[OOC] Emergence

[Moon]

We are currently full to capacity.



Countless eyes gazed up at the pale full moon and the dark expanse of sky that surrounded it. The white circle sat alone, hanging bright against a curtain of black. But that would not be the case for long. Tonight was the night. The night the world had been anticipating for the past 20 years had finally come. The stars were returning.
Children heard stories of the week long event from just about everyone who was old enough to remember it the last time it happened. Those who have yet to marvel at their fleeting beauty don't have the capacity to appreciate such an event, but they will soon. Soon, they would be back.

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Cast List:

Witches:

Sebastian Jung - Doctor Belasco

Adelaide Ruine - ToskaO

Katherine Pierce (Katerina Petrova) - dreamingflowers

Matthew Friel - Adjectives

Graham Bishop - Moon

Pazel Razi - JJ Doe

Hunters:

Emily Eve Burkes - upscalerat

Maximilienne Barrande - Teknopathetic

Rosenkreuz - JJ Doe

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Family List:

Anderson

The Anderson family is an old Witch family who have given up participating in the Emergence. They only have a few active witches left, who will be the last of their line. The Andersons wish to unify the witch families in an attempt to create peace in the magical world. They believe giving up their magic makes them seem less threatening to the other families and as such will increase their chances of success.

Leader: Gloria Anderson is the matriarch of the Anderson family and the dean of Anderson University. She is one of the few left in her family to possess magic, though she has halted her use of it.

Bishop

The Bishops are a family of narcassists whose only concern is their own personal power. A once powerful family, they are now a jumble of betrayals and infighting. Their magic is based on sacrifice and the power of blood.

Leader: Gerard Bishop is the current leader of the Bishop family. He one of the few of his generation left in the family. This position fluctuates often as the leader of the Bishop family is the one who is most powerful.

Flamel

Once a powerful family, the Flamel have become somewhat of an underdog over the years due to the fact that their family has been producing fewer witches with each coming Emergence. In addition to the lack of witches, the few witches they do have seem to have problems with even the simplest of magic spells which are considered parlor tricks to other witch families. Fortunately, as if to compensate for the lack of magic abilities, the Flamel witches are considered geniuses in regard to alchemy and the Flamel's mysterious symbol magic has kept most enemies at bay. The Flamel often does business with other witches who request their merchandise.

Leader: Estelle Flamel is the official head of the Flamel family who rarely leaves her mansion. Estelle is one of the few, if not only, living members of the ancient House of Elendil and has lived over hundreds, maybe even thousands, of years. Though she looks like the same individual, Estelle's appearance has never been consistent with the actual flow of time. Every now and then Estelle appears to look a different age. Many have attempted and even succeeded in killing Estelle during her long life, but for some odd reason, she always “came back to life”. Alexander D. Flamel serves as the unoffical head of the family and serves as the family's public representative.

Petrov

The Petrov family descends from the first Romani to arrive in Bulgaria. However In this current day and age they are scattered across the world. The women of the Petrov family have been arrant fortune-tellers for generations. They plied their trade while traveling and they have never relinquished the practice. Often innate magical talents were the key to their skill. Precognition and retrocognition in all its varations seem to run in the Petrov family line. The Petrov family practices Gypsy Witchcraft which is a type of magic created by the traveling Romani people. Also called Traveler magic, it is a rich tradition of spells and rituals to bring about healing, protection and love.

Leader: Katerina's grandmother is the Shuvihani of their community which is the highest position you can have. She knows everything about Gypsy witchcraft and it is her people turn to for good fortune, love spells, wedding rituals and baptisms.

Ruine

The House of Ruine was once an expansive clan of druids, shamans and spiritualists who used their magics for healing and to promote spiritual and natural balance. However since the Industrial Revolution, the family has both dwindled in numbers and changed it's outlook. Most of the few remaining members of House Ruine now use their powers ruthlessly to gain economic and political power. The name is commonly feared and reviled both in the magic comunity and in the world as a whole, as most members of House Ruine are not above using blackmail and murder, and the more powerfull witches commonly use their magic to crush the spirits of their opponents, turning them into little more than their thralls.

Leader: Adelaide's Great-Uncle, Oliander Ruine.

---

Overview:
Welcome to Emergence! This is a witchcraft/magic RP set in modern times. In this world, the stars are always invisible except during a one week event that takes place every 20 years to the hour. Historically, the first day of the Emergence (October 15) is a holiday and many have off from work and school. It is a day of celebration for some, and reverence for others. Parties are very common in the evening hours leading up to the moment the stars flicker into existence at midnight. Special masses are held, in most religions, during the day as well. But the Emergence has another, more mysterious meaning for some. Many stories exist of people gaining special powers, gifted to them by the stars. The requirements for attaining these powers varies from story to story. Some say it is based on ancient bloodlines, others that it is based on merit, and some even say it is purely random. Whatever the case, the act required to gain access to the ancient magic is the same in all. You must kill.
These stories are, surprisingly, fairly accurate. The Emergence allows members of certain families with magic in their blood to realize their full potential. The act of taking a life during the week long event activates the dormant magic inside the killer. Because of the specific requirements, the amount of witches anointed during the Emergence is relatively small.
Characters in this RP will mostly be college students who are (whether they are aware of it or not) members of ancient witch families. With the Emergence they will take their first steps towards becoming fully-fledged witches. As well as a few witch hunters who will be preparing themselves against the once again rising number of magic users.
Our story will follow several college aged witches as they are thrust into a world of ancient politics, forbidden power, and dark secrets as well as the hunters that seek to destroy them.

If you have any questions or ideas, let me know! I'm all ears!

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How magic will work:
Each magic using character (I guess we'll use witch and warlock, unless someone has something else. I don't like the sound of warlock much, but that might just be me.) will have one innate ability that is stronger or more efficient than their other magic. Think of this like a super power. It requires no materials, chants, or preparation. It is based purely on willpower and skill. This can be just about anything from teleportation to pyrokinesis to invisibility.
Other than these abilities, they will also have access to various spells and rituals. These require much more work and prep than the innate abilities do. This is like old school witchcraft with chanting and symbols and all that stuff. This type of magic changes based on family, as all families have different customs and rituals.

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How hunters will work:
Witch hunters come in two types. Those who are part of the Order of Hunters and those who are not. The Order is a group as old as magic itself (and as secret as well), though they've changed over the years. The modern Order is a financially sound group dedicated to eradicating magic, which they believe is an affront to God, from the planet. They use heavy duty weaponry, as well as historic weapons, to take down witches. Blessed swords and silver arrows are just as common as assault rifles and pistols. All hunters are trained shooters as well as sword fighters.
The Outcasts, as they have collectively been called, are hunters who are not part of the Order. Either through exile or personal choice, these hunters continue their mission without being held down by the rules and strict structure of the Order. They aren't as organized as the Order and are much fewer in number, but they do not need to follow a code and have been know to cohort with other witches to take down their targets.

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Rules:
Rules are fairly basic, same as always. No godmodding, be nice. You've all heard them before. As this is an advanced RP, good grammar (though everyone makes mistakes) and decent length posts are expected. Not every post needs to be a novel, as I realize it can be tough to squeeze out a sizable post sometimes, but they should at least be two decent paragraphs. No big deal, this is for fun so I want everyone to enjoy themselves.

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Witch Character Sheet

Character Sheet (Witch):

Name:

Family:

Innate Ability: (One or two paragraph description of what it is, mastery over it, etc.)

Age:

Appearance: (Pic and Description of at least two paragraphs. No Anime.)

Personality: (At least two paragraphs as well)

Bio: (Three paragraph minimum.)

Others: (put whether they are aware of their family's magic blood here)

Witch Family Sheet

Witch Family Sheet:

Family Name:

Leader/Notable Members:

Economic Standing: (poor/middle class/wealthy)

Magical Standing: (Are they one of the most powerful families? Underdogs? Average? Also include size of the family here.)

Values: (What do they pride themselves upon? Power? Unity? Compassion? Vengeance? Try for a paragraph or two here)

Magical Style: (Family magic is different from the innate gifts every witch possesses. What type of magic does the family use? What are their rituals and spells like? Do they receive aid from spirits or ancestors? Do they use the power of sacrifice and blood? If you need help coming up with an idea, just ask.)

Family History: (This is optional.)

Hunter Character Sheet

Character Sheet (Hunter):

Name:

Hunter Type: (Part of the Order or an outcast/vigilante?)

Age:

Appearance: (Pic and Description of at least two paragraphs. No Anime.)

Personality: (At least two paragraphs as well)

Bio: (Three paragraph minimum.)

Weapons:

Others:

[drewccapp]

Started this and didn't realize how tired I am... will finish after I get some rest.

Name: Felix "Watcher" Elliot

Hunter Type: Outcast

Age: 28

Appearance:

Personality: (At least two paragraphs as well)

Bio: (Three paragraph minimum.)

Weapons:

Others:

[Doctor Belasco]

There may be a bit more to come. As I see other sheets come in, I might try to tie Sebastian's history to other PC families.



Name: Sebastian Jung – but he has a tonne of unrelated pseudonyms. Many of these names are lazy steals from literary fiction, with or without tweaking, regardless of gender.

Family: Jung Family, an ancient and hugely influential family from Germany, Anderson (honorary)

Innate Ability: Sebastian refers to his innate ability as European Qi* since he doesn't have a better name for it. He can channel magical life force to, very vaguely, do his bidding. It feels vaguely like guiding, and is generally easier when the guiding force is physicalised through gestures, but it doesn't have to be. This is nowhere near as impressive as it sounds; he can't control animals nor raise the dead. Superficially, all he can do is project healing powers of sorts. This won't cure all ills, but will substitute simple medicines and relieve some pain, and encourage the body to heal itself. European Qi will take care of minor injuries and illnesses quite easily, but if you're going to die, it simply won't be strong enough to help you out. It can also be used helpfully to stimulate growth in life-forms for agicultural purposes, and Sebastian's greenhouses are, as a direct result, always in full bloom.

However, there is a second function to European Qi; it needn't be channelled directly into a life-form that needs healing. It can be channelled into other forms of magic, particularly those that require lots of 'setting up' through drawing circles or dancing or complex, longer rituals. His involvement generally makes the spell more powerful, but he can, equally, dampen the magical powers in the same way. In particular, for his own purposes he tends to channel energy into potion-brewing, and he is renowned for the power and quality of his creations. Given enough time and access to the right ingredients, there isn't a lot he can't achieve.

* Pronounced Chee.

Age: 35

Appearance:

Click

Sebastian is slightly comical-looking. He is not tall or thin, but remains gangly-looking, with long arms and legs. He also has an obsession for general neatness without real reason; while this does result in empaccable cleanliness and hygiene, it also results in generally being a little overdressed, especially amid the students. He technically does not care how he looks, provided he is professional-looking enough for a situation that could reasonably occur – his neatness seeps in by default, ensuring that he could speak with or receive a client at any given time. He also finds that a samey wardrobe in muted colours builds a sense of consistency, and one that he is keen to cultivate. That said, one times in seven he is seen wearing a boiler suit, due to the frequency of his potion-brewing and gardening. Practicality wins out. Despite hardly being frail or flabby, he does not cut an imposing figure; his is partly spoiled by poor posture and his general habit of toying with things in his hands or in his mouth – his glasses are normally the main victim. He is hardly bad-looking, but he is just tipping past his prime, with wrinkles creeping into his face – perhaps even more worrying are the grey hairs sneaking into his side-part.

Personality: Sebastian is, superficially, a quirky character. Bursting with life might perhaps overegg it, but he is friendly and relaxed, and generally a harmless sort of a figure. He listens when other people are talking, and when it's his turn to speak, it's always either enlightening or amusing, if a little off the wall. He plays up to the idea of a funny foreigner a little, with the effect that, certainly on the Anderson University campus, he has become something of an institution. He can sometimes come off a little simple, or perhaps not up to speed with idiomatic English, but this is usually a front; he deliberately speaks English with a detectable German accent.

Underneath, he is somewhat more calculating. He is not entirely without heart and caprice, but he remains somewhat selfish, and he has precious few morals. Lies are only off the menu if he will get caught out and get a reputation; murder is merely impractical. He does not act based on spite, though, and is generally well-meaning in matters of otherwise no consequence, but in a straight choice between his own advantage and another's happiness, he usually sides with himself. Backstabbings and betrayals are not off the cards for any reason other than that it hasn't hit the fan – yet. That doesn't mean he doesn't have some plans in place for when it does.

Bio: Sebastian was the third and youngest child of one branch of the Jung clan, one of the top three most powerful wider families in Germany. In terms of smaller, nuclear families, the brood he was really a member of ranked at about six or seven. In Europe, the families are particularly bloodthirsty and ruthless, and would often marry their way up the ladder, regardless of the dangers of incest. The Jung clan was powerful simply in terms of numbers, though the ravages of incest considerably dampened their abilities and, frankly, reputation, though Sebastian's immediate family was reasonably distant in the genepool (as far as European families go). He grew up a relatively normal witch with a decently-varied selection of competences.

Internal war, really, was inevitable, and a family dispute over one particular marriage tore through the Jung (and Fischer) families like a hot knife through butter. To assume there was logic was to be generous. Sebastian's family stayed around for as long as they could to try to sort out the mess, but, predictably, the Order pounced on the German witches during this period. The saner, less involved families remained unscathed. The Jungs were decimated one by one. Sebastian, aged fourteen and not yet a witch proper, and his uncle, though, were long gone, having escaped to the USA (with the family silver, natch). They had just settled down into the American witch community, insofar as one can settle in such an environment, when Sebastian emerged, and his uncle left him. It was exactly the point at which Sebastian was an 'adult' amongst witches to which his uncle had decided to support him; he disappeared into the night without a word.

Needless to say, this was a tough period of time for Sebastian; one family of witches that vaguely knew him, the Andersons, whose numbers were rapidly dwindling. He remained amongst their number for a few years before they established the Anderson University to foster a supportive, open community between witches. This is where Sebastian now works, as a sort of witch-liason officer. He knews each young witch personally, and is generally responsible for spying on them and supporting them in equal measures. He is the new generation's first line of defence; from threats within as much as threats without, and he is publically considered, in the witch community, as equal parts mediator and equal parts nuclear option. He knews where all of the bodies are buried – especially since he is a main fence for information on Hunters as well. As far as the outsider world is concerned, though, Sebastian is simply a member of faculty, though his function isn't always entirely clear. Sebastian has a few privileges on campus, including an office and his own greenhouse and brewery, for the concoction of his own potions. He also has access to the youngest members of each powerful family, and is nowhere near above using the information he has access to for his own benefits – nor is he above using those connections he has access to to sell his merchandise.

Others:

Aware of magic blood

Since he is largely magically unskilled without sufficient time to prepare, he generally carries a bottle of something nasty and burny that, smashed in somebody's face, provides a decent escape opportunity.

[Moon]

@Doctor: Don't forget to fill out an family sheet as well.

[Doctor Belasco]

Even if the family won't feature in the RP?

[Moon]

You're right, you don't need the full thing. The magical style is important still though, so you could just slip that into your CS it should be fine.

[dreamingflowers]

Name: Katerina Petrova (born) Katherine Pierce (English)

Family: Petrova

Innate Ability: Precognitive dreaming, the power to perceive future events while dreaming.

Katerina has the ability to foresee possible futures and observe what may happen. As knowledge of the future invariably causes that future to change, visions of the future are subject to frequent shifting. While not being able to select futures her dreams may assist in possible courses of action.

This ability only works when she falls asleep naturally. The dreams are always symbolic but can be from multiple perspectives, including her own or somebody else's. She finds it hard to differentiate between different perspectives which often confuses her. The symbolism in her dreams however is something she's very skilled at deciphering. It's a skill she had to learn in order to make some sense of her visions. Strange enough she rarely dreams about herself which annoys her to no end. For someone who puts survival above all else you'd understand why.

Age: 21

Appearance:




Katerina is an extraordinarily beautiful and seductive young woman. She has an oval face with fine bone structure, a wealth of brown curly hair, and almond-shaped, deep brown eyes with thick dark lashes. She has a slim body with a hourglass figure. She often pairs a sensually cut outfit with heels and is not above using her beauty to her advantage. With heels she sports an inch above her usual 5'5".

Her typical wardrobe consists of darker more sensual colors and almost every piece of clothing she owns hugs her body snuggly. She is vain and spends a considerable amount of time on her looks. She knows how to dress well. Everything she wears is chosen with purpose and care. In her community a woman's value is partly based on what she looks like. So her vanity can be somewhat justified.

Personality:
Katerina hasn't had an easy life and it left its mark. She is tough, independent, selfish, feisty, smart, vain and has an incredible sense of self-preservation. There is nothing she wouldn't do to ensure her own survival. She has been known to have a knack for creating elaborate plans and deceptions. If a task needs doing, she'll find a way to accomplish it, usually through a combination of uncompromising will and skilled manipulation of people and circumstances. If you cross her prepare for vengeance, she has incredible patience as long as she knows you'll get what's coming to you. Her eyes always seem to be hiding something Her mannerisms are more deliberate, her true feelings hidden, almost as though she is performing for an audience. She is such a skilled liar and actress that her "friends" are often left wondering. Did she really care about me or did she just use me?

Katerina displays the same sense of survival towards her family in the sense that she would do anything to protect them. They are the only people who matter to her and she is aware they are her weakness. She is never selfish or insensitive when she's with them. It is a difference of night and day and some might think her "default" personality is all an act. But that begs the question. What is she really like?

Bio:
Katerina was born in the "Hotel Heaven", an apartment complex in a slum in Yambol, Bulgaria. She was the seventh and youngest child of Anna and Dimitri Petrov, a Romani couple. The Petrov family lived a life of extreme poverty having left the roads generations ago. As poor as they get, the Petrov household turned over every penny three times before spending it. The Romani as in many other parts of the world were heavily discriminated against. They were not welcome in the city and driven out to live in the slums.
As a result neither Katerina or her six brothers received proper education. Their life was tough from the get go. Her brothers tried to find a job but were shunned almost every where. Their community didn't have the best reputation, but they were well known for one thing. The Shuvihano and Shuvihani were men and women who were rumored to be able to work magic in your favor. Katerina's grandmother especially was famed for her love spells. She was not allowed to take a "regular" job, instead she was raised a housewife. Cleaning, cooking and taking care of at least five children, that was going to be her future. The only advantage to her stay at home life was her grandmother teaching her magic, a very useful skill which would change her life.

The Petrov family had long since abandoned their nomadic life style but their traditions remained, maybe even stronger than before. Katerina would marry someone of their choice as soon as she hit puberty. When she turned sixteen her parents arranged for her to marry one of the wealthier young men in the community, wealthy meaning having a paid job. He was going to look after their precious daughter and in extension her family. She was being used like a bargaining chip. Now if Katerina had been a meek young girl with no voice of her own she might have agreed to this, but she was a Gyspy witch. Katerina took matters into her own hands when a client came to visit her grandmother conveniently accompanied by his teenage son.

They were rich outsiders and outside was exactly where she wanted to go. She knew eloping was frowned upon, there would be consequences. But Katerina was convinced this life was going to end her, or she would end it. She wanted out, there was so much more out there in the world. She made the decision to leave the "Hotel Heaven", cutting all ties with her family before they could. She seduced the wealthy client's son and cast a powerful love spell to make him obsessed with her. The father was forced to take her with them to America at his sons request. Katerina very quickly adapted to the American way of life. She was smart and witty, her broken English improved tremendously and after two years she spoke it fluently. Changing her name to a more English sounding name, she started to enjoy life and explore what it had to offer her.

A year after she left her brothers realized the kind of life their sister was living in America. Katerina didn't have to worry about there being no food on the table, she was living off the riches of the American outsiders. She had the guts to make a better life for herself. Only her youngest brother hadn't settled down yet. He could still do the same, elope like she had. Deyan was a legal adult and allowed to leave the country so he contacted his sister and together they arranged for him to come to America. Katerina used the same love spell, to get her brother settled in comfortably. Obviously the siblings were the source of much gossip in the uper class neighbourhood. It seemed the family's reputation preceded them.

Others: She is aware of the magic blood in her family.

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Witch Family Sheet

Family Name: Petrov (men) Petrova (women)

Leader/Notable Members: Katerina's grandmother is the Shuvihani of their community which is the highest position you can have. She knows everything about Gypsy witchcraft and it is her people turn to for good fortune, love spells, wedding rituals and baptisms.

Economic Standing: extremely poor.

Magical Standing: The women of the Petrov family have been arrant fortune-tellers for generations. They plied their trade while traveling and they have never relinquished the practice. Often innate magical talents were the key to their skill. Precognition and retrocognition in all its varations seem to run in the Petrov family line. They don't possess any raw destructive magical power. Their approach is more subtle, binding ones who have that kind of power to them by means of love spells.

Values: The Petrov family puts family ties above all else, they pride themselves upon their unity. Betraying a member of the family is punishable by death. This means the needs of the indivuals are second to those of the community. It is a remnant of life on the road. Leaving the community is frowned upon but not unforgiveable. They are capable of doing anything to ensure the survival of the family. They trust only their own despite how convincing they might be, don't be fooled.

Magical Style: The Petrov family practices Gypsy Witchcraft which is a type of magic created by the traveling Romani people. Also called Traveler magic, it is a rich tradition of spells and rituals to bring about healing, protection and love. Urban gypsies have adapted their rituals in order to suit the city . Though all Romani agree, true magic can only be practiced on the roads. It is said they draw power from ordinary objects turning them into amulets and charms. They draw down the moon for love spells. Their magic is very practical and requires no sacrifice or preperation of weeks on end. You just need to be in the right place at the right time, with the right items.

Family History: The Petrov family descends from the first Romani to arrive in Bulgaria. However In this current day and age they are scattered across the world. The younger generation especially often marry outside of the community. Though they may be separated the family (in laws included) always keeps tabs on each other. A cousin twice removed is as much family as a full brother or sister. While many think scattering of the community to be a weakness, the Petrov's are never truly separated. They tend to live close to each other whichever part of the world they are in. There aren't many true Petrov's left due to marriage outside of the community becoming less of a taboo though the fact they have power in numbers can't be denied.

[ToskaO]

Character Sheet (Witch):

Name: Adelaide Ruine, goes by several alias' most commonly Abby L'Inke

Family: The House of Ruine was once an expansive clan of druids, shamans and spiritualists who used their magics for healing and to promote spiritual and natural balance. However since the Industrial Revolution, the family has both dwindled in numbers and changed it's outlook. Most of the few remaining members of House Ruine now use their powers ruthlessly to gain economic and political power. The name is commonly feared and reviled both in the magic comunity and in the world as a whole, as most members of House Ruine are not above using blackmail and murder, and the more powerfull witches commonly use their magic to crush the spirits of their opponents, turning them into little more than their thralls.

Innate Ability:
Tattoo magic. In ancient days tattoos were believed to be magic. The combination of blood, pain, and perminance caused many cultures to believe that tattoos were more than just symbols. For Adelaide this is true. After the Emergence she has found that her tattoos, and the ones she tattoos on other people, often carry some sort of power linked to the symbolism of the tattoo. However, neither she nor her patrons seem to be able to acurately controll or predict what the actuall effect of any given tattoo will be. The effects seem linked to the symbolism of the tattoo, the subconcious of the tattooee, and the whims of the universe. In addition, it seems that the ink of any tattoo fades a little as the magic is used, and it is possible that they could dissapear completely, though Adelaide hasn't yet experienced this.

Age: 24

Appearance: (Pic and Description of at least two paragraphs. No Anime.)
Like her personality, Adelaide's appearance can best be described as mercurial. She can almost be relied on to show up with a new piercing, haircut and/or dye, or tattoo, any two times she interacts with someone. Even her hazel eyes seem to be part of her inconsistancy, shifting through shades of blue, green, and grey.
There are some things that it seems that she can't change, no matter how much she'd like to. She is short, though not unreasonably so, and she tends toward the sort of unhealty seeming thinness that gives the impression that she sometimes forgets to eat. She commonly has dark circles under her eyes, and those who are observent enough will notice many small faded scars.
Her body language has very little middle ground. She is either loose to the point of seeming to be a rag doll, a hunched over closed off posture, or adopting an aggressive adversarial stance that would seem almost funny coming from someone of her stature, were it not for the fact that she gives the real impression that she intends to tear your throat out with her teeth.

Pic

Personality: Depending on who you were to ask, Adelaide's personality could be described two different ways.
To those who don't like her, or are trying to paint her in a bad light, would probably describe her as a cynical runaway drug-addict loose-cannon layabout with an anger problem.
Those who are feeling more cheritable would likely describe her as being a world-wise independant artist and free-spirit who isn't afraid to stand her ground.
To quote her parole officer's official file "Adelaide is a sharp-minded young woman, who's past experiences with people in power have left her untrusting of humanity in general, and authority figures in general. I get the impression that she harbors some deep emotional scars, which causes her to lash out at people who are only trying to help. Many of her legal problems come from her poor choice in friends, though her over-fondness of alcohol and psychoactive drugs seems to stem from something deeper. Her court appointed psychiatrist has noted in her file that she has a high likelyhood of paranoia, bipolar disorder, and acute alcoholism. Her notes are limited, however, as she refused to see Adelaide after her second session for reasons the psychiatrist refused to disclose."

Bio: Adelaide was born to Belladonna Ruine and a male model who had been magicly dominated so many times his mind was almost completely gone. Despite the Ruine's diabolical image among the magical community, Belladonna truely was a loving, but overbearing, mother. She provided all the best resources for her daughter, and pushed her to excell at school.
This did not suit the artistic and rebelious Adelaide, however. Adelaide had no intrest in continuing her families 'mighty empire,' and was completely discusted by the way her family treated people as resources to be used up and thrown away. Because of this she attempted to run away multiple times throughout her teenage years, but was thwarted by her mother's considerable money and influence.
Eventually, at the age of eighteen, Adelaide's mother alowed her to 'escape.' Adelaide quickly fled as far away from her family as she could, making a new home among a traveling group of musicians, artists, and petty criminals.
In the seven years since Adelaide learned and mastered the art of tattoo. Most of her former companions have either been arrested, died, or disapeared. Because of this Adelaide has been forced to settle down, and has opened her own tattoo parlor. Up untill the Emergence, Adelaide lived in a small studio appartment with her dog, a pit bull named Bachus, and a borderline abusive boyfriend. She broke up with the boyfriend shortly before the Emergence, and killed him in self-defence when he attacked her (this acted as her 'blood sacrifice,' activating her magic). Since then she has been living out of her shop.

Others: Adelaide is aware of her families magical heritage, but likes to pretend that she has escaped her family. In truth, she is fully aware that her mother uses her fortune to keep tabs on her daughter, and has kept her out of jail on multiple occasions.

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Witch Family Sheet:

Family Name: House Ruine

Leader/Notable Members:
Leader: Adelaide's Great-Uncle, Oliander Ruine
Notable Members: Adelaide's Mother and Uncle, Castor Ruine, are Senior and powerful members of the house, both socialy/economicly/politically, and magicly. The house itself is widely percieved as dying and other than the previously named members, there are only a handfull of first and second cousins.

Economic Standing: Extremely wealthy

Magical Standing: House Ruine is largly shunned by the Magical community, and are considered pariahs. Their magical power is only moderate, but the familes tendancy for creative and ruthless use of it has gained them a dangerous reputation.

Values: House Ruine has a twisted but deeply seated sense of honor. Family and clan is important to them, but in a way that may seem disfunctional to those outside the family (Think House Lannister, for those ASoIaF fans out there). This is intertwined with the families all-consuming drive for power, reasoning that power grants the family influence and protection.

Magical Style: House Ruine uses shamanistic magic, relying on pacts and dominions over sprits to work their magic. Each member of the family is able to see auras and astrally project without any cost or ritual. With practice they can use these skills to manipulate the minds, emotions, and to a small degree even the health (via affecting the bodies ability to heal itself) of non-witches/warlocks and animals with little more than the power of their will, and can do the same to witches/warlocks through a battle of wills (though losing this battle leaves them vulnerable to having their magic turned against them). Rituals become more important when it comes to dealing with spirits. Many spirits require those who request their aid to follow certain protocols or offer certain offerings. Mistakes to these procedures can easily result in the spirit turning on the wich/warlock themselves. For example a spirit of fire may require a gift in the form of a flame, a flamable material, or a symbol of fire (like lava rock). Generally speaking, the more powerfull the spirit the more complicated the offering.

Family History: The House of Ruine was once an expansive clan of druids, shamans and spiritualists who used their magics for healing and to promote spiritual and natural balance. However since the Industrial Revolution, the family has both dwindled in numbers and changed it's outlook. Most of the few remaining members of House Ruine now use their powers ruthlessly to gain economic and political power. The name is commonly feared and reviled both in the magic comunity and in the world as a whole, as most members of House Ruine are not above using blackmail and murder, and the more powerfull witches commonly use their magic to crush the spirits of their opponents, turning them into little more than their thralls.

[upscalerat]

Name: Emily Eve Burkes

Hunter Type: Outcast

Age: 25

Appearance:

My Spoiler

Emily was built on the agile side. She is lean, but strong, having lived a more athletic life. As such, even though she is 5'7", Emily weighs in at 134 lbs, due more to muscle than to height. In her more basic features, Emily has blonde hair, which she cuts short, and wide blue eyes. Her skin doesn't care to tan, and Emily will burn in the sun before she does much else, without enough shade or sunblock. As a result, the young woman tends to avoid prolonged amounts of direct light, if only because peeling skin is annoying and itch to deal with.

As far as body alterations go, Em has a nose ring that she tries to avoid taking with her to places other than class, a friend's, or something along those simple lines, and a tattoo of an Ouroboros wrapped around the top of her left arm, with the head and tail facing front. She also wears two pairs of stud earrings, both in the cartilage of her ears. So far, Emily hasn't given her body any other permanent alterations, but that may not always be the case.

Personality: Emily, for the most part, tries to be a decent person. She does her best to be kind, polite, considerate, a good Samaritan, and the like. But she is sort of manipulative, and she knows it. In order to keep her hunting aspect a secret, Emily has utilized the tactic of being seemingly transparent. She pretends to not be able to lie well, she acts overly emotional, she gives off the impression of not being the brightest. And there is an aspect of truth to all of it: Emily can lie well because it's just enough of an alteration to the truth to be feasible; she does get emotional, particularly around friends; and school is not, in fact, Emily's biggest strength. But she does lie, she's fairly logical, and smart enough.

However, Emily is a heavily moral creature. She will gladly play vigilante if it means serving out the justice that she thinks needs to be dealt. Emily is determined, and will disregard the means required to get to an end. So while Emily may not be selfish or pretentious, she will self-preserve, and she can be ruthless- if she deems it necessary. That level of effort can be easy to waste though and, given being a hunter, Emily tends to want to conserve on more or less everything.

Bio: Through heritage, Emily was initially part of the Order. Both of her parents and her older brother were pious and vehemently part of the group- which made things more than a little strange for Emily. From a young age- probably around the time she was in middle school- Em realized that she agreed only in part with what the Order sought. On one hand, Em agreed that the witches were an abomination that needed to be destroyed; on the other, she never really thought that there was a God that would be offended by the witches' existence.

Though her parents hadn't found out, Emily's brother knew of her beliefs. He also knew of her resignation from the Order, Luckily, he was willing to accept her stance, given that she was still hunting witches. The two would often work together, but rarely found any witches. Realizing that there was an Emergence coming relatively soon, and understanding that there would be an influx of witches at that point, the Burkes siblings decided to focus more on their personal lives of school, and a career aside from witch hunting.

A few years have since passed, and Emily now attends college. She's working for a graduate degree in Astrology, in hopes of understanding more about the Emergence, and to find if there's any truth behind the legends on how witches come to be. Her parents are still home, and still unaware that she's left the Order, while her older brother has a job as an architect.

Weapons: For the most part, Emily uses pistols. However, she does have a Blessed knife or two from the Order that she keeps handy for close contact, and one short sword.

Others: Please let me know if there's anything more I need to include, or should.

[ToskaO]

Finished!
I'm pretty happy with it, but I'd like to hear people's comments&suggestions.

[ViewtifulBastard]

I am so sorry guys. Real life (military) is gonna take me from the internet for the next three weeks. This kills me that I am not going to be able to set out on this journey of bringing this fantastic idea to life. You guys are great and I had a good time crafting ideas with you. Please save my name as a friend so when I get back from (.........) I can hop back into whatever becomes of this RP or any future ideas and actually be able to stay. The worst timing. Can someone please save the story as in the IC because I would love to read it when I get back. I just hope this site doesn't crash like the last one and leave no archive. Have a great day.

[Moon]

@Viewtiful: Sorry to hear that man! We would have loved to have you. You're welcome anytime! Good luck!

@All: The sheets are looking good so far! I'll post later tonight with some individual notes and such.

[dreamingflowers]

Awww Viewtiful, well like Moon said you're welcome back anytime. I think it would be possible to jump in somewhere, I doubt we'll get to the end in three weeks. At least I hope not ^.^ I haven't finished my sheets yet, but I wouldn't mind some constructive critisism.

[Moon]

@Doctor Belasco: Looks good! Interesting innate ability, and I love the salesman thing he has going on. Nice to see a less combat oriented character. Accepted.

@dreamingflowers: Did you see tonights episode? Haha, I love Katherine. And I like your character as well. Be careful though, she is very similar to the show's Katherine so you might want to do a bit to seperate her a little more. Good though! Will be accepted once you finish it up.

@ToskaO: Looks good! My character and yours will probably get along, at least for a little while. Nice to see a little rebel haha. Accepted.

@upscalerat: Lovin' it. Are you planning on bringing her brother in as well? That'd be an interesting dynamic. Our first hunter! Accepted.

I've updated the first post with a character list. I'll have my own sheet up tomorrow most likely along with a little plot blurb to get you guys in the know about how we'll be starting.

[Teknopathetic]

Name
Maximilienne Barrande

Hunter Type:
Senior Knight of the Order/Supérieur Chevalier de l'Ordre

Age
38

Appearance

Appearance

Nothing about lady Lienne is reserved, masked or even somewhat obfuscated, especially when it comes to the looks of a brunette clearing the six foot mark with the posture of a woman of twice that stature. Nailing down her age would be something of a challenge were it not for gentle facial lines betraying the wear of the passage of time, considering features that are undoubtedly feminine but caught in the lurch of adulthood transitioning to yet another decade while the rest of her tries to catch up. Her cheekbones are pronounced, face slightly rounded, hair a wavy and curly chestnut mess that sees more time bobbing in a ponytail than flowing free; this plays a nice contrast to off-green eyes, lingering laugh lines, and the faded white marks that suggest well-aged scars.

Chasing witches and upholding the tenets of her order has required fairly vigorous exercise and diet, leaving the tall Frenchwoman well-built on top of her properly proportioned frame. Models might be prized for being gifted with long legs, but Lienne's have been put to a more divine purpose of running and scaling low walls judging by the tightly-corded muscle she puts to good use. On the other hand, wide shoulders are not quite so highly regarded. The feminine features of her face can only counteract so many prominent details scattered her and there, after all. As if just to take her another step towards a life of tattooing and manual labor, her close calls with the magically-inclined sections of the population have left her with a body-spanning latticework of scars, burns, scrapes, discolorations, and enough lost skin to last several lifetimes.

Making up for it all is her sense of dress, which is both well-suited to her frame and conservative enough that she does not draw too many glances of an inappropriate nature on any given day. Her entire wardrobe might as well consist of button-down long-sleeved blouses, color-coordinated vests, dress slacks, and ties in a spectrum of reserved shades – if only because catching her in another state of dress is something of an unsightly miracle. While not top-shelf merchandise she has not yet stooped to knockoff brands or chain megastore swatches, watches, or semi-dress shoes that allow for healthy sprinting speeds under cases of blown cover or extreme duress.

Some might say this makes her look like a bartender. Bartenders, however, at least have the sense to work in a profession where tips are expected.

Personality

Personality

With bold looks come bold personality. Perhaps by design, perhaps by happy accident, but wholly a product of her environment as surviving in primary schools while towering over classmates either requires a gruff and hateful exterior or a sense of humor that allows for the deflection of hateful schoolyard taunts. Thankfully, she has chosen the latter route. Every story is carefully exaggerated, every friendly interaction is joyously celebrated, and every private moment of soul-searching met with a rousing speech or a quippy anecdote about the state of the world they live in. She is brash, she is up-front, and how she manages to retain such a chipper outlook on life while hunting humans for a religious sect is up for top psychologists to discuss at length in the near and uncertain future. Everyone's second-best friend, it could be argued, and would not be at all incorrect.

While professional, shades of her larger-than-life persona – be it genuine or an act – carry through to her work. An unerring sense of fair play and honesty leaves her at a disadvantage in a world so seeped in secrecy and political backroom deals. Engaging a witch or warlock in anything less than a formally-announced duel would be nothing but an unsightly blemish on her pristine record of avoiding taking a bullet through the eye, no matter how much danger this invites directly upon her person. In the worst of cases, this makes her appear as an arrogant die-hard; at best, she shares a very special sort of beloved rival status with those she hunts despite her full understanding of just how serious the stakes are every time a sword is raised and names are called.

Bio

Order Biography: Maximilienne

In accordance with long-running standards and practices set by The Order, an abridged history of Squire Barrande has been compiled and all relevant historical facts have been verified as correct in the year 532 of our sect by Knight-Bishop Arrisance.

Lady Maximilienne is blood to the Barrande family, long-standing and known magic users entirely situated in the Auvergne region of France. As further detailed in their appropriate files, the Barrande family have been blamed for almost every unsightly blemish of history plaguing Auvergne including the particular horrors of the Wars of Religion endured in the 16th century, on to the economic and social hardships of the following centuries. Their exact involvement is lost to the annals of time but not believed to be anywhere near as overblown as ancient Order records of hearsay might lead us to assume.

The first Emergence she was capable of taking part in fell close to the end of her teenaged years, her precise age unknown due to errors in her birth record, but she was not chosen to participate for reasons further unknown. It was during this time that the family's availability of witches and warlocks swelled to exaggerated proportions and a plot between several families to drive France into a state of temporary anarchy for the sake of planting family interests in places of political power. We were made aware of this through extensive interrogation and questioning of known magic users, confirmed by Maximilienne's first-hand account when arrested for minor charges after an incident in a local nightclub in which she staffed; it is only due to her testimony that we were able to dismantle said plot with further cooperation from Squire Barrande.

It is at this time that she showed interest in assisting the Order rather than continue down the self-destructive path of heresy following the collapse of her family's clan and the loss of most key power-players. After extensive background-scouring and interview, we concluded she was of particular use due to family connections and her comfort level with playing a public face while working behind the scenes for a grander purpose. We have assigned her to the tutelage of Knight Lecroix and await reports of her progress.

Addendum, Year 543, month of July: We have clarified errors in her profile and add the following:
Knight Barrande is at this time confirmed to be 31 years of age. She has been officially promoted to Senior Knight and works with the new recruits, mostly in the way of swordplay. The archaic arts seem to be her strongest suit outside of social graces. With proper training, she might have the makings of a spin doctor for Order operations gone awry.

Addendum, Year 545, month of November: Due to continued strain with the remaining few members of the Barrande family, we are hereby officially transferring Senior Knight Barrande out of France and to an undisclosed sect of the Order where she will not be further harassed following the death of her husband and disappearance of her daughter. As soon as she has left the country, we will be enacting the Scorched Earth order against the Barrandes. While psychologically cleared for further operations, Knight-Bishop Arrisance questions the depth of her devotion to the cause at this time and recommends close supervision in the coming years.

Weapons
Lienne is a classically-trained swordfighter and duelist but has found that strolling down main street with a kite shield attracts the sort of attention that might blow the Order's cover. As such, she reserves the longsword for proper hunts while instead carrying only a modest caliber handgun and defense knife, with access to a small cache of Order-sanctioned weaponry should the need arise (including sub-machine guns and assault rifles; she does not hold fondness for them, however, and their use is only considered in states of extreme country-wide emergency.)

Other Information
Lienne's prior sect of the Order operated on a fairly straightforward knight-based hierarchy. If any Knights, currently in the order or otherwise, wish to play as if she were their trainer it is entirely possible and wholly endorsed by myself even if tutelage took place outside of her home country. Furthermore, as the veteran of many hunts inside and outside of France, it is entirely possible that she already has rivals and known targets in the witching world.

At this point she has spent several years outside of France and has more or less worked through her accent while simultaneously assimilating into her proper adopted culture.

(I should note that I am more a wordsmith than a picture-huntress; should anyone have a suggested image for Lienne's looks, I would be very appreciative.)

[Adjectives]

Name: Matthew Friel

Family: Liggen.

Innate Ability: Illusion. Those with this ability are able to magically yet superficially alter their surroundings. On the simplest level, they can alter how they are perceived; be it revolting or irresistibly handsome. They can potentially erase their image from the environment completely or have themselves seen as a toad. On a grander scale, one can magically redecorate their entire environment. They could make a run-down shack look like the grandest mansion in the world, make it seem like it's snowing in the middle of the desert or trick someone into believing they've been buried alive when they're standing in an open field. This would be a mastery of illusion; in order for a witch to create an illusion they must believe in it themselves.

Age: 18

Appearance:

Matthew is a moderately handsome man however his appearance hasn't caught up with his age. He appears to be several years younger than he really is due to his slightly babyish features accompanied with his bright blue eyes and blonde hair. He is slightly short at 5'7 and has a scrawny build, with largely than average wiry hands with long fingers and disproportionately large feet.
Ironically, he hasn't much care for his appearance. Or perhaps not, given it is something he has witnessed his grandparents can change at the drop of a hat. He typically wears dark colours of greys, browns and dark greens and tight fitting jeans with a large pair of converse. He usually wears a black or grey buttoned overcoat with a patterned scarf when outdoors.

Bio: Matthew was raised in England as the only child of Darren and Diana Liggen, both Witches of the house of Liggen and also first cousins.
The couple had attempted to produce children naturally which only resulted in children deemed as useless to the house due to their physical abnormalities. It was only when the pair used demonic blood magic to ensure they could produce a healthy child that Matthew was born.

However, Matthew's parents weren't clever Witches. They were powerful but had long since shunned the rest of the Liggen house and made no effort to learn the ways of the craft. They did not realise the true cost of dealing with demonic entities in that demanding new life would cost life if the blood sacrifice was not great enough. Matthew's mother was taken by the demon on the night of his birth, and his father only got himself killed in the subsequent years trying to fight the entity in revenge. Upon his fathers death, Matthew was taken to live with his grandparents in America. They were both true Witches; his grandfather Thomas and grandmother Marion were both from Scotland, however escaped to America in the 80's following the near-destruction of Liggen after a bloody fued with rival Houses in Scotland. Matthew was raised under boasts of how great and vast Liggen once was and how they were once known as some of the greatest illusionists and tricksters in Europe who would use their magic to turn the most peaceful of Houses against each other.

After then, Matthew was raised by his wealthy grandparents under the new house name of Friel. They resolved to learn from the past and taught Matthew in the ways of the craft properly even though it would be years until the next Emergence. However his grandparents preferred to stay cloaked in illusions rather than show their decrepit old forms and so the locals always assumed him to be the son of two attractive thirty-somethings. He has learned many spells of bewitchment although has been as of yet unable to use them.

[upscalerat]

Thank you!
I hadn't been planning to bring him in, but I do like the idea. If we need more Order members, then sure! c:

[Doctor Belasco]

Moon said
@Doctor Belasco: Looks good! Interesting innate ability, and I love the salesman thing he has going on. Nice to see a less combat oriented character.

Cheers dude. When I get a bit of time, I'll work out the Norse family traditions, but expect them to be quite varied because of the incestuous nature of the UK's magic population.

[dreamingflowers]

Moon said
@dreamingflowers: Did you see tonights episode? Haha, I love Katherine. And I like your character as well. Be careful though, she is very similar to the show's Katherine so you might want to do a bit to seperate her a little more. Good though! Will be accepted once you finish it up.

I'm guilty I know, I really didn't want to copy a character straight from a tv show and I promise I will do anything I can to add enough differences to make it good ^.^ Actually I'm halfway into season 2. it's terrible I know. The character just appealed to me so much, I love her sense of survival and I admire that about her. I could have changed her name and appearance of course but even that I liked. It was kind of perfect really. Though I had my doubts, it would be kind of weird seeing "parts of" a character from someplace else in a original story. It is not my intention to play as the Katherine from the show or I would have joined a The Vampire Diaries roleplay. There were just lots of things about her that really inspired me to play a similar character and much can be used in any other setting in my opinion. I still have one part left to fill in. My grandma is coming over next week and she's going to help me with it since she's Romani. She knowns a lot about Shivani's and what they do.

[ToskaO]

dreamingflowers said It was kind of perfect really. Though I had my doubts, it would be kind of weird seeing "parts of" a character from someplace else in a original story.

Pablo Picasso said "Good artists copy, great artists steal."

;)