“Let me tell you this: if you meet a loner, no matter what they tell you, it’s not because they enjoy solitude. It’s because they have tried to blend into the world before, and people continue to disappoint them.”
— Jodi Picoult, My Sister’s Keeper

---

Name:
Royce 'Puck' Guyvers
Birthday:
14th of February
Appearance:
Standing at about 177cm and weighing a 180 lbs of mostly lithe muscle, Royce looks as if he exudes snarky confidence. His face is very sharp, with a toned jaw and a defined nose; his eyes stand out the most. They cry out mischief and clever as they glint and smile, coupled with the toothy smirk he usually flashes and he's a disaster waiting to happen. His hair is often styled up and slightly disheveled, but always the daunting obsidian mass. He often spaces out and looks inattentive even during the most crucial of moments. Royce is good at putting on a mask, keeping people comfortable in his presence, if not gullible to the blank stares that cry out someone who doesn't quite have all the lights on upstairs. Feigning stupidity to hide a clever mind gives Royce a rather unfair advantage, but he was never one to play fairly anyway. But, he walks with a charm and confidence that he does his best to purvey, instead of slunk over and suspicious like he could be. But, the quiet interior is often masked in various ways, from the expressions on his face to the loud and obtrusively energetic gestures he often makes. His mere presence either charms you into a false sense of security or tires you from the over ecstatic and excitable individual that he often seems. He talks in a very concise manner, and is a master of adding subtle inflections to give people a sense that they know what he's feeling or what his intentions are purely from his voice. Essentially, he understands how tone and pitch work when talking and the language of dialogue itself so that it can suit his needs. He usually talks in a very smooth, precise manner that often flows together in a fast paced bunch. It often sounds like he's rushed, but somehow relaxed and comfortable, if that's even possible. When irritated or angry, he often talks in a higher, slower pitch and enunciates in an irritating manner, almost condescending in the way it sounds.

Royce offers a bland style that he customs to his own; bland is what he knows how to work with. It's never dull in taste, but can be considered crude and rudimentary and is often flared with the most senseless of knickknacks that he finds. Even armored up, it's loud and out there, as if he needs to constantly put a bulls-eye on his back for people to shoot at. He calls it a 'challenge' while most agree that it's actually 'stupidity'. But, the danger lives and courses through his veins. And due to the military life, he's been accustomed to strict work out regimens and boasts a prominent figure, though considered lithe when compared to some of the other hulking men in service. He likes to be nimble, flexible, and precise, over extremely strong, durable, and brawny. Royce is quick and has astonishing reflexes too, able to react and act with an above average speed. His energy is boundless, so the speed and precision befits his style of combat, as it's often fast and unpredictable. Not to mention he's also a dirty fighter; no one fair smirks like that.
Personality:
"I tell half-truths. I'm still being honest, just not... entirely so."
Royce is called Puck for a reason.

Driven purely on the excitement of the present, Royce is a very, 'do it because it's fun' kind of guy and may find himself skirting the lines of morality, simply because he enjoys something too much. He's often careless in how he acts, undeniably indifferent to most people except those closest to him, and often finds it hard to motivate himself beyond, 'it's fun.' There's not much there in terms of his real goals, as he often finds himself lost in what he's doing too much to worry about where he's going. He likes excitement and is filled with a boundless energy that's hard to calm. What's more, he likes using that energy to the fullest and will sometimes take certain actions to the extreme, which has numerous affects on those around him. Either he accidentally harms someone in the process, or he relentlessly annoys anyone close enough to be drawn into his antics.

Roy is a charismatic and manipulative individual when he's not off doing God know's what. Someone who people usually go to for a few cheap laughs, usually at the expense of another person, Roy is surprisingly horrible at sarcasm. He's got about as much snark as a toilet bowl, but he makes up for that in cunning and probably foolishness. There's always a layer of near idiocy over his cunning, giving most people a terrible first impression. He seems like he's doing the stupidest of things just to do them and, in a sense, they're right. Roy is subconsciously manipulative and often works to push people to do the work for him, whilst he keeps up the harmless guise. He can be seen as ruthless and often uncaring when he exposes his underlying nature; all of his actions, everything he does, is usually to further his goal and his goal alone. It makes him a person who's very hard to work with, in both utter annoyance and the fact that he can often push people further down in his duplicity. He may look and act stupid, but he's clever and most of his manipulation is subtle and varies from person to person. If a weakness can further his goals, then he'll exploit it until the individual is thoroughly broken. Often times he never stays to see the aftermath and can be blind to the maliciousness of what he sometimes does.

But the thing is, most of Roy's goals are very short term. They have no apparent drive further, aren't just broken down things to do to get to the real thing. They're usually things that Roy likes, things that Roy thinks are necessary for his survival and it can often lead him lost and inhibited by his own myopia. To Roy the future is scary and too random for him to grasp and often has a misconception that it really doesn't matter in the long run. That's actually what drives him away from staying on course for too long because he honestly believes the future is so flimsy that it won't matter what he does. It's kind of a skewed look at destiny and it drives him to wander around lost and not knowing what to do for long periods of time. Royce, if anything, wants stability the most in his life and is often driven subconsciously to gain it. Most of those plans fail due to his own self-sabotage and fear of what it might mean for him.
Biography:
Sam.

Roy hated Sam to the point where he often pulled mean pranks on him and his friends. That really only lasted a few days, in which they knew each other—Roy was energetic and kept people on their toes as a child, so he often did things in a perpetual fast forward. However, Sam, unlike most people who would have wailed on him to no tomorrow, approached him in their energetic youth. He blatantly asked Roy why he was being so mean and Roy told him flat out: "I don't like you. You're too... too better and that's not fair."

Now, Roy hadn't the normal family life. His father and mother were divorced at a young age and he was left with just one other sibling to look after as they lived with their mother. Their mother was the sweetest and kindest and gentlest thing ever, soft to the core and loved with all her being. She had a few problems, yeah, but they were never apparent to her children. She was addicted to drugs and sex and often got fired for both from wherever she tried to work at, leaving her children impoverished and without all the things these other kids had. They made do, though, and Roy would often have fun at the expense of others. He liked pranks and could sometimes get out of hand, even if none of it was for anything personal and it got a laugh out of his little sister. But, along with his mother's issues, his father had custody on the weekends, where they'd spend those days on the other side of the town. The father had more blatant issues than the mother, with alcohol and drugs being prominent and out there, even within reach. He'd even offered them some, just to show how much of a terrible parent he made. This didn't come across as the type of fun that either of the kids liked, but it was the soul reason his sister died a lot later in his life. She OD'd at 14 and his father was too high to help her.

On one of these weekends, Roy had met Sam and immediately grew jealous of him. He'd not known the boys home life, didn't know what he had or didn't have, but the kid's attitude was so righteous and 'do it my way' from his perspective. He was a shepherd among a herd of sheep and Roy didn't like the idea of being a sheep, no matter how drawn he was to him. It was subtle at first, but the moment Samuel approached him, gave him the sternest look a kid could muster, and asked that question, Roy's mind clicked and it clicked in the right way this time. Sam was better than him in every way, but if there was someone who could make him like that and happily so, it was probably Sam.

It was rough at the start; the group didn't quite like him the way Sam did. They didn't all get along too well, especially since Roy was one of the more active ones. He didn't take a leadership role, but he did dish out the most ideas, however zany and crazy they were. Sam struck most of them down in a very subtle way, but Roy didn't ever mind because he essentially satiated his desire to do something, anything. Sam fulfilled a stability in Roy's life that no one else ever could and when they lost him, all of that stability crumbled and he'd often wander away from the current group in a mindless haze, wondering what he was doing and why. But, Sam had brought them so close and even without him, they still added a stability that he craved and needed, but didn't necessarily see. Roy became a lot less ordered, more energetic, and liked to be out of control more often than not and it put a strain on those close in his life, but they all loved each other too much to separate. Sure, they told him what for and he told them back, but one can only be upset at their only friends for so long.

Without Sam to guide him, he was kind of lost. He was so worried that he'd become a sheep that at the lost of that one person who gave him most direction he ultimately turned into one. He was guided by his instincts and motivated by pleasure more than anything else, though he cared about his friends a lot more than anything else. The problem was that the rest of the world simply wasn't there and he often tacked on his friends motivations in place of his own. He was so lost, that he'd not realize what he was doing, following the group into a military academy that trained and gave them the strength to fight.

Roy found solace in the spirits that found him, those that were also lost and who also found themselves too focused on what was happening to realize their consequences. They were the radical whims of creatures who found delight in the chaos they sowed, but their chaos didn't disrupt life. It rather gave meaning to it and brought about more positives in their mischief than negatives in their maliciousness. But, they were lost as to what to do and their goals and found the security they needed in Roy, even if he himself was lost to it.
Weapon:
Wields a rapier and a wrist crossbow.
Limit Break:
Come with me, and you'll see...
When things go to out of focus, you realize there's a clarity there that you've never experienced before. When the noise of battle and the sounds of death pierce the mind and twist perception until everything becomes a fuzzy haze of chaos, something clicks and the world turns inside out until there's nothing left to see. As everything explodes into a paradox of clarity and confusion and Roy can no longer tell what is up or down, it all simply stops. Unable to handle the pressure around him and the instability wracking his mind, Roy simply reels back into his shell and literally closes himself off to the world.

In the unconscious state, the bond between Roy and his spirits breaks into a blinding flash of light. Enemies that are within a large area around Roy are then locked into a paralyzed state, in which their conscious being is being tapped into. Roy's spirits work in tandem, surrounding the opposing enemies and taking control of their thoughts to find what they truly fear. In this, they are locked in a mental battle against their own subconscious, triggered by the spirits that embody Roy's fears and heartache—the shadows that crawl along the walls and the very noises that only the individual can perceive. These beings are the malicious side of the Court, the array of spirits inside Roy, and are usually only brought out during this exact time.This, depending on how successful the attack was, can trigger a number of responses from the victims, from utter shock that renders them further paralyzed, to completely shutting down the body in a fear induced stroke or heart attack that instantly kills its victims. They are often locked in place with a look of utter terror stricken across their features. Anyone of a weak mind can literal convulse and die in an instant, while others may be prolonged in a deep inner battle with their mind.

When all is said and done, the beings emit from the bodies of the victims in a black haze before dissipating and returning consciousness back to Roy. He is often left in a vulnerable state during this, and is usually only driven to it in times of desperation and utter confusion, when he can't take the stress of battle and simply fades out as a response. This could be caused by utter desperation, but mostly out of a sense of helplessness that can take a hold of him, as if he no longer knows what to do.
Spirits:
Everyone, from the dawn of man to the age of information, have always made rash explanations for the unknown under the guise of intellectual discussion. Particularly in the Celtic areas of the United Kingdom, the term Fae Folk have been a common way to explain certain things, spirits, odd, eerie sounds in forests, shadows in the middle of the night, unexplained laughter, disease even. Tricksters are a culture necessity to explain the misfortune of those beguiled by spirits seeking fun in, usually, malicious ways. They were Aesop tales, reminders to children to behave, lest they tempt the wrath of Loki or the wiles of a nine-tailed fox. These beings were chaotic, in nature, but brought a surprising amount of order in what they did; they were reminders, as parents thought, and lessons to better humanity. But they were also malicious and unconscious of the consequences of their actions. They were beings who, not only didn't understand, but didn't abide by the laws of social morality and ethics that people bound themselves to. And this labeled them as being of ill-intent, not of the Aesop legends they once were; they were misunderstood in the hatred, and retreated to the solace of burrows, of sanctuaries in abandoned buildings, networks through trees in dense forests.

But these spirits were, too, affected by the Calamity and the havoc it wreaked. They sought refuge in those that had deemed them demons and monsters, instead of the beings they truly were. The fae that lived in the flowers, the elusive fox that burrowed through the forest, or the whispering breeze that fluttered in the wind, considered beasts not unlike what the Calamity produced. Most were consumed, as they could not find enough suitable men and women who hadn't feared or loathed them, an unfortunate tragedy to creatures that were forced to hide and who were lost in the wake of both tragedies. Roy was one such refuge.

He harbors a range of creatures, but all have similar qualities to them, in that they were all beings of chaos, though that is not to be mistaken for destruction. They were whimsical and spontaneous, unable to hold down for the smallest second, very akin to Roy's personality. What more, they knew his pain as well, or even better than he did and saw the same reasons for his actions as they did theirs. The bond Roy holds with his spirits is close and understanding, as if they were all one in the same. And there are a number of them attached to Roy, as he deems himself (which is agreed by many of his spirits) the bastion for mischief. Most of the beings are a very bright, reflective color when manifested and even contain elaborate patterns in imbued within them; they all very in size and length, but have a tendency to swarm erratically and often touch whatever they can. He dubs them his Court or The Court.

Nature — Transmutation

One item at a time, of Roy's choice, can be transmuted into an item nearly similar in both form and function, especially depending on the material. The items must not vary too much in size and shape, otherwise it remains either nearly unaffected or rendered unusable. A machete can be changed into a long sword with ease (as they are both made of steel), though it requires more concentration the farther away from the item's shape and function Roy gets. It has a lot to do with the object chemical make up and if the product goes too far away from that, then things can end up a little disastrous. As such, Roy is often limited to certain sized objects and even then is limited to the material they're made out of.

It's very much like changing the chemical properties to suit ones needs, like making lead into gold, but on a more molecular level. Such things happen in nature on a day to day basis, such as carbon dioxide into oxygen through surrounding plants. These beings were usually such manifestations, and often had special chemical modifiers, such as venus flytraps and more.

Dark — Through the Looking Glass

If one wants to get from point A to D, they usually go through points B and C to do so. However, Puck can traverse from point A to D and back without going through the trouble of points B and C. These are often holes between realms that specific spirits traverse in their desperation, opened to Roy in large rifts and portals. However, Roy can't traverse too far without terrible side effects. Meaning, he can't travel from one end of the world to the other without severely damaging his mind, as he goes through an alternate dimension (often what one could consider Heaven or Hell; a kind of spirit world, in essence), to traverse these distances almost instantaneously and staying in the dimension for too long (since it isn't usually governed by the same principals of time that his world is) can drive a man insane. These dimensional gates are open for only one person at a time and close after that one person has gone through. While only spirits can be affected in these realms, humans remain unharmed physically, but can have their minds scarred from the images and the unimaginable that they are exposed to, as a human usually isn't allowed access to this particular realm until they've moved on from the living. This is limited to those Roy deems allies or himself, but the mind altering affects are double for anyone else who enters. The effects stack and too many times traveling through different dimensions can literally rot a brain, though Puck has grown more accustomed to the effects through repeated safe use over the time. The effects do wear off with enough time, which for Roy doesn't take too long, but for anyone else it may vary depending on the individual's mental state.

Roy is currently limited to traveling about a kilometer before the effects begin to show. He's also limited to about 10 regular jumps at a max of 500 meters, which can increase up to 20 depending on the size of his jumps—the shorter, the less exhausting. On average, it's usually about 15 consecutive jumps.

Nature — Jinxed

A very spirit intensive power, Roy can affect a large area, but not the people in it, to essentially 'curse' it. At least, that's what it looks like. In reality, a group of spirits affect a general area to cause mischief and general mayhem, provided they have the means to do so within the surrounding area (barren lands or lands riddled with steal and metal often hinder their effectiveness as they can't find much to latch onto or use to great effect aside from the earth). These imps, as he calls them, are like any other spirit, invisible, and act as both sentient beings and as an extension of Roy's will. They can't travel too far, but are effective in turning the tides of battle by sabotage and potentially harmful tricks. They take advantage of the surrounding nature, roots, the wind, the earth beneath their feat, but have no real care for who gets caught in the crossfire. They don't usually act in good will and can get out of control if they aren't reigned in beforehand, causing general chaos and mayhem until they're fully exhausted.

They are the embodiment of the whim and spontaneity of nature around them, often using the wind or directly affecting the earth to cause these happenings and further the chaos they wish to ensue. They have free reign of the nature around them, using whatever they can to cause certain things to happen or occur. They either look to create a natural disaster for people to get engulfed in, friend or foe, as a way to disorient primarily enemies and wreak havoc to further disarray in one area, only one that occurs and lasts for as long as they are there, which should be a small duration of a battle once they start working to do something; look to possess an object of nature from trees to small areas of ground or wind, to physically attack and confuse opposing enemies; or, when all options are exhausted or things are more dire, they coagulate into a corporeal form for a minimal amount of time, usually in the form of an animal or some sentient flora, to directly harm or attack hostiles. The latter of each situation is the most powerful, but also the less frequent and quickest burn out of either of them all. It lasts for about a few minutes, in which the 'imps' do what they can before becoming reabsorbed by Roy. Each imp looks to do the first one first and it is the most often used of the three, then the second should even thoughts of the first be fruitless in Roy's eyes, and then the third should the situation be dire enough to call for it, but not so dire as to activate Roy's limit break.

I added an image from my phone so I don't know if it worked or not

I added an image from my phone so I don't know if it worked or not

Whoo, I pull a double shift at work and I have all this to come back to!
Well done everyone.

Now I'm off to poetically script the inner workings of Magdalena's Spirits - cue the orchestra and epic music.

Alright my bio is done. I hate doing bios...

It still needs a bit of polishing, but that's the gist of my sheet. Clue me in if I missed something or fucked something up.

My bio is done; I'm having some people proofread it before I post. Once I do, it'll probably go here, unless there are more posts.

Edit: Sorry, double posted by accident. But can't merge or delete on the new forum. :(

Here she is. Happy to hear any and all thoughts! You will tell me your thoughts. I mean. You won't tell me. But I'll know. Oh yes, I'll know...

Name: Emily Whitehall ("Em," sometimes)

Birthday: 07 August

Height: 1.68 meters (5 feet, 6 inches)

Appearance:

(using hiders because giant images, be warned)





Emily is in good physical condition, certainly up to Academy standards, but she's not the fittest of the group; she doesn't really enjoy exercise and she's got a curvy build. She dresses with what she considers to be style - and it is stylish, even if it's mostly the fashions of another time. She likes long dresses, skirts and hats, and she's got quite a collection of the latter. When she's training, or has to be out-of-uniform but expects action, she dresses for flexibility and comfort, preferring tank tops and pants which give her freedom of motion, even if they don't provide much protection (see Mirror's Edge runners as an example). Her voice is a calm, melodic alto that gets deeper and throatier when she's upset, higher and breathier when she's excited.

Emily has segmental vitiligo, depigmentation of the skin and hair on her back, neck and scalp. Though it doesn't make much difference on her skin (she's naturally quite pale), it means that her hair grows in light blonde, almost white, in some places, and black in others. To make it look less patchy, she's developed a routine for dyeing her hair which makes it more uniformly blonde on top, black underneath. She's had the disease since she was a little girl, but it has mostly stopped progressing. Emily was self-conscious about the condition for many years, but doesn't really mind it now that's she's managed to develop a look she likes. It has no other symptoms.

(note: While Emily's character model is probably just dyeing her hair, segmental vitiligo of the scalp is a real disorder and I believe I've described it accurately - for examples of how it looks when it occurs naturally, see doc hammer, or numerous others on Google. I don't want to overstate the importance of the disorder to Emily's character; it's just a side note, really, but I want to be clear that if I give a character a disease, I will try to portray it correctly.)

Personality: Stubbornness and arrogance may be unpleasant traits, but in the face of the impossible, they might be the only way to remain sane. Emily is intelligent and thoughtful, but since finding her spirits (whom she refers to as the Others), taking those qualities to their extremes has been the only way she's survived. Though she's nice enough to most (and can be downright charming when she needs to be), Emily behaves externally as though she's incredibly self-assured: She's judgmental, she insists on doing things her way, and she's always made up her mind on a subject before she brings it up with anyone else. She maintains this demeanor because she has to in order to cope: Internally, Emily is plagued by constant doubt and fear, punctuated by episodes of depression and all-encompassing uncertainty. Her experiences with the spirits has certainly contributed to this mental binary, but it was well-formed long before she had any contact with them. She's always wanted to be seen as powerful, capable, and in control, and perhaps she believes that if others see her that way, it will become true.

To be fair, Emily's temerity does make her a good leader. She's decisive, and she knows how to delegate responsibility. Perhaps the reason she was never tapped for more command-oriented work at the Academy, then, has to do with her priorities: Nobody's quite sure what she wants or what she cares about. To be fair, Emily doesn't really know, either - having powerful spirit beings from a timeless void appear to you and then proceed to show you the absolute unimportance of your existence on a universal level tends to do that to a person. When Emily gained spirits, everything became relative. She couldn't find anything worth saving, because reality would destroy it all anyway, given enough time. Emily hasn't responded particularly well to this revelation (as if anyone would), but she's slowly coming to terms with it. For now, she's decided, she will invest in the people who are important to her. She'll care about those who care about her, and leave the rest of creation to tend to itself. It's not the most complete or reasonable ideology, she knows, but it feels relatively comfortable, and it gives her some solid ground from which to start.

It's also easy, because Emily doesn't have particularly many friends. While she gets along fine in superficial relationships, and isn't incapable of being sociable, she has a very small inner circle. People don't become fast friends with her often, probably you really get to know her, she's not the easiest to get along with. She has a unique way of steering things towards argument, and she feels incapable of backing down or compromising, even when she knows she ought to. Plus, most of the activities you do with other people are less interesting to her then the ones you do alone. She's always reading, writing, drawing or painting, and she prefers to do all these things in absolute solitude. She rarely shares her work, even when she's proud of it; she doesn't want the real world intruding on her private time any more than absolutely necessary. That said, she puts the people who are really her friends above everyone else - she sticks to the priorities she's established for herself.

Emily's personality puts her at odds with other people who behave similarly; she's far from being the only strong-willed person in the world, after all. She comforts herself with the belief that, unlike others, she really has no choice; she has to believe in herself if she's going to survive in a world that doesn't care about her (or anyone). But faith in oneself doesn't necessarily demand compliance from others. Emily will come into her own for real if she can learn to acquiesce and compromise, to accept the rightness of others, even if she doesn't care for them. Real confidence is not born from arrogance or assertiveness, so Emily will have to reconcile that within herself if she's ever going to change.

Biography: Emily was always an unusually serious child. Her parents chalked this up to intellect - she learned fast, no matter what the subject, and she always wanted more. She was their only child, so she was more than a little doted on. Her family was middle-class but mostly financially secure, at least before the war, so Emily mostly got whatever she wanted. Her mother died during, though not as a result of, the First Contact War, and Emily grew incredibly attached to her dad as a result. He kept both of them safe for the remainder of the conflict, and the two were inseparable for many years after. He didn't agree with Emily's decision to enter the Academy, and never really understood the nature of the pain she endured as a result of her contact with the spirits, try as she might to explain it. He did accept it, though, and has cautiously accepted that the Academy is a path Emily feels she has to follow, even if he's terrified at the idea of losing his only remaining family. She, in turn worried about leaving him alone, but their relationship has mostly come through the experience intact, and even if they're a bit farther apart (mentally and spatially), they stay in contact as much as possible.

At the Academy, Emily performed extremely well, excelling in nearly all her classes. Though she's not the fittest, strongest, or fastest of her classmates and friends, her force of will and persistence have granted her incredible skill, as well as control of and familiarity with her spirits, despite her mixed feelings about them. The one area that's been most difficult for her has been social; she's still got few friends, and has had even fewer romantic relationships - something she feels she should correct, but isn't sure how. Even though she's graduated, Emily doesn't feel like an adult, not really. She looks at her peers - some are getting married, some have children, some already have missions and accomplishments under their belts. Emily still harbors fears that she might be inadequate compared to the others, that she might be unprepared for the real world in so many ways - not all of them related to "the job." Even though her training has prepared her for at least some of what's to come, she's not certain she's ready to face it.

Weapon: Emily eschews the more common swords and knives in exchange for a bo staff fashioned from two collapsible batons (inspired by Arrow's Black Canary). She fights extremely effectively with the staff, but is also proficient using the two batons separately. Her fighting style is a combination of a variety of martial arts; she doesn't adhere to a specific one, but will use whatever techniques she's found to work. Emily took up the bo primarily because of its relative disuse at the Academy. Learning to use it instead of some other weapon got her a lot more one-on-one training time, which in turn made her a much better fighter. She's absolutely no less deadly than any other properly-trained Academy student, and probably much moreso than many, especially those who aren't familiar with the way she fights.To facilitate her abilities with the bow, Emily also trained heavily in hand-to-hand combat (you might say she double-majored). Even without the staff, or with only one of the batons, she's a force to be reckoned with.

In combat, Emily tends to be defensive but pragmatic, dodging and ducking continuously and striking only at opportune moments. Her goal is generally to disorient and confuse her opponent until she can strike with her spirits, at which point, the problem will ideally take care of itself. In situations where this is impractical, however, she's likely to focus on quickly disabling as many opponents as possible - not because she's unwilling to go in for kills, but because it's easier to deal with someone however you like once they're on the ground. Though she purports to disapprove of flashy fighting, she's not above showing off a little on occasion, and her unusual weapons and style make it pretty impressive.

Limit Break: Wrath of the Void. Emily uses her connection to the Others to draw a bit of their malign irreality into our world, warping the fabric of our universe within a certain area. The Wrath is not just an attack Emily can command at any time; its severity and effects vary depending on her desperation and mental state. If circumstances are sufficiently dire, and she's extremely angry, scared, or (emotionally) hurt, she may invoke the Others in order to forcibly overcome whatever obstacle is causing her trouble. While theoretically, the Wrath could be invoked at any time, it would have no effect if Emily did not need an effect - at best, it would draw unwanted attention from creatures best left unprovoked (think of it like dialing 9-1-1 because someone looked at you funny from across the street versus calling because you just saw a triple homicide; which would have a bigger response?). The exact size and description of the attack's effects vary based upon Emily's needs (within reasonable limits, of course; I will obviously defer to the GM on that.), but it always follows a general pattern:

First, Emily and anyone or anything physically connected to her she is protected inside a bubble of real-space that protects them from effects of the attack. Anything external to that bubble is in danger, whether Emily would consider it friendly or not. The Wrath can have numerous effects: living creatures will mutate into horrible, even impossible forms. Water turns to ash, air turns into blood, buildings warp and fold in on themselves as space buckles under the exposure to physical conditions completely alien to even the farthest reaches of our existence. The ground seeths and roils into massive pustules, and from them burst colossal masses of tentacles, organs, flesh and screaming mouths, devouring anything they touch. Anyone possessing enough of a mind to comprehend the horrors unfolding before them hallucinates vividly; an unearthly chorus of Others descends upon them, singing tones beyond their range of hearing which somehow manifest directly in their mind as blossoms of pain and terror. Madness, while not inevitable, is highly likely, even if those affected somehow manage to avoid being transformed into gibbering, thoughtless hulks of flesh, blood and ichor.

As the attack peaks, color and light take on new and horrific dimensions, as parts of the spectrum that before were impossible to see appear vividly. Stars whirl overhead, impossibly fast and bright, but are not seen or followed as much as they are sensed and smelled, burning eternally in the tiny, feeble clusters of nerves that humans consider their brain. The boundless intelligence of the Others, infinite and varied, manifests directly on the earth, further twisting and altering causality so as to create the ends that Emily desired when the attack began (generally, to make dead whatever needs dead). Mercifully, they don't remain for long. Once their goals are accomplished, they vanish as quickly as they had arrived, and the laws of our existence begin to assert themselves again. The infernal constructs born from the maelstrom die, unable to sustain themselves using such alien biologies. The stars slide back into place. Gravity and causality begin to function normally at last.

The Wrath is a devastating attack, and merely witnessing it is enough to drain Emily physically and mentally for days or even weeks, though she always emerges apparently unscathed. Emily has never performed the Wrath twice in the same place, for fear of what would happen if she did, and generally refuses to do it at all unless she has no other choice. Though she discusses it with no one, her memories of previous attempts haunt her dreams (and sometimes even her waking hours) and fuel her fears about the nature of the spirits she commands.

Spirits:

While many think of their spirits as inanimate powers, unthinking things drawing on the properties of the world as it was formed post-Calamity, Emily doesn't truck with that notion. She believes her spirits are very alive, and very intelligent, albeit in ways that are incredibly far removed from anything humans might understand. She refers to them as the "Others," and while there are many of them, they're all cut from similar cloth. They all draw from the raw, untarnished power of some ancient, eldritch void - a world outside and wholly unlike our own. Their aims, if they have any, are impossible to understand, their preferences likewise. What Emily did to engender their interest is completely beyond her. Perhaps it was very substantial indeed, or perhaps it was nothing, and their attentions are merely the whimsical manifestations of something too ancient, too powerful to care whom it helps or harms. They first manifested as whispers and false shadows, echoing in the darkest corner's of Emily's mind and invading her dreams to make themselves heard, where they showed her terrifying vistas of reality, likely beyond anything anyone could interpert in their waking hours. Emily believed the dreams were real, believed the lessons they seemed to be teaching - that the universe is vast, empty, and uncaring - but didn't know how or why she was receiving them. For months, she believed she was sick, or perhaps insane, until her powers manifested, and she realized what was really happening.

These creatures, she decided, couldn't be allowed to control her. No, if she was going to survive, she had to be the one in charge. That was why she joined the Academy, against her father's objections and in spite of having no real desire to fight. Fortunately for her, the Academy was well-prepared to help her. Her control over her abilities is formidable, while the Others themselves seem to resign themselves to incomprehensible whispers and occasional dream-visions. For the first time since she originally possessed them, Emily feels more or less at peace with the Others, but the pain their arrival inflicted on her has left its mark on her behavior and beliefs.

The spirit-manifestations Emily calls the Others are mostly distinct from the powers she draws from them. All of her abilities have the designation "Cosmic/Eldritch," whichever you prefer.

Crawling Chaos - Waves of hallucination-inducing power emanate from Emily, affecting the vision and mental function of anyone or anything they meet (this affects humans, animals, and all forms of creature). In the eyes of those affected, the world is horrifically twisted. Trees and plants become writhing columns of intestine and tentacle. Blood pours from every wall and door; pain wracks the body and clouds the mind. Originally, Emily's mental state helped dictate what the visions were and how powerful they became, but training at the Academy has allowed her to control them regardless of her current thought process (provided she isn't too unstable). All manner of eldritch vision is possible, as well as more mundane hallucinations - Emily can direct the purpose and behavior of the hallucination to some extent by focusing on her intentions in creating it (i. e., to make herself seem more powerful then she is, to make someone believe they are under attack, or are trapped, etc.), but she doesn't control the exact vision itself. Regardless of the intent, the visions are nearly always horrifying, though Emily can also temper their power to some extent. At lower strengths, the visions are merely disturbing and unpleasant. More powerful visions can cause serious mental trauma and might be very difficult to fight off (through disbelief or simply acting without regard or ones' senses). At their most powerful, they can cause lasting madness or mental instability that persists long after the onslaught has stopped.

I haven't worked out the specifics of the next two powers particularly, so I'd be happy to hear any feedback on their functionality.

Alien Geometries - Unlike the Chaos, this ability manipulates the physical world. Emily can make limited, one-time alterations to geometry or space-time in a given location. For example, she can make a door lead to a different room, or create an unending staircase. These effects persist for as much time as she can concentrate to maintain them, and are limited by physical size (she can't affect an area larger than a few meters in any direction) and the complexity of the violation - for example, creating a ceiling you can stand on as if it were a floor is less complex then altering a room so that you can walk upright on any surface, or, a door between two places close together is easier than a door between two far-away places. This power requires intuition based on Emily's own spatial sense, and therefore can't be applied to physical effects humans don't instinctively understand (for example, she can't produce ionizing radiation). Emily primarily uses the geometries to obstruct enemy's paths and create distractions to facilitate her escape or their capture, but with a little imagination, there are many other uses for this power.

Parasite Infestation - Emily can generate a small parasitic sac which can be introduced into any living host (human, animal, even plants or other lifeforms of sufficient size) through direct skin contact. The sac usually looks like a sort of bulbous mass of tissue and fiber with a large eye in the center (the eye may be human, insect, or from some unknown creature). After enough time passes to permit the parasite integration into the host for feeding, the infestation allows Emily to track the locations of infectees and observe their immediate surroundings through their senses (for instance, if the sac infests a dog, she will smell as it smells and see as it sees; if it infests a plant, she will have none of these senses, but will still be able to track the plant's location). The parasite itself causes degenerative disease in the host - the exact symptoms and progression depends on the species, but in humans, usually manifests over a period of weeks, first as flu-like illness or gastroenteritis before proceeding to rabies-like symptoms, including high fever, vivid hallucinations, dementia and ultimately death. The only cure is removal of the parasite - either surgically, or through further physical contact with Emily, during which she "recalls" the creature through the skin or membrane of the infected (after recall, the parasite can be reused). Emily can generate as many parasites as she liked, but each one requires a certain amount of stamina to maintain her connection to it, and if the connection is broken, it cannot be reestablished. For this reason, Emily hasn't yet been able to infect and track more than three entities at a time. The parasites do not directly alter the behavior of the hosts, and cannot be used to control them; their abilities are purely "read-only."

Adorabadass said
I'm thinking about how Freddy's gonna interact with some of these characters. For one I think he'd hypocritically rage about Aaron's rage, and basically butt heads with him all the time due to their ideological differences on the subject of violence. He would probably love the hell out of Kat because he could always rely on her to tell him when he's being a giant douche bag, and I imagine she would at least appreciate his honesty as well. He'd feel sad for Remi due to how he's changed since his youth. I can imagine Freddy shaking Remi by the shoulders and yelling, "DO SOMETHING STUPID LIKE YOU USED TO!" I imagine Freddy would basically partner up with Thael, since, despite their size difference and attitudes, they have a shit load in common. Also, I imagine Freddy being extremely protective of Fuzzy, and having like a persecution complex for him. Like, if anyone looks at Fuzzy weird, he'd just be like, "HE'S A NICE GOD DAMN GUY. STOP JUDGING HIM ON HIS APPEARANCE YOU PAINT HUFFING DICKMUNCHERS!"

I've been thinking the same thing, actually. Though Remi is somewhat reticent in character so I doubt most of the others would know just what he thinks of them. Might as well tell you out of character, who knows, maybe you might even find it interesting. Or maybe not, here goes in order of which I'm scrolling through your profiles now.

He would like Kat's forthright manner. He thinks the world would be a much better place if people said what they meant just a bit more. He does think you could do to learn a lot more about foresight though...and planning. He's fairly certain you are going to get yourself killed.

Thael, Remi thinks you are a good and decent man, firm in your convictions. Remi likes that, but your rash and impulsive actions are even worse than Kat. He thinks your going to get yourself killed.

Olivia he likes, again, her conscience and personal integrity, they are admirable qualities in the highest. He's also perspicacious enough to be able to tell that you consider your thoughts and actions carefully, an even more admirable quality as far as Remi is concerned. But your willingness to deviate from the plan in order to adhere to your personal sense of morality is going to get yourself killed.

I can only imagine that when Fuzzy and Remi find themselves in a room together there is nothing but silence. Not an uncomfortable silence, at least, not for Remi. The fact that they probably haven't said more than two words to each other in the last week makes Remi consider Fuzzy one of his closer friends. He's still convinced you've got some hidden, inner demons that are going to get you killed though.

Freddy...just...Freddy, you are going to get everyone killed. Also he is also even more jealous of your perceived surety of purpose than he is with just about anyone else.

Magdelana, you, probably doesn't think that most know of just how much turmoil broils beneath the veneer of your behavior. Remi does. To be split at the seams between two extremes. It saddens him. He thinks it is going to get you killed.

Jyn, you strive to better yourself in many ways. Remiel can admire that. He can respect that. He can empathize. But that bridled passion you occasionally display...well...it's going to get you killed.

Oh that Aaron Nyles is definitely going to get himself killed.

Not only is Puck going to get himself killed, Remi might even have to be the one to do it. Pity.

Emily Whitehall, Remi does not like you, nothing personal. It is not the individual you are that he does not like, rather, what you represent. In a world of shattered glass and sundries, you are a mirror. Remi does not like mirrors. If there is any malice in him at all, it is expressed in the fact that he thinks you will die like all the rest, but perhaps a little latter.

And Remi...Remi doesn't know what to think about Remi. Remiel Morgenstern is a soldier. Remiel Morgenstern is a survivor. What Remi does think, with more terror and certainty than anything else in this world, is that he will live a long life, or at least, long enough to watch everyone else he ever cared about to vanish one by one from the stage until only he, and the Spectators of course, remain.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed that little dip into his conscious mind, or at least found it mildly amusing. I'm not even going to attempt at parsing the insipid morass of his subconscious mind.

I am going to go make some Kahlua now.

Yay for mind stuff!

Adorabadass said
He would probably love the hell out of Kat because he could always rely on her to tell him when he's being a giant douche bag, and I imagine she would at least appreciate his honesty as well.

Tenish the Mighty said
He would like Kat's forthright manner. He thinks the world would be a much better place if people said what they meant just a bit more. He does think you could do to learn a lot more about foresight though...and planning. He's fairly certain you are going to get yourself killed.

I love when people do this! I'm gonna do both of yours now, and get around to everyone else when I've got more time.

Freddy: She will, without a doubt, let him know when he is being a giant douche. Quite often, from the looks of it. Regardless, his passion is certainly admirable and they are similar in their devotion and loyalty. There is a bit of love/hate going on here, I'd imagine. They're also almost birthday buddies, so there's that too.

Remi: Loves his style, loves his poise. With the more volatile personalities in the group, she'd appreciate a sort of constant person like him to maintain her sanity. She probably won't notice the difference in him as much as the others. It'd probably be something that someone would point out and she'd go, "Oh, you're right."

Oh and she'll probably have a crush on Thael, because I do.

Side note: When Kat's mother moved away for work she moved in with someone from the group, anyone willing to take her in?

Blackwell said
Oh and she'll probably have a crush on Thael, because I do.

*Whistles innocently*

Archangel89 said
I added an image from my phone so I don't know if it worked or not

It did, but you have to put the link betwixt [img] code.

---

First—and for all of you—understand that my nitpickery derives from my inability to be specific in any and all information that I write. It is also partially due to the amount of people applying to the roleplay. As I comment on your writings, I always attempt to adjust my own in order to eliminate inconsistencies and obscurity. Please oversee my shortcomings, as I am sincerely trying my best to give you an awesome experience with this roleplay. My comprehension of the English language is not great enough to word a sentence that could immaculately describe my appreciation for your enthusiasm and devotion so far.

Ex & Sixsmith
I’m quite amazed at the volume you two have managed to create in such limited time. However, never underestimate the power of conciseness and brevity. I might be biased, as I do sport one of William Strunk’s most sacred rules—“omit needless words”—in my signature, but a lot of what you have written can be compressed.





@Blackwell, the military academy has dormitories, so she could have gotten a room there. Edit: I'll look over your sheet and comment in my next post.

Speaking of character relations, I found a gif that I thought would perfectly describe the characters' relations on a day off: Some kids water-sliding in a drainpipe. It has a very swag culture-vibe, but whatever.

I now want to go water-sliding in a drainpipe, dammit.
Another thing to add onto my bucket list.

Prisk said
@Blackwell, the military academy has dormitories, so she could have gotten a room there.

At what age did our characters enlist? Seeing as they just graduated basic at 21, I imagined they started at 19 or 20. I had more intended her mother to move at around 16 or so. This is me going heavily off assumption though.

I edited a bit prior to possible help it relate to plot a bit better. Kinda of tie in the spirits to possibly the forest and trees, mainly nature itself in particular. Manifest them into general creatures you'd think of as mischievous, but remain kind of earth bound, if that makes sense. I can elaborate on that further, if need be. As well, I'll change the Limit Break around a bit, maybe tie it in better with his spirits.

Rockette said
I now want to go water-sliding in a drainpipe, dammit.Another thing to add onto my bucket list.

Haha, I felt the same way when I first saw the gif.

Blackwell said
At what age did our characters enlist? Seeing as they just graduated basic at 21, I imagined they started at 19 or 20. I had more intended her mother to move at around 16 or so. This is me going heavily off assumption though.

Hmm, I was under the impression that I wrote that somewhere. Apparently not. Since I have everything in my head, I sometimes get confused as to what I have written down and where. The characters started much earlier than that, just shortly after Sam died, at the age of eight/nine. I think I mention this in the first in-character post, which is why I though I had written it down somewhere! However, it does not mean that all characters applied for dormitory rooms right away, at that age. Olivia did, but only because her aunt did not move away from Helston, which is quite far away from the Academy. The case might be different for other characters.

Sixsmith said
I edited a bit prior to possible help it relate to plot a bit better. Kinda of tie in the spirits to possibly the forest and trees, mainly nature itself in particular. Manifest them into general creatures you'd think of as mischievous, but remain kind of earth bound, if that makes sense. I can elaborate on that further, if need be. As well, I'll change the Limit Break around a bit, maybe tie it in better with his spirits.

Take your time and notify me when you are finished with your revisions.

Prisk said
Hmm, I was under the impression that I wrote that somewhere. Apparently not. Since I have everything in my head, I sometimes get confused as to what I have written down and where. The characters started much earlier than that, just shortly after Sam died, at the age of eight/nine. I think I mention this in the first in-character post, which is why I though I had written it down somewhere! However, it does not mean that all characters applied for dormitory rooms right away, at that age. Olivia did, but only because her aunt did not move away from Helston, which is quite far away from the Academy. The case might be different for other characters.

Oh damn, alright. I'll switch it to that then. Quite a bit of training!

Okay, I changed it a bit to better fit with the lore. I can go back again to change it some more if those changes aren't sufficient. I've yet to sleep, so I tried to do what I can, heh. If they aren't, I'll get to them when I walk up later today.

Samuel was killed by a creature of the Calamity, when he and the characters were eight years old.

ohlord I think I've missed this part. Something I've written for Jyn's relationship towards Samuel revolved around teenage stuffs Q_Q

Alright, so, I updated my CS, made some changes you recommended, Prisk. I found a picture of Thael's shield, described the buff visual on his Limit Break, and added some drawbacks to While I Draw Breath. I also made some minor tweaks and additions here and there: I fleshed out Thael's personality a little more, extended his biography to include his time at the Academy, and adjusted some descriptions of his abilities for greater clarity.

At this point I consider his CS complete and ready for RPing, but I do love to go back and tweak things and add stuff as it pops into my head, but his weapons, Limit Break, and abilities are all where I'd like them to be. Future changes will be focused on fleshing out his personality and past. Let me know if there's anything that needs adjusting.

On the relationship front, I agree, establishing how our characters feel about eachother beforehand would be extremely helpful, especially for an RP like this where their relationships are so important. I have some thoughts on how Thael would feel about various people, but if you don't mind, I'll wait until the cast is revealed to type them all up.

@Blackwell: Well well well, are you sure he she can handle his massive...um...personality?