**Name:** Brian Parr (his Italian great-great-grandparents were Gaspare, but they shortened it on Ellis Island) **Age:** 29 **Gender:** Male **Physical Description:** Average sized and lean with hard features, medium, curly, dark hair, and pale blue eyes. He shaved off all his hair when a streak of white started to go through it, which seemed uncomfortably close to a witch's lock and grew a goatee. If people ask, he says he figured that if he was going to start going bald, he wasn't gonna halfass it and look like he was balding, but just rock the look instead. He tends toward casual attire and does not look entirely comfortable in a suit. The man also has a sleeve of tattoos on each upper arm, though he no longer shows them off, as they keep changing appearance now. **Mundane Skills:** - College Degree: History - Some law school before he realized it wasn't him. - Experience as a bartender, barback and bouncer during his years at Boston University. - Former US Marshal, with law enforcement skillset. - Good with tools, his dad's doing. - A practitioner of marital arts, though he's recently taken an interest in Tai Chi and Yoga and meditation. **Supernatural:** It's in the dreams and the sudden moments of clarity, where the universe seems to whisper its secrets, but in a language he can't quite decipher. It's like learning to read and write again as a little kid, or tackling a math problem, or learning the game of football with all its rules and gray areas. He's taken up the practice of soft-form martial arts and meditation as he tries to work through the knot in his mind, loosening it bit, by bit. Symbols occasionally flash through his vision, runes and other significant shapes or patterns that he encounters on an every day basis, including crucifixes, star symbols and flames. Right now, he can light candles. That's about it and it wears him out to do so. **Character History:** Brian Parr was born to parents right there in Haye, his father an auto mechanic and his mother a bartender. He was the second of three children, including his eldest sister Jennifer and his younger brother John. Brian spent much of his formative years doing well in school and as a linebacker for the Haye High School Roughnecks. Between that and good grades, he managed to secure himself a partial scholarship to Boston University and worked weekends in Electrum, one of the dance clubs in the area, as a bouncer and then as a bartender, when it became apparent that bartending paid a hell of a lot better. His grades at BU were good enough, once he was cut from the football team, to get him into law school at Pittsburgh University, but he realized that he wasn't cut out for law so much as a more hands on sort of job, and so took a job as a Deputy in the Pittsburgh Sheriff's department, serving warrants and handling courthouse security. Excellent at this job, he applied for and got a job in the Federal Marshal service, primarily serving at first in witness protection, but moving on into fugitive apprehension and, eventually, the marshal service's Special Operations Group, which handled all sorts of situations, stationed in Louisiana, but active nationwide and on call. The problem came with Emergence and the Dunn Act, which stipulated that all Emergents were stripped of their citizenship. Being somewhat idealistic despite a hardboiled career and always conscientious in his job, he quickly resigned from the Marshal Service because he didn't like the idea of serving the mass-arrest warrants being brought out for Emergents. After all, he had a sneaking suspicion that he was one. When a streak of hair went white and his tattoos, which were very biker until they morphed into dragons one day, Japanese mythology the next and other random themes, started to change on a daily basis, he sort of figured that being an Emergent and a Deputy Marshal were mutually exclusive. He moved back to Haye and started to work at his brother John's cafe/bar, the Water of Life, ostensibly as a bartender, though he can double as the bouncer if he has to. **Psychological Profile:** Brian isn't sure anymore. No one really is, but he used to have beliefs about the law and how America should work and felt that what he was doing was a fundamentally good job. But the orders came down to apprehend people that had done nothing as soon as they could be spotted because people were scared and he had a crisis of faith. What scares him, a perfectly intelligent man, is the haunting thought that he might well not question orders like a lot of guys if he hadn't come up Emergent himself. He moved around a lot, as he was stationed in Maine and then in Louisiana as a Deputy Marshal, but he's still able to talk the local lingo with the good old boys, though people that mistake him for such are often surprised. In dealing with people, he tends to be quiet and watch – it's what a lot of good cops do. Polite, easygoing and generally calm, he nonetheless keeps his seething emotional conflict under wraps. As a bartender, being a calm, good listener is a tip generator, so he's at least weathering the situation well. The pay at John's bar isn't nearly as good as it was at places like Electrum, because Haye isn't urban and the clientele is working class and, quite frankly, John is family, so Brian didn't negotiate all that hard for more pay. It's a job with a lot of freedoms, which he likes. His brother and sister, the oldest and youngest respectively, are known to be much more vocal people than the middle brother. **Possessions:** - A small apartment on Swansea street with very little in the way of furniture – in fact, it's a loft belonging to an older widow who was happy to rent it out to a guy with law enforcement credentials. As a local boy, a good kid and his mother and father's son, he got a nice cut off the rent and a heck of a nice place. During his time off, to keep himself sane, he renovates it for an even larger cut off from his landlady, who likes having a guy that knows tools and repairs around. He's installed a nice deck and a set of French doors and has redone a bathroom up there. - A '[62 Chevy K15000](http://s61.photobucket.com/user/Jho411/media/62-k1500-frank-m_zps6eac958c.jpg.html), one his father restored into working order and gave to him as a graduation gift from college. It has off-road wheels and other modifications, particularly the V-8 engine on board. Above all, it is rugged, suited for use in the wintertime and unfailingly reliable. - A Sig Sauer P239 in .40 S&W for which he has a permit as a former federal law enforcement officer. He doesn't generally carry it – Haye just isn't that dangerous -- but he has a good inside-the waist leather holster for it. If he is carrying, he has two extra magazines on him. - A couple other guns, because it's Pennsylvania and they do hunting. **Occupation:** Daytime Manager/Bouncer/Bartender, at the Water of Life. It's his brother's place. Sheriff Mark Luntz tried to hire him, but he turned the guy down. When his brother is getting some sleep, Brian fills in for him at a pittance pay, because what is family for? In any case, he runs the place when his brother's not there and mostly lives off the tips he gets, along with his savings. (He was careful in the Marshals) **Relationships** - John Parr – Brother. Boss. Owner of the Water of Life, a cafe and bar that seems to be doing a steady enough business. The nights are much wilder than the days. John is the closest of the entire family to Brian, but Brian isn't interested in confiding in him. John's a really understanding guy and Brian knows he'd keep a secret, but he doesn't want to put him in danger. If Brian ever got found out, he be putting his brother in danger. Ironically, John is a D&D nerd and, unusually for Haye, is quietly involved in Emergent Rights causes. - Sheriff Mark Luntz – He's known Brian since he was a kid, a friend of his father and all that. When Brian came back to town after resigning from the Marshals, he wanted to hire Brian right on the spot – it was a waste of a good, experienced law enforcement guy. He'd be curious as to why Brian isn't interested, except he has a lot on his plate with the Emergent situation because places like Haye are on their own. The previous mayor, Rudy Lefkowitz, resigned recently and it looks like the next mayor is going to be Henry Hawkins, a favorite of local Pastor Gary Miller, of the Haye Covenant of Light Church, an influential and stridently anti-emergent minister whose congregation has grown considerably with recent troubles. Luntz is known around town as a good guy, but he's a little too nice and moderate, not to the liking of the current mood and Hawkins already made it clear that he's going to replace Luntz with someone 'more energetic.' - Jennifer Parr-Hawkins – His sister, who is married, has a couple of kids and they don't really talk about anything deep because she's a bit involved in being the best mom and wife she can, which strikes Brian as a little ridiculous, white picket fence. Then again, she's always been a conformist and member of the 'in-group' from her days as a homecoming queen and cheerleader. Her husband, Brad Hawkins, is in the real estate development business, but he's also a douchebag that has ranted about Emergents and the two of them seems to be rather avid donors to the Haye Covenant of Light Church. Brian keeps his distance. - Carla and Frank (Mom and Dad) – There for him, and they think he just got out of that job because it was becoming too psychotic and things were breaking down (true) but he's kept things from them, too. His dad is a hard working kind of dude, but kind of conservative. He's always been proud of Brian, but because he did football and got good grades and became a law enforcement guy. His mother is more sympathetic, but he isn't sure he wants to put her in danger with her knowing what's going on with him.

**Name:** Aliciana Mae Gonzalez **Age:** 12 **Gender:** Female **Physical Description:** Aliciana stands at a diminutive 4'7", with fair brown skin, black hair, and light brown eyes. She is built lightly, mostly due to her age, and does not possess much strength or stamina. She is usually dressed in dark clothing, in order to hide her Emergent qualities. She might appear somewhat naive, as her education only went so far due to the arrival of the Emergence phenomenon. **Mundane Skills:** - As Aliciana's parents were motel owners before the Emergence, she has some idea of low-level business management (as they entrusted certain aspects of administration to her). - She has also developed some adeptness at haggling, as she has had to hitchhike her way through from Texas to Pennsylvania. - She can handle several guns due to her father teaching her how to shoot from a tender age. - She also possesses a working knowledge of Spanish; she can listen to a fluent speaker, but must reply in English. **Supernatural:** Her Emergent abilities manifest as a worm-like appendage that normally hides itself on the left side of her torso, burrowing into her flesh (this does not cause her any pain, however, and the 'worm' acts similarly to a symbiotic parasite). It can extend to a length of five meters, possesses rows of sharp, serrated teeth, and clad in skin of a material unknown to Aliciana herself, but seemingly impervious to blunt force or penetration from most small caliber arms; it remains to be seen whether it can withstand fire from larger guns, however. The worm has also changed her constitution to the point in which Aliciana does not gain sustenance from anything that is not magically charged; she has to feed on Emergent plants and animals (or, indeed, other Emergent humans) in order to keep herself alive. After feeding, the worm changes color from a sleek black to a radiant gold; whether this has any ramifications other than making her life harder is still not certain. **Character History:** Originally from Houston, Texas, Aliciana lived a fairly uneventful life apart from the death of her mother at the age of three. Her father ran a small motel and taught her most of what she knows outside of school, including but not limited to shooting with small arms. At the original Emergence incident, her father Emerged as a pyrokinetic chimaera, prompting the government to take him away to Nellis and putting Aliciana into the care of social services, not knowing that she herself was an Emergent. After being put into the dubious care of several foster families (which was not made better by her exclusivity as she attempted to hide her affliction), Aliciana decided to run away (after stealing a considerable amount of money from her then-foster family) to her aunt in Maine, hitchhiking her way across the country. Arriving in Haye, Pennsylvania, she found herself stranded in a small town with no real way to continue on due to her funds being spent. She has found shelter in a (admittedly overcrowded) home run by the local Catholic church, going by the name of Erika Lopez in order to hide any connections to her father. There, she met the owner of a local op-shop, who was so impressed with Alicia's knowledge of bookkeeping and other such minor office errands that she was hired under the guise of an "apprentice". Through this, she has become something of a local face in the six months since arriving in Haye, with many seeing her as the cheerful little girl minding the register. She initially spent her Emergence feeding on other Emergent humans in order to sustain herself (usually the elderly or children), all the while pretending to eat normal food (actual consumption of such often leads to her being weakened, and she must therefore vomit the food back up afterward). After the Emergence of plants and animals, she has begun feeding on those when possible. **Psychological Profile:** Aliciana is very guarded, mostly due to her being thrown around in different foster homes after her father's arrest. However, she also recognizes that her condition means that she needs to be dependent on another, hopefully more powerful, Emergent that does not bear the same cost that hers does. The overall effect is that Alicia is very slow to trust others, but once that is gained, she quickly attaches herself to a person - she is still just a child, after all. The stress from essentially having to cannibalize other Emergents for nearly three months before she could resort to eating plants and animals has made Aliciana rather unstable, acting more violently and impulsively when she is hungry. The constant conflict between attempting to find an Emergent whom she can rely on and finding her next meal meant that Aliciana is always trying to determine whether the Emergent(s) she meets would be of more use as an ally or as meat. **Possessions: ** - She has a small, 10kg roller suitcase in which she has packed most of her clothes. - She owns a SIG Sauer P229 (as well as several magazines), usually tucked between her clothes inside her suitcase. **Relationships:** - Corazon de Guzman – Her father's sister, currently residing in Maine. Aliciana's original aim after running away was to reach this woman and stay with her for the foreseeable future. - Hernan Gonzalez – Father; it is unknown whether he is still alive or dead. - Helen White - Employer and confidant. Helen knows what has happened to Alicia's father as well as her real name, although Alicia still keeps the fact that she is an Emergent herself a closely-guarded secret. Alicia sees her as something of a surrogate mother, having no memories of her own, and this affection is seemingly reciprocated. There are signs that Helen is considering adopting Alicia as her own daughter.

**Name**: Sydney ’Syd’ Marshall **Age**: 21 **Gender**: Female **Physical Description**: Standing at an average 5 foot 5 inches, Sydney is a small framed and mousy looking girl. Over the past few months she’s lost a severe amount of weight, dropping over thirty pounds and weighing in at an unhealthy 108. Anoretic and gaunt, Sydney is exceedingly tiny in person. Covered in freckles with a natural blush, her cheekbones are soft and round while her chin is sharp and angular. Born with natural wavy ginger hair she’s recently cut it short into an a-line. Short and wild in the back, the sides of her hair reach just past her chin while her bangs lay straight above her eyebrows. Lack of sleep has left concerning dark circles beneath her wide eyes. Born with green eyes, flecks and splotches of gold have begun to appear around the rim of her pupil and outer edges of her eyes since the Equinox, giving them an almost hazel like appearance. Sydney's skin is a ghostly porcelain color while her face is smooth and unblemished. However, hidden beneath the many layers of her clothes her arms and hands are littered with scars and scabs. Mostly due to her picking, she keeps her arms and hands covered at all times, often by wearing overlarge sweatshirts, gloves, and form-fitting clothes. **Mundane Skills**: - Studying Art History, along with Painting and Ceramics for four years in college, Sydney has always had a natural talent in art. Drawing, and sculpting was one of her favorite past times, but since her physical changes she can no longer indulge in these hobbies. So she doesn't consider this much of a skill any longer. Much like her interests in art, Sydney also had a passion for music. Learning how to play the piano at a young age, the growth and sensitivity of her nails have caused her to toss this hobby as well, seeing as she can no longer play without experiencing pain. - Volunteering many hours with her family at the soup kitchens in town, as well as helping her mother with dinner most nights, Sydney can comfortably say she's a good cook. While it's not much of a passion, it's a hobby that helps her clear her mind and calm her down. Certain foods, and spices can be too powerful for her senses at times, and thus makes cooking more of a struggle then it should be. - Constantly on the move, be it for errands, or just on a typical night drive, it's almost impossible for Sydney to get lost. Great with directions thanks to a photographic memory, she know's the streets inside and outside of town like the back of her hand. **Supernatural**: After the Equinox, Syd began to notice subtle changes in herself. Day by day her senses grew stronger, her hearing became sensitive, her sense of smell became overpowering, and her eyesight was overall inhuman. The lightest whispers could not escape her hearing range while shrill noises, and crowded places became to overwhelming for her to stand. Her sense of smell became sharp causing certain foods and scents such as onions, perfume, or smog to be to harsh for her nose. Despite these changes her eyes and sight experienced major alterations above all. Her eyes have lost their spherical shape and become flat and large, increasing her field of vision exponentially through means of binocular vision. The lens has pushed forward and can be altered with an easy flex of her newly developed muscles allowing her to control the intake of light received by her retina, while a second set of muscles allow her to control the size of her cornea granting her the ability to concentrate and discern objects or movement from afar. Daylight and other sources of bright light can be too sensitive for Sydney, giving her headaches and more then often throwing her into a bad mood. At night however her eyes are at their strongest. Containing a reflective layer on her retina that gives her eyes an eerie golden glow at night, this increases the amount of light her eyes receive in the dark giving her better vision, or in other words, night vision. Sydney showed no physical sign of abilities up until the Solstice. Over the course of two weeks she began to notice changes in her finger nails. Her cuticles began to grow excessively over her nails, hardening them and grow long and thick. They've discolored over time, turning a dull black despite all the product and care she's poured over her hands. The tips of her fingers are sensitive and are very subtly growing which causes Sydney an awful lot of pain when cutting, or filing her nails. Growing faster over time, her nails have began to merge with the skin along her fingers, giving them an almost claw-like appearance when unkept. In recent months, thick black quills have begun to painfully grow out of the skin on her arms, chest, neck, and hands. When plucked, they appear to be bird feathers. **Character History**: Life for Sydney Marshall was made up by expectations, rules, and religion. She was to act proper and modest in front of others, and to do no wrong under the eyes of 'God'. Her parents views and own opinions drove her goals and decisions, and ultimately she was not allowed to grow as person on her own. Her adolescent years was made up of studying. School, and church consumed her life and it wasn't until her teenage years that she was finally able to find some freedom through work. Attaining a job at a popular Diner in town, Sydney had not only found a place outside of her parents reach, but she was finally able to socialize with others in her town outside of church, as well as earning her own income all on her own. As graduation came around and her solid grades provided her a full scholarship for any field she was interested in, her parents pushed her towards Medical school while her own interest had lead her to pick Art behind her parents back. Despite giving her a lecture and refusing to help her through any means with arts school, her parents remained cordial for the remained of the year until graduation. Moving out of her parents house and finally heading off to College, life was beginning to move in the direction Sydney had always dreamed of. Her parents may not have approved much, but this wasn't their choice, or their life--It was hers. Staying on campus and living in the dorms she quickly fell in love with her new lifestyle, and town. Overprotected all her life, she began to learn and experiencing new things from her own experiences, and through people her parents would have never permitted her to hang out with. Her maturity grew, along with her acceptance and understanding with others, and this was no different after the Equinox. Much like the other students at her University she protested for the rights, and acceptance of emergents despite her parents, and most of the school faculty opposing views against these unfortunate beings. But after the renewal of National Defense Authorization Act of 2011 and Winter Solstice, her life quickly spiraled out of control. Her body began to experience changes, transforming before her very eyes day by day. Avoiding class, and interacting with anyone outside of her dorm room, Sydney began to experience manic episodes of depression, compulsive picking, and self-hatred. Her mental, and physical health plunged, and by the time she received her expulsion letter, she had become a shell of the person she used to be. Kicked out of college with a debt larger then any paycheck she had ever received, she soon returned home to Pennsylvania to live with her parents. **Psychological Profile**: There was once a time Sydney had been an active, and healthy member of her community. Kind, and intelligent, she was a friendly girl who couldn't quite get past being simply seen as 'The Pastors Daughter'. Quiet, and passive from the very get go, she carried around a pure and innocent facade under the eyes of her parents and before most of the church. Their strict, and conservative views controlling just about every aspect of her social life, Sydney never truly felt like herself until she started College. Growing into the person she had always dreamed of becoming, she matured with age and became more confident and assertive. Upon the Equinox she harbored no fear, or hatred for Emergents, their abilities, or the magic that was now manifesting in the modern world. She accepted these changes with open arms, unlike her parents, but when her own transformations became more obvious and the National Defense Authorization Act of 2011 went into action, everything went down hill mentally and physically for her. With the demonization of emergents being spread through the media tensions began to rise within her own group of friends. Views began to change, and soon Sydney found that she could to turn to no one in such a frightening time. Fully aware of what was being done to emergents, paranoia and anxiety began to take its roots in her mind, forcing her to take up gloves and bulky clothing to hide her hands, and arms when outside. Terrified of her parents and their prejudice views of emergents, as well as others in town seeing her in such a state, Sydney now spends hours filing her nails and picking at her skin. Unfortunately, no matter how many times she plucks at her arms, the dark quills continue to sprout by the hour. Because of this her arms are almost always covered in scabs, welts, and scars from her picking. Unsure of how to take all of these changes herself Sydney has become anxious, and drawn from others. With no one to reach out to she's become untrusting and reclusive, locking herself in her room for hours or driving out to the woods to sit with herself. While she'd never admit it, suicidal thoughts have come to her mind more then once, but she's never had the guts to act on them. In person Sydney is now a quiet, and reserved. Never speaking unless spoken too, she avoids eye contact at all costs and never raises her voice higher then she has too. No longer assertive it's hard for get her to do anything really, but thanks to her parents pity for and lack of understanding her struggle they don't object to her lack of communication, activity, or appetite. Solitude has never appealed to her, but as her 'deformities' become worse and worse by the day, Sydney feels that she has no choice but to isolate herself--be it because of fear of judgement from others, or punishment from the higher authority. **Possessions**: - _2001 Toyota Corolla_: Given to her as a graduation present, the old car has been in her family since she was little. Despite it's age it has a good mileage and gets her from point A to be B with little to no trouble. She spends a considerable amount of time in her car, from driving her mother around town to help with errands, to simply cruising by herself in town or along the backroads near her house. Typically kept clean, Syd's car has been unusually messy for the past few weeks. Spending more time away and hanging out in her car outside of town, trash, clothes, and junk food litter the floor. - Hidden beneath the drivers seat of her car is a four inch spring assisted knife. Always kept folded as to avoid anyone, including herself, from getting she has yet to use the knife for any real means other then playing with it or carving into armrest. - Unable to afford a place by herself Sydney currently lives at home with her parents. With her room cut out two years ago to widen the kitchen, she currently resides in the attic-turned-bedroom. The walls are high and covered in worn floral wallpaper, while the tall ceiling extends to a point. A considerably large but empty room, a futon sits in the furthest right corner of her room while a large computer desk sits opposite of her bed in the corner beside her dresser. A large six foot bookshelf is placed neatly between her bed and the closet, while a second bookshelf stands on the opposite side. Old paintings from college, and high school decorate her walls and cover up the worn areas of her wallpaper. Sculptures and pottery are neatly placed in specific spots with the books along her bookshelf, while candles decorate the top of her dresser and desk. While she may not be all that comfortable being at home, Sydney does find some sanctuary within her own room. **Occupation**: Currently _unemployed_, but before leaving to College she was previously employed at Earl's Diner, a local restaurant located in town. Offered the job upon her return, Sydney's turned down the offer many times, as her parents like to bring it up daily. **Relationships**: - | Wayne Marshall | 56 | Father | Pastor of The Holy Trinity Church | A respected man amongst the community, Wayne Marshall is the definition of right wing conservative. His views are highly skewed as religion often mixes in with most of his life decisions and reasonings. Despite his intentions being good, he comes off aggressive both in a friendly, and intimidating manner. A stern man, with a stubborn outlook on life, he's highly prejudice against emergents and remains undeterred with his opinions. - | Louise 'Henderson' Marshall | 54 | Mother | Head Nurse at Haye General Hospital | Like her husband, Louise Marshall is highly respected and liked within Haye. Strict in her earlier years, time has softened her and made her more understanding. Still holding conservative views she's open to listening, and hearing others out before placing judgement. Despite this she still holds some prejudice against Emergents. Mostly afraid of the changes happening in the world, she's chosen to stay out of any conversations relating to magic, or emergents with her husband.

**Name:** Oskar Hartmann **Age: **28 **Gender:** Male **Physical Description:** Oskar stands at 6’3 and weighs 190 pounds, with broad shoulders and long arms. Little fat is present on his frame, mostly sinewy muscle mass, though Oskar is far from a body builder’s physique. He earned his build through purely functional tasks, like swimming, running, and climbing, so he possesses no bulging forearms or beefy thighs. Oskar’s hands and feet are both extremely callused from years of gripping coarse rock. His skin, perhaps a little weather-beaten, is nicked with a scar or two here and there, but none very large. Oskar’s lean body type is reflected in his facial structure. His head is long and narrow, with a sharp jawline and defined cheekbones, though these features are slightly distorted by a stubbly beard that he maintains. Two scars mar Oskar’s left cheek; one mirrors the shape of his lower eyelid in a wide arc about an inch below his eye, and his second is half an inch below the other, extending two inches down before tapering off. Neither are very deep or ugly, but they are certainly unique. His chestnut-colored hair is cut in a long fade, swept upwards and to the side. Oskar’s hair does a good job of concealing the antlers that persistently grow from his head. The antlers are the same color and texture as bone, though much thicker and stronger than any in the human body save for the femur. When they grow, the antlers begin as a single spike, but gradually branch out into numerous points. Unlike deer or elk, Oskar’s antlers don’t have a velvet coating in early stages, and they grow quite rapidly. He cuts them down to the pedicle every morning, a fairly painless procure, to keep them hidden beneath his hair. **Mundane Skills:** -Graduated from the University of Munich with a major in journalism and minor in photography -Avid hiker, mountain climber, swimmer, and rock climber -Overall good physical condition -Knowledgeable of basic survival skills (ex. Finding/making shelter, starting fires, foraging, navigational techniques) ** Supernatural:** Oskar has always felt a special connection to wildlife growing up in German’s countryside. After the reemergence of magic, this relationship took a strange turn. At first, it was barely noticeable. On his regular hiking trips, animals on the side of the trail seemed to linger a few seconds longer. Crickets and songbirds didn’t stop chirping as he walked right next to them. These irregularities, Oskar barely noticed. The connection slowly increased, although it was still hard to tell one was even present. When in nature, animals were more docile towards him, allowing themselves to be photographed before wandering off. Animals also appeared in higher frequency to Oskar while he wandered the woods, as they no longer actively avoided him. While Oskar found this strange, he figured that after spending so much time in nature, he was very relaxed when among animals, and the creatures could almost sense that he meant no harm. Then wildlife began approaching _him_. The curious creatures, from ferocious carnivores to skittish herbivores, would slowly walk up to him, even allowing Oskar to touch them. He knew that, while it was rare, some animals who had never seen humans before didn’t see them as a threat, and therefore had no fear of them. However, these creatures had certainly seen man in the past. This was the first red flag for Oskar. Soon after, animals started actively following him. Both predator and prey could often be found following his footsteps in the wild, with wolves peacefully trotting alongside deer. When he went inside, a small flock of birds sitting on the telephone wires would often greet him once he walked outside. Some days when waking up, he could see a grey wolf from his window, almost as if the animal was guarding him while he slept. At this point, Oskar knew something was wrong, but he didn’t know how serious it was until two small bumps formed on his head. These bumps grew at a rapid speed, becoming full-fledged antlers in a matter of days. During this period, his bond to nature seemed the stronger, but Oskar quickly cut the antlers off when returning to civilization. **Character History:** The Hartmann family can trace its origins back to the very first tribes that occupied modern-day Germany. His grandparents were both children during WWII, but saw little of the fighting that took place since they lived in a small town nestled beneath the Alps. The impact of the war, however, was quite harsh on them, and they grew up poor. Oskar’s grandparents worked hard to make sure their children, including Oskar’s mother and father, could attend school. His parents both lived in the same little town they grew up in, fell in love, an opened a lumber company together. Then, Oskar’s older brother, Dierter, was born, and Oskar followed five years after. Oskar’s youth was largely shaped by his grandparents, a kind, working-class couple who acted as a second set of parents for him. His grandmother, in particular, had a large impact on his life. The elder was always eager to tell her grandson old folktales, from Washington Irving to the Brothers Grimm, giving Oskar quite the knack for story-telling. She also told him of the Hartmann family history, some fact, with plenty of fiction to grab the attention of a young boy. Oskar’s grandmother told him stories of his ancestors living in Germany’s Black Forest, living in harmony with the nature around them and protecting the beasts of the woods from invaders. These tales stuck with Oskar, and he spent many hours playing in the forests with his older brother, making legends of their own. Oskar’s teenage years were spent in a very similar fashion to his childhood. He spent a large amount of time outdoors hiking, rock climbing, and swimming to the point that his parents joked he was a feral child. When not running around like a wild man, Oskar was usually engulfed in a novel or newspaper, though he still enjoyed the occasional tall tale. Unsurprisingly, he decided to pursue a career in journalism, where he could enjoy both of his passions; writing and traveling. Following his brother, Oskar attended the University of Munich and graduated with a major in journalism and a minor in photography. Dierter, having met and fallen in love with an American girl at school, moved back with the woman and shortly after married her. Oskar took the complete opposite path, working as a freelance journalist and traveling the globe. His stories were never anything groundbreaking, generally restricted to cultural studies and wildlife examinations, but he managed to etch out a living and forge a decent reputation for himself. Oskar travelled extensively in South America, Africa, and South Asia, greatly maturing in this period. Oskar hardly noticed the Emergence at first, his powers being so mundane they could be passed off as nothing. Animals were much friendlier to him, but that was about it. His brother contacted him and told Oskar of a family of albino white-tailed deer in the White Mountains near his home, suggesting it could make for an interesting story. Oskar agreed, seeing it as a chance to visit Dierter, and flew to New Hampshire. He tracked the family of deer for a week before finally finding them. During this period, a pair of antlers grew from his head, and when he returned home, Oskar promptly cut them off. Both he and his brother were reminded of the stories their grandmother told of their ancestors, the forest guardians, but knew his strange abilities were caused by the Emergence. Oskar desperately wanted to return to Germany, but his brother warned him that the government was actively hunting Emergents, and he would be rooted out in the airport and taken away. Dierter allowed Oskar to stay with him and his wife until it was safe. **Psychological Profile: **The Emergence has Oskar rather scared, not just because of his powers, but the government’s reaction to the event. It is startlingly similar to his grandparent’s stories of their Jewish neighbors being rounded up like cattle and sent to the work camps. Although the US government says that no harm will become of them, Oskar has a feeling that the captured Emergents are subjected to either death or experimentation. He hasn’t heard word of any other government’s reaction, but only prays that he might be able to seek refuge in Germany. Oskar’s abilities aren’t overly obvious, so he hopes he can conceal them for as long as possible. Out of all the abilities that Oskar heard about on the TV, like inhuman strength and energy manipulation, he is quite pleased with his ability, although he would rather have none if possible. His power helps immensely with his work, as Oskar is now able to get shots of nature no photographer would ever dream of. He used to occasionally hunt wild game with his father and brother, but stopped after the Emergence, as the animals would walk up to him with absolute trust. Oskar eats much less meat than he used to as well. For a man who spends most of his time alone, Oskar is a surprisingly social guy. He enjoys going out on the weekends, spending time with his friends, and meeting new people. What makes him almost introverted is that he doesn’t crave human interaction like most do; Oskar could spend a year isolated from the rest of the world just as easily as he could live in a large city, surrounded by people. In general, he is a laid-back individual who is very easy to talk to. He has a good heart, always trying to do right by the world, and this trait has caused him significant stress in recent days. As a journalist, Oskar knows he could bring the story of the Emergents to the world, exposing their strife, but this would undoubtedly result in his capture by the government. Besides, he is accustomed to writing stories about rare animals, adventures, and unique locations, not the oppression of an entire people. **Possessions:** 1970 BMW R75/5 motorcycle Assorted camping, climbing, and photography equipment Savage model 110 hunting rifle **Occupation:** Freelance journalist/photographer **Relationships: **Max - His three year old Leonberger, Oskar takes his faithful companion with him everywhere. He was given to Oskar by an Austrian trapper he wrote a story on; the man was so entertained by Oskar’s company that he gave him one of his pups that he bred. Max is a very loyal dog, but not overly aggressive. He’s quite large, although considered average in Leonberger standards, weighing 145 pounds and 30 inches tall at his withers. Dierter Hartmann – Oskar’s brother and friend, the two have never grown apart despite the distance between them. Although Dierter is much more serious than his brother, when Oskar is around the two are extremely playful. Oskar is currently living with his brother until it is safe to return home. Amanda Hartmann – His brother’s wife, almost as stern as her husband. She is pregnant, and already has a mother’s overprotective nature, particularly to Oskar. Albert and Clara Hartmann – Oskar’s parents in Germany. He is close to both of them, but his work doesn’t allow him to visit much, so he is usually restricted to calling or skyping them. Although they both have blue-collar jobs at the family’s lumber yard, they are glad that both of their sons are better off than they are, just as they are better off than their own parents. Irma Hartmann – Oskar’s only living grandparent. She is the biggest influence in Oskar’s life, embedding in him an interest in nature and story-telling. He talks to her almost every day on the phone, telling her of his adventures and exploits. Irma has a deep wanderlust, but having grown up in post-war Germany, she never had a chance to travel until she was old, so she lives vicariously through her grandsons.

**Name: **Alexandra Storm **Age:** 23 **Gender:** Female **Physical Description: ** Bella is tall, about 5”11’, and thin, her body caving in on itself in several places. She has no curves worth speaking of, most of her body a surface as flat is a surfing board. She is a flat profile with a somewhat hollowed chest, and long fingers that always seem to shake. Her face has several marks, and her eyes bulge and protrude from their sockets, her lips thin and her hair cut short into a crew cut that hasn’t been properly maintained. Her strong facial features look almost alien like, but still retaining some sort of an appearance of life somewhere in her dead eyes. **Mundane Skills:** 1. Certificate III in Electro-technology:- Qualified electrician in domestic environments with the ability to install communications, controls, general wiring systems and wiring installations 2. Very knowledgeable about plants and gardens, has a ‘green thumb’ when it comes to growing flowers and *cough* pot. 3. Ex woodworkers too afraid of shivering hands to make anything worthwhile. **Supernatural:** Under the effects of any drug, medicine or hallucinogen, the world come to life, bringing about images and pictures, of light and colour that can not only be touched and felt but also manipulated and changed. She can increase the saturation of any colour in her head, but it drains her to do so completely, and the colours affect various different properties in real life. The increase of colour red in her mind, increases the temperature, white increases the light in the room, and certain colours increase the potency of medicines, the greener the leaves of cannabis plant, the more the lasting effect. She rarely has any idea that any of this is happening most of the time though. **Character History:** Born to the hooker, Cherry Storm, Bella was no stranger to a life of sin and debauchery. She has associated and participated with many kinds of people, addicts, cops, hookers and even the less weird kind. There weren’t many things going on in her life, and she usually followed into whatever her partner then was doing, be it learning woodwork to become a carpenter or becoming an electrician, that being her longest relationship that lasted till the end of the course. By the time she was 18, the cops knew her as the girl who grew marijuana in her mother’s basement, the money was good enough to fuel an addiction for all things dark and ugly. She didn’t even notice her mother pass away, and inherited the house, paying regular bribes to keep the cops off her as she sold her pot, some for food, most for other forms of high. She had heard of the emergents, but had never seen them, never needed to, as they didn’t bring her money. The only physical effect she had that wasn’t generally noticeable was her effect on plants as she helped her elderly neighbours maintain a lovely garden, the flowers almost bent to her will, be it how fast they grew or what colour they were. She rarely leaves home, except to deliver the goods to her dealer, and has groceries and various meals delivered to her house. She has a hard time listening to things as she always hears something over and above the sounds of others telling her to do… Something, but she isn’t sure what. **Psychological Profile:** Bella tries not to feel dead inside, she thought of ending her life a million times, setting her money making Eden on fire and riding the blaze to glory, but ever since the visions and the light took away her need for most things, her obsession has been trying to ride the next high to see the person trying to talk to her, hoping it was her mother finally forgiving her for what she had done. She is an addict, shivering, twitching, unhealthy appetites and a male like figure that people rarely question, and loves hiding away from the bright world in her hoody. She always seems to be getting out of trouble, never having been caught in anything extreme as she always had a keen sense of self perseverance, never ever getting high out of the safety of her own home. **Possessions:** A house, nothing else worth mentioning. **Occupation:** Gardener and part time electrician. **Relationships** Cherry Storm (Deceased) Father (Unknown) Peter Holmes (Drug dealer ex-boyfriend)

**Name:** Emelina 'Eli' Ward **Age:** 21 **Gender:** Female **Physical Description:** At around 5'2" in height, Emelina has always been short. In fact this is a fact that has always irritated her and as a result she can be rather touchy about her height. By no means skinny, Eli's has quite a boyish body with a general lack of curves. There are some that are there, of course, they are merely very subtle and rarely visible. Though not overall strong, she has decent arm strength and is reasonably acrobatic. It's quite surprising that she's in reasonably good shape considering her often frequent periods of time when she does not exercise. Eli's hair is an incredibly dark brown, so dark that it looks like it is black. It is mostly straight and long, falling down to around mid-back. However she often keeps it tied back in some way so that it is out of the way. She doesn't particularly care about its length, and will only bother getting it cut if really necessary. Her eyes are primarily a mud brown in colour, certainly nothing spectacular, however since the equinox blue specks have began to appear. These almost seem to glow however are generally only visible when you look at her eyes closely. Emelina tends to go for a casual, practical style of clothing in darker colours of blacks, blues and purples. In fact, she doesn't particularly care for how she appears to other people and probably never will. At the moment she has taken to always wearing a pair of simple sunglasses. **Mundane Skills:** - Science in general has been something she has always been good at, enjoying all three equally. She is studying Chemical Biology with the view of doing a graduate degree in Optometry when she is done, which would have been relatively soon. Eli has a natural science bend and is also quite adept at mathematics. - Good at climbing, specifically rock climbing but this gives her the ability to scale most things with ease if she has the right equipment. - Proficient at working in a shop and all the basic skills that come with that, such as using a cash register, helping customers and the like. **Supernatural:** At the time of the Equinox Emelina did not notice any difference to herself, nor did anything strange things occur. It was a short while after it, however, that she began to notice subtle differences. She began to see colours around her, subtle and almost as if they weren't there. They were barely discernible and it seemed like they could merely be a product of her imagination. However gradually these colours grew stronger and began to take form. Eli noticed that they only appeared to be around her fellow human beings, clinging to them like a second skin. It was still faint and but one singular colour. However it continued to go stronger, each person gaining more than just a single colour until it was practically all the Eli could see. The constant swarm of colours confused her and hurt her eyes, causing headaches and migraines due to her eyes not being used to it. Emelina is yet to work out what the colours around people are, never mind what they mean. Though her body is gradually getting used to constantly seeing colours she has no further understanding of the ability. Of course she is certain that it does show her something about the person as that is easy enough to guess. However she does not know the significance of the various different colours each person has surrounding them never mind what each separate colour means. She isn't exactly sure how to go about learning this, either, and just hopes it is a thing that will come with time. The colours are gradually growing more defined and will only continue to do so, and it seems as though what they are telling her could be the gateway into something more. **Character History:** Emelina was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her parents ran a rather successful business together and as a result she grew up very well off. She was the youngest of four, with two older brothers and a slightly older twin sister. At a younger age Eli never had friends and tending to avoid people, not doing particularly well at a young age because she didn't try. She was brought up Agnostic and as a result has no religious ties and feels no need to be Christian. Eli started trying more as she grew older in school proving herself to be rather intelligent and good at sciences, as was her twin sister. She enjoyed a lot of technical side of things and didn't have a preference for any of the three sciences. From around the age of ten things were quite tense in her household with there being a lot of arguments between her mother and father. This eventually was settled with a divorce after four years of arguments. However her father got the entire company, basically cheating her mother out of it, which forced them to move. So at the age of fourteen she first came to stay in Haye, Pennsylvania. Here they were in a less well off position, in a smaller home and trying to make something of a new life. She continued to work hard at school, wanting to leave home as soon as possible due to not being particularly fond of her family. She lost contact with her father, not particularly close to him, though her twin visited him every holiday. She managed to get into the University of California to study Chemistry, hoping to do Optometry once she had finished that. Her twin sister also went to the same University. She was doing incredibly well. However upon the Emergence her mother wanted to pull both her, and Jamie, out of college. While Eli did as her mother wished, mostly due to the beginning to notice colours here and there and worried about what it could mean, Jamie refused and stayed behind. Moving back to Haye she started working for her mother in the bookshop she now ran. By now Emelina knows that she is an Emergent, something which she hides from an anti-emergent mother. **Psychological Profile:** Emelina never particularly liked people. It probably came in part to being brought up in a competitive environment were her parents always fought. She never made friends. This has only increased as she realised she was Emergent. She is cautious around people and tends to avoid interaction, partly because the colours surrounding people hurt her eyes. She's not exactly friendly and will often go for sarcasm and wit to try and get people not to like her. She's very intelligent and science minded but even so her newfound abilities frustrate her as she cannot work out what the different colours are. She was always rather cynical and her opinion of other humans has only decreased, though it was never particularly high, and she has gone for the method of avoiding people where possible. Just in case they somehow find out and hand her in. Of course the fact she works in a shop doesn't particularly help with that, but it's all she can do to make enough money to move out. She keeps most of her emotions hidden away, not wanting to show the weakness that may cause her downfall. Of course she never particularly showed them as emotions were never a very positive thing in her family and she was brought up being told to not show them. The fact that her status as an Emergent is reasonably easy to hide does aid her, though she is still paranoid. Thankfully she has always been good at keeping secrets and lies with ease. Emelina herself was reasonably freaked out by the return of magic, though she managed to keep a level head. She is sure that if she had not been an Emergent herself she certainly wouldn't be an advocate for their rights, as her sister is, but rather would have remained neutral - to save her own skin. She very much has the view of doing what she needs to to survive, no matter what damage it will cause to others. **Possessions:** - For now Eli lives at home with her mother and brother. The room itself is of an average size. It is sparsely furnished with her bed, some bookshelves, a desk with her laptop and a few more shelves for storage. - She keeps at least on folding knife on her person at all times, just in case **Occupation:** Shop assistant in her mother's book shop, working Monday to Friday open hours. **Relationships** Jamie Ward - Twin sister. Eli has something of a love hate relationship with her twin sister. She is certainly the person she is closest to in the family, but that is most likely due to the two of them not actually living together. While Eli trusts Jamie she has no wish to confide anything important in. Jamie studies Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley and refused to return home. As a result they mostly keep in contact via texting and the internet, at the moment. Amelia Moran - Mother and boss. An ambitious woman who is harsh on her children, Eli doesn't get on with her mother at all and is currently not on the best of terms with her as it was her mother who pulled her out of college. Eli lives with her mother, but is looking to move out as soon as possible. Dislikes the Emergents. Jonathan Ward - Father. Lives out of state and has done since divorcing Amelia. He hasn't been in Eli's life for a while and she was never close to him, unlike her twin. While she doesn't not like her father she doesn't particularly like him either. Michael Ward - Older brother. Eli clashes a lot with Michael. He is incredibly ambitious and has started his own business which is gradually growing. He is so far successful and that is part of the reason for why they do not get on. Michael is a cold and calculating person, and he often visits home. Against Emergents. Theodore Ward - Older brother. Co-worker. Quite a bright and friendly person, Theo can often be over the top and rather annoying. Eli gets on with him okay though she claims to be merely tolerating him rather than admitting to enjoying his company. He also works for their mother and lives at home.