@Lord Wraith I'd just send a PM his way, see if you can work something out. He does have four other Robins to choose from (Stephanie Brown counts, don't tell me otherwise), so I don't think it would be a problem.
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Lord Wraith Actually Three Otters in a Trenchcoat
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8 hrs ago
@Lord Wraith I'd just send a PM his way, see if you can work something out. He does have four other Robins to choose from (Stephanie Brown counts, don't tell me otherwise), so I don't think it would be a problem.
I completely agree Stephanie counts haha. While she wasn't a great Robin, her and Babs are my favourite Batgirls.
Roman Grumpy Toad / King of Dirt
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I can see why Joker without Batman is a problem (and I actually wholeheartedly agree), but surely Dent would be crusading for justice in the courtroom with or without the Bat patrolling the streets? His campaign may be slightly tougher, sure, but Harvey is hardly the most reliant on Bruce and Batman as characters to thrive in his own right.
Now, if I wanted to submit my Sionis sheet and you told me to wait for Batman, then I'd totally understand.
I'll submit my Constantine for review shortly.
Now, if I wanted to submit my Sionis sheet and you told me to wait for Batman, then I'd totally understand.
I'll submit my Constantine for review shortly.
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1 day ago
@Roman, I think I misunderstood, haha. When I read Harvey Dent, I immediately thought Two-Face. If he's pre-villain Harvey, then he should be fine too. Sorry for misunderstanding.
Roman Grumpy Toad / King of Dirt
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The sheet I have prepared is pre-Two-Face with later potential depending on game flow. Either way, I can submit what I have for review and you can decide if its something you want in your game.
Just re-formatting my Constantine to the existing CS layout and it'll be here shortly.
Just re-formatting my Constantine to the existing CS layout and it'll be here shortly.
Roman Grumpy Toad / King of Dirt
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"S'just the way of it, son. We all sell our souls sooner or later."
Name:
John Constantine
Alias:
Constantine
Origin:
John Constantine was born into the shit that would follow him for the rest of his life - and appropriately enough, he arrived in Liverpool, 1989. His twin asphyxiated in the womb on John's umbilical cord, and his mother, Mary-Anne Constantine, died giving birth to him and his stillborn brother because an earlier forced abortion had weakened her womb, causing it to rupture and bleed out. Thomas Constantine, John's father, and the man who had forced the abortion upon his wife, was incapable of accepting the responsibility of Mary-Anne's death, and instead blamed his surviving son, John - and they grew up harboring a deep dislike of one another. Thomas had little involvement in John's upbringing, and much of his care was left to his older sister, Cheryl Constantine. After their father descended into alcoholism and was imprisoned for petty theft and voyeurism, Cheryl and John moved to Northampton to live with their Aunt and Uncle for a brief time, before returning after Thomas' release. It was their return to both Liverpool and their father that set John off onto his journey into the magical and occult.
John had discovered his ancestry in Northampton, his blood belonging to a long family line known as the Laughing Magicians, legendary mages known for their power over Synchronicity and their uncanny ability to bluff and trick even gods. This discovery led him to delve into the practices of his lineage, and he began to partake in magic. His first act was to seal away his childhood innocence and vulnerability in a small wooden toy-box he once used, ridding himself of the burdens of virtues he'd lost long ago. Later on, in his teenage years, John botched a curse that left his father withered and frail and doomed to die - and subsequently ran from home, his sister, and Liverpool, heading to London and making a permanent home in an apartment with his roommate, Francis 'Chas' Kramer, who would go on to be John's oldest, closest, and longest surviving friend.
~
| 2008: Zatanna Zatara, Mucous Membrane, and Astra |
John soon got involved in the occult circles of London's population. He practiced his magics and learned more about the occult world lying behind the mortal one, and began to travel to other cities and countries to expand his knowledge. In New York, 2008, he met a talented female magician called Zatanna Zatara, and the two began a relationship. Together, they grew enamored with Punk Rock after attending several gigs, and John was inspired to put together his own punk band, a three-man piece called Mucous Membrane. They released an album, and it was on their first tour that John got his first taste of magical heroism, and the disasters it would rain down upon his life.
On tour with his band in Newcastle, John stumbled across the aftermath of a horrific magical incident: an abused child - a little girl called Astra - had taken revenge on her adult tormentors by tapping into her raw innate magical abilities, conjuring a vicious monster to slaughter them in the middle of an orgy - and now the monster refused to leave the mortal plane. With a recklessness that would soon enough become his MO, John convinced Zatanna, Chas, his bandmates, and several other occultist friends to pour their power into summoning a demon of their own to combat the monster. Sadly, while their abilities were enough to bring forth the creature, they were not enough to bind it to their will. The demon, Nergal, killed the monster, and then tormented Constantine's friends and snatched Astra away to Hell. John suffered a nervous breakdown, severing ties with everyone he knew, and eventually being committed to Ravenscar Psychiatric Hospital, only ever keeping regular contact with Chas Kramer.
~
| 2010: Lung Cancer, the Triumvirate of Hell, and Blackmailing God |
Constantine was released from Ravenscar in 2010 with a clean sign-off on his mental health - despite persisting nightmares - and several 'goodbyes' from inmates and keepers alike. Constantine had been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer - brought on by his continuing smoking habit of nearly 30-a-day - and he'd been let out to enjoy his last days in freedom. The world had changed during his time in the ward, and was now filling up with extraordinary men and women, on all sides of the moral compass, and while Constantine knew that perhaps he was one of them, he refused his call. Instead, he traveled to Ireland to seek out a friend he once had who he believed could help cure him with magic and rituals.
He found Brendan dead, having drunk himself to death with rampant alcoholism and a suspiciously infinite supply of the best wines known to the world. It was at Brendan's funeral that Constantine had his first encounter with the entity that would become his greatest nemesis - the First of the Fallen, one of the three Triumvirate Rulers of Hell. Brendan had sold his soul to this being in exchange for an endless cellar of the finest wines in the cosmos, and the First had arrived to collect. Not wanting his old friend's soul to be eternally tormented in Hell, Constantine proposed a final toast to the mortal - spiking the First's wine with Holy Water, and tricking him into drinking it, rendering him helpless and unable to collect Brendan's soul. Unable to collect before midnight, Brendan's contract was declared null, and his soul ascended to Heaven. Wounded by the insult of being fooled by a mortal, the First declared Consantine's soul his by the 'right of insult', and swore to collect him upon his death and render unto him torment twofold, enough to make up for the soul he lost.
Slowly dying from cancer, Constantine created a plan. In secret, he summoned both the Second and Third of the Fallen - the others of the Triumvirate - separately and struck up deals with both, pledging his soul now three times over. Soon, the First, Second, and Third discovered Constantine's scheme, and realized that should he die, the Triumvirate would erupt into a war over ownership that would tear apart Hell and of which the only true winner would be God and His angels. Too proud to form an alliance, they instead decided that their only option was to cure John of his cancer, and allow him to live. While doing this, however, they also took their power to create a counterpart to Constantine, a Demon formed of all his worst attributes and vices, but lacking none of his cunning or magical prowess. In doing this, they were assured that when Constantine's soul finally came to rest in Hell, it would be consumed by this Demon, whose power would be near unparalleled, and used for naught but evil and the destruction of Earth and Heaven. John knew this, and in cunning desperation, contacted God. His aspect appeared, and came to converse by campfire. John warned Him of the demonic power that would be released if his soul was to come into Hell, and that such a being would surely topple the Triumvirate and unleash countless Demons upon Earth and to assault Heaven, and shut the Gates of Hell so that the damned would have no rest, and be forced to rise again. Constantine blackmailed God into keeping his soul from Hell to prevent this. God knew that the events John described would come to pass, and agreed - but before His aspect disappeared from Earth, He warned John of great suffering that would soon visit itself upon his life.
~
| 2013: The Magic War, Rosacarnis, The Return of the First, and Cheryl |
John drifted for a time, travelling throughout and between England and the US, performing as a stage magician and learning more about magic and his abilities, and occasionally being drawn into occult business. He found himself in America for Sta'rro and the 'Dawn of Justice', aiding with his magic where he could, but soon left again, and came back to Britain to reconcile with his sister Cheryl, whom he'd thought dead. It was at that time that a Magic War erupted in London, and Constantine found himself thrust into the middle of it, his sister dragged in with him. He allied with an entity known as the Shadow Dog against a demonic being known as The Beast; the ensuing battle and eventual victory left him vulnerable, and he was ensnared by the demon Rosacarnis, under commands from the First, who bound him to her will for day. She had John father three demonic children, who then went on to slaughter anyone who had ever known Constantine - from family and friends to enemies and those who had met him only briefly as an ally in the Magic War. Cheryl's husband, a pious man, was whipped into religious fanaticism and pushed to see his wife as a witch - and she was duly slain by his hand. In grief, Constantine dove into Hell to retrieve her soul and resurrect her, accompanied by the demon Nergal.
It was not long through their journey that they encountered the one who barred Constantine's entrance into Hell; the demon created from his negative aspects. John was forced to allow Nergal possession of him to defeat the Demon Constantine, tainting his soul irreparably. Eventually, John and Nergal arrived at the hall of Rosacarnis, wherein a feast was being held with Rosacarnis, the First, and Constantine's three children in attendance. John baited Rosacarnis into attempting to slay him in return for Cheryl's release, but as she attempted to do so, the First intervened and immediately killed her as well as two of the three demon children she had forced John to sire, declaring that Constantine was his to collect when he deemed.
Alone with Constantine, the First summoned up Cheryl's soul. He deemed her pure and innocent, a soul that truly did not belong in Hell - but offered her a deal. Telling her that her husband killed himself after murdering her, and was therefore twice-damned, the First offered to fairly divide his punishment between him and Cheryl if she remained to be tormented in Hell of her own free will. Constantine argued and pleaded in vain against it, screaming that her husband had murdered her and was not deserving of such mercy at one's own suffering - but ultimately, Cheryl still loved her husband too much, and agreed to the deal, deciding to stay in Hell, and preventing Constantine from bringing his only remaining family back to Earth. The First gloated, and sent John back home, and in mad grief he ran into the night and fled to America, turning his back on Britain and the torment he suffered there, only Chas Kramer following him.
~
Now, it is 2016, and Constantine is 27 years old, a resident of Chicago who likes to holiday in Gotham, earning a living as a Private Investigator of both mundane and paranormal matters, as well as being drawn into occult conflicts and slowly growing into his role as a hero of Earth - as much as he hides from it. While cynical, disillusioned, and foul-mouthed, and still going strong with his smoking habit, Constantine is a compassionate Humanist at heart, and struggles to keep the forces of both Heaven and Hell in check within himself and in the world around him, seeking to keep humanity free from either influence.
Attributes:
While Constantine's magical prowess is most certainly not to be dismissed out-of-hand, he rarely relies on it, especially in the midst of combat. He faces his challenges instead armed with the cunning and quick-thinking that his family line is nearly legendary for, as well as his vast knowledge of the paranormal and occult, his skill at manipulating friend and foe alike, and his extensive list of contacts - which, combined, are often more useful than the spells, rituals, and curses at his command. John Constantine is considered by many to be the world's greatest con-man.
Constantine's sorcery is still a force to be reckoned with, however. With experience in Evocation (the calling of supernatural entities), Illusion (the distortion and misdirection of the senses), and Necromancy (the summoning of, and communication with, the dead), John Constantine's magic spans many fields. He also has a wide range of protective magics at his command, shielding him from both physical and supernatural attacks, and well as protecting his mind from offenses such as telepathy, possession, and mind control. John is also capable of using sigils and runes to block omnipresence for a time, rendering his actions completely secret for a period of time, similar to when he dealt with the Second and Third of the Fallen to trick the First. John's offensive magic is less practiced than his defenses, but still capable of mild electrokinesis, telekinesis, pyrokineses and immobilisation. John's magic has also permanently granted him a form of Third Sight, allowing him to see Demons, Angels, and Half-Breed for their true selves constantly, regardless of what disguises and illusions they have thrown up to hide themselves among mortals, as well as allowing him to utilise magic to dispell camoflauge.
Finally, beyond his wielding of the arcane arts, Constantine is also versed in the use of stage magic, including sleight of hand, pick-pocketing, and escapology. He is also in possession of many magical - or anti-magical - artifacts, some of which he uses regularly to battle the forces of Heaven and Hell.
EQUIPMENT:
A grungy, light-tan trenchcoat that John has owned for many years, and one that he rarely - if ever - ventures out in public without. It's dirty and stained and has all manner of smells beaten into it - chemical, magical, demonic, human - and it conceals an extraordinary amount of pockets and compartment, within which Constantine can store - or hide - as many tools as he may need for his current job. The only constants, in one particular pocket, are a pack of Silk Cut cigarettes, and a simple brass Zippo lighter.
Constantine's most important possessions - besides his trenchcoat and cigarettes - are the tools of his trade. That is to say, occult relics and artifacts that aid in his defense, offense, and whatever utility he can think of using them for. Most of these are mainly used offensively - obviously, Constantine's signature set of silver, engraved, blessed Knuckledusters, as well as small vials of liquids like holy water, elixers, and various essences and serums. John also ha several talismans and pendants with various religious and occult symbols and icons, most of which can be used as either weapons of banishment or wards of protection. He also carries small, pocket-sized editions of a few of the main religious texts, like the Bible and the Quran, as well as a pack of tarot cards, and other assorted magical knick-knacks that could save his life if used with quick-thinking in a desperate moment.
Stomping Grounds:
A small one-bedroom apartment with an open-plan kitchen, toilet and separate bath/shower-room, and a sizable living space, located on the upper southwest side of Chicago. While Constantine allowed Chas to aid him in furnishing and decorating, though there are several quirks about his apartment that one would only find if they looked for them; Constantine's table has only one chair, and it always faces north, as does his sofa. There is only one clock, and it is the one found on Constantine's wrist. On further inspection, one can also find carvings of symbols and quasi-letters lining all of the door-frames - symbols that form barriers stronger than the thickest steel against creatures not bound by walls. Constantine's room also bears the symbol of every religion upon its wall, and his bookshelves have volumes of strange names to behold. All in all, Constantine's apartment is, at first glance, a typical small bachelor's place furnished by a man - but a closer look gives a small hint into John's inner life.
A triangular corner room on the fifth floor of a shared building in downtown Chicago, Constantine's office is where he takes new clients, updates old ones, and hides from anyone else. It's nondescript, almost to a point - a desk, a filing cabinet, a lazy fan on the ceiling. A small plaque on the door reads 'J. Constantine, Private Detective' with a line below that says 'Occult business and other matters'. No one really mention the first half of the lower line unless they're there about it. While there are no symbols on the walls or pendants in drawers, the inside of the doorframe is, once again, lined with carvings. The only ones getting in to Constantine's office are those with appointments.
A club in New York run by the ex-mob boss and immortal voodoo practitioner Papa Midnite. A dingy leisure lounge bathed in red light, it acts as a safe haven for any being who has a connection to the occult and supernatural, whether mortal or not, and the club is designated neutral grounds, all quarrels left at the door - the only rule, and enforced strictly by Papa Midnite himself.
The club is open to whoever can get in - the only requirement to entry is a single tarot card shown face-down by Papa Midnite's bouncer. If you can tell him which card he had chosen, you can enter the lounge.
The club is open to whoever can get in - the only requirement to entry is a single tarot card shown face-down by Papa Midnite's bouncer. If you can tell him which card he had chosen, you can enter the lounge.
A large mental health facility in the North of England, Ravenscar has existed in one form or another for hundred of years, and will exist for a hundred more. The 'treatment' used within is questionable and often outdated, and the staff are often negligent or outright cruel. It is not a place of dedicated healing, and most patients do not leave. John Constantine was one of the lucky few - but the fear that his chosen life will lead back to that shadowy building hangs over him eternally.
Gotham is a seedy city patrolled by a bloated and half-corrupt police force and inhabited by scared citizens and criminals, home to Arkham Asylum, Blackgate Prison, the Iceberg Lounge, and some of the worst people the world of mental illness has to offer, as well as your more standard fare of mob bosses and crime families. And it's Constantine's favourite holiday spot.
However, in the last few years, a newly appeared vigilante known only as The Batman has become the guardian of the city's soul, alongside James Gordon, an honest cop in a dishonest town, and his Major Crimes Unit, compiled of the only GCPD officers he trusts. The town is slowly cleaning up, though it resists it every step of the way.
However, in the last few years, a newly appeared vigilante known only as The Batman has become the guardian of the city's soul, alongside James Gordon, an honest cop in a dishonest town, and his Major Crimes Unit, compiled of the only GCPD officers he trusts. The town is slowly cleaning up, though it resists it every step of the way.
The lowest point of the afterlife, a place of despair, suffering, and terror, where the souls of the damned reside and are subject to horrifying torture and punishment for untold millenniums. Hell's landscape is an unspeakably ugly tapestry; ranging from vast, impossibly dry deserts to mountain ranges with unseeable peaks to forests of trees so dense and black it is like night itself sprung from the ground, all with corpses and anguished souls strewn across the land - husks of corpses still reaching for impossible water, mangled bodies that have fallen in their insurmountable climbs, sufferers impaled on branches and woven into the very roots. Within this awful topography, powerful demons have carved themselves territory, raising impossible geometry from the ground to house themselves and their kin, creating entire communities dedicated to destruction and torment, ruins reflecting bygone eras of humanity and representing mankind's deepest, most awful repressed wants and vices.
Hell is almost mind-shattering in its profound horror. Luckily, Constantine's already come back from insane before.
Hell is almost mind-shattering in its profound horror. Luckily, Constantine's already come back from insane before.
People of Note:
John Constantine's closest and oldest friend. The two met after John ran from home and found himself in London with a dire need for a roof over his head; the cheap spare room in Chas' mother's house was easy and quick to grab. The two formed a firm relationship out of cigarettes and sarcasm, forming a deep respect for each other. Chas revealed to Constantine that his mother was a witch, who had killed his father after his younger brother was found hanged by his own hand. Her familiar tormented Chas endlessly, and Constantine stepped up to help, slaying the familiar, and through it, Chas' mother. With this debt setting the backdrop, the two left for their own place and their own paths.
The two are a tremendous pair. With Chas as the muscle and Constantine as the brain, they take turns in pulling each other's arses out of various fires. Chas has since become a cabbie by trade, and is often roped in as Constantine's 'wheels' on whatever case he's working - but rarely while letting Chas in on the 'know' about the occult aspects of Constantine's life. John refuses to put Chas in danger with knowledge, and whether or not his has worked, Chas remains steadfastly loyal and alive - the longest surviving of any of John's acquaintances.
The two are a tremendous pair. With Chas as the muscle and Constantine as the brain, they take turns in pulling each other's arses out of various fires. Chas has since become a cabbie by trade, and is often roped in as Constantine's 'wheels' on whatever case he's working - but rarely while letting Chas in on the 'know' about the occult aspects of Constantine's life. John refuses to put Chas in danger with knowledge, and whether or not his has worked, Chas remains steadfastly loyal and alive - the longest surviving of any of John's acquaintances.
An immortal, voodoo-wielding ex-mob boss, and (currently) an uneasy ally of Constantine's. Midnite was born in the 18th century along with his twin sister Luna, and taught voodoo magic by his mother, and later moved to New York, where he met a slave named Cuffee, who was planning to overthrow the rule of the white man and end black oppression. Cuffee requested Midnite make him a powder that would turn his followers invulnerable; however, Midnite's voodoo failed, and the following brutal slaughter of Cuffee's rebellion angered him greatly, causing him to gather his friends and curse Midnite to immortality for as long as white men ruled over black, as well as decapitating his sister and turning her skull into an instrument of voodoo.
Eventually, Midnite started his own club - The Midnite Lounge - and began to run a black market operation using it as a central hub, slowly building power before he came to hold a significant portion of New York's underworld in his hands. He met Constantine in 2012 when he attempted to sell him a rifle he claimed to be the Ace of Winchesters - a gun that fired bullets capable of outright annihilating demons. However, John realized it was counterfeit, and turned down the deal, instead stealing it later on, along with $50,000, and disappearing back to England.
Midnite desired revenge, and later got his chance, spotting Constantine back in New York a few months later and casting a voodoo spell to send him to Hell. In response, John fought his way out, freeing Luna's soul in the process. Luna, furious with Midnite for the role he played in her death, his abandonment of her despite his powerful voodoo, and his current immoral ways, compelled her brother to walk off the 83rd floor of the Empire State Building, well aware of his immortality and the fact that the fall wouldn't kill him, just spread him.
Despite having been burst by the impact, Midnite's body reformed through its immortality, and Midnite considered him and Constantine even, by way of besting one another, and John freeing Luna, despite her immediate actions. He respected the wishes of Luna and quit the criminal life, instead turning his club into a safe, neutral haven for magicians, half-breed, angels and demons alike. When the Magic War came around in 2013, he joined John as an ally at his request, and aided in the defeat of The Beast.
Midnite and John remain uneasy allies despite their past differences, and The Midnite Lounge remains open for business to whoever can get in.
Eventually, Midnite started his own club - The Midnite Lounge - and began to run a black market operation using it as a central hub, slowly building power before he came to hold a significant portion of New York's underworld in his hands. He met Constantine in 2012 when he attempted to sell him a rifle he claimed to be the Ace of Winchesters - a gun that fired bullets capable of outright annihilating demons. However, John realized it was counterfeit, and turned down the deal, instead stealing it later on, along with $50,000, and disappearing back to England.
Midnite desired revenge, and later got his chance, spotting Constantine back in New York a few months later and casting a voodoo spell to send him to Hell. In response, John fought his way out, freeing Luna's soul in the process. Luna, furious with Midnite for the role he played in her death, his abandonment of her despite his powerful voodoo, and his current immoral ways, compelled her brother to walk off the 83rd floor of the Empire State Building, well aware of his immortality and the fact that the fall wouldn't kill him, just spread him.
Despite having been burst by the impact, Midnite's body reformed through its immortality, and Midnite considered him and Constantine even, by way of besting one another, and John freeing Luna, despite her immediate actions. He respected the wishes of Luna and quit the criminal life, instead turning his club into a safe, neutral haven for magicians, half-breed, angels and demons alike. When the Magic War came around in 2013, he joined John as an ally at his request, and aided in the defeat of The Beast.
Midnite and John remain uneasy allies despite their past differences, and The Midnite Lounge remains open for business to whoever can get in.
John Constantine's elder sister. After John ran away, she was left with her dying father in an empty house in Liverpool. After his death, she inherited the house and found a job. She eventually met, fell in love with, and married a religious man named Tony, selling the house for a tidy sum while they moved in together in a new place in London. She was caught up in the Magic War of 2013 as a victim, her husband whipped into a violent religious frenzy by one of John's and Rosacarnis' demonic children, who thought her a witch and killed her - and them himself when he came to.
John plunged into Hell to retrieve her soul and resurrect her, but ultimately failed when the First offered her a deal to fairly split the punishment her husband's soul deserved and she accepted. Her soul is still in Hell, endlessly tortured alongside her husband, and John still grieves.
John plunged into Hell to retrieve her soul and resurrect her, but ultimately failed when the First offered her a deal to fairly split the punishment her husband's soul deserved and she accepted. Her soul is still in Hell, endlessly tortured alongside her husband, and John still grieves.
John Constantine's father. A nasty man native to Liverpool, he married Mary-Anne, John's mother, at a young age. He drank a lot and beat her, and forced her to get an abortion when he got her pregnant during a violent sexual escapade early on in their marriage, weakening her womb.
After his wife's death at John's birth, he refused to accept responsibility and instead blamed John, loathing the child and leaving much of his care to Cheryl as he drank himself into oblivion. Eventually, he was imprisoned briefly after stealing underwear from his female neighbour, and John and Cheryl moved to Northampton with their Aunt and Uncle. After his release, John and Cheryl returned, John armed with knowledge of his magical heritage. John grew tired of Thomas' abuse and attempted to curse him lightly, but failed the ritual and instead put doom upon him. Thomas grew frail and withered, causing John to flee Liverpool, and eventually Thomas died in his chair, beer in his hand, his soul damned to Hell.
After his wife's death at John's birth, he refused to accept responsibility and instead blamed John, loathing the child and leaving much of his care to Cheryl as he drank himself into oblivion. Eventually, he was imprisoned briefly after stealing underwear from his female neighbour, and John and Cheryl moved to Northampton with their Aunt and Uncle. After his release, John and Cheryl returned, John armed with knowledge of his magical heritage. John grew tired of Thomas' abuse and attempted to curse him lightly, but failed the ritual and instead put doom upon him. Thomas grew frail and withered, causing John to flee Liverpool, and eventually Thomas died in his chair, beer in his hand, his soul damned to Hell.
John Constantine's mother. A pretty girl born in Liverpool, she married Thomas, John's father, at a young age. He was a foul man who drank and beat her, and after a violent sexual encounter caused her to become pregnant early in their marriage, Thomas forced her to have an abortion, which weakened her womb from the stress and trauma.
Eventually, Mary-Anne grew pregnant and John and his twin. John's twin asphyxiated in the womb on John's umbilical cord, and during the delivery of John and his stillborn brother, her weakened womb ruptured and she bled out, dying on the table, her soul ascending to Heaven.
Eventually, Mary-Anne grew pregnant and John and his twin. John's twin asphyxiated in the womb on John's umbilical cord, and during the delivery of John and his stillborn brother, her weakened womb ruptured and she bled out, dying on the table, her soul ascending to Heaven.
The child at the center of John's first foray into occult heroism. Living in Newcastle, she was abused by a group of sadistic and depraved adults that included her mother and father. She discovered that she possessed natural talent for magic, particularly evocation and conjuring. She tapped into her innate powers and summoned a terrible monster of her imagining to slay her oppressors, which it dutifully performed in the middle of an orgy - but then refused to leave, and began to torment her and others.
John intervened after stumbling upon the initial massacre, and enlisted the help of his friends to summon a demon to slay the monster. They succeeded in the summoning, but were unable to bind it, and after it killed the monster, it tormented John's friends and slew Astra, taking her soul back to Hell with it.
While John has since taken revenge for her on the demon that seized her soul, he considers Astra's fate his greatest failure, and her retrieval is a constant objective.
John intervened after stumbling upon the initial massacre, and enlisted the help of his friends to summon a demon to slay the monster. They succeeded in the summoning, but were unable to bind it, and after it killed the monster, it tormented John's friends and slew Astra, taking her soul back to Hell with it.
While John has since taken revenge for her on the demon that seized her soul, he considers Astra's fate his greatest failure, and her retrieval is a constant objective.
The First of the Fallen was the first being God created after the universe was complete, and he was intended to be God's companion, and the embodiment of His conscience. However, the First soon came to believe that God was insane, and as a result, he was banished from Heaven and cast down to Hell, his name forgotten and replaced with the moniker he sports now. He was soon joined by the Second and Third of the Fallen, and the three quickly organised a ruling triumvirate to prevent a war that would tear Hell apart and destroy them all. The Triumvirate lasted until Lucifer, the most powerful being in the universe after God, was banished and fell to Hell; however, he soon abdicated, and the Triumvirate was established once more, holding a fragile truce.
The First's initial encounter with John Constantine, the mage who would soon become his greatest fixation, was in Ireland, 2010, at the funeral of Brendan O'Marrall, an old friend of John's. Brendan had been an alcoholic, and the First had tricked him into striking a deal - his soul for an endless supply of the finest wines. The First had supplied the wines - but they had been so exquisite that it was impossible to stop drinking them, and Brendan died that same night, bottles clutched to his chest. The First came to the funeral to collect, but John tricked him into drinking wine spiked with holy water, weakening him to the point where he was unable to collect Brendan's souls before midnight, rendering the deal void and allowing Brendan's soul to ascend to Heaven. Furious and wounded at being tricked by a mortal, the First swore that Constantine's soul was now his to collect by 'right of insult', and that he would drag it to Hell when John died.
John tricked the First again, selling his soul to the Second and Third of the Fallen, and they were forced to cure him of his cancer and prevent his death, lest they descend into war over ownership of his soul. The First's fury grew brighter, and he swore revenge, harboring an obsession with claiming victory over the mortal.
The First eventually managed to wound Constantine; after Rosacarnis' machinations after the Magic War of 2013 resulted in Cheryl Constantine's soul being taken into Hell, John fought through to the hall of Rosacarnis, where the First slew Rosacarnis, her two sons, and Nergal, and then made a deal with Cheryl's soul that resulted in her willingly choosing to stay in Hell. The First gloated, and sent John away, content in a victory over the Mortal - but the First's plots are far from over, and he is still happy to torment John Constantine whenever he can.
The First's initial encounter with John Constantine, the mage who would soon become his greatest fixation, was in Ireland, 2010, at the funeral of Brendan O'Marrall, an old friend of John's. Brendan had been an alcoholic, and the First had tricked him into striking a deal - his soul for an endless supply of the finest wines. The First had supplied the wines - but they had been so exquisite that it was impossible to stop drinking them, and Brendan died that same night, bottles clutched to his chest. The First came to the funeral to collect, but John tricked him into drinking wine spiked with holy water, weakening him to the point where he was unable to collect Brendan's souls before midnight, rendering the deal void and allowing Brendan's soul to ascend to Heaven. Furious and wounded at being tricked by a mortal, the First swore that Constantine's soul was now his to collect by 'right of insult', and that he would drag it to Hell when John died.
John tricked the First again, selling his soul to the Second and Third of the Fallen, and they were forced to cure him of his cancer and prevent his death, lest they descend into war over ownership of his soul. The First's fury grew brighter, and he swore revenge, harboring an obsession with claiming victory over the mortal.
The First eventually managed to wound Constantine; after Rosacarnis' machinations after the Magic War of 2013 resulted in Cheryl Constantine's soul being taken into Hell, John fought through to the hall of Rosacarnis, where the First slew Rosacarnis, her two sons, and Nergal, and then made a deal with Cheryl's soul that resulted in her willingly choosing to stay in Hell. The First gloated, and sent John away, content in a victory over the Mortal - but the First's plots are far from over, and he is still happy to torment John Constantine whenever he can.
Creations of God, and the other two-thirds of the Triumvirate Rule of Hell. After God created the First, He realized that other beings were needed to keep him in check; thus, he created the Second and Third, demons of nearly equal power to the First, and cast them down to Hell with him. They quickly set up a triumvirate rule lest Hell be destroyed with them in civil war, and while Lucifer deposed this rule for a time, it has since be re-established.
After the First declared Constantine's soul his by 'right of insult', John sold his soul to the Second and Third separately. When they realized, they knew that if John died, they would erupt into a war over ownership, a war that only God would truly win. Instead, they cured him of his cancer and prevented his death.
After the First declared Constantine's soul his by 'right of insult', John sold his soul to the Second and Third separately. When they realized, they knew that if John died, they would erupt into a war over ownership, a war that only God would truly win. Instead, they cured him of his cancer and prevented his death.
A Demon created from magic and John Constantine's negative aspects by the Triumvirate Rulers of Hell. After John tricked the First, Second, and Third of the Fallen into healing him, they also used his energies to create a malevolent being from all of his worst attributes, which would stalk the wastelands of Hell and, should John enter, find and consume his soul to gain unimaginable power.
Eventually, when John dove into Hell to save his sister after the Magic War in 2013, the Demon Constantine found him, and attempted to kill him and consume his soul. Helpless alone, John was forced to allow the demon Nergal to possess him; while, together, they managed to defeat the Demon Constantine, John's soul was irrevocably tainted by the possession as a result.
Eventually, when John dove into Hell to save his sister after the Magic War in 2013, the Demon Constantine found him, and attempted to kill him and consume his soul. Helpless alone, John was forced to allow the demon Nergal to possess him; while, together, they managed to defeat the Demon Constantine, John's soul was irrevocably tainted by the possession as a result.
A brief ally of John Constantine in the Magic War of 2013. A creature created by God to defend Mankind from The Beast, it stalked the dreams of men who would seek to free The Beast and use them to cross over into the physical realm, taking form as a ferocious and fearsome large black wolf.
When The Beast threatened to return to Earth in 2013, the Shadow Dog appeared and a Magic War erupted, into which John was dragged. The two allied with each other to defeat The Beast, leaving John drained of power and vulnerable after victory, the Shadow Dog disappearing from the mortal plane once its purpose was fulfilled. It is still alive, out there somewhere, always awaiting the return of The Beast, and sworn to protect Humanity.
When The Beast threatened to return to Earth in 2013, the Shadow Dog appeared and a Magic War erupted, into which John was dragged. The two allied with each other to defeat The Beast, leaving John drained of power and vulnerable after victory, the Shadow Dog disappearing from the mortal plane once its purpose was fulfilled. It is still alive, out there somewhere, always awaiting the return of The Beast, and sworn to protect Humanity.
A demon that escaped being named by Adam in the Garden of Eden, allowing it to take whatever form it desired. It then followed Adam and Eve out of Eden, actively desiring the destruction of Mankind by its hand, using its ability to take whatever form it chose, and the ability to possess willing hosts, to bring disasters upon Humanity across the globe - the Shadow Dog never far behind, keeping The Beast at bay and preventing its true return.
In 2013, The Beast tried new tactics and slowly grew in power, possessing followers en masse and preparing for a true return to the mortal plane. The Shadow Dog realized this, and a Magic War erupted, John Constantine being one of the many recruited. Eventually, The Beast was defeated, and shut away by the Shadow Dog.
The Beast, however, it not truly dead, as that which has no form cannot be utterly slain - and it plots still.
In 2013, The Beast tried new tactics and slowly grew in power, possessing followers en masse and preparing for a true return to the mortal plane. The Shadow Dog realized this, and a Magic War erupted, John Constantine being one of the many recruited. Eventually, The Beast was defeated, and shut away by the Shadow Dog.
The Beast, however, it not truly dead, as that which has no form cannot be utterly slain - and it plots still.
A powerful demoness, daughter of Nergal, and mother of the three demonic children Adam, Saul and Maria. She betrayed her father and usurped his throne, seizing his kingdom of Hell.
In the aftermath of the Magic War of 2013, Rosacarnis saw an opportunity in the weakened and vulnerable John Constantine, and bound him for a single day of his life - a day that she split into three bubbles of reality, having John sire a child with her in each, three demonic children that she named Adam, Saul, and Maria. They immediately slew everyone John ever knew, and took Cheryl Constantine's soul back to Hell with their mother.
John followed them, enlisting the help of Nergal, who wished to take back the throne his daughter had deposed him from. They found their way to the hall of Rosacarnis, where she gloated in her apparent victory over Constantine - before being startled by her father's reappearance, and then goaded by John into slaying him in exchange of his sister's release. Before she was able, she was slain by the First, along with Adam and Saul, who deemed Constantine's soul his own by 'right of insult', and to be collected only when he chose.
In the aftermath of the Magic War of 2013, Rosacarnis saw an opportunity in the weakened and vulnerable John Constantine, and bound him for a single day of his life - a day that she split into three bubbles of reality, having John sire a child with her in each, three demonic children that she named Adam, Saul, and Maria. They immediately slew everyone John ever knew, and took Cheryl Constantine's soul back to Hell with their mother.
John followed them, enlisting the help of Nergal, who wished to take back the throne his daughter had deposed him from. They found their way to the hall of Rosacarnis, where she gloated in her apparent victory over Constantine - before being startled by her father's reappearance, and then goaded by John into slaying him in exchange of his sister's release. Before she was able, she was slain by the First, along with Adam and Saul, who deemed Constantine's soul his own by 'right of insult', and to be collected only when he chose.
Three demonic children sired by Constantine and the demoness Rosacarnis in the aftermath of the 2013 Magic War that left John weakened and vulnerable. They emerged into the mortal plane and slew everyone John every knew, friend, family, and foe alike, and goaded Cheryl Constantine's husband into killing her, taking her soul to Hell, and forcing John to come after it.
After John found his way to the hall of Rosacarnis, he baited their mother into attacking her, and she was immediately killed by the First, as well as Adam and Saul. Maria was left alive, suffering an existential crisis and confused as to whether she truly desired to exist.
After John found his way to the hall of Rosacarnis, he baited their mother into attacking her, and she was immediately killed by the First, as well as Adam and Saul. Maria was left alive, suffering an existential crisis and confused as to whether she truly desired to exist.
A powerful Demon that John Constantine constantly encounters. Nergal was the demon John summoned to aid Astra, and the two have been steady enemies ever since. John eventually caught up with Nergal, and took revenge for Astra, battling him and eventually using considerable magic to banish Nergal to the border of Heaven, where he was burnt by Heaven's light and cut up by an angel. Nergal, slain but not defeated, fell back to Hell.
Years later, in the aftermath of the Magic War in 2013, Nergal found himself bound to John's service as Constantine braved Hell to save Cheryl Constantine. While his power was enough to throw off the shackles John had bound him under, he agreed to help if John, in return, aided him to depose his daughter, the demoness Rosacarnis, and let him take back the kingdom of Hell that she had taken from him. During the journey, they encountered Demon Constantine, and John was forced to allow Nergal to possess him to attain victory over his dark aspect, tainting John's souls irrevocably.
They eventually found their way to the hall of Rosacarnis, but after she was slain by the First, Nergal attempted to take her throne for himself once more - and was also slain, cut up and banished, scattered across the wastelands of Hell.
Years later, in the aftermath of the Magic War in 2013, Nergal found himself bound to John's service as Constantine braved Hell to save Cheryl Constantine. While his power was enough to throw off the shackles John had bound him under, he agreed to help if John, in return, aided him to depose his daughter, the demoness Rosacarnis, and let him take back the kingdom of Hell that she had taken from him. During the journey, they encountered Demon Constantine, and John was forced to allow Nergal to possess him to attain victory over his dark aspect, tainting John's souls irrevocably.
They eventually found their way to the hall of Rosacarnis, but after she was slain by the First, Nergal attempted to take her throne for himself once more - and was also slain, cut up and banished, scattered across the wastelands of Hell.
Character Goals:
My Constantine's immediate goal is the retrieval of Astra's soul from Hell, a fate he indirectly inflicted on the girl, and something he considers his greatest failure that still haunts him today. Beyond that, Constantine defends the world from the influences of both Heaven and Hell, and works to solve crimes and mysteries of both mundane and occult natures. Hopefully, he will come to be friends with the major heroes of the DC universe, and go on to recruit Deadman, Zatanna, Black Orchid, and Andrew Bennet to form the Justice League Dark. He will also deal with the First and his activity, and resolve supernatural phenomenon that have been haunting him since his birth.
Sample Post:
John Constantine took a long drag on his cigarette. He was stood on the sidewalk on a back-alley, nondescript street of New York City, a small sign hanging above a single wooden door embedded in marble architecture. The sign read 'Midnite's', and behind the door lay burgundy carpeting, stairs leading down into the Lounge, and dim, red-tinted lighting. John stubbed out his cig on the wall he was leaning against and blew the last of the smoke into the air. It clung to him and wreathed his neck as he pushed through the door into the Midnight Lounge.
Constantine stamped down the stairs, his hands thrust into the side pockets of his trenchcoat. A bouncer awaited him at the bottom, a velvet rope hanging across a doorway on his left and a neatly-stacked deck of black-backed cards on a small chrome stool-table on his right. John grunted as they locked eyes, acknowledging a recognition born of repetition. John's eyes ran over the bouncer's array of runic and symbolic tattoos, particularly the triangular designs on the tops of each of his wrists. He could keep John out through physical force alone, but he was more than capable of keeping the occult world's nastier beasties out too. John gulped mentally. He always did.
He reached the bottom and stood dutifully in front of the doorman, who looked Constantine and his dusty coat up and down, and then reached for the deck. In a movement too fast for John to see the mechanics of, he removed a random card from the deck and showed it to Constantine, black-side up. Constantine didn't skip a beat.
"The Fool, ya witty bastard."
There was a micro-second's worth of an amused smirk that flashed across the bouncer's tattooed face, and then the card was back in the deck, and the velvet rope had been pulled off from across the entryway, allowing Constantine to go in. He did so, and was immediately hit by loud music and the smell of smoke, liquor, and just the faint hint of copper. Or maybe blood. John didn't waste any time in what was essentially the lobby - instead, he headed past the bar and toward the back of the room to a small mahogany door, the dark wood almost camouflaged against the brown leather buttoned to the wall. John knocked thrice. A small porthole slid open, a pair of beady eyes behind. They scanned Constantine up and down, and then the porthole slid shut. John waited, heard several metal ka-thunks as the door was unlocked, and then stepped in as it swung open and then shut behind him.
He saw Papa Midnite immediately. The voodoo-baron was splayed out across a circular booth in the corner of the room, a single figure sat in front of him - hunched forward, hands on the table, hair slicked back with a mixture of grease, wax, and sweat. He'd almost look nervous - if John didn't see him for what he was. A Half-Breed, some unholy child that didn't live up to the annihalistic expectations of its father. Sections of his skin were rotted and a single gnarled, curled horn spiraled out from the left side of his forehead. Whatever glamour he had was irrelevant, stripped away by John's Third Eye. Constantine was a magician, and he'd seen enough of the world not to be fooled by parlor tricks anymore. He waited until the Half-Breed had finished whatever conversation he and Midnite were having, and then took his place as he left the table for a different table and a drink.
"Thought your sister persuaded you to leave the mob business." Constantine sat down, leaning back in the seat and pushing the tails of his coat out from under him. Midnite sat up, arms no longer stretched out against the leather of the booth-bench. He raised an eyebrow.
"I must have regrown a conscience when she pulped me in front of the Empire State." He replied, and Constantine grunted in amusement. "But he wasn't a convict." Constantine grunted again, rolling his neck to watch the half-breed subtly over his shoulder out the corner of his eye.
"Certainly looks like an escapee to me..." He muttered, and Midnite frowned.
"You know the rules of my house, Constantine. Under my roof, you will abide by them." Constantine turned back, eyeing Midnite. "What are you here for, John."
John sniffed. "Same thing. Stiff drink, some light conversation, and a warm place to light one u..." He trailed off as he opened his pack of fags and found them empty. "Aah, dammit."
"Light conversation, John? Any particular subject?" Papa Midnite asked as he beckoned with a finger for two glasses and some liquor to pour into them. John waited while the drinks were brought over, keeping an eye on the half-breed at the table across the room - he was half-certain he was doing the same - and then eagerly took his glass as Midnite finished pouring. He drank before speaking, and drank when he'd finished.
"Hell. Souls. Little girls. Keepers and whereabouts."
"Still? Constantine, no one knows anything about her. Nergal took her and put her in some dark, forgotten corner, and he's not talking." Midnite sighed, but Constantine didn't move, back to watching the half-breed. He had noticed the horn twitch as he'd looked up sharply at the Midnite naming Nergal. Constantine wanted to test the waters.
"She's somewhere, Midnite."
"She's gone, John. Astra is gone." Another twitch. John faked a relent, throwing his hands up and finishing his drink.
"Fine. You win. She's gone." Papa Midnite tutted, half-smiling at John's obvious front. John got up. "I need a new pack of Silk Cut anyway." He said. The half-breed rose slowly as well. John suppressed a smug smirk. "I'll see you around, Midnite."
"Not by my skulls, John. You're not in New York for long."
Constantine waved him off and left - the half-breed following. With any luck, he thought he had the advantage. Constantine rubbed the sigils inked onto his forearms.
Constantine stamped down the stairs, his hands thrust into the side pockets of his trenchcoat. A bouncer awaited him at the bottom, a velvet rope hanging across a doorway on his left and a neatly-stacked deck of black-backed cards on a small chrome stool-table on his right. John grunted as they locked eyes, acknowledging a recognition born of repetition. John's eyes ran over the bouncer's array of runic and symbolic tattoos, particularly the triangular designs on the tops of each of his wrists. He could keep John out through physical force alone, but he was more than capable of keeping the occult world's nastier beasties out too. John gulped mentally. He always did.
He reached the bottom and stood dutifully in front of the doorman, who looked Constantine and his dusty coat up and down, and then reached for the deck. In a movement too fast for John to see the mechanics of, he removed a random card from the deck and showed it to Constantine, black-side up. Constantine didn't skip a beat.
"The Fool, ya witty bastard."
There was a micro-second's worth of an amused smirk that flashed across the bouncer's tattooed face, and then the card was back in the deck, and the velvet rope had been pulled off from across the entryway, allowing Constantine to go in. He did so, and was immediately hit by loud music and the smell of smoke, liquor, and just the faint hint of copper. Or maybe blood. John didn't waste any time in what was essentially the lobby - instead, he headed past the bar and toward the back of the room to a small mahogany door, the dark wood almost camouflaged against the brown leather buttoned to the wall. John knocked thrice. A small porthole slid open, a pair of beady eyes behind. They scanned Constantine up and down, and then the porthole slid shut. John waited, heard several metal ka-thunks as the door was unlocked, and then stepped in as it swung open and then shut behind him.
He saw Papa Midnite immediately. The voodoo-baron was splayed out across a circular booth in the corner of the room, a single figure sat in front of him - hunched forward, hands on the table, hair slicked back with a mixture of grease, wax, and sweat. He'd almost look nervous - if John didn't see him for what he was. A Half-Breed, some unholy child that didn't live up to the annihalistic expectations of its father. Sections of his skin were rotted and a single gnarled, curled horn spiraled out from the left side of his forehead. Whatever glamour he had was irrelevant, stripped away by John's Third Eye. Constantine was a magician, and he'd seen enough of the world not to be fooled by parlor tricks anymore. He waited until the Half-Breed had finished whatever conversation he and Midnite were having, and then took his place as he left the table for a different table and a drink.
"Thought your sister persuaded you to leave the mob business." Constantine sat down, leaning back in the seat and pushing the tails of his coat out from under him. Midnite sat up, arms no longer stretched out against the leather of the booth-bench. He raised an eyebrow.
"I must have regrown a conscience when she pulped me in front of the Empire State." He replied, and Constantine grunted in amusement. "But he wasn't a convict." Constantine grunted again, rolling his neck to watch the half-breed subtly over his shoulder out the corner of his eye.
"Certainly looks like an escapee to me..." He muttered, and Midnite frowned.
"You know the rules of my house, Constantine. Under my roof, you will abide by them." Constantine turned back, eyeing Midnite. "What are you here for, John."
John sniffed. "Same thing. Stiff drink, some light conversation, and a warm place to light one u..." He trailed off as he opened his pack of fags and found them empty. "Aah, dammit."
"Light conversation, John? Any particular subject?" Papa Midnite asked as he beckoned with a finger for two glasses and some liquor to pour into them. John waited while the drinks were brought over, keeping an eye on the half-breed at the table across the room - he was half-certain he was doing the same - and then eagerly took his glass as Midnite finished pouring. He drank before speaking, and drank when he'd finished.
"Hell. Souls. Little girls. Keepers and whereabouts."
"Still? Constantine, no one knows anything about her. Nergal took her and put her in some dark, forgotten corner, and he's not talking." Midnite sighed, but Constantine didn't move, back to watching the half-breed. He had noticed the horn twitch as he'd looked up sharply at the Midnite naming Nergal. Constantine wanted to test the waters.
"She's somewhere, Midnite."
"She's gone, John. Astra is gone." Another twitch. John faked a relent, throwing his hands up and finishing his drink.
"Fine. You win. She's gone." Papa Midnite tutted, half-smiling at John's obvious front. John got up. "I need a new pack of Silk Cut anyway." He said. The half-breed rose slowly as well. John suppressed a smug smirk. "I'll see you around, Midnite."
"Not by my skulls, John. You're not in New York for long."
Constantine waved him off and left - the half-breed following. With any luck, he thought he had the advantage. Constantine rubbed the sigils inked onto his forearms.
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| NAME: |
|ALIAS: |
| ORIGIN: |
| ATTRIBUTES: |
| STOMPING GROUNDS: |
| PEOPLE OF NOTE: |
| CHARACTER GOALS: |
| SAMPLE POST: |
"Another glorious day in the 'Haven eh Grayson?" Hogan called as the wind slammed the door behind Dick, his soaked clothes dripping onto the bar's floor as he slicked back his drenched hair.
"Just another morning in paradise Boss." Dick replied as he hung his jack and grabbed and apron before heading to the bar to ready it for opening. Groaning as he lifted a heavy oak chair off a table, Dick felt his body ache all over as it cried out for rest. Only a few hours ago had Dick been running across Blüdhaven's roof tops while being shot at by the a couple of drug runners who were none too happy about their latest shipping taking a trip to the bottom of the harbor.
| NAME: |
Richard John 'Dick' Grayson
|ALIAS: |
Nightwing
| ORIGIN: |
Born on the first day of spring on one of Gotham's rare sunny days, Richard John Grayson was handed into the hands of his loving parents who looked down on their son overwhelmed with pride. Upon first looking at her newborn baby boy, Mary called the boy her 'Little Sparrow', relating to his birth on the Spring Solstice. This term of endearment would imprint on the young Grayson for his entire life.
Like his father, Richard comes from a line of Romani descent. The Graysons were the ancestors of a roaming gypsy family who had been part of the circus for longer than any written record could tell. However unbeknownst to them, the Graysons were also the descendant of one of Gotham's most deadly legends, a man by the name of William Cobb. Cobb lived most of his life as a Talon, a highly feared enforcer for a group that has been all but long forgotten save for the haunting rhymes told to children who disobey their parents. As such the history of William Cobb fell into obscurity, lost in a history of circus performers and Romanies.
As his parents had, Richard or as he preferred to go by, Dick lived his whole life travelling from city to city in Haly's Circus. Trained by his parents, Mary and John Grayson, Dick was taught to be an acrobat and began performing at an early age, wowing crowds with his natural prowess on the trapeze. Together with his parents wo were both world renowned acrobats, Dick would begin his introduction to performing at a young age and essentially from birth was trained to be a performer in the circus. His mother's nickname for him only became further enforced as Dick learned to perform on the trapeze, as Mary would constantly comment how he reminded her of a Robin while flying through the air in his red leotard. Together they were collectively known as the 'Flying Graysons' and were recognized as being one of the biggest shows in the circus business. In fact the circus' owner Jack Haley often remarked that the Grayson's were the biggest asset to the circus' business. Known for performing without a net, the 'Flying Graysons' true trade mark was their signature quadruple somersault, a move that only the three Graysons were known to be capable of performing. Growing up in the circus, Dick made several friends with the children of the other performers such as Jimmy, Zane and his childhood crush Raya Vestri.
Travelling the world with the circus, Dick became very cultured and outgoing though his education did suffer as he was only taught what those around him knew. None the less, his quick mind grasped onto most concepts quickly and Dick was recognized among the other performers as being a very sharp kid. At the age of ten, Dick found himself in Gotham City as the circus rolled into town for its annual performance. Dick had only ever performed in Gotham a few times previously despite being born there. He was however familiar with the city's infamous reputation, having heard of Gotham's crime rate. As such on this particular trip Dick had been understandably nervous about leaving the circus grounds to explore the city as he had in Paris, New York, and numerous other locations. However, staying at the circus gave the boy a unique opportunity as he was able to meet fans of his family. Having his fill of posing for pictures and signing autographs, Dick wandered off through the circus to kill time before his family's show that evening.
Dick's world suddenly changed that fateful night. It was one of the biggest shows of the year as Haly's Circus had once again returned to Gotham City to help ring in the New Year. But Gotham wasn't the same place it was twelve years ago, not that it was some shiny metropolis then either, yet the city had managed to become worse. Stumbling across an argument between the circus' owner Mr. Haly and the man hired to run the circus’ security, Tony ‘Boss’ Zucco. As the argument escalated Dick hide in the shadows as he heard Zucco try to extort further protection money from Jack Haly. Being an honest and moral man, Haly refused not knowing the horrors he had unleashed upon the circus.
It was just before the Flying Graysons were due to perform that the bomb went off, immediately killing many of the Circus' patrons. Due to the location of the bombs and their blasts, most of the circus staff were spared surviving with only minor injuries in comparison to the patrons who were caught in the blasts and shrapnel. It was only those currently performing who were caught in the destruction as John and Mary rushed Dick away from the scene. As they ran down through the rows of tents, the trio was suddenly knocked to the ground by a man with a gun. Looking up, Dick gazed into the familiar face of Tony Zucco. Having needed the money from Haly to pay off mob loans, Zucco had been pushed to take drastic measures in order to extort the money from Haly. As the Graysons had survived the trap laid for them, he was forced to bloody his hands. Zucco raised the gun towards the family only for John to rush Zucco. It was to no avail as Zucco didn't even blink, pulling the trigger as John's body fell into the snow lifeless. Even into his adulthood, Dick is still haunted by the sound of Mary's scream as she cried out for her husband only for her too to be silenced by the deafening sound of the revolver issuing another bullet into the cold night air.
Huddling over the bodies of his now deceased parents, Dick looked up defiantly as Zucco turned the gun towards him. His finger hesitated as he tried to pull the trigger only for him to suddenly drop the gun as a knife suddenly lodged itself in his hand. A shadow cast itself upon the small alley between the tents as both Zucco and Dick turned to see a masked man holding a sword standing over them. Zucco took one look back before running past Dick in sheer horror. Turning to the young boy, the masked man held out his hand as Dick looked over the ornate armor. Speaking to the boy, the man introduced himself as Grayson's guardian having been watching over him his entire life. Confused but curious, Grayson accepted the man's hand and in a whirlwind of hours eventually found himself standing in front of the Court of Owls where he was inducted for training.
To say training was anything short of torture would be an exaggeration as every ounce of Dick's body, mind and spirit were pushed past the breaking point over the next eight years. But by the age of eighteen, Dick had been transformed into a weapon, a Talon for the Court of Owls. Though many of the boys who were pushed through the training became shells of their former selves, Dick had managed to retain his personality as he always looked ahead towards the end goal while keep the life lessons taught to him by his parents close to his heart. Many Romani values and beliefs had been passed onto Dick by his parents and it was these values which would eventually lead to him becoming the greatest threat to the Court of Owls.
Upon the eve of Dick's graduation to a full fledged Talon he was outfitted with personalized armor and weapons to suit his acrobatic fighting style. Blinded folded and dropped in the middle of Gotham, Grayson was left with a note to follow to the letter. The instructions lead Dick to Blüdhaven where he found Tony Zucco, alive and wealthier than ever with his pockets lined with the blood money of the city's criminal underworld. An owl head pin was placed on the man's lapel and Dick knew what it meant, the Court had ordered Zucco's death. A small grin appeared on Dick's face as he realized that after eight long years he would finally be able to seek revenge for his parents.
Crashing through the skylight, Dick dispatched Zucco's men, disabling them rapidly but sparing their lives as they were not the ones marked by the Court. Recognizing the designs on the armor, Zucco fell to his knees begging for his life as Dick pulled his mask off before hoisting Zucco by his collar and slamming him against the wall. Placing the blade of his knife against Zucco's throat, Grayson asked the criminal if he remembered him to which Zucco shook his head. Yelling about how Zucco had killed his parents, Dick's voice became caught in his throat as he looked over to see a girl no older than him holding a small boy. Looking back at Zucoo he studied the hair colour, the eyes only to look over and see them both in the faces of the children. Dropping Zucco, Dick backed away shaken as the ghosts of his parents reprimanded him for attempting to take the life of a parent, inflicting the same fate upon someone as Zucco had to him.
Returning to the Court, the job unfulfilled, Dick apologized but the Court wouldn't hear. Disappointed that Grayson didn't take after his forefathers they ordered the young man executed. The Talon who had saved Dick approached, unmasking himself and explaining to Dick that his name was William Cobb, Dick's great great grandfather. Outraged, Dick refused his death and fought to escape stumbling through the Court's Labyrinth beneath Gotham until eventually he emerged on the surface world. Alone and without an identity, Grayson had to start all over again.
Living off the streets, Dick used the skills the Court of Owls had taught him to evade his great-grandfather as the Court remained relentless in their pursuit of the escaped Talon. Stealing only what he needed to survive, Dick broke into houses and apartments in search of food and clothes, sometimes even sleeping there for a couple hours. This went on for weeks until Dick met Joey.
Hearing the cries of a young woman, Dick sprung into action as he traced the sound and descended upon the scene of a man wrestling a backpack from the woman's arms. With ease, Dick removed the man from the backpack as he turned to toss it back to Joey only for the girl to scream as the mugger produced a gun. Flashbacks to the night Zucco pointed the muzzle towards him flooded Dick's mind as he scrambled for one of his throwing knives. Thankfully the mugger was a junkie, his unsteady aim only landing a bullet in Dick's shoulder as Dick's weapon sunk into the man's hand, the gun falling to the ground with a clatter. Fleeing the scene the mugger didn't even look back as he screamed in horror at the blade pierced through his hand.
Insisting Dick should go to the hospital, Dick was forced to explain that he was homeless with no identity and no family. Offering the Dick an alternative treatment location, Joey told him she had heard of a small clinic run out of Gotham's Narrows by a Dr. Leslie Thompkins. Helping Dick to the clinic, Joey revealed she was a software engineer and something a tech guru. In return for Dick saving her life, Joey was able to find Dick's birth certificate and allow him to reclaim his identity. Having 'returned' to the land of the living and a full fledged legal citizen, Dick found employment at a Blüdhaven bar known as Hogan's. Something of a police bar, it was a great source of information for Dick who had decided to use the Court's training for something positive. Living with Joey and her roommate Mike had opened Dick's eyes to how much the world had changed in the last decade. Metropolis had a man who could fly watching over it, while Gotham was prowled by a giant bat. Dick too could become a force held high on the wings of justice.
Like his father, Richard comes from a line of Romani descent. The Graysons were the ancestors of a roaming gypsy family who had been part of the circus for longer than any written record could tell. However unbeknownst to them, the Graysons were also the descendant of one of Gotham's most deadly legends, a man by the name of William Cobb. Cobb lived most of his life as a Talon, a highly feared enforcer for a group that has been all but long forgotten save for the haunting rhymes told to children who disobey their parents. As such the history of William Cobb fell into obscurity, lost in a history of circus performers and Romanies.
As his parents had, Richard or as he preferred to go by, Dick lived his whole life travelling from city to city in Haly's Circus. Trained by his parents, Mary and John Grayson, Dick was taught to be an acrobat and began performing at an early age, wowing crowds with his natural prowess on the trapeze. Together with his parents wo were both world renowned acrobats, Dick would begin his introduction to performing at a young age and essentially from birth was trained to be a performer in the circus. His mother's nickname for him only became further enforced as Dick learned to perform on the trapeze, as Mary would constantly comment how he reminded her of a Robin while flying through the air in his red leotard. Together they were collectively known as the 'Flying Graysons' and were recognized as being one of the biggest shows in the circus business. In fact the circus' owner Jack Haley often remarked that the Grayson's were the biggest asset to the circus' business. Known for performing without a net, the 'Flying Graysons' true trade mark was their signature quadruple somersault, a move that only the three Graysons were known to be capable of performing. Growing up in the circus, Dick made several friends with the children of the other performers such as Jimmy, Zane and his childhood crush Raya Vestri.
Travelling the world with the circus, Dick became very cultured and outgoing though his education did suffer as he was only taught what those around him knew. None the less, his quick mind grasped onto most concepts quickly and Dick was recognized among the other performers as being a very sharp kid. At the age of ten, Dick found himself in Gotham City as the circus rolled into town for its annual performance. Dick had only ever performed in Gotham a few times previously despite being born there. He was however familiar with the city's infamous reputation, having heard of Gotham's crime rate. As such on this particular trip Dick had been understandably nervous about leaving the circus grounds to explore the city as he had in Paris, New York, and numerous other locations. However, staying at the circus gave the boy a unique opportunity as he was able to meet fans of his family. Having his fill of posing for pictures and signing autographs, Dick wandered off through the circus to kill time before his family's show that evening.
Dick's world suddenly changed that fateful night. It was one of the biggest shows of the year as Haly's Circus had once again returned to Gotham City to help ring in the New Year. But Gotham wasn't the same place it was twelve years ago, not that it was some shiny metropolis then either, yet the city had managed to become worse. Stumbling across an argument between the circus' owner Mr. Haly and the man hired to run the circus’ security, Tony ‘Boss’ Zucco. As the argument escalated Dick hide in the shadows as he heard Zucco try to extort further protection money from Jack Haly. Being an honest and moral man, Haly refused not knowing the horrors he had unleashed upon the circus.
It was just before the Flying Graysons were due to perform that the bomb went off, immediately killing many of the Circus' patrons. Due to the location of the bombs and their blasts, most of the circus staff were spared surviving with only minor injuries in comparison to the patrons who were caught in the blasts and shrapnel. It was only those currently performing who were caught in the destruction as John and Mary rushed Dick away from the scene. As they ran down through the rows of tents, the trio was suddenly knocked to the ground by a man with a gun. Looking up, Dick gazed into the familiar face of Tony Zucco. Having needed the money from Haly to pay off mob loans, Zucco had been pushed to take drastic measures in order to extort the money from Haly. As the Graysons had survived the trap laid for them, he was forced to bloody his hands. Zucco raised the gun towards the family only for John to rush Zucco. It was to no avail as Zucco didn't even blink, pulling the trigger as John's body fell into the snow lifeless. Even into his adulthood, Dick is still haunted by the sound of Mary's scream as she cried out for her husband only for her too to be silenced by the deafening sound of the revolver issuing another bullet into the cold night air.
Huddling over the bodies of his now deceased parents, Dick looked up defiantly as Zucco turned the gun towards him. His finger hesitated as he tried to pull the trigger only for him to suddenly drop the gun as a knife suddenly lodged itself in his hand. A shadow cast itself upon the small alley between the tents as both Zucco and Dick turned to see a masked man holding a sword standing over them. Zucco took one look back before running past Dick in sheer horror. Turning to the young boy, the masked man held out his hand as Dick looked over the ornate armor. Speaking to the boy, the man introduced himself as Grayson's guardian having been watching over him his entire life. Confused but curious, Grayson accepted the man's hand and in a whirlwind of hours eventually found himself standing in front of the Court of Owls where he was inducted for training.
To say training was anything short of torture would be an exaggeration as every ounce of Dick's body, mind and spirit were pushed past the breaking point over the next eight years. But by the age of eighteen, Dick had been transformed into a weapon, a Talon for the Court of Owls. Though many of the boys who were pushed through the training became shells of their former selves, Dick had managed to retain his personality as he always looked ahead towards the end goal while keep the life lessons taught to him by his parents close to his heart. Many Romani values and beliefs had been passed onto Dick by his parents and it was these values which would eventually lead to him becoming the greatest threat to the Court of Owls.
Upon the eve of Dick's graduation to a full fledged Talon he was outfitted with personalized armor and weapons to suit his acrobatic fighting style. Blinded folded and dropped in the middle of Gotham, Grayson was left with a note to follow to the letter. The instructions lead Dick to Blüdhaven where he found Tony Zucco, alive and wealthier than ever with his pockets lined with the blood money of the city's criminal underworld. An owl head pin was placed on the man's lapel and Dick knew what it meant, the Court had ordered Zucco's death. A small grin appeared on Dick's face as he realized that after eight long years he would finally be able to seek revenge for his parents.
Crashing through the skylight, Dick dispatched Zucco's men, disabling them rapidly but sparing their lives as they were not the ones marked by the Court. Recognizing the designs on the armor, Zucco fell to his knees begging for his life as Dick pulled his mask off before hoisting Zucco by his collar and slamming him against the wall. Placing the blade of his knife against Zucco's throat, Grayson asked the criminal if he remembered him to which Zucco shook his head. Yelling about how Zucco had killed his parents, Dick's voice became caught in his throat as he looked over to see a girl no older than him holding a small boy. Looking back at Zucoo he studied the hair colour, the eyes only to look over and see them both in the faces of the children. Dropping Zucco, Dick backed away shaken as the ghosts of his parents reprimanded him for attempting to take the life of a parent, inflicting the same fate upon someone as Zucco had to him.
Returning to the Court, the job unfulfilled, Dick apologized but the Court wouldn't hear. Disappointed that Grayson didn't take after his forefathers they ordered the young man executed. The Talon who had saved Dick approached, unmasking himself and explaining to Dick that his name was William Cobb, Dick's great great grandfather. Outraged, Dick refused his death and fought to escape stumbling through the Court's Labyrinth beneath Gotham until eventually he emerged on the surface world. Alone and without an identity, Grayson had to start all over again.
Living off the streets, Dick used the skills the Court of Owls had taught him to evade his great-grandfather as the Court remained relentless in their pursuit of the escaped Talon. Stealing only what he needed to survive, Dick broke into houses and apartments in search of food and clothes, sometimes even sleeping there for a couple hours. This went on for weeks until Dick met Joey.
Hearing the cries of a young woman, Dick sprung into action as he traced the sound and descended upon the scene of a man wrestling a backpack from the woman's arms. With ease, Dick removed the man from the backpack as he turned to toss it back to Joey only for the girl to scream as the mugger produced a gun. Flashbacks to the night Zucco pointed the muzzle towards him flooded Dick's mind as he scrambled for one of his throwing knives. Thankfully the mugger was a junkie, his unsteady aim only landing a bullet in Dick's shoulder as Dick's weapon sunk into the man's hand, the gun falling to the ground with a clatter. Fleeing the scene the mugger didn't even look back as he screamed in horror at the blade pierced through his hand.
Insisting Dick should go to the hospital, Dick was forced to explain that he was homeless with no identity and no family. Offering the Dick an alternative treatment location, Joey told him she had heard of a small clinic run out of Gotham's Narrows by a Dr. Leslie Thompkins. Helping Dick to the clinic, Joey revealed she was a software engineer and something a tech guru. In return for Dick saving her life, Joey was able to find Dick's birth certificate and allow him to reclaim his identity. Having 'returned' to the land of the living and a full fledged legal citizen, Dick found employment at a Blüdhaven bar known as Hogan's. Something of a police bar, it was a great source of information for Dick who had decided to use the Court's training for something positive. Living with Joey and her roommate Mike had opened Dick's eyes to how much the world had changed in the last decade. Metropolis had a man who could fly watching over it, while Gotham was prowled by a giant bat. Dick too could become a force held high on the wings of justice.
| ATTRIBUTES: |
MASTER ACROBAT:
Grayson is a prodigious natural athlete, possessing a peak human level of agility/acrobatic skills. He is generally regarded as the greatest human acrobat in the world. Grayson is the only person on Earth who can do the quadruple somersault (formerly one of three, the other two being his parents).
MASTER OF DISGUISE:
Trained by the Court of Owls in the art of disguise, Grayson had mastered the art of disguise by the time he was 18. Due to Grayson's habit of thinking on the fly, he creates new disguises and identities as needed as opposed to keeping them on standby. While in the past the Court had not put an emphasis on disguises, the modern world has brought about a need for it in order for the Talons to operate to their fullest.
EXPERT DRIVER:
Grayson is proficient at driving many vehicles like cars, motor bikes, trucks and he is also skillful at driving jets, helicopters and auto boats and small ships.
EXPERT ESCAPOLOGIST:
Due to his training with the Court of Owls, he possess highly proficient skill in escapology. Grayson has shown such proficiency as escaping a straight jacket in 4.5 seconds and has been trained to use a Tibetan Monk mental technique to escape mental traps such as virtual reality or telepathic invasions.
EXPERT MARKSMAN:
Grayson is skilled enough to use modified Shuriken (Wing-Dings) and chakram to hit thugs at a great distance with his eyes closed, despite even giving him a head-start and disarm others with his wingdings. He is also capable of using firearms, as despite their love of antique weapons, the Court recognizes the brutal efficiency of a modern firearm.
EXPERT MARTIAL ARTIST:
He is a master of many martial arts disciplines with an emphasis on Aikido, Jeet Kune Do, Escrima, Tae Kwon Do, Judo, Wing Chun, Hapkido, Jiu-jitsu, Silat, Savate, Kendo, Ninjitsu, and Boxing. He has effectively combined the martial arts he has mastered into a unique style that suits his strengths. This makes him a challenging opponent for even the world's best martial artists. It should be noted that many of his martial arts incorporate weapons making Dick much more efficient with a weapon than he is unarmed.
SKILLED DETECTIVE:
Grayson is a world class detective and a master at reading body language. The Court taught him to completely profile a target's life, to stalk them and get to know them in order to find the best way to kill them. These skills when applied properly however make Dick a very skilled detective.
SKILLED MULTI-LINGUALIST:
Having had the some of the finest education money can afford at the benefit of the Court, Dick speaks with fluency in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Farsi (Persian), Mandarin and Cantonese, and has some knowledge of Romany from his parents.
SKILLED TRACKER:
Gryason has been trained in hunting techniques by the Court who incoporated techniques from around the world such as those the of the African Bushmen, the Ghost Tribes of the Ten-eyed Brotherhood, among others. As such Grayson's skills are quite considerable both in natural and urban environments.
PEAK HUMAN CONDITIONING:
Grayson possesses the peak athletic strength and endurance of a man who regularly engages in intensive physical exercise. As such Grayson possesses the normal human strength of a man that has intense physical workouts at the height and weight of 5"10 175 lb. While he relies more on speed and agility than strength, Grayson has shown incredible strength throughout the years. On a peak day, Grayson can press lift 350lbs, basically meaning he can lift twice his own weight above his head. Grayson's human conditioning also grants him something in the way of durability, though more specifically it's through the fact he's used to enduring pain and can ignore and work through it. This can give the impression to lesser minds that he's superhuman.
STEALTH:
Grayson is capable of breaching high security facilities without being detected. As a very emphasized component of his training in the Court, Grayson can disappear in almost any location, seemingly blending in to any nook, cranny, shadow or crowd.
WEAPON PROFICIENCY:
Due to his training with the Court of Owls, Grayson has been taught and displayed skills and proficiency in various weaponry ranging from shurikens, to eskrima sticks and staves to swords and even bows to various modern firearms.
CHARISMATIC:
Probably one of the most charistmatic people you will ever meet, despite being at the Court's mercy for eight years, Dick still retains his bright and sunny disposition and as such is very easy to get along with. The former circus boy is very much still a charming performer and is a huge flirt, something that is generally returned from members of the opposite sex and even those who aren't.
BEST BUTT IN THE DCU:
Dick Grayson has the finest ass in the entire world. It's a fact, deal with it.
PROTO-NIGHTWING SUIT:
Dick's current costume is his Court of Owl's attire. A light armor with a mesh woven, translucent hood, Dick's armor was designed to be light and resilient without sacrificing his mobility or agility.
NIGHTWING SUIT:
~To Be Updated in the IC upon receiving it.~
Grayson is a prodigious natural athlete, possessing a peak human level of agility/acrobatic skills. He is generally regarded as the greatest human acrobat in the world. Grayson is the only person on Earth who can do the quadruple somersault (formerly one of three, the other two being his parents).
MASTER OF DISGUISE:
Trained by the Court of Owls in the art of disguise, Grayson had mastered the art of disguise by the time he was 18. Due to Grayson's habit of thinking on the fly, he creates new disguises and identities as needed as opposed to keeping them on standby. While in the past the Court had not put an emphasis on disguises, the modern world has brought about a need for it in order for the Talons to operate to their fullest.
EXPERT DRIVER:
Grayson is proficient at driving many vehicles like cars, motor bikes, trucks and he is also skillful at driving jets, helicopters and auto boats and small ships.
EXPERT ESCAPOLOGIST:
Due to his training with the Court of Owls, he possess highly proficient skill in escapology. Grayson has shown such proficiency as escaping a straight jacket in 4.5 seconds and has been trained to use a Tibetan Monk mental technique to escape mental traps such as virtual reality or telepathic invasions.
EXPERT MARKSMAN:
Grayson is skilled enough to use modified Shuriken (Wing-Dings) and chakram to hit thugs at a great distance with his eyes closed, despite even giving him a head-start and disarm others with his wingdings. He is also capable of using firearms, as despite their love of antique weapons, the Court recognizes the brutal efficiency of a modern firearm.
EXPERT MARTIAL ARTIST:
He is a master of many martial arts disciplines with an emphasis on Aikido, Jeet Kune Do, Escrima, Tae Kwon Do, Judo, Wing Chun, Hapkido, Jiu-jitsu, Silat, Savate, Kendo, Ninjitsu, and Boxing. He has effectively combined the martial arts he has mastered into a unique style that suits his strengths. This makes him a challenging opponent for even the world's best martial artists. It should be noted that many of his martial arts incorporate weapons making Dick much more efficient with a weapon than he is unarmed.
SKILLED DETECTIVE:
Grayson is a world class detective and a master at reading body language. The Court taught him to completely profile a target's life, to stalk them and get to know them in order to find the best way to kill them. These skills when applied properly however make Dick a very skilled detective.
SKILLED MULTI-LINGUALIST:
Having had the some of the finest education money can afford at the benefit of the Court, Dick speaks with fluency in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Farsi (Persian), Mandarin and Cantonese, and has some knowledge of Romany from his parents.
SKILLED TRACKER:
Gryason has been trained in hunting techniques by the Court who incoporated techniques from around the world such as those the of the African Bushmen, the Ghost Tribes of the Ten-eyed Brotherhood, among others. As such Grayson's skills are quite considerable both in natural and urban environments.
PEAK HUMAN CONDITIONING:
Grayson possesses the peak athletic strength and endurance of a man who regularly engages in intensive physical exercise. As such Grayson possesses the normal human strength of a man that has intense physical workouts at the height and weight of 5"10 175 lb. While he relies more on speed and agility than strength, Grayson has shown incredible strength throughout the years. On a peak day, Grayson can press lift 350lbs, basically meaning he can lift twice his own weight above his head. Grayson's human conditioning also grants him something in the way of durability, though more specifically it's through the fact he's used to enduring pain and can ignore and work through it. This can give the impression to lesser minds that he's superhuman.
STEALTH:
Grayson is capable of breaching high security facilities without being detected. As a very emphasized component of his training in the Court, Grayson can disappear in almost any location, seemingly blending in to any nook, cranny, shadow or crowd.
WEAPON PROFICIENCY:
Due to his training with the Court of Owls, Grayson has been taught and displayed skills and proficiency in various weaponry ranging from shurikens, to eskrima sticks and staves to swords and even bows to various modern firearms.
CHARISMATIC:
Probably one of the most charistmatic people you will ever meet, despite being at the Court's mercy for eight years, Dick still retains his bright and sunny disposition and as such is very easy to get along with. The former circus boy is very much still a charming performer and is a huge flirt, something that is generally returned from members of the opposite sex and even those who aren't.
BEST BUTT IN THE DCU:
Dick Grayson has the finest ass in the entire world. It's a fact, deal with it.
PROTO-NIGHTWING SUIT:
Dick's current costume is his Court of Owl's attire. A light armor with a mesh woven, translucent hood, Dick's armor was designed to be light and resilient without sacrificing his mobility or agility.
NIGHTWING SUIT:
~To Be Updated in the IC upon receiving it.~
| STOMPING GROUNDS: |
Blüdhaven
Neighborhoods
Avalon Hill
Melville Section
Waterloo Docks
The Zee Moores
Caernarvon Section
Central Business District
Fort Joseph District
Fear Cay
Avalon Heights
The Narrows
Island Point
Mealtide
Public locations
Halyard Square
Thrawn Park
Melville Park
Lanely Point
Mealtide Park
Byke Beach
St. Bernadine's Church
Stadium
Baily Church
Blüdhaven Natural History Museum
Thrawn Terminal-Red Line Elevated
B&O Rail Terminal
Port Authority Railhead
Port Authority Bus Terminal
Central Station Rail
Blüdhaven Law Enforcement Center
St. Anthony's/Anthonio's
Airport
RABE Memorial Hospital
Consolidated Buldhaven Electric and Steam
Municipal Sewage Treatment
Municipal Train Yards
Municipal Landfill
Blüdhaven Garbage Dump
Streets and Highways
Bloodhaven Drive and Park
Red Line North
Red Line South
Green Line
Blue Line Elevated
Blue Line Tubes
US Highway 61
US 61 Bypass/RT 91
"The Spine"
Halyard St
Stark Ave
Little Drawbridge
Island St
Skunk Ave
Red Line East Ext.
Littleneck Narrows Bridge
B&O Rail
Blue Line North
Blue Line South
East Lamar
Highway 6
Businesses
City Dock-Commercial
Midtown Exchange
28 Phraim Moore Housing Project
St Eustace Church
Band Shell
Forsyth Building
Hogan's Alley
Mr Pickle Deli
Brenda's Cafe
McSweeny Properties
Media
Talking Johnny's All-Night Bull Session
Sports Teams
Blüdhaven Bloodhounds (baseball)
Blüdhaven Brawlers (football)
Other locales
Marsh
Swamplands
Fireflaught Mount
Skirl Rocks
Spuyten Dyvil
Where your character lives and operates. Give as much (or as little) detail as you want. Things such as districts, businesses and points of interest all go here.
“When you die in Blüdhaven -- going to Hell is considered a promotion.”
Once nicknamed, "Asbestos Town, USA," Blüdhaven is a former whaling town, which was officially incorporated as a "Commonwealth" in 1912. The town had a generally poor socio-economic populace, owing in part to failed efforts to transform itself into a manufacturing and shipping center. This however rapidly gave way to highly industrial sectors which then fell into urban decay as businesses collapsed or moved out of the area during the Depression. It's infamous for its somewhat rank odor and high crime rate. Approximately 33 minutes' drive from Gotham City, Nightwing moved here initially to solve a string of murders related to a thoroughly corrupt police force, only to remain there to carve out his own reputation away from his family and loved ones.
The city lived through a corrupt balance of underhand dealings and unlawful policies, which was helped kept in check by the local police force.
The city lived through a corrupt balance of underhand dealings and unlawful policies, which was helped kept in check by the local police force.
Neighborhoods
Avalon Hill
Melville Section
Waterloo Docks
The Zee Moores
Caernarvon Section
Central Business District
Fort Joseph District
Fear Cay
Avalon Heights
The Narrows
Island Point
Mealtide
Public locations
Halyard Square
Thrawn Park
Melville Park
Lanely Point
Mealtide Park
Byke Beach
St. Bernadine's Church
Stadium
Baily Church
Blüdhaven Natural History Museum
Thrawn Terminal-Red Line Elevated
B&O Rail Terminal
Port Authority Railhead
Port Authority Bus Terminal
Central Station Rail
Blüdhaven Law Enforcement Center
St. Anthony's/Anthonio's
Airport
RABE Memorial Hospital
Consolidated Buldhaven Electric and Steam
Municipal Sewage Treatment
Municipal Train Yards
Municipal Landfill
Blüdhaven Garbage Dump
Streets and Highways
Bloodhaven Drive and Park
Red Line North
Red Line South
Green Line
Blue Line Elevated
Blue Line Tubes
US Highway 61
US 61 Bypass/RT 91
"The Spine"
Halyard St
Stark Ave
Little Drawbridge
Island St
Skunk Ave
Red Line East Ext.
Littleneck Narrows Bridge
B&O Rail
Blue Line North
Blue Line South
East Lamar
Highway 6
Businesses
City Dock-Commercial
Midtown Exchange
28 Phraim Moore Housing Project
St Eustace Church
Band Shell
Forsyth Building
Hogan's Alley
Mr Pickle Deli
Brenda's Cafe
McSweeny Properties
Media
Talking Johnny's All-Night Bull Session
Sports Teams
Blüdhaven Bloodhounds (baseball)
Blüdhaven Brawlers (football)
Other locales
Marsh
Swamplands
Fireflaught Mount
Skirl Rocks
Spuyten Dyvil
Where your character lives and operates. Give as much (or as little) detail as you want. Things such as districts, businesses and points of interest all go here.
| PEOPLE OF NOTE: |
ALLIES:
ROGUES:
Raya Vestri: Dick's childhood crush
Cheyenne Freemont: A New York fashionista and metahuman, Chenyenne created Nightwing's suit (Textiles)
Joanna 'Joey' Greene: A software engineer who Dick saved from a mugger. In repayment, Joey was able to give Dick his life back and the two became roommates. While she's suspicious of his late night activities, Dick believes that Joey is unaware he is the Nightwing.
Michael 'Mike' Pearson: An aspiring photojournalist who met Dick when the latter moved in with Mike and his roommate Joey. Mike is untrusting of vigilantes believing they create more threats for the general populace than they solve and is hoping one day to write an exposé which will see the downfall of the Justice League.
Helena Bertinelli: Rival Bludhaven Vigilante known as the Huntress.
Amy Rohrbach: A police detective with the Blüdhaven Force and one of the few honest officiers in the city. She has an uneasy alliance with Nightwing being wary of vigilantes.
Cheyenne Freemont: A New York fashionista and metahuman, Chenyenne created Nightwing's suit (Textiles)
Joanna 'Joey' Greene: A software engineer who Dick saved from a mugger. In repayment, Joey was able to give Dick his life back and the two became roommates. While she's suspicious of his late night activities, Dick believes that Joey is unaware he is the Nightwing.
Michael 'Mike' Pearson: An aspiring photojournalist who met Dick when the latter moved in with Mike and his roommate Joey. Mike is untrusting of vigilantes believing they create more threats for the general populace than they solve and is hoping one day to write an exposé which will see the downfall of the Justice League.
Helena Bertinelli: Rival Bludhaven Vigilante known as the Huntress.
Amy Rohrbach: A police detective with the Blüdhaven Force and one of the few honest officiers in the city. She has an uneasy alliance with Nightwing being wary of vigilantes.
ROGUES:
Tony 'Boss' Zucco: The former hired security for Haly’s Circus, Zucco tried to extort more money from Jack Haly who refused leading to Zucco killing the Graysons. After evading a mystery attacker, Zucco relocated to Chicago where he used his criminal connections to become the Mayor’s bodyguard. Despite being confronted by a young officer Grayson, Zucco managed to get off charges using a bargain to hand the local police department the true crime lords of Chicago. After this, Zucco left Chicago and eventually returned to the Gotham area before setting up shop in Blüdhaven. Dick Grayson was ordered by the Court of Owls to kill Zucco as his final test before becoming the Court's new Talon. Failing upon realizing that Zucco had a family, Dick spared the man who out of both gratitude and fear has become Grayson's eyes and ears on the street.
William Cobb: Otherwise known as Talon, William Cobb is Dick's great-grandfather and an assassin for the Court of Owls. So far he remains unknown to his great-grandson, but Cobb has but one goal in mind and that is to recruit his last living descendant to Court of Owls. Now by order of the Court, he hunts his great grandson in order to kill the boy and subject him to programming at the Court's hand in order to turn Dick into a proper Talon.
-The Court of Owls
-Blockbuster
-Lady Vic: Fights like Bruce Lee, talks like Jane Austen.
-Brutale
-Shrike
-Saiko: Raymond ___, a former circus friend of Dick’s who was taken by the Court of Owls after Dick was removed from the circus following his parents’ death.
-Stallion
-Marionette: Malina ‘Mali’ Lewis, a former Alice of Jervis Tech aka The Mad Hatter, Mali was left with a shattered mind which gave her symptoms similar to a split personality disorder. This leads to Mali often holding ‘Gollum-esque’ conversations with herself but also the unique side effect of making her something of a mimic. Most notably, Mali repeats phrases spoken to her but most extraordinarily Mali is able to mimic any skill she witnesses.
-Amygdala: A man who endured terrible experiments on his amygdala making him unstable. When enraged or overly excited, Amygdala transforms from a meek human appearance into a hulking red beast complete with a child-like mind set meaning his fits are often comparable to tantrums.
-The Prankster: A truly twisted individual who murders people in a way that resembles pranks and practical jokes.
William Cobb: Otherwise known as Talon, William Cobb is Dick's great-grandfather and an assassin for the Court of Owls. So far he remains unknown to his great-grandson, but Cobb has but one goal in mind and that is to recruit his last living descendant to Court of Owls. Now by order of the Court, he hunts his great grandson in order to kill the boy and subject him to programming at the Court's hand in order to turn Dick into a proper Talon.
-The Court of Owls
-Blockbuster
-Lady Vic: Fights like Bruce Lee, talks like Jane Austen.
-Brutale
-Shrike
-Saiko: Raymond ___, a former circus friend of Dick’s who was taken by the Court of Owls after Dick was removed from the circus following his parents’ death.
-Stallion
-Marionette: Malina ‘Mali’ Lewis, a former Alice of Jervis Tech aka The Mad Hatter, Mali was left with a shattered mind which gave her symptoms similar to a split personality disorder. This leads to Mali often holding ‘Gollum-esque’ conversations with herself but also the unique side effect of making her something of a mimic. Most notably, Mali repeats phrases spoken to her but most extraordinarily Mali is able to mimic any skill she witnesses.
-Amygdala: A man who endured terrible experiments on his amygdala making him unstable. When enraged or overly excited, Amygdala transforms from a meek human appearance into a hulking red beast complete with a child-like mind set meaning his fits are often comparable to tantrums.
-The Prankster: A truly twisted individual who murders people in a way that resembles pranks and practical jokes.
| CHARACTER GOALS: |
A Knight in Blüdhaven:
Team Nightwing:
Block Party:
Night of the Owls:
Justice for All:
-Establish Nightwing
Team Nightwing:
-Gain Allies
Block Party:
-Take down Blockbuster
Night of the Owls:
-Tangle with the Court of Owls
Justice for All:
-Join Justice League
| SAMPLE POST: |
"My name is Richard Grayson, but you can call me Dick. For eight years, I endured hellish training at the hands of the Court of Owls only to escape to the city of Blüdhaven. Now with a greater purpose, to save the city I call home I can't be the killer I was trained to be. I must be something else, I must become someone else.
I am Nightwing.”
I am Nightwing.”
"Another glorious day in the 'Haven eh Grayson?" Hogan called as the wind slammed the door behind Dick, his soaked clothes dripping onto the bar's floor as he slicked back his drenched hair.
"Just another morning in paradise Boss." Dick replied as he hung his jack and grabbed and apron before heading to the bar to ready it for opening. Groaning as he lifted a heavy oak chair off a table, Dick felt his body ache all over as it cried out for rest. Only a few hours ago had Dick been running across Blüdhaven's roof tops while being shot at by the a couple of drug runners who were none too happy about their latest shipping taking a trip to the bottom of the harbor.
3x Like
GM
GreenGrenade
Member
Seen
1 day ago
@Roman, Constantine is accepted. Plop him over to the Characters tab, I'll add him to the accepted list.
@Lord Wraith, looking good so far!
EDIT: @Roman, after reading through your CS again, I noticed a continuity error. The Justice League fought Darkseid, not Starro, and it occurred in 2012. Aside from that, your sheet's good to go.
@Lord Wraith, looking good so far!
EDIT: @Roman, after reading through your CS again, I noticed a continuity error. The Justice League fought Darkseid, not Starro, and it occurred in 2012. Aside from that, your sheet's good to go.
Hillan I'm a writer - Lying's what we do.
Member
Seen
45 min ago
Well, well, well. I sure am glad to have a reason to be back on the Guild.
I'm interested in playing Alan Scott Green Lantern, Victor Sage as the Question, and Doctor Fate. Would any of these be problematic or preferable over the other?
I'm interested in playing Alan Scott Green Lantern, Victor Sage as the Question, and Doctor Fate. Would any of these be problematic or preferable over the other?
As promised, so delivered. Got it done tonight, and if it is acceptable I'll be glad to hear what Wraith and any other interested parties have to say and hopefully work something out. If it isn't...well, back to the drawing board I guess, DCU's a big place.
Name:
Bruce Wayne
Alias:
Batman, Al Xu'ffasch
Character Goals:
I want to do a new take on Batman as a character as well as his training, background and motivations while still remaining as true as possible to the spirit and nature of the character. More than that I want to create new and exciting Batman stories and put new twists on old ones as part of a collaborative effort to make the best, most vibrant and fun DC Universe possible and collaborate with the other players as much as I possibly can to contribute to rich group stories and above all have fun with everyone.
Bruce Wayne
Alias:
Batman, Al Xu'ffasch
Origin:
Bruce Wayne was born in the squalor and desperation of Gotham City's Park Row, otherwise known as 'Crime Alley'. The son of back-alley doctor Thomas Wayne and his wife and assistant Martha, Bruce grew up watching his parents tend to the wounded and downtrodden of Gotham who either couldn't afford medical care or couldn't risk going to a hospital because of the police or the mob, though in Gotham the two were often the same thing. Despite his harsh surroundings, young Bruce Wayne had a kind and compassionate heart reinforced by his parents teachings and example. Together they were one of many small lights of hope in an often very dark and unforgiving city, and Bruce Wayne lived in a small island of peace if not prosperity.
But this relative peace couldn't last forever and eventually the reality of the Wayne family's situation caught up with them. One winter day when Bruce was eight, a wounded witness to a brutal killing orchestrated by Carmine Falcone's mafia family and covered up by the police began knocking on doors in Crime Alley, begging for help. Any ordinary Gotham citizen would have ignored the man or turned him away but Thomas and Martha let him in and began treating his wounds. The man's survival was a threat to the city's corrupt power structure, so it wasn't long before the Falcone family noticed that the number of bodies at the sight of their latest hit didn't quite add up the way it should. Their response came just a few nights later, when hitman Joe Chill arrived on the doorstep of the Wayne Family's little apartment. Young Bruce was hidden under the bed while Thomas Wayne tried to negotiate with the man who had come to kill his patient, but when it became clear that the Waynes both knew too much and weren't willing to keep quiet while a man was killed, Joe Chill turned on them as well. Bruce fled from the scene in terror and wound up taking shelter in an abandoned wreck of a building with only roosting bats for company. From then on that night was forever burned into his mind and he belonged to the streets of Gotham.
Slowly, Bruce learned to survive as just another of Gotham's homeless kids, turning to begging, picking pockets and burglary to survive day-to-day, dodging police, mob toughs and bigger thieves as he did. At night he would return to the bat roost and dream of vengeance on every last person responsible for his parents' deaths, though exactly how to achieve these goals was a mystery to him. It was only after a year of living like this that an improbable twist of fate gave him a chance to make his dreams a reality after all. Specifically, fate came in the form of an obviously wealthy man dressed in a fancy suit and tie who was willing to walk through the roughest and filthiest streets of Gotham alone and completely without fear. Bruce figured that whoever this chump was, he was obviously the biggest kind of sucker, so naturally he attempted to lift his wallet. It was only then that Bruce learned what it meant to slip his hand into the pocket of Ra's Al Ghul. He found himself seized in an iron grip while a surprisingly amused voice demanded an explanation of him. He had none except that he was only doing what he had to do to live. Unusually, this seemed to do the trick as instead of being brought to the authorities or killed immediately as he expected he was brought to a penthouse overlooking the city and rented by Ra's, who gave him food and asked for his full story. When he was finished, Ra's seemed to contemplate for a moment then miraculously, he offered nine-year-old Bruce Wayne the one thing he wanted most: a chance at revenge. Thus began Bruce Wayne's life as a member of the League of Assassins.
Bruce was put to the test by League instructors for a full year, and though he was made to endure challenges mental, physical and spiritual that should have broken any child, his drive for vengeance prompted him to not just survive but absolutely thrive throughout his initial training. He was taught the basics of stealth and combat, forced through survival training in some of the harshest terrain on earth ranging from windswept deserts to ravenous jungles all while being hardened against more pain and suffering than Gotham's streets had ever given him. After the end of that year, Bruce Wayne was now a full-fledged member of the League of Assassins and remembering his days in the abandoned bat roost he chose to be reborn under the name Al Xu'ffasch, the Bat. Furthermore, both Bruce's instructors and Ra's al Ghul were so pleased with his determination and progress that he had the honor of being partially tutored by Ra's himself. He soon found that both the hardships and the training he had endured as a candidate for initiation were as nothing compared to the exacting standards of Ra's himself.
Under Ra's and other tutors brought in to instruct him, Bruce learned not only the arts of combat, quiet killing and deception vital to an assassin, but also scientific and academic subjects including economics, numerous languages, physics, chemistry, biology, mechanical and electrical engineering and more. These lessons he absorbed even more rapidly than the first year's worth, showing a hidden genius and a penchant for sacrifice and hard-work that surprised even his League instructors. With each passing year Ra's tutored Bruce Wayne personally more and more often, until it became apparent to both Bruce and the League as a whole that the former street urchin was being considered as a potential heir to The Demon's Head and his organization. This prompted a number of assassination attempts which Ra's made no effort to stop, though he certainly seemed to approve when Bruce survived the first few attacks on his life. In fact the more subtle poisonings, sleeping suffocations and outright physical assaults Al Xu'ffasch overcame, the closer Ra's Al Ghul seemed to take him under his tutelage. By the time he was nineteen, Al Xu'ffasch was considered all but unkillable and only foolhardy students needing lessons in humiliation and those whose ambitions outweighed their common sense still made attempts on his life. More importantly, he was unquestioningly Ra's Al Ghul's favored student and heir apparent and had even begun courting Ra's daughter Talia with impunity. However, even after nearly ten years of life among the League of Assassins and all that Ra's had given him there was still doubt in the heart of the man who had once been Bruce Wayne. Despite his burning need for revenge, he sometimes wondered if the life of an assassin was what his parents would have wanted for him.
The answer to that question came on the anniversary of his joining with the League. Ra's brought him into a hidden side-room with a prisoner at its center and without any further preamble, demanded Bruce kill the helpless man. When Bruce inquired as to what the prisoner's crimes were, he was bluntly told there were none, that the man was as innocent as could be. It was entirely a test to see if he could bare to stain his hands with the blood of innocents if that was what it took to create a better world. Despite having killed before in self-defense during his training and attempts on his life Bruce found the idea of killing an innocent revolting. In that moment all he could think about was that without realizing it, he was becoming no better than the man who killed his parents. He refused, insisting that there must be a better way, one that didn't involve needlessly taking lives, hopefully one that involved killing no one at all. He resolved then and there that he would prove to Ra's that they could change the world for the better without taking life, that even his revenge would come without killing. Naturally, Ra's found the idea ridiculous, but after much convincing consented to allow his favored heir to go out into the world and 'try and prove his ludicrous theory', confident that eventually he would come crawling back humbled at his failure to meaningfully influence the world. Thus Al Xu'ffasch left the League of Assassins behind with no small amount of League funds for his experiment. For five more years he travelled the world and further trained himself, learning even more of martial arts than the league had taught him as well as many more scientific subjects including criminology, forensics and other investigative techniques. Moreover, he used the lessons he had learned from Ra's and the resources granted him by the League of Assassins to establish Wayne Enterprises, which quickly became a multibillion dollar company with assets in nearly every imaginable business sector.
At the age of twenty-four Bruce Wayne returned to Gotham not as an unknown orphan but as the city's prodigal son, a child of reclusive but generous billionaire philanthropists and heir to a fortune and company that would make King Midas green with envy and all of the history and paperwork to back up his claims. In addition to his philanthropic work and the jobs and innovations Wayne Enterprises provided to the people with Gotham as its' headquarters, Bruce decided to take his crusade to the streets personally while enacting his long delayed revenge. Taking inspiration from his name amongst the League of Assassins and his experiences as a child, Bruce adopted the persona of The Batman and used his physical prowess, assassin techniques and the scientific gadgetry his immense intellect and wealth gave him access to in order to strike fear into Gotham's criminal element. No one was safe from The Batman's war on crime from the pettiest thugs to the most powerful mafia dons and politicians. Though Bruce upheld his promise never to kill, he cemented his status as a shadowy figure of Gotham's underworld with pain, violence and terror for all those who hurt the innocent. Bruce's war on injustice became more complicated along the way, as mishaps and Batman's unusual presence in the city contributed to a strange new wave of 'super-villainy' of which The Joker was only the first and he even took on a young ward from tragic circumstances not unlike his own. Furthermore in his quest to improve and protect the world as a whole Bruce has come up against allies and enemies of immense superhuman power, and the world as a whole has become a lot more complicated. Nevertheless after nearly six years of work as both Bruce Wayne and Batman, the one-time heir to the League of Assassins is finally beginning to feel like he has found a way to make a difference and that his parents' deaths and legacy will be more than repaid.
Bruce Wayne was born in the squalor and desperation of Gotham City's Park Row, otherwise known as 'Crime Alley'. The son of back-alley doctor Thomas Wayne and his wife and assistant Martha, Bruce grew up watching his parents tend to the wounded and downtrodden of Gotham who either couldn't afford medical care or couldn't risk going to a hospital because of the police or the mob, though in Gotham the two were often the same thing. Despite his harsh surroundings, young Bruce Wayne had a kind and compassionate heart reinforced by his parents teachings and example. Together they were one of many small lights of hope in an often very dark and unforgiving city, and Bruce Wayne lived in a small island of peace if not prosperity.
But this relative peace couldn't last forever and eventually the reality of the Wayne family's situation caught up with them. One winter day when Bruce was eight, a wounded witness to a brutal killing orchestrated by Carmine Falcone's mafia family and covered up by the police began knocking on doors in Crime Alley, begging for help. Any ordinary Gotham citizen would have ignored the man or turned him away but Thomas and Martha let him in and began treating his wounds. The man's survival was a threat to the city's corrupt power structure, so it wasn't long before the Falcone family noticed that the number of bodies at the sight of their latest hit didn't quite add up the way it should. Their response came just a few nights later, when hitman Joe Chill arrived on the doorstep of the Wayne Family's little apartment. Young Bruce was hidden under the bed while Thomas Wayne tried to negotiate with the man who had come to kill his patient, but when it became clear that the Waynes both knew too much and weren't willing to keep quiet while a man was killed, Joe Chill turned on them as well. Bruce fled from the scene in terror and wound up taking shelter in an abandoned wreck of a building with only roosting bats for company. From then on that night was forever burned into his mind and he belonged to the streets of Gotham.
Slowly, Bruce learned to survive as just another of Gotham's homeless kids, turning to begging, picking pockets and burglary to survive day-to-day, dodging police, mob toughs and bigger thieves as he did. At night he would return to the bat roost and dream of vengeance on every last person responsible for his parents' deaths, though exactly how to achieve these goals was a mystery to him. It was only after a year of living like this that an improbable twist of fate gave him a chance to make his dreams a reality after all. Specifically, fate came in the form of an obviously wealthy man dressed in a fancy suit and tie who was willing to walk through the roughest and filthiest streets of Gotham alone and completely without fear. Bruce figured that whoever this chump was, he was obviously the biggest kind of sucker, so naturally he attempted to lift his wallet. It was only then that Bruce learned what it meant to slip his hand into the pocket of Ra's Al Ghul. He found himself seized in an iron grip while a surprisingly amused voice demanded an explanation of him. He had none except that he was only doing what he had to do to live. Unusually, this seemed to do the trick as instead of being brought to the authorities or killed immediately as he expected he was brought to a penthouse overlooking the city and rented by Ra's, who gave him food and asked for his full story. When he was finished, Ra's seemed to contemplate for a moment then miraculously, he offered nine-year-old Bruce Wayne the one thing he wanted most: a chance at revenge. Thus began Bruce Wayne's life as a member of the League of Assassins.
Bruce was put to the test by League instructors for a full year, and though he was made to endure challenges mental, physical and spiritual that should have broken any child, his drive for vengeance prompted him to not just survive but absolutely thrive throughout his initial training. He was taught the basics of stealth and combat, forced through survival training in some of the harshest terrain on earth ranging from windswept deserts to ravenous jungles all while being hardened against more pain and suffering than Gotham's streets had ever given him. After the end of that year, Bruce Wayne was now a full-fledged member of the League of Assassins and remembering his days in the abandoned bat roost he chose to be reborn under the name Al Xu'ffasch, the Bat. Furthermore, both Bruce's instructors and Ra's al Ghul were so pleased with his determination and progress that he had the honor of being partially tutored by Ra's himself. He soon found that both the hardships and the training he had endured as a candidate for initiation were as nothing compared to the exacting standards of Ra's himself.
Under Ra's and other tutors brought in to instruct him, Bruce learned not only the arts of combat, quiet killing and deception vital to an assassin, but also scientific and academic subjects including economics, numerous languages, physics, chemistry, biology, mechanical and electrical engineering and more. These lessons he absorbed even more rapidly than the first year's worth, showing a hidden genius and a penchant for sacrifice and hard-work that surprised even his League instructors. With each passing year Ra's tutored Bruce Wayne personally more and more often, until it became apparent to both Bruce and the League as a whole that the former street urchin was being considered as a potential heir to The Demon's Head and his organization. This prompted a number of assassination attempts which Ra's made no effort to stop, though he certainly seemed to approve when Bruce survived the first few attacks on his life. In fact the more subtle poisonings, sleeping suffocations and outright physical assaults Al Xu'ffasch overcame, the closer Ra's Al Ghul seemed to take him under his tutelage. By the time he was nineteen, Al Xu'ffasch was considered all but unkillable and only foolhardy students needing lessons in humiliation and those whose ambitions outweighed their common sense still made attempts on his life. More importantly, he was unquestioningly Ra's Al Ghul's favored student and heir apparent and had even begun courting Ra's daughter Talia with impunity. However, even after nearly ten years of life among the League of Assassins and all that Ra's had given him there was still doubt in the heart of the man who had once been Bruce Wayne. Despite his burning need for revenge, he sometimes wondered if the life of an assassin was what his parents would have wanted for him.
The answer to that question came on the anniversary of his joining with the League. Ra's brought him into a hidden side-room with a prisoner at its center and without any further preamble, demanded Bruce kill the helpless man. When Bruce inquired as to what the prisoner's crimes were, he was bluntly told there were none, that the man was as innocent as could be. It was entirely a test to see if he could bare to stain his hands with the blood of innocents if that was what it took to create a better world. Despite having killed before in self-defense during his training and attempts on his life Bruce found the idea of killing an innocent revolting. In that moment all he could think about was that without realizing it, he was becoming no better than the man who killed his parents. He refused, insisting that there must be a better way, one that didn't involve needlessly taking lives, hopefully one that involved killing no one at all. He resolved then and there that he would prove to Ra's that they could change the world for the better without taking life, that even his revenge would come without killing. Naturally, Ra's found the idea ridiculous, but after much convincing consented to allow his favored heir to go out into the world and 'try and prove his ludicrous theory', confident that eventually he would come crawling back humbled at his failure to meaningfully influence the world. Thus Al Xu'ffasch left the League of Assassins behind with no small amount of League funds for his experiment. For five more years he travelled the world and further trained himself, learning even more of martial arts than the league had taught him as well as many more scientific subjects including criminology, forensics and other investigative techniques. Moreover, he used the lessons he had learned from Ra's and the resources granted him by the League of Assassins to establish Wayne Enterprises, which quickly became a multibillion dollar company with assets in nearly every imaginable business sector.
At the age of twenty-four Bruce Wayne returned to Gotham not as an unknown orphan but as the city's prodigal son, a child of reclusive but generous billionaire philanthropists and heir to a fortune and company that would make King Midas green with envy and all of the history and paperwork to back up his claims. In addition to his philanthropic work and the jobs and innovations Wayne Enterprises provided to the people with Gotham as its' headquarters, Bruce decided to take his crusade to the streets personally while enacting his long delayed revenge. Taking inspiration from his name amongst the League of Assassins and his experiences as a child, Bruce adopted the persona of The Batman and used his physical prowess, assassin techniques and the scientific gadgetry his immense intellect and wealth gave him access to in order to strike fear into Gotham's criminal element. No one was safe from The Batman's war on crime from the pettiest thugs to the most powerful mafia dons and politicians. Though Bruce upheld his promise never to kill, he cemented his status as a shadowy figure of Gotham's underworld with pain, violence and terror for all those who hurt the innocent. Bruce's war on injustice became more complicated along the way, as mishaps and Batman's unusual presence in the city contributed to a strange new wave of 'super-villainy' of which The Joker was only the first and he even took on a young ward from tragic circumstances not unlike his own. Furthermore in his quest to improve and protect the world as a whole Bruce has come up against allies and enemies of immense superhuman power, and the world as a whole has become a lot more complicated. Nevertheless after nearly six years of work as both Bruce Wayne and Batman, the one-time heir to the League of Assassins is finally beginning to feel like he has found a way to make a difference and that his parents' deaths and legacy will be more than repaid.
Attributes:
Abilities
Peak Human Conditioning-Though he is by no means superhuman, Batman has achieved and maintains a level of physical fitness and ability that can only be described as the peak of unassisted human potential. His strength, reflexes, stamina, agility and durability and senses are all trained to the peak of baseline human possibility.
Genius Intellect-Batman has a naturally extremely keen mind and a gift for perfect memorization and rapid analysis. He is a true polymath and an expert on an extremely wide array of subjects with both equivalents of and actual doctorates in many areas of study ranging from medical science to economics to aeronautic engineering and more. He also has a wide array of interests including the study of mythology, exobiology and advanced robotics, artificial intelligence and cybernetics to name a few. Even outside of academic realms he has an exhaustively tactical mind and prefers to have already out-thought any opponent in any encounter provided he has the means and opportunities to do so.
Unbreakable Will-According to Bruce himself the sheer force and power of his will is his only true 'superpower' and is his most important asset in life beyond the training, intelligence and gadgets. It was this force of will that got him through the trauma of his parents' deaths, the hardships of the streets of Gotham and the torment of training by the League of Assassins. More importantly it allowed him to reject Ra's Al Ghul's teachings and attempt to find his own path that stayed true to the ideals his parents raised him to believe in.
Skills
Brilliant Detective-A combination of his vast resources, razor sharp intellect and numerous skills make Batman an excellent investigator to the point that several different sources have dubbed him "The World's Greatest Detective". He is highly skilled at numerous branches of forensics as well as criminal psychology, interrogation and intimidation techniques and numerous other disciplines that aid him in his criminal investigations.
Master of Stealth-After a childhood as a petty thief in Gotham City and a life raised among and trained by some of the world's foremost assassins, Batman is a master of stealth, infiltration and misdirection. Stealth, theatrics and surprise are key elements of his one man war on crime and injustice.
Master Martial Artist-In addition to receiving over a decade's worth of training from the League of Assassins and being personally tutored in fighting arts by some of the best the League had to offer including Ra's Al Ghul himself, Batman has traveled the world on his own and learned a variety of fighting arts beyond those practiced by the League. He has mastered over 127 styles of martial arts both armed and unarmed, as well as the more obscure aspects of pressure points offered by various martial arts, combining them into his own versatile fighting style.
Marksmanship-Though Bruce's history and training with the League means he detests guns on principle he's a highly skilled marksman both in terms of archery and more importantly thrown weapons, especially his batarangs. He has trained in the use of such weapons since he was first inducted into the League of Shadows and has only grown more accurate in subsequent years.
Acrobatics: Due to his early past as a thief and his training with the League and beyond Batman is a highly skilled acrobat and parkour practitioner, often using his skills to quickly navigate the rooftops of Gotham as he pursues criminals or otherwise move about an area in ways his enemies have trouble keeping track of.
Equipment
Though Batman is constantly attempting to invent or acquire new tools for his war on crime, there are a few in his arsenal that he uses most frequently. They are:
The Batsuit: The Batsuit is an extremely lightweight but durable suit of personal body armor tailored to both defend and disguise Batman in his crusade against injustice while striking fear into the hearts of his enemies. It is made primarily of a cutting edge para-aramid weave designed to be bullet, electricity, heat and impact resistant while still allowing for a great deal of maneuverability. The cowl of the suit is not only designed to give Batman his distinct look but also to be further resistant to impacts and bullets while the enlongated earpieces allow for a commlink and wireless receiver to the Batcave. After encounters with superman trace amounts of lead were added to its' makeup to prevent invasive examinations va 'x-ray vision' and similar things which had the added benefit of increasing the striking power of headbutts. The lenses of the cowl are designed not only to protect the eyes and hide Batman from retina scanning recognition but also to feed into and work with an analytical software of the Batcomputer primarily used for crime scene investigations. The gloves are hardened at the knuckles to increase punching power without losing dexterity and scalloped to allow for catching blades and if necessary close-range slicing. The palms of the gloves are also linked to a small electrical system primarily used in conjunction with the memory-cloth cape but also capable of delivering debilitating shocks to foes. The wrists of the gloves are hollowed to allow for storage. The boots have been treated to lessen impacts from high falls, protect from foot injury and provide a better spring-action for acrobatics and chases as well as allow for greater power when kicking. Finally, the cape is made from a high-tech memory cloth allowing it to snap into a set of bat-shaped wings for limited gliding when a specific amount of electrical current is applied, though it is also designed to be somewhat flame and shock resistant.
Utility Belt-Perhaps Batman's most famous tool, his utility belt houses a number of compartments that typically contain collapsible batarangs of various types, smoke pellets, adhesive plastic explosives and remote detonators, multiple high tension cables and a grappling hook pistol plus the small motor for operating the same, carefully stored corrosives, minature adhesive tracking beacons, lockpicking tools and grenades with payloads designed to stun, freeze, immobilize or momentarily blind though its contents often changes depending on Batman's needs. The belt itself is bio-metrically locked and can emit tear gas or electric shocks if someone other than Bruce attempts to wear it or open its' compartments. The belt also links to the batcomputer wirelessly in conjunction with the suit and is capable of sending Batman's life signs to the Batcave or calling any one of Batman's vehicles to him in times of need.
Batarangs-Though Batman doesn't refer to them as such, the "Batarangs" are his most often used weapon. Though the typical Batarang is usually a collapsible shuriken or boomerang, they are known to have variations that include micro-explosives, instant-freezing agents similar to those used by Mr.Freeze, electrical shocks similar to a taser, remote guidance systems and even debilitating sonic emitters. Batman is capable of throwing all of them with extreme accuracy despite their differences in weight and size.
Bat-Wing, Batboat and Batmobile-All three are highly specialized vehicles Batman uses for transport when walking to a destination is unfeasible. The Batmobile is as much experimental high-performance car as tank, able to maneuver through the sometimes twisted streets of Gotham with disturbingly good handling as well as endure repeated shots from a rocket propelled grenade and continue functioning with minimal damage. The Bat-wing is part long distance stealth aircraft and part jet-fighter, a Vertical Takeoff and Landing vehicle capable of operating at both high and low altitudes. The Bat-boat operates much like a speed-boat on the surface but is also capable of becoming a submarine capable of at least reaching the bottom of Gotham Harbor for several hours at a time. All three are equipped with grappling hooks and non-lethal countermeasures of various kinds as well as state-of-the-art automatic piloting mechanisms linked up to Wayne Enterprises satellites.
Abilities
Peak Human Conditioning-Though he is by no means superhuman, Batman has achieved and maintains a level of physical fitness and ability that can only be described as the peak of unassisted human potential. His strength, reflexes, stamina, agility and durability and senses are all trained to the peak of baseline human possibility.
Genius Intellect-Batman has a naturally extremely keen mind and a gift for perfect memorization and rapid analysis. He is a true polymath and an expert on an extremely wide array of subjects with both equivalents of and actual doctorates in many areas of study ranging from medical science to economics to aeronautic engineering and more. He also has a wide array of interests including the study of mythology, exobiology and advanced robotics, artificial intelligence and cybernetics to name a few. Even outside of academic realms he has an exhaustively tactical mind and prefers to have already out-thought any opponent in any encounter provided he has the means and opportunities to do so.
Unbreakable Will-According to Bruce himself the sheer force and power of his will is his only true 'superpower' and is his most important asset in life beyond the training, intelligence and gadgets. It was this force of will that got him through the trauma of his parents' deaths, the hardships of the streets of Gotham and the torment of training by the League of Assassins. More importantly it allowed him to reject Ra's Al Ghul's teachings and attempt to find his own path that stayed true to the ideals his parents raised him to believe in.
Skills
Brilliant Detective-A combination of his vast resources, razor sharp intellect and numerous skills make Batman an excellent investigator to the point that several different sources have dubbed him "The World's Greatest Detective". He is highly skilled at numerous branches of forensics as well as criminal psychology, interrogation and intimidation techniques and numerous other disciplines that aid him in his criminal investigations.
Master of Stealth-After a childhood as a petty thief in Gotham City and a life raised among and trained by some of the world's foremost assassins, Batman is a master of stealth, infiltration and misdirection. Stealth, theatrics and surprise are key elements of his one man war on crime and injustice.
Master Martial Artist-In addition to receiving over a decade's worth of training from the League of Assassins and being personally tutored in fighting arts by some of the best the League had to offer including Ra's Al Ghul himself, Batman has traveled the world on his own and learned a variety of fighting arts beyond those practiced by the League. He has mastered over 127 styles of martial arts both armed and unarmed, as well as the more obscure aspects of pressure points offered by various martial arts, combining them into his own versatile fighting style.
Marksmanship-Though Bruce's history and training with the League means he detests guns on principle he's a highly skilled marksman both in terms of archery and more importantly thrown weapons, especially his batarangs. He has trained in the use of such weapons since he was first inducted into the League of Shadows and has only grown more accurate in subsequent years.
Acrobatics: Due to his early past as a thief and his training with the League and beyond Batman is a highly skilled acrobat and parkour practitioner, often using his skills to quickly navigate the rooftops of Gotham as he pursues criminals or otherwise move about an area in ways his enemies have trouble keeping track of.
Equipment
Though Batman is constantly attempting to invent or acquire new tools for his war on crime, there are a few in his arsenal that he uses most frequently. They are:
The Batsuit: The Batsuit is an extremely lightweight but durable suit of personal body armor tailored to both defend and disguise Batman in his crusade against injustice while striking fear into the hearts of his enemies. It is made primarily of a cutting edge para-aramid weave designed to be bullet, electricity, heat and impact resistant while still allowing for a great deal of maneuverability. The cowl of the suit is not only designed to give Batman his distinct look but also to be further resistant to impacts and bullets while the enlongated earpieces allow for a commlink and wireless receiver to the Batcave. After encounters with superman trace amounts of lead were added to its' makeup to prevent invasive examinations va 'x-ray vision' and similar things which had the added benefit of increasing the striking power of headbutts. The lenses of the cowl are designed not only to protect the eyes and hide Batman from retina scanning recognition but also to feed into and work with an analytical software of the Batcomputer primarily used for crime scene investigations. The gloves are hardened at the knuckles to increase punching power without losing dexterity and scalloped to allow for catching blades and if necessary close-range slicing. The palms of the gloves are also linked to a small electrical system primarily used in conjunction with the memory-cloth cape but also capable of delivering debilitating shocks to foes. The wrists of the gloves are hollowed to allow for storage. The boots have been treated to lessen impacts from high falls, protect from foot injury and provide a better spring-action for acrobatics and chases as well as allow for greater power when kicking. Finally, the cape is made from a high-tech memory cloth allowing it to snap into a set of bat-shaped wings for limited gliding when a specific amount of electrical current is applied, though it is also designed to be somewhat flame and shock resistant.
Utility Belt-Perhaps Batman's most famous tool, his utility belt houses a number of compartments that typically contain collapsible batarangs of various types, smoke pellets, adhesive plastic explosives and remote detonators, multiple high tension cables and a grappling hook pistol plus the small motor for operating the same, carefully stored corrosives, minature adhesive tracking beacons, lockpicking tools and grenades with payloads designed to stun, freeze, immobilize or momentarily blind though its contents often changes depending on Batman's needs. The belt itself is bio-metrically locked and can emit tear gas or electric shocks if someone other than Bruce attempts to wear it or open its' compartments. The belt also links to the batcomputer wirelessly in conjunction with the suit and is capable of sending Batman's life signs to the Batcave or calling any one of Batman's vehicles to him in times of need.
Batarangs-Though Batman doesn't refer to them as such, the "Batarangs" are his most often used weapon. Though the typical Batarang is usually a collapsible shuriken or boomerang, they are known to have variations that include micro-explosives, instant-freezing agents similar to those used by Mr.Freeze, electrical shocks similar to a taser, remote guidance systems and even debilitating sonic emitters. Batman is capable of throwing all of them with extreme accuracy despite their differences in weight and size.
Bat-Wing, Batboat and Batmobile-All three are highly specialized vehicles Batman uses for transport when walking to a destination is unfeasible. The Batmobile is as much experimental high-performance car as tank, able to maneuver through the sometimes twisted streets of Gotham with disturbingly good handling as well as endure repeated shots from a rocket propelled grenade and continue functioning with minimal damage. The Bat-wing is part long distance stealth aircraft and part jet-fighter, a Vertical Takeoff and Landing vehicle capable of operating at both high and low altitudes. The Bat-boat operates much like a speed-boat on the surface but is also capable of becoming a submarine capable of at least reaching the bottom of Gotham Harbor for several hours at a time. All three are equipped with grappling hooks and non-lethal countermeasures of various kinds as well as state-of-the-art automatic piloting mechanisms linked up to Wayne Enterprises satellites.
Stomping Grounds:
Gotham City: One of the top three most corrupt cities in America and generally considered pretty high on any given 'worst places to live' lists worth their salt. Gotham has been improving bit by bit over the years since Batman's arrival and the expansion of Wayne Enterprises and some parts of it are actually livable for people who can't afford their own security forces. That said, it's still a wretched hive of scum and villainy in many ways, with those willing to stand up to a culture of corruption and the occasional rampaging theme-murderer being few and far between. Just a few of the individual locations in and around Gotham City include:
Park Row-Also known as Crime Alley, this is both the former worst area in Gotham city and the site of Bruce's parents death. Since returning to the city his dual efforts as Bruce Wayne and Batman have improved it somewhat and now a memorial to the tragic deaths of 'philanthropists' Thomas and Martha Wayne now stands on the former site of Bruce's dilapidated childhood home. Despite his efforts quality of life is just this side of tolerable and crime is still frequent for the residents that remain.
The Narrows-A portion of Gotham that became even worse than Park Row over the years, the Narrows is still recovering from the Joker's terrible mass killings and terror nearly five years ago. Wayne Enterprises is dedicated to rebuilding the area, but the psychological scars left on The Narrows' residents are slower in repairing and many of them have since turned to crime in the wake of the Joker's devastation.
Wayne Manor-A stately mansion now said to belong to the Wayne Family for generations but run down in Bruce's absence, in actuality Bruce bought and refurbished the old estate that had lain empty for some time and used it and the caves underneath as his headquarters for his war on crime and retrofitted it with state of the art security systems and secret entrances as well as falsified storied family history in just about every room along tasteful if expensive furniture and decorations.
The Batcave-Batman's lair and primary headquarters in his war on crime, the Batcave was built from the existing underground caverns and tunnels underneath Wayne Manor. It has of course been significantly built up and houses not only a full armory of gadgets and fleets of vehicles for land, air and sea but also Bruce's all important Bat-Computer. In addition, it houses state-of-the-art training facilities and labs for gadget building, investigative sciences and chemical analysis. The Batcave also links up to various tunnels and secret entrances/exits throughout Gotham along with water and sky entrances. More recently the Batcave has also become a museum of sorts commemorating Batman's accomplishments and battles, storing trophies and technology of encounters with his various rogues and allies. Batman has also set up a number of smaller emergency Batcaves hidden throughout Gotham that contain spare suits, utility belts, gadgets and vehicles.
The Docks and Waterfront-Gotham's harbor and seaside area is home to innumerable shipping warehouses, fisheries, boats both recreational and commercial and a number of abandoned buildings as well. More than a few criminals have used them as a hideout and before Batman was a reality it was a key spot for much of the criminal activity of the city. Even now among the labyrinths of huge metallic shipping crates, piers and old buildings, people of ill intent hide from the Batman's sight.
Wayne Tower-The Headquarters of Wayne Enterprises, meeting place for its' board of directors and general nerve center for its' operations. Ever since Wayne Enterprises began its' operations to restore and improve the city, the Tower has become a symbol of hope and optimism for Gotham's future.
Wayne R&D-The building that houses the research and development branch for the Waynetech division of Bruce's financial empire, from which he borrows the technology for many of his gadgets and vehicles. Headed by Lucius Fox, here they work on everything from Aerospace technology to weaponry to telecommunications in several labs throughout the building. Headed by Lucius Fox, Waynetech R&D helps Batman in more ways than they could possibly suspect.
Gotham City: One of the top three most corrupt cities in America and generally considered pretty high on any given 'worst places to live' lists worth their salt. Gotham has been improving bit by bit over the years since Batman's arrival and the expansion of Wayne Enterprises and some parts of it are actually livable for people who can't afford their own security forces. That said, it's still a wretched hive of scum and villainy in many ways, with those willing to stand up to a culture of corruption and the occasional rampaging theme-murderer being few and far between. Just a few of the individual locations in and around Gotham City include:
Park Row-Also known as Crime Alley, this is both the former worst area in Gotham city and the site of Bruce's parents death. Since returning to the city his dual efforts as Bruce Wayne and Batman have improved it somewhat and now a memorial to the tragic deaths of 'philanthropists' Thomas and Martha Wayne now stands on the former site of Bruce's dilapidated childhood home. Despite his efforts quality of life is just this side of tolerable and crime is still frequent for the residents that remain.
The Narrows-A portion of Gotham that became even worse than Park Row over the years, the Narrows is still recovering from the Joker's terrible mass killings and terror nearly five years ago. Wayne Enterprises is dedicated to rebuilding the area, but the psychological scars left on The Narrows' residents are slower in repairing and many of them have since turned to crime in the wake of the Joker's devastation.
Wayne Manor-A stately mansion now said to belong to the Wayne Family for generations but run down in Bruce's absence, in actuality Bruce bought and refurbished the old estate that had lain empty for some time and used it and the caves underneath as his headquarters for his war on crime and retrofitted it with state of the art security systems and secret entrances as well as falsified storied family history in just about every room along tasteful if expensive furniture and decorations.
The Batcave-Batman's lair and primary headquarters in his war on crime, the Batcave was built from the existing underground caverns and tunnels underneath Wayne Manor. It has of course been significantly built up and houses not only a full armory of gadgets and fleets of vehicles for land, air and sea but also Bruce's all important Bat-Computer. In addition, it houses state-of-the-art training facilities and labs for gadget building, investigative sciences and chemical analysis. The Batcave also links up to various tunnels and secret entrances/exits throughout Gotham along with water and sky entrances. More recently the Batcave has also become a museum of sorts commemorating Batman's accomplishments and battles, storing trophies and technology of encounters with his various rogues and allies. Batman has also set up a number of smaller emergency Batcaves hidden throughout Gotham that contain spare suits, utility belts, gadgets and vehicles.
The Docks and Waterfront-Gotham's harbor and seaside area is home to innumerable shipping warehouses, fisheries, boats both recreational and commercial and a number of abandoned buildings as well. More than a few criminals have used them as a hideout and before Batman was a reality it was a key spot for much of the criminal activity of the city. Even now among the labyrinths of huge metallic shipping crates, piers and old buildings, people of ill intent hide from the Batman's sight.
Wayne Tower-The Headquarters of Wayne Enterprises, meeting place for its' board of directors and general nerve center for its' operations. Ever since Wayne Enterprises began its' operations to restore and improve the city, the Tower has become a symbol of hope and optimism for Gotham's future.
Wayne R&D-The building that houses the research and development branch for the Waynetech division of Bruce's financial empire, from which he borrows the technology for many of his gadgets and vehicles. Headed by Lucius Fox, here they work on everything from Aerospace technology to weaponry to telecommunications in several labs throughout the building. Headed by Lucius Fox, Waynetech R&D helps Batman in more ways than they could possibly suspect.
People of Note:
Who’s in your character’s life? Here you should list notable NPCs, be them friends, allies or enemies.
Organizations
Gotham City Police Department-One of the most corrupt police departments in the country, the GCPD is still barely less than one-hundred percent corrupt, and even that much is mainly thanks to the combined efforts of Batman and Commissioner Gordon's Major Crimes Unit.
Wayne Enterprises- Bruce Wayne's multi-billion dollar multinational conglomerate that has its' fingers in every industry from shipping and real estate to aerospace technology and weapons manufacturing. While it was initially funded through seed money from Ra's Al-Ghul Bruce has taken care to transform it into a completely independent entity both to fund his war on crime and provide jobs and charitable services for Gotham City and beyond.
The League of Assassins-The military of sorts of Ra's Al Ghul's criminal empire otherwise known as the Demon's Fang, the LoA is comprised of assassins and fanatics from around the world, most of whom are completely devoted to Ra's Al Ghul and his 'vision' of a better world purged of corruption and decay.
Supporting Cast
Commissioner James "Jim" W. Gordon- Batman's closest ally within the GCPD and the so-called "Last Good Man in Gotham", Jim Gordon is both the police commissioner and the direct head of his hand-selected Major Crimes Unit which was created to be incorruptible and handle even the strangest crimes throughout Gotham. Commissioner Gordon has given Batman tacit approval to operate in Gotham and the two are the main bulwarks and crime in the city. While Gordon doesn't always agree with Batman's methods, he understands that they are fully necessary and they get results.
Ubu-Bruce's faithful adviser, butler and bodyguard who is the latest in a long line of servants and bodyguards sharing the name Ubu. He is in fact a top-level member of the League of Assassins assigned as an assistant to Bruce as he carries out his endeavors, his family having served Ra's Al Ghul for centuries. Despite this, he has grown increasingly loyal to Bruce Wayne personally, especially after seeing the good that his efforts have done for the people of Gotham City. Apart from his hidden skills as an excellent assassin, he is also an extremely well trained butler, servant and cook.
Lucius Fox-The head of Waynetech R&D and one of Bruce's primary financial advisers and scientists, Lucius Fox has become fully aware of Bruce's identity as Batman though not of his previous ties to the League of Assassins. Fox is a brilliant research scientist and businessman in his own right and often deals with company matters when Bruce is otherwise occupied and together with the R&D department devises or suggests new gadgetry or vehicles on the rare occasions when a problem is beyond Bruce's scope.
Villains
The Joker
Harley Quinn
Ra's Al-Ghul: The head of the League of Assassins and Bruce Wayne's erstwhile benefactor and teacher from a very young age. Though he initially financed and supported Bruce's 'experiment' with Gotham City, he himself believes in much harsher and more radical methods when it comes to 'improving' society and protecting the Earth itself. Whether he's truly a noble figure who's simply willing to do what's necessary for the world and has redeeming or honorable qualities or is an outright megalomaniac and monster is a matter of opinion. What does matter is that he seems to have kept alive for centuries and has as much in the way of skills, knowledge and resources as Batman, if not more.
Selina Kyle/Catwoman-A thief and cat burglar who steals from criminals and Gotham's wealthy elite with equal regularity who's crossed paths with Batman with surprising regularity over the years. The two have a rocky relationship at the best of times given their opposing views on her life of crime, though she's definitely among the most agreeable of all of Batman's rogues and certainly the least prone to harming other people and there's a certain romantic tension between them to consider.
Black Mask-Though formerly one of the more traditional criminal masterminds of Gotham's underworld, Roman Sidonis became far more when a horrific explosion fused a mask he was using for intimidation to his face. Now he and his masked cronies are at the top of the food chain as far as organized, non-super crime in Gotham goes, with an army of lawyers to make sure he stays out of prison and the budget to afford top mercenaries and training for his henchmen.
Two Face: formerly District Attorney Harvey Dent and an ally of Batman's crusade against crime until a horrible facial disfigurement either drove him insane or revealed a deeper hidden madness within him. Now he's the criminal Two-Face, his identity split between the ruthless mob boss side of his personality and the moral former district attorney with which one he decides to act upon being decided by the flip of a coin.
Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy
Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow
Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin
Waylon Jones/Killer Croc
Edward Nygma/The Riddler
Matt Hagen/Clayface
Victor Fries/Mr.Freeze
Kirk Langstrom/Man-Bat
Bane
Who’s in your character’s life? Here you should list notable NPCs, be them friends, allies or enemies.
Organizations
Gotham City Police Department-One of the most corrupt police departments in the country, the GCPD is still barely less than one-hundred percent corrupt, and even that much is mainly thanks to the combined efforts of Batman and Commissioner Gordon's Major Crimes Unit.
Wayne Enterprises- Bruce Wayne's multi-billion dollar multinational conglomerate that has its' fingers in every industry from shipping and real estate to aerospace technology and weapons manufacturing. While it was initially funded through seed money from Ra's Al-Ghul Bruce has taken care to transform it into a completely independent entity both to fund his war on crime and provide jobs and charitable services for Gotham City and beyond.
The League of Assassins-The military of sorts of Ra's Al Ghul's criminal empire otherwise known as the Demon's Fang, the LoA is comprised of assassins and fanatics from around the world, most of whom are completely devoted to Ra's Al Ghul and his 'vision' of a better world purged of corruption and decay.
Supporting Cast
Commissioner James "Jim" W. Gordon- Batman's closest ally within the GCPD and the so-called "Last Good Man in Gotham", Jim Gordon is both the police commissioner and the direct head of his hand-selected Major Crimes Unit which was created to be incorruptible and handle even the strangest crimes throughout Gotham. Commissioner Gordon has given Batman tacit approval to operate in Gotham and the two are the main bulwarks and crime in the city. While Gordon doesn't always agree with Batman's methods, he understands that they are fully necessary and they get results.
Ubu-Bruce's faithful adviser, butler and bodyguard who is the latest in a long line of servants and bodyguards sharing the name Ubu. He is in fact a top-level member of the League of Assassins assigned as an assistant to Bruce as he carries out his endeavors, his family having served Ra's Al Ghul for centuries. Despite this, he has grown increasingly loyal to Bruce Wayne personally, especially after seeing the good that his efforts have done for the people of Gotham City. Apart from his hidden skills as an excellent assassin, he is also an extremely well trained butler, servant and cook.
Lucius Fox-The head of Waynetech R&D and one of Bruce's primary financial advisers and scientists, Lucius Fox has become fully aware of Bruce's identity as Batman though not of his previous ties to the League of Assassins. Fox is a brilliant research scientist and businessman in his own right and often deals with company matters when Bruce is otherwise occupied and together with the R&D department devises or suggests new gadgetry or vehicles on the rare occasions when a problem is beyond Bruce's scope.
Villains
The Joker
Harley Quinn
Ra's Al-Ghul: The head of the League of Assassins and Bruce Wayne's erstwhile benefactor and teacher from a very young age. Though he initially financed and supported Bruce's 'experiment' with Gotham City, he himself believes in much harsher and more radical methods when it comes to 'improving' society and protecting the Earth itself. Whether he's truly a noble figure who's simply willing to do what's necessary for the world and has redeeming or honorable qualities or is an outright megalomaniac and monster is a matter of opinion. What does matter is that he seems to have kept alive for centuries and has as much in the way of skills, knowledge and resources as Batman, if not more.
Selina Kyle/Catwoman-A thief and cat burglar who steals from criminals and Gotham's wealthy elite with equal regularity who's crossed paths with Batman with surprising regularity over the years. The two have a rocky relationship at the best of times given their opposing views on her life of crime, though she's definitely among the most agreeable of all of Batman's rogues and certainly the least prone to harming other people and there's a certain romantic tension between them to consider.
Black Mask-Though formerly one of the more traditional criminal masterminds of Gotham's underworld, Roman Sidonis became far more when a horrific explosion fused a mask he was using for intimidation to his face. Now he and his masked cronies are at the top of the food chain as far as organized, non-super crime in Gotham goes, with an army of lawyers to make sure he stays out of prison and the budget to afford top mercenaries and training for his henchmen.
Two Face: formerly District Attorney Harvey Dent and an ally of Batman's crusade against crime until a horrible facial disfigurement either drove him insane or revealed a deeper hidden madness within him. Now he's the criminal Two-Face, his identity split between the ruthless mob boss side of his personality and the moral former district attorney with which one he decides to act upon being decided by the flip of a coin.
Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy
Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow
Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin
Waylon Jones/Killer Croc
Edward Nygma/The Riddler
Matt Hagen/Clayface
Victor Fries/Mr.Freeze
Kirk Langstrom/Man-Bat
Bane
Character Goals:
I want to do a new take on Batman as a character as well as his training, background and motivations while still remaining as true as possible to the spirit and nature of the character. More than that I want to create new and exciting Batman stories and put new twists on old ones as part of a collaborative effort to make the best, most vibrant and fun DC Universe possible and collaborate with the other players as much as I possibly can to contribute to rich group stories and above all have fun with everyone.
Sample Post:
"Well, are you man enough to face your better?!"
It had been only a day since the young man once called Bruce Wayne had dared to defy the command of the man who had been his master, patron and only family for over a decade. One day since he had found it within himself to say that everything he had ever been taught was wrong, one day since he had decided to change the trajectory of his entire life for the sake principles he was only beginning to truly understand.
How much things can change in just one day.
For now, Ra's Al Ghul confronted him at the exit to the cavernous compound that had been their home for some time, a blade in each hand and one of them proffered to his former protege and ward. The two had rarely sparred directly and never with live blades, but now as he came so close to leaving for his new life the assassin known as Al Xu'ffasch began to wonder if he wasn't about to receive a delayed execution for yesterday's defiance. Still, if he was going to hold true to his beliefs there was only one response. He took up the offered sword.
"If you insist."
"Then fight for your life!"
The battle was on almost faster than the young man could step into a proper stance, Ra's opening with a series of fast but strong slashes that drove him back with their ferocity as he managed to bat each one aside just enough to avoid being cut open.
"When I met you Al Xu'ffasch, you were living in the gutter barely alive! I had already gone to see if there was even one thing in your city worth saving when I found that it had forced your thieving hands into my pockets! What makes you think you can save such a place?"
Thinking quickly the young Assassin rolled aside as a last slash came down and came to his feet with more distance between himself and his enraged master. Knowing that defending and evading forever would get him nowhere he lunged back into the fight and when the thrust was knocked aside almost contemptuously he lashed out with a knee to Ra's midsection that seemed to take the ancient man by surprise and stun him.
"I came from Gotham, I know it. There are still good people that are willing to do the right thing if they aren't powerless and afraid. I saw my parents make the city a better place every day without ever taking life."
Ra's moment of weakness didn't last long enough for a blow to the head to knock him out, instead his student suddenly found his wrist gripped as he was suddenly flipped onto his back, and only a lifetime of training let him keep hold of his sword through stars of pain and scramble aside in time to deflect what should have been a deathblow. He came back to his feet once more with sword at the ready, although now with his back to the stairs. This time as Ra's closed the distance and began attacking Bruce let each defense and counter flow naturally, focusing on keeping himself uninjured while slowly moving up the stairs to the outside.
"That may have been so, but in the end they were too weak and they died for that weakness."
"We aren't nearly so weak, and with the skills and resources you've given me I can do more than they ever could."
"You think that will be enough, or that the enemies you make won't kill you for trying?"
"With your full resources it could be done. We could protect the world without needing to kill!"
"And what of my daughter, Talia? Will you leave her behind Al Xu'ffasch? Sacrifice her for your grand principles?"
If that was an attempt to distract the younger man it worked, because at the same time they reached the top of the stairs he stumbled Ra's whipped his foot out from under him. In an instant the point of Ra's' sword was at his protege's throat.
"I do not believe you could possibly succeed..."
With his eyes closed in preparation for death he heard rather than saw the Ra's sword clatter to the rocks at their feet.
"But I do not believe I can change your mind either. Time and failure will do what I cannot, however. Rest until tomorrow, then go with my blessing. Ubu shall meet you in the nearest city with access to all I believe you shall require to carry out this ludicrous experiment. I have full confidence that once your childish idealism is wasted, you will return to us humbled, to take your proper place."
The now ex-assassin formerly known as Al Xu'ffasch could only stare in disbelief as The Demon's Head walked back inside. Seeing as he wasn't dead, he could certainly wait for one more day.
Because after just one more day, Bruce Wayne would begin his return to Gotham City
"Well, are you man enough to face your better?!"
It had been only a day since the young man once called Bruce Wayne had dared to defy the command of the man who had been his master, patron and only family for over a decade. One day since he had found it within himself to say that everything he had ever been taught was wrong, one day since he had decided to change the trajectory of his entire life for the sake principles he was only beginning to truly understand.
How much things can change in just one day.
For now, Ra's Al Ghul confronted him at the exit to the cavernous compound that had been their home for some time, a blade in each hand and one of them proffered to his former protege and ward. The two had rarely sparred directly and never with live blades, but now as he came so close to leaving for his new life the assassin known as Al Xu'ffasch began to wonder if he wasn't about to receive a delayed execution for yesterday's defiance. Still, if he was going to hold true to his beliefs there was only one response. He took up the offered sword.
"If you insist."
"Then fight for your life!"
The battle was on almost faster than the young man could step into a proper stance, Ra's opening with a series of fast but strong slashes that drove him back with their ferocity as he managed to bat each one aside just enough to avoid being cut open.
"When I met you Al Xu'ffasch, you were living in the gutter barely alive! I had already gone to see if there was even one thing in your city worth saving when I found that it had forced your thieving hands into my pockets! What makes you think you can save such a place?"
Thinking quickly the young Assassin rolled aside as a last slash came down and came to his feet with more distance between himself and his enraged master. Knowing that defending and evading forever would get him nowhere he lunged back into the fight and when the thrust was knocked aside almost contemptuously he lashed out with a knee to Ra's midsection that seemed to take the ancient man by surprise and stun him.
"I came from Gotham, I know it. There are still good people that are willing to do the right thing if they aren't powerless and afraid. I saw my parents make the city a better place every day without ever taking life."
Ra's moment of weakness didn't last long enough for a blow to the head to knock him out, instead his student suddenly found his wrist gripped as he was suddenly flipped onto his back, and only a lifetime of training let him keep hold of his sword through stars of pain and scramble aside in time to deflect what should have been a deathblow. He came back to his feet once more with sword at the ready, although now with his back to the stairs. This time as Ra's closed the distance and began attacking Bruce let each defense and counter flow naturally, focusing on keeping himself uninjured while slowly moving up the stairs to the outside.
"That may have been so, but in the end they were too weak and they died for that weakness."
"We aren't nearly so weak, and with the skills and resources you've given me I can do more than they ever could."
"You think that will be enough, or that the enemies you make won't kill you for trying?"
"With your full resources it could be done. We could protect the world without needing to kill!"
"And what of my daughter, Talia? Will you leave her behind Al Xu'ffasch? Sacrifice her for your grand principles?"
If that was an attempt to distract the younger man it worked, because at the same time they reached the top of the stairs he stumbled Ra's whipped his foot out from under him. In an instant the point of Ra's' sword was at his protege's throat.
"I do not believe you could possibly succeed..."
With his eyes closed in preparation for death he heard rather than saw the Ra's sword clatter to the rocks at their feet.
"But I do not believe I can change your mind either. Time and failure will do what I cannot, however. Rest until tomorrow, then go with my blessing. Ubu shall meet you in the nearest city with access to all I believe you shall require to carry out this ludicrous experiment. I have full confidence that once your childish idealism is wasted, you will return to us humbled, to take your proper place."
The now ex-assassin formerly known as Al Xu'ffasch could only stare in disbelief as The Demon's Head walked back inside. Seeing as he wasn't dead, he could certainly wait for one more day.
Because after just one more day, Bruce Wayne would begin his return to Gotham City
1x Like
Lord Wraith Actually Three Otters in a Trenchcoat
Member
Seen
8 hrs ago
I definitely appreciate you leaving the Court of Owls alone along with being able to work out Grayson in the sheet. Should be a very different interaction should Bats ever come down into Blüdhaven.
I wasn't sure about what you've been doing, but I figure we can work it out together into something mutually agreeable if we have to and I might as well give you a chance. Plus, Court of Owls is so much more a Dick Grayson thing in my mind that I didn't feel like touching it regardless until all this has been sorted if at all.
GM
GreenGrenade
Member
Seen
1 day ago
Well, well, well. I sure am glad to have a reason to be back on the Guild.
I'm interested in playing Alan Scott Green Lantern, Victor Sage as the Question, and Doctor Fate. Would any of these be problematic or preferable over the other?
None would be problematic at all. My only preference is your preference :).
@Dblade26, Batman is accepted. Post him in the Characters tab when you're ready.
Hillan I'm a writer - Lying's what we do.
Member
Seen
45 min ago
Sweet. I'll start with a Dr.Fate one.
Edit: I lied. I'll be doing Question primarily.
Edit: I lied. I'll be doing Question primarily.
GM
GreenGrenade
Member
Seen
1 day ago
Sweet. I'll start with a Dr.Fate one.
Edit: I lied. I'll be doing Question primarily.
Haha fair enough.
An Outsider A Glorious Failure
Member
Seen
1 yr ago
Laying a tentative claim to Deadshot.
Name:
Alias:
Origin:
Attributes:
Stomping Grounds:
People of Note:
Who’s in your character’s life? Here you should list notable NPCs, be them friends, allies or enemies.
Character Goals:
What do you want to achieve with this character? On what sort of journey do you want to take them? List what story arcs you have in mind for the character. Explain your goal, convince me that you’ll be an active player. I want people with the motive to really make this RP thrive through great storytelling.
Sample Post:
Write a reasonably sized scene ideally taken from your character’s history. Give me a good idea of what your writing style is like. If your sheet is accepted, this sample will be considered canon. Make sure to include some dialogue.
Floyd Lawton
Alias:
Deadshot
Origin:
Fucked up childhood. Folks are black ops agents. Treasured big brother. Kills said big brother. Recruited out of school to be black ops himself. Spotless record. Advent of superheroes. Goes up against Batman(Speak to DBlade). Gets himself locked up. Approached by Waller. Joins the Suicide Squad. Present day.
Attributes:
Shit hot at shooting folk. Espionage skills. Black-ops training. Limited hand to hand training.
Stomping Grounds:
Belle Reve Penitentiary.
People of Note:
Who’s in your character’s life? Here you should list notable NPCs, be them friends, allies or enemies.
Character Goals:
What do you want to achieve with this character? On what sort of journey do you want to take them? List what story arcs you have in mind for the character. Explain your goal, convince me that you’ll be an active player. I want people with the motive to really make this RP thrive through great storytelling.
Sample Post:
Write a reasonably sized scene ideally taken from your character’s history. Give me a good idea of what your writing style is like. If your sheet is accepted, this sample will be considered canon. Make sure to include some dialogue.
3x Like
Lord Wraith Actually Three Otters in a Trenchcoat
Member
Seen
8 hrs ago
@Dblade26,@GreenGrenade,@Vandy would any of you take an objection to me adding Helena Bertinelli/Huntress as an ally of Dick's? Naturally I can concede the character if someone expresses interest in her.
An Outsider A Glorious Failure
Member
Seen
1 yr ago
Although I also want to try my hand at a barbaric Aquaman. . .
Lord Wraith Actually Three Otters in a Trenchcoat
Member
Seen
8 hrs ago
@BlackSam3091 I would love to see that.
clanjos Giant Hero
Member
Seen
0-24 hrs ago
So... are we talking classic scene-chewing barbarian?
Also, working on a Jason Blood who is an adventurer archaeologist. Rather than being Jason of Norwich, he's a distant descendant.
Also, working on a Jason Blood who is an adventurer archaeologist. Rather than being Jason of Norwich, he's a distant descendant.
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