Alrune

Tristan, or Alrune, climbed into a booth at the Hollow Tusk. It was a medieval themed diner with airy windows and cross pattern, vine strewn dividers. Also, it was virtual. This alone would not have been bad. How wonderful to sense, really feel, the hearth in the corner and the smell of fresh bread. Technology had come so far that it was godlike. Even if this world didn't exist, not physically, it was good as reality to the thousands now trapped inside.

A waitress weaved through the room to bow before Alrune. "Hmm..." She peered, face frozen, as if concentrating. "I haven't seen you before. First meal's free! What would you like?"

Alrune opened his mouth to speak, but a window opened above the table, so he coughed instead. Right. NPCs couldn't all run high grade AI. He selected every item on the list and pressed confirm.

She made for the kitchen.

The food should taste fine, presumably. Advertising for Sword Art Online flaunted its advanced senses; there was even a bit of talk about using it for weight loss. That was one thing Alrune liked. In fact there were too many things to like. That brought up the issue. Should he fight to escape, or consider the tragedy a lucky escape itself?

USERNAME: Alrune    NAME: Tristan Ash    AGE: 28    GENDER: Male    HEIGHT: 5'10"

APPEARANCE: A solid, medium man, clean shaven, sharp jawed, with thin cheeks, and black hair that for some reason will not stay down. His eyes are blue as a brackish ocean. His limbs are logs, but his body's lean. On a normal day, he'd wear Traveler Strips: a grey shirt that's much too large; a pair of loose, dusty harem pants, of the high crotch type; fingerless leather gloves; and a leather cloak that, at the waist, shreds into small strips that stretch to the ankles. One might notice his hands. They work with flair and efficiency. And his ears might perk, searching out. And one would notice, certainly, Alrune's visage, which is readable as a children's book and much like one too, when you forget the angles. Unless it's not, of course. It very truly may not be. It may be stone.

HISTORY: In a private forest mansion on the border between England and Scotland, Tristan Ash spent most of his childhood alone, with only the company of larkspur, lilies, and carnations. Well, that's not quite true. He had the internet, late at night, after listening all day to his tutors. Gamers welcomed him. But business came first in the Ash family, so Tristan developed a wide pool of knowledge, which, because he was forced to, ruined his intellectual appetite; he felt trapped. He was freed when an economic apocalypse struck. The family moved south.

Tristan laid low in the world of public school. It was hard. Combined, the household melancholy and his status as newcomer only made things worse, and he felt isolated. Eventually that feeling lent him the courage to find a friend. Together, they explored the city, experiencing the truth of society; seeing all there was; knowing good and bad; but while he was strengthened by reality, his companion couldn't cope. When Tristan noticed her mood, one day, he couldn't mention it. Then it was too late. She was lost.

A sort of vengeance took root, jolting him to new motivation. He'd be brave and succeed. Graduating high school, Tristan dashed for college, earned a programming degree, and... found a desk job as a software developer. Over years, that energy faded. Game by night and code by day. One game, Sword Art Online, caught his attention.

WISE: Tristan has fantastic intuition and knows how to handle many situations. He's good at figuring things out. Consoling and cutting to the truth are specialties.

UNDAUNTED: Tristan does what he thinks is best, regardless of others' opinions. Each time he failed by conforming, by not speaking up, are etched in his mind. His alignment is certainly chaotic good.

OPEN: Tristan considers every solution and angle to a problem. To him, everyone deserves a chance, or many. He's trusting and suspicious at the same time.

TRANSIENT: Tristan fears being bound. He has a history of quickly abandoning groups that depend on him. And being sheltered as a child, he never wants to return to that restriction.

ANXIOUS: Tristan has a mild case of social anxiety. It's not apparent nowadays, as he keeps it behind heavy doors. Dealing with many people at once or facing adversity may cause him to run, though.

COMPULSIVE: Tristan is prone to compulsive behavior. Specifically, he often feels the need to understand every element of a step before moving on. Or to be absolutely prepared for any matter.

SKILL POINTS: 0/5

SEARCHING (Novice)

INVENTORY

[Ranseur] (Two Handed Assault Spear) (Rare) (Keen II)

[Traveler Strips] (Clothing) (Vanity)

(3) [Starter Healing Potion]

ROLEPLAYS