Lady Seraphina

𝔼𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕨𝕠𝕠𝕕 𝔸𝕔𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕞𝕪

@sassy1085 I had a character I was really excited to try out and now it looks like the thread might be dead before it was even properly posted.

𝔼𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕨𝕠𝕠𝕕 𝔸𝕔𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕞𝕪

@sassy1085 So check back in at the end of the semester?

𝔼𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕨𝕠𝕠𝕕 𝔸𝕔𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕞𝕪

@Misery How are things?

TENEBRAE: The Rebellion of Shadows (Ladies Only)

Phantasm

Love Street
Lincoln Park, Tenebrae
@Estylwen

"You guys wanna hit the town?" Gloria asked with a half smile on her face.

Her squad had been run pretty ragged for the last week on assignments from the Valkyries' higher ups. Lady Hel knew how much value Gloria and her squad had so they gave them the time to rest when they needed it. Jinny, Sonia, and Siobhán looked up from what they were doing, a spark of mischief in their eyes.

"Where you thinking?" asked Siobhán, a pale irish girl maybe a year older than Gloria who had light copper hair shaved down one side of her head.

"We hit up the Haven in Lincoln Park, then if we don't find any trouble there we go dancing."

"Sounds good to me." said Sonia, a black girl who'd cut her hair short in a pixie cut.

The three girls gathered their things, leaving the room to get ready for the night ahead.

"You sure a night out is all your after?" The voice came from the doorway. The fifth member of the crew was standing there. She had grease smudged over a pair of overalls and was wiping engine oil off her hands with a rag that was almost as grease stained as they were.

"What else would I be after Q?"

Quinn's jaw was set as she walked towards Gloria. She raised her hand to touch the tight dutch braid that Gloria's hair had at been pulled into down the back of her head. If it had been anyone else Gloria would have grabbed their wrist before they got that close but Quinn was different. They were closer than that, or at least they had been before Gloria had been caught.

"Katey, I know what you look like when you're ready for a fight. What are you looking for tonight?"

Quinn was the only one of the squad that called her Katey. She was also the only one that knew it wasn't Gloria's birth name. The others called her Kat, or more often simply Walker. Gloria sighed. Quinn knew her too well. The dutch braid was what Gloria wore underneath her Phantasm hood. It kept her hair out of her face when she was moving around and it was a hard target to grab a hold of. It's how she did her hair when she expected to be in a serious scrap.

Gloria looked down, unwilling to meet Quinn's eyes. "If I'm lucky, there's no problem. If I am lucky then there's no need to get everyone hyped up over nothing. If I'm not then I'm going to need some backup nearby. If all goes well, we're gonna get plastered and light up the dance floor. Then I'll let my hair down. Deal?"

Quinn nodded. "If we're going out I'll need an hour to freshen up. Grease monkey isn't exactly a night life kind of look."

As Gloria watched her girlfriend leave she considered the message she had received earlier that day from not just an unknown number, but an unlisted one.

“Come with or without your friends, I have something that I know you’ll like. Not a weapon, per se, or a drug, but of use to someone of your... skill set.” Along with a time and a place for the meeting.

Gloria thought she could predict what it was about. It was a Cypher dealer looking for a high profile "return client". Cypher was a metagene stimulating drug. It was incredibly appealing to dealers because it was quite addictive, gave a high like almost nothing else on the market, and pushed a metahuman's power output into overdrive which meant when clients ran out of money they always had services to barter with. Gloria had been on it before she'd been sent to juvy. It was quite a high and there wasn't a feeling that matched the energy that seemed to flow through her veins when she passed through solid matter and it crumbled to dust in her wake. But the Valkyries' supplier had been cut off while Gloria was inside and Lady Hel didn't appreciate members using someone else's product. Whether this was a supplier looking to hook the gang up with a new support chain or simply a dealer thinking they could get rich off a high profile mark she didn't know, but either way, coming to her with it was a huge mistake. Cypher withdrawal while she was inside had nearly killed her and she was not interested in putting herself in a position to be that weak or that dependent ever again.

* * * * *

Ninety minutes later the squad parked their motorcycles at the Haven speakeasy. Gloria had worn the most functional elements of her Phantasm costume, lacking the mask and cloak that gave her something of a grim reaper appearance she simply wore the practical boots, and motorcycle gear underneath. The rest of her costume was stored in the side bag of her bike in case she needed to make an exit. In the vein hope that this situation wouldn't turn ugly Gloria had worn a club friendly top beneath her leather jacket but her hope that she would end up taking the jacket off and letting her hair down was quickly dwindling.

The place was lively tonight, though that was hardly a surprise. This was one of the few places where metahumans could just be themselves. You had those with gills or scales who on any other day would be concealing them beneath baggy clothing, lounging on bar stools and laughing with their friends. The bouncer for the club was a man who was almost cartoonishly large in an Andre the Giant sort of way. While he no doubt got stares everywhere he went during normal hours, here he was just another guy.

As they walked in Gloria grabbed Quinn's shoulder. "Q, get the girls a table and order up a round to start the night off. I'll..." Gloria's gaze went past Quinn's head to a man sitting at the bar and the red crescent that adorned him which the message had said to look for. "I'll be with you in a minute."

Quinn turned her head to follow Gloria's gaze to the man sitting at the bar. She turned back to look Gloria in the face. "One minute, I'll watch your back."

Gloria nodded before heading towards the bar. She sat down next to the crescent marked stranger. "You called, I came. For your sake, you better hope this isn't a waste of my time."

TENEBRAE: The Rebellion of Shadows (Ladies Only)

TENEBRAE: The Rebellion of Shadows (Ladies Only)

I don't know that gold is what Phantasm is after but she'll definitely throw you under the bus if it furthers her ends.

TENEBRAE: The Rebellion of Shadows (Ladies Only)

@Shu What do you say? You wanna be friends? Or grudging allies?

𝔼𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕨𝕠𝕠𝕕 𝔸𝕔𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕞𝕪

@Phi Chisym That was more than a week ago. If they're still swamped with real life stuff that is totally fine but an update to that effect so as not to leave everyone hanging would be appropriate.

TENEBRAE: The Rebellion of Shadows (Ladies Only)

Report: Phantasm

Legal Name:

Gloria Lieth

Alias:

Phantasm

Age:

18

Gender:

Female

Designation:

Villain

Appearance:

Hair: Blonde. Curly. Shoulder length and uneven, likely hacked off with a knife or pair of scissor.
Eyes: Storm grey and sharp.
Height: 5'8"
Facial features: Attractive and well proportioned though gaunt, reflecting someone who is used to living rough.
Notable Identifiers:

• An electrical burn sustained while experimenting with her powers has resulted in the skin on her right arm up to her elbow being completely smooth, obliterating both fingerprints and hair.
• A black leather choker with a silver locket attached that sits in the hollow of her throat.
• A tattoo of an ornate single wing on the back of the left shoulder. This tattoo is a Valkyrie gang marker and is rarely on display.

Disguise:

Black motorcycle wear, padded to absorb shock impacts. Steel toed boots made for running and fighting. A grey tattered hooded cloak and a skull themed mask fitted to her face. Grey gloves.

Psychological Evaluation:

Above all else Gloria Lieth is clever and calculating. She attempts to weigh every outcome of her decisions and to never let anything surprise her. This applies not just to her exploits in costume but to her personal interactions as well. She is always on guard around others, even those that ostensibly are supposed to have her back. That's not to say that she is cold when dealing with others. She's quite friendly but in the manner of a predator cornering prey could be considered friendly. She gives off an aura of sizing up the people that she talks to, as though she has already figured out the easiest way to take them down. This calm exterior masks Gloria's dangerous sense of reckless abandon and her anger management problems. Both of which she attempts to keep reigned in but cracking her mask is a lot easier than she would like to believe. She channels this energy into an aura of cynicism. As a result much of the time Gloria is sarcastic and blunt. She does not mince her words but she also does not exaggerate, if she tells someone what they did wrong they can usually trust it to be accurate if unkind.

History:

Born Gloria Lieth, entered the foster care system at twelve weeks old. Was adopted at the age of two.
Adoptive parents: Rose and Peter Latham
Occupation: Lawyers
There busy careers left Gloria and her sister Cassandra in a perpetual state of minimal supervision. Whatever time was spent with their children focused almost exclusively on Gloria's younger sister, the Latham's only biological child. This lead to a resentful and conflict driven relationship between Gloria and her parents. Records of emergency services dispatched to the Latham address and hospital visits under Gloria's name can be found on page three. Despite an uneven relationship with parents who seem to have shown a preference for their youngest child, collected evidence would suggest that Gloria harboured no negative feelings towards her sister and often acted as her caretaker. Preliminary investigations indicate that Cassandra Latham suffered from one or more mental illnesses, possibly schizophrenia, delusions or some combination thereof. Though no formal diagnosis was ever made. Gloria was removed from public education at the age of fourteen. Though official records indicate that the Lathams wished to have a more active hand in her education, speculation suggests it was at this time that Gloria's metagene became active and she developed super human abilities. The Lathams intolerance of such things can be noted on page 5 by a list of cases they choose to take involving powered individuals. The services of several tutors recorded in the Latham financial history imply that contrary to their claims, the Lathams did not take a personal interest in Gloria's education.

One year after Gloria was removed from school her life was upended by tragedy. Cassandra was found dead on the street beneath the Latham family penthouse. Forensic analysis suggests that Cassandra was pushed and testimony from Rose Latham and Peter Latham state they saw Gloria push her sister off the balcony. However witnesses in the area who refused to make an official statement claim they saw Gloria running down the street towards the penthouse moments before the girl fell and that she found Cassandra's body, rather than, as the Lathams claimed, being on the balcony above. Though an arrest warrant was issued for Gloria Lieth's capture, she disappeared directly after this incident and has not been located by local law enforcement since. The Lathams filed to have Gloria legally emancipated from them, restoring her last name to what it was in foster care. See the police report on page 6 for a further details.

Sightings of Gloria after this incident suggest that she fell in with the ruthless all female street gang: the Valkyries. Eye witness accounts from this period indicate that Gloria was addicted to a metagene enhancing drug that allowed her to not just phased through objects, but to disintegrate the things that she passed through. Reports of her during this two year stretch suggest that in the absence of her parents tight control she became wild and violent. This period was brought to an end when she was arrested. She was seventeen at the time. The arrest was for minor crimes under the name Catherine Walker, a fake ID that Valkyries had procured for her. Her sentencing remained unconnected to her outstanding warrant for homicide, resulting in a twelve month juvy sentence instead of twenty years to life in prison. She was discharged on her eighteenth birthday after which it appears she has rejoined the Valkyries though there is no evidence to suggest that she has continued use of the metagene drug after getting clean in juvy.

Metahuman Abilities:

Intangibility

Application:

Gloria Lieth has the ability to shift the quantum frequency at which her molecules vibrate. All matter on our plane of existence vibrates at a specific quantum frequency. By altering her own quantum frequency Gloria can shift the degree to which she is influenced by the natural forces of this reality.

This grants the obvious and useful application of being able to pass through solid matter, however one of the more versatile uses of this power is the ability to fry electronic circuitry. With enough focus, when passing through electronics she is able to upset the delicate balance of electrical flow within a devices causing a power surge which is liable to short out the circuits.

Gloria is also able to alter the quantum frequency of objects she is in direct contact with. The most practical use of this ability is to ensure that her clothing passes through objects along with her. However it has been noted that in times of need she has phased allies through walls along with her to remove them from harm's way.

Limitations:

Density has a noted impact on Gloria's abilities. Moving through denser objects requires greater effort. Gloria cannot breath while moving through objects so must take care not to move through something of such a thickness that she passes out before reaching the other side. While inside an object she is blind which makes moving through anything more than a foot thick somewhat difficult should her sense of direction become confused. Density and size likewise have an impact on the things that Gloria can transport with her. Phasing one or two people seems to be something she does with some regularity larger and denser objects seem to be outside of the scope of her abilities. Page 6 contains an accident report which regards a brutal motorcycle collision. This destruction was the result of Gloria attempting to phase her motorcycle through a solid barrier and losing considerable chunks of it in the process.

Electricity is Gloria's biggest contender. Strong electrical currents are capable of jumping quantum frequencies. Attempting to phase through something that carries an electric charge can lead to electrocution. The currents in electronic devices are highly regulated to prevent damage so phasing through them is in most cases safe if unpleasant. The high unregulated voltage of such device as an electric fence would incapacitate her. While she would be able to phase through the physical object, she would also be electrocuted in the process. The stress exerted by her powers in this manner has been shown to leave behind a friction burn on any exposed skin that went through the process, effects on clothing may vary by circumstance.

Phasing through people is much like phasing through electronics, unpleasant but not difficult.

Report: Lady Hel

Legal Name:

Helena Kristansen

Alias:

Lady Hel

Age:

43

Gender:

Female

Designation:

Villain

Appearance:

Hair: Black. Straight. Well maintained.
Eyes: Silver.
Height: 5'6"
Facial features: High cheekbones, sharp features, bone white skin.
Notable Identifiers: N/A. Reports of appearance have a worrying degree of variation. Hypothetically possible that her powers influence the way people see her. Further information required.

Disguise:

N/A. Dress seems to vary.

Psychological Evaluation:

Helena Kristansen has been described as "fear personified". Twenty five years of operating in Tenebrae's underworld has honed her ability to read people's intentions and their lies. She is a master manipulator, like a spider at the center of a great web, pulling threads this way and that to push people into doing what she wants. There is some indication that in the first few years of her criminal career her brother, Norman, kept her grounded. Following his death, she became unmourned and now there is no action, not matter how extreme that she would not undertake in order to further her goals.

History:

Helena Kristansen and her brother Norman Kristansen were disowned by their parents at age 16 when their metapowers manifested and left homeless. In this time period the law was still catching up with the emergence of metahumans. Both protection and persecution statutes remained vague leading to an environment where metas often had no recourse but crime when looking to protect themselves. This in turn led to a rise in meta street gangs, groups of metas who would band together for their own protection.

Going by the names Lady Hel and Jörmungandr, Helena and Norman formed the group that would come to be known as "The Valkyries". The Valkyries originally included seven members, including Hel, three are still alive today.

As was common at this time, many gangs would link up with each other for mutual protection. The Valkyries were no exception. While on a job with the group called "The Gray Dragons", their leader Fendrix, killed Jörmungandr, kicking off a bitter feud between the two groups that seems to have subsided with Fendrix's death nearly two decades ago.

In the wake of Jörmungandr's death and the Gray Dragon's dissolution, the Valkyries grew in power from a simple band of metas trying to survive to a force to be reckoned with within the city. They absorbed other gangs, taking the power and the territory they needed.

The name of the group comes from the fact that almost all of the important players are women. While they do have some men on staff, very few of them rank higher than street muscle.

Goal:

In a twisted way, Hel's goals are altruistic. She seeks to create a place that is safe for metas. She has no compunctions about what that safety might cost. Many lesser gangs with anti-meta sentiment have been forced out of the city, or wiped out entirely on Hel's orders. She regards human life as less important than meta life and will readily sacrifice whoever she needs to in order to achieve her goals. Her operation is embedded deep within the power structures of the city and while that doesn't afford her the total control that she would require to create her meta utopia, it is undeniable that Tenebrae is a safer place for metahumans since she began her campaign.

Metahuman Abilities:

Phobikinesis, possible Umbrakinesis

Application:

Helena Kristansen powers have proved difficult to quantify as it is impossible to entirely discern which effects are physical alterations to the world, and which effects are mental projections. Her primary ability seems tied to the manipulation of fear, creating extremely real seeming hallucinations. At this time we cannot be sure the degree to which these projections are actually real and the degree to which Lady Hel's victims simply believe them to be real. No matter what the answer, these manifestations of fear are capable of doing very real damage.

A standby of hers seems to be the manipulation of shadows, causing them to blot out the light or become semi solid and restrain those with which she is fighting. Again, it is unclear if this works because the victim is actually restrained by shadow, or simply because the victim believes themselves to be restrained.

Limitations:

Further information required.

RWBY: Chasing Shadows

It is not.

@Hero

That's disappointing. Ping me if that ever changes.

You should probably amend your "Join Status" indicator.