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decoctions) wrote2020-05-23 02:46 pm
decoctions) wrote2020-05-23 02:46 pm
erku app
Character Info
Name: Geralt of Rivia
Canon: The Witcher (games + the books the games are based on for supplemental info)
Canon Point: beginning of Blood and Wine DLC
Age: ~90 (no exact age given, but likely between 80 and 100)
Background: In full here.
Personality: While Geralt often purports (sometimes humorously) that the witcher mutations have stripped him of emotion, he shows continuously that this isn't true. Even if it wasn't easily disproven by his intense and enduring passion for Yennefer, his strong paternal love for his adopted daughter Ciri, and his affection for the many friends he makes in his travels, even everyday people comment that he has changed their perception of witchers as unfeeling mutants through his actions.
As a witcher Geralt has a unique perspective on the world. He is both needed by those around him and hated by them. As a mutant, he is used to being cursed and spat at by the very people he seeks to save. Rather than harboring bitterness about this, he merely accepts it as part of his place in the world. But this also makes him often predisposed to understanding and sympathizing with other outcasts and "freaks." He shows incredible respect, patience, and compassion for those who have been harmed by their marginalized place in society.
Though he did not choose to become a witcher, Geralt states many times that he cannot imagine himself living in any other way, despite the inherent difficulties of that life. Being a witcher is what he is good at and he sees himself as different from humans due to his mutations; neither monster nor human, but the bridge between the two worlds, belonging in neither. Geralt often uses his mutations as an excuse to push others away, in some way perpetuating his own isolation. Those closest to him are those who have seen through this tendency and fought to remain in his life. Geralt's loyalty to these people in return is uncompromising, and he goes to great and self-sacrificing lengths to protect those he holds dear.
Geralt truly can't be trusted to given an accurate depiction of himself or his own motivations. Though he claims, like a good witcher, to be unbiased and neutral, rather than just earning coin from anyone with a monster for him to slay he frequently intervenes in situations on behalf of the side he deems correct in accordance with his own morals and principles. This usually means protecting the more vulnerable party, at times even intervening on the side of the monsters themselves if they are innocent or have been wronged by humans. He constantly strives to protect those who can't protect themselves and frequently expresses contempt for those who abuse their power or harm others for their own gain. He spends his life traveling the Continent, associating with everyone from commoner to royalty. Though he is capable of respect and decorum when needed, he holds those of both low and high birth to the same standard. Though he will kill monsters for anyone who will pay, he has been known to refuse payment both from those he finds detestable and those he who he deems to genuinely need the money more than he does. Still, this is an exception to the rule; generally he adheres to the witcher's principle of taking contracts only for fair compensation.
He prefers nonviolence whenever possible, and nearly always attempts to settle disputes peacefully, only drawing his sword as a last resort. In fact, for a stoic man who prefers actions to words, Geralt is remarkably outspoken at times. Though as a witcher he is an incredibly skilled killer, he doesn't relish it. But neither is he modest about his abilities. After decades of a dangerous life on the Path, Geralt has a deep confidence in his own strength and is known to state plainly (sometimes as a warning) that potential opponents have no chance of winning against him. Some might mistake it for bragging or arrogance, but that isn't the case. Geralt is almost painfully pragmatic and unegotistical. His strength and skill are merely facts of his own existence, and he relays this when necessary.
Far from being entirely serious however, Geralt has an acute (if dry) sense of humor, and many of his remarks and retorts tend to be witty or sarcastic. His lack of inflection and flat affect tend to confuse others into thinking that his personality is one-note when in reality he is as deeply nuanced and feeling as anyone else.
Powers: This is going to be A Lot, so bear with me! As a witcher, Geralt has a wide variety of abilities both inherent and learned. These can essentially be broken down to biology (abilities gained through the mutagens that make him a witcher) and training (rigorous field and combat instruction from a young age).
Biology
Witcher Mutations
The mutations are a set of alterations using alchemy and magic that make human boys into witchers, permanently changing and enhancing their bodies. The mutagens are administered at around age ten through an incredibly painful and dangerous process called the Trial of the Grasses, where their bodies are essentially broken down from the inside and remade. Typically only three of ten healthy boys survive the Trials. Because Geralt took so well to the first round of mutagens he was subjected to extra experimental mutations as well, which are responsible for his white hair and his difficulty in emoting, as well as granting him exceptional abilities even beyond those of other witchers.
Witchers possess enhanced strength, agility, stamina, reflexes, endurance, and healing well beyond any human, even an exceptionally well-trained one, which enables them to combat monsters who also have incredible speed, strength, and often unique deadly properties. They can recover from wounds that would kill normal humans and are resistant (and in most cases completely immune) to most diseases and poisons, which makes them able to regularly consume tonics and decoctions that would be deadly for normal men even in small quantities. Their pulse is slowed to one fourth that of a normal human, and they can hold their breath for longer. Their aging process is also slowed significantly. Geralt is nearly a century old and doesn't look even half his actual age.
A witcher's senses are also incredibly advanced. Geralt's sense of hearing is acute enough to enable him to hear concealed fighters breathing and count their number from meters away, and for him to hear the change in someone's heartbeat clearly enough to infer that they're lying. A common trait used to identify witchers are their gold slit-pupiled eyes. Their pupils expand and contract to enable them to see in very low or very bright light, much like a cat. Likewise, an enhanced sense of smell also comes with the territory; at one point Geralt follows the week-old scent of spilled wine (which he is able to identify down to the vintage) from one room all the way to its source, and frequently is able to determine the identify of a creature from the scent of its blood.
Additionally, the mutations also render witchers entirely sterile. No witcher will ever father a child, which necessitates bringing new pupils into the witcher schools by other means.
Training
Training for witchers is rigorous and strict, and begins even before they undergo the Trial of the Grasses. Boys who survive the initial Trials often don't survive all of their training, making a full-fledged witcher an experienced and smart fighter. Training extends beyond weapons mastery, as knowledge in a wide variety of areas is necessary in order to live a life killing monsters across the world.
- swordplay (steel and silver swords)
- archery/crossbow skills
- horsemanship
- extensive knowledge of monsters - ability to identify them and their weaknesses.
- working knowledge of curses
- anatomy - Geralt preforms detailed autopsies of humans, monsters, and animals.
- tracking and woodsmanship - also aided by advanced senses
- alchemy - knowledge of plants and harvesting useful monster parts for the creation of attribute-enhancing potions and blade oils
Signs
Witcher signs are extremely rudimentary spells. While they are nothing compared to what real sorcerers are able to perform, they are useful in combat and can be performed through simple gestures using one hand. There are five Signs.
Aard: a telekinetic blast, usually used to break obstacles or knock opponents back in combat.
Igni: a simple fire spell. Can be used for anything from lighting candles to setting fire to opponents.
Quen: a basic shield/barrier to reduce damage from physical or magical attacks.
Yrden: a stationary magical trap placed on the ground to slow or trap enemies. Especially effective against incorporeal creatures such as wraiths.
Axii: a spell for mental manipulation. Can be used to influence someone into performing a task ordered by the caster (conveying information, unlocking a door, even switching sides during a fight). While this would be entirely opt-in for players anyway, I suspect it'll have to be nerfed in that it won't work on characters with mental defenses, or any NPCs.
Despite biology and training, Geralt is not infallible by any means. He's had his ass kicked by sorcerers, monsters, and gangs of normal humans. While none of Geralt's abilities are game-breaking and are mostly in line with enhanced/superhuman tropes, please let me know if you feel that anything needs to be toned down!
Inventory:
- silver sword
- steel sword
- set of viper school armor
- wolf school medallion (senses magic)
- Roach (his horse)
- horse gear!
Name: Geralt of Rivia
Canon: The Witcher (games + the books the games are based on for supplemental info)
Canon Point: beginning of Blood and Wine DLC
Age: ~90 (no exact age given, but likely between 80 and 100)
Background: In full here.
Personality: While Geralt often purports (sometimes humorously) that the witcher mutations have stripped him of emotion, he shows continuously that this isn't true. Even if it wasn't easily disproven by his intense and enduring passion for Yennefer, his strong paternal love for his adopted daughter Ciri, and his affection for the many friends he makes in his travels, even everyday people comment that he has changed their perception of witchers as unfeeling mutants through his actions.
As a witcher Geralt has a unique perspective on the world. He is both needed by those around him and hated by them. As a mutant, he is used to being cursed and spat at by the very people he seeks to save. Rather than harboring bitterness about this, he merely accepts it as part of his place in the world. But this also makes him often predisposed to understanding and sympathizing with other outcasts and "freaks." He shows incredible respect, patience, and compassion for those who have been harmed by their marginalized place in society.
Though he did not choose to become a witcher, Geralt states many times that he cannot imagine himself living in any other way, despite the inherent difficulties of that life. Being a witcher is what he is good at and he sees himself as different from humans due to his mutations; neither monster nor human, but the bridge between the two worlds, belonging in neither. Geralt often uses his mutations as an excuse to push others away, in some way perpetuating his own isolation. Those closest to him are those who have seen through this tendency and fought to remain in his life. Geralt's loyalty to these people in return is uncompromising, and he goes to great and self-sacrificing lengths to protect those he holds dear.
Geralt truly can't be trusted to given an accurate depiction of himself or his own motivations. Though he claims, like a good witcher, to be unbiased and neutral, rather than just earning coin from anyone with a monster for him to slay he frequently intervenes in situations on behalf of the side he deems correct in accordance with his own morals and principles. This usually means protecting the more vulnerable party, at times even intervening on the side of the monsters themselves if they are innocent or have been wronged by humans. He constantly strives to protect those who can't protect themselves and frequently expresses contempt for those who abuse their power or harm others for their own gain. He spends his life traveling the Continent, associating with everyone from commoner to royalty. Though he is capable of respect and decorum when needed, he holds those of both low and high birth to the same standard. Though he will kill monsters for anyone who will pay, he has been known to refuse payment both from those he finds detestable and those he who he deems to genuinely need the money more than he does. Still, this is an exception to the rule; generally he adheres to the witcher's principle of taking contracts only for fair compensation.
He prefers nonviolence whenever possible, and nearly always attempts to settle disputes peacefully, only drawing his sword as a last resort. In fact, for a stoic man who prefers actions to words, Geralt is remarkably outspoken at times. Though as a witcher he is an incredibly skilled killer, he doesn't relish it. But neither is he modest about his abilities. After decades of a dangerous life on the Path, Geralt has a deep confidence in his own strength and is known to state plainly (sometimes as a warning) that potential opponents have no chance of winning against him. Some might mistake it for bragging or arrogance, but that isn't the case. Geralt is almost painfully pragmatic and unegotistical. His strength and skill are merely facts of his own existence, and he relays this when necessary.
Far from being entirely serious however, Geralt has an acute (if dry) sense of humor, and many of his remarks and retorts tend to be witty or sarcastic. His lack of inflection and flat affect tend to confuse others into thinking that his personality is one-note when in reality he is as deeply nuanced and feeling as anyone else.
Powers: This is going to be A Lot, so bear with me! As a witcher, Geralt has a wide variety of abilities both inherent and learned. These can essentially be broken down to biology (abilities gained through the mutagens that make him a witcher) and training (rigorous field and combat instruction from a young age).
Biology
Witcher Mutations
The mutations are a set of alterations using alchemy and magic that make human boys into witchers, permanently changing and enhancing their bodies. The mutagens are administered at around age ten through an incredibly painful and dangerous process called the Trial of the Grasses, where their bodies are essentially broken down from the inside and remade. Typically only three of ten healthy boys survive the Trials. Because Geralt took so well to the first round of mutagens he was subjected to extra experimental mutations as well, which are responsible for his white hair and his difficulty in emoting, as well as granting him exceptional abilities even beyond those of other witchers.
Witchers possess enhanced strength, agility, stamina, reflexes, endurance, and healing well beyond any human, even an exceptionally well-trained one, which enables them to combat monsters who also have incredible speed, strength, and often unique deadly properties. They can recover from wounds that would kill normal humans and are resistant (and in most cases completely immune) to most diseases and poisons, which makes them able to regularly consume tonics and decoctions that would be deadly for normal men even in small quantities. Their pulse is slowed to one fourth that of a normal human, and they can hold their breath for longer. Their aging process is also slowed significantly. Geralt is nearly a century old and doesn't look even half his actual age.
A witcher's senses are also incredibly advanced. Geralt's sense of hearing is acute enough to enable him to hear concealed fighters breathing and count their number from meters away, and for him to hear the change in someone's heartbeat clearly enough to infer that they're lying. A common trait used to identify witchers are their gold slit-pupiled eyes. Their pupils expand and contract to enable them to see in very low or very bright light, much like a cat. Likewise, an enhanced sense of smell also comes with the territory; at one point Geralt follows the week-old scent of spilled wine (which he is able to identify down to the vintage) from one room all the way to its source, and frequently is able to determine the identify of a creature from the scent of its blood.
Additionally, the mutations also render witchers entirely sterile. No witcher will ever father a child, which necessitates bringing new pupils into the witcher schools by other means.
Training
Training for witchers is rigorous and strict, and begins even before they undergo the Trial of the Grasses. Boys who survive the initial Trials often don't survive all of their training, making a full-fledged witcher an experienced and smart fighter. Training extends beyond weapons mastery, as knowledge in a wide variety of areas is necessary in order to live a life killing monsters across the world.
- swordplay (steel and silver swords)
- archery/crossbow skills
- horsemanship
- extensive knowledge of monsters - ability to identify them and their weaknesses.
- working knowledge of curses
- anatomy - Geralt preforms detailed autopsies of humans, monsters, and animals.
- tracking and woodsmanship - also aided by advanced senses
- alchemy - knowledge of plants and harvesting useful monster parts for the creation of attribute-enhancing potions and blade oils
Signs
Witcher signs are extremely rudimentary spells. While they are nothing compared to what real sorcerers are able to perform, they are useful in combat and can be performed through simple gestures using one hand. There are five Signs.
Aard: a telekinetic blast, usually used to break obstacles or knock opponents back in combat.
Igni: a simple fire spell. Can be used for anything from lighting candles to setting fire to opponents.
Quen: a basic shield/barrier to reduce damage from physical or magical attacks.
Yrden: a stationary magical trap placed on the ground to slow or trap enemies. Especially effective against incorporeal creatures such as wraiths.
Axii: a spell for mental manipulation. Can be used to influence someone into performing a task ordered by the caster (conveying information, unlocking a door, even switching sides during a fight). While this would be entirely opt-in for players anyway, I suspect it'll have to be nerfed in that it won't work on characters with mental defenses, or any NPCs.
Despite biology and training, Geralt is not infallible by any means. He's had his ass kicked by sorcerers, monsters, and gangs of normal humans. While none of Geralt's abilities are game-breaking and are mostly in line with enhanced/superhuman tropes, please let me know if you feel that anything needs to be toned down!
Inventory:
- silver sword
- steel sword
- set of viper school armor
- wolf school medallion (senses magic)
- Roach (his horse)
- horse gear!