Difference between revisions of "James Silvar"

Latest revision as of 20:03, 10 January 2010

James Silvar
name (rp world)	James Paynus Silvar (Gaera Second Generation)
birthdate (birthplace)	14th of Fidelara, 1317 Doma Capitol
current residence	Zea Mazuo's house, Doma Capitol Slum
occupation	Freeloader; part-time herb vendor
family	Hakaril Silvar (father), Sirvix Silvar (mother; RPer Nekogami), Jameson Ironclad (grandfather)
race	Half-incubus
physical description	Roughly 5' 9", built like his father only shorter; grey eyes; vaguely vampiric, fangy teeth; gravity-defying spiked teal-colored hair (natural hair color rust red); sky blue, semi-transparent triple set of slightly iridescent dragonfly-like wings.
typical clothing	Loose-fitting trenchcoat-style black robe with blue hems the same color as his wings, usually a grey tunic and brown or black slacks. He also wears tall black leather boots and metallic blue shinguards that cover the area between the ankle and knee and a black headband (which provides the minor enchantment that styles his hair).
personality	Fiercely proud of his demonic ancestry; wishes for nothing more than to be acknowledged for his own merits instead of living in his father's shadow, although James actually has great respect for his father's accomplishments, despite the fact that it would take a lot to get him to admit it. Occasionally outwardly cold and something of a jerk, James is very harsh with many people, but is often particularly harsh with those he actually likes--perhaps to cover up the fact that he genuinely cares about them. He likes to utilize his demonic features to convey his emotions, particularly sassy wing flicks and a fangy grin that could get him confused for a vampire. He is, however, somewhat sensitive underneath his exterior, and his confidence occasionally falters whenever a task does not immediately come easily to him, especially regarding personal relationships.
fighting style	Gunnir Martial Type V Trickster
religious beliefs	Apathy; occasional, difficult to explain jealousy toward Reshtaha.
drunk type	Too honest for his own good
other	Aside from his Gunnir background, James was trained in his combat techniques by the Valthi mercenary Zeke Mazuo. He is currently living with his daughter, Zea Mazuo, and the two are (physically) intimately involved, but neither one actually acknowledges the relationship as being "official." James hung out with the "stoner" crew at Gunnir more often than any other social circle, and still smokes occasionally.

Background

James Paynus Silvar is the son of Hakaril and Sirvix Silvar, one of Doma's Generals and his succubus wife from the Netherworld. Unlike his father, James has been raised in what could easily be described as the lap of luxury--he grew up in Doma Castle, free to roam the grounds (despite frequent protests from the local guard, as the youthful James was always quite the troublemaker), provided with all varieties of food and drink, and supplied with an immense library for studying and education. For the most part, James has never had to work exceptionally hard, at least, not in terms of physical labor, a factor that he would attribute to his having time to develop his mind and become an exceptional genius. Outside observers, not having James's unique insights, would generally suggest that the net result was more likely his being something of a spoiled brat. Also unlike his father, James was introduced to magic at a very young age--indeed, the elder Silvar scanned the youth's aura for magical potential the day he was brought into the world, and was overjoyed to see that James's arcane aptitude was at least as great as his own.

Eager to see what kind of progress his son would make as a wizard, Hakaril taught James himself from his early years and eventually shipped the boy off to Gunnir to provide him with a more formal education at his alma mater. James enjoyed Gunnir immensely, perhaps as much as his father did, but struggled simultaneously with the resentment that his father had obvious plans for him--and, like his father before him, James was not entirely certain that he liked that idea. In an attempt to gain some control over his life, James decided that his best option was to study radically different branches of magic from his father, assuming that his decisions to invest his time in learning arts that were counter to Hakaril's would be a way to resist the obvious expectations placed upon him. Somewhat to James's initial disappointment, his father was /thrilled/ when he discovered that his son decided to study Shadow and Malediction magic, as he believed they were incredibly fitting for a rising mage with his background.

James is fiercely proud of his demonic ancestry and has great respect for his mother and her side of the family (despite the fact that, historically speaking, they have always been the greatest obstacle between her and his father). His middle name, something that humans might snicker at, is something he takes great pride in, since it is a "traditional demonic name on the demon side of his family." He regards his human side as his "weaker half," and he often openly states that he "would be an even better wizard if my mother had just gotten knocked up by a demon father." However, deep down, his resentment of his human side is really just masked resentment for his father, because James is constantly recognized as being "General Silvar's son," a title he feels does not do him justice. Wishing for nothing more than to be acknowledged for his own merits instead of living in his father's shadow, James actually has great respect for his father's accomplishments, despite the fact that it would take a lot to get him to admit it. He might, perhaps, be willing to respect them more openly if he felt less like his father's reputation was the only thing preventing him from being recognized for his own greatness.

Post-Gunnir Education and Development of Combat Style

After graduating from Gunnir Academy, James coincidentally encountered the mercenary Zeke Mazuo. Impressed by Zeke's professionalism and skills in anti-mage combat, James insisted that Zeke teach him practical knowledge about combat. Much of James's understanding of battle strategy, and even some of his spells, are adapted from Zeke's "lessons."

However, unlike his mentor, whose approach is typically subtle and to-the-point, James's fighting style is very flamboyant and takes advantage of his high dexterity to overcome his low physical strength. Most of his spells are intended to confuse and debilitate targets, and he is capable of channeling magical attacks through his weapons to make up for the relatively low power behind his strikes. He wields a katar in each hand, having taken to heart one of Zeke's first lessons: "You have two hands for a reason. In combat, use both of them." Additionally, he enjoys the visceral thrill of using his vicious demonic teeth to tear into unsuspecting foes.

The Valley of Shadows and Zea Mazuo

Taking on a mercenary job from the somewhat suspicious Jesiah Black resulted in James travelling with Zea Mazuo, Bulworth, and Cerene Sonelle. During a particularly nasty battle, the young half-incubus actually died, but his tenacity (and refusal to believe that it had even happened) resulted in his spirit hanging around his body for a while, which allowed him to converse with Zea. After the job was aborted and James was resurrected, James found himself again involved in Zea's life when a strange religious cult, manipulated by a ghost that had been following Zea around for years, kidnapped the girl in an attempt to unbind her aura and summon "the Ancients" (see Blandly Titled). Assisted by Solis Darylshield and Sorune Yohlm, James freed the girl from her captors and foiled their attempts.

Insistent upon preventing Zea from getting into further trouble, James followed her home and took up residence on her couch, demanding that she keep him around as a personal bodyguard in the event that any more insane cultists decided to give her trouble. Some time later, partly due to the encouragement of Quinn, James eventually "put the moves" on Zea and now retires to her bedchambers instead of the living room sofa. However, neither James nor Zea seems to acknowledge that they are involved in a romantic relationship; both of them seem to view the arrangement as nothing more than a casual partnership. Nevertheless, both Zea and James have felt jealousy with regard to attentions to the other from the opposite sex, so it is quite likely that they both have feelings that they have not yet come to terms with.

Plotted RP History

Board RPs

• Valley of the Shadows

Other Events

Non-board RPs and media featuring James as a character, not necessarily in chronological order:

• Blandly Titled
• From the Ashes

Philsys Data

Spells and Techs

• [Innate]Incubus Racial Traits - James's half-incubus nature provides him with wings, allowing him some limited flight. His maximum speed is limited to three times his Flying rank yards each round. He also is better resistant to magic of the Shadow element, reducing damage caused by Shadow effects by 50%. Holy-based healing spells do not harm James, but their effect is also reduced by 50%.
• [Katar=2]Precise Striking (2 TP) - Uses DEX to determine weapon damage bonuses instead of STR and eliminates all penalties to hit other than those caused by magical debuffs for one round. Heavy attacks are impossible when using Precise Striking.
• [Katar=4]Eloquent Striking (2 TP) - Adds DEX to AT a second time for one round.
• [Katar=6]Rapid Striking (3 TP) - Grants one extra attack of any type this round.
• [Channeling=1, M-Theory=1]Daggerspell Channeling (4 TP) - James can cast a spell into any bladed weapon and store it for later use as a free action. When the weapon holding the stored spell scores a hit against a target, the spell is released, affecting the target as though the spell had been cast. James cannot store any spell with a rank prerequisite that exceeds his Channeling rank. Only one spell may be stored each round in this manner, but a spell can be held in a weapon for a number of rounds equal to James's Channeling rank.
• [Channeling=4, M-Theory=4]Extend Spell (X MP, 3 TP) - As a free action, by paying the MP cost of a spell a second time when its duration would normally expire, James can continue the effect of any spell he has cast, causing it to persist for a number of additional rounds equal to its initial duration. The spell's duration is automatically extended--an affected target does not get a new resist roll.
• [M-Theory=4]Focused Spell (3 TP) - James can cast a spell through sheer force of will without any indication that he is casting, even if he is unable to speak or move, but the spell's rank prerequisites must not exceed his Applied Magical Theory rank. Unless observers succeed at an opposed check (observer's MAG*3+d20 vs. James's rank+WIS*3+d20), it is impossible to discern who cast the spell, though depending on the circumstances, James may be suspect. Useful for pulling pranks.
• [Vacuumancy=1]Aero (10 MP) - Destroys a column of air, crushing foes caught in the blast with high pressure as the vacuum fills. Deals 5+rank*2+1d6 air damage to all targets in a 10 foot corridor in front of the caster.
• [Vacuumancy=1]Gas Breathing (8 MP) - Allows the caster to breathe any gas for (rank*10) minutes without suffocating. This does not prevent any effects the gas may have besides hypoxia; caustic gases will still cause damage.
• [Vacuumancy=2, Malediction=4]Lesser Choke (10 MP) - Attempts to suck the air from a target's lungs forcefully and prevent them from breathing properly. James can continue to choke a target that fails to resist for a number of rounds equal to his Malediction rank, dealing Vaccumancy rank*2+1d6 damage each round and causing the target to suffer a -2/-2 AT/PA penalty.
• [Vacuumancy=4]Aero 2 (26 MP) - Destroys a column of air, crushing foes caught in the blast with high pressure as the vacuum fills. Deals 12+rank*4+2d6 air damage to all targets in a 20 foot corridor in front of the caster.
• [Vacuumancy=4]Suction Blast (16 MP) - Manipulates air currents to batter a single target with a high-pressure blow, dealing 14+rank*4+2d6 air damage to a single target. A target that fails to resist may be caught off guard and knocked prone unless they succeed a second resist roll. A prone target takes a -6 penalty to PA until able to stand again.
• [Vacuumancy=5]Vacuum Burst (12 MP) - Uses air currents to create a sudden, sharp, high-pressure blast, but the force is not great enough to cause wounds to most creatures. Instead, this spell is commonly used to move objects.
• [Shadow=1]Antithesis (8 MP) - Deals 8+rank*2+1d6 shadow damage to a single chosen target.
• [Shadow=2]Decay (6 MP) - Channels a small amount of shadow energy into a touched target. This deals rank+1d6 points of damage every round and can be maintained free of cost for a duration equal to James's Channeling rank. Touched objects will degrade and deteriorate, and plants and very small animals will die. This spell is very painful, despite not causing much actual harm, and is often used as a means of torture.
• [Shadow=3]Drain (10 MP) - Drains 6+rank+1d6 HP from a target and adds it to the caster's available hit points. Excess hit points beyond the caster's maximum are lost. Using this spell on undead creatures reverses the effect.
• [Shadow=4]Greater Antithesis (16 MP) - Deals 16+rank*4+2d6 shadow damage to a single chosen target.
• [Shadow=5]Siphon (18 MP) - Drains 10+rank*2+1d6 HP from a target and adds it to the caster's available hit points. Excess hit points beyond the caster's maximum are lost. Using this spell on undead creatures reverses the effect.
• [Shadow=6]Impenetrable Darkness (10 MP) - Creates a cube-shaped area of the purest darkness up to rank/2 yards on a side. No natural light can penetrate it, but some powerful magically created light might. Even creatures that can normally see in the dark are incapable of sight inside this area.
• [Shadow=8]Necrosis (18 MP) - Infects the target with shadow energy, causing slow but enduring tissue damage. Each round, an affected target takes 16+rank+1d6 shadow damage; this effect persists for rank/2 rounds.
• [Malediction=1]Cramp (8 MP) - Stuns a target that fails to resist for one round. That target suffers a -4/-4 penalty for the remainder of that round, but does not lose any applicable parries, though the affected target cannot take any attack actions.
• [Malediction=2]Weaken (8 MP) - Reduces a target's strength. Subtract (rank) from all of the affected target's melee damage rolls for 1+1d4 rounds.
• [Malediction=3]Cripple (8 MP) - Numbs a target's reflexes and makes it more difficult to move to defend. The target's PA is reduced by (rank) for (rank) rounds.
• [Malediction=4]Fumble (10 MP) - Decreases a target's accuracy by making their movements more clumsy. The target's AT is reduced by (rank) for (rank) rounds.
• [Malediction=5]Sleep (16 MP) - Puts a target to sleep. A sleeping target is completely helpless, suffering a -10/-10 penalty (though in most cases, attacks against a sleeping target will automatically succeed). If a sleeping target is damaged or attacked, it will wake up.
• [Malediction=6]Half-demon's Curse (16 MP) - Penalizes all of a target's rolls by -4 for (rank) rounds.
• [Astral=1]Astral Jolt (10 MP) - Deals 12+rank*2+1d6 astral damage to a single target.
• [Astral=3]Astral Halt (6 MP) - Temporarily disables the effects of an enchantment for up to rank rounds. At the end of this duration, the enchantment's effects return completely. This spell can prevent magic items from functioning for the length of its duration; a magical item with a triggered effect that is triggered during its suppressed period will "go off" as soon as this effect ends.
• [Astral=4]Astral Jolt 2 (18 MP) - Deals 16+rank*4+2d6 astral damage to a single target.
• [Astral=4]Astral Throw (10 MP) - This ability allows the caster to forcefully move people and enchanted objects (anything with an aura), flinging them or levitating them. No more than 20*rank pounds of mass may be moved in this manner at once.
• [Astral=5]Astral Siphoning (2 MP, 4 TP) - Sucks 8+rank*2+1d6 points of MP away from a target and gives it to the caster.
• [Astral=6]Astral Scorch (18 MP) - Inflicts a level 5 astral drain on the target.
• [Astral=7]Astral Break (14 MP) - Counters a spell as it is being cast. If the caster's magic attack roll for this spell exceeds the spell roll made by the attacker, the attacker's spell fails. This spell can be cast at any time, but doing so forfeits the caster's next turn.
• [Astral=8]Astral Dispel (12 MP) - FUTURE SPELL; NOT USABLE. Forcefully disjoins magical effects and enhancements by dispersing their astral energy. Dispels or removes a wide variety of effects, including Malediction and Benediction spells. Powerful or long-lasting effects may require a check to dispel.

See Also

• List of Archmage's RP characters.
• The Laws of Silvar Dynamics