Do you have any prior experience with Requiem? If so, please detail when (and what characters, if desired) you previously played: No.
How did you hear about Requiem? Friend
CHARACTER QUESTIONS
What will your character’s name be? Hako Shwindellfing
Please briefly describe the physical attributes of your character, including age, looks, height, weight and any notable features: An average height adult male approx 5`11 and average body weight for his height. He has lightly toned muscles, his skin is brown and slightly hairy on the arms. Hako Shwindellfing is by all means not a direct fighter it is rather obvious from his stance and movement showing clear lack of overall agility to compensate holding weapons like swords and spears. He hones black messy short hair and a full beard with a small unibrow.
Briefly state your character’s intentions or motivations for entering the First Province: His direct motive are research of literature and advancing his knowledge on the effects of alchemy towards the hostile area of first province. Hako Shwindellfing does not acknowledge one thing which is the fact he does enjoy the isolation a dead zone can provide.
Please provide a few short paragraphs with pertinent details or notable qualities of your character’s history. This does not have to be exhaustive nor revealing of any information you wish to keep secret:
Hako Shwindellfing always kept his past to himself but he always shared bits and pieces of life to people he had to interact with and behave in a manner that mystery and silence would only entangle him in bigger trouble. However, his stories were always hollow and only gave as little details as possibles.
Hako Shwindellfing used to always narrate about his family being composed of two parents, a sister and a brother, with him being the third child and the youngest. He lived in a really distant village it could barely be called a village as it was only 3 families living near each other but there was no bound rules or leader in his so called village it was more of an agreement of peace as fellow humans. Hako likes alchemy and does show pleasure in writing new discoveries or him reaching conclusions to certain issues, he may not have been a fighter but he was in fact an explorer in the research field. Shwindellfing always avoided heavily populated areas which sometimes made him a victim to random inspections and harassment from patrols as a hooded man that loves to mix ingredients and favors isolation does raise eyebrows but it never made him loathsome and the worst it did was make him learn how to please men with blades by their side to not take his head with them and that's obviously by freebies and some "lost coins".
Please write a few short paragraphs of an in-character response to the following scenario:
You have finally arrived at your destination; the Rumbling Pass train-yards. Before you stands a massive outpost, looking to have been erected within the past few years, of which is patrolled by numerous Legionnaires and Church Templar. The outpost guards the only viable entrance to the recently quarantined First Province; the home of Tor, the fallen capital of the Republic. Sitting at the foot of the massive mountain range that effectively contains the First Province within, the outpost serves as the last obstacle you must overcome before entering the quarantined territory.
You and others like you assemble outside of the palisades of the outpost, awaiting the opportunity to speak your case to the presiding Legion officiant who is processing admittance to the Province. Behind him, a passenger train, a marvel of technological advancement, sits idling on its’ tracks, dozens of persons filling it’s numerous passenger cars. A true rarity within the Republic, you can hardly believe your eyes (and ears) as the locomotive releases a massive plume of steam from its’ smokestack. You overhear many a bewildered citizen around you gossip as to how the only truly safe way into the Province is now by rail, for the Rumbling Pass’ mountains are nigh impassible and miles long, with the only safe navigable tunnels being those traveled in the safety of locomotives and rail-cars. You shudder for a moment, pondering how many forsaken souls attempted to flee the cloistered Province through the Pass’ winding, dark tunnels, hordes of Afflicted upon their heels, only to be cut down in the pitch-black darkness.
It strikes you as peculiar that so much effort has been made in securing a means of logistical supply and personnel transportation into the fallen First Province. You’ve heard rumors before of Quarantine Zones; entire Municipalities and even Territories being cut-off from access due to the blight of the Torment and the over-abundance of the walking dead – but in most instances, no one is ever trying to get into to those forsaken places. Yet here, mere miles from the ruins of Tor, masses congregate in order to make their way into the First Province Quarantine Zone. If you hadn’t known any better, the entire scene – the Outpost, the mass of military personnel, the throngs of citizens and the hissing locomotive – resembles more of an evacuation rather than a one-way ticket into anarchy and lawlessness. As you make your way closer to the train-yard outpost, you can’t help but recall all of the wild and crazy stories concerning all manners of rumors about the First Province since it’s fall two years ago. Some say that the treasures awaiting the bold are beyond measure – others swear that Salvation and Ascension is guaranteed for those who would follow their Faith and help reclaim the First Coast.
Where the truth lies, you’ve no idea – you only know that you’re here, at the precipice of it all, and your destination is within reach.
You watch, somewhat defeated, as but a scant few of the hundreds that approach the outpost officiant, who stands at the outer gates of the outpost flanked by a few heavily armored Legionnaires, are actually allowed to pass through the man-door and into the outpost and train-yards proper. You see some swarthy fellows slip pieces of gold to the officiant, while others plead their cases and rationale as to why they should be allowed to enter the recently fallen territory. Some appear to provide some sort of paperwork to the officiant, flashing official looking papers from a Faction or influential Prelacy house, who promptly waves them through. While watching and eavesdropping, you manage to overhear the well-rehearsed speech the officiant provides to those whom don’t provide paperwork or grease his palm, the words monotone and nasally.
“By decree of the Venerated Church, the First Province is a mortal health hazard, and as such, is quarantined under Article Eighteen of the Republic Treatise of Health Act of 1320. Citizens who do not possess a Quarantine Visa issued by one of the recognized Factions of the Republic are considered non-essential to the reclamation of the First Province. Under Article Eighteen, non-essentials seeking entry into an official quarantine zone must petition for entry into a said zone, and state just cause for the issuing of a Quarantine Visa by the perimeter authority.”
The officiant snorts in disdain, then adds the last line to the rehearsed monologue:
“State your business and make it quick, citizen; we’ve enough bodies in there to keep us busy for years without adding yours to the pile, and those VIC are stirring up problems something fierce as of late.”
You ponder the situation for a moment, evaluating your options. It is well known that with the right connections and the right amount of coin, one can get their hands on a Quarantine Visa from any one of the major Factions or Prelacy Families of the Republic, or even a passable counterfeit from more nefarious sources. At the same time, it would appear that the officiant doesn’t appear to be above some simple bribery – although his price may be hefty. However, despite it all, you’re sure that some of those let in appeared to have made a convincing case with the officiant without resorting to subterfuge or immorality. Gathering your wits, you step forward towards the officiant, and make your decision as to how to gain access to the First Province.
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Hako Shwindellfing gathers his thoughts, before looking straight at the officiant and saying, "I will not tire you further, I'm a researcher of alchemy and I wish to gain access to the First Province as a way to test how the ingredients gathered from this unfortunate land effect results and how my chemicals effect this cursed soil. Literature regarding these studies are vague and somewhat secretive, so I want to study it myself directly and see if I can discover something. As such, I humbly request access from you." Following his words, Hako lowers his head to show respect before putting his hands behind his back awaiting the officiant judgement.
