Subject: Christopher Shaw Fri Apr 20, 2012 9:08 am
General Information:
Race: Human Gender: Male Age: 27 Birthplace: Selenia
Biography:
So...what do you want to know about me?
Well, I'm an alchemist from a town full of alchemists. I was a dime a dozen there, and nobody really needed my help. They got along just fine. Life was...okay. I didn't really like it back there. Until I met her.
Her name was Amalia. She came from a not-too-far-away land called Occitania, and spoke the language very well. Her Common was flawless, too. She was really cold as far as people go; a real jerk, if you were to stoop to labels.
It was a front, though. An adorable, sad, endearing front. See, she lived a hard life and was mistreated by a lot of people that were supposed to take care of her. They used her and tried to turn her into something she didn't want to be. She was only mean because it was painful to be innocent.
We talked a lot. It was a bit unwillingly at first, because she gathered ingredients for alchemists and I was a well-paying alchemist. I paid more for her ingredients than was probably profitable at the time. So she sort of had no choice but to come to me, because I was the best buyer. After we got used to each other, she started coming to my little shop without stuff to sell. You know, just to talk.
She took longer to get used to me than it took for me to get used to her. She liked me, and I liked her, but she shelled herself in for so long that it was hard for her to break out. But over time her defenses fell and she stopped being so guarded around me. She talked about her past, and I gave her a nonjudgmental, listening ear. This happened for a while until eventually we stopped talking about her past and started talking about her future. Then we started calling it dating.
We married shortly after.
Those were great times. She would fetch the rarest ingredients for me because she had learned all the best spots. I became one of the most favored alchemists in the town, even if I wasn't the best. I also dabbled in mind treatment. I figured that there must be all sorts of people with fractured minds, people who have been dealt empty hands, people who can't help themselves anymore. Like how Amalia was. I figured that if I could help these people, and apply my knowledge in alchemy to it, I could be a force for good in the world. Like a hero.
I suppose that was a bit idealistic. But things were going well. I studied up on the mind, behavior, disorders, while balancing these studies out with my experiments in alchemy. Until one day when I was off on a trip to a nearby village to meet with some experts in mind treatment. Psychiatry, they called it. The applied study of the mind and alchemy to actually solve problems instead of just examining them. My wife stayed home for the duration of the trip so that she could continue to find ingredients. My studies demanded that I find increasingly rare materials that I may make more effective and powerful potions.
When I returned, there was smoke on the horizon. I wasn't present for the ordeal, but they say that there was a quake in the middle of the night and one of my potions caught fire to the house. She was trapped inside. They say she probably died in her sleep from the smoke, but I'm no fool. Fire is loud, quakes are fierce, and smoke is choking. She was no doubt conscious for her incineration. They got the fire out before I got to the house, but her body was already charred to the bone by the time I got there.
All of my ingredients were burned up in the fire, along with the money I hadn't brought with me on the trip. I didn't have enough money to buy any potions that would have helped at that point, and nobody would spare one, though I'm told at least one or two people had what I needed.
...that's all I really care to talk about on that, so I'm switching subjects.
In the end, I moved here, to Surna. It's pretty far off from Selenia. I like it that way.
Maybe doing some good here will get my mind off of things.
Abilities:
High intelligence and adaptability in a wide variety of scenarios.
A soothing tongue and pleasing demeanor, even to the easily-annoyed.
A very deft hand at creating the potions he's learned to create.
A remarkable ability to read people and see into their hearts.
Great hands with the piano and a fine palate.
Defects:
Poor vision without his glasses.
A playful demeanor that can be off-putting to some.
A reluctance to speak of his past unnecessarily.
Zero innate magical ability.
No combat training.
Potions:
What potions can he make?
Altruism.
Blizzard.
Elixir of Health.
Elixir of Verse.
Greater Antidote.
Healing Balm.
Healing Potion.
Memory Medicine.
Potion of Fortitude.
Potion of Intelligence.
Potion of the Naturalist.
Scrutiny.
Sleeping Potion.
Soothing Balm.
Stamina Potion.
A potion to:
Make you kinder.
Relieve pain.
Lift spirits.
Calm nerves.
Improve rest.
Help you focus.
Restrain your temper.
Improve reflexes.
Keep you healthy.
Give you energy.
Give you more confidence.
Make you think.
Help you trust easier.
Make you more cautious.
Keep you from overreacting.
Make you more opportunistic.
Improve self-control.
Keep you from falling in love.
Inventory:
A few gold pieces, not shillings.
Ingredients to make most level 2 potions and under.
A vial or less of most of the above potions.
A pair of glasses that improve his vision.
A fine black gentleman's suit.
A handy carrying case for his many vials, thimbles, and ampule jars.
Last edited by Hyperiant on Wed May 09, 2012 4:39 pm; edited 7 times in total
Hyperiant Vengaboy
Posts : 157 Join date : 2012-02-09
Subject: Re: Christopher Shaw Tue May 08, 2012 6:01 pm
As finished as it can be. I'm expanding Mun's potion database to include the potions that Christopher has created to aid in his psychiatry.
Munroe Tryhard
Posts : 602 Join date : 2012-02-06
Subject: Re: Christopher Shaw Tue May 08, 2012 6:20 pm
Hyperiant wrote:
As finished as it can be. I'm expanding Mun's potion database to include the potions that Christopher has created to aid in his psychiatry.
I think some leeway can be given here; that is, I would be willing to let you get away with Christopher making potions not necessarily in the potionary.
The reason for this is because the potionary is intended to be a list of the more common potions, rather than an exhaustive list of every potion anyone has ever concocted. I can't help but feel that some of these potions will never see any use outside of this character. Thus, including them in the potionary would only serve to clutter it (more than it already is).
Hyperiant Vengaboy
Posts : 157 Join date : 2012-02-09
Subject: Re: Christopher Shaw Wed May 09, 2012 5:48 am
Munroe wrote:
I can't help but feel that some of these potions will never see any use outside of this character. Thus, including them in the potionary would only serve to clutter it (more than it already is).
This is probably the best solution. What about potions he knows that are in the potionary? Should I list those as well?
Pat Administrator
Posts : 458 Join date : 2012-02-04
Subject: Re: Christopher Shaw Wed May 09, 2012 1:01 pm
Accepted. I like the idea of a psychiatrist-alchemist. We've also never had a psychiatrist, and I like the idea of a fledgling field of psychiatry.
I do have one question, though. What does it mean by "Keep you Healthy"? Also, I'd like to get Xeloras' imput on those potion effects.
Cakebread Vengaboy
Posts : 198 Join date : 2012-02-04
Subject: Re: Christopher Shaw Wed May 09, 2012 1:26 pm
Not bad, original and not another adventurer. Nice quote as well.
Acceptemente.
Rutabega Administrator
Posts : 201 Join date : 2012-02-20
Subject: Re: Christopher Shaw Wed May 09, 2012 1:43 pm
Looks nice, I like the concept, quite original. Accept.
Markka Dedicated Poster
Posts : 146 Join date : 2012-02-20 Age : 31
Subject: Re: Christopher Shaw Wed May 09, 2012 2:44 pm
Nice read. Seems that the general concensus is an approval. Moved.
Hyperiant Vengaboy
Posts : 157 Join date : 2012-02-09
Subject: Re: Christopher Shaw Wed May 09, 2012 3:59 pm
Pat wrote:
I do have one question, though. What does it mean by "Keep you Healthy"? Also, I'd like to get Xeloras' imput on those potion effects.
I'd like to say "boosts your immune system" but I get in trouble for that because people in Olden times don't even know about the existence of an immune system. Instead I'd like to say it just makes it harder for you to get sick. It's designed for frail characters that get illness a lot.
Munroe Tryhard
Posts : 602 Join date : 2012-02-06
Subject: Re: Christopher Shaw Wed May 09, 2012 4:06 pm
Hyperiant wrote:
What about potions he knows that are in the potionary? Should I list those as well?
Couldn't hurt.
Hyperiant Vengaboy
Posts : 157 Join date : 2012-02-09
Subject: Re: Christopher Shaw Wed May 09, 2012 4:40 pm
Munroe wrote:
Hyperiant wrote:
What about potions he knows that are in the potionary? Should I list those as well?
Couldn't hurt.
Added. Hope it's not too excessive. I can remove some if necessary.
