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[B]| Identity |[/B]
Rachel Roth/Raven

[B]| Origin & Backstory |[/B]

[hider=Origin]
[b]"The Year is One!"[/b]

Angela Roth was a teenage delinquent in 1981, having dropped out of Gotham County Middle School at age 12.  After a falling out with her conservative Christian parents over a boyfriend, Angela ran away from home, and struggled to get by alone in the city's underbelly.  Vulnerable and afraid, she quickly gravitated to a place that offered sanctuary and acceptance: the Church of Zandia.  Led by a charismatic occultist named Sebastian Blood, the Church of Zandia were a seemingly New-Age commune who lived on a small farm outside the city, and while the most treasured secrets of the Church were only known to Sebastian and his chosen inner circle, all members were welcome to strive for enlightenment over time.  They promised Angela understanding and security in a troubled materialistic world, and Angela spent her teenage years opening her mind to old, hidden knowledge and experimenting with psychedelic drugs.  In 1986, at age 18, Angela was welcomed into the inner circle, and given the name 'Arella.'

Once part of the Inner Circle, Sebastian revealed to Arella the true nature of the Church of Zandia.  They were worshippers not of nature or some vague pagan life-spirits, but of a beyond-ancient entity known as Trigon.  According to Sebastian, Trigon was a bringer of change, an agent that would in time sweep away the evils and inequities of the world, and in its wake bring about a shining new dawn.  The Church's mission, then, was to prepare the world for Trigon's coming, and prepare themselves for the purification of humanity.  Arella was initially troubled by the implications of this, but her supporters within the Church comforted her and assured her it would all be for the best.

While spreading the good word of the Church in New York City in 1989, Arella met a struggling young actor named Keith Richardson.  Despite her vows of celibacy and loyalty to the Church, she felt immensely attracted to Keith, and found herself inventing reasons to keep coming back to Manhattan to meet him.  This did not go unnoticed by Sebastian and the rest of the inner circle, who sternly warned her against the temptations of this outsider and threatened severe punishment for disobedience.  Meanwhile, Keith, a skeptic towards the supernatural, pleaded with Arella to come to her senses, that the Church was nothing more than a lunatic cult.  This, combined with her already growing unease about the nature of the Trigon entity they worshipped, eventually caused Arella to run away from the Church, moving in with Keith in a small gothic apartment building in Manhattan.

Keith and Angela--having disowned the 'Arella' moniker-- were married in February of 1990, and conceived a child on their wedding night.  Angela's pregnancy was without complications, but her relationship with Keith drew strained, between her husband's frequent absence, their financial troubles, and an increasing feeling of paranoia that Sebastian and the Church had been following them.

Nine months later, on Halloween Night of 1990, Angela delivered a baby girl, whom they named Rachel.  Upon seeing their daughter, Keith began to laugh, not the laugh of a proud father, but of a madman who had seen a plan come together.  To her horror, Angela saw the door to the delivery room open to reveal Sebastian Blood, who knelt before her husband and referred to him as 'Master.'  "Keith Richardson," the handsome young man who had delivered her from the madness of the Church, was none other than Trigon itself, a malevolent force bent on the destruction of mankind, and their daughter, a hybrid of human and demon, would be the key to his victory.  She had unwittingly brought about the birth of the Anti-Christ, the bringer of Armageddon.  Triumphant, Sebastian and his Master took the newborn Rachel and left Angela, alone and half-mad from terror.

[b]"It's all for you......."[/b]

The Church of Zandia and their Master spent a year preparing the infant Rachel, performing obscene rituals in her presence to strengthen the demonic influence in her hybrid blood.  In her, they would have not just a loyal soldier of the armies of Hell, but a queen over all mortals and all of the damned, who would march their legions to the gates of Heaven itself, and burn them down.

However, there are few things even the forces of evil can do to stem the power of a mother's love.  Angela Roth, having recovered from the trauma of her child's true nature, spent that same year tracking the Church down.  With the help of a supernaturally-inclined investigator named John Constantine, the former Arella found Sebastian and his cult.  On the night of Rachel's first birthday, Angela and Constantine broke into the accursed temple, interrupting a blood ritual that would seal her daughter's loyalty to Trigon.  Confronting her seducer "Keith" once more, Angela drew a gun and shot him through the head, destroying Trigon's mortal vessel and banishing him back to his infernal realm.  She turned and shot Sebastian several times as well, and though he survived the shooting, he was too grievously wounded to prevent  her from taking back her daughter.

Angela and Rachel spent the next few years on the run, avoiding the attention of Sebastian Blood and his followers.  All the while, Rachel's infernal influence would spread over the people they encountered in their travels-- people who were kind to her would unexpectedly come into great fortune or land their dream job, a bully who harrassed her on the street was struck and killed by a drunk driver later that day.  A priest who pressured Rachel and her mother to convert dropped dead of a heart attack mere hours after they left his church, which itself burned to the ground the same week.  A town who passed strict laws to drive out their homeless population was ravaged by a tornado days after Rachel and her mother were forced to leave.

More and more, as Rachel became aware of herself and what she could do, she felt terrible for the things that had happened to those in her wake.  She felt powerless in the face of her fate, and ashamed of the evil within her blood.  More than anything, though, she felt alone.

Angela taught Rachel meditation, to control her emotional outbursts, and reign in the supernatural influence she had on others.  However, she still needed an outlet for her abilities, and so she turned to smaller, more practical means of manipulating the world around her: magic.  She spent the majority of her childhood researching various cultures and their rituals, their systems of asserting human will over nature, and picked up on them with unnatural ease.  By her tenth birthday, Rachel was among the most knowledgeable and powerful witches on Earth.

[b]"[i]Miribale dictu,[/i] don't you agree?"[/b]

At age eleven, Rachel saw things that would change the course of her life.  She had spent so long trying to deny her abilities, to keep her head down and stay out of trouble, that it had never even occurred to her that she could use her powers against the forces of darkness.  That changed in 2001, with the arrival of the Superman, and the Batman and Wonder Woman following soon after.  Like the all-but-forgotten Justice Society of decades past, these were people, beings with abilities far beyond those of mortal men, who used their power but did not exert their power over humanity, who fought against evil and never succumbed to it.

Rachel Roth saw these people and realized she could be among them.  She would not be a demon or an angel, she rejected becoming a god or a devil.  She would be a [i]superhero[/i].

Over the next two years, Rachel began training herself, combining her studies of magic into immensely powerful yet quick and practical spells.  She imbued her demonic essence into moxes, blood-red jewels that stored and amplified her magical abilities at a moment's notice.  She put together a crude but effective costume, a dark blue cloak over a black leotard (in keeping with superheroes wearing 'tights'), and dyed her hair purple for good measure.  At age thirteen, she snuck away from her mother and hit the streets of Jump City, donning the codename "Raven" and set out in search of evil to fight.

Tragically, while she was out looking for trouble, evil came calling.  The Church of Zandia finally caught up to Angela Roth, demanding that she reveal the location of her daughter.  Rather than lose Rachel to Sebastian's followers once more, Angela took her own life, leaping out of a tenth-story window and taking her daughter's safety to the grave.  Upon finding out what happened to her mother, Rachel swore revenge, and dedicated the existence of Raven to hunting and destroying Sebastian Blood and his cult.

For the next three years, Raven traveled alone, rooting out the Church and stumbling upon other sinister cults at work.  Indeed, Trigon was hardly the only evil entity bent on destroying mankind-- Dormammu and his Mindless Ones, Neron and the Wish-Weavers, Mephisto and his son Blackheart, and many others.  Some, upon realizing who Rachel truly was, attempted to sway her to their camp, but most either tried to kill her or fled from her in terror.  While Raven fought cultists and lesser demons, she grew no closer to finding Blood himself, and grew increasingly frustrated by her repeated failure.  She had immense power, but lacked the connections and resources she needed to seek and destroy Trigon's infernal church for good.

[b]"The dreams of youth are the regrets of maturity."[/b]

In 2007, as Raven found herself wishing for a network of connections and better resources, the mighty Justice League began attempting to plan for its future.  Gathering the small collection of protégés and 'sidekicks' that certain League members had been training, they then opened the fold to include other teenage superheroes....including Raven.  Led by Batman's protégé Robin, the 'Teen Titans' were sent to aid in crisis situations, investigate potential low-level threats, and deal with villains that didn't require the full attention of the League.

One of their first expeditions was in response to an unidentified flying object touching down in San Francisco, to assess the situation and defuse any potential threats before SHIELD or the military could mobilize.  Upon reaching the landing site, they found a young humanoid female, who rushed towards the Titans and grabbed Raven, kissing her on the mouth.  Quickly apologizing and explaining she needed direct connection to a compatible nervous system to absorb the native language, the girl introduced herself as Koriand'r (the name roughly translating to 'Star Fire'), Princess and Champion of the planet Tamaran.  She had come to Earth to do roughly the same task the Titans had been dispatched to carry out-- assess the planet and defuse potential threats to interstellar peace.  After introducing her to the League, Starfire was welcomed into the Titans.

For roughly a year, the Teen Titans fought against minor villains like Doctor Light, the HIVE, and the telekinetic Psimon.  During that time, they began to bond.  Starfire became particularly attached to Raven, always attempting to 'cheer up' the perpetually dour and cynical witch girl, and despite her outward annoyance at Kori's sunny disposition, Raven became loyal and protective of her new friend.

Friendship was hardly the only bond growing in a team of teenagers in a high-stress environment, however-- romantic entanglements between team members sprang up quickly, and often grew ugly.  Raven tried her best to keep clear of the emotional drama between teammates apparently eager to have their hearts broken, but even she could not stay detached forever.  Eventually, rivalries between boys trying to date the same girl, betrayals of one Titan cheating on another, resentment and depression from unrequited crushes, and numerous other volatile realities of teenage life caused the Titans to begin to splinter.

The splintering became a shattering when Sebastian Blood and his Church reemerged, baiting Raven into a final confrontation.  While Raven prepared for the war she had always wanted, Blood had secretly hired an assassin named Deathstroke to eliminate the other Titans.  Delving into their secrets and playing their emotions against each other, Deathstroke made it impossible for the Titans to act as a unit to defeat him, and one by one, he dismantled the team.  Only direct intervention from the League saved the Titans' lives, but the physical damage dealt was paltry compared to the damage he had done to the team.  Realizing they were unable to trust each other, the Titans disbanded, leaving Raven to fight Brother Blood and the Church alone.

Raven had grown tremendously in power, both in magical ability and in her demonic influence, and so she swept the Church's disciples away with ease.  When confronting Sebastian, however, and remembering all of the pain and suffering he had caused to both her and her mother, she lost control of herself, and gave in to her demonic spirit....just as Sebastian had planned.  By killing him and surrendering to her unholy rage, Raven would open the portal to Trigon's realm and bring about the end times....

....however, his plan was derailed by the unexpected interference of Starfire, who arrived to save her friend and throw Sebastian Blood into the infernal portal herself.  With the threat of Brother Blood gone and Trigon sealed away once again, Raven regained control, and the two of them patched their wounds and celebrated their victory over cold pizza and a long talk about what to do next.

[b]"Free will, it is a b*tch."[/b]

In the two years since defeating Brother Blood, Raven and Starfire have moved into an apartment in Jump City, and started a small business together.  'Roth and Anders Paranormal Investigations' specializes in fringe cases, dealing with either the occult (Ms. Roth's specialty) or UFOs and alien abductions (Ms. Anders' area of expertise), and splitting the profits 50/50 when dealing with run-of-the-mill super villains.  While they are no longer affiliated with the Justice League and avoid the other former Titans whenever possible, they do maintain contacts within the hero community, and hold themselves up to the same standards as any Leaguer-- no killing, no civilian casualties, no government dirty-work, no excuses.  All they ask in return is a reasonable fee for their services, and that you please try to refrain from dabbling in interstellar politics or powers-man-was-not-meant-to-know from now on.[/hider]

[B]| Attributes |[/B]

Rachel Roth is the direct bloodline descendant of Trigon, one of the most powerful demons in existence.  As such, she can project her influence over the world, grant favors to those who benefit her or cause catastrophe to her enemies.  Her half-demon soul can reach into the material world and constrict or wound people, intrude on the minds of others and even temporarily possess their souls themselves.  If she ever succumbs fully do the demonic side of her, Raven will bridge this world with Trigon's and bring about the apocalypse.

However, Raven has blocked off the vast extent of her true power, and instead focuses more on human magic to manipulate the world around her.  She is exceptionally good at picking up on incantations and magical systems, and has thus far mastered Hermeticism, tarot, African Vodun and New Orleans Voodoo, Senshism, Qabballa, Appalachian folk magic, Santeria, and the Greek, Indian, and Chinese forms of Alchemy.  This gives her knowledge of a wide array of spells and rituals, many of which require a large amount of time and preparation to carry out.

In combat, Raven has a set of practical spells she has learned to cast quickly and without material components.  These include levitation, telekinesis, teleportation, and protective shields.  Through meditation, she can also attune to the thoughts of others, and project her astral form outside of her physical body, though doing so leaves her body vulnerable.

[B]| Character Notes |[/B]

[hider=Setting]

[b][i]Jump City[/i][/b] is a moderately-sized city along the East Coast, about an hour north of Baltimore.  It was a relatively unsung little town compared to the big 'cape cities' like Metropolis and Gotham, which made it a perfect place for professionals and young entrepreneurs who wanted to be somewhere near where the action is without having to worry about being gassed by killer clowns or having their businesses crushed by invading aliens.  Not unlike Austin or San Francisco, its younger average citizenry and its dependence on the tech industry has made it a haven for Generation-Y millennials, with a more Bohemian atmosphere than most of its neighboring cities.

Even the villains of Jump City are more novel-performance-artists than homicidal masterminds.  The occasional spree of someone like the Mad Mod or Mister Twister has more in common with a flash-mob than it does with an attack from the Joker or Brainiac.  As a result, the citizens of Jump City treat super-activity with an almost 'touristy' air.

That said, the city does have its fair share of genuine threats.  Intergang has fingers in Jump City, as does a particularly nasty gang known as the Hangmen.  And while Raven is quick to stomp out the influence of the Church of Zandia wherever she finds it, the city is big enough that not every occultist and demon-worshipper is going to be noticed.....[/hider]

[hider=Supporting Cast]

[b][i]Princess Koriand'r (alias "Kori Anders," codename "Starfire")[/i][/b] is the Crown Princess of Tamaran, a world inhabited by tactilopaths-- beings who can read the thoughts of others as long as they are in physical contact with them.  After three years on Earth, she has assimilated much of various human cultures, but is always eager and excited to learn more.  In many ways, Kori is the polar opposite of Raven: extroverted, optimistic, socially and sexually aggressive, scientifically minded, and explosively emotional.  Their differences allow them to balance out the extremes in their life-- she is the yang to Raven's yin, so to speak, and the most loyal friend Rachel has ever had.  The fact that she possesses superhuman strength, the ability to fly, and can project explosive blasts of plasma at enemies certainly doesn't hurt, either.

[b][i]Timothy Hunter[/i][/b] owns a small bookstore in Jump City, specializing in old and obscure books-- and one of Rachel's favorite places to frequent.  Timothy inherited the bookstore from his parents, and more often than not seems actively determined to persuade customers [i]not[/i] to buy his books.  One of his ancestors was hanged in the old Witch Trials of the 17th century, and as such he has a fascination with occultism and witchcraft, although he doesn't believe in any of it.

[b][i]Danny Chase[/i][/b] is a local blogger and superhero enthusiast who has fancied himself as the "unofficial sidekick" of Raven and Starfire-- wherever they go, he invariably shows up with a camera and tablet in hand.  He's a little annoying and probably has a thing for the two of them, but generally he's harmless.

[b][i]Madame Xanadu[/i][/b] is a fortune teller of indeterminate age, by appearance no older than thirty, but by her speech and demeanor, possibly centuries old.  While she never reveals much about herself, she will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about yourself.[/hider]

[hider=Enemies]

[b][i]Sebastian Blood[/i][/b] is the demon-worshipping cult leader who oversaw the events that led to Rachel's birth, as well as her mother's death.  He was the voice and right hand of Trigon in the mortal realm, until Starfire threw him into a portal to Hell and sealed him away.  While Brother Blood seems to be gone for now, his influence is still felt....and 'gone for now' and 'gone for good' are two very different things.....

[i][b]The Hangmen[/b][/i] are a vicious street gang who have taken up residence in Jump City, and are one of the few organizations actively seeking to kill Raven and Starfire.  Imbued with metahuman abilities and cybernetic implants, the five leaders of the Hangmen are often the biggest threat to public safety in the city.

[b][i]Blackfire[/i][/b] is Komand'r, Starfire's older sister and the disgraced former Princess of Tamaran.  An opportunist and power-mongerer, Komand'r betrayed her homeworld during an invasion of the Citadel Empire, in the hopes that joining the winning side would grant her favor in the new order.  However, when the Tamaranians rallied around her younger sister and repelled the invasion, she was stripped of her titles and exiled, and has spent years scraping  by as a petty criminal.  As a result, the disparagingly named 'Blackfire' hates her sister, and has obsessively tracked her down to Earth, where she intends to take her revenge.

[i][b]Jinx[/b][/i] is a witch like Raven, and was her opposite on a team known as the Fearsome Five who clashed with the Teen Titans.  She gained her powers by making a deal with Klarion, a Lord of Chaos, and as such, uses her abilities as more of a trickster than a conqueror, causing disruption and mischief for its own sake.  Despite this, she is an immensely powerful spellcaster, and relishes in squaring off with Raven.

[i][b]Doctor Light[/b][/i] is one of the few genuinely threatening villains to have set up shop in Jump City, a powerful super-criminal who can use his light-bending powers in myriad ways.  On top of being a megalomaniac and sadist, he is a shameless lecher, and it is little coincidence that he has claimed a city protected by a pair of teenage girls as his territory.[/hider]

[b]| Character Goals |[/b]

I plan on telling interesting and compelling character-driven stories with Raven and Star, two characters that haven't had a fair shake in DC in ages.  The two of them have the potential for a 'buddy cop' dynamic that never really gets explored, and that's what I'm aiming to go for here.  I want to create versions of these two that have grown and developed just like Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon have, rather than just retelling the same story with Raven over and over or courting controversy with Star.  Mostly, though, I plan on having fun with my two favorite characters from the Titans show, remade to fit into this version of the DCU.

[b]| Sample Post |[/b]

[color=a187be]"Good afternoon, Mister Jefferson,"[/color] I say at the doorstep, extending a rubber-gloved hand in greeting.  [color=a187be]"Rachel Roth, of Roth and Anders Paranormal Investigations, at your service.  I understand you have a potentially dangerous situation involving your daughter?"[/color]

[color=39b54a]"Oh, thank goodness, yes!"[/color] he says, shaking my hand and practically yanking me inside.  [color=39b54a]"I'm amazed you were able to come out here so quickly.  But yes, it's Amanda.  She's......she's not well.  We moved in about a year ago and I think....I think there's something [i]wrong[/i] with this place....."[/color]

Looking around the living room, I see little out of the ordinary.  Ugly green sofa, coral blue carpet, white walls adorned with family photos, a bookcase filled half with 'inspirational' fluff and half with books about World War II.  A coffee table covered in magazines.  A television with too many remote controls.

Upstairs, I hear a loud [i]thump[/i] and a pained howl.

[color=39b54a]"She keeps saying there's something inside of her, something that's....making her do things,"[/color] Mister Jefferson says in a worried voice.  [color=39b54a]"Ever since we've moved in, there have been weird sounds, things moving where they weren't before....and it's only gotten worse in the last few months.  Melissa and I, we've always been skeptical about religion, but......I don't know.....I think there might be something here.  My little girl.....I think she's....possessed....."[/color]

[color=a187be]"Well, you called the right person for the job,"[/color] I say, pulling my hair back into a tight ponytail in the back, and then reaching into the pockets of my thick denim coveralls for a pair of safety goggles and a hair net.  [color=a187be]"If there's any kind of malevolent entity in this house, I'll be able to find it, identify it, and get rid of it."[/color]

My heavy work boots make a loud clunking noise as I make my way up the stairs.

[color=39b54a]"I, er, I can't help but notice.....erm, your outfit...."[/color] Mister Jefferson stammers.

[color=a187be]"You were expecting the cloak and the skin-tight leotard and all that, right?"[/color] I say, not looking back as I roll my eyes.  [color=a187be]"I wear that when I go out to be a superhero.  But you didn't hire me to be a superhero today.  You called in about a demon....which means you hired me to be an exterminator."[/color]

[color=39b54a]"So you need to dress up like you're about to go swamp fishing?"[/color]

I stop and turn to him.

[color=a187be]"Believe me, I've handled my fair share of demons,"[/color] I assure him.  [color=a187be]"If this goes anything like my last job, you're going to wish you'd put on some gloves and some old clothes, too.  Demons tend to be very....[i]biological[/i], when it comes to resisting exorcism."[/color]

[color=39b54a]"You don't say....."[/color]

We reach Amanda's room, and I open the door.  Inside, a girl about the age of fourteen is writhing painfully on her bed.  She's shouting and snarling, and screaming as her joints pop and her body contorts.  It's all very hard to watch.

Still, I've got a job to do, and the first part of that job is finding out exactly what I'm dealing with.

I spend the next few minutes examining the supposed victim, monitoring her breathing, getting her heart rate, seeing how she reacts to various herbs and holy symbols (one of the reasons I'm wearing rubber gloves, in fact-- I can't touch the things myself), before looking her square in the eye and noticing the movement.

[color=a187be]"She's an epileptic,"[/color] I conclude.  [color=a187be]"She needs to be taken to the hospital and treated there.  I'm sorry that you've wasted your time, but there doesn't seem to be any demon here, Mister Je--"[/color]

And then Mister Jefferson bursts into a swarm of spiders.  Amanda screams as thousands of menacing little black-and-yellow arachnids scurry across the room.  The door slams shut, and the room fills with a sickening stench as hot feces begins to splatter down from the ceiling.

[color=ed1c24]THE CHILD IS OURRSSSSSSSSSSS......[/color] the spiders hiss in unison.

I sigh with annoyance as it splats on my hairnet and stains the thick flannel shirt under my coveralls.

[color=a187be]"It's never an easy day on the job, is it?"[/color]