[hider=The show must go on]
[color=ef6069][b]Name:[/b][/color] Grimm
[color=ef6069][b]Origin:[/b][/color] Hollow Knight
[color=ef6069][b]Appearance:[/b][/color] Though quite large for a bug, [url=https://i.imgur.com/Z04Jyw6.png]Grimm[/url] stands at a meager 4'10", and his pitch-black exoskeleton is extremely spindly. He is practically featureless save for his black horns and his glowing scarlet eyes, though a white heart-shaped mask gives him some semblance of a face. He wears a cloak of tough black grass, their undersides dyed red, over a simple cuirass composed of a polished dark red carapace
[color=ef6069][b]Personality:[/b][/color] As the master of a traveling circus, Grimm has a flair for both mystery and theatrics, always seeking to awe and entertain. He is cunning and manipulative, with no sense of morality to speak of, but he is never needlessly violent or malicious, instead acting polite and respectful. Though seldom one to engage in conversation, and not really someone with a casual side, he sees the act of combat as a sort of dance through which individuals can truly communicate, and he delights in the cheers and admiration of the crowd
[color=ef6069][b]Background:[/b][/color] Grimm, like all his troupe, was a thrall of the Nightmare Heart, a being born from the nightmare realm that exists as the shadow of his world's dream realm. He led his troop on a never-ending voyage across his world, showing up wherever the flames of the Nightmare Lantern are lit. There, while the members of the circus performed and entertained the locals, the Troupe's acolytes would enact a ritual to feed their eldritch master by stoking a Grimmchild with nightmare flames, nourishing it until Grimm could be born anew, and the cycle forever continued.
[color=ef6069][b]In the Now:[/b][/color] Rumor have circulated through the Forbidden Kingdom, from backwater villages all the way up to the big cities, of a strange wandering troupe that arrives by night and vanishes by sunrise. Some see its arrival as an eerie portent of catastrophe, or cultists preying on hapless victims through acts of profane ritual, while others see it nothing more than a guaranteed night of dreamlike revelry. Its traveling performers, none of which are human, are all elusive as they are fascinating, and none more so than the troupe's master. Both excitement and tension mount as the Grimm Troupe's next destination becomes clear: the acropolis city of Meridi-at-han.

[color=ef6069][b]Job:[/b][/color] Troupe Master
[color=ef6069][b]Specialty:[/b][/color] Fiery spectacle, slippery movement, and a versatile mix of unrelenting attacks to keep guests guessing until the curtains fall
[color=ef6069][b]Inventory:[/b][/color] Nothing

[color=ef6069][b]Lv:[/b][/color] 5
[color=ef6069][b]EXP:[/b][/color] 7/50
[color=ef6069][b]Abilities:[/b][/color]
[list][*][b]Teleport[/b] - Grimm can vanish in a blast of red mist and reform a second later up to 20 feet away, with a cooldown of 2 seconds between uses. If used in the air, the blast ignites and rains down four fireballs
[*][b]Firebats[/b] - As long as he's on the ground, Grimm can open his clock to launch up to four scarlet firebats that poorly track targets. He can teleport once at any point in a salvo without interrupting it, and whenever he launches a firebat, a flare goes off from his eyes that blazes directly above him. However, he can only launch a firebat salvo once every ten seconds or so
[*][b]Hangtime[/b] - If Grimm so chooses, he can hang in the air, whether silent and motionless, or to launch physical attacks. His most notable technique that uses this ability is wrapping himself in his cloak in order to dive like a drill
[*][b]Threading Needles[/b] = Grimm can animate the strands of his cloak and bury them into the ground around himself. After a moment, their tips will emerge as spikes from the terrain within 50 feet, before extending into twelve-foot lances. This attack can inflict a lot of damage over a wide area, but it’s more effective against larger, less agile targets, and it anchors Grimm in place for the duration
[*][b]Pufferfish[/b] - While suspended in the air, Grimm can turn himself into a paper lantern in order to inundate the arena with twelve waves of scarlet fireballs, all stronger than their small size would suggest. Each wave has only a couple openings between the fireballs, randomly placed, and the waves come fast, one every .9 seconds. Grimm cannot defend himself otherwise, but he’s extremely difficult to stagger in this state
[*][b]Kindred Spirits[/b] - Grimm can now summon [url=https://i.imgur.com/mA97ORo.png]Grimmkin Novices[/url] while in darkness. Oddly spectral, these strange masked bugs can float around and perform various tasks for him. They can also fight on Grimm’s behalf, charging headlong toward his foes or lobbing scarlet fireballs from a distance with their torches, but doing either leaves them vulnerable for a moment, and they have low health. The Grimmkin disappear in sunlight, and only Grimm can communicate with them. The amount he can summon increase with his stock of Nightmare Flames. At present, he can summon 2[/list]
[color=ef6069][b]Skills:[/b][/color] [list][*][b]Close Combatant[/b] - Grimm's claws and teeth both work very well as natural weapons, inflicting high slash and pierce damage, respectively. Combined with surprising speed, accuracy, and agility, he's dangerous up close, especially to targets with low defense
[*][b]The Night was Long[/b] - Despite his frail appearance, Grimm has plenty of health and is difficult to stagger, making any fight with him a battle of attrition that favors his style of confusion and methodical destruction
[*][b]Volcano Spear[/b] - Grimm's attacks inflict a weak thirty-second burn that cannot stack
[*][b]Fire Enthusiast[/b] - inflicting a burn on an enemy inflicts one on Grimm as well, but heals him for 20% of his max HP
[*][b]Flame Shard[/b] - Increases fire damage by 25% and immunizes Grimm against the negative effects of burning[/list]
[color=ef6069][b]Weaknesses:[/b][/color] [list]
[*][b]The Nightmare Lantern[/b] - His existence is sustained by a [url=https://i.imgur.com/QTFH0QX.png]brazier[/url] that burns with scarlet flame. If the Nightmare Lantern takes enough damage, it can be broken, and both Grimm and Troupe will be banished
[*][b]Gone to Pieces[/b] - Whenever he loses a third of his health, up to three times per fight, he will explode into a swarm of bugbats, one of which glows with scarlet flame. In this form he can't use any abilities or defend himself, just flit around in a panic for a couple seconds, allowing attackers a chance to rack up free damage until the bugbats coalesce back into Grimm
[*][b]Unarmed and Dangerous[/b] - Grimm has no proficiency with weapons or armor and won't use them[/list]
[color=ef6069][b]Spirits:[/b][/color]
[list][*][b][/b][/list]
[color=ef6069][b]Rapport:[/b][/color]
[list][*][b][/b][/list]
[/hider]

[hider=Eyes of Heaven]
[b]Name:[/b] [url=https://i.imgur.com/wNAxtCO.jpeg]Sandalphon[/url]
[b]Origin:[/b] Dragalia Lost
[b]Appearance:[/b] In her current state, Sandalphon is a humanoid angel with a businesslike aesthetic and a touch of wild western flair. She stands at 6’0”, with pronounced curves but very little muscle. Her skin is pale and her short hair light gray with a handful of large, long curls. Her eye bags are the same color as her lipstick, and her eyes are dark blue with bold turquoise power symbols as pupils. Above her head floats a large yellow halo with a smaller halo attached to either side, all embellished with golden ornaments. Her outfit consists of a blue button-up shirt split into two pieces at the chest, the top with the collar, black tie, and sleeves and the bottom more like a tube top. She wears black slacks with a couple black belts and bands, and white flared longboots that match her off-the-shoulder fringed longcoat
[b]Personality:[/b] Sandalphon is typically calm, polite, temperate, and professional. Extremely observant and astute, she possesses a high degree of mental acuity and is good at multitasking. As an Archangel, she does have a natural flair for the dramatic, and strives to uphold a certain holy dignity. Valuing efficiency and speed, she does not hesitate to offer constructive criticism, even to her enemies. She is largely unexpressive but can be comically serious, with her pupils changing into different symbols that betray her mental state. When it comes to the well-being of her allies she takes her job extremely seriously, assuming full responsibility over operations she directs and the information she distributes. In fact, she’s a severe workaholic who gets very little sleep, and can oftentimes exhaust herself without realizing. Perhaps due to this, she’s highly addicted to sugar and caffeine. After several fusions, cracks are beginning to show in her unexpressive facade, and new emotions seep through
[b]Background:[/b] In the northern reached of the continent of Grastaea lay the grand and prosperous city of Grams, home of the Northern Ilian Church under the leadership of its Pope and Aqueous Auspex, Origa. Within that vast organization there existed no more capable servants of the church than the Apostles, the nation’s elite team of peacekeepers paired with powerful dragons known as Archangels. Time and again, the duos of Nevin and Ramiel, Basileus and Michael, Pinon and Gabriel, Faris and Uriel, Ryszarda and Raphel would take the field to keep their country safe, whether that meant repelling invaders or quelling monsters. None of it would’ve been possible, however, without the Apostles leaders: the legendary pairing of Regina and Sandalphon. Working alongside her sigil-bound human, Sandalphon would direct countless operations, quickly efficiently coordinating and communicating amongst her allies to ensure that the Apostles never knew defeat.

Her career would be sorely tested, however, by the progression of a vile conspiracy. After learning that Xenos the all-powerful Progenitor would eventually escape his eons of imprisonment to erase the concept of possibility, Origa became convinced by the demon Loki that only the revival of Satan, as a demonic being of pure chaos, would be able to stand against the Progenitor’s absolute order. And so she hatched a scheme, working with the power-hungry Graht and vengeful apostle Basileus, to free demons while searching for the Sacred Shard that sealed Satan away. Origa would eventually orchestrate the capture of the Apostles, including her sister Regina after she and Sandalphon began to investigate Basileus, the only ones who would be able to challenge the demon lord. While the apostles ultimately managed to escape and challenged a resurrected Satan alongside their pact-bound dragons, the Archangels were ultimately forced to sacrifice themselves just to slow Satan down enough for Prince Euden of Alberia to arrive with his army and finish the job. Only Sandalphon, among all the Archangels, survived the ordeal. In the aftermath of the conspiracy, she worked with Regina in the hopes of reviving the others until Galeem’s apocalypse.
[b]In the Now:[/b] In the World of Light, Sandalphon’s story began in the Dystopiascape, specifically Midgar’s Sector 01 Plate, Piltover, where she came to be alongside a number of Sankta within the Lateran Church, the primary organized religious establishment within the city. With a unique laid-back attitude and culture with an emphasis on desserts, the Lateran Church also formed the Sector’s (and perhaps the city’s) leading manufacturer of firearms, with all its members mandated to own a patron firearm. Though extremely capable serving as the communications director for the Apostolic Knights, Piltover’s primary defense force, Sandalphon always felt like something of an outcast among the Sankta, owing to her lack of the angelic race’s shared ‘empathy’ ability that allowed them to sense one another’s emotions. Sandalphon would eventually roam beyond Piltover, seeking to take a more proactive role in Midgar’s defense against the Ever Crisis. Distrustful of the Administration and lacking psychic potential, she ended up joining DespoRHado, where she assumed her previous role. A growing familiarity with the PMC’s dark side, however, drove her to try and reform the organization aware from indentured cyborg soldiers and toward sophisticated androids. She would continue this endeavor until armed conflict broke out between DespoRHado and Vandelay Technologies, seeing it -and the Seekers- as a way to dislodge the ineffective and inhumane systems currently in place. Afterward, she joined the Seekers in order to expose and eliminate Midgar’s Guardian, then signed on for the long-term in order to see their mission through.

[b]Job:[/b] Support Sniper
[b]Specialty:[/b] Observing the battlefield from afar to coordinate allies’ efforts, then lay down crucial bursts of damage or healing wherever most needed
[hider=Inventory][list][*][b][url=https://i.imgur.com/YAQnNGb.png]Gunstaff[/url][/b] - An integrated staff-rifle weapon that serves as both a firearm, when held like a rifle, and a casting catalyst when held upright. In rifle mode it fires high-velocity ether bolts. In staff mode it can be planted to create a small Healing Field that heals allies inside it over time. Using the Gunstaff charges Sandalphon’s SP, allowing her to use skills, and she can stock up enough to use three skills
[*][b][url=https://i.imgur.com/ZDNv6Lo.png]Eye of Sol[/url][/b] - The sun took my sight; thus, the sun became my eyes. A futuristic sniper rifle that fires bullets with high stopping power. It has a magazine of 4 shots, high recoil, long range, and an excellent scope. Its adaptive range makes it well-rounded, reliable, and sturdy. Aiming down sights for 1 second grants 35% flinch reduction. Reload, range, and accuracy are increased when no targets are in close proximity
[*][b]Aether Lance[/b] - a high-tech staff designed for use by the Skywave exosuit. Requiring no ammunition or power, it can be twirled to lob energy orbs that explode in an AoE with a 3-foot diameter on impact, doing minor damage to enemies and restoring a little health to allies
[*]Canteen (filled with coffee whenever possible)[/list][/hider]

[b]Lv:[/b] 8
[b]EXP:[/b] 24/80
[b]Abilities:[/b]
[list][*][b][url=https://i.imgur.com/82cmlvV.png]Angel of Information[/url][/b] (Support Sniper) - Sandalphon is able to create two-dimensional magical projections that essentially form a multi-screen computer system for her personal use, visualizing the information cataloged in her head to make readouts, graphs, maps, and more. She can bestow these screens to allies in the form of sigils and open two-way communicate with them over long distances. Lastly, she can teleport to anyone linked to her in this manner, and back to her original position afterward, once per mission per person
[*][b]Angelic Praise[/b] (Support Sniper) - a skill that sends out holy ripples through the ethereal current to all allies within a few hundred feet, healing them all for 51% of their maximum health and healing them an additional 13% ever 3 seconds for the next 15 seconds. If in Coordination Protocol, those allies’ strength is boosted by a 15% of her own. If in Concentration Protocol: Grants the user "Rapid Analysis", which can stack up to 3 times
[*][b]Angelic Wings[/b] (Support Sniper) - a skill that forms four curved screens that quickly rotate around Sandalphon, building up a circular area of glowing blue lines around her, before the screens launch outward. This divine reconstruction heals all allies within a twenty-foot radius for 120% of their max HP. If in Coordination Protocol, any such allies with status ailments will be cleansed and have their max HP boosted by 20% for 3 minutes. If in Concentration Protocol, Shapeshift will be charged by 33%
[*][b]Vault[/b] (Exo-sniper) - allows the host to launch herself high into the air with a somersault. 11-second cooldown
[*][b]Shapeshifting[/b] (Support Sniper) - After building up enough power through use of her skills, particularly Angelic Wings in Concentration Protocol, Sandalphon can transform into [url=https://i.imgur.com/O5RmMjd.png]Heavenly Wings[/url]. While in this sixteen-foot-tall stronger form her role and skills changes to close combat, but skills from a Job other than Support Sniper cannot be used. Her screens can be used as blunt projectiles. Angelic Praise is replaced by Celestial Skewer, which creates an eruption of divine water spears around her and can consume a Rapid Analysis stack to hear nearby allies for 42%. Angelic Wings is replaced by Celestial Castling, which creates a divine star above her that rains down seven rays of frostbite-inducing light. It can also inflict either poison, burn, paralysis, stormlash, flashburn, shadowblight, or scorchrend randomly. It can also consume a stack of Rapid Analysis to heal nearby allies for 42% and refresh Celestial Castling for use
[*][b]Frost Lock[/b] (Exo-sniper) - Casts an icy cluster that moves about as fast as a thrown softball. On hit, it detonates in a small area, freezing enemies and machines for 3 seconds. Larger targets take two usages of Frost Lock to be frozen. Large targets also take triple the amount of previous Frost Lock usages to be frozen again. This power has a cooldown of 12 seconds
[*][b]Process Optimization[/b] (Model Employee) - Sandalphon can draw out silvery razor wires which can be set or cast and then tightened. Inflicting slash damage with them increases her skill recharge 30% more than normal
[*][b]External Information Network[/b] (Benevolent Detective) - Every 30 seconds, Sandalphon can scan enemies within a few hundred feet to get their vitals. When she scans enemies, her allies gain a small buff to evasion, elemental resist, and damage reduction for 30 seconds
[*][b]Headquarter Support Request[/b] (Benevolent Detective) - A skill that manifests a laser targeting device that can be used to designate an area. After a brief delay, a cluster bomb will be dropped on the area that deals pretty good damage, and inflicts the following debuffs: attack -10%, elemental resist -30%, status resist -30%, and damage taken +10%, all for 20s
[*][b]Cerulean Mirage[/b] - Allows her to create a holographic double anywhere within her line of sight and walkable distance, including directly on top of her, once every 10s. If she shoots this Mirage, it will detonate to deal double the shot’s damage in a diamond-shaped area, which is even bigger if the Mirage is on something blue. The host can also instantly dispel the Mirage to turn a square foot of the ground beneath it blue
[*][b]Nitro Storm[/b] - A chain combo skill that’s empowered the more blue tiles Sandalphon has contacted in a given fight. She has to have contacted at least 2 to be able to use it. When used, Sandalphon channels her azure light into her weapon and fires off a lustrous round heavensward. After a moment, diagonal rays of azure light rapidly descend on her target like angels shooting down from on high. T1 (2 tiles) drops 4 rays in an 8-foot diamond, T2 (9 tiles) rains down 12 rays in a larger circle, and T3 (12 tiles) rains down 36 rays in a 20-foot diamond. If she has a Cerulean Mirage active, the Cerulean Mirage also uses a T1 Nitro Storm slightly after. After this, Sandalphon’s tile count resets[/list]
[hider=Sandalphon's Covenant]At the start of trials, inflicts "Locked Sigil" on the host for 300 seconds, but grants them "Preservation Protocol". The user can change which Protocol is active (Preservation, Restoration, or Purification) by announcing its name. These Protocols activate when a Skill is used and provide a defense buff, a health burst, and a status cleanse respectively. These effects will target the host if an offensive skill is used, or the target if a support skill is used. Locked Sigil's remaining time will be reduced by 6 seconds each time the user uses a Skill and by 18 seconds each time the host removes an affliction from an ally. When the Locked Sigil effect expires, the user will be granted "Sigil Released." Sigil Released grants the host all three Protocols at once, marked by the appearance of a halo above the host’s head. This covenant is currently established with Zenkichi Hasegawa[/hider]
[b]Skills:[/b]
[list][*][b]Mental Switch[/b] - Sandalphon is able to adapt to any situation on the fly, going from backline supporter to frontline fighter in just a moment of mental readjustment. While supporting her allies, she’s using Coordination Protocol, and when going on the offensive, she’s using Concentration Protocol. While this just represents her current mental state, her state of mind does automatically change some of her skills’ effects
[*][b]Combat Coordinator[/b] - Sandalphon is able to perceive and keep track of much more than the typical person, including parsing multiple conversations at once, and has an excellent memory. It’s more difficult to escape her notice, effectively distract her, or take her by surprise, and she’d completely resistant to stuns
[*][b]Heavensent[/b] - As an Archangel, Sandalphon can fall very slowly if she wants, and not take fall damage
[*][b]Cold Storage[/b] - Freezes applies by Sandalphon last two seconds longer
[*][b]Perfect Experience: Fuli[/b] - when an enemy frozen by Sandalphon is attacked, there is a 100% base chance to inflict Dissociation for 10 seconds, which will cause severe damage upon thaw
[*][b]Memosnatcher[/b] - When attacking in her Shapeshifted state, Sandalphon’s attacks sacrifice 5% of her health, but have a 50% chance to Freeze the target until her Shapeshift expires. They’re also now ice-blue instead of yellow[/list]
[b]Weaknesses:[/b]
[list][*][b]Delicate[/b] - Sandalphon’s defense is very weak, her physical defense especially, so she takes a lot of damage from all sources when not in her angelic Heavenly Wings form
[*][b]Windbane[/b] - Being Water-attuned, she takes extra damage from wind-aspected attacks
[*][b]Dragonbane[/b] - Being a dragon, she takes extra damage from any attacks or weapons noted to be effective against them
[*][b]Prehistoric Nemesis[/b] - All dinosaurs / special reptiles hate her with a burning passion to the point where they’ll attack her on sight
[*][b]Firebane[/b] - Reduces her fire and burn resistance by 30%
[*][b]Human After All[/b] -  Reduces her ability to push herself to her bodily limits and work herself like a machine, making her much more easily physically and mentally overwhelmed
[*][b]The Blues[/b] - Unless her whole team sees her as their leader, her trigger is locked if she’s not on something blue[/list]
[b]Spirits:[/b]
[list]
[*][b][url=https://i.imgur.com/dPPfvrR.png]Vigilant[/url][/b] - Fusion, gave the Exo-sniper job
[*][b][url=https://i.imgur.com/WbNmb5Z.png]Parvati[/url][/b] - Fusion, gave the Model Employee job
[*][b][url=https://i.imgur.com/hQ7MP4z.png]Leanne[/url][/b] - Fusion, gave the Benevolent Detective job
[*][b][url=https://i.imgur.com/CptJtGO.png]Azure[/url][/b] - Fusion, gave the Sky-blue Sureshot job
[*][b][url=https://i.imgur.com/h2UFVIJ.png]Hammering[/url][/b] - A Striker with a 10s cooldown that is good at hitting things with her hammer, dealing heavy blunt damage that ignores a little of the target’s defense
[*][b][url=https://i.imgur.com/pWi1Taw.png]Annabella[/url][/b] - A Striker armed with a rifle that’s basically a railgun, accelerating superheated payloads to dangerous speeds. She can appear to fire three rounds at a time while standing or in the air, weaker than sniper shots but dealing fire-aspected damage. By taking aim, she can also charge up a stronger shot over a couple seconds, though she’s vulnerable during this time. 20s cooldown. Finally, she can lob a canister that explodes when shot[/list]
[b]Rapport:[/b] 
[list]
[*][b]Pit[/b] - Rank D, 3/5 REXP
[list][*]Being angels, the two had enough in common to hit it off. While Sandalphon wasn’t the authoritative holy lady Pit wanted to see, she believes that the two of them should get along, and would like to see him flourish[/list]
[*][b]Zenkichi Hasegawa[/b] - Rank A, 20/29 REXP
[list][*]The two worked for opposing sides in Midgar, but when the Seekers’ campaign brought them together they happened to cooperate in Quarantine Valley. Their first [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5491623]actual conversation[/url] revealed him to be a thoughtful and compassionate man, and after learning that Zenkichi had a daughter who’d also lost her mother, Sandalphon resolved to repay his kindness and ease his burden. In Everdream Valley, the three of them [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5509302]forged their bonds[/url] in and beyond the port town, enjoying lunch, conversation, and the pastoral scenery. After a little misunderstanding, their venture culminated in [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5510908]a pact[/url] between them established Sandalphon’s Covenant, linking the two together. A week later, they were [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5564150]reunited[/url] aboard the Avenger, where the detective gave the overworked and exhausted angel a hand (or two). Since then, they've spent time together [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5586471]inside the Qliphoth[/url], and in [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5597134]Stolen Moments[/url]
[*][b]Tag Team: Unknown[/b]
[*][b]Skill Share: Vampiric Strikes[/b] - regenerates a small amount of life/health from each successful non-ability attack on an enemy[/list]
[*][b]Roland[/b] - Rank D, 1/5 REXP
[list][*]The two were on opposing sides in Midgar, but work decently well together as allies among the Seekers of Light. Sandalphon appreciates his quiet professionalism, even if she doesn't always understand his jargon[/list]
[*][b]Captain Falcon[/b] - Rank D, 1/5 REXP
[list][*]The two don't have much in common, but sharing drinks together in Stolen Moments brought them a little closer[/list]
[/list]
[/hider]