Painting: The King and The Beggar-Maid (1898), by Edmund Leighton
Hello! Thanks to everyone who has shown interest so far! Today I'm going to present other characters, starting with the mages, and figured it'd be as good an opportunity as any to explain how the magic system will work.
Every mage has a gift on which their magical energy is based. They are born with it, and can only cast that kind of magic. This gift could be flying, telekinesis, elemental manipulation, or anything else, really. They can also brew potions with their magical essence, allowing other people to use their gift. For example, if you drank, or poured over some object, a potion made by a mage with flying magic, you (or said object) would be able to fly for a limited time, even if you don't have that gift.
The main character already has a predefined gift that fits the story. One of the character skills will be "Magic Control", which will determine things like how accurately you can cast magic, or how long you can sustain the effects of a potion. I don't intend for the skill check failures to be too punishing — failures should still bring up interesting development in relationships, storytelling or character growth. However, I do have plans for this skill to matter in the end game.
Without further ado, here are the mages:
Nesteri (M/F/NB)
Gift: Shapeshifting
I have already talked about them in the love interests post, but Nesteri is such a vital part of your mission that there's no way I can skip them now. After all, it's thanks to their gift that you two will be able to infiltrate the royal palace as a noble and their personal servant without arousing suspicion about your real identity.
Their position as your personal servant will allow them to daily brew you a shapeshifting potion to keep up your disguise while also mingling with the castle's working class, who are always very eager for new ears and mouths to gossip about their masters. And nobody would find it weird if you spent too much time together in your room… discussing your findings and strategies. Yes, sure. That is what you'll do. Discussing.
Of course, Nesteri has used their gift for either much more noble or much more frivolous reasons as well. To think that the one who is constantly brewing potions for everybody in the village who isn't comfortable in their bodies, without asking anything in return, is the same person who pretends to be other people just to listen in private conversations or pull silly pranks around town… You can't help but sigh, be it out of fondness, exasperation or annoyance.
Tenar (M) & Mertio (M)
Gifts: Teleportation & Empathy
Since your mother's death and your exile from court when you were only a little child, Tenar and Mertio have been your main caretakers. Tenar is your mom's cousin, the last family member who survived the invasion of your homeland, probably because of his teleportation gift. At the time, he also tried to rescue your mother and you from the palace using it, but she thought her presence there would be useful to get your land and people back. Unfortunately, that's not how the story went.
Mertio is his partner. If they were humans, with human traditions, they'd call each other "husband". Some think Mertio used his empathy gift to make Tenar fall in love with him. It is difficult for them to see how a distant, serious man like your cousin could enjoy being close to such a high-spirited individual who talks nonstop like your co-guardian. You, however, stand witness to the daily bits of their relationship and can guarantee it is surprisingly functional, if not cute.
In the prologue, you can choose your relationship with them and what you call them. Of course, said relationship can change during the game, and how they will react and treat you until the very end of your mission.
Casleren (F) & Demartion (NB)
Gifts: Mimicking and Super Strength
These are Nesteri's parents and your late mother's old friends. Your grandparents had been such good friends that they even named their daughters similarly, and said friendship has been passed down for each generation. They have also been part of your training for several reasons — the first being Casleren's gift and her role in the village for the last two decades.
Her gift is similar to her child's in the way that she can change her appearance, although she can only change based on real people she's met. On the other hand, mimicking also allows her to learn things by just observing someone else doing it once. That's how she was able to quickly learn the human's Common language and customs and then pass this knowledge down to you and her child. She has occasionally traveled to Alganen's capital to gather information for your village, but nothing close to what you and Nesteri are about to pull off.
Demartion is her ex-partner and has been helping you with your physical training due to how much practice they have with resistance and strength-related skills. They seem to still be on good terms with their child's mother, though you've heard their relationship has never been the same since your mom's passing and your subsequent arrival. Nesteri doesn't talk much about their status with their parents, despite how much they like to encourage you to open up.
Caslere (F)
Gift: Healing
Your mother. It's ironic how the one who healed everyone ended up being the one who got hurt the most.
She first met your father when she was deep in the woods, collecting some herbs for her concoctions. They were so different they couldn't understand what they were seeing, much less the other's words and behavior. Maybe that is why they felt so attracted to each other - the reasoning behind why your mother eventually showed him your homeland and how to get there. They say you were only a little baby when Alganen's soldiers invaded and captured all the mages they could, destroying everything in the way.
Until today, you have no idea if your father had anything to do with it.
