One of the perks of spending a large majority of your life on a boat was that you ended up developing a tremendous tolerance to motion sickness. Battering waves and torrential downpours makes for excellent stomach conditioning and ensures you have a steady pair of legs. And when push came to shove, you needed to be able to survive under pressure to make sure that the ship stayed afloat in the severe conditions that plagued the sea. It had been years since there had been a situation, at least one that didn’t involve Grimm, which managed to unnerve Leon.
At sea that is.
The fledgling hunter got an abrupt wakeup call about this distinction as he was sucker punched with a long dormant fear of flying. You know, after he was already several thousand, horrifying feet above the all too reassuring ground.
His usual smirk was replaced with a grimace and his skin had started to strike an unnerving resemblance to his green pants. Any sensible person would look away from a sight that caused such anxiety, but unfortunately Leon was the stubborn type that downright refused to admit to himself that something as dumb as looking out a window could make him freak out. With one hand on the glass for structural support and the other on his stomach for mental support, Leon couldn’t wait for the ridiculous ship to come to a halt. Preferably without crashing in flames, but he was getting less and less picky by the minute, as his scrunched up face all but announced to everybody aboard the airship.
“This isn’t right,” he mumbled to himself, steeling his resolve to not throw up, “you can't just give gravity the middle finger like this.”
Time seemed to have slowed as Adrian rushed Isen’roy. There was a big ball of “something doesn’t feel right” knotting up his stomach, but the archer couldn’t quite place his finger on where it was coming from. That was of course until he realized that the noise that had been creeping into the background was in fact the sound of a battle. Not the stupid sparring match that he had found himself involved in, but one where lives were being lost.
With little more than a glance, it was clear that the Phoenix had noticed as well. Adrian gave him a silent nod, acknowledging that they were done here, and immediately made a pivot and sprinted for his bow. Ears strained, he tried to piece together what the hell was happening, but all he could hear was shouting and some ungodly noises that he could only assume were coming from the camp’s invaders. Adrian quickly scooped up Whisper with one hand and checked his quiver with the other.
“Eight normal arrows and four vial ones. Awesome,” he grumbled, kicking himself for wasting some on Isen’roy. But just as he was beginning to wonder if there truly was a battle going on, Adrian rounded the corner and came face to face with what had to be the most hideous amalgamation of things ever. The glowing red eyes and claws attached to its absurdly long arms were the first hint that this was one of the things causing the ruckus. The second one was that it was currently in the process of disemboweling one of the rank and file camp soldiers. Without breaking pace, Adrian released an arrow with a soft “thrum” and pierced the things neck. He then continued on his way to the center of the camp, which was where it seemed like people were making their stand.
Except life, like usual, didn’t want to cooperate with his plan. The Velulu that he had just poked a hole was coming straight for him. How something that big and lanky could move so fast was a puzzle Adrian couldn’t waste time sitting on. So instead, he aimed to correct the problem rapidly approaching him and fired another arrow. This particular one had a vial on it and as it began its journey to the Velelu’s jugular it cracked.
“Hystros diffuses,” he intoned, causing the water in the vial to break out of its confinement and spread out in a flat arc along the shaft. “Glacialis,” he finished, the water now freezing into impossibly sharp ice. The spell finished just as time, as not even a heartbeat later the arrow that now resembled a spade passed straight through the monster’s neck, taking the head with it.
As he retried his arrow next to the Velelu’s head, he noticed the black blood seeping back into the creature’s skull. “Yeah, that's normal,” Adrian muttered, hating the hunch that was forming in head with every ounce of his being. Putting his increasingly poor mood aside, the archer continued on to his destination.
The funny thing is, I actually read what I wrote as hydrokinesis. I honestly have no idea how that got past me.
But any who, here we are. Once more, with feeling.
1) Basic info:
Name: Leon Sarcelle Team/occupation: Species: Human Age: 17 Sex: Male Handedness: Left Aura/Effects: Deep bluish green; passively gives off an ocean-like smell Symbol: Large, sea foam green wave Physical traits: Still has a phenomenal tan from life on a ship Misc traits: One jagged scar running down his back diagonally, from his right shoulder to just above his waist Nickname(s): The Sea Lion (much to his chagrin)
2) Appearance:
Height: 6’ Weight: 160 Eyes: Hazel Face: Angled jawline, clean shaven. Hair: Medium length blonde hair that is kept swept back Physique: Very athletic, but his muscles are more toned than bulky Combat Outfit: Leon wears a thin, black long-sleeve shirt that cuts off about half way down his forearm, faded pants that have a turquoise wash to them, and black hiking shoes. He also wears a simple gauntlet on his right hand (for emergency “Punch it in the face!” scenarios) that has a dull, sea foam green finish to it and a plain black leather cuirass. A simple red scarf passed down to him from his father is always around his neck. Casual Outfit: Same as his combat outfit plus a dark pea coat but without the armor
3) Characteristics:
Personality: With an impulsive outlook and rather carefree attitude, Leon often comes across as a rather immature individual. He has next to no filter when it comes to saying what’s on his mind and often has little regard for social norms, especially when it comes to personal space. That’s not to say that he is completely dense though, as he is actually quite perceptive when it comes to other people, it’s just that most of the time knowing better won’t stop him. If you can get past that though, Leon is quite a friendly guy that cares about his friends, even if he has unorthodox ways of showing it.
But contrary to popular belief, Leon is actually quite dependable and takes his promises seriously. His patience is also a thing of wonder, as it is surprisingly difficult to make him genuinely angry. But don’t think for the second that he won’t get riled up at the prospect of a challenge. Yet when it comes to a fight, most of this quirkiness takes to the sidelines, as he knows all too well that there is no place for it when the lives of others may very well depend on him.
Background: The son of a sailor, Leon spent his life knowing the ocean as his only home. This was a decision the boy made by himself, as the thrill of adventure had always been strong in him. “You truly are your father’s child,” was all his mother said, smiling from ear to ear, as he first set out to sea. Schooling proved to be sketchy at best, with most of what he learned coming from the numerous passengers and crew members he came to know over the years. Thankfully the lad had a voracious appetite when it came to learning new things, so there was more in his head than just sailing.
For the longest time, the only road Leon saw for himself was becoming a sailor just like his father. The promise of freedom that the sea offered was intoxicating to him, even though it meant the occasional run in with Grimm. His father was of the prudent variety and although he never let the boy fight them off with the crew members and whichever hunter his dad had hired, he made sure that Leon knew how to defend himself. This training, no matter how limited it was, would prove to be valuable in the days to come.
It was a stormy, miserable day followed by an equally soul crushing evening. The Grimm came completely unnoticed as the crew members were too busy trying to keep the ship afloat. By the time they were upon the ship, there was no time to prepare for the attack. A preteen Leon had been on the deck doing his best to help without getting in the way when they first submerged. Panic struck him, but as he saw the people he considered to be family getting hurt, the young boy could no longer stay still. With little more than a harpoon, Leon distracted what few Grimm he dared, meaning only to give the rest of the crew time to fight back. These suicidal antics were met with an overwhelming amount of yelling for him to get his butt below decks. In not so nice wording that is.
His heroics were cut short as a jagged pain shot across his back. One of the Grimm had apparently taken notice and with a swift cut brought an end to the nuisance. With his vision fading, the last thing he saw was a person emerging from below decks, weapon in hand.
Consciousness found Leon in a hospital bed back in Vale. The cut he received was mostly superficial and would only leave him bedridden for a time. But a fire had been set in the boy’s heart, as he learned that it had been a hunter that was responsible for saving everybody that stormy night. And for the first time in his young life, Leon saw a new future for himself that did not involve becoming a sailor.
4) Combat info:
Position/Class: Lancer/Disruptor Landing strategy: Through careful manipulation of Sea Breeze’s ice dust propulsion function, Leon is able to form an ice slide to divert a good portion of his downward momentum.
Name: Sea Breeze Wielder: Leon Sarcelle Maker/Smith: Leon Sarcelle Type: Dust Propelling Grappling Trident (DPGT) Weapon Derivation: Poseidon’s Trident… If it could shoot flames and grapple things Form 1: A sizable trident that has a shaft measuring 5 feet in length and is relatively thick. Each of the foot long tines are capable of being fired off individually using a high powered dust propulsion system inside of it. Each wire is extremely durable and with a flick of a switch, an internal reel will kick in, propelling Leon towards his target. Holstered/Sheathed Appearance: The tines and shaft collapse into a shape that resembles a police baton, which can then be stored in a sheath on his left thigh. Features/Capabilities: The trident has a dust cylinder between the shaft and head and dust ejection ports in between each tine. This allows Sea Breeze to be used like a flamethrower, with various dust effects like ice and fire to be applied generously to his enemies. Ice is perhaps the most common element used, as it complements his semblance and fighting style quite well. Usage: Sea Breeze is good at keeping foes at a distance and forcing them into unfavorable situations with its grappling and dust propulsion capabilities. Once exposed, a quick strike to a weak spot can be quickly delivered. Planned/Possible Upgrades: Increased durability/penetration on tines and more powerful motor to reel enemies in. Notes:
Name: Hydrokinesis User(s): Leon Sarcelle Type: Elemental General description: Allows the manipulation of water and its various states. General limitations: The level of control is inversely proportional to the amount of water he is manipulating, and can tax his aura rather quickly if he attempts to take on too much. And while it is possible for him to pool together the latent moisture in the atmosphere, doing so takes a bit of time and can drain him rather quickly. Thus to ensure he will almost always have water on hand, Leon keeps several metal flasks full of water strapped to his belt when he goes out on a mission or exercise. Visual effect: N/A Passive ability: Gives the user a general sense of where water is located. This is incredibly limited in both scope and application to a novice, but allows a master of the semblance to locate and draw water straight from the ground. Active abilities: 1) Move water without needing it to be anchored to the ground 2) Concentrate latent moisture in the air 3) Force water to change its physical state
Fighting style: In a team, Leon generally takes a supportive role and sets up Grimm for his teammates more devastating attacks by locking them down with Sea Breeze or his semblance. In solo engagements, he prefers exploiting openings in his enemies’ defenses, most of which he creates himself, rather than using head on tactics.
5) Trivia:
Relationships: Notes: Sarcelle is the French word for the color teal
I'm starting to have second thoughts with Leon's semblance, as I feel like I'm hitting the sailor motif a smidge too hard. What do you folks say: yay or nay on keeping Waterkinesis?
Hey folks, I'm going to do some editing on Leon's CS and then resubmit him. Do any of you have any recommendations on spots that need some work? I'm already planning on fleshing out his personality and streamlining his backstory a bit.
Thanks for calling me out on my shit. I had a sleepless night, not of my choosing, followed by an incredibly rough morning, but that doesn't excuse how I acted.
I apologize for how I worded what I said Phantom, that was incredibly hypocritical of me. I stand by the overall message though, because while I can only begin to imagine the difficulties that come with being the GM for 8 people, a little more courtesy would have gone a long way. I may have missed something, but the restart seemed to have come out nowhere and sounded like we would have to start back from square one. Again, I apologize for snapping like that and I will definitely give more thought to whether I'll be joining you folks in the new thread when my brain closes the mosh pit in my head.