William G Maryblood (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
strength_of_will) wrote2023-06-18 03:35 am
strength_of_will) wrote2023-06-18 03:35 am
Entry tags:
App for Expiation
Character Name: William G. Maryblood
Character Canon: The Faraway Paladin
Canon Point: Right before entering the Iron Mountain
Age: 17-18*
(*NOTE: His canon considers infants to start from the age of '1' rather than '0' which means in Earth terms he's a year younger than stated in canon.)
Crime: "A monster in the guise of a man."
Background: https://the-faraway-paladin.fandom.com/wiki/William_G._Maryblood
His chosen canon point comes from Act 3: The Lord of the Iron Mountains which is not summarised in the wiki. Essentially, two years pass in which William dedicates himself as feudal lord to the development of Torch Port. In that time, they receive a group of dwarf refugees from the mountains who have been wandering ever since they were driven out by an overwhelming horde of demons and a dragon. All is relatively peaceful until William receives an ominous prophecy. The prophecy warns that the dragon within the mountains would soon stir and, if not stopped, would lay waste to the very land that he now oversees.
William knows - and is cautioned by not only his own goddess but his sworn nemesis, Stagnate - that he is not yet powerful enough to take on a dragon and live. Even so, he cannot help but support the dwarven leader's resolve to defeat the dragon and take back their ancestral home - and so he sets out with a small, hand-picked group in the hopes of reclaiming the mountain for his dwarven allies.
Along the way, they chance upon an elf woman - a resident of the dwarves' former, elvish neighbours whose village has slowly been wasting away due to the poisonous influence of miasma. Although they do not stay long, their presence gives the elves hope. It is with their help that William and his group are guided to the door into Iron Mountain.
Personality:
The core of William's motivations stems from his memories of his former life in our world (Earth). It's the typical trope: a man wastes his adult years living as a depressed hermit, accomplishing nothing and then dying ignobly. William does not remember precise details of that life but he remembers enough to know how he felt during his latter years. Upon reincarnation in his current world, he resolves to make the most of his second chance and live a fulfilling and meaningful life.
Growing up, William has the loving but firm tutelage of three undead: Gus, a sage; Blood, a warrior; and Mary, a priestess. Spurred by his resolve to live a proper life, William throws himself into his studies. From Gus, he develops skill in magic; from Blood, he strengthens his physical body and tactical reasoning; from Mary, he learns all manner of life skills. All of this serves to develop him into an unusually strong yet well-rounded young man, setting him up for his independence at the age of fifteen. What William does not realise, however, is that his guardians do this knowing that his coming of age will signal the end of their undead lives.
When William turns fifteen and completes his final proving battle against Blood, an Echo of the god of undeath, Stagnate, arrives to claim Mary and Blood's souls for his undead army. Gus manages to ambush and banish the Echo, only for a second to descend and retaliate, leaving the three guardians greatly weakened. Before Stagnate departs, they make an offer to William: join their undead army as a general and live forever with his cherished family.
This event marks a critical turning point in William's life. Although the offer is tempting, William makes up his mind to refuse and defend his family from Stagnate despite knowing he is a woefully inadequate match. Indeed, he struggles to hold his own against the initial horde of undead minions Stagnate initially summons nevermind the Echo itself. Eventually, a venomous snakebite takes him down, and for a moment it seems as though William will die in vain.
On the verge of death, he is reunited with Gracefeel, goddess of the torch.
When Gracefeel questions why William rejected Stagnate's offer to become undead, he reaffirms his resolve to live life to its fullest with all its trials and tribulations. To become undead would have been no different to shutting himself away from the world, as he had in his previous life. When Gracefeel questions why she should return him to the world of the living, William asserts after some thought that he wants to protect his family.
Gracefeel: "Knowest thou assuredly the weight of life?"
William: "Yes."
Gracefeel: "And still art thou ready to receive death?"
William: "Yes."
Gracefeel: "And still wilt thou show love and kindness to life, even when it vanisheth away?"
William: "Yes. I will. I've understood that at last thanks to your grace. Merciful god of the flame and eternal flux, I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
Gracefeel: "Thine heart speaket clear. Raise thine head, son of man. Thou, William. While thou rememberest that readiness, thou art worthy. Arise. Vow to me, and let us go together. 'Til thine life ends and I lead thee again...I shall be thine guardian."
At this point, William awakens on the field to Stagnate laughing, believing themselves to have won the battle. But William struggles to his knees and begins to pray, formulating the vow he will make to Gracefeel in order to receive her divine protection. This power - this Benediction - offered by the gods of this canon scales to the gravity of the vow made when a person comes of age. Those who offer the most of themselves receive great power, but must weather as-great trials and tribulations in return.
William: "Gracefeel, ruler of eternal flux, please go forth with me. And I swear this to you, my god. I dedicate my whole life to you! As your blade, I will drive away evil, and as your hands, I will bring salvation to those in sorrow!! This I swear on the flame of Gracefeel, goddess of flux!!
By offering his very life, William receives the power to bring repose to the undying whilst also guaranteeing that the life he lives will see him become a storied hero...or die a vainglorious death. Such is the strength of William's conviction, born of a memory of his past life as well as a treasured upbringing.
With his triumph over Stagnate's Echo, William bids farewell to his family (a permanent farewell for Blood and Mary) and sets out into the wider world. Having grown up in an isolated environment, he has no knowledge of the state of the world and must make use of all that he has learnt growing up in order to find civilisation. It is a rough learning slope for him yet William forges ahead undaunted by the setbacks thrown his way.
- From his first friend and ally, Meneldor the half-elf, he learns the importance of working with others and not facing troubles alone. Although William may be monstrously strong, there are challenges one cannot overcome alone.
- From Antonio and Robina, wandering merchant and bard, he comes to understand the importance of currency and trade (not that he hadn't taken Gus' advice to heart about money but seeing the power of it in-person drives home the lesson).
- From Head Bishop Bagley, he learns the meaning of faith and its effect on those who look to him as a figurehead, which he uses to help spread Gracefeel's name.
- From Vindalfr, son of the last dwarf king of the Iron Country, he is reminded of the meaning of courage in the face of certain death. William knows very well that fighting the dragon in Iron Mountain will be certain death but as a paladin of Gracefeel what else can he do but face his death and honour the vow made to his goddess?
All these little experiences help William to further grow and mould him into a natural leader - and more importantly, support him as he grows into the role of Gracefeel's champion.
Abilities:
Words of Creation - this refers to the system of magic in which words themselves hold power. The language which the people currently speak is said to have been bastardised from this original script in order not to accidentally invite destruction. Such is the power of these words that people take care to mar any writing with the gods' names so that the word cannot activate. There is no inherent strength or power to each word; instead, it is the skill and ability of the caster which determines how effective their spellcasting is. Advanced sorcerers such as Gus can cast up to four spells simultaneously. Typically, a 'good' mage is able to cast two.
Benediction - this refers to abilities specifically granted by the gods or goddesses upon their followers. In William's case, this includes the following:
- Divine Torch - grants repose and guidance to the souls of the dead
- Cure Illness - cures diseases
- Close Wounds - heals cuts and minor injuries
- Sanctuary - raises a huge wall of light around a certain vicinity
- Sacred Shield - a wall of light that negates spells and benedictions
- Full Recovery - cures wounds, curses and diseases alike
- Preservation - prevents rot
- Anti-poison - grants increased resistance to poisons
- Antidote - cures poisoning
- Detoxification - removes alcohol from the bloodstream
- Sanity - recovery from confusion
- Purification - removes impurities and pollutants
Stigmata - a trait he obtained due to constant prayer as well as bread obtained by Mary. It gives him a resistance to miasma and unholy poison specifically. In elemental terms, likely a resistance to 'dark' magic.
Unusual strength - due to Blood's training, William exhibits greater than normal physical strength. He is able to throw large creatures such as wyverns and giants.
Inventory:
- Pale Moon: a dwarven-made spear with the ability to shorten/lengthen as the owner wills it. It has other words carved into it which strengthen and hone its edge and can also produce light at a word.
- Overeater: a demonblade with an ability that is best described as vampiric. It steals the life force of any living being it cuts down and uses it to fuel the wielder. However, it comes at a psychological price to the user. It is easy to become dependent on its power if one has a weak will. This blade can cut through just about anything, including an Echo of a god. *** (I think this weapon is too overpowered and thus would not be with William on arrival?)
- Shield: nothing special, just a shield that William has reinforced with Words to be more durable than it would otherwise normally be.
- The clothes he's wearing :')
Samples:
TDM thread: https://expiationmeme.dreamwidth.org/2386.html?thread=1221970#cmt1221970
Additionally, a written sample:
Settling into a new, foreign land comes easily to William. He had noted with some wry humour that this would make the second time he's been spirited away to somewhere new, giving silent thanks to the gods who apparently reside here for not making him spend another fifteen years growing up. He doesn't think he could handle being treated like an infant again.
Aldrip is not so different to Torch Port in that it's a level of advancement familiar to William by now. The locals don't seem to fear magic, which is good. They seem a little in awe of his Benediction but are confused when he brings up Gracefeel's name. When he switches to more generic suggestions of how they might show their gratitude, that appears to satisfy them. And in the course of bartering his healing services, the locals are happy enough to fill him in on the more prosaic aspects of this new land.
After a week, William is quite satisfied that he understands enough to get by. Now it's just a matter of trying to understand his supposed 'crime'...
The parchment is tucked away safely in his pocket. It seems oddly impervious to any crinkling, tearing, or other forms of damage (accidental or otherwise). Obviously, whoever left it does not intend for him to be able to escape the words written there. Whilst he has fairly made peace with his own monstrous strength, others may not see it that way. In his world, he's a respected leader and holy knight. Here, he's apparently a criminal: which surely means that the natives must view his strength as a terrible thing...right?
He shakes his head roughly and sighs. There's no point fretting over what he can't change. He just has to make the most of his new circumstances. Maybe one of the other 'Chosen' here will be able to tell him something more.
Questions: None besides the question of whether Overeater (demonblade) would be present with William upon arrival or not.
Character Canon: The Faraway Paladin
Canon Point: Right before entering the Iron Mountain
Age: 17-18*
(*NOTE: His canon considers infants to start from the age of '1' rather than '0' which means in Earth terms he's a year younger than stated in canon.)
Crime: "A monster in the guise of a man."
Background: https://the-faraway-paladin.fandom.com/wiki/William_G._Maryblood
His chosen canon point comes from Act 3: The Lord of the Iron Mountains which is not summarised in the wiki. Essentially, two years pass in which William dedicates himself as feudal lord to the development of Torch Port. In that time, they receive a group of dwarf refugees from the mountains who have been wandering ever since they were driven out by an overwhelming horde of demons and a dragon. All is relatively peaceful until William receives an ominous prophecy. The prophecy warns that the dragon within the mountains would soon stir and, if not stopped, would lay waste to the very land that he now oversees.
William knows - and is cautioned by not only his own goddess but his sworn nemesis, Stagnate - that he is not yet powerful enough to take on a dragon and live. Even so, he cannot help but support the dwarven leader's resolve to defeat the dragon and take back their ancestral home - and so he sets out with a small, hand-picked group in the hopes of reclaiming the mountain for his dwarven allies.
Along the way, they chance upon an elf woman - a resident of the dwarves' former, elvish neighbours whose village has slowly been wasting away due to the poisonous influence of miasma. Although they do not stay long, their presence gives the elves hope. It is with their help that William and his group are guided to the door into Iron Mountain.
Personality:
The core of William's motivations stems from his memories of his former life in our world (Earth). It's the typical trope: a man wastes his adult years living as a depressed hermit, accomplishing nothing and then dying ignobly. William does not remember precise details of that life but he remembers enough to know how he felt during his latter years. Upon reincarnation in his current world, he resolves to make the most of his second chance and live a fulfilling and meaningful life.
Growing up, William has the loving but firm tutelage of three undead: Gus, a sage; Blood, a warrior; and Mary, a priestess. Spurred by his resolve to live a proper life, William throws himself into his studies. From Gus, he develops skill in magic; from Blood, he strengthens his physical body and tactical reasoning; from Mary, he learns all manner of life skills. All of this serves to develop him into an unusually strong yet well-rounded young man, setting him up for his independence at the age of fifteen. What William does not realise, however, is that his guardians do this knowing that his coming of age will signal the end of their undead lives.
When William turns fifteen and completes his final proving battle against Blood, an Echo of the god of undeath, Stagnate, arrives to claim Mary and Blood's souls for his undead army. Gus manages to ambush and banish the Echo, only for a second to descend and retaliate, leaving the three guardians greatly weakened. Before Stagnate departs, they make an offer to William: join their undead army as a general and live forever with his cherished family.
This event marks a critical turning point in William's life. Although the offer is tempting, William makes up his mind to refuse and defend his family from Stagnate despite knowing he is a woefully inadequate match. Indeed, he struggles to hold his own against the initial horde of undead minions Stagnate initially summons nevermind the Echo itself. Eventually, a venomous snakebite takes him down, and for a moment it seems as though William will die in vain.
On the verge of death, he is reunited with Gracefeel, goddess of the torch.
When Gracefeel questions why William rejected Stagnate's offer to become undead, he reaffirms his resolve to live life to its fullest with all its trials and tribulations. To become undead would have been no different to shutting himself away from the world, as he had in his previous life. When Gracefeel questions why she should return him to the world of the living, William asserts after some thought that he wants to protect his family.
Gracefeel: "Knowest thou assuredly the weight of life?"
William: "Yes."
Gracefeel: "And still art thou ready to receive death?"
William: "Yes."
Gracefeel: "And still wilt thou show love and kindness to life, even when it vanisheth away?"
William: "Yes. I will. I've understood that at last thanks to your grace. Merciful god of the flame and eternal flux, I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
Gracefeel: "Thine heart speaket clear. Raise thine head, son of man. Thou, William. While thou rememberest that readiness, thou art worthy. Arise. Vow to me, and let us go together. 'Til thine life ends and I lead thee again...I shall be thine guardian."
At this point, William awakens on the field to Stagnate laughing, believing themselves to have won the battle. But William struggles to his knees and begins to pray, formulating the vow he will make to Gracefeel in order to receive her divine protection. This power - this Benediction - offered by the gods of this canon scales to the gravity of the vow made when a person comes of age. Those who offer the most of themselves receive great power, but must weather as-great trials and tribulations in return.
William: "Gracefeel, ruler of eternal flux, please go forth with me. And I swear this to you, my god. I dedicate my whole life to you! As your blade, I will drive away evil, and as your hands, I will bring salvation to those in sorrow!! This I swear on the flame of Gracefeel, goddess of flux!!
By offering his very life, William receives the power to bring repose to the undying whilst also guaranteeing that the life he lives will see him become a storied hero...or die a vainglorious death. Such is the strength of William's conviction, born of a memory of his past life as well as a treasured upbringing.
With his triumph over Stagnate's Echo, William bids farewell to his family (a permanent farewell for Blood and Mary) and sets out into the wider world. Having grown up in an isolated environment, he has no knowledge of the state of the world and must make use of all that he has learnt growing up in order to find civilisation. It is a rough learning slope for him yet William forges ahead undaunted by the setbacks thrown his way.
- From his first friend and ally, Meneldor the half-elf, he learns the importance of working with others and not facing troubles alone. Although William may be monstrously strong, there are challenges one cannot overcome alone.
- From Antonio and Robina, wandering merchant and bard, he comes to understand the importance of currency and trade (not that he hadn't taken Gus' advice to heart about money but seeing the power of it in-person drives home the lesson).
- From Head Bishop Bagley, he learns the meaning of faith and its effect on those who look to him as a figurehead, which he uses to help spread Gracefeel's name.
- From Vindalfr, son of the last dwarf king of the Iron Country, he is reminded of the meaning of courage in the face of certain death. William knows very well that fighting the dragon in Iron Mountain will be certain death but as a paladin of Gracefeel what else can he do but face his death and honour the vow made to his goddess?
All these little experiences help William to further grow and mould him into a natural leader - and more importantly, support him as he grows into the role of Gracefeel's champion.
Abilities:
Words of Creation - this refers to the system of magic in which words themselves hold power. The language which the people currently speak is said to have been bastardised from this original script in order not to accidentally invite destruction. Such is the power of these words that people take care to mar any writing with the gods' names so that the word cannot activate. There is no inherent strength or power to each word; instead, it is the skill and ability of the caster which determines how effective their spellcasting is. Advanced sorcerers such as Gus can cast up to four spells simultaneously. Typically, a 'good' mage is able to cast two.
Benediction - this refers to abilities specifically granted by the gods or goddesses upon their followers. In William's case, this includes the following:
- Divine Torch - grants repose and guidance to the souls of the dead
- Cure Illness - cures diseases
- Close Wounds - heals cuts and minor injuries
- Sanctuary - raises a huge wall of light around a certain vicinity
- Sacred Shield - a wall of light that negates spells and benedictions
- Full Recovery - cures wounds, curses and diseases alike
- Preservation - prevents rot
- Anti-poison - grants increased resistance to poisons
- Antidote - cures poisoning
- Detoxification - removes alcohol from the bloodstream
- Sanity - recovery from confusion
- Purification - removes impurities and pollutants
Stigmata - a trait he obtained due to constant prayer as well as bread obtained by Mary. It gives him a resistance to miasma and unholy poison specifically. In elemental terms, likely a resistance to 'dark' magic.
Unusual strength - due to Blood's training, William exhibits greater than normal physical strength. He is able to throw large creatures such as wyverns and giants.
Inventory:
- Pale Moon: a dwarven-made spear with the ability to shorten/lengthen as the owner wills it. It has other words carved into it which strengthen and hone its edge and can also produce light at a word.
- Overeater: a demonblade with an ability that is best described as vampiric. It steals the life force of any living being it cuts down and uses it to fuel the wielder. However, it comes at a psychological price to the user. It is easy to become dependent on its power if one has a weak will. This blade can cut through just about anything, including an Echo of a god. *** (I think this weapon is too overpowered and thus would not be with William on arrival?)
- Shield: nothing special, just a shield that William has reinforced with Words to be more durable than it would otherwise normally be.
- The clothes he's wearing :')
Samples:
TDM thread: https://expiationmeme.dreamwidth.org/2386.html?thread=1221970#cmt1221970
Additionally, a written sample:
Settling into a new, foreign land comes easily to William. He had noted with some wry humour that this would make the second time he's been spirited away to somewhere new, giving silent thanks to the gods who apparently reside here for not making him spend another fifteen years growing up. He doesn't think he could handle being treated like an infant again.
Aldrip is not so different to Torch Port in that it's a level of advancement familiar to William by now. The locals don't seem to fear magic, which is good. They seem a little in awe of his Benediction but are confused when he brings up Gracefeel's name. When he switches to more generic suggestions of how they might show their gratitude, that appears to satisfy them. And in the course of bartering his healing services, the locals are happy enough to fill him in on the more prosaic aspects of this new land.
After a week, William is quite satisfied that he understands enough to get by. Now it's just a matter of trying to understand his supposed 'crime'...
The parchment is tucked away safely in his pocket. It seems oddly impervious to any crinkling, tearing, or other forms of damage (accidental or otherwise). Obviously, whoever left it does not intend for him to be able to escape the words written there. Whilst he has fairly made peace with his own monstrous strength, others may not see it that way. In his world, he's a respected leader and holy knight. Here, he's apparently a criminal: which surely means that the natives must view his strength as a terrible thing...right?
He shakes his head roughly and sighs. There's no point fretting over what he can't change. He just has to make the most of his new circumstances. Maybe one of the other 'Chosen' here will be able to tell him something more.
Questions: None besides the question of whether Overeater (demonblade) would be present with William upon arrival or not.