Petra
A sculpture does not create beauty and art. He merely releases that which is hidden in the stone.
Special Equipment:
Petra carries with her the implements of her birth. The chisel and hammer. Wrapped in silk and lambskin.
Appearance:
Born of a large block of alabaster marble, veins of soft dove grey and palest rose through out the surface of her skin. Sculpted by the hands of a master. She represents the love he never had. Petra's creation to many long hours...and many many months of endless labor. She was a work of love. Every waking moment spent perfecting her delicate features. Her creator had wanted her to be flawless. Standing at 5'7, Petra is slender, possessing such grace and poise. Like a Queen, but without a crown.
Background:
Eliam Varsh was a humble artist. Spending countless hours on anyone piece of work. But Eliam was a poor man. Doing menial tasks to afford food and a roof over his head. While many patrons adorned their homes with his work, they still shunned the thin man. And rightly, he shunned them in return.
Then one day he found the perfect specimen. Many months of only the barest of food and drink. Saving his entire fortune to purchase the block of marble. It called to him. Until the day came that the block of marble stood in his studio.
Each day Eliam would spend hours staring at the stone. Silent, as though he were waiting for the stone to speak to him. It became his obsession. Every waking moment consumed by time spent with the block of marble.
Eventually it came to him. What was hidden in the stone. Waiting to be released. He began to work. Locking himself away in his studio. The sound of the chisel and hammer could be heard until the early hours of the morning.
By morning, the sun rose. Eliam lay sleeping at the base of the budding sculpture. The warm rays of the sun illuminated the face of the scupture. Giving the impression of warmth and life in the cold stone face.
Months went by. Eliam continued to work until every detail was perfect. The marble block and it's hard edges gave way to soft curves and delicate features. Even after she was completed, Eliam would spend hours there in the studio. Watching her, talking to her as if she were real. Even at one point Eliam had gone as far to kiss the lips of his masterpiece. Finding them to be cold and hard.
A neighbor took pity upon the lonely artist. A gentle woman, she had often brought Eliam food while he worked on his sculpture. Her visits became more frequent. Drawing Eliam back into the world. His obsession began to fade. The studio grew cold and silent. Many nights passed, and still no Eliam.
The love and devotion that had had spent on the sculpture had changed it. Bringing it to life. The awakening had been slow. Becoming aware that Eliam was not there. Vision being granted to sightless eyes. Cold hard flesh grew softer and radiated the gentle warmth of life. Though her appearance remained that of stone.
Petra breathed in new life. Stepping down off of the pedastool. A glance given about the darkened studio. Sadness appearing on those delicate features as a slender hand touched Eliam's work bench. A fine layer of dust clinging to her finger tips. How long had it been since he was here? Where was he? Where was Eliam? Her creator....her love. She had to find him.
Roleplaying Notes:
- Petra is still marble. Though her skin feels warm and real to the touch. Bladed weapons will not pierce her skin, though it may chip it in places, depending on the force behind the blow.
- Petra is very heavy for her size, avoiding marsh like areas is in her best interest. Remember...marble is not light.
Plot ideas
- Unrequited love. Eliam and his neighbor fell in love and abandoned their homes there. Petra loves Eliam. And will search for him until the end. Possible threatening to harm Eliam's new love. Eliam pleads with the PC group to help stop his creation.
- The Ghost Town. The village where Eliam lived was beset by some mystic plague. Eliam and the rest of the village died. The PC group is hired by a neighboring village to investigate the cause of the plague and to prevent it's spread. Petra may become an ally, being immune to disease. Zombie could also be worked into this..but that is up to you. A mystic plague that some of the villagers arise as zombie.
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? Responses (20)
I like it.
How long has Eliam been gone? Long enough for his workshop to get dusty, but how long was he gone? Where did he go?
How did she come to life? Was it a gift from a remorseful Goddess of Lost Love?
There is no telling how long Eliam has been gone. It could be months..it could be years. Depending on the stoyline/game that Petra is put in.
Eliam could be living next door, he maybe be in another village or a far away land. Then again Eliam might be dead. Again, this is up to the person who choses Petra. Petra does not know where Eliam is, or how long he has been gone. Up until her awakening there is lack of understanding the passing of time.
Petra could have been brought to life by the sheer strength of Eliam love and devotion to his creation. After all he spents many months...possible a year, constantly near the marble block and Petra herself as he sculpted her.
Being the gift of a goddess is another idea. Or it was latent magics at work.
'Tis a very pleasant and touching story, a classic - Pygmalion and Galateia, ancient Greece ... does spark a memory indeed.
While enjoyable, I find your english most difficult to read, with incomplete and suddenly interrupted sentences, it can get confusing...
I'd prefer the sole power of love bringing the stone to life...
I do apologize for my grammar. I may speak english. But when it comes to getting my ideas out, I have some difficulties. It is something I need to work on. :)
Very good. I really like this carecter. 5/5
*sigh* Ah, the women... don't move a finger for you, and once you give up, they would chase you through the whole world. ;)
Very nice. Another way of creation may be that a spirit of Stone (or a part of it) resided in the marble piece, and with Eliam's careful work was given another shape, fit for our world. But love and devotion is a great enough reason. ('Latent magics' are the same thing.)
Note:
- does she sleep at all? There seems to be no need; maybe she just spends the night dreaming with eyes open...
- a very neat 'disadvantage' of weight. While practically immune to many weapons, she may have problems climbing upstairs, not breaking floors she treads, or getting on ships (but at least, no need to breath).
Final note:
- to add a little to the romance: maybe she is immortal(unaging) until she finds him, or finds out he is dead. Then she would start to age as mortals do. Perhaps even turn to flesh, become a truly living being.
5/5
You could also use the rebirth theory in that Eliam has long since died of old age, natural causes, whatever you choose yet his spirit/ soul was given to another.
Since she has this unyielding desire and need to find him, the person that she finds to hold that love may not be Eliam but his loving soul.
That could cause problems if the person who she is claiming to be Eliam or his soul is in fact a PC who is a woman/ married/ or otherwise disinclined to have a stone statue craving for his affections.
Now, imagine the soul in this reincarnation was a magic-hater, and Petra would try to convince him of her love, and the error of his ways as well...
That sounds completely better, I like that.
A woman being courted by a stone statue of a beautiful girl would be as interesting, but less epic...
There are lots of potential in sentient golems, and lots of possible plots.
this all sounds good but what if she fell in love with the king(his soul or whatever) and he hired th characters to 'dispose' of her
Correct me if I am wrong but have you been reading Greek Myths lately
I really like it!
Is it not the original backstory of Wonder Woman that she is a statue animated to become a defender of the Amazon Island? Maybe if Eliam and his loving neighbour were killed by an invading army, Petra would become an avenging warrior. For a twist, if you want her to be an opponent, it is Eliam's nation that is invading and the sculptor was conscripted, and killed by the PCs as defenders of their land. Time to move to the marshes...
Pygmalion retold. It has potential for RPing, And I'd be happy to have Her as a PC or NPC.
I can quite happily see her hunting the globe for her lost love and being a recurring NPC that helps the party when their path cross, or a tragic enemy that sells her service to the wrong people in a hope of finding her love again.
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Exeptional roleplaying potential to the story, which I'd not considered before, but I feel that this remains very close to the original myth.
Nice, what DD said.
Yes, this has strong ties to Pygmalion, but the seeking out of her creator and his absence file off enough of the serial numbers for me. This is a great sub and she could be used a lot of ways.
I really like it!