FeanBough
02-14-08, 02:31 PM
I know this is awfully long...but don't fault a guy for getting carried away.
Fean Bough
Age: 19
Race: Human
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Hazel
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 190
Occupation: Researcher
Personality/Character Traits: Fean is both outgoing and polite, knowing that the best way to learn about the living world is to interact with it. However, his thirst for knowledge sometimes gets the better of him, making Fean prone to asking too-personal questions or make observations aloud that others would prefer kept quiet. Despite these “foot-in-mouth” tendencies, Fean had little trouble making friends on his home world of Terian. This was due, in large part, to his deep sense of loyalty. Once his trust is gained, Fean is an unflagging ally, willing to offer any support within his power, even if it means breaking a few rules in the process. Fean’s trust, once freely given, has become more guarded since his involvement in uncovering the source of the Plague that destroyed a quarter of Terian’s population. This involvement has also added a sense of urgency to his actions, manifesting in sudden bursts of intensity that some might find bewildering. Despite these setbacks, Fean’s actions are still guided by his affinity for all living things and his belief in the intrinsic goodness of all sentient creatures.
Appearance: Fean is a robust, tanned young man with chestnut hair and hazel eyes that change color based on his mood. His body is lean and well-muscled from undergoing the rigorous physical training required of all Biomancers. His face, while kind, is unremarkable, with the type of features people tend to forget. Normally he dresses in shades of green and brown, wearing simple pants, boots, and a jerkin. At all times he wears a thick leather belt and attached bandolier, collectively called a “Kit,” that is covered in snapping compartments, loops, and pockets. Visible on the Kit are various vials, small containers, and a row of five steel scalpels. He is also never seen without his ankle-length, hooded cloak. At a distance the cloak appears to be made of deep brown, smoothly-spun wool, but on closer inspection it bears an unsettling resemblance to human skin.
History: Fean was born the son of a farmer in a small village outside the city of Corlistarn, capitol of the Corlish Empire. From a young age he exhibited a sharp mind and almost supernatural affinity with living creatures, grasping the tenants of farming and animal husbandry before the age of ten. He enjoyed an idyllic youth, spending his days helping his parents tend the fields and herds, exploring the countryside, and playing with the village children.
During his twelfth year things began to change. A blight developed in the village’s crops, spreading like fire until over thirty percent of the plants were infected. Nothing the farmers did had any effect; no amount of cutting or burning culled the spread of the infection. When the number of infected crops reached nearly half, the village elder sent word to Corlistarn, requesting aid from the capitol. Aid came in the form of an elderly man in a great fur cloak.
The man’s name was Halstryn. Fean’s father explained that he was a Biomancer, a practitioner of magic from the College of the Five Quarters. When asked what, exactly, a Biomancer did, Fean’s father replied only that they had power over living creatures and a deep understanding of nature. Intrigued by the man and wanting to help the village, Fean volunteered to assist Hastryn in his research. Halstryn uncovered the source of the blight within minutes of his arrival, using his magic to discover the microscopic parasite responsible for the crop deaths. Over the course of the next week Hastryn developed a chemical that, when added to irrigation water, would kill the parasite without causing toxicity in the crops. During the development Halstryn noticed Fean’s talent and offered to sponsor him for entrance into the College.
When Fean turned thirteen Hastryn returned and took him to the College of the Five Quarters. Upon reaching the College, Fean, like all applicants, was tested for magical aptitude. As Halstryn guessed nearly a year earlier, Fean was gifted with the ability to sense and manipulate vita, the energy of life, and was thus granted entrance to the school of Biomancy. Fean would soon learn that the College was divided into five schools based on the five basic elements: earth, fire, air, water, and vita. Manipulation of the seventh element, animus, commonly referred to as spirit, was practiced by members of The Church who enrolled in the College of Divinity. Students lived on campus year round and completed ten years of study before being allowed to make their way in the world.
Biomancers were required to complete basic coursework in biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, anatomy, and research methodology, as well as vita manipulation, a hoard of specialty electives, and constant physical education. The work was hard, but rewarding, and Fean quickly developed a close group of friends and a reputation for being a capable, hard-working student.
As evidenced by his youth on the farm, simple times were not meant to be a constant in Fean’s life. During his third year reports of a strange Plague started flooding into Corlistarn. The initial symptom of the Plague was simple exhaustion, but it quickly developed into a wasting disease that left its victims little more than withered husks within the span of a month. Biomancers were dispatched throughout the Empire but none were able to pinpoint the cause of the Plague or even discern how it was transmitted. Divine magic seemed to be the only thing that affected the disease and it only served to delay the inevitable.
At the start of his fourth year Fean was chosen as Halstryn’s research assistance. Halstryn, like most of the faculty, devoted all his free time to studying the Plague, and Fean assisted as best he could. During Solstice rumors started surfacing that the Plague was engineered by Biomancers. Before the start of second term the Emperor, fueled by fear and desperate to place blame somewhere, ordered the College of Biomancy disbanded and all practitioners arrested. Halstryn, along with Fean, went into hiding and continued their research in hopes of finding a cure.
For two years Halstryn and Fean avoided arrest by the Inquisitors, a police-squad formed by The Church to hunt Biomancers, and continued their research. By then the Plague had spread beyond the Empire, decimating nearly a quarter of the world’s population. Through drastic quarantine measures the spread of the Plague began to stall, though most considered the slow only temporary. By luck as much as hard work, Fean and Halstryn were able to discover that the Plague affected the body by destroying a person’s spirit. From there they were able to deduce that the Plague had been engineered not by a Biomancer, but by The Church.
Before they were able to discover anything else, their location was betrayed. With the help of a young priestess, Aegri, they were able to escape, but their laboratory was destroyed and their findings lost. The only thing Halstryn was able to save was the Living Cloak he had been secretly cultivating for Fean. Halstryn and Aegri then combined their magic to form a spell that would transport Fean to a place where he could find a cure for the Plague. The magic - wild, hurried, and never-before attempted - consumed the vita and animus of both Halstryn and Aegri.
The magic transported Fean to Althanas, where his quest begins.
Skills:
Biomancy Skills: The skills of a Biomancer are divided into four categories: evolution, manifestation, manipulation, and science. They are described as follow:
Evolution – By manipulating the vita in his body a Biomancer can alter his physiology. A Biomancer cannot become something other than what he is (i.e. turn into a bird), but can alter naturally-occurring bodily processes and materials. Examples are increased cellular regeneration, additional bone, muscle, or skin growth, heightened senses, and organ rearrangement. Advanced evolutionary techniques, such as those that create additional bodily matter, require a Living Cloak (detailed in the equipment section).
0 Level: Heighten Sense. With this ability Fean can double the range or sensitivity of one of his five senses. The heightening only lasts for one minute and is useable three times per day. Due to his level of vita control this ability comes at a steep price. The temporary heightening of one sense drains the vita of another sense, causing temporary loss. Increased sight causes deafness, increased hearing causes blindness, increased taste or smell causes numbness (inability to “touch”), and increases sensitivity cases either ageusia (inability to taste) or anosmia (inability to smell). When the heightened sense reverts to normal, the lost sense returns.
Manifestation – Manifestation requires a Living Cloak and allows a Biomancer to manifest aspects of organisms that have been interphased with the cloak. Interphasing is the process of combining the vita of an organism with the vita of the Biomancer through the medium of the cloak. Interphasing requires a living tissue sample from the subject organism, total isolation, and an amount of time based on the organism to be interphased. Plants, fungi and algae require 3 days uninterrupted work, invertebrates require one week, simple vertebrates (natural animals) require 10 days, humanoids require two weeks, and complex vertebrates (magical creatures) require three weeks. Once an organism is interphased it becomes part of the Biomancer and cannot be changed.
0 Level: Oak. This ability allows Fean to manifest aspects of a common oak tree. Examples of oak aspects are flexible, bark-like skin, anchor roots, photosynthesis, and hardening of limbs into a wood-like substance. Due to Fean’s level of vita control only one aspect may be manifested at a time. The manifestation only lasts for one minute and is useable three times per day.
Manipulation – Manipulation is the skill that allows Biomancers to sense and alter vita in the world around them. This skill is similar to Evolution, though by manipulating more than one source of vita a practiced Biomancer could give a mouse gills or cause useable wings to grow from the back of a dwarf.
0 Level: Sense Vita. This ability allows a Biomancer to sense living organisms in a 100 yard radius. Living things out of sight can generally be identified as plant, invertebrate, simple vertebrate, humanoid, or complex vertebrate. By touching a creature a Biomancer can discern general physical characteristic such as age, sex, and health (whether there are any broken bones, internal injures, or diseases present, though the specific type of disease cannot be determined at this level). This ability is useable at will and can be thwarted by magical protection.
Science – While not technically magical, this ability allows Biomancers to create effects that may appear magical to some. Skill in science allows Biomancers to perform various tests, create chemical compounds, and uncover the workings of living creatures.
0 Level: Strong Foundation. Fean, having completed his general studies, has basic knowledge of biology, chemistry and humanoid anatomy. With the proper tools and time Fean can create basic chemical compounds/reactions (flashes of light, smoke, weak acids). These compounds and reactions can cause no permanent damage, though they may be able to disorient or temporarily stun a creature depending on circumstance. Fean can also perform tests to determine the basic organic characteristics of various compounds (such as acidity and toxicity). Fean’s knowledge of humanoid anatomy allows him to perform the most basic of medical procedures including splinting broken limbs, applying tourniquets, and resetting dislocated joints.
Non-Biomancy Skills:
Athleticism – Since many of a Biomancer’s abilities require alteration of their own bodies, all students are required to undergo rigorous physical training. As a result Fean is in good health and generally coordinated. This confers no special abilities apart from the normal benefits of being in shape.
Equipment:
Clothing – Fean owns a simple cloth pants, a tunic, a leather jerkin, and leather boots.
Kit – A Biomancer’s Kit is a wide leather belt with a connected leather bandolier. It is used to hold the tools of a Biomancer’s trade. Fean’s Kit includes five steel scalpels, three specimen containers, one vial of weak acid, two flash compounds, two smoke compounds, one portable testing kit, a small pad of paper and one fountain pen.
Living Cloak – The Living Cloak is the trademark of a Biomancer. It is grown from a sample of the Biomancer’s tissue over the course of a year. Normally presented in the beginning of a student’s eighth year, each cloak comes with one interphased organism. Once a cloak is donned by a Biomancer it cannot be removed without surgery. Removing a Living Cloak will cause the host Biomancer to die within 1/day per level. A Living Cloak continually regenerates lost cells and is the “fuel” for many of a Biomancer’s skills, including manifestation and advanced evolution. By manipulating the cellular structure of the cloak a Biomancer can make it appear in any manner that reflects its host’s own physiology or the physiology of any interphased organism. For example, the cloak could appear as any color producible by the host’s pigment cells or could appear as a cloak of oak leaves if an oak tree has been interphased.
Fean Bough
Age: 19
Race: Human
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Hazel
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 190
Occupation: Researcher
Personality/Character Traits: Fean is both outgoing and polite, knowing that the best way to learn about the living world is to interact with it. However, his thirst for knowledge sometimes gets the better of him, making Fean prone to asking too-personal questions or make observations aloud that others would prefer kept quiet. Despite these “foot-in-mouth” tendencies, Fean had little trouble making friends on his home world of Terian. This was due, in large part, to his deep sense of loyalty. Once his trust is gained, Fean is an unflagging ally, willing to offer any support within his power, even if it means breaking a few rules in the process. Fean’s trust, once freely given, has become more guarded since his involvement in uncovering the source of the Plague that destroyed a quarter of Terian’s population. This involvement has also added a sense of urgency to his actions, manifesting in sudden bursts of intensity that some might find bewildering. Despite these setbacks, Fean’s actions are still guided by his affinity for all living things and his belief in the intrinsic goodness of all sentient creatures.
Appearance: Fean is a robust, tanned young man with chestnut hair and hazel eyes that change color based on his mood. His body is lean and well-muscled from undergoing the rigorous physical training required of all Biomancers. His face, while kind, is unremarkable, with the type of features people tend to forget. Normally he dresses in shades of green and brown, wearing simple pants, boots, and a jerkin. At all times he wears a thick leather belt and attached bandolier, collectively called a “Kit,” that is covered in snapping compartments, loops, and pockets. Visible on the Kit are various vials, small containers, and a row of five steel scalpels. He is also never seen without his ankle-length, hooded cloak. At a distance the cloak appears to be made of deep brown, smoothly-spun wool, but on closer inspection it bears an unsettling resemblance to human skin.
History: Fean was born the son of a farmer in a small village outside the city of Corlistarn, capitol of the Corlish Empire. From a young age he exhibited a sharp mind and almost supernatural affinity with living creatures, grasping the tenants of farming and animal husbandry before the age of ten. He enjoyed an idyllic youth, spending his days helping his parents tend the fields and herds, exploring the countryside, and playing with the village children.
During his twelfth year things began to change. A blight developed in the village’s crops, spreading like fire until over thirty percent of the plants were infected. Nothing the farmers did had any effect; no amount of cutting or burning culled the spread of the infection. When the number of infected crops reached nearly half, the village elder sent word to Corlistarn, requesting aid from the capitol. Aid came in the form of an elderly man in a great fur cloak.
The man’s name was Halstryn. Fean’s father explained that he was a Biomancer, a practitioner of magic from the College of the Five Quarters. When asked what, exactly, a Biomancer did, Fean’s father replied only that they had power over living creatures and a deep understanding of nature. Intrigued by the man and wanting to help the village, Fean volunteered to assist Hastryn in his research. Halstryn uncovered the source of the blight within minutes of his arrival, using his magic to discover the microscopic parasite responsible for the crop deaths. Over the course of the next week Hastryn developed a chemical that, when added to irrigation water, would kill the parasite without causing toxicity in the crops. During the development Halstryn noticed Fean’s talent and offered to sponsor him for entrance into the College.
When Fean turned thirteen Hastryn returned and took him to the College of the Five Quarters. Upon reaching the College, Fean, like all applicants, was tested for magical aptitude. As Halstryn guessed nearly a year earlier, Fean was gifted with the ability to sense and manipulate vita, the energy of life, and was thus granted entrance to the school of Biomancy. Fean would soon learn that the College was divided into five schools based on the five basic elements: earth, fire, air, water, and vita. Manipulation of the seventh element, animus, commonly referred to as spirit, was practiced by members of The Church who enrolled in the College of Divinity. Students lived on campus year round and completed ten years of study before being allowed to make their way in the world.
Biomancers were required to complete basic coursework in biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, anatomy, and research methodology, as well as vita manipulation, a hoard of specialty electives, and constant physical education. The work was hard, but rewarding, and Fean quickly developed a close group of friends and a reputation for being a capable, hard-working student.
As evidenced by his youth on the farm, simple times were not meant to be a constant in Fean’s life. During his third year reports of a strange Plague started flooding into Corlistarn. The initial symptom of the Plague was simple exhaustion, but it quickly developed into a wasting disease that left its victims little more than withered husks within the span of a month. Biomancers were dispatched throughout the Empire but none were able to pinpoint the cause of the Plague or even discern how it was transmitted. Divine magic seemed to be the only thing that affected the disease and it only served to delay the inevitable.
At the start of his fourth year Fean was chosen as Halstryn’s research assistance. Halstryn, like most of the faculty, devoted all his free time to studying the Plague, and Fean assisted as best he could. During Solstice rumors started surfacing that the Plague was engineered by Biomancers. Before the start of second term the Emperor, fueled by fear and desperate to place blame somewhere, ordered the College of Biomancy disbanded and all practitioners arrested. Halstryn, along with Fean, went into hiding and continued their research in hopes of finding a cure.
For two years Halstryn and Fean avoided arrest by the Inquisitors, a police-squad formed by The Church to hunt Biomancers, and continued their research. By then the Plague had spread beyond the Empire, decimating nearly a quarter of the world’s population. Through drastic quarantine measures the spread of the Plague began to stall, though most considered the slow only temporary. By luck as much as hard work, Fean and Halstryn were able to discover that the Plague affected the body by destroying a person’s spirit. From there they were able to deduce that the Plague had been engineered not by a Biomancer, but by The Church.
Before they were able to discover anything else, their location was betrayed. With the help of a young priestess, Aegri, they were able to escape, but their laboratory was destroyed and their findings lost. The only thing Halstryn was able to save was the Living Cloak he had been secretly cultivating for Fean. Halstryn and Aegri then combined their magic to form a spell that would transport Fean to a place where he could find a cure for the Plague. The magic - wild, hurried, and never-before attempted - consumed the vita and animus of both Halstryn and Aegri.
The magic transported Fean to Althanas, where his quest begins.
Skills:
Biomancy Skills: The skills of a Biomancer are divided into four categories: evolution, manifestation, manipulation, and science. They are described as follow:
Evolution – By manipulating the vita in his body a Biomancer can alter his physiology. A Biomancer cannot become something other than what he is (i.e. turn into a bird), but can alter naturally-occurring bodily processes and materials. Examples are increased cellular regeneration, additional bone, muscle, or skin growth, heightened senses, and organ rearrangement. Advanced evolutionary techniques, such as those that create additional bodily matter, require a Living Cloak (detailed in the equipment section).
0 Level: Heighten Sense. With this ability Fean can double the range or sensitivity of one of his five senses. The heightening only lasts for one minute and is useable three times per day. Due to his level of vita control this ability comes at a steep price. The temporary heightening of one sense drains the vita of another sense, causing temporary loss. Increased sight causes deafness, increased hearing causes blindness, increased taste or smell causes numbness (inability to “touch”), and increases sensitivity cases either ageusia (inability to taste) or anosmia (inability to smell). When the heightened sense reverts to normal, the lost sense returns.
Manifestation – Manifestation requires a Living Cloak and allows a Biomancer to manifest aspects of organisms that have been interphased with the cloak. Interphasing is the process of combining the vita of an organism with the vita of the Biomancer through the medium of the cloak. Interphasing requires a living tissue sample from the subject organism, total isolation, and an amount of time based on the organism to be interphased. Plants, fungi and algae require 3 days uninterrupted work, invertebrates require one week, simple vertebrates (natural animals) require 10 days, humanoids require two weeks, and complex vertebrates (magical creatures) require three weeks. Once an organism is interphased it becomes part of the Biomancer and cannot be changed.
0 Level: Oak. This ability allows Fean to manifest aspects of a common oak tree. Examples of oak aspects are flexible, bark-like skin, anchor roots, photosynthesis, and hardening of limbs into a wood-like substance. Due to Fean’s level of vita control only one aspect may be manifested at a time. The manifestation only lasts for one minute and is useable three times per day.
Manipulation – Manipulation is the skill that allows Biomancers to sense and alter vita in the world around them. This skill is similar to Evolution, though by manipulating more than one source of vita a practiced Biomancer could give a mouse gills or cause useable wings to grow from the back of a dwarf.
0 Level: Sense Vita. This ability allows a Biomancer to sense living organisms in a 100 yard radius. Living things out of sight can generally be identified as plant, invertebrate, simple vertebrate, humanoid, or complex vertebrate. By touching a creature a Biomancer can discern general physical characteristic such as age, sex, and health (whether there are any broken bones, internal injures, or diseases present, though the specific type of disease cannot be determined at this level). This ability is useable at will and can be thwarted by magical protection.
Science – While not technically magical, this ability allows Biomancers to create effects that may appear magical to some. Skill in science allows Biomancers to perform various tests, create chemical compounds, and uncover the workings of living creatures.
0 Level: Strong Foundation. Fean, having completed his general studies, has basic knowledge of biology, chemistry and humanoid anatomy. With the proper tools and time Fean can create basic chemical compounds/reactions (flashes of light, smoke, weak acids). These compounds and reactions can cause no permanent damage, though they may be able to disorient or temporarily stun a creature depending on circumstance. Fean can also perform tests to determine the basic organic characteristics of various compounds (such as acidity and toxicity). Fean’s knowledge of humanoid anatomy allows him to perform the most basic of medical procedures including splinting broken limbs, applying tourniquets, and resetting dislocated joints.
Non-Biomancy Skills:
Athleticism – Since many of a Biomancer’s abilities require alteration of their own bodies, all students are required to undergo rigorous physical training. As a result Fean is in good health and generally coordinated. This confers no special abilities apart from the normal benefits of being in shape.
Equipment:
Clothing – Fean owns a simple cloth pants, a tunic, a leather jerkin, and leather boots.
Kit – A Biomancer’s Kit is a wide leather belt with a connected leather bandolier. It is used to hold the tools of a Biomancer’s trade. Fean’s Kit includes five steel scalpels, three specimen containers, one vial of weak acid, two flash compounds, two smoke compounds, one portable testing kit, a small pad of paper and one fountain pen.
Living Cloak – The Living Cloak is the trademark of a Biomancer. It is grown from a sample of the Biomancer’s tissue over the course of a year. Normally presented in the beginning of a student’s eighth year, each cloak comes with one interphased organism. Once a cloak is donned by a Biomancer it cannot be removed without surgery. Removing a Living Cloak will cause the host Biomancer to die within 1/day per level. A Living Cloak continually regenerates lost cells and is the “fuel” for many of a Biomancer’s skills, including manifestation and advanced evolution. By manipulating the cellular structure of the cloak a Biomancer can make it appear in any manner that reflects its host’s own physiology or the physiology of any interphased organism. For example, the cloak could appear as any color producible by the host’s pigment cells or could appear as a cloak of oak leaves if an oak tree has been interphased.