journal: dragoon1940
Contact: dragoon1940 - AIM
1. Character's Name: Iramaat
2. Age: Around seven hundred years old.
3. Background:
Iramaat hails from a world where gods literally walk the earth with their worshippers and interact with them frequently. A day-to-day basis, even. Iramaat is one of those gods. She is old - older by far than a human being and will probably live for far longer, provided her worshipers survive and they keep the faith in her.
She was born from prayer and blood sacrifice, when the people who would become her worshipers, called out for relief from a period of strife and terror that had plagued them with war and famine. From their need and want and blood, Iramaat became a reality - a goddess upon the earth. She united the disparate peoples of the great, trackless forest and called them Iramakat - “People or Iramaat” - and gave them rules and laws to live by, a government to unify them and a religion which would bring them succor, food and the ability to thrive. She also gifted them with a sign of her favor - the wooden horns which sprout from their heads as they do her own.
She was (and is) not like a human; she was born whole, with ideas and personality developed and prepared for the world into which she emerged. That does not mean she is incapable of learning or being affected, but much of her ideas on the world were already wholly-formed when she popped into existence. Of course, she has had adventures and encounters over the years that have taught her well about the differences between mortals and gods.
When she was still a very young goddess, as such things are reckoned, she fell in love with a young warrior of the Iramakat and after pining for a short while, convinced him to take her as a lover. And for a while, she was happy. But he was a mortal and she was a goddess and although she granted long life to her people, he still grew old and eventually died, as mortals do. For a time, she was overcome with the loss and withdrew deep into her forest to seek comfort and solace for her loss - and came to realize that she should treasure those mortal friends and allies and worshipers while they still walked the earth. Although she granted them long life, death was as much a part of her cycle as life and to remove them from it would be to destroy a part of herself - she was a goddess of nature and the wilds, after all.
So she continued to rule her people as wisely and fairly as she could. She walked among them and helped them fight against their enemies and struck down those who broke their oaths and those who threatened the safety and peace she had worked so hard to bring. And if her people sometimes brought her sacrifices from the strange people of the south, who did not live under the cool, green boughs of her forest, then that was fine - they were not her's after all and their lifeblood still fed the earth. And so she ruled them for four hundred years, as mortals reckoned it, and watched generations of her people grow, become men and women, become old and die and it was good.
But then travelers - guests and wandering knights of her people's courts - brought word of something strange happening in the south. Gods had come to those uncivilized peoples and now they had unified and become one. A country which they called Askoupur. And before long a delegation of these new gods came to her country and her people to ask (or demand) that her people stop their raids into the lands that they now considered under their protection.
One was a woman and a warrior both, strong and beautiful and Iramaat thought her interesting and a worthy opponent, if it ever came to blows. The second was all bluster and fire and wrath and Iramaat thought him a lout. The third was cool and reasoned and intellectual and Iramaat thought him blind to the the wonders of the world and that she could teach him to revel and dance and laugh and weep under the stars, if he would give her a chance. The fourth was weaker, but well-spoken and charming and Iramaat thought him amusing.
At first, Iramaat’s heart burned with wrath - who were these newcomers to demand that she stop what her people had been doing for her for generations? But she cooled her heart and thought, using all of her natural cunning - for their gods were many and their people many and if it came to a war, they would surely put her people to flight and burn her forest and perhaps even slay the mighty Iramaat herself! So she brought a delegation of her guardians and priests and spoke to these newcomers, extending tokens of peace and asking that every year they woul share and mingle their blood with her own and that in exchange, her people would stop their raids and instead, open trade with these Askoupurians (their histories say that the compromise was their idea, but it is well-known among the Iramakat that it was Iramaat who swore the oath of friendship first).
From that day forth, she and her people have lived in relative harmony with the southerners and more and more of her people have taken opportunities to wander southward and actually explore the strange lands. Iramaat herself has been content to ignore them, as along as they uphold their part of the bargain. Occasionally, she finds it amusing to play a joke or a trick by adjusting the border or diverting a river to see what they’ll do, but for the most part, she leaves them well enough alone. Recently, however, her curiosity has been piqued and she has considered going south to see for herself what sort of people they are....
4. Personality: IIramaat is a goddess, but she has a personality, of course. Her main 'domains' are wilderness, wild growth, the earth and fertility, although she certainly dabbles in the hunt and in war. She is, above all else, loyal and true to her people and you can respect her word (as long as you pay close attention, in any case). She will always keep a promise, but can (and will) find ways to twist the wording to her advantage in order to put herself in a better position. At the same time, she expects others to keep their promises to her (and also fully expects them to try similar tricks) and breaking a promise or oath to her is one of the easiest ways to earn her ire.
On that note, she has a terrible wrath when she is finally roused to anger and she will lash out at the nearest target of her anger without a second thought, unless she is restrained or takes time to think it through. It does take her some time (or a temper tantrum) to calm herself down, so when she's on the warpath, most people are advised to stay out of her way. Her anger is not blind, however - she will not hurt those she considers friends, followers or allies unless they happen to be the target of that anger. She can also be rather bloodthirsty when her wrath is roused - she is not a peaceful goddess.
By the same token, she is rather vain and believes herself to be one of the best, most intelligent, cunning and skilled goddesses of the world. Regardless of the truth of that particular belief, she certainly believes I and will flaunt her own beauty and that of her people as being above all else in the world, regardless of outside opinion. This vanity and pride has occasionally gotten her into trouble, but for the most part it is simply a vice. Although it can lead to exchanging barbed insults with those who don’t recognize her greatness.
She is rather chaotic, as well, being a goddess of the wilds, and she is fond of teasing or pushing others' buttons in order to see how they react. Diverting rivers, inching her borders forward, causing a sudden downpour - she will play all of these tricks if she thinks it will provoke an interesting reaction. She does not mean any real harm for the most part, but it can be quite frustrating to deal with when you are the target of her teasing.
For all of her faults (trickery, wrath, vanity), she truly does love her people and all wild, growing things and cares for them as a mother would her children. She is very protective of them and will go out of her way to make them comfortable or ensure their survival. By the same token, she can be expected to respect guests she has sworn to watch over. And when she does fall in love with someone (as she has in the past), she truly and deeply falls in love. She has had her heart broken, of course, but she recovers and moves on - she is a goddess and can expect to live for a very long time indeed. She also tends towards being a bit of a flirt.
With those she considers friends or allies, she’s actually quite warm and energetic. She’ll tease them (in a friendly manner), urge them to indulge their more “wild” side and try to get them to join her in appreciating the natural beauty of trees, the forest and anything else that catches her eye. Teaching others how to enjoy themselves is generally high on her list of things to do. Of course, that doesn’t mean everyone enjoys the same things she does, but they just haven’t come around to the right point of view yet. So, she’ll just have to enlighten them.
5. Previous Game Developments: None.
6. Appearance: Iramaat appears to be a young woman in her mid-twenties with dark hair and eyes. In the eyes of some, she'd certainly be attractive, although she differs from normal humans in that a pair of horns (made from wood) sprout from her head. They're not very long, but they are carved with a series of elaborate designs and patterns.
7. Abilities: In her home universe, Iramaat is a goddess. Literally. She is akin to one of the gods of Greek or Norse myth and tangible presence in the lives of mortals. Her powers there are great. She is impervious to mortal weaponry (although slaughtering her followers en masse would certainly weaken or destroy her) and she possesses a great many powers with regards to her various domains.
She can make trees, plants and other wild things sprout and grow. Under her direction a cleared field might become a closed in grove of trees and undergrowth in a few minutes. Iramaat is also able to command them - vines and roots might entangle her enemies or a wall of thorns might spring up around her. She has the ability to shape-shift, changing her form to that of animals or other living beings (and occasionally inanimate objects, such as the wind). She also has the power to change the form of another, whether for good or ill and has done so, both with her own people and with those she considers her enemies. She has the power of speech with animals and can command feral animals as her servants.
She is also an almost supernaturally skilled fighter and is effective with spear, sword or bow.
At the keep, of course, almost all of these are going to be vanishing or becoming shadows of the power she used to wield. Her ability to cause growth will be severely hampered. Where once it might take her minutes and almost no effort, now it takes hours and an exertion on her part (or she can cause very quick growth at the cost of totally exhausting herself for the day). Her command over roots and vines and other plants will also become limited. She will only be able to control very small movements and be limited to existing undergrowth and greenery.
Her shape-shifting will be severely hampered as well. She will not be able to change the bodies of others and her own will be limited to living creatures (and in specific, minor cosmetic changes to herself or assuming the forms of animals). Even then, it will take effort and be limited to a small selection: hawk, wolf and deer. Iramaat's power of speech with animals will remain, but she will not be able to command them. Her ability to fight will remain unhindered.
She will, however, be completely vulnerable to being killed by all normal means. Fire, being shot, stabbed, strangled, etc, etc.
8. Languages: Common, as well as the language of the Iramakat.
9. Items: Clothing, a belt, some leather pouches, leather armor.
10. Weapons: Belt-knife and her spear, both now blunted.
11. Writing sample - Third Person Prose: Iramaat sighed to herself, but did not move a muscle. She stood stock still and breathed in, letting the cool morning air fill her lungs, and then exhaled. Beside her, her high priest (a woman with the name Jika, whom Iramaat had always liked, even when she was a child), murmured a soft invocation as she carefully painted a stripe of dark green down Iramaat's arm, movements slow and reverent. She was quite literally surrounded by a veritable army of her followers and guardians, all carefully helping her to prepare for the traditional welcoming ceremony.
It was always like this when they received important visitors. Iramaat made it a point to welcome them to her forest personally and to give them her word and blessing of protection. That meant that no one would make any mistakes; as much as she loved her people, they did tend to enjoy tormenting outsiders. Normally, Iramaat didn't mind that so much, but when the visitor could make or break trade agreements or speak a word into another deity's ear, it was best to ensure that everyone knew that they weren't to be touched. And in this case, when the visitors were gods, here about the raids that still ranged southward, it was best not to anger them. At least not yet.
She let her eyes drift closed as she felt another brush dip down her face, carefully applying the paint in little strokes. Iramaat could've changed her own appearance easily enough, but that would've been... easy. Too easy. And it would've flaunted years of tradition. There was something that rankled her about that thought. She breathed in again, a small smile crossing her features as she felt the earth under her bare feet, sensed the air surrounding her, felt its currents, heard the roots growing a little deeper. Could sense the animals burrowing deeper into the warm embrace of earth, sense the life and energy that surrounded her. How could these southerners live in such hollow shells of life? How could they hide themselves away from the sun and the stars and the breeze?
She felt the last brush-stroke against her skin and she settled back onto her heels, eyes still closed as deft hands began to strap her armor on. Leather and bone and cloth, woven designs, feathers and charms. Spells of protection and growth. She held one hand out and felt the familiar, smooth wood of her spear as it was reverentially handed to her. For a moment the air around her was entirely still, as if all the world were holding its breath and then Jika spoke (and Iramaat could hear the smile in her face), “You're ready.”
Iramaat opened her eyes and her face broke open in a smile of her own as she looked around. All of her people, her closest, inner circle of worshipers and those she considered her favored children. “Then let's go meet these southerners, hmm? And see I they have grown any stronger since last I met one face-to-face.”
She turned her face up toward the blue sky and green branches and laughed in joy.
This was where she belonged. This was home.
12. Writing sample - First Person: So, you want to hear this story, do you? It is not a pleasant one, but I will indulge you. After all, it is still a fond memory. If not pleasant.
They came out of the north and out of the mountains and I know not what they called themselves. Nor do I care. Their name does not matter to me. They came with fire and steel and they tried to conquer my forest. They scattered the first group of knights who fell upon them and they despoiled my land. They took my trees to fuel their fires and build their walls and roofs to cut themselves off from the sky and the wind.
I watched and I saw and they did not know what they had done, for they roused my anger. You have never seen me angry have you, child?
Do not look at me like that! You are still a child as compared to me! And you are all my children, so do not think I love you any less or think you a fool.
Where was I?
Oh, yes. Consider yourself fortunate. I fell upon them with lightning and thunder and the clouds blotted out the sky at my command and they were afraid. They feared me.
I will not call them brave, because even a cornered rat will fight and they tried to fight me.
I slaughtered them all for their transgressions. Their blood stained my spear and fed my earth. It was a worthy sacrifice, even if they did not give it voluntarily.
And now there are trees where their walls stood.
If you go to the northern border and listen, perhaps you will hear their cries on the wind still.
An amusing tale, yes?
13. Tattoo: Right wrist.
14. Room Preference: None.