Characters Dracula's Most Wanted

WhovianBeast · #1 Apr 28th, 2020, 09:37 AM

Here's where we'll keep track of the Player Characters

WhovianBeast · #2 May 2nd, 2020, 03:25 PM

Name: Kane (Kaniko) Munemori
Player: Avner
Hero Points: 1 (4/19/2021)
Initiative: +6
Kind: Human (Japanese)
Physical description: Kane is of japanese descent and has most of the look that would go with that lineage with an oriental complexion and features. His hair however is a stark white and he has a strange color to his irises that betray the other half of his mysterious lineage. Kane dresses finely typically in a long decrative coat with a collarless button down shirt underneath and either dress pants or Bushido style pants to allow for his art form. He has a large dragon tattoo going up his left arm and is never found without his katana or wakizashi swords favoring the longer katana.
Country of Origin: Seiikin

Powers: Kane is a master Samurai and is well trained in the art of Bushido but has also tapped into a spiritual power from his mysterious lineage that allows him to summon a dragon ancestral guardian as well as incorporate divine powers into his blade forms.

Kane (Kaniko) Munemori - PL 8, 120pp

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538 EE – Kaniko is Born

Emperor Please correct name if neededMunemori of the Seikin providence had been a strongly opposed of both the influence of either the Nova Religiosa or the Fae in the dealings with his kingdom which was no wonder when in the year 538 AE he had been absolutely furious to find that his daughter Hayami had been found miraculously with child. The Emperor's youngest daughter had been considered the fairest in all the Empire and while he had plenty of daughters left to bare him a grandson and heir the pregnancy of Hayami was especially odd. The empress had not had relations with any male and had only memories of pleasant dreams.

The Emperor afraid his daughter might be lying brought in the best of his truth seekers who were unable to pick up any lies. The sought out every guard, handmaiden and worker without turning up a trace of any foul play. The only indication of anything going on was the report of strange sounds late at night but no one had ever come in or out. The room she had slept in that month had been under its usual guard and unable to be accessed from any mundane means sitting high up on the Imperial Palace. The result was the Emperor blaming the Fae for somehow soiling his daughter justifying it with his prejudice feelings of trickery.

544 AE - Kaniko meets Heihachi Sho while being taught under harsh instructor Takeda Katataka

When the child was born the Emperor and Empress received him with love, but it was clear that there was some foreign lineage in his veins. As the boy grew it was clear that his hair was a bright white, almost translucent color and his eyes held a strange complexion to them almost seeming catlike. The boy grew strong with an eager personality and a curiosity for things he did not understand and grew in his abilities as a normal boy would learning to crawl, walk, then climb. In time however the other lineage within him began to manifest and a strange tattoo began to grow down his arm. At first Hayami tried to wash it off scrubbing at it vigorously every night. Various advisors had come in secret to examine it but prodding at it only upset the boy and when Kaniko got upset the tattoo began to glow and his eyes seemed to light up. Temper tantrums began to become major incidents as strange powers blasted his caretakers back lashing out without control or reason. The boy was quickly becoming feared among all who knew the family secret.

Every morning the royal family and the local Daimyos (Lords) would send their children to the inner gardens in the place to play with the other children and practice martial drills under the tutelage of the weapons master Takeda Katataka. Instructor had a reputation of both showing up late and letting the boys get into tussles without stepping in to intervene.

This led to many uncomfortable experiences for Kaniko. The difference in his appearance and the jealousy of his lineage lead many of the children to instigate trouble with him. This went from simple children’s mocking to finding ways to trip and embarrass him to the worst of all, teaming up against him in sparring matches. Kaniko was very physically capable but had no chance against the others. That was when his bond with Heihachi Sho, a fellow student who stepped up to his defense. Heihachi was known as a loose cannon. At first he seemed to cause more trouble than he prevented starting a fight the instant anyone sniffed the wrong way at Kaniko, but over time things balanced out and Kaniko was able to find enough sure footing to stick up for himself. Kaniko seemed to have a better understanding of the training that the two underwent and helped Heihachi to excel. A deep bond was formed between the two boys with Heihachi’s insubordination rubbing off on Kaniko and the latter’s discipline being passed in turn.

Instructor Katataka noticed the boy’s relationship and feeling that they complimented each other often gave them extra slack. This allowed the boys to find time to themselves every so often which they would often use to sneak out of the imperial estate. They created their own home away from the palace walls in a small grove near a lake cave. They would write messages to each other on the walls, have imaginary adventures and do all the things little boys do.

One morning after spending the previous day contemplating with each other what they would do once they grew older, they had an especially hard sparring session. It appeared that Instructor Katataka had come under the impression they had taken advantage of his leniency and had the boys fight through what he had named ‘the gauntlet’ in which the boys were to fight the other students until they fell.

This put Kaniko in a particular foul mood as he felt as though Heihachi was being punished for being his only friend. One by one the other students came. Knowing that Heihachi would protect Kaniko they went after the larger boy first all assaulting him at once. It was a brutal beating and it took way to long for Kaniko to fight his way through to defend his friend. When he was finally able to fend them off he found Heihachi crumpled in a ball on the ground. As the next wave of students came at him Kaniko began to fill with anger. The other students tried to assault him from all sides, disregarding their honor to hurt him from taking him unexpectedly from behind. As they piled on Kaniko’s eyes began to glow and his hidden tatoo began to surge. Suddenly he released a wave over energy outward throwing all the boys into bushes, garden ponds, and statues that decorated the garden. Some of them were in worse shape than others, but they were all terrified.

As Kaniko stood above his friend Heihachi breathing heavily he looked down to see his friend staring at him in horror.

550 AE – Kaniko is declared illegitimate and runs away
The Emperor did not take long to respond to the incident. He knew that despite his love for the boy he was forced t act now that his secret was out. Declaring that Kaniko was a bastard and not of the royal line he secured what he considered any poisoning of the royal line with 'Fae trickery' while still blaming the Fae for his grandson's birth. Kaniko only at age 12 when hearing this felt betrayed by both his grandfather and mother and ran away in hopes to find his father.

550 AE – Kaniko Begins Training with Bushido Master Miyamoto Musashi
In pain feeling betrayed by his grandfather and not knowing what it would mean for his future withing the palace Kaniko felt a sudden need to find sanctuary. He ran away and went straight to the Cherry Blossoms by the lake cave and found his secret hiding place. The drawings on the wall had all either been washed away or crossed out and now Kaniko felt lonelier than ever.
Quickly realizing he had no idea who is father was and where to look he felt loss with no options. The night quickly got cold and the boy found himself alone and afraid. It was there where he was found weeping by an older Bushido Master Miyamoto Musashi who decided to take the boy in and raise him in seclusion in the way of the Samurai. The new found discipline would allow him to gain control of both his swordsmanship and inherent lineage realizing that he could summon an ancestral guardian that lived within the tattoo on his arm and focus his 'outbursts' through channeling them through his blade.

Master Miyamoto Musashi had taken Kaniko far away from the Imperial palace to a remote location within Seiikin. Training in the hill tops of the mountains he learned the code of Bushido and how to be a true Samurai both inside and out. Kaniko took quickly to the art and the focus also gave him a way to channel his growing inherited ability. Soon the tattoo within his arm began to separate from him at will and he came face to face with an Ancestral Dragon Spirit. It was then that Kaiden had hoped to find the answers that troubled him, but the spirit proved to be no help at all explaining he was merely there to be his guardian. Kaniko took it to heart and gave the dragon spirit the name Gaiden, meaning guardian in his native tongue. Musashi accepted this but shortly after began taking Kaiden on excursions into the town to test his control.

555 AE – Kaniko Encounters Bandits
Life outside of the mountains was much different then Kaniko had remembered it. Living the sheltered life in the palace learning swordplay had merely been an activity to stay physically in shape. Master Musashi had taught him the serious of Bushido and the code of that he must follow as a Samurai but often Kaniko did not understand the need for such a thing. The visits out into the world had remedied him of that notion.

Mushashi most often preferred to travel by foot unless going long distances. He seemed to never be in a rush and when pushed he would often recite some proverb to Kaniko such as ‘ the deepest rivers flow slowly’ or ‘ In the struggle with stone and water, in time, the water wins. It was a clear message not to rush things and although poetic made them an easy target on the road. It was for that reason that Kaniko very quickly learned of the large insurgence of bandits throughout the empire.

Kaniko’s master used them as advanced practice dummies. The skill of the young warrior easily surpassed most of the brigands and if he was ever in trouble the old master could assist in a moment after feigning weakness. This led to many questions the young boy had about his father’s empire and why his soldiers were not protecting the people. This was a lesson that would come up again later in Kaniko’s life but was the beginning of his journey in becoming a Ronin.

557 AE – Kaniko comes across Heihachi and Oni
Before earning the title of Samurai from his master Kaniko was given one last trial. Master Musashi had heard rumors of trouble in southern Seikin that seemed to trouble him. The two warriors to the long journey southward to an area where there was much farmland and fields that often helped feed the people of Seikin. As they approached however, they noticed that many of the fields had been abandoned and that there was harvests that had not been picked by those that had planted them. Food rotted on the vine.

Once they made it to the town boarder, they realized that there was more trouble. As the walked into the street they noticed that the people had been pulled out of their houses and put on their knees along the road by a group of imperial soldiers. Up and down their ranks a soldier road on horseback shouting at the people. When Kaniko and Master Musashi approached they were quickly challenged by the man on horseback who turned out to be none other than Kaniko’s childhood friend Heihachi Sho. Heihachi was now known as Captain Sho and had risen through the ranks of the military after Kaniko had disappeared. Believing his friend to be dead Captain Sho was shocked at his appearance at first but quickly challenged him to stay out of Imperial business as he was no longer a member of the Imperial family.

It was then that Kaniko discovered the people of the town were short on their Imperial taxes and that Captain Sho had come to collect. Disregarding the road bandits that Kaniko had taken care of on the journey they were singularly focused on making an example out of the town. Kaniko managed to convince his friend to give him till sundown the next day to look into the matter. The crops had not been harvested and he promised the people could pay tribute if he could resolve whatever plagued them. Captain Sho granted him his requested and promised to come back by sundown the next day.

Soon after Kaniko spoke with the people and learned of the trouble they were facing. Explaining the information to Master Musashi he quickly learned that the stories lined up with his own fears. The creature was known as an Oni and was a monstrous fae like creature that was a foul mixture of beast and man with long teeth like tusks and glowing golden eyes. According to Musashi, the Oni curse was brought over from the old lands; whenever a human descended from those from the old Empire killed a member of their own family, they risked the curse's wrath. The creature was primitive but was immensely strong and had been wandering the local farmland looking for victims to slaughter and bring back to its lair.

Master Musashi explained that to truly protect the people and fulfill his obligation to the Bushido code Kaniko would need to be able to handle threats that seemed beyond him, things that were not human or that had been somehow cursed. The master explained that the trouble here signified a greater risk and that he needed find out more about the Fae that had created the Oni and sent Kaniko to take care of the Oni on his own as his final test.

Kaniko tracked the Oni to an abandoned tower it had been using as its lair. It was nightfall by the time he arrived, and the monster took advantage of its ability to conceal itself as if took Kaniko by surprise. The creature was strong and powerful and through the potential samurai around the tower with little effort. Kaniko however held his own but in the end found himself exhausted and pinned against the wall as the oni began to choke the live out of him. It was then that for the first time the tattoo on his arm lifted itself off and wrapped itself around the Oni’s neck strangling it in turn. This gave Kaniko the opportunity he needed to fight out of the creatures grasp roll away and remove its head.

Bringing the head back as proof he showed the people that the danger was taken care of and they were able to begin harvesting their crops once more. Kaniko then explained to Master Musashi what had happened. It was then that he gave him his first samurai sword and recognized him as a true Samurai warrior. Master Musashi explained that he had not only trained his grandfather, but also his father and that the sword given to him belonged to his great grandfather to be passed down to the one Musashi thought was worthy.

Musashi then explained that the tattoo must somehow be associated with the ancestral spirits and to truly find the answers he was looking for that he would need to visit areas of Spiritual significance where they vale between the spirits and the real world was more accessible. There he would need to meditate to find the answer he sought. Musashi had found a trail of the mystery Fae he needed to follow but directed Kaniko on a different path. The new Ronin was to venture north to an area where the costal ranges ended and rivers from the ocean came into a large lake. In that area there was a great mountain range that was said to reach for the heavens, it was there he would find his first site.

559 AE – Learns of Spirtual Sights and Meets Akari
Parting with his master, who had been a fatherly figure to Kaniko had been hard, but he knew it was time for him to make a new beginning and find the answers he was seeking. The first site was prolonged by the great journey to the northern part of the empire. Following the Bushido code Kaniko had stopped in any village that needed his help often rescuing the people from greedy or corrupt Daimyos or imperial soldiers as much as bandits. It had become clear that the empire was more concerned with keeping its coffers full than serving the people and Kaniko did his best to remedy that.

When he made it to the great mountain, he found an ancient temple that seemed to exist from the years when the Seiko empire was just being founded. Old statues of elders and ancestral creatues filled the entranceway until he came upon the dais where he sat and meditated. It was then that he heard Gaiden’s voice for the first time directing him to another site.

Gaiden sent him on a pilgrimage over the next year and a half going from one sacred site to another until he finally ended in a large forest in the southern empire. There had been rumor of an ancient site here that had a strong spiritual connection, but no one had ever been able to find it, a supposed city of gold protected by ancient spirits. Outside of the forest there was a small town where Kaniko met an elder who knew of the legends of the ancient city referred to as Gōrudenshiti, the Golden City. The elder’s name was Yamasato Hiro and she had a beautiful daughter by the name of Akari.

As Kaniko studied ancient texts and various clues provided by Yamasato he spends every other available minute he had with Akari. The two became very close to the point of being ambiguously amorous towards each other. When Kaniko finally determined how to get into Gōrudenshiti he took Akira with him so that she could witness its splendor. The two made their way into the forbidden city finding a city of pure wonder that somehow seemed older than even their people’s presence on the continent. Near a beautiful waterfall within the city Kaniko sat to meditate. It took him four days and four nights to create the final bond with Gaiden. Upon awakening he found that he had a knew awareness of the odd power that he had inherited within him, now able to channel them through his sword and causing it glow. Releasing his grip on the power at the right moment allowed him to ‘throw’ it at things through his blade.

That was not his only surprise upon waking. It has seemed that Akira had done her own exploring and discovered a vault room of great treasure. There was an irony with when he had managed to arrive for it was on the day, she had finally breached the final chamber. Within it Akira had found a great headdress and had been lured by its call to her. As Kaniko called out warning to her and tried to run to stop her she put the headdress on and in that very instant vanished in a wisp of smoke.
Kaiden searched the city for weeks but was unable to find any trace of her. Deciding it best not to take anything from Gōrudenshiti with him he left its borders stopping only to inform Akira’s mother of her unfortunate end. She of course blamed Kaniko and told him to never show his face to her again.

561 AE – Oisen O’ Tanaidehe and the trouble with Fae
Having formed his bond with Gaiden and wanting to move on from the unfortunate circumstances around Akira, Kaniko began to devote himself to his oath as a Ronin more directly. Wandering the lands of his grandfather’s empire he lived by the Bushido code. Remembering Heihachi’s hurtful comments about no longer being recognized as a member of the Munemori family he decided to drop his name once and for all. Taking up the name Kane and using only the word Ronin as his house he started to make a name for himself among the peasants of the empire.

It was at this time he would have his final encounter with his old friend.
When Kane approached the town of Jingsong it was purely by accident. The town had been located near the border of both Mississippi and Mexico. A recent gang of bandits had been making their way across the Mexico border in various towns and Kane had managed to clean them out. Now he was looking for a place to meditate before identifying where he was needed next. Those plans however changed when he noticed the large presence of imperial soldiers in town.

Making his way into the local tavern he realized that something must have been guiding his course of actions for standing in front of the bar was none other than Heihachi challenging the owner of the establishment. When Heihachi saw his old friend anger immediately filled his eyes, a reaction Kane had yet to understand. The soldier quickly explained that he was now general for his grandfather and was chasing down a rumor of the people in the town harboring a dangerous fae.

The growing season this year had not been good as most, something that many of the peasants would recognize as an omen of displeasure of the gods. Emperor Munemori however claimed the drought was not a natural phenomenon but a Fae trick and had sent his men hunting for a scapegoat. Years ago Kane would not have believed his grandfather capable of such a thing, but since being cast out he had come across just injustice from his grandfather’s hands it seemed a small leap.

Kane’s train of thought returned to the present as two guards came out of the backroom strong arming a short red haired man in worn out travelling clothes. As the pushed him into a chair General Sho looked at Kane with confidence.

"See what did I say.. they were harboring a Fae."

"You think that is a Fae?" Kane responded

"Well isn’t it obvious." The general repeated.

"Have ye even seen a Bloody fae?" The man asked clearly in an Irish accent. "What sorta fae do you think I blood well am?"

"Well… well… you’re obviously a leprechaun! " One of the guards chimed in.

"My arse… I’m not even wearin’ green! I wee bit over-sized for the small folk anyway."

"He must be a Brownie!" Another one said.

Kane couldn’t help but let go of a laugh he’d been holding.

"Hei… General Sho." He corrected himself straightening his face and trying to be respectful. "You truly cannot seriously consider this man a fae?"

The general stared daggers." Says the traitor Kane! What makes you think he is not?" the generals anger turned on the Irishman. "What is your name Fae?!" He demanded from the prisoner.

"Umm.. I be tellin ye I aint be no Fae but the name is Oisen O’ Tanaidehe and I just be passin t’rough. I don’t be meanin’ no trouble."

"Well.. after you ever met a Fae before?" Kane asked the general.

"Whats that have to do with it! The Fae are all tricksters and manipulators, they will do whatever they can to… don’t you Fae?!"

"What? Ye don’t even be knowin what yer lookin fer?! Ye takin’ the piss?" the man asked in exasperation.

"See he even talks like one! "The General responded.

"THAT is NOT a Fae." Kane repeated adamantly.

"I’ve had enough of you getting in the way of the Emperor Kane the Ronin!"

"I see you’ve made the connection with the new name. I am still your friend Heihachi, new name or old."

"Friend? You still think that I was your friend? You are a fool aren't you. Did you not see what I did to the cave? You’re no friend of mine you… freak! You’re just as bad as this fae. Wait… is he your father? Wouldn’t that be fitting for such a poor excuse for an heir?! "

"Don’t speak like that Heihachi, you stood by me when no one else would."

"Well I’d have been stupid not to, you were just my doorway to the Emperor. He responded And it worked quite well if I do say so myself. I knew he’d want someone keeping an eye on you and I was just the person to do it. Who do you think told him about the incident in the gardens? Me! I never was your friend I was your grandfathers eyes you pathetic mudblood."

Kane stayed within his inner clam taking calming breaths.

"So it appears you do lack honor after all. "

"How dare you challenge my honor!"

"My name is Kane the Ronin and I demand you let this man go and treat him with the respect and compassion he deserves. If you are such an honorable man general, I challenge you to a duel."

The Irishman looked around and called over to Kane. "Ye sure that be a good idea? Seems yer all about the honor and all dat but dey seem to ‘ave a lot of sharp tings ta be pokin ye wit!"

Kane just nodded.

"Fine, Ronin. I’ll finally rid your grandfather of you once and for all!"

The soldiers all filed outside creating a semicircle in the middle of the town square. As Kane stood ready to face his old friend the Irishman who had been brought out with his hands bound looked on as well. The General charged forward sword already at the ready and Kane quickly drew and parried. The Samurai seemed to be toying with the General as he measured him up.

"You never were one for technique."

"Oh shut it! "The General said as he continued to attack. Suddenly he backed off and stood still leaving Kane’s back to the Irishman and some of the soldiers. The general began to taunt Kane while a group of Imperial solders tried to sneak up behind him and take him from behind.

"Watch out tey be at yer back!" Oisen called out.

Just in time Kane lifted his left arm toward the approaching soldiers releasing Gaiden as his blade approached the neck of General Shoe.

"So you do lack courage after all. Gaiden it is time to feed on the honorless."

"But they’re so bony… hardly worth calling a snack, I suppose they will have to do. Gaiden said as he chased away the soldiers."

The general brought his blade up to try and strike Kane and in one movement the Samurai spun and cleaved off the generals head.

"Oooh… well dat wasn’t expected."

Kane held up his arm and Gaiden returned as he approached and cut Oisen’s bonds.

The revelation of Heihachi’s betrayal was unnerving to Kane, but he had lost his connection to his friend long ago and the bite wasn’t quite as bad as he had feared. Taking the generals life was probably the hardest part of what he had to do, but he was offered little choice. Still showing empathy for his old acquaintance he made sure to arrange for him to be sent to the palace for proper burial with a note to his grandfather explaining he knew the truth and to stop pinning his mistakes on the Fae.

The two introduced themselves and after dealing with the general headed back to the tavern where they made quick friends. They did not stick together for long though, it was clear Oisen couldn't stay in Seiiki for long and Kane had many travels ahead of him.

Enter KaneWriting Sample:

The quiet crunch of dirt under Kaniko's boot seemed to echo through the empty town as he stepped forward. It was quiet, too quiet a sign of the fear and suffering the troops of the Emperor had caused. As Kanikio walked toward the middle of the town he saw a man holding a knife to a woman's throat. Quietly walking forward he approached waiting for the man to look in his direction. When the time finally set his eyes on Kaniko he looked at him with disgust.

"This is none of your business. Go back inside!" he ordered.

"This is my business." Kaniko responded in his calm demeanor.

The man spat at is feet. "What do you want?! The girl is mine, just as the Emperor's edict says I can take her if I want."

"What do I want? Well that is simple." he answered. ""S"Gi, Integrity." he answered as he took a step forward.

"Rei, Respect. " he said as he took another.

"Yu, Courage." the ronan began to draw his katana.

"Meiyo, honor." the blade sung in the free air.

"Jin, Compassion." he continued to close the distance.

"Makoto, Honesty." he stated calmly.

"STOP RIGHT THERE OR I CUT HER THROAT!!" the man called out.

The katana began to glow with a bright white light. "Chu, Loyalty." he said as he swung the blade still some distance away.

A blast of radiant light was released from the blade as it crashed into the man causing him to drop his blade and fall to the ground unconscious.

Suddenly a group of troops jumped out on all sides of the samurai. In response he lifted up his other hand releasing his arm from its sleeve as the strange tattoo began to slither along his sleeve releasing itself from him and growing into a large spiritial dragon.

"Well that was a bit dramatic wasn't it." the creature asked as it lightly flew around his master.

"What I was putting on a show! What do you want me to do next time say 'come out come out wherever you are Gadian needs some lunch!" he laughed.

"I suppose your right... I did have a light breakfast." the spirit dragon replied.

There was a sudden war cry of the forces charging then within minutes, complete silence save for a crying woman. Kaniko called Gadian back to his sleeve as he approached.

"Fear not, you are safe now. Use the gold those thieves have left to restore the damages to your village." he comforted her as she rose. Then as quickly as he had approached without asking for reward he turned and walked toward the entrance to the town.

WhovianBeast · #3 May 2nd, 2020, 03:33 PM

Name: Annie Dane Charlotte Rambles, alias The Conquistador
Player: Drachenspirit
Hero Points: 1
Kind: Human

Physical description: Standing at 5'6" tall, and weighing around 148 lbs, she's got tanned skin and an athletic build. Her toned muscular physique is from working on her hobby of machine works, and her short cut sandy blonde hair is thus colored from spending a lot of time outdoors.

Country of Origin: Mississippi - Near the meeting borderlines of Kanata, New England, Appalachia, and MississippiRiviera

Powers: Tech Build w/ Twists (Energy/Machine Controller)

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Annie has always had a way with these newfangled things called machines. She's an inventor. She has come up with some unique things, but to date she hasn't created anything for anyone else. She has repaired lots of machinery, and always seems to know just what is wrong with any machine she touches; gifted is the term folks use when referring to her. Strangely enough, she's a bit of an eccentric, and the neat things she has created, she keeps to herself. Though she's been approached by lots of people, wealthy investors and business savvy people, to share the secrets of her inventions, or create them something similar, she hasn't shown any interest in this to date.
Annie was born and raised in Mississippi, not far from the border with Kanata. Her father was a traveling silversmith and actually owns a small mine. Her mother is a singer and entertainer who travels with her father, performing from city to city.
Once the couple realized that their daughter not only loved trains, but machinery in general, they settled down in a city in Mississippi. The quickly realized their young daughter was somewhat following in her father's footsteps, and was something of a tinkerer. Instead of putting a stop to what some would call silliness in this day and age, her parents fed their daughter's ingenious and curious nature. She could fix most any kind of device and troubleshoot most any kind of machine or mechanical workings. This didn't help her socially.
To this day, she's always dressed more functional that stylish,

creating a style all her own that just seems to add to her eccentric and odd reputation as some kind of genius inventor.

About a year ago, she had an idea when a few of her inventions helped her thwart a train robbery. She was traveling by train to go and test a fully enclosed helmet that she had invented to work underwater in a coal mine. She was quite certain it would work in any non breathable environment, but just wanted to be sure by testing it in the real world. She also had a long a new invention that she called, for lack of caring to think up a catchy name, Lightning Gloves.
When the would-be robbers tried to smoke out the guards car that led to the freight car where some gold was being carried, she donned her helmet, walked through the smoke, and quite literally shocked the thieves into submission.
The thrill from this was something she hadn't expected, but she knew she was hooked. She combined several of her inventions over the next couple of months to be contained in a suit that could do all kinds of fantastic things.
She stopped a bank robbery, took on a dozen fanatics that stole a Paddleboat, and even tracked down a cache of weapons stolen by a gang who were to sell them on the black market - fighting off several in the process.
When asked what she was called in her suited up fashion of fighting crime and injustice, she recalled stories she had been told by her father about their homeland. Tales of brave armored men who fought off the vampires so the people of their lands could escape so many centuries ago came to mind. And being told she was a descendant from one of those very men, she took the proud and almost forgotten name that they had called themselves and brought in back to life in her hero persona.
She is, "

The Conquistador."
Though it is clear that a woman is inside, only a few know who it is, and so far, her reputation hasn't caught up with the woman behind

the masked helm. All of this is thought to be not only incredible, but part of the genius of whoever is inside this suit. The secret is something only Annie knows, and it is something she is quite literally afraid to tell anyone. She fears that if people know, she'll be shunned at best, and hunted down and killed at worst. The secret is also the reason she can't share her inventions with anyone, or even sell any of them. So, she has to keep up the facade that she's just some genius and eccentric inventor who is tied up in their own thing and can't be bothered by others whims and wishes.

WhovianBeast · #4 May 2nd, 2020, 03:36 PM

Aikadda

Name: Aikadda Al'anaar
Kind: Djinn (Efreet)
Country of Origin: Ancient Persia

Aikadda is an efreet, a fire-based version of magical, elemental beings of great power collectively known as djinn that came into existence well over a thousand years ago in the Middle East and central Asia. A great many folk tales about these beings exist in the region, the story of Aladdin, the magic lamp, and the magician's ring being the most famous, but the presence of these powerful beings inspired many legends throughout the area. Some of these spirits were mischievous, some malicious, and others benevolent, but Aikadda was just simply looking for a good time. Created to be a bodyguard for one of the efreet caliphs, she was given low magical ability but great skill at arms relative to others of her kind. She was also presented with a pair of enchanted blades in order to fulfill her duties, blades that could strike even the spirits, notably those of rival djinn, even in their immaterial, elemental forms.

Though she took these duties seriously, she did so with very little else. The humans of the region would usually revere the djinn, fearing their power and magical ability. Aikadda took full advantage of this, visiting many noble courts in order to enjoy a great many indulgences. After all, when one is an immortal being of magic and the elements, one has little concern for the consequences of vice, and it was far from the norm for her kind to refrain from vice out of any moral obligation. Her hedonistic attitude served her well for several decades, the efreet becoming known among both her own kind and the human world as much for her indulgences as her martial prowess. At least until her rudeness and excesses crossed the wrong person.

In 1052, nearly a hundred years after the Byzantine Empire had retaken the city of Tarsus from the Muslims, Aikadda was a guest of the ruling mayor at a party celebrating his son's birthday. Though many of her kind had disappeared by this time, returned to the elements that formed them, she was among a few of geniekind still straggling on the Earth. However the rise in power of a central church certainly did not approve of her or other "supernatural" beings who were clearly in league with the devil, and the power of intimidation she once held no longer had the sway that it once did. So when she overindulged on wine and passed out drunk and naked in a church, the priest who found her there was not going to cower as so many before had done. He demanded an apology and restitution for the disgrace she had brought to the church, but she naturally refused. What she didn't realize was that the priest was versed in matters of the supernatural, one of the church's agents devoted to combating such. He knew of the laws that held sway over the djinn, and knew he could bind her in accordance with these laws based upon her egregious insult. Even after binding her and demanding an apology she still refused, so the priest imprisoned her within a brass lantern until such time as she could repay her debt by doing a service for the church or until a thousand and one years had passed.

And so the lantern remained, hanging in the rafters, for hundreds of years. The priest who imprisoned her never saw a need to force the favor she owed, and though the story was passed down to his successor and the successor after that, in time it would become merely a legend and the words and means to call upon that favor were lost. When the army of Dracula laid waste to the church, nobody present even knew about the power within the lamp. But ancient myths and legends have a way of turning up again, and even still, it has been one thousand and one years. Aikadda has been imprisoned within the lantern for just over a thousand years, held in magical stasis, unaware that any time at all has passed and unaware of the world around her.

WhovianBeast · #5 May 2nd, 2020, 03:39 PM

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Name: Violet Braithwaite, sometimes goes by Cliodhna (clee-na) O'Shea (OH-SHEE)
Player: UnderDarkLord
Hero Points:1 (11/25/2020)
Kind: Human

Physical description: Violet is a slightly shorter than average 28 year-old woman with short black hair, and bright blue eyes. She appears to wear black eyeshadow, but is in fact marked by magic which creates the look. Her hair is kept short, between cheek and shoulder length, and is usually worn loose, but it's tied back if she must attend to demanding work. She tends to wear more masculine clothing including trousers, vests, overcoats, and ties, especially when doing business. Elements of female fashion like puffed sleeves on her shirts, corsets, frills, and ribbons are what she wears around people she's more comfortable with, but only for the most formal occasion will she accept wearing a dress, as they are overly restrictive.

In public she tends to wear a severe expression, because the majority of her time in public is spent doing business. When not on business however she is often warm: smiling and laughing with family and among gentle society alike, or comforting the sick and their families when she finds the time to volunteer at the hospital (not to mention comforting the dead).

Country of Origin: New England

Violet Braithwaite - PL 9, 140pp (125 pp spent)

Backstory: Violet was born in 534 AE as the eldest child of the gentleman John Braithwaite and his wife Eabha (ey-va) Braithwaite née O'Shea, who went as Eve in polite society. Suffice to say her early childhood in a predominantly English community was filled with ridicule, and outright ostracism, for her half-Irish heritage. No matter that her mother was dark-haired, and hardly of pure Irish descent. Still, politeness is a virtue, and by the time Violet was 11 she didn't really have to suffer public ridicule over her mother's heritage anymore. Instead she suffered from gossip over how Violet was her mother's only child.

Due to her lack of siblings, or perhaps because of her father's lack of a male heir, Violet received plenty of attention from her father. From reading and writing lessons using Plato before she turned 6, to riding lessons at 8, and marksmanship since she was 11, Violet was taught to enjoy traditionally male pursuits. While she did spend time with her mother, their relationship was always a little strained by the differences between her warm mothering, and John's hands-on role modeling.

When she was on the cusp of her teenage years however, there was good news, her mother was pregnant again. During her 12th year Violet was granted the privilege of welcoming a pair of twins into the world. Better yet, they were fraternal, and one was a boy-child. The twins were named John and Jessica. And Violet's relationship with her father was never the same after they were born. When he wasn't throwing himself into his work, to 'craft his legacy', he was doting on the toddlers and already preparing a plan for his son's education. This was the golden age of his estate, which was collecting quality rents from highly-motivated tenants, but it was a grey age for Violet. Once she had lived with the certainty of being her father's heir, and imagined a life in business for herself; now her father discussed good marriages for her at the dinner table, and spent his evenings alone in his study. Violet eventually spent a lot of her time volunteering in the community, and was considering pursuing nursing as a career.

Violet's life was shaken up once again when only days after her 18th birthday her father collapsed from a stroke. He lingered on for months, but eventually died in his sleep. Violet worked hard to have herself named warden of her father's estate, to take care of it until her brother came of age, and was successful. She started dressing in men's clothes, and stayed up late into the night taking care of every detail of her family's business interests. Surprisingly Violet became closer to her mother at this point than ever before, finding her a miracle worker for de-stressing when she found the weight of her newfound responsibilities pressing a little too hard.

While she spent time with her siblings, Violet was always much closer to Jessica than John. While more traditionally feminine than Violet, Jessica inherited the warm and caring nature of their mother, while John developed a rebellious mindset after their father died. John picked fights, and even got thrown out of a prestigious boarding school, but at least he had the decency to feel bad about how he was making problems for his mother, and for Violet.

While Violet was trying to pick up the pieces left behind by her father, and made worse by her brother's acting out, her fate shifted in a way she could never have predicted. At 25, still finding the occasional day to volunteer at the local hospital, she started hearing the voices of the dead. Then seeing them. Then they started getting in her way, sometimes even seeking her out. It wasn't long before she told her mother, who rather than acting horrified, or frightened for her daughter's sanity, calmly told her a story about the old lands. Before the Crusades. Before Dracula, and the exodus. A time when magic was plentiful in the countryside and hidden corners of the world. Eabha explained that in many cultures there were tales of gods and spirits who guided the dead to their restful slumber. Mercury, Valkyrie, the Grim Reaper. But among the old Irish families, it was the banshee. Eabha explained that while much about banshees was pure myth, the fact was that they were mortal women descended down specific bloodlines who could console the dead directly. Console the dead, and put an end to abominations when necessary. The only explanation for Violet's experiences was that she had inherited the role of banshee for her people.

Ever since that day Violet has worked to understand her abilities, and use them responsibly. She has spent many nights comforting spirits, and has been more exhausted than ever. She even took an Irish pseudonym to help her make inroads among the local Irish community, who were surprisingly welcoming despite her actual identity being common knowledge.

Unfortunately her days of managing the family lands by day, and helping spirits at night has come to an end. Her brother John, 16, left a note one night explaining that he was leaving the family heritage in Violet's good hands, and going to seek fame and fortune, pursuing the announcement to return to the old world and free it from vampiric tyranny. Unable to let her brother risk so much, and break their mother's heart, Violet has set out in pursuit of him. She left a trusted staff member in charge at home, with her mother to act as his guide post. Intending to leave behind Jessica as well, Violet now has her as a traveling companion instead, half-convinced by her younger sister's words, and half-convinced by the dogged effort she showed in following Violet against explicit instructions. Violet will bring her brother back home, and maybe calm a few of the restless dead along the way. They've become so much more common in recent years after all.

WhovianBeast · #6 May 2nd, 2020, 03:41 PM

Name: Darsus Freedman, the Vampire Hunter
Player: AlphaZ
Hero Points: 3 (4/8/21)
Kind: Human
Physical description: Black hair, light brown skin, 5'7", lean, dressed in leathers under plated steel
Country of Origin: the Iron Empire (just south of what used to be Turkey)

Initiative: +7

Powers: Enhanced senses, magic bow, exotic training (defenses and skills)

Backstory:

Darsus was born of the Freedman family under the crushing heel of the Iron Empire. Normally there is no better fate for children there than that of their mothers and fathers. However, his own parents found a tiny sliver of hope in a mysterious patron that claimed to follow Nova Religiosa and carried weapons and holy implements. He offered to take the child and raise him for a better life, one with its own dangers, but also with purpose where others are left with futility; A life lived for the good of all mankind.

Hardly four years old when he was taken in by Master Shem, the memory of his family and home before soon slipped away from Darsus and he was left only with the life of a Hunter. Together they traveled, worked, and trained, always hiding, always in secret. Master Shem was learned in the ways of magic, and though Nova Religiosa generally forbids its practice, Hunters of The Order have a tendency to bend the rules. In fact, one of the many secrets of The Order is the practice of rune crafting, a means by which to empower their weapons and create their signature badge, known as Vizram's Mark.

Darsus was 14 when he began crafting his own Mark, now a full decade spent on the Hunt with Master Shem. He'd never fought a monster himself, neither vampire nor fae, but rather was given books to study while Master Shem disappeared for hours or days at a time. Sometimes he returned barely alive, but always he returned. Until he didn't.

For three long years Darsus stayed in hiding, honing the craft he'd been taught and searching for rumors of Master Shem's final whereabouts. Finally he happened upon a small band of Hunters taking shelter in a ruined church, marked with the rune of Vizram. For almost a year they traveled and Hunted together, all the while sharing with him tales of his lost Master and Hunts of times past. But Hunters usually hunt alone and for good reason: eventually someone attracts attention.

The small company was disbanded and at least two of them were slain. Darsus never heard from the others again. But so goes the life of a Hunter, blessed with neither community nor safety. After hunting for another 5 years across Europe, mostly by himself, Darsus had finally had enough. Hunters aren't supposed to retire, and perhaps he would return to it someday, but he set his mind to cross the sea and live a life free of monsters for a while. In the New World it was said that the fae were kind and the vampires nowhere to be found. After almost two decades of studying and blood, Darsus sought to try his hand at something else.

As requested, at PL9. I can update this post with each PL+ until the transition happens.
Current: PL9, 138/140pp

Ghast
42 PP

Ability	Human	Ghast
STRENGTH	3	6 For melee combat(12)
STAMINA	6	10
AGILITY	3	3
DEXTERITY	2	0
FIGHTING	1	0
INTELLECT	2	0
AWARENESS	5	5
PRESENCE	1	1

8 PP

Defense	Human	Ghast
TOUGHNESS	10	12
DODGE	8	6
PARRY	8	6
FORTITUDE	8	12
WILL	10	6

35 PP

Skill	Rank	Human	Rank	Ghast
Acrobatics	5	8	5	8
Athletics	3	6	3	9
Close Combat (unarmed)	0	1	5	6
Deception	7	8	7	8
Expertise (vampires)	8	10	8	8
Insight	5	10	5	10
Intimidation	5	6	9	10
Investigation	6	8	6	6
Perception	5	10	5	10
Persuasion	7	8	3	4
Ranged Combat (bows)	8	10	2	2
Sleight of Hand	4	6	4	4
Stealth	7	10	7	10

--extra notes--

44 PP

Hunter Powers
Hunter’s Secrets 20pp
-Hunter's Resolve: Enhanced Trait 7 (Fortitude +2, Will +5), 7pp
-Hunter's Quarry: Senses 8 (Accurate 4: all smell; Tracking: smell; Detect 2, Tracking: undead, smell), 8pp
-Echoes: Postcognition 4 (Unreliable, Noticeable: white eyes, trance), Advantage 1 (Well-Informed), 2pp
-Hunter's Discretion: Subtle 1 (armor/worn gear), Movement 1 (Dimensional, Limited: objects), Advantage 1 (Hide in Plain Sight), 3pp

Second Nature 12pp
-Unnatural: Enhanced Trait 8 (Stamina +2, Dodge +2, Parry +2), 8pp
-Corrupted: Metamorph 1 (Resistible: Will [ghast], Uncontrolled), 4pp

Runic Bow Easily Removable Device, 12pp
-Heartseeker Arrow: Damage 5 (+STR, Ranged, Improved Critical 3, Variable Descriptor 2, Incurable 1), 16pp
-1pp alt: Binding Arrow: Weaken (Agility) 8 (Ranged), 16pp
-1pp alt: Vengeful Arrow: Damage 5 (+STR, Ranged, Improved Critical 3, Homing 2, Ricochet 1), 16pp
-1pp alt: Piercing Shot: Damage 8 (Area: Line), 16pp
-1pp alt: Split Shot: Damage 5 (+STR, Ranged, Improved Critical 3, Split 3), 16pp

44 PP (2 unspent)

Ghast Powers
Creature 42pp
-Monstrous: Enhanced Trait 12 (Strength +9 Limited 6: melee combat, Stamina +4, Parry +1, Fortitude +2, Will +1; Dexterity -2, Fighting -1, Intellect -2), 14pp
-Ambush Predator: Leaping 4, Senses 3 (touch: Acute, Ranged, Danger Sense), Advantage 3 (Fast Grab, Improved Grab, Improved Hold), 10pp
-Vulture: Senses 9 (Detect 2, Accurate, Tracking: undead, smell; Detect 2, Extended, Tracking: dead, smell), Immunity 2 (disease, poison), 11pp
-Death to Life: Regeneration 10 (Unreliable [5 uses]: recharge by feeding), 5pp
-Corrupted: Metamorph 1 (Resistible: Will [hunter], Uncontrolled), 4pp

Advantages9pp

Assessment
Defensive Roll 1
Favored Foe (undead)
Hide In Plain Sight (power)
Improved Initiative
Languages (English, Arabic) 1
Power Attack
Quick Draw
Well-Informed (power)
Equipment 2

Complications
Motivation - Hunting evil. Usually this means vampires, but also their more lively associates within the Iron Empire.
Enemy - Though The Order is secretive, it is not entirely unknown to the enemy. As a result the Hunter can sometimes become the hunted.
Honor - Darsus may be a ruthless slayer, but only to vampires and their mortal associates. He won’t kill someone who is neither unless they are trying to kill him or his company.
Secret - Something isn't quite right...
Strange Appetite - Darsus does not get hungry and cannot eat without feeling sick.
Sleepless - When Darsus falls asleep, the Ghast awakens.
Forgotten - Darsus has no memory of what happens in his Ghast form while he sleeps.
Ghast: Bestial - The Ghast cannot speak or use complex reasoning. Darsus must pass a Will save to influence its actions, provided he is aware of them.
Ghast: Blind - The Ghast has no eyes, only skin pulled over sunken, hollow pits. As such it cannot see.
Ghast: Necrophage - The Ghast must feed on the flesh of the dead or the undead.

WhovianBeast · #7 May 3rd, 2020, 06:29 PM

WhovianBeast · #8 May 3rd, 2020, 06:33 PM

Name: Emet Clay

Player: Phasmus

Hero Points: 6 (7/29/2021)

Type: Construct

Age: ???

Country of Origin: ???
Physical description: Emet is a human-shaped magical construct, built from inorganic materials and given life through the application of powerful magics. He is comprised of an ornately inlaid metal casing riveted into place around the mysterious internal mechanisms that provide his animation. Unlike the rest of his finely crafted body his face-plate is a simple, curved metal sheet with plain round holes to accommodate the softly glowing crystalline structures that pass for his eyes. The difference in workmanship between his face and the rest of him suggests a slapdash repair at some point in his past. He stands just under six feet tall with a gaunt build that belies his high weight. He typically wears formal but concealing attire, making him difficult to identify on those occasions when he lets himself be seen.

Powers: As a construct, Emet is not subject to many of the needs or frailties of human biology. He is able to vanish and walk unseen among the masses of (potentially) criminal humans. His mind and senses are tuned to the task of identifying and tracking lawbreakers, including a supernatural comprehension of all languages. His hands are capable of producing a powerful and dangerous electrical shock.

Personality: Emet is very focused on what he considers his inbuilt purpose: the enactment of justice. However he is not emotionless or mechanical in his demeanor. He is sincerely disturbed by the suffering experienced by the victims of crime, and he considers most suffering to be the result of one crime or another. His frustration with humanity's tendency to deviate from the law is often expressed with bitterness and sarcasm. His lack of memory causes him very little concern overall, but he imagines that he must have come from a place with a more sensible legal system.

Because he is unable to lie Emet tends to speak very carefully. He avoids making concrete statements except in areas where he is very certain. He understands and uses figures of speech freely, but never risks ambiguity with them.

Emet generally obeys the letter and spirit of the law to the best of his ability, except where doing so conflicts with his innate moral sensibilities or hinders his efforts to enact justice himself. His respect for the privacy of others is vestigial at best. He has no compunctions about stalking and striking up conversations with complete strangers or lurking in private residences to interrogate potential witnesses. He is gradually learning to temper such direct approaches to achieve better results.

Emet didn’t get bored easily, but it was starting to happen now. He was sure he had the right office but its owner wasn’t keeping regular hours. He already knew everything that went on here. How many people had been hurt. How much money they’d given over to avoid being hurt worse. The names of the perpetrators, the names of the victims. He just needed to collect something a bit more concrete to get the wheels of justice moving. So he stood in the corner, feeling like another piece of furniture, waiting.

Eventually the man, the criminal, Mr. Lanzoni walked into his office. He was older and a bit pudgy. He didn’t look like the type to organize an extortion racket. But expecting people to ‘look the type’ was why juries needed so much evidence. He didn’t see Emet. Nobody would have. He sat down, took a bundle of bills from his most recent ‘charity drive’ out of his pocket and leaned over to unlock the cash box under his desk.

Emet moved forward silently and placed his hand on the back of Mr. Lanzoni’s neck. There was a bright spark at the point of contact and the smell of ozone filled the air. The extortionist began twitching uncontrollably as Emet shoved his face down to the desktop.

“Hi. I’ll be taking your ‘charity money’, your notebooks, keys to locker #54 on Yacht Street...” Emet’s tone was polite and matter-of-fact as he placed the various items into the pockets of his voluminous coat. He reached into the cash box and pulled out an antique silver pocket watch as he continued, “...and Mr. Armstrong’s watch over to the DA’s office later today. If he declines to prosecute you and your goons again I will have to take a more active role in the situation.”

Emet leaned in close so the metallic clicking that underlaid his voice was clearly audible to the spasming criminal. “That means I will, if necessary, do to you what you did to Mr. Armstrong. Do you understand?”

Mr. Lanzoni groaned, on the verge of passing out.

“Good enough. Keep your nose clean.”

Emet removed his hand and vanished into the hallway.

He didn’t like making threats like that. It felt perilously close to lying. But there was enough wiggle room, after all poor Mr. Armstrong had been through, that he wouldn’t have to murder anyone if it came down to it. It was never as easy to get into an office the second time around, so better to get the message across the first time if he could.

[/FIELDSET]

WhovianBeast · #9 May 7th, 2020, 05:02 PM

Elena

Name: Elena Severnaya

Kind: Human

Age: 24

Hero Points: 0 (12/11/2020)

Physical description: Elena is powerful woman and looks like one. Standing at 5'11" she has a sturdy build, a buxom chest and muscular physique. Her dark brown hair is just past her shoulders and occasionally worn in a single braid though often left free. Elena almost entirely dresses in functional or military clothing.

Personality: Elena is typically reserved and quiet, only saying the things that need to be said and leaving it at that. If something needs to be said, she is the type to speak up. Elena is slow to anger and equally slow to calm, when fully enraged (which thankfully has happened very little) is quite a sight to behold and tough to dissuade. She is ambitious and headstrong, often frustrated when others are slow to act or accept her reasoning. With those to whom she is familiar, Elena can be plenty jovial and boisterous with, but those people are few and far apart.

Country of Origin: Nadensk

Are you confused and wondering what is going on here? Check out this YouTube video to get the scoop.