Name: Drake Cross Nicknames/Aliases/Titles: The Street Samurai. The Nightingale. The First Safeguardian. The Demon. Age: 42 Gender: Male Race: Cambion
Personality: Drake Cross is a rather bitter man now. In his youth, he was as upbeat as the next young hero, but he stuck with the business longer than most. Lost more than most. He sees being a hero as a burden, but if he doesn't take it up, someone else will. Someone younger. Someone with more to lose. That's why he does what he does. He puts in the effort. Risks his life so other people won't have to. When he isn't fighting crime, or saving the world, he has lately found himself at the bottom of the bottle more often than not. Looking to find some new meaning in life.
History: The world Drake Cross was born into was one without formal law. A modern world, that was home to all sorts of magical creatures. The only reason the world hadn't destroyed itself was that certain individuals took it upon themselves to uphold what they thought the law should be. You see, in Drake's world, all formal government was abolished shortly after the dark ages. A series or revolutions destroyed the monarchy. The wrong people got voted in, and capitalism happened so democracy was cut out. We all know what happened to communism. It was a dark time, but eventually, it got better. People started to respect each other and treat each other better because there was nothing stopping revenge killings. Sure there were people who fought for a law to be established. Vigilantes who wanted a way for the weak to defend themselves. But without law, there was nothing they could do. The weak got weaker and the strong got stronger.
Drake Cross was born to a human mother as she had traded sex for protection with a powerful demon. Drake was kept a secret, and his mother explained the situation of his birth, and why he must remain secret. So, at a young age, he decided to fight for the law. Equality. People shouldn't have to put out just to feel safe. He became known as the Street Samurai because he used a sword as his main weapon. Striking from the shadows at all those who he deemed evil. His name changed to the Nightingale as the rumours spread, and he started using more guns as well. He became the first of a new order. The Safeguards. A group of people whose sole purpose was to make the majority of people feel safe. By hunting down and killing the people who caused trouble. Serial killers and rapists were at the top of the list, but it soon became evident that another faction was becoming the Safeguards' most pronounced enemy. A faction known only as The Darkness.
The Darkness was a gang of serial killers, rapists and thieves led by a demon. The demon was, in fact, Drake Cross's father. The war between the Safeguards and The Darkness was long. Many people on both sides perished. Drake Cross led the Safeguards for fifteen years before they found out his Father was head of The Darkness. It was controversial. There was a coup, and Drake was kicked out of the Organisation he founded. His wife left him, and he went from being a Saviour to a Villian. He didn't actually do anything wrong, it was just because of who his father was.
He turned to alcohol on the nights he wasn't out taking his anger out on people who were doing crimes. One day, while sitting at a bar he saw a news broadcast that showed that the Safeguards had led a raid on a Darkness hideout, but it was a trap. The Safeguards suffered heavy losses. Even if they had thrown him out, they were still his friends. So, now after seven years, he finally decided to finish what he started. Do what he became a hero to do. Kill his father.
He got back in his old suit, and with his sword in one hand, and a bottle of scotch in the other, he walked to confront his father. Embracing his demonic heritage more than he ever has, he stormed the Darkness compound and slaughtered them all. Fought his way through countless thugs. Until he found himself in the throne room. Standing opposite his father, he took a swig of the scotch and threw the half-full bottle at his father.
The ensuing battle was long and hard fought. The Demon had more raw power, but Drake had skill, guns and nothing to lose. The fight ended with Drake impaled on his own sword, which was stabbed into a wall, trapping him, as his father gloated. It was at this moment that Drake pulled out a hand grenade and let it explode. The explosion killed both Drake and his father. Leaving his world to be saved by the rest of the Safeguards.
Magical Powers Section:
Name of Power: Demonic Blood Range of Power: Self (Passive) Description of Power Effects: Due to his demonic heritage, Drake cross is strong enough to lift small cars and bend metal, fast enough to move at/beyond the highway speed limit, and durable enough to withstand being thrown off tall buildings.
Name of Power: Apocalypse Form Range of Power: Self Description of Power Effects: Drake has access to what Demons call their Apocalypse Form. It is the monstrous true form of a demon. In this Form, Drake has the ability to control and create Hell Fire. Additionally, it makes him strong enough to lift heavy vehicles and punch through steel, fast enough to move at subsonic speeds, agile enough to leap over small buildings and dodge supersonic attacks, durable enough to withstand bullets, grenades and low-to-medium explosives. Weaknesses of Spell: The Apocalypse Form isn't indestructible. If hit hard enough, it can force Drake to revert back. Additionally, it takes its toll on Drake when he reverts back, often leaving him physically exhausted.
Name of Power: Lore of the Fundament Range of Power: Self Description of Power Effects: The Lore of The Fundament is the ability a demon has to control how the world interacts with them. It manifests as a Demon/Cambion being able to move at superhuman speeds, walk on walls and ceilings, or jump really dar or high. Weaknesses of Spell: The abilities are strictly self-based, and do not extend past the self. In this way, momentum doesn't work the same as normal speed. Attacks from high speed only hit as hard as if it were travelling at normal speed.
Special Talents: First and foremost, Drake's skills are as a gunslinger and swordsman.
Weapons: Drake's main weapon is a Japanese Odachi. He also carries around two high calibre automatic pistols.
Armour/Clothing: He wears kevlar plated armour underneath a parge coat.
To be quite honest Claire is rather plain looking on the surface, though perhaps tomboyish. She stands at 5'7'' and is exceptionally lean - she's been called a beanpole before, and they weren't wrong! Her hair is a thick, rust-brown that goes down to her shoulderblades, and wide eyes of a murky blue color. Beneath the eyes are a spattering of freckles against fair skin, mimicked on her arm and shoulders. Arm is singular of course, since her left one from the shoulder down is a white and silver, highly advanced robotic arm.
There are two things truly odd with Claire however. One of them isn't so suspicious, at least at first. No one has ever seen her smile drop, since Claire is physically unable to stop grinning. Even when asleep or otherwise unconscious her lips will be upturned, and when she's particularly happy it's easy to see the whites of her teeth. The second oddity is much more striking, being that Claire's head isn't actually attached to her body. Rather than having grotesque openings on either end however, instead a thick dark-blue smoke eminates from the 'wounds'. The smoke disappates quickly in the air, and when her head is placed upon her neck the wisps seem to curl around each other and form a tentative hold.
Personality
Perhaps it’s the never wavering grin on her face, or her tomboyish looks and excitable personality, but Claire has always been known as a goofball. At the furthest it's been called manic, but in truth this is only because she can come off as abrasive due to her detachment from others. She always feels there's a barrier between her and others, so while it never bothers Claire it does influence her feelings in another way. For one, due to being literally unable to stop smiling she finds the range of emotions others can show with their face fascinating. As a direct result she loves watching people in an almost creepy fashion, seemingly unblinking even as she talks a mile a minute.
Truthfully, Claire loves other people in that same detached way, often describing others as 'amusing'. Even when she grows close to them it's almost as though she views them as a pet - which to Claire doesn't sound so bad! Thanatos is a pet, and he's her best friend! However this view isn't helped by the fact she will refer to people exclusively by nicknames, never their real names - the only exception to this is her horse.
History
It was on an Earth that Claire's story began, though not one that might be familiar. Technology had boomed in the last three hundred years before her birth, leading to an equally technology-based society. Everyone was connected online, from a person's first registration into their government's citizen registry at birth, to their car's GPS and tracking. Products were mass produced en masse, highly automated factories and gleaming sky scrapers were erected, the very streets beneath a person's feet had thick wires mere inches beneath.
So how does a fae fit into this?
Some say that there'll always be suffering for advancement. In the case of this earth, it was more than just a single someone, it was entire species. Not just wild animals that had to be carefully captured and bred or otherwise protected to avoid extinction in an increasingly metal world, it was something far worse. For in this world humans weren't the only ones at the top of the food chain. In this world, there was the supernatural.
From what Claire was told, something happened while her mother was pregnant. Something that hurt Claire, made the doctors tell her parents she likely wouldn't survive birth. So her family sought out the dwindling supply of fae, the majority of their race in seclusion. They granted her parents their wish, strengthening the child with magic with the return that she would learn not just of the human world, but theirs as well - according to the fae, they desperately needed to bridge the gap between them and humans should their race wish to survive. This was a step along the way.
When it came time for her birth a mere month later in the Irish countryside, it was as such a momentous occasion for her family. The third child of the Lorcan family, and the first daughter that they strived so hard to protect! Her mother and father were so ecstatic for those first moments. Then Claire's head fell off.
That poor midwife retired the next day.
Despite the harrowing experience Claire was impossibly still alive, and with that life came the expecation of her 'dual citizenship'. The majority of her life was spent with humans due to her family, but her 'extended family' was familiar and comforting. As much as she loved her parents and brothers after all, it was hard not to realize you're different when all their heads were attached and yours wasn't. It wasn't helped by the fact that her family lived in relative solitude, being caretakers of one of the world's nature reserves. Dullahan, after all, were a breed of dark fary and a herald of death - staying in that solitude was made for the interest of the entire family, no matter how many other supernatural creatures might roam larger cities.
With the fae it was easier to feel normal. Appreciated. They talked her through her first reaping, when she became obsessed with a herd of horses on the reserve. Explained it was natural for a Dullahan to get this obsession of their first mount, despite her parents' worry. Cheered for her when she summoned Thanatos for the first time after she had called his name the week before - her family was just unnerved when the great black shire horse kept showing up around Claire after its death.
And the fae were fascinated by how her abilities warped due to her human heritage. In a highly technological world Claire was a wonder of magic. Which is why when she caught the quiet conversations around her, pieced together everything, Claire jumped at the chance to help her fae family. To help others like her, who might feel out of place and like they never belonged.
Revolution. In a world of technology the races that clung to tradition were crushed, even humans that couldn't afford the latest pieces lagging behind without proper access to the opportunities of their peers. It was more than could be explained in one sitting, but the message was clear - something had to be done. Thus, the hacker Alakazam joined the little rebellion Alliance.
By the time Claire was ready for college she had already been helping as much as she could. With the ability to weld her head onto her neck gained from a more precise control of her powers during puberty, it was an all new sort of freedom. Her parents worried, as they often did, but this was an opportunity she couldn't ignore.
And with it, all new opportunities to help advance the cause of the Alliance. No longer confined to only helping behind a computer screen, Claire eagerly dived into her new tasks. One of her older fae 'cousins' took her under her wing, teaching her the ropes and protecting her when things became ugly. Missions became espionage, became fighting - more than one government was on to them, but they remained one step ahead. Being able to access their files no matter the encryption certainly helped. Learning how to truly defend herself and use both her abilities and Thanatos to their potential helped just as much. Even if she nearly took her own eye out with her whip at first.
Over the next few years, everytime Claire got to see another supernatural person proudly strut the street rather than slink about, she felt a bloom of pride in her chest. She would never begrudge humans - she was mostly one, after all - but she truly felt like she was making a difference. Helping those who had always made her feel welcome and never panicked in her presence. Those who feared being pushed out of their homes, their very lives. Her cousin would happily tell her all about how what they were doing was making life better for everyone. That one day when everything was revealed they'd be heroes to their people.
Which is what made the betrayal all the worse.
Things had been leading up for months. Whispers whenever Claire went out with the Alliance - there was a plan in place. The deal maker, the thing that would finally take the tipping of the scales and knock it right over. For her unique ability, Claire was chosen with a small strike force to infiltrate a government bunker in North America. They needed her code unlocking abilities, it was the key to the entire mission.
It was only deep inside, alarms quietly shut off after Claire easily slipped into their systems to take over and the people disabled by her fellow comrades did it click. Only staring at the maps displayed on the overhead, targets painted in major metropolitan areas and important political buildings did she stop.
"What is this?" She had questioned, brows furrowed but the grin never leaving her face. The comforting presence of her cousin joined her, rubbed her back reassuringly. Filled her ears with sweet words and honey - this was what was needed, these were only human strongpoints, her family was still safe, it would cripple them enough for the rest of the Alliance to take over where it was truly needed. This would change everything.
And Claire? She'd reap all of those souls, and she'd be a hero to their resistance. This is what she was made for, after all; Dullahans were always heralds of death.
Except...
... Except no matter how humans may have acted around Claire, how she felt about many of them in turn, how they recoiled when they found out what she was, and despite broken friendships and her own family sometimes looking at her as if she was an alien, not to mention the absolutely dark, curling part of her salivating at the thought of being the herald for so many, Claire had a very important fact on her side.
It was wrong. Everything she had done, if it lead to this, was wrong. Good intentions were nothing when you were little more than a weapon. And maybe that's all she was, ever since the idea was planted in the fae's heads years ago when presented with the opportunity to have someone to finally bridge that gap.
And it hurt. It hurt so much, made Claire hesitate and mourn. Yet with her cousin watching her, with her comrades behind her, and knowing there was no going back without a fight, Claire connected her synthetic arm's wires to the machine. Entered the coordinates, and input the nuclear launch codes to unlock their use.
Her people had laughed. Had celebrated. Had slapped Claire on the back as they walked outside. It was there, Thanatos' summoned from the shadows and Claire upon his back that she took her head off once more. They cheered as she lifted her head high into the air, chanting for the reaping of so many.
"Claire."
Her cousin's name barely got halfway through her lips before the bunker was obliterated in nuclear fire, the Alliance's best weapon taken from them and plot in ruins.
Claire's last thought was a small hope that she had proved herself worthy of her next adventure.
Magical Powers Section
No actual spells, some magical abilities listed under Talents.
Special Talents
Dullahan Physiology - Claire's head isn't connected to her body physically, though the thick dark-blue smoke that covers both proves it is connected magically. She can even eat without her head attached, presumably due to this. However, despite that connection she can't speak normally without her head, and the only time she has was to call a soul. Further, she's also badly burned by contact with gold of any kind.
Locksmith - No lock can hold Claire, at least that she's found so far. Traditional locks such as padlocks or doors will open within ten feet of her, and that same magic provides her with an automatic answer for most passwords and digital 'locks'. However, passwords are more subconscious magic than actual knowledge, and so she cannot tell another what the code would be and must input it herself.
Enhanced Sight - Like the legend of Dullahans, Claire has very good vision. With her head attached it's sharp as can be for a human, but with it unattached Claire can see for up to a mile and in the darkest night.
Whip Precision - Using her human spine whip, or any in general, Claire has amazing accuracy! She could probably get a fly out of the air, and can perform a few tricks with it as well.
Thanatos - Her trusty steed, Thanatos was the first soul Claire ever heralded. He's now bound to her as the headless horseman's mount, and can be summoned wherever shadows gather. In daylight he appears mostly normal except for his black eyes, but at night smoke wisps off him similar to Claire's neck. He also has an unnaturally smooth gait!
Weapons
Human Spine - Claire possesses a whip that appears to be a human spine, however it must've either belonged to an exceptionally tall person or made up of multiples since it's ten feet long. It is surprisingly durable despite being made of bone and sinew.
Synth-X Brand Prosthetic Arm V.3183 - Synthetic limb replacement was a popular body modification in Claire's world, and she had her arm replaced in her late teens. It's strong enough to dent some metal, but no more than twice a normal human's strength. The wires in the palm and wrist can connect with most modern technology, providing an interface to work with on the inner arm. She can also access the internet in worlds that have wi-fi!
Armor/Clothing
Aside from using her synthetic arm as a shield at times, Claire has no actual armor. Her clothes usually consist of jeans or cargo pants with t-shirts and tank tops. Her neck is covered by either a scarf or bandana depending on the season. She consistently wears a pair of dark brown riding boots, and an oversized green zip-up jacket with thick biege fur along the collar and hood.
Name: Lea Nicknames/Aliases/Titles: Red Mask, Wanderer, Paladin of the Mask Age: 26 Gender: female Race: Human Appearance: Lea is a beautiful young woman with wavy, brown hair and green eyes. Her skin is lightly tanned. She often smiles, but can also be seen with a very stern face. Standing at 6'5" she is not very tall. She has a lean, athletic build. If she is free of tasks she tends to wear colorfull clothing, preferring green and orange. During her work she switches clothing a lot, but being bound by the kind of work she does it is often dark blue or grey. As her own world is rather medieval, he tends to a style according to this. She can be often seen wearen linnen trousers, a simple blouse and a colourful tunique to round things off.
Personality: Lea is a sociable girl. She has found herself in a tight spot more than once in her life and has gotten out of it by luck or help and has, long ago, decided to pay this back and since tried to make life less threatening for people like her. Albeit she has a very own set of morale rules it can be definitely said that she does not like the innocent to be hurt and is very adamant that a given set of rules people agreed to must be kept. Mostly not for the good of oneself only, but for the good of anybody. Most of the time she will be joyful and helpful, but as soon as she sees the need to protect herself, her cause or somebody she decides worthy of protection she will change to a cool, stern attitude that can turn to lash outs of violence. During her work she usually decides to show this side.
History: For Lea everything started out normally enough, being born in a caring family and so on. She was a little less lucky that her caring family worked in the grey areas of law. That had two effects on her: First the glimming spark of magic in the girl was not properly trained. Second she also learned living in this area was sometimes required. It got a good bit more troublesome when she, as still a more or less young girl, decided to take a tour through the wrong mansion. While she was over some other things were going on and in the end she took the blame. She fled, for the moment, and explored other countries and regions. It was an interesting and defining experience and the first time she was thought some control over her magic. In the end she decided to return home, missing her family, especially her brother. She also missed the rather fixed system. Lea still worked outside of law she had just gotten a good bit better at it. But she missed the systematic approach to things. Where she came from thieves were organized in circles or guilds, for a city, sometimes a region, and the organizations themselves fell into the whole country's ring whith a King in the capital. Sure that generated some own problems, but in general it held people from doing dumb shit as that would endanger everyone.
For a while things went fine. She took the opportunity to get into the organizing part in the city she came from and as she was still on the verge of being considered an adult member she started out by caring for the children. Caring meant caring that they paid their duty, but Lea went ahead of that. she did some reorganization and withheld a lot of critique and attacks from other members of the circles. When she finally was considered an adult she rose up in the circle, taking care that the work she had done would be continued by someone she trusted and taking the seat of the master of thieves. The following years were hard, defined by a mixture of loyality and hate. It ended rather suprisingly when she was approached, in one of her few quiet moments, by a middle-aged man with black her that showed the first traces of white, tanned skin, colorful clothing set with many shining decorations and the deepest mischievous smile she would ever see. She soon learned that this was the preferred form of the god of thieves. Things were about to go under, people were plotting against the circle and its rules. He needed someone to take care of that. It was apparent she would leave her position afterwards. Lea still did not skip a beat. And so she became a Paladin of the Mask.
In her countery the Paladins of the Mask were mere legends. Told only with a lot of inaccuracies and fiction in the normal life and even the rogues only new tales. Tales who put those following direct orders of the mask at a strange position between rogues and law, requiring the rogues to allegiance but also showcasing how the Paladins did not fear to work with the law, if it would set the course right. A set of speculation about the powers of the Paladins also widened and narrowed depending on the storyteller. Other countries knew them better, having less organized rogue circles - or none - they only ever showed allegiance to those working in the name of their God to make sure some simple rules were held high. Lea became a mixture of judge and deathsman. She would go to the cities were tensions were high and endangering the city, the rogues or sometimes even innocent bystanders as the poor and beggars. The following years her job was to settle these tensions. This could mean something as trivial as two thieves (or organizations) having a lasting dispute over loot, or something as important as a sovereign deciding to wipe out any thieve, murderer, prostitute, brute and if necessary all of their families - sometimes out of pure spite, sometimes because one group was too troubling.
Most of the time her mission was lonely. You do not tend to make many friends if you are only at places to stop people from breaking rules and punishing them for it. You make even less friends if those people are used to think no rule would apply to them. And things get really complicated if a decision requires you to wipe out entired groups just for the rest to survive. Her motivation helped her through this, but she had the agreement with her god to one day just retire in peace. It would not come to this. She had been chasing down a circle of human traffickers (slaves being one of the things her god especially despised) and was in the best process of getting law to finally end their work, when one of the traffickers' mages slightly overshot his goal. The whole building was blown up before the law forces could enter, efficiently ending the circle but also dealing a lot of damage to the surroundings in which Lea happened to be. She was badly injured. The kind of badly injured that even magic would not fix in time. She was too far away from home to bid her farewell. She let herself get fixed up enough to be able to get somewhere and disappeared to a quiet place for her final hours.
Name of Power: Manipulation of magic strings Range of Power: close Description of Power Effects: The world Lea comes from is filled with magic. Every being has a spark of it - most just can not access it. Albeit Lea is not a powerful mage missing the formal training has lead her to an understanding different from many. If the world she resides in is similarly fille with magic she has learned to pull out strings of it to form effects. This is commonly only used for smaller things - like lighting a fire. Weaknesses of Spell: Manipulation of magic strings is no trivial thing and mostly not a good idea. The effects can reach from chsnging the color of something to suddenly detonate a whole area. Lea seldomly uses the power and the effects of her doing are - if she has never done it before - sometimes unpredictable for her. It also requires a lot of concentration.
Name of Power: Eyes of the eagle, ears of the fox Range of Power: Self or single persons, touch Description of Power Effects: The senses of the target are enhanced, enabling the heightened perception of the environment. This can simply mean that low voices can be heard and reaches up to the possibility to spot very small objects from distances over which no human would be able to see them. Casting Limit: Effect wears of after 5 to 30 minutes Weaknesses of Spell: The enhancement also heightens sensibility - a loud sound, bright light or sudden and strong smell might throw the user off guard if they are not able to correctly react.
Name of Power: Binding circle Range of Power: Close range Description of Power Effects: By creating a closed circle - either out of salt, ash, powder or simply by laying a string on the ground, the beings in the circle are bound to not leave them. They have to be in the circle when it is created, albeit the circle might be on another flour. While Lea can decide on a duration, the duration is normally bound to somewhere around 12 to 16 hours. The power can be used by binding beings outside of the circle, albeit it only lasts a few hours in this case and is more straining on the magical powers and concentration. Weaknesses of Spell: Bound beings can try to leave the circle every few minutes, which mostly requires a very strong will and is therefor usually only possible after some hours for humans or near the end of the duration for many animals. The circle is just a circle - it does not create magical walls so any matter can just pass through it (e.g. an arrow could still pass through)
Name of Power: View into the mind Range of Power: One Person, on sight Description of Power Effects: The thoughts of the affected person become visible to Lea as somewhat blurred images for a short while (under a minute). The spell can also be used on dreaming persons. Weaknesses of Spell: The affected can, if he notices someone entering, deduct his thoughts. Furthermore the images become unclearer or harder to interpret the stranger the affected being.
Name of Power: Blinding Range of Power: Viewfield Description of Power Effects: The victims are blinded and desorientied by a bright lightning flash, resulting in severely (from completely up to annoying, depending on the enemies might) hindered possibilities to fight or correctly react. The effect last only a short time (view rounds of fight, short time to e.g. cross a large room etc), before normal sight returns. Weaknesses of Spell: The spell can only work on beings requiring sight in a classical way (having eyes) and does fail on some non-corporeal beings or constructs. It only affects sight, so enemies being skilled in blinded fight or using other senses are not as severely affected.
Name of Power: Illusionist's game Range of Power: Viewfield Description of Power Effects: Any person in the viewfield is affected by an illusion created. Illusions can be as small as a flying butterfly, or as big as a marching army. While technically not being there, the affected will act and feel as if the illusion was real e.g. perceiving to be hurt when grabbing an illusionistic blade. Albeit no bodily damage is done a part of the damage is dealt as the victim really beleaves to have been hurt. Weaknesses of Spell: The realism and therefor noticability of the illusion depends on the creators concentration and how much of it they lay into it. Creating a realistic butterfly is easy - creating a whale flying through the air rather not. Illusions can be recognized as such, but a believable illusion is harder to see than an unrealistic one as the idea to mentally check if everything is real must arise first. If the check succeeds highly depends again on the quality, which depends on the concentration and might the creator uses. Some spells and abilities (seeing aura or magic doing) are more useful in seeing the illusion and very hard to counter.
Name of Power: Cleptasigilli Range of Power: Object Description of Power Effects: A very small seal is scratched or drawn on something that is supposed to reamin sealed. If anyone but the sealer (or sometimes another person chosen) opens the container all contents are destroyed Weaknesses of Spell: Very hard to break - but all conctents are destroyed on opening while the thief remains unharmed.
Name of Power: Waving leaves Range of Power: about 100 m Description of Power Effects: The zone chosen drones out any noise not typically found in it. This can mean that in a forest leaves, birds and animals appear louder while steps or talking are harder to hear. Weaknesses of Spell: The user must now the typical sounds of the environment - otherwise things will sound odd to anybody familiar.
Name of Power: Ignored and unseen Range of Power: Touch Description of Power Effects: The caster, touched object or willing subject are completely falling out of interest for anyone around them. They will not be noticed by bystanders and even if someone is specifically looking at or for them (e.g. guards in front of a door in an otherwise empty room) the perception is highly hindered. The same spell can be cast on objects. Weaknesses of Spell: The spell is a mixture of an illusion blending the object/subject in and an effect on other peoples mind actively averting attention. It can therefor be broken by protection against these effects and is easier recognizable for someone able to sense magic.
Name of Power: Unhindered passing Range of Power: self Description of Power Effects: Lea may pass any environment as if it was a big, well build street void of people. This means that the passing through a crowd is unhindered by them, as well as passing through hedges and thicket. Deliberate hinderings like barriers, streams of water or gates must still be passed as if they were placed on a road. Weaknesses of Spell: If a passing is impossible or unlikely, like on a steep mountain side or completely blocked road, the spell won't have any effect.
Name of Power: Private ears or eyes Range of Power: Zone, maximal 20 m Description of Power Effects: No word spoken inside the zone can be heard by an outside observer, effectively protecting against unwanted listeners. It is similar for real observation - as long as an observer can only observe small parts of the zone, through a keyhole or small slit in curtains, they can not see what is going on and either see an empty room or be unable to make out interesting details. Weaknesses of Spell: A skilled observer notices that something is kept hidden from them, as the total silence or inability to concenrate on a detail is very obvious. The spell can be broken with enough countermagic or by entering, albeit breaking it without the caster noticing is difficult
Name of Power: Moonlight's reflection Range of Power: affected person most be under the same celestial body Description of Power Effects: A depression (in stone, a bowl ..) is filled with spring water. As soon as the moon or any comparably large celestial body is reflected, the caster can concentrate on someone and they will appear as a reflection on the bowl. The caster (and anybody around) can see the person affected and some smaller background details. The caster will furthermore get some impression of the persons feelings. For a person known to the caster small communications are possible. If both persons know and use the spell the communication is completely enabled. The spell is usually cast for known persons and harder to cast on someone unknown, albeit something holding their essence (hair, a long owned object) will slightly ease the spell. Weaknesses of Spell: As the connection is two-sided the person reflected also gets at least a short impression about the caster and their feelings to them (like a sudden flash of memory). Depending on the person and his situation this might be ignored as a memory, not really noticed as other feelings are stronger (in situations of flight, battle...) or be correctly recognized as a sign for a spell, albeit this is only realisticly possible if the person is aware that this kind of spell and effect exists. The reflection of feelings on the caster can become dangerous when the chosen person is in an highly emotional state, as the sudden rush of emotions being thrown at the caster can break their control over the spell. Intrusive emotions are hard to handle and can potentially become dangerous as soon as things turn to high pain or a fight for life.
Name of Power: Fading lights Range of Power: up to 15 m radius Description of Power Effects: All lights fade in the zone created by the spell. While light from outside, like sunrays, can enter any light in the zone will fade out and lighting a new one like a torch or candle will fail. Weaknesses of Spell: Induced darkness only works when it is only dark outside as lights outide the zone work noraml.
Name of Power: Slightly skilled in healing magic Range of Power: Touch Description of Power Effects: Lea has learned to heal minor injuries like cuts, heavy bleeding and smooth fractures. It is mostly used to stay functional rather than really heal someone. Weaknesses of Spell: While Lea might prevent someone from bleeding to death, she can not really heal them and prolonged "life support" will drain her energy very fast
Special Talents: - Lock picking: Lea still physically picks lock - mostly with the help of sets designed for this. But she has an undeniable talent for this, most locks not really posing a barrier between her and her goals - Diplomacy: Sometimes better, sometimes worse, but in general Lea has learned to live up to her task and this always require some diplomacy. She has a mostly helpful feeling at which points which wors are needed and at which point blatant blackmail might be more useful than arguments. This partially also includes an ability to adapt into societies and just blend in. - Cryptography: Albeit not being skilled in the use of technology, Lea knows how to use cryptography in her world, knowing a growing set of codes, possible ways to hide messages either physically or through the use of magic and as many options to break these.
Weapons: Lea is skilled to fight with an epee or daggers and has some profiency in using throwing knives.
Armor/Clothing: (for what type of armor/clothes they use, and if it actually has any magical effects please describe) Necklace of the Mask: A necklace showing a simplified mask. It provides her with some protective effects, making her immune to (mostly) any poison and effectively hindering people to access her aura or mind. For beings not to powerful and skilled it makes her appear as unmagical. During her usual work she wears normal clothes: Linnen trousers, a simple shirt and a tunique or simple dresses, often adapting to the environment she is currently working in such that she can blend in. If she is prepared for combat she owns a leather armor, protecting her from the worst injuries and making it harder to use spells against her which are aimed at restraining her in battle e.g. by blinding. Her formal "uniform" is a white robe with a red mask on the chest and red splashes on any seams, looking like blood. Albeit this attire heightens her possibility to cast spells she does not chose it very often as it is anything but
Name: Edward James David Nicknames/Aliases/Titles: The Maestro of Rock Age: 22 Gender: Male Race: Human
Personality: Edward is extremely laid back, often vying to take things easy and see how situations play out before him rather than directly act to force them onto a specific path. "Let the flow decide, it knows what it wants" as he often says. That is not to say he's lazy or indecisive however; he has a great deal of conviction and determination, he simply doesn't believe in forcing issues except as a last resort. Beyond that, he's a very kind hearted man who, at the end of the day, wants nothing more than to make more smiles in the world.
History: Edward comes from a world where music is life in a very literal sense. Everything runs on some form of sonic power, music is central to every aspect of culture, and those who take the time to cultivate it are able to use the power of song to influence the world around them. In this world, there exists a group of individuals who are particularly gifted with this ability in specific genres of music; these grandmaster musicians are known collectively as Maestros. And among them, Edward James David is known for being one of the youngest to ever achieve the title, taking the position in the genre of Rock & Roll. However, as he soon found out, being a Maestro was not a life of luxury and fame; for, in a world centered around sound and music, there was of course a force that sought to silence it.
That was what it was called. The Silence. A race of jet black creatures that behaved like an insect swarm and had but one desire; the extermination of all music. And it fell to the holders of the Maestro title to defend against them. And for years Edward did his part, fighting alongside the other Maestros to drive the Silence back and safeguard his world. One day, a plan was hatched; a new complex machine, designed to receive and amplify tenfold the music of Maestros, had been prototyped and was advertised as a long term solution to the Silence. If, as the inventor explained, the Maestros could attract the entity that controlled the swarm, the Silent Queen, to the machine, it would be possible to eliminate her and her whole misbegotten brood. It carried immense risk, but they all agreed that it was worth the attempt if it could lead to lasting peace.
But they underestimated their opponent. The Silent Queen proved far more powerful and cunning than anticipated, and even the might of all the Maestros in concert could barely hold her back. And while they labored to battle her, a division of the swarm attacked the machine, damaging it and rendering it unstable. The plan was in ruins, and as the Maestros fled the people watching began to despair. That is, until an all too familiar guitar riff began to resound over the battlefield. Edward alone stood his ground, a smile never leaving his face.
"Thanks for coming, everyone!" he yelled to the broadcast across the world, "This is going to be the last Rock Maestro Recital for a while. But rather than cry that it's going to be over, let's smile and enjoy it while it lasts, yeah?!"
And he began to play, with heart and soul being thrown into the chords. In spite of the full might of the Silent Swarm falling down upon him again and again, Edward kept playing and kept smiling, until finally the Queen herself came forward to finish him. Just as she closed in, however, the machine spun to life with the whole of Edward's song, whirling and crackling with amplified energy even as it threatened to come apart. He looked to the cameras one last time with one last strike of the strings to play.
"We love you, people of the world! GOOD NIGHT!"
And with one last strum the machine overloaded with sonic energy and exploded, decimating the swarm and horribly injuring the Queen. She would flee before the other Maestros could finish her, but the damage done to her was severe and lasting. And though it cost him his life in the blast, Edward had given the world a concert to remember.
Magical Powers Section: N/A
Special Talents: The Power of Rock Edward is a Maestro, which in his world means he has the power to wield music as a powerful force of nature so long as he possesses his instrument. When he plays, Edward can choose to tune his very soul with the music and produce a number of effects, though he typically conjures barriers of sound for protection or explosive shockwaves for attack.
Range: Self, Short, Medium. Range suffers if music is difficult to hear because of the environment.
Into the Mosh Edward is notable for being one of the few Maestros that ever elected to enter physical combat, and as such he's able to move quick, strike hard, and take his share if push comes to shove.
A Maestro's Ear Edward's skill with music owes itself in part to exceptionally good hearing, both in terms of range and precision.
If It Has Strings... Edward's musical talent extends to other instruments besides the guitar, and with a little time to experiment he can passably play nearly any stringed instrument that is played with the hands.
Weapons: Luna The affectionate name Edward gave to his guitar, it's his Maestro Instrument and as such has special properties. It's capable of producing sound when played in any environment (regardless of the presence of amps, electricity, or the like), he can call it to his hand at will, and Luna in particular is forged from the sturdiest material in Edward's world, thus allowing it to maintain both shape and sound when he wields it like an axe in melee combat.
Armor/Clothing: See above picture. Clothing has no special properties; when in battle Edward relies on his own resilience and barriers of sound for protection.
