A western european city lost in the darkness and filth of humanity’s worst. Many wayward souls have been lost to its influence over the years. Their careless lights snuffed out and never resurfaced through numerous mysterious events, their unfortunate lessons never used to warn the brazen. All residents were threatened by this fact causing their numbness to increase. Their ‘danger sense’ dulled as Holly’s mentor would say. The phrase caused the blond haired woman to huff, her fingers intertwined with a cigarette. After another quick puff, the in-training homicide detective pushed the addictive habit to the side and continued to pour over her cold case files.
Her blue eyes flicked over the building pile of missing persons over the last few years. No trace left behind. It all seemed to create the illusion they didn’t want to be found or were never meant to be. The nicotine essence poured from her lips into a few rings. She didn’t believe it for a split second as she reached for another manilla folder, pouring through the copied files for missing connections. She just needed one trace. A small clue she vainly hoped she missed first time through them.
Most the department already thought she was crazy for requesting the large stack of files, especially going the extra length to secure evidence they were connected and get permission to reopen them from the lockers. No one was that dedicated unless they expected a promotion out of it. Then again, few Loom Police were made like her anymore. Whatever grim shadow shrouded the filthy city ate away their devotion to serve and protect a long time ago.
Placing her bitter criticism to the side, Holly’s eyes began to burn from her focus. Her lids closed as she leaned back. Her right hand placed the paper back upon the scoffed coffee table before pausing to rub them. The woman felt tittering between reality and fiction lately. She couldn’t fathom why she continued to push herself this hard, her bizzare dreams the only true motivation. Even her best friend thought she was becoming slightly obsessed. Maybe she was, she didn’t fucking know anymore. Her fingers continued to gently coax the pain away as she sleepily peered through the cracks of her fingers.
Her attention drifted over to the beeping green numbers: 3 AM.
The woman detective closed her tired eyes once more, shutting out the facts surrounding her, before giving in. It was time to call a night. Her figured rose to her feet as she paused, her figure bent at waist to snatch the empty pizza box and pop cans scattered throughout her work space. She hadn’t even had time to cook a proper meal during the week which meant she expected to see those extra pounds later down the road. Discarding her conscientiousness of her weight to the side, the detective moved through her apartment’s mess and toward the nearest trash: a bag sitting near the kitchen counter.
A knock at the door interrupted her from hightailing it to bed. She stood there, staring for a moment at the source and frowned deeply in annoyance. Who in their right mind would be calling at this time of morning? Only silence answered her, gradually drawing her curiosity into the surface and refused to simply ignore it. She sighed then pushed through to the door. Her hand pressed to the surface while she lifted on her tiptoes to glimpse through the peephole, noticing no one on the other side. Her expression scrunched up into confusion as she lowered herself back down on her heels.
That’s when the cold shivers on her spine crawled along her skin causing her eyes to drift behind her. Her eyes widened. A dark creature bore a curved smile.
An alternate universe taking place in present day, where humans live their day to day lives, completely unaware of the things lurking in the shadows. Monsters, Celestials, Wizards, and Lovecraftian Cults. Be it urban legend, or a biblical tale, it exists here.
Inspired by many paranormal and fantasy stories, series and movies, such as the SCP Foundation, Supernatural, World of Darkness, the Witcher and Hellboy to name a few. We will be taking part in the lives of humans, and even some of these supernatural beings as the secrets of the world slowly begin to unravel towards the attention of the ignorant public.
This is a sandbox RP that will allow players to both explore the world and even add their own lore into the mix, creating a greater and richer world than before. Choose whatever route you wish. One of a Hunter living in secret and keeping the hidden world invisible to the public, an Angel attempting to guide human society like a puppet master, or a Demon, feasting on the souls of the weak and seeking greater power for their personal gain, or even just a regular person, ending up in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Whatever floats your boat. But remember, every action you take has consequences.
Genesis - Article 1:1
At first there was nothing but a dark empty void.. A space deprived of an essence where neither light nor darkness were absolute, where the concepts of good and evil were just as ghostly as morning fog reaching everywhere and nowhere at the same time. A space where even life and death themselves held no meaning as there was nothing to be alive or dead.
And then there was a spark. As the non-existent and the existent whirled and whirled around each other for what seemed like an eternity there came a point where they stretched out, distanced themselves and eventually... parted. A line was drawn between them at that moment and in that line the first creation was born – Aaurus, the Origin. He who would later be called God, the Creator of All.
And create he did, because he had the entire void in his hand, a space so full of paradoxes that only needed to be separated and shaped into existence. He created lands, oceans, light and darkness, life and death.
And then he created angels and he created demons – beings selfless and beings selfish. To each a home – one soaring high up in the cold sky, and one deep, deep inside the warmth of dirt.
Yet, even if he was the first Creator, he wasn’t the only one. Life itself started recreating itself and with it death naturally followed. The beings alive gave birth to happiness, sadness, love, hate, and above all – meaning. And for meaning they fought.
The Origin observed the tiny creatures as they loved and hated each other, as they fought and attracted death upon each other, and he failed to understand them. His own core was that of the void - it was deprived of emotion and as such what he saw puzzled him for the first time in his existence.
As he watched and watched and watched there was one thing that he thought he finally started to understand, and that thing was what was called “intention”. It seemed that the newborn creatures had something he lacked and Aaurus was curious to understand what it was.
What he did next changed him forever. He focused his gaze on one being, one demon, called Lucy and his gaze never left her. As he watched on her endless cycle of life and death he understood that there was only one way to understand Life’s creations and it was to merge with them. Instead of separating this time he did what the void had once done and merged his existence with that of Lucy. He gave away half of what he had been to her and acquired half of what she had been. The two beings had formed an union and they celebrated it with the creation of a new race – the humans.
Those would be the true divine offspring, combining within themselves everything good and evil at the same time. They would be set on the Surface, the no-man’s land that appeared between Heaven and Hell, a truly marvelous place that neither demon nor angel could truly appreciate. With that final creation Aaurus and Lucy reached an agreement - they had interfered enough.
Whatever their offspring were about to do from now on was truly curious to observe and way too complicated to comprehend.
The creation of the world and its inhabitants is one of many mysteries that continue to puzzle those in religious circles today. Of course all of the scientific circles take on the one and only theory of the Big Bang as the true fact of our creation, though there are those that say otherwise.[/hider]
Earth - The Surface World - The Beacon of Normalcy
The human world is in many ways what we consider to be normal in our own minds, but it’s just as alien to other, outworldly beings as their worlds are to us.
Humans continue to wage war with paper currency, words, and the false idea of freedom, with the ever looming threat of Nuclear Apocalypse. But that has never stopped anyone from going about their lives. Something humans seem to have in spades. Ignoring danger as if it was never truly there, numbing their carnal instinct to survive by self indulging in selfish vices. In going so, they are easily influenced by the media, made to ignore the ideas presented by others, and take the deaths of their kin with apathy.
That is their nature, selfish, boring beings that choose to waste their lives away. But there are a few, an odd few that find something meaningful to strive and work for.
Loom
The city of Loom is located in Western Europe, Eastern France. Despite being within french territory, it is in fact an English speaking city primarily, and French second. But regardless of its geological position, it is still a city that attracts people from all over the world, and its not because its a famous tourist spot.
It boasts a population of four and half million people, almost double that of Paris, and consists of several notable sectors, separated by their purpose and use. Though the most notable things about the city are its occupants. While the majority of the city’s population is Human, there are other elements that exist outside of their perspective, sticking to the darker and damper crevices of the city.
Notable Areas
Business District
The majority of the city’s wealth congregates here. Multi-million euro corporations buy and sell assets by the second, as their high rise company HQ’s rise higher and higher into the sky, their glass walls gleaming in the light of the sun.
The security and police presence of the area gives its residents a semblance of peace as they look down on the poorer denizens of the city, with no worries of the troubles happening below. The Citadel is also located here, an important historical landmark of the city.
Entertainment District
The Entertainment District is a place tends to be relatively calm by day, but bustling with life by night. Almost all of the city’s nightlife happens here, from prestigious nightclubs, to the less tasteful and dangerous host clubs and casinos. And in its darkest depths, gangs and organized mafias, plot against each other for “control” of the territory, luckily keeping their business to themselves.
The Residential
Simply referred to as the Residential, this section of the city bears the old and new of the city. Apartment complexes and small shops and businesses line the streets like beehives, with life coming and going from each and every building.
The Slums
The decrepit image of the slums can be a depressing assault on the eyes, with it’s crumbling buildings and even small shanty towns scattered around the outskirts. Crime for the sake of survival is common place here, along with the general scum and villainy.
The Suburbs
The quiet and well kept suburbs surround the outskirts of the city like a border, with urbanizations and privately constructed areas resting under background cityscape. All the buildings range from 2-story middle class housing, to private multi-floored escapes worth in the millions.
Supernatural Locations
The Citadel
A tower of intricate gothic design that stands at a whooping 700 meters tall slap-bang in the middle of the city, is said to have been built in the 12th century, around the time of the city’s founding. How a building so tall could have been erected at that age is one of the greatest mysteries for architectural historians, and may perhaps remain so indefinitely, as no one is allowed to enter the building apart from a select few.
Or that is what is known about the building publically. It is in fact, the Passage to Heaven’s Gate, with an interdimensional rift located at the top floor of the building, the Gate itself. This Citadel is a home away from home for many Angels that reside here on Earth, and also the place where the Angelic Council resides for minor portions of time, returning to Heaven after their weekly sermons.
The Citadel acts as an Academy for the newly born cherubs that are found among humanity, raising them to adulthood, and training them in their genetically gifted talents until the time comes for them to serve the Council for the rest of their mortal lives.
The Underground
The Loom Underground is an old abandoned metro system that links the entire city together, with multiple points of entry. It is mostly used as a refuge by the homeless, who build small outposts across the city to congregate and get together into small communities, looking out for each other. But despite that, the Underground is still a dangerous place, as the deeper you go, the more deplorable and dark it becomes.
At its depths, after the first 2 levels, the Underground twists and contorts into tracks that lead to nowhere, or train tunnels that go for miles into a seemingly dark abyss, becoming stranger and more abnormal with each level, where gravity itself begins to twist and change at will. It is said by Demon Hunters that the Underground goes as far as 10 levels down, reaching a central catacomb of track that all link to a large auditorium, with a bottomless pit in the middle. A sole striking red-headed woman sits at the edge, playing a golden harp, and stops hapless fools from jumping into the pit. It is said to be Hell’s Gate, and the Woman, it's keeper.
The Hunter’s Lounge
An old bar hidden away in the slums of the city, it's a place of respite for many humans with the knowledge of the Secret World and its horrors. It is ran by an ex-member of the Catholic Templar Order, a rugged man called Fuse by the visitors. It is considered to be neutral ground by the many supernatural seeking factions of Loom, and no business between the factions can be conducted there.
Fuse himself is a relatively laid back man despite his experienced and lumberjack-esque appearance, treating guests with a smile and a first round on the house for fresh faces. Breaking the rules of his Lounge however, does not simply mean a ban, but the possibility of death. And considering the talents and skills of his visitors, death is a just punishment.
The Goblin Market
Located behind a magically sealed door under the Loom Bridge, the Goblin Market is where creatures of all shapes and sizes dwell and sell supernatural goods to those willing to make purchases with their strange currencies. Anything here could be sold, from magical artifacts to enchanted weaponry.
Heaven - Once Paradise in Ruins
Heaven once stood proud as the perfect creation of Aaurus. Or so the Angels that inhabited it once believed. A place of Paradise. Now it’s a place of ruin, nothing but an old memory of what once was thanks to the Great War from under a thousand of years ago.
Heaven consists of floating islands high above the clouds, with no ground in sight below them. Each island is relatively small and isolated, containing a single portal door that leads to another island nearby, though it tends to be somewhat random, making navigating the landscape difficult. However, they all lead to a massive central island, what the Angels call Nidelhold, believed to be the old capital of Heaven. While the city is abandoned, the members of the Angelic Council remain here, plotting the future of humanity.
Hell - A Place Born of Decay
Hell was born from the body of the first living being created by Aaurus. Lilith. A goliath of flesh and bone. But her form and purpose was a mistake, a miscalculation in the eyes of Aaurus. So he destroyed her, and used her body to build the very foundations of Hell, and from there, work outwards.
Hell is a ravenous landscape surrounded by volatile weather, and powerful, hungry beings that seek to increase their power through your sacrifice. The atmosphere is heavy here, and the sheer concentration of Demon Essence is enough to drive even ArchAngels mad and wither them to nothing but bone.
It is split into 5 realms, under the control of powerful Demon Lords that wage war against each other constantly, battling for supremacy and Hell’s Throne, formally seated by Mephistopheles.
Common Intelligent Races
Humans
Humans are considered to be the weakest race of the main three. Easily influenced into the wims of both Angels and Demons through illusions or mental manipulation, or other magics. Physically they are just as weak, but their advantages come from their sheer numbers, their technology, and those born with magical affinity (which are very rare cases).
Angels
It is said that once upon a time angels and demons were created by the same creator. I do not know if that is true, because they seem to be so fundamentally different, but let me tell you young ones what I do know about the history of our race. The one history that does matter still.
During the Great War between the angels and demons Heaven – the majestic clouded kingdom our ancestors called Home, was destroyed. The Angels sought refuge on the Surface, where mankind dwelled. Of course, being as diverse and unpredictable as they are, humans had various reactions to us coming down to their land – fear, hatred, awe… some of our kin were sent to oblivion while others were held in the high respect they deserved. Yet, as much as they tried to resist humans were never as powerful as we are, and even as they sought the help of demons that only back lashed on them, leaving behind a plague of tainted beings that walk the night. The angels who now felt responsible for the fate of those foul beings made it their ultimate goal to protect the humans from both the demons and their own mistakes.
The angels then specialized in different spheres of service for the humans, building their hierarchy that would ensure for a just world. A world where everyone has a place and where everyone knows what is expected of them.
Yet angels couldn’t live on the Surface as they did in Heaven. The lure of human emotions reflected on them and they became enticed with this new species and seemed to catch up on what made humans human – diversity. The result of this is you, my dear fledglings, for you are not as close to our original ancestors as you might believe to be. You were created through a union of angels and humans and you hold a mind and personality of your own – something our ancestors didn’t have. Your lives will be only slightly longer than a human’s, and yet you are not entirely human either. As you explore your neighbor and compare him to a human being you could easily spot one difference – you bear wings.
And this is the only true difference between you and humans . Hahaha, I see you’re surprised and not all too comfortable with the idea of being compared to the lower beings, but are you aware why I say that? No? No wonder, each of you has qualities much beyond the capabilities of a human – regeneration, resistance to illnesses, mind control, nature manipulation, matter creation… flight. But imagine, if you even could, that you would one day lose your wings.
Yes.. what would happen is that you will lose all your super-human abilities as well. The reason for this horrible fate is simple – angels cannot recreate. They weren’t given that power. Human offspring is truly unique and vastly independent of their parents, but angels aren’t. What happens when one of us dies, dear students, is that our souls return to the void where they came from only to re-enter the world later on. What this means is that each of you carries the angelic soul of one of the original angels – on your back, in your feathers.
Now, you are well aware that all your memories are stored in your feathers as all of you should be asked to leave a feather in the Book of Fate at least once by now for the Council to inspect. You should be wondering then, how come you don’t remember that you’ve lived on this world before. The reason is simple and you can see it when you take a look at your neighbor’s wings. They’re all different, do you notice? The specializations your ancestors underwent are clearly imprinted on your immortal souls. They are all changed by the way your original specialized ancestors lived. You are all different. Your original ancestors weren’t. What do you think would happen if you could suddenly remember the origin of everything, hundreds of thousands of years ago? You would most likely break. This is why those memories have been locked away by the Council. Now, each of you could try to remember their past lives, if you’re so eager, but I strongly suggest you stop before you go mad and are no longer fit to fulfill your holy duties.
And yet.. if you do still try, and succeed in remembering even only 50 lives back, you could maybe become a part of the Council. If you have proven yourself to be objective enough in your judgments you will be one worthy of following and we all will devote our lives in service to your judgments.
The Council is indeed the most powerful entity in our hearts and our loyalty is with them before it is with any human kingdom or family. It is the ruling force that follows through the education and rising of new angels, making sure they fulfill their duties… and punish when needed. The core of the Council are the seven Archangels, the seven unchanged by time. You will probably never catch glimpse of them in your lifetime, because they still inhabit Heaven, and are rarely concerned with anything we find important. Yet, as the true objective ones, their opinions cannot be ignored, even if only a few Clairvoyant and some high-ranked Pure or Greys could ever communicate with them. So in case your fate is ever important enough to concern the Council, you would do best to look for any of the angels with blinding-white robes and a ruby tiara on their foreheads.
Us, the normal Angels, have a relative freedom of movement and action, as long as we serve the greater good, never put our personal interests before the humans’ and never neglect our duties. Depending on how you perform you might be punished. Self-sacrifice is often the worst possible crime you can commit, because it leaves you unable to serve and is hence devilishly selfish. And the most severe punishment for egoistic actions isn’t death, but an eternal immobility trapped in onyx until the Council decides your powers are for some reason needed and release them. Let me assure you, this is not a decision often made.
Now let me welcome you into our ranks as you are now officially one of us servants.
Angels come from the ruins of Heaven, formally their home prior to the Great War that nearly wiped them from existence, and caused the death of the Keeper of their Gate, Caine, leaving the gate into their world forever open.
Angels look just like humans, save for the wings attached to their back that they can hide either within their bodies, or though the use of illusions. Not all of them are dashing and their looks vary as much as the humans’ ones do. Still, they could be distinguished by the weird vibe they give you, the energy you feel them emit, and their vibrant or overly serene nature.
Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. The highly specialized physique of the Battle angels means their bodies are perfectly adapted for their tasks – they are athletic, fast and strong and tend to have bigger pupils that reflect light in the dark just like a cat’s.
Miracle angels, on their part, often use simple spells and tricks to catch the eye and convey their holy messages. They often make people turn in confusion trying to understand why the person they just passed by seemed to catch and reflect the light.
On a physiological level angels are once again pretty much like humans. They won’t die from a single gunshot, but they will sustain serious damage and will be unable to fight after a few.
Angel Classes
Weather Angels
Inhabit one specific region each and care for the weather to be the way it should.
They are considered to be directly linked with nature as they rarely leave their territories or meddle with politics and are emotionless enough to kill by the hundreds which doesn't seem to affect their wings. Held with fear and respect and usually avoided, they are beyond even the Council's reach. If they chose to fight they are almost certain to win – at the cost of great human casualties as well.
Their wings are tainted by the nature force they are a link to.
Guardian Angels
Guard the beings chosen by God to do great deeds.
They act as shields for the humans they protect, absorbing almost all their injuries and even possibly death. Guardians are much more perceptive and understanding of human’s emotions, can sense danger better than anyone else, can see auras but they are better at avoiding than confronting danger.
They are closer to humans than anyone else and have developed the ability to hide their wings from sight. They might be born connected to a being or be assigned to serve one by a Clairvoyant.
Battle Angels
Exterminate demons and even humans or angels, if necessary.
Have great physical power and stamina, almost unlimited uses of their bodies - from healing their bones to controlling the droplets of their spilt blood. They are almost indestructible as long as long as they are conscious but hold no magical abilities – hence why they are usually dismissed as primitive but feared none the less.
Usually independently hunt for crazed vampires or werewolves unless a Clairvoyant assigns them with a special mission.
Tamer Angels
‘Tame’ demons into submission and have semi-control over them.
They rarely fight and would rather watch at a distance. Despite being physically weaker they could single-handedly control armies.. or even the foe themselves. Toying with the minds of their puppets leads to some developing a rather twisted nature and trying to control even humans or other angels.
Miracle Angels
Care, that the humans don’t stop believing in God.
They’re beautiful, majestic, charismatic and can use all kinds of impressive, flashy magic like bending light or shaping matter.
Miracles aren't usually involved in physical conflicts as their life is mostly spent among humans. Their magic is impressive but relies strongly on illusion – often times the matter they create dissolves after a while. When in danger they could use those illusions to help them scare off the foe or escape.
They are usually the most beautiful and their wings are usually the most awe-inspiring.
Clairvoyant Angels
Have visions of the future and use it to advise the Council on their future actions.
Their physique is barely a little bit more sturdy than a humans but their visions might help them avoid danger. They are the most respected type, no matter of their age and due to their low numbers very well-protected.
Angelic Hierarchy
Angels have wings of various colours and numbers, that signify their position in the Heavenly hierarchy as well as their social status among their kin.
Archangels
While only a few remain in existence, they are the purest form of celestial known to lesser beings. Their wings are so bright that they can burn the eyes out of the skull of a man. Their powers are what a human would see as godly, able to materialize objects from thin air, existing in multiple places at once, and being near all knowing.
They are never to be trifled with, and never disobeyed.
Seraphim Angels
Seraphs are the second most powerful of the hierarchy, flaunting their six perfectly white wings and displaying abilities of multiple breeds. They tend to hold high positions of command and administration among the Angels.
Pure/White Winged
The Pure are Angels who were conceived during a Human child’s birth, replacing the fetus’ underdeveloped essence with their own near instantly. Their beautiful white wings glisten in the light once revealed, and carry a status of royalty among the rest of their ilk, having academic privileges in the Citadel from youth and entitlement to higher positions in the future.
Grey/Nephilim Angels
The Nephilim a human-angel hybrids that are rare occurrences in nature, with the Angelic essence manifesting itself inside a random human between the ages of 5 and 24. The older the human, the more likely they are to become a Grey, as their essence is more developed and resilient to outside forces. The grey wings are caused by the angelic essence disappearing, as the human one takes its place within the wings.
These angels tend to be a little less privileged, as they usually tend to already be adults and there is little point in educating them under the Council.
Dark/Black Wings
Looked down upon by the other Angels as bearers of their ancestors sins who must absolve them, the Black Wings probably have the worst of it in Angelic hierarchy despite them not being the lowest in the tree. Racially discriminated and ignored, the Darks are left to their own devices on Earth.
The Fallen
Angels who have lost their wings as capital punishment for unspeakable crimes, left to wonder the Earth as mortals.
Demons
Your mother told me you were considering going to the Surface for some inexplicable reason.
Now let me tell you this straight-on – don’t poke your nose there. Yes, I’m serious Mairick, don’t give me that idiotic smirk of yours. You might think you’re a big fly here but you know angels have been training to kill us for thousands of years and they’ve, believe it or not, become quite good at it. You might have realized that if you had the brains to ask someone more experienced than you who remembered the Great War. Heck, even you could probably remember if you weren’t busy scratching your ass half the time.
Nowadays the young angels are taught to hate and kill abnormal beings on sight, resulting in both blind submission to “the Council” and unwavering belief in their own powers and righteousness. The arrogance that sprouts from that is based on the ignorance of the real demons being at least just as powerful as the angels.
Furthermore, in order to keep the low-class angels submissive the Council created the image of demons as vicious monsters, while concealing the truth about the real demons being held in the same respect as angels and on the Surface are being feared or even secretly protected by the Council themselves! Haha can you imagine the looks on their faces if they were to find out some of the decisions made by their great leaders were influenced by the very same beings they hunt!
See, this is the risk of believing in authority. You become a winged brainless vegetable, a dog and nothing more. Of course, you always need rules, but you also need personal freedom. If my kingdom is to one day be ruled by a reckless and ignorant fool like you, then I would have to agree that the time to change leaders has come and accept any consequence – even if my land has to go to the incubus tribes of mirati.
Us demons don’t follow a strict hierarchy, and our abilities and shapes vary greatly in compare to the angelic ones. When an angel dies their immortal souls are passed on, but their memories are usually locked away from them, giving the children skill, but no personal experience greater than a lifetime. In comparison a demon has to spend their life in one form and when they have experienced it fully and learned all about it they participate in a ceremony. In that their bodies are cut open to possibly allow for a higher being to rise from the shell, their memories intact. Participating in the ritual is both an honor and a risk because often times the process is rushed by an impatient or greedy demon and the result isn’t a metamorphose but death. Are you listening, Mairick! No-one will be able to save your sorry-ass if that were to happen and you’ll free a space for another demon to be born in Hell.
Listen, we’re not all that different from angels, despite what anyone will tell you. The major difference between us is our perception of growth, development and death. Demons accept death as a necessary evil to evolution and to making their offspring stronger, IF they survive. Angels deny and resent death, clinging to the idea of eternal selfless perfection, yet it catches up on them too, one way or another.
Truth is, our bodies are much more flexible with living conditions than theirs – try shoving them in an oven and see if they can last longer than three days before they melt to ashes. Then again, that’s a stupid example because instead of killing them it would be much more beneficial to you to help yourself to their flesh and blood and consume the energy they waste with their existence.
So let this be a friendly warning, stupid son. I am much more aware than your mother that you need to follow your own path, but don’t get ahead of yourself. There is the time for everything and if you do want to try your luck up there - do so. But make sure you’re prepared and sure of what you have to gain if you do.
A paragraph wouldn't be enough to list all the species of demons and their appearance as they could be anywhere between everyday-looking objects to dragons. What we could explain is what we know about the species that threaten us most - the vampires and werewolves.
Both species share the common characteristic that they're very hard to kill. Often to achieve that angels resort to using fire and dismembering as the body can't repair beyond a certain point. However despite being extremely strong and fast those demons also have weaknesses and could be stopped with the right tools and sufficient knowledge.
- Even though they heal rapidly, silver and gold have been known to cause their skin to burn and slow down the rate of which the demonic cells heal.
- Prayers uttered by an angel are known to cause great irritation and, depending on the strength of the angel, even cause death. The method seems to occasionally work for humans as well and using it is encouraged when facing a demon but weapons are still known to work better.
- Blessed objects such as crosses and holy water could work if one was to come by ones blessed by a Miracle angel. Unfortunately it will have no effect on the demon if he is still young and his soul is mostly human.
- In olden times Sun was said to purify all evil but we now know it has a minimal effect on the demons. Hunters still researching the matter claim it has to do with angels leaving Heaven and depriving it of what some mockingly call "a holy filter".
Demon Classes
Demons are widely diverse, almost as diverse as the humans. However unlike humans not every single demon is unique. They can still be classified based on shape, appearance and abilities and both mankind and celestials have devoted centuries on researching and listing different species in hundreds of tomes. Currently most of that knowledge is held in the Citadel, some of it still available to humans within more secretive circles. And while humans have since forgotten the importance of the knowledge of hellions who they haven't interacted with for thousands of years, they still remember the two large classes that define the demons.
Surface Demons
There are very few species of demons that are currently found on the Surface. For the most part those are vampires and werewolves. Those are the leftover demons whose existence the Council didn't manage to completely erase after the Great War. The reason was simple - they were fickle. The nature of those two species allowed them to infect the humans with their demonic plague, turning them into something stronger than a human but weaker than a demon. Most consciousnesses crumble under the initial contact, leaving the newborn demon an empty shell consumed by dark urges but some have been known to have preserved their sanity. The Council have tried to systematically hunt down any infected human, often not caring if the infected is still sane or not.
The demons roaming the Surface are, in comparison to the hellions, almost impotent. While still fearsome to humans the surface demons present almost no challenge to the highly specialized Battle and Tamer angels. That's why in recent years some of them have started teaming up and forming cults and sects aiming to summon hellions in search for power. One of the Council's most recent tasks is to sniff those gatherings out and swiftly dispose of all their members, be they infected with a true demonic virus or just with the demonic ideas.
Hellions
The inhabitants of Hell. Those are all the demons human kind once knew existed and feared. The hellions vary so much in shape and size that it might be impossible to type an individual demon at first glance, even if you know what to look for. All human mythologies combined might still not be enough to explain the full complexity of Hell and to anyone who tries to face a hellion is likely to perish before they even realize what they're up against.
The Protected
"The Protected" are a special type of demon, not based on their species or shape, but on their social status. Those are either hellions who have established themselves on the Surface or infected humans and families who have proven their sanity and hence gave the Council no reason to dispose of them. They are called "Protected" because the Council ensures they be left alone as long as they don't cause any trouble.
Factions
While Angels and Demons tend to have relatively similar cultural and ethical norms amongst their kind, humans differentiate themselves as well as their beliefs immensely from each other, separating into entire groups of ethical, political, and social sects that have an ultimate goal for humanity as a whole. These groups may ally with each other if their objectives meet a common ultimatum, while others will turn to violence against one another through differences in opinion.
Bureau of Paranormal Investigation and Containment
Also known as “The Bureau”, this French Government funded group dedicates its existence to the investigation, study and containment of paranormal activity within the confines of Loom. Highly secretive and illusive, they manipulate the media from behind the scenes to hide the paranormal from the normal, even applying drugs to witnesses to manipulate their memories, and in extreme cases, doing what we would consider to be unethical, or even monstrous, in order to maintain normalcy. Though despite their efforts, things still tend to leak.
The Bureau on certain occasions work together with the Angelic Council when their missions have a common target. But they have been known to show hostilities towards them as well. Making their relations relatively neutral in consideration of their previous engagements.
Investigation
The investigation portion of the Bureau consists of former police and private investigators who have been recruited upon witnessing or surviving a paranormal anomaly, and their skills being evaluated as useful to the Bureau.
The majority of their work involves in inspecting crime scenes, following up on possible leads to the creature responsible, and finding them. Should their skills be insufficient in containing or destroying the being, then the job is passed on to Containment.
Containment
The containment portion of the Bureau consists of former military personnel and special forces who have been hand selected from various sources for the purposes of containing or destroying highly dangerous paranormal entities.
School of the Maga-Arcane
The School is an educational and secular entity that is on an invitation only basis. Inviting magically gifted humans into the school to train them in their inherent gifts, away from the prying eyes of the world. Hidden away in an unknown location, they segregate themselves from the outside world, believing that their gifts do not belong outside the walls of the School, and must remain a closely guarded secret from the public eye.
On rare occasions, they aid the Bureau with their skills with containing the paranormal, as their goals tend to be at least somewhat similar in nature.
The Illuminati
The Illuminati, also referred to as the Illuminates, are a group of 13 corporate leaders that control the world through the use of financial “aid”, manipulation of technological advancements, violent military action and blackmail. They own a conglomerate of Mega-Corporations that all hugely benefit the respective services that they sell and produce. They are considered to be nothing but a myth.
The Hunters Guild
Though there are many self proclaimed Demon Hunters who work independently, many flock to the Guild. The Guild, formally known as the Templar Order from a bygone age, is an organization lead by noblemen of various rich and royal families dedicated to the eradication of Demon kind across the world, through the use of their own mages, and skilled combatants on a hefty payroll, alongside their own technologies that employ magical properties.
They are known to have a close allegiance with the Angelic Council, and view the Bureau with a slight disdain due to their ethical inclinations of containment first.
Name: Full name of the character and/or any aliases they go by. Age: Years of existence. Gender: Sex of the character. Race: Origins. Human, Demon or Angel. Sub-Class: What type your character is. May not apply if you’re a normal human. Description: What your character looks like, what types of clothing they wear and identifying marks. History: Summary of their lives to present day, including details over key aspects of their lives, motivations, and any important points for plot. Abilities/Skills: This includes magic spells to learned skills, each one needs to be noted about when they were learned in the history. Even briefly. Any magical or supernatural abilities need to be detailed about what they do and include their limitations. Notable Belongings: This section includes anything out of the ordinary, from weapons to supernatural items or property owned.
Rules
The current GM is Synthorian, his word is law.
This RP does have a story and plot, but there is plenty of downtime in between for slice of life, to run your own sub-plots and relationships.
High Casual to Advanced writing standards.
Don't be afraid to collaborate with other players. Collaboration is encouraged here.
Try to post at least once every two weeks. Let the GM know if life is in the way. I will understand.
Post unapproved Character Sheets into the OOC. Once approved, post them into the Character thread.
General RP rules apply. No Mary/Gary Sues, No Metagaming, Godmodding, or the like.
If you have a question, please do not be afraid to ask. Message me on the RP Discord or shoot us a PM on the site.
Active Cast
THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO ACCEPTED CHARACTERS.
RP Recap
WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT THIS?. THE RP HASN'T EVEN STARTED YET.
Race: Human (Soon to become Nephilim or Pure depending on IC)
Sub-Class: Latent Psychic
Description:
I do not claim rights to the artwork, that pleasure and talent go to the artist. This is merely a visual representation of my character. I will take it down if I am informed and proven it’s a commissioned artwork.
Holly is described as an attractive and tall Caucasian woman, reaching above the average height at five foot and nine inches (175 cm). She often leaves her sandy blonde hair, mixed with shadows and highlights, to hang down past her shoulders. When in the field, she will tend to bundle it up into a ponytail to keep it out of her grey-blue eyes. Over the years in training, her petite figure has put on some muscle definition giving her great cross-country skills to run down criminals. Her aura gives off a confident, serious air that is often confirmed by her personality. For the most part, her skin is absent of any blemishes, tattoos or piercings, but she does have two small identical birthmarks. Their blotchy shapes rest just under her shoulder blades, only darkened recently to be visible.
Being a recently promoted detective, her uniform includes a polo shirt and slacks rather than the standardize uniform of her patrol years. However while on duty she still ensures to include a vest, gun, holster and a spare clip because while her tasks have changed, the danger hasn’t. She is still surrounded by the same criminals and risks as before. When off duty, she prefers practical and casual wear. Often tank tops or tee-shirts with jeans and a belt that adds a tomboy charm to her feminine looks. On the rare occasion, she can be coaxed into a slimming black dress, topped off with the minimal makeup of lipstick, eyeshadow, and liner. She will not do blush or concealer. It just feels weird and weighty on her face. In harsher elements, Holly will wear a short, women’s trench coat which has become well known by her friends and family. She can’t help but love the badass noir feeling she gets when wearing it.
History: Holly will honestly admit she didn’t have an exciting or amazing childhood. Foster and she were both born in the small commuter town named Ambax. Both parents had jobs in Loom, a bustling and sleepless city just a few hours drive away. Grant Knight, her father, was an officer of the city’s police department and involved in what most considered a high-risk job. He came from a long line of police, a few aunts, uncles, and even her grandfather all served in the public. On the other hand, his wife, Esme, worked full time at Grandiose Dawn Hotels on the outskirts. While both made slightly above minimum wage, they made ends meet providing comfort for their two children. Despite the air of comfort surrounding them, Holly couldn’t help but sense the tension between the two. Her mother secretly worried whenever her father went work through she hid it well through fake smiles and soothing words. This was often followed by relief when he returned, safe and sound, at the end of each shift.
The girl never understand how she could sense these things, mostly feeling like a gut instinct. When she got older, it seemed to fade or she simply learned to ignore it.
She couldn’t help but admire her family’s bravery from a young age, her motivations driven by their stories on patrol. When she becomes an adult, Holly learned her father’s often left out the harsh realities and failures the job brought with it. However, she remained grateful to him for his experience. It drove her to want to become a cop in Loom. In the background, she failed to see the apprehension in her mother’s worried eyes whenever she excited spoke about her dreams. This would come to a conflict one day.
When she finished secondary school, Holly applied for Police College immediately and learned it was a difficult process. Over the six months, her application was ‘lost’ at least three times before she went through both mentally and physically stressful tests. Interviews were the worse because while she continued to give straight, conclusive answers the interviewer always asked her to elaborate. It was a mental war to keep her thoughts straight and accurate every time. One thing that could be said about the Knight family, they were stubborn.
A trait she inherited through the generations.
A week after acceptance letter arrived, Holly was smacked by a vision while home alone. Powerful and vivid, Holly watched her father seated in his patrol car going over some paperwork before a stranger approached him. It ran like some muted movie in her head. They seemed familiar with each while they appeared to engage in a conversation. Finally, her father’s expression turned to concern as he stepped out of the car, aiming to follow the stranger. Every fiber of her instinct was screaming for him to get back in when the figure raised a gun at his back. The gun’s bang broke the silence of the scene causing her to scream. It was all over in seconds. Foster burst into the living, her figure already crumbled to the floor and shaking. It took hours for him to call him down before she explained what happened.
Without evidence, he hesitated discarded the vision as a result of stress. Then the phone rang. Holly would never forget the horror on her brother’s expression when he was informed their father had been shot and taken to the hospital in critical condition. Hanging up, he told her to stay put while he retrieved their mother. The day was among the hardest experiences she ever faced in her life. Waiting slightly killing her slowly as she paced the apartment, the worst rushing through her head. The morning after, mother called to inform their father was stable. The bullet ruptured missed anything important but he was on leave until he healed.
Through her father was stuck in a wheelchair for a while, he refused to allow it to get the better of him. He also refused to allow his daughter to postpone her life for him. The same couldn’t be said about her mother. With the shock and near loss of her husband, Esme’s fear had her pleading that Holly reconsidered her career choice. Their fighting became worse when she refused to listen. Gradually, it drove Holly out of the house into Loom where she got an apartment with two old schoolmates. She finally found it harder and harder to stand the talks with her mother altogether. A connection between them severed beyond repair. The next year was challenging, finally accepted into the Police College, as the days passed into a blur. Martial arts training, basic law studying, riots practicing and more pushed her to her limits then back. She would be lying if she didn’t think she was going to fail at some point, but continued to push onward. She was amazed by the end of it all, she managed to survive.
Of course, her family was extremely proud to hear it, especially her brother and father. Through her mother was on ill terms with her, the rest of her immediate family still managed to remain close to her and keep tabs on her progression. Her father even prepared her by warning the most challenging part was still coming. Sadly, Holly fell under the delusion all rookies did which hid the grim truth about her would be the job.
After being placed into Loom’s Police Station, her ideas were quickly crushed under the watchful eye of a Field Training Officer James Harrison. Having served in the department for nearly a decade, he held a serious air about him and done things strictly by the book. The latter trait nearly drove Holly mad over the next four months and two weeks. Most the training was patrolling established routes in well known dangerous parts of the city, writing parking tickets, and handling domestic crimes. The whole time… she had Harrison grumbling over her shoulder about her work.
She was so happy when it came to an end.
The first week officially on Patrol, things seemed normal. She got into a familiar pattern often, sometimes twelve, hours a day for her patrol schedule around Loom. Things were normal until the second week. Suddenly the whole department’s attitude shifted against her. Her superiors kept jerking her shifts from day to night or vice versa with little warning. Sometimes she was forced to work a double shift in the worst areas of Loom or graveyard sectors, where nothing happened. The worst part was the fact she found several male officers refused to work with her over cases. Oddly enough it brought to her attention how few females actually ever made it to this point, sensing they viewed her to be inferior because of her gender. Without another protecting her back, she was often placed on the desk, evidence locker or station duty. At this point she found herself missing the first week and even Harrison’s behavior. Mostly because he didn’t treat her like dirt, just inexperienced.
During her third year, she put an application up for a promotion toward detective. They were sorely lacking officers from what she heard and it had to be better than patrol. The Captain, Dubois, raised his eyebrow in question when she submitted the paperwork for it. She could sense the disdain rolling off him in her direction but managed to hold a neutral expression. Lying through his teeth, he said he would file it then dismissed her. The moment she left, Holly could already sense him shredding it.
Both rattled and concerned, Holly decided to consult her father over her suspicions. This required heading back home for the first time in a few years. The tension building felt like it would explode her insides the moment she walked through the apartment, her eyes spying that almost nothing actually changed. Spending actual free time with her old man, the man retired shortly after his accident, brought nostalgia into her heart. She wasted little time sitting down to inform him about her boss’ behavior and the more recent changes in the department. While he didn’t fully discard her verbal worries, there was little physical proof to back up her suspicions making it impossible to prove it.
Through it hurt, Holly silently agreed.
Disheartened, but determined, she finished the visit with her father before departing. Time seemed to have gotten away from her as on her way out, her mother had returned from shopping and nearly collided with her. The two paused in mid-step, sizing each other up. Tension filled the air enough to suffocate Holly causing her to be the first to move. As she bent down to retrieve the fallen bags, she felt a pair of arms suddenly wrap around her and pull her close. Her mind went numb with surprise. It took her several moments to realize it was her mother. Even longer to hear her crying quietly, whispering familiar words of love. It seemed time does mend broken things, Holly thought in a slightly amused tone.
At the age of twenty-four, she finally got her promotion in the corrupted department. It seemed her family -her father likely- had called in a few favors and gotten attention on her application before it was shredded.
Holly couldn’t say she was completely prepared for how chaotic a detective’s life was, not that she regrets it. She was assigned to an older detective named Lucas Berger. He was the type of detective the average Joe could sit and have a drink with, charm setting a relaxing atmosphere without causing you to fly off the handle and punch his face in. His teaching methods and patience made her feel less alienated compared to the prior experiences in the department. Sadly, she could easily see he got subtle shit time to time about from a few bigots in her department. It was expected in a career dominated by alpha males. Despite their narrow views, Holly’s skills and resistance slowly won the worthwhile ones over.
During her training with Berger, she learned that detective never actually had any days off officially. Especially in Loom, the worst criminal city in Europe. Every night and day, Holly was expected to work on anywhere from five to ten cases at a time. Going through the steps C to Z after the patrol cops finished their rounds. Her social life, not that she had much of one, suffered from it. There were perks about the job that kept her on. The intimidate working with the victims gave her a whole new experienced compared to patrol. Instead of merely handling the reporting of the crime, her job detailed solving, investigating the motivates and ultimately informing the victims about the good or bad news. It enhanced her importance in a way, even increasing her sense of humanity.
On the sixth week, a recent crime caught her attention. A missing person. Its profiling fitted a prior case she experienced in her patrol years causing her to look into it. Of course, it didn’t help her nagging feelings returned with a vengeance. At first, the crimes had little in common until she started to trace the victim’s background. They were both females, in their twenties, and went to the same secondary school. As a patrol officer, she didn’t have access to the victims’ files leaving the connection easily missed. Following her gut, Holly purged deeper finding more cases over the last twenty years.
Placing her detective position on the line, she managed to convince the Captain to allow her to focus on the case. To prove they were all connnected. She suspected he wanted to see her fail. The first day off (still on call), she wound up attacked by… something.
Abilities/Skills:
Case, Law, and Paperwork Skills: Knows the inside outs of the Law in these three areas and dealt with detailed, lengthy paperwork for her years on the force. It’s ingrained so deeply, it's infiltrated her verbal and social interactions, causing her to instinctively chose her words carefully and with more detail than the average person.
Firearms Training: Knows how to respect, handle and fire various types of pistols like a PAMAS G1, SIG Sauer Pro SP 2022 series, Beretta, or Glock.
Computer Skills and Radio Communication: Computers and other technology have become ingrained into the police force’s daily tasks so she is required to know her way around a computer, even some slight hacking ability.
Body Language, Verbal Reading, and Substance Recognition: Has been taught to read people, through the body, words and even behavior. She can easily tell when someone is hiding something or lying to her face then address it accordingly.
Advanced Driving Knowledge: Able to chase a suspect through high traffic roads using one of three means of transportation (motorcycle, police car, or bike) without causing casualties. Situations vary, however.
Searching: Knowledge of how to properly search rooms, vehicles, and suspects for narcotics, weapons or other illegal items.
Defensive Tactics and Force Escalation: Trained in reading a situation, especially to note when it becomes intense and hostile. Her training gives her an edge in how to protect herself, her fellow officers and possibly de-escalate the situation. This includes martial arts.
Pain Compliance and Control: Has learned the effect of pain both on herself and others, enabling her to use it to her advantage through lawful means.
Suspect Restraint: She knows about pressure points, joint locks and pins in order to restrain a suspect enough to cuff them.
Pressure Thinking and Planning: Has been through intense situations from playing out scenarios to actual in field training, learning how to keep her head when thing go south.
Multi-Lingual: Knows how to speak in a conversational manner in three languages. Spanish, French, and English. Written, however, she only knows how to read French and English because of her parents.
Physical Condition: Trained to parkour, her stamina and speed are peaked to be able to allow her to outrun most civilians.
Latent Psychic: Clairvoyance
Holly is able to gain information about an object, person, location or physical event through vivid trances. She might not officially know the individual her trances center upon as they play in her mind like a surreal movie. At first, it started as vision only. Now her mind is able to capture the scents, sounds, and sights from a third person’s point of view. A witness to an event that could be happening in the past, present or future.
Limitations:
-Trances happen at unpredictable times, Holly is unable to control or feel them coming on before they take over her attention. They could be caused by touching an object, sleeping, or during even a simple conversation without warning. She can’t will them to happen when she wants.
-During each ‘vision’ her present sight gives away to the mini-movie playing, making her vulnerable during it. She can’t see or react to any present danger as she’s completely absorbed into the scene and its details. Lately, though, they have become like mini seizures whenever the vivid episodes happen.
-Images aren’t always straight-forward scenes. They might have clues to their locations, time or individuals, but it’s up to Holly to actually figure them out based on what she saw.
-Each vision is short and sometimes incomplete. They last up to a few moments or only have selective images, sounds, or more vague sensations colliding with each other. Even with detective skills, Holly can’t always fully understand their meaning. Sometimes she can’t even tell when it happens, leaving her with little reaction time and sometimes only able to deal with the fallout.
Notable Belongings:
On Person
Gun and Holster: On duty, SIG Sauer Pro SP 2022 series. Off-duty, Glock 22.
Boom! Less than one fourth the size of the above post! I feel so accomplished!
Age: One.
Gender: None.
Race: Human
Sub-Class: Synthetic
Description: Romeo, which is what we'll call him for simplicity sake, appears to be around the age of 25. Whatever material looks to be his "skin" is a very pale-sand tone, opposing the dark color of his black hair, which is held in a loose side-parting cut. He is quite above average height, standing at Six foot Two, and carries broad shoulders, with a very stiff posture. Despite his deceptively thin appearance, he is actually quite heavy for his size, weighing in at 220 pounds, the result of him being constructed of steel, alongside a various array of light alloys. His kind are manufactured to have the most appealing appearance possible. And Romeo is no exception. He is granted a sharp, well defined jawline, and flawless "skin". Scientists in the lab provide the Synthetics with basic clothes. Black Khakis, a black T-shirt, and black Tennis shoes. The shirt, however, is slightly modified to allow for a small, yet important feature, that all Synths have. From their right shoulder sprout two thin steel pipes, each about an inch in diameter. His exhaust pipes. Occasionally, during periods of heavy "exertion", you wouldn't exactly call it exertion as Synths are unaffected by the concept of stamina, steam will billow from these exhaust pipes, releasing any consumed gases into the atmosphere around them. Synthetics usually have excellent posture, and never have the need to sit or lie down. You can tell them out from a crowd in a multitude of ways. One being, they don't really socialize well. Another, being their posture and absolute stiffness. A third, being how they look at things; they don't seem to be distracted vary easily at all, and can focus on multiple subjects at once, often gazing deeply into them with their emotionless eyes. Finally, they are generally very poor at creating facial expressions. Synthetics are much stronger than their human counterparts. For purposes of lifting, pulling, pushing, etc. they operate at 1.5X the strength of peak human condition. Synths are also reasonably fast. Faster than most humans, but because of their weight, their ability for this is dampened. Synthetics have stellar endurance. The concept of stamina is no matter to a Synth, and they also don't feel pain. Even small blades, such as pocket knives, or switchblades, do little to no damage. Another note, is that Synths have significantly increased reaction times.
History: Synthetics are a new technological advancement introduced by an organization known as "Myriad AI". They create these Synths for their own personal use, and mass profit. Originally having their synthetic creations armed only with military weapons and reconing technologies, Myriad AI began to develop more serious programs. One example of such program was an advanced experiment, code-named "Juliet". Program Juliet was an attempt to exploit emotions in AI. They attempted to create and control an artificial system of morals, advanced sentiments, and opinions, and insert them into the core hardware of a Synth. At first, they succeeded. And then they began the tests. Previous Synthetics were not programmed to be, nor exposed to any level of emotional distress. R-27 was first on the line. In previous tests on humans, the results wildly varied, seeming to have widely different effects from individual to individual. Eventually, they began tests directly targeting Synth R-27. Throughout these tests, the limits of what the AI could handle were pushed severely, resulting in Project R-27 developing a systematical improbability, self awareness. He becomes aware of himself as his own being. One able to make its own decisions, and develop its own opinions rather than being told how it felt at every step of its existence. He began to question why this was happening, and why he was here in the facility. Occasionally, out loud. He even began to show sign of insubordination, such as responding to a command with "Why?". Myriad HQ was displeased. They ordered a reboot of his non-core memories, and a reset of his AI. Subject R intercepts this order, overpowers the unarmed staff, and escapes. He travels to a city call "Loom", and with Myriad agents in his tail, he needs to find refuge..and a purpose.
Abilities/Skills: *Extensive knowledge on many many many subjects that one could commonly learn from the internet* *Advanced capabilities when it comes to hacking and operation machinery and electronics* *Extremely flexible fibers covering Subject R's chest, thighs, shoulders and back allow him to essentially ignore small caliber rounds(most handguns and pellet-loaded shotguns, and reduce possible impact of grazing larger-caliber firearms. Crude projectiles such as arrows, rocks, or sling bullets have utterly minute affects, if any. Note, this does not prevent R from having his artificial skin from being torn(only aesthetic affect, has no other purpose)* *Subject R can choose to switch his vision from normal to infrared, and often does so when meeting strange characters. He can use this to detect whether something is human or not. Synths give off no heat, and Demons almost always give off more than humans do, even if they appear the same* *He has a small set of various tools hidden within compartments on his arms, and some on his fingers. These include, screwdrivers, serrated blades, blowtorch, welder, files, and various other tools.* Notable Belongings: None. PC Encounters: Holly Amanda Knight: On a few scattered occasions, whilst living among the unfortunate homeless of Loom, Subject R notices a woman who introduces herself as a one "Detective Holly Knight". She offers the destitutes food and small favors in exchange for information. He learns to be careful around her, and try to avoid her gaze, or her general presence entirely. He doesn't need his secret getting out to anyone. Especially not authorities. Matthew Daniel Stanford: The encounters had with this character seem quite odd. It appears as if this person is paying vagrants to...suck..on their neck? None of his databases show any information on this act, the closest thing to it being prostitution, though it isn't quite that. One thing he does know however, is that this man has a quite higher heat signature than any other human R has seen around.
Work in progress, posting from phone LOL. Done. ____________________________
Name: Matthew Daniel Stanford (current name) / Michael/Mohannad/Mattathias (previous names)
Age: 400 years (estimated)
Gender: Male
Race: Demon(ically-infected human)
Sub-Class: Vampire
Description: Lean and spare, Matthew has slightly sunken cheeks, overly prominent cheekbones, and a straight, sharp nose; he's slightly too underfed-looking, but his sharp Eurasian features, combined with that knowing glint in his cloud-grey eyes, do give him a roguish charm. He looks like a man in his mid-twenties, and stands at about 1.65m / 5' 5", with slightly curly black hair worn at almost shoulder length and chestnut-brown skin free of scars or blemishes. He dresses neatly and comfortably in muted colours; long-sleeved turtlenecks, long pants or jeans, in beige and pale grey and blue almost as much as in black. A great deal of black still features, most notably the knee-length longcoat he conceals his knife within. Such warm, skin-concealing clothes are his preferred wear regardless of the occasion, though he has the skill and means to turn out in formal wear suited to the most solemn and lofty events if he must.
Matthew carries himself with the easy grace of a dancer - or a panther. He's confident in his abilities, and seemingly perpetually amused by the day-to-day quirks of life, almost condescendingly so, but there is something in the genuine curiosity of his questions, in the small, wry smile on his face, something bright and heavy in his eyes, that suggests more. Though his eyes may literally gleam bright in the dark, light reflecting off his tapetum lucidum, which along with the fever-heat of his body are the only true hints of his inhuman truth.
History: Where he was from no longer matters; what his birth name was, what language his parents spoke, who his people were, all of it is as dust in the wind to him. The earliest event of meaning that he will acknowledge remembering, with bitter amusement, was when a demon-touched woman good as killed him by accident, and her brother gave him of their cursed life to try to save him.
Matthew loves Hadrianus like his own true elder brother, but he's not sure if he will ever quite forgive him.
They travelled together for some time, helping each other learn their new lives. Hadrianus was kind and compassionate and disliked not just violence but the very idea of hurting humans; Hava was proud and angry and wanted to be a good person like her brother. Matthew, who had learned to fight even before he got his blood-hunger, who found it deeply unfair that they had never really had a say in becoming what they were, who had never really believed in justice and goodness, Matthew turned from hunting animals to hunting human prey because life was meaningless and dead was dead so he might as well taste sweeter blood.
Hadrianus did not like it, and Hava did not like it, but Hadrianus of the Fortress was the kind of person whose door was always open no matter how much it hurt him, and Hava followed his lead, and Matthew could do what they couldn't because he knew how to fight and run and hide and live, so they argued and acquiesced and split paths and rejoined each other as immortals are wont to do, once they have realised that they have eternity to wait for the other to change their mind.
And Matthew changed his own mind in the end. It might have been Asha's influence - Asha who was another of Hava's accidental would-be victims, who became like a very charming, very stubborn sister to Matthew, who loved the disparate changing human cultures and taught him how to appreciate the trappings of the rich, and had no patience for how he indulged his hungers. It might have been the realisation of how hollow his life was, the emptiness of it eating away at him. It probably wasn't that one time an angel caught up to him, the single bloodiest fight of his life because it just wouldn't die until he tore it apart limb from limb, and not before he'd nearly died himself. But the catalyst was probably when he realised that choosing not to kill was so much harder, that he had lost control of himself, that he felt almost like he couldn't stop even if he wanted to, when he caught himself looking at Hadrianus and wondering what a fellow vampire's blood would taste like.
So he walked out into the wild to die.
The blood-hunger was a horrid ache in his bones and a twitching want in his hands, until he was nearly delirious with the memories of the taste of it, but Matthew walked on past even the scuttling rodents in the grass because while he had never felt any particular guilt over any human's death, he was angry and stubborn and he refused to become so inhuman that he would turn on his sire, he refused to become so monstrous that all of life became only about his strength and his hunger, and it wasn't even that he believed in doing the right thing, it was only that he had always had pride in himself and nothing, not even what was stealing the strength from his limbs for want of blood, not even that was going to stop him deciding who he was.
When they found him, he could keep himself from tearing out their throats, even though he knew in his gut that if he did not feed soon he would likely die. They took pity on a lost traveller until he showed them his teeth and tore someone's flesh with his claws and licked the single taste of agonisingly tangy red off his fingers. When they tried to tie him down, tried to kill him, he tore the ropes and broke their weapons and lay down in the dust to die in peace because he wanted it, to be able to choose not to drink even with the scent of it thick in the air.
But then one of the men came up to him, knelt in the sand beside him, and with a knife spilt some of his blood in a bowl and offered it to him. And he didn't understand the words the man spoke but he understood the solemnity and sorrow in his voice, and the kindness broke his heart in a way nothing had in years upon years, and he took the bowl and drank.
He stayed with them for some time; he lived on rations of blood measured out for him, from the young men of the village and from the goats, and he learned their words and their prayers and helped to tend the flocks and gardens.
Eventually, Matthew left, because if he was not dead then he owed it to Hadrianus and Hava and Asha to let them know. He found Asha and then he lost her. He tracked down his wealth again, and hers too, learned his way back into the human world, and worked a deal with a demon for Contempt because he wanted a weapon that could kill an angel, and he wanted to trade away something he didn't want to have anymore, and because he wanted a reminder to keep by his side.
And here Matthew Stanford is now, in Loom, because here is the hub of the supernatural, lurking behind the doors and beneath the streets, and if Adrian and Haven Castle are to be found anywhere in the world, here they likely will be.
Abilities/Skills: The first and foremost ability of a vampire is that they are usually human in appearance, in all ways save for the fever-warmth of their skin and the cat-brightness of their eyes in the dark. When confronting prey or enemy, however, their fingers may twist into claws fit for rending flesh and their teeth sharpen for tearing bites. This mild physical alteration is voluntary for all vampires save neophytes, of which Matthew is not.
Strength and speed are significantly heightened in vampires, the better for them to hunt their prey, and they usually become stronger and faster with time. Matthew is fast enough that he is a blurred flash over short distances, and strong enough that a brick wall is a minor nuisance. Vampiric resilience is such that he sleeps only about four hours each day, and a donation of blood from a human will satisfy his hunger for about two days, while their regenerative capability is such that few wounds can trouble him for longer than an hour or two. Any injury inflicted by the burning touch of silver or gold, of course, is another matter entirely.
There is something in a vampire's bite that lulls their prey, fogging their thoughts and slowing their reactions. There is something to a vampire's senses, that their hearing is very keen, and faint scents are still sharp to their nose. There are other such subtleties that come with time; Matthew has learned that he can move silently with little care, and learned that he can feel the light thrumming presence of blood in any nearby beings, feel the burning of power within those veins as a warning of difficult prey, and he thinks that with time and cruelty, he might learn to make all that blood do his bidding.
But for now he will make do with his skill at the longsword and the knife, with his makeshift skill at small firearms, and with his firm belief in never picking a fair fight. He has a keen enough mind, especially when applied as a mix of careful forethought for a particular goal and bold improvisation, combined with his general thirst for knowledge. He has a sharp eye for reading people, or at least, it takes one liar to know another. And when push comes to shove, he is both very good at causing pain and at enduring pain, because at the end of the day, if Matthew is anything he is a stubborn, remorseless, sadistic bastard.
Notable Belongings: Matthew likes to be well-prepared, and his personal effects reflect it - a Glock 19 tucked into his belt, while two wallets and various pockets contain half a dozen debit cards, significant amounts of cash in three different currencies, travel documents made out to two different identities, a smartphone with nothing truly of importance on it, a small notebook with contacts and notes written in his native tongue, and a couple of spare magazines.
Concealed within his coat is a knife the length of his forearm, with a plain leather sheath and a gleaming black blade. Its name is Contempt, and when wielded in battle, so long as Matthew wills it, it calls forth the mortality within those locked in combat, that they may only be as strong and fast as a human, that no otherworldly power may answer their call, and any wound inflicted will heal at mortal speed; against a normal human or a being with no humanity within, it is only a knife. Paid for in flesh and blood, in memory and spirit, Contempt is practically an extension of Matthew; it will burn the hand of anyone else who tries to take it, and will dissolve to ash upon the death of its owner.
More generally, a combination of having found a banker he can trust, decades upon decades of investing his money, and a general accumulation of possessions from cycles of self-indulgence, paranoid planning, and self-imposed asceticism, means Matthew is obscenely wealthy, owns properties in several cities, and actually has concerns with which to occupy his time beyond his search for family and meaning.
Current Situation: Fairbanks had advised Matthew against venturing into Loom. The city had some interesting local initiatives, but the dangers of so much as a three-day holiday, much less living there for the foreseeable future.... "The city's crime rate is alarming, sir, but that wasn't what I meant. Loom has a certain reputation for attracting the particularly amoral and cutthroat, if you'll forgive my phrasing, and this reputation spans both sides of the masquerade. If you intend to maintain a low profile, it may actually be the more dangerous approach."
But here Matthew had wanted to come, so here he was. With young William in tow, helping him pick out furniture for the new apartment, update him on current affairs, and provide blood once every two months. What the vampire was going to do for blood every two days until the next time was up to him to figure out. There were homeless people in just about every city in the world, so he hadn't worried.
Except now he was revising his opinions. The beggars knew a great deal, as the invisible downtrodden often did, so he hadn't had to worry about surprising them with his inhuman nature, because this was Loom. What did matter was that many of them would have nothing to do with his ilk, not even for food and money, because this was Loom.
There was also that one strange man who looked far too pretty but lacked any blood-scent whatsoever; in fact, he lacked the scents of sweat or fear and any number of other things that would have marked him a living mortal human, because this was Loom, apparently.
So one and a half months since his arrival, Matthew was having to go further and further to find another individual willing to bargain. And then the incident happened.
He'd noticed a police detective who thrummed with power, who was talking to the homeless folk and asking questions. Power he'd only felt up close once before, from an angel. Power he realised that he'd felt faintly throughout the past month, skittering through Loom, that set him on edge. Of course he followed her home, to see if he could learn anything about her.
What he had not expected was to save her from a mysterious assailant.
Featuring, Lord Bael, First King and ruler to 66 legions of Infernal Spirits.
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Race: Human-Possessed
Sub-Class:
Description: Young, subjectively handsome, and without a grounded mind. He stands at approximately 6'1" and weighs in around 175lbs. His lean frame is the result of physical inactivity, the "incident" had caused him to lose all consciousness of the conscious reality everyone participates in. His hair, although it still grows and remains thick, has transitioned into white. This phenomenon of hair color change began occurring right after his enrollment into Todder Manor. Vaega has fair skin like his mother, and facial features similar to Evelyn too. The Mysar genetic traits cannot be found in Vaega's physical appearance, but what he lacked in physical attributes to that of the Mysar, he made up for in mental prowess, and an innate ability to comprehend his bloodline's power as sorcerers. Today, Vaega's eyes are of no determined color, and stare blankly at the wall of room 13 in Todder Manor.
History:
To understand where Vaega has been, we must first dive into the two families from which he was born out of. The Grimlock’s and the Meastri’s, independently they’ve navigated the world successfully in terms of what the layman would consider success. Together however, they’ve achieved a legacy, starting with Evelyn Grimlock, and Vicente Maestri.
Evelyn Grimlock
Born into a family of privilege, she never once had to think about the security or stability in her life, but this did not mean she did not have her fair share of reality checks. Evelyn was highly educated, her mother and father made sure she received all the benefits of being born out of a higher class family. They also made sure she was punished on grounds of misbehavior, and the balance of both opportunity, and the philosophy of earning what you do, she molded into a strong, independent, grounded, and positive individual. Her ability to command a room by her late 20‘s was unremarkable, and by the time she reached her 30‘s, her father relinquished the CEO position into her hands so that he retire. A few years later, she would meet Vicente Maestri in Loom during one of his gallery showings; new artifacts were brought back from his travels. The two would fall in love, marry, and merge two of the most successful names, living in Loom.
The Grimlock’s Lineage
There was never a time in history where the Grimlock’s were not of an elite status. Maybe, they erased those “terrible” times from their history books. In any case, their roots deeply entangle in and around the meshes of some of world’s most influential communities in and out of Loom. Their power has shown itself in many vocations stretching throughout, law, finance, real estate, politics, and fire arms. Grimlock is even considered as the god father to some of the most influential individuals of the century. Although relatively young to Loom, the Grimlock’s have their sights on running this city one day. To make this statement known in certain circles, Grimlock Holdings Inc., the umbrella company to all of their other businesses, relocated their headquarter’s to Loom, under Evelyn Grimlock.
Vicente Maestri
One of the most integral Maestri members to have been born within the community. His ability to comprehend abstract ideas and engage in logical thinking created a whirlwind of potential, as long as it could be directed. Vicente emerged into a world quite different from most human boys, he was to be born out of a family who’s original start was before man could write. The world they lived in was a hidden one, it was one of even more dangers, but also with more rewards. The Maestri blood line descended from a tribe of nomadic sorcerer’s, the Mysar. Vicente would be educated, trained, and then promoted upward through the chain of command until his day as head of the spectre came to be. On the outside, Vicente was a artifact collector, treasure hunter, tomb raider, and business owner. On the inside, he was a sorcerer among sorcerers, the patriarch of a community burned into the ages. This patriarch however, would rewrite the script of passed thousand years, he would meet a woman by the name of Evelyn Grimlock. In her hands, he’d lay his, and their bond inseparable. She would help propel the Maestri and the Maestri Foundation into a position of extreme opportunity, not only in the realm of man, but in the realm of the supernatural. The realm from which the Maestri banded together to survive in, was now to be confronted and explored.
The Maestri Lineage
The blood line of the Maestri flow back to when man still wandered the great deserts and plains of the world. During these days, they were a band of nomads called, Mysar. The Mysar had a dark complexion with orange eyes, and dark or white hair, today they are quite diverse. The Mysar were considered some of the world’s most talented magic users, there were stories written about them, tales to be shared with their names in them. They were a lineage of sorcerers, who were eventually absorbed by civilization. The Mysar vanished and out from the ashes, they bore a new name to hold up their traditions, safeguard their knowledge, and continue developing their sorcery to survive a world beyond that of common man. The name they chose, Maestri, meaning “Master”. It captured their goal; to be master’s of an art they began a thousand years ago, so that one day they could fight back the shadows and even become as strong as the creatures beyond the common world.
When the Maestri assimilated into society, they emerged as book seller’s, but in time they founded libraries, museums, private galleries, and even assisted in establishing the school of Maga-Arcane. Today, the Maestri are a family and an organization; The Maestri Foundation, a non-for-profit, they provide funding and staffing for education in poor communities. This foundation has occupational positions, but behind the curtain there really consists of an inner circle, middle, and outer rim. The inner circle of the Maestri hierarchy are all descendants of the original Mysa. The middle ring are for those who have had at least one of their parents descended from an original Mysa. The outer ring are for those who were invited to join the Maestri Foundation.
The Maestri Foundation secured a foothold in the slums district of Loom, and after the marriage of Vicente and Evelyn, the activity of the Maestri Foundation has increased ten fold.
Vaega Mysar Grim-Maestri
The first in his position within the Maestri blood line to complicate its succession. Vaega was the son of not one, but two great parents. His father, easily considered the most influential Maestri of his time. His mother with accolades matching her husband, and surpassing him, both in wealth and power. However, Evelyn was of no descendant to a Mysar, which meant Vicente would be the first to break the rules as the leader of the Maestri. He would taint his own blood line, but in doing so, put the Maestri in one of the strongest positions of their existence. Vaega would be born with every opportunity known to man, he had a highly educated, and advanced Maestri education. Vaega would be exposed to the realities of their world and many others. It was his gift of comprehension as his father once had, that allowed him to capture the quintessence of all subjects he came in contact with.
He begun exploring his own style in sorcery and when he had reached the age of 19, he’d gone too far. It was in this year where his father, Vicente, would be murdered by a creature of the darkness. In a means to gain power quickly and confront the beast who’d slain in his father, he coordinated a ritual forbidden in the Maestri’s practices. Vaega would accidentally sacrifice 7 young friends and nearly kill himself in the process of performing rites to a ritual where 7 souls charge their essence, and then transfer it to the desired source. Vaega was the source, and he was to charge his essence and become a conduit between the realm beyond man. During this process, what entered his body was not what he had desired, and the ritual was a failure. It was too late before Vaega could abort, and by the time the ritual ended, all 7 participants were killed, with Vaega’s head hijacked.
Evelyn would discover Vaega’s party several hours later in the basement of their Manor. Vaega was stiff, and huddled in a corner. His eyes blank, never flinching, never deviating from position. A phenomenon horrifically unexplainable to Evelyn, she quickly snapped into a plan of action, the deaths swept under the rug, and Vaega was secured in Todder Manor, a psychiatric hospital owned by the Todder family. The Todder family belonged to the outer ring of the Maestri Foundation, meaning they were trusted, but on a need to know basis. While the inner circle discussed on proper actions, the Todder’s would manage his health.
Vaega remains at the hospital now 6 years later...
Abilities/Skills:
An art entirely developed and practiced intensely by his ancestors; the Mysar. Shadow craft provides Vaega the techniques from which he can pull essence from his own shadow, using it is as the foundation of his sorcery. He can then creatively engage in construction, and destruction of limbs, inanimate objects, illusions, and traps in relation to his environment.
Limbs can be generated out of the biological body without much time consumption (6 seconds, 1 post; charge time), and hold its form for as long as there is enough life source resonating within Vaega. This technique has the most flexibility as it is still attached to Vaega. Limbs can feel shadowy or solid, depending on Vaega's intent.
Inanimate Objects are generated by two processes, depending on the complexity of the object. If the object is less complex, then Vaega does not have to detach the shadow's essence from his originating essence (6 seconds, 1 post; swords, knives, umbrella, etc.). However, if the object is complex, then the process of detaching it from the original source (12 seconds, 2 posts; guns, vehicles, grenades, etc.) and constructing it in a way that gives form and established properties comparable to the "real" inanimate object it is fashioned after, is necessary. The object will remain in tact as long as the one who constructed it, remains holding it, for less complicated objects. But for the more complicated objects, it will remain for as long as there is enough shadow essence within the form crafted, otherwise the object will dissipate into the environment.
Illusions are also generated through the detachment of one's shadow essence (12 seconds, 2 posts; charge time). However, the level of illusion and the requirements of what the illusions objective is, will determine the intricacy of the ritual, and length of its sustainability. Illusions do not last longer than 18 seconds, 3 posts. Illusions have both abilities to be shadowy and solid to the touch.
Traps require the shadow essence to be detached and stabilized before integrating it into the environment for appropriate recall (18 seconds, 3 posts; charge time). Recall is when the Shadow Crafter calls back the essence of the trap back into its original source, which triggers the trap into action, and then slowly it returns back from which it originated. The trap can remain in tact if the Shadow Crafter can maintain an uninterrupted connection between their essence and the trap's manifestation. Traps may only hold its correct properties if the connection remains after triggering.
Shadow Form is when Vaega directly alters the properties of his own biological structure into more of a shadow essence than his original essence. The shadow essence allows for a more direct use of the techniques, but is susceptible to other forms of elemental or magical offensive techniques.
Further Applications may arise as Vaega continues his development in the art, but the shadow craft cannot create life or an actual creature that has a conscious of its own. The shadow has no conscious, it may only share and play in the ideas of the original source based on the sources ability to establish and maintain connection. It is also interesting to note, when successfully attacked by a creation of Vaega's shadow essence, one will experience disharmony with their own essence as if it too were attacked.
Invisibility: Bael can dissolve Vaega’s presence when Vaega surrenders conscious control. This is dangerous, and would be considered under the most life threatening circumstances. Once Vaega has surrendered control, he will have a difficult time re-establishing conscious connection with the shared reality. The transition from the metaphysical plane to the ethereal plane takes 12 seconds, 2 posts (think Lord of the Rings, but a tad slower, than the immediate Ring invisibility.).Bael will only have 18 seconds, 3 posts, to utilize his methods, because he will have a difficult time remaining in control of a physical body in the metaphysical plane, until it is completely surrendered over to him. Upon Vaega's reconnection to consciousness, he will be both exhausted, physically and mentally to the point where a limp escape can be made while navigating what will seem like a foggy maze.
Telepathy: Bael uses this mode of communicating with Vaega, if close enough and given enough time, Bael can also communicate via this mode with another person who is 30 yards in proximity to Vaega. To establish a connection, it will take 12 seconds,2 posts, of being within the range of reach.
One Organism, Two Spirits: Now that Bael’s spirit inhabits Vaega’s body, his reflexes, strength, speed, visual acuity, and overall control of the independent muscles in his body have increased dramatically. The draw back to gaining these strengths is the constant battle of control over the body. When Vaega draws on the necessary enhancements of physical attributes, he directly pulls from Bael, which gives Bael an opportunity sometimes to establish a foothold in Vaega's body. The more physical exhaustion Vaega banks, the easier time Bael has at gaining control of the body, with the intentions of subduing the spirit next. Vaega can lift 2-3x his own body weight (350-525lbs), run up to speeds of 40mph (the full potential of the human frame.), and reflexes are up to par with a cat.
Notable Belongings:
Mysar Jeweled Onyx Necklace - “Gate Key” (1 of 9): The Gate Keys were not always separated, they were once all one jewel of divine perfection, created by the very first generation of Mysar. Before a Mysar dies, a ritual will be held for the Mysar, and they will be brought to the foot of the stone. Once the ritual is completed, the Mysar's essence would be completely drained from the very root and stored inside of the stone itself. The Mysar believe when the essence is drained voluntarily and with a purpose beyond self, the soul can lift effortlessly from out of the body and into the transcendental world beyond without fear. Generations upon generations have contributed to this idea, creating one of the most important jewels in Mysar history. It was not until modern times, the stone had to be separated into 9 distinct parts. When the Mysar hid their names and assimilated into the modern society, thus birthing the Maestri Society of Shadows, a hierarchical structure forged. The inner circle or "Umbra" declared that immense power needed to be decentralized and such a stone could not remain in one piece for anyone to take or abuse. The Umbra of the Maestri Society of Shadows separated the stone and each were to be safeguarded by their assigned Umbra.
The Gate Keys if brought back together and the correct ritual is performed, then it is said the Jewels will open a rift in time and space to a dimension the Mysar designed. A library of all knowledge collected over a thousand years from generations all mastering the art of Shadow Craft.
The Gate Keys due to the amount of essence vibrating inside them, can also be used to strengthen an individual wearing one. It is not through physical attributes that one will feel stronger, but it is through mental fortitude on the grounds that the Gate Key's increase the individual's vibration and the increase in vibration gives their essence further elasticity and strength to be used with the mind.
Evelyn hopes the idea of uniting these Gate Keys will save Vaega. If there is anything to be discovered in treating the problem Vaega has created for himself, it was concluded by her, the answers will be in the library. However, after her husband died, several council members vanished. They are now to be tracked down and found in order to save Vaega, or so Evelyn hopes.
Mother’s Gift: A gift from Evelyn; a long cloth with an incantation embroidered on one side, with her husband, Vaega's father, and her name on the other.
@PsyKick We will need you to specify the limitations of his abilities, like how long that can be used for, their range, time it takes to activate them, etc.
They Gate Key thing also needs some specification as to what you have planned for it. It doesn't have to be in the CS, but you need to let us know on the Discord, either in DMs or where ever you feel comfortable.
(Note: I do not own this picture and will remove it if I am informed it is copyrighted)
Ashlyn can only be described as petite standing at five feet four and being outweighed by most who know her. She is however in very good shape physically and so has a toned and athletic build. She has reddish brown hair that she usually wears tied back in a pony tail or some other style that keeps it off her face. The only time she is ever seen with it down is when sleeping or rare occasions when forced to attend her families formal events. She is pale skinned, though not abnormally so, with an oval shaped face that has clear grey eyes and gently pointed chin.
She is much more a tomboy than a girly girl and is rarely seen in anything other than jeans and boots, she is fond of vest tops or shirts and usually pairs this with body warmers or a leather jacket. She has several holsters that she wears at all times, one on each shoulder, and one on her ankle. She has three tattoos one on her stomach around her belly button, one on her back and one on her left wrist. The only one usually seen is her wrist (words spiral around her wrist like she is wearing bracelets of them, the words are a viking prayer about Valhalla) She has no blemishes or birthmarks.
History: Ashlyn is the only child of Lawrence and Marie Gauthier, a powerhouse couple who run Gauthier Industries a Pharmaceutical giant with headquarters in Loom. As well as being wealthy business owners they are the latest in a long line of members of the Demon Hunters guild. The Gauthier family has been a respected member for generations and they always have at least one child join the guild. The couple expected to have at least one son whom would continue this tradition but due to complications during Ashlyn's birth they were unable to have more children. Resigned to this they went ahead anyway and Ashlyn was raised from a young age with the knowledge and expectation of joining the guild.
Her education was second to none, with the best teachers money could buy, but Ashlyn turned out to be a difficult pupil. Whilst she did show interest in her studies of the supernatural and excelled at the physical aspects of her training she resented the pressure being put on her. This was exacerbated further by the fact that her parents were not the loving type and showed very little interest in her other than how well she performed. As she grew into her teenage years she began to rebel against the expectations they had, her family name and her studies. She went out of her way to make things difficult for her parents, drinking, doing drugs, getting into trouble with the law, anything that might make them angry. After all anger was better than nothing in her mind.
She completed secondary school barely passing her final exams, as she had spent as much time as possible playing truant. She was then given a mentor from the guild. An apprenticeship of sorts and it was this hunter that turned things around for Ashlyn. Michael was a seasoned hunter who was known for his preference for weaponry over magic. He was a gruff, taciturn man known to speak little preferring action over words. It was clear from the beginning that he did not want to be saddled with a spoilt rebellious teenager. They got off to a rocky start but after Ashlyn saved his life he saw past the surface. The two of them had been returning from an evening spent patrolling the city when they were attacked by a particularly nasty demon. Michael caught off guard fought it but was clearly not going to win, Ashlyn deliberately distracted the demon attacking it even though she had neither the skills or equipment to face such a powerful demon. But it gave Michael the opening he needed to finish the demon.
After this both changed, Michael saw in Ashlyn a kindred spirit and was determined to make her into the best hunter she could be and Ashlyn realised she wanted to be a hunter. She didn't like what demons did to people and wanted to help get rid of them but she also realised that she had a natural skill for this type of work. Michael continued to train Ashlyn and even once she was considered a hunter in her own right the pair would often work together on difficult hunts. Ashlyn has been a hunter for the past several years and is accepted amongst the guild as a skilled and resourceful hunter.
Abilities/Skills:
- Marksmanship: Is an excellent shot with most firearms, is known as one of the shots in the guild - Firearms Training: Is knowledgeable on a variety of firearms including their maintenance and capabilities and is also adept at customising them to suit her needs - Demon Lore: Has been given extensive knowledge on Demons including types, strengths, vulnerabilities and places they frequent. Also the most effective and efficient ways of eliminating them - Martial Arts Training: Is well trained in several different martial arts. She knows that due to her size she has a distinct disadvantage in close combat as most opponents are bigger than she is and so has focused on Martial Arts that use an opponents size against them - High Pain threshold: Has been taught how to handle pain without letting it incapacitate her and therefore can continue to fight/react even when injured - Quick Thinking: Is quick at thinking on her feet and adept at improvising in unexpected situations, has a reputation for thinking outside of the box when needed - Nimble: Has learned to make the most of her speed and agility in combat situations and is a very fast runner - Observant: Is able to read body language and other cues and act accordingly - City Savvy/Contacts: Knows the city's underbelly very well and can navigate it's dangerous places and people well. Has numerous contacts in various establishments throughout the city both upper class (through her family) criminals and working class.
- Protective vest with two spare magazines for the M9's
Other:
- Ashlyn prefers to do her hunting from behind a gun and also believes in being prepared, as such she has numerous weapon caches throughout the city - Ashlyn has cordial relations at best with her parents and refuses to use any of their money, she lives in a modest apartment and survives from her Guild money - No one calls her Ashlyn as she is quick to ensure anyone she meets refers to her as Ash. Other hunters sometimes refer to her as Gauthier which she tolerates but dislikes
"Redtree, Redtree guards the gateway Redtree, Redtree takes you away"
Cedric Redtree, Prince of the Appleorchard
Age: "As old as sticks and stones, younger than my bones" It is quite difficult to measure the age of Fae since time does not seem to flow the same way in their world. However it is safe to assume that Redtree is several hundred years of age.
Gender: Male
Race: Demonic
Sub-Class: Fae
"Redtree, Redtree gives an inch takes a mile Redtree, Redtree grants you jest, takes your smile"
Description: When one can choose his own looks through the magic of glamour it is just logical to choose a beautiful form. And even though the Fae don't really care for logic, some even despise the concept, this is true for most of them. Redtree chooses the Persona of Cedric Redtree when amongst humans. A almost supernaturally beautiful young man. His eyes are dreamy and promise strange worlds of pleasure, his skin pale and fair.
History: In the land of the Fae they rule supreme. They are bound by rules mortals cannot dare to understand and may seem nonsensical. It is a land of strange intrigue and wars that are indistinguishable from games. Nothing is at is seems. Redtree does not really remember the time of his own birth. The way he remembers it he always was prince of the Appleorchard, his own little pocket of the realm of the Fae. And since he remembers he ruled over this land, as is the nature of the Fae however he grew bored. Quarreling with other Fae did keep him entertained for some time but that also passed. That when he found the perfect playthings, humans. The truly divine creations and favorites of the All-Creator were so incredibly interesting, so rational yet driven by passion, ingenious but yet foolish. So Redtree caught them, he collected them. He ventured out into the world of man, as a beautiful young man seducing maidens or just a pair of trees standing left and right of an old wood path. But playing with humans could also only satisfy a creature as fickle as a Fae for a few century's. That is when he found a new way. Making deals with humans. Humans were willing to trade almost everything for riches, their children, their smile, memories and souls. And this is where Redwoods story still is. But times have changed. The fae are weak, their realm in ruins. Now he sits in the Goblin Market of Loom, offering artifacts of his lost homeland and favors.
Abilities/Skills:
Glamour: Glamour is the ability of the Fae to make one thing seem like another. These things do not only look another way, in a crude way they almost are. A Fae like Redwood that hides behind glamour does not only seem smaller, he is.
Contracts: The Fae cannot create. This is an ability withheld for beings of divine heritage. Fae can only change things, their power comes from words and stories. This is most obvious with there ability to use contracts. A Fae use ancient contracts made with the natural by long gone Fae to make nature do their bidding. A Hedge could be asked to grow into terrible form or the ground to open up and shallow someone.
Pledges: Like in the Fairytales of old a Fae can use language and words as their weapons. Accepting a deal with a Fae is binding by their strange laws.
Weaknesses:
Cold Iron: Iron is the bane of the Fae since a Fae once broke a contract with iron. It burns them and robs them of their power.
His True Name: Anyone who knows the true name of a Fae can control them and bind them.
Catches: Fae have to abide by certain individual rules, Redwood cant enter a house if he is not invited, church bells hurt him and he cannot harm anyone carrying a birch twig.
Notable Belongings:
WIP
"Redtree, Redtree By your name he will bind you Redtree, Redtree in his world none will find you"
Description: Approaching average height only in heels, Zafira manages a striking impression all the same. That isn't because of any particular externality, though her dark hair is fashionably tousled and her lean, dangerously feminine build is appealing. Her eyes are the color of coffee and glitter with intelligence; wide enough, it might seem, to take in the whole world. A full, expressive mouth curves against a complexion with the rich olive tones of the Middle East, her lower lip marked by a small scar. Still, all of this is background compared to the way she moves. Every motion carries a flawless, captivating grace, giving the impression that Zee is never more than an instant from moving into some complex, light-footed dance. Her body language doesn't exactly demand the limelight, but she does draw the eye with the way her hands move while she talks, or the tilt of her head, or the toss of her hair away from her neck. There are marks on her skin, the scar on Zee's lip is complimented by another small mark that cuts through her left eyebrow, with both being family to several other larger marks elsewhere on her body.
Zafira's wardrobe is, in a word, eclectic, since quite a lot comes from thrift stores, though everything she wears is well-made and fits well. She tends to choose closed-toed shoes (and prefers slightly heeled boots over anything else), and has an impressive collection of band t-shirts. In the rain, Zee is entirely unashamed about her umbrella, which has stained-glass cartoon dragonflies on it, and in cold weather she can be found wrapped in a vintage RAF greatcoat that fits like it was made for her. Both of Zafira's ears are pierced several times, and she tends to decorate her fingers and wrists with jewelry, from plain polished bands to elaborately-engraved bangles and bracelets. Quite a few are painstakingly-constructed magical foci, though that's really only clear to someone tuned into the supernatural.
History:
Savannah, Georgia, August 2012
"Don't ask me to do this, Zee."
Her voice was soft, her fingers laced together with mine. We looked out over the ocean, and I didn't need to look at Maddy to see the tears. Under other circumstances, tonight was of no particular significance - it wasn't Easter or Halloween or a Solstice - but that's the problem with prophecies. If you get someone mad enough, and powerful enough, to actually bend the universe to their will like that, they tend not to be all that interested in whether or not they're choosing a day with the proper dramatic importance.
"Why is it my choice?" I said, but there was a smile in my voice.
Maddy looked down, "Because I...I know what this means for you." She sniffled, "This all you've ever known. What you were made for, right? Keeping me safe, making sure I got here, and then walking into the new world together, all of that. And...if I walk away, I don't know what that means for you."
I followed her gaze to the thick slab of black glass on the low stone wall in front of us. For decades, it had been nothing more than a curiosity hanging on the wall of her bedroom and tonight, now, it glowed with a redolent, swirling light. Runes and sigils pulsed around the edge of the disk, and in the surging light in the center, I thought I could see faces, or half-glimpsed scenes.
"But if you ask me to," Maddy continued, "I won't. I'll pick up the Mantle. Because for two decades you've fought and bled for me, you've stood up to things I can hardly imagine and run off shitty boyfriends and you've held me when I was lonely and homesick. And if I walk away, I know I'm hurting you, because I'm taking away everything you are." She sniffled again, and I saw the light reflected in the tracks of a tear down Maddy's cheek, falling from the eye she still had.
I squeezed her hand a little harder, "I haven't always been perfect," I said, a wry expression on my lips.
"You look human," Maddy grinned, just a little, "That means you're at least a little bit human. Which means you're a little bit fallible."
I pulled my eyes away from the glass slab, and studied Maddy's face. I brought my free hand up, traced the lines the scars made across her skin along her cheekbone, ragged and pale. Maddy didn't flinch, but her green eye looked into mine. The pain and uncertainty there broke my heart.
"This prophecy's already cost you so much," I said, tracing a thumb over her cheekbone. I blew out a sigh, "I expect I should say something like 'but that's the cost of destiny.'"
Another sad grin, "But it's not just me - you've been paying the price for my destiny, Zee. And I have. And Mom and Dad have, and..." She turned her head away, and I dropped my hand. Maddy looked out over the ocean, carefully not keeping the disk in her view.
"And then what?" She wiped her eye, "You all keep paying forever, because I make a choice? I choose to make you pay that price? What kind of person does that make me? And don't tell me what the prophecy says, I know that by now."
"I'm tired of monsters," she said, "I'm tired of things coming out of my dreams or the woodwork or out of the shadows. I want to go out and catch fireflies without wondering what's going to charge from the darkness. I want Mom to stop praying every day, and I want to get married and have a daughter and tell her that the world's fucked up, but that we can change it."
"By walking away from your chance to do just that?" I asked.
Maddy sighed, and shook her head. "It's not the right way, Zee. It costs too much. It's...wrong."
I hesitated, choosing my words with care, "There are...people who would disagree."
"Yeah, well. I didn't invite any of them tonight. I brought you, Zee." She turned to look at me, and I saw her eye was dry. "It hasn't been much of a life, all these years, knowing what I am. But at least I've had one. You, though, you've had a purpose, and that meant you've always been behind me, bound by my destiny. And I want you to have more than that, Zee. I want you to have a life, I want you to have something more than a sword and bad sleep and wariness and pain on my behalf."
He voice softened, "I want your freedom. But I also know that freedom is terrifying. You have the answers of your life, and for that matter so do I, I just hate them." The ghost of a smile tugged at her lips, "I want your freedom. But I won't force that pain on you." She swallowed, "I...love you, Zee. You're important to me. That's why if you ask me to take up the Mantle, if you ask me to protect everything that's driven you for the last twenty years, I'll do it. If you ask me."
I was struck dumb.
She could lead the world, if she wanted to. I don't mean with the Mantle, though that was what it had been made for. I don't know if she realized it, but she was one of the people that you listen to, whose will bends the universe for them, just a little. She spoke, and for the first time in my life, I felt...doubt; something other than the perfect assurance that had always rung in my mind like a clear and crystal bell.
I looked down at the glass disk again, one hand reaching out almost involuntarily toward its smooth, pulsing surface, but there was nothing for me there. I saw no visions of the future, felt no stirring of grand ambition. It didn't care about me; I wasn't important. That realization came crashing down on me in a wave, and I blinked. I looked back to Maddy, and struggled for what to say. I took in a breath, blew it out, and I couldn't meet her eye.
She was the product of the prophecy, and for that matter, so was I. She was born under the right star, at just the right time, and the power of the prophecy wrapped around her - exactly the way a generation of people had expected. At the same instant, I stepped into the world, fully-formed and whole, ready to stand at her side. Maddy came into the world in a hospital, into a bright and unfamiliar world filled with impossible expectation. I remember stepping out of a shadow in an alley, the first sound in my ears that of a paper wrapper crunching under my boot. From that first instant, I knew that Madison was capital-I Important, because everything that made me said so. That fact had been my foundation, my breath and my blood.
For the last two decades I had been her guardian, and I had known exactly what I was meant to do. That certainty had a delirious perfection to it, a simplicity that narrowed my life to a path where I knew every step I would take. For twenty years, I had help raise Maddy, I had defended her, I had stood in the path of everything that would harm her, because that's what the prophecy said I would do. Because I was the guardian, and Maddy was Important.
An ocean of ink had been spilled about Maddy; it swirled through her life, wrapped her in words and expectations. Mystics, maniacs, family - they had all thought she was Important, too. She, in fact, was the only thing to be so. Everyone else was...extra, ancillary, unnecessary. Maddy was the one who mattered, because of course she did. Her parents weren't important, her teachers weren't important.
I wasn't important.
And of course, I had known that was true. I stepped in the path of some shrieking horror's claws because if I was hurt, it meant Maddy wasn't. I followed her family from one city to another, never really settled, because of course I did.
I wasn't important to the prophecy.
But I was important to Maddy.
And that changed everything.
With an effort, I tore my eyes away from the disk of black glass, and I looked at my ward. I saw the ragged scar that tore down the left side of her face, a permanent marker of the time I'd failed. I saw her fear, and her courage, and her love - and I saw a young woman who deserved more than shackles.
"Do you want pizza?" I asked.
"What?" Maddy said, "Zee-"
I gripped her hand, "Listen to me, all right? Gino's will still be open for another half an hour, and I'm starving. It'll take us fifteen minutes to drive there, but I think they'll forgive us. Sam's a friend."
Maddy looked confused, "Wait, did you hear-"
"I heard you, Maddy. And I'm flattered, and humbled and all of that." I waved my free hand dismissively, "But there's not a question here. You want me to make the choice?"
I unlaced my hands from hers and took a few steps away. I found what I was looking for without much effort, retrieved it, and took stepped back toward Maddy.
"Here you go," I said, and I handed her a heavy, jagged stone the size of a big fist. She took it in her hands, and I stood back.
"You're really sure?" I asked.
Maddy looked at me, then down at the glass disk, then back. She nodded, took a step forward, raised the stone over her head, her body arcing in one of human form's most primitive and simple displays of power. A part of me thought time would slow down or stop, or that something would happen - that a meteor would come streaking out of the atmosphere and knock the stone away - but there was nothing like that. Maddy shifted her weight and her arm came down, cutting through the air like a falling mountain.
When the glass broke, the sound wasn't the tinkle of a window pane or the pop of a bottle. It sounded heavier somehow, more muted. Each fragment fell, still filled with the strange whirling light, each still winking with a rune or some piece of a language I didn't understand. After a moment, the light seemed to run out of the shards, each flicker and mote rising into a small, tight vortex.
"Maddy," I said, "We might want to stand b-"
The lights whirled together then burst, silently, in an expanding ring of multicolored fire. It passed through Maddy and I without any obvious effect, and though I don't know what I expected, neither of us doubled over or burst into flame ourselves. Electric street lights flickered and buzzed when the ring passed, but returned to their normal sodium glow a moment later. After a few dozen yards, the whole thing dissolved, whirling away into motes of glowing glitter.
"Is that it?" Maddy asked. We both took a step forward, looking at the shattered artifact.
"I think so," I said, and nudged a fragment with the tip of my boot. It clinked like obsidian, but did nothing else.
Maddy leaned down and picked up another shard, "What happens now?"
I took a deep, long breath, felt the air swirl in my lungs. It felt clean and new.
"You talked a lot about certainty, about purpose," I said, "You were the Chosen One. I was your guardian angel. But you know what I'm still certain of?" I grinned.
"You still want pizza?" Maddy said, standing. She wrapped the fragment in a handkerchief and tucked it into a pocket.
"I still want pizza," I said, and grinned.
We turned away from the ocean and started walking back the way we'd come, the sound of the water at our backs. I felt...strange, and light, like something had changed but I wasn't entirely sure what. Maybe it was just low blood sugar. But next to me, Maddy stood straight, her shoulders back, and with every step she seemed to unwrap from herself, her arms swinging free at her sides. The city lights sparkled in her eye like reflected stars, and I saw a smile pull at her lips.
We were quiet for the long walk back to the truck, stepping up into our seats with easy comfort. I reached forward, turned the key in the ignition, and the cab jerked the way it always did, the way that I kept meaning to have checked. I turned the lights on, put the transmission into drive, and then paused.
"You know," I said, "I've always wanted to go to France."
Abilities/Skills:
- You're A Wizard, Zee: Zafira has an intimate connection with the currents and movements of magic through the worlds, a result of being conjured from raw magic by Maddy's prophetic destiny. Her command over that power extends largely into the realms of channeling power for defensive magic (shields and wards) along with lightning-flavored evocations. With time and effort, she's also capable of making various enchanted gewgaws, but that process is very time and labor intensive. Though she is considerably skilled in the Art, the more power Zee channels into any particular working, the more physically and mentally taxing it is on her. She is entirely capable of blacking out from this exertion.
- Old-Fashioned Girl: A guardian angel (note the lack of capitals) needs to have a sword, and Zee is no different. But because a weapon you don't know how to use belongs to someone else, she is also a competent close-quarters fighter. She isn't spectacular or effortless, and a dedicated student (especially creatures that have been fencing for several human lifetimes) will outclass her, but she acquits herself well, with or without her weapon. Zee in addition is very well aware of how to maintain and repair the weapon, even to the point of making a new one if necessary.
- Hard to Kill: She isn't stronger than a run of the mill human, and she isn't faster, but Zee is absolutely tougher than it seems like she ought to be. Not that she'll be shrugging off broken bones and bullet wounds, but the machinery of her body is harder to damage than even an exceptional human. She also heals from injuries more quickly, and more completely, than her neighbors, but that's cold comfort when she's still waiting for a broken arm to knit back together.
- I Know Him: The supernatural world is entirely within the sphere of what Zee considers normal. She's never not known there were vampires and angels, or that Bedazzled wasn't an accurate depiction of the denizens of Hell. Her knowledge is not encyclopedic, but it is extensive.
- Training Day: Zee is in remarkable physical condition - and she works for it, too.
- Someone to Watch Over Me: Zee still is a guardian angel, and has found she can attune that to other people at will. That connection becomes more significant with time, but gives her a subconscious awareness of an increasing number of things about the person's life. That includes things like knowing whether someone (or something) wants to hurt them, where they might have left their keys, or whether the family curse is real. She also can take no action to harm that person, and is compelled to actively defend them if they are in genuine danger. Over a long enough span of time (years), fate will ensure she's in a position to help. This connection is voluntary, and Zee can terminate it when she wants to (for example, at the end of an engagement with a client).
- Friends in Low Places: Zee has contacts throughout the supernatural districts of Loom, ranging from passing acquaintances among the Angels to information brokers in the Goblin Market. Some owe her favors. One wants to kill her.
- No Crossroads Involved: One of a very few hobbies Zee has had for most of her life, Zee plays the guitar, and she does it quite well. Most of her repertoire is bluegrass, blues, and old American Country music, though she's always learning something new. She sings too, and very well indeed, and is a regular fixture at coffee shops and restaurants around Loom.
Notable Belongings:
- 221B Rue Boulanger: Zee has a small, cramped, old office on street level in a part of town that's not exactly notorious, but doesn't have the best reputation all the same. There are two signs on the door, one of which is much sillier than the other. Both indicate that if you were looking for someone to help you with the occult, this might be a place to go.
- Fashion Swordward: Swords aren't exactly common fashion in the 21st century, and Zee usually doesn't actually carry hers. Instead, she summons it to her hand with a thought - provided she hasn't been caught in a magic circle, is under the effect of a drug or alcohol, or the ring she's made for this specific purpose isn't sitting on her dresser. The sword itself is similar to a European hand-and-a-half sword with a wire-wrapped hilt, balanced perfectly for her size and build. The entire weapon is adorned with bright silver design work, which is mostly decorative. It can be taken by others (Zee can only dismiss it if she's holding it), destroyed, and damaged, and is not normally a holy weapon.
- Foci: Some of Zee's jewelry are also potent foci for the kind of magic she's most proficient at. This includes charms to make shields easier to project, a complicated bracelet on her right wrist and palm for guiding lightning bolts from her hands, in addition to a pair of earrings that help not leave her concussed and deaf from the thunderclap. She can still do magic without them, but it's much, much more taxing. These objects were specially created by her over a period of weeks or months, and she does not have spares.
- Home Sweet Home: Zee has an apartment in the Residential part of the city. It's small but cozy, with a fireplace. She genuinely loves the place, and has made it a home in every way she knows how. That can be important for creatures with a sensitivity to thresholds...
- Independent Transportation: While she spent most of her life driving trucks on the wide-open streets of the United States, that really isn't an option in an old European city. Zee has long since taken to the motorcycle life, and owns an older but impeccably well-maintained motorcycle, which she uses for almost all of her transportation needs that aren't met by a bus or train.
- Sentimental Value: Zee wears a pendant around her neck on a thin chain, carved from the black glass that contained the Mantle. The pendant itself is carved in the shape of a single stylized angel's wing.
I feel compelled to do something I haven't done in a very long time; post to the Guild. I wish you all the best. With you two I imagine Essence will never die. It warms my heart.
I feel compelled to do something I haven't done in a very long time; post to the Guild. I wish you all the best. With you two I imagine Essence will never die. It warms my heart.
Hi, Merlin, long time no see. I'm happy I'm apart of something that honestly gave you energy and desire to post on the Guild, I've been checking on you time to time. At least recently. I'm happy to warm your heart. ^-^ Maybe we'll rp again!
@Fallenreaper I suppose that depends on if I find the energy. The time may perhaps be in abundance shortly. A new job has appeared and perhaps it may be what I settle into for the better part of my life.
Also. Stalking me. Really? Typical Fallen. Though I have missed our conversations. If you have made the switch to discord just PM me on here and I am happy to send you my info so you have a more direct means of doing so.
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For when he inevitably reads it: I have missed you too Synth. Though you may think I am lying through my teeth. I did not mean to invade your OOC thread, but I'm glad I did.
@Fallenreaper I suppose that depends on if I find the energy. The time may perhaps be in abundance shortly. A new job has appeared and perhaps it may be what I settle into for the better part of my life.
Also. Stalking me. Really? Typical Fallen. Though I have missed our conversations. If you have made the switch to discord just PM me on here and I am happy to send you my info so you have a more direct means of doing so.
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For when he inevitably reads it: I have missed you too Synth. Though you may think I am lying through my teeth. I did not mean to invade your OOC thread, but I'm glad I did.
Awesome! I hope it works out for you as I know in the past, your schedule was so unpredictable on hours. Though if it's too steady, you might have issues with finding things to do. :P I have actually, what's your tag name and number? I'll add ya.
Personally, I can't speak for Syn but I'm glad you stopped by and invaded. ^-^
Vaega can draw power and create from his shadow's essence, this is the art developed and practiced intensely by his ancestors. The art of Shadow Craft allows the individual to be independent, creative, and above all, holy. A true master of this art is considered an, Ethereal. The Ethereal Mysar are holy in the sense that they are one with both their light and their shadow essence. Restriction:Mental/Physical Exhaustion
While you gave more details, not enough for me to get a clear picture of what this ability does. For example, you stated he can draw power and create from his shadow's essence, but that just makes more questions.
-Does he create life? I will note creating life is a big thing and I don’t think I would approve it without a long, detailed ritual. Which for combat, is not advised and considering the limitations in control… not likely best. -Is it a form of construct magic that uses his shadow as a base?
If so: -What can it make and not make? Can it make simple things like walls or weapons, like spears or armor? Or are there more complicated things it can make things like guns, living golems, etc? What things can it just not achieve on its own?
-How solid are these things?
-Are they solid to the touch or more shadow like?
-Does he change in this form? I mean his physical being, is it more like a shadow or still solid? -What does this do to his host as a long term thing or does it do nothing at all?
-If he is, is he more affected by magic in this form?
Mental/Physical Exhaustion
-How much does this affect him after he uses it? Does it put him into a coma for a few hours, does he just crumble unable to think or defend himself? -How long does it last before these effects kick in? Keep in mind, most conflicts happen for anywhere between a few seconds to under half an hour depending on the type. A minute would easily keep him safe and give you several posts (most which I guess to be about 6 seconds on average in a fight scene, give or take depending on the scene and intentions of it) for a combative scene. This is actually something I forget often myself when I was first getting into pbp roleplaying, but remembering it helps and gives me a base for how long I want an ability to last without trapping myself in a crappy situation. It can also alter over the course of the rp, with milestones in the IC and conversation with the GMs.
Telekinesis: Vaega may expand his mental consciousness and focus it toward an object, giving him the ability to control it. There are limits to how much and what he can lift, and how long. Restriction:Mental/Physical Exhaustion Limitations, Medium Proximity, Weight.
-How much weight at max? There’s got to be a limit over all. Can he lift a car with it or anything lighter than a draft horse? Can he lift a 200 pound prized bull or only as little as a poodle? Be specific, please, it helps me know what he can lift and allows me to detail this in posts for hints toward things he can interact with without literally telling it OC or auto fail your attempts, disrupting flow of the scene. If I feel it’s too much, I will likely ask for it to be tailored back a bit then suggest a range. -How far exactly? Medium proximity isn’t much to go on considering I can imagine medium proxity being the size of a football field compared to whale length being farthest or mediuming being say 16 m compared to a olympic pool size (50 m total). Think in distance for his limits. How far can his ‘mind’ reach?
Transmutation: Vaega can create objects out of necessary materials that are equivalent to the desired creation’s specifications. This can only be utilized if the materials are available, and if there is sufficient time to generate the object. Restriction:Charge, Situation Dependent
-Is this limited to any item or what? This is complicated because I feel his essence couldn’t affect any magical items. So I’m going to go ahead and judge this magic only works on normal, everyday items. I might suggest you give examples how he uses it, like does he turn lead into gold? Does he shape a pin into a needle or what. -How does mass affect this? I’m also going to ask you to consider mass/weight in this spell because I rather you didn’t turn say a needle into a car. I would suggest that you when turn an item (or things) into another thing, they have to be of pretty close mass/weight for balancing purposes. This makes it doable but also more challenging so he’s literally not changing something like Loom’s land into a sea. -How much time does it take? Hours, minutes, or what? Specific time helps a lot. I might suggest you have the larger the object, the more time it takes it. Something like a car, if you can get that much weight/mass in one place, takes nearly an hour or two to fully complete. Feel free to rephrase this into your CS, even elaborate based on what I told you. -Can he still multi-task while doing this or does it leave him helpless? Is it used in combat, or best outside of it? Not all abilities need to be combative able, Holly herself has most of her ‘magic/abilities’ non combative but still able to be used in the rp. Considering this and determine if it would be best as a combative or none for your purposes.
Invisibility: Bael can dissolve Vaega’s presence when he desires to, but can only do so for a few minutes. Eventually, because of Bael's limitations within the metaphysical plane of existence and sharing a body versus gaining complete control over it, he will need to give up his focus or he runs the risk of disrupting his connection with Vaega. Restriction:Short Duration, Charge.
-When he moves, does it cause a wrap in light like Predator does? See Youtube vid below if you don't know Predator for example.
-How short of a duration? Recall what I said about combat lasting short periods of time usually, and use that to determine the best duration time. -How long or number of posts for it to charge? Again, specifics.
One Organism, Two Spirits: Now that Bael’s spirit inhabits Vaega’s body, his reflexes, strength, speed, visual acuity, and overall control of the independent muscles in his body have increased dramatically. Disadvantage:Psychological; one organism has a difficult time holding two spirits, unless they can harmonize.
-How much have they increased? Human x1.5, x2, x10, or what? If you’re not fully sure the exact number, give examples of exactly how much he can lift, how fast he can run, how fast is his reflexes, etc. Do some research over various speeds of things you think he might as fast, strong, etc over then use them as a base for numbers. -Psychological: I don’t really honestly understand this one. Are you telling me that the two are completing for the body’s control, and if so… what happens? How does it become a disadvantage?
The main issues I have with your abilities is that you’re not being specific, rather you’re just adding more vague things on top of already vague descriptions. It leaves me with more questions than answers. I don’t know if you’re worried the GMs will mess with your limits enough to screw you over in the IC, because that’s not our intention. Our aims isn’t to kill your Character when we approach these limits. It’s more to force your character to depend on others or seek out others when they otherwise might not or prevent them from affecting key plot stuff if we need to. First I want to see your ideal max limits, see your own specific ideas for limits for these things, before making any changes if I need to.
Notable Belongings:
Mysar Jeweled Onyx Necklace - “Gate Key” (1 of 9): The Gate Key or Gate Key(s) are jeweled and stoned pieces, each imbued with various essences of the original Mysar. It is said to be the Key to the Gate of all Mysar knowledge, it is also said to protect those who wear for they are reinforced by all essences of the Mysar.
I suggest you insert the explanation for this from the chat into your CS. Mostly so we can locate it easier and most the important information is in one area.
@Virani I assume her abilities are human, olympic level? Aka, peak for her. If so, accepted on my end. Syn still needs to check it over, but you’re halfway there.
Glamour: Glamour is the ability of the Fae to make one thing seem like another. These things do not only look another way, in a crude way they almost are. A Fae like Redwood that hides behind glamour does not only seem smaller, he is.
-Does this work on everything, or just non-living things? -Does he have to focus to retain it or cast once, then it wears off over time? -How long can he do that? -Does Iron negate it?
Contracts: The Fae cannot create. This is an ability withheld for beings of divine heritage. Fae can only change things, their power comes from words and stories. This is most obvious with their ability to use contracts. A Fae use ancient contracts made with the natural by long gone Fae to make nature do their bidding. A Hedge could be asked to grow into terrible form or the ground to open up and shallow someone.
-First sentence confused me, do you mean they can’t create things? I ask this because creating and establishing contracts is obviously creating something. :P -How does a contract work? -How is done? -What is needed for it? -Is it a ritual or simple handshake? -Do both parties need to be in agreement? -What creatures do these extend to? Just plants and animals, or does it extend to humans, Angels and other Demons as well? -If it’s just explaining how he can control nature, are there limits based on the contracts of old? What are some of the things he can’t ask of the ‘Hedge’ to do? More clarity with this ability would be helpful for me to understand it. -What happens when a contract is broken?
Pledges: Like in the Fairytales of old a Fae can use language and words as their weapons. Accepting a deal with a Fae is binding by their strange laws.
Alright, this description can be read in various ways. Either his words actually can hurt someone (like him learning and using your name to cause pain) or he can use his words similar to Skyrim’s words of power, which means casting various types of spells. See youtube video below for one example if you’re not familiar with the reference. (I’ve so wanted to do that to Lydia a few times… trust me when I said it was hard not to.)
Could you go into a bit more detail? This would help me limit down the questions I will ask next in my second review.
WIP
"Redtree, Redtree By your name he will bind you Redtree, Redtree in his world none will find you"
Should likely finish this before I can accept this. :P
History:
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m curious about her history. Namely her childhood, who made her, and why Maddy was chosen out of any possible choices. If you rather not reveal that publically, a small summary in a pm to the GMs would be nice. Mostly so we can possibly develop a NPC from her creator or other possibilities. Creating life is hard and takes a lot to do so. This means we also need to account for how he did it and make sure it doesn’t ruin the Lore established for Essence, which I can think of a few ways that wouldn’t hurt your story at all.
- You're A Wizard, Zee: Zafira has an intimate connection with the currents and movements of magic through the worlds, a result of being conjured from raw magic by Maddy's prophetic destiny. Her command over that power extends largely into the realms of channeling power for defensive magic (shields and wards) along with lightning-flavored evocations. With time and effort, she's also capable of making various enchanted gewgaws, but that process is very time and labor intensive. Though she is considerably skilled in the Art, the more power Zee channels into any particular working, the more physically and mentally taxing it is on her. She is entirely capable of blacking out from this exertion.
-I’ve never seen the word gewgaws until now. I had to look it up… it’s good, lol. -So would continually tossing magic exhaust her? I understand she’s a powerful mage from this ability, but I’m also trying to see what type of fighter she is and what might bring her limits close to surfacing. -What happens when she starts to reach her limits? Does she get weak and wobbly or does the blackout start? -How much power could her shields hold up against? Even a guess would be helpful -With the lightning evocations, I assume she just shoots lightning from her palm or does it take on other forms, yet still classed like lightning? Like example… can she taser someone without killing them? Can she use impure water to shock someone? Can she produce enough lightning to recharge say a car battery? Can she control where it goes or does it just shoot straight?
- Hard to Kill: She isn't stronger than a run of the mill human, and she isn't faster, but Zee is absolutely tougher than it seems like she ought to be. Not that she'll be shrugging off broken bones and bullet wounds, but the machinery of her body is harder to damage than even an exceptional human. She also heals from injuries more quickly, and more completely, than her neighbors, but that's cold comfort when she's still waiting for a broken arm to knit back together.
-Define how much faster than a human? Is is like x1.5, x2, x5 or x10, or could you use examples like it could take her a week, half a month or three weeks to heal a broken bone while it would take an average human a whole month or more to heal the same bone. Also, how more durable? I imagine she can’t literally take a car at full speed to the gut, but can she be sent through a brick wall and merely just have bruised or sprain wrist/ankle? Some examples of past injuries and their effects might help me understand her limits with this so I can give your Character some challenges without nearly killing her.
- Someone to Watch Over Me: Zee still is a guardian angel, and has found she can attune that to other people at will. That connection becomes more significant with time, but gives her a subconscious awareness of an increasing number of things about the person's life. That includes things like knowing whether someone (or something) wants to hurt them, where they might have left their keys, or whether the family curse is real. She also can take no action to harm that person, and is compelled to actively defend them if they are in genuine danger. Over a long enough span of time (years), fate will ensure she's in a position to help. This connection is voluntary, and Zee can terminate it when she wants to (for example, at the end of an engagement with a client).
-How does she active her attunement? -Can she attune to more than one? -You might want to define how fate will ensure she’s in a position to help, like a few examples so we can get a sense of things for plot related reasons. It might also help other players figure out how to draw your character into their own plots in the future or presently.
- Fashion Swordward: Swords aren't exactly common fashion in the 21st century, and Zee usually doesn't actually carry hers. Instead, she summons it to her hand with a thought - provided she hasn't been caught in a magic circle, is under the effect of a drug or alcohol, or the ring she's made for this specific purpose isn't sitting on her dresser. The sword itself is similar to a European hand-and-a-half sword with a wire-wrapped hilt, balanced perfectly for her size and build. The entire weapon is adorned with bright silver design work, which is mostly decorative. It can be taken by others (Zee can only dismiss it if she's holding it), destroyed, and damaged, and is not normally a holy weapon.
-You mentioned mostly decorative. This caught my eyes and if you’ve got secrets you don’t want to reveal on the public CS, please pm them on the site to the GMs. This way we can be aware of them and players can’t accuse you of adding something to your CS, that wasn’t there originally. I originally assumed the non decorative are why she can teleport it into her hands, but I could be wrong. This is why I mentioned the bits above.
- Foci: Some of Zee's jewelry are also potent foci for the kind of magic she's most proficient at. This includes charms to make shields easier to project, a complicated bracelet on her right wrist and palm for guiding lightning bolts from her hands, in addition to a pair of earrings that help not leave her concussed and deaf from the thunderclap. She can still do magic without them, but it's much, much more taxing. These objects were specially created by her over a period of weeks or months, and she does not have spares.
How many does she have exactly? I have ideas with this… >3
Alright, Syn still needs to look through the CS for one last skim through. However, I covered the heavy stuff on my end and should help you with edits. IF you’re confused or need more information, don’t be afraid ask questions, for information, etc. I’ll help the best I can.
"Redtree, Redtree guards the gateway Redtree, Redtree takes you away"
Redtree, Prince of the Appleorchard
Age: "As old as sticks and stones, younger than my bones" It is quite difficult to measure the age of Fae since time does not seem to flow the same way in their world. However it is safe to assume that Redtree is several hundred years of age.
Gender: Fae are not bound to the same categorys as humans.
Race: Demonic
Sub-Class: Fae
"Redtree, Redtree gives an inch takes a mile Redtree, Redtree grants you jest, takes your smile"
Description: When one can choose his own looks through the magic of glamour it is just logical to choose a beautiful form. And even though the Fae don't really care for logic, some even despise the concept, this is true for most of them. Redtree chooses the Personas of Cedric or Cait Redtree when amongst humans. Both almost supernaturally beautiful young redheads. Their eyes are dreamy and promise strange worlds of pleasure, their skin pale and fair. In both forms Redtree tends to wear bright colours and has a inviting, playful smile.
History: In the land of the Fae they rule supreme. They are bound by rules mortals cannot dare to understand and may seem nonsensical. It is a land of strange intrigue and wars that are indistinguishable from games. Nothing is at is seems. Redtree does not really remember the time of his own birth. The way he remembers it he always was prince of the Appleorchard, his own little pocket of the realm of the Fae. And since he remembers he ruled over this land, as is the nature of the Fae however he grew bored. Quarreling with other Fae did keep him entertained for some time but that also passed. That when he found the perfect playthings, humans. The truly divine creations and favorites of the All-Creator were so incredibly interesting, so rational yet driven by passion, ingenious but yet foolish. So Redtree caught them, he collected them. He ventured out into the world of man, as a beautiful young man seducing maidens or just a pair of trees standing left and right of an old wood path. But playing with humans could also only satisfy a creature as fickle as a Fae for a few century's. That is when he found a new way. Making deals with humans. Humans were willing to trade almost everything for riches, their children, their smile, memories and souls. And this is where Redwoods story still is. But times have changed. The fae are weak, their realm in ruins. Now he sits in the Goblin Market of Loom, offering artifacts of his lost homeland and favors.
Abilities/Skills:
Glamour: Glamour is the ability of the Fae to make one thing seem like another. These things do not only look another way, in a crude way they almost are. A Fae like Redwood that hides behind glamour does not only seem smaller, he is. The glamour masking Redtrees true form is constant as long as he wishes to and after years of practice takes basically no effort, changing the appearence he has is as easy as putting on a new pair of socks. Other magical beings or mages might have ways to pierce it and iron, as it negates all his powers, will always bring out his true form. Putting glamour around a nonliving thing, like masking a twig to appear like a legendary sword may last a long time, perhaps months or even years but mostly till a poor fool tries to parry another weapon with it. Countless humans asked for beauty from Redtree and the all got it, temporary. The duration of the glamour is most often following arbitrary rules, perhaps the spell will disappear after marriage or the first kiss, maybe even after just one night.
Contracts: The power of the Fae comes from words and stories. This is most obvious with there ability to use contracts. A Fae use ancient contracts made with the natural World by long gone Fae to make nature do their bidding. A Hedge could be asked to grow into terrible form, accorrding to a contract made with plants or the ground to open up and shallow someone. Since the contracts have been made in times and places long gone and forgotten most Fae just use certain clauses of these contracts. Contracts can be used as long as the Fae regularly pays a price, it is said that souls are often used as payment, other payments are much more esoteric. As a angry mop once wanted to burn Redtree for witchcraft, the Fae allowed himself some fun and demanded that the flame would not burn him according to a clause of a ancient contract, all fire asked in return was that Redtree made just one mortal worship it once again. The nature of the Contract defines its appearance: a Fae who seems “fireproof” actually has a Contract with fire itself to cause him no harm, while a Fae who can fly might have either a Contract with the air to buoy him or with a bird to grant him its aspects.
Pledges: Like in the Fairytales of old a Fae can use language and words as their weapons. Accepting a deal with a Fae is binding by their strange laws. Many storys speak of a man selling his soul and suddenly feeling a harsh sting in his chest because a verbal deal with a Fae is far more than just some words and the creature now holds the soul of the human. The other way around, if a Fae makes a promise he is bound to keep it. Since this type of magic is verbal if Redtree is unable to speak he is also unable to use it.
Fae Physiology: A Fae is no mere Mortal. Redtree has a much superior strength, even if he basically never uses it. His true strength is enough to easily lift cars but is only usable in his unglamoured true form. His durability is also superhuman, able to take immense amount of regular non magical or non iron-based damage.
Weaknesses:
Cold Iron: Iron is the bane of the Fae since a Fae once broke a contract with iron. It burns them and robs them of their power.
His True Name: Anyone who knows the true name of a Fae can control them and bind them.
Catches: Fae have to abide by certain individual rules, Redwood cant enter a house if he is not invited, church bells hurt him and he cannot harm anyone carrying a birch twig.
Notable Belongings:
The Bag of the lost: This bag holds the souls of dozens of fools who thought making a deal with Fae would be a good idea, or who just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Redtree uses these to pay for contracts or make deals with other magical inhabitants of Loom. When glamoured the bag is just a small little satchel.
The Birch Mirror: Appearing to be just an ordinary antique hand mirror with a birch handle this mirror shows in truth the true form of every Fae that looks into it. But much more importantly, it is a gateway into the realm of the Fae.
"Redtree, Redtree By your name he will bind you Redtree, Redtree in his world none will find you"
Glamour: Glamour is the ability of the Fae to make one thing seem like another. These things do not only look another way, in a crude way they almost are. A Fae like Redwood that hides behind glamour does not only seem smaller, he is.
-Does this work on everything, or just non-living things? -Does he have to focus to retain it or cast once, then it wears off over time? -How long can he do that? -Does Iron negate it?
I hope I answered these question!
Contracts: The Fae cannot create. This is an ability withheld for beings of divine heritage. Fae can only change things, their power comes from words and stories. This is most obvious with their ability to use contracts. A Fae use ancient contracts made with the natural by long gone Fae to make nature do their bidding. A Hedge could be asked to grow into terrible form or the ground to open up and shallow someone. @The Narrator
-First sentence confused me, do you mean they can’t create things? I ask this because creating and establishing contracts is obviously creating something. :P Yeah that was a bit of a throwaway sentence does not make a lot of sense. -How does a contract work? -How is it done? -What is needed for it? -Is it a ritual or simple handshake? Neither, just short bargaining with the Element or Concept and agreement of the price. Example: Redtree wants to stop a car, he makes a contract with Stone that he rises up and stops it. Stone demands for example a human soul wich Redtree provides. Then a stone spike rises from the ground stopping the car. -Do both parties need to be in agreement? Yes. -What creatures do these extend to? Just plants and animals, or does it extend to humans, Angels and other Demons as well? Non Supernatural, Plants, animals, Elements. -If it’s just explaining how he can control nature, are there limits based on the contracts of old? What are some of the things he can’t ask of the ‘Hedge’ to do? More clarity with this ability would be helpful for me to understand it. Grow, change form, catch someone with its vines. But nothing that is "beyond" a Plant to do like speak with a human or suddenly catch flames. -What happens when a contract is broken? If Redtree would dare to break a contract the other party would deny Redtree to ever contact them again for a contract and possibly becoming another weakness like Iron is.
Pledges: Like in the Fairytales of old a Fae can use language and words as their weapons. Accepting a deal with a Fae is binding by their strange laws. Could you go into a bit more detail? This would help me limit down the questions I will ask next in my second review.
Nothing like the Thuum I am afraid. It is more just the fact that verbal contracts with Fae are magic. Example: Redtree makes a deal with Holly Knight that he grants her entrance to the Fae world for a mission on the condition that she brings her a item he left there when she returns. If she fails to uphold her end of the bargain no shadow shall again give her protection from unwanted sight. Meaning that for some reason her silhouette would stand out in even the darkest night.
@Fallenreaper Ash is completely human, she has no supernatural abilities. She is at physical peak for a human. Nothing more. The only advantage she has is her enchanted handguns.
I already sent this to our GMs, but it's here for transparency and completeness' sake too.
1.) History
i.) Who Made the Prophecy? An enormously powerful, unhinged sorceror in the 1550s. He was jealous of Nostradamus. His name was Joseph Latienne, and he died in 1588.
ii.) What Was the Prophecy? That an individual born under specific circumstances (alignment of planets, phase of the moon, following certain events in history) would inherit the primary power of the prophecy, which is the Mantle. The Mantle is (was) a separate enchantment laying dormant in a disk of black glass, only accessible to the subject of the Prophecy on a specific day. Latienne did not consider that the individual in question would not want to take it up.
iii.) What Is (was) The Mantle? A powerful psychic enchantment, allowing for the selected individual to do nothing less than influence the minds of those around them in a meaningful and likely permanent fashion. The holder of the Mantle was meant to lead the world into a 'New Age.' The propecy itself is unclear what that New Age was going to be, and Madison never found out.
iv.) What was the New Age? Violently oppressive autocratic rule under the holder of the Mantle. But hey, that's a New Age. Latienne was crazy.
v.) Why was Madison chosen? She is the product of a generations-long knot of people faithful to Latienne's prophecy. They wanted to see that the Prophecy came to pass almost as a scientific experiment. Her parents were involved with this group, and both they and Madison were aware of the supernatural world.
vi.) Zee's Early Life Zee did not have a childhood; she was created more or less at the same instant that the Prophecy's magical tendrils wrapped around Madison. I really don't have a preference how this is squared with the game's lore, but I'm falling back on "Latienne was unbelievably powerful, capable, and insane." He believed the Chosen One needed a guardian, and made sure they had one. Maybe those people faithful to the Prophecy's power were constantly making small adjustments to the Guardian's latent creation spell, to ensure that she came into the world with a generally-well-adjusted adult's level of knowledge and capability rather than speaking centuries-old French. I promise this isn't narrative laziness, or, well, more than usual.
vii.) What Happened To Madison Maddy went to college and is pursuing a graduate program in social work. She is dating a man named Samuel Tanner, who is planning to propose in six months' time. They are currently on vacation in Paris. There was a fairly intense amount of fallout from her refusal to pick up the Mantle, but in the end, there was nothing really to be done as the enchantment really did unravel. She has not been attacked by magical creatures since turning away from the Prophecy, although she has also been being very carefully normal. Zee and Maddy correspond regularly, via written letters.
viii.) How did Zee Choose Her Name The nameplate on a car she passed and a student walking by carrying a book about Haroun al-Rashid. She also looks Arabic.
2.) Wizard Stuff
i.) Gewgaw It's one of my favorite words!
ii.) Exhaustion Working large amounts of power is physically exhausting, with combat magic being exhausting on a whole other level. You might think of her like a magical boxer - every working takes effort, and she won't be throwing the hardest punches she can all the time. In fact, if she winds up doing a lot of little things, throwing those big hits won't happen either. Throwing a lot of flashy, offensive magic over a short period of time will probably leave her unable to conjure a shield to defend herself, if she has to. Similarly, defending a number of people from a hail of gunfire for a long period of time will absolutely leave her with swimming vision and a limited ability or desire to fling lightning back. Nothing comes for free.
iii.) Limits When approaching her limits, Zee first feels that the spell is harder and harder to shape to get to her desired outcome (for exmaple, she may need to shrink the covered area for a shield), followed by physical exhaustion (including loss of balance, double/tunnel vision, and lack of coordination) and mental exhaustion (spells are harder to even concieve of). In extreme circumstances (or if she's just not paying attention to her body, through adrenal reactions, drugs, or other meddling) she is capable of working a powerful spell when she's really not supposed to, and will black out as a result. This is a serious medical condition.
iv.) Recovery Like recovering from strenuous physical activity, Zee needs a period of time of Not Doing Magic to get back to baseline after doing a lot of spell-slinging. This is depenant on how much power she's been working lately, just the way it would depend with whether a person just did a triathlon or if they took a jog around the neighborhood.
v.) Shields Zee's shields are generally tuned to redirect kinetic energy and magical assaults rather than directly absorbing them, most of the time. When the option is open to her, her shield will typically make a bullet ricochet with minimal energy absorbtion, and deflect or scatter magical attacks rather than simply overpowering a working. The first regime is more sustainable (though not over serious timespans, say more than 5 minutes in general), the second is not practical for anything except "not flinging bullets into other people in a crowded hallway." She is capable of redirecting the entire magazine of a military rifle (30 rounds delivered over two seconds) with a shield that spans a half-dome in front of her with a diameter of her height, and still be able to retaliate afterward. She is capable of directly stopping perhaps a third of that before the shield would fail and she'd get shot 20 times. Another example would be providing an instantaneous, cushinoning barrier around someone falling off a second-story building to keep them from breaking their neck. Zee is also capable of redirecting magical workings of her own strength, for a considerable period, depending on how many come in at once.
The short answer for this is 'trust me,' the long answer is 'she can protect herself or others to a point, and after that point it's not great for her.'
vi.) Not Shields Generally speaking, Zee is capable of controlling the initial point of evocation - for example, a stroke of lightning from Zee to a target. In other words, the lightning strike typically comes from the palm of her hand (and typically from a focus she can slide down from her wrist and over her palm) and lances straight toward a target. Barring extensive control afterward, the electricity will then take the natural path from there. That said, an attack would not be a sustained arc; the stroke of power will be over an extremely brief period of time. I think it's probably important to say that Zee can't control the weather; she can't call a thunderbolt out of a clear blue sky (although I have some fun plans for a hail-mary move if there happens to be a stormcloud overhead anyway). As before, big magic is big effort, and she can't do it forever (or even for long, or many times in rapid succession.)
vii.) Control I like to think that Zee has very fine-grained control over her power, including charging her cell phone, refilling a car battery, Tasering someone, etc. This is all subject to what's been said previously; filling her cell phone probably is very close to zero effort, while incapacitating someone from a distance will be more of an effort.
viii.) Spread Continuing from the discussion in vi.), the electricity will follow the path electricity would normally follow after a strike, unless Zee expends an enormous amount of effort making that not be the case. Striking someone through a conductive medium (salt water) is something she could do, along with electrifying a fence. She can probably destroy electronics fairly easily, although she tries not to.
3.) Getting Punched A Lot
i.) Not-so-Mutant Healing Factor If a broken bone would take 6 weeks to heal on a standard, run of the mill human, Zee will probably be completely recovered in 4. The bone will also be healed more completely, without the telltale evidence that it had been broken (thickened bone around the break, marks and scarring, etc). In addition, she heals remarkably rapidly from connective tissue injuries (torn ligaments heal in a matter of weeks rather than months, sprained muscles in days rather than weeks). In addition, she tends not to lose muscle or bone density or dexterity while a limb is immobilized. Nerve damage will in all cases heal (including spinal injuries), with speed depending on what was damaged. A damaged spinal cord would take years (or decades) to return to even moderate function. A deep cut on an arm would restore nerve function by the time the wound healed. Wounds tend to leave scars, but so far she hasn't been hurt in a way that's permanently affected her body in a mechanical way.
ii.) Injury Resistance Zee's body is simply a little bit tougher than normal, perhaps by a factor of 2. It is harder to bruise her, harder to break her bones, harder to concuss her or damage her internal organs. Her connective tissues are more resilient to damage, her muscles more resistant to strain and sprain. Considering that virtually everything in the supernatural world is much, much stronger than twice human baseline, this isn't often actually all that helpful, and she tries to avoid getting hurt to begin with. This has absolutely been noted by the doctors who have occasionally had to stitch her up. Her pain threshhold is extremely high, but that doesn't mean she can stand up if she's lost most of her blood.
iii.) Prior injuries Zee has been shot twice, both times with handguns. One is on the left side of her abdomen, and left her in the hospital for about a week, and she survived largely due to Maddy calling an ambulance and the fact that the person who shot her was within dispatching-range. The other shot was to her calf, which was painful but not life-threatening, from when a bullet made it around her shield. She has a series of three deep scars across her lower ribs from a werebear she had to deal with after she moved to Loom, which hit her hard enough to lift her a couple of meters into the air and throw her through a shop window. She fought the bear hand-to-hand (or sword-to-claw), and it took around a month for all of the aches and pains to go away, though there have been no long-term effects other than scarring.
4.) I'll be Watching Over You
i.) Attunement This attunement is activated by a simple act of will and exchange of consent. Zee will touch someone (usually by putting a hand on their shoulder), concentrate for a moment, and then little pieces of that person's life will start to fill her mind, building slowly over time. The same effort of will can break the connection, as can a client's withdrawl of their consent.
ii.) Split Attention She can do this to more than one person, but it's uncomfortable. She's never done more than three, and now makes every attempt to connect to only a single person at a time.
iii.) Fate This means that if she's attuned to a single person for a very long period of time, the stream of Zee's personal causality will start to warp to the point where if she happens to be taking her sword to the gym to practice spariing with a friend, that will also be the exact moment that her charge needs to be defended from something that needs a sword to kill it. Or, more prosaically, that she'll always have bus fare in her pocket (even though she didn't intend to, or even if she'd intended to use that change to buy a pastry on the way home) if her charge needs to get on transit and forgot their wallet. She becomes their guardian angel, even for the little things, and even if it's inconvenient for her. If she's on vacation and danger is going to come to her charge, either she'll have a pressing reason to return home, or her charge will by coincidence happen to be just a few yards down the beach from where Zee is sunbathing when some fanged monstrosity comes flopping out of the water. This takes several years to establish, and since Maddy, Zee hasn't allowed her connection to anyone to persist that long.
5.) Weaponry
i.) Conductivity Silver is the only commonly-available metal that is more conductive than copper, and it has the benefit of also being anathema to a lot of hostile supernatural creatures. Zee shoots lightning out of her hands. The sword is a really good electrode.
ii.) How Zee Summons It The weapon is bound via an enchantment to an engraved silver ring. When Zee wears the ring (which is not always), she can summon the sword to the ring, and thus into her hand. The same enchantment allows her to dismiss the weapon back to where it was before (which is usually leaning against the door in her apartment). This can be blocked by magic circles, wards, or being in another dimension at the time she tries to summon it to herself. The ring and enchantment were something she bought at the Goblin Market, and is not a built-in part of her skills. The ring can be destroyed (by being melted, but probably not by being physically damaged); Zee does know how to make another ring if she had to, but would very much prefer not to.
6.) Foci
i.) Earrings A pair of Zee's earrings (elaborately and very finely engraved silver studs) function to keep her from being deafened and dazed by nearby loud noises. These can include the thunderclap from her own power, explosions, and gunfire. They can deaden the bang from a flashbang grenade, but the light and explosion-ness from that kind of experience is still something unpleasant.
ii.) Rings Most of Zee's rings are just there to be pretty (which is why she sometimes forgets to put the sword-summoning one on). Two of them, however, store a significant electric charge, which Zee can release into someone (or something) she's holding. She genuinely uses them mostly to gently zap people out of the way at concerts (with little pulses of power), but they can each incapacitate a big man if she dumps them out all at once. Zee can recharge them via magic, or let their enchantments recharge via micro-USB, overnight.
iii.) Shielding On her left upper arm, Zee has an engraved and attuned silver cuff engraved with copper shields. This is her primary focus for defensive magic, mostly shielding and warding spells. Under heavy load, the focus itself does start to heat up (energy leakage from the incoming attacks) and can absolutely wind up burning her. She tries very hard not to let that happen. She can raise shields without this focus, but it is vastly more difficult for a shield of a given size or strength.
iv.) Striking Zee's right wrist almost always has a bangle around it that, with a thought, will unfold and spring out into a beautifully-engraved brass and copper piece of hand jewelry. A curving plate covers her wrist and extends into her palm, held across her fingers and the back of her hand with fine chain. The plates are, like everything else, engraved with copper, and serve to guide and channel her evocation magic. Zee is capable of using offensive magic without it, but the kind of power she prefers to throw around is much more taxing for any given strike.
v.) Pendant The pendant is nothing more than a beautifully-carved piece of black glass. Or, at least, that's all I ever had in mind for it. It is a fragment of something that once contained something enormously powerful, though....
