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May. 13th, 2025 06:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amberdrakepart i.
Character name: Amberdrake k'Leshya
Fandom: The Heralds of Valdemar by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon, specifically the Mage Wars trilogy set of books
Species (vampire, werewolf, what have you): Human
Character powers:
---- The Healing Gift:
It cannot be emphasized enough that Drake's form of healing someone else is not as simple as simply casting a healing spell on them and walking away. He has to put things back together manually, if via energy instead of by cutting them open to do it with his hands, and he speeds up the natural healing process a thousand-fold by burning the client's and his own energy to fuel it. This requires a high level of skill and knowledge, but since he began his medical training at the age of 13... and he's in his 40s, now... he definitely does know his stuff.
All Healers with the Gift on his world experience Healer's Aftershock, where they experience the pain of the injuries they Heal. With contact, the Gift could be used defensively: for example, by forcing an assailant's arms and legs to go limp.
---- The Empathic Gift:
Amberdrake is an Empath. He is not, however, a mind-reader. His Gift doesn't make him hear thoughts; he merely feels the raw emotions of others as they exist outside of his shields. Think of him as sensing a mood-ring around your character (an accurate one, that is). Without enough context, it means nothing. If someone smiles at him while seething with rage, he'll know they're actually angry, but he won't know it's because JoeBob kicked their dog this morning unless he has enough other information to go off of as well. If your character mentions JoeBob and their anger spikes with it (and it probably will), that's a pretty big clue that something happened involving JoeBob.
Physical contact makes it stronger, his readings more detailed. But he still won't find out your character's deep dark secrets purely through the Empathic Gift, not to worry. It's his decades of ongoing non-magical kestra'chern (therapist) training that you've got to keep an eye on...
Like the Healing Gift, this has some defensive possibilities. Amberdrake can project emotions with incredible strength, if he has to. Strong enough to make it hard to tell if it's yours or his doing. He can also shift through these strong emotions like shuffling a deck of cards, which is disorienting as hell for anyone. By the time most people could recover from this, he'd be long gone.
Of course, lowering his shields enough to do so is incredibly dangerous, as the risk of an Empathic loop is very real. So this isn't something he'd use other than out of desperation. He can also project images, although usually only with skin contact, and often only when the person involved is another Empath.
part ii.
1.) Is it acceptable for your character to be mind-controlled or persuaded? How susceptible are they to mind control, hypnotism, or suggestion?
Amberdrake has shields against mind magic in general, but he doesn't keep them at full strength by default (his own Gifts wouldn't work if he did). He'd be a little harder to influence magically, but not impossible. I'd also think that since he's from a world with tons of mind magic, he's far more likely to notice than not.
If he notices or knows and raises his shields up higher, you're not getting in and you're not staying in. Even Ma'ar can't screw with a Velgarthian Healer via mind magic when their shields are cranked up. It should also be noted that he sleeps with his shields higher, as is the canon standard for Healers (and is why Healers were unaffected by the crap Ma'ar pulled on the High King).
2.) Is it acceptable for your character to have their mind read? Does this include traumatic memories? What is their mind like (disturbing, orderly, joyful, surprisingly empty, etc.)? If the character has psychic walls or preventative measures against psychic interference, please explain.
My answer to question 1 applies here as well. That said, his mind is a cluttered-yet-organized mess, like the office of someone who never has time to clean but still knows where every single file folder is.
3.) Are thoughts mentioned in narration acceptable for a telepath to pick up?
Same applies as from 1 and 2, but if you'd like to catch some narrative thoughts lemme know (so I can toss more into my RP for you). I wager that if he's not expecting it and thus isn't on guard, one could eavesdrop a bit if they tried. It's not the same as influencing or rummaging around, so it's far less likely to be noticed. Also see the answer to question 5.
4.) What about emotions, in the case of an empath? What sort of general emotional reading would such a character receive from yours?
Drake is an Empath himself, so unless I tag that he's full-shielding (which makes him unable to use his own Empathy, too), then by all means... go for it! He's even used to dealing with other Empaths. Let me know so I can insert more of it into my tags for you.
5.) Are there any aspects of your character's mind, emotions, or memories you would like to be picked up, mentioned, or used in character? Conversely, is there anything that should not be noticed, or at least never mentioned?
The art of being an Empath and a kestra'chern means that Drake keeps his thoughts carefully focused around most people, so that he can more easily radiate a serene calm into the air around him (it's easier to do so if he himself is actually calm). If something comes up in a tag, and your character has the relevant abilities, you can feel free to pick up on bits and pieces of it as long as he's not full-shielding. If you'd like to grab specific memories, shoot me a PM and we can figure something out.
part iii.
1.) Physically speaking, what stands out about your character? Imposing size? Physical scarring? Tattoos?
He's buff, but he wears loose flowing clothing to make himself less imposing. Drake is a full-blooded Kaled'a'in, which means he's native american in appearance save for his extremely blue eyes, which may be a little jarring for people from Earth-based worlds. It's completely normal for his heritage, where he's from.
2.) Is your character immune to any of the following: poisons, chemical agents, telekinetic influence, radiation, or types of illnesses?
As a Healer, he's more likely to fight off poisons and chemicals and radiation and illnesses than a non-Healer is, strictly speaking, but his Gift doesn't work on himself. He's not immune to any of it, he's just supremely healthy and his blood filters itself more than normal. A good dose of any of that would screw him up just as badly as anyone else.
3.) Is your character physiologically different from a human in any way? This can include their blood, skin, hair, etcetera being made up of something unusual or simply differing in construction and durability.
He's justannoyingly incredibly healthy! His anatomy is 100% human.
4.) Are you amenable to having your character be harmed in any way? How far are you comfortable with injury to you character going? Does this include being fed on by vampires, willingly or unwillingly?
Keeping in mind that ICA=ICC, I'm okay with just about any maiming short of killing him. And if your character has a good enough excuse for injuring him, or gnawing on him against his will, he may even be quite forgiving about it. He's used to working with dangerous creatures, after all, and an injured gryphon will lash out and break your spine as easily as a feverish kyree might bite off your arm. As far as willing feedings goes, he may even consent. It all depends on the RP.
5.) Is it acceptable for other characters with abilities of shapeshifting or disguise to imitate your character? Does this include ability mimicry?
Drake will probably freak out, since it's been done to him in canon before! I've no OOC objection, though I'd prefer to chat about it OOCly first. I don't see how ability mimicry would work, but I'm happy to hear you out and compromise!
part iv.
1.) Can your character's presence or aura be noticed by other characters, and how would it look/feel to them? How would it manifest to a character with no supernatural abilities, if at all?
There's no reason it wouldn't, if they normally see these things. He doesn't hide what he is, he just guards secrets. I imagine he'd be warm, golden... however your character normally sees these things, it'd be along those lines. People with no supernatural abilities wouldn't feel an aura off him, though he does tend to radiate serene calm into the air around him Empathically, which can be felt but isn't so strong that it can't be shrugged off easily.
It's also not terribly obvious that it's coming from him; a character may just decide they like the lighting in this room, or that candle is more pleasant than they thought at first, etc.
2.) Can your character be affected by magic spells and curses?
Yep!
3.) Can your character be affected by sin and corruption, and be tempted toward expressing their darker urges (of whatever flavor)?
Probably! His willpower is crazy levels of strong, but at the end of the day he's still human.
4.) What sort of sins is the character prone toward, and how might they best be tempted, if you are interested in such an event?
I'm not entirely sure. He takes such great pains to avoid falling prey to pride and arrogance that I can't help but think there's some natural inclination toward it that he's leaning away from.
5.) Are you amenable to the character receiving prophetic visions, including as part of a plot?
Sure.
part v.
1.) Is threadjacking allowed? Under what circumstances?
Sure. I mean, if he's locked away somewhere privately with someone it might be more difficult, IC, but otherwise go for it.
2.) Is it acceptable for canonmates that are updated further than yours to inform your character of events yours has not yet experienced?
Go for it, though I'd be (pleasantly) shocked if someone else played in this canon.
3.) Are there triggering or upsetting topics you would like other characters to avoid mentioning to yours for the sake of continued comfort (racist words, homophobia, self-injury, etc.)?
I don't like animal abuse as a topic even in RP, it hurts my soul too much. Otherwise? He's a therapist, he can deal with it. And I know the kind of character I'm playing. If something else unexpectedly bothers me, I'll let folks know and update here as well.
4.) Are there any additions you would like us to make to this survey?
Not that I can think of! I appreciate the ones on things like Empathy and whether characters are physically abnormal. Those will definitely make my life a bit easier, with his two Gifts.
Character name: Amberdrake k'Leshya
Fandom: The Heralds of Valdemar by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon, specifically the Mage Wars trilogy set of books
Species (vampire, werewolf, what have you): Human
Character powers:
---- The Healing Gift:
It cannot be emphasized enough that Drake's form of healing someone else is not as simple as simply casting a healing spell on them and walking away. He has to put things back together manually, if via energy instead of by cutting them open to do it with his hands, and he speeds up the natural healing process a thousand-fold by burning the client's and his own energy to fuel it. This requires a high level of skill and knowledge, but since he began his medical training at the age of 13... and he's in his 40s, now... he definitely does know his stuff.
All Healers with the Gift on his world experience Healer's Aftershock, where they experience the pain of the injuries they Heal. With contact, the Gift could be used defensively: for example, by forcing an assailant's arms and legs to go limp.
---- The Empathic Gift:
Amberdrake is an Empath. He is not, however, a mind-reader. His Gift doesn't make him hear thoughts; he merely feels the raw emotions of others as they exist outside of his shields. Think of him as sensing a mood-ring around your character (an accurate one, that is). Without enough context, it means nothing. If someone smiles at him while seething with rage, he'll know they're actually angry, but he won't know it's because JoeBob kicked their dog this morning unless he has enough other information to go off of as well. If your character mentions JoeBob and their anger spikes with it (and it probably will), that's a pretty big clue that something happened involving JoeBob.
Physical contact makes it stronger, his readings more detailed. But he still won't find out your character's deep dark secrets purely through the Empathic Gift, not to worry. It's his decades of ongoing non-magical kestra'chern (therapist) training that you've got to keep an eye on...
Like the Healing Gift, this has some defensive possibilities. Amberdrake can project emotions with incredible strength, if he has to. Strong enough to make it hard to tell if it's yours or his doing. He can also shift through these strong emotions like shuffling a deck of cards, which is disorienting as hell for anyone. By the time most people could recover from this, he'd be long gone.
Of course, lowering his shields enough to do so is incredibly dangerous, as the risk of an Empathic loop is very real. So this isn't something he'd use other than out of desperation. He can also project images, although usually only with skin contact, and often only when the person involved is another Empath.
part ii.
1.) Is it acceptable for your character to be mind-controlled or persuaded? How susceptible are they to mind control, hypnotism, or suggestion?
Amberdrake has shields against mind magic in general, but he doesn't keep them at full strength by default (his own Gifts wouldn't work if he did). He'd be a little harder to influence magically, but not impossible. I'd also think that since he's from a world with tons of mind magic, he's far more likely to notice than not.
If he notices or knows and raises his shields up higher, you're not getting in and you're not staying in. Even Ma'ar can't screw with a Velgarthian Healer via mind magic when their shields are cranked up. It should also be noted that he sleeps with his shields higher, as is the canon standard for Healers (and is why Healers were unaffected by the crap Ma'ar pulled on the High King).
2.) Is it acceptable for your character to have their mind read? Does this include traumatic memories? What is their mind like (disturbing, orderly, joyful, surprisingly empty, etc.)? If the character has psychic walls or preventative measures against psychic interference, please explain.
My answer to question 1 applies here as well. That said, his mind is a cluttered-yet-organized mess, like the office of someone who never has time to clean but still knows where every single file folder is.
3.) Are thoughts mentioned in narration acceptable for a telepath to pick up?
Same applies as from 1 and 2, but if you'd like to catch some narrative thoughts lemme know (so I can toss more into my RP for you). I wager that if he's not expecting it and thus isn't on guard, one could eavesdrop a bit if they tried. It's not the same as influencing or rummaging around, so it's far less likely to be noticed. Also see the answer to question 5.
4.) What about emotions, in the case of an empath? What sort of general emotional reading would such a character receive from yours?
Drake is an Empath himself, so unless I tag that he's full-shielding (which makes him unable to use his own Empathy, too), then by all means... go for it! He's even used to dealing with other Empaths. Let me know so I can insert more of it into my tags for you.
5.) Are there any aspects of your character's mind, emotions, or memories you would like to be picked up, mentioned, or used in character? Conversely, is there anything that should not be noticed, or at least never mentioned?
The art of being an Empath and a kestra'chern means that Drake keeps his thoughts carefully focused around most people, so that he can more easily radiate a serene calm into the air around him (it's easier to do so if he himself is actually calm). If something comes up in a tag, and your character has the relevant abilities, you can feel free to pick up on bits and pieces of it as long as he's not full-shielding. If you'd like to grab specific memories, shoot me a PM and we can figure something out.
part iii.
1.) Physically speaking, what stands out about your character? Imposing size? Physical scarring? Tattoos?
He's buff, but he wears loose flowing clothing to make himself less imposing. Drake is a full-blooded Kaled'a'in, which means he's native american in appearance save for his extremely blue eyes, which may be a little jarring for people from Earth-based worlds. It's completely normal for his heritage, where he's from.
2.) Is your character immune to any of the following: poisons, chemical agents, telekinetic influence, radiation, or types of illnesses?
As a Healer, he's more likely to fight off poisons and chemicals and radiation and illnesses than a non-Healer is, strictly speaking, but his Gift doesn't work on himself. He's not immune to any of it, he's just supremely healthy and his blood filters itself more than normal. A good dose of any of that would screw him up just as badly as anyone else.
3.) Is your character physiologically different from a human in any way? This can include their blood, skin, hair, etcetera being made up of something unusual or simply differing in construction and durability.
He's just
4.) Are you amenable to having your character be harmed in any way? How far are you comfortable with injury to you character going? Does this include being fed on by vampires, willingly or unwillingly?
Keeping in mind that ICA=ICC, I'm okay with just about any maiming short of killing him. And if your character has a good enough excuse for injuring him, or gnawing on him against his will, he may even be quite forgiving about it. He's used to working with dangerous creatures, after all, and an injured gryphon will lash out and break your spine as easily as a feverish kyree might bite off your arm. As far as willing feedings goes, he may even consent. It all depends on the RP.
5.) Is it acceptable for other characters with abilities of shapeshifting or disguise to imitate your character? Does this include ability mimicry?
Drake will probably freak out, since it's been done to him in canon before! I've no OOC objection, though I'd prefer to chat about it OOCly first. I don't see how ability mimicry would work, but I'm happy to hear you out and compromise!
part iv.
1.) Can your character's presence or aura be noticed by other characters, and how would it look/feel to them? How would it manifest to a character with no supernatural abilities, if at all?
There's no reason it wouldn't, if they normally see these things. He doesn't hide what he is, he just guards secrets. I imagine he'd be warm, golden... however your character normally sees these things, it'd be along those lines. People with no supernatural abilities wouldn't feel an aura off him, though he does tend to radiate serene calm into the air around him Empathically, which can be felt but isn't so strong that it can't be shrugged off easily.
It's also not terribly obvious that it's coming from him; a character may just decide they like the lighting in this room, or that candle is more pleasant than they thought at first, etc.
2.) Can your character be affected by magic spells and curses?
Yep!
3.) Can your character be affected by sin and corruption, and be tempted toward expressing their darker urges (of whatever flavor)?
Probably! His willpower is crazy levels of strong, but at the end of the day he's still human.
4.) What sort of sins is the character prone toward, and how might they best be tempted, if you are interested in such an event?
I'm not entirely sure. He takes such great pains to avoid falling prey to pride and arrogance that I can't help but think there's some natural inclination toward it that he's leaning away from.
5.) Are you amenable to the character receiving prophetic visions, including as part of a plot?
Sure.
part v.
1.) Is threadjacking allowed? Under what circumstances?
Sure. I mean, if he's locked away somewhere privately with someone it might be more difficult, IC, but otherwise go for it.
2.) Is it acceptable for canonmates that are updated further than yours to inform your character of events yours has not yet experienced?
Go for it, though I'd be (pleasantly) shocked if someone else played in this canon.
3.) Are there triggering or upsetting topics you would like other characters to avoid mentioning to yours for the sake of continued comfort (racist words, homophobia, self-injury, etc.)?
I don't like animal abuse as a topic even in RP, it hurts my soul too much. Otherwise? He's a therapist, he can deal with it. And I know the kind of character I'm playing. If something else unexpectedly bothers me, I'll let folks know and update here as well.
4.) Are there any additions you would like us to make to this survey?
Not that I can think of! I appreciate the ones on things like Empathy and whether characters are physically abnormal. Those will definitely make my life a bit easier, with his two Gifts.