Shale (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
birdsmustdie) wrote2012-10-25 03:33 am
birdsmustdie) wrote2012-10-25 03:33 am
(no subject)
» PLAYER INFORMATION
Player NAME: Missy.
Current AGE: 23
Personal JOURNAL:trombone
IM & SERVICE: casts death ;; AIM
Player PLURK: antipiderman
Current CHARACTERS: None!
» CHARACTER INFORMATION
Character NAME: Shale
Canon & MEDIUM: Dragon Age: Origins; Video Game
Canon PULL-POINT: Following the end of the first game, from the ending where Alistair becomes King.
Character AGE: Shale as a golem is approximately 1085 years old, using this as a resource. (Older than that, if you count her years prior to becoming a golem.)
Character ABILITIES: Golems were crafted to be living siege engines, more or less, and as a stone golem, Shale's strength and sturdy constitution are obvious at a glance. The process that was employed in crafting golems has imbued her with talents and abilities beyond her physical capabilities, and these talents allow her to switch between four distinct roles:
- The Pulverizing Blows skill tree gives her access to powerful close combat techniques, allowing her to her to deliver devastating blows and cause small quakes.
- The Stoneheart tree enhances her defensive capabilities, enhancing her elemental resistances and making her much more impervious to damage, allowing her to draw the attention of enemies and keep them occupied much more effectively.
- The Rock Mastery tree gives her access to ranged abilities, allowing her to hurl boulders and barrages of rocks at her foes from afar.
- The Stone Aura tree gives her access to a supportive role, sacrificing her own defense and movement to imbue allies with energy that improves their strength and damage resistance, while debilitating enemies that enter the area.
(Details on the individual abilities can be found here!)
Character HISTORY: Centuries ago, the Paragon Caridin created the Anvil of the Void, which was used to create golems made of steel and stone with the purpose of driving back the ever present darkspawn. However, as he was unable to create life out of nothing, he had no choice but to use living volunteers to animate the golems. (Information on the process can be found here!)
Shale (known as Shayle back then) was one of the first dwarves (and the only female) to volunteer to undergo this process, and is one of the last remaining golems. Though she's lived for over a thousand years as a golem, her memories don't stem back nearly as far, and her most recent (though vague) memories are of being the servant of a mage named Wilhelm. While under his control, Shale was subjected to a number of experiments (one of which involved shrinking her into her more compact size) and was ordered to do a number of menial tasks. Though Shale doesn't even remember exactly what happened, it's assumed that one day she regained enough of her free will to turn on Wilhelm, killing him without remorse.
As punishment for killing her former master, Shale was deactivated and frozen into a living statue and put on display in the village of Honnleath for thirty years. It was during this time that her contempt for humans and, more importantly, birds was bred and fueled, and it's likely she would have remained in this state indefinitely had the Warden not come along. Upon being released from her imprisonment, she was overjoyed to discover that her control rod had somehow been broken, returning her free will and independence. Unsure of what she wanted to do with her new found freedom, Shale opted to follow the Warden for the time being and offer her aid in the blight.
During her travels with the Warden, Shale made her way through the Deep Roads for the first time in centuries where at the end, she was able to speak with Caridin himself, who reminded her of her noble history as Shayle of House Cadash prior to becoming a golem. They then aided Caridin in defeating Branka (a Paragon who hoped to put the Anvil of the Void to use once more), and helped him destroy the Anvil for good, a result Shale was pleased with. The information Caridin was able to bestow upon her about her past helped her to remember where her old Thaig was located, and together with the Warden she traveled there to learn more about her history.
It's also worth noting that Shale will remember a Warden from the Elf Mage origin. In her timeline, Shale was obviously recruited, the Warden sided with Caridin and helped to destroy the Anvil of the Void, and Shale's personal quest was completed.
Character PERSONALITY: Centuries ago, Shayle of House Cadash was among the first dwarves to volunteer to become a golem, and is notable for being the only female to do so. As such, within her lies the soul of a warrior, and this fighter's spirit is still with her even after all these years. Fearless and courageous, Shale possesses a remarkable strength of will, standing firm in her beliefs and goals and never backing down no matter what the obstacle is. However, though her courage and strength are admirable, Shale of today is hardly what you'd call 'noble'. As a war golem, Shale possesses an innate capacity for violence and brutality. In their time, golems were created to act, not think, and as a result Shale possesses a more practical, direct outlook when it comes to solving conflicts. Rather than waiting around for a time-costly 'peaceful' resolution, Shale would prefer (and frequently recommends) just 'crushing its head' and being done with it.
These aggressive traits are also apparent when interacting with her, as she's known to make a number of callous, sarcastic remarks and generally regards others with a condescending attitude. (She even goes as far as referring to the humans around her as 'it' as opposed to proper gender pronouns.) Opinionated, Shale unabashedly speaks her mind, voicing her thoughts regardless of whether or not others will find them appropriate. Her pride and vanity are also rarely censored, and it's no great secret that she finds her sturdy golem form superior to that of the fleshy humans around her. Unsurprisingly, Shale also lacks a distinct moral code, meaning her actions are guided by what she deems best as opposed to what's right.
It's also apparent early on that Shale harbors a lingering resentment towards humans and other fleshy (and feathered, but let's not go there) creatures, a bias that directly stems from her recent years of being ordered to perform pointless, menial tasks and undergoing irritating experiments. However, though she is rather stubborn in her ways, it is possible to get her to rethink her opinion. In others around her, Shale admires strength of character and courage, and will start to respect those who she finds these traits in. She also appreciates being treated and talked to like an equal, after having spent years being treated as nothing more than a mindless servant. Because of this, she values her new found independence above all else and isn't about to willingly surrender it again.
Fortunately, Shale is far from being a mindless brute, and conversing with her over time will reveal that she's actually quite intelligent and self-aware. When she's not being callous and sarcastic, she proves herself to be a deep-thinker, asking insightful questions and occasionally providing insightful answers. She also possesses a number of other rather endearing quirks, most of which are likely to catch you off guard. For example, despite the fact she's a golem and therefore physically genderless, she showcases a number of surprisingly feminine traits, such as showing an interest in shoes (though having no practical use for them), and a love for gems that glitter and shine.
Oh, and she absolutely loathes birds. This is non-negotiable. (You would too, if you had to endure years of them leaving their mark on you.)
» EXSILIUM INFORMATION
Chosen WEAPON: Shale will find a set of clear, generic crystals that, when equipped, will adapt and change color to serve the purpose of all her former crystal sets as needed.
Chosen SKILLSET: Shale is definitely a fighter! As a war golem, she is unsuited for anything other than battle.
Character INVENTORY: Shale doesn't have anything on her!
» SAMPLES
First PERSON: [ Golems and technology are not a good mix, as we are about to witness. There's an audible crunch as large stone hands inspect the device, before accidentally turning the video option on mid-sentence. A stony scowl is visible, and it's apparent that Shale is holding the device like a book. ]
--fail to see exactly what it wants me to do with this... peculiar object.
[ Another crunch as fingers rake across the keys, followed by the sideways face on the feed scowling in irritation.]
Gah! And the voices that come out of it! How do I stop their incessant prattling--
[ Abruptly stops, eyebrows raising as something in the background provides a distraction. Brows furrowing into further irritation, the device suddenly finds itself launched at the offender, sending the video feed into a dizzying spiral until it skids to a stop. ]
...Bah, pity my aim isn't better. Blasted pigeons.
Third PERSON: After spending thirty years in Honnleath doing nothing but observing the dull tasks of fleshy humans, it was a habit that Shale did her best to avoid these days. However, her curiosity often managed to get the best of her despite herself, and this was just such an occasion. The fact that the two nearby humans were using a game to settle some negligible dispute wasn't too out of the ordinary, as humans often resorted to methods that would allow them to avoid damaging their soft exteriors.
No, what was concerning were the rules of this game, and she simply couldn't ignore them. After standing for a while, observing and trying to understand, she finally decided to step forward and, ignoring the startled looks of the two humans, bluntly presented her case.
"Explain. I don't understand how it is that paper could possibly beat rock, when rock is clearly superior."
This was the last thing they had expected to hear from the golem, apparently, and it showed. Stunned, one of the humans launched into an explanation that while rock could crush scissors, it couldn't crush paper because it was already flat, see--
Irritated, Shale waved a hand to cut him off, heaving an exasperated sigh. No, that simply wouldn't do, she decided, and she set about trying to come up with ways to repair this flawed game of theirs. Perhaps they didn't find it so important, but she simply couldn't walk away and allow this insult to continue, now could she?
"Surely there is something it could use instead of paper that would be more appropriate? For example, how about rock-pigeon-scissors? Rock crushes scissors, scissors stab pigeon, and pigeon covers rock in it's infernal crap--"
As she spoke, her irritation over such a sore subject was apparent. After enduring pigeons and other birds leaving their mark on her for years, these new rules would certainly have more weight than flimsy, inferior paper. However, she thought that ideally, rock would find a way to crush pigeon as well, leaving the game flawed. The only way would be if rock trumped all, she decided, but her thoughts were cut short by the horrified looks of the humans. It was clear that they didn't think this matter was nearly as important as she considered it, and as a result her brows furrowed into further irritation. She wasn't about to walk away and leave this grievous matter unresolved, so she changed tact.
"Very well. Run along and grab it's beloved paper, and we shall see how it fares when it tries to cover me with it."
» ADDITIONAL NOTES
Considering Shale doesn't have any reasonable means (or desire) to carry the device around, is it possible to attach it to her somehow, perhaps to her arm or something? :| If she's stuck with it she'll be much more inclined to use it, and less inclined to lose or break it haha.
Also, I went ahead and listed all of her talent trees since she only has four and they're easily maxed out in a play through, but if you would like me to just pick a couple I can! (The two I'd choose would likely be the Pulverizing Blows and Stoneheart talent branches.)
Player NAME: Missy.
Current AGE: 23
Personal JOURNAL:
tromboneIM & SERVICE: casts death ;; AIM
Player PLURK: antipiderman
Current CHARACTERS: None!
» CHARACTER INFORMATION
Character NAME: Shale
Canon & MEDIUM: Dragon Age: Origins; Video Game
Canon PULL-POINT: Following the end of the first game, from the ending where Alistair becomes King.
Character AGE: Shale as a golem is approximately 1085 years old, using this as a resource. (Older than that, if you count her years prior to becoming a golem.)
Character ABILITIES: Golems were crafted to be living siege engines, more or less, and as a stone golem, Shale's strength and sturdy constitution are obvious at a glance. The process that was employed in crafting golems has imbued her with talents and abilities beyond her physical capabilities, and these talents allow her to switch between four distinct roles:
- The Pulverizing Blows skill tree gives her access to powerful close combat techniques, allowing her to her to deliver devastating blows and cause small quakes.
- The Stoneheart tree enhances her defensive capabilities, enhancing her elemental resistances and making her much more impervious to damage, allowing her to draw the attention of enemies and keep them occupied much more effectively.
- The Rock Mastery tree gives her access to ranged abilities, allowing her to hurl boulders and barrages of rocks at her foes from afar.
- The Stone Aura tree gives her access to a supportive role, sacrificing her own defense and movement to imbue allies with energy that improves their strength and damage resistance, while debilitating enemies that enter the area.
(Details on the individual abilities can be found here!)
Character HISTORY: Centuries ago, the Paragon Caridin created the Anvil of the Void, which was used to create golems made of steel and stone with the purpose of driving back the ever present darkspawn. However, as he was unable to create life out of nothing, he had no choice but to use living volunteers to animate the golems. (Information on the process can be found here!)
Shale (known as Shayle back then) was one of the first dwarves (and the only female) to volunteer to undergo this process, and is one of the last remaining golems. Though she's lived for over a thousand years as a golem, her memories don't stem back nearly as far, and her most recent (though vague) memories are of being the servant of a mage named Wilhelm. While under his control, Shale was subjected to a number of experiments (one of which involved shrinking her into her more compact size) and was ordered to do a number of menial tasks. Though Shale doesn't even remember exactly what happened, it's assumed that one day she regained enough of her free will to turn on Wilhelm, killing him without remorse.
As punishment for killing her former master, Shale was deactivated and frozen into a living statue and put on display in the village of Honnleath for thirty years. It was during this time that her contempt for humans and, more importantly, birds was bred and fueled, and it's likely she would have remained in this state indefinitely had the Warden not come along. Upon being released from her imprisonment, she was overjoyed to discover that her control rod had somehow been broken, returning her free will and independence. Unsure of what she wanted to do with her new found freedom, Shale opted to follow the Warden for the time being and offer her aid in the blight.
During her travels with the Warden, Shale made her way through the Deep Roads for the first time in centuries where at the end, she was able to speak with Caridin himself, who reminded her of her noble history as Shayle of House Cadash prior to becoming a golem. They then aided Caridin in defeating Branka (a Paragon who hoped to put the Anvil of the Void to use once more), and helped him destroy the Anvil for good, a result Shale was pleased with. The information Caridin was able to bestow upon her about her past helped her to remember where her old Thaig was located, and together with the Warden she traveled there to learn more about her history.
It's also worth noting that Shale will remember a Warden from the Elf Mage origin. In her timeline, Shale was obviously recruited, the Warden sided with Caridin and helped to destroy the Anvil of the Void, and Shale's personal quest was completed.
Character PERSONALITY: Centuries ago, Shayle of House Cadash was among the first dwarves to volunteer to become a golem, and is notable for being the only female to do so. As such, within her lies the soul of a warrior, and this fighter's spirit is still with her even after all these years. Fearless and courageous, Shale possesses a remarkable strength of will, standing firm in her beliefs and goals and never backing down no matter what the obstacle is. However, though her courage and strength are admirable, Shale of today is hardly what you'd call 'noble'. As a war golem, Shale possesses an innate capacity for violence and brutality. In their time, golems were created to act, not think, and as a result Shale possesses a more practical, direct outlook when it comes to solving conflicts. Rather than waiting around for a time-costly 'peaceful' resolution, Shale would prefer (and frequently recommends) just 'crushing its head' and being done with it.
These aggressive traits are also apparent when interacting with her, as she's known to make a number of callous, sarcastic remarks and generally regards others with a condescending attitude. (She even goes as far as referring to the humans around her as 'it' as opposed to proper gender pronouns.) Opinionated, Shale unabashedly speaks her mind, voicing her thoughts regardless of whether or not others will find them appropriate. Her pride and vanity are also rarely censored, and it's no great secret that she finds her sturdy golem form superior to that of the fleshy humans around her. Unsurprisingly, Shale also lacks a distinct moral code, meaning her actions are guided by what she deems best as opposed to what's right.
It's also apparent early on that Shale harbors a lingering resentment towards humans and other fleshy (and feathered, but let's not go there) creatures, a bias that directly stems from her recent years of being ordered to perform pointless, menial tasks and undergoing irritating experiments. However, though she is rather stubborn in her ways, it is possible to get her to rethink her opinion. In others around her, Shale admires strength of character and courage, and will start to respect those who she finds these traits in. She also appreciates being treated and talked to like an equal, after having spent years being treated as nothing more than a mindless servant. Because of this, she values her new found independence above all else and isn't about to willingly surrender it again.
Fortunately, Shale is far from being a mindless brute, and conversing with her over time will reveal that she's actually quite intelligent and self-aware. When she's not being callous and sarcastic, she proves herself to be a deep-thinker, asking insightful questions and occasionally providing insightful answers. She also possesses a number of other rather endearing quirks, most of which are likely to catch you off guard. For example, despite the fact she's a golem and therefore physically genderless, she showcases a number of surprisingly feminine traits, such as showing an interest in shoes (though having no practical use for them), and a love for gems that glitter and shine.
Oh, and she absolutely loathes birds. This is non-negotiable. (You would too, if you had to endure years of them leaving their mark on you.)
» EXSILIUM INFORMATION
Chosen WEAPON: Shale will find a set of clear, generic crystals that, when equipped, will adapt and change color to serve the purpose of all her former crystal sets as needed.
Chosen SKILLSET: Shale is definitely a fighter! As a war golem, she is unsuited for anything other than battle.
Character INVENTORY: Shale doesn't have anything on her!
» SAMPLES
First PERSON: [ Golems and technology are not a good mix, as we are about to witness. There's an audible crunch as large stone hands inspect the device, before accidentally turning the video option on mid-sentence. A stony scowl is visible, and it's apparent that Shale is holding the device like a book. ]
--fail to see exactly what it wants me to do with this... peculiar object.
[ Another crunch as fingers rake across the keys, followed by the sideways face on the feed scowling in irritation.]
Gah! And the voices that come out of it! How do I stop their incessant prattling--
[ Abruptly stops, eyebrows raising as something in the background provides a distraction. Brows furrowing into further irritation, the device suddenly finds itself launched at the offender, sending the video feed into a dizzying spiral until it skids to a stop. ]
...Bah, pity my aim isn't better. Blasted pigeons.
Third PERSON: After spending thirty years in Honnleath doing nothing but observing the dull tasks of fleshy humans, it was a habit that Shale did her best to avoid these days. However, her curiosity often managed to get the best of her despite herself, and this was just such an occasion. The fact that the two nearby humans were using a game to settle some negligible dispute wasn't too out of the ordinary, as humans often resorted to methods that would allow them to avoid damaging their soft exteriors.
No, what was concerning were the rules of this game, and she simply couldn't ignore them. After standing for a while, observing and trying to understand, she finally decided to step forward and, ignoring the startled looks of the two humans, bluntly presented her case.
"Explain. I don't understand how it is that paper could possibly beat rock, when rock is clearly superior."
This was the last thing they had expected to hear from the golem, apparently, and it showed. Stunned, one of the humans launched into an explanation that while rock could crush scissors, it couldn't crush paper because it was already flat, see--
Irritated, Shale waved a hand to cut him off, heaving an exasperated sigh. No, that simply wouldn't do, she decided, and she set about trying to come up with ways to repair this flawed game of theirs. Perhaps they didn't find it so important, but she simply couldn't walk away and allow this insult to continue, now could she?
"Surely there is something it could use instead of paper that would be more appropriate? For example, how about rock-pigeon-scissors? Rock crushes scissors, scissors stab pigeon, and pigeon covers rock in it's infernal crap--"
As she spoke, her irritation over such a sore subject was apparent. After enduring pigeons and other birds leaving their mark on her for years, these new rules would certainly have more weight than flimsy, inferior paper. However, she thought that ideally, rock would find a way to crush pigeon as well, leaving the game flawed. The only way would be if rock trumped all, she decided, but her thoughts were cut short by the horrified looks of the humans. It was clear that they didn't think this matter was nearly as important as she considered it, and as a result her brows furrowed into further irritation. She wasn't about to walk away and leave this grievous matter unresolved, so she changed tact.
"Very well. Run along and grab it's beloved paper, and we shall see how it fares when it tries to cover me with it."
» ADDITIONAL NOTES
Considering Shale doesn't have any reasonable means (or desire) to carry the device around, is it possible to attach it to her somehow, perhaps to her arm or something? :| If she's stuck with it she'll be much more inclined to use it, and less inclined to lose or break it haha.
Also, I went ahead and listed all of her talent trees since she only has four and they're easily maxed out in a play through, but if you would like me to just pick a couple I can! (The two I'd choose would likely be the Pulverizing Blows and Stoneheart talent branches.)