Qia
webboysurf
Festive
Half Pint
Nemaisare
Supermaxx
Aeolian
Yankee
MelissaCan we call it a Wraith sheet if it isn't dripping in sweat and bbcode?
Status
Recent Statuses
6 mos ago
Current
Ribbit.
4
likes
Bio
Watch out.
The gap in the door... it's a separate reality.
The only me is me.
Are you sure the only you is you?
The gap in the door... it's a separate reality.
The only me is me.
Are you sure the only you is you?
DON'T TOUCH THAT DIAL NOW, WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED
Most Recent Posts
Punisher as group of anon citizens in crime ridden town taking back control. Potentially human purists in wake of stryfe. Opposed by local mob and a reactionary group.
Opposing group’s motive?
Ringleaders of each?
Should there even be a definitive leader?
Shifting POV or follow one member?
Opposing group’s motive?
Ringleaders of each?
Should there even be a definitive leader?
Shifting POV or follow one member?
C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A L
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A L I A S
B I R T H N A M E ♦ O C C U P A T I O N ♦ L O C A T I O N ♦ A F F I L I A T I O N
C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:
"Witty Quote"
This is where you outline your vision for the character including any notable changes or differences from the regularly accepted canon. This should be a short summary that provides insight into where the character is in terms of their overall progress and development.
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:
Why do you want to play this character, what is the driving motivation behind both this desire and the character themselves. What do you hope to accomplish and where do you want the character's story/stories to go?
C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:
Any additional notes you want to put either for yourself, the GM's or other players to help clarify your vision or continuity.
S A M P L E P O S T:
A sample post that can be used in the IC if you so desire upon acceptance. This post should provide an example of your vision for the desired character. This sample post should meet all standards outline in the rules and additionally include dialogue, mannerisms and other actions representative of your intended portrayal.
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.
C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A L
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H E L L B L A Z E R
J O H N C O N S T A N T I N E ♦ U N E M P L O Y E D ♦ E N G L A N D ♦ I N D E P E N D E N T
C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:
"S'just the way of it. We all sell our souls sooner or later."
Every time I've tried playing Constantine in the past, I've started slap-bang in the middle of his career as an occultist, exorcist, detective, magician, etc etc, and often include nearly every major event of his canon in the biography. And I usually end up directionless after 2/3 posts with no real plan or solid character development to pursue. No more!
This Constantine is young. He's just been released from Ravenscar after an eighteen-month incarceration, with no home, family, friends or life to return to. His sister is still disappeared; his mother is still dead; his father still may as well be. He's a blank slate to carve scars and stories into, and there's a clear vision to begin setting him up as the equally legendary and infamous mage we know from DC today.
This Constantine is young. He's just been released from Ravenscar after an eighteen-month incarceration, with no home, family, friends or life to return to. His sister is still disappeared; his mother is still dead; his father still may as well be. He's a blank slate to carve scars and stories into, and there's a clear vision to begin setting him up as the equally legendary and infamous mage we know from DC today.
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:
I've had a lot of ideas for John over the years, varying from continuing the canon to retelling an old story to redirecting existing character goals. This is none of them; this is a new origin story, this is taking the themes and story notes of the character that I love and running them through my personal lens, and developing a brand new Constantine that can be definitively mine while avoiding a complete departure from the source material.
John is young; 20-something, still several years before 30. His sister disappeared over a year ago, and he suffered a nervous breakdown that got him sectioned; he has only just been released from mental care at Ravenscar. He's done a lot of introspection and reflection during his incarceration and has come out of it seeking to repair the damage he's done to his minimal existing relationships and at least come to terms with, if not solve, his sister's disappearance. Unfortunately, he is yet unaware of the supernatural brush his life is about to be stained by, and the events shortly about to unfold that will change John’s life forever, and force him down terrible, grievous paths for a greater good he will never live to see.
John is young; 20-something, still several years before 30. His sister disappeared over a year ago, and he suffered a nervous breakdown that got him sectioned; he has only just been released from mental care at Ravenscar. He's done a lot of introspection and reflection during his incarceration and has come out of it seeking to repair the damage he's done to his minimal existing relationships and at least come to terms with, if not solve, his sister's disappearance. Unfortunately, he is yet unaware of the supernatural brush his life is about to be stained by, and the events shortly about to unfold that will change John’s life forever, and force him down terrible, grievous paths for a greater good he will never live to see.
C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:
S A M P L E P O S T:
Leeds. June. 2006. John was ten, Cheryl fourteen. Summer in Liverpool, as much as Liverpool could allow, and the sky was covered by a pallid shroud of grey clouds. They were collecting change - running through the streets, spotting shrapnel on the floor, on abandoned tables, in phoneboxes and ticket machines. John's pockets rattled melodically with coins as he joked, jostled, teased and cracked wise. Cheryl downplayed her amusement but could not stifle a chuckle here and there.
At a dockside cafe, Cheryl distracted the owner with meandering, protracted questions about the menu, while John took the opportunity to dip his hand into the tip jar and came up with a few more silvers than he had gone in with. Cheryl had ordered cola and sandwiches and the pair ate outside; when the owner turned to serve another customer, the pair had ran, laughing at themselves and each other as the frustrated shouts grew quieter and quieter behind them.
Back on the high street they ducked into a Boots and found a disposable camera; John emptying his pockets into Cheryl's outstretched hands so that she could count out their collection. They had only scrap left after their purchase, but they left the coins and the plastic wrapping of the camera on the counter behind them as they left with their prize. They filled the camera roll in only a few short hours, and then returned to Boots to develop the film. The lady behind the counter huffed and puffed as they turned out their pockets to pay the fee, and eventually, just waived it entirely as their performance grew too tedious to deal with any longer.
John and Cheryl sat on a street bench in the fading sunlight, thumbing eagerly through their envelope of photographs. Many were unfortunately marred by poor lighting, lens glare, or even intrusions from John's clumsy fingers as he had played with the camera. But one picture stood out: Cheryl, standing center frame with the Royal Albert Docks behind her, smiling and laughing at the John behind the camera. The clouds had opened up in a moment of serendipity to stream sunlight down onto the water, and it bounced off the surface of the docks to light up the photo from behind. To John, the photo was remarkable, perhaps the greatest accomplishment of his young life so far; it held a paradoxically fleeting and infinite moment of serenity, and seemed to capture an angelic quality about Cheryl. The photo was a gleaming representation of John's sister through John's eyes; he loved it, and her, and they spent the rest of the evening delaying their return home any way they knew how.
At a dockside cafe, Cheryl distracted the owner with meandering, protracted questions about the menu, while John took the opportunity to dip his hand into the tip jar and came up with a few more silvers than he had gone in with. Cheryl had ordered cola and sandwiches and the pair ate outside; when the owner turned to serve another customer, the pair had ran, laughing at themselves and each other as the frustrated shouts grew quieter and quieter behind them.
Back on the high street they ducked into a Boots and found a disposable camera; John emptying his pockets into Cheryl's outstretched hands so that she could count out their collection. They had only scrap left after their purchase, but they left the coins and the plastic wrapping of the camera on the counter behind them as they left with their prize. They filled the camera roll in only a few short hours, and then returned to Boots to develop the film. The lady behind the counter huffed and puffed as they turned out their pockets to pay the fee, and eventually, just waived it entirely as their performance grew too tedious to deal with any longer.
John and Cheryl sat on a street bench in the fading sunlight, thumbing eagerly through their envelope of photographs. Many were unfortunately marred by poor lighting, lens glare, or even intrusions from John's clumsy fingers as he had played with the camera. But one picture stood out: Cheryl, standing center frame with the Royal Albert Docks behind her, smiling and laughing at the John behind the camera. The clouds had opened up in a moment of serendipity to stream sunlight down onto the water, and it bounced off the surface of the docks to light up the photo from behind. To John, the photo was remarkable, perhaps the greatest accomplishment of his young life so far; it held a paradoxically fleeting and infinite moment of serenity, and seemed to capture an angelic quality about Cheryl. The photo was a gleaming representation of John's sister through John's eyes; he loved it, and her, and they spent the rest of the evening delaying their return home any way they knew how.
P O S T C A T A L O G:
@Rabidporcupine I think with the starting position of Spider-Man in this game anything involving symbiotes is probably very much unviable as it stands, unless you negotiate or work out an alternative.
T H E L E G E N D O F Z E L D A: The Lost Knight
P R E M I S E:
The Great Hero, Link, First Knight of Hyrule, has saved his kingdom three times over, from threats each more sinister than the last: the dark rule of Ganondorf, the Gerudo King of Thieves; the chaos sown by Majora, the Demon of the Mask; and the Twilight Invasion by Zant, the Usurper King of the Twili. Now, with Queen Zelda reigning over a land of harmony and prosperity, Link is reaching his last years, and wishes to take a grand journey across Hyrule to see the land he saved, and to bid his farewells to old friends.
Link's pilgrimage was to take six months. It has been eight.
Queen Zelda, fearful and ill with worry, has put out a call across the land, seeking valiant residents of Hyrule to seek him out, offering a royal bounty of rupees and the gratitude of Hyrule's people to reward success. The quest is set out thus: travel Hyrule, find the lost Knight, and return him to Hyrule Castle, so that he may take his rightful place beside Zelda when their time comes.
The new heroes of Hyrule are to meet in Hyrule Castle's antechamber when the morning sun breaks the horizon, for an audience with the Queen before they undertake their quest.
The call for a new protector of Hyrule has been put forth. Will you answer?
Link's pilgrimage was to take six months. It has been eight.
Queen Zelda, fearful and ill with worry, has put out a call across the land, seeking valiant residents of Hyrule to seek him out, offering a royal bounty of rupees and the gratitude of Hyrule's people to reward success. The quest is set out thus: travel Hyrule, find the lost Knight, and return him to Hyrule Castle, so that he may take his rightful place beside Zelda when their time comes.
The new heroes of Hyrule are to meet in Hyrule Castle's antechamber when the morning sun breaks the horizon, for an audience with the Queen before they undertake their quest.
The call for a new protector of Hyrule has been put forth. Will you answer?
H I S T O R Y O F H Y R U L E:
Before time, and spirits, and life, there was only the Heavens, and Chaos. Then, three Golden Goddesses descended upon the Chaos: Din, the Goddess of Power; Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom; and Farore, the Goddess of Courage. The three Goddesses frowned upon the Chaos, and sought to form it into something beautiful that could exist alongside their Heavens. To this end, they infused the Chaos with their own powers, cultivating it to their desires: Din, with her strong, flaming arms, shaped the land and gave form to the red earth, thus creating the land that would be known as Hyrule. Nayru, with her wise heart, poured her wisdom unto the earth, giving the spirit of law to the world, and establishing Order in what had been Chaos, creating the laws of science and magic that would govern the universe. Farore, with her rich soul, gave life to Hyrule, creating the beings that would walk the earth, fly among the skies, and swim in the waters. And thus, Hyrule was created.
With Hyrule created, the Three Goddesses birthed the Hylians, the Chosen Race that would uphold their laws and govern Hyrule, and Hylia, their patron deity, who would watch over Hyrule. Their labors then completed, the three Golden Goddesses departed for the heavens, flying far up into the sky beyond the scope of the universe - and at the point of their departure from the realm of Hyrule, the Triforce was created, a powerful, sacred artifact that held the virtues of Power, Wisdom, and Courage in balance. Legends would tell of the Triforce, the most sacred relic of Hyrule, and its power - the power to grant the wish of any who held Power, Courage, and Wisdom in equal balance within their heart while holding the Triforce. With the Goddesses gone, Hylia was left to watch over Hyrule and cultivate the life that had been seeded; slowly, but surely, Hyrule blossomed.
Centuries passed. The people of Hyrule grew and matured, watched over by the Spirits, the Goddess Hylia, and the three Golden Goddesses. Peace reigned, and the races sent regular diplomats and emmisaries to maintain good relations between the provinces and tribes of Hyrule. However, peace was not to last; far to the west, deep in the Gerudo Desert, a man was born to the Gerudo Tribe - Ganondorf. His strength and magic far exceeded any other member of the tribe, and in fear of his power, he was cast out into the north of the desert. He traversed the Haunted Wasteland, visiting the Forsaken Pyramid, and then turned south, passing the Arbiter's Grounds as he travelled back to the Gerudo Valley. Upon his return, his strength was unquestioned, and he seized kingship over the Gerudo Tribe - Ganondorf, King of Thieves, his rule only just beginning.
Ganondorf craved power. His rule over the desert was not enough. He traveled to Hyrule Castle, seeking a false alliance with the Hylian Royal Family - in truth, Ganondorf had heard of the legends of the Triforce, and the power it granted, and he began to develop a plan to seize it, wanting to infiltrate the Sacred Realm and hold the Triforce. While he developed his plan, Princess Zelda was born, and Link's mother left him in the Kokiri Forest under the care of the Great Deku Tree. Unknown to any of the three, their paths would soon cross, and be forever interwoven.
Ganondorf knew that the path to the Sacred Realm, and the Triforce within it, was sealed in the Temple of Time behind the Door of Time, kept shut by four keys that he would need to collect and use in combination to open the Door - the three Spiritual Stones and the Ocarina of Time, with the Master Sword in its pedestal acting as the final seal. Ganondorf knew of the Ocarina, but it would be useless without the Stones, and so he set out to seize the one stone he knew about - The Kokiri Emerald. He traveled to the Forest and visited the Great Deku Tree, demanding the Stone - but the Tree knew the evil desire in Ganondorf's heart, and denied him his coveted key. In anger, Ganondorf cursed the Tree and fled the Forest, seeking the other Spiritual Stones.
The Great Deku Tree summoned Link, now a child, and beseeched him to seek out the Stones so that Ganondorf could not. The Tree granted the Emerald unto Link, and instructed him to seek out the Goron's Ruby and the Zora's Sapphire, sending the fairy Navi with him as a companion and guide - and then passed, Ganondorf's curse claiming him.
With the Great Deku Tree's words in mind, and Navi's guidance, Link collected the remaining Spiritual Stones, and then sneaking into Hyrule Castle to obtain the Ocarina of Time, meeting Princess Zelda for the first time as he did so. Zelda had prophecised Link's arrival in a dream, and willingly gave him the final key to the Door of Time so that he could use the Master Sword to protect the Triforce from Ganondorf - but it was too late. Ganondorf had been watching Link, allowing him to collect the Spiritual Stones, knowing Link would be given the keys that he could not take. He let Link open the Door of Time and take the Master Sword from its pedestal.
The Master Sword recognized Link, the destiny that was laid out before him and the courage in his heart - but he was young, too young to wield the Sword to defend Hyrule, and so he was frozen in time until he became of age. Ganondorf saw his opportunity and seized it, infiltrating the Sacred Realm and touching the Triforce, ready to have his darkest desires granted - but the Triforce was only for those who held its virtues in balance, and Ganondorf possessed only Power, with little Wisdom or Courage. In a divine cataclysm, the Triforce split - Link and Zelda received the pieces of Courage and Wisdom respectively, while Ganondorf held the Triforce of Power - which, in Link's absence, still granted him the immense magic to tear Hyrule Castle asunder, erecting his own dark fortress on the site of its destruction, and conquering the land for himself, cursing the Temples of the Six Sages, knowing their combined power was the only threat to his rule.
It was seven long, dark years before the Master Sword unsealed Link. Zelda had gone into hiding, and when Link awoke, only Rauru, the Sage of Light, was there to aid him. Link set out to slay the monsters that infested the Six Temples of the Sages, breaking the curses and awakening the new Sages. With all six Sages returned to power, Zelda revealed herself to Link, and together, they challenged Ganondorf. Link defeated him in a duel of sword and magic, but in his last throes, Ganondorf's Triforce of Power unleashed its magic and transformed him into a monstrous, nigh-invincible beast: Ganon, the Demon King. He attempted to slay Link, but with Zelda, Navi, and the Six Sages, Link fought and won, plunging the Master Sword into Ganon's head, and with the combined might of the Sword and the Sage's magic, sealed Ganon forever in the now-darkened Sacred Realm, the Triforce piece of Power with him, while the pieces of Courage and Wisdom remained with Link and Zelda. Peace returned to Hyrule in Ganon's defeat, and the land began to rebuild itself once more.
Eight years went by. Link and Zelda passed their adolescence and began their young adulthood. Link began courting Malon of Lon Lon Ranch, eventually getting engaged as the couple's friendship blossomed into a deep love, while Princess Zelda practiced and prepared to take her place upon the throne of Hyrule Castle to rule her kingdom and guide her people. Hyrule was calm, and Link and Zelda remained loyal to the people and the safeguarding of the land.
Their loyalty was soon demanded of them.
Evil rose from the East, from deep within the thick, dark treeline of the Lost Woods. A vile, ancient Demon known only as Majora, taking the form of a mask and using a Kokiri child known as Mido as a host, had emerged from unknown realms. Majora invaded Hyrule, despising the peace that has prospered there and hating the people for the love shown to them by the Goddesses - in petty anger and bitter jealousy, Majora called down the very Moon itself to fall and destroy Hyrule in three days, cursing the Four Giants, Guardians of the Land, and sealing them within terrible masks to prevent them from saving Hyrule.
Link knew that he was once again needed by Hyrule. Setting out, he trekked across the land and slew the creatures that had been created by the Masks of the Giant's curse, freeing them one by one and then calling them to his aid - they gathered, and caught the moon in the final hour of its descent, stopping it from destroying Hyrule. Majora, furious and manic, gathered its power and shed its host, Mido, now strong enough to act of its own accord. Mido stood by Link, withering but defiant - he used the last of his Forest-born life-force to infuse Link's sword with magical power, the power of hope and innocence and the essense of Nature itself. Link fought Majora, and struck it down. Entreating Navi and Zelda, the three used their magic to seal Majora back within the mask it had chosen as an avatar, locking away its power and hatred, and saving Hyrule. The mask was cast into the desert to be forgotten and its powers un-abused, and Link's sword was returned to Kokiri Village, as the only remains of Mido. Hyrule grew quiet once more.
Hyrule enjoyed two years of peace, spending the time rebuilding their kingdom, and undoing the damage sowed by the Demon Majora. Link and Malon married, and Princess Zelda became Queen, receiving the crown and appointing Link as Hyrule's First Knight in her first act as ruler. The people looked forward to Zelda's rule, her wisdom known throughout the kingdom, as much as Link's courage.
Both were soon needed.
Peace was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Midna - the Queen of the Twili - in Hyrule Castle's throne room, weak and near-death, suffering from some terrible curse placed upon her. She begs for Zelda - and when the Queen of Hyrule meets the Queen of the Twilight Realm, she is warned of a coming invasion by Zant, the Usurper King. Hyrule is to prepare for war.
Zant soon arrives through the Twilight Mirror, swathing across the land sowing chaos and destruction, backed by an army of mysterious and terrifying Shadow Beasts, the cursed inhabitants of the Twilight Realm. Zant makes examples of the leaders of the realm, and marched upon Hyrule Castle itself. Seeing the slaughter of her people should she resist, Zelda surrendered to Zant's invasion. Hyrule was his.
Link, however, remained free. With Zelda's aid, Link travelled Hyrule in secret, helping the people and rallying their spirits to fight back against Zant. With Hyrule behind him, Link stormed Zant's twisted throne, ousting the Usurper King and defeating him, breaking his curse upon Midna. With the true Twilight Ruler returned to power, Midna and Zelda cast Zant back into the Twilight Realm and freed both Hyrule and the Twili he had twisted into his army - and then, in a final act to ensure no more strife between kingdoms, shattered the Twilight Mirror completely. Hyrule, and the Twilight Realm, returned to solitary peace.
Since then, Hyrule has known serenity. Its people lived in happiness, once again rebuilding what they had lost, bringing Hyrule back even stronger and greater than before. Zelda ruled as well as her parents knew she would, bringing Hyrule new prosperity; Link watched over the land in his own way, and every year they both ensured the kingdom would remain safe from the enemies that had threatened it before.
Years have passed. Link and Zelda have grown old, and near their last years. Link, Hyrule's ever-faithful protector, wishes to take one last pilgrimage across the kingdom, revisiting the land he saved three times over, and to visit the six sages and their temples to pay his last respects to old friends. Such a journey was a worry on both Malon and Zelda, but Link assured them both of his still-present strength, and his safety. He soon departed on his journey, the route mapped, and the time planned upon - a trip of six months.
It has been eight.
With Hyrule created, the Three Goddesses birthed the Hylians, the Chosen Race that would uphold their laws and govern Hyrule, and Hylia, their patron deity, who would watch over Hyrule. Their labors then completed, the three Golden Goddesses departed for the heavens, flying far up into the sky beyond the scope of the universe - and at the point of their departure from the realm of Hyrule, the Triforce was created, a powerful, sacred artifact that held the virtues of Power, Wisdom, and Courage in balance. Legends would tell of the Triforce, the most sacred relic of Hyrule, and its power - the power to grant the wish of any who held Power, Courage, and Wisdom in equal balance within their heart while holding the Triforce. With the Goddesses gone, Hylia was left to watch over Hyrule and cultivate the life that had been seeded; slowly, but surely, Hyrule blossomed.
~ ~ ~
Centuries passed. The people of Hyrule grew and matured, watched over by the Spirits, the Goddess Hylia, and the three Golden Goddesses. Peace reigned, and the races sent regular diplomats and emmisaries to maintain good relations between the provinces and tribes of Hyrule. However, peace was not to last; far to the west, deep in the Gerudo Desert, a man was born to the Gerudo Tribe - Ganondorf. His strength and magic far exceeded any other member of the tribe, and in fear of his power, he was cast out into the north of the desert. He traversed the Haunted Wasteland, visiting the Forsaken Pyramid, and then turned south, passing the Arbiter's Grounds as he travelled back to the Gerudo Valley. Upon his return, his strength was unquestioned, and he seized kingship over the Gerudo Tribe - Ganondorf, King of Thieves, his rule only just beginning.
Ganondorf craved power. His rule over the desert was not enough. He traveled to Hyrule Castle, seeking a false alliance with the Hylian Royal Family - in truth, Ganondorf had heard of the legends of the Triforce, and the power it granted, and he began to develop a plan to seize it, wanting to infiltrate the Sacred Realm and hold the Triforce. While he developed his plan, Princess Zelda was born, and Link's mother left him in the Kokiri Forest under the care of the Great Deku Tree. Unknown to any of the three, their paths would soon cross, and be forever interwoven.
~ ~ ~
Ganondorf knew that the path to the Sacred Realm, and the Triforce within it, was sealed in the Temple of Time behind the Door of Time, kept shut by four keys that he would need to collect and use in combination to open the Door - the three Spiritual Stones and the Ocarina of Time, with the Master Sword in its pedestal acting as the final seal. Ganondorf knew of the Ocarina, but it would be useless without the Stones, and so he set out to seize the one stone he knew about - The Kokiri Emerald. He traveled to the Forest and visited the Great Deku Tree, demanding the Stone - but the Tree knew the evil desire in Ganondorf's heart, and denied him his coveted key. In anger, Ganondorf cursed the Tree and fled the Forest, seeking the other Spiritual Stones.
The Great Deku Tree summoned Link, now a child, and beseeched him to seek out the Stones so that Ganondorf could not. The Tree granted the Emerald unto Link, and instructed him to seek out the Goron's Ruby and the Zora's Sapphire, sending the fairy Navi with him as a companion and guide - and then passed, Ganondorf's curse claiming him.
With the Great Deku Tree's words in mind, and Navi's guidance, Link collected the remaining Spiritual Stones, and then sneaking into Hyrule Castle to obtain the Ocarina of Time, meeting Princess Zelda for the first time as he did so. Zelda had prophecised Link's arrival in a dream, and willingly gave him the final key to the Door of Time so that he could use the Master Sword to protect the Triforce from Ganondorf - but it was too late. Ganondorf had been watching Link, allowing him to collect the Spiritual Stones, knowing Link would be given the keys that he could not take. He let Link open the Door of Time and take the Master Sword from its pedestal.
The Master Sword recognized Link, the destiny that was laid out before him and the courage in his heart - but he was young, too young to wield the Sword to defend Hyrule, and so he was frozen in time until he became of age. Ganondorf saw his opportunity and seized it, infiltrating the Sacred Realm and touching the Triforce, ready to have his darkest desires granted - but the Triforce was only for those who held its virtues in balance, and Ganondorf possessed only Power, with little Wisdom or Courage. In a divine cataclysm, the Triforce split - Link and Zelda received the pieces of Courage and Wisdom respectively, while Ganondorf held the Triforce of Power - which, in Link's absence, still granted him the immense magic to tear Hyrule Castle asunder, erecting his own dark fortress on the site of its destruction, and conquering the land for himself, cursing the Temples of the Six Sages, knowing their combined power was the only threat to his rule.
It was seven long, dark years before the Master Sword unsealed Link. Zelda had gone into hiding, and when Link awoke, only Rauru, the Sage of Light, was there to aid him. Link set out to slay the monsters that infested the Six Temples of the Sages, breaking the curses and awakening the new Sages. With all six Sages returned to power, Zelda revealed herself to Link, and together, they challenged Ganondorf. Link defeated him in a duel of sword and magic, but in his last throes, Ganondorf's Triforce of Power unleashed its magic and transformed him into a monstrous, nigh-invincible beast: Ganon, the Demon King. He attempted to slay Link, but with Zelda, Navi, and the Six Sages, Link fought and won, plunging the Master Sword into Ganon's head, and with the combined might of the Sword and the Sage's magic, sealed Ganon forever in the now-darkened Sacred Realm, the Triforce piece of Power with him, while the pieces of Courage and Wisdom remained with Link and Zelda. Peace returned to Hyrule in Ganon's defeat, and the land began to rebuild itself once more.
~ ~ ~
Eight years went by. Link and Zelda passed their adolescence and began their young adulthood. Link began courting Malon of Lon Lon Ranch, eventually getting engaged as the couple's friendship blossomed into a deep love, while Princess Zelda practiced and prepared to take her place upon the throne of Hyrule Castle to rule her kingdom and guide her people. Hyrule was calm, and Link and Zelda remained loyal to the people and the safeguarding of the land.
Their loyalty was soon demanded of them.
Evil rose from the East, from deep within the thick, dark treeline of the Lost Woods. A vile, ancient Demon known only as Majora, taking the form of a mask and using a Kokiri child known as Mido as a host, had emerged from unknown realms. Majora invaded Hyrule, despising the peace that has prospered there and hating the people for the love shown to them by the Goddesses - in petty anger and bitter jealousy, Majora called down the very Moon itself to fall and destroy Hyrule in three days, cursing the Four Giants, Guardians of the Land, and sealing them within terrible masks to prevent them from saving Hyrule.
Link knew that he was once again needed by Hyrule. Setting out, he trekked across the land and slew the creatures that had been created by the Masks of the Giant's curse, freeing them one by one and then calling them to his aid - they gathered, and caught the moon in the final hour of its descent, stopping it from destroying Hyrule. Majora, furious and manic, gathered its power and shed its host, Mido, now strong enough to act of its own accord. Mido stood by Link, withering but defiant - he used the last of his Forest-born life-force to infuse Link's sword with magical power, the power of hope and innocence and the essense of Nature itself. Link fought Majora, and struck it down. Entreating Navi and Zelda, the three used their magic to seal Majora back within the mask it had chosen as an avatar, locking away its power and hatred, and saving Hyrule. The mask was cast into the desert to be forgotten and its powers un-abused, and Link's sword was returned to Kokiri Village, as the only remains of Mido. Hyrule grew quiet once more.
~ ~ ~
Hyrule enjoyed two years of peace, spending the time rebuilding their kingdom, and undoing the damage sowed by the Demon Majora. Link and Malon married, and Princess Zelda became Queen, receiving the crown and appointing Link as Hyrule's First Knight in her first act as ruler. The people looked forward to Zelda's rule, her wisdom known throughout the kingdom, as much as Link's courage.
Both were soon needed.
Peace was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Midna - the Queen of the Twili - in Hyrule Castle's throne room, weak and near-death, suffering from some terrible curse placed upon her. She begs for Zelda - and when the Queen of Hyrule meets the Queen of the Twilight Realm, she is warned of a coming invasion by Zant, the Usurper King. Hyrule is to prepare for war.
Zant soon arrives through the Twilight Mirror, swathing across the land sowing chaos and destruction, backed by an army of mysterious and terrifying Shadow Beasts, the cursed inhabitants of the Twilight Realm. Zant makes examples of the leaders of the realm, and marched upon Hyrule Castle itself. Seeing the slaughter of her people should she resist, Zelda surrendered to Zant's invasion. Hyrule was his.
Link, however, remained free. With Zelda's aid, Link travelled Hyrule in secret, helping the people and rallying their spirits to fight back against Zant. With Hyrule behind him, Link stormed Zant's twisted throne, ousting the Usurper King and defeating him, breaking his curse upon Midna. With the true Twilight Ruler returned to power, Midna and Zelda cast Zant back into the Twilight Realm and freed both Hyrule and the Twili he had twisted into his army - and then, in a final act to ensure no more strife between kingdoms, shattered the Twilight Mirror completely. Hyrule, and the Twilight Realm, returned to solitary peace.
~ ~ ~
Since then, Hyrule has known serenity. Its people lived in happiness, once again rebuilding what they had lost, bringing Hyrule back even stronger and greater than before. Zelda ruled as well as her parents knew she would, bringing Hyrule new prosperity; Link watched over the land in his own way, and every year they both ensured the kingdom would remain safe from the enemies that had threatened it before.
Years have passed. Link and Zelda have grown old, and near their last years. Link, Hyrule's ever-faithful protector, wishes to take one last pilgrimage across the kingdom, revisiting the land he saved three times over, and to visit the six sages and their temples to pay his last respects to old friends. Such a journey was a worry on both Malon and Zelda, but Link assured them both of his still-present strength, and his safety. He soon departed on his journey, the route mapped, and the time planned upon - a trip of six months.
It has been eight.
M A P O F H Y R U L E:
H Y R U L E F I E L D:
Hyrule Castle
Hyrule Castle Town:
Epona Ranch:
Rauru:
Mido:
Saria:
Ruto:
The ancestral home of the Hylian Royal Family, located in the center of Hyrule Castle Town and guarded by the Hylian Royal Army. It is the Queen's seat of power, and often host to diplomats and leaders alike from other races and provinces, quiet discussion carried out peacefully and guided by Zelda's wise hand. The castle's architecture is a point of pride of the people of Hyrule, and many come to see its gilded spires and elaborate marble halls.
Hyrule Castle Town:
A bustling town that surround Hyrule Castle, and the economical and cultural capital of Hyrule. Surrounded by a moat, it is accessible only by one of two drawbridges and only while the sun in in the sky. Filled with markets, shops, houses, and always crowded during the day, Castle Town is a commercial hub, with buyers and sellers from every corner of Hyrule.
Epona Ranch:
A cattle and horse ranch, previously known as Lon-Lon Ranch, now owned by Malon, Link's wife. While not the only ranch in Hyrule, it is certainly the most well-known and most successful, hiring out horses, carriages, and other means of transport, while also making a tidy profit on the ranch's famously delicious - and rejuvenating - Lon Lon Milk.
Rauru:
A riverside village named after the Sage of Light, an old Hylian Adviser, for his valient deeds. It's home mostly to Hylians, but due to its riverside location and proximity to Zora's Domain, there are Zora that have made their nest here as well.
Mido:
A small hylian village directly south of Hyrule Castle, named after the poor Kokiri Child chosen by the Demon Majora to act as its host, and who fought against the Demon's hold until it discarded him. It's a friendly town, and a popular mid-way rest point for those travelling from Castle Town or Goronia to Lake Hylia.
Saria:
A town nestled against a small cluster of hills, cliffs, and low mountains, named after the Sage of the Forest, a young and virtuous Kokiri girl. There's a small mining operation running out of the town, but nothing on the scale of Goronia's production.
Ruto:
A cliffside village named after the Sage of Water, and old Zora princess. It's location beside the main road between Gerudo Valley, Lake Hylia, and Windfall Village afford it fair traffic, but it is otherwise unremarkable.
G O R O N I A:
Kakariko Village:
Death Mountain:
Goronia City:
Goron Mines:
Fire Temple:
Shadow Temple:
Darunia:
Windfall Village:
Wind Temple:
A large village located at the foot of Death Mountain, Kakariko was founded by Sheikah, and hides the secret entrance to the Shadow Temple within its graveyard. Its windmill is the largest in Hyrule, and draws from deep beneath the ground through the town's well to supply the village with water.
Death Mountain:
A huge mountain range that makes up most of Goronia Province, and the peak of which is Hyrule's highest geographical point. A constant black ring of clouds surrounds the top of the Death Mountain volcano proper as it spews heat and ash into the air. Goronia City, the main home of the Gorons, has been carved deep into its side.
Goronia City:
The capital city of the Gorons, and a cavernous labyrinth that holds the majority of their race. Despite being carved deep into the side of Death Mountain, and only reached by a long trek up Death Mountain Trail, Goronia City is, much like its inhabitants, friendly to outsiders and welcoming of visitors.
Goron Mines:
An extensive series of tunnels and shafts carved, dug, and eaten into the depths of the Death Mountain range, the entrance to which can be found within Goronia City. The Gorons use these mines for food, gems, valuable minerals, and to siphon the heat that emanates from deep within Death Mountain.
Fire Temple:
Built long ago by ancient Gorons as a place to worship the Spirits of Fire and the Four Giants, the Fire Temple has since been integrated with the Goron Mines. While the temple is not forbidden to other races, the lethal heat of the core of Death Mountain prevents nearly any non-Goron from exploring its sacred halls. Darunia, the Sage of Fire, watches over this place.
Shadow Temple:
An ancient temple built by the Sheikah for reasons unknown - although theorized to be an early training grounds for the warriors of the tribe - the Shadow Temple soon came to be used as a place that absorbed and concentrated the negative aspects of Hyrule and kept it at bay in order to keep the peace of the land. It has been long decades since the temple has been put to use in this way, though the aura of these dark feelings still remains - and the temple is mostly avoided as a result. Impa, the Sage of Shadow, watches over this place.
Darunia:
A small town nestled on the borders of Goronia, named after the Sage of Fire, a previous Goron Chief, for his noble actions. It is mostly populated by Gorons and Hylians, but is also a popular resting place for Rito pilgrims heading to the Wind Temple due to its midway location.
Windfall Village:
Nestled in a deep valley and guarding the only passageway through the mountains to the Wind Temple, Windfall Village is home to the Sheikah Tribe, and is populated almost singularly by them - were it not for the constant presence of Rito pilgrims passing through.
Wind Temple:
A temple built by the Sheikah and Rito to worship the Spirits of Wind and shelter Valoo, Guardian of the Sky. Long ago, this temple was also used as a site for sages to pray for the power against evil to remain within the Master Sword, in conjunction with the Earth Temple. Many Rito take a pilgrimage to this holy place to pay fealty to their deity, Valoo, and hope to receive a scale from him. Valoo, Guardian of the Sky, watches over this place.
L A K E H Y L I A:
Outset Village:
Water Temple:
Earth Temple:
Flood Temple:
Watchtower of Steel:
Nabooru:
A small, lake-side village that houses a modest but friendly population of Hylians. Despite its small size, it is the closest settlement to both the Water Temple and the Earth Temple, and as such hosts a wide variety of races from all corners of Hyrule that come to rest on journeys to either of the temples. Most of the residents are capable sailors, due to the lake-coast road being long, winding, and un-kept, causing most people to take boats across Lake Hylia to reach the town - most of the town's money comes from a ferry system.
Water Temple:
An underwater temple at the deepest point of Lake Hylia, built long ago by the Zora as a place to pay fealty to the Spirits of Water and Jabun, Guardian of the Sea. Due to the temple's underwater location, few outside of the Zora bother to gather what is necessary to enter - which includes permission from the Zora Queen. Ruto, the Sage of Water, watches over this place.
Earth Temple:
An old temple built by the Rito and the Zora to worship the Spirits of the Earth, and a sacred site wherein sages prayed for the power against evil to remain within the Master Sword, in conjunction with the Wind Temple. It has since fallen into disuse and subsequently disrepair, and is rarely visited by either of the races that originally built it.
Flood Temple:
A temple built over the river by the Gerudo, used as a source of water and to monitor the river's water levels. In times of drought, it has been used as a place to pray to the Goddesses for rain, and a place to divert the river in times of flood.
Watchtower of Steel:
A large, circular tower constructed of stone and metal, hidden in a valley north of Lake Hylia. It is used exclusively for the training of Sheikah Tribe members who have been chosen to become Sheikah Warriors, ninja-like masters of combat and espionage, and sworn protectors of the Royal Family of Hyrule. It is said that when a Sheikah Warrior nears the completion of their training, they are taken to the top of the tower, where an ancient Sheikah relic judges their innermost heart - and that a Sheikah that has evil lurking within them is immediately executed.
Nabooru:
A dusty town close to the river, built and carved into the stone of the valley it resides in, and named after the Sage of Spirit, a strong and righteous woman who once led the Gerudo Tribe.
G E R U D O D E S E R T:
Mother & Child Peaks:
Arbiter's Ground:
Haunted Wasteland:
Forsaken Pyramid:
Spirit Temple:
Gerudo Valley:
Two massive stone pillars that rise up from beneath the sand in the Gerudo Desert, one slightly larger than the other. Despite the oddness of their presence, they look naturally-formed, being huge, rough chunks of rock erupting from the ground - whether they are remnants of an ancient civilization, however, has often been an entertaining source of chatter among the people of Hyrule.
Arbiter's Ground:
An ancient and crumbling fortress, once built by the Gerudo as a prison, now the site of the once-again shattered Twilight Mirror. The Arbiter's Grounds are awe-inspiring, and echo with the ghosts of a dark, untold history.
Haunted Wasteland:
A rarely-visited northern portion of the Gerudo Desert, it is said that tormented spirits gather in this place, haunting and stealing the life of any individual foolish enough to trek through these desecrated sands.
Forsaken Pyramid:
A dark, formidable stone pyramid constructed long ago by some ancient tribe, now surrounded by the Haunted Wasteland. It's believed that the pyramid was cursed with a dark and terrible magic when the builders, an ancient desert tribe that predated many of Hyrule's residents, were wiped out in a horrific sandstorm, causing the troubled sands that surround it. Little is known about the Forsaken Pyramid and its surrounding area, but much is speculated.
Spirit Temple:
An ancient temple built long ago by the Gerudo of generations past, used as a place of worship for a long-forgotten deity, and used as a place of prayer for mercy from the harsh desert. Since then, the path to its grounds has been forgotten by all but a few, and it has not been tended to in many decades. Nabooru, the Sage of Spirit, watches over this place.
Gerudo Valley:
The home of the Gerudo Tribe, found in the southern portion of the Gerudo Desert, west of Hyrule Castle and north of Lake Hylia. The Gerudo have built themselves a society in this great grotto of sand, and Gerudo Fortress, a massive stone complex built for the training of young Gerudo female tribe members, stands strong and proud as their capital.
K O K I R I F O R E S T:
Kokiri Village:
Deku Palace:
Lost Woods:
Forest Temple:
The home of the Kokiri Race, and the home village of Link, the First Knight and Hero of Hyrule. Watched over by the Great Deku Tree, Guardian of the Forest, the village is populated by the child-race of Kokiri, who entertain themselves daily with the whimsy only children can capture, and are protected by their fairy companions and the Great Deku Tree. Only the Kokiri know the safe path through the Lost Woods, and it is notoriously difficult to secure reliable escort.
Deku Palace:
The home of the Deku Royals, found far beyond Kokiri Village, deep within the forest. Due to the Deku people's natural distrust of Hyrule's non-forest races, only Deku and chosen Kokiri are allowed to enter the Palace or walk its grounds, while all others are explicitly forbidden, the gates guarded at all times.
Lost Woods:
A thick, mysterious region of the Kokiri Forest, the Lost Woods is a maze of trees home to many creatures and beasts, and hiding the only path to the Forest Temple, a path only known by the Kokiri. It is said that anyone who enters the Lost Woods without a fairy or a Kokiri guide will become lost and transform - children into Skull Kids, and adults into Stalfos.
Forest Temple:
A temple built by a forgotten people deep within the Lost Woods in the Kokiri Forest, used to worship the spirits of the Forest. Fallen into disuse, it is rarely visited by the Kokiri due to its distance from the Great Deku Tree, and it has long since overgrown with vines and plant-life. Saria, the Sage of the Forest, watches over this place.
Z O R A ' S D O M A I N:
Zora's Domain:
Zora's Fountain:
Snowpeak Mountain:
Home of the Zora, their domain is a watery cave system that has been carved out for use, and a society built inside. The main entrance lies behind the Sleepless Waterfall, an outpouring of water from Zora's Fountain that sources Zora River, and is often closed to many, the Zora too proud and too private to open their doors to travellers of all kinds - however, free passage is always granted to those that play or sing the traditional melody of the Hylian Royal Family. Zora's Doman is ruled by the Queen Rutella of the Zora, and after her, her son Ralis, Prince of the Zora.
Zora's Fountain:
A large fresh-water spring lying behind the Zora throne room, accessed only through Zora's Domain. The water of the Fountain flows through Zora's Domain and down the Sleepless Waterfall, sourcing the Zora River and other small streams, eventually connecting to Lake Hylia, the largest body of water in Hyrule.
Snowpeak Mountain:
A huge, frozen mountain northeast of Death Mountain, Snowpeak is home to the Rito, who withstand the heights by their bird-like nature, and the cold by their thick plumage, and also the solitary Yeti race. The path to the peak is long and winding, featuring cliffs and caves alike, and few dare to attempt the hike for fear of their lives - as such, the Rito home is a private, secluded place, and were it not for the Rito's natural wanderlust and frequent pilgrimages, Hyrule would barely know of them.
R A C E S O F H Y R U L E:
T H E H Y L I A N S, O F H Y R U L E:
The Hylians are a sub-race of Humans, the dominant species of Hyrule, and one that resides near-globally, their absence only truly felt in the inner cores of the homes of the other races of Hyrule. Hylians are the Chosen race, and are faithful to the Golden Goddesses, Din, Farore, and Nayru, who formed the land of Hyrule and gave life to Hylians. Hylians resemble Humans, but are usually taller and have long, pointed ears. While not naturally attuned, Hylians are capable of a variety of magics.
Hylian dress is usually simplistic and functional, mostly tunics, belts, and trousers with work boots for men, and tunics or dresses with flat shoes for women. Most Hylian clothing is stitched with brightly-colored thread in a range of patterns, adding personality to clothing and making it seem even festive. Hylians are able to learn many different skills, and take on many different careers; skilled farmers, scholars, knights, guards, merchants, and more, have all come from the Hylian people. Hylian skin comes in many tones, their hair many colours, and their figures many shapes.
Hylians worship the Three Goddesses and the Triforce, as the protectors of Hyrule, as well as Hylia, their patron Goddess.
Hylian dress is usually simplistic and functional, mostly tunics, belts, and trousers with work boots for men, and tunics or dresses with flat shoes for women. Most Hylian clothing is stitched with brightly-colored thread in a range of patterns, adding personality to clothing and making it seem even festive. Hylians are able to learn many different skills, and take on many different careers; skilled farmers, scholars, knights, guards, merchants, and more, have all come from the Hylian people. Hylian skin comes in many tones, their hair many colours, and their figures many shapes.
Hylians worship the Three Goddesses and the Triforce, as the protectors of Hyrule, as well as Hylia, their patron Goddess.
T H E G O R O N S, O F G O R O N I A:
The Gorons are a rock-eating, humanoid race that live mostly in Goronia, in large underground cities carved into the mountain range found there, or the natural caverns that have formed over the years. Most Goron are peaceful, content to let visitors come and go. Many Hylians consider Gorons to be of low intelligence, perhaps due to their appearance; but evidence would suggest otherwise, as Gorons are far more industrialized than the rest of Hyrule, working in extensive mines for food and valuable minerals, and nearly all Gorons make incredible scholars - particularly archaeologists.
Goron are, on average, 8-9 feet tall and double the weight of the average Hylian, with the physical strength to shatter boulders and mine tunnels with their bare hands. Gorons also possess the ability to roll into a ball and launch themselves at incredible speeds - indeed, most Goron cities include many small tunnels used primarily for this purpose to aid quick transport. Gorons are also immune to drowning - it is possible that their rock biology does not, in fact, require them to breath. Gorons are also resistant to heat, allowing them to walk on lava and through fire, and reside in the caverns of Death Mountain with ease. However, they are weak to low temperatures.
Gorons worship the Four Giants, the Guardians of the Land, as their patron deities - Goron legends suggest that the four beings are simply Megagorons that were granted immortality.
Goron are, on average, 8-9 feet tall and double the weight of the average Hylian, with the physical strength to shatter boulders and mine tunnels with their bare hands. Gorons also possess the ability to roll into a ball and launch themselves at incredible speeds - indeed, most Goron cities include many small tunnels used primarily for this purpose to aid quick transport. Gorons are also immune to drowning - it is possible that their rock biology does not, in fact, require them to breath. Gorons are also resistant to heat, allowing them to walk on lava and through fire, and reside in the caverns of Death Mountain with ease. However, they are weak to low temperatures.
Gorons worship the Four Giants, the Guardians of the Land, as their patron deities - Goron legends suggest that the four beings are simply Megagorons that were granted immortality.
T H E Z O R A, O F Z O R A ' S D O M A I N:
The Zora are an aquatic, amphibious race of fish-people that reside mainly in Zora's Domain, but due to their amphibious nature, may be found anywhere in Hyrule - particularly near bodies of water. Naturally, the Zora biology makes them incredible swimmers, agile and fast in the water, able to swim through currents, waves, and the coldest of both salt and fresh waters. This swimming ability is aided by the Zora's biology, which includes dorsal fins on the rear of their heads, ulna fins on their arms, and webbed feet and hands, as well as gills.
Most Zora do not wear clothes, as they have little sense of embarrassment or modesty about their bodies like Hylians, certainly helped by their lack of visible external genitalia - although they do take to donning certain affectations depending on their standing. Zora guards wear elaborate ceremonial armour, while the royal and high-class Zora tend to wear jewelry. Zora that have tried to integrate themselves with Hylian culture more fully tend to wear rough, basic clothes in order to avoid making Hylians feel uncomfortable, although all Zora forgo shoes.
Zoras worship Jabun, the Guardian of the Sea, as their patron deity. Many hope to one day swim in his waters.
Most Zora do not wear clothes, as they have little sense of embarrassment or modesty about their bodies like Hylians, certainly helped by their lack of visible external genitalia - although they do take to donning certain affectations depending on their standing. Zora guards wear elaborate ceremonial armour, while the royal and high-class Zora tend to wear jewelry. Zora that have tried to integrate themselves with Hylian culture more fully tend to wear rough, basic clothes in order to avoid making Hylians feel uncomfortable, although all Zora forgo shoes.
Zoras worship Jabun, the Guardian of the Sea, as their patron deity. Many hope to one day swim in his waters.
T H E R I T O, O F S N O W P E A K:
The Rito are a nimble race of bird-people, dwelling mainly on the tops of Snowpeak Mountain, doing well in the cold thanks to their thick feathers, but due to their innate ability to fly, they can be often found across Hyrule - many Rito are couriers or scouts, able to take the shortest paths between their departure and their destination.
Rito are not natural warriors, nor are they great in physical strength, due to their hollow bones, but they are quick, and their sharp beaks and claws can cause rapid harm. Rito children cannot fly, as their wings have not fully developed, but beyond 7 or 8 years of age until around 19 or 20, they are able to use their fledgling wings to glide.
Rito worship Valoo, the Guardian of the Sky, as their patron deity, and many take pilgrimages to the Wind Temple where he can occasionally be found, hoping to gain his favour and one of his scales that are said to possess magic that will let them control the winds for perfect flight. The Rito are often wise, patient, and fair, although they are also prone to bouts of pettiness, flurried thoughts, and itching wanderlust.
Rito are not natural warriors, nor are they great in physical strength, due to their hollow bones, but they are quick, and their sharp beaks and claws can cause rapid harm. Rito children cannot fly, as their wings have not fully developed, but beyond 7 or 8 years of age until around 19 or 20, they are able to use their fledgling wings to glide.
Rito worship Valoo, the Guardian of the Sky, as their patron deity, and many take pilgrimages to the Wind Temple where he can occasionally be found, hoping to gain his favour and one of his scales that are said to possess magic that will let them control the winds for perfect flight. The Rito are often wise, patient, and fair, although they are also prone to bouts of pettiness, flurried thoughts, and itching wanderlust.
T H E G E R U D O, O F G E R U D O V A L L E Y:
The Gerudo are a proud, all-female tribe of desert-dwelling Hylians, residing deep in the Gerudo Desert in Gerudo Valley, the path to which is near-untraceable to outsiders. The tribe was begun many years ago by a clan of thieves who were banished from Hyrule proper into the desert as punishment for their crimes. The clan found the valley, and over the years, the Gerudo grew into their own community, building fortresses from stone.
The Gerudo are trained in combat from a young age, their skills brought up to standard until each member chooses her personal weapon - whether it be a simple sword, a vicious spear, or something more exotic. Gerudo are also taught in the way of the thief, learning how to move quietly and unseen. Gerudo are also natural survivors, as it necessary living in the desert.
Male Gerudo are rare, and the few that are born are not trained in the traditional Gerudo way of combat and thievery. Many are cast out into the desert to prove their value to the tribe, and few come back. Gerudo are proud, and honourable to their own clan, although their reputation outside of the Valley is not one held in high esteem. Gerudo generally have dark skin, and red hair.
The Gerudo are trained in combat from a young age, their skills brought up to standard until each member chooses her personal weapon - whether it be a simple sword, a vicious spear, or something more exotic. Gerudo are also taught in the way of the thief, learning how to move quietly and unseen. Gerudo are also natural survivors, as it necessary living in the desert.
Male Gerudo are rare, and the few that are born are not trained in the traditional Gerudo way of combat and thievery. Many are cast out into the desert to prove their value to the tribe, and few come back. Gerudo are proud, and honourable to their own clan, although their reputation outside of the Valley is not one held in high esteem. Gerudo generally have dark skin, and red hair.
T H E S H E I K A, O F W I N D F A L L V I L L A G E:
The Sheikah are a tribe of Hylians that reside in Windfall Village. An ancient clan, tied to the Hylian Royal Family, a select few are chosen to train in the Watchtower of Steel to become Sheikah Warriors, ninja-like soldiers and assassins devoted to the protection of Hyrule's Royal Family - this oath lingers even beyond death.
Sheikah are naturally attuned to magic, and even the most mundane, non-practiced Sheikah Tribe member can perform basic spells. More trained warriors can cloak themselves, silence their movements, blind their enemies, and teleport great distances with their magical abilities. Trained Sheikah Warriors are also formidable foes, but they prefer to avoid confrontation, instead taking other methods. They are practiced in a variety of weapons, including swords, bows, and throwing knives.
Sheikah warriors are scarce in these times, with only one or two trainers remaining alive, and even they are old and nearing their end. The Sheikah Warrior way is threatening to die out, and this sad fact is not helped by the trainer's stubbornness in their strict standards for potential trainees. However, there are a few potentials that have been chosen from the current generation of Sheikah.
Sheikah generally have pale or even gray skin, with fair hair ranging from white to golden-blonde, and their facial features are usually androgynous. All Sheikah have red eyes - it is the surest sign of a Sheikah's lineage. Sheikah are patient, logical, and soft-spoken, often choosing to speak only when they have something of value to say - although there are some that prefers action over words.
Sheikah are naturally attuned to magic, and even the most mundane, non-practiced Sheikah Tribe member can perform basic spells. More trained warriors can cloak themselves, silence their movements, blind their enemies, and teleport great distances with their magical abilities. Trained Sheikah Warriors are also formidable foes, but they prefer to avoid confrontation, instead taking other methods. They are practiced in a variety of weapons, including swords, bows, and throwing knives.
Sheikah warriors are scarce in these times, with only one or two trainers remaining alive, and even they are old and nearing their end. The Sheikah Warrior way is threatening to die out, and this sad fact is not helped by the trainer's stubbornness in their strict standards for potential trainees. However, there are a few potentials that have been chosen from the current generation of Sheikah.
Sheikah generally have pale or even gray skin, with fair hair ranging from white to golden-blonde, and their facial features are usually androgynous. All Sheikah have red eyes - it is the surest sign of a Sheikah's lineage. Sheikah are patient, logical, and soft-spoken, often choosing to speak only when they have something of value to say - although there are some that prefers action over words.
T H E K O K I R I, O F K O K I R I F O R E S T:
The Kokiri are a forest race of children, residing deep within the Kokiri Forest and Lost Woods, watched over by the Great Deku Tree, Guardian of the Forest. Given their ageless nature, it is often thought that Kokiri are spirits of the forest, given true life by the Great Deku Tree, or Hylian children that wandered too far into the Lost Woods and were transformed by the powers of the region, or even fairies that were given corporeal form. Whether any of these theories are true is unknown; however, it is true that each Kokiri has their own guardian fairy companion, and that a Kokiri that left the forest would perish quickly.
Kokiri are a peaceful, innocent race, never aging beyond pre-pubescence, but remaining alive for unknown years of time. They are a cautious race, keeping secrets from outsiders and shunning those that would integrate themselves into their world without seeking audience and approval from the Great Deku Tree first. They are also innately mischievous in a way only children can accomplish, playing tricks and pranks that are, more often than not, harmless - but some jokes that can, through child-like naivety, bring more malicious results upon the victim's head. Many Kokiri are musical, and all of them are whimsical.
Kokiri are a peaceful, innocent race, never aging beyond pre-pubescence, but remaining alive for unknown years of time. They are a cautious race, keeping secrets from outsiders and shunning those that would integrate themselves into their world without seeking audience and approval from the Great Deku Tree first. They are also innately mischievous in a way only children can accomplish, playing tricks and pranks that are, more often than not, harmless - but some jokes that can, through child-like naivety, bring more malicious results upon the victim's head. Many Kokiri are musical, and all of them are whimsical.
T H E T W I L I, O F T H E T W I L I G H T R E A L M:
The Twili are an enigmatic race of magical beings that exist through the Twilight Mirror in the Twilight Realm, a half-shadowed world that their tribe was banished to long ago, and that they have since made their home. The Twili are peaceful, though this is largely irrelevant to Hyrule and those that live there; the Twilight Mirror is shattered into pieces that cannot be recovered, and with it, so to is the only door between Hyrule and the Twilight Realm.
Long ago, a tribe of sorcerers known as the Interlopers attempted to use their magic to rule the Sacred Realm and take the Triforce for themselves. Displeased with them, the Three Goddesses banished them to the Twilight Realm, where, over millenia, they slowly evolved, abandoning their original desires and adapting to life in their new home, though holding on to their natural aptitude for magic. Twili are humanoid, but strange caricatures of Hylians, with featureless, black-and-white skin, strange runic markings, stretched forms and limbs and elongated necks. They are also intelligent, with a cultured society and technology surpassing that of Hyrule.
Sadly, while previously the Twili used the Twilight Mirror to visit Hyrule, the invasion of Zant against Hyrule resulted in a second shattering of the mirror, pulling all Twili back to their realm, and cutting off all travel between the two kingdoms.
Long ago, a tribe of sorcerers known as the Interlopers attempted to use their magic to rule the Sacred Realm and take the Triforce for themselves. Displeased with them, the Three Goddesses banished them to the Twilight Realm, where, over millenia, they slowly evolved, abandoning their original desires and adapting to life in their new home, though holding on to their natural aptitude for magic. Twili are humanoid, but strange caricatures of Hylians, with featureless, black-and-white skin, strange runic markings, stretched forms and limbs and elongated necks. They are also intelligent, with a cultured society and technology surpassing that of Hyrule.
Sadly, while previously the Twili used the Twilight Mirror to visit Hyrule, the invasion of Zant against Hyrule resulted in a second shattering of the mirror, pulling all Twili back to their realm, and cutting off all travel between the two kingdoms.
P E O P L E O F H Y R U L E:
L I N K, T H E F I R S T K N I G H T O F H Y R U L E:
The great hero of Hyrule, Link possesses the Triforce of Courage. He has saved the land thrice over from threats each more devious than the last, and stands as a faithful and fiercely loyal protector of the Royal Family to this day. His friendship with Zelda is one that will never die, as it was born in golden innocence and tempered by the fires of hardship and turmoil. Together they sealed away the King of Thieves, bound the Demon of the Mask, and defeated the Usurper King of the Twili.
Link is married to Malon, keeper of Epona Ranch, a girl he met as a child, and the only person he had to go to after Ganondorf threw him through time, a friendship that blossomed into love. His horse, Epona, is aging but loyal, a faithful mount that has guided him through his darkest quests. He is also close with Navi, a fairy who aided him on his first quest, and soon after came to become a Great Fairy, and then Fairy Queen.
Beyond his friendships, Link is also a recognized and well-respected emmisary of the Hylian Royal Family, his presence being regarded with great awe in the kingdoms of the Goron, Zora, Rito, and Gerudo. There are no Hylians that do not know of Link and his incomprehensible heroism, and there are no villains that do not quake at the legends of his prowess.
Link is married to Malon, keeper of Epona Ranch, a girl he met as a child, and the only person he had to go to after Ganondorf threw him through time, a friendship that blossomed into love. His horse, Epona, is aging but loyal, a faithful mount that has guided him through his darkest quests. He is also close with Navi, a fairy who aided him on his first quest, and soon after came to become a Great Fairy, and then Fairy Queen.
Beyond his friendships, Link is also a recognized and well-respected emmisary of the Hylian Royal Family, his presence being regarded with great awe in the kingdoms of the Goron, Zora, Rito, and Gerudo. There are no Hylians that do not know of Link and his incomprehensible heroism, and there are no villains that do not quake at the legends of his prowess.
Z E L D A, Q U E E N O F H Y R U L E:
Once the young princess of Hyrule, heir of the royal family, Zelda possesses the Triforce of Wisdom, and with it, she has grown into a powerful and fair queen of the land. Zelda is also the Seventh Sage, leader to the other Sages, and holds great magical power. With Link's considerable aid, she has weaved her magic to seal Ganondorf within the Sacred Realm, bind the demon Majora truly within its mask, and shatter the Twilight Mirror.
Zelda has not married, and as such has no heir, something her advisers are greatly anxious about in her growing age. However, Zelda knows that when she eventually passes, those she leaves behind will maintain the kingdom adequately in her wake, and that when the time comes, the Triforce of Wisdom will choose another, one who will be more truly an heir to the Hylian throne than any child could be without it.
Though Zelda rarely has time to leave either her castle or Castle Town that surrounds it, she maintains strong diplomatic relations with the other kingdoms of Hyrule and their leaders - the Gorons, Zoras and Rito. Her magic also allows her to communicate with the Queen of the Twili (though little else is possible), and she is held in high regard by the self-ruling Gerudo. Zelda is a beloved and respected Queen, and Hyrule has survived and flourished under her rule.
Zelda has not married, and as such has no heir, something her advisers are greatly anxious about in her growing age. However, Zelda knows that when she eventually passes, those she leaves behind will maintain the kingdom adequately in her wake, and that when the time comes, the Triforce of Wisdom will choose another, one who will be more truly an heir to the Hylian throne than any child could be without it.
Though Zelda rarely has time to leave either her castle or Castle Town that surrounds it, she maintains strong diplomatic relations with the other kingdoms of Hyrule and their leaders - the Gorons, Zoras and Rito. Her magic also allows her to communicate with the Queen of the Twili (though little else is possible), and she is held in high regard by the self-ruling Gerudo. Zelda is a beloved and respected Queen, and Hyrule has survived and flourished under her rule.
M A L O N, F I R S T M A I D E N O F H Y R U L E:
Malon is the daughter of Talon, a skilled, and now-retired, rancher, who founded Lon-Lon Ranch and tended to it, passing it on to Malon once he realized he was unfit to run it any longer. She is now the sole proprietor, and, having renamed it Epona Ranch, Malon has allowed the ranch to flourish into the biggest in Hyrule, known for its fast, proud horses, and delicious and rejuvenating Lon-Lon Milk.
Malon is married to Link. The two met as children, and after Ganondorf threw Link through time, Malon was the only friend he had in the strange new world. Link had run to the ranch to find it under the rule of Ingo by decree of Ganondorf, but he won it back for Talon, who realized he could no longer keep it, and retired, handing the ranch to Malon.
While being the First Maiden of Hyrule, married to the First Knight of Hyrule, affords Malon many privileges and bounties, she remains down-to-earth and often scorns her castle dormitories for the nostalgic comfort and honest work of the Ranch. She remains level-headed, and sometimes advises both Link and Zelda.
Malon is married to Link. The two met as children, and after Ganondorf threw Link through time, Malon was the only friend he had in the strange new world. Link had run to the ranch to find it under the rule of Ingo by decree of Ganondorf, but he won it back for Talon, who realized he could no longer keep it, and retired, handing the ranch to Malon.
While being the First Maiden of Hyrule, married to the First Knight of Hyrule, affords Malon many privileges and bounties, she remains down-to-earth and often scorns her castle dormitories for the nostalgic comfort and honest work of the Ranch. She remains level-headed, and sometimes advises both Link and Zelda.
N A V I, T H E G R E A T Q U E E N O F T H E F A I R I E S:
Navi the fairy was and is one of Link's closest allies and his most trusted friend. They met when the rise of Ganondorf from the Gerudo Desert was foreseen by the Great Deku Tree, and she was instructed to seek him out, acting as a companion to aid Link in his quest to defeat Ganondorf. Although initially frustrated to be bound to this duty, and little-believing that the child Link could accomplish what had been asked of them, she soon saw Link's courage, and they became firm allies, forming an inseparable bond.
Shortly after Ganondorf's defeat, Navi was forced to leave Link's side; her valiance had strengthened her magical power, and she was called back to the Fairy Fountain she was once born in to ascend and become a Great Fairy. She resided in this Fairy Fountain for some time, caring for newly-born fairies, but remained in contact with Link and Zelda, and eventually aided them to bind the demon Majora.
After this great act, Navi's power grew even further. Her part in the defeat of the foul blight of Majora was favoured by the Goddesses, and in their wisdom, they deemed Navi worthy of rule - and Navi ascended once more, taking the place of Queen of the Fairies, receiving the power and knowledge she required. Though she still helps Link where she can, Navi is now often busy with Fairy business, and her new knowledge often causes an almost alien perspective of Hyrule's woes.
Shortly after Ganondorf's defeat, Navi was forced to leave Link's side; her valiance had strengthened her magical power, and she was called back to the Fairy Fountain she was once born in to ascend and become a Great Fairy. She resided in this Fairy Fountain for some time, caring for newly-born fairies, but remained in contact with Link and Zelda, and eventually aided them to bind the demon Majora.
After this great act, Navi's power grew even further. Her part in the defeat of the foul blight of Majora was favoured by the Goddesses, and in their wisdom, they deemed Navi worthy of rule - and Navi ascended once more, taking the place of Queen of the Fairies, receiving the power and knowledge she required. Though she still helps Link where she can, Navi is now often busy with Fairy business, and her new knowledge often causes an almost alien perspective of Hyrule's woes.
D A R B U S, C H I E F T O T H E G O R O N S:
Darbus is chief and leader of the Gorons, their ruler and a fair and strong guardian of their home of Goronia City. Along with the Goron Elders, Gors Coron, Amoto, Liggs, and Ebizo, he keeps order among the Gorons and decides what is best for his people and their way of life. He took his title with unease, as he was thrust into the role unprepared after Darunia's ascension- however, Darbus has since proved his worth and ability as Chief.
During the Twili invasion of Hyrule, Zant cast a foul curse upon Darbus in order to remove the opposition of the Goron. Darbus was transformed into a fiery monster, rampaging throughout the mine until he was contained in a chamber deep within the mountain. With Gor Coron stepping up as proxy patriarch in Darbus' absence, the Goron people closed the doors of Goronia City as they attempted to find a way to dispel the curse. Soon after, Link traveled to the City seeking allies, and was told that curing Darbus would earn Hyrule the aid of the Gorons. With the Master Sword, as well as Navi's magic, Link broke Darbus' curse, saving him and earning the might of the Gorons to fight for Hyrule.
During the Twili invasion of Hyrule, Zant cast a foul curse upon Darbus in order to remove the opposition of the Goron. Darbus was transformed into a fiery monster, rampaging throughout the mine until he was contained in a chamber deep within the mountain. With Gor Coron stepping up as proxy patriarch in Darbus' absence, the Goron people closed the doors of Goronia City as they attempted to find a way to dispel the curse. Soon after, Link traveled to the City seeking allies, and was told that curing Darbus would earn Hyrule the aid of the Gorons. With the Master Sword, as well as Navi's magic, Link broke Darbus' curse, saving him and earning the might of the Gorons to fight for Hyrule.
R U T E L A, Q U E E N T O T H E Z O R A:
The Queen of the Zora, who became their most eminent member of the Zora Royalty after her husband, King Zora XVI, passed away. She has born two children - Princess Ruto of the Zora, who ascended to become the Sage of Water, and Prince Ralis of the Zora, her heir.
While grieving for her lost husband, and missing her daughter dearly, Rutela was a proud queen and a loving mother to her remaining son, commanding the respect of her people for her wise rule and level-headedness in the face of near-overwhelming loss. However, her rule was not to last: while she survived Ganondorf's plot to seize the Triforce, and the seven dark years of his rule, and then the torments that the demon Majora suffered upon Hyrule, she was sadly executed by Zant during his invasion of Hyrule as an example to the Zora people not to oppose him or his dark forces.
Her grave lies in Zora Fountain, next to her husbands, and both are regularly attended to by Prince Ralis, new ruler of the Zora. Her spirit watches over her son and the Zora people she is lost to, and she often appears to Prince Ralis in dreams to comfort him and help him guide the Zora people. She is happy now, reunited with her husband, able to once again talk with her daughter, and still present for her son.
R A L I S, P R I N C E O F T H E Z O R A:
The Prince of the Zora, son of Queen Rutela and King Zora XVI, and sister of Princess Ruto, Sage of Water. Prince Ralis currently stands as ruling monarch of Zora's Domain and the ruling people after the passing of his father and his mother's execution at Zant's hand - however, as Ralis has not yet come of age to have had his proper coronation and be crowned, he remains Prince, with his mother appearing in dreams to aid and comfort him, and his sister often imparting wise advice.
A strong swimmer with an adventurous soul, Ralis spends a lot of time in the waters of Zora's Fountain and the more eastern portions of Zora's River. Much of his time is spent at the grave of his mother, paying respects and seeking wisdom from her departed spirit. He has a deep friend in Link, who helped him find the courage to step up to the throne after his mother's death, even through his grief at his lost family.
Ralis plans an excursion to find Jabun, the Zora people's patron deity and Guardian of the Sea, to seek the courage he needs to lead his people after the loss of his family, as well as to visit the Water Temple that his sister watches over that has been nearly forgotten by the Zora; but for now, he lacks the heart to depart his kingdom, and his home, for too long.
A strong swimmer with an adventurous soul, Ralis spends a lot of time in the waters of Zora's Fountain and the more eastern portions of Zora's River. Much of his time is spent at the grave of his mother, paying respects and seeking wisdom from her departed spirit. He has a deep friend in Link, who helped him find the courage to step up to the throne after his mother's death, even through his grief at his lost family.
Ralis plans an excursion to find Jabun, the Zora people's patron deity and Guardian of the Sea, to seek the courage he needs to lead his people after the loss of his family, as well as to visit the Water Temple that his sister watches over that has been nearly forgotten by the Zora; but for now, he lacks the heart to depart his kingdom, and his home, for too long.
A K A T I, C H I E F T A N O F T H E R I T O:
The Chieftain of the Rito, acting as the tribe's leader, and also father to Komali, Prince of the Rito, and Medli, Attendant of the Rito. A gifted and adored leader, the Rito people of Snowpeak Mountain respect him greatly, and his word is adhered to without question or doubt. Due to the duties of his position, he is demanding of his people and strict with his family - but he is a loving father, and like any parents, worries about his children. Akati is often accompanied by his lone bodyguard, Skett, a powerful and experienced Rito Warrior.
Many years ago, Akati took the pilgrimage to the Wind Temple, like many Rito; there, he was further gifted with the rare honour of an audience with Valoo, the Rito's patron deity, and Guardian of the Sky. At the time, the Rito tribe was without a leader, the Demon Majora having slain the previous Chieftain. Valoo saw the valiance in Akati's heart, and in his wisdom, granted Akati one of his scales, and named his line as the next leaders of the Rito.
Akati returned to Snowpeak as Chieftain and has since gone on to prove himself as a worthy leader of the Rito people.
Many years ago, Akati took the pilgrimage to the Wind Temple, like many Rito; there, he was further gifted with the rare honour of an audience with Valoo, the Rito's patron deity, and Guardian of the Sky. At the time, the Rito tribe was without a leader, the Demon Majora having slain the previous Chieftain. Valoo saw the valiance in Akati's heart, and in his wisdom, granted Akati one of his scales, and named his line as the next leaders of the Rito.
Akati returned to Snowpeak as Chieftain and has since gone on to prove himself as a worthy leader of the Rito people.
K O M A L I, P R I N C E O F T H E R I T O:
The Prince of the Rito as named by Valoo, Guardian of the Sky, son of Akati, Rito Chieftain, and younger brother of Medli, named Attendant of the Rito. He holds Din's Pearl, an ancient gem of soothing beauty, gifted to him by his grandmother before her passing. While Komali wanders the halls of the Rito home, he rarely ventures outside of Snowpeak.
Shy and having little confidence in himself, Komali finds him unprepared for the position suddenly out upon him by Valoo's action. His grandmother was a great source of comfort and courage to him in her life, and with her gone, Komali often finds the world overwhelming, relying now on Din's Peal and his sister's spirit to guide him through difficult times. His father is often busy with the duties of his leadership, and strict with his children, hoping that Komali will one day take the pilgrimage to the Wind Temple much like he did.
Link's heroism inspires Komali a great deal, and he aspires a great deal to be more like the great First Knight of Hyrule so that he may come to aquire the courage and self-confidence necessary to rule the Rito in his father's stead when the time comes.
Shy and having little confidence in himself, Komali finds him unprepared for the position suddenly out upon him by Valoo's action. His grandmother was a great source of comfort and courage to him in her life, and with her gone, Komali often finds the world overwhelming, relying now on Din's Peal and his sister's spirit to guide him through difficult times. His father is often busy with the duties of his leadership, and strict with his children, hoping that Komali will one day take the pilgrimage to the Wind Temple much like he did.
Link's heroism inspires Komali a great deal, and he aspires a great deal to be more like the great First Knight of Hyrule so that he may come to aquire the courage and self-confidence necessary to rule the Rito in his father's stead when the time comes.
M E D L I, R I T O A T T E N D A N T:
The Attendant to the Mighty Valoo and the Wind Temple, as named by Valoo, Guardian of the Sky, also the daughter of Akati, Rito Chieftain, and elder sister of Komali, Rito Prince. After receiving her title from Valoo upon her father's return from his pilgrimage, she trains for her role as Attendant of the Rito, which requires the keeping of the Wind Temple, and the tending to of Valoo, patron deity of the Rito - the main duty of which is harnessing a harp to play the ancient melody that prays to keep the power to repel evil within the Master Sword. Though young and still unable to truly understand the ancient language of Valoo, she is shaping up to be an admirable and well-chosen Attendant.
Medli is respected among her race and her home, known to be kind-hearted, compassionate, and responsible, taking on her duties with solemn sincerity, but still lending and ear to those who need it - most often, comforting her younger brother and offering him strength and courage. She hopes her brother will mature and become more self-confident soon, as the time is approaching where her position as Attendant will call her away from Snowpeak - but until then, she lends what aid she can, even if she is often over-stretching herself.
Medli is respected among her race and her home, known to be kind-hearted, compassionate, and responsible, taking on her duties with solemn sincerity, but still lending and ear to those who need it - most often, comforting her younger brother and offering him strength and courage. She hopes her brother will mature and become more self-confident soon, as the time is approaching where her position as Attendant will call her away from Snowpeak - but until then, she lends what aid she can, even if she is often over-stretching herself.
M I D N A, Q U E E N O F T H E T W I L I:
Descendant of an ancient tribe banished to the Twilight Realm, Midna is the current heir in the long line of Twili royalty, and the Queen of the Twili. Recently, she was usurped from her throne by Zant, another member of the Twili tribe, and banished to Hyrule with a foul curse upon her. She used what strength she had to warn Zelda of Zant's coming invasion, and then lapsed into a coma, only awakened when Link defeated Zant and the curse was lifted.
Midna is beloved among her people, and a caring ruler, but troubles herself little with the affairs of Hyrule and the Light Realm; she sees fretting over a world lost to her people, that originally cast out her people, as wasted energy that is better spent serving the needs of the Twili. However, she remains in contact with Link and Zelda, a powerful sense of respect having been forged between the three, using two secret pieces of the Twilight Mirror and powerful magic.
To those she likes, Midna is often wry and playful, although she retains the enigmatic aura natural to the Twili people; however, she holds potent disdain for those with a lust for power, such as Zant or Ganondorf, as it was that twisted desire that originally doomed her people.
Midna is beloved among her people, and a caring ruler, but troubles herself little with the affairs of Hyrule and the Light Realm; she sees fretting over a world lost to her people, that originally cast out her people, as wasted energy that is better spent serving the needs of the Twili. However, she remains in contact with Link and Zelda, a powerful sense of respect having been forged between the three, using two secret pieces of the Twilight Mirror and powerful magic.
To those she likes, Midna is often wry and playful, although she retains the enigmatic aura natural to the Twili people; however, she holds potent disdain for those with a lust for power, such as Zant or Ganondorf, as it was that twisted desire that originally doomed her people.
Z A N T, U S U R P E R K I N G:
A manic and unhinged member of the Twili race, Zant is elder brother to Midna, Queen of the Twili, and by bloodline, rightful owner of the throne to the Twilight Realm - however, his madness was recognised as the time for a new ruler drew near, and Zant was deemed of unsound mind and unfit to rule; his pace as heir was skipped over, and the crown went to Midna. This, combined with Zant's animosity toward his race being trapped in the Twilight Realm like 'insects in a cage', sent Zant in a mad fury, desperate to reclaim his rightful seat of power and lead his people out of their home. To this end, he sought the Fused Shadow, an ancient and powerful relic of the Twili people that would grant twisted power to those that held it.
Zant seized the Fused Shadow, and with it, cursed his sister and the Twili, banishing Midna to Hyrule, and then leading his new army of 'Shadow Beasts' in an invasion of Hyrule to take back a rightful place in the World of Light; a noble goal, but Zant's mind and the twisted power of the Fused Shadow pushed him to pursue ignoble methods. Many died in his invasion, but eventually he was defeated, his curses lifted and the Twili once again sent home - this time permanently, the Twilight Mirror shattered completely.
Zant now resides imprisoned in the Twilight Palace, powerless without the Fused Shadow. Midna visits him often, but is met with only cold silence and a passive, distant glare.
Zant seized the Fused Shadow, and with it, cursed his sister and the Twili, banishing Midna to Hyrule, and then leading his new army of 'Shadow Beasts' in an invasion of Hyrule to take back a rightful place in the World of Light; a noble goal, but Zant's mind and the twisted power of the Fused Shadow pushed him to pursue ignoble methods. Many died in his invasion, but eventually he was defeated, his curses lifted and the Twili once again sent home - this time permanently, the Twilight Mirror shattered completely.
Zant now resides imprisoned in the Twilight Palace, powerless without the Fused Shadow. Midna visits him often, but is met with only cold silence and a passive, distant glare.
R A U R U, S A G E O F L I G H T:
An ancient Hylian royal, Rauru oversaw the construction of the Temple of Time just outside the grounds of Hyrule Castle, and created the three Spiritual Stones as well as the Hylian artifact, the Ocarina of Time, that would act as the four keys to the Door of Time and seal the entrance to the Temple of Light, a holy place found deep in the exact center of the Sacred Realm that contained the Triforce, the Golden Relic of the Three Goddesses.
When Rauru's time to pass came, he ascended, becoming the Sage of Light to watch over his Temple and guard the relic it contained for many years to come. He watched over Hyrule as well, sending forth an aspect of his spirit as a great Owl known as Kaepora Gaebora to visit the earthly plane.
When the time of Link and Zelda's struggles against Ganondorf came, Rauru guided Link as a child through Kaepora Gaebora, aiding him to attain the keys to the Door of Time and take the Master Sword. Rauru helped seal Ganon, lending his magic to Link's aid.
When Rauru's time to pass came, he ascended, becoming the Sage of Light to watch over his Temple and guard the relic it contained for many years to come. He watched over Hyrule as well, sending forth an aspect of his spirit as a great Owl known as Kaepora Gaebora to visit the earthly plane.
When the time of Link and Zelda's struggles against Ganondorf came, Rauru guided Link as a child through Kaepora Gaebora, aiding him to attain the keys to the Door of Time and take the Master Sword. Rauru helped seal Ganon, lending his magic to Link's aid.
D A R U N I A, S A G E O F F I R E:
An old and honourable Goron, the previous Chieftain of Goronia, and now ascended to the Sage of Fire. His spirit watches over his old tribe and protects what remains the Fire Temple deep within the Goronia Mines. He was, and still is, Sworn Brother to Link and the King of Hyrule, Zelda's father, a deeply serious oath of loyalty to the Goron people. Darunia's son still lives, but is not Chieftain, having refused the position and delegating to Darbus, and he has since left Goronia.
When he refused Ganondorf the Goron's Ruby, Ganondorf blocked off their main source of food with a terrible monster. With his people slowly starving, Darunia was eventually aided by Link, who slew the monster; Darunia gave Link the Spiritual Stone in thanks, declaring Link his Sworn Brother at the same time. Sadly, when Ganondorf came to power, Darunia's defiance had not been forgotten; as an example to the rest of Hyrule, Ganondorf ressurected an ancient and malevolent dragon, Volvagia, and fed several Gorons to it - when Darunia tried to intervene, he was slain, his spirit ascending to be Sage of Fire after Link returned and killed the dragon, cleansing the Fire Temple.
Darunia now watches over both Goronia City and the Fire Temple. Darunia helped seal Ganon, lending his magic to Link's aid.
When he refused Ganondorf the Goron's Ruby, Ganondorf blocked off their main source of food with a terrible monster. With his people slowly starving, Darunia was eventually aided by Link, who slew the monster; Darunia gave Link the Spiritual Stone in thanks, declaring Link his Sworn Brother at the same time. Sadly, when Ganondorf came to power, Darunia's defiance had not been forgotten; as an example to the rest of Hyrule, Ganondorf ressurected an ancient and malevolent dragon, Volvagia, and fed several Gorons to it - when Darunia tried to intervene, he was slain, his spirit ascending to be Sage of Fire after Link returned and killed the dragon, cleansing the Fire Temple.
Darunia now watches over both Goronia City and the Fire Temple. Darunia helped seal Ganon, lending his magic to Link's aid.
R U T O, S A G E O F W A T E R:
Daughter of the late Queen Rutela and King Zora XVI, elder sister to Prince Ralis, Princess of the Ruto, and long since ascended to Sage of Water. From a young age, Princess Ruto was a strong swimmer and often visited Jabun, patron deity of the Zora, maintaining a close relationship with the leviathan - and she remains one of the few Zora who can say they have had the honour of sharing the waters with the Guardian of the Sea.
When Ganondorf seized the Triforce, he cursed the Water Temple with a horrifying monster, and froze Zora's Domain, turning the water into ice and sealing the Zora people. Ruto, however, managed to escape this fate, and rushed to the Water Temple to try and defeat the creature lurking there and rid her people of the curse. Sadly, the monster slew her, but Ruto's spirit ascended to become the Sage of Water, her new power flourishing when Link chased after her and struck down the monster in vengeance, thereby cleansing the Temple, and freeing the Zora from the ice prison that had been forged for them.
Ruto now watches over both Zora's Domain and the Water Temple. Ruto helped seal Ganon, lending her magic to Link's aid.
When Ganondorf seized the Triforce, he cursed the Water Temple with a horrifying monster, and froze Zora's Domain, turning the water into ice and sealing the Zora people. Ruto, however, managed to escape this fate, and rushed to the Water Temple to try and defeat the creature lurking there and rid her people of the curse. Sadly, the monster slew her, but Ruto's spirit ascended to become the Sage of Water, her new power flourishing when Link chased after her and struck down the monster in vengeance, thereby cleansing the Temple, and freeing the Zora from the ice prison that had been forged for them.
Ruto now watches over both Zora's Domain and the Water Temple. Ruto helped seal Ganon, lending her magic to Link's aid.
S A R I A, S A G E O F T H E F O R E S T:
A kind-hearted and well-liked Kokiri girl, close childhood friend and confidant of Link, and now Sage of the Forest. More in tune with the forest than any other Kokiri, and in possession of a particularly musical soul, Saria often traveled through the Lost Woods to the Sacred Forest Meadow that lay before the Forest Temple to practice her Ocarina, and to listen to the whispering of the spirits of the forest, even attending to the creeping plant-life that threatened to overgrow the Forest Temple, although she never delved inside.
When the Great Deku Tree called Link and imparted the quest against Ganon upon him, Saria was first to see him off, and first to congratulate him on his fairy companion. Saria passed her ocarina onto Link as a token of remembrance, and taught him her melody, a joyful, lively song that inspired happiness in those that heard it.
When Ganondorf's seven-year rule came, he cursed the Forest Temple with foul creatures and a phantom aspect of himself. Saria was abducted into the cursed place when she returned to the Sacred Forest Meadow, and the foul magics within withered her life away. When Link cleansed the Temple, her spirit ascended to become Sage of the Forest. She now watches over Kokiri Village and the Forest Temple. Saria helped seal Ganon, lending her magic to Link's aid.
When the Great Deku Tree called Link and imparted the quest against Ganon upon him, Saria was first to see him off, and first to congratulate him on his fairy companion. Saria passed her ocarina onto Link as a token of remembrance, and taught him her melody, a joyful, lively song that inspired happiness in those that heard it.
When Ganondorf's seven-year rule came, he cursed the Forest Temple with foul creatures and a phantom aspect of himself. Saria was abducted into the cursed place when she returned to the Sacred Forest Meadow, and the foul magics within withered her life away. When Link cleansed the Temple, her spirit ascended to become Sage of the Forest. She now watches over Kokiri Village and the Forest Temple. Saria helped seal Ganon, lending her magic to Link's aid.
I M P A, S A G E O F S H A D O W:
A noble and well-trained Shiekah Warrior who personally pledged her service to the Royal Family, and is now Sage of Shadow. Born in Windfall Village like all members of the Shiekah Tribe, Impa was chosen at a young age, and quickly sent to the Watchtower of Steel to begin her regimen. She was a strong and promising trainee, and earned her title soon enough, immediately setting off for Hyrule Castle.
When she arrived, she requested a personal audience with the King and Queen of Hyrule. Curious, the rulers allowed it, and Impa knelt, pledging her service as a guardian of the Hyrule Royal Family to them personally. They asked her why, and Impa merely gestured to the Queen's womb. Impa had used an ancient Sheikah artifact, the Lens of Truth, while at the Watchtower - and discovered that the Queen was pregnant. Impa explained that she had come to swear an oath to the unborn Princess, to protect her until she died. The King and Queen accepted, and Impa was taken on as the Royal Handmaiden.
Impa's service came to an end at the beginning of Ganondorf's dark rule. When Ganondorf came for the Princess and the Ocarina of Time she held, Impa stood before him to defend Zelda - and after a long battle, she was struck down, her spirit ascending to become the Sage of Shadow. She now watches over Zelda and the Shadow Temple. Impa helped seal Ganon, lending her magic to Link's aid.
When she arrived, she requested a personal audience with the King and Queen of Hyrule. Curious, the rulers allowed it, and Impa knelt, pledging her service as a guardian of the Hyrule Royal Family to them personally. They asked her why, and Impa merely gestured to the Queen's womb. Impa had used an ancient Sheikah artifact, the Lens of Truth, while at the Watchtower - and discovered that the Queen was pregnant. Impa explained that she had come to swear an oath to the unborn Princess, to protect her until she died. The King and Queen accepted, and Impa was taken on as the Royal Handmaiden.
Impa's service came to an end at the beginning of Ganondorf's dark rule. When Ganondorf came for the Princess and the Ocarina of Time she held, Impa stood before him to defend Zelda - and after a long battle, she was struck down, her spirit ascending to become the Sage of Shadow. She now watches over Zelda and the Shadow Temple. Impa helped seal Ganon, lending her magic to Link's aid.
N A B O O R U, S A G E O F S P I R I T:
A proud Gerudo, once Queen, but deposed by Ganondorf, the self-proclaimed King of Thieves. She saw through his web of lies, and sought out an ancient treasure deep within the Spirit Temple to topple the false king. To this end, she left Gerudo Valley and headed north - and was never seen by the Gerudo again.
Witches had followed her. Koume and Kotake, twin sorceresses that had discovered Ganondorf when he was still but a boy, cast out into the desert. They had gleaned a tiny glimpse of his destiny - and had saved him. When Nabooru arrived at the Spirit Temple, they sprung their trap, first ensnaring her and trying to brainwash her to serve as a follower of Ganondorf - but when she resisted, they discarded her, remaining in the temple to prevent it from being used against Ganondorf.
When Link heard of the power within the temple that could be used against Ganondorf, he journeyed through the desert to find it. He discovered the temple in ruins, Koume and Kotake still holding their curse, empowering Ganondorf. Link fought mightily, slaying the witches and breaking the curse, freeing Nabooru's spirit and allowing her to ascend to become the Sage of Spirit. She now watches over Gerudo Valley and the Spirit Temple. Nabooru helped seal Ganon, lending her magic to Link's aid.
Witches had followed her. Koume and Kotake, twin sorceresses that had discovered Ganondorf when he was still but a boy, cast out into the desert. They had gleaned a tiny glimpse of his destiny - and had saved him. When Nabooru arrived at the Spirit Temple, they sprung their trap, first ensnaring her and trying to brainwash her to serve as a follower of Ganondorf - but when she resisted, they discarded her, remaining in the temple to prevent it from being used against Ganondorf.
When Link heard of the power within the temple that could be used against Ganondorf, he journeyed through the desert to find it. He discovered the temple in ruins, Koume and Kotake still holding their curse, empowering Ganondorf. Link fought mightily, slaying the witches and breaking the curse, freeing Nabooru's spirit and allowing her to ascend to become the Sage of Spirit. She now watches over Gerudo Valley and the Spirit Temple. Nabooru helped seal Ganon, lending her magic to Link's aid.
G A N O N D O R F, K I N G O F T H I E V E S:
Proudly comprised only of women, the Gerudo Tribe send their males out into the harsh desert when they come of age. Very rarely does the desert send something back.
Ganondorf's power was clear from early on, and he was cast into the desert sooner than any other Gerudo male - but he journeyed through and came back, stronger than ever, seizing unquestioned rule over the Gerudo. But this was not enough for Ganondorf; he desired the throne of Hyrule, and the Triforce it guarded.
Ganondorf, through deceit and plots, managed to seize one shard of the Triforce, the relic splitting itself at his touch - the Triforce of Power. With it, he conquered Hyrule, and began seven dark years. Fortunately, the holders of the other two shards - the Hero Link and Princess Zelda - were able to defeat Ganondorf.
Ganondorf's power was clear from early on, and he was cast into the desert sooner than any other Gerudo male - but he journeyed through and came back, stronger than ever, seizing unquestioned rule over the Gerudo. But this was not enough for Ganondorf; he desired the throne of Hyrule, and the Triforce it guarded.
Ganondorf, through deceit and plots, managed to seize one shard of the Triforce, the relic splitting itself at his touch - the Triforce of Power. With it, he conquered Hyrule, and began seven dark years. Fortunately, the holders of the other two shards - the Hero Link and Princess Zelda - were able to defeat Ganondorf.
M A J O R A:
An ancient, unknowable evil, imprisoned within a sinister mask eons ago by unknown magic. Returned to wreak revenge upon the world; defeated by Link. Cast into the desert and forgotten.
| NAME: |
Minavita Ripole
| ALIAS(ES): |
'Minnie Ripper'
H.E.L.P. Agent Fieldname: Not yet given
| PLACE OF BIRTH: |
Portland, Oregon
| NATIONALITY: |
American, Caucasian/African American. Possesses duel citizenship with Canada.
| D.O.B. |
5th April, 1992
| AGE: |
22
| SEX: |
Female
| SEXUALITY: |
Bisexual
| HEIGHT: |
5'5"
| BUILD: |
Slim
| WEIGHT: |
105lbs
| EYES: |
Brown
| HAIR: |
Brunette
| H-CLASS: |
Juno
| ABILITIES: |
Minnie possesses the ability to manipulate the biology of certain animals - at this point, dogs and some birds - and induce mutation, forcing them to become larger, more monstrous, and allowing their aggressiveness to surge. This mutation is temporary, but with concentration, also allows Minnie to have complete psychic control over their actions and behavior.
| LIMITATIONS: |
Minnie needs extended, uninterrupted contact with the animal she has chosen to induce, and inducing multiple Monsters requires more time and harder concentration - attempting to induce too many animals too quickly will exhaust Minnie, and can cause collapse or even coma. Her psychic command over Monsters also grows weaker and more difficult to maintain the more Monsters she is attempting to control. The inducement of a Monster only lasts for a certain time, directly related to the amount of concentration and effort put into both the inducement and the psychic link.
| WEAKNESSES: |
Obviously, Minnie's ability has little use outside of a combat scenario, and Minnie herself has little self-defense capabilities without her Monsters - and having her Monsters further depends on animal presence. If Minnie has her Monsters, she still requires concentration and strength to make and maintain the psychic command - and a sufficient distraction will loose the Monsters on friend, foe, and Minnie alike until their inducement wears off.
| APPLICATIONS: |
Minnie's most obvious application of her ability is the sheer combat power it affords her, allowing her to savage her enemies with Monsters and beasts. However, her psychic command allows Minnie to use her Monsters for more than just aggression - smaller Monsters can scout a building through vents or cracked walls, while others can use their mutations to form cover or smash through obstacles to gain access to restricted areas. As Minnie's command grows stronger, her Monsters will also allow her to have multiple self-presence over large areas, fetching objects, people, lending aid, and performing recon.
| HISTORY |
"Just be glad 'boogeyman' isn't a classifier."
Born in the beginning of April, 1992, to Martha and Joseph Ripole, the unfortunately named (in her opinion) Minavita Ripole came into the world screaming but burning with passion, arriving in Portland, Oregon, just south of the Canadian border - and, unknown to both her parents the child herself, a member of an emerging new species: Homo Viruim, or Hyperhuman. It wouldn't be until Minavita grew to 19 years old that anyone would know what she really was.
Martha Ripole died in 1997, when Minnie was 5. The family - Mother, Father, Daughter - were in the family car, heading to the beach on a warm and lazy June weekend, when they were caught in a head-on collision caused by a Hype incident. Martha, who had been unbuckled, turned around in her seat to entertain Minnie with silly faces, was thrown against the windshield, smashing her head and causing internal bleeding in the brain. She died three days later in hospital, and Joe became a single dad.
Minnie's father was good to her. He loved her and supported her, and though they lived in a small house with little luxuries - Joe's job as a tradesman offered little in the way of exorbitant wealth - they lived happily. Minnie missed her mother and Joe missed his wife but they were content with each other. Joe put Minnie through school, and she made friends easily, keeping herself upbeat and friendly, not allowing the maternal gulf in her life to define her. Instead, she became a maternal figure herself, taking on a sense of responsibility far beyond her years - she looked after her friends, and the animals that she found herself increasingly drawn to.
Minnie graduated high school at 18, a punk girl for the last three years - she'd fallen for the sound and the aesthetic, appreciating that both were things even she could comfortably afford, and she was drawn to the core concepts that Punk stood for - acceptance and freedom, regardless of creed, race, or in Minnie's case, financial situation. She lost herself in the gritty, dirty riffs, the chaotic drum beats. There was something near-natural about the music to hear, animalistic and instinctual. She sang along where she could, and wrote her own lyrics, filling up notepads - pads she shared with her friends, who immediately span dreams of bands and stardom. A punk-band pipe-dream, but one the group held on to throughout their adolescence nonetheless.
After graduation she quickly moved out to a shared apartment with several of the friends she'd made in high school. Her father let her go with his blessing, both anxious about her stepping out into the world, but both happy that she'd made it. She found a job and paid her rent, enjoying her new life, her new home, and her new housemates. They drank, and joked, and jammed, and one night, when the two were done in unison, formed the punk band they'd always talked about but never acted on, hoping to spur the dying music into a second life. They called themselves Calling Jupiter, and began to write and play.
Calling Jupiter didn't allow the resurrection they'd hoped for, but it did give them freedom, and paved Minnie's path. They didn't tour, but played in grimy pubs and bars and small halls, making small amounts of money. They had fun, and were happy with that - after all, fun, not monetary gain, was the point of Punk. And then it all collapsed.
Minnie was the band's frontman, the lead vocals and personality of Calling Jupiter, strutting about the stage and belting words with ferocity and power. She had her own stage name, 'Minnie Ripper', and she wore it like a badge, transforming into an idealistic version of herself, becoming on-stage who she could never be off it. She was attractive and filled with passion and attitude, suggestive and aloof, a wry smirk and a cocked eyebrow. She was admired. She was desired. And when the guitarist's advances were first ignored and then rejected, Minnie was nearly raped. That was when she performed her first inducement, a stray dog mutating into a fanged, spiked-skinned Monster and tearing her attempted-rapist's throat out. That was when she found out she was a Hype. That was when she fled to Canada.
Canada didn't seem like the obvious choice, but it was Canada that was known best for its tolerant attitude toward Hypes, Canada that had a fledgling academy dedicated to the shelter and education of Hypes, Canada that was close enough to use to flee from murder charges. Minnie was found by a SHIFT strike team, and given safe harbour and enrollment in PRCU. She fought off the charges levied against her with self-defense as her main case, and secondary manslaughter as her back up - thankfully, the first stuck. No longer needing the safety of a border between her and the law, Minnie's father invited her home - but, as much to her own surprise as her fathers, she elected to stay at PRCU, studying and training. They had been a home to her to a time of crisis, and she felt safe - something she was in desperate need of now.
Now, Minnie is 22, the punk aesthetic gone but not forgotten, shed in favour of something that doesn't remind her of that night. She exchanges letters with her father and practices her abilities, accepting of her inclusion in this new, emergent species, but a little less pleased with her status as a monster maker. Right now, there are staff that are eager to push her into SHIFT, as her abilities make her a serious contender as a SHIFT enforcer if harnessed properly - but frankly, she's fine with not using them. Doesn't mean she doesn't practice, though. She does see something cute in her creations.
SUPPORTING CAST:
Joseph Ripole:
Minnie's father, a kind and aging soul, ever-grieving for the loss of his wife but dipping in such immense joy for the life of his daughter. Despite a Hype incident causing Martha's death, he strives not to harbour resentment or hatred, and his efforts towards tolerance were only bolstered by his daughter's public entrance into the Homo Virium species. Joe Ripole is a simple man with a simple job, but he is warm, open-minded, and enjoys a cold can of beer after a hard day's work.
Martha Ripole:
Minnie's mother, sadly torn from the world after being caught in a pile-up that was caused by an unfortunate Hype incident. Her death left an irreparable hole in the lives of Minnie and Joseph, but neither allowed their grief to consume them; Joseph allowed his love of his daughter to save him, while Minnie herself became the maternal figure she would have otherwise missed.
Rudy Foster:
Drummer of Calling Jupiter, Minnie's post-high school punk band. Tall, strong, and well aware of both, he was nonetheless friendly, and almost gentle, if a tad clumsy. He drinks a lot but rarely feels it, and smokes a lot and always feels it. He's been a good confidant to Minnie, although there are some secrets she likes to keep.
Henry Jones:
Guitarist of Calling Jupiter. An arrogant, short-tempered man, but with an absorbing confidence and an aura of fun that made him engaging and approachable. He was Minnie's go-to-guy for a good time, and often the life of what little 'after-party' there was after a Calling Jupiter pseudo-gig - but his illusion was brought down after his romantic intentions upon Minnie were ultimately rejected, and he sought to force his desires upon her. Fortunately for Minnie and Earth at large, her Hype status awakened, and Henry was soon de-throated by a monstrous was-dog. He was Minnie's traumatic entry into her true heritage, and the nightmarish beginning of her new life.
Poggles:
A pug assigned to Minnie after her initial arrival at PRCU as a therapy dog during her follow-up treatment after being targeted in an attempted rape. Greatly adored by Minnie, he soon seized a fast loyalty to her, helped no end by multiple inducements and psychic connections due to Minnie's innate abilities. Despite her therapy being two years behind her, Poggles remains distinctly Minnie's dog, and stands steadfast beside her, protecting her, comforting her, and becoming a vicious, six-legged, many-fanged monster when Minnie needs slight more protection.
| NAME: |
Taro, Child of Ash
| ALIAS(ES): |
N/A
| PLACE OF BIRTH: |
Planet VJDE-4J54-JH, Sector 37D
| SPECIES: |
Martrax
| D.O.B.: |
Summer
| AGE: |
Five Cycles
| SEX: |
Male
| APPEARANCE: |
Taro is a young Martrax in the prime state of his lifespan, a lean and ruthless predator. Taro, like all Martrax, is a quadruped, walking on four legs. His biology is similar to that of Earth felines, although much larger (reaching over six feet in length) and with distinct fur - short-haired, but light gray with a silver sheen, with a longer, darker mane. However, a Martrax's most distinctive feature is their tail - segmented, carapaced, and highly mobile, it ends in a vicious stinger.
| ABILITIES: |
Taro possesses two extraordinary attributes that, while standard to his species, allow him to become something far greater than a simple feline predator on the strange planet of Earth - his psychic abilities, and his tail.
Taro's psychic abilities arise from his race's method of communication between both each other and themselves and other species. Incapable of verbal communication beyond basic, animalistic sounds, Martraxi instead 'talk' via implanting images, emotions, and intents into the minds of others, their 'speech' often abstract in nature but clear in message. This psychic is, by default, 'always-on', allowing quick response to threats to the pack or to a pack-member in danger - but on Earth, it allows Taro to feel the mind-states of those around him, allowing him to pinpoint those in trouble, those looking to cause trouble, and feel out the current emotional state of his surroundings.
Taro is also able to emit a powerful psychic 'shout'. Due to the innate lack of psychic talent in the average Homo Sapien, the human brain has not needed to learn the necessary abilities to filter, or outright block, psychic signals and messages in order to protect the psyche. Taro can use his own natural psychic nature to take advantage of this by emitting a sudden burst of a particular emotion or feeling, causing this broadcast to overwhelm any humans in the area and override their current mind-state for a few minutes.
Taro's tail, meanwhile, is strictly physical, and strictly offensive. Tough, strong, and mobile, it makes for a hefty club, and its stinger tip allows for many laceration- and/or impaling-related injuries to be suffered upon his opponents when Taro finds himself in the midst of combat - however, the stinger is also loaded with a potent, naturally-produced toxin that, upon injection, can cause severe paralysis and an intense, burning pain within minutes, if not seconds.
| SKILLS: |
Taro's own notable skills are, foremost, his talents for hunting, tracking, and surviving, as well as his physical aptitude - all necessities learnt during his years as part of his pack. A natural predator, Taro possesses keen hearing and night-vision (a result of eons of Martrax adaptation to their planet's long nights), as well as a considerable sense of smell. He's also brimming with trim, toned muscle, built for purpose and practicality entirely. Taro is agile, and smart in combat, not afraid to swipe at weaker targets first or to wear down a tougher opponent, and he holds no anxieties about using his claws, teeth, and tail all to the best of his ability.
| LIMITATIONS: |
While Taro is naturally a deadly predator thanks to the great tuning centuries or evolution provides, he is neither perfect, nor in his natural habitat. This is most obvious in how uncomfortable Taro finds him in the colder climate of Earth - his home planet, with its twin stars, is a constant bath of heat, causing the fur of the Martraxi to grow short and sleek. Earth, being further away from its sun, and having both a steady day/night cycle and more cold months than warm, is unsuited to Martrax life - and Taro finds his residence uncomfortable, his body often too cold to perform to its best standards.
Further unsuited to Taro's biology is Earth's own atmosphere - thinner in oxygen than his homeworld, Taro's muscles are partially starved of oxygen, putting his body under unusual strain to keep up in performance. As a result, Taro's strength and stamina are not true to their proper potential.
| WEAKNESSES: |
Taro's most potent enemy in his new life on planet Earth is, right now, the terrestrial microbial life - bacteria, viruses, fungi; anything alive that can enter Taro's bloodstream poses a major threat as his immune system encounters a completely new and completely alien attacker, with no existing way to defend itself - after Taro's first meal on Earth, he spent the next day weak and vomiting as his body rejected the foreign substances that naturally resided within the meat he'd consumed. Taro's body is slowly building resistances and creating antibodies, but right now, any microbes can cause serious illness.
Additionally, Taro's psychic abilities do not offer him solely boons - whilst a Human does not naturally possess any psychic powers and therefore no refinement or control of their incoming signals, they have also never had to refine their broadcasts, and as a result, are 'always-on' to Taro, who, still not familiar enough with this new pattern of psychic brain-waves, is unable to successfully and completely block them from his own mind. While this is manageable in a situation where numbers remain low or distance remains high, Taro can still be overwhelmed, causing a 'short' in his own psychic abilities, a debilitating migraine, and robbing him of his ability to focus on anything but ridding his mind of the invading signals.| ABILITIES: |
Taro possesses two extraordinary attributes that, while standard to his species, allow him to become something far greater than a simple feline predator on the strange planet of Earth - his psychic abilities, and his tail.
Taro's psychic abilities arise from his race's method of communication between both each other and themselves and other species. Incapable of verbal communication beyond basic, animalistic sounds, Martraxi instead 'talk' via implanting images, emotions, and intents into the minds of others, their 'speech' often abstract in nature but clear in message. This psychic is, by default, 'always-on', allowing quick response to threats to the pack or to a pack-member in danger - but on Earth, it allows Taro to feel the mind-states of those around him, allowing him to pinpoint those in trouble, those looking to cause trouble, and feel out the current emotional state of his surroundings.
Taro is also able to emit a powerful psychic 'shout'. Due to the innate lack of psychic talent in the average Homo Sapien, the human brain has not needed to learn the necessary abilities to filter, or outright block, psychic signals and messages in order to protect the psyche. Taro can use his own natural psychic nature to take advantage of this by emitting a sudden burst of a particular emotion or feeling, causing this broadcast to overwhelm any humans in the area and override their current mind-state for a few minutes.
Taro's tail, meanwhile, is strictly physical, and strictly offensive. Tough, strong, and mobile, it makes for a hefty club, and its stinger tip allows for many laceration- and/or impaling-related injuries to be suffered upon his opponents when Taro finds himself in the midst of combat - however, the stinger is also loaded with a potent, naturally-produced toxin that, upon injection, can cause severe paralysis and an intense, burning pain within minutes, if not seconds.
| SKILLS: |
Taro's own notable skills are, foremost, his talents for hunting, tracking, and surviving, as well as his physical aptitude - all necessities learnt during his years as part of his pack. A natural predator, Taro possesses keen hearing and night-vision (a result of eons of Martrax adaptation to their planet's long nights), as well as a considerable sense of smell. He's also brimming with trim, toned muscle, built for purpose and practicality entirely. Taro is agile, and smart in combat, not afraid to swipe at weaker targets first or to wear down a tougher opponent, and he holds no anxieties about using his claws, teeth, and tail all to the best of his ability.
| LIMITATIONS: |
While Taro is naturally a deadly predator thanks to the great tuning centuries or evolution provides, he is neither perfect, nor in his natural habitat. This is most obvious in how uncomfortable Taro finds him in the colder climate of Earth - his home planet, with its twin stars, is a constant bath of heat, causing the fur of the Martraxi to grow short and sleek. Earth, being further away from its sun, and having both a steady day/night cycle and more cold months than warm, is unsuited to Martrax life - and Taro finds his residence uncomfortable, his body often too cold to perform to its best standards.
Further unsuited to Taro's biology is Earth's own atmosphere - thinner in oxygen than his homeworld, Taro's muscles are partially starved of oxygen, putting his body under unusual strain to keep up in performance. As a result, Taro's strength and stamina are not true to their proper potential.
| WEAKNESSES: |
Taro's most potent enemy in his new life on planet Earth is, right now, the terrestrial microbial life - bacteria, viruses, fungi; anything alive that can enter Taro's bloodstream poses a major threat as his immune system encounters a completely new and completely alien attacker, with no existing way to defend itself - after Taro's first meal on Earth, he spent the next day weak and vomiting as his body rejected the foreign substances that naturally resided within the meat he'd consumed. Taro's body is slowly building resistances and creating antibodies, but right now, any microbes can cause serious illness.
Additionally, Taro's psychic abilities do not offer him solely boons - whilst a Human does not naturally possess any psychic powers and therefore no refinement or control of their incoming signals, they have also never had to refine their broadcasts, and as a result, are 'always-on' to Taro, who, still not familiar enough with this new pattern of psychic brain-waves, is unable to successfully and completely block them from his own mind. While this is manageable in a situation where numbers remain low or distance remains high, Taro can still be overwhelmed, causing a 'short' in his own psychic abilities, a debilitating migraine, and robbing him of his ability to focus on anything but ridding his mind of the invading signals.
| WEAPONS: |
While Taro possesses no objects, his tail, teeth, and claws make ample weapons enough to allow him to hold his own in any close-quarters situation he cares to picture.
| TOOLS: |
N/A
| ATTIRE: |
Taro wears the fur he grows and nothing else - although, with the colder climate of Earth, he is beginning to understand the need for the various odd coverings Humans tend to throw over their bodies.
| BACKSTORY: |
Taro was born as the Summer of his planet began its terrible peak, and the first leaves of the treetops began to catch the fire of the twin suns; Taro's first memory, clear in his mind, was that of great flames bursting from the branches of the trees around him and above him, his mother seizing him by his scruff in her jaw, his parents rushing towards the caves where the rest of their pack waited, the caves that would offer shelter from the fire that would soon engulf their world. The light was great, and the heat intense, but the caves held cooler air and soft shadows, and it was in those caves that Taro grew, suckling at his mother as the pack hibernated, surviving another summer cycle.
When his pack emerged, Taro was a young cub, a mewling infant no longer, instead growing larger and stronger, with the energy and rambunctious nature of a mischievous child. His first sight of his planet was that of an ash desert, the burnt remains of the jungle he was born in, vast swathes of speckled grays with shrubs and weeds still surviving, seeds from the great trees destroyed beginning to sprout and begin a new cycle. Taro was entranced, and in his play he stained his fur the colour of the ash; as he grew, his fur eventually mellowed from its newborn brown into the gray of how his planet had welcomed him, and thus Taro was dubbed a Child of Ash, like his father before him.
~
Taro aged for three cycles before the first sign of his Martrax maturity began to manifest - his tail's first secretions. A Martrax was never born with their venom, and only a rare few with a stinger at all; most had their barbs form as they tail grew, the chitinous carapace forming the distinctive wicked point as a Martrax reached two or three cycles, and only then would the glands, growing along with the cub, begin to manufacture the venom that would become their most potent weapon. Taro was excited when his secretions began, eager to enter the new phase of his life and become a true member of his pack - and his pack wasted no time in putting the newly mature Martrax to use.
Taro was quickly taught how to hunt; how to find prey and select a target, how to stalk the potential meal, how to get so close that you could hear its heartbeat, and how to remain so invisible that you wore the dark on your fur - and it was then and only then that Taro was taught how to strike. A silent whip, the slight sound of puncture and a whimper from the prey and then the toxin took hold, seizing up the meal's joints and stopping their heart, and then Taro would pounce and tear out the throat, blood dripping from his maw. His first kill was eaten heartily, sampled by the Alpha as per Martrax mandate, and only then shared with the rest of the pack.
~
At four cycles, Taro did something no Martrax at his young age had ever done: he challenged his Alpha.
Bovay, Child of Fire, was an aging Martrax, old and ungraceful, alive for 26 cycles with seemingly only a few more to come; he had challenged his Alpha at ten cycles, and won a decisive victory, securing himself as new Alpha. His leadership had been fair and just, and as he aged, his decisions grew wiser and more tempered - but now Bovay grew too old, and his choices for his pack were becoming scattered and unnecessary. Taro saw the need for a new mind in his place, a Martrax stronger and less burdened by the decline of years, an Alpha that could lead his pack into its new generation, Taro's generation. Taro saw himself as that Alpha, and challenged Bovay.
The two fought for hours, and above them their planet's parent body floated across the sky like a watchful god. Eventually, Taro's claws found Bovay's already battered legs and Bovay yielded, surrendering the position of Alpha over to Taro. Taro was excited, but suddenly anxious; the pack waited on him, and he was now the one they looked to for guidance - and so began the rule of Taro, Child of Ash, Alpha of his pack.
His leadership was not unsatisfactory, but Taro was young, and it was plain to his pack. They did not question him, for he was Alpha, and Taro sought advice from the deposed Bovay, who told him that a firm leader was better than a liked one. Taro found this troubling, as he felt insecure in his hold as Alpha, but acted regardless - he moved his pack from their erstwhile home, setting up a new home some distance away, closer to one of his planet's coasts; while his pack was displeased with the unfamiliar territory, they were now further from a rival pack who they had been contesting hunting grounds with, and slowly Taro's pack began to realize that their new home was a positive change - with easy access to water to cool them, they could hunt longer into the Summer before delving below to hibernate in the coastal cave systems, and the oceanic life gave them a new source of food that no other pack could contest. Taro was accepted unanimously as Alpha, and all his worries of being challenged dissipated as his pack began a new, better life.
~
Then Taro was abducted. A highly-advanced species from a neighbouring system had been observing the semi-sentient Martraxi for many cycles, and Taro's recent movements had interested them: such a young Martrax challenging the Alpha, winning, and then moving his entire pack to new territory - activity like this was unheard of by those who were aware of the Martrax, and the Martraxi themselves. An amoral sect desired further study of the Martrax and their culture, and devised an awful method of research.
They waited until the peak of the next Summer, when Taro led his pack into the coastal cave systems for their hibernation, and then enacted their plot, sending a ship down to brave the fire and the heat to abduct Taro as he and his pack slept and survived. Taro was placed into a research pod and put into stasis, and the abductors watched as his pack woke after the Fire with no Alpha, no leader. At first there was chaos - the stronger, older Martraxi of the pack immediately brawling for the position, before Bovay, still alive but dangerously weak, instated himself once again. In his final act, Bovay lead the pack to another, and entreated the Alpha that Bovay's pack merged with his, explaining his circumstances, the Alpha that was missing, his pack's past and his own. The Alpha accepted, and just like that, Taro's pack, Taro's family and legacy, was gone.
~
Stasis is a peculiar state of being. The body is frozen in time but still very much alive, heart beating and blood pumping and organs functioning but nothing aging, nothing dead. The mind dreams. A Martrax doesn't dream. A Martrax rarely sleeps, staying awake for most of the period they're not hibernating, taking perhaps five or six rests a cycle. Hibernation forces a shut-down, closes off even the Martraxi psychic waves. But stasis isn't hibernation, and Taro dreamed, psychic waves still active, still searching for another Martrax to connect to, searching for companionship and comfort. Taro's mind didn't find anything, but it still felt the activity of its pack from the planet below, however faintly. Taro dreamed of his pack spilling its own blood, of the return of the past, of a great movement - and then Taro dreamed of his pack fading away into nothing, enveloped and swallowed up by another, something similar but fundamentally different.
Taro woke up.
Alarms went off immediately. Stasis was not supposed to be breached from the inside. The ship went into security mode and Taro burst from his pod, angry and frightened and confused, lashing out at those who had taken him from his family and delivered him such dark dreams.
Somewhere in the fracas the ship sustained major damage, causing an overheat and subsequent malfunction in its hyperdrive systems. The ship flung itself furiously through space, ending up in a galaxy known to its local intelligent species as the 'Milky Way'. Taro, bathed in both his blood and his assailant's, tail dripping toxin from rapid, repeated use, had little time to brace himself for the impact as the ship's engines and hyperdrive failed completely, dropping the ship directly into the atmosphere of the planet 'Earth'. The ship crashed, and Taro spent the first three days on his new home wounded and unconscious amid rubble and debris, what was left of the ship resting in a smoking crater.
~
Since Taro's destructive relocation, he's survived, hunting lesser life-forms alone, living on the side of Old Stone Mountain and avoiding being spotted by the local residents, odd two-legged creatures that he has seen in mighty abundance, and assumes to be the planet's dominant lifeform. While his lessons in early cycles about the value of silence and shadows have not gone unheeded, he has still be unable to completely escape notice - but, thankfully, he has been mistaken more than once for a similar beast that shares the territory of the mountain, and even when noticed as something rather more peculiar than the local wildlife, stories of 'manticores on the mountain' are rarely listened to.
The recent rain has interested Taro though, as has the psychic response from the mass population that lives below his mountain home. The wreckage of the ship he came in on is still there and still undiscovered, and Taro still wishes to return to his planet and restart his pack. Taro is still the Alpha, and he still holds his responsibilities.
| HOME PLANET: |
Planet VJDE-4J54-JH, Sector 37D, is home to the Martrax race, who are the 'dominant species' of the planet, but with no real structured society, they are really little more than alpha predator.
VJDE is a satellite planet, its parent body a far larger planetary mass, scorched and dead. Its most distinctive feature is its twin stars, which it orbits in a figure-of-eight pattern along with its parent body. The near-constant light has given way to thick and verdant plant-life that covers most of VJDE's landmass, which, combined with the eternal heat, creates a lush rainforest. This light is only broken twice for each complete cycle of its orbit, when VJDE reaches one of the two farthest lateral points of its path, and its parent body comes between it and its two suns, causing a planet-wide period of darkness that lasts for 4-5 months before the eclipse is broken as VJDE continues its orbit.
While dark, and the closest VJDE gets to a 'winter', the planet still remains relatively warm. This heat ramps up as VJDE reaches the first of its two 'summers', the point in its orbit where it comes between both of its suns. The sheer heat of both stars combined causes mass bushfires planet-wide that burn away most of the larger plant-life, leaving only smaller weeds, shrubs, and the seeds of the larger trees left alive. Because of the danger of the fires, and the danger of the heat itself, most of the wildlife, including the dominant Martraxi, hibernate for the summer period, burrowing underground or delving into cave systems that offer shelter from the direct sunlight and slightly cooler temperatures, re-emerging when VJDE begins to pull away from one of the suns and temperatures fall again, allowing the plants to spring back to life and flourish through the ash-desert to create new forests, beginning another cycle.
~
Martraxi are a quadrupedal feline race, similar in shape to terrestrial lions and tigers, but usually far larger, the smallest adult Martrax still reaching six feet in length and coming up to a human male's waist at least in height (from ground to foreleg shoulder). Their fur is often colourless, coming in varying shades of white, grey, and black, with long, sleek manes that are distinct in colour from the main coat.
All Martraxi have long, segmented, prehensile tails covered in a tough carapace that extends partially up the spine and back of the Martrax, which ends in a vicious stinger - sometimes split into two or three separate tips - that is loaded with a dose of highly toxic venom that can paralyze an unfortunate victim within minutes, if not seconds.
While Martraxi are not capable of speech, and any verbal communication is in the form of purrs, growls, roars, or chuffing, they are capable of psychic communication. Mostly achieved through imagery and emotion imprinted into another's mind, 'speech' in this manner is often abstract, and while there are no words 'broadcast', the intent of the message is clear. Martraxi are, by default, 'always on' to psychic communication, which allows quick response to threats or danger as well as ease of communication, but they are capable of blocking out psychic signals.
~
While intelligent, and capable of communication (both inter- and intra-species), the Martrax do not live in a 'structured' society like the Homo Sapiens of Earth, or other celestial sentient beings. Instead, they live wild in the rainforests of their planet, in pack structures similar to those of terrestrial canines, despite their feline-like biology. A Martrax pack will consist of four or five 'bloodlines', families of Martraxi that fall into line under an 'Alpha'.
An 'Alpha' is defined by power alone - male or female, a Martrax only becomes Alpha of his or her pack when they challenge and depose the current Alpha. While challenges are a serious affair, they are not common, and Alphas can rule their 'pack' for several decades until challenged, at which point they will engage in a fair fight to defend their place - however, never to the death. A challenged Alpha will fight until one party yields: if deposed, an Alpha will be respected for his or her time as leader of the pack until their death by natural causes, and will be cared for by the new Alpha; if the challenger is defeated, they will be commended for their efforts, and welcomed to challenge once more when they grow stronger. Due to the 'no-kill' nature of an Alpha challenge, Martraxi will not use their tails in this kind of combat - indeed, to kill the challenger is to be deposed by default, and to kill the Alpha is to be ostracized by the rest of the pack.
The strict rules of combat in challenging an Alpha are mostly due to the long life-span and low birth-rate of a Martrax - a Martrax is a powerful predator late into their cycles, and a pack is stronger the more members it has. If a member were to be killed every challenge, a pack's number would dwindle quickly, and be forced into extinction shortly after. Martraxi mate for life, and produce perhaps only one or two offspring in their lives. Males and females share the burden of childcare equally until the cub is capable of sustaining themselves, and as hunting for food for the pack is often regarded as as much leisure as it is necessity, those who go is often rotated each hunt.
A pack will always fall respectfully in line beneath an Alpha who has proven themselves, and an Alpha needs only do it once to remain Alpha until challenged again - however, many Alphas rule fairly, concerned with the wellbeing of the pack as a whole, as a Martrax survives only as well as his or her pack does, and challengers rarely take on an Alpha unless they are prepared to shoulder the responsibilities.
Martraxi possess 'second names' in the form of descriptors that intend to mark their belonging to a particular generation, mostly decided by the general time of their birth but also influenced by the colour of their fur - for example, a Martrax born during one of their planet's nights will often grow to have darker fur, and will be dubbed a 'Child of Dark'. These second names are as close are Martraxi get to different races within their species, and packs usually consist of one or two families all from similar generations - it is rare to find a Child of Dark residing within the same pack as a Child of Fire.
Taro, Child of Ash
| ALIAS(ES): |
N/A
| PLACE OF BIRTH: |
Planet VJDE-4J54-JH, Sector 37D
| SPECIES: |
Martrax
| D.O.B.: |
Summer
| AGE: |
Five Cycles
| SEX: |
Male
| APPEARANCE: |
Taro is a young Martrax in the prime state of his lifespan, a lean and ruthless predator. Taro, like all Martrax, is a quadruped, walking on four legs. His biology is similar to that of Earth felines, although much larger (reaching over six feet in length) and with distinct fur - short-haired, but light gray with a silver sheen, with a longer, darker mane. However, a Martrax's most distinctive feature is their tail - segmented, carapaced, and highly mobile, it ends in a vicious stinger.
| ABILITIES: |
Taro possesses two extraordinary attributes that, while standard to his species, allow him to become something far greater than a simple feline predator on the strange planet of Earth - his psychic abilities, and his tail.
Taro's psychic abilities arise from his race's method of communication between both each other and themselves and other species. Incapable of verbal communication beyond basic, animalistic sounds, Martraxi instead 'talk' via implanting images, emotions, and intents into the minds of others, their 'speech' often abstract in nature but clear in message. This psychic is, by default, 'always-on', allowing quick response to threats to the pack or to a pack-member in danger - but on Earth, it allows Taro to feel the mind-states of those around him, allowing him to pinpoint those in trouble, those looking to cause trouble, and feel out the current emotional state of his surroundings.
Taro is also able to emit a powerful psychic 'shout'. Due to the innate lack of psychic talent in the average Homo Sapien, the human brain has not needed to learn the necessary abilities to filter, or outright block, psychic signals and messages in order to protect the psyche. Taro can use his own natural psychic nature to take advantage of this by emitting a sudden burst of a particular emotion or feeling, causing this broadcast to overwhelm any humans in the area and override their current mind-state for a few minutes.
Taro's tail, meanwhile, is strictly physical, and strictly offensive. Tough, strong, and mobile, it makes for a hefty club, and its stinger tip allows for many laceration- and/or impaling-related injuries to be suffered upon his opponents when Taro finds himself in the midst of combat - however, the stinger is also loaded with a potent, naturally-produced toxin that, upon injection, can cause severe paralysis and an intense, burning pain within minutes, if not seconds.
| SKILLS: |
Taro's own notable skills are, foremost, his talents for hunting, tracking, and surviving, as well as his physical aptitude - all necessities learnt during his years as part of his pack. A natural predator, Taro possesses keen hearing and night-vision (a result of eons of Martrax adaptation to their planet's long nights), as well as a considerable sense of smell. He's also brimming with trim, toned muscle, built for purpose and practicality entirely. Taro is agile, and smart in combat, not afraid to swipe at weaker targets first or to wear down a tougher opponent, and he holds no anxieties about using his claws, teeth, and tail all to the best of his ability.
| LIMITATIONS: |
While Taro is naturally a deadly predator thanks to the great tuning centuries or evolution provides, he is neither perfect, nor in his natural habitat. This is most obvious in how uncomfortable Taro finds him in the colder climate of Earth - his home planet, with its twin stars, is a constant bath of heat, causing the fur of the Martraxi to grow short and sleek. Earth, being further away from its sun, and having both a steady day/night cycle and more cold months than warm, is unsuited to Martrax life - and Taro finds his residence uncomfortable, his body often too cold to perform to its best standards.
Further unsuited to Taro's biology is Earth's own atmosphere - thinner in oxygen than his homeworld, Taro's muscles are partially starved of oxygen, putting his body under unusual strain to keep up in performance. As a result, Taro's strength and stamina are not true to their proper potential.
| WEAKNESSES: |
Taro's most potent enemy in his new life on planet Earth is, right now, the terrestrial microbial life - bacteria, viruses, fungi; anything alive that can enter Taro's bloodstream poses a major threat as his immune system encounters a completely new and completely alien attacker, with no existing way to defend itself - after Taro's first meal on Earth, he spent the next day weak and vomiting as his body rejected the foreign substances that naturally resided within the meat he'd consumed. Taro's body is slowly building resistances and creating antibodies, but right now, any microbes can cause serious illness.
Additionally, Taro's psychic abilities do not offer him solely boons - whilst a Human does not naturally possess any psychic powers and therefore no refinement or control of their incoming signals, they have also never had to refine their broadcasts, and as a result, are 'always-on' to Taro, who, still not familiar enough with this new pattern of psychic brain-waves, is unable to successfully and completely block them from his own mind. While this is manageable in a situation where numbers remain low or distance remains high, Taro can still be overwhelmed, causing a 'short' in his own psychic abilities, a debilitating migraine, and robbing him of his ability to focus on anything but ridding his mind of the invading signals.| ABILITIES: |
Taro possesses two extraordinary attributes that, while standard to his species, allow him to become something far greater than a simple feline predator on the strange planet of Earth - his psychic abilities, and his tail.
Taro's psychic abilities arise from his race's method of communication between both each other and themselves and other species. Incapable of verbal communication beyond basic, animalistic sounds, Martraxi instead 'talk' via implanting images, emotions, and intents into the minds of others, their 'speech' often abstract in nature but clear in message. This psychic is, by default, 'always-on', allowing quick response to threats to the pack or to a pack-member in danger - but on Earth, it allows Taro to feel the mind-states of those around him, allowing him to pinpoint those in trouble, those looking to cause trouble, and feel out the current emotional state of his surroundings.
Taro is also able to emit a powerful psychic 'shout'. Due to the innate lack of psychic talent in the average Homo Sapien, the human brain has not needed to learn the necessary abilities to filter, or outright block, psychic signals and messages in order to protect the psyche. Taro can use his own natural psychic nature to take advantage of this by emitting a sudden burst of a particular emotion or feeling, causing this broadcast to overwhelm any humans in the area and override their current mind-state for a few minutes.
Taro's tail, meanwhile, is strictly physical, and strictly offensive. Tough, strong, and mobile, it makes for a hefty club, and its stinger tip allows for many laceration- and/or impaling-related injuries to be suffered upon his opponents when Taro finds himself in the midst of combat - however, the stinger is also loaded with a potent, naturally-produced toxin that, upon injection, can cause severe paralysis and an intense, burning pain within minutes, if not seconds.
| SKILLS: |
Taro's own notable skills are, foremost, his talents for hunting, tracking, and surviving, as well as his physical aptitude - all necessities learnt during his years as part of his pack. A natural predator, Taro possesses keen hearing and night-vision (a result of eons of Martrax adaptation to their planet's long nights), as well as a considerable sense of smell. He's also brimming with trim, toned muscle, built for purpose and practicality entirely. Taro is agile, and smart in combat, not afraid to swipe at weaker targets first or to wear down a tougher opponent, and he holds no anxieties about using his claws, teeth, and tail all to the best of his ability.
| LIMITATIONS: |
While Taro is naturally a deadly predator thanks to the great tuning centuries or evolution provides, he is neither perfect, nor in his natural habitat. This is most obvious in how uncomfortable Taro finds him in the colder climate of Earth - his home planet, with its twin stars, is a constant bath of heat, causing the fur of the Martraxi to grow short and sleek. Earth, being further away from its sun, and having both a steady day/night cycle and more cold months than warm, is unsuited to Martrax life - and Taro finds his residence uncomfortable, his body often too cold to perform to its best standards.
Further unsuited to Taro's biology is Earth's own atmosphere - thinner in oxygen than his homeworld, Taro's muscles are partially starved of oxygen, putting his body under unusual strain to keep up in performance. As a result, Taro's strength and stamina are not true to their proper potential.
| WEAKNESSES: |
Taro's most potent enemy in his new life on planet Earth is, right now, the terrestrial microbial life - bacteria, viruses, fungi; anything alive that can enter Taro's bloodstream poses a major threat as his immune system encounters a completely new and completely alien attacker, with no existing way to defend itself - after Taro's first meal on Earth, he spent the next day weak and vomiting as his body rejected the foreign substances that naturally resided within the meat he'd consumed. Taro's body is slowly building resistances and creating antibodies, but right now, any microbes can cause serious illness.
Additionally, Taro's psychic abilities do not offer him solely boons - whilst a Human does not naturally possess any psychic powers and therefore no refinement or control of their incoming signals, they have also never had to refine their broadcasts, and as a result, are 'always-on' to Taro, who, still not familiar enough with this new pattern of psychic brain-waves, is unable to successfully and completely block them from his own mind. While this is manageable in a situation where numbers remain low or distance remains high, Taro can still be overwhelmed, causing a 'short' in his own psychic abilities, a debilitating migraine, and robbing him of his ability to focus on anything but ridding his mind of the invading signals.
| WEAPONS: |
While Taro possesses no objects, his tail, teeth, and claws make ample weapons enough to allow him to hold his own in any close-quarters situation he cares to picture.
| TOOLS: |
N/A
| ATTIRE: |
Taro wears the fur he grows and nothing else - although, with the colder climate of Earth, he is beginning to understand the need for the various odd coverings Humans tend to throw over their bodies.
| BACKSTORY: |
Taro was born as the Summer of his planet began its terrible peak, and the first leaves of the treetops began to catch the fire of the twin suns; Taro's first memory, clear in his mind, was that of great flames bursting from the branches of the trees around him and above him, his mother seizing him by his scruff in her jaw, his parents rushing towards the caves where the rest of their pack waited, the caves that would offer shelter from the fire that would soon engulf their world. The light was great, and the heat intense, but the caves held cooler air and soft shadows, and it was in those caves that Taro grew, suckling at his mother as the pack hibernated, surviving another summer cycle.
When his pack emerged, Taro was a young cub, a mewling infant no longer, instead growing larger and stronger, with the energy and rambunctious nature of a mischievous child. His first sight of his planet was that of an ash desert, the burnt remains of the jungle he was born in, vast swathes of speckled grays with shrubs and weeds still surviving, seeds from the great trees destroyed beginning to sprout and begin a new cycle. Taro was entranced, and in his play he stained his fur the colour of the ash; as he grew, his fur eventually mellowed from its newborn brown into the gray of how his planet had welcomed him, and thus Taro was dubbed a Child of Ash, like his father before him.
~
Taro aged for three cycles before the first sign of his Martrax maturity began to manifest - his tail's first secretions. A Martrax was never born with their venom, and only a rare few with a stinger at all; most had their barbs form as they tail grew, the chitinous carapace forming the distinctive wicked point as a Martrax reached two or three cycles, and only then would the glands, growing along with the cub, begin to manufacture the venom that would become their most potent weapon. Taro was excited when his secretions began, eager to enter the new phase of his life and become a true member of his pack - and his pack wasted no time in putting the newly mature Martrax to use.
Taro was quickly taught how to hunt; how to find prey and select a target, how to stalk the potential meal, how to get so close that you could hear its heartbeat, and how to remain so invisible that you wore the dark on your fur - and it was then and only then that Taro was taught how to strike. A silent whip, the slight sound of puncture and a whimper from the prey and then the toxin took hold, seizing up the meal's joints and stopping their heart, and then Taro would pounce and tear out the throat, blood dripping from his maw. His first kill was eaten heartily, sampled by the Alpha as per Martrax mandate, and only then shared with the rest of the pack.
~
At four cycles, Taro did something no Martrax at his young age had ever done: he challenged his Alpha.
Bovay, Child of Fire, was an aging Martrax, old and ungraceful, alive for 26 cycles with seemingly only a few more to come; he had challenged his Alpha at ten cycles, and won a decisive victory, securing himself as new Alpha. His leadership had been fair and just, and as he aged, his decisions grew wiser and more tempered - but now Bovay grew too old, and his choices for his pack were becoming scattered and unnecessary. Taro saw the need for a new mind in his place, a Martrax stronger and less burdened by the decline of years, an Alpha that could lead his pack into its new generation, Taro's generation. Taro saw himself as that Alpha, and challenged Bovay.
The two fought for hours, and above them their planet's parent body floated across the sky like a watchful god. Eventually, Taro's claws found Bovay's already battered legs and Bovay yielded, surrendering the position of Alpha over to Taro. Taro was excited, but suddenly anxious; the pack waited on him, and he was now the one they looked to for guidance - and so began the rule of Taro, Child of Ash, Alpha of his pack.
His leadership was not unsatisfactory, but Taro was young, and it was plain to his pack. They did not question him, for he was Alpha, and Taro sought advice from the deposed Bovay, who told him that a firm leader was better than a liked one. Taro found this troubling, as he felt insecure in his hold as Alpha, but acted regardless - he moved his pack from their erstwhile home, setting up a new home some distance away, closer to one of his planet's coasts; while his pack was displeased with the unfamiliar territory, they were now further from a rival pack who they had been contesting hunting grounds with, and slowly Taro's pack began to realize that their new home was a positive change - with easy access to water to cool them, they could hunt longer into the Summer before delving below to hibernate in the coastal cave systems, and the oceanic life gave them a new source of food that no other pack could contest. Taro was accepted unanimously as Alpha, and all his worries of being challenged dissipated as his pack began a new, better life.
~
Then Taro was abducted. A highly-advanced species from a neighbouring system had been observing the semi-sentient Martraxi for many cycles, and Taro's recent movements had interested them: such a young Martrax challenging the Alpha, winning, and then moving his entire pack to new territory - activity like this was unheard of by those who were aware of the Martrax, and the Martraxi themselves. An amoral sect desired further study of the Martrax and their culture, and devised an awful method of research.
They waited until the peak of the next Summer, when Taro led his pack into the coastal cave systems for their hibernation, and then enacted their plot, sending a ship down to brave the fire and the heat to abduct Taro as he and his pack slept and survived. Taro was placed into a research pod and put into stasis, and the abductors watched as his pack woke after the Fire with no Alpha, no leader. At first there was chaos - the stronger, older Martraxi of the pack immediately brawling for the position, before Bovay, still alive but dangerously weak, instated himself once again. In his final act, Bovay lead the pack to another, and entreated the Alpha that Bovay's pack merged with his, explaining his circumstances, the Alpha that was missing, his pack's past and his own. The Alpha accepted, and just like that, Taro's pack, Taro's family and legacy, was gone.
~
Stasis is a peculiar state of being. The body is frozen in time but still very much alive, heart beating and blood pumping and organs functioning but nothing aging, nothing dead. The mind dreams. A Martrax doesn't dream. A Martrax rarely sleeps, staying awake for most of the period they're not hibernating, taking perhaps five or six rests a cycle. Hibernation forces a shut-down, closes off even the Martraxi psychic waves. But stasis isn't hibernation, and Taro dreamed, psychic waves still active, still searching for another Martrax to connect to, searching for companionship and comfort. Taro's mind didn't find anything, but it still felt the activity of its pack from the planet below, however faintly. Taro dreamed of his pack spilling its own blood, of the return of the past, of a great movement - and then Taro dreamed of his pack fading away into nothing, enveloped and swallowed up by another, something similar but fundamentally different.
Taro woke up.
Alarms went off immediately. Stasis was not supposed to be breached from the inside. The ship went into security mode and Taro burst from his pod, angry and frightened and confused, lashing out at those who had taken him from his family and delivered him such dark dreams.
Somewhere in the fracas the ship sustained major damage, causing an overheat and subsequent malfunction in its hyperdrive systems. The ship flung itself furiously through space, ending up in a galaxy known to its local intelligent species as the 'Milky Way'. Taro, bathed in both his blood and his assailant's, tail dripping toxin from rapid, repeated use, had little time to brace himself for the impact as the ship's engines and hyperdrive failed completely, dropping the ship directly into the atmosphere of the planet 'Earth'. The ship crashed, and Taro spent the first three days on his new home wounded and unconscious amid rubble and debris, what was left of the ship resting in a smoking crater.
~
Since Taro's destructive relocation, he's survived, hunting lesser life-forms alone, living on the side of Old Stone Mountain and avoiding being spotted by the local residents, odd two-legged creatures that he has seen in mighty abundance, and assumes to be the planet's dominant lifeform. While his lessons in early cycles about the value of silence and shadows have not gone unheeded, he has still be unable to completely escape notice - but, thankfully, he has been mistaken more than once for a similar beast that shares the territory of the mountain, and even when noticed as something rather more peculiar than the local wildlife, stories of 'manticores on the mountain' are rarely listened to.
The recent rain has interested Taro though, as has the psychic response from the mass population that lives below his mountain home. The wreckage of the ship he came in on is still there and still undiscovered, and Taro still wishes to return to his planet and restart his pack. Taro is still the Alpha, and he still holds his responsibilities.
| HOME PLANET: |
Planet VJDE-4J54-JH, Sector 37D, is home to the Martrax race, who are the 'dominant species' of the planet, but with no real structured society, they are really little more than alpha predator.
VJDE is a satellite planet, its parent body a far larger planetary mass, scorched and dead. Its most distinctive feature is its twin stars, which it orbits in a figure-of-eight pattern along with its parent body. The near-constant light has given way to thick and verdant plant-life that covers most of VJDE's landmass, which, combined with the eternal heat, creates a lush rainforest. This light is only broken twice for each complete cycle of its orbit, when VJDE reaches one of the two farthest lateral points of its path, and its parent body comes between it and its two suns, causing a planet-wide period of darkness that lasts for 4-5 months before the eclipse is broken as VJDE continues its orbit.
While dark, and the closest VJDE gets to a 'winter', the planet still remains relatively warm. This heat ramps up as VJDE reaches the first of its two 'summers', the point in its orbit where it comes between both of its suns. The sheer heat of both stars combined causes mass bushfires planet-wide that burn away most of the larger plant-life, leaving only smaller weeds, shrubs, and the seeds of the larger trees left alive. Because of the danger of the fires, and the danger of the heat itself, most of the wildlife, including the dominant Martraxi, hibernate for the summer period, burrowing underground or delving into cave systems that offer shelter from the direct sunlight and slightly cooler temperatures, re-emerging when VJDE begins to pull away from one of the suns and temperatures fall again, allowing the plants to spring back to life and flourish through the ash-desert to create new forests, beginning another cycle.
~
Martraxi are a quadrupedal feline race, similar in shape to terrestrial lions and tigers, but usually far larger, the smallest adult Martrax still reaching six feet in length and coming up to a human male's waist at least in height (from ground to foreleg shoulder). Their fur is often colourless, coming in varying shades of white, grey, and black, with long, sleek manes that are distinct in colour from the main coat.
All Martraxi have long, segmented, prehensile tails covered in a tough carapace that extends partially up the spine and back of the Martrax, which ends in a vicious stinger - sometimes split into two or three separate tips - that is loaded with a dose of highly toxic venom that can paralyze an unfortunate victim within minutes, if not seconds.
While Martraxi are not capable of speech, and any verbal communication is in the form of purrs, growls, roars, or chuffing, they are capable of psychic communication. Mostly achieved through imagery and emotion imprinted into another's mind, 'speech' in this manner is often abstract, and while there are no words 'broadcast', the intent of the message is clear. Martraxi are, by default, 'always on' to psychic communication, which allows quick response to threats or danger as well as ease of communication, but they are capable of blocking out psychic signals.
~
While intelligent, and capable of communication (both inter- and intra-species), the Martrax do not live in a 'structured' society like the Homo Sapiens of Earth, or other celestial sentient beings. Instead, they live wild in the rainforests of their planet, in pack structures similar to those of terrestrial canines, despite their feline-like biology. A Martrax pack will consist of four or five 'bloodlines', families of Martraxi that fall into line under an 'Alpha'.
An 'Alpha' is defined by power alone - male or female, a Martrax only becomes Alpha of his or her pack when they challenge and depose the current Alpha. While challenges are a serious affair, they are not common, and Alphas can rule their 'pack' for several decades until challenged, at which point they will engage in a fair fight to defend their place - however, never to the death. A challenged Alpha will fight until one party yields: if deposed, an Alpha will be respected for his or her time as leader of the pack until their death by natural causes, and will be cared for by the new Alpha; if the challenger is defeated, they will be commended for their efforts, and welcomed to challenge once more when they grow stronger. Due to the 'no-kill' nature of an Alpha challenge, Martraxi will not use their tails in this kind of combat - indeed, to kill the challenger is to be deposed by default, and to kill the Alpha is to be ostracized by the rest of the pack.
The strict rules of combat in challenging an Alpha are mostly due to the long life-span and low birth-rate of a Martrax - a Martrax is a powerful predator late into their cycles, and a pack is stronger the more members it has. If a member were to be killed every challenge, a pack's number would dwindle quickly, and be forced into extinction shortly after. Martraxi mate for life, and produce perhaps only one or two offspring in their lives. Males and females share the burden of childcare equally until the cub is capable of sustaining themselves, and as hunting for food for the pack is often regarded as as much leisure as it is necessity, those who go is often rotated each hunt.
A pack will always fall respectfully in line beneath an Alpha who has proven themselves, and an Alpha needs only do it once to remain Alpha until challenged again - however, many Alphas rule fairly, concerned with the wellbeing of the pack as a whole, as a Martrax survives only as well as his or her pack does, and challengers rarely take on an Alpha unless they are prepared to shoulder the responsibilities.
Martraxi possess 'second names' in the form of descriptors that intend to mark their belonging to a particular generation, mostly decided by the general time of their birth but also influenced by the colour of their fur - for example, a Martrax born during one of their planet's nights will often grow to have darker fur, and will be dubbed a 'Child of Dark'. These second names are as close are Martraxi get to different races within their species, and packs usually consist of one or two families all from similar generations - it is rare to find a Child of Dark residing within the same pack as a Child of Fire.
| NAME: |
Rustin Wolfe
| ALIAS(ES): |
Rust; Detective Wolfe
| PLACE OF BIRTH: |
New Lillith, East City
| SPECIES: |
Homo-Sapien
| D.O.B.: |
September 12th, 1982
| AGE: |
32
| SEX: |
Male
| SEXUALITY: |
Heterosexual
| APPEARANCE: |
Often scruffy, Rust's staple clothes are cloth blazers, tight shirts, and skinny ties. He owns a coat for rough - or cold - weather, and it's been seeing a lot of use lately, but Rust dislikes the restriction of movement. His hair is wavy and unkempt, brushed up and out of his face with a grubby palm. Rust scowls a lot - an occupational hazard - and his skin is rough, collecting grime in its creases. Rust dresses pragmatic and light, with a revolver on his hip and a badge in his pocket.
| SKILLS: |
Despite Rustin's lack of 'superpowers', he does possess several notable talents that make him a valuable - if zealous - asset to the CCPD, as well as a dangerous individual. Most obvious is Rust's zeal: his sheer passion in the pursuit of justice, and the determination that allows him to succeed where many of his colleagues simply abandon a case to the cold locker. This persistence allows him to pour over what he knows and what he has in the hopes of finding something new, and more often than not, he does just that, using quick and wily intelligence to make previously unnoticed connections. In the field Rust is light on his feet and quick to analyse his surroundings, keeping himself on his toes and ready to react however is necessary - skills the city taught him through sheer necessity during his time as a beat cop.
Rust has also spent time at the HQ's range, honing his aim and learning how to remain calm and in control under pressure and in the middle of an intense situation. While he's not formally trained in any hand-to-hand combat, he is well-learned on how thugs prefer to fight, and he's thrown more than a few punches in his time on patrol.
| LIMITATIONS: |
As Rustin doesn't possess any powers, his limitations come only in the varieties that restrict him in his line of duty. While Rustin is usually unimpeded in the apprehension of the killers he pursues case-to-case, occasionally the corruption of the system he works in, or the sheer power wielded by the various gangs and crime families of Crescent City, prevents him from moving further with a particular case, or interferes with one of the many processes of criminal justice - usually preventing arrest, detainment, or sentencing.
However, there are times when the law itself gets in the way of Rustin's ability to administer due justice, and there are times when he feels his job as phantom shackles chained around his wrists - due diligence is necessary in enforcing judicial law, but more often than not, it only combines with the state of Crescent City as a corrupt institute to pervert the course of true, natural justice - and frustrates Rustin to all ends.
| WEAKNESSES: |
Rustin's notable weaknesses are best summed up as thus: he is Human, and fragile. With no supernatural endurance, no kind of precognition, no extraordinary combative talents, Rustin is as vulnerable to the common fist as any other Homo-Sapien, to say nothing of weapons, whether they be blunt, sharp, or projectile. His defenses do nothing against the criminal affairs that plague his city, and he survives in Crescent City by sheer luck and guile alone.
| WEAPONS: |
Rustin's only weapon is his force-issued firearm: an H&K USP .40 cal. While Rustin is not SWAT trained, due to his time on the HQ Range he is capable of effectively firing both a Remington Model 7615 Semi-Auto Rifle, and an M4 Carbine Automatic Rifle.
| TOOLS: |
As a plain-clothes detective, Rustin carries little in the way of police equipment or accessories - the most he keeps on his person are a pair of handcuffs attached to his belt in case of needing to make a quick and clean arrest and restraint. In terms of personal items, he only carries his wallet, which contains a few cards, his driving licence, and some cash bills, and his smartphone.
| ATTIRE: |
As a detective, Rust has plain-clothes privileges, provided he wear something appropriate. As a result, both on the job and off, Rust wears light cloth blazers with small shirts, dark ties, and pants to match, usually rumpled and unkempt. He occasionally dons a thick peacoat for warmth against the weather, but dislikes the weight of it. He has been known to wear a true suit - even a tux - for the odd rare special event, but these wild sightings are few and far between.
| BACKSTORY: |
Rustin's father, Paul Wolfe, led an unremarkable childhood. Paul's own father was a long-serving and loyal military man, and his various stations kept his family mobile and never settled; Paul and his two brothers quickly grew used to the lifestyle, and the daily regimens of life on a military base or encampment - even to civilians - quickly became ingrained in them. When the three men came of age to enlist, they did so immediately; in part to follow their father and to gain his approval, and in part because military life was all they really knew.
Paul and his brothers were all enlisted and serving in time to be stationed in Vietnam during the US occupation of the country; Paul's service in those hot jungles lasted from 1967 to 1972, during which time he fought, killed, wept, and lost both of his brothers as well as several squadmates, friends he'd forged in the fire of war and violence. He came back a shell of a man, suffering PTSD and disillusioned with the military institution as a whole, unable to shake the horrors he'd both seen and committed. Regardless, Paul still felt the desire to serve and protect, but in a way he knew was for the good of the people, rather than a way that the state only told him was good. To this end, he volunteered for an ex-soldier rehabilitation program that landed him a job as a beat cop in the Crescent City Police Force. The work was hard, and jarring to Paul - but slowly and surely, he regained control over his life.
Paul's new independence couldn't have come at a better time. A squadmate who had survived the war alongside him suddenly sied due to complications from an old war wound, and Paul attended the funeral - a sad day indeed, but a day he would always remember as the beginning of his new life, and the day he met Andrea. Andrea was the widow, and the pair bonded in their loss and their grief and comforted each other in the coming weeks and months, eventually starting a new relationship. Two years in, they married, and sold their individual estates and pooled their funds to buy a new house in East City, using the property and their new home as a chance to start afresh, free from their old lives and attachments. They were happy.
In 1983, at 35, Paul and Andrea had Rustin, a wiry child who grew quickly and displayed a keen cleverness that his father quickly picked up on. Paul guided Rustin's mind, feeding it knowledge and allowing him to devour information from any and all subjects - but also focusing on Rustin's natural guile and sharp wit, ensuring he'd be smart in more ways that academically. He involved Rustin in his work with the CCPD, encouraging Rustin to be inquisitive and molding him to follow his father into the police force; this molding worked. Rustin grew up with a strong sense of justice and right and wrong, and after graduating high school with high grades quickly joined the force at the bottom of the ladder.
Rustin quickly proved himself a capable cop, fierce in the chase and unrelenting in the apprehension and charge. He became a problem for the gangs and crime families of Crescent City, his sharpness becoming an issue as he began patrolling known centres of gang activity. In an effort to deal with the problem in a new, intelligent, non-violent manner, strings were pulled and Rustin's smarts were recognized by the higher authorities of the police department: Rustin was promoted to a plain-clothes detective and tucked away in Homicide, investigating cases where the crime families had already gone through with their business, and were able to set up a patsy to keep Rustin at bay.
Rustin continues to work as a Homicide Detective to this day, solving murders efficiently and refusing to let a case go cold, even taking unsolved folders out of the records office to pour over at home. He is perfectly aware of the why of his position; but he refuses the corrupt forces of Crescent City to tuck him out of the way of their business - and the gangs and families are well aware of how Rustin continues to be a thorn in their side. Rustin plays a dangerous game; but he is recognized, and respected, as a dangerous man - by all sides.
Rustin Wolfe
| ALIAS(ES): |
Rust; Detective Wolfe
| PLACE OF BIRTH: |
New Lillith, East City
| SPECIES: |
Homo-Sapien
| D.O.B.: |
September 12th, 1982
| AGE: |
32
| SEX: |
Male
| SEXUALITY: |
Heterosexual
| APPEARANCE: |
Often scruffy, Rust's staple clothes are cloth blazers, tight shirts, and skinny ties. He owns a coat for rough - or cold - weather, and it's been seeing a lot of use lately, but Rust dislikes the restriction of movement. His hair is wavy and unkempt, brushed up and out of his face with a grubby palm. Rust scowls a lot - an occupational hazard - and his skin is rough, collecting grime in its creases. Rust dresses pragmatic and light, with a revolver on his hip and a badge in his pocket.
| SKILLS: |
Despite Rustin's lack of 'superpowers', he does possess several notable talents that make him a valuable - if zealous - asset to the CCPD, as well as a dangerous individual. Most obvious is Rust's zeal: his sheer passion in the pursuit of justice, and the determination that allows him to succeed where many of his colleagues simply abandon a case to the cold locker. This persistence allows him to pour over what he knows and what he has in the hopes of finding something new, and more often than not, he does just that, using quick and wily intelligence to make previously unnoticed connections. In the field Rust is light on his feet and quick to analyse his surroundings, keeping himself on his toes and ready to react however is necessary - skills the city taught him through sheer necessity during his time as a beat cop.
Rust has also spent time at the HQ's range, honing his aim and learning how to remain calm and in control under pressure and in the middle of an intense situation. While he's not formally trained in any hand-to-hand combat, he is well-learned on how thugs prefer to fight, and he's thrown more than a few punches in his time on patrol.
| LIMITATIONS: |
As Rustin doesn't possess any powers, his limitations come only in the varieties that restrict him in his line of duty. While Rustin is usually unimpeded in the apprehension of the killers he pursues case-to-case, occasionally the corruption of the system he works in, or the sheer power wielded by the various gangs and crime families of Crescent City, prevents him from moving further with a particular case, or interferes with one of the many processes of criminal justice - usually preventing arrest, detainment, or sentencing.
However, there are times when the law itself gets in the way of Rustin's ability to administer due justice, and there are times when he feels his job as phantom shackles chained around his wrists - due diligence is necessary in enforcing judicial law, but more often than not, it only combines with the state of Crescent City as a corrupt institute to pervert the course of true, natural justice - and frustrates Rustin to all ends.
| WEAKNESSES: |
Rustin's notable weaknesses are best summed up as thus: he is Human, and fragile. With no supernatural endurance, no kind of precognition, no extraordinary combative talents, Rustin is as vulnerable to the common fist as any other Homo-Sapien, to say nothing of weapons, whether they be blunt, sharp, or projectile. His defenses do nothing against the criminal affairs that plague his city, and he survives in Crescent City by sheer luck and guile alone.
| WEAPONS: |
Rustin's only weapon is his force-issued firearm: an H&K USP .40 cal. While Rustin is not SWAT trained, due to his time on the HQ Range he is capable of effectively firing both a Remington Model 7615 Semi-Auto Rifle, and an M4 Carbine Automatic Rifle.
| TOOLS: |
As a plain-clothes detective, Rustin carries little in the way of police equipment or accessories - the most he keeps on his person are a pair of handcuffs attached to his belt in case of needing to make a quick and clean arrest and restraint. In terms of personal items, he only carries his wallet, which contains a few cards, his driving licence, and some cash bills, and his smartphone.
| ATTIRE: |
As a detective, Rust has plain-clothes privileges, provided he wear something appropriate. As a result, both on the job and off, Rust wears light cloth blazers with small shirts, dark ties, and pants to match, usually rumpled and unkempt. He occasionally dons a thick peacoat for warmth against the weather, but dislikes the weight of it. He has been known to wear a true suit - even a tux - for the odd rare special event, but these wild sightings are few and far between.
| BACKSTORY: |
Rustin's father, Paul Wolfe, led an unremarkable childhood. Paul's own father was a long-serving and loyal military man, and his various stations kept his family mobile and never settled; Paul and his two brothers quickly grew used to the lifestyle, and the daily regimens of life on a military base or encampment - even to civilians - quickly became ingrained in them. When the three men came of age to enlist, they did so immediately; in part to follow their father and to gain his approval, and in part because military life was all they really knew.
Paul and his brothers were all enlisted and serving in time to be stationed in Vietnam during the US occupation of the country; Paul's service in those hot jungles lasted from 1967 to 1972, during which time he fought, killed, wept, and lost both of his brothers as well as several squadmates, friends he'd forged in the fire of war and violence. He came back a shell of a man, suffering PTSD and disillusioned with the military institution as a whole, unable to shake the horrors he'd both seen and committed. Regardless, Paul still felt the desire to serve and protect, but in a way he knew was for the good of the people, rather than a way that the state only told him was good. To this end, he volunteered for an ex-soldier rehabilitation program that landed him a job as a beat cop in the Crescent City Police Force. The work was hard, and jarring to Paul - but slowly and surely, he regained control over his life.
Paul's new independence couldn't have come at a better time. A squadmate who had survived the war alongside him suddenly sied due to complications from an old war wound, and Paul attended the funeral - a sad day indeed, but a day he would always remember as the beginning of his new life, and the day he met Andrea. Andrea was the widow, and the pair bonded in their loss and their grief and comforted each other in the coming weeks and months, eventually starting a new relationship. Two years in, they married, and sold their individual estates and pooled their funds to buy a new house in East City, using the property and their new home as a chance to start afresh, free from their old lives and attachments. They were happy.
In 1983, at 35, Paul and Andrea had Rustin, a wiry child who grew quickly and displayed a keen cleverness that his father quickly picked up on. Paul guided Rustin's mind, feeding it knowledge and allowing him to devour information from any and all subjects - but also focusing on Rustin's natural guile and sharp wit, ensuring he'd be smart in more ways that academically. He involved Rustin in his work with the CCPD, encouraging Rustin to be inquisitive and molding him to follow his father into the police force; this molding worked. Rustin grew up with a strong sense of justice and right and wrong, and after graduating high school with high grades quickly joined the force at the bottom of the ladder.
Rustin quickly proved himself a capable cop, fierce in the chase and unrelenting in the apprehension and charge. He became a problem for the gangs and crime families of Crescent City, his sharpness becoming an issue as he began patrolling known centres of gang activity. In an effort to deal with the problem in a new, intelligent, non-violent manner, strings were pulled and Rustin's smarts were recognized by the higher authorities of the police department: Rustin was promoted to a plain-clothes detective and tucked away in Homicide, investigating cases where the crime families had already gone through with their business, and were able to set up a patsy to keep Rustin at bay.
Rustin continues to work as a Homicide Detective to this day, solving murders efficiently and refusing to let a case go cold, even taking unsolved folders out of the records office to pour over at home. He is perfectly aware of the why of his position; but he refuses the corrupt forces of Crescent City to tuck him out of the way of their business - and the gangs and families are well aware of how Rustin continues to be a thorn in their side. Rustin plays a dangerous game; but he is recognized, and respected, as a dangerous man - by all sides.
H E X M O T H E R
'A A V A A R K H A M' ◼ F E B R U A R Y 1 9 9 0 ( '2 9' ) ◼ 'F E M A L E'
▼ A P P E A R A N C E:
//STATS:
//DESCRIPTION:
◼ HEIGHT | 5'6
◼ WEIGHT | 110lb
◼ BUILD | Lean
◼ HAIR COLOR | Black
◼ EYE COLOR | Black
◼ WEIGHT | 110lb
◼ BUILD | Lean
◼ HAIR COLOR | Black
◼ EYE COLOR | Black
//DESCRIPTION:
A short, yet slender, woman, Aava's otherwise traditionally attractive features - cheekbones, jawline, strong eyebrows, and piercing eyes - are marred by the cumulative result of several years of globetrotting and intense research and study into magic, and the mysterious, seemingly-alive force that seems to govern it. Her eyes are vicious and otherworldly, her gaze hinting at deep, forbidden knowledge; her brow and cheek sport large, jagged scars, received from those who could not bear witches; her head is sheared, and the hair that remains pulled tight and back, occasionally sporting streaks of colour.
While her frame has no heavy musculature to boast of, her skin tells stories of its own; several clean patches are burnt, or pulse dark grays and purples beneath the surface - other, larger portions, such as her right arm, left hand, or her scalp, have had flesh ritualistically scored and carved out into runic patterns and channels. To the uninitiated, Aava tells of her time with forgotten tribes, and the lengths she went to in the name of trust and respect; to the wiser, she need not tell any tales at all. All together, Aava seems older than her years, scarred and beaten, and unappealing.
Generally, she wears practical, robust clothing; tough jeans, long-lived boots, and a form-fitting top that won't restrict movement; on top of any ensemble, she wears her jacket, a brown aviator-style with a warm, fur-lined collar. She carries many beads and amulets upon her person, some around her neck, others attached to her belt or her satchel. Occasionally, she wears fingerless gloves, though these can often stifle her runes and inhibit her magic.
While her frame has no heavy musculature to boast of, her skin tells stories of its own; several clean patches are burnt, or pulse dark grays and purples beneath the surface - other, larger portions, such as her right arm, left hand, or her scalp, have had flesh ritualistically scored and carved out into runic patterns and channels. To the uninitiated, Aava tells of her time with forgotten tribes, and the lengths she went to in the name of trust and respect; to the wiser, she need not tell any tales at all. All together, Aava seems older than her years, scarred and beaten, and unappealing.
Generally, she wears practical, robust clothing; tough jeans, long-lived boots, and a form-fitting top that won't restrict movement; on top of any ensemble, she wears her jacket, a brown aviator-style with a warm, fur-lined collar. She carries many beads and amulets upon her person, some around her neck, others attached to her belt or her satchel. Occasionally, she wears fingerless gloves, though these can often stifle her runes and inhibit her magic.
▼ B I O G R A P H Y:
Aava was born into a bloodline with a long history of involvement with magic, although her family had not practiced in many generations, and indeed this aspect of their line had been forgotten. However, this failed to deter Aava from breaking the pattern of ignorance later on in her adolescence.
Aava spent the first three years of her life with her mother and father, until her mother died and her father disappeared; beyond that, she grew in the care of her grandpa, who treated her strict but fair, and loved her all the same. It was not until Aava turned twelve that she was told of the ultimate fates of her parents, and it was a year later, as she grew steadily more curious about the circumstances of her father's disappearance, when her father died, and she felt this loss through some as-yet unknowable force; she began to research her family history, and finally learned of the latent power than pulsed through her veins, dating back in her bloodlines to centuries past. It was 14 when she began her research into magic, and her practice of magic, in earnest, and while she made slow progress, it was progress nonetheless - power her family had forgotten, awoken by one inquisitive mind.
For four years, Aava read, studied, and researched, going through the motions of education and home-life as she began to see the worries of those around her as mere petty nonsense, the routines of school and work as a mortal grind that was slowly growing more and more beneath her. She left the educational institution at eighteen, and left home, beginning her long journey around the globe in search of deeper knowledge and greater power.
In the decade of absence, Aava hardly missed her city, her home; instead, she crawled across ancient ruins seeking scrolls and runic tablets, delved into forgotten tombs in search of answers and further questions. She deepened her expanse of knowledge and understanding of Magic, and used this knowledge to enhance her power, practicing the manipulation and starting to learn how to cast spells in earnest, weaving power about her person to destroy, create, bolster...but her progress, while far more rapid than anyone could hope, due to the latent attunement in her bloodline, was still unsatisfactory for the dreams and desires Aava held within her. She sought shortcuts, cheats, ways to enhance her wielding while skipping the years of practice necessary to naturally weave magic about her person; it was an old, unknown pyramid-like structure deep within a thick, humid jungle that gave her the answers she sought. Ancient carvings of great leaders and powerful mages, all with skin intricately hewn and scored...runes and incantations etched into the own flesh of mages. A powerful ritual, one that Aava had uncovered. She studied the carvings for days, sketching their designs, their patterns. She scoured the ruins for a powerful relic she knew to be there - and when she found it, an old, vicious knife, carved from obsidian crystal and as sharp as the day it was forged, she made her own carvings.
Not long after that, Aava stumbled out of the jungle, leaving death and smoke and annihilation behind her. She had lost time after the ritual, and she smelt death on her. Now, she traveled across the world to learn of control, not freedom, to flee, not to learn.
In the tenth year of her leave, she felt that old force once more; this time, her grandpa.
It was time to return home.
Aava spent the first three years of her life with her mother and father, until her mother died and her father disappeared; beyond that, she grew in the care of her grandpa, who treated her strict but fair, and loved her all the same. It was not until Aava turned twelve that she was told of the ultimate fates of her parents, and it was a year later, as she grew steadily more curious about the circumstances of her father's disappearance, when her father died, and she felt this loss through some as-yet unknowable force; she began to research her family history, and finally learned of the latent power than pulsed through her veins, dating back in her bloodlines to centuries past. It was 14 when she began her research into magic, and her practice of magic, in earnest, and while she made slow progress, it was progress nonetheless - power her family had forgotten, awoken by one inquisitive mind.
For four years, Aava read, studied, and researched, going through the motions of education and home-life as she began to see the worries of those around her as mere petty nonsense, the routines of school and work as a mortal grind that was slowly growing more and more beneath her. She left the educational institution at eighteen, and left home, beginning her long journey around the globe in search of deeper knowledge and greater power.
In the decade of absence, Aava hardly missed her city, her home; instead, she crawled across ancient ruins seeking scrolls and runic tablets, delved into forgotten tombs in search of answers and further questions. She deepened her expanse of knowledge and understanding of Magic, and used this knowledge to enhance her power, practicing the manipulation and starting to learn how to cast spells in earnest, weaving power about her person to destroy, create, bolster...but her progress, while far more rapid than anyone could hope, due to the latent attunement in her bloodline, was still unsatisfactory for the dreams and desires Aava held within her. She sought shortcuts, cheats, ways to enhance her wielding while skipping the years of practice necessary to naturally weave magic about her person; it was an old, unknown pyramid-like structure deep within a thick, humid jungle that gave her the answers she sought. Ancient carvings of great leaders and powerful mages, all with skin intricately hewn and scored...runes and incantations etched into the own flesh of mages. A powerful ritual, one that Aava had uncovered. She studied the carvings for days, sketching their designs, their patterns. She scoured the ruins for a powerful relic she knew to be there - and when she found it, an old, vicious knife, carved from obsidian crystal and as sharp as the day it was forged, she made her own carvings.
Not long after that, Aava stumbled out of the jungle, leaving death and smoke and annihilation behind her. She had lost time after the ritual, and she smelt death on her. Now, she traveled across the world to learn of control, not freedom, to flee, not to learn.
In the tenth year of her leave, she felt that old force once more; this time, her grandpa.
It was time to return home.
▼ A B I L I T I E S / S K I L L S:
//ABILITIES:
//SKILLS:
//LIMITATIONS:
//WEAKNESSES:
◼ MAGE | Aava's bloodline has always been 'comfortable' with Magic, the mysterious mystical force that flows through all space. Because of this, she has been able to harness that power with more ease than most, and she is a natural mage.
However, displeased with the slow speed of her progression, Aava took it upon herself to research and enact 'artificial' ways of enhancing her power and her magical abilities; to this end, she has carved - both physically and magically - runic patterns and channels into her very skin, allowing her own flesh to be used as a conduit for magic to flow through, making it easier to manipulate and allowing her to cast spells beyond her training.
Naturally, she is a mere apprentice of magicry, and her power is capable of simple elemental destruction, as well as some spells of protection and healing; however, her channels elevate her power to near-mastery, bolstering her destructive magic while offering greater wards, the magic to soothe wounds, and transfiguration, able to turn one material into another, or disguise her form.
Since the carving of her flesh, Aava has found that there are periods where magic seizes her without her beckoning, and seats itself deep within her skin; at times like these, she must exert immense focus and control, lest it take her mind and turn her into a true conduit, the magic manipulating her in order to flow free and raw. This has only happened once before; Aava became a naked, featureless doll, wreathed in black flame, her channels exuding a dark aura, her eyes two glowing pits. She massacred a village and became a portal for dark creatures. She has not lost control since.
However, displeased with the slow speed of her progression, Aava took it upon herself to research and enact 'artificial' ways of enhancing her power and her magical abilities; to this end, she has carved - both physically and magically - runic patterns and channels into her very skin, allowing her own flesh to be used as a conduit for magic to flow through, making it easier to manipulate and allowing her to cast spells beyond her training.
Naturally, she is a mere apprentice of magicry, and her power is capable of simple elemental destruction, as well as some spells of protection and healing; however, her channels elevate her power to near-mastery, bolstering her destructive magic while offering greater wards, the magic to soothe wounds, and transfiguration, able to turn one material into another, or disguise her form.
Since the carving of her flesh, Aava has found that there are periods where magic seizes her without her beckoning, and seats itself deep within her skin; at times like these, she must exert immense focus and control, lest it take her mind and turn her into a true conduit, the magic manipulating her in order to flow free and raw. This has only happened once before; Aava became a naked, featureless doll, wreathed in black flame, her channels exuding a dark aura, her eyes two glowing pits. She massacred a village and became a portal for dark creatures. She has not lost control since.
//SKILLS:
◼ CUNNING AND FAST | While not strong, Aava is quick, and capable of turning an attack away from herself before creating space to run or unleash her own magical offense.
◼ RUIN RAIDER | Aava is a capable runner and climber, able to scale ruins and gain entry to ancient castles, and is also practiced in parkour.
◼ SCHOLAR MAGE | Aava's research has left her well-versed in occult history and mankind's knowledge of magic, and she has a great understanding of Man's hidden history with mages and other practitioners.
◼ THE STOIC | As a requirement of the proper harnessing of her magic, as well as controlling the magic when it seeks to harness her, Aava is able to exert great control over her emotions, remaining balanced, calm, and logical nearly all of the time.
◼ SURVIVAL INSTINCT | Aava's time in places best left uncovered has instilled a survival sense in her - she can keep herself fed, watered, and rested, and almost intuitively senses when something is not to be found, or if she needs to leave immediately.
//LIMITATIONS:
◼ TROUBLED MIND | Aava's channeling of magic requires focus and intense calm; a flare of emotion, in whatever form, alters her psyche and the magic she wishes to use, twisting its power in whatever way her emotions dictate. Therefore, to use her spells to their best effect, she must remain calm and grounded at all time, and avoid distractions and outside influences - something easier said than done. A troubled or panicked mind can simply fail to cast.
◼ DISPEL MAGIC (3RD LEVEL SPELL) | Anything that inhibits magic, or the casting of spells, also inhibits Aava's power, and forces her to either flee, or become more creative in engineering a solution.
//WEAKNESSES:
◼ OPEN CONDUIT | While Aava's prowess has been enhanced by her channels, she has also opened herself up to magic, and anything else that influences it; as such, if another, stronger mage - or someone in possession of a powerful relic - were inclined, and able, they could infuse her channels with their own power, and essentially enslave Aava; not in mind, but in body.
◼ HALF-MAGIC | Having turned herself into a conduit of sorts, Aava has also put herself at a greater disadvantage to that which dispels or attacks magic; such anti-magic offense not only cancels out her casting, but can also disorient, destabilize, or even damage Aava herself. Aava has no 'off' state, and is always 'communicating' with magic even on a base level. This communication is also 'two-way' - should she lose control of herself, or of the magic flowing through her, then she faces the risk of being overwhelmed by magic, becoming a puppet of raw magic, with goals, powers, and a mind-state alien to what she knows of Mankind.
◼ WALKING EMP | The magic that flows naturally through Aava's channels creates a near-constant low aura. While this has little effect on people and animals, unless they are magic-sensitive themselves, she has a lot of trouble with electronics and other such devices.
M A T T H E W M U R D O C K ◼ 0 7 A U G U S T 1 9 9 2 ( 2 5 ) ◼ M A L E
"How do you know the Devil and the Angel inside me aren't the same thing?"
▼ A P P E A R A N C E:
//STATS:
◼ HEIGHT | 5'11
◼ WEIGHT | 190lbs
◼ BUILD | Muscular; Boxing Middleweight
◼ HAIR COLOR | Dark Auburn
◼ EYE COLOR | Clouded
◼ WEIGHT | 190lbs
◼ BUILD | Muscular; Boxing Middleweight
◼ HAIR COLOR | Dark Auburn
◼ EYE COLOR | Clouded
▼ B I O G R A P H Y:
"There are time when the law...isn't enough."
Born to a nameless mother, Matthew grew up with his father, Jack Murdoch, a semi-pro underground boxer for Hell's Kitchen and its underbelly. Jack had a penchant for getting back up off the mat despite however many broken bones he'd picked up, and this trait seemed to pass to Matthew, who would treasure it in later years; for most of his childhood, however, Jack tried to keep his only family hidden from the violence that plagued the downtrodden Manhattan neighborhood and instead directed Matthew's attentions to his studies, making sure he kept up in school until Matthew started to excel by himself. Jack was proud that such a bright child could be called his, and he foresaw an escape from Hell's Kitchen for his son - an escape that would not find Matthew; at nine years old, Hell's Kitchen put in its claim to the child. A traffic accident and a courageous, reckless act, caused a truck hauling chemical waste and toxic run-off to crash and overturn, spilling its cargo across the road and onto several bystanders - including Matthew. Caught in the spill, the chemicals burnt his eyes irrevocably. Jack and Matthew's lives changed forever - Matthew bound to the abilities that would reveal themselves over the next few months and years, and Jack bound to dealing with a disabled son who displayed abnormal reflexes and sensory overload.
Matthew spent his formative years learning his new place in the world, refining the senses he had left and continuing his studies. Jack continued boxing, losing and winning when the local mob told him to, until eventually - as he realized Matthew's abilities and intelligence were beginning to pull him to greater things - he took a final stand, winning an against-all-odds boxing match in Round 9 against 'Crusher' Creel, despite being instructed to stay down in the fourth. Jack Murdock never made it home. Matthew fled Hell's Kitchen the same night, cursing the criminals that had shaped his life and ended his father's. He found refuge in an nun's orphanage for a time, until his abilities took the notice of a blind man who called himself 'Stick'; Matthew left with Stick to train his mind, senses, and body, and he never (figuratively) looked back.
Many years later, Matthew returned to Manhattan to pick up where he had left off in his education; securing a place at Columbia, where he met Foggy Nelson, and going on to secure a Summa Cum Laude Law Degree from Harvard Law, with Foggy attaining a Cum Laude Law Degree alongside him. Taking a cue from Harvey Dent, an admired peer Murdock had met at university, Murdock moved back to Hell's Kitchen with Foggy to become New York's newest ADA, a high profile judiciary position that gave Murdock quick access to the information he needed to start cleaning up his home. However, Matthew soon found that courtroom law was far from the 'justice' he sought for the people of Hell's Kitchen. At first, it was those in his immediate vicinity; a blindfold and dark clothes for the domestic abuser in the next building over, the cop taking bribes from the local dealer to keep him operating on student corners. Beyond that, Matthew moved his scope to the broader picture, donning padded athletic wear and a more stylized 'mask' to take on gambling rings and amateur human trafficking. Soon enough, Matthew saw too much in court to stand by without action any longer. It was time for the suit, to combat the massive crime organisation that underpinned the criminal everyday of Hell's Kitchen.
It was time for Kingpin. It was time for Daredevil.
Matthew spent his formative years learning his new place in the world, refining the senses he had left and continuing his studies. Jack continued boxing, losing and winning when the local mob told him to, until eventually - as he realized Matthew's abilities and intelligence were beginning to pull him to greater things - he took a final stand, winning an against-all-odds boxing match in Round 9 against 'Crusher' Creel, despite being instructed to stay down in the fourth. Jack Murdock never made it home. Matthew fled Hell's Kitchen the same night, cursing the criminals that had shaped his life and ended his father's. He found refuge in an nun's orphanage for a time, until his abilities took the notice of a blind man who called himself 'Stick'; Matthew left with Stick to train his mind, senses, and body, and he never (figuratively) looked back.
Many years later, Matthew returned to Manhattan to pick up where he had left off in his education; securing a place at Columbia, where he met Foggy Nelson, and going on to secure a Summa Cum Laude Law Degree from Harvard Law, with Foggy attaining a Cum Laude Law Degree alongside him. Taking a cue from Harvey Dent, an admired peer Murdock had met at university, Murdock moved back to Hell's Kitchen with Foggy to become New York's newest ADA, a high profile judiciary position that gave Murdock quick access to the information he needed to start cleaning up his home. However, Matthew soon found that courtroom law was far from the 'justice' he sought for the people of Hell's Kitchen. At first, it was those in his immediate vicinity; a blindfold and dark clothes for the domestic abuser in the next building over, the cop taking bribes from the local dealer to keep him operating on student corners. Beyond that, Matthew moved his scope to the broader picture, donning padded athletic wear and a more stylized 'mask' to take on gambling rings and amateur human trafficking. Soon enough, Matthew saw too much in court to stand by without action any longer. It was time for the suit, to combat the massive crime organisation that underpinned the criminal everyday of Hell's Kitchen.
It was time for Kingpin. It was time for Daredevil.
▼ M O T I V A T I O N / O B J E C T I V E:
"I do not seek penance for what I have done. I seek forgiveness...for what I am doing to do."
This is a Matthew Murdock who, instead of helping bleeding hearts and the unfortunate, still has dreams of being a big city lawyer. He's high profile and works high class cases, directly taking on the mob on both his civilian guise and during the night when he dons the horns to become Daredevil. It is more important than ever to keep his dual life secret, as he becomes a bright target to the underworld on both sides of the law. Far from 'Marvel's Batman', DareDevil is a complicated, conflicted individual, with important roles on both sides of his life, and an internal struggle to stay level within himself while doling out his retribution without giving in to his darker impulses.
My Murdock is entirely obssessed with deposing Wilson 'Kingpin' Fish from his throne at the peak of New York's criminal underworld, and unbeknownst to him, this singular fixation will impart deeper risks and tragedies upon both himself and those he loves, changing everybody's lives irrevocably.
My Murdock is entirely obssessed with deposing Wilson 'Kingpin' Fish from his throne at the peak of New York's criminal underworld, and unbeknownst to him, this singular fixation will impart deeper risks and tragedies upon both himself and those he loves, changing everybody's lives irrevocably.
▼ A B I L I T I E S / S K I L L S:
"Darkness only responds to darkness."
//ABILITIES:
//SKILLS:
// SUPERHUMAN SENSORY SYSTEM After the accident that caused Matthew's blindness, his other senses began to compensate far past what was expected of them, and with Stick's later training, Matthew has honed these remaining senses into the superhuman, unlocking extraordinary abilities.
◼ SUPERHUMAN TOUCH | Matthew's sense of touch is so acute that his finger can feel the faint impressions of ink on a printed page, allowing him to read by touch. The rest of his skin is equally sensitive, enabling him to feel minute temperature and pressure changes in the atmosphere around him. Even with his senses of smell and hearing blocked, he can feel the presence of a person standing five feet away from him simply by his or her body heat and disturbance of air, which he can use to predict the movement of people nearby.
◼ SUPERHUMAN HEARING | Murdock's sense of hearing enables him to detect an acoustic pressure change of one decibel at a pressure level of seven decibels. He can hear a person's heartbeat at a distance of over twenty feet, or people whispering on the other side of a standard soundproofed wall. He is also able to focus on a particular sound, however quiet, and block all others out. Matthew's hearing also allows him to use incoming acoustic information to map out his environment in 360 degrees.
◼ SUPERHUMAN SMELL | Matthew's sense of smell is so acute that he can distinguish between identical twins at twenty feet by minute differences in smell. He can detect odors from even the smallest concentrations in the atmosphere. Furthermore, his ability to remember smells enables him to identify nearly any person by their natural odor alone, and he can use this to track a mark across a large distance, even through a crowd.
◼ SUPERHUMAN TASTE | Matthew's ability to identify and remember tastes in incredibly tiny quantities enables him to determine every ingredient of a food or drink he tastes, and even taste particular vapors in the air.
//SKILLS:
◼ PEAK PHYSICAL CONDITION | Having undergone several kinds of rigorous training across his lifetime, Matthew has achieved a human body at peak physical performance, with his strength, speed, stamina, endurance, agility, and reflexes all at the absolute upper limits of human capability.
◼ PEAK MENTAL ACUITY | Matthew is incredibly gifted, having studied hard and achieved great academic success in his civilian life, and honed that intellect into some more practical talents for his vigilantism. Skilled in detection and problem-solving, Matthew also has a fantastic working knowledge of criminology and psychology. Furthermore, Matthew is able to detach himself from emotional response when necessary, able to turn to logic and rationality and focus entirely on his goals, suppressing emotion completely.
▼ N O T E S:
//SUPPORTING CAST:
▼ FRIENDS
▼ ENEMIES
▼ FRIENDS
◼ FRANKLIN 'FOGGY' NELSON | Matthew's partner in law as Assistant District Attorney and lifetime best friend, the two met at Columbia Law and have been inseparable ever since. Foggy is Matthew's walking conscience and moral compass, always there to guide Murdock back towards the light when the Devil strays too far into the dark.
◼ KAREN PAGE | A beautiful blonde hired by Foggy to be his and Matthew's assistant, Karen is tenacious, intelligent, and a little too morally upstanding to be safe in Hell's Kitchen. She enjoys a fiery chemistry with Murdock, although he refuses to let anything come of it.
◼ ELEKTRA NATCHIOS | Matthew's girlfriend, a New York socialite with deep coffers of family money and an alluring enigmatic nature that Matt finds irresistible. The two challenge and electrify each other daily and though their relationship is difficult, they both find it fulfilling.
◼ STICK | A martial arts master with supersensory abilities even more advanced than Murdock's, he recognized Matthew's condition at the orphanage and took him away for training. He is mysterious, stoic, and guarded, but nonetheless a strong ally of Matthew.
◼ JACK 'BATTLIN' MURDOCK | Matthew's father, a semi-pro boxer in Hell's Kitchen who raised Matthew as a single father. He did well, teaching Matthew to be a kinder and better person than Jack was, and after Matthew's accident, still encouraged him to pursue his studies. Tragically, he eventually crossed the mob of Hell's Kitchen while Matthew was still young, and Matthew has been trying to do his father proud ever since.
▼ ENEMIES
◼ THE KINGPIN | The unquestioned head of nearly all organised crime in New York, with an iron grip on Murdock's neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen, and an intellect to match his physicality. Ruthless, violent, intelligent - there is no criminal in New York who would cross the Kingpin. But there is a Devil waiting to face him.
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