[M&M] The City of Darkness: Shadowgate Breach

[Mitsubachi]

@Avner, yes me too open for comments, if you have the time and inclination.

[Acathala]

[Saratek]

Hunter Application Name: Eric Prince Comic Byline: U.S. Hunter - Keeping What Goes Bump in the Night in Check Quote: "Normal Folk couldn't handle what I've seen; what I've experienced, and I'm gonna do my best to make sure they never have to…" Character Concept: "Removed ColloquialismPsych-Discharged" Former Soldier whose Supernatural Experience activated a dormant hereditary ability to vocally 'Compel' others. Power: Mind Control - The ability to 'Command' or 'Compel' others with the use of a 'Powered' version of his voice. Otherwise, he's a human Hunter. Complications Motivation - Duty: Eric got a peek to threats more dangerous than even the worst of humanity could offer. His mission is to protect innocent lives from such horrors. His connection to the Fae has expanded his sense of Duty to include protecting Fae he has found himself aligned with (and one of), as well as working at their direction, believing they would only call on him to act in the world's best interests. Complication - PTSD(Addiction): Eric suffers from severe PTSD from his initial Supernatural Encounter, using either a mix of drugs and alcohol or relying on the powers of Fae to both keep his mind in check, and to be able to sleep through the night. Description: If it wasn't for the 'legitimate' jobs he takes on occasionally, it could be expected to find Eric as yet another homeless Veteran. The years have not been kind, making him appear ten years older than he really is. The clean-cut appearance has fallen away in the years since his service, causing his hair to grow long and his face constantly be in some state of scruff. Dressed in whatever combination of slacks and shirt that seemed the least dirty on any given day, he's most easily identified by the weathered, leather overcoat and combat boots that have become grounding staples of his life. While he's been able to maintain most of his physique due to always wanting to be prepared for a fight, his eyes, and sometimes his breath, betray the chemical dependency he has. Eric tries to be polite, to be respectful, but is prone to outbursts of intensity, especially when confronted with threats or 'demons'. Affiliation: While most would consider him a "Lone Wolf" detective, his introduction into the supernatural, and the resulting awakening of his own supernatural ability, did not go unnoticed. His first use, purely on accident, sent a ripple through the world that was detected by those fully in that world. They approached him. They revealed to him that he wasn't, in fact, "crazy," but instead had both seen something that normal humans never should have and actually was something more akin to that which he'd encountered. His options were to either work for Them or be 'eliminated' so as to ensure the secrecy of their world. Really, there was only one option, so now he works at their behest.   Eric was a 'Legacy'. His father was a Soldier. His grandfather had been one, too. His family had a long history of service, so it only seemed right that he continue such. As expected, he took to it easily. Through all of his training and the early days of service, he'd been 'proficient' if not considered 'exemplary'. While he may have only been a 'grunt', he didn't disappoint. He was well-respected, albeit lacking the necessary qualities to make him a good leader. During his second deployment, his platoon had been tasked with clearing a shallow cave system that was believed to be housing an insurgent cell that had been making sporadic attacks on the nearby outpost where he'd been stationed. Eric had already been desensitized to the violence that comes with war. He had the usual expectations, but what he and his platoon would encounter was beyond anything they could have ever been prepared for. Going in, they'd assaulted it like you would any other, but as they pushed in, clearing each cavern, it appeared as if the mission was a bust. There was evidence of insurgents: remnants of food, discarded weapons, a scattering of loose ammunition, but not a soul to be found. While he's never been able to truly remember the event, he does remember the 'Demon' he encountered vividly. At first, he thought it was some kind of bear, even though there shouldn't have been one, but then it stood tall, taller than any man he'd ever met. It was black as night; black as ink, and its body and limbs seemed to drip with such. He remembers the feel of its claws raking through his armor and flesh before he blacked out. What followed were flashes of light, glimpses of blurry faces, and lots of incomprehensible yelling. Once he finally 'woke up', he found himself in a medical tent in a FOB, shirtless with bandages covering a stapled-closed wound that extended from his shoulder to near the middle of his chest. Before long he found himself doing his best to answer a bevy of questions as he was being debriefed by a mix of superior officers and government attachés. He did his best to tell the truth, to tell them what he saw; what he experienced, but none of them seemed to believe him. No matter how many times he told the story, it was always met with doubt. Through sheer frustration during one of these interrogations, his anger and frustration bubbled up from within him, causing him to yell out, "LEAVE ME ALONE!" Something inside him filled his words with some kind of power. The words seemed to echo within him, to make it seem like the entire world around him vibrated briefly as the words were spoken. The half dozen or so people in the tent all of a sudden stood up and left without a word, eyes glazed over as they did. Just as he had said, he found himself alone. It hadn't been his true intention, nor could he explain how or why it had happened, but it had. He wouldn't know it until nearly a year later, but those words, the power behind them, had rippled out far and wide, causing a certain group to 'feel' the emergence of the new and wholly unexpected power within their world. Finding himself drinking from a glass bottle of the cheapest whiskey one could buy leaning back against the brick exterior outside of a liquor store, Eric's 'Less-than-Honorable' discharge had left the former soldier with no VA Benefits, no support systems meant for those like him, and not even the prospect of a job. He'd quickly found himself alone, homeless, and drinking, smoking, or swallowing whatever he could to numb his brain enough to sleep through the night. He'd felt 'different' ever since that day he woke up, and especially since that 'incident' that he still couldn't explain. Despite his efforts, all he could hope for, besides an end to the nightmares, was for someone to reach out a hand to help him get back on his feet. Eric had never met her before, but the woman had approached him and taken a seat against the wall next to him. She'd been dressed in a particularly nice pantsuit, leaving the man to be cautious at first, but soon found that hours had passed since she'd initially introduced herself and began to ask him about his situation and how he'd ended up where he had. She came with promises, with assurances, with an offer to help him get back to living the kind of life he deserved. Eric, still unsure, went with her to end up at what he could only describe as a 'mansion' just outside of the city. Filling out forms and getting a medical evaluation from a 'doctor', he was granted a room with a bed and desk that could be described as 'sterile' in appearance. It was no different than any other place that dealt with the mentally ill, but he never had the sense he felt confined there. His days were spent speaking to 'therapists' and 'doctors'. He spoke of his thoughts and feelings, but especially the events of that failed mission that had utterly ruined his life. They had also been curious about the 'incident' that happened after; the one that Eric had never been able to comprehend. While he was given whatever foods he desired, clothing that was more 'casual' than what one would expect in such a place, and even meds to be able to get mostly restful sleep, after a couple of weeks, he soon found he faced resistance as his idea of venturing back to the city. While there was never a moment where he was directly told he wasn't allowed to leave, he received a lot of gentle encouragement that 'he should stay until he becomes the person he wishes to be.' Trying to not seem ungrateful, he would be patient, but find the most relief from a small black cat that always seemed to 'pop up' in his room every time he went back to it ready to pack what little he had before attempting to escape. It would meow and purr at him, rubbing itself against his legs until he relented and stopped what he was doing to give it the attention it seemed to crave. As he fawned over the innocent creature, the same thought always softly repeated in his mind: 'I'm okay. Everything is okay. This is where I need to be.' The 'Big Reveal' came a month into his stay. Finally, the 'veil' of his situation was pulled back. Only a little at first, but growing more and more each time. The demeanor of the numerous therapists, workers, and doctors changed as he was told unbelievable things any sane human wouldn't ever believe. Numerous times he'd grow frustrated and storm out, sometimes seemingly worrying those he was speaking to. Every time he'd find that same cat. Every time that feline would calm him. Every time he'd stay to only be revealed more the next time. It took weeks for him to come to terms with what they were telling him, with all of the ideas they were putting into his head. The 'World' was not as he believed. Vampires, Werewolves, Demons, and something called the 'Fae', were not just fables meant to scare and excite but were real living things walking the same Earth as the seven billion humans upon it. The Fae were the ones that had found him, taken him in, and revealed to him that not only was he descendent of one from many generations prior, but that his 'voice', or more specifically that heightened version that had caused the odd 'incident' years prior, as a result of his ancestry. As the 'veil' was pulled back fully, he was shown and taught many things, not the least of which was that the 'cat' that he'd found so much comfort in was far more, far smarter and more sentient than he'd believed. He'd jumped back as it revealed its true, far more terrifying natural form. But then he heard those words in his head again, this time in a voice not his own, but one he not only felt he recognized but had grown attached to. It took time, of course, to fully educate the man about their world, but at the end of all of his 'teaching', he was presented with a choice: Serve the Fae or be 'Eliminated' so as to protect the secrecy of their race; of the world very few mortals were privy to. It wasn't a true choice. Who would choose death? Eric had been a soldier, with a sense of duty, with a desire to serve. The Fae only seemed to want the same thing: to protect both themselves and others from the horrors most can't comprehend and rarely survive. They would come to teach him a great deal: mostly about how to handle the various 'demons and threats' within their world. His previous life had given him the training and discipline needed, and now equipped with the knowledge, he was given a new title: Hunter. Eric served as a Hunter for the Fae for only a couple of years, working at their direction and completing the various 'missions' and 'hunts' they tasked him with, before being sent to Shadowgate. The Fae had been so seemingly impressed with not only his discipline and willingness to serve, but also his capabilities as a Hunter. He was given a vague idea that something 'World-Ending' was brewing in the city and that his talents could be especially useful in stopping this threat from eradicating every single living thing upon Earth. He'd been willing to die before in defense of the ideals of 'Freedom' and 'Protection', so being willing to literally go and stop a threat that could end everyone and everything he knew was easy. Even if he never felt he should be considered a 'hero' in any regard, if he could help, he had to…   It was another dark night in 'Shadowgate', as the Fae called it. Eric had just left a bar after a long day of tracking down leads on his latest 'mission'. With a slight buzz and a belly full of greasy, cheap food, he was undecided on whether to continue his pursuit or turn in for the night when he passed by a narrow alley that was barely lit by the dim light of a bulb over a building's back door. Normally he would have walked on by, thinking nothing of it, but something had caught his attention out of his peripheral. Stopping dead in midstep, he paused briefly before taking a few steps back to turn his head and look down the darkened alleyway. His body turned as he realized what he was looking at; the situation happening down that alley. Despite it not being technically part of his 'mission', it was a scene he'd come up upon several times before. Walking purposefully down the alley, the horror scene before him came more and more into focus as he grew closer and closer to it. "Stop," thundered from his lips, both vibrating within his core as well as the world around him. The figure hunched over another, face pressed against the throat of the thin, ragged human suddenly reared up, turning to stare in wide-eyed confusion at the hunter. Its fangs were bared, and while normally it might have hissed as a threat, the look in the vampire's eyes showed only the fear of being unable to understand how the man's order had forced it to stop its feeding. Moving to what many would consider too close, Eric looked at the vampire before raising a finger to point to a spot a few yards away. "Go stand over there," his powerful voice rumbled again. The fear and confusion only seemed to intensify in the vampire's gaze as it stood and moved over to the spot indicated. Blood dripped from the chin of the fledgling vampire as it seemed to freeze in place. Bending slightly to tug on the homeless man's shoulder before offering a hand to his feet, the man looked up at Eric with a sense of terror in his features that the hunter could all too well empathize with. "Forget what just happened to you," came the powerful voice, causing the man to suddenly blink several times before looking up at the hunter and the offered hand as if Eric had just woken him from a deep slumber. Helping the man to his feet, the victim was in a state of utter confusion as he began to question both the injury to his neck and the figures standing in the alley with him. He thanked Eric and began to ask what was going on, but was cut off by the powerful voice once again, "You're okay." The words were repeated back to him by the homeless man with a nod and a slight smile. Digging into his pocket and pulling out a twenty, Eric offered it to the man. "Go get yourself a meal," came the voice again, eliciting an enthusiastic nod and a bevy of 'Thank you's' and 'I'll go get a meal' from the homeless man. Watching the man amble down the alley, the hunter waited until the ragged man turned the corner out of view before turning back to the vampire who was still frozen in place. Taking in and sighing out a heavy breath through his nostrils, Eric shook his head at the vampire. "Brand new, right?" he asked, albeit not in the compelling voice he was capable of. The vampire, still under the effect of the last command given to it, could only answer with its eyes. "You picked the wrong alley and the wrong person to feed on. Someone should have taught you how to behave yourself. Now…Well…" Eric shrugged as he invoked his powerful voice again, "Kneel." The vampire dropped to his knees as the hunter almost casually moved around behind it; reaching into his overcoat to behind his back to retrieve a large, machete-like weapon. With a quick swing of the blade, the vampire's head was lobbed clean off. Tumbling to the ground and rolling a few feet, its body fell forward lifelessly. Looking down upon what he'd just done, he bent over to wipe the blade clean on the dead vampire's clothing before tucking it away. Glancing around and spotting a nearby dumpster, Eric let out another sigh as he knew what he'd have to do next. At least Shadowgate police were largely useless when it came to the bevy of corpses discovered in such a hellish city… Note: As I'm not terribly sure of how you'll characterize 'demons' in-game, I went with something I knew I could more easily comprehend. I hope that's allowable. Also, apologies for the length of both it and the background. I get elaborate with my storytelling. Also, if selected, I need to find a better way to differentiate between his 'Normal' voice and the 'Powered' voice he uses, so it's clear in the text. Not sure I'm happy with how I've done it here. Character Connections girlplay's "Angelika" - While not specifically named, she was the 'cat' that was used to keep him calm while he was being 'treated' by the Fae. Following his 'teaching' and agreement to work as a Hunter at the Fae's direction, Angelika has served as both a 'Handler' and become a 'Partner' of sorts for Eric. lydklein's "Sibyl" - Having encountered one another a few times since Eric's arrival in Shadowgate, the American found the woman to be equal measures Intimidating and Intriguing given her general demeanor and wealth of 'Hunter Knowledge'. Even though he's got a few years on her, Sibyl makes Eric feel like a 'New Recruit' when it comes to hunting, causing him to occasionally reach out for guidance or expertise, and offer any aid he can to her, if only to watch her work and pick up new tricks to better his own skills. Others: If anyone else would like to make a connection with Eric, either post in this thread publicly or "secretly", or feel free to send me a PM. I'm open to any connections, and will gladly discuss them with you to solidify them. He is technically Fae aligned, specifically the Autumn Court, even though he has no knowledge of the 'Courts' or general Fae politics. He's been purposely kept in the dark about such things since it could change his view of the Autumn Court, potentially removing a powerful 'Tool' they have at their disposal. With this in mind, his most likely connections would be to other Hunters, Autumn Court Fae, and Werewolves friendly with the Autumn Court, but I'm open to really anything if we can make it make sense and it won't affect his view and his place within the supernatural world. While I have the "Minimum Two" at this time, I'm always open to making more connections between Eric and other characters.

[ProjectLazarus]

I wanted to get what I have so far of my application put up, just so that I don't get left behind. If anyone has thoughts I'm open to anything.

I also don't have anything in the way of stats -- I'm through the application first. Although I do have some idea of what I'm intending (I think).

APPLICATION Name or Alias: Levistus Rorikson Character Concept: A werewolf who must battle his ferocious nature in order to try to do what he feels is right. Who tries to put to good use what he sees as a curse, by protecting the mundane world. Quote or Comic Byline: "To live is to be at war with ones own nature." Complications: Self loathing -- Levistus hates the beast within. Lack of Control -- sometimes despite his best efforts Levistus can't control the transformation. Particularly strong emotions are generally the trigger. Revenge -- Levistus will do whatever it takes to avenge the murder of his father and take the mantle of Alpha of the Ulfhethnar Description/Character Portrait: W.I.P. Affiliation: Levistus is a werewolf in exile. He tries to work with the Fae as best he can, to fulfill his duty of protecting the mundane world as best he can -- since his former pack is failing to undertake their duties. Backstory: Levistus is a hereditary werewolf. His father Rorik was leader of an ancient pack known as the Ulfhethnar -- Norse 'wolf warriors' who were sworn to protect humanity -- against the Sceadugengan or 'night walkers'. Rorik lead the Ulfhethnar honourably, fulfilling their duty by hunting demons and rogue vampires. But when Levistus was a teenager, a rival werewolf named Fenrir challenged his father for leadership of the pack as is custom, and defeated the standing leader. It is also customary for a defeated Alpha to be allowed to remain, however Fenrir simply killed Rorik. Levistus had an 'Aunt' among the pack, Hati, who helped him escape from Fenrir who intended to murder him to prevent a future rival. In the years since his father's death, Levistus has grown in strength, has performed the duties of the Ulfhethnar to protect the mundane world as best he can on his own -- duties Fenrir has neglected in favour of his own personal gratification and accumulation of personal power. He has also come to an association with the Fae, who have given him some assistance and guidance over the years. Eventually, despite the loathing of his position and his 'curse' (as he sees it), Levistus hopes to defeat Fenrir and return the Ulfhethnar to their rightful place as guardians. Writing Sample: W.I.P. BONUS Character Connections: So far I have none, and that's ok. I'm still relatively new to the website and brand new to M&M. If anyone would like to reach out, I'm open to suggestions.

[Saratek]

@Avner My application is complete, save for any future 'Character Connections' I add.
If you'd like to give any comments or critiques to correct any issues I may have presented or in any areas where you would like to see improvement or expansion, just let me know. Otherwise, I look forward to reading everyone else's applications and anxiously waiting to see if Eric makes the cut. The game, especially with how expansive you've made the world if your regular comments are any indication, looks to be one I would regret missing out on.

Good Luck, All! Lots of great reading already in this thread. (Yes, I'm usually this excitable )

[Runetide]

ProjectLazarus, there's a chance your character and mine could have a relation, if your father's pack reveres any spider-totem spirits.

[lydklein]

How does time work in the fae realm in relation to the mortal realm?

[ProjectLazarus]

@Runetide I appreciate the attempt, but I'm thinking that the pack probably wouldn't worship totems -- if they have any religious beliefs, I would guess that they'd probably still worship the old Norse gods.

[Avner]

Originally Posted by lydklein

How does time work in the fae realm in relation to the mortal realm?

Time is definitely going to pass slower on the mortal plane then the fae realm. I'm okay with you taking a liberty with it because it wouldn't be consistent and probably depends on where in the faewild you are located.

I will start to do some reviews and feedback early next week.

[lydklein]

Oh! I see. I was thinking the opposite. That time goes slower in the fae realm that here. basically, 5 minutes spent there would be more like days/weeks here. But you're saying it is the opposite, correct? Either way, I can make it work. Thanks!

[GleefulNihilism]

You both are wrong. Time flows at the rate which amuses the Fae the most in that moment. Even if that doesn’t make any sense like backwards, perpendicular, and both slower and faster at the same time.

[lydklein]

Inside out too?

[Acathala]

Isn't time the fire we burn in?

[Avner]

Originally Posted by GleefulNihilism

You both are wrong. Time flows at the rate which amuses the Fae the most in that moment. Even if that doesn’t make any sense like backwards, perpendicular, and both slower and faster at the same time.

This is definitely a better phrasing of ‘it depends where your located’ as the fey realm doesn’t follow our rules it follows theirs. Each court would be different and within the realm itself could have large variation that make no sense to us. It’s not chaos so much as incomprehensible.

[Avner]

Definitely an amazing group of players and concepts so far. Excited to review everything. There are definitely going to be hard decisions ahead. Great work so far.