He spake: and to confirm his words, out-flew
millions of flaming swords, drawn from the thighs
of mighty Cherubim; the sudden blaze
far round illumin'd Hell: highly they rag'd
against the Highest, and fierce with grasped arms
clash'd on their sounding shields the din of war,
hurling defiance toward the vault of Heav'n....
Mission statement from the old thread
Here's the basics:
Follow Trisphee's rules, obviously.
This'll be private, I'm looking for at most 8 players, but preferably less.
It's a post-apocalyptic fantasy based on the Book of Revelation in the Bible, with some sci-fi elements, too. I'll be posting the setting information in the game thread when I get it up and running. Edit: quite a bit of sci-fi now that I think about, though towards the cyberpunk end, along with Biblically-inspired fantasy elements: demons, angels, necromantic and theurgic magic, and also psychics for some reason.
This is intended to be serious and intricate. I'd appreciate people only signing up if they're sure they want to play. You can expect a fair bit of action, but hopefully a lot of character interaction as well.
I expect posts to be literate and have some thought put into them. Also, let's try to keep in-character here. This is not a nice world; humor should probably be kept at a minimum unless it's a character trait.
For your character concepts (and I will post criteria in the following post) we're looking at human survivors of the apocalypse, preferably of middle-of-the-road power, i.e. not a threat to the big guns of the setting, but also not in too much trouble if some raiders show up in a humvee.
I've come up with a lot of special equipment to outfit your characters with, so hopefully you can have fun with that. You'll find more as we play. EDIT: this list is not exhaustive, feel free to run new ideas by me.
It has been thirty-three years since the end of the world. God is dead, the Dragon lies broken and bleeding in the wastes of North America, Rome is an annihilated husk of the once-holy city, and the False Prophet rules an empire of slaves in the dominion of New Jerusalem. Armies of Saints war with the terrors of Hell, who now freely roam the world, as the dead crawl from shallow graves to make unholy pilgrimage to the Mountain of Sinai, where the Angel of Death musters a host that shall one day claim every life in every world. Insane Seraphim roam the fractured skies, shrieking hymns of madness and despair, while horrifying Nephilim awake from an ages' slumber to once more defile the earth. And yet, for all the terror and carnage that has become the norm of life, in this world where every stream flows with poison and the night falls ever starless, humanity endures. Priests and holy men fight side-by-side with cybernetic soldiers and psychic mercenaries while a nuclear satellite watches over all, promising utter destruction should the enemies of mankind ever prove victorious. Armageddon was lost long ago, but it was merely a single battle in the internecine spiritual war of extinction that is the Eschaton.
Welcome to the fight.
Cold silence has a tendency
to atrophy any sense of compassion
between supposed lovers.
Between supposed brothers.
Age: 51 Height: 5'9” Weight: 209 lbs Hair: Steel gray Eyes: Replaced by psycho-cybernetic lenses that appear as many-faceted diamonds Build: Lean with biogenetically-enhanced superdense musculature
Spiritual Presence: Poor, has lost all faith in the celestial powers post-Eschaton Psychic Presence: Moderate, master of biofeedback, limited telekinesis, telepathy, precognition, network access at will, pain immunity Combat Fitness: High/Extreme, above average reflexes, strength, and durability. When psionically augmenting his combat abilities, is blatantly superhuman in any number of ways. Arcane Knowledge: Moderate, schooled in classical theology, epistemology, and metaphysics, combat familiarity with Dybbuk, Emim, Qlippoth, and Nephilim Mechanical Aptitude: Deficient, no abilities of note Other: First aid, basic medical training and working knowledge of chemical stimulants and poisons
Possessions:
Armored priest's vestments (kevlar and ceramic plating)
2 x M1911 pistols with double extended magazines (60 rounds total) and psychic neurolink
300 x high-explosive armor-piercing tungsten-carbide .45 caliber rounds
2 x subdermal psychoactive theurgic flamethrowers (concealed in forearms)
Neuro-reflexive psychic combat lenses (provides 360-degree vision and perfect aiming)
3 x ectoplasmic dispersion grenade
Psychoactive defensive tattoo on chest (absorbs blunt force trauma up to small arms fire)
Mercury-alloy stiletto
Tungsten-titanium-alloy kukri
Biography: Hailing originally from what is now Byzantium Reborn, Diogenes was raised with a devout faith and heard “the call” at a young age, spending most of his adolescence studying to become an Orthodox priest. When the Eschaton struck, his father was conscripted by the Turkish military to fight in Armageddon and was killed in the ruinous nuclear holocaust that followed. His sister later perished to Wormwood poisoning, leading to his mother's suicide. Struggling to survive on his own, Diogenes was eventually overrun by Dybbuk and would have perished if not for the arrival of a patrol from Tyhat'ria. Horribly wounded and having lost almost all will to live, Diogenes agreed to enter the cyber-genetic enhancement program headed by the Prelate Zaccheus.
Emerging after three years of modification and experimentation, Diogenes was a different creature altogether. Although he retained the core of his personality, all empathetic response had been eroded from his brain, and his once profound faith in God had turned to bitter rejection of the higher powers. He proved to be a psychic talent of considerable power and was trained by Zaccheus' operatives to meld his newfound physical and psionic abilities into a harmony of murderous perfection. Endowed with powerful cybernetics, he has become an assassin under Zaccheus, working primarily alone to slay the Prelate's many enemies.
Personality: Diogenes is a grim figure, rarely speaking beyond what is tactically necessary to achieve his current mission. His sense of joy and compassion were casualties of the experiments performed on him, and he views other humans in almost mechanical terms, as objects to utilized, ignored, or destroyed as necessary. His loyalty to Zaccheus is absolute and he is an absolute zealot in the cause of human supremacy, showing absolutely no quarter to supernatural entities, be they demon, angel, or the tormented dead. And yet, what he truly despises above all else are those of humankind who, even in the face of so many otherworldly horrors, see fit to prey upon their own kind; toward them he is utterly without mercy. He has been known to work in elite strike teams on occasion and always fills a subservient role, serving as a scout and skirmisher due to his enhanced senses and speed. While not on active duty, Diogenes spends the majority of his time scouring the Amorpha network for disturbances and potential threats, even engaging in psionic combat with wraiths and demons who have infested the network with their unholy essence.
Espy
Dante
Originally "Lucifer Dante Kaan", but then more realistic names happened and it's /technically/ "Lucas Dante Cabral" because of Brazilian/Portuguese heritage. His parents usually called him "Luke", and in an effort to move on, he started to refer to himself as Dante.
Age: 26 Height: 6'0" Weight: 180lbs Hair: Gray/dark silver, almost shoulder-length and swept over his right eye. Eyes: Milky green (originally green) Build: Lean (think swimmer)
Generally this, but the references here are from the first Esch, and Natsura is non-canon. He now has shorter hair and slightly different equips.
Spiritual Presence: Poor Psychic Presence: Average Combat Ability: Average Arcane Knowledge: Deficient Mechanical Aptitude: Poor Other: Has the ability to see aura, affected by the target's spiritual presence and ability; first aid; only semi-literate. Developing telekinetic ability.
(Bulletpointed because I can't think right now)
-Homeschooled; was good at running off to do whatever so it's a wonder he ever got through what learning he actually did.
-Learned martial arts and firearms operation with his friends; couldn't be assed to join any sort of armed forces, mostly out of his disdain for authority and orders.
-House, along with almost the whole neighborhood, burned down when he was ten; he carried his brother out while his father ran back in to save his mother, who was ill. Neither of them made it out. Dante was blinded by a falling burning rafter while shielding his brother Gabriel.
-Lived off stolen food and money for the next few years because neither of them was literate enough to find a decent job, or had any sort of useful skills. (Dante also liked the thrill of it.)
-Promised Gabe that he'd eventually get rich/well-known enough to get the two of them out of their impoverished state and create a better life where they could live without being in constant fear.
-Gabe fell sick when he was 17; had never been particularly healthy (Dante was 21 a the time), and died shortly thereafter. Dante has blamed himself ever since for not having the money to buy proper medication and food.
-Took on bounty hunting as a means by which to earn a bit more money, but is horrendously bad at saving said money and would rather splurge it on food and brothels.
-Might have also caused other people to be on the search for him, because killing people in bouts of rage usually isn't a good, respectable thing.
Personality:
Mostly solitary by nature, Dante usually prefers to be left alone, but does occasionally enjoy the company of one or two others. He is also hotheaded and at times enjoys showing off, although he favors keeping a low profile.
He has a strong desire to be acknowledged by others, and is fully willing to forfeit his own life to save another, if only out of guilt for his brother's death, but he refuses to admit this and has shoved it far into the dark recesses of his mind. At the same time, he is determined to stay alive in order to make a better life for himself, a promise he had made to Gabe years back.
One of the things he regrets the most, besides his "failure" to save his brother, is his inability to enjoy sunsets.
Salone
Lev Gurevich, Lev of Tsavo
Age: 33 Height: 6' Weight: 198 Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown Build: Muscular
Spiritual Presence: Poor. Knows almost nothing of the celestial powers that be (or have been). Psychic Presence: Poor. No psychic capability. Combat Ability: Extreme. Is highly proficient with varying small arms and guerrilla combat tactics. While not being formally trained in hand to hand combat, Lev is especially dangerous in close quarters combat due to his lack of self preservation, going as far to tear and rip away the flesh of his foes. He is also a walking arsenal. Arcane Knowledge: Poor. Non existent. Mechanical Aptitude: High. Is quite capable of maintaining his equipment in the field, and has technical knowledge of some types of vehicles.
Other: Able to withstand nearly inhuman amounts of punishment. Recovers from wounds at nearly supernatural speeds. Has basic first aid and medical knowledge, and is able to perform surgery on himself when needed. Not formally educated. Speaks with varying skill in English, Swahili, and Russian.
Cannibalistic. Psychotic. Speaks to something known as "Na'lsa" that only he can hear. Sees things that are simply not there.
Possessions:
1x M9130 Mosin-Nagant. Long range bolt action chambered in 7.62x54Rmm, designed in 1893. Stamped 1942, Izhvek Arsenal. For it's age, it is in great condition. Houses 5 rounds in the fixed magazine. Bayonet makes it an impressively long weapon.
1x AKS-74U. Submachine gun chambered in 5.45x39mm. Rounds tumble when entering flesh, splitting apart and pin-balling inside the target body. Accepts detachable 30-round magazines.
1x TT-33 Tokarev pistol. A WW2-era sidearm, chambered in 7.62x25mm. Houses 8 rounds and is able to penetrate most standard body armor, at the exchange over penetrating most soft targets at reduced bodily damage.
1x Henry AR-7 US Survival Rifle. Chambered in .22. This small rifle is lightweight (2 lbs.), has a teflon coating, floats, is semi-automatics, and breaks down in to three pieces that store inside the stock. When broken down, this weapon can be stored inside a backpack. Holds 3 magazines inside the stock. Each magazine houses 8 rounds.
1x CZ-82. Backup pistol. Chambered 9x18.
1x CZ-83. Backup pistol. Chambered .380
1x Rock Island 1911. Backup pistol. Chambered .45.
1x Taurus Model 617T Ultra-Lite. Backup revolver. Houses 7 rounds of .357. Weighs less than 1lb when unloaded.
1x Ruger Mk II Target. Backup Pistol. Chambered .22.
1x Taurus Judge. Backup Revolver. Chambered for .410 Gauge Shotshells, .45 Long Colt, .45 ACP, and .454 Casull.
1x Flare Gun.
1x Sewing kit. Needle, thread, alcohol.
1x Kevlar vest.
1x Hand crank flashlight.
1x Bowie Knife.
1x 'Compact Knife'. Small knife worn as a necklace under the shirt, able to be pulled out from under clothing from the necklace-sheath for quick defense.
100x 7.62x54Rmm "Armor-Piercing" rounds.
400x 5.45x39mm rounds.
400x .22 rounds.
64x 7.62x25mm rounds.
60x 9x18mm rounds.
60x .380 rounds.
50x .357 Magnum.
30x .410 Gauge Personal Defense shotshells.
70x .45ACP rounds.
25x .454 Casull rounds.
12x Flares.
Biography:
Lev Gurevich was born to two Russians on a missionary trip to Kenya. Born mere days before the end of the world, him surviving his childhood should be considered a miracle. That's where his fortune stops.
All of Africa broke out in to conflict during his formative years, and his parents were swept in to it. His mother sold in to slavery and his father murdered, Lev was forced to participate as a child soldier in the conflicts that swept the continent. He had his first kill (pronounced 'murder' by some) when he was just five years old. Lev learned how to become efficient. He learned combat, war, how to kill and not be killed. He learned to subsist, to excel in conditions that claimed many of his weaker peers. He learned how to hide among the mounds of rotting bodies, how to survive off of them for days, weeks even while those around him starved. And that's where he met his one and only (imaginary) friend.
Na'lsa.
Na'lsa was something Lev could speak to. More importantly, Na'lsa spoke to him. He taught Lev how to survive. How to be silent. How to approach an unsuspecting person and collapse their throat with his jaws before the victim could cry out. How to kill with just his body, like every animal before him. Na'lsa was a comfort. A voice in his ear, a warning for what was around the corner. A voice pushing him on beyond the physical limits of his body, pulling back the boy from death's door. Lev did as Na'lsa said, and Lev survived.
And Lev grew.
He survived childhood, and 'prospered' as much as one could as an adult. As organized militaries collapsed, he became a free man. Conflict did not stop however, and neither could Lev. He murdered, stole, and at times devoured his way across the continent. Destroying those weaker and working for those who were stronger, he forged a name for himself. But behind the twisted prestige he earned, there were whispers. Whispers of an unheard voice, rumors of a muttering mercenary that would leave a shadow of death over the land he walked, of a madman who conversed with demons. Demon or not, Na'lsa had played a large hand in the person Lev became. Still a voice in the back of his head, but a commanding voice. An insane voice. One that rambles about nothing, but all of it makes sense to the broken psyche of a man who feeds on his own kind.
Personality:
Lev is dead on the inside. He sees conflict, survival, and not much else. Speaks as if waiting to die, and speaks in 'gallows humor' as if it is merely stating fact. Emotionally detached, and will do anything to survive. Be it traveling in a group, or eating said group to stay alive. In the back of his head he feels that he has a purpose, but that purpose has not been made clear to him. He finds comfort in small or odd things, and finds eating of all things to be a relief to his problems.
However, Lev's mind is essentially broken. At times he will laugh maniacally at jokes that no one has said. He will say random sentences as if replying to parts of a conversation. He will whisper about being 'hungry'. And at times during extreme mental stress, he will become completely unhinged. Madness takes Lev, and he enters a rage that causes him to lose all self-preservation. His madness varies from shouting at some 'being' and running headlong in to danger to a quiet, cautionary predator that kills with hands and teeth alone. During these times he is unable to be reasoned with, and must be left to run his course. During these 'episodes', he rarely remembers anything that he does.
Lev should not be left alone with anyone considered 'defenseless' if it is suspected that he may enter an 'episode'.
Arikana
Name: Ei’lycia Age: Seventeen Height: 5’4” / 162.5cm Weight: 119lbs / 54kg Hair: Short; naturally black, but has been bleached and dyed a deep blue Eyes: Crystal blue eyes Build: Lithe and somewhat athletic
[each rated either Deficient, Poor, Average, High, or Extreme, followed by a description of relevant abilities in each category]
Spiritual Presence: Poor. Knows nothing about celestial powers. Spirit thrives and can withstand very minor attacks, but otherwise is utterly defenceless.
Psychic Presence: Average. Born with strong psychic powers, yet she has never been trained to utilize them and as such are very much linked to her emotions. She has great potential to be a force to be reckoned with but needs training and/or practice to achieve such a level. She can mainly become thoroughly invisible to the naked and mental eye, temporarily blind/paralyze others, or utilize a detailed x-ray-like vision. X-ray-like vision can be utilized to seek out the weak spots of anyone she chooses to inspect.
Combat Ability: Average. Has trained to use a sword from observing, self-teaching and intense hours of practice over the years. Also knows basic hand-to-hand defence skills from lessons she took when she was young and has mastered them. However, such skills in this area are limited as she often runs from trouble rather than fight. Can also utilize a sword with decent skill having observed and mimicked the diverse styles of various fighters during her many travels.
Arcane Knowledge: Poor. Has never spent time learning of such things, however she knows some things from the days she was still with her devout Christian family.
Mechanical Aptitude: High. Has always taken to building things, taking them apart and rebuilding them as a means of therapeutic relief to cope with the voices and hallucinations she hears and sees. She often sells what she makes for profits to carry her through life. Through psychic abilities she utilizes her x-ray-like vision to both help forage the rare materials and put her creations together.
Other: Has incredible foot speed and stamina from running everywhere on foot all the time. Has an eidetic memory. Has great street smarts such as pilfering whatever she needs, be it food or things to turn into gadgets, sly stealth to stay in the shadows and out of trouble (or at least as much as she can), and a very keen observation.
Possessions: An extremely durable and lightweight sword which although appears to be simple, she has put together on her own. Made of titanium, silver and copper she has acquired; it was created to have the potential to possibly one day be imbued with the strong psychic powers she was born with but has never tapped into.
Sunglasses which she built to hyper-analyze everything at minute degrees and angles; they have since been altered to accommodate her x-ray-like vision.
Metal claws she created that can be infused with psychic powers (to create a giant claw of psychic energy for a wide-range attack from a long range distance), despite her lack of need to do so. Half of a two-part last line of defence. They can be worn as finger gloves or on her fingers depending on which is better for the situation at hand; when there is no situation the former is used. Currently only has one for her left hand but is looking for a second for her right side.
A razor thin dagger she keeps on herself as a other half of a two-part last line of defence; is rarely used and mostly has for show.
Biography: Ei’lycia was born into a strong, devout Christian family and grew up with the strong values her parents have instilled in her. Early on, her parents discovered she had both schizophrenia and an eidetic memory and coddled her, to an excessive point, in order to protect her from the “evils” of the world based on their point of view; she became home schooled, which eventually came in handy in order to develop ways on her own to adapt to her mental disorder. Due to the voices and hallucinations she hears and sees, she often questions what she truly believes in, wondering what is real and what is not. Upon discovering her psychic abilities, she has kept quiet about them for fear of being locked up in a mental institution as she knew her family would not look well upon her gifts. She’s also noted that the more she uses her psychic abilities, each specific power/skill in varying amounts, the stronger the voices and hallucinations she receives.
From the time she was around six-years-old, Ei’lycia has had a hard life due to the onset of her schizophrenia causing her to have gone into various bouts of depression, both of which, resulted in many scars and burns from her various attempts of suicide. (She would have been dead long ago if it weren’t for her healing abilities.) Unable to take medication for her schizophrenia, due to her body having violent reactions to the drugs, she deals with complete effects of the mental disorder on a daily basis. However, it’s also allowed her to become strong as she’s used it as a foundation to push herself to extreme levels of self-preservation. Despite being born with psychic abilities, at erratic times, she may often be misguided by the voices she hears, hallucinations she sees, and the inability to distinguish reality from fantasy, as a result, causing confusion and pain amongst her family and others whom are close to her so she has refused any formal training with her powers. When she was but fourteen-years-old, in an extremely rare moment of clarity, she decided to run away from home when she understood the pain she was causing her family as a result of her condition coupled with the realization that they were barely treating her as family and more like an outcast.
Personality: She carries no money on her and, since running away from home, has survived life thus far by doing whatever it takes to earn her daily provisions as each day comes. She is independent, adamant, and blunt in all she does and says, yet has a caring heart for those who sincerely need help. While young she may be, she is not naïve as living on her own has opened her eyes to how sheltered her old life was.
She likes staying organized with daily schedules mapped out ahead of time that are down to the last detail. Time management is important to her despite often struggling to stay on top of time when her hallucinations start. She can also get quite paranoid at times.
Galla
---
Age: 33 Height: 6'4" / 193cm Weight: 229lbs / 104kg Hair: Ragged, uneven, black Eyes: Dark slate blue Build: Thick with fat and muscle
Spiritual Presence: Deficient, spirit has been highly compressed and is resistant to further damage, unable to sense any sort of entities or use magics Psychic Presence: Deficient, no abilities or defenses to speak of Combat Ability: Poor, relies heavily on instinct, little experience, above average durability Arcane Knowledge: Poor, retains little of what he hears Mechanical Aptitude: Deficient to the extreme Other: Naturally repels living creatures and entities from a wide range (said beings are usually unaware of the effect)
Possessions: None (No, seriously.)
Biography: His oldest memories are of the sea. He had no family to speak of, leaving him to survive on his own. He grew without rules or social standards to limit him, and no education or connection to the changing world around him. Time was never something he had need to track. Just a few years past, he was taken under a man's wing and the world opened up to him, only to be abandoned before any good could come of it.
Personality: He cares little for the niceties of social order, having spent so much time without. He is only satisfied when he has ample food and water to spare; all else is unneeded and, more often than not, boring. People will catch his interest on rare occasion, but he prefers to follow and observe than participate in their antics. His ability to communicate can be faulty, and he lacks any ability to read or write. He is generally unbothered by things that happen around him, but when he feels in danger, will not hesitate to take action.
Gabriel Ivone Hickory Carnet
Age: 35 Height: 5’11” / 180cm Weight: 132lbs / 60kg Hair: Long, black Eyes: Dark green Build: Gaunt yet able-bodied
Spiritual Presence: High, specializes in healing wounds, disease, poisoning, and disorders. Can reduce fatigue in others, improve the body’s efficiency for short periods, cleanse water and certain foods, resurrect the recently deceased, and shield from limited spiritual attacks. Damages by disrupting the body’s functions, halting them completely, or sending them into overdrive. Able to use all skills from a distance, but uses and recovers energy more efficiently with direct contact. Well experienced and needs little to no preparation to use most of his skills. Psychic Presence: Average, fair resistance, can create small flames, alter an object’s temperature, inhibit individual aspects of the somatosensory system Combat Ability: Poor Arcane Knowledge: Average, good theoretical knowledge but little first-hand experience Mechanical Aptitude: Average, maintains and repairs his own belongings well Other: Ambidextrous, but slightly better with his left hand, often uses mirrored writing. No formal education, taught by family and himself, extensive knowledge in traditional medicine and pharmacognosy. Able to create orbs of light in various colors, and perform other frivolous tricks.
Possessions:
Personal
Clothing (brown unless stated otherwise) – robe, sleeveless jacket, fitting pants, scrub top (teal), patterned hip scarf (teal and black), underwear x3 (various colors), socks x5 (various colors), boots, sandals, waterproof cloak (black)
Thermal Insulation Gear
Blanket
Packs – large backpack, strapped pack x4 (2 at belt, 1 at thigh, 1 at bicep), medical bag
Compression Bag x3
Toiletries & Carrier
Electronics - tablet computer, waterproof case, stylus, wireless headphones
Multi-tool
Cookware – pot (cooks for 3), bowl x2, cup x2, utensils
Pocket Notebook & Pencil
Sewing Kit
Basic Hunting Knife
Medical
Basic First Aid Supplies
Portable Diagnostic Device (fits in the palm, applied to a pulse point, data displayed on the face of the device)
Purification Filter x2
Surgical Kit & Sutures (box x2)
Procedure Mask (box)
Disposable Gloves (box)
Succor Capsule x60
Water of Eden x5 (vial)
Syringe x2 (reusable) & disposable needles (25ga x ½” & 20ga x 1”)
Assorted Medication Vials (max 10 doses each) – antibiotic, psychotropic (for enhanced cognitive operations, def not to get high. def not.), enhanced erythropoietin, antiepileptic, detox agent, tranquilizer
Universal Splint x2
Nasopharyngeal airway x2
Sterile Lubricant
Biography: After years of failed attempts at a child, Gabriel was born scarcely two years before the world came to an end. The family survived together thanks to no small amount of luck, some of which came in the form of strange abilities that became more pronounced as everything else around them was torn apart. For the first few years, they tried to stick with people they knew to survive together, but by the time Gabriel showed signs of having his own abilities, they had settled down in a more secure encampment. He was given a practical education, taught what they and other survivors deemed important, his parents encouraging his talents from an early age as they attempted to master their own, his mother gifted with psychic capabilities and his father with theurgic magicks.
The encampment’s numbers continued to dwindle, and soon the family made their way to one of the growing military fortresses. They brought with them two more to add to their numbers, a yet unborn child and an orphaned girl. This fortress was where Gabriel would spend the rest of his ‘childhood’. His family would be granted one more son shortly after Gabriel found his passion for medicine and healing. As in adulthood, the teen was devoted to his chosen field, all of his spare time spent caring for his family. He had just turned eighteen when he joined a group heading out to Thyat'ria, certain that the change of scenery was necessary if they were ever going to have the future his father had always assured him they would.
A few months after settling into his new life, Gabriel received word that both his mother and youngest sister had been killed in an attack. His adopted sister later left, following his own example, to join The Aery Alliance and protect humanity as a whole. Though he kept in touch with his father, his sister had far less time for him, and the younger brother he’d hardly gotten to know none whatsoever. Eventually, the broken family was struck one last blow when his brother was taken by his use of death magicks. Since then, he makes every effort to keep in touch with his father and sister, but blames himself for the collapse of his family.
Personality: Dramatic and changeable, he is most often seen in a bright mood and with a smile on his face. He’ll happily converse with any that allow it, teasing and flirting with those he likes best. He can, and usually will, talk for miles, encouraged by even the slightest bit of attention it earns him. When caught on his own, he is far more subdued. He’s extremely focused on his work, using it both to help others and for personal gain. He constantly practices and studies to improve, hating to let opportunities to slip him by. What time he has between those he uses to pursue less noble pleasures. He rarely sleeps well and often puts other things before eating, leaving his health to suffer.
Quiet
Tarja
Age: 42 Height: 5’7 Weight: 130 Hair: long, black, somewhat wild looking Eyes: brown Build: muscular
[each rated either Deficient, Poor, Average, High, or Extreme, followed by a description of relevant abilities in each category] Spiritual Presence: average to poor. Psychic Presence: high. Tarja has focused heavily on developing her psychic talent and continues to do so. She is highly proficient in telekinesis and subdivision pyrokinesis. Limited precognition and next to no telepathic ability. High degree of psychic defence. Combat Ability: poor. Focusing almost exclusively on her psychic talent, Tarja has mediocre combat skills. She carries an axe and she can swing it. It sees more trees than people. Arcane Knowledge: high. Mechanical Aptitude: deficient. Tarja is utterly clueless with technology, having never taken the time to learn it. Other:basic outdoor know-how, high degree of literacy, social know-how and etiquette that she never bothers to use.
Possessions: dark blue woolen robes, crude helm fashioned from a deer’s skull, kevlar and titanium scale vest. Interdiction badge (abdomen). Axe.
Biography: Tarja came from a well to do family in one of the few remaining centers in the world. She was raised to be socially conscious, educated, and well spoken.
Forget all of that.
Born with a high degree of psychic talent, Tarja began training early to develop her abilities, learning from books, active training, and the occasional, and occasionally disastrous, moments of self-study. It occupied nearly all her waking time and she progressed quickly, taking fierce enjoyment out of learning and mastering any new technique. After returning home from studying under another psychic who had taken residence in the wilderness so he could practice his “art” against threats outside the city, she often retreated to the city’s tall library to study in between her training sessions. She was in the library when an aftershock of the Calamity shook through the region and the entire city sunk into the ground. What was submerged into the liquefying ground was broken as it toppled and hit. As the library building groaned and tipped, the upper floors Tarja was studying in snapped off and smashed on the ground, with Tarja still inside. The broken tops of skyscrapers are all that remain of the former city.
Tarja’s parents weren’t at home, and with news of the cities destruction, she doubted that they would ever bother coming back. Tarja didn’t much care. Instead, she left to occupy the small shack her psychic teacher had lived in. The building itself was no more than a pile of wood now, with her old teacher long gone. Life in a tiny shack was hardly suitable to a woman who was used to having access to everything she needed, but one must make do with what one had. Tarja continued developing her talent, focusing on mastering what she had already learned, and then turned her mind to learning how to survive without the usual urban amendments. Never one to do anything half-way, Tarja tossed her urban trapping aside like torn wrapping paper and embraced a nomadic life.
Personality: Tarja is bold, not afraid to speak her mind even if she might offend someone in the process. Though raised with good manners, she finds she has little use for them now and prefers to just be blunt with people if it will get things done. She rarely forms emotional attachments with people, her relationship with her parents was cool at best, and she had no close friends that weren’t also competitors. She is determined to be good at what she does. She appreciates a sensitive soul, however, and would sooner use other people like her as means to her ends and leave the others alone.
Lawtan
NAME Kaida Tanzen
Age: 24
Height: 5’6”
Weight: 125 lbs.
Hair: Black
Eyes: Dichromatic – Green and Pink
Build: Athletic
Spiritual Presence: Average – She has maintained a belief in a balance – a Taoist set of beliefs, and thus can offer some spiritual assistance (healing) and wisdom.
Psychic Presence: Average – Telekinesis, can sense auras, and able to block mental attacks.
Combat Ability: High – She has been trained in the use of firearms and various Japanese martial arts weapons
Arcane Knowledge: Average - her whole childhood centered around this knowledge. However, she gets sloppy when she is at emotional extremes.
Mechanical Aptitude: Average/High – She is adept at chemical/fluid dynamics and modifies her weapons to fulfill such things.
Other:
Pet Robot Wolf: Rurik (Rebuildable, rideable, has metal claws and teeth)
Possessions:
Backpack
Healing/first aid supplies (not sure if an in game mechanic or not)
Spiked Poi balls
Shuriken ammo
2 Fire Wheels (Fire Wheel brought up to the modern age – imagine floating wheel of flame and metal)
Held outside
Experimental Diamond Eye (1) - A device that magnifies images 360 degrees around to assist vision. It also displays digital information and has wireless. However, it has lapses and overloads.
Staff-shield (Staff that can create a temporary two-person force field)
2 Hook Swords (with flammable fuel – like fire wheels)
Shuriken – wrist attachment/wrist gun
Shoe-daggers – has an electric power attached to them (Voltage at 200 Volts, 1mA - essentially deadly to a strong human)
Biography:
Born in Vöcklabruck, Austria, to a Japanese ex-veteran father and an Austrian scientist-mother, Kaida lived a childhood training to be her father’s dream – a warrior of the Apocalypse. Between drills with many martial arts weapons and forced courses of chemistry and physics, Kaida never really developed a sense of self. Her instruction focused on chemical and flame tactics, Japanese martial arts, the math and science behind both, and Taoist/New Age culture. She was isolated from the rest of the war-torn world, made to move often due to “the War” until she was 17. Then, the effects of the Calamity caught up with her family. A man, a thief, tried to rob a soldier of the False Prophet who had come to reclaim Salzburg Castle. In response, dark shapes carried through the town with black fires. Kaida, an insomniac, saw the figures. She slipped out with her twin hook swords, Frey and Freya, and slipped out, eager to test her abilities. Unaware, she was caught by a vagabond and raped. Though terrible, it was worse seeing black flames engulf her home…to hear her mother wake up screaming. Kadia blacked out, and woke to a half-destroyed town, an orphan with but two swords to her name. So, she set out.
For 4 years, Kadia lived wildly. She didn’t really know who she was, but she loved sex, gambling, and fighting. She worked with a gang, learning to patch them up when they got hurt. She was a wild flame who gave her all into the gang. She was an asset to a group of “normal humans” as she began exhibiting telekinetic powers and the ability to sense and deflect energies around her, though this rubbed some members the wrong way. Sadly, this, the prime of her life – her new family – did not care much for her. Her energy and enthusiasm, her help and creative strategies, even her body were tools for them. When she reached 21, her gang abandoned her to the threats of Eschalon.
At 22, battered and broken, Kadia stumbled into one of the few remaining monasteries. There, for two years she was healed and became a minor priestess. After bidding farewell to the monastery, hoping for it not to fall into the curse that now seemed to hang around her, Kadia left. Though not healed, she is once again part of the rogues gallery.
Kadia’s primary weapons are her two hooked swords, and two windwheels. She has modified both to essentially carry a controlled release of fuel and spark, makinf the wind wheel spinning disks that spit fire, and her swords able to either be superheated (able to slice clean through almost any metal or iron) or spout off a similar flame to the wheels.
From her time as a gang member, she keeps two gloves - wrist attachments that load disks, spinning them at a highly lethal rate and launching them. Those who see this in action swear she is shooting discs of light – they are likewise considered superheated.
Kadia knows Poi from her time dancing for her gang. This she can also bring to be a weapon-like style. From this and her martial arts, she can easily make up her height with high jumps and attacks in the air.
When she was abandoned, Kadia stumbled around until she ran into a man willing to pay for “experiments.” She volunteered, was drugged, and had a chip implanted in her brain connecting her to the Robo-wolf, Rurik. The wolf is her aid when she gets too depressed, as well as a strong deterrent from the common thief. Rurik has no eyes, nor nose, but a strong sense to wavelengths, so he can “sniff” things out.
Personality:
A mix of fire and water, Kaida is both a short tempered rage and a shifty, deep person. She embodies the duality, almost on the lines of Borderline Personality Disorder. At times, she can take anything and offer great wisdom as well as exhibit great idealism and energy, which can be great for those she tries to help – the hope is infectious. Other times, however, she’ll seem to snap – to give up – for many hours. However, even when in this state, she will fight for those around her, so they can continue even when she can not.
She is clever (or thinks she is), impulsive, and nimble. She is a dancer of light and shadow, hope and despair, fire and ice.
Don’t mention her dichromatic eyes. She was whipped as a child for having the weak albino-like eye that could not see well.
She is also hypersexual and steril.
Cold silence has a tendency
to atrophy any sense of compassion
between supposed lovers.
Between supposed brothers.
Also, not sure if my guy is too powerful or not. He's really good at killing things, but mostly in limited engagements, he has no real options if he gets swarmed. Can't heal himself either, so if something manages to get through his various defenses, he's in trouble. Balanced enough, I think.
Cold silence has a tendency
to atrophy any sense of compassion
between supposed lovers.
Between supposed brothers.
Oh, and I should probably describe the immediate setting for anyone new who joins.
The group is currently in Thyat'ria, Anatolia, one of the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse that were visited by Christ and bestowed divine artifacts to see them through the end times. Except, in the interim, it's gone from being a church to being a massive sprawling fortress housing over a hundred thousand refugees. It has it's own private military force equipped with highly advanced weaponry and has repelled numerous attacks by demons, the undead, the Sons of Megiddo, and more. It's the mightiest bastion of humanity left in this area of the world, home to entire brigade of AA troops, one of the largest Artificer headquarters this side of the Atlantic, and it's own air base with a sizable contingent of high-tech fighters.
The city is ruled by Zaccheus the Celestrine who was given the Iron Scepter of Lordship and has used it to militarize his church to this extent. It basically lets him command his troops as if he was playing a real-time strategy game, down to micromanaging individual squads and units simultaneously. He's a benevolent ruler and is the head of the human supremacy movement, willing to do whatever it takes to survive against these monsters. His people have developed some truly horrifying weapons to battle supernatural threats with, and he's one of the few individuals in the world with access to the launch codes for the Aether satellite, putting the capacity of dozens upon dozens of H-bombs in his hands, if he should ever feel the need.
Due to the extreme fortifications, it's generally a safe place to live and the people there have relatively normal lives, if you can count drilling for demonic assaults twice a week as normal. Even with weapons readily available and abundant, crime is at a minimum since any disturbance is met with an immediate response by Zaccheus' super-soldiers and offenders are forcibly entered into his augmentation experiments.
Underneath the city is an entire labyrinth of spiritually-deadlocked bunkers, laced with psychic agony wards, EMP landmines, thermobaric mines, entire networks of neurolinked autocannon turrents controlled by a psychic warmaster, and god only knows what else. The bottom line is, it's a safe haven for any human, but don't cause trouble. Just... don't. These guys do NOT mess around when it comes to protecting their flock.
One interesting thing to note is that the Saints in fact have no presence in Thyat'ria, as it's generally acknowledged that Zaccheus doesn't need their help, not to mention their somewhat... honorbound approach to warfare tends to clash with his merciless campaigns of destruction against anything nonhuman.
Also, it should be noted that the city is absolutely COVERED in sensors that will detect anything of infernal or undead origin, which generally provokes a serious armed response. Zaccheus deploys both psychics and theurges as sentries all over the city, constantly scanning the ether and the Amorpha network for signs of attack, making it literally impossible to catch them off-guard. There's even theurgic wards set to detonate with city-block-leveling consecrated concussions if anything should try to teleport into the city from out of range.
All of this, of course, means you can get pretty much any kind of equipment you can think of, though stuff like powered armor and anything cyber-theurgic is going to require some contacts higher up the ladder.
And that just gave me the idea of cyborg-theurges who have had their organs replaced with theurgic-powered mechanics and electronics, would probably be almost impossible to kill with any kind of physical attack since their soul would be literally capable of reconstituting the body instantly. They probably have eye lasers too, because why wouldn't they?
...I think I'm going to turn off my imagination for now. I hope that was semi-informative for someone.
Oh, and for anyone wondering, YES, such, extreme measures are necessary. Thyat'ria is pretty damned close to the Infernal Sea, and we haven't even seen demons yet in this game, but they are Not. Fun. to be around. Fallen angels aren't too bad, they're at least fairly straightforward in how they try to murder you, but actual demons are on the order of reality-warping, physics-breaking eldritch abominations. Which... says something for Beelzebub's dominance over Hell since Satan was killed. He *was* considered a brighter angel than Lucifer before they fell, though, so he probably is packing the mojo to whip an army of demons in line.
Cold silence has a tendency
to atrophy any sense of compassion
between supposed lovers.
Between supposed brothers.
Before I go back and read everything -- oh god my friend just tagged me on Facebook as Neo out of all the possible characters of The Matrix. I don't even see how...
I actually don't know any martial arts as a result of my mom being paranoid that I as a little kid would get heavily injured doing any sort of sport. (I pleaded with her to let me learn karate, but nope. Now I have an interest in aikido, but no time.)
Now here's a question: regarding the aforementioned insane seraphim roaming the skies... does having artificial eyes prevent one from instantly dying by looking at it?
I really want to use a Cherubim somewhere, too. Wings covered in thousands of eyes that can all shoot eye lasers? Sign me up! (and I am not making that up, Milton seriously describes them throwing thousands of lightning bolts from the wing-eyes in Paradise Lost. How badass is that?)
Cold silence has a tendency
to atrophy any sense of compassion
between supposed lovers.
Between supposed brothers.
I think it would make a lot more sense if it wasn't actually a visual-based attack. I don't really think closing your eyes would really work. It's probably more like a wave of spiritual pressure it constantly pumps out and the seraph can rein it in by folding its wings over itself to dampen the effect.
Cold silence has a tendency
to atrophy any sense of compassion
between supposed lovers.
Between supposed brothers.
I like the sounds of the Cherubim creature with the wing-eyes. Not sure how one would survive an attack from all the eyes, but still a really cool concept. :3
Trisphee
