Arria Merril

[Arria]

Hey all! Been looking around for a solid freeform RP community to join, and I stumbled across Thar Shaddin. From what I've seen, this site is exactly what I'm looking for. I've got about two years of freeform RP experience under my belt at this point, about a year and a half of that in a Star Wars setting. I've since moved on, hoping to find a community slightly more mature, and a setting slightly darker. I'm in college currently, so my posting times can be sporadic occasionally, but I should be able to post once a day if needed. I'm hoping I'll be able to make a pretty major contribution to the community, and that I can settle here for the long haul.

Anyway, that's me, and here's my character. Please let me know how I can improve her, or if she won't fit in as she is. Thanks!

Name: Arria Merril
Age: 20
Race: Human
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 115 lbs.

Physical Description: Arria's a pretty little thing, and not imposing in the slightest. She has a healthy form, but is not very well built in terms of strength. Her skin is fair and unblemished, with no scars, tattoos, or notable markings to speak of. Her hair is a light brown color, allowed to fall naturally to near shoulder length. Her eyes are a light blue.

For clothing, Arria prefers simple dresses when in the city. She doesn't really want to stand out, because of both her personality and her circumstances. She'll dress conservatively, usually with skirts reaching below her knees, elbow-length or full sleeves, and only modest cleavage, if any at all. Though she generally can't afford it, she will wear jewelry if she can obtain it.

Possessions: The only notable items Arria owns are her father's short sword, which she will not often often wear on her person, and a simple silver pendant necklace, a gift from her mother.

Powers/Strengths: Arria possesses a small amount of magical ability, and is currently developing her skills in service to the government. Her magic consists of healing powers and the ability to create shields, and she is still a beginner in both these arts.

Healing - The second power Arria discovered was her ability to heal herself and others. Through great concentration and focus, Arria can mend minor to severe wounds in a matter of minutes. She has also restored a lost limb on one occasion, but is currently unaware of how to recreate the feat. She suspects it may have something to do with having an emotional connection to the target. She cannot heal sicknesses, however, only physical injuries. The focus and time required to perform the healing means that it would be nearly impossible for Arria to heal herself or another during a combat situation.

Shields - Arria's other magical power is the ability to create barriers, magical walls to defend herself or others from attacks. These barriers appear as a shimmering, transparent field, similar to a haze on a hot day. They are hard as rock, however, and will repulse physical or magical objects that come into contact with them. She can create these fields easily, but maintaining them against attacks will drain her of strength, at a rate depending on the force and type of attack. These shields can also potentially be used to harm others, as if they are created through an object they will shear it with ease.

Spirited - Arria is hard to get down. She maintains a willful and positive outlook on situations, and will not give up easily in struggles of any manner.

Magic - Arria's magic gives her somewhat of a leg up in dangerous situations, though she is still a beginner in her arts.

Negotiation - Arria looks to find peaceful solutions to conflict, as she hates to see violence. As a result, she's become somewhat good at convincing others to see her side of things, and avoid conflict altogether.

Selfless - Arria is always willing to lend a hand, even when there is no benefit to her. As a result, she earns herself more allies than the more selfish types.

Weaknesses:

Poor in Combat - If it comes to a fight that cannot be escaped, Arria is at a serious disadvantage. She is not overly athletic, wears no armor, and has a low pain tolerance, making her unable to sustain many wounds before falling. She possesses a short sword, but has little training or experience in its use.

Naive - Arria's good nature and high spirits also extend to her views on others. She will always find the best in people and focus on that, often overlooking dangers that others can present to her.

Selfless - Arria's high generosity means she will almost always assist those in need, even if it is a potentially bad move for her. She can be blind to threats when someone is in need of aid.

Healing Overuse: Overuse of healing will cause Arria to develop a sickness, likely a fever or stomach illness, which will fade naturally if her powers are not used in that period. In essence, she is transferring her own well-being to others upon using her powers. Currently, she could mend perhaps one or two serious wounds, or around five minor ones, before developing a sickness.

Shield Overuse: Arria's shields can effectively protect her or others from harm for a time, but overuse of them will have serious physical drawbacks for her. The more the shields absorb, the more drained of strength and energy Arria will become, at a rate depending on the force of the attack. It would take dozens of arrow attacks to significantly weaken her, but heavier, more forceful weapons will tire her much more quickly. Absorbing the full force of a weapon like a war hammer for more than a few blows would leave Arria hardly able to stand from exhaustion. In addition, using her shields to intentionally harm others will cause Arria crippling physical pain, with extended periods and magnitudes accompanying repeated offenses. Her magic demands to be used in service to others, not to harm others.

History:

Arria Merril's first years were simple enough. Born to a farmer and his wife in the village of Shim, Arria quickly grew used to living on the bare minimums, and being happy with what she was given. She worked the farm with her older brother Thane and her father Logan, and tended to the house with her mother, ate dinners at the table with the family, and was content. At least, until Arria discovered her ability, and her corruption.

It had been a down moment in the day's work in the fields, and Thane decided it was as good a time as any to begin pestering his sister for sport. He would grab a single strand of her hair, and pull. It annoyed the young girl, of course, but she was old enough, nearly eight at this time, to understand that it was a gesture of affection. Still, she didn't exactly enjoy having her hair pulled out. When Thane pulled out one too many strands, Arria reacted with a slap at the young man's hand.

A wall of shimmering air appeared between boy and girl, with Thane's hand on the wrong side. The air sliced clean through Thane's arm at the wrist, severing his strong hand entirely. Needless to say, things went downhill from there. Arria's brother survived the incident, but with only one hand, his future looked bleak. The discovery of magical corruption in young Arria caused a rift in the family. Arria's father was crushed; his son had lost a hand, and his daughter was cursed with a terrible corruption. Arria's mother saw opportunity for her daughter, though she understood that all paths ahead for the girl would be difficult. Thane understood that Arria had not meant to harm him, but even still he never treated her the same way again. She had placed within him a fear, something that would likely not be replaced with time. It tore at her more than anything else.

The farm fell into disarray. Thane could hardly contribute with only one hand, and Arria's father no longer had any desire to work. He forbade his daughter from using magic; it would be kept a secret. Thane's loss of a hand would be passed off as a mere accident with the equipment. Maria, Arria's mother, presented her with a different idea. Perhaps this was a gift she had been given, not a curse. Magic or no, she said, she knew Arria had a pure heart, and would use whatever she was given for good. The young girl wrapped her mind around this thought, and began to practice in secret when she was able to. She quickly determined that the shimmering air she created was a kind of barrier, summoned from nothing, and seemingly impossible to penetrate. A shield of sorts, she thought. They required great effort for her to maintain, but Arria was determined to improve, and find a way to use them for good.

The issues tearing away at her family worried Arria, but also drove her to do better for herself and her family. She was the one responsible, therefore it was her responsibility to make things right. Her father hardly saw her as the same girl anymore. She'd have to change that back through action alone. She was convinced her brother would come around again if she could just prove to them that her magic didn't change who she was.

A few years passed, and little improved. The work on the farm was barely getting done, through the tireless work done by Arria and her mother, and a heroic, if not entirely successful, effort from Thane. Logan took to heavy drinking, losing interest it seemed in life itself. Arria did not understand. Maria explained her theory as to his depression: he was simply devastated that any creature of magic could be created from his own seed. The futures of his children had been devastated by magic. He often grew angry with his daughter when home, near to the point of violence, but her mother always managed to stay his hand. Arria admired her mother's calm resolve, and her ability to calm those around her.

It was around this time that Arria discovered a second ability: healing. She had been up in the night, unable to sleep, and had sliced her foot open on broken glass, from a bottle that her father had dropped. It had been almost a wish that had made the wound knit itself closed in mere seconds. Arria was thrilled with this new discovery; this was clearly a power that could be used to help others! She understood that magic was forbidden without the government's permission, but surely if she explained her abilities to them, they would see how useful she could be, to the soldiers and the guards, and to any who needed her aid. It was a plan, and a better one than rotting her life away in a dingy old house.

She practiced in secret for some years, determined to be skilled in her craft by the time she presented herself to the ruling powers for judgment. Her mother approved of her choice. Her father didn't know. Thane was largely indifferent. Arria was currently unable to restore her older brother's hand, and so he showed little interest in her newly found power.

At the age of twenty, Arria had grown into a woman in her own right, and was ready to depart. The farm would surely die without her help, but Maria was at peace with this. She was confident that they would make it through, and she wished for something better than farm work for her daughter. She gifted the young woman with her necklace, which had been passed down from her own mother, and an old short sword that had belonged to her father, for some protection.

It was a quiet night when Arria departed, with merely a light pack of clothes and a heart full of hope. But before leaving, she wished to make one last effort for her brother. She quietly slipped into Thane's room and knelt by his side as he slept. Knowing it could be the last time she laid eyes on him, she laid her hands gently upon the stump of his right arm, and closed her eyes, letting her love for her brother flow through her fingertips. She didn't know how long she remained by his side, but when her eyes opened, his hand had returned. Arria didn't wake him. She left without a word for the city, and a new life.

Arria was slightly nervous about adapting to city life. She was not used to crowds, and not particularly fond of them. Shim was always quiet, and the abrupt change of lifestyle was likely to be somewhat of a shock for her. She was confident that she would find her place, though. And she had more pressing matters to worry about. By the time she had nearly reached Marn, Arria had begun to feel very sick...

Current Goals: Figure out the nature of her sudden illness, recover, and then declare her magical abilities to the government, and find some place to fit in and practice her craft. If possible, Arria hopes to rise to a position that will allow her to aid her family back in Shim. She doesn't want to return to her old home until she has done something to help them.

[Saruna]

Hi there! Welcome to Thar and thanks for the app.

Go ahead and stick the healing and shields under strengths. We tend to lump them all together.

Are healing and shields her only currently usable magical powers? If so I'd like you to specify in your app that they are.

How much healing can she do before she gets tired? I would like you to add regeneration to the healing power. As regeneration of a lost limb is pretty powerful, I'd like you to add something to counterbalance it, something that would make her not want to use it very often.

How long can she sustain a shield against attack before she becomes unable to hold/create them? Can she hold them over an hour if no one is attacking her? Does it go down to a number of seconds to a few minutes when she is under attack?

I'd also like you to put in the shield ability that it can slice through objects. As this could be used to great effect, I'd like there to be a limit on it; maybe it tires her out faster or something like that.

Hrm, for the both of them I'd like to see a weakness that correlates to what happens to her should she overuse her powers. A fever, a rash, something debilitating that would make her think twice about the overuse of her powers. That way, too, she could potentially have something to struggle against as she tries to improve her powers.

You can go ahead and put selfless in strengths and weaknesses, since it could potentially be a good thing as well as a bad thing.

Out of curiosity, how does she feel about the breaking down of her family? Did her parents start arguing after her powers were discovered? Did her father become violent or abusive after years of drinking? How did she feel about her brother avoiding her? Does she want to go back to see all of them, or maybe just her brother and mother? Does she have any friends within the city? I like the app as it is, but I don't really have a good feel for her personality. I know you say she is optimistic, but does she have bouts of sadness over the state of her family and family farm? Does she have a hatred for alcohol for what it did to her father? Does she send money to her family at all? How well is she adapting to city life? Does she enjoy crowds or does she shy away from them? Stuff like that.

The government does have a free hospital that is staffed by an elf with moderate healing abilities (http://www.tharshaddin.com/rp/viewtopic.php?t=1485). If you want to maybe do some collaborative thinking with her, since her character is also employed by the government, send her a pm. I'm sure she'd be delighted to have another character involved there. If not, that's cool too.

Please leave a reply here when you have made changes to your app and are ready for it to be looked at again. If you have any questions feel free to leave them here, hop into chat, or send a pm to myself, Niabi, Frug, Pagusel or Metarie.

[Arria]

Alright, made a few changes. Combined magical abilities and strengths, and went into greater detail about her powers and their limitations. Counterbalanced the healing power with a sickness. The sickness Arria gets before arriving in Marn is from restoring her brother's hand, which was slightly beyond her limits at the time, so she becomes pretty dangerously ill. Counterbalanced harming others with the shields by making it a very bad idea for her to do so.

As for her history, I cut out the bit about living in Marn for a year, instead having her depart the farm at twenty, and ending the history just before arriving in Marn. I'm hoping perhaps I'll be able to RP her arrival and initial meetings in the city. I'll pm metarie shortly, I'm very interested in a collaboration like that. I also added a paragraph here and there, trying to get in a few more of Arria's thoughts about the happenings around the farm, and her thoughts on moving to the city.

Thank you for the advice, twas quite helpful.

[Metarie]

Moderate skills, hrm! *cough cough*

Providing the app gets approved, happy to collaborate. The Doctor is IN is an open setting and a new person into the mix would be great fun.

Suggest, because regeneration is a pretty powerful skill that it could be limited to very small areas, like could replace a finger but not a whole limb, to start -- or, it follows the rule of something given, something taken. For example, an eye for an eye or it reduces her life span dramatically.

This raises a great topic for setting discussion, which I'm going to start, here:

[Saruna]

Pfff I was looking at your character sheet Ree!

More formatting for ya Arria -- to make it easier to find stick the weakness/drawback part of her powers under weaknesses.

As for the regeneration bit, I agree that maybe reducing her lifespan is a good idea, but I don't think drastically is necessary. As for the sickness, maybe on top of getting physically ill due to having a reduced immune system, perhaps overuse of the healing (such as every time for regeneration) could result in a magical backlash opposite to when she uses her magic for harm. Instead of feeling pain, she loses feeling in her skin. The more she uses the power, the higher the risk that the loss becomes permanent.

I remember hearing on the radio about a man who had such a condition of not being able to feel things on his skin very well. He accidentally let his hand rest on the burner on the stove while it was on, not knowing it was there until he smelled his burning flesh (ick), resulting in some very serious burns and a nasty secondary infection.

Or something else. I like the idea of there being both physical and magical repercussions for using the regeneration/heavy repeated healing, resulting in a permanent disfigurement/disability should she use it too often.

I very much like the changes to your history. One thing to clarify though -- is she presently ill or has she recovered from it?

[Arria]

I was actually hoping to RP her arrival in Marn, where she would be quite ill at the start. The restoration of her brother's limb at this point is a rather large overuse of her power, and so the reaction sickness she has would be possibly life-threatening if she can't get help somehow. I was thinking this could be how she meets Metarie.

[Saruna]

Approved. I look forward to your collaboration with Metarie. The plot discussion of her current thread can be found here: http://www.tharshaddin.com/rp/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2778