Playing a Passive

Mistreated, mistrusted and misunderstood, passives live a hard life. If they are not driven out of Brunnhold and major cities, they are forced into slavery for the University, usually as punishment for an invented crime; they are not allowed to own property or money, cannot get married, and cannot be in contact with their parents.

Galdori believe passives are cursed by the gods. While they may appear to have no magical ability at all, this is not entirely true - terrible events have sometimes shocked a powerful spell from the most hopeless of passives, a magic they cannot control or predict, called a diablerie. The mona have the final say in what becomes of a passive's ability. Perhaps that is why they are feared and hated by the galdori.

Some even say that passives have a special connection to the gods...

Pros of playing a passive

You're a rare breed - there won't be many characters like you. Humans feel sorry for you, and wicks will protect you from the galdori who persecute you. If you're stuck in Brunnhold, it's not all bad - there's a big sense of camaraderie among Brunnhold passives, and you've always got the Stacks if you want to go get guttered. And above all else, you have the benefit of living at Brunnhold - often, passives have inside knowledge of the University that wicks and humans don't, and can act as useful agents for the human resistance.

You may have one powerful spell that can aid you in a time of dire need - you can choose what it is, but you cannot choose when it manifests itself.

Cons of playing a passive

You must always be on your guard. Not all galdori hate and fear you, but most will - and most would be happy to make your day horrible. If you make one mad, you run the risk of getting forced into slavery, or worse. A passive's life is always at risk as long as they're around galdori, and in Anaxas, it's really hard to avoid the galdori.

You have no magic - or at least, no control over what little magic you have.

Food for thought - ideas for getting into character

You could choose a common story - your passive was arrested at a young age, and now lives at Brunnhold, working as a slave. Or you could have your passive grow up among either wicks or humans. Either way, they're going to be parentless - galdori parents alone can produce a passive galdori, and they won't be allowed to keep you even if they wanted to (which they probably didn't.)

Passives live troubled lives, and often have no sense of cultural identity; they identify themselves with whatever culture accepts them, but never feel completely at home. Perhaps your backstory could reflect this conflict. Or, it could be completely different - your passive could have been incredibly fortunate!

Remember, if your passive does live at Brunnhold, they will have a bunkmate who will also be assigned to work beside them. This person can be an NPC, or you can work it out with another player beforehand to bunk together.

Passives in Combat

Though a weaker combatant than most humans (due to their weak galdori genes), passives can be the most dangerous person in a fight. At any moment, their token spell may unleash itself on their opponents (and, sometimes, on their friends) with incredible fury.

A passive has generally formed a nice set of muscles from a life of hardship and heavy lifting. They tend to adopt the fighting style of whichever race raised them, and play a little bit like a wild card - their small stature makes them ideal for sneaking into tiny spaces.

Get a Job!

You are allowed to choose the work your passive character will do. If they are gated, there are a limited number of jobs available to start, but your options will grow as you gain the trust of the galdori. If they are free, they have every option of the race they live with.

Some jobs that a gated passive might be assigned to:

baker, cook, server
dishwasher, sweeper, window-washer
general maid, working in all areas of the University
handmaiden or butler to a professor

If you work as a butler or handmaiden, you will have to stay put in that job until you are fired or the professor in question dies.

Passive Goals

Words.