Been on-and-off of the site for a long time. Male, late-twenties. My interests are varied, but steer towards western fantasy and sci-fi. I'm picky with my weeb media.
Extremely interested, but unsure about my ability to write with the quality you guys may be seeking. Nevertheless, I'll make a concept app and I guess we'll see where things go. Going with Captain Marvel, but to avoid any confusion in a one-universe rp, he'll just go by Shazam, while the wizard Shazam will probably just be referred to as "The Wizard." I doubt this will interfere with anyone else's characters, unless people delve pretty far into magic.
Shazam
"Say something, geezer. I dare ya." "Suit yourself. SHAZAM!"
William Joseph "Billy" Batson ♦ 3.20.1929 (87) ♦ Male ♦ Lawful Good
C O N C E P T A B S T R A C T:
I want to explore the concept of a magical hero adapting to a new age. Shazam is a great fit for that role, because his powers allow him to halt aging while trasnformed, effectively adding that time to his overall lifespan. I really like the idea of the young naive, innocent Billy being given the powers of Shazam, and then being baptised in the horrors of World War 2 along with the members of the All-Star Squadron.
I really want to advance the character in such a way that he's tragically trying to hold on to his childhood innocence in a world that's growing progressively more detached and dark. Not to mention trying to fumble his way around technology.
N O T E S:
Of particular interest to me is World War II, and Billy's child-mind coping with the use of his powers in such a conflict, so most of my writing will likely be earlier stuff on the timeline. That said, I do really look forward to getting up to some modern day shenanigans as old man Shazam. I think the most potential for interaction would be with other older heroes, like Flash and Ghost Rider.
Also of note, if you haven't gathered yet, this incarnation of the Big Cheese is an older guy, though he looks pretty good for his age, thanks to not aging whilst transformed, he is still recognizably past his prime, and the transformation actually visually restores his youth now, as opposed to aging him. I'm considering exploring a sort of addiction to this effect, but I'm not sure if I wanna' take him down a road like that.
1938 A young Billy is chosen by the wizard Shazam to receive the powers of the gods by speaking his name. The wizard chooses him due to the purity of his heart, despite adversity. The wizard explains that, as his champion, Billy will help put an end to a terrible conflict in the coming years.
1940's Billy, in the form of (And in disguise as) Shazam, the Wizard's champion, assists the allied forces in many conflicts, allying frequently with the All-Star Squadron, though not as a full-time member due to lack of government affiliations and sanctions.
1950's-1970's Billy officially joins a team of like-minded superhuman individuals dedicated to fighting injustices in America, and has many adventures with friends and allies therein. This is considered by Billy to be the golden age of his career.
1970-2000 The hero known as Shazam disappears as public opinion shifts to the negative, although he remains active, secretly quelling magical threats, but rarely operating publicly. Billy spent much of this time with the Wizard at the Rock of Eternity.
2000-2017 Billy Batson resurfaces as the now-legendary hero Shazam, spurred on by the Justice League and the echoes of the glory days. He becomes a member of the league, and remains one to this day.
@Lucian - If you can reduce his strength, I'd accept him. That's really the only hang up I have at all, otherwise I love him. I was afraid of a vampire, but you did well. Though just make sure to keep his spells in check (no firestorms for example? :p).
Firstly, thanks for the compliment! I appreciate it! That said, I was wondering if you'd let me know specifically which areas to work on to reduce his strength, or did you mean his actual physical strength?
As for the spells, I was considering removing sorcery as a skill altogether, since it does seem rather vague and the potential for abuse is certainly there. Would that help?
Also, while looking through the other characters, I noticed the overlap with Azazael's Haemomancy and Valter's Sanguimancy. I was unaware at the time of creating my character, as, admittedly, I hadn't looked over all of the others in-depth yet. If this is a problem for you, please, let's hash it out. I am willing to change Valter to be more of a physical beast if need be, or perhaps alter his magic in some way. Feel free to PM me or something.
EDIT: Finished. Will be expanding the world history of Mortaria as we play if that's alright, as there's much more I have in mind.
Valter Reinhardt
Character Summary
Name: Valter Aleksandr Reinhardt Aliases: Val, Thief of Blood, Kinslayer, Exile, King of Traitors, Last Son of Reinhardt Titles: King (Deposed) Age: 117 Place of Origin: Castle Reinhardt Gender: Male
Physical Attributes
Build: Supernaturally lean and toned due to his vampiric nature. Eyes: Golden Yellow Hair: Pale Silver Skin Tone: Pallid Tattoos/Scars/Piercings: None (Body is incapable of holding a permanent alteration) Day To Day Attire: Valter doesn't change out of his adventuring attire much, as his body doesn't secrete sweat or wastes, which removes the need to clean soiled clothing. However, on formal occasions, he wears stiff, high-collared dress-clothes. These clothes are usually coal black, and adorned with scarlet lace and golden embroidery. Strengths: Intelligent, Experienced, Studious Weaknesses: Arrogant, Self-Assured, Particularly weak to fire or intense heat
Sexuality: Bisexual Relationship Status: Single Personality: Outwardly, Valter is every inch the poised noble. He is calm, collected, and difficult to disturb. However, he is a very inwardly-reflective individual, often pondering the differences between himself and others, and frequently searching for ways to better himself. Occasionally, when roused to action, Valter can be considered cold and callous, dispatching death and judgement with a confidence that can only be possessed by someone who truly believes he has the right to do so.
This may lead some to believe that Valter is a soulless, cold machine who merely wears the guise of a Noble Aristocrat, but those who grow to know him closely, learn that he is a deeply contemplative and passionate person, and can be fiercely loyal when emotionally attached, though he hasn't been so attached to someone since his old mentor's death. Habits: Tongues his fangs when annoyed, often adjusts his cuffs (or bracers, depending on what he's wearing) when nervous. Smirks frequently, and tends to raise his left eyebrow in incredulity or suspicion. Hobbies: Meditation, Self-reflection, Magical Study, Anatomical Study Fears: Succumbing to hedonism and addiction, Burning (A common fear among his kind, as they are particularly susceptible,) Lifelong Imprisonment Likes: Verbosity, Books, Magic, Ettiquette, Respect, Gracefulness, Dedication to a craft, Demonstrations of personal skill, Self-reflection, Passion, Self-improvement Dislikes: Hedonism, Barbarism, Self-indulgence, Overconfidence, Stubbornness, Ignorance, Stupidity, Rudeness, Acrimony
Skills
Sanguimancy (Master): The ability to use one's own blood as a weapon or tool by manipulating its physical properties via magic. This can be used to a number of effects, including, but not limited to, changing the density, solidity, strength, temperature, and hardness of the mage's blood. Sanguimancy can be used with the blood of another, but the person must willingly allow the manipulation of their lifeblood by the practitioner. Also, to interact with someone's blood, an open wound upon the target (be it another, or onesself) must be present, otherwise a direct connection to the blood cannot be established.
Swordsmanship (Journeyman): Though not his favoured form of attack, Valter must sometimes fall back on the use of his blade, whether to open up a wound for his Sanguimancy, to dispatch bloodless enemies, or to compensate if his personal reserves of blood are too low to conjure anything. He has had a very long time to perfect his form, though he is not among the masters, as he prefers a less martial approach to combat. As such, most of his time has been spent perfecting his grasp of the mystical arts, rather than swordplay.
Sorcery (Expert): Aside from Sanguimancy, Valter is gifted in the study of many forms of magic, and has a natural nack for the arcane. He is constantly searching for new spells and rituals, and absorbs mystical knowledge and lore ravenously. Since his exile, he has traveled far and wide, and learned much in the way of magic.
Political Strategy (Journeyman): Having grown up in a world ruled by a decadent aristocracy, Valter is skilled at playing the game. Though he certainly hasn't made a career of it, he can manuever at court well enough, whether it be clever deception, subtle espionage, dissemination of gossip, etc.
Anatomical Expertise (Expert): Valter has taken an uncommon interest in not only his own anatomy, but that of mortal or "lesser" races as well. As such, he has a good understanding of the inner workings of the human body. Though this knowledge is often used offensively (for instance, which artery will bleed most when nicked?) it can also be used to the benefit of his allies, and he makes an excellent healer and doctor, should the need arise. When combined with Sanguimancy, this knowledge is especially potent, both offensively and in support of allies.
Etiquette (Apprentice): Valter is well-versed in the etiquette of nobility and aristocracy, though he never bothered to learn much beyond the requirements of his former station. Still, he can hold his own without appearing a fool at court.
Talents & Powers
Immortality: Due to his vampiric blood, Valter is functionally immortal. He does not age, wounds heal near-instantly, and given time, he could even regrow lost limbs. The healing factor is entirely dependant on blood, and should he not be freshly fed, his wounds would be just as lethal as they would to a normal human, although his body will never age, regardless of blood consumption.
Vampiric Swiftness: Like most of his species, Valter can move preturnaturally fast, able to sprint at incredible speeds, rivaling the swiftest hunting-animals. Overuse of this power without subsequent feeding can result in loss-of-consciousness while his body slowly reproduces blood.
Vampiric Strength: Valter's body is that of a pure-blooded vampire. As such, he was born with a different anatomy than that of humans, or even vampires who were changed. His bones are three times denser than a human's, the cords of his muscles are more tightly-packed, and his body is extremely efficient, with no excess weight due to water or fat, the entire machine is designed for speed and strength. As such, he is much stronger than an ordinary man, though the exact strengths are widely unknown, his own personal tests have placed his limit of lift-able weight at around two-hundred pounds. This, like his speed, however, exhausts his supply of blood, and if used too carelessly, can lead to incapacitation.
Vampiric Immunity: Valter's body is immune to diseases, poisons, afflictions, and even aging. However, a well-guarded secret is the vampire's weakness to fire. The makeup of a pureblood vampire's body is highly flammable, it catches easily, burns swiftly, and requires much time to heal burns. Most vampires who catch fire don't survive long enough to get the healing blood they need. Fire asside, Valter has very few physical weaknesses.
History
Parents: Lazarus Reinhardt (Father, Murdered by Valter) Lucretia Reinhardt (Mother, Murdered by Valter) Siblings: Samael Reinhardt (Brother, Murdered by Valter) Childhood: Valter was born into the Noble Vampiric House Reinhardt, one of the five ruling houses which make up the government of Mortaria. Though not the most powerful house, Reinhardt was a wealthy and noble aristocratic family, who prided themselves on the purity of their bloodline, boasting that they could trace their lineage all the way back to their progenitor. Whether or not this is true is not known. What is known for sure is that house Reinhardt produces vampires with a quality of blood almost unrivaled in other houses.
Considering his location and status, Valter's childhood was mostly spent in opulence, decadence, and hedonistic revelry in his power. He was, however, cultured and taught the finer points of high-society at his parent's demand. His teacher was a lesser-vampire, and not of true blood, a once-human man named Davion, who was well-versed in the lore of the world. In the beginning, Valter despised Davion, viewing him as unworthy to teach him, given his humble vampiric origins. However, Davion's knowledge and mastery continued to impress Valter, until eventually the teacher seemed more of a father to him than his estranged biological father, King Lazarus, busy as he was with his hedonistic indulgences, and ruling of the house.
Adulthood: During his Stasis Ceremony (A celebration not of reaching adulthood, but of reaching the point where a vampire's appearance no longer changes/matures. This ceremony is always a hedonistic blood orgy,) A sudden revolt took place. Hundreds of lesser-vampires, lead by none other than Davion, Valter's lowborn teacher, mentor, and friend, assaulted the Reinhardt compound. The weaker vampires were no match for the powerful pure-blooded Reinhardt knights, and were dispatched with brutal efficiency, ending the would-be rebellion the very night it began.
Davion was captured alive, and was taken before King Lazarus and Queen Lucretia for questioning. Valter attempted to attend the interrogation, confused and concerned about recent events. He wanted to ask Davion why he had attempted such foolishness. Had his family not granted the lowborn fool immortality? Power? A place among the higher species, even if it was not as an equal?
Valter never got the chance to speak with Davion, as the lesser-vampire was put to death, burned alive for treason. When Valter asked his parents why he had turned traitor and fool, he was told that Davion had grown megalomaniacal, and wanted to steal the pure blood of the Reinhardt nobility for himself, increasing his own power, and stealing control of House Reinhardt in the process. Valter accepted this outwardly, but inwardly he was conflicted, as the motivations did not line up with the Davion he knew. A seeker of knowledge, yes, but not of power for power's sake. So, Valter hunted for his own asnwers.
Eventually, he came across Davion's secret laboratory, and his notes. His discoveries would have shaken the foundation of vampiric society. In Davion's journal, Valter learned the truth of his affliction. Vampires did not need blood to survive, they were merely addicted to it. The justification that had allowed the decadence of centuries to eat away at any morality that his species may have had was revealed through Davion's studies. The journal stated that Davion had attempted to tell King Lazarus and Queen Lucretia, but that they declared him a heretic and a madman, and that Davion felt his only chance was to get to Valter once more, that maybe he would see reason.
Valter, outraged by this discovery, and disgusted by the weakness his family had chosen to foster, returned to his home with a grim and volatile determination. That night, he confronted his father. An argument ensued, and eventually it came to blows. Valter slew his father, the King of his house, and then, in rage and disgust, drank dry his mother and brother, ensuring that the blood of the Reinhardt line would never be spread again, until his species was reformed, and could break the bonds of debauchery, hedonism, and addiction that was eating away at their society.
After the murder of his family, Valter forcefully took the throne of his father, and attempted to make harsh and strict changes to the laws regarding the consumption of blood and human life. His people, however, did not take to the change, and it did not take long for mass rebellion (backed covertly by the other houses of Mortaria) to oust the last living Reinhardt from his throne. Rather than die foolishly attempting to fight his enemies, Valter disappeared, forsaking his heritage and beginning instead a life of adventure, learning, and self-reflection.
Special Moments: Davion's lessons, and the slaughtering and cannibalizing of his family at his own hands. Current Events: Valter has been wandering for the better part of fifty years, learning all he can of magic and the realms. Of particular interest to him is the concept of worldwalking, so he began to dabble. In this dabbling, he has been drawn into an adventure, and been given a new purpose. Though he still holds out hope for his people, he has been made aware of greater and more important threats to the realms.
Mortaria
Climate: Mortaria is cloudy and dark, a land of howling winds and constant storms. The world was long ago cut off from it's sun due to powerful magic, when vampires were still weakened by such things. The mystical sun-swallowing storm produces no lightning, but does thunder often, and produces rain very frequently. Due to these conditions, Mortaria is quite cold, which has no effect on vampires, but makes life dreary and hard for their mortal slaves. Ruling(s): Mortaria is ruled by a council of five kingdoms or houses, who are themselves ruled by a king or queen. The houses are in a constant state of power-flux, but due to rules set down by their ancestors, no house is allowed to end the bloodline of another, thus ensuring that even during the most violent of house-to-house warfare, the five bloodlines remain in balance. This was true for thousands of years, up until Valter's treachery. These houses are (In order of greatest in power and influence to weakest)
House Fulgrim is massive not only in the number of noble vampires it has, but in everything else as well. The richest house in human slaves, Fulgrim holds the most land, has the largest and most well-defended stronghold, and has the largest standing-army of any house. Due to their size and power, the king of House Fulgrim, Ezekiel Fulgrim, is the defacto arbiter of disagreements between the other six kings and their respective houses.
House Fulgrim's lands are to the far north, nestled in both magical and natural defenses.
Yrael is the second most powerful house, mostly due to it's naval mastery. You want something shipped somewhere? They are the people you need to please. They handle nearly all trade from the sea, and make massive profit in both slaves and cattle. Their holdings on land are not vast, but their control of the seas is legendary. Their primary holdings, and their stronghold, are on the north-eastern part of the continent, though their domain is considerably larger if one considers the sea.
Currently a vassal-house of House Fulgrim, House Reinhardt is essentially an extension of the larger house, further solidifying Fulgrim's hold on the other houses. With no known living Reinhardt nobles left, the bloodline has been declared dead. Once known for the purity of their powerful blood, House Reinhardt is now little more than a standing army of mercenaries in the employ of House Fulgrim, it's lands reduced to cattle-farms to produce human livestock for the nobles of the Larger house.
Drana is a mysterious house in the far-southern reaches of the continent. They live in seclusion in the snows of the south, hiding away in their towers. They are masters of the mystic arts, and what is well-known about them is that this house produces the most powerful vampiric sorcerers. Their Queen, Idranael, is the most skilled mage in all of Mortaria, though few have ever laid eyes on her. She rarely attends meetings of the ruling council, and even less so since the fall of house Reinhardt shifted the balance of power between the houses.
Now not only are they mysterious and reclusive, but they are altogether rare. There hasn't been a sighting of a vampire of the Drana bloodline in years, though communications with their far-southern stronghold still continue, albeit in the form of short, curt letters. Nobody knows what they're up to, but rumours abound.
House Malak is the smallest and weakest of the ruling houses, but it was not always so. Long ago, they were powerful enough to rival Reinhardt, and rival Reinhardt they did. The rivalry began a war that ended shortly before Valter's birth, and resulted in the scouring of Malak's lands, and the destruction of half of their nobles, thinning the Malak bloodline considerably. They were allowed to survive, however, as per the Laws of Blood, although they never fully recovered. It was said that after the treachery of Valter Reinhardt, the remaining nobles of House Malak held a feast and gorged themselves in celebration of the murder of their swarn enemies.
History: Vampires have always existed in Mortaria, and the current state of the world has existed nearly static for so long that none are sure how things got the way they are. However, legends persist, particularly among the human currency of Mortaria, of a time before, when humanity ruled their world, and Vampires were merely pests to be feared only in the night.
These legends tell of a terrible and godlike Vampire, who, tired of living in the cracks and crevices of the world, blotted out the sun with impossibly strong magic, causing the Sunstorm that now covers the sky. After the creation of the Sunstorm, Vampires conquered the world, gathering around powerful leaders and seperating into noble aristocratic houses, which would eventually become the houses known today.
Though nobody is sure of the accuracy of these legends, Valter himself considers them very likely true, though obscured by the past.
Character Quote: "Decadence can only be curbed by willing self-improvement, or death. I can assist you with either." Theme Song:Ozar Midrashim Aura Color: Deep, harsh red, with black writhing tendrils permeating throughout. Scent: Dust, old books, covered by an enticing cologne Anything Else:
Apologies for the time it's taking me. The bae accidentally closed my tab last night when he jumped on steam and I've had to restart, luckily I'm particularly motivated today, so it should be done by tonight. Working on it at this very moment.
Been on-and-off of the site for a long time. Male, late-twenties. My interests are varied, but steer towards western fantasy and sci-fi. I'm picky with my weeb media.
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Been on-and-off of the site for a long time. Male, late-twenties. My interests are varied, but steer towards western fantasy and sci-fi. I'm picky with my weeb media.</div>
Member
Currently a vassal-house of House Fulgrim, House Reinhardt is essentially an extension of the larger house, further solidifying Fulgrim's hold on the other houses. With no known living Reinhardt nobles left, the bloodline has been declared dead. Once known for the purity of their powerful blood, House Reinhardt is now little more than a standing army of mercenaries in the employ of House Fulgrim, it's lands reduced to cattle-farms to produce human livestock for the nobles of the Larger house.
