Lurking Shadow

Darkling: The Night War

@Override

Sounds like my character (Conall) will have fun. And he did from what I wrote so far. Posting it soon

Children of Plunder (Space Pirate RP)

If no one else gets to it in the next few days, I'll prob make a quick post where Traveler captures the merchant captain in order to speed this up a bit. Unless someone else is currently writing that or wants to be a part of it.

@The JestYou alright with that? or did you have something in mind?

Darkling: The Night War

Wish I could draw well, but I am adequate at best. If anyone cares, I could dig around for some of the artwork i did do.

Also, I usually just stick to a descriptive paragraph or two when a pic is not asked. Allows more creative freedom for me and I avoid using other people's works, a few exceptions although like for forum avatars. My current avatar is something I made though.

Darkling: The Night War

Conall

Introductory post

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It was a long and uneventful journey to the city for Conall. The worst part was trading the forests of Éire for a concrete jungle. For a time, he will have to reside with… others. Solitude will be a thing of the past. The fact that most of them were not human did not improve the situation. While being in a group was not bad in itself, it was the fact that he knew no one else. He did not know what his ‘allies’ could do. He did not know if they would be useful. The second thing, this war has been in a stalemate for a long time. Would his arrival even alter the situation? Even though he is a capable warrior, he was not foolish enough to believe he alone could take on the council, and would not expect they would honor his right to single combat. Instead, he would need to find a way to isolate and whittle them down one by one.

As for his allies, he would need to know them. Why they fight, and if it could align with his goal. He would also need to find a way to control them, ensure his goal will be realized. Some might fight merely to have free reign over humanity, to prey on them in some way without worry of angering the council. Those would aid him well, for they will expedite the time for the next war. The others though, the ones who genuinely care for humans or otherwise do not actively wish harm on them would become obstacles later. He will need to find methods on controlling them or eliminating them outright as convincing them to aid him after this war will be difficult.

As for the city, he found it amusing that the rebels were located in the middle. I could walk any direction and find something to kill. Looks like finding fresh meat would not be an issue. Conall thought. Maybe this place isn’t all bad. I will have to be careful but I will find prey here, even on one of my ‘allies’ should it be necessary. Being surrounded on all sides will likely prove to be beneficial, desperation is one of the strongest allies. For now though, I should observe the environment. Figure out effective paths in each section for sneaking in and around. Stealth will need to be my greatest asset followed by my strength… and with that in mind, he set off

Darkling: The Night War

Conall O’Brien

Name: Conall O’Brien

Age: 134

Race: Lycan

Faction: Rebel

Appearance:

Conall normally is of average build and has silver eyes and grey skin. Due to his Lycan nature, he is nearly covered in an excessive growth of hair. He has a branding on his back depicting a long, thick line with five smaller lines branching off from either side. This marking is even visible in his Lycan form and covers about a fourth of his back.

In his Lycan form, he grows about two and a half feet taller and has noticeably more muscles, particularly in the upper body. His head elongates into a snout while his lips recede revealing sharp and jagged teeth, clearly of a carnivore, and with saliva constantly slobbering forth. The whites of his eyes turn to blood red and the pupils lengthen vertically. His ears sharpen to a point and constantly flicker in varying directions in order to determine location and distance of a particular noise. His fingers lengthen slightly and the nails grow into claws sharp enough to tear through metal about 5mm thick. His legs and feet lengthen out allowing him to jump unnaturally high and firmly land upright.

Personality:

Conall Is reclusive but willing to work in groups small groups should it prove necessary or wise. He has a bleak aspect on life due to his past and considers peace a mythical concept. He believes that the very nature of life is to change and adapt, to face challenges and see if it can survive the test or if it is weak. Every fight to him is another test of his capabilities. Is he strong? Or does he have room to improve? Ultimately, he cares little about the wellbeing of those he considers ‘weak’ and only slightly more of his equals. Only to those that can best him does he give his respect, at least for as long as they can claim that feat. Outside of his ‘betters’ he only tolerates others if they offer some ability that he cannot do. Still he is not actively hostile to his ‘lessers’ unless they block him from his goal or irk him in some way.

Background:

Born in southern Ireland in the late 19th century, he naturally grew to favor the independence of Ireland from Britain. When the Great War broke out, he volunteered under the impression that the necessary legislation for Ireland’s independence has passed, and that Ireland will soon be a nation separate from Britain. (in fact, the legislation was suspended for the duration of the war).
Conall served as a tanker in the 10th Division, a gunner on a British Mark IV landship (female). Half the war he spent in a cramped room at temperatures upwards of 100 degrees (F) with seven others. Early on, a tanker was more likely to be killed by the tank than the enemy (poor ventilation meant that suffocation from the fumes was a common scene) but eventually both sides developed better weapons and methods for taking out armored targets. During the Spring Offensive of 1918 while defending against an increasingly overwhelming German army in the dead of night was his tank destroyed. Allied artillery fire (presumably requested by a desperate tank commander) blew a large hole on the right side of the tank killing his crew and leaving him bleeding out from a several large gashes from shrapnel. Outside he could still hear a handful of surviving Germans. With his remaining strength, he grabbed grenade and a pistol from his dead commander and crawled his way outside. Outside he found eight Stoßtruppen that seemed to have been barely scratched. Not missing a beat, Conall managed to kill four of them but his injuries made it difficult to kill the rest. It was then he heard a howl that chilled his bones followed by intermittent gunfire and screams. Something else killed the four he missed and he could tell it was heading for him next. Knowing he could not escape, and being practically blind from the blood gushing over his eyes, he struggled to fire a few more shots blindly at where he thought the thing to be before a sharp pain made him passed out.

When he woke up, he found his wounds nearly healed and under the care of several men of both allied and central powers. He later learned that they were werewolves formerly consisting of the two sides before deserting and living in No Man’s Land. The one who saved him, a German, was impressed by his constitution and will and turned Conall into a Lycan to save him. For the rest of the war (which only ended up being about five more months) Conall lived and scavenged in the dangerous land between the trenches. A place where no man lives long, but he is not a man, at least not anymore.

In his first few months as a Lycan, he was initially hesitant to consuming the raw flesh of fallen soldiers. Especially those that used to be his allies, but with each day he grew more and more distant from humans and their flesh tasted more and more pleasant, eventually becoming his preferred meal. Not to mention that his senses grew with him and that he could tell a man’s heritage from how he tasted.

With the time he spent with his pack, he was taught how to hone his senses and become an apex predator. He learned to hear the crunching of distant leaves, to smell blood from miles away, to see a corpse in the darkest conditions, to move so fast to be a blur. Not all the skills were solely due to being a werewolf, he learned to related human skills such as stealth and making traps. Once his training was complete, he became a full member of his pack and learned of the Darkworld and the important rule.

After the war, the pack went their separate ways and he returned to Ireland and lived as a hermit. Conall figured that if he was rarely in contact with humanity, he would not be likely to break the rule. The hardest part was being near humans and their succulent flesh but not able to feast on them, thankfully he was strong enough to resist and used this fact to bolster the idea that he was good. In the 1920s, Britain formed a force of temporary constables to assist the RIC during the Irish War of Independence, the Black and Tans. Due to the fact that they were rarely disciplined, they often gave arbitrary reprisals against the civilian population whenever one died from the fighting with the IRA. This gave them a brutal reputation and the attention of Conall. He realized their unpopularity would mean they would rarely be missed if something were to happen to them, and the fact that they were attacking unarmed/defenseless civilians outraged him. Over the next several years, he managed to lure, trap, and kill a notable amount of them and managed to satisfy his bloodlust for a while. Most notably when a small group of the Black and Tans attempted to burn a forest after an IRA bomb killed a few of their friends. The Black and Tans raided a nearby town and, after capturing a few locals, tied them against the trees and attempted to set fire to the forest. Conall, witnessing the events, snapped at their vicious attack on the helpless civilians. While Conall would just as easily do something similar to an adversary, he found it reprehensible to do the same to those with no responsibility to the IRA not to mention them being non-combatants. With a speed and force exceeding what he normally could do, he massacred the aggressors turning the area into a scene that would make even the most battle hardened soldier nauseated. Afterwards, a grateful druid thanked him for protecting the lands he was tasked over, and offered a gift, whenever needed he could call upon the same zeal as he had that day. A gift that he accepted, as proven by the marking on his back. When the Second World War broke out, he made his way into central Europe and terrorized the axis.

Recently he received word from a fellow pack member of the war in the Darkworld and request for assistance to the rebels. He agreed, partially out of respect for the sender, but mostly out of his ideology. If the Darkworld would be revealed to the humans, another war would likely follow. Humans attack what they fear, and if the stuff of their nightmares were suddenly real… With nearly every battle Conall fought, he came out on top. He was an apex predator. With the few losses, he grew stronger. He changed, he evolved. The next war would determine if the humans are resilient enough to withstand the Darkworld or if they are weak and will be conquered. If they are weak, they will change, adapt, and fight again. War is part of their nature. Out of all of recorded history, only about 8% of the time was peaceful. If they prove strong enough, Conall will change, adapt, evolve. Conall eagerly awaits the opportunity to come.

Skills/Equipment:

Specifically to Lycan form:

Enhanced smelling/hearing – Though Conall has better than normal hearing/smelling, but it is far improved in Lycan form

Night vision – Conall can see clearly in low-light conditions

Enhanced agility – Can run up to 75 mph, can leap 30 feet, and can react within 0.08 seconds

Enhanced strength – All actions relating to strength such as biting, crushing, or clawing have extraordinary amounts of PSI driving it. Conall can easily tear through thin metal and with effort, can eventually rip through steel.

Enhanced endurance – Can withstand more injuries and pain than a normal human.

Berserk – Similar to how humans get an adrenaline rush, Conall can get a brief boost to strength and agility at the cost of being more reckless. Conall benefits from nearly two and a half times the increase in above traits and completely ignores pain. During this state he becomes weaker to all forms of magic, particularly demonic, and regeneration slows to near human levels. Lasts about 30 minutes and only triggers when enraged or should Conall fail to resist his bestial instincts to feast. In addition, the brand on his back glows a brilliant red and slowly fades throughout the duration. At its peak, this produces about 40 lumens or about 4 times more light than a candle. Since the source is magical, any effect that would amplify, distort, or eliminate magic would have a similar effect here.

Other skills:

Trap making - Can create various kinds of traps such as pits, deadfall traps, or snares.

Stalking – Can sneak silently to prey, this effect is reduced in Lycan form. Especially when raining as fur has a particular scent when wet. He can also lie silently in wait for ambushes under cover.



Other Information:

Bilingual: English and Irish

Indomitable will: Conall will rarely surrender or give up, preferring to fight to the death if no other options present itself.

Darkling: The Night War

[Old Amsterdam]

...
@Lurking Shadow Just throwing a mention so you can see you're approved.
...

@Override

Glad to see it go through with only a minor edit. Going to get a last look for errors and I'll put it in the CS.

Darkling: The Night War

Right. I'm okay with Berserk. But it has to have some kind of curse or magic behind it. Possibly the ward you mentioned. Lycans just can't do that. Doesn't matter how enraged you get. Also, make sure you're specifying that it's the magic that adds the weaknesses and strengths please. It's probably best if a Druid imposed that kind of magic. They tend to deal in nature and specialise in helping and or cursing Lycans.

Give me some kind of story on that in your backstory and you're approved. I like him though. You got the speeds and strength just about where I imagined it to be.

@Override

It's not really a ward IC, just a cosmetic marking which refers to the Elder Sign (as imagined by Lovecraft, not Derelth). And the Beserk state is my tribute to Cú Chulainn, whom I partially based this off of. A hero from the Ulster cycle in Irish mythology notable for his ríastrad (or Warp Spasm in English) which more or less makes him the first hulk

the short version

(Thomas Kinsella's translation)

The first warp-spasm seized Cúchulainn, and made him into a monstrous thing, hideous and shapeless, unheard of. His shanks and his joints, every knuckle and angle and organ from head to foot, shook like a tree in the flood or a reed in the stream. His body made a furious twist inside his skin, so that his feet and shins switched to the rear and his heels and calves switched to the front... On his head the temple-sinews stretched to the nape of his neck, each mighty, immense, measureless knob as big as the head of a month-old child... he sucked one eye so deep into his head that a wild crane couldn't probe it onto his cheek out of the depths of his skull; the other eye fell out along his cheek. His mouth weirdly distorted: his cheek peeled back from his jaws until the gullet appeared, his lungs and his liver flapped in his mouth and throat, his lower jaw struck the upper a lion-killing blow, and fiery flakes large as a ram's fleece reached his mouth from his throat... The hair of his head twisted like the tangle of a red thornbush stuck in a gap; if a royal apple tree with all its kingly fruit were shaken above him, scarce an apple would reach the ground but each would be spiked on a bristle of his hair as it stood up on his scalp with rage.

So along with the changing in appearance, he gets a massive increase in strength and loses the ability to distinguish between friend and foe.

What I'll do is change the text to say that whenever he goes in a berserk state, his branding glows red and fades throughout the duration which would make a handy gauge IC for characters to determine approximately how much longer it will last. Also added some info noting that it is magical in source.

Berserk – Similar to how humans get an adrenaline rush, Conall can get a brief boost to strength and agility at the cost of being more reckless. Conall benefits from nearly two and a half times the increase in above traits and completely ignores pain. During this state he becomes weaker to all forms of magic, particularly demonic, and regeneration slows to near human levels. Lasts about 30 minutes and only triggers when enraged or should Conall fail to resist his bestial instincts to feast. In addition, the brand on his back glows a brilliant red and slowly fades throughout the duration. At it's peak, this produces about 40 lumens or about 4 times more light than a candle. Since the source is magical, any effect that would amplify, distort, or eliminate magic would have a similar effect here.

Red text is added.

And as suggested, I'll add a bit to the paragraph in the background where he attack the Black and Tans about how he helps a druid.

Hider

[indnet]After the war, the pack went their separate ways and he returned to Ireland and lived as a hermit. Conall figured that if he was rarely in contact with humanity, he would not be likely to break the rule. The hardest part was being near humans and their succulent flesh but not able to feast on them, thankfully he was strong enough to resist and used this fact to bolster the idea that he was good. In the 1920s, Britain formed a force of temporary constables to assist the RIC during the Irish War of Independence, the Black and Tans. Due to the fact that they were rarely disciplined, they often gave arbitrary reprisals against the civilian population whenever one died from the fighting with the IRA. This gave them a brutal reputation and the attention of Conall. He realized their unpopularity would mean they would rarely be missed if something were to happen to them, and the fact that they were attacking unarmed/defenseless civilians outraged him. Over the next several years, he managed to lure, trap, and kill a notable amount of them and managed to satisfy his bloodlust for a while. Most notably when a small group of the Black and Tans attempted to burn a forest after an IRA bomb killed a few of their friends. The Black and Tans raided a nearby town and, after capturing a few locals, tied them against the trees and attempted to set fire to the forest. Conall, witnessing the events, snapped at their vicious attack on the helpless civilians. While Conall would just as easily do something similar to an adversary, he found it reprehensible to do the same to those with no responsibility to the IRA not to mention them being non-combatants. With a speed and force exceeding what he normally could do, he massacred the aggressors turning the area into a scene that would make even the most battle hardened soldier nauseated. Afterwards, a grateful druid thanked him for protecting the lands he was tasked over, and offered a gift, whenever needed he could call upon the same zeal as he had that day. A gift, that he accepted as proven by the marking on his back. When the Second World War broke out, he made his way into central Europe and terrorized the axis.

Red text is added.

Let me know if this is good.

Darkling: The Night War

Got it done. I think this might end up being one of my favorite Characters.

@Override Let me know if any adjustments need to be made.

Conall O’Brien

Name: Conall O’Brien

Age: 134

Race: Lycan

Faction: Rebel

Appearance:

Conall normally is of average build and has silver eyes and grey skin. Due to his Lycan nature, he is nearly covered in an excessive growth of hair. He has a branding on his back depicting a long, thick line with five smaller lines branching off from either side (when asked about it, he replies that it is a ward against specific entities, but does not mention who or what). This marking is even visible in his Lycan form and is covers about a fourth of his back.

In his Lycan form, he grows about two and a half feet taller and has noticeably more muscles, particularly in the upper body. His head elongates into a snout while his lips recede revealing sharp and jagged teeth, clearly of a carnivore, and with saliva constantly slobbering forth. The whites of his eyes turn to blood red and the pupils lengthen vertically. His ears sharpen to a point and constantly flicker in varying directions in order to determine location and distance of a particular noise. His fingers lengthen slightly and the nails grow into claws sharp enough to tear through metal about 5mm thick. His legs and feet lengthen out allowing him to jump unnaturally high and firmly land upright.

Personality:

Conall Is reclusive but willing to work in groups small groups should it prove necessary or wise. He has a bleak aspect on life due to his past and considers peace a mythical concept. He believes that the very nature of life is to change and adapt, to face challenges and see if it can survive the test or if it is weak. Every fight to him is another test of his capabilities. Is he strong? Or does he have room to improve? Ultimately, he cares little about the wellbeing of those he considers ‘weak’ and only slightly more of his equals. Only to those that can best him does he give his respect, at least for as long as they can claim that feat. Outside of his ‘betters’ he only tolerates others if they offer some ability that he cannot do. Still he is not actively hostile to his ‘lessers’ unless they block him from his goal or irk him in some way.

Background:

Born in southern Ireland in the late 19th century, he naturally grew to favor the independence of Ireland from Britain. When the Great War broke out, he volunteered under the impression that the necessary legislation for Ireland’s independence has passed, and that Ireland will soon be a nation separate from Britain. (in fact, the legislation was suspended for the duration of the war).
Conall served as a tanker in the 10th Division, a gunner on a British Mark IV landship (female). Half the war he spent in a cramped room at temperatures upwards of 100 degrees (F) with seven others. Early on, a tanker was more likely to be killed by the tank than the enemy (poor ventilation meant that suffocation from the fumes was a common scene) but eventually both sides developed better weapons and methods for taking out armored targets. During the Spring Offensive of 1918 while defending against an increasingly overwhelming German army in the dead of night was his tank destroyed. Allied artillery fire (presumably requested by a desperate tank commander) blew a large hole on the right side of the tank killing his crew and leaving him bleeding out from a several large gashes from shrapnel. Outside he could still hear a handful of surviving Germans. With his remaining strength, he grabbed grenade and a pistol from his dead commander and crawled his way outside. Outside he found eight Stoßtruppen that seemed to have been barely scratched. Not missing a beat, Conall managed to kill four of them but his injuries made it difficult to kill the rest. It was then he heard a howl that chilled his bones followed by intermittent gunfire and screams. Something else killed the four he missed and he could tell it was heading for him next. Knowing he could not escape, and being practically blind from the blood gushing over his eyes, he struggled to fire a few more shots blindly at where he thought the thing to be before a sharp pain made him passed out.

When he woke up, he found his wounds nearly healed and under the care of several men of both allied and central powers. He later learned that they were werewolves formerly consisting of the two sides before deserting and living in No Man’s Land. The one who saved him, a German, was impressed by his constitution and will and turned Conall into a Lycan to save him. For the rest of the war (which only ended up being about five more months) Conall lived and scavenged in the dangerous land between the trenches. A place where no man lives long, but he is not a man, at least not anymore.

In his first few months as a Lycan, he was initially hesitant to consuming the raw flesh of fallen soldiers. Especially those that used to be his allies, but with each day he grew more and more distant from humans and their flesh tasted more and more pleasant, eventually becoming his preferred meal. Not to mention that his senses grew with him and that he could tell a man’s heritage from how he tasted.

With the time he spent with his pack, he was taught how to hone his senses and become an apex predator. He learned to hear the crunching of distant leaves, to smell blood from miles away, to see a corpse in the darkest conditions, to move so fast to be a blur. Not all the skills were solely due to being a werewolf, he learned to related human skills such as stealth and making traps. Once his training was complete, he became a full member of his pack and learned of the Darkworld and the important rule.

After the war, the pack went their separate ways and he returned to Ireland and lived as a hermit. Conall figured that if he was rarely in contact with humanity, he would not be likely to break the rule. The hardest part was being near humans and their succulent flesh but not able to feast on them, thankfully he was strong enough to resist and used this fact to bolster the idea that he was good. In the 1920s, Britain formed a force of temporary constables to assist the RIC during the Irish War of Independence, the Black and Tans. Due to the fact that they were rarely disciplined, they often gave arbitrary reprisals against the civilian population whenever one died from the fighting with the IRA. This gave them a brutal reputation and the attention of Conall. He realized their unpopularity would mean they would rarely be missed if something were to happen to them, and the fact that they were attacking unarmed/defenseless civilians outraged him. Over the next several years, he managed to lure, trap, and kill a notable amount of them and managed to satisfy his bloodlust for a while. When the Second World War broke out, he made his way into central Europe and terrorized the axis.

Recently he received word from a fellow pack member of the war in the Darkworld and request for assistance to the rebels. He agreed, partially out of respect for the sender, but mostly out of his ideology. If the Darkworld would be revealed to the humans, another war would likely follow. Humans attack what they fear, and if the stuff of their nightmares were suddenly real… With nearly every battle Conall fought, he came out on top. He was an apex predator. With the few losses, he grew stronger. He changed, he evolved. The next war world determine if the humans are resilient enough to withstand the Darkworld or if they are weak and will be conquered. If they are weak, they will change, adapt, and fight again. War is part of their nature. Out of all of recorded history, only about 8% of the time was peaceful. If they prove strong enough, Conall will change, adapt, evolve. Conall eagerly awaits the opportunity to come.

Skills/Equipment:

Specifically to Lycan form:

Enhanced smelling/hearing – Though Conall has better than normal hearing/smelling, but it is far improved in Lycan form

Night vision – Conall can see clearly in low-light conditions

Enhanced agility – Can run up to 75 mph, can leap 30 feet, and can react within 0.08 seconds

Enhanced strength – All actions relating to strength such as biting, crushing, or clawing have extraordinary amounts of PSI driving it. Conall can easily tear through thin metal and with effort, can eventually rip through steel.

Enhanced endurance – Can withstand more injuries and pain than a normal human.

Berserk – Similar to how humans get an adrenaline rush, Conall can get a brief boost to strength and agility at the cost of being more reckless. Conall benefits from nearly two and a half times the increase in above traits and completely ignores pain. During this state he becomes weaker to all forms of magic, particularly demonic, and regeneration slows to near human levels. Lasts about 30 minutes and only triggers when enraged or should Conall fail to resist his bestial instincts to feast.

Other skills:

Trap making - Can create various kinds of traps such as pits, deadfall traps, or snares.

Stalking – Can sneak silently to prey, this effect is reduced in Lycan form. Especially when raining as fur has a particular scent when wet. He can also lie silently in wait for ambushes under cover.



Other Information:

Bilingual: English and Irish

Indomitable will: Conall will rarely surrender or give up, preferring to fight to the death if no other options present itself.

Darkling: The Night War

Awesome. I was hoping for a hostile rebel.
...

@Override

I usually do neutral kind of characters but I feel like trying this out. I figure something around a (40,80) in terms of alignment. Slightly biased to the laws and evil, but occasionally self-sacrifices for others (particularly if it fits his ideology).

Darkling: The Night War

Almost done with my Lycan Rebel character. Taking me a while as I am researching werewolves and canines in general to figure out some traits to add to my character, and some research relating to his background. So far I see my two fellow rebels seem to be, at the very least, neutral to humanity, my character is a bit more hostile (though I can argue that he has a decent reason)

Prob submit it for approval tomorrow