Briar Moss (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
growingwild) wrote2012-12-02 08:40 pm
growingwild) wrote2012-12-02 08:40 pm
Entry tags:
Application - Outer Divide
[- OOC Information -]
Name: Blue
Do you play any other characters in Outer Divide? No
[- Character Information -]
Character Name: Briar Moss
Fandom: Circle of Magic
OU, AU, or CR AU: OU
Canon Point: After the end The Will of the Empress, when Briar and his sister have been back in Emelan for several months.
Journal:growingwild
World History: NA
Character History: Wiki link
AU History: NA
Previous Game History: NA
Personality:
Briar is an easy-going, with a mischievous and cheeky nature. When he was younger in particular, he often indulged in things like playfully tugging on his foster-sisters' hair. Now as a grown man, he comes across as a a bit of a rascal who only 'nearly-respectable', rather than completely respectable. Briar can put on the charm, he can act completely casual and innocent, but there's often something about him that hints to his former life as street rat.
Briar is also very much a flirt, and a ladies man: he likes women, and they often like him back. But for all that Briar can go through women like James Bond, he very much respects them. He's always straightforward about the fact that he's only offering casual relationships, he makes sure that none of the women he sleeps with will become pregnant by taking a herb that makes him sterile, and if a woman isn't interested in him he'll consider them completely off limits and not approach them. Women are always people to Briar (even if their time in his life is short) and he treats them accordingly.
But despite his criminal upbringing, Briar has a very strong sense of right and wrong - although this sense doesn't always align up with the law. Briar certainly won't object to someone who steals or breaks the law because that's what they need to do to survive; but he absolutely will not agree with those who hurt others just to gain power, or for their own amusement, or just because someone doesn't have the power to fight back.
To his friends and family, Briar is incredibly loyal: he asserts that he would have rather died than join a gang that killed one of his friends, and he's risked his own life to save that of his teacher, Rosethorn. And even when he was arguing with his sisters, if they were in trouble he wouldn't hesitate to help them. And while he does try to hide it, Briar is someone who is very caring and compassionate.
Unfortunately though, Briar also has his fair share of scars. Growing up on the streets did leave Briar with some insecurities about his background - although as he grew older this bothered him less - and he never forgets his time on the street. And even after managing to escape the streets, he's lived through some traumatic experiences, including a war. That war has had a very big impact on Briar, leaving him with what appears to be post-traumatic stress disorder: he can't stand to return to Winding Circle temple anymore, because the sound of the temple bells reminds him of the war. And he also suffers from terrible nightmares, which also makes him hate to sleep alone.
Powers/Abilities:
Having grown up on the streets, Briar is very resourceful, and has picked up quite a few not necessarily 'legal' skills. He's very good at picking locks, and his deft, steady hands have come in handy even apart from picking locks. He's skilled in street fighting and hand to hand combat, favouring knives in particular (and Briar always has multiple knives hidden on his person). And having spent so much time engaging in criminal activity himself, he's got a good eye for recognising when someone else isn't up to any good.
His education got to a late start; when he came to Winding Circle, he couldn't read or write at all. But from Tris he did learn reading and writing, and eventually learned well enough that Rosethorn would let him label her medicines (and Rosethorn has exacting standards). And in the end not being able to rely on writing may have helped Briar develop an excellent memory, as he's able to recite what's told to him accurately. At Winding Circle, Briar also began to have a basic education. He also picked up on some other skills, like carpentry, and picked up quite a bit of knowledge from his foster-sisters in the fields of the weather, smithing, and weaving.
But the main bulk of Briar's knowledge centered around his magic: in gardening, and plants. He is extremely knowledgeable about what plants do what, how to best grow them, and what they can be used for. Medicines in particular are one area that Briar has gained very good knowledge of, and as a result he also has a very good knowledge of healing in general, even if he cannot use his own magic to heal.
As for Briar's magic specifically, in his world the kind of magic he has is referred to as 'ambient' magic. Rather than 'academic' mages, whose magic is rooted entirely in their own strength, Briar's magic is rooted in the natural world, and specifically in plants. In fact, plants love Briar. It's not unknown for plants nearby Briar to start moving towards him in a desperate attempt to get near and capture his attention. Plants will happily attempt to defend Briar as well, with their thorns and vines and poisons, even against someone who had been their gardener. In these cases, Briar often has to tell the plants to behave to get them to back off.
He can also have a more concentrated effect on plants, making them move or grow very quickly. He can make a plant go from a seed to a fully grown plant in moments, or call life to a wood to reawaken the dead plant within it. He can restore the power in things like medicines, which have been derived from plants. He can heal plants that are dying, or help them resist damage from things like fire. But while the effect that Briar can have on plants is dramatic, this doesn't meant that he doesn't use traditional gardening methods. Because while he can use magic to grow a plant extraordinarily quickly, it is ultimately better for the plant to grow naturally, as it will be stronger in the end.
Briar can also 'talk' to plants, although this is limited by the plant's understanding of the world. But he can hear a plant grumble as someone walks all over it, or ask it what it's being fed. He can also draw strength from plants, using their magic and power to restore his own.
As Briar is a plant mage, many people often have the perception that this means that his magic isn't particularly the case. This is not the case, as Briar is very much capable of using his magic to devastating effect. With the use of cotton bads filled with seeds, Briar can shoot up climbing plants to wrap around people and trap them, or even thorny plants that will grow right through someone, killing them.
Briar's magic however is also unusual, in that his magic is not 'just' plant magic. When he was around ten, his foster-sister Sandry wove his magic, and that of their two other foster-sisters, Tris and Daja, together. This gave Briar a small amount of thread, weather, and smith-magic, which can sometimes influence his own magic. He can also magically speak with his sisters (although if they are too far away from each other, like when they were in different countries, they cannot communicate this way). He is also able to 'see' magic, an ability which he gained from his sister Tris.
And sometimes, as is the nature of magic, Briar's magic can have odd effects (particularly if he isn't careful about taking the right precautions). One example of this is when he tried to tattoo his hands using Sandry's magicked needles: instead of a flowing vine tattoo, he ended up with magical, moving plant tattoos that are always changing and shifting.
Possessions:
Arrival:
Briar will be waking up on the ship.
[- Writing Samples -]
Network Sample:
Link @ dear_mun
Log Sample:
For a moment when Briar woke, he was back in Gyongxe. His body tensed as he prepared to fight off the attackers who would try to murder him as he slept.
But then his awareness returned, and Briar realised that there were no war drums here, no dedicates in temple robes, no smell of death. He blinked. He was...he didn't know where he was. This certainly wasn't his home in Emelan, where he and his sisters lived. It wasn't like anyplace he had been before. Crystals glowed around him, except he couldn't see even one flicker of magic in them. How did they glow without magic?
Tris? Sandry? Daj? He called, trying to reach out with his magic to his sisters. Nothing. He could feel only the smallest trace of their magical link, as if they were too far away to communicate magically. That unnerved him more than anything. As far as he could remember, he'd only just been teasing Tris and Sandry moments ago.
But he found something else: his shakkan. Briar rushed towards it, immediately checking to make sure that it was okay. The miniature tree proved to be fine, although Brair could tell that the tree was just as unsettled as he was.
"And here I thought we'd had enough of trouble," he muttered. "We'd better be careful. Whoever or whatever it was that brought us here, they're plenty powerful." Gently picking up the tree, Briar began following the trail of the strange non-magical lights. He could only hope that he wasn't already stuck in a trap he couldn't get out of.
Name: Blue
Do you play any other characters in Outer Divide? No
[- Character Information -]
Character Name: Briar Moss
Fandom: Circle of Magic
OU, AU, or CR AU: OU
Canon Point: After the end The Will of the Empress, when Briar and his sister have been back in Emelan for several months.
Journal:
growingwildWorld History: NA
Character History: Wiki link
AU History: NA
Previous Game History: NA
Personality:
Briar is an easy-going, with a mischievous and cheeky nature. When he was younger in particular, he often indulged in things like playfully tugging on his foster-sisters' hair. Now as a grown man, he comes across as a a bit of a rascal who only 'nearly-respectable', rather than completely respectable. Briar can put on the charm, he can act completely casual and innocent, but there's often something about him that hints to his former life as street rat.
Briar is also very much a flirt, and a ladies man: he likes women, and they often like him back. But for all that Briar can go through women like James Bond, he very much respects them. He's always straightforward about the fact that he's only offering casual relationships, he makes sure that none of the women he sleeps with will become pregnant by taking a herb that makes him sterile, and if a woman isn't interested in him he'll consider them completely off limits and not approach them. Women are always people to Briar (even if their time in his life is short) and he treats them accordingly.
But despite his criminal upbringing, Briar has a very strong sense of right and wrong - although this sense doesn't always align up with the law. Briar certainly won't object to someone who steals or breaks the law because that's what they need to do to survive; but he absolutely will not agree with those who hurt others just to gain power, or for their own amusement, or just because someone doesn't have the power to fight back.
To his friends and family, Briar is incredibly loyal: he asserts that he would have rather died than join a gang that killed one of his friends, and he's risked his own life to save that of his teacher, Rosethorn. And even when he was arguing with his sisters, if they were in trouble he wouldn't hesitate to help them. And while he does try to hide it, Briar is someone who is very caring and compassionate.
Unfortunately though, Briar also has his fair share of scars. Growing up on the streets did leave Briar with some insecurities about his background - although as he grew older this bothered him less - and he never forgets his time on the street. And even after managing to escape the streets, he's lived through some traumatic experiences, including a war. That war has had a very big impact on Briar, leaving him with what appears to be post-traumatic stress disorder: he can't stand to return to Winding Circle temple anymore, because the sound of the temple bells reminds him of the war. And he also suffers from terrible nightmares, which also makes him hate to sleep alone.
Powers/Abilities:
Having grown up on the streets, Briar is very resourceful, and has picked up quite a few not necessarily 'legal' skills. He's very good at picking locks, and his deft, steady hands have come in handy even apart from picking locks. He's skilled in street fighting and hand to hand combat, favouring knives in particular (and Briar always has multiple knives hidden on his person). And having spent so much time engaging in criminal activity himself, he's got a good eye for recognising when someone else isn't up to any good.
His education got to a late start; when he came to Winding Circle, he couldn't read or write at all. But from Tris he did learn reading and writing, and eventually learned well enough that Rosethorn would let him label her medicines (and Rosethorn has exacting standards). And in the end not being able to rely on writing may have helped Briar develop an excellent memory, as he's able to recite what's told to him accurately. At Winding Circle, Briar also began to have a basic education. He also picked up on some other skills, like carpentry, and picked up quite a bit of knowledge from his foster-sisters in the fields of the weather, smithing, and weaving.
But the main bulk of Briar's knowledge centered around his magic: in gardening, and plants. He is extremely knowledgeable about what plants do what, how to best grow them, and what they can be used for. Medicines in particular are one area that Briar has gained very good knowledge of, and as a result he also has a very good knowledge of healing in general, even if he cannot use his own magic to heal.
As for Briar's magic specifically, in his world the kind of magic he has is referred to as 'ambient' magic. Rather than 'academic' mages, whose magic is rooted entirely in their own strength, Briar's magic is rooted in the natural world, and specifically in plants. In fact, plants love Briar. It's not unknown for plants nearby Briar to start moving towards him in a desperate attempt to get near and capture his attention. Plants will happily attempt to defend Briar as well, with their thorns and vines and poisons, even against someone who had been their gardener. In these cases, Briar often has to tell the plants to behave to get them to back off.
He can also have a more concentrated effect on plants, making them move or grow very quickly. He can make a plant go from a seed to a fully grown plant in moments, or call life to a wood to reawaken the dead plant within it. He can restore the power in things like medicines, which have been derived from plants. He can heal plants that are dying, or help them resist damage from things like fire. But while the effect that Briar can have on plants is dramatic, this doesn't meant that he doesn't use traditional gardening methods. Because while he can use magic to grow a plant extraordinarily quickly, it is ultimately better for the plant to grow naturally, as it will be stronger in the end.
Briar can also 'talk' to plants, although this is limited by the plant's understanding of the world. But he can hear a plant grumble as someone walks all over it, or ask it what it's being fed. He can also draw strength from plants, using their magic and power to restore his own.
As Briar is a plant mage, many people often have the perception that this means that his magic isn't particularly the case. This is not the case, as Briar is very much capable of using his magic to devastating effect. With the use of cotton bads filled with seeds, Briar can shoot up climbing plants to wrap around people and trap them, or even thorny plants that will grow right through someone, killing them.
Briar's magic however is also unusual, in that his magic is not 'just' plant magic. When he was around ten, his foster-sister Sandry wove his magic, and that of their two other foster-sisters, Tris and Daja, together. This gave Briar a small amount of thread, weather, and smith-magic, which can sometimes influence his own magic. He can also magically speak with his sisters (although if they are too far away from each other, like when they were in different countries, they cannot communicate this way). He is also able to 'see' magic, an ability which he gained from his sister Tris.
And sometimes, as is the nature of magic, Briar's magic can have odd effects (particularly if he isn't careful about taking the right precautions). One example of this is when he tried to tattoo his hands using Sandry's magicked needles: instead of a flowing vine tattoo, he ended up with magical, moving plant tattoos that are always changing and shifting.
Possessions:
- his clothes; a pair of breeches and a loose shirt as well as boots. All of his clothes were made by Sandry, so they have also been enchanted to resist dirt and damage, to not wrinkle, and to not make any noise when Briar moves
- 8 knives
yes, he does in fact regularly carry around this many (if not more) around on his person - a 150 year old pine Shakkan, or miniature tree, which has a great store of magical power
- a few cotton balls filled with seeds
- his communicator will take the form of a small scrying mirror, since mobile devices don't exist in his world
Arrival:
Briar will be waking up on the ship.
[- Writing Samples -]
Network Sample:
Link @ dear_mun
Log Sample:
For a moment when Briar woke, he was back in Gyongxe. His body tensed as he prepared to fight off the attackers who would try to murder him as he slept.
But then his awareness returned, and Briar realised that there were no war drums here, no dedicates in temple robes, no smell of death. He blinked. He was...he didn't know where he was. This certainly wasn't his home in Emelan, where he and his sisters lived. It wasn't like anyplace he had been before. Crystals glowed around him, except he couldn't see even one flicker of magic in them. How did they glow without magic?
Tris? Sandry? Daj? He called, trying to reach out with his magic to his sisters. Nothing. He could feel only the smallest trace of their magical link, as if they were too far away to communicate magically. That unnerved him more than anything. As far as he could remember, he'd only just been teasing Tris and Sandry moments ago.
But he found something else: his shakkan. Briar rushed towards it, immediately checking to make sure that it was okay. The miniature tree proved to be fine, although Brair could tell that the tree was just as unsettled as he was.
"And here I thought we'd had enough of trouble," he muttered. "We'd better be careful. Whoever or whatever it was that brought us here, they're plenty powerful." Gently picking up the tree, Briar began following the trail of the strange non-magical lights. He could only hope that he wasn't already stuck in a trap he couldn't get out of.