Below you will find information about each character. This thread will be updated regularly. Current Characters Katara Olive Ravenna | Character Cheat Sheet Nassim Bossman Dusca The High Scientist The High Mage Character Template: Name: Sex: Social Class: Age in human years (must be 18): A brief description of appearance: (no pictures, please.) Background:
Katara Updated: --- Character Submitted by @Louanne Learning Approved 12/27/2024 Name: Katara Sex: Female Social Class: Poet – Katara, together with her mother, Dusca, and her grandfather, Bossman, own and run the Tavern. They come from a long line of poets. Age in human years (must be 18): 25 A brief description of appearance: (no pictures, please.) – Medium height and slender build, dark hair and eyes, which are always observing. Katara does not often smile, but when she does, it’s genuine and bright. Other notes: Katara’s father was a scientist named Barnabas who seduced and then abandoned Katara’s mother. Katara has been raised in the Poet tradition, but the strain of reason pulls on her. She is devoted to her mother and would never let on about the curiosity she has about her father. Her grandfather dotes on her.
Olive Updated: 12/30/2024 Character Submitted by @ps102 Approved: 12/27/2024 Name: Olive Sex: Female Social Class: Mage Age in human years: 24 A brief description of appearance: Olive-green eyes and hair, which is tied to a pony-tail. Average height and body build. She usually wears cyan-colored clothes. Other notes: Olive doesn't know who she is. The only thing she knows is that, five years ago, a thief violently robbed her of all she had and left her to die in an alley. She was found with severe head injuries, which she did recover from, but with amnesia as a result. Olive's initial search for her own identity was negative. Nobody seemed to know who she was, and nobody seemed to look for her. She then learned from a local that she spotted her getting down from one of the ships in the town's port along with many travelers recently. So she traveled from somewhere, which explained why nobody recognized her. She was a foreigner of unknown origin. Since then, Olive has been traveling around the country. Her water-type magic (composed from Hydrogen and Oxygen) is what she uses to fund her search for answers. Though she is far from amazing or notable at it. Other Character Info from @ps102 :
Ravenna Updated: 1/3/2025 Character Cheatsheet - Here! Character Submitted by @Gravy Accepted by other players: 12/27/2024 Name: Ravenna Sex: Female Social Class: Lab Rat Age in human years (must be 18): 22 Character Research Information: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9792-dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder https://beachsideteen.com/real-vs-fake-dissociative-identity-disorder-on-tiktok/ https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/dissociativeliving/living-with-did-dissociative-living A brief description of appearance: (no pictures, please.): Ravenna is about 5 feet 5 inches tall, is rather thin as one would expect. She wears a weird collection of clothes that she stole as she cannot afford any. She has long black hair and her left eye is green and her right eye is brown. She has darker skin and has a decent pain tolerance. Other notes (I'm just going to change this to Backstory): Ravenna grew up in Poet society and someone in her family, perhaps a cousin, committed a terrible crime. So her family was punished by association. She was about eleven and could not understand what was going on, and has vowed to find who doomed her to a life of inhumane experimentation. Five years after being sent to the labs, Ravenna escaped thanks to her family who is still there. She wants to go back to save them, but knows she has to not let their sacrifices be in vain. At the moment, Ravenna does not know if they are alive or doing well, but tries to focus on redeeming her family. Due to years of medical experimentation, Ravenna developed Dissociated Identity Disorder and her alters are listed below. But note this Ravenna is one of 4 and isn't the CORE persona and wishes to just get through the day. This is the alter who deals with day to day things, like eating, sleeping, interacting with others. Knows about Alisso and Nari, but THINKS she's the Core Persona. Has no knowledge of The Little One. Another note on Ravenna: the normal personality, the one that's the barmaid, is very obedient and resourceful. I think this personality came from wanting to be the perfect lab rat, because being good got you small rewards. Like another piece of bread, more water. This is the personality that survived the streets- so also does her best to not stand out. Because standing out made life difficult in the lab and on the streets. Second Persona: Name: Alisso Sex: None as as alter of Ravenna. But Alisso is a male persona. Age in human years (must be 18): 25 (or acts like it. Think of like a 'big brother' role.) Background: Takes over when Ravenna needs to be protected. Doesn't mind pain, in fact, he'll take all of it for her. Learned how to fight and was the one who escaped the lab. Alisso is aware of Ravenna and the Little One, but doesn't know Nari is also part of the system. He just knows he needs to protect the 'younger' one. Even though he's more stern, he's also kind to those he sees as weaker, if not a threat. Third Persona: Name: Nari Sex: None. Is a female persona. Age: 33 or just Same age as Ravenna's mother (who might be missing or have been sent to another lab?) Background: Sometimes gets flustered, because she doesn't know how to console Ravenna, so sings songs, fixes all wounds the best she can. She's gentle, but wishes she was better at comforting others. Doesn't know about Alisso or the Little One. The Core Persona- whom all other personas protect from surfacing at all costs: Name: The Little One Sex: The Little One is female. Age in human years (must be 18): 11 (so, can't be played, but referenced by the others who KNOW about her. They all do, but don't know one another.) Background: Is the 11 year old version of Ravenna who was dragged away from a decent life to a hellish lab. She's the CORE persona, which means the ORIGINAL ONE. Even the Ravenna we 'know' is an alter who grew up as a lab rat. The Little One is confused as to what is happening and why- still suffering from being torn away from her life and family. Knows NONE of the other alters.
UPDATED: 12/30/2024 The Wooden Ladle BarkeepName: Bossman Sex: Male Social Class: Poet Age in human years (must be 18): 62 A brief description of appearance: (no pictures, please.): Looks like a kindly, older barkeep. Could be most people's granddad, is rather short and getting shorter. Slightly balding and has tanned skin and white hair. Background: Is the owner of the Wooden Ladle and the father of Dusca, and grandfather of Katara. Now takes care of Ravenna, a young woman he saved from the streets.
Name: Barnabas Sex: Male Social Class: Scientist Age in human years (must be 18): 45 A brief description of appearance: (no pictures, please.): Youthful in appearance, Barnabas has chiseled good looks and long, dark hair. He is tall and lean and athletic, and his well-built form is shown off in his usual dress of leather tunic and pants. Background: Barnabas is the High Scientist. He and the High Mage (Hemios) counsel and advise the queen on all matters. Like Hemios, he is ambitious and has devoted his whole life to the queen’s service. Barnabas believes science should rule, and does not trust Hemios. Barnabas is unaware that Katara is his daughter. He gave up on anything approaching a loving relationship a long time ago. He has a serious disposition.
Character Cheat Sheet Ravenna The following information is from and paraphrased from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 (DSM 5). As the book uses a lot of psychological specific terms, I am going to break down the criteria and explain what is relevant to Ravenna’s character. I am NOT expecting this to followed to the letter- leaving some creative license makes things fun. I merely want to explain what Dissociative Identity Disorder could look like for this character. The following is the criteria from the DSM 5: A lot of big confusing words, yes? Don’t worry, it will be explained better below. Let’s start with Criteria A: What this is saying is there are two or more ‘personalities’ that are distinctly different from one another. I asked a psychology person I knew about how this ‘math’ is done, because ‘two or more’ is misleading. It means, 2 + the original personality. So, 3. And from what I understand, all three personalities should be distinct. Now, this is something I have just learned from my research for another story I have with this same disorder: the other personalities are created to protect the ‘original’ one. Also known as the CORE. Honestly, this may be outdated, but from what I know, other personalities are created through traumatic experiences. According to the DSM 5: “Dissociative identity disorder is associated with overwhelming experiences, traumatic events, and/or abuse occurring in childhood(Kluft 1985; Dalenberg et al. 2012; Silberg 1996). The full disorder may first manifest at almost any age (from earliest childhood to late life).” Interestingly enough, the DSM continues to say, “Other forms of traumatizing experiences, including childhood medical and surgical procedures, war….” So, given Ravenna’s background, it makes logical sense the experiments she was subjected to as a child created other personalities to protect herself. Now, criteria B: When I was researching this for another work, it was interesting to learn that each persona (or Alter as the Cleaveland Clinic calls alternate identities), is like whole other person. Sure, they may have similar traits, but one might like going to school, another does the chores around the house. One might like music, the other likes painting. But the issue that occurs is that the alters don’t always remember what happened while they were not in charge, or fronting, as I remember it being called. When a switch happens, I have heard of people becoming tired, or experiencing a headache. I am sure there are more, but those are the two I remember. So, there are sometimes huge memory gaps that occur and that’s what the DSM is saying here. For example, Becca Hargis wrote a blog post about what A Day in the Life with Dissociative Identity Disorder is like. In her post, which is part of her whole blog on the condition, she says: And later in the story, she gets a package that a different alter ordered. So, it is like living with a bunch of roomates, but you all share a body and want different things. In the blog post, Hargis also states that certain events of the day, like attending therapy “feels foggy and foreign…” The increment of time lost to other alters can vary and most likely be jarring. The DSM 5 put it neatly, if I am honest: When alters switch places, it’s called switching, something I understand isn’t always like flicking a switch. Sometimes it’s gradual, other times, it’s not. According to the DID-Research.org: “Switches can be consensual, forced, or triggered. If two alters choose to switch with one another, they usually have some degree of co-consciousness with each other and could both choose to remain at front, or actively aware of the outside world, after the switch. However, even with consensual switches, the alter who takes a step back, so to speak, may then retreat inside for whatever reason. A subtype of consensual switches are planned switches that were agreed upon ahead of time. For example, the host may ask a more academic alter to help them to take a standardized test on a certain date.” From what I understand, the altar can sometimes talk to one another in their head. It’s a very complex thing, but in the story, keeping it simple is best. I usually keep internal chatter to a minimum, even though Becca Hargis talks about having many voices talking at once. From what I read on HealthyPlace where Becca Hargis wrote about her experiences, it is quite a task to keep all the alters happy with one another- especially when events are forgotten, and packages are ordered without knowledge. The way this disorder really impacts someone is the gaps in memory that are mentioned above and also, the risk the alters don’t like one another. This can lead to suicide, which according to the DSM 5 is, “Over 70% of outpatients with dissociative identity disorder have attempted suicide; multiple attempts are common, and other self-injurious behavior is frequent (Foote et al. 2008; Putnam et al. 1986). Assessment of suicide risk may be complicated when there is amnesia for past suicidal behavior or when the presenting identity does not feel suicidal and is unaware that other dissociated identities do.” (However, I ask in this roleplay we keep it PG-13, so references are fine, but we want to keep Ravenna around for the story.) This criteria is more important in terms of our real world, but it is best to make note of it. So, a culture that has rituals that channel the dead or something, don’t count. So, like the above says, if you’re drunk and your personality changes, it doesn’t mean you have this. Or if you have a medical condition that causes personality changes, like a brain tumor or something. So, having read all this, the following applies to Ravenna’s character: - Ravenna has gaps in her memory from when she's not in control and tries to pretend she doesn't. - She sometimes hears Alisso talking to her when she's in danger or pain. He will offer a helping hand. The two only swap in dangerous situations. Following, Nari does her best to fix any injuries and calm herself down. - Ravenna feels tired and a little confused before and after she switches. This is usually gradual or cued by a situation. Even in danger, it's a slow shift and not very noticeable. - Doesn't know there are other personas/alters and yet has a feeling there is something she can't tell others. - Ravenna doesn't know how to write well, so doesn't keep a notebook or anything to keep track of events or time passing. None of the others know how to write either. Ravenna has about a 3rd grade level of spelling, etc. (US Schools) If you have any questions, please feel free to ask! Sources: The DSM 5 (NOT the Text Revised Version as I do not have access to it!) Becca Hargis: https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/dissociativeliving/2018/04/a-day-with-dissociative-identity-disorder HealthyPlace (Whole Blog): https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/dissociativeliving/living-with-did-dissociative-living The Cleveland Clinic: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9792-dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder Did-Research.org: https://did-research.org/did/identity_alteration/switching
Dusca Updated: --- Character Submitted by @Louanne Learning Approved 12/27/2024 Name: Dusca Sex: Female Social Class: Poet (runs the Tavern with her father Bossman and her daughter Katara) Age in human years (must be 18): 41 A brief description of appearance: (no pictures, please.): Dusca takes no care with her appearance. Plain and plump, she wears her hair tightly pulled back, and a dress made of homespun. Background: At the age of sixteen, Dusca was seduced by a scientist (Barnabas) who abandoned her even before he knew she was pregnant. Loud and obnoxious, although she is devoted to her daughter, Katara, and Katara is devoted to her, she gave up poetry and her faith in strangers a long time ago. Dusca’s father is the kindly barkeep, Bossman.
Character Approved: 1/7/2024 Character Submitted by @EFMingo Name: Nassim (Not his original name, but few would ever hear his old name. The streets know him as another name, 'Rust,' when the need arises.) Sex: Male Social Class: Formerly in the upper echelons of the Poet class, been Lab Rat for fifteen years. Age in human years (must be 18): 46 A brief description of appearance: (no pictures, please.) Nassim makes his outward appearance look of a slender, aging man of extreme poverty. He wears a full hooded robe of gray shifting brown cloth, mirroring the streets of which he ordinarily resides. Its dirty and stained with grime from outdoor life yet doesn't smell. It simply blends. His face is of hard edges and lines, wrinkles and cracks of weathered white skin. His eyes are as gray as they are blue, shifting in the dim light. He carries a semi-metallic pipe walking stick, weighted surprisingly adequate on each side despite the ungainly appearance. He wears no shoes. Background: Nassim was a blacksmith of generational talent, rending metals of the purest mage-grade summoning to refined artisan works. Where mages could generate elements to their purest crystalline structures, he could shape, bend, and forge their base to grand artifacts and devices. To put it simply, he was the penultimate in a long line of artists in metals and semi-metals; his youngest daughter being the last. In a political spat between mages, a gift said to be of Nassim's hand dissolved in the hands of the receiver though the maker was the same mage overstepping his abilities and unwilling to pay Nassim. As recompense, and a way of saving face, the mage placed the blame and fault on Nassim's shoulders as a fraud, publicly deplatforming his entire family as tricksters to be sentenced to a life of the rats. Sickness, malfeasance, and depression took his family one by one from him as the family paid false penance and it drove Nassim near mad. For fifteen years he wandered the city's darkest streets performing an array of hateful crimes, yet they were ever directed upwards in class. He refined physical skills in the dark, using his knowledge of the elements and their rending to develop a vast array of traps and weapons, always to be used on those he deemed deserving. Yet, his life of crime never fulfilled him. He internalized his sadness and rage, becoming more of a wanderer. But the people who know of his former hateful life of crime call on him from time to time, which is how he still survives. Street to street, inn to inn, paying his way despite wandering. A beggar who never begs. A cracking shell of a man that doesn't understand why he refuses to break. A hidden blight on castes he never intends to serve again.
The High Mage Name: Hemios Sex: Male Social Class: Mage Age in human years (must be 18): 50 A brief description of appearance: (no pictures, please.): Hemios has wild, white hair, which compliment the blue velvet mage’s robes he usually wears. His eyes are puffy due to his daily indulgence in alcoholic honey mead, which has also caused him to put on a few pounds. He smiles and laughs easily. Background: Hemios (Greek for chemist) is the High Mage. He and the High Scientist (Barnabas) counsel and advise the queen on all matters. Like Barnabas, he is ambitious and has devoted his whole life to the queen’s service. Hemios believes magic should rule and does not trust Barnabas. He is a quick wit and can be very funny, and also he is secretly in love with the queen.
