Character spotlight: Falconer and Sersi

His real name is Dar Macabon and he lived on the planet Chyssia as leader of the royal guard for many years. Then his team was framed for the murder of the king and they were forced to flee to protect their infant princess. Because Chyssia is where the game of Chess really originated, they were called chessmen without a king and the name stuck. They became the Chessmen, fighting to go back home.

Dar earned the name of Falconer when he rescued an injured red falcon in the mountains. But this was no ordinary bird. Her name is Sersi, a mystical falcon and very rare. Being highly intelligent and capable of speech were only the beginning with her. Sersi is an amateur spell caster and getting stronger every year. For the sake of her team she specializes in healing magics, but her combat prowess is nothing to dismiss. Her power dive comes with a peal of thunder and red lightning. She can fell a thick tree with one pass.

Dar has power over the elements and weather. He can generate storms and manipulate elements in any form. He can make earth churn like water and shape fire into anything  he can think of. He can generate micro winds for shoving people out of they way or full force hurricanes. In a major fight he prefers lightning but is highly practiced in every angle of his abilities.

When it comes to his team, Dar is deeply concerned with their innocence and the effects of being forced away from home. His leadership is firm yet caring and conscientious. Sersi is in love with him but keeps that fact well hidden, hoping to one day change form to a humanoid woman for him. Together they inspire a team loyalty that surpasses most similar hero teams.

Dar's most notable drawback is his personal guilt over what happened to his team and the situation they are in.  He feels he should have seen the whole thing coming and no one, not even Sersi, can convince him otherwise. (Avoiding spoilers, you'll just have to read Chessmen to find out.) Dar also prefers to avoid combat if possible, but he isn't afraid to deal punishment to anyone who earns it.

Falconer and Sersi in combat are a fearsome force to behold. If he doesn't have to worry about his teammates, he and Sersi can clear a battlefield of minor threats in seconds. He can obliterate heavy artillery and possibly even throw it into orbit. Both of them can fly in space with assistance of Sersi's magic and Falconer's ability to carry an aura of sustainable atmosphere with him. He can channel lightning in space, but the lack of other elements restricts his abilities.

Their dedication to the princess is stronger than any known bond and they protect her with their lives. The only thing more powerful is the drive to take her and the team back home.

Spotlight: Bards!

Bards are more than just the wandering minstrels of old. They do more in GZ than spread the news. They are powerful spell castors through the force of their music.

Bardic spells are similar in effect to mainstream sorcery except that it's considered a different source of magic. Because of this, a target that is immune to sorcery magics may not be immune to bardic magics.

Bards must use a musical instrument and require the ability to make sound in or to cast their spells. Each Bard picks a favorite instrument from the time he starts training. By they time they've learned most of their intermediate magics, they can make their instrument sound like most of an orchestra all at once.

There is a Bard's Guild run by King Jacob. In the guild, only bards of good alignment are admitted and they link their music to make their spells stronger. There is no requirement to join and not all Bards are interested. For example, Anubis and Horus learned to be Bards, but aren't members of the Guild.

Bards can have powerful effects on their surroundings. How powerful? Well, I went searching for music videos to help me make this point:


So if they get their "rock" on, you best watch out. There are many Bards in GZ and they use all sorts of musical style to work their magic. As you travel the GZ universe, keep your ear open for Bardic messages that may warn you of danger or send information. Yep, you may even have to decipher a song for messages.

Popular Bards are Maestro and Rockaria, but it doesn't stop there.

Coming soon: Showcases! A Showcase is a super short story about a character or group of characters! Stay tuned!