[quote=@shylarah] I don't intend on bringing her in right away, but...have another character. [hider=rhylaen] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/IwIOvLR.png[/img][/center] [center][h2][color=mediumpurple]rhylaen[/color][/h2][/center] [center][color=mediumpurple][i]^It's a guardian's job to protect people, and I am a guardian-in-training^[/i][/color][/center][hr] [color=mediumpurple]Real Name:[/color] rhylaen [color=mediumpurple]Age:[/color] ~20 [color=mediumpurple]Gender:[/color] female [color=mediumpurple]Alias/Nicknames:[/color] Rhy [color=mediumpurple]Color Choice:[/color] [color=mediumpurple]mediumpurple[/color] [hr] [color=mediumpurple]Appearance:[/color] Rhylaen is a slight young woman, standing just five feet tall. She is clearly inhuman, her proportions subtly off, her eyes too large and brilliantly violet, and her ears sharply pointed. Dragonfly-like wings sprout from between her shoulder blades, reaching nearly to her ankles when folded down against her back. Her brown hair is cut unevenly, just shy of her shoulders. She favors greens and browns in her everyday dress, and usually her shirts are backless to accomodate her wings. She is never without her shortsword at her side. [hr] [color=mediumpurple]Personality:[/color] Rhylaen is eager-to-please, especially when it comes to people she sees as in a position to teach her something. She is very direct in her manner, and truthful to a fault. She is an idealist at heart, and this can make her seem naive. In truth, she's been exposed to the harshness of at least her own world, but has refused to let this jade her. She believes in the goodness of people's hearts, and that there is always common ground to be found. She is used to life being simple and straightforward, with a clearly defined enemy, and modern Earth is something of a shock to her system. Rhylaen is highly social, and not used to being on her own. Cut off from everything and everyone she knows, Earth is a struggle for her. [hr] [color=mediumpurple]History:[/color] Rhylaen is from the world of Tevran, a world in a different universe from Earth. Her kind, called rhyllae, mostly live in small towns in the forest of Lytharess, near a phenomenon known simply as the Rift. The Rift spawns monsters of many types, the worst of them being wraiths. Because of the threat, many of the rhyllae join a group called the guardians, and fight against the monsters of the rift. Rhylaen was in training to become such a guardian when an incursion resulted in wraiths reaching her town proper. As the oldest of the children, she took it upon herself to protect the others and distract the wraiths. Unfortunately for her, she was hit by the wraiths' most deadly attack -- a powered attack that was known to leave no trace of the target behind. To her surprise, however, instead of being dead, she found herself in a strange place, surrounded by round-ears. [hr] [color=mediumpurple]Powerset:[/color] [list] [*] [color=mediumpurple]Magic:[/color] Rhylaen is able to utilize magic, like most of her kind. Her primary attack is a burst of force, but she can produce a small fireball as well. [*] [color=mediumpurple]Flight:[/color] She is able to fly, and quite nimbly. [*] [color=mediumpurple]Darkvision:[/color] Like most of her kind, Rhy can see quite well in the dark. She does require some sort of light to make things out, but her vision in dim and dark conditions is far better than a human's. [*] [color=mediumpurple]Telepathy:[/color] Rhylaen can sense the presence of those around her. Although she generally cannot speak mind to mind with humans, physical contact allows her to touch the minds of others. [/list] [color=mediumpurple]Equipment/Paraphernalia:[/color] [list] [*] [color=mediumpurple]Shortsword:[/color] Her sword is a prized possession, and she is never without it if she has her way. [/list] [color=mediumpurple]Weaknesses:[/color] [list] [*] [color=mediumpurple]In Training:[/color] While she is nearly an adult, Rhylaen had not finished her training to be a guardian. This means there is still a great deal to learn about what she can do with her powers. [*] [color=mediumpurple]Offensive Telepathy:[/color] If her subject is unwilling, telepathic contact becomes more of a fight -- one that is as dangerous as a physical fight, if not more so. [*] [color=mediumpurple]Personal Code:[/color] Her kind has a code involving what one should and shouldn't do, telepathically speaking, and violating the minds of the unwilling is a serious breech of this code. [*] [color=mediumpurple]Concentration:[/color] Deeper mental contact requires concentration, leaving her vulnerable. [*] [color=mediumpurple]English as a Second Language:[/color] Since she comes from a different universe, at least initially Rhylaen does not speak any English. It will take her time to pick up the finer points of the languague. [*] [color=mediumpurple]Stranger in a Strange Land:[/color] Rhylaen's word was closer to a medieval level of technology, and a lot of modern conveniences baffle her. [/list] [hr][hr] [hider=sample post] The young rhyllae peeked out the window of the town hall with apprehension. Wraiths, this far from the rift? [i]How had they gotten past the adults?![/i] Rhylaen quickly ducked out of sight, and looked at the other children that clustered in the room. They were all scared and shaking, jewel-tone eyes in every hue looking back at her. She was the oldest in the room, and as a guardian-in-training, she felt responsible for the others' safety. [color=mediumpurple][i]~Stay quiet,~[/i][/color] she told the others telepathically. [color=mediumpurple][i]~If we're quiet, they won't find us!~[/i][/color] She didn't add the "I hope" that echoed loudly in her own mind. There was no cause to give the other children more reason to be afraid. Wraiths were dangerous; everyone knew that. They had an attack that if it hit, it was instant death, leaving no body behind. That was why her village guarded the rift, making sure the wraiths never made it far from their point of origin. To be a guardian was as much an honor as it was a duty, but even the adults that weren't guardians knew how to fight wraiths, in case of a bad incursion. And this was apparently the worst incursion they'd ever seen. Never before had wraiths made it past the defensive line, and Rhylaen feared what might have happened to the adults. She ventured another peek out the window, and immediately ducked back down. The wraiths were coming towards them! Much closer, and they'd be able to sense the children that hid from them. She had to do something, but what?! Her thoughts spun. What [i]could[/i] she do? An idea occurred to her, one she didn't want to do, but what other choice did she have? She was a guardian-in-training, and the safety of the others was her responsibility. She glanced at the others again, and braced herself. [color=mediumpurple][i]~Everyone, listen up. I want you to stay quiet, and stay hidden. I...I'm going to go distract the wraiths.~[/i][/color] The others stared at her, but no one dared object. Rising to her feet in a smooth motion, Rhylaen made her way quietly to the town hall entrance and slipped outside. The wraiths were closing in. She no longer had time to think. [color=mediumpurple]"Hey ugly!"[/color] the young rhyllae cried, sending a burst of force at the nearest wraith. [color=mediumpurple]"Can't catch me!"[/color] And with that she took off at a dead run, the wraiths in hot pursuit. She dashed through the trees, wings aiding her leaps over fallen logs, heedless of branches and brambles grabbing at her hair and clothes. Adrenaline kept her from feeling the worst of the pain, and she'd have time to worry about the scratches later. Nor did she look over her shoulder to see if the wraiths were gaining. The creatures were fast. She didn't have to look to know that. A surge of magic told her one of the wraiths was preparing its death-dealing attack. Rhylaen dodged around a tree, and then another, but the consistent hum of magic against her senses told her it was waiting for just the right moment to fling it at her. And she was right. A careless moment was all it took, and the attack hit, magic swirling around her, darkness enveloping her. [i]At least the others are safe...[/i] ------ She woke with something gritty and hard against her cheek, and noise blaring in her ears. Rhylaen slowly got to her feet, checking herself over. She sported numerous small scratches from her mad dash through the forest, but other than that, she was fine. [i]How am I alive? Did the wraith miss?[/i] She looked around, but her surroundings were strange. Instead of trees, she was surrounded by buildings. Strange structures reached skyward in the distance. And nearby strange animals roamed what seemed to be tar-covered streets in neat lines. As she watched, a yellow beast ate a round-ear! She could see a second round-ear in the thing's stomach, too. With a cry Rhylaen drew her sword, leaping towards the yellow beast and striking at it! But her blade glanced off its hide as if it had metal skin. Undeterred, she continued her attack, ignoring its deafening cries of anger and seeking a weak point. She stabbed at one of its several eyes, which shattered when her sword hit. People were watching, pointing. But none of them wanted to help. Maybe they were too scared to do anything? The battle wore on, the yellow beast staying mostly still, with Rhylaen doing her best to incapacitate it to minimal effect. A rising noise, accompanied by blue and red lights, and round-ear in dark blue clothing shouted something she couldn't understand. [color=mediumpurple]"Help me save them!"[/color] Rhylaen shot back, still trying to attack the yellow beast. Then the round-ear pointed a hand at her, and something hit her, sending waves of pain through her body. She fell to the ground, unable to move. [i]Why?![/i] she tried to ask, but she couldn't manage the word. The round-ear was approaching with...manacles? Had she done something wrong? She was only trying to save the round-ears; why didn't he understand that? [/hider] [/hider] [/quote] Okay, so...There isn't anything [i]inherently[/i] wrong with Rhylaen, but me and Kaya both agree that she feels pretty disconnected from, like, anything relating to the Marvel-verse, which makes it stand out like a sore thumb. Just feels off to have an entire race and world and universe separate from our current one with quite literally nothing connecting them beyond these apparent wraiths that sent her here. In essence, we'd prefer something with more ties to the Marvel-verse at large. [quote=@baraquiel] Alrighty, hopefully second time's the charm. Hope you like this one better than the last ^u^ [hider=Valerian Strange] [center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/564x/06/9c/8a/069c8a3300825d0656b074e353f1e653.jpg[/img][/center] [center][url=https://fontmeme.com/fonts/gotika-ornament-font/][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/231116/a44d11e63a9ee9312cb17cbcc9b0ccb4.png[/img][/url][/center] [center][color=GhostWhite][i]"I swear I am not a vampire."[/i][/color][/center][hr] [color=GhostWhite]Real Name:[/color] [color=Gainsboro]Valerian Strange (he forgot his original name so this is the one he chose for himself)[/color] [color=GhostWhite]Age:[/color] [color=Gainsboro]Give or take 618[/color] [color=GhostWhite]Gender:[/color] [color=Gainsboro]Male[/color] [color=GhostWhite]Alias/Nicknames:[/color] [color=Gainsboro]Val, Redeyes, Sleepy Vampire, (Respectfully) Gay Dracula, Coffin Boy[/color] [color=GhostWhite]Color Choice:[/color] [color=GhostWhite]GhostWhite (F8F8FF)[/color][hr] [center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/564x/f8/5c/fb/f85cfbc809efc8710b5dff35b95edd9b.jpg[/img][/center] [color=GhostWhite]Appearance:[/color] [color=Gainsboro]Standing at 5'8", Valerian used to dress in long tunics covered in dirt and mud from working in the fields for most of his life back at his original time period. Now that he's in the modern world, he was quite shocked and scandalized by how people these days show off their skin. After sleeping in a coffin for hundred of years, his complexion became as pale as... well, a vampire and his hair became a paler shade of blonde too. Though he is welcome to try the clothes of today, Valerian still tends to wear long-sleeved shirts, loose pants, and sometimes even long casual dresses too. He used to wear cloaks all the time due to the dramatic flair they bring even on a boring outfit, and it can get pretty cold during the winter in his village, but since it might be too weird to wear one out in the streets these days, he thinks scarves are the next best thing. He also wears a pendant with a jewel as red as his eyes given to him by Doctor Strange and a bracelet with a symbol on it. [/color] [hr] [color=GhostWhite]Personality:[/color] [color=Gainsboro]Valerian is a very curious person. He missed out on a lot of things so now he feels anxious to catch up so he wouldn't get left behind or as he always liked to pessimistically call himself, an old relic of time. It can be quite endearing for some and irritating for the others, but he never really did care much about what other people think of him. Life's too short to think about those trivial stuff after all. He is friendly and outgoing, ready to help his peers in anyway he can. He also loves to be around people all the time as he doesn't enjoy being alone. He loves the summer, the warmth of the sun, and he always finds a way to himself out with nature again. [/color][hr] [color=GhostWhite]History:[/color] [color=Gainsboro]Morgan Le Fey was one of the most powerful magic wielders on the planet. Her power knew no bounds and she had become a powerful magica adversary against Doctor Strange and the Avengers. Even when she was imprisoned in Castle Le Fay by Merlin, she was still finding ways to break free from her wretched prison and rule over the world. Amongst her many powers and abilities, Morgan could send her astral projection through time, scouring both the past and the future to find a way to regain freedom. She did not care at all about the 'collateral damage'. To her, they're all just means to an ends. In her unending quest for freedom and power, she stumbled upon a small rural village somewhere in Europe in the 15th century, the place now being somewhere in modern day Ireland. She would've paid it no mind if she didn't sense something there. Amongst the poor yet seemingly happy and content mortals was a blonde lad with the reddest eyes she had seen, a rare genetic trait. She could also feel something within him. It seemed that the lad came from a lineage of witches and his powers were lying dormant within his soul. Sensing untapped potential within the boy, Morgan set out a plan to use him to her advantage. She used her immense magic to brainwash the entire village and commit a ritual, using the lad as a vessel for Morgan to use to walk amongst the mortal realm again. The brainwashed villagers moved and acted like zombies, blindingly following the sorceress' orders. They bound him to a sacrificial altar as Morgan began using Dark Magic to begin the spell. The lad experienced intense pain from the forbidden magic but as the Sorceress already made it clear, he was merely collateral damage. Just when the ritual was about to reach its completion and she thought nothing will come in Le Fay's way, the Ancient One at that time period and their allies came to save the village people and stop her diabolical plans. Perhaps they sense a great concentration of Black Magic due to the ritual but whatever the reason may be, they arrived just in time to thwart the Sorceress' plans. A great battle of magic ensued and, using all means necessary, Morgan sacrificed the lives of the villagers and managed to escape into another time period. The only survivor was the boy who was now in deep excruciating pain due to the unfinished dark ritual. No amount of mystic arts could break the horrible curse that befall the boy. Much to the Ancient One's chagrin, he and his allies used wood from a magical tree to create a coffin. They imbued it with spells and made the boy fall into deep sleep, freezing his body clock to preserve his life. As long as he's still within the coffin, the boy will continue to live in perpetual twilight. The Ancient One hoped that the great sorceress of the future held the key to save the boy's life. Many centuries later and The Snap occurred, instantly wiping out half of the population of living beings in the entire universe. One of those was the boy in the coffin. When he reappeared many years later, the coffin he was in was moved to a different place throughout those years, so he manifested back to the physical world out of it. When he came to, he was at the living room of Doctor Stephen Strange, the current Sorcerer Supreme of the 21st century. Miraculously and in a strange twist of fate, it was the Snap that ended his curse and allowed him to live normally in the modern era, but not without some side effects. Still, after enrolling him as a student at Kamar-Taj to teach him control of his newfound powers, Dr. Strange thought it was better to enroll him at the Avengers Academy, New York afterwards. He thought the lad deserved to experience life as a teenage boy after it was taken forcefully from him from Morgan Le Fay. Maybe he can even pick a new name for himself since he forgot what his was. He is given a new lease on life, and he should live it to the fullest with other people his age. Well, sort of his age.[/color][hr] [color=GhostWhite]Powerset:[/color] [list] [*] [color=GhostWhite]Rune Magic -[/color] [color=Gainsboro]By drawing out ancient archaic symbols, Valerian can harness the power these powerful runes wield and use it for a variety of ways. He can draw on any surface and even trace the shapes in the air as long as he's holding the object he's using to draw or he's using any parts of his body to draw it. By having a physical connection to the ground, Valerian can draw power from the Earth itself to conjure these runes instead of using his own magical reserves. The bigger the symbol, the more powerful it is. He can also use different symbols and combine them to create interesting combinations.[/color] [*] [color=GhostWhite]Sleep Magic -[/color] [color=Gainsboro]This is Valerian's unique magical ability that he doesn't need runes to conjure. He can magically make his target go to sleep. The more targets he'll put to sleep, the more of his magical reserves he'll need to spend. He has no control as to how long they sleep although when using the magic lightly, the targets usually wake up after five minutes. [/color] [*] [color=GhostWhite]Astral Projection -[/color] [color=Gainsboro]He may not know it, but Valerian can manifest into the astral plane too. Doctor Strange just thought it was best not to inform him of his secret ability so he won't be located by Morgan Le Fay.[/color] [*] [color=GhostWhite]Arcane Knowledge -[/color] [color=Gainsboro]He has learned a lot under the teachings of Kamar-Taj.[/color] [/list] [color=GhostWhite]Equipment/Paraphernalia:[/color] [list] [*] [color=GhostWhite]Sling Ring:[/color] [color=Gainsboro]A mystical item that allows the user to open a portal to any location or even a different dimension. [/color] [*] [color=GhostWhite]Wooden Staff/Bracelet:[/color] [color=Gainsboro]A wooden staff made from the material used to create the coffin where Valerian slept for hundreds of years. Many different basic runic symbols are carved into it, allowing him to tap into their magic without the need to draw them. He mostly uses it to draw more complex symbols and for flight. When not in use, Valerian can use a symbol on it to make it transform back into his bracelet. [/color] [*] [color=GhostWhite]Red Pendant:[/color] [color=Gainsboro]A pendant with a jewel as red as their eyes, Doctor Strange gave it to Valerian not just as an accessory but as a means to keep him safe from Morgan. By wearing it, he's magically hidden from the eyes of the Evil Sorceress and it disables his ability to astral project. He cannot dream while wearing it either. It also greatly reduces the development of the Black Magic left within him from the dark ritual.[/color] [*] [color=GhostWhite]Rune Stones and Rune Papers:[/color] [color=Gainsboro]He has a collection of papers and stones with basic runic symbols already drawn and carved into them respectively. [/color] [/list] [color=GhostWhite]Weaknesses:[/color] [list] [*] [color=GhostWhite]Baby Sorcerer:[/color][color=Gainsboro] Aside from his time in Kamar-Taj, Valerian still lacks the proper training in using his particular magic. He sometimes forgets to connect to the Earth physically and make himself deplete his magic reserves rather quickly. He just knows the basic spells for know.[/color] [*] [color=GhostWhite]Nature of the Runes:[/color] [color=Gainsboro]Valerian would have to be quick on his feet in order to harness many different kinds of rune spells in quick succession if he wants to. He needs to properly draw them to make the runes work as intended and he always needs to take the time to draw them properly too which might be hard depending on the situation. He can use pre-drawn symbols on pieces of paper or rocks but the objects automatically disappear after one use. Different runes can be combined to create a new complex one but when he doesn't use the right combination, it ends up comically exploding on his face.[/color] [*] [color=GhostWhite]Physically Not There:[/color][color=Gainsboro] What he makes up for magical stamina he lacks in the physical one. He is so physically weak just a few steps of stairs and he's already catching his breath. [/color] [*] [color=GhostWhite]Alone in the Dark:[/color][color=Gainsboro] Valerian does not want to be alone and he definitely does not like being in dark places. He'll be reduced to a panic-stricken mess.[/color] [*] [color=GhostWhite]Sleepy Boi:[/color][color=Gainsboro] Valerian will sometimes end up randomly sleeping anywhere and everywhere due to his body clock still in shambles from sleeping for centuries. He's doing his best to treat it.[/color] [*] [color=GhostWhite]Remnants of Black Magic -[/color] [color=Gainsboro]Valerian still has some remnants of Morgan Le Fay's Dark Magic within him that he doesn't know about either. Whether it is a bitter reminder of the past or a dark foreshadowing of the future, only time will tell.[/color] [/list][hr] [color=GhostWhite]Issue #0/Testing Post:[/color] [color=Gainsboro] A golden portal opened in Ireland, and out emerged Valerian wearing the sleepwear provided for the students of Kamar-Taj. He was going to leave for the next day to New York City to attend this other school called Avengers Academy. He still had a bit of difficulty reading and understanding modern English, especially the American type, but thanks to a very expressive crash course by his sorcerer classmates, he basically got the gist of what happened from the time he was in perpetual twilight. His simpleton, farmboy mind still couldn't comprehend the meaning of the term 'universe' nor could he even fully understand what 'sheesh' and 'rizz' meant neither. Still, Valerian was excited to learn more about the world in this new school he'll be attending. He stood in a vast open field surrounded by wide, majestic mountains. The winds were cool and refreshing, still left unsoiled by the vile hands of modern humanity. He thought that he should visit the place where he was born and raised. He didn't know why he did it either, but it's just something he thought he needed to do. However, what he saw before him was greatly disheartening. What remained of their houses were just large sticks of wood poking out of the ground. Normally when lost in time, structures built by humans will be overrun by plants and reclaimed by nature yet everything was like bathed in black paint. No plants grew where the black color touched on the ground as if Mother Nature herself won't even dare lay her hands on his hometown which saddened Valerian. It was probably the effects of the black magic Morgan Le Fay used to put his people under her spell. He clutched his red pendant, slipped his sandals off and picked up a stick. He drew a rune on the ground and plants grew upwards, stretching up to the sky. He willed them towards the blackened area and they gradually turned to dust the closer they got to it. [color=GhostWhite]"Curse you, evil sorceress!"[/color] He angrily yelled and stopped the plants from growing further. He exhaled and laid down on the green grassy part of the field, looking up at the thick puffy clouds in the sky. He could remember sensations, the grass tickling his feet, the wind rushing on his face, joyful laughter, and sunlight hugging him in a warm embrace, but it's the faces that were blurry. He forgot what his parents looked like and they spoke in muffled tones. Valerian sat back up quickly, beads of cold sweat dripping down his neck. Alone, it's now registering to him that he's alone. He can't be alone with his thoughts or else they'll suffocate him of the past he couldn't remember. He needed to go back to Kamar-Taj. He hurriedly put his sandals back on and opened a portal with shaky hands, yet he took the time to look back at what was once his village. [color=GhostWhite]"Someday... I will be strong... For you..."[/color] He solemnly said before going back to Kamar-Taj and closing the portal behind him. [/color] [hr][hr] [/hider] [/quote] Likin' the look of this one! Only two complaints, one much more minor than the other; firstly, I ask that they not be [i]too[/i] proficient with the sling ring, because, well...I want an excuse to get y'all into cool Quinjets [s]that will inevitably crash and burn[/s]! Can't do that if we have an instant portal service around lol The second one is more major, though. The Sleep Magic, as it is written right now, is too strong. Effectively, it says that even with its lightest version, it can incapacitate most human combatants for around 5 minutes. Now, of course, this may interact differently with certain super-powered individuals, but for the most part it's just a button that can instantly end most combat scenarios, which is not a fun thing for me to have to write around. I'm open to hearing about other options or retooling this power! If these issues can be addressed, we'll be more than happy accepting Valerian. ...Oh, also, as a personal request from our dear Co-GM Kaya, [i]please[/i] don't use that shade of white for his color. It's very hard to parse from the standard white of the text, so it doesn't do its main purpose of standing out from the non-verbal texts.