Torrents of heavy rain fell from the sky, drenching the dark streets of Crescent City. It was early enough in the morning that the urban center was devoid of much activity. A month's worth of downpour drove most of the city's citizens indoors. Los Paraíso’s Avenue Rogue was an exception to the rule. Business boomed for the seedier trades that infested Los Paradiso's underbelly. Predictions that the end times were coming upon them stirred up the basest desires in man, dragging out their worst qualities for all to see. It disgusted Claire. She'd seen the worst humanity had to offer in the past month. While neighborhoods were flooding and fear hung over the city like a dark cloud, gangsters were taking advantage of the chaos. They peddled drugs, looted stores and indulged themselves while the police were stretched too thin to do a damn thing about it.
'What am I even doing up here?' The young Venari huntress dejectedly wondered to herself. Water slipped down her weatherproofed outer coat as she crouched atop a roof top overlooking the street below. Claire was freezing cold. The cold wind whipped against her face, prompted Noctis to pull her scarf tighter in a vain attempt to keep somewhat warm. This wasn't the first time she had these kind of thoughts. Claire had been actively searching out Hellion activity for the past year and had only encountered a single Sigbin. The little creature had been criminally easy to beat, once she figured out it was dumber than a box of rocks. There hadn't been any legitimate monster sighting since then. Claire had to wonder if it was all really worth her time. Four years of the most intensive training she had ever undergone for...what? To sit in the rain every night, hoping that something would happen? Claire could be doing something productive. She could be at the gym, or looking for a job, or finishing her college application. But instead of moving her life forward, Miss Quinn thought her time was better served patrolling the city for scary monsters.
'This couldn't be what dad wanted for me.' Claire reasoned. 'His book made it seem like the world was going to fall apart without the Venari. I must be doing something wrong. But what?'
The woman's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of an alarm breaking the monotony of the night. She stood up from her crouched position and moved to the other side of the roof, leaning over the edge to hopefully get a look at what was happening. Sure enough, Claire was given a perfect vantage point of the situation unfolding below her. A gang of drunk thugs were throwing rocks through a store's window front. Vandalism quickly turned to theft as they climbed through the windows and started to loot the empty stores. Contempt built up in the huntress's bosom, but she remained where she was. Claire didn't like watching them steal with impunity; however, it wasn't her job to deal with it. She wasn't about to go pick a fight to help protect someone else's stuff. Calling the police was a waste of time. They wouldn't get there until these guys were long gone, and the cops didn't have time to investigate something so trivial when the city was falling to pieces elsewhere. 'Sucks to be them.' Miss Quinn thought with a shrug, preparing to return to her perch.
A loud voice calling out stopped her in her tracks. Gangsters appeared from the various alleyways, converging on the looters. Oddly enough, Claire's contempt boiled even more. The Crew was just there to protect their turf; they didn't give a damn about stopping a crime in progress. Just another reason for Noctis to hate what Crescent City was becoming. 'Maybe all the scum will end up killing each other. Wouldn't that be great?' The huntress casually leaned against the side of the roof, watching the situation devolve to violence. There was a certain morbid entertainment that came with watching scumbags beat the ever loving shit out of each other. The feeling that they deserved it made it...easier to look over the obvious moral quandary that came with enjoying violence. Combat sports had always held a visceral, primal entertainment value. From the gladiator fights of the ancient days to dog fighting and even professional mixed martial arts and boxing, man had a fascination with seeing things bleed. Claire was no different. She hadn't the smallest desire to stop them. 'It's better this way. No innocent people get hurt if these bastards are too busy hurting each other.'
Any sick joy the Venari found in the situation drained when a voice bellowed out that didn't belong. Claire's eyes darted across the battlefield, falling on a short feminine figure clad in...was that a ballistic vest? 'Oh my God.' Claire sighed. 'You have got to be kidding me.' It was one thing to watch a bunch of degenerate punks beating the snot out of one another. It was another thing entirely to watch them wail on some...judging on her size, young woman, who was way in over her head. Unless she was packing a Hype gene, that chick was committing suicide. 'Get out of there you moron. You can't do anything here.' Her internalized begging did nothing to stop the hooded figure from picking up a rock and chucking it at one of the thugs. She scored a direct hit. Congrats! Now you've killed yourself. Nice job.
It only took two hits to knock the girl down. Claire's dismay mounted, but she did not leave the edge of the roof top. 'Not my fight.' She reminded herself. The gangsters had surrounded her, and were starting to kick the wannabe vigilante while she was down. Noctis could practically feel the blows as she stood stark still, watching the beat down unfold in front of her. 'You brought this on yourself.' The Venari could feel her hands shaking. A pressure was building up in her chest, making it difficult to breathe. A powerful feeling of guilt washed over Claire. She was sitting there, watching an innocent person die...and doing nothing about it. Despite the victim's sheer stupidity, it was clear the woman was trying to do the right thing- and Claire's apathy would allow her to die for that. 'What the fuck am I doing?'
Noctis leapt from the roof of the short building before she could give it a second thought. If she remained there and watched this person die, the guilt would devour her whole. She was angry. Furious, even. But not at the lowlifes that hit and kicked and beat the poor girl. No, Claire was angry at herself. She had been willing to sit back and watch that woman and only just brought herself to do something about it. Her feet hit the asphalt with a crashed, knocking up the water that had gathered on the street thanks to the constant rain. Any normal person's legs would've been shattered on impact; Claire was a little wobbly, but her Valkyerian durability made breaking her bones a herculean task. Shadows encroached upon her muscled form, enveloping Noctis in darkness. She vanished from sight in less than a second, turning totally invisible to the human eye. Claire moved around the fight. It was an easy task to stay quiet with all the commotion going on.
Claire circled around to the hooded woman's side. She was...very surprised to find the supposed victim not only back on her feet, but the crowd of gangsters retreating to regroup. 'How the hell are you even alive, much less scaring them off?' She had to shake her confusion off. That was a question that could be asked of the stranger later. For now, there was work to be done. The shadows left Claire's form, allowing the light to once again encompass the huntress. She appeared behind the charging woman out of seemingly thin air. Noctis quickly pulled both of her pistols from the holsters on her hips. She brought them up, aiming them into the crowd of violent scumbags. 'Their lives mean nothing.' Noctis picked her targets, careful to keep a wide berth of the reckless vigilante. She took aim at center mass. Four thunderous bangs erupted, bright flashes lighting up the early morning with each consecutive shot.
Claire had always wondered what it was like to kill a man. She wouldn't have to wonder for much longer.
C L A I R E L I L Y Q U I N N ◼ 0 1 / 02 / 1 9 9 4 ( 23) ◼ F E M A L E ◼V E N A R I
"Not all monsters have fangs and claws."
▼ A P P E A R A N C E:
"Is it wrong that I find pleasure in a monster's screams?"
//STATS:
◼ HEIGHT |5'5"
◼ WEIGHT |135 pounds
◼ BUILD |Athletic, Muscular
◼ HAIR COLOR |Blonde
◼ EYE COLOR |Blue
◼ TATTOOS |Currently, the young Venari huntress possesses two tattoos. The first is Odin's Illusionary Rune, a symbol for camouflage and deception. It adorns the underside of her left wrist. The second is the Gapaldur, meaning success in combat, and it rests upon the back of her neck.
//DESCRIPTION:
Whenever anyone is asked to describe Claire's appearance in a single word, they typically answer with 'intimidating' or 'strong.' Claire has spent the last several years enduring a grueling training regime in order to turn her body into a living weapon. Under the guidance of Scribe Kletus Rex and the journal left behind by her father, Noctis has developed herself to the peak of human capability. Her upper body is bulky and solid thanks to regular boxing lessons at Invictus Gym. Claire's well defined arms and shoulders are supported by a powerful core sculpted to perfection. Upper body strength isn't all that's needed to win a fight, however, and Miss Quinn knows this well. She runs constantly to help build up her endurance and speed, allowing her to move faster for longer while patrolling the city's streets. She also takes acrobatics classes on the weekends; while she's still quite the amateur gymnast, Noctis's Vis enhanced body is still capable of incredible feats of agility when she puts her mind to it. Four years of intensive training, strict dieting and regimented physical preparation has given Claire the tools necessary to turn into the monster hunter her father had always wanted her to be.
Outside of her physique, Claire is typically described as short and pretty. The young Venari doesn't smile often, and is quite standoffish. It isn't often that anyone outside of Rex or Pierre sees the girl loosen up and enjoy herself. Her cold, passive aggressive appearance drives most people away, leaving Miss Quinn with few friends or acquaintances outside of the people that help her in her mission. Claire likes to keep her dirty blonde hair down whenever she's not working. During the hunt, however, it's better for her to have it up in a bun to keep her golden locks out of her face. In regards to clothing, Claire has a fondness for darker shades. She likes to wear a combination of jeans, a light jacket and a graphic tee on most days.
▼ B I O G R A P H Y:
"The world still needs the Venari."
Thune Quinn was a hunter with no equal. He possessed a level of skill that few men could hope to ever achieve in their life time, and the knowledge he gathered through decades of experience made him one of the most potent warriors the Venari had since the Witch trials. Quinn was born in the late sixties, and introduced to the world of the Venari by a friend of his uncle when he was thirteen years old. The old guard was long gone, wiped out hundreds of years ago by the Witch hunters that had betrayed them. But a pocket of them survived, continuing to watch over the world from the shadows. The young Thune proved to be a prodigy; he earned the respect of the council with his tenacity and drive to be the best of the best. As the years passed on and he grew into adulthood, Thune joined the ranks of the hunters and gained a reputation for his skill at arms and dedication to learning his enemies. Even with their numbers waning, Thune and his few remaining brothers in arms carried on the legacy of the Venari with pride. They remained vigilant, even in the face of the emergence of the Hyperhumans in the late 80s. There was an intense debate between the remaining Venari about how they should classify these new humans; were they to be hunted like the Draoi and the Hellions, or accepted as the next step in humanity’s growth as a species? Thune was a part of the latter camp and encouraged cooperation with the Hyperhumans. He firmly believed these superpowered beings would help reinvigorate the Venari’s fight against the darkness.
In the early nineties, Thune moved to the newly formed Crescent City and set up shop with a handful of other Venari, including his friend Kletus Rex. The place was thought to be a hub for Hellion activity, and Quinn was hell bent on eradicating the otherworldly threat in its entirety. He was in the height of his carreer when he met the gorgeous Annabethe Yukianessa, a fiery Irish woman that had immigrated to the States a few years prior. Thune was baffled by how enamored he was with her. For the first time in his life, the Venari hunter found something he’d rather do than work. The two started dating, and Thune’s performance on the field dropped significantly. He slacked in his training. He missed out on guild meetings. He even started to smile. The two were wed within a year of meeting one another. Thune elected to never speak of his ‘other’ life to his wife, believing that to do so would put her in incredible danger. In 1994, Annabethe gave birth to a baby girl they named Claire. Thune dove back into his work to earn money to provide for his new family, leaving Annabethe to raise Claire mostly on her own. He was still around and tried to help when he could, but his job took up a large portion of his time and required most of his attention.
Claire’s early life was mostly uneventful. She didn’t have too many friends, but stayed out of trouble for the most part. Her brother, Charlie, was born when she was three. Claire wasn’t ecstatic to have to share the house with a stinky brat, but there were worse things in the world than her new baby brother. Dad tended to disappear on business trips quite often, lasting anywhere from a week to a month. When he was home, Thune often vanished into his study downstairs and only came up for dinner. He was distant. Sometimes, he came off as cold. Claire sometimes wondered if the man actually loved her or her family. Life continued as normal for awhile. It was good, if a little bit boring. Everything changed in 2004. Claire was sitting in the kitchen across from her father and finishing up her schoolwork when she heard a knock on the front door. She paid it no mind at first- probably just someone coming by to visit mom. The severity of the situation only hit when she heard her mother scream. Dad was out of his chair in an instant. He told Claire to find somewhere to hide, and ordered her not to leave that spot until he came to get her. She did as she was told, finding the best hiding spot she knew. Claire would never forget the horrendous sounds that assaulted her ears as she cowered in fear, praying she wasn’t found. The thirteen year old girl had to listen while her baby brother was torn apart by a monster. She didn’t know how long she stayed there. It felt like time had stopped after everything went silent. The police eventually found Claire nearly eighteen hours later- she hadn’t made a peep the entire time.
Claire didn’t have any living relatives to go to, so she was taken in by Alice Grace, an old friend of the family. Words cannot describe how destroyed that little girl was. Fear devoured her from the inside out, eating away her innocence. It no longer felt like she was truly alive; Claire existed in a strange limbo, like floating in a dark abyss, where all hope was choked to death until nothing remained but primal terror. Every time she tried to sleep, Claire’s mind was assaulted by the screams of her dying family. Whenever she closed her eyes, all she could glimpse is what she imagined had happened to them. The dark terrified her. Putting her anywhere dark for even a second would leave Claire in a crying, anxious mess, only recovering hours later. She didn’t speak about what happened to her for two years. Any attempt to get her to open up was met by unmatched fear. She refused to speak to any therapist Grace sent her to. As the years went by and Claire floated through the remainder of her schooling, she changed. The frightened little girl was twisted into something…dark. Fear turned to anger. She became increasingly hostile to everyone around her. She got into countless brawls at school. Even the smallest slight was enough to send Claire into a violent rage. Miss Quinn’s attempt to cope with what happened to her shattered what few relationships she still had, driving everyone away with her hostility.
At the age of eighteen, she turned her rage away from those around her and toward the unknown individual that had murdered everyone she loved. She tried, at first, to see what the police knew. Her questions went unanswered by them- her case had gone cold awhile ago. The condolences they offered were a slap in the face. With the police failing her, Claire returned to the scene of the crime. The house had remained untouched for the last five years, aside from the blood being cleaned up and the bodies cremated. She tore the place apart looking for clues- even the smallest hint letting her know who or what had done it would help. She wanted to find the man that did it. She wanted closure. Her search eventually led her down to her father’s study. Claire wasn’t usually allowed down there, especially when dad wasn’t home. After rummaging through the place, she came to a disturbing conclusion: her dad didn’t actually have a job. None of the documentation she found said anything about work. The most tangible things were the travel notices and emails shared with coworkers. Yet, even those were mostly nonsense that looked like a thinly veiled attempt to cover up the fact that he didn’t actually DO anything.
Everything Claire believed about her father came into question when she accidentally stumbled upon a switch beneath his desk that opened up a hidden passageway behind the bookshelf. The passage led to a wide open room that wasn’t on the house’s floor plans. The walls were lined with weapons from across time. There were glass cases displaying strange hooded costumes, suits of armor and intricately designed medieval weapons. A massive computer with technology far ahead of its time sat at the far wall. Claire couldn’t make heads or tails of what it was all doing down there. Why did her father have a secret room filled with this stuff? Her attempts to get past the computer’s password failed, so she went about looking through the filing cabinets and drawers. That was when she discovered a leather bound journal hand written by her father. The book was addressed directly to Claire. It explained everything about her father that Claire could have possibly wondered. She learned of the Venari, and Thune’s job as a hunter. She learned of the Hellions and the Draoi that he fought against every time he left on a ‘business trip.’ She even learned of her father’s struggle with having to keep distant from his family in order to protect them from what he was doing. The journal told Claire that her father predicted his own death. It said that she’d one day have to take up the mantle and walk in his stead. The world still needed the Venari. Thune wrote that he planned to leave some kind of hint for Claire, so that she would find this book after he had passed. It seemed Claire had only stumbled upon it now out of dumb luck- or, perhaps, destiny.
The book led her to searching for the other Venari that Thune had worked with. Claire was disturbed to find that all but one of them had died since her father had fallen; all within a few years of one another. She sought out the man named Kletus Rex, eventually finding him in a small mechanic’s shop in Somerset. The old scribe tried to run her off at first. He claimed he had retired, and that the Venari were dead. Claire was wasting her time by trying to dig up what should be remained buried. The girl refused to listen. She demanded answers, and returned there every day for three weeks until eventually the old man cracked. He told her everything he knew about her father and what he had been up to. She learned of his private life in the darkness, of his shadow war against the world’s last remaining monsters. The Venari were dying off in droves, and had been in steady decline for hundreds of years. Claire shared the journal with Kletus. He didn’t seem surprised that Thune had written such a thing; his old partner had spoken at length about rebuilding the Venari and returning them to their glory days. He laughed when Claire said she wanted to become a hunter just like her dad. It was a ridiculous notion.
Only, Miss Quinn never let it drop. She fought tooth and nail to convince the man to train her. Rex broke down once more and decided to go through with it. Using the vast knowledge the master hunter had left behind for his daughter, Kletus began educating the girl. She started her physical training at Invictus Gym. With the help of the gym’s owner, ex Golden Gloves champion Jean Pierre and renowned amateur boxing coach, Claire turned herself into a living weapon. She spent the next four years rigorously studying the Venari’s hunting methods, and rebuilding her body from the ground up for the purposes of combat. Her drive was incredible. Both Kletus and Jean were amazed by the girl’s tenacity. She refused to quit or slow down, always striving to improve herself. She never forgot what motivated her: every time she lay down to sleep, their terror-filled voices reminded her why she went through with the taxing training regime. The self torture changed her from an angry teen to a dedicated young woman. Kletus held a mock trial for apprenticeship that she passed with flying colors. He gave Quinn her first Vis tattoo. It was made with what little ink he had left over from his time as a scribe, gifting her the strength of a Valkyrie.
Her first hunt was more frustrating than dangerous. She had to chase down an invisible Sigbin that was messing with some locals in Los Paraíso. Claire had to track the little bastard back to its nest using nothing but its wretched smell. Killing it was surprisingly easy. Rex had made it sound like killing something was one of the hardest things in the world. Her prey bagged, Claire returned back to Kletus. He applied her second tattoo, gifting her the Sigbin’s invisibility powers. It was then that she decided on the alias Noctis, after the Latin word for night. She thought it was appropriate. She’s been at this whole ‘hunter’ thing for less than a year now. The number of Hellions and Draoi in Crescent City is, as one might expect, very low. Still, Claire’s excited for what lies ahead. Maybe she’ll finally be able to use her newfound skills to track down the thing that killed her family. She would make that monster pay for what it did to them. To her.
▼ M O T I V A T I O N / O B J E C T I V E:
"I won't back down. Not now, not ever!"
Claire is driven by an intense desire to avenge the death of her family. Her rage consumed her whole being, darkening a once bright soul until it was pitch black. The monster that tore her family apart had taken everything from Claire. It had ripped her heart from her chest and crushed it in its disgusting maw, fundamentally changing who she was forever. That little girl had felt so helpless. What sick reality did she live in that a child had to listen to the tormented screams of her mother and baby brother while she cowered, praying that the demonic beast would not find her? For awhile, she felt lost- purposeless. That changed when Claire discovered who her father really was. Equipped with the knowledge of the Venari, the relentless Noctis now seeks to cleanse the world of the Hellions. The darkness will be purged, and the creatures of the night utterly eradicated. Never again should a child have to feel so helpless. Never again.
▼ A B I L I T I E S / S K I L L S:
"Think you can hit me? Try it. I dare you."
//ABILITIES:
◼ Invisibility |By channeling the power of Vis contained within her tattoo of Odin's rune, Noctis is capable of temporarily vanishing from sight. This isn't a form of camouflage but rather true invisibility, removing Claire from the spectrum of light in its entirety. She becomes untraceable through any conventional or natural means, allowing her many unique opportunities to act that otherwise would not be practical or even possible.
◼ Enhanced Physiology |The Gapaldur symbol Claire wears was made with the blood of a Valkyrie. The Norse angel of battle possessed incredible physical attributes that have, in part, been passed down to the Venari huntress. Her strength, speed, endurance and natural durability have all increased three fold. Complimented well by her own physique, the Vis of the Hellion allows Miss Quinn to stand toe to toe with enemies few humans could hope to fight on equal footing.
//SKILLS:
◼ Boxing |A Venari hunter must be prepared for every scenario. In the ideal world, Claire would never have to get into close quarters with anything that has knives for fingers or limbs as large as tree trunks. However, not every hunt ends cleanly. On the off chance that Noctis finds herself trapped in hand to hand with a superior foe, she's come prepared with approximately four years of boxing experience. Her time with Austin Gates at the Invictus Gym has taught the huntress how to throw and how to take a punch.
◼ Acrobatics |A major part of any hunt is the chase. It is absolutely vital that Claire knows how to traverse any environment in order to pursue her foe and vanquish it. To this end, Noctis recently took up a couple of gymnastics classes and begun applying what she's learned in an Urban setting, running across the rooftops and scaling the sides of buildings to hone her craft. She still has plenty to learn. But, in time, the young warrior will be able to move across Crescent City like a master acrobat.
◼ Deadeye |Claire is a natural deadeye when it comes to shooting. Her training with Kletus has helped cultivate this affinity, leading to Noctis being a crack shot with a firearm or her usual crossbow.
//LIMITATIONS:
◼ Conditional Invisibility |Unlike the Sigbin she killed to make the tattoo, Noctis cannot remain in her stealth form for very long at all. It's duration is short, lasting a minute or two at best before requiring a certain span of time dependent on how long she used the power for it to recharge. This means that there are moments where she is visible and, therefore, vulnerable to being spotted. Aside from that, her invisibility does not make her undetectable by the other four senses. She can still be heard, felt, smelled or...tasted.
◼ Peaked |Despite her enhanced physiology, Claire still has limits. She's caped out near the peak of human ability- but can go no further. She's a better athlete than most; however, don't expect her to outrun Usain Bolt or have the strength of a powerlifter. The best of mankind is still able to outclass her in their specialized areas.
◼ Amateur |Notic is one of the only new Venari uplifted in the past decades, and she's quite possibly the last. She lacks a proper teacher, having only an old Scribe and the book left by her father to guide her through her future hunts. Her inexperience could very well be the death of her.
//WEAKNESSES:
◼ Still Human |Noctis is still vulnerable to anything a human is: bullets, fire, knives and a powerful knock to the head can do her in just like anybody else. It might take a little more umph to finish the job.
◼ Easily Manipulated |Claire's conviction is a two edged sword. She's willing to do anything to destroy the monstrosities that terrorize the world. A man with a silver tongue and knowledge of who Claire is would find it an easy task to turn her to his side, provided he promises to somehow advance her mission. Noctis' moral compass isn't well defined yet. She's willing to do things that that be illegal or, in some cases, even cruel, in the name of the hunt- and someone with an agenda could make use of this.
▼ N O T E S:
"Am...am I becoming what I hate?"
//SUPPORTING CAST:
▼ ALLIES
◼ Kletus Rex |A former Venari scribe turned mechanic. He acts as Claire's master and teacher.
◼ Jean Pierre |Once upon a time, Jean was a Golden Gloves boxing champion with a promising career ahead of him. After an injury to his leg, however, he lost his ability to fight in the ring. He figured that he had too many years left in him to retire, so he opened up a boxing club named Invictus Gym. Claire comes to him for boxing lessons. He believes she's a vigilante but doesn't know anything about the Venari or the monsters they hunt.
▼ FRIENDS
◼ Jackson Wallace |One of the fighters at the gym. He has some weird obsession with Claire and refuses to leave her alone, despite her repeated attempts to push him away. At this point Noctis has given up on him ever going away, so she's accepted him as one of her only friends.
◼ Alice Grace |A friend of the family. Claire has been living with her since her family was murdered over ten years ago. Alice is happy to provide for Miss Quinn, though recently she has been urging the girl to get a job and perhaps think about going back to school.
▼ ENEMIES
◼ Him |The man who killed her family is Claire's worst enemy. She can't wait for the day that some lead to who he might be pops up, so that she can extract vengeance for her fallen loved ones. Noctis is obsessed with discovering his identity.
//STOMPING GROUNDS
◼ Invictus Gym |Built over fifteen years ago by retired boxer Jean Pierre, Invictus is a small local boxing club in the Lower East Side of Larissa. The club is frequented mostly by the poor residents of the East Side. It struggles financially due to Pierre's desire to help the local kids stay out of trouble.
◼ Rex's Motor Garage |Rex's Motor Garage is the self owned workplace of Kletus Rex, the former Venari scribe turned mechanic. It's located in Somerset, not far from where Claire's squatting with Grace.
◼ Grace's Apartment|Home to Alice Grace, Claire's childhood friend turned legal guardian. Claire calls the place home whenever she isn't off with Kletus or Jean.
◼ The Room|The Room is what Claire's nicknamed her father's secret armory. She uses it as her base of operations.
//PARAPHERNALIA
◼ Weapons |Noctis' primary weapon of choice is the crossbow her father used to use. The weapon has a lever for quick, easy reloads during high stress situations. It has a draw weight of 150 lbs and is designed to kill big game, making it effective against most enemies Claire will run in to. Her secondary weapons consist of a pair of Glock 19s.
◼ Outfit |When hunting dangerous creatures of the night, it pays to come well prepared. Claire wears a modified version of the Venari uniform her father used to use. It consists of a leather hooded trench coat with armored plating on vital areas, a ballistic vest and cargo pants. She prefers darker clothing to assist her in staying hidden from sight during night time operation. Noctis keeps a quiver on her hip for easy access to bolts when using her crossbow. To conceal her identity, Claire typically wraps a shemagh scarf around the lower half of her face. Her attire, while nothing too special, works well for her.
◼ Equipment |What equipment the Venari huntress chooses to carry with her depends upon the conditions she predicts she'll be hunting in and the monster she's chasing. Rex provides her with any necessary materials necessary for dealing with a specific threat, though she usually carries silver and iron tipped bolts with her due to their usefulness against many different magical threats. Smoke bombs, a flare, medical supplies, a grappling hook, blinding pellets and a taser are also kept on her person during hunts.
◼ Other |Claire has a couple of other items dear to her. The book that her father left behind being one of them. The journal has taught her almost everything she knows about the Venari, and how to hunt. It contains a detailed list of every known Hellion and how to defeat them, among other things that Thune deemed necessary information. It isn't just a book about the Venari, either. It was a love letter from a father to his daughter. Miss Quinn learned more about Thune from that book than she had from the actual man himself. The other item is a sword she found among his equipment. She wasn't sure how to use it and couldn't find anyone so far who could teach her, so it remains back at The Room, gathering dust.
Of course, the moment I finish this thing four other people put CS's up too. Ha, just my luck. Anyway, here it is!
---
N O C T I S
C L A I R E L I L Y Q U I N N ◼ 0 1 / 02 / 1 9 9 4 ( 23) ◼ F E M A L E ◼V E N A R I
"Not all monsters have fangs and claws."
▼ A P P E A R A N C E:
"Is it wrong that I find pleasure in a monster's screams?"
//STATS:
◼ HEIGHT |5'5"
◼ WEIGHT |135 pounds
◼ BUILD |Athletic, Muscular
◼ HAIR COLOR |Blonde
◼ EYE COLOR |Blue
◼ TATTOOS |Currently, the young Venari huntress possesses two tattoos. The first is Odin's Illusionary Rune, a symbol for camouflage and deception. It adorns the underside of her left wrist. The second is the Gapaldur, meaning success in combat, and it rests upon the back of her neck.
//DESCRIPTION:
Whenever anyone is asked to describe Claire's appearance in a single word, they typically answer with 'intimidating' or 'strong.' Claire has spent the last several years enduring a grueling training regime in order to turn her body into a living weapon. Under the guidance of Scribe Kletus Rex and the journal left behind by her father, Noctis has developed herself to the peak of human capability. Her upper body is bulky and solid thanks to regular boxing lessons at Invictus Gym. Claire's well defined arms and shoulders are supported by a powerful core sculpted to perfection. Upper body strength isn't all that's needed to win a fight, however, and Miss Quinn knows this well. She runs constantly to help build up her endurance and speed, allowing her to move faster for longer while patrolling the city's streets. She also takes acrobatics classes on the weekends; while she's still quite the amateur gymnast, Noctis's Vis enhanced body is still capable of incredible feats of agility when she puts her mind to it. Four years of intensive training, strict dieting and regimented physical preparation has given Claire the tools necessary to turn into the monster hunter her father had always wanted her to be.
Outside of her physique, Claire is typically described as short and pretty. The young Venari doesn't smile often, and is quite standoffish. It isn't often that anyone outside of Rex or Pierre sees the girl loosen up and enjoy herself. Her cold, passive aggressive appearance drives most people away, leaving Miss Quinn with few friends or acquaintances outside of the people that help her in her mission. Claire likes to keep her dirty blonde hair down whenever she's not working. During the hunt, however, it's better for her to have it up in a bun to keep her golden locks out of her face. In regards to clothing, Claire has a fondness for darker shades. She likes to wear a combination of jeans, a light jacket and a graphic tee on most days.
▼ B I O G R A P H Y:
"The world still needs the Venari."
Thune Quinn was a hunter with no equal. He possessed a level of skill that few men could hope to ever achieve in their life time, and the knowledge he gathered through decades of experience made him one of the most potent warriors the Venari had since the Witch trials. Quinn was born in the late sixties, and introduced to the world of the Venari by a friend of his uncle when he was thirteen years old. The old guard was long gone, wiped out hundreds of years ago by the Witch hunters that had betrayed them. But a pocket of them survived, continuing to watch over the world from the shadows. The young Thune proved to be a prodigy; he earned the respect of the council with his tenacity and drive to be the best of the best. As the years passed on and he grew into adulthood, Thune joined the ranks of the hunters and gained a reputation for his skill at arms and dedication to learning his enemies. Even with their numbers waning, Thune and his few remaining brothers in arms carried on the legacy of the Venari with pride. They remained vigilant, even in the face of the emergence of the Hyperhumans in the late 80s. There was an intense debate between the remaining Venari about how they should classify these new humans; were they to be hunted like the Draoi and the Hellions, or accepted as the next step in humanity’s growth as a species? Thune was a part of the latter camp and encouraged cooperation with the Hyperhumans. He firmly believed these superpowered beings would help reinvigorate the Venari’s fight against the darkness.
In the early nineties, Thune moved to the newly formed Crescent City and set up shop with a handful of other Venari, including his friend Kletus Rex. The place was thought to be a hub for Hellion activity, and Quinn was hell bent on eradicating the otherworldly threat in its entirety. He was in the height of his carreer when he met the gorgeous Annabethe Yukianessa, a fiery Irish woman that had immigrated to the States a few years prior. Thune was baffled by how enamored he was with her. For the first time in his life, the Venari hunter found something he’d rather do than work. The two started dating, and Thune’s performance on the field dropped significantly. He slacked in his training. He missed out on guild meetings. He even started to smile. The two were wed within a year of meeting one another. Thune elected to never speak of his ‘other’ life to his wife, believing that to do so would put her in incredible danger. In 1994, Annabethe gave birth to a baby girl they named Claire. Thune dove back into his work to earn money to provide for his new family, leaving Annabethe to raise Claire mostly on her own. He was still around and tried to help when he could, but his job took up a large portion of his time and required most of his attention.
Claire’s early life was mostly uneventful. She didn’t have too many friends, but stayed out of trouble for the most part. Her brother, Charlie, was born when she was three. Claire wasn’t ecstatic to have to share the house with a stinky brat, but there were worse things in the world than her new baby brother. Dad tended to disappear on business trips quite often, lasting anywhere from a week to a month. When he was home, Thune often vanished into his study downstairs and only came up for dinner. He was distant. Sometimes, he came off as cold. Claire sometimes wondered if the man actually loved her or her family. Life continued as normal for awhile. It was good, if a little bit boring. Everything changed in 2004. Claire was sitting in the kitchen across from her father and finishing up her schoolwork when she heard a knock on the front door. She paid it no mind at first- probably just someone coming by to visit mom. The severity of the situation only hit when she heard her mother scream. Dad was out of his chair in an instant. He told Claire to find somewhere to hide, and ordered her not to leave that spot until he came to get her. She did as she was told, finding the best hiding spot she knew. Claire would never forget the horrendous sounds that assaulted her ears as she cowered in fear, praying she wasn’t found. The thirteen year old girl had to listen while her baby brother was torn apart by a monster. She didn’t know how long she stayed there. It felt like time had stopped after everything went silent. The police eventually found Claire nearly eighteen hours later- she hadn’t made a peep the entire time.
Claire didn’t have any living relatives to go to, so she was taken in by Alice Grace, an old friend of the family. Words cannot describe how destroyed that little girl was. Fear devoured her from the inside out, eating away her innocence. It no longer felt like she was truly alive; Claire existed in a strange limbo, like floating in a dark abyss, where all hope was choked to death until nothing remained but primal terror. Every time she tried to sleep, Claire’s mind was assaulted by the screams of her dying family. Whenever she closed her eyes, all she could glimpse is what she imagined had happened to them. The dark terrified her. Putting her anywhere dark for even a second would leave Claire in a crying, anxious mess, only recovering hours later. She didn’t speak about what happened to her for two years. Any attempt to get her to open up was met by unmatched fear. She refused to speak to any therapist Grace sent her to. As the years went by and Claire floated through the remainder of her schooling, she changed. The frightened little girl was twisted into something…dark. Fear turned to anger. She became increasingly hostile to everyone around her. She got into countless brawls at school. Even the smallest slight was enough to send Claire into a violent rage. Miss Quinn’s attempt to cope with what happened to her shattered what few relationships she still had, driving everyone away with her hostility.
At the age of eighteen, she turned her rage away from those around her and toward the unknown individual that had murdered everyone she loved. She tried, at first, to see what the police knew. Her questions went unanswered by them- her case had gone cold awhile ago. The condolences they offered were a slap in the face. With the police failing her, Claire returned to the scene of the crime. The house had remained untouched for the last five years, aside from the blood being cleaned up and the bodies cremated. She tore the place apart looking for clues- even the smallest hint letting her know who or what had done it would help. She wanted to find the man that did it. She wanted closure. Her search eventually led her down to her father’s study. Claire wasn’t usually allowed down there, especially when dad wasn’t home. After rummaging through the place, she came to a disturbing conclusion: her dad didn’t actually have a job. None of the documentation she found said anything about work. The most tangible things were the travel notices and emails shared with coworkers. Yet, even those were mostly nonsense that looked like a thinly veiled attempt to cover up the fact that he didn’t actually DO anything.
Everything Claire believed about her father came into question when she accidentally stumbled upon a switch beneath his desk that opened up a hidden passageway behind the bookshelf. The passage led to a wide open room that wasn’t on the house’s floor plans. The walls were lined with weapons from across time. There were glass cases displaying strange hooded costumes, suits of armor and intricately designed medieval weapons. A massive computer with technology far ahead of its time sat at the far wall. Claire couldn’t make heads or tails of what it was all doing down there. Why did her father have a secret room filled with this stuff? Her attempts to get past the computer’s password failed, so she went about looking through the filing cabinets and drawers. That was when she discovered a leather bound journal hand written by her father. The book was addressed directly to Claire. It explained everything about her father that Claire could have possibly wondered. She learned of the Venari, and Thune’s job as a hunter. She learned of the Hellions and the Draoi that he fought against every time he left on a ‘business trip.’ She even learned of her father’s struggle with having to keep distant from his family in order to protect them from what he was doing. The journal told Claire that her father predicted his own death. It said that she’d one day have to take up the mantle and walk in his stead. The world still needed the Venari. Thune wrote that he planned to leave some kind of hint for Claire, so that she would find this book after he had passed. It seemed Claire had only stumbled upon it now out of dumb luck- or, perhaps, destiny.
The book led her to searching for the other Venari that Thune had worked with. Claire was disturbed to find that all but one of them had died since her father had fallen; all within a few years of one another. She sought out the man named Kletus Rex, eventually finding him in a small mechanic’s shop in Somerset. The old scribe tried to run her off at first. He claimed he had retired, and that the Venari were dead. Claire was wasting her time by trying to dig up what should be remained buried. The girl refused to listen. She demanded answers, and returned there every day for three weeks until eventually the old man cracked. He told her everything he knew about her father and what he had been up to. She learned of his private life in the darkness, of his shadow war against the world’s last remaining monsters. The Venari were dying off in droves, and had been in steady decline for hundreds of years. Claire shared the journal with Kletus. He didn’t seem surprised that Thune had written such a thing; his old partner had spoken at length about rebuilding the Venari and returning them to their glory days. He laughed when Claire said she wanted to become a hunter just like her dad. It was a ridiculous notion.
Only, Miss Quinn never let it drop. She fought tooth and nail to convince the man to train her. Rex broke down once more and decided to go through with it. Using the vast knowledge the master hunter had left behind for his daughter, Kletus began educating the girl. She started her physical training at Invictus Gym. With the help of the gym’s owner, ex Golden Gloves champion Jean Pierre and renowned amateur boxing coach, Claire turned herself into a living weapon. She spent the next four years rigorously studying the Venari’s hunting methods, and rebuilding her body from the ground up for the purposes of combat. Her drive was incredible. Both Kletus and Jean were amazed by the girl’s tenacity. She refused to quit or slow down, always striving to improve herself. She never forgot what motivated her: every time she lay down to sleep, their terror-filled voices reminded her why she went through with the taxing training regime. The self torture changed her from an angry teen to a dedicated young woman. Kletus held a mock trial for apprenticeship that she passed with flying colors. He gave Quinn her first Vis tattoo. It was made with what little ink he had left over from his time as a scribe, gifting her the strength of a Valkyrie.
Her first hunt was more frustrating than dangerous. She had to chase down an invisible Sigbin that was messing with some locals in Los Paraíso. Claire had to track the little bastard back to its nest using nothing but its wretched smell. Killing it was surprisingly easy. Rex had made it sound like killing something was one of the hardest things in the world. Her prey bagged, Claire returned back to Kletus. He applied her second tattoo, gifting her the Sigbin’s invisibility powers. It was then that she decided on the alias Noctis, after the Latin word for night. She thought it was appropriate. She’s been at this whole ‘hunter’ thing for less than a year now. The number of Hellions and Draoi in Crescent City is, as one might expect, very low. Still, Claire’s excited for what lies ahead. Maybe she’ll finally be able to use her newfound skills to track down the thing that killed her family. She would make that monster pay for what it did to them. To her.
▼ M O T I V A T I O N / O B J E C T I V E:
"I won't back down. Not now, not ever!"
Claire is driven by an intense desire to avenge the death of her family. Her rage consumed her whole being, darkening a once bright soul until it was pitch black. The monster that tore her family apart had taken everything from Claire. It had ripped her heart from her chest and crushed it in its disgusting maw, fundamentally changing who she was forever. That little girl had felt so helpless. What sick reality did she live in that a child had to listen to the tormented screams of her mother and baby brother while she cowered, praying that the demonic beast would not find her? For awhile, she felt lost- purposeless. That changed when Claire discovered who her father really was. Equipped with the knowledge of the Venari, the relentless Noctis now seeks to cleanse the world of the Hellions. The darkness will be purged, and the creatures of the night utterly eradicated. Never again should a child have to feel so helpless. Never again.
▼ A B I L I T I E S / S K I L L S:
"Think you can hit me? Try it. I dare you."
//ABILITIES:
◼ Invisibility |By channeling the power of Vis contained within her tattoo of Odin's rune, Noctis is capable of temporarily vanishing from sight. This isn't a form of camouflage but rather true invisibility, removing Claire from the spectrum of light in its entirety. She becomes untraceable through any conventional or natural means, allowing her many unique opportunities to act that otherwise would not be practical or even possible.
◼ Enhanced Physiology |The Gapaldur symbol Claire wears was made with the blood of a Valkyrie. The Norse angel of battle possessed incredible physical attributes that have, in part, been passed down to the Venari huntress. Her strength, speed, endurance and natural durability have all increased three fold. Complimented well by her own physique, the Vis of the Hellion allows Miss Quinn to stand toe to toe with enemies few humans could hope to fight on equal footing.
//SKILLS:
◼ Boxing |A Venari hunter must be prepared for every scenario. In the ideal world, Claire would never have to get into close quarters with anything that has knives for fingers or limbs as large as tree trunks. However, not every hunt ends cleanly. On the off chance that Noctis finds herself trapped in hand to hand with a superior foe, she's come prepared with approximately four years of boxing experience. Her time with Austin Gates at the Invictus Gym has taught the huntress how to throw and how to take a punch.
◼ Acrobatics |A major part of any hunt is the chase. It is absolutely vital that Claire knows how to traverse any environment in order to pursue her foe and vanquish it. To this end, Noctis recently took up a couple of gymnastics classes and begun applying what she's learned in an Urban setting, running across the rooftops and scaling the sides of buildings to hone her craft. She still has plenty to learn. But, in time, the young warrior will be able to move across Crescent City like a master acrobat.
◼ Deadeye |Claire is a natural deadeye when it comes to shooting. Her training with Kletus has helped cultivate this affinity, leading to Noctis being a crack shot with a firearm or her usual crossbow.
//LIMITATIONS:
◼ Conditional Invisibility |Unlike the Sigbin she killed to make the tattoo, Noctis cannot remain in her stealth form for very long at all. It's duration is short, lasting a minute or two at best before requiring a certain span of time dependent on how long she used the power for it to recharge. This means that there are moments where she is visible and, therefore, vulnerable to being spotted. Aside from that, her invisibility does not make her undetectable by the other four senses. She can still be heard, felt, smelled or...tasted.
◼ Peaked |Despite her enhanced physiology, Claire still has limits. She's caped out near the peak of human ability- but can go no further. She's a better athlete than most; however, don't expect her to outrun Usain Bolt or have the strength of a powerlifter. The best of mankind is still able to outclass her in their specialized areas.
◼ Amateur |Notic is one of the only new Venari uplifted in the past decades, and she's quite possibly the last. She lacks a proper teacher, having only an old Scribe and the book left by her father to guide her through her future hunts. Her inexperience could very well be the death of her.
//WEAKNESSES:
◼ Still Human |Noctis is still vulnerable to anything a human is: bullets, fire, knives and a powerful knock to the head can do her in just like anybody else. It might take a little more umph to finish the job.
◼ Easily Manipulated |Claire's conviction is a two edged sword. She's willing to do anything to destroy the monstrosities that terrorize the world. A man with a silver tongue and knowledge of who Claire is would find it an easy task to turn her to his side, provided he promises to somehow advance her mission. Noctis' moral compass isn't well defined yet. She's willing to do things that that be illegal or, in some cases, even cruel, in the name of the hunt- and someone with an agenda could make use of this.
▼ N O T E S:
"Am...am I becoming what I hate?"
//SUPPORTING CAST:
▼ ALLIES
◼ Kletus Rex |A former Venari scribe turned mechanic. He acts as Claire's master and teacher.
◼ Jean Pierre |Once upon a time, Jean was a Golden Gloves boxing champion with a promising career ahead of him. After an injury to his leg, however, he lost his ability to fight in the ring. He figured that he had too many years left in him to retire, so he opened up a boxing club named Invictus Gym. Claire comes to him for boxing lessons. He believes she's a vigilante but doesn't know anything about the Venari or the monsters they hunt.
▼ FRIENDS
◼ Jackson Wallace |One of the fighters at the gym. He has some weird obsession with Claire and refuses to leave her alone, despite her repeated attempts to push him away. At this point Noctis has given up on him ever going away, so she's accepted him as one of her only friends.
◼ Alice Grace |A friend of the family. Claire has been living with her since her family was murdered over ten years ago. Alice is happy to provide for Miss Quinn, though recently she has been urging the girl to get a job and perhaps think about going back to school.
▼ ENEMIES
◼ Him |The man who killed her family is Claire's worst enemy. She can't wait for the day that some lead to who he might be pops up, so that she can extract vengeance for her fallen loved ones. Noctis is obsessed with discovering his identity.
//STOMPING GROUNDS
◼ Invictus Gym |Built over fifteen years ago by retired boxer Jean Pierre, Invictus is a small local boxing club in the Lower East Side of Larissa. The club is frequented mostly by the poor residents of the East Side. It struggles financially due to Pierre's desire to help the local kids stay out of trouble.
◼ Rex's Motor Garage |Rex's Motor Garage is the self owned workplace of Kletus Rex, the former Venari scribe turned mechanic. It's located in Somerset, not far from where Claire's squatting with Grace.
◼ Grace's Apartment|Home to Alice Grace, Claire's childhood friend turned legal guardian. Claire calls the place home whenever she isn't off with Kletus or Jean.
◼ The Room|The Room is what Claire's nicknamed her father's secret armory. She uses it as her base of operations.
//PARAPHERNALIA
◼ Weapons |Noctis' primary weapon of choice is the crossbow her father used to use. The weapon has a lever for quick, easy reloads during high stress situations. It has a draw weight of 150 lbs and is designed to kill big game, making it effective against most enemies Claire will run in to. Her secondary weapons consist of a pair of Glock 19s.
◼ Outfit |When hunting dangerous creatures of the night, it pays to come well prepared. Claire wears a modified version of the Venari uniform her father used to use. It consists of a leather hooded trench coat with armored plating on vital areas, a ballistic vest and cargo pants. She prefers darker clothing to assist her in staying hidden from sight during night time operation. Noctis keeps a quiver on her hip for easy access to bolts when using her crossbow. To conceal her identity, Claire typically wraps a shemagh scarf around the lower half of her face. Her attire, while nothing too special, works well for her.
◼ Equipment |What equipment the Venari huntress chooses to carry with her depends upon the conditions she predicts she'll be hunting in and the monster she's chasing. Rex provides her with any necessary materials necessary for dealing with a specific threat, though she usually carries silver and iron tipped bolts with her due to their usefulness against many different magical threats. Smoke bombs, a flare, medical supplies, a grappling hook, blinding pellets and a taser are also kept on her person during hunts.
◼ Other |Claire has a couple of other items dear to her. The book that her father left behind being one of them. The journal has taught her almost everything she knows about the Venari, and how to hunt. It contains a detailed list of every known Hellion and how to defeat them, among other things that Thune deemed necessary information. It isn't just a book about the Venari, either. It was a love letter from a father to his daughter. Miss Quinn learned more about Thune from that book than she had from the actual man himself. The other item is a sword she found among his equipment. She wasn't sure how to use it and couldn't find anyone so far who could teach her, so it remains back at The Room, gathering dust.
Torrents of heavy rain fell from the sky, drenching the dark streets of Crescent City. It was early enough in the morning that the urban center was devoid of much activity. A month's worth of downpour drove most of the city's citizens indoors. Los Paraíso’s Avenue Rogue was an exception to the rule. Business boomed for the seedier trades that infested Los Paradiso's underbelly. Predictions that the end times were coming upon them stirred up the basest desires in man, dragging out their worst qualities for all to see. It disgusted Claire. She'd seen the worst humanity had to offer in the past month. While neighborhoods were flooding and fear hung over the city like a dark cloud, gangsters were taking advantage of the chaos. They peddled drugs, looted stores and indulged themselves while the police were stretched too thin to do a damn thing about it.
'What am I even doing up here?' The young Venari huntress dejectedly wondered to herself. Water slipped down her weatherproofed outer coat as she crouched atop a roof top overlooking the street below. Claire was freezing cold. The cold wind whipped against her face, prompted Noctis to pull her scarf tighter in a vain attempt to keep somewhat warm. This wasn't the first time she had these kind of thoughts. Claire had been actively searching out Hellion activity for the past year and had only encountered a single Sigbin. The little creature had been criminally easy to beat, once she figured out it was dumber than a box of rocks. There hadn't been any legitimate monster sighting since then. Claire had to wonder if it was all really worth her time. Four years of the most intensive training she had ever undergone for...what? To sit in the rain every night, hoping that something would happen? Claire could be doing something productive. She could be at the gym, or looking for a job, or finishing her college application. But instead of moving her life forward, Miss Quinn thought her time was better served patrolling the city for scary monsters.
'This couldn't be what dad wanted for me.' Claire reasoned. 'His book made it seem like the world was going to fall apart without the Venari. I must be doing something wrong. But what?'
The woman's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of an alarm breaking the monotony of the night. She stood up from her crouched position and moved to the other side of the roof, leaning over the edge to hopefully get a look at what was happening. Sure enough, Claire was given a perfect vantage point of the situation unfolding below her. A gang of drunk thugs were throwing rocks through a store's window front. Vandalism quickly turned to theft as they climbed through the windows and started to loot the empty stores. Contempt built up in the huntress's bosom, but she remained where she was. Claire didn't like watching them steal with impunity; however, it wasn't her job to deal with it. She wasn't about to go pick a fight to help protect someone else's stuff. Calling the police was a waste of time. They wouldn't get there until these guys were long gone, and the cops didn't have time to investigate something so trivial when the city was falling to pieces elsewhere. 'Sucks to be them.' Miss Quinn thought with a shrug, preparing to return to her perch.
A loud voice calling out stopped her in her tracks. Gangsters appeared from the various alleyways, converging on the looters. Oddly enough, Claire's contempt boiled even more. The Crew was just there to protect their turf; they didn't give a damn about stopping a crime in progress. Just another reason for Noctis to hate what Crescent City was becoming. 'Maybe all the scum will end up killing each other. Wouldn't that be great?' The huntress casually leaned against the side of the roof, watching the situation devolve to violence. There was a certain morbid entertainment that came with watching scumbags beat the ever loving shit out of each other. The feeling that they deserved it made it...easier to look over the obvious moral quandary that came with enjoying violence. Combat sports had always held a visceral, primal entertainment value. From the gladiator fights of the ancient days to dog fighting and even professional mixed martial arts and boxing, man had a fascination with seeing things bleed. Claire was no different. She hadn't the smallest desire to stop them. 'It's better this way. No innocent people get hurt if these bastards are too busy hurting each other.'
Any sick joy the Venari found in the situation drained when a voice bellowed out that didn't belong. Claire's eyes darted across the battlefield, falling on a short feminine figure clad in...was that a ballistic vest? 'Oh my God.' Claire sighed. 'You have got to be kidding me.' It was one thing to watch a bunch of degenerate punks beating the snot out of one another. It was another thing entirely to watch them wail on some...judging on her size, young woman, who was way in over her head. Unless she was packing a Hype gene, that chick was committing suicide. 'Get out of there you moron. You can't do anything here.' Her internalized begging did nothing to stop the hooded figure from picking up a rock and chucking it at one of the thugs. She scored a direct hit. Congrats! Now you've killed yourself. Nice job.
It only took two hits to knock the girl down. Claire's dismay mounted, but she did not leave the edge of the roof top. 'Not my fight.' She reminded herself. The gangsters had surrounded her, and were starting to kick the wannabe vigilante while she was down. Noctis could practically feel the blows as she stood stark still, watching the beat down unfold in front of her. 'You brought this on yourself.' The Venari could feel her hands shaking. A pressure was building up in her chest, making it difficult to breathe. A powerful feeling of guilt washed over Claire. She was sitting there, watching an innocent person die...and doing nothing about it. Despite the victim's sheer stupidity, it was clear the woman was trying to do the right thing- and Claire's apathy would allow her to die for that. 'What the fuck am I doing?'
Noctis leapt from the roof of the short building before she could give it a second thought. If she remained there and watched this person die, the guilt would devour her whole. She was angry. Furious, even. But not at the lowlifes that hit and kicked and beat the poor girl. No, Claire was angry at herself. She had been willing to sit back and watch that woman and only just brought herself to do something about it. Her feet hit the asphalt with a crashed, knocking up the water that had gathered on the street thanks to the constant rain. Any normal person's legs would've been shattered on impact; Claire was a little wobbly, but her Valkyerian durability made breaking her bones a herculean task. Shadows encroached upon her muscled form, enveloping Noctis in darkness. She vanished from sight in less than a second, turning totally invisible to the human eye. Claire moved around the fight. It was an easy task to stay quiet with all the commotion going on.
Claire circled around to the hooded woman's side. She was...very surprised to find the supposed victim not only back on her feet, but the crowd of gangsters retreating to regroup. 'How the hell are you even alive, much less scaring them off?' She had to shake her confusion off. That was a question that could be asked of the stranger later. For now, there was work to be done. The shadows left Claire's form, allowing the light to once again encompass the huntress. She appeared behind the charging woman out of seemingly thin air. Noctis quickly pulled both of her pistols from the holsters on her hips. She brought them up, aiming them into the crowd of violent scumbags. 'Their lives mean nothing.' Noctis picked her targets, careful to keep a wide berth of the reckless vigilante. She took aim at center mass. Four thunderous bangs erupted, bright flashes lighting up the early morning with each consecutive shot.
Claire had always wondered what it was like to kill a man. She wouldn't have to wonder for much longer.
There would still be some semblance of a council left just not like it was during the glory days. The Venari are scattered and broken up into much smaller guilds across the globe now. Since becoming a Venari pretty much relies on having a mentor and a scribe, there would likely be some sort of base supporting any current Venari. It might just be a council of three people instead a council of twelve.
Thanks for the help, I think I know what kind of character I want to make. I did have a question though. @Lord Wraith Since the Venari are all but gone, does that mean there's no current council and Guild Master active?
C L A I R E L I L Y Q U I N N ◼ 0 1 / 02 / 1 9 9 4 ( 23) ◼ F E M A L E ◼V E N A R I
"Not all monsters have fangs and claws."
▼ A P P E A R A N C E:
"Is it wrong that I find pleasure in a monster's screams?"
//STATS:
◼ HEIGHT |5'5"
◼ WEIGHT |135 pounds
◼ BUILD |Athletic, Muscular
◼ HAIR COLOR |Blonde
◼ EYE COLOR |Blue
◼ TATTOOS |Currently, the young Venari huntress possesses two tattoos. The first is Odin's Illusionary Rune, a symbol for camouflage and deception. It adorns the underside of her left wrist. The second is the Gapaldur, meaning success in combat, and it rests upon the back of her neck.
//DESCRIPTION:
Whenever anyone is asked to describe Claire's appearance in a single word, they typically answer with 'intimidating' or 'strong.' Claire has spent the last several years enduring a grueling training regime in order to turn her body into a living weapon. Under the guidance of Scribe Kletus Rex and the journal left behind by her father, Noctis has developed herself to the peak of human capability. Her upper body is bulky and solid thanks to regular boxing lessons at Invictus Gym. Claire's well defined arms and shoulders are supported by a powerful core sculpted to perfection. Upper body strength isn't all that's needed to win a fight, however, and Miss Quinn knows this well. She runs constantly to help build up her endurance and speed, allowing her to move faster for longer while patrolling the city's streets. She also takes acrobatics classes on the weekends; while she's still quite the amateur gymnast, Noctis's Vis enhanced body is still capable of incredible feats of agility when she puts her mind to it. Four years of intensive training, strict dieting and regimented physical preparation has given Claire the tools necessary to turn into the monster hunter her father had always wanted her to be.
Outside of her physique, Claire is typically described as short and pretty. The young Venari doesn't smile often, and is quite standoffish. It isn't often that anyone outside of Rex or Pierre sees the girl loosen up and enjoy herself. Her cold, passive aggressive appearance drives most people away, leaving Miss Quinn with few friends or acquaintances outside of the people that help her in her mission. Claire likes to keep her dirty blonde hair down whenever she's not working. During the hunt, however, it's better for her to have it up in a bun to keep her golden locks out of her face. In regards to clothing, Claire has a fondness for darker shades. She likes to wear a combination of jeans, a light jacket and a graphic tee on most days.
▼ B I O G R A P H Y:
"The world still needs the Venari."
Thune Quinn was a hunter with no equal. He possessed a level of skill that few men could hope to ever achieve in their life time, and the knowledge he gathered through decades of experience made him one of the most potent warriors the Venari had since the Witch trials. Quinn was born in the late sixties, and introduced to the world of the Venari by a friend of his uncle when he was thirteen years old. The old guard was long gone, wiped out hundreds of years ago by the Witch hunters that had betrayed them. But a pocket of them survived, continuing to watch over the world from the shadows. The young Thune proved to be a prodigy; he earned the respect of the council with his tenacity and drive to be the best of the best. As the years passed on and he grew into adulthood, Thune joined the ranks of the hunters and gained a reputation for his skill at arms and dedication to learning his enemies. Even with their numbers waning, Thune and his few remaining brothers in arms carried on the legacy of the Venari with pride. They remained vigilant, even in the face of the emergence of the Hyperhumans in the late 80s. There was an intense debate between the remaining Venari about how they should classify these new humans; were they to be hunted like the Draoi and the Hellions, or accepted as the next step in humanity’s growth as a species? Thune was a part of the latter camp and encouraged cooperation with the Hyperhumans. He firmly believed these superpowered beings would help reinvigorate the Venari’s fight against the darkness.
In the early nineties, Thune moved to the newly formed Crescent City and set up shop with a handful of other Venari, including his friend Kletus Rex. The place was thought to be a hub for Hellion activity, and Quinn was hell bent on eradicating the otherworldly threat in its entirety. He was in the height of his carreer when he met the gorgeous Annabethe Yukianessa, a fiery Irish woman that had immigrated to the States a few years prior. Thune was baffled by how enamored he was with her. For the first time in his life, the Venari hunter found something he’d rather do than work. The two started dating, and Thune’s performance on the field dropped significantly. He slacked in his training. He missed out on guild meetings. He even started to smile. The two were wed within a year of meeting one another. Thune elected to never speak of his ‘other’ life to his wife, believing that to do so would put her in incredible danger. In 1994, Annabethe gave birth to a baby girl they named Claire. Thune dove back into his work to earn money to provide for his new family, leaving Annabethe to raise Claire mostly on her own. He was still around and tried to help when he could, but his job took up a large portion of his time and required most of his attention.
Claire’s early life was mostly uneventful. She didn’t have too many friends, but stayed out of trouble for the most part. Her brother, Charlie, was born when she was three. Claire wasn’t ecstatic to have to share the house with a stinky brat, but there were worse things in the world than her new baby brother. Dad tended to disappear on business trips quite often, lasting anywhere from a week to a month. When he was home, Thune often vanished into his study downstairs and only came up for dinner. He was distant. Sometimes, he came off as cold. Claire sometimes wondered if the man actually loved her or her family. Life continued as normal for awhile. It was good, if a little bit boring. Everything changed in 2004. Claire was sitting in the kitchen across from her father and finishing up her schoolwork when she heard a knock on the front door. She paid it no mind at first- probably just someone coming by to visit mom. The severity of the situation only hit when she heard her mother scream. Dad was out of his chair in an instant. He told Claire to find somewhere to hide, and ordered her not to leave that spot until he came to get her. She did as she was told, finding the best hiding spot she knew. Claire would never forget the horrendous sounds that assaulted her ears as she cowered in fear, praying she wasn’t found. The thirteen year old girl had to listen while her baby brother was torn apart by a monster. She didn’t know how long she stayed there. It felt like time had stopped after everything went silent. The police eventually found Claire nearly eighteen hours later- she hadn’t made a peep the entire time.
Claire didn’t have any living relatives to go to, so she was taken in by Alice Grace, an old friend of the family. Words cannot describe how destroyed that little girl was. Fear devoured her from the inside out, eating away her innocence. It no longer felt like she was truly alive; Claire existed in a strange limbo, like floating in a dark abyss, where all hope was choked to death until nothing remained but primal terror. Every time she tried to sleep, Claire’s mind was assaulted by the screams of her dying family. Whenever she closed her eyes, all she could glimpse is what she imagined had happened to them. The dark terrified her. Putting her anywhere dark for even a second would leave Claire in a crying, anxious mess, only recovering hours later. She didn’t speak about what happened to her for two years. Any attempt to get her to open up was met by unmatched fear. She refused to speak to any therapist Grace sent her to. As the years went by and Claire floated through the remainder of her schooling, she changed. The frightened little girl was twisted into something…dark. Fear turned to anger. She became increasingly hostile to everyone around her. She got into countless brawls at school. Even the smallest slight was enough to send Claire into a violent rage. Miss Quinn’s attempt to cope with what happened to her shattered what few relationships she still had, driving everyone away with her hostility.
At the age of eighteen, she turned her rage away from those around her and toward the unknown individual that had murdered everyone she loved. She tried, at first, to see what the police knew. Her questions went unanswered by them- her case had gone cold awhile ago. The condolences they offered were a slap in the face. With the police failing her, Claire returned to the scene of the crime. The house had remained untouched for the last five years, aside from the blood being cleaned up and the bodies cremated. She tore the place apart looking for clues- even the smallest hint letting her know who or what had done it would help. She wanted to find the man that did it. She wanted closure. Her search eventually led her down to her father’s study. Claire wasn’t usually allowed down there, especially when dad wasn’t home. After rummaging through the place, she came to a disturbing conclusion: her dad didn’t actually have a job. None of the documentation she found said anything about work. The most tangible things were the travel notices and emails shared with coworkers. Yet, even those were mostly nonsense that looked like a thinly veiled attempt to cover up the fact that he didn’t actually DO anything.
Everything Claire believed about her father came into question when she accidentally stumbled upon a switch beneath his desk that opened up a hidden passageway behind the bookshelf. The passage led to a wide open room that wasn’t on the house’s floor plans. The walls were lined with weapons from across time. There were glass cases displaying strange hooded costumes, suits of armor and intricately designed medieval weapons. A massive computer with technology far ahead of its time sat at the far wall. Claire couldn’t make heads or tails of what it was all doing down there. Why did her father have a secret room filled with this stuff? Her attempts to get past the computer’s password failed, so she went about looking through the filing cabinets and drawers. That was when she discovered a leather bound journal hand written by her father. The book was addressed directly to Claire. It explained everything about her father that Claire could have possibly wondered. She learned of the Venari, and Thune’s job as a hunter. She learned of the Hellions and the Draoi that he fought against every time he left on a ‘business trip.’ She even learned of her father’s struggle with having to keep distant from his family in order to protect them from what he was doing. The journal told Claire that her father predicted his own death. It said that she’d one day have to take up the mantle and walk in his stead. The world still needed the Venari. Thune wrote that he planned to leave some kind of hint for Claire, so that she would find this book after he had passed. It seemed Claire had only stumbled upon it now out of dumb luck- or, perhaps, destiny.
The book led her to searching for the other Venari that Thune had worked with. Claire was disturbed to find that all but one of them had died since her father had fallen; all within a few years of one another. She sought out the man named Kletus Rex, eventually finding him in a small mechanic’s shop in Somerset. The old scribe tried to run her off at first. He claimed he had retired, and that the Venari were dead. Claire was wasting her time by trying to dig up what should be remained buried. The girl refused to listen. She demanded answers, and returned there every day for three weeks until eventually the old man cracked. He told her everything he knew about her father and what he had been up to. She learned of his private life in the darkness, of his shadow war against the world’s last remaining monsters. The Venari were dying off in droves, and had been in steady decline for hundreds of years. Claire shared the journal with Kletus. He didn’t seem surprised that Thune had written such a thing; his old partner had spoken at length about rebuilding the Venari and returning them to their glory days. He laughed when Claire said she wanted to become a hunter just like her dad. It was a ridiculous notion.
Only, Miss Quinn never let it drop. She fought tooth and nail to convince the man to train her. Rex broke down once more and decided to go through with it. Using the vast knowledge the master hunter had left behind for his daughter, Kletus began educating the girl. She started her physical training at Invictus Gym. With the help of the gym’s owner, ex Golden Gloves champion Jean Pierre and renowned amateur boxing coach, Claire turned herself into a living weapon. She spent the next four years rigorously studying the Venari’s hunting methods, and rebuilding her body from the ground up for the purposes of combat. Her drive was incredible. Both Kletus and Jean were amazed by the girl’s tenacity. She refused to quit or slow down, always striving to improve herself. She never forgot what motivated her: every time she lay down to sleep, their terror-filled voices reminded her why she went through with the taxing training regime. The self torture changed her from an angry teen to a dedicated young woman. Kletus held a mock trial for apprenticeship that she passed with flying colors. He gave Quinn her first Vis tattoo. It was made with what little ink he had left over from his time as a scribe, gifting her the strength of a Valkyrie.
Her first hunt was more frustrating than dangerous. She had to chase down an invisible Sigbin that was messing with some locals in Los Paraíso. Claire had to track the little bastard back to its nest using nothing but its wretched smell. Killing it was surprisingly easy. Rex had made it sound like killing something was one of the hardest things in the world. Her prey bagged, Claire returned back to Kletus. He applied her second tattoo, gifting her the Sigbin’s invisibility powers. It was then that she decided on the alias Noctis, after the Latin word for night. She thought it was appropriate. She’s been at this whole ‘hunter’ thing for less than a year now. The number of Hellions and Draoi in Crescent City is, as one might expect, very low. Still, Claire’s excited for what lies ahead. Maybe she’ll finally be able to use her newfound skills to track down the thing that killed her family. She would make that monster pay for what it did to them. To her.
▼ M O T I V A T I O N / O B J E C T I V E:
"I won't back down. Not now, not ever!"
Claire is driven by an intense desire to avenge the death of her family. Her rage consumed her whole being, darkening a once bright soul until it was pitch black. The monster that tore her family apart had taken everything from Claire. It had ripped her heart from her chest and crushed it in its disgusting maw, fundamentally changing who she was forever. That little girl had felt so helpless. What sick reality did she live in that a child had to listen to the tormented screams of her mother and baby brother while she cowered, praying that the demonic beast would not find her? For awhile, she felt lost- purposeless. That changed when Claire discovered who her father really was. Equipped with the knowledge of the Venari, the relentless Noctis now seeks to cleanse the world of the Hellions. The darkness will be purged, and the creatures of the night utterly eradicated. Never again should a child have to feel so helpless. Never again.
▼ A B I L I T I E S / S K I L L S:
"Think you can hit me? Try it. I dare you."
//ABILITIES:
◼ Invisibility |By channeling the power of Vis contained within her tattoo of Odin's rune, Noctis is capable of temporarily vanishing from sight. This isn't a form of camouflage but rather true invisibility, removing Claire from the spectrum of light in its entirety. She becomes untraceable through any conventional or natural means, allowing her many unique opportunities to act that otherwise would not be practical or even possible.
◼ Enhanced Physiology |The Gapaldur symbol Claire wears was made with the blood of a Valkyrie. The Norse angel of battle possessed incredible physical attributes that have, in part, been passed down to the Venari huntress. Her strength, speed, endurance and natural durability have all increased three fold. Complimented well by her own physique, the Vis of the Hellion allows Miss Quinn to stand toe to toe with enemies few humans could hope to fight on equal footing.
//SKILLS:
◼ Boxing |A Venari hunter must be prepared for every scenario. In the ideal world, Claire would never have to get into close quarters with anything that has knives for fingers or limbs as large as tree trunks. However, not every hunt ends cleanly. On the off chance that Noctis finds herself trapped in hand to hand with a superior foe, she's come prepared with approximately four years of boxing experience. Her time with Austin Gates at the Invictus Gym has taught the huntress how to throw and how to take a punch.
◼ Acrobatics |A major part of any hunt is the chase. It is absolutely vital that Claire knows how to traverse any environment in order to pursue her foe and vanquish it. To this end, Noctis recently took up a couple of gymnastics classes and begun applying what she's learned in an Urban setting, running across the rooftops and scaling the sides of buildings to hone her craft. She still has plenty to learn. But, in time, the young warrior will be able to move across Crescent City like a master acrobat.
◼ Deadeye |Claire is a natural deadeye when it comes to shooting. Her training with Kletus has helped cultivate this affinity, leading to Noctis being a crack shot with a firearm or her usual crossbow.
//LIMITATIONS:
◼ Conditional Invisibility |Unlike the Sigbin she killed to make the tattoo, Noctis cannot remain in her stealth form for very long at all. It's duration is short, lasting a minute or two at best before requiring a certain span of time dependent on how long she used the power for it to recharge. This means that there are moments where she is visible and, therefore, vulnerable to being spotted. Aside from that, her invisibility does not make her undetectable by the other four senses. She can still be heard, felt, smelled or...tasted.
◼ Peaked |Despite her enhanced physiology, Claire still has limits. She's caped out near the peak of human ability- but can go no further. She's a better athlete than most; however, don't expect her to outrun Usain Bolt or have the strength of a powerlifter. The best of mankind is still able to outclass her in their specialized areas.
◼ Amateur |Notic is one of the only new Venari uplifted in the past decades, and she's quite possibly the last. She lacks a proper teacher, having only an old Scribe and the book left by her father to guide her through her future hunts. Her inexperience could very well be the death of her.
//WEAKNESSES:
◼ Still Human |Noctis is still vulnerable to anything a human is: bullets, fire, knives and a powerful knock to the head can do her in just like anybody else. It might take a little more umph to finish the job.
◼ Easily Manipulated |Claire's conviction is a two edged sword. She's willing to do anything to destroy the monstrosities that terrorize the world. A man with a silver tongue and knowledge of who Claire is would find it an easy task to turn her to his side, provided he promises to somehow advance her mission. Noctis' moral compass isn't well defined yet. She's willing to do things that that be illegal or, in some cases, even cruel, in the name of the hunt- and someone with an agenda could make use of this.
▼ N O T E S:
"Am...am I becoming what I hate?"
//SUPPORTING CAST:
▼ ALLIES
◼ Kletus Rex |A former Venari scribe turned mechanic. He acts as Claire's master and teacher.
◼ Jean Pierre |Once upon a time, Jean was a Golden Gloves boxing champion with a promising career ahead of him. After an injury to his leg, however, he lost his ability to fight in the ring. He figured that he had too many years left in him to retire, so he opened up a boxing club named Invictus Gym. Claire comes to him for boxing lessons. He believes she's a vigilante but doesn't know anything about the Venari or the monsters they hunt.
▼ FRIENDS
◼ Jackson Wallace |One of the fighters at the gym. He has some weird obsession with Claire and refuses to leave her alone, despite her repeated attempts to push him away. At this point Noctis has given up on him ever going away, so she's accepted him as one of her only friends.
◼ Alice Grace |A friend of the family. Claire has been living with her since her family was murdered over ten years ago. Alice is happy to provide for Miss Quinn, though recently she has been urging the girl to get a job and perhaps think about going back to school.
▼ ENEMIES
◼ Him |The man who killed her family is Claire's worst enemy. She can't wait for the day that some lead to who he might be pops up, so that she can extract vengeance for her fallen loved ones. Noctis is obsessed with discovering his identity.
//STOMPING GROUNDS
◼ Invictus Gym |Built over fifteen years ago by retired boxer Jean Pierre, Invictus is a small local boxing club in the Lower East Side of Larissa. The club is frequented mostly by the poor residents of the East Side. It struggles financially due to Pierre's desire to help the local kids stay out of trouble.
◼ Rex's Motor Garage |Rex's Motor Garage is the self owned workplace of Kletus Rex, the former Venari scribe turned mechanic. It's located in Somerset, not far from where Claire's squatting with Grace.
◼ Grace's Apartment|Home to Alice Grace, Claire's childhood friend turned legal guardian. Claire calls the place home whenever she isn't off with Kletus or Jean.
◼ The Room|The Room is what Claire's nicknamed her father's secret armory. She uses it as her base of operations.
//PARAPHERNALIA
◼ Weapons |Noctis' primary weapon of choice is the crossbow her father used to use. The weapon has a lever for quick, easy reloads during high stress situations. It has a draw weight of 150 lbs and is designed to kill big game, making it effective against most enemies Claire will run in to. Her secondary weapons consist of a pair of Glock 19s.
◼ Outfit |When hunting dangerous creatures of the night, it pays to come well prepared. Claire wears a modified version of the Venari uniform her father used to use. It consists of a leather hooded trench coat with armored plating on vital areas, a ballistic vest and cargo pants. She prefers darker clothing to assist her in staying hidden from sight during night time operation. Noctis keeps a quiver on her hip for easy access to bolts when using her crossbow. To conceal her identity, Claire typically wraps a shemagh scarf around the lower half of her face. Her attire, while nothing too special, works well for her.
◼ Equipment |What equipment the Venari huntress chooses to carry with her depends upon the conditions she predicts she'll be hunting in and the monster she's chasing. Rex provides her with any necessary materials necessary for dealing with a specific threat, though she usually carries silver and iron tipped bolts with her due to their usefulness against many different magical threats. Smoke bombs, a flare, medical supplies, a grappling hook, blinding pellets and a taser are also kept on her person during hunts.
◼ Other |Claire has a couple of other items dear to her. The book that her father left behind being one of them. The journal has taught her almost everything she knows about the Venari, and how to hunt. It contains a detailed list of every known Hellion and how to defeat them, among other things that Thune deemed necessary information. It isn't just a book about the Venari, either. It was a love letter from a father to his daughter. Miss Quinn learned more about Thune from that book than she had from the actual man himself. The other item is a sword she found among his equipment. She wasn't sure how to use it and couldn't find anyone so far who could teach her, so it remains back at The Room, gathering dust.
Haiya! I'm definitely interested in what you've got going on here, and was wondering if there was anything not listed in the OP that I should know before making a CS.
Andrew // Graves LOCALE // The City of Thorinn TIME // Morning
Graves was growing increasingly annoyed with the influx of players on Lefig Lawn. The crowds were as thick as a forest, and made finding the singular tiny elf girl a near impossible task akin to looking for a needle in a haystack. In his irritation, the gigantic tank bulldozed his way through anyone too slow or too stupid to get out of his way. His tactless and rude behavior earned him a number of crude remarks and curses aimed in his direction, but the Mutilator of Men was too annoyed with his current predicament to care what a couple of worthless hacks said. His search was going nowhere fast. For all the ground he was managing to cover, Graves didn't see any sign of the prancing tree hugger or the crowd of mooks she'd invariably gathered for their little excursion into the nearby dungeon that had recently cropped up outside of Thorinn. It was at times like these that the hermit warrior almost considered forgoing his communications black out and picking up one of those fancy-smancy ear pieces that were all the rage these days. It only took a moment's interaction with another living, breathing person for Bludd to remember why he had refused to take one in the first place. People were a waste of his time. He didn't quite see the irony in hating interacting with other people in an MMO of all things.
It was during one of his many turn arounds that the broad shouldered monster of a man felt something prick against his back. Graves let out a surprised and not at all manly help, swinging around to face whomever had forced such a humiliating sound from his lips. His fist was raised and he was ready to deck the dumb bastard that had done it- yet, no sign of the perpetrator could be found. "Huh?" The Blood Knight blinked, confusion overtaking his blind rage. Only a moment passed before the attacker revealed herself, calling out to Graves from out of his line of sight. He ground his teeth together, towering over the ranger woman like a mountain before an ant. Not only had she poked him and embarrassed him so, she had the audacity to demand she join his group in exchange for Elian's whereabouts. The stranger didn't ask. She demanded. Nay, more than that, she was practically extorting him. Fury burned in the heart of the intrepid anti-hero. He considered his options carefully; the most prominent of which was to ram his knuckles into those flawless teeth of hers. His first instinct, as appealing as it sounded, was a bad idea. 'If I hit a pretty little thing like that I'm gonna have two dozen basement dwelling wannabe white knights on my ass in five seconds flat.'
The tank begrudgingly unclenched his jaw and took a second to breathe. After calming himself down, Graves leaned forward and got within a few inches of Mirage's face. "Fine," He replied, venom dripping from every word, "But on one condition: don't call me sweetheart again. If you do, I'm shoving my fist through your face- and we don't want to ruin the only thing you've got going for you, do we?" After hopefully proving his point and putting the fear of God into the woman, Bludd stood straight once more. "Now where'd you see the elf, hick?"
Luckily for the Blood Knight, he wouldn't have to rely on his new unwanted companion to find the dancer. Graves head swiveled in the direction the coarse sound came from, his eyes naturally attracted to the golden fan waving in the sunlight. "Ha, found her! You weren't much help." Bludd started toward Elian, shoving everyone out of his way as he made a direct beeline to her side, cutting a swath in the crowds as he did. The bullheaded fighter looked between the many people that were hanging around Elian's LFG flag, his frown deepening. Were they all coming with? Graves knew that clearing a dungeon with a small party was quite difficult, but he preferred the challenge over having to spend time with even a remotely large group of people.
It didn't take more than a few seconds for him to find someone among them to hate. His disgusted gaze fell upon the baseball cap wearing steroid infused buffoon. The asshole spoke like a stereotypical neckbearded fedora tipping fuckboy you'd find skulking internet forums. "I think I'm gonna puke." Graves muttered to Mirage in his usual hateful tone. He cleared his throat, addressing the man child directly. "Were you dropped on your head as a kid or is your inability to speak properly a preexisting condition?" Some might say that Graves was being a tad too aggressive. They might say that maybe he should calm down a little, and take the moron's 'leet speak' as a light hearted joke. Some people might deserve a quick kick in the ass for questioning Bludd.
Thael wasn't the only one the bare-chested tank took issue with. The owner of the fiery flying snake spirit looked like she was a spaz too. Graves had little patience for people like that; he could only hope her antics were merely a temporary affair brought on by insanity or a heat stroke. He wasn't sure how much more he could bear if it turned out the fire mage was usually so...Ugh. The rest of them didn't seem to be nearly as irritating as the first two, thankfully. Elian was always a handful, but the woman was a damn good healer so he wasn't going to complain too much. The straight laced knight that introduced himself as Hawkwood wasn't awful. Bludd had met many less agreeable people than he. The fencer had thus far said very little, which automatically promoted her to the Blood Knight's favorite- or, more acurrately, least loathed. The goggle toting guy talked too much. And his face was kind of annoying. Other than that, there wasn't a great deal for Bludd to complain about.
"I'm Graves." He grunted. Better to get introductions out of the way so he didn't have to speak to all of them individually. "The hick's coming along too." Bludd jutted a thumb behind him.
Member
Master EffeX
Half Pint
Lemons
Sep
Eviledd1984
AlteredTundra
Master Bruce
Izurich
Simple Unicycle
Damycles
