Hi! I’ve been lurking through your threads and, whilst there’s a massive amount of RP and lore for me to catch up to, I’m really digging what you guys are doing, and I hope you’ll consider allowing me to join! The truth is I have a thousand questions about the lore of the setting, questions which will only pile up as I learn more, so I went ahead and just made a character. I'll be happy to rework whatever I need to later, since I slapped this in a day. I'm sure some blatant mistake or poorly conceived plot point will make me cringe tomorrow. That said, there's some things I would like to discuss directly with at least one of the RP moderators if I'm cleared to play. -------------------------- [b]Character you have created:[/b] David West [b]Alias:[/b] Noir [b]Speech Color:[/b] [color=LightSlateGray]LightSlateGray[/color] [b]Character Alignment:[/b] Walking the Line * I have made Dave’s alignment pretty open ended, as I wish for it to be influenced by a combination of the characters he meets and the events that transpire… Hero. Anti-Hero. Villain. It’s all on you. [b]Identity:[/b] Secret [b]Character Personality[/b]:Adaptable is, perhaps, the word that best describes David West. David is a world class thief and con-man. Highly intelligent and thoroughly educated, he is a pragmatic man, cold and precise in his calculations. Despite these traits, his job description almost entails a love for theatrics, but he only indulges in them when they're necessary to the success of a plan, or harmless towards it. A social chameleon, he has learned to move as easily within the upper echelons of society as he does amongst the most unsavoury of characters. Savvy, handsome and well spoken, he can be disarmingly charming when he wishes to… but he can also be quite intimidating when he’s upset. David is unusually good at reading people, and whilst he undoubtedly has a natural knack for it, it is mostly thanks to countless hours dedicated solely to improving his ability to screw with people’s minds. However, despite his ease for reading and manipulating others, David does not truly trust anyone, and has a whole array of defenses set up to avoid becoming too close to anyone. It should also be noted that David West does not give much of a damn about religion. Despite being raised in a protestant household, David never managed to bring himself to truly believe, and whilst he will not claim he holds the answer to the universe’s questions, he’s pretty sure there is no such thing as a god… let alone multiple. As for whom David West really is, it is almost impossible to tell. But were one to strip down all the masks, and to remove the shield that is his intelligence… they would find a primal being, raw in his anger, lost in his pride, and his greed, and his lust… which are, at times, one and the same. But mostly… Mostly they would find emptiness. [b]Uniform/costume:[/b] Noir’s uniform is an extension of his powers. Wrapping himself in his own shadow, Noir becomes wrapped head to toe in an –extremely- dark substance which absorbs all light hitting him, reflecting none.* As a result, he looks like he's wearing a skintight, single piece suit that has no breaks in it. Due to the extrene darkness of his suit, his appearance can be distracting and even disorienting when visible, not to mention it’s pretty creepy. It looks very similar to Marvel's original Dusk costume, but without the armfins: [img]https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/spiderman/images/d/db/Spider-Man-Edge-of-Time-Dusk.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130317214229[/img] *Vantablack is currently considered the darkest man-made material on the planet. Noir’s suit is technically even darker, as it absorbs all spectrums of light completely. You can check Vantablack out here: [url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg2x0L4YAuU[/url]. [b]Origin Info/Details:[/b] Noir was born to a large and affluential British family. He received nothing but the best during his upbringing, and in turn, nothing but the best was expected of him. As it turns out, Noir was up to the task, and somehow he felt this gave him a voice and a vote in their arrangement. He was deftly proved wrong, but despite some more than healthy doses of physical discipline, he never knew when to shout his mouth. Even through the pain, he remained defiant, holding his tears back every time his skin burst into bloody blisters. Every. Time. Predictably, his resentment towards his family slowly grew, especially as his suspicions regarding their heritage and the legitimacy of their activities became stronger. Upon becoming an adult, David had aced his A levels and could have his pick of universities. He was set on studying psychology, fascinated by the human mind, and hopefully as far away as possible from his relatives, eager to experience life. However his family would not have it, considering it an inferior discipline. There was a great deal of pressure for him to choose medicine instead, but David had no interest in the functionings of the body, and honestly, he was quite done with his family too. Despite his plans, it was his younger sister who took it upon herself to convince the family that he was far more suited for a career in law, which to her seemed like the least unappealing amongst his options. It was not her decision to make, but David always did have a soft spot for his little sister, who did not wish to see her older brother disappear entirely from her family. His family wished for him to study in Oxford, which was closest to their respective estates, so he was extra careful to cause a bad impression on the lady in charge of his intervie. Not wishing to force his luck a second time, he settled on their second choice: Cambridge. Not a huge improvement, but a bit more breathing space, nonetheless. Noir turned out to be a quick study and a good temperament for law, but he never stopped pursuing his passion for psychology… although admittedly, a lot of his time was spent with first hand experimentation. Life was good, and David West seemed to have a bright future ahead of him… until the scandal hit the shelves. It seemed like little more than a sensationalist tabloid at first, but the news quickly ran like gunpowder across the country, and soon, the entire nation was making echo of the story. The West Family was one of the oldest mob families in Britain. Starting out as money lenders and brothel owners (which were, in turn, fronts for money laundering and drug dens) the West had always had a knack for making the best out of other people’s misery, which, over the centuries, had evolved into the ridiculous amount of corporate and criminal charges they now faced. How all of this information, both historical and present, was uncovered by the anonymous reporter who leaked (or rather, sold) the whole thing remains a mystery to him. All of the family’s assets and funds were seized, and David was promptly invited to leave Cambridge. Homeless and vilified by the entire country, David’s sporadic flirtations with hard drugs turned into a serious relationship. Soon, his money ran out too, and with no one and nowhere to go, David had to make some difficult decisions. First, he had to clean himself. Cold Turkey. “You are a West, son. We do not lose,” he heard in the back of his mind as his teeth clattered against each other in an old, abandoned site, “And we most certainly do not give up.” He sometimes laughed at his mantra bitterly. How had that turned out for his parents and uncles? How had that worked out for his Granddad, the all-knowing, all-powerful patriarch of the family? As he dwelled on such things he often became angry. Very angry. And anger was good, for it provided a suitable distraction, however fleeting. David triumphed over his addictions before it was too late, but it left him a shell of a man. However, for the first time since the scandal, his mind was truly clear, and the solution to his dilemma soon became apparent. He had to join the family business. He had to become a thief. Despite having a certain talent for the craft, David had some rocky beginnings. His first year on the street made him no small amount of enemies, and taught him a lot of hard, awful lessons about life. It did not help that his family’s rivals had banned anyone in the country’s underworld from giving him any aid… But the truth, he soon realized, was that no one wanted any part of his West stench. Had Swiss not shown up in his life when he did and taken him out of England, there is no telling how things would’ve ended for him. Jump to the present day and David is a white collar thief; perhaps one of the best in the world. In fact, his solo work since Swiss’s retirement has been so flawless that it has been credited to the old man by experts from the authorities and savvy scumbags alike. And whilst David is proud to be so closely compared to his mentor, idol and savior, it is an undeniable blow to his ego that they cannot appreciate his own style, his masterful strokes of creativity… But that will soon change, for he is about to commit a heist that will put anything the Swiss ever did to shame. [b]Hero Type:[/b] Supernatural [b]Power Level:[/b] A, Street level. *Note: Noir has the potential to become at least a world level class, if not cosmic, but I want him to earn those through proper character development. His power level and power set are likely to evolve (over a long period of time). [b]Powers:[/b] David is an unwitting agent of Erebus, the Greek God of Darkness. Having bonded to the Heart of Erebus, he is granted access to the smallest fraction of Erebus’ power… which is like saying he has access to the smallest fraction of infinity. [i][b]Active Powers:[/b][/i] [i]Shadowmancy:[/i] David can manipulate shadows to do his bidding, and even to solidify and form shadow constructs to aid him. However, at the current time David has no experience and cannot create much beyond mercurial tendrils. Still, they’re pretty damn cool. Shadows directly under his control seem to become the same shade of black as his suit. However, unlike his shadow suit, he doesn’t seem to consume his resources when utilizing shadowmancy, as the darkness seems to replenish in his presence (see passive power: Erebus’ Presence). [i]Shadowplate: [/i] David can used his own shadow to create a n exoskeleton of sorts. Not only does it serve as a suit to conceal his identity, it also greatly enhances his physical capabilities, allowing him to perform superhuman feats of strength, speed, endurance and agility (see ‘Attributes’). The shadowplate will also protect Noir from stab wounds and regular gunfire, although the extent of its protection under ideal conditions is unknown. In addition to this, David is virtually invisible in the dark whilst wearing the shadowplate, which also seems to dampen the sound he makes and, most excitingly, the shadowplate allows Noir to adhere to surfaces (once he figures it out). [i][b]Passive Powers:[/b][/i] [i]Erebus’ Presence:[/i] Noir seems possessed of a dark aura of sorts. In his presence, nearby shadows seem to become thicker, and will almost encroach upon any small or weak source of light, as if trying to drown it out. For example, regular lightbulbs will seem to dim noticeably around him. David is also likely to elicit some rather negative responses. Fear of the dark is practically engrained into the collective human subconscious, and the more prominent that fear, the more likely a person is to feel uncomfortable around David (young children, in particular, seem to handle this aspect of his power poorly). [i]Erebus’ Embrace:[/i] David has the ability to heal himself completely from serious, even life-threatening wounds as long as he rests in absolute darkness. In fact, so long as David sleeps or rests in total darkness, he’ll be cleansed of virtually all ill effects, including sickness and poisoning. If he took up the practice, it is unknown what effects this could have on his health and longevity in the long run. This darkness cannot be a result of the use of his powers, nor can it be tainted by a single ray of light, natural or otherwise. [i]Erebus’ Cloak: [/i] Whilst Noir has no training against psychics, his gifts have erected natural barriers around his mind to protect it from psychic invasion. Anyone below a C level of power should be extremely wary of poking inside David’s mind, and even World level powers would have trouble getting anywhere. It is unknown whether this power will manifest in other ways down the line. *Note: David is currently unaware of all of his passive powers. [b]Attributes (Select one at each category):[/b] [indent] [i]Baseline:[/i] Height: Just over 6 foot Weight:170, give or take Strength Level: Normal human, semi-athletic. Speed/Reaction Timing Level: Normal human, semi-athletic. His timing and reflexes, however, are significantly above average thanks to countless hours mastering sleight of hand and perfecting his timing. Endurance at MAXIMUM Effort: Normal human, semi-athletic. David can last around an hour exerting his body, his shadowmancy or a combination of both at maximum capacity. Agility: Normal human, semi-athletic. However, David is notoriously sneaky, for obvious reasons. Intelligence: Well above average. Arguably genius, if you’re in the business of cheating others out of their money. Fast on his feet. Fighting Skill: Trained (poorly). Whilst Dave would not describe himself as a fighter, he’s had quite a bit of real life experience with violence, often on the receiving side of things… although never on a super powered level. Resources:[/indent]Large. David has been a very busy, very successful criminal. [i]Shadowplate:[/i] The Shadowplate drastically alters some of these stats: Strength Level: 5-10 tonnes Speed/Reaction Timing Level: 40 mph Endurance at MAXIMUM Effort: 2 hours Agility: X5 human level [b]Weaknesses:[/b] - [b]Aversion to Light:[/b] Whilst direct exposure to light does not have any ill effects on David’s health and natural abilities, it can significantly reduce his ability to manipulate shadows, as well as the overall strength of his shadowplate. Normal bulbs and other small sources of light are not much of a problem, but more intense lights may give him trouble. For example, a large floodlight would render him pretty useless and vulnerable if directly aimed on top of him. Whilst directly under the sun, David is still capable of wearing his shadowplate, but beyond concealing his identity, it does little other than making him an incredibly visible and distinct target. - [b]Divine Infamy:[/b] Should Noir become notorious enough, or meet characters associated with other Athanotoi, their patron gods are likely to warn them of his nature, should they grow suspicious of it (which may not necessarily be a bad thing, although Noir values his privacy). Also, the nature of his powers and abilities are likely to predispose certain people to dislike him. - [b] Rogue's Reputation:[/b] In addition to the aforementioned issue, Noir's secret identity is tainted by his family's past and his own criminal endeavours. This could come back to bite him in the ass in a myriad ways... or not at all. - [b]Disharmony:[/b] Whilst Noir has an impressive set of powers to explore, his abilities seem incompatible with each other. He is not capable of summoning his shadowplate whilst he is using his shadowmancy, and vice-versa. - [b]Corruption:[/b] David is not known for his unbreakable moral compass. It is currently unknown how these powers will affect David in the long run, if at all, or why he has been chosen as the Dark God’s Champion. [b]Supporting Characters:[/b] [b][i]The West Family:[/i][/b] A notoriously wealthy English family, most of its members were incarcerated almost a decade ago after their involvement in countless shady businesses came to light thanks to a particularly daring reporter. Whilst discovering he belonged to a mob family did not come as a surprise to David, it most certainly ruined his life, and he harbours no small amount of resentment for his relatives. Aside from himself and his younger sister, the only ones who’re not behind bars are his cousins, who came out of the scandal significantly more well off than his side of the family, both in terms of reputation and wealth. Be it as it may, they’re a bunch of insufferable jerks, and he’s not on speaking terms with any of them. Unfortunately, he’s also an insufferable jerk, and his sister is not on speaking terms with him. [b][i]Swiss:[/i] [/b]David’s mentor in the world of high-end cons and thefts. Named after the Swiss for the impeccable precision and timing of his work (despite the fact that he was born in Maine). This older gentleman is a role model for David, and practically a father to him. [b][i]Deep:[/i][/b] One of David’s closest associates, Deep is a super powered criminal. Few people have met Deep in person, and most are thankful for it. Deep has the power to connect his consciousness to the internet (to any electronic system he wishes, really) and find anything he wants in a matter of seconds, effectively transforming him into a human search engine. This allows him to find almost anything in the Deep Web in a matter of seconds, and completely undetected. This makes Deep the ideal middleman and surveillance master all at once, but unfortunately, it has also taken a tremendous toll on Deep’s mental health over the years. Not only is the human psyche ill prepared to ascend into an almost god-like state of consciousness on a regular basis, but, well… how to put it lightly… Deep has seen some ****. As a result, Deep suffers from acute paranoia, to name but one of the plethora of afflictions that haunt his mind. Thankfully, he has taken David’s advice and is seeing a therapist, which is helping him deal with his many mental problems... as well as his guilt. Fortunately, Deep has come to see David as his only true friend, always has a trip left in him for his best mate’s sake (and for his cut from their work, of course). [i][b]Assorted thieves and criminals:[/b][/i] Noir has a pretty fat phonebook… or rather, Deep is capable of finding the right person for the job at his beck and call. Noir has not shied from working with super powered individuals in the past, and excels at organizing teams and executing carefully planned heists and cons. [b][i]Erebus of the Athanatoi[/i]:[/b] One of the oldest and most obscure Athanatoi, he also used to count himself amongst the most powerful, being one of the ‘primordial deities.’ Erebus is the God of Darkness, and was once a being before whom all trembled. For the time being, David remains unaware of the true source of his powers. Still, the ornery god seems to have taken an interest in him. Why, only time may tell. [b]Do you know how to post pictures on RPG boards?:[/b] [img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/b4e43725-a518-4fc2-821f-fe7cb5aefe92.png[/img] [b]Sample Post:[/b] [hider=My Hider] People watching was one of David's favourite activities. He was, perhaps, one of the last true flâneurs left, gallantly strolling down the streets of New York, every passerby a matter of speculation... A puzzle, to be broken down and put back together as quickly as possible. Even after all these years, it still surprised him how much one could learn about others through simple observation. They all wore their stories, whether they knew it or not: it was in the tailoring and the wear of their clothes; on the scars and tattoos on their skin. It was in their voice and their expression lines, in the way they spoke and interacted with others, and in the subtle, tell-tale signs of their body language. He particularly enjoyed it when strangers locked eyes with him. He found it to be a strangely intimate experience, and more often than not, very revealing. Most, of course, looked away almost immediately (some more graciously than others), but when they didn't it usually meant one of two things: they either had no fear or confrontation or were experiencing a healthy dose of sexual attraction. Sometimes, a bit of both. It did not help (or did it?) that everything about David exuded confidence: his aesthetics were impeccable, from his midnight suit, tailored to fit him like a second skin over his impossibly white shirt, to his perfectly polished black oxfords. His jet, wavy hair was generous, elegantly tamed by a hundred dollar haircut, movie-star features unblemished despite the closeness of his shave. A practiced half-smile teased from the corner of his fleshy lips, almost as if he knew something the rest of the worker-ants didn't, rushing through the drollness of their routine. Most eye-catching -and disturbing,- however, were his eyes. They were unusually clear in their blueness, pale and quasi translucent under a certain light. However, as the shadows encroached they seemed to become more vibrant, almost as if possessed of a glow of their own. They were pretty to look at, certainly... But many found themselves feeling oddly uncomfortable when they looked back. Despite how much fun he found it to be, observing others was no aimless endeavour. There was a plethora of practical applications in understanding others, especially for someone in his line of work. Like a wolf, he moved amongst the sheep, looking for the juiciest cut of meat. It came in the form of a young gentleman, perhaps even younger than him. Success was written all over him: there was not a crease in his suit, or even his hairline, for that matter, and wore a muted, wine-red tie that David found just delightful. He held a large, to-go Starbucks cofee in his right hand, despite the late hour, and in his other he held a nice leather suit-case (no doubt, full of important documents along with a lot of fluff). The youth kept raising it slightly to look at his analog watch. It was an elegant piece of clockwork, bather in metallic blacks and silvers which moved in an alternating pattern. However, David could see beyond his clean-cut façade, understanding the burdens of being at the top at such at such a young age. He could see wrinkles beginning to form, stress and worry slowly becoming a fixture on his forehead. It also seemed apparent that this was not the first time that he had to take work home, obsessively checking the time as he was, and it certainly was not the last time he'd wonder if he had the time to finish it all. Under the right light, David could see his cheap concealer beginning to crack beneath his eyes after a long day's work, aswell as the flakes of dandruff that rested upon his shoulders, no doubt exacerbated by many sleepless nights. For a few minutes, David idly followed him around, looking for the right moment. Eventually, the man hailed a cab, unwittingly providing the perfect (and only) opportunity. [color=LightSlateGray]“Brett, is that you?”[/color] he approached the man, not even a hint of his British past in his generic American accent. He did not wait for a response as he lunged towards him and embraced him, a look of confusion on not-Brett's face as he awkwardly balanced his coffee to avoid spilling it. [color=LightSlateGray] “My GOD, man, I haven't seen you since high school!” [/color]David exclaimed as his hands slid to the back of not-Brett's neck, intense blue eyes disconcerting the young man further as they dove into his own, [color=lightslategray]“Look at you! You always did say you were going straight to the top,”[/color] he noted, hands all over the place as he patted and squeezed his arms and wrists, almost in an approving fashion. “I'm sorry, but I believe...” Not-Brett could not finish his sentence, as David had thrown an arm over his shoulder and forced him to step away from the taxi, tapping the man's chest effusively, [color=LightSlateGray]"Forget wherever it is you're going, we must grab some dinner, and I will not take a no for an answer! I want you to tell me every little...”[/color] At this point the young man gruffly pulled away, a flustered look on his face, “Back off man! My name's Adam, not Brett! You're confusing me with someone else,” he stated firmly. David looked at him, bemused at first, his expression going from realization to utter mortification. [color=LightSlateGray]“Oh, Christ, I am -so- sorry,”[/color] he apologized, [color=LightSlateGray]“I... the resemblance is just uncanny.”[/color] “It's fine,” Adam grumbled as he shot straight for the cab's door, closing it a bit harder than was warranted as he sat inside. David watched the taxi lose itself in the city's busy traffic, unable to stop a shit-eating grin from creeping onto his face. *** Moments later, David was donning his brand new tie and watch, feeling very dapper for his date. Accessorizing on the way to meet his beaus had almost become a ritual for him, and he genuinely couldn't remember the last time he'd actually paid for such things. Not since his life was turned around, anyway. Adam's wallet, whilst decent, was not as nice as his, and showed more wear than his other accessories: a token from his college days, David surmised. He casually tossed all of the man's cards into a bin, taking a healthy stack of bills from the inside except for a single, hundred dollar bill. [i]*THUCLINK*[/i] The wallet fell on a homeless lady's coin pot. She incorporated herself on her makeshift, cardboard bed, bewildered to find the wallet just resting there, but by the time she tried to figure out who'd dropped it, the man had already disappeared amongst the bustling crowd. [/hider]