Nether/Characters

The character sheet for the play-by-post game Nether, created by Roland.

Player Characters

Main Campaign

 * Lady Cassandra of Highmoor

One of Roland's PCs. A somewhat naive young Trueborn noblewoman and necromancer with a nightmarish prior encounter with the Grimoire behind her. In the campaign's introduction she set out to the barony of Dammerinthes after the Grimoire's avatar confronted and taunted her in her room, and now heads up one of the two parties. Cassandra is kind and idealistic, but also quite naive, and has probably read one too many chivalric romances for her own good.

Tropes associated with Cassandra:


 * The Chick (Of all the characters in the roleplay Cassandra is probably the least accustomed to physical battle, though she can still defend herself at need.)
 * Doppelganger (The Grimoire's projected avatar can take on Cassandra's form and a warped version of her personality since she's touched it; so far it appeared only in the introduction.)
 * Drowning My Sorrows (It's been established to deal with lingering trauma Cassandra is self-medicating with servings of blood from her emergency supply, which makes trueborn feel better and acts as a euphoric drug. This cannot go anywhere good.)
 * Functional Magic
 * Fan Girl (Cassandra is most definitely a fangirl when it comes to things she'd encounter in her stories, such as paladins or gypsies. In the prior chapter (from the older iteration of the roleplay now lost but considered mostly canon) she spent some time being impressed by a gypsy character, and now she seems to be doing the same thing with the paladin Devyn.)
 * Healing Factor (Part and parcel of being a Trueborn.)
 * I See Dead People (Cassandra has the natural ability to hear and see unmanifested ghosts.)
 * Les Yay (Cassandra's mental gushing over how great Devyn is and how excited she is to be around a paladin may be just a little suggestive. Quite unintentional at first, but the player saw the possibilities and was amused.)
 * Phobia (Cassandra has never bit a human being and, considering Vampire Bites Suck in this universe, really doesn't want to ever have to. Like that's not foreshadowing...)
 * Squishy Wizard (Slightly morbid subversion; Cassandra's Trueborn regeneration allows her in some situations to serve as an improptu meat shield, but she also doesn't wear armor and has no training in its use.)


 * Reskeis

An exiled imp warlord and one of the few semi-progressive leaders of the Netherspawn, Reskeis formed an alliance with Casandra and her companions at the time during a hellish experience in a Grimoire-corrupted manor during the previous iteration of the roleplay. This was quite unprecedented, as is the fact that Reskeis, in apparent defiance of the setting's conventional wisdom, has relatively little interest in fighting Lightwalkers. His goal is to retrieve the Grimoire and recover his own usurped throne, but he finds the assistance of non-Netherspawn necessary to do so.

Tropes associated with Reskeis include:


 * Anti-Hero (Though quite heroic by imp standards, he's still quite vicious and violent to his enemies, and is currently hiding among Cassandra's party in disguise.)
 * The Berserker
 * Dark Is Not Evil
 * Dual-Wielding
 * Defector From Decadence (Reskeis is testament to the fact that imps and Netherspawn are not inherently evil.)
 * Jerkass Facade
 * Magic Knight (Reskeis is both a sorcerer and a skilled swordsman.)
 * Noble Demon


 * Virgil Thorne

JT Jag's PC. A retired captain of the guard for one of the great Trueborn houses, he took up alchemy in his spare time, becoming a noted expert on certain alchemical materials. That's just a cover for his real identity, though...

Tropes associated with Virgil:


 * Anti-Hero (Also type IV.)
 * The Atoner
 * Berserk Button (Virgil has developed an intense hatred of Trueborn that consume more blood then necessarily. They're one of his primary targets during his night excursions)
 * Crazy Prepared (You name it, Virgil has something on him that can kill it.)
 * Dark and Troubled Past
 * Dead Little Sister (Inverted: His little sister is the only member of his extended family that HASN'T been murdered.)
 * Doomed Hometown
 * Expy (Virgil has many similarities to Dexter Morgan.)
 * Healing Factor
 * Magic From Technology (Virgil, a failed sorcerer, took up alchemy in his spare time after retiring from public life. He turned out to be a natural at it.)
 * My Greatest Failure
 * Pay Evil Unto Evil
 * Retired Badass (What Virgil wants people to think he is.)
 * Serial Killer (What he really is, of fellow Trueborn who have "fallen".) And THAT makes him a...
 * Serial Killer Killer
 * Technical Pacifist (Virgil loathes guns, and views using them as dishonorable. It doesn't stop him from using bows and innumerable numbers of knives, however.)
 * Upper Class Wit (Virgil's public persona, with a dash of Retired Badass for flavor)
 * Vigilante Man
 * Weapon of Choice
 * Knife Nut
 * The Archer


 * Bertram Arigonias

Eponymous Kid's PC. A wildkin brigand who views all others of his kind as morons and ultimately feels he was just born in the wrong family. Extremely large and powerful. Ambitious to a fault. Easily angered, but rarely expresses said anger as anything but a constant sour disposition. Has... history with Ayani and Fari that none of them would like to discuss.

Tropes associated with Bertram:


 * Everything's Worse with Bears: He's an ursine type wildkin, though he's extremely loathe to show that side of himself.
 * Clark Kenting: After becoming a wanted criminal, his attempts at disguise amounted to shaving off his beard.
 * Evil Sounds Deep
 * Glass Cannon: What he ultimately amounts to. Despite his size, strength, and endurance, he's still mostly suited to powerful sneak attacks due to a lack of actual fighting ability.
 * Hair-Trigger Temper: Again, Bertram is easily angered. However, his temper is on a slow burn, and as little things pile up he builds to a volcanic eruption of fury.
 * Jerkass: He has no friends and nobody really cares about him. You do the math.
 * Made of Iron: Extremely durable. Braving a harsh winter without so much as a shirt on his back is a mild annoyance to him that he exaggerates for effect.
 * Parental Abandonment: Inverted; Bertram's parents were loving and supportive... but he hated them so much he ran away and never looked back.
 * Roma: Bertram fit in better with the gypsy band he briefly took up residence with than he ever did with his own family.
 * Stripperiffic: Bertram never wears a shirt, and the flimsy, too-small vest he does wear has gotten him mistaken for a prostitute several times in the past. This misunderstanding is not always unappreciated.
 * Token Evil Party Member: Probably the only PC so far to be explicitly evil.


 * Ayani Ghadnan

Yixin's PC. A brooding, violent gypsy girl, Ayani can barely restrain her violent temper, much less fend off her personal demons.

Tropes associated with Ayani:


 * Anti-Hero (Type IV, straddling the line of Type V.)
 * Blindfold of Power (Subverted. Ayani's blindfold doesn't really do much for her besides cause angst.)
 * Church Militant
 * Completely Insane
 * Dark Action Girl
 * Dual-Wielding
 * Dumb Blonde (Go ahead, treat Ayani like one.)
 * Epic Flail
 * Eyeless Face
 * Girl with Psycho Weapon
 * Hair Decorations (Subverted to all hell. Ayani has plenty of hair decoration. She's probably about as cute as the plague.)
 * High Octane Nightmare Fuel (Constantly bleeding eye sockets, check. Slasher smile, check. Huge, spiky balls and chains? Check.)
 * Knight Templar (Tightrope walking the piece of floss that is that line.)
 * Lightning Bruiser (Scary Ayani is scary.)
 * Restraining Bolt (What the All-Mother does to prevent Ayani from going off the deep end)
 * Roma (Played fairly straight, although Ayani is not a thief by any stretch)
 * Slasher Smile (See High Octane Nightmare Fuel above.)
 * Tears of Blood
 * Weapon of Choice


 * Lieva "Fari" Ghadnan

Yixin's alt. A holographer/terrorcaster for the Masque of Death. Wears a face concealing mask, but overall, demonstrates much less of the Ax Crazy insanity that characterizes her older sister Ayani.

Tropes associated with Fari:


 * A Blank Face
 * Beauty Equals Goodness (Completely subverted.)
 * Becoming the Mask
 * Dance Battler
 * Death Metal Assassin
 * Dual-Wielding
 * Dumb Blonde (Is not.)
 * Less than Spoony
 * Mask Power (You may watch as the heavens fall.)
 * Neutral Good
 * Private Military Contractors
 * Roma (Subverted. Fari does not lie, cheat or swindle.)
 * Terrorcaster
 * The Faceless
 * The Speechless


 * Lady Devyn Navarre

A houri paladin, an unusual combination in Shade. (Pending further elaboration via her player this summary has been left blank.)

Tropes associated with Devyn include:


 * BFS (Devyn carries a huge holy sword.)
 * Boobs of Steel
 * Breast Plate (Devyn's plate armor is of the molded variety, covering her fully while still clearly displaying a female outline.)
 * The Empath (Unusually for the trope she actively seeks to suppress it when fighting so as to avoid the emotional backlash of others' pain.)
 * Knight in Shining Armor (Compared to Ayani, Devyn is a traditional paladin- if anything she buys into the myth a bit too much and tries too hard to be one.)
 * Lawful Good
 * Les Yay (As of now one-sided)
 * Magic Knight


 * Nirowyn Redford

Sikon's PC. Originally a young human architect from Lancastre named Niram, ze underwent training under the Mysterious Waif Charyn to become a houri and through that, end hir identity crisis.

Tropes associated with Nirowyn:
 * Ascended Fanboy: of the houri.
 * Author Appeal: Niram/Nirowyn's backstory, even the double name, is a rather Anvilicious metaphor for a certain real-life phenomenon.
 * Chest Insignia: hir vaguely astrological-looking symbol, although it's supposed to blend inconspicuously instead of sticking out as an eyesore.
 * The Empath, with some care put into avoiding lame powers or heading into Captain Obvious territory.
 * Gender Bender
 * Magic Music
 * My Suit Is Also Super: the leather outfit adjusts to the wearer's shape, a common feature of houri clothing.
 * Power Incontinence: Nirowyn can occasionally from this, because hir control over shapeshifting and empathy powers is mood-dependent.
 * Reasonable Authority Figure: Laceaux, more or less.
 * Thou Shalt Not Kill


 * Zizi

A new member of the party, Zizi is a talented bard with one problem: she can't memorize song lyrics at all. She's been wandering from town to town, trying (and failing) to make enough money to get by, and getting deeper and deeper into debt. Then she ran into (and almost tripped over) Virgil...

Tropes associated with Zizi:


 * Damsel in Distress (Zizi is both a bad luck magnet and completely unprepared for combat, requiring her to be rescued several times. Notably, she never waits passively for someone to save her, and has helped other characters out of a fix at several points)
 * Dojikko (sort of. There's always some external circumstance that makes her trip and fall)
 * Dreadful Musician (actually a good musician, but dreadful at remembering lyrics and liable to sing something completely ridiculous instead)
 * Fainting (of the Emotional Faint type. Zizi is the sort of person who stays tough during battle, and then freaks out afterward)
 * Fallen Princess (Zizi came from a wealthy family and was generally admired growing up)
 * Flowers for Algernon Syndrome (When Zizi combines her Song with Cassandra's to become Aurelia, she can remember song lyrics. She knows right away that this will only last until she changes back)
 * I Owe You My Life (currently indebted to both Virgil and Reskeis, and determined to help both of them if they should ever require aid)
 * Iron Woobie (Zizi gets knocked down [and declared a fugitive, chased through the streets, held hostage by an imp, drugged, punched, and forced to give one of her companions a good reason not to kill another], but she gets up again, and does her best to stay cheerful the whole time)
 * Princess for a Day (Zizi is required to shapeshift and pose as a noble, Aurelia, to attend a ball)
 * Lyrical Dissonance (tends to happen when Zizi tries, and fails, to remember lyrics)
 * Magic Music
 * Mismatched Eyes (as Aurelia, one eye is green, the other purple like Cassandra's)
 * Musical Assassin (while Zizi has never killed anyone, she knocked an imp unconscious with her zither).
 * Only Known by Their Nickname (she generally does not disclose her full name to avoid embarrassing her family. Reskeis and Virgil don't even call her by her nickname, having their own cute/annoying pet names for her)
 * Perpetual Poverty
 * Pollyanna/StepfordSmiler (a little bit of both. Zizi is naturally cheerful despite having a rough time of it, and when she does get upset, she tends to put a brave face on it and convince herself that everything is fine.)
 * Sand in My Eyes (subverted, later played straight. The wind makes Zizi's eyes water and she uses it to her advantage. Later, she complains in her internal narration about the wind in her eyes right after Reskeis says something hurtful to her.)
 * Spoony Bard (subverted. Zizi may have trouble being a successful bard, but when it comes to using magic in combat she's surprisingly helpful)
 * Voluntary Shapeshifting (through the bardic Mirroring technique. This includes turning into demihumans and possibly gaining associated abilities)


 * Akasios Sellais

Take V's PC. Ran away from his people when he had a vision of his people's history. Founded a village, and governed over it for fifty years. When something went wrong with the village, he set out to find answers. Because of being isolated from the world for almost all his life, Akasios is somewhat naive, especially when it comes to modern social practices.

Tropes associated with Akasios:


 * The Undead: He, and the upper class of his people, are all Liches
 * Neutral Good: His only motivation is to help people, it seems.
 * Drowning My Sorrows: He suffers terrifying hallucinations, and it seems that only alcohol helps.
 * Disability Superpower: Subverted: He suffers from terrifying hallucinations, but they do not give him any benefit or precognition
 * Psychic Powers: He has very powerful telekinesis, as a result of his Heart of Darkness
 * Dark Is Not Evil
 * Purple Prose: Because the most recent social practices and standards he is familer with are all about one hundred years out of date, Akasios tends to talk somewhat flowery at times.


 * Saimin

sgrunt's PC. A naive young seelie with a thirst for adventure, striving to become a charming swashbuckler-cum-fantasy hero.

Tropes associated with Saimin: ""I have just come away victorious from a duel with the feared Albert Kristoffes! I am no man to be trifled with!""
 * Badass Boast

""I am here to exact my satisfaction! Do you stand ready?!" "MAKE WAY! Make way! This lady is in need of care and you must make way so as to allow for this!""
 * Subverted in that he's immediately restrained and fails to be very Badass.
 * Berserk Button - Don't insult his swordsmanship. Even if you happen to be right.
 * Chivalrous Pervert - aims for the contractually-required swashbuckling charm. Often falls short of this.
 * Cool Sword - his rapier; may or may not actually be any good with it, though he's been practicing for most of his life...
 * The Dulcinea Effect - when presented with the right Damsel in Distress. (Even if they're not actually in trouble.)
 * The Fettered - Chivalry, courage, and honour - all in the name of being a hero of legend.
 * Heroic Wannabe - Strives to emulate the heroes of stories from his youth.
 * The Lady's Favour - Zizi gives him her lucky ribbon prior to his fighting a duel.
 * Large Ham - Capable of more volume and overacting than an entire amateur theatre troupe.
 * Incoming Ham

""You have insulted my swordsmanship, sir!"
 * Serial Escalation- just how loud can his Incoming Ham get?
 * Lord Error-Prone - What's his first thought upon seeing a rioting angry mob? That he should go confront the leader and try to talk them down.
 * Private Military Contractors - Prior to meeting the rest of the group, he hired out as a guard to various nobles to pay the bills.
 * Throwing Down the Gauntlet


 * THWAP!*

"I demand satisfaction!""


 * Wide-Eyed Idealist - has effectively no life experience and thinks the world plays more or less as the stories go.
 * Wrong Genre Savvy - Fancies himself the hero in a Heroic Fantasy / Chivalric Romance tale.

Dresderie Campaign

 * Erian Finsterwalde

sgrunt's PC. A young member of the nobility and heir to a relatively insignificant fiefdom; much more at home with the common folk than the shows and spectacles of his own kind, though with enough deviousness to betray his true heritage.

Tropes associated with Erian:
 * Blue Blood: Heir to the Barony of Finsterwalde.
 * Dynamic Entry: His first appearance involves kicking down a door and putting a dagger to someone's throat.
 * Knife Nut
 * Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Ultimately, he still wants his people to be successful, even if only because he thinks it will prove him a success.
 * Modest Royalty: Has a known hatred of pomp and ceremony.
 * The Stoic: Rarely displays emotion of any kind. The houri know this is a facade, however.
 * Upper Class Twit: Does not hesitate to point out his rightful place in the hierarchy.
 * You Killed My Father: The death of his father, the Baron Kristian Finsterwalde, is the event that sparks most of the story, and is his primary driving factor therein.


 * Iolantha

A houri born to a human mother, Iolantha discovered her powers as a teenager and is still extremely uncomfortable with the houri trait of empathy, as interacting with people while being able to tell what they're really feeling has made her a bit of a misanthrope. An illusionist by trade, Iolantha's greatest deception is her own cold faÃ§ade.

Tropes associated with Iolantha:


 * Brown Eyes: Unlike most houri, Iolantha has very ordinary brown eyes, which she kept as a reminder of her human side.
 * Deadpan Snarker: One of the techniques she uses to remain isolated.
 * Disappeared Dad: Almost nothing is known of Iolantha's father except that he was a houri, and it doesn't seem likely to become an issue.
 * The Empath: An ability of all houri, this is the main cause of Iolantha's desire to stay away from people.
 * Humans (And Demihumans) Are Bastards: A large part of her worldview, after interacting with so many people and being able to sense their insincerity.
 * Ice Queen: Of the Kuudere variety; likely to defrost as the campaign goes on.
 * Meaningful Name: "Iolantha" means "violet flower;" it is her stage name, her birth name being Violet.
 * Tempting Fate: "You wouldn't dare take me out of the city against my will."
 * You Gotta Have Blue Hair: Lavender, to match her name.