AndyC — Roleplayer Guild

C H A R A C T E R   C O N C E P T   P R O P O S A LS T A R F I R E / R A V E N

Princess Koriand’r/Rachel Roth  ♦ Exiled Princess of Tamaran/Ex-Cultist and current Runaway ♦  Jump City, California, USA ♦   Independent

C H A R A C T E R   C O N C E P T:

"Evil beware, for we are here to lick your anuses!"

"....it’s ‘kick,’ not ‘lick,’ we’re here to kick their--.....you know what, never mind, AZARATH METREON ZINTHOS!!!!"

Rachel Roth has been surrounded by the occult since the day she was born.  Her mother Arella, a second-generation hippie quick to buy into whatever new-wave feel-good movement could hold her attention, was barely eighteen when she was inducted into the Children of Azaroth, a spiritual-science order who claimed to be connected to astral beings on a higher plane of existence.  There, she fell in love with a handsome young man by the name of Sebastian Blood, an eccentric multi-millionaire who seduced her and lured Arella into his mansion in the Hollywood hills.  While Arella didn’t remember much of that night, she would have nightmares for years about the man she made love to actually being a hulking giant with eyes of fire.

Arella’s daughter Rachel was disillusioned with the Children of Azaroth almost immediately, especially while watching her mother’s mental health deteriorate.  Despite this, she found herself enamored with occult literature and history, perhaps determined to find the ‘real’ magic that the amateurish cult had so clearly failed to produce.  Mature before her age, she developed an ever-present cynicism and biting sarcasm, as well as nearly impenetrable emotional walls to resist the Children’s conditioning.

On her sixteenth birthday, Rachel received the greatest surprise of her life-- and nearly her last as well.  Her supposed father Sebastian Blood had returned to the compound, showering her with gifts and throwing a magnificent party, before attempting to drug and murder the young girl in a ritualistic sacrifice.  Much to the surprise of everyone in the room, a pitch-black shadow erupted from Rachel’s body and hurled the cultists aside like ragdolls.  Confused and terrified, yet seeing the opportunity to escape, Rachel fled the cult for good.  After hitchhiking north, she found her way to Jump City, where she currently works as an assistant at an old book store, half her meager wages paying for the dingy loft apartment above the shop.

Several million light years away, the lush and vibrant world of Tamaran had enjoyed sixteen cycles of prosperity and happiness under the rule of the just and mighty King Myand’r.  His twin daughters were beloved by the common people, though the cheerful and bright Koriand’r was favored ever so slightly more than her sister Komand’r.  This slight favoritism, barely perceptible to those not paying close attention, would eat at Komand’r all her life, a jealousy that would become a deadly resentment over the years.  This was only made worse due to the fact that only one of them could inherit the role of the planet’s protector and champion, the Starfire.

This would come to a head when, during a training exercise with the legendary Warlords of Okaara, Komand’r staged an “accident” with the intent of killing Kory, but instead killed her betrothed, the beloved General Phy’zzon.  Thinking quickly, Komand’r was able to cover her own crime as a failed assassination attempt by Tamaran’s eternal enemies, the dreaded Citadel.  King Myand’r responded to this by declaring open war upon the Citadel, and the years of prosperity and joy gave way to terror and bloodshed.

Koriand’r inherited the role of Starfire after their father was slain fighting the Citadel’s shock troopers, and with the help of the Warlords of Okaara, led her people on multiple successful campaigns, much to Komand’r’s disdain.  Just as Tamaran was on the cusp of victory, Komand’r stunned her people by betraying them, siding with the Citadel during a key battle for the sake of facing her hated sister in combat.  Koriand’r held the upper hand in their battle, but could not bring herself to kill her own sister, a mercy that Komand’r exploited ruthlessly to defeat her.  With Tamaran conquered and her sister in chains, Komand’r declared herself Queen Blackfire, a mockery of the title she had coveted for so long.

Koriand’r’s captivity would not last, however, as she soon fought her way free and stole away in a single-use jump pod as Citadel troops bore down on her.  Desperate for somewhere safe, the ship’s navicomputer located a primitive backwater planet, whose inhabitants happen to look similar to Tamaranians by an absolutely staggering coincidence, and jumped away.

The power in Jump City has gone out.  Rachel Roth has climbed up to the roof of her ratty apartment to see if she can read by moonlight.  And what was a pinpoint of light in the night sky seems to be getting larger, and brighter, and closer…...

C H A R A C T E R   M O T I V A T I O N S   &   G O A L S:
Raven and Starfire is a pairing that I firmly believe is one of DC’s biggest untapped gold mines.  While they love playing up the whole “one’s bright and happy, the other is dark and dour” routine with Batman and Superman, and even went so far as to rewrite Poison Ivy’s entire personality just to do it again in the Harley Quinn cartoon, they have yet to do it with what IMO is one of the most obvious duos, from a cartoon that basically everyone loves.

While their origin stories do border on being Very Serious (™), I want Kory and Rachel to effectively be a superhero equivalent of a buddy-cop-movie or an Odd Couple sitcom.  Just, instead of a by-the-book veteran and a loose-cannon rookie, or an uptight businessman and his slovenly roommate, it’s a bubbly alien space-princess and the literal actual Anti-christ.  Lethal Weapon with space battles and spandex, Rush Hour with demons and teen-drama, or maybe Perfect Strangers with explosions and doomsday cults.  It’s something I have wanted to write for ages, but always put off for the sake of chasing a bigger fish.

C H A R A C T E R   N O T E S:

A smaller portion of the sprawling megalopolis that stretches from Los Angeles to Star City, Jump City is often overlooked as the most 'normal' city on the West Coast-- a haven for those not sleazy enough for LA, not crazy enough for San Francisco, and not pretentious enough to pack up and move north to Portland.  It is somewhat significant as a technological hub, with a 'Little Tokyo' district  home to the US branch of several electronics and video game developers, as well as for having a unique neon-decked aesthetic and a booming night life.

The Homeland Intervention and Vulnerability Explication Corporation was founded in the early 2000s as a private think-tank for unorthodox solutions to problems of global security.  While on paper the company only serves nations that are part of NATO, many trails of funding lead back to the controversial government of Bialya, whose monarch has been accused of multiple human-rights violations.  In recent years, HIVE has been accused of several disappearances, particularly of young people with unusual talents or exceptional abilities.  These accusations, of course, have been flatly denied.

A radical cult whose members include high-profile people in the private and government sectors, the Brotherhood of Blood revels in unrestrained power, free from the constraints of 'common' morality.  Their meetings are often little more than excuses to indulge in excessive bacchanalia, akin to the old 'Hellfire Clubs' of old England. 
 However, beyond this veil of high-society degeneracy lies a secretive inner circle, led by the multi-millionaire Sebastian Blood, one which is very serious in the worship of a hostile deity known as Trigon, believing that bringing about Trigon's arrival on Earth will grant them everlasting power in his infernal regime.

A conglomeration of smaller interstellar empires, the Citadel is an expansive military power which sustains itself by constant conquest.  Boasting advanced technologies from dozens of worlds and hordes of soldiers from innumerable species, the ruling AI known roughly as 'Complex Complex' and its cadre of generals coordinate an everlasting war against any habitable world they find.  While the bulk of the Citadel's forces is too far from Earth to launch an open invasion, it is not unlikely that agents will be sent on their behalf to recover Princess Koriand'r.

Koriandr's treacherous sister, Queen Komand'r is now the ruling despot of Tamaran, a role she barely has any interest in playing.  While her people starve and suffer under the lash of the Citadel, Queen Blackfire sends countless deep-space probes into the stars, obsessed with finding her escaped sister, partly because her personal vendetta against Koriand'r remains unfulfilled, and partly because the knowledge that the Starfire of Tamaran is still out there inspires the people of her world to rebel against her rule.  Until Kory is found and destroyed, Blackfire is Queen in name only, and her rule is as insecure as her ego.

S A M P L E   P O S T:
"So, that's two hardbacks, three paperbacks, and a first edition," Rachel recounted in a disinterested monotone as the customer waited impatiently for her to punch everything into the cash register.  "After tax, that comes out to fifty-two dollars and seventy-three cents."

The customer made a face, and attempted to haggle.  "You sure that thing didn't make a mistake?  Like, a glitch in the programming?"

Rachel gave him a deadpan glare, glanced down at the old analog register for a moment, then said, "You're right, sir, this completely non-digital machine must have had a hiccup in the software.  If you'll give me a moment, I can call tech support and--"

"No, no, it's.....here you go," he said, producing three crumpled twenties from his wallet.  "Y'know, learning a little customer service couldn't hurt."

"I provide the exact quality of service appropriate to the customer," she said, handing him his change.  "Have a day."

Working at the House of Mystery, a gaudy title for what was in fact a dusty hole-in-the-wall bookstore, was far from the worst experience Rachel Roth could ask for.  The walls were packed with old tomes and albums full of all sorts of interesting subjects: histories of long-lost civilizations, macabre biographies of infamous figures of folklore, encyclopedic catalogs of spirits and daemons, texts of everything from ancient Sumerian divination to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, to folk religions like voodoo and santeria, to new-age paganism and chaos magic, even parlor tricks like sleight-of-hand and cold reading.  Mr. Abel was a nice enough manager, though he was rarely around and left Rachel to tend the store by herself more often than not.  Fine by her; more opportunities to get some reading in.  The only problem was with the customers.

And of course, her new roommate.

"Friend Rachel," Kory said, drifting down the staircase, oblivious to the fact that she was floating nearly a foot off the ground and would have caused a panic if anyone else had seen it, "I am having the difficulty interfacing with this data-storage device."

Rachel glanced up, raising an eyebrow.  "You mean that book?"

"Yes, this 'boook,'" she replied, mispronouncing the 'oo' sound.  "While I see the data runes inscribed, I cannot activate them to call upon its internal AI construct and begin the holo-feed."

Rachel blinked in confusion, then shook her head.

"Internal AI--?  No, Kory, you just," Rachel took the book out of Kory's hands and opened it.  "You just read the 'data runes,' and that's how you get the information.  There's no holograms or AI or anything."

"....but this is an account of romantic interest," Kory said, confused.  "Without a holo-feed, how will I see the techniques employed?"

"Just....use your imagination.  Your mind will picture everything for you."

Kory gave uncertain glances back and forth between Rachel and the book.

"...so I am to stare at symbols on a slice of dead vegetable matter," she tried to put the pieces together, "until I begin to hallucinate images and sounds?  And that is how information is shared on this world?"

"....well, when you put it like that--"

"That is wonderous!" Kory exclaimed.  "Voluntary hallucinogens without chemical stimulation?  Never have I heard of such a thing!  But what, then, are the side effects of exposure to the booooks?"

"....you get smarter?"

Kory's eyes went wide, like the first time she had ever seen a star going nova.

Before this could continue, outside the store, a siren blared, an engine roaring as a large red shape blurred past the shop window.

"What was the purpose of the noise-making vehicle?"

"Huh?  Oh, that's a fire engine," Rachel shrugged.  "They're just on their way to put out a fire somewhere down the block."

"A fire?!" Kory gasped.  "Then the innocents are imperiled!  We must be quick to act!"

Dropping the book, Kory stripped off her shirt and began undoing her pants.

"Kory!  What are you doing?!

"I am exchanging my civilian garb for my proper battle regalia," she answered, a purple tube-top and skirt appearing over her body like magic.  "How else will the innocents know that a champion protector is here to assist them?"  With a gasp of realization, Kory grabbed at the tail of Rachel's shirt.  "Quickly, you must change into your battle regalia as well!"

Rachel sputtered, and swatted Kory's hands away.  "Hey, that's--knock it off, I don't have 'battle regalia!'"

Kory stopped, staring at Rachel as though she had said she eats rocks.

"That is not acceptable," Kory shook her head, then grabbed Rachel by the wrist.  "Come, we will assist with the fighting of fires, and then we shall locate a member of your merchant caste who can procure proper regalia for you!  There is little of the time to be wasting!"

P O S T   C A T A L O G:
A list linking to your IC posts as they're created. This can be used for a reference guide to your character or to summarize completed arcs and stories.
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