Calypso's Journal

[Calypso 0]

Profile:
Username: Calypso
Real name: Caroline “Callie” Martel
Age: 31
Gender: Female
Height: 5’7”

History:
Caroline could hardly consider the first twenty-three years of her life “special” or “exciting”. Growing up with both parents and a younger brother of two years in a big city, life was usually busy and detached, and Callie had little choice but to adapt senses of both independence and reliability from a young age. She often times did her best just to get by and maintain the status quo, purposefully blending in throughout her school years. As a result, boredom grew to be a close friend to her and the lack of daring that she displayed over the years left her without direction or a clear passion when it came time to properly enter adulthood. Rather than continue struggling to settle on a college major, Callie stopped her schooling and focused her attention on finding work. With a pleasant personality and an attention to detail, it was rather easy for her to secure a secretarial position in a startup company. The small, friendly staff was enough to keep her satisfied despite the long hours and unfulfilling work, and the steady pay helped her to eventually manage getting a small place of her own.

Three years into her working career, Callie began to develop issues with her health. Minor enough at first for her to get away with ignoring them or simply “waiting for it to go away”, it wasn’t until she continued experiencing a difficulty breathing that she finally took the time to get herself examined. It was worrisome at first when she was told there was a high chance that she had a thyroid disorder, and even moreso when following doctor’s visits revealed that a benign nodule was responsible for her troubled breathing. Under the assumption that it would only fester and worsen with time, Callie was suggested to undergo surgery for a partial thyroidectomy, and after plenty of internal conflict she reluctantly agreed.

All surgical procedures have their risks. She had tried not to worry so much over all of the things that could go wrong. But when Callie had awoken and opened her mouth to speak only for no sound to leave her, her whole world came crashing down. She found out shortly afterwards that damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve during the surgery had resulted in something the nurse had called aphonia. In short, she was told that it was very likely her voice would never return to her. She wasn’t sure how long it took to pull her life back together after that time. Looking back, she was lucky enough not to lose her job completely, though the long absences and difficulty adjusting to her newfound disability just added to the strain.

Time continued to pass, and the world kept spinning regardless of Callie’s struggles. In between the checkups and spurts of depression, she had turned to video games as a means of escaping the real world. Typing on a keyboard allowed her to communicate with people in a way that didn’t remind her of the speech she was no longer capable of, and becoming a character in a game allowed her to forget about the responsibilities that had always weighed down on her shoulders. As gaming eventually turned into something she took solace in, the introduction of virtual reality technology naturally piqued her interest. Without much regard for the financial commitment, Callie grew eager to secure herself a copy of Sword Art Online after word of its development spread like wildfire.

After creating her avatar and loading her consciousness into the virtual space, something felt a bit...strange. Besides the general “off” feeling of everything she sensed being a mere simulation, it was more accurate to say that something was missing. The slight discomfort that often tickled at the back of her throat, the way that a breath of air sliding down her windpipe would sometimes catch or feel strained. After eight years of becoming her norm, those sensations were gone. She opened her mouth, and the shaky voice that left her in just the same tone that she knew from the better half of her memories brought her to tears. 

Virtues:

• Mature: Whether it was the atmosphere of her home growing up or perhaps brought about by her own volition, Callie practically rushed into adulthood. Despite the childlike wonder that Sword Art Online manages to elicit from her at times, she still has a good head on her shoulders. Without the same responsibilities from the real world weighing down on her, she has grown a bit more impulsive and carefree, but at her core Callie is still the same hard-working big sister she’s always been.

• Independent: In the same vein, Callie has very little experience relying on others. In some cases--dealing with the aftermath and recovery from her surgery, for instance--this kind of stubbornness might do her more harm than good, but most times her ability to work things out on her own has proven invaluable to her. Even in the world of MMOs, she was always more likely to be the ‘lone wolf’ type, looking for her own way to accomplish a task before referring to the methods of others.

• Fighter: The first few months--the first year, even--after the losing her voice was the darkest time in Callie’s life thus far. Although it took her plenty of time to accept that it simply wasn’t coming back, she fought to regain her senses of normalcy and independence. She would rather learn sign language or carry around a pen and small notepad everywhere she went than have her friends or family communicate with others on her behalf.

Flaws:

• Indecisive: Whether trying to choose her college major or simply pick what to have for lunch that day, Callie can’t be trusted to make decisions quickly. She hesitates easily, and has difficulty making up her mind when presented with multiple options. Perhaps in the most dire of circumstances, her basic fight or flight reflexes might kick in and allow her to react quickly, but in any situation where she would be allowed a moment’s consideration she would likely stop to overthink things.

• Wallflower: Having never been the type of person to stand out or draw attention to herself, Callie easily resigns herself to observing from the background if the situation allows. She finds more comfort in being a passerby than the center of attention, and so she’s hardly one to complain if she goes entirely unnoticed in a crowd. She doesn’t care for confrontation, and in fact shies away when it arises, as she doesn’t feel confident in her ability to intervene or defuse a situation--even one in which she’s directly involved.

• Conflicted: For many, if not most, of the players trapped in Sword Art Online, they feel exactly that: trapped. And yet, it’s in this digital prison that Callie has found her voice again. Since the Announcement, she has struggled to sort out her feelings, finding herself wondering if it would be so bad for her to continue living the rest of her days in Aincrad if it meant she would no longer have to feel so different and disabled. She still fights on, if only due to the sense of obligation and the stigma surrounding those players that are branded as “lazy”, “selfish”, or “cowardly” for their unwillingness to contribute to the otherwise shared goal of freedom.

Profession: N/A

Spoiler

»5 Starting SP
»[PP-F7] <<Feeding the Enemy>> Pushing Your Luck +2
»[SP-F1] <<The First Few Lessons Are Free>> Unsuspecting Target +3
»[PP-F3] What a Bluff +1
»[PP-F9] <<Bandit Camp>> Shield & Calypso +3
»[SP-F1] <<The Second Lesson Is Also Free>> Following the Lead +3
»[PP-F21] - Familiar Play Date and Looking for Loot +1
»[PP-F4] <<Avalanche>> Telling Tribulations +4
»[SP-F1] <<The Third Lesson Is Just As Free>> Keep Your Enemies Close +3
»[PP-F11] The Sound of Inspiration +2
»[Event-F11] Masquerade Ball +2
»[PP-F7] A Question of Heroism +1
»[PP-F1] <<The Fourth Lesson, Is Actually Free>> Fish Are Friends, Not Food +3
»[PP-F22] <<Saying Vows>> Renewing Bield's Vows: A Ship Full of Holes +1
»[PP-F18] <<Just for the Halibut>> +7
»[PP-F22] <<What We Fight For>> The Sound of Nothing +2
»[Event-F4] Christmas Extravaganza 2018 +1

Level: 17
Total SP: 44
Available SP: 9

Skills:

Weapon/Armor:
»2H Straight Sword [35/50] (Rank 4: Master)

Combat:
» 

Utility:
» 

Extra:
»Familiar Mastery: Fighter [0/18] (Novice)

Col Total: 12,958

Spoiler

»+2,500 Starting Col
»[PP-F7] <<Feeding the Enemy>> Pushing Your Luck +200
»[SP-F1] <<The First Few Lessons Are Free>> Unsuspecting Target +400
»[PP-F3] What a Bluff +400
»[PP-F9] <<Bandit Camp>> Shield & Calypso +750
»[SP-F1] <<The Second Lesson Is Also Free>> Following the Lead +400
»[PP-F21] - Familiar Play Date and Looking for Loot +200
»[PP-F4] <<Avalanche>> Telling Tribulations +400
»[SP-F1] <<The Third Lesson Is Just As Free>> Keep Your Enemies Close +400
»[PP-F11] The Sound of Inspiration +200
»[PP-F7] A Question of Heroism +133
»[PP-F1] <<The Fourth Lesson, Is Actually Free>> Fish Are Friends, Not Food +200
»[PP-F18] <<Just for the Halibut>> +4,100
»[PP-F22] <<What We Fight For>> The Sound of Nothing +2,675
»[Event-F4] Christmas Extravaganza 2018 +60

Inventory:

Equipped:
»[Rare] Polished Claymore (+2 DMG)
»[Uncommon] T1 Light Armor (+9 MIT)
»[Uncommon] T1 Ring (+1 ACC)

Battle Ready:
»(3) Starter Healing Potions (Heals 50 HP)
»(5) Tier One Health Potions of Uncommon Quality  (+40 HP)
»Tier One Over-Health Potion (+50 Temp. HP)
»[Quest Item] Snowfrost (1/2 Burn DMG for 1 battle)
»[Quest Item] <<Gleaming Fish Scale>> [T2 Trinket] [+1 LD, +2 Prosperity]

Stored:
»(10) T1 Materials
»(1) T3 Material
»Tier One Damage Potion (+1 Damage)
»[Quest Item] <<Essence of Steel>> Single-Use Item Quality Increase
»[Event Item] <<Eggnog>> (+1 Safeguard, +9 MIT)

Roleplays:
In Progress:

Spoiler

 

Completed:

Spoiler

»[PP-F7] <<Feeding the Enemy>> Pushing Your Luck
»[SP-F1] <<The First Few Lessons Are Free>> Unsuspecting Target
»[SP-F1] <<The Second Lesson Is Also Free>> Following the Lead
»[SP-F1] <<The Third Lesson Is Just As Free>> Keep Your Enemies Close
»[PP-F1] <<The Fourth Lesson, Is Actually Free>> Fish Are Friends, Not Food
»[PP-F3] What a Bluff
»[PP-F9] <<Bandit Camp>> Shield & Calypso
»[PP-F21] - Familiar Play Date and Looking for Loot
»[PP-F4] <<Avalanche>> Telling Tribulations
»[PP-F11] <<The Essence of Steel>> The Sound of Inspiration
»[PP-F7] A Question of Heroism
»[PP-F18] <<Just for the Halibut>>
»[Event-F11] Masquerade Ball
»[PP-F22] <<Saying Vows>> Renewing Bield's Vows: A Ship Full of Holes
»[PP-F22] <<What We Fight For>> The Sound of Nothing
»[Event-F4] Christmas Extravaganza 2018

Incomplete:

Spoiler

»[PP-F4] Sweets and Snowflakes
»[PP-F1] <<The First Few Lessons Are Free>> The Legends of the Cave Dweller Awakens!
»[PP-F1] <<Dragon Hunter Anthology - Dragon Hunt 1: the Emerald Hatching>> Meeting an Old Friend and a Dragon's Fate
»[PP-F7] Catch These Hands

Quest Log:

Spoiler

»[PP-F7] <<Feeding the Enemy>> Pushing Your Luck
»<<Saying Vows>>
»[F01] <<Earning a Living>>
»[F01] <<Redemption>>
»[SP-F1] <<The First Few Lessons Are Free>> Unsuspecting Target
»[SP-F1] <<The Second Lesson Is Also Free>> Following the Lead
»[SP-F1] <<The Third Lesson Is Just As Free>> Keep Your Enemies Close
»[PP-F1] <<The Fourth Lesson, Is Actually Free>> Fish Are Friends, Not Food
»[F01] <<Secret Medicine of the Forest>>
»[F01] <<Dragon Hunter Anthology - Dragon Hunt 1: the Emerald Hatching>>
»[F02] <<Breaking the Unbreakable>>
»[F02] <<The Venomous Warg>>
»[F01] <<Let There Be Light>>
»[F02] <<Long Live the Queen>>
»[F02] <<Return of the Queen>>
»[F02] <<Dragon Hunter Anthology - Dragon Hunt 2: the Quartz Hatching>>
»[F03] <<Worn Out Welcome>>
»[F03] <<Search for the Hoya>>
»[F03] <<Elvish Rivalries>>
»[F03] <<Treant Rivalries>>
»[F03] <<Escape>>
»[F03] <<Dragon Hunter Anthology - Dragon Hunt 3: the Opal Hatching>>
»[PP-F11] <<The Essence of Steel>> The Sound of Inspiration
»[F04] <<The Night's King>>
»[PP-F4] <<Avalanche>> Telling Tribulations
»[F04] <<Absolute Zero>>
»[F04] <<Dragon Hunter Anthology - Dragon Hunt 4: the Diamond Hatching>>
»[F05] <<Butcher of the Sands>>
»[F05] <<The Traveler>>
»[F05] <<Blood in the Sand>>
»[F05] <<Bloodstained Land>>
»[F05] <<Arabian Nights: First Night>>
»[F05] <<Dragon Hunter Anthology - Dragon Hunt 5: the Topaz Hatching>>
»[F06] <<The Gemini>>
»[F06] <<Calming the Soul>>
»[F06] <<Deforestation>>
»[F06] <<Dragon Hunter Anthology - Dragon Hunt 6: the Jade Hatchling>>
»[F07] <<Arabian Nights: Second Night>>
»[F07] <<Case of Wurms>>
»[F07] <<Dragon Hunter Anthology - Dragon Hunt 7: the Jasper Hatchling>>
»[F08] <<Monkey King>>
»[F08] <<Dragon Hunter Anthology - Dragon Hunt 8: the Sapphire Hatchling>>
»[F09] <<The Iron Guardian>>
»[F09] <<Guardian of Fire>>
»[PP-F9] <<Bandit Camp>> Shield & Calypso
»[F09] <<Dragon Hunter Anthology - Dragon Hunt 9: the Ruby Hatchling>>
»[F09] <<Burning Phoenix Feathers>>
»[F10] <<Wail of the Banshee>>
»[F10] <<Dragon Hunter Anthology - Judgment Day>>
»[F12]<<Lord of the Seas>>
»[F14] <<The Lich's Calling>>
»[F15] <<Bane of Blood>>
»[F16] <<Snake Out of Water>>
»[F16] <<The Swashbuckling Buccaneer>>
»[F17] <<Herculean Labor: The Nemean Lion>>
»[F17] <<Challenge of Olympus>>
»[PP-F18] <<Just for the Halibut>>
»[F19] <<Keep Calm and Ki'Raion>>
»[F21] <<The Hidden Village>>
»[F21] <<Betrayal of the King>>
»[F21] <<Trouble in the Mines>>
»[PP-F22] <<What We Fight For>> The Sound of Nothing
»[F22] <<King of Lakes>>
»[F22] <<Witch of the West>>

Relationships:
» 

Story Thus Far:

Edited February 17, 2020 by Calypso

[Hestia 0]

Approved! welcome to SAO-RPG Calypso.