The Stray typically comes off as a polite, overly formal person that is quick to try and please those around him. He is highly curious about nearly everything and isn’t shy about asking questions, nor answering them either, if prompted. Though he could be considered an extrovert given his love for people and places with lots of them, he is strangely reserved, often limiting his contact with others and preferring to watch rather than engage. This is more of a cautionary measure rather than a preference, as the Stray is generally very chatty and open to conversation.
⯀ A devout member of the Architect's Disciples, the Stray considers the day of his birth to be when he was granted sentience and free will by ingesting the blood of a Grey Warden as part of the Awakening. With no memory of anything prior, the Stray isn't aware of how old they actually are, but have been sentient for the past 10 years.
■ Loyal to the Architect's cause, even after his absence, the Stray took to the life of a wanderer, in wait of signs of impending Blight. For the next 10 years, Stray roamed Thedas trying to continue the Architect's work. In this time, he learned and experienced many different things about the world and cultures spread throughout Thedas.
■ Having made off with the final samples of Warden blood procured by the Architect, the Stray has continued to perform the Awakening on various darkspawn in order to grant them sentience. Though unfortunately, the Stray is not as well-versed in the practice and understanding of it as his predecessor was. Despite his oath to both prevent and fight against future Blights, the Stray claims to care for his fellow darkspawn and thinks that freeing their minds is the greatest gift he can give them, in spite of the resistance even the Architect faced from those who were displeased with their free will.
■ The Stray was quick to learn that most people weren't quite accepting of talking darkspawn—or darkspawn in general for that matter, and he was often met with fear or hostility. Luckily, it wasn't uncommon for one to cover their face, whether as protection or a fashion statement, and Stray took advantage of this in order to better blend in among the Thedosian people.
■ Despite being an outsider to all, the Stray approached everything with great curiosity and revelled in all that he would have never known without the Awakening. He is particularly fond of Orlesian culture and dress and has taken to imitating its fashion and customs. With it being customary to cover one's face in Orlesian culture, the Stray has found that he encounters less skepticism while visiting Orlais.
■ While exploring Thedas, the Stray came upon a secluded cottage in the Orlesian countryside. A variety of paintings and carvings were strewn all throughout the yard, drawing his attention to the works of art. For the next few nights, he found himself returning to glimpse the various paintings and sculptures again, occasionally finding new ones presumably set out to dry. One night, however, he would meet the person responsible for the creations: a young Orlesian man named Olivier. Having been watching the Stray return every night to skulk around his yard, he had prepared himself for a fight, should he need to. Approaching the Stray with his weapon drawn, he was surprised when the hurlock he had been hiding from the past few nights began to speak -- even complimenting the work he had set out. What started as a confrontation soon turned into polite conversation about the young man’s work. Similar interactions would continue over the next few nights until a sense of trust began to form between them. A reclusive person, Olivier had trouble connecting with others and had no friends to speak of; his willingness to open up to the darkspawn that had wandered into his life was likely a result of loneliness. As the trust and friendship between them grew, Olivier began to venture into the village nearby with the Stray, who would go fully masked and cloaked. Here, the Stray learned more about Orlesian culture and how to interact with others a little more naturally. Likewise, Olivier seemed to become more comfortable around other people with the Stray by his side. As the two began to spend more and more time together, Olivier tried to teach the Stray to paint and crafted him his own mask to wear.
However, everything would take a turn for the unfortunate when Olivier began to fall ill with blight sickness. Despite the Stray’s best intentions, he was still a darkspawn and carried the Taint within his body. Had he been a little more careful with his interactions with Olivier and the world around him, maybe things could have turned out better -- but it was already too late. The Stray had become too comfortable with his new life and now he had to pay dearly for it. The Stray watched as Olivier slowly began to wither away, his blight sickness eventually progressing into ghoulism. With the last drop of Warden blood the Stray had procured from Amaranthine, he used it to perform the Awakening on Olivier in an attempt to bring him back and free him from The Call. Though he succeeded in the latter, Olivier was not the same person he was before. He had become distressed and manic, repeatedly asking “what happened to the song?” He became disgusted with his rotted, withering body and laid waste to all his previous works in a fit of rage. “Beauty fades,” he would say, “like all else, it withers and dies.” The Stray was horrified by what Olivier had become, and even more so that he had done it to him. He attempted to care for Olivier, reassuring him and trying to get him to create again, but nothing seemed to get through. It all finally came to an end when the Stray found Olivier dead after attempting to eat himself. Before the Stray departed his former friend’s home, he buried the remains outside. Upon later returning, he found the grass and vegetation around the burial site had become barren and withered.
₂.DESCRIPTION
██████ ////
⯀HAIR / None ⯀SKIN / White ⯀EYES / White
⯀HEIGHT / 6’3” ⯀PHYSIQUE / Wiry
⯀MISC / x
Quote:
The Stray dresses exclusively in lavish Orlesian garb with ornate, full-face masks. To match, he carries himself in a poised, elegant manner. However, underneath his opulent clothes, the Stray appears as a standard hurlock with pale skin, blank eyes, and a ghoulish face. Despite his efforts to hide these features, the Stray does not see himself as ugly, but rather dresses the way he does because he likes to.
⯀ POWERS tab■Detect Taint: Like Grey Wardens, the Stray can detect the presence of blighted creatures. Likewise, both darkspawn and Grey Wardens can detect his presence. tab■Blighted: As a darkspawn, the Stray isn’t harmed by the Taint, though as a carrier of it, he runs the risk of spreading it to others if he isn’t careful. tab■Command Darkspawn: The Disciples have some influence over unawakened darkspawn and can give them simple orders.
Quote:
tactics
₄.EXTRA
██████ ////
⯀BIRTHDAY / Unknown ⯀MBTI / ENTP
⯀FAITH / Undecided
⯀VOICE / The Stray’s voice is low and soft. Though he doesn’t use complicated words, the way he speaks comes off as thoughtful and eloquent. Example: Christopher Lee x
⯀ PLOTS tab■ x
Quote:
As a darkspawn, Stray is not necessarily male or female, but is used to being perceived as and referred to as male, likely due to his height and deep voice.
Stray is under the impression that all beings possessing free will have a definitive purpose in life and that he, a darkspawn whose initial purpose was to spread the Blight, now has none. He thinks that if he does not find this special purpose, then he will fall into apathy and reassimilate.
Stray developed his healing skills with the Blight in mind. Since darkspawn heal rapidly, he and his kind had little use for healers, but the people of Thedas would be in need of them more than ever in the event of a Blight.
Stray's gaudy attire has more practicality than it looks. The many layers of fabric works as a buffer between himself and others, decreasing any chances of them catching the Taint from contact.
Stray has a very surface level understanding of social etiquette. His overly formal speech is a result of him mimicking what he believes to be polite conversation, even if it's too much for the occasion.
Most of his clothes have been salvaged from the trash or looted from corpses.
Enjoys shiny things.
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2019 1:36 pm
Gateways / Dimmu Borgir The core principle of freedom Is the only notion to obey The formulae of evolution and sin Leading the way
The rebirth is near completion As we slowly awaken from slumber To receive the light that shines in darkness The light that shines forevermore (forevermore)
//
Be the broken or the breaker Be the giver or the undertaker Unlock and open the doors Be the healer or the faker The keys are in your hands Realize you are your own sole creator Of your own master plan
State of Trust / Dark Tranquility I track movement Like light behind my eyes Made to match up With what I tell myself each day My experience Is what I do not know And one I cannot trust
It infects the marrow A virus of ideas It is inside me now What my mind is telling me Must come undone
If this is all that I remember, can I ever trust myself
The Edge of Forever / Symphony X Draped in a silken glow of moonlight through the mist I see, a lucid cathedral appears to me. pray for a glimpse of touch of sunlight chain our shadow down, night settles in, my love, you never make a sound.
//
Close your eyes - and try to remember discordant lullabies of days gone by
The Death of Music / Devin Townsend The rain will come The rain will always be In things I am are things that have to be My friends have come and I never bothered
'Cause myself and I There is no other
Skawly
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Skawly
Captain
Monster
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Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2019 1:13 pm
the guillotine queen
xxxxxloyalxxxxxabsent-mindedxxxxxreverentxxxxxnaive xxxxxcuriousxxxxxvain theywerekidsthationceknewSTRAY theywerekidsthationfgceknewtheywerekidsthationceknewtheywerekidsthationceknewTHE DISCIPLE ■ ♛ . UNKNOWN; 10+ ■ ♛ . DARKSPAWN (HURLOCK) ■ ♛ . ROGUE ■ ♛ . DAGGERS ■ ♛ . TEMPEST SPECIALIZATION ■ ♛ . [x] ■ ♛ A devout member of the Architect's Disciples, Stray considers the day of their birth to be when he was granted sentience and free will by ingesting the blood of a Grey Warden as part of the Awakening. With no memory of anything prior, Stray isn't aware of how old they actually are, but have been sentient for the past 10 years.
■ ♛ Loyal to the Architect's cause, even after his death at the hands of the Warden Commander, Stray took to the life of a wanderer, in wait of signs of impending Blight so that he may quell it and free his darkspawn brethren from the Call of the Old Gods. For the next 10 years, Stray roamed Thedas in lieu of a purpose outside of the Architect's cause. In this time, he learned and experienced many different things about the world and cultures spread throughout Thedas.
■ ♛ Stray was quick to learn that most people weren't quite accepting of talking darkspawn—or darkspawn in general for that matter, and he was often met with fear or hostility. Luckily, it wasn't that uncommon for one to cover their face, whether as protection or a fashion statement, and Stray took advantage of this in order to better blend in among the Thedosian people.
■ ♛ Despite being an outsider to all, Stray approached the world with great curiosity and reveled in the cultures he would have never known without the Awakening. He is particularly fond of Orlesian culture and dress and has taken to imitating its fashion and customs since experiencing Orlais. With it being customary to cover ones face in Orlesian culture, Stray has found that he finds greater acceptance and less skepticism while visiting Orlesian settlements.
■ ♛ When the Inquisition reformed to fix the breach and vanquish Corypheus and his forces, rumors spread that a sixth Blight may be looming on the horizon. Both concerned and curious, Stray came to investigate, but from a distance. With the presence of Grey Wardens in Skyhold, Stray was weary to approach, fearing they would sense him as a threat, especially with the talk of a potential Blight.
■ ♛ After Corypheus had been dealt with for good and the threat of a sixth Blight was quelled, Stray began to realize that they had spent nearly all of their life feverishly awaiting disaster so that they could finally feel fulfilled—and that wasn't exactly a good thing. It was still important to him to carry out the Architect's will, but for it to be his only purpose no longer felt genuine, and he supposed it was time to find something else until then. With the breach eliminated, Stray began drawing closer to the Inquisition, seeking to join its ranks if it meant finding another purpose.
■ ♛ Making off with the final samples of Warden blood procured by the Architect, Stray has continued to preform the Awakening on various darkspawn in order to grant them sentience. Though unfortunately, Stray is not as well-versed in the practice and understanding of it as his predecessor was. Despite his oath to both prevent and fight against future Blights, Stray claims to care for his fellow darkspawn and thinks that freeing their minds is the greatest gift he can give them, in spite of the resistance even the Architect faced from some of the Disciples who were displeased with their free will. By the end of the breach crisis, Stray had used up all the Warden blood and is in need of new samples.
■ ♛ As a darkspawn, Stray is not necessarily male or female, but is used to being perceived as and referred to as male.
■ ♛ . Skawly or Kel ■ ♛ . EST ■ ♛ . Currently whenever, but evenings for sure ■ ♛ . I rode The Bull. ■ ♛ . [x]
Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2019 8:20 pm
x
x xxxx loyal xxxx reverent xxxx curious xxxx naive xxxx absent-minded xxxx vain
tabtabtabtabtabtab♚ ━━ THE STRAY OF AMARANTHINE ❜ tab the THE DISCIPLE
✦ A devout member of the Architect's Disciples, Stray considers the day of their birth to be when he was granted sentience and free will by ingesting the blood of a Grey Warden as part of the Awakening. With no memory of anything prior, Stray isn't aware of how old they actually are, but have been sentient for the past 10 years.
✦ Loyal to the Architect's cause, even after his death at the hands of the Warden Commander, Stray took to the life of a wanderer, in wait of signs of impending Blight so that he may quell it and free his darkspawn brethren from the Call of the Old Gods. For the next 10 years, Stray roamed Thedas trying to continue the Architect's work. In this time, he learned and experienced many different things about the world and cultures spread throughout Thedas.
✦ Stray was quick to learn that most people weren't quite accepting of talking darkspawn—or darkspawn in general for that matter, and he was often met with fear or hostility. Luckily, it wasn't uncommon for one to cover their face, whether as protection or a fashion statement, and Stray took advantage of this in order to better blend in among the Thedosian people.
✦ Despite being an outsider to all, Stray approached the world with great curiosity and reveled in the cultures he would have never known without the Awakening. He is particularly fond of Orlesian culture and dress and has taken to imitating its fashion and customs since experiencing Orlais. With it being customary to cover ones face in Orlesian culture, Stray has found that he finds greater acceptance and less skepticism while visiting Orlesian settlements.
✦ Having made off with the final samples of Warden blood procured by the Architect, Stray has continued to preform the Awakening on various darkspawn in order to grant them sentience. Though unfortunately, Stray is not as well-versed in the practice and understanding of it as his predecessor was. Despite his oath to both prevent and fight against future Blights, Stray claims to care for his fellow darkspawn and thinks that freeing their minds is the greatest gift he can give them, in spite of the resistance even the Architect faced from those who were displeased with their free will.
✦ When the Inquisition reformed, rumors spread that a sixth Blight may be looming on the horizon. Grey Wardens had been reporting nightmares and hearing voices—all telltale signs of The Calling. From ingesting Warden blood, Stray had most of the same abilities and weaknesses they had, which included being able to hear the call of the Old Gods. Hearing the familiar, beckoning voices again after 10 years threw Stray into sheer panic, and for the first time, he began to doubt himself. Stray grew increasingly apprehensive in between the nightmares and whispers, near abandoning his own cause due to the stress The Call was causing him.
✦ After nights of despair and existential crises, the voices finally ceased, leaving Stray to dwell in silence. Turned out, there was no Blight after all, and that The Call he heard was a false alarm, created by Corypheus. Though he was relieved that there was no Blight, he learned that if it had been, then he would have been too terrified to do anything. There was no way he would have acted the way he needed if a real Blight were to appear. He wasn't the Architect and he never would be, and now without purpose, what was the point of anything?
✦ Following Corypheus' death and the sealing of the breach, Stray found himself drawn to the Grey Warden population in Skyhold and began to investigated from afar, weary that they would sense him as a threat with the taint in his body. Stray was uncertain if the Inquisition would even allow something like him into their ranks. It wasn't everyday you met a friendly, particularly well-dressed darkspawn.
✦ Upon catching word the Inquisition would be attending a ball in Halamshiral, Stray infiltrated the Winter Palace to speak with them. After offering his services as an alchemical healer, Stray found himself among their ranks. He, however, didn't keep the nature of his identity hidden from the Inquisitor for long, as to not appear deceptive. Likewise, he was aware of the potential safety risk with him around and wanted a few others to know, if worst came to worst. To his surprise, he wasn't immediately booted from Skyhold, but was met with a mix of curiosity and suspicion from those who knew his not-so-secret secret.
x
03..𝘿𝙀𝙏𝘼𝙄𝙇𝙎 x
♚ SKILLS: Darkspawn knowledge, sewing, alchemical and medicinal knowledge, detect taint ♚ WEAKNESSES: Naivety, gaudy Orlesian clothing, blind devotion ♚ FEARS: Subjugation, apathy, having no purpose, The Call ♚ VICES: Pride, despair, fear
04..𝙉𝙊𝙏𝙀𝙎
Quote:
✦ As a darkspawn, Stray is not necessarily male or female, but is used to being perceived as and referred to as male, likely due to his height and deep voice.
✦ Stray is under the impression that all beings possessing free will have a definitive purpose in life and that he, a darkspawn whose initial purpose was to spread the Blight, now has none. He thinks that if he does not find this special purpose, then he will fall into apathy and reassimilate.
✦ Stray developed his healing skills with the Blight in mind. Since darkspawn heal rapidly, he and his kind had little use for healers, but the people of Thedas would be in need of them more than ever in the event of a Blight.
✦ Stray's gaudy attire has more practicality than it looks. The many layers of fabric works as a buffer between himself and others, decreasing any chances of them catching the Taint from contact.
✦ Stray has a very surface level understanding of social etiquette. His overly formal speech is a result of him mimicking what he believes to be polite conversation, even if it's too much for the occasion.
✦ Most of his clothes have been salvaged from the trash or looted from corpses.
Kevin tenderloin jerky picanha shoulder. Jowl fatback sausage, drumstick cow pork chop biltong turkey andouille pork belly. Flank short ribs boudin sirloin ribeye. Ham hock boudin bacon andouille turkey pastrami, drumstick ham meatball.
Pork chop tongue flank turkey ham hock. Bacon ham hock rump kielbasa. Leberkas pig tail, kevin tri-tip fatback doner jerky pork loin corned beef sausage porchetta. Picanha jerky pork belly capicola kevin bacon short ribs filet mignon brisket andouille beef doner tongue sausage. Corned beef pork tongue ham turducken ribeye chicken jowl tri-tip cow landjaeger. Bacon corned beef ball tip venison andouille pastrami. Burgdoggen flank bacon turducken.
Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 2:14 pm
⬥mood / calm ⬥location / skyhold courtyard ⬥company / gael
Settling into his new life at Skyhold was more difficult than Stray imagined—after spending years wandering from place-to-place with no true place to call home, it felt odd, if not unnatural, for him to be in just one place. Skyhold itself was isolated, connected only to the rest of civilization by a long stretch of road extending past its gates. It didn’t quite feel like home yet, but Stray supposed he’d forgotten how that was supposed to feel in the first place. He grew restless within the first two weeks, wandering the grounds in dark hours, and disappearing as the sun began to peak over the horizon. Though he was overjoyed to be a part of something, he was yet to find his place within the Inquisition. He felt a little deceitful in that only a few were aware of what he was. A darkspawn in the Inquisition; it almost sounded like a sick joke. It wasn’t so much that he was hiding it, rather he wasn’t certain how to reveal himself without potentially drawing backlash. He knew not everyone would be comfortable with a creature such as himself lurking the grounds.
By the third week, Stray began to show himself more during daylight hours. The sun made him tired and uncomfortable, but with the snow coming in, the light overcast darkened the sky just enough to make it bearable.
Striding across the deep snow, Stray found himself passing through the courtyard. He had been gazing down, kicking the snow with each step and watching the prints appear beneath him until a sudden sensation ringing between his ears drew him to a halt. His gaze lifted to meet a dog frolicking in the snow, and a short distance from it, a young man with blond hair shoveling a path. The Warden.
Stray stood still for a moment, spectating, and debating whether or not he should approach. He had to have known, just as clearly as Stray knew the young man to be a Grey Warden. Yet, he had seen and heard little of him for the past three weeks. No attacks, confrontation—no angry mob. Maybe he hit his head hard enough to have forgotten the whole thing?
Stepping forward, Stray approached the young man as he continued shoveling away. “Excuse me, ser,” Stray began, standing a respectful distance from him, "but I’ve yet to give you a formal apology. It wasn’t my intention to frighten you, and I apologize for any harm I may have caused.” Stray wasn’t certain how his presence was going to affect the young man again, but at least if he fainted, he would maybe be cushioned by the snow. “I don’t believe I know your name. I am The Stray. I trust you have recovered well?” Stray said tilting his head, his mask expressionless. Obviously, he wasn’t too badly injured if he was out shoveling snow, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask.
The young man’s body tensed as Stray approached. Turning, he jammed his shovel into the snow and pulled the scarf from his mouth, revealing a frosted face, "I'll be alright, thank you." he said, fidgeting nervously before flitting his gaze to the dog bounding through the snow, "pardons ser but I must ask... What are you?"
Stray hesitated before he spoke, his head curiously tilting to the other side, "... you don't know?" he sounded genuinely puzzled, "I'm darkspawn, ser. Hurlock to be specific."
Looking down, the young man spoke with a somber voice, "I-I thought so." Gazing back up, surprise glinted in his eyes, "I didn't know your kind could speak?"
Stray eased at his reaction. "Some of us can, but it's not common, unfortunately," he said, looking at Gael inquisitively, "you are a Grey Warden, yes?"
"Unfortunately, yes," he tried to smile but failed, "you don't have to worry, ser, I have no intentions of doing my duty. Besides, I'm ill equipped for a fight." he said, wiggling the three fingers left on his left hand. "Gael, by the way, well met, Stray."
"Oh," Stray went silent as he looked down at Gael's hand, uncertain of what to say. He was curious about the young man's injury, but knew better than to ask, assuming it to be Warden related. "Well met indeed, ser." Stray said, nodding to Gael. He paused for a moment before speaking once more, his voice softening, "if it alleviates any doubt, I just wanted to let you know that there is no need to fear me. I simply wish to help."
Gael nodded, "you are the first darkspawn I have met, I was surprised is all," without a beat, he added, "is ‘darkspawn’ appropriate to call you, or do your kind consider it a slur?"
Stray cocked his head, "really? That's quite unusual for a Warden." Not that he was complaining; Stray mostly feared Gael having trauma related to his kind, as many Grey Wardens did. "'Darkspawn' is entirely fine, ser. I wouldn't have another name for my kind otherwise," Stray said, caught a little off-guard by the question; he never really thought about it that way before.
Picking up his shovel, Gael nodded as he continued shoveling a path, "I'm unusual in most aspects."
"There's nothing wrong with being unusual. I've found that the greatest people are," Stray said, afraid he had offended Gael, "I say that as most Wardens tend to have a more personal hatred of my kind. It's refreshing to meet one that does not."
"It seems to me, your people might not be much different than mine— as in there's the decent sort and the not so. Maybe neither side as met the right kind?"
"Maybe so," Stray began, crossing his arms, "it's been a lifelong goal of mine to make better people out of the darkspawn. The ones who do harm simply don't know any better. I suppose the same could be said for your own as well?"
"In my experience, those who do harm do it because they enjoy it." Gael said, tensing slightly at the thought.
Stray thought for a moment, seeming to come to a realization. "Unfortunately, I believe you're right. Even others like myself still choose to do bad things, but there are many others that don't have a choice." Maybe this wasn't as applicable to those who naturally had free-will, but it was so among the darkspawn.
"Well, ser, Stray, you have no reason to fear harm from me. I have no desire to harm anyone."
Stray nodded, "I'm glad to hear that. I had my worries." He gazed down at the shovel, then to the small path Gael had been clearing. "Ah, don't let me keep you," Stray said, waving a hand, "it was nice speaking with you, Gael. I'm sure we'll see each other around." Stray said, taking a step back before turning to take his leave.
✦ A devout member of the Architect's Disciples, Stray considers the day of their birth to be when he was granted sentience and free will by ingesting the blood of a Grey Warden as part of the Awakening. With no memory of anything prior, Stray isn't aware of how old they actually are, but have been sentient for the past 10 years.
✦ Loyal to the Architect's cause, even after his death at the hands of the Warden Commander, Stray took to the life of a wanderer, in wait of signs of impending Blight so that he may quell it and free his darkspawn brethren from the Call of the Old Gods. For the next 10 years, Stray roamed Thedas trying to continue the Architect's work. In this time, he learned and experienced many different things about the world and cultures spread throughout Thedas.
✦ Stray was quick to learn that most people weren't quite accepting of talking darkspawn—or darkspawn in general for that matter, and he was often met with fear or hostility. Luckily, it wasn't uncommon for one to cover their face, whether as protection or a fashion statement, and Stray took advantage of this in order to better blend in among the Thedosian people.
✦ Despite being an outsider to all, Stray approached the world with great curiosity and reveled in the cultures he would have never known without the Awakening. He is particularly fond of Orlesian culture and dress and has taken to imitating its fashion and customs since experiencing Orlais. With it being customary to cover ones face in Orlesian culture, Stray has found that he finds greater acceptance and less skepticism while visiting Orlesian settlements.
✦ Having made off with the final samples of Warden blood procured by the Architect, Stray has continued to preform the Awakening on various darkspawn in order to grant them sentience. Though unfortunately, Stray is not as well-versed in the practice and understanding of it as his predecessor was. Despite his oath to both prevent and fight against future Blights, Stray claims to care for his fellow darkspawn and thinks that freeing their minds is the greatest gift he can give them, in spite of the resistance even the Architect faced from those who were displeased with their free will.
✦ When the Inquisition reformed, rumors spread that a sixth Blight may be looming on the horizon. Grey Wardens had been reporting nightmares and hearing voices—all telltale signs of The Calling. From ingesting Warden blood, Stray had most of the same abilities and weaknesses they had, which included being able to hear the call of the Old Gods. Hearing the familiar, beckoning voices again after 10 years threw Stray into sheer panic, and for the first time, he began to doubt himself. Stray grew increasingly apprehensive in between the nightmares and whispers, near abandoning his own cause due to the stress The Call was causing him.
✦ After nights of despair and existential crises, the voices finally ceased, leaving Stray to dwell in silence. Turned out, there was no Blight after all, and that The Call he heard was a false alarm, created by Corypheus. Though he was relieved that there was no Blight, he learned that if it had been, then he would have been too terrified to do anything. There was no way he would have acted the way he needed if a real Blight were to appear. He wasn't the Architect and he never would be, and now without purpose, what was the point of anything?
■ ✦ .skills ; darkspawn knowledge, sewing, alchemical knowledge, detect taint ■ ✦ .weaknesses ; naivety, gaudy Orlesian clothing, blind devotion ■ ✦ .fears ; subjugation, losing sense of self, The Call ■ ✦ .vices ; pride, despair, fear
inlikeyourerintintinorannebolyne━━━ 「 ✦ 」❝ THE INQUISITION ❞
Quote:
✦ Following Corypheus' death and the sealing of the breach, Stray found himself drawn to the Grey Warden population in Skyhold and began to investigated from afar, weary that they would sense him as a threat with the taint in his body. Stray was uncertain if the Inquisition would even allow something like him into their ranks. It wasn't everyday you met a friendly, particularly well-dressed darkspawn.
✦ Upon catching word the Inquisition would be attending a ball in Halamshiral, Stray infiltrated the Winter Palace to speak with them. After offering his services as an alchemical healer, Stray found himself among their ranks. He, however, didn't keep the nature of his identity hidden from the Inquisitor for long, as to not appear deceptive. Likewise, he was aware of the potential safety risk with him around and wanted a few others to know, if worst came to worst. To his surprise, he wasn't immediately booted from Skyhold, but was met with a mix of curiosity and suspicion from those who knew his not-so-secret secret.
■ ✦ .main goal ; to find new purpose
With Stray doubting his capability in taking over The Architect's place, he finds himself desperately searching for another purpose.
■ ✦ .secondary goal ; free other darkspawn from The Call
Stray sees The Call as an oppressive force to his fellow darkspawn and wishes to free them from it so they may think for themselves.
✦ As a darkspawn, Stray is not necessarily male or female, but is used to being perceived as and referred to as male, likely due to his height and deep voice.
✦ Stray is under the impression that all beings possessing free will have a definitive purpose in life and that he, a darkspawn whose initial purpose was to spread the Blight, now has none. He thinks that if he does not find this special purpose, then he will fall into apathy and reassimilate.
✦ Stray developed his healing skills with the Blight in mind. Since darkspawn heal rapidly, he and his kind had little use for healers, but the people of Thedas would be in need of them more than ever in the event of a Blight.
✦ Stray's gaudy attire has more practicality than it looks. The many layers of fabric works as a buffer between himself and others, decreasing any chances of them catching the Taint from contact.
✦ Stray has a very surface level understanding of social etiquette. His overly formal speech is a result of him mimicking what he believes to be polite conversation, even if it's too much for the occasion.
✦ Most of his clothes have been salvaged from the trash or looted from corpses.
PERSONAL QUEST: Reports of a plague outbreak in the Hinterlands comes to Skyhold and Stray is interested in investigating the sudden darkspawn activity in hopes of trying to ease it down and help any of those affected by it.
Upon entering the Hinterlands, Stray is directed to Valammar, where it is believed the darkspawn came from. After tending to some of the wounded, Stray enters the old Dwarven trade route. Darkspawn are found, of course, and Stray attempts to pacify them.
If succeeded: Stray gains temporary darkspawn allies, who lead him deeper into the caverns, where he encounters a familiar face.
If failed: Stray and the others must fight through darkspawn to get deeper into Valammar. He believes their behavior indicates that there is something leading them, rather than it just being random activity. They eventually make it deeper into the caverns, where Stray encounters someone familiar.
The thing leading the darkspawn is called the Preacher, a Disciple like Stray that was an authority figure to him back at home. Last he knew, the Preacher was still a devout follower of the Architect, but looked to have since lost faith following his death, and fell into apathy, resenting its free will.
The Preacher does not immediately recognize Stray, but senses that he is darkspawn and ceases attack. Stray introduces himself and explains who he is until the Preacher remembers him: the one who had no name.
The Preacher, as its name suggests, educated new Disciples and spoke the word of the Architect. Stray remembers them fondly, as an intelligent and well-spoken sort and is shocked to see them in this state.
The Preacher explains what happened around the time the Disciples disbanded. With no leader, the remaining Disciples spread out from Amaranthine. The Preacher later formed a small group, but it soon fell apart as well as apathy took over. They felt there was no place for them, and they had no direction.
The Preacher further explains that it had done a lot of thinking, and now aligned more with those who supported the Mother. It seemed most of the Disciples who once supported the Architect no longer did, or at least from what it saw, and seemed surprised that Stray remained loyal.
Stray explains that they all feel that way because they lack purpose and have fallen into apathy.
The Preacher gets angry and accuses Stray of thinking he's better than them, and says that the darkspawn weren't victims that needed saved from the Call, that they didn't need to be corrected in order to fit in with the Thedosian people, like Stray wanted to happen. That's not how it was meant to be. If it was, then things wouldn't be the way they were. The reason so many Disciples had lost faith was because they were not made to live that way, with a will of their own. It was unNaTuRal. It was inevitable that they revert to their natural state, and that Stray would likely follow, if he hadn't already felt the doubt all of them had.
Stray is disturbed and frightened by what the Preacher had to say. He had felt the doubt, and was worried that they might be right. Despite this, he asks the Preacher to back off plagueing the Hinterlands, to which it refuses.
A fight ensues and Stray kills the Preacher.
Dialogue bits cause I'm gonna come up with s**t and then forget it and be pissed:
The Preacher: "You think you're better than us, don't you? You think we're all a bunch of lowly savages that need to be fixed up and corrected to fit your idea of a perfect world. We're not victims, the Stray, we were already perfect. We had a purpose, that each and every one of us knew. We heard it, it flows through us, and now, nothing." [He snarls] "We are nothing! That is your Architect's legacy. Nothing." [He paces] "If we were meant to live this way, then we already would. What the Architect did was cruel and unnatural, and even worse, we believed it meant something. And you still do. Only you."
The Preacher: "The Architect was a mistake; born deaf to our song, and with no purpose. He sought to bring his brethren down with him, and so he did. Maybe, if all of us were as lost and empty as he was, then he wouldn't have to live with the reality of what he is. Broken."
Stray: "I'm sorry, but that's not true, ser. The Architect's intentions was to seek peace among Thedas. He saw the horrors of the Blight and how it affected other people. He merely wanted us to have a choice in the matter."
The Preacher: "He wanted to 'correct' us; to mold us in his own flawed image. And now, here we are. Broken, with our one and only purpose stripped from us. We have no reason to exist anymore, yet I do purely out of spite. I'll never let this happen again. I won't let any more of my brethren be defiled. If you still support the Architect, even after all this time, then I have no choice but to destroy you. Do you understand now, the Stray?"
Stray: "I understand, ser. You're lost and frightened, and that's quite alright, but it doesn't have to be this way. You can find another purpose, as I have."
The Preacher: Through gritted teeth. "Oh? And what might that be?"
Stray: "I serve the Inquisition, I am a healer, and I wish to put an end to the Blight, as the Architect did. Those are my purposes."
The Preacher: "Those are not your purposes. Your appropriated them. Your purpose was to follow The Call, and now you can't. None of us can."
Stray: "If I can't, then it is no longer my purpose. Please, the Preacher, you must move on. Your actions are causing great harm to innocent people."
The Preacher: "Why should I care for them? Why should you? I can't imagine the surface dwellers have been the most hospitable to a darkspawn. We're monsters to them and they will treat us as such. It's natural for them to fear us, and they should. Our very presence is disease to their kind; what about that tells you we're all meant to be get along?"
Stray looks down. The Preacher wasn't wrong. Aside from some people of the Inquisition, Stray hadn't received the warmest welcome from others who knew what he was. One of the many reasons he dressed the way he did was because people were far more friendly and receptive to his presence since they did not know he was a darkspawn.
Stray: "It's been a rough 10 years, ser, but I hadn't let that stop me, and I'm not about to. I want to help these people, because I feel that it is the right thing to do, even if I am met with fear. I have made friends and experienced wonderful things I never would have had it not been for the gift I was given. There is beauty in all things, ser; that's what the Architect wanted to share with us."
The Preacher: He bares his teeth and growls. "You're an idiot, the Stray, and a dangerous one at that. It's unfortunate it has to go down this way, but it looks like I'm left with no other choice."
[After the whole shebang, especially if someone asks Stray how he feels about what just happened] Stray: "I'm not going to lie, it's difficult sometimes. Incredibly so, to exist in a world that wasn't made for someone like you. I don't fault the Preacher for their actions. I know that doubt. I know how it feels to be without guidance when you don't know what to do, and all the hopelessness and fear that follows. I'm uncertain why I've held out longer than the others, but I can't quite shake the feeling that maybe something good will come out of it if I keep trying. I suppose that's what keeps me going."
FEEL FREE TO COLOR THE PROFILE, YOU MAY ALSO RECOLOR THE AXES SO LONG AS THE DIMENSIONS STAY THE SAME
██████████████████ tabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabSTRENGTH physical strength and ability
██████████████████ tabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabDEXTERITY agility, reflexes, and coordination
██████████████████ tabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabMAGIC magical strength and ability
██████████████████ tabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabCUNNING intelligence and deviousness
██████████████████ tabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabWILLPOWER strength of mind and personality
█████████████████ tabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabCONSTITUTION physical robustness and endurance
roll 3D6 in the server six times, you may reroll anything below a 10, and plug the numbers where you see fit
tabtabBIOGRAPHY
Amidst the unending bloodshed and disarray, the Stray kept his head up. With optimism born from a union of naivety and desperate hope, it wasn't like he ever knew of a world much different. The pursuit of the fabled "better days" kept him going; everything would get better, eventually. That’s how he understood it.
… but it never really did.
With the Grey Wardens gone, there was no line of defense against the ravages of the Blight. There wasn’t much the Stray felt he could do but help mitigate the damage done to the people of Thedas. Travelling from town to town, he attempted to aid the sick and injured the best he could.
Formerly a devout member of the Architect's Disciples, the Stray considered the day of his birth to be when he was granted sentience and free will. With no memory of anything prior, the Stray doesn't know his exact age. Loyal to the Architect's cause, even after his absence, the Stray started out as a wanderer trying to continue his master's work, but to minimal success. With the Grey Warden's numbers steadily dropping, the blood required to perform Awakenings on his fellow darkspawn became scarce. Alongside his work as a healer, he continued to seek out out any sign of surviving Grey Wardens.
During his travels, the Stray was quick to learn that most people weren't quite accepting of talking darkspawn and he was often met with fear or hostility. Luckily, it wasn't uncommon for one to cover their face, whether as protection or cultural fashion, and the Stray took advantage of this in order to better blend in among the Thedosian people. He became particularly fond of Orlesian culture and dress and had taken to imitating its fashion and customs. With it being customary to cover one's face in Orlesian culture, the Stray has found that he encountered less skepticism while visiting Orlais, at least at a closer distance.
Though, the Stray would soon after learn his lesson about allowing himself to become too close and indulgent in the company of others.
Earlier on in his travels, the Stray came upon a secluded cottage in the Orlesian countryside. A variety of paintings and carvings were strewn all throughout the yard, drawing his attention to the works of art. For the next few nights, he found himself returning to glimpse the various paintings and sculptures again, occasionally finding new ones presumably set out to dry. One night, however, he would meet the person responsible for the creations: a young Orlesian man named Olivier. Having been watching the Stray return every night to skulk around his yard, he had prepared himself for a fight, should he need to. Approaching the Stray with his weapon drawn, he was surprised when the hurlock he had been hiding from the past few nights began to speak -- even complimenting the work he had set out. What started as a confrontation soon turned into polite conversation about the young man’s work. Similar interactions would continue over the next few nights until a sense of trust began to form between them. A reclusive person, Olivier had trouble connecting with others and had no friends to speak of; his willingness to open up to the darkspawn that had wandered into his life was likely a result of loneliness. As the trust and friendship between them grew, Olivier began to venture into the village nearby with the Stray, who would go fully masked and cloaked. Here, the Stray learned more about Orlesian culture and how to interact with others a little more naturally. Likewise, Olivier seemed to become more comfortable around other people with the Stray by his side. As the two began to spend more and more time together, Olivier tried to teach the Stray to paint and crafted him his own mask to wear.
However, everything would take a turn for the unfortunate when Olivier began to fall ill. Despite the Stray’s best intentions, he was still a darkspawn and carried the Taint within his body. Had he been a little more careful with his interactions with Olivier and the world around him, maybe things could have turned out better -- but it was already too late. The Stray had become too comfortable with his new life and now he had to pay dearly for it. The Stray watched as Olivier slowly began to wither away, his blight sickness eventually progressing into ghoulism. With his last drop of Grey Warden blood, the Stray used it to perform the Awakening on Olivier in an attempt to save him. Though he succeeded in bringing him back, Olivier was not the same person he was before. He had become distressed and manic, repeatedly asking “what happened to the song?” He became disgusted with his rotting, disfigured body and laid waste to all his previous works in a fit of rage. “Beauty fades,” he would say, “like all else, it withers and dies.” The Stray was horrified by what Olivier had become, and even more so that he had done it to him. He attempted to care for Olivier, reassuring him and trying to get him to create again, but nothing seemed to get through. It all finally came to an end when the Stray found Olivier dead after attempting to eat himself. Before the Stray departed his former friend’s home, he buried the remains outside. Upon later returning, he found the gardens of Olivier's cottage had become dead and barren, its corruption radiating from the gravesite.
This was a mistake he would not allow himself to repeat.
Even as a healer, he was sure to never spend prolonged periods of time with those he helped. Though his body was corrupted with the Taint, it did allow him to traverse areas that were risky for others to pass through, such as plagued villages and certain areas of the Deep Roads.
aesthetic~
Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2023 5:19 am
aesthetic
━━━ tab THE STRAY tab ━━━ tab rogue tab tempest tab sabotage spirit, subterfuge, vanguard etc. any tree from any game is acceptable, don't count the weapons specific trees as those are encompassed in the weapons preference sectiontab subterfuge tab daggers tab herbalismcoercion, pick pocket, etctab poison-making
tabAGE unknown
tabRACE & PLACE OF BIRTH hurlock, Ferelden
tabGENDER IDENTITY & SEXUAL ORIENTATION genderless, perceived as male; asexual
tabHEIGHT & BODY TYPE 6'2", wiry
tabSCARS & MARKS The left side of the Stray's face is more disfigured than the other, giving him a noticeably asymmetrical face. His left eye is more drooped and there is greater marring of the skin. There is a gash from his cheekbone, across his mouth, and down to his chin; it's something he has remembered always having, so it was likely sustained before he was capable of thinking.
tabMISC PHYSICAL DETAILS & APPEARANCE The Stray favors wearing layers of garish clothing of varying quality. His outfits are often mismatched and clashing, as though quickly and tastelessly put together. He is constantly seen wearing a white porcelain bird mask with gold and red gilding. He very rarely shows his face.
tabHOBBIES & INTERESTS The Stray enjoys pretty things; though not an artist himself, he finds beauty in all forms of visual art, as well as music. His understanding of it is lacking, but he appreciates it, nonetheless. He has attempted painting before, though he wasn't very good.
tabVICES & WEAKNESSES The Stray is naïve and optimistic to a fault. His tendency to try and see the best in everyone can lead him to ignore obvious red flags. He can be easily mislead by others and is bad at lying. Despite his polite disposition, he can come across as awkward and off-putting.
tabCRIME hurlock!
tabPRIMARY DESIRES Procuring more Grey Warden blood Helping people Liberating darkspawn from The Call
tabEXTRA The Stray's gaudy attire is more practical than it looks. The many layers of fabric works as a buffer between himself and others, decreasing the chances of them catching the Taint from contact.
He has a very surface level understanding of social etiquette. His overly formal speech is a result of him mimicking what he believes to be polite conversation, even if it's too much for the occasion.
Most of his clothes have been salvaged from the trash or looted from corpses
aesthetic
Skawly
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Skawly
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Monster
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Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2023 3:36 pm
IT INFECTS THE MARROW,A VIRUS OF IDEAS ❜ ⯁mood / here ⯁location / here ⯁company / here
