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[img]https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/549e9b77-4c90-4c7f-8d0e-772a4ba70576/dbrgcbp-f02f47d0-9d74-4999-b269-0bbcdb9efc12.jpg/v1/fill/w_1274,h_627,q_70,strp/ellie_mansion_by_arsenixc_dbrgcbp-pre.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOiIsImlzcyI6InVybjphcHA6Iiwib2JqIjpbW3siaGVpZ2h0IjoiPD0xMDgwIiwicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvNTQ5ZTliNzctNGM5MC00YzdmLThkMGUtNzcyYTRiYTcwNTc2XC9kYnJnY2JwLWYwMmY0N2QwLTlkNzQtNDk5OS1iMjY5LTBiYmNkYjllZmMxMi5qcGciLCJ3aWR0aCI6Ijw9MjE5NCJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.PujlU5E9HhsfB4G5d_-GYwp5qJ4bFjz9eCAnrc78IZk[/img][/center][hr][table][row][cell][b][h3][color=Black]DESCRIPTION[/color][/h3][/b][/cell][cell][b][h3][color=Black]JAMES HIMSELF[/color][/h3][/b][/cell][/row]
[row][cell]The Vanburen estate is a massive building that's on the outskirts of Araminta. It's a mansion that's in its own little field once you pass the massive gates to keep the commoners out. The first thing you'd see when you approached was the [url=https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91PP6I7wMdL._AC_SL1500_.jpg]Statue of a kneeling World War II soldier[/url]. This is strange given that the Vanburens [i]seemingly[/i] has no relations to WWII, but James had it made. Surrounded by woods, and hidden in the forest: it was the perfect place for the young Vanburens to grow up. It had many pathways and fountains and fields, and all gated off to keep the outside world out. The estate itself is two stories tall and was stocked with everything the Vanburens needed. Food, water, entertainment, everything they ever could have wanted to keep them happened. Whatever they didn't have James would get. However, what's peculiar is that the estate had many, many, strange artifacts and other items that James stipulated that they explicitly [i]do not touch[/i]. Some of these things have strange powers in fact.

The Vanburen Family got its wealth from mysterious means - James said that they inherited the wealth, but from whom? However, they maintain that wealth by owning many businesses in Araminta and beyond and investing. Apart from James' kindness is that he saves family businesses by buying them and only stipulates that they give him a cut of their wealth. This is one source of income, but one cannot find out just [i]how[/i] James got his money. He just up and appeared one day! Few try and find out how, but only to come up at a dead end... or at the business end of Jame's rifle. 

The Family has a wide range of different people apart from them. James seemingly wanted to have a massive amount of children, but it didn't exactly make his wives happy. He had a wide number of failed relationships and other mishaps that ended with him jumping to the next wife or woman to have his kids. There was a strange lack of... passion in the relationships. Like he just wanted children to continue his lifeblood - which shows in how he usually dumps the children on his wives. James gave his children all the love he could and did it with a smile. He encouraged the children to follow all of their dreams while trying to groom his successor to the business. He also tended to adopt a wide range of orphans and street rats... whatever catches his ear it seems. Because of this, Vanburens are a diverse amount of people in terms of gender, sex, and personality.

However, all the Vanburen children and [i]anyone[/i] who bears the Vanburen name has been afflicted with a mysterious curse after his death - it was known as the Curse of the Vanburns and it triggered around one year after his death. Slowly, they realized that, as they left Araminta they were slowly turning to stone (if they were gone from Araminta for more than a week they'd almost be completely stone). When they got back within the bounds of Araminta they reverted to their human flesh. They're unsure of what would happen if they fully transformed into stone, but they figured that it would be death.

A few weeks ago; somebody broke into the Vanburen estate and stole some sealed Apparitions.
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[sup]James Vanburen is an older (62), a rugged British man with a big heart and a sense of morality like no other. They don't call him magnanimous for anything, after all. He did all he could to improve Araminta by funneling money into the drug problem, adopting orphans and street rats, and helping other people in need however he could. He's a man of few words, usually quick to the point but he liked conversation. He was a father to his children, making sure they all grew up well and moral people like him. James, however, had his flaws - he seemingly was obsessed with siring as many children as he could and being quite dismissive of his wives. Still, he did what he thought was right... however, much of his duties were by proxy. He used servants and other such people to raise his children. He was an exceptional alcoholic who always had a glass of whiskey or wine on him at all times but still could function.

Had one last Christmas party with his family before he died on Christmas day.[/sup][/quote]
[/cell][/row][/table][color=black][b][h3]FATHERS THINGS[/h3][/b][/color][sup]_______________________________________________[/sup]
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James, throughout the manor, had a wide variety of different artifacts for some reason that is unknown to the children. He told them never to touch it, but now that he's gone they're reluctant to follow that rule. Some of these artifacts are discovered to have supernatural properties that make them crucial to finding the truth about James Vanburen and breaking the curse.

[indent][b][url=https://i.imgur.com/hNbnkxh.jpg]FATHER'S RIFLE[/url][/b] Perhaps the strangest of father's collection and his most prized possession it seems. The Lee–Enfield Rifle with a bayonet attached that has obviously seen quite a lot of use if one were to take it apart. Father's Rifle can still fire, but that's not the strange part about it. It seemingly has a supernatural ability; if one were to slash at the air, they could make portals to alternate universes, and portals to destinations in their own universe. It seems that only Vanburens can use the rifle to its full effects.

[b]SEALED APPARITION COLLECTION[/b] Many of the artifacts and other things within the Vanburen estate have an Apparition sealed inside of them. Hundreds of different Apparitions are vying for a master... or a way out. Some time ago someone came in and stole some Apparitions that were sealed.
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[color=black][b][h3]FATHERS LIBRARY[/h3][/b][/color][sup]_______________________________________________[/sup]
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[color=2e2c2c]......................................................................................................[/color][/cell][cell]
[color=2e2c2c].[/color]
Father's Library isn't exactly like a conventional library, it's a collection of information detailing James encounters with the supernatural. Not just in this universe but beyond, and the room was originally locked off until James' death. Inside of it is a treasure trove of information that many would love to have.

[indent][b]Extra-Normal Beings[/b] - [I]"I thought that magic was the stuff of legends, but now I've seen things most people couldn't believe. Adepts, Awakened, Apparitions, Aberrants..."[/i]

[b]The All-Verse[/b] [I]"Apart from opening my eyes to the greater universe was learning about the existence of parallel worlds. I could drop a pin and it'd cause a universe where I didn't drop a pen to spawn into existence. These universes are infinite in... potential."[/i]

[/indent][/cell][/row][/table][indent][b]The Hound[/b] - [I]"Throughout my travels throughout other universes there's one constant; the Black Hound. This thing is the agent of death in its rawest form, acting as the grim reaper that transports the dead to the other side. He's mighty, and of all the times I've fought the thing I never even done more than drive it off. I feel like he's toying with me... that he has the power to destroy worlds. He seems more concerned with going after those who "cheat death" than anything, but worst-case scenario, [b]never[/b] challenge or deal with the Hound. He possesses The Black Fog of Apathy... a substance that can do many things. Most importantly you need to know that it can negate your ability to feel. Which means he can negate your abstractions."[/i]

[b]The Ancients[/b] - [i]"I found out about the Ancients after I discovered the Hound, they're his kin... a collection of[s] eleven[/s] twelve God-like entities that represent each color of Lux. I've encountered a hand full of them, but they each have a trait consistent with each other; they're far more powerful than anything I've ever seen. I can't even tell what they are, but they are dangerous. I can't decipher their motives but do not make deals or engage them if possible."[/i]

[b]The Glutton[/b] - [I]I've never seen this thing with my own two eyes but I've seen Recollection after Recollection of the slaughter. It takes the appearance of a vast ball of orange light, formed out of sparks and embers powered by emotions. It can do many things but subsumes the mind and can eat worlds. This thing... it almost brought all life to an end but it was sealed in Shimmer and eventually destroyed. Everything that has happened so far was because of it.[/i]

[b]The Hands[/b] - [I]"I... I don't know what to put here. This thing is the Apparition of some groper and appears as a mass of hands. Its abstraction allows it to grow hands on any surface... that it uses to grope people's backsides. [u][b]Please[/b][/u] don't let it out."[/i]

[b]Shimmer[/b] - [I]"Look to your left, then look to your right. Guess what? You're in Shimmer. I would advise against leaving because you may never find your way back."[/i]

[b]The Triple Goddess & The Horned God[/b] - [i]A pair of Apparitions that take the appearance of Pagan deities... they usually form two separate cults and gain power from them. They're, together, an insanely dangerous threat but fortunately for you all, the Horned God is sealed. The Triple Goddess cut and run before I could seal her but she's likely going to be after her counterpart. They have similar abilities; elemental control over natural elements like water, lightning, fire, earth... and they can gift their followers with knowledge or strength. On their own, they're incredibly dangerous but together they are unstoppable.[/i]

[b]Mayor Crest[/b] - [I]"Do not trust her."[/i]

[b]The Swan[/b] - [I]"The Ancient of sadness that I came across... or matter fact, I found her. I think-"[/i] The rest of the entry is awkwardly scribbled out of his journal. Seemingly recently.

[b]The Teeth[/b] - [I]"The first of the "Primal Fears", a group of apparitions based on humanity's basic fears. In this case, it's predation by animals, and by far it's the most powerful. A massive vaguely humanoid creature that has massive claws and has floating teeth in the face of its head. The Apparition's abilities are simple but dangerous - it's immensely strong, durable, fast, and its senses are impeccable - what makes it dangerous is that these abilities scale depending on how many people fear it at one single instance. It's to the point where it took on the Jaws at his peak... the peak where I anticipate that he was nearly as strong as the Hound."[/i] [b]Stolen.[/b]

[b]The Forgotten King[/b] - [i]"The second Primal Fear... and not as dangerous as the Teeth it's still incredibly dangerous. The Forgotten King represents the fear of the unknown and darkness and takes the appearance of a smooth and nearly featureless humanoid with a red crown hovering above his head. Nearly featureless due to the needle-like claws that tip his fingers. His ability is difficult to explain, he can create constructs in shaded areas - not completely illuminated or dark - and these constructs [u][b]can bypass an Emotional-Field[/b][/u] so be extra careful when facing him... if you face him."[/i] [b]Stolen.[/b]

[b]The Many Eyed One[/b] - [i]"Harmless on her own, but she's definitely a tricky one to deal with. As her name suggests she's an Apparition with many, many, different eyes and, as you may have expected, she has the ability to scry in different locations. I don't know the exact distance but she's capable of spying on many different places, from a far radius. Her reflexes are also fast enough to dodge anything that doesn't move faster than sight... or you can just think outside the box. She's fond of abscising people, so keep that in mind. "[/i] [b]Stolen.[/b]

[b]The Housekeeper[/b] - [i]"A very... fickle, Apparition to deal with. In a direct fight, she's absolutely defenseless and can easily be dispatched by even the most basic of all magic users. However, in the right circumstances... she's more or less invincible. I don't know how exactly her ability works but it seems to be a form of long-ranged automatic telekinesis that fulfills a command that she sets out. In my confrontation with her (which was in a castle) she barricaded herself behind wall after wall. Moving objects and setting up traps all over the place... I don't believe she can [i]directly[/i] injure you, but give her time and the right circumstances; you're better off leaving and reassessing. However, I've discovered her weakness: she [i]loves[/i] cleanliness and you can use that to distract her."[/i] [b]Stolen.[/b]

[b]Babylon[/b] - [I]"When I first laid eyes on her, I could tell she was a great evil in the world. I don't use that word lightly... because that's her nature. She's an Apparition that is the physical representation of all sin in her home universe and some dumbass had the great idea to shunt her into another world. All this did was make her think bigger... she has terrorized dozens of worlds in her attempts to become all-powerful and rebuild her empire of sin across all the universes. Babylon's abstraction is incredibly dangerous, as she has the ability to summon hellfire that burns far hotter and brighter than regular flames. She can also cast many, many, different curses - one that can cause you to compulsively make love to whoever you see, and other nasty things - but due to your emotional fields, you are immune to it. The Blind on the other hand doesn't have that luxury. Fortunately, I sealed her and she's staying in the mansion unless some fool lets her free."[/i]

[b]The Fragile Goddess[/b] - [I]"An Apparition that deemed itself a God, it's from one of the many alternate worlds out there where Apparitions have taken the appearance of Gods. This Apparition was the weakest one, hence her name, being the offspring of several larger, more powerful beings. Her intentions are benevolent, but her actions make her a threat. Her abstraction allows her to create glass on any surface, turn objects into glass, cause glass to shatter, and manipulate glass in general, but she can pass an affliction off on other people that gives them a weaker version of her abstraction. That makes her dangerous but... useful. She's staying sealed in a statue behind the mansion and I would keep her there. Unless the situation really calls for it; do not let her loose. [u][b]Just be prepared for the fight of your life.[/b][/u]"[/i]

[b]Shade[/b] - [I]"Honor the fallen, honor the fallen, honor the fallen, honor the fallen, honor the fallen, honor the fallen, honor the fallen, honor the fallen, honor the fallen, honor the fallen, honor the fallen, honor the fallen, honor the fallen, honor the fallen, honor the fallen, honor the fallen..."[/i]

[b]The Jaws[/b] - [I]"The All-Verse's greatest predator and (formerly) one of the most dangerous and feared Apparitions out there. The Jaws is an Apparitioned spawned from the death of dinosaurs that used to be the guardian of a certain something before his universe was destroyed. I was probably one of the few people to survive these hunts. You couldn't beat the Jaws with brute strength alone because he could take a lot more than anyone could dish out - and he was easily strong as an Ancient. You had to outsmart him, exploit his strange line of thinking, to survive. However, the Bull erased his universe and his power began to fade. I couldn't let such a proud creature go out without a whimper, especially since I knew he was noble, kind, and benevolent deep down. I sealed him inside of a key chain, but I gave it to a friend. Now I don't know where he could be."[/i]

[b]The Nightmare[/b] - [i]"One of the most dangerous Apparitions out there, I've seen this thing completely wipe out entire worlds. The Nightmare is an Apparition that feasts on blood and to accomplish this, it creates The Breed. A unique brand of vampire that is a mixture of man, mosquito, and tick... they are individually physically formidable but pained individuals. They collect blood for the Nightmare and infect whoever survives and turns them into more of them. The Nightmare on its own is fragile but possesses immense telekinetic abilities, but it always flees. I don't know where the Nightmare is, it's not in my collection. You need to find the Nightmare as soon as possible and seal it, I'm begging you."[/i]

[b]The Swarm[/b] - [I]"This one is probably the most powerful apparition I've seen; it's a mass of several hundred different insect Apparitions that act as a unison. The Swarm has several dozen different abilities that make it near unbeatable in a direct fight - however, I found a way to seal it. By taking it apart piece by piece and sealing each Apparition in a different object I've rendered it inert. However, if it comes back together... I'm not sure if I'll be able to stop it again."[/i]

[b]Thornton Walters[/b] - [u][s][I]"Stop him at all costs, I am begging you."[/i][/s][/u]

[b]The Rage of Dying Animals[/b] - [I]"He used to be benevolent. He used to be good. Keep him sealed if you know what's good for you, he's [u]his[/u] greatest ally. Also extremely dangerous as the Rage of Dying Animals can reanimate animals that have been killed and summon them from throughout the All-Verse. Which is not something you want. He has a limitless supply and he will win a battle of attrition, you can't even destroy his body as he'll just use one of the animals he'll summon. To seal him: you will have to force him out of his body and then seal him before he jumps into another one. The problem is that you'll probably have to deal with getting mauled by reanimated animals."[/i]

[b]The Child[/b] - [I]"The kindest and most generous being I ever meant... originally I was under the impression there were only eleven Ancients, but as it turns out there is another. They are the creator-God that are above the other Ancients... and they opened my eyes to the bigger picture."[/i]

[b]Lihua Zhao[/b] - [I]"Someone that got roped into all of this... she was a beautiful moral. albeit vain and prideful woman. Her abstraction, the ability to open portals in other dimensions, was crucial... She settled down in Shimmer and had some kids, I'm glad. But, I heard someone killed her, I hope it wasn't [u]him[/u]."[/i]

[b]Mary Roberts[/b] - [I]"An old friend of mine from my childhood... she unfortunately died but she returned as an Apparition. She was one of Thornton's allies, but she turned against him and joined me. Mary's a very difficult one to work with, but she's a very cunning woman [s]don't underestimate her[/s]."[/i]

[b]The Bull[/b] -[i] "The counterpart to the Hound... where the Hound represents death the Red Bull represents rage and vengeance. And thus his domain is the Red Lux, and he has near limitless elemental abilities, even if it prefers using fire. I've seen his rage first hand... he cannot be contained. Nor stopped. That thing... burned it all, drowned my home in rage and blood."[/i]

[b]Farmer Hill[/b] - [I]"It's the only place that has magic. I've vowed never to go here and neither should you."[/i]

[b]My rifle[/b] - [i]"My Rifle is a very useful object, it can teleport you [i]anywhere[/i] long as you carry my blood. It'll take a bit of practice, but I know you'll get the hang of it. Take care of it. You'll need it."[/i]

[b]The Oasis[/b] [i][/i] - [i]"The most beautiful place I've seen... [u]you must stop him from getting here.[/u]"[/i]

There's a treasure trove of other information on the Extra-Normal and his adventures.
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