Shifter_Master

Mage The Ascension: Illusion and Reality in the City of Sin

“Everyone is a critic.” Robert would mutter as he rolled his eyes at getting shot down. Not that he was surprised, the kid clearly had his head on straight. But Robert knew better then to try and promise more then he could guarantee, at least when it came to legitimate offers.

Different rules when it came to running a Con after all.

Either way he was in the process of pulling out a cigarette for him when everyone seemed to wind up on edge.

Glancing up he too would noticed the CCTV and-

‘The suit was itchy, and he would always swear he could feel it trying to dig it’s hooks into his soul but-'

‘-rywhere we go is in at least two man teams, even in a larger op, everyone has a designated part-‘

‘-uit up men! We've got out marching orders! Time to hunt some Realit-‘

He blinked, the world slotting back into place. The back of his neck itched, and the press of Existence was loud in his ears.

It was time to leave. It was long past time to leave.

He was nearly about to pull his damaged nature in close. And just Fade and be gone. But his gaze landed on the CCTV again. And he could only count five people.

‘Where was the sixth man?’

Splitting up was a bad idea. He could bail later, once they had gotten clear and free.
“Sticking around here is a good way to get iced.” Robert would call out, though he too had pulled out his own piece. A worn, but well maintained, 1911 Colt handgun. “We might be able to take the company, but they can get backup and we can’t. And that flow shift isn’t something we can punch our way out of.”

He would turn to Ezekiel. “You got a quick way to take that thing down?” He would ask gesturing at the Tower with his free hand. “Not sure it’s a good play to let the suits walk away with it myself.”

Tiny and the Terminator [Mistress Dizzy & Shifter_Master]

It was with a bored and casual eye that Slade watched the fight before him. Though he was hardly the only one that would be hesitant to actually call it a fight. Not with the way that Queen seemed to be toying with Pim.

Which honestly wasn’t all that impressive in his mind. Pim was sloppy enough to be called an amateur in Slade’s opinion. He had students in his classes that were better then this chump. Only two to be fair, and one of which he had personally trained. But that was neither here nor there, nor was Slade in any mood to cut Pim any sort of slack.

Queen, admittedly, was at least proving that she was at least a decent fighter. Foundation of Bagua Zhang, with touches of Silat, Tai Chi, and he would put odds on Capoeira as well. Though it was hard to be sure with Pim just being terrible at any sort of striking.

Slade had more or less written off the ‘sparing’ and was about to turn away. When he noticed the shift in tone coming from Queen.

Be even then he was almost too late to watch what came next.

‘Was that seven or eight?’ He mused to himself as the crowed shouted cheers or complaints depending on if they won or lost money on side bets. Not that Slade cared for the money. No, he was much more interested in Queen. He had written this public spectacle off, and not really worth his time. But now he was curious. Did he miss the first kick she launched, because he was already turning away, or was she just that fast?

He wanted to know.

“I’ll accept the fight.” He said, passing off his still unopened can of beer to who ever was next to him, and stepping forward. “Slade Wilson.” He would add as he rolled up his sleeves his attention more on Queen then Jake as he did. Watching and analyzing her.

Various people in the crowd had gone suddenly, and shockingly silent. Staring at Salde as he entered the ring. They were the ones who knew him by name, or even face. But there were enough to catch the attention of those that didn’t.

His next words got everyone’s attention.

“Call sign,” He would give a cruel smile. “Deathstroke.”

Mage The Ascension: Illusion and Reality in the City of Sin

Robert stayed seated, seemingly cool as you can be despite nearly getting a gun drawn on him. The ease on his face distracted from the tension in his hands and legs, not that that tension had anytime to be noticed by the others. Not when yet another person showed up.

His bullshit radar was absolutely pinging, but before Robert made the choice to just. Fade and be done with all of this. Their illustrious voyeur finally made himself known.

“Well, that’s for sure not something you hear every day.” He would mutter to himself, turning his attention back to the bright shining tower. He lets his Sight drift sideways, washing the world in the fractal mosaic that it truly is. He tries to pick out the threads and edges of its output in more detail, but gets no further then he did when he first saw it.

He can’t help but wonder if this Ezekiel was talking Good or ‘good’; as Robert wasn’t one to put himself in the former category. He also didn’t care too much about the comment about aiming for beyond Earth. Could be true, after all, could also just be ‘True’. Robert sure as hell didn’t know enough to say one way or another.

But what he was interested was in how Ezekiel talked about electricity. An Awakened expert on the topic might be able to help him figure out the frequency and color of that particular set of patterns. Hell, sticking around just to watch anyone here might be able to help him figure all sorts of things out.

In a smooth motion Robert collected his cards and stood up. “Well no idea if you’re more The Man on the Moon or Thawne.” He’d state as he rummaged around in his pockets for a cigarette and his zippo lighter. ”But you’ve got my curiosity I suppose.”

”As for you Kid.” Robert would go on to say, pointing at Kalen. ”If you’ve got anything of theirs on you, I’ll trade you your chip for telling you if they are still in the City.”

He'd light up his smoke after giving his offer, wondering if anyone else would offer up a better one, seeing as everyone here was supposed to be good after all.

Mage The Ascension: Illusion and Reality in the City of Sin

“Ya know, there’s a saying I think fits about now.” Robert would pipe up, interrupting the impromptu reunion. His presence suddenly and jarringly snapping into existence from nothing. He was about fifteen feet back from Nathaniel, just out of the hard edge of the circle of light pouring off the tower. A halfway played game of solitaire dealt out in front of him.

That wasn’t the case, he had been sitting here since before Nathaniel showed up as point of fact. But Robert knew it was all too easy to overlook him if you weren’t on the lookout for him in the first place. Besides, he had been curious if the voyeur in the van was going to react to the call out.

But the other newcomer decided to respond instead.

“Something about three times being enemy action and all that.” He would add as he absently continued his game of Solitaire, though it was clear his attention was more on Nathaniel and Samuel then the cards in front of him. Not that it seemed to hinder him at all.

“Going to go out on a limb and guess you’ve both got about a hundred grand burning a hole in your pockets as well, and came here hoping the end of the rainbow would finally let you cashout?”

Mage The Ascension: Illusion and Reality in the City of Sin

“Well that’s a kick in the teeth…” Robert would mutter to himself from his perch on a pile of junked cars a decent distance away from the tower of lights, as he absently rolled the 100K chips that had lead him here across his knuckles.

Honestly this whole venture was proving itself to not really be worth it so far, regardless of the fact that apparently 100K was on the line. Not that he’s terribly surprised, it had felt a little too easy to luck into such a score in the first place.

It had been in a stack of lesser chips he had won off a three card monte set up a few days ago. But the fact he missed in the first place should have been a giant red flag in and of it's self.

Then there was getting nearly tossed out of the casinos in his attempts to cash it in. Which, honestly, his weird, screwed up, nature is what kept him from getting shot from some of the security stooges. But that did mean it would take a couple more days for the heat around him to die down so he can go back to playing the Blackjack tables.

Then finding out the thing started glowing after sundown, which was new, and worrying. But seeing as he had nothing better to do, he decided to follow the breadcrumbs. Which meant a long ass trek across the city, since no cabbie has ever been able to remember him for further than a block or two so they were out, and boosting a bike was just sad, and too easy by far, so all he could do was hit the bricks and take the slow way

Which meant he couldn’t really earn any scratch or work on anything particularly vulgar to try and figure out any new tricks or patterns. Meaning the whole walk felt like a waste of time.

The poor bastard working security didn’t even lift his head when Robert walked past and jumped the gate. But really that was just par for the course.

But now that he had made it to the end of the rainbow, what did he find?

Magick bullshit.

He stayed at his vantage point just scoping out the tower, the van, and the clearly Awakened guy in the van. He’d bet money the guy in the van was connected to his chip, so Robert wasn’t fully sure he was undetected, but now Robert had to ask himself if he was willing to actually ante up to this very clear thing.

Not that he had much clue of what it was, or could be.

It did stink in his professional opinion, however. Which, when you add in everything else he’s dealt with so far, had him seriously considering just cutting his losses as they were and leaving. He’d have just enough time to find a decent bar to hustle someone in pool if he left now.

But… Fuck. He was curious.

Rolling the chip to the end of his knuckles he would flip it up into the air letting it fall into his palm on the way down before pocketing it. After he’d pull his 1911 and double check it was loaded, before tucking it back into his waist band.

“I’ll give it an hour.” He’d say to himself, checking the time on his phone. “If no one else shows I’m gone.”

With that he would pick his way down his car stack and move towards the edge of light being put out by the tower. Hell, there might be others also waiting out of sight already, but if not, not the best idea to sneak up on whoever else is next to show. Assuming this isn’t all targeted at him that is, which he doubted, but he literally can’t remember who his enemies could be so who knows.

Either way he would pull out out a deck of playing cards in the meantime. He could work on his shuffles or play some Solitaire in the meantime.

Mage The Ascension: Illusion and Reality in the City of Sin

Just another face in the rain

'I'm going to be frank with you. At the end of the day the world is fucked. But you'll not catch me laying down in the ashes. Not when I can dance in the fallout'

Tradition ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Orphan. 'And damn proud to be one too!' Spheres ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ 'Just you wait until I figure them all out!' Prime, Matter, Correspondence. ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔	_______________________________________________ Robert █████ Age: 28, or at least that's a safe bet. Robert is an odd person to describe. Mainly because you can't, not truly at any rate. How he looks varies from person to person. But rarely does he stand out to anyone, always being an average face in the crowd. The exception is the large, weathered jacket he always has on him. This un-person nature extends to recordings of him in all shapes. Written records, video tapes, memories. All fade, or get misplaced, or destroyed with shocking regularity. Mixed with his missing history Robert is forever just a step disconnected from others. It does make him very good at sneaking around places he shouldn't be though. Though Mages, other supernaturals, and the occasional odd mundane, are more resistant to Robert and his Arcane nature. Outlook: Robert is a Nihilist with a mean streak. A armchair optimist, and a backroom pragmatist. He is fully convinced that the World is a fucked up mess, built to exploit and abuse everyone and everything. And that's fine. Because Robert has found the Keys to the Kingdom in the trash. He doesn't know where he came from. Those memories are lost, possibly forever. He doesn't know where he is going. He has no grand ambitions or goals. But he knows where he is at and what he can do. And that's enough for him. The first Sphere Robert Awakened to was Prime. So more then anything he is tuned into Reality. He might not be able to parse the full picture, not yet, but he's got a finger on it's pulse. So he knows, intimately, just how little he is in the face of 'Everyone' but that's not disheartening to him. That's just a challenge. Plus there is something endlessly awe inspiring to just sit back and watch 'Reality' as it ripples and folds and changes. To find the fault lines where the ways of thinking shift imperceptibly. Knowing that Upstate you can get the cops to show up in five minuets with a shaky voice, while in downtown you can't get them to show even if you call them while in the middle of a active shoot out. And that's a lot of what Magick is to him. Finding the patterns, and techniques, and tricks, and cheats. There isn't anything that can't be done. You just have to know the right way to do it. And if one doesn't exist, you make it, or fake it. How it works isn't something he could really explain to a non Mage. It's a frame of mind, and a way of pushing your Will out into the Everything that is. Sometimes you need tools and props to help. But like any good Con, it only has to look good on the surface. As not many people bother to look twice, and by the time they would Robert is long gone. The difference is that when it comes to Magick, Robert is truly devoted to the craft. For all his apathy, and cynicism, and devil-may-care about the world and it's current state of affairs. He Loves Magick. He is shockingly open with it, using smaller effects often as he can get away with. And loves to hear about how people view their world. Because he doesn't think that there is one 'True' way to see the world. All of them are right. His is just more correct then most. This is in part to his Avatar. A statuesque woman, that seems intent on pushing Robert as far as he can go in regards to Magick. Teaching and testing him in regards to how to twist and rewrite reality. He sees her often. Weekly if not more, in the spaces between Con's or Grifts or in his dreams while he sleeps. She's too perfect to be human. Almost too perfect to be real. But she knows him. Better almost then he knows himself. But... She also doesn't quite seem to see Robert as he is now. And there is a level of frustration underlying all of their interactions. As if she feel like he should know all of this already. And she will make mentions of things that Robert can't remember, things from the nebulous 'before', but never explains any of them to him.	Personal History ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ 'You a cop? Why you asking? Who wants to know?' A surprisingly tricky thing to answer. Because put bluntly, Robert doesn't know. His memories only go back a few years before they just stop. What caused him to lose his history isn't something he knows. It wasn't his Awakening, as that's back in his gaps, but he does sometimes get flashes of insight, or recollections from these lost years that hint at a lot more then they realistically should. That said, Robert also doesn't really care. Who he was isn't who he is now. And who he is now, is a fast talking Con Artist. Testing the edges of what he can get away with, both legally and Magickally. And then working out way to get past even those limits. Notably, Robert's Awakening is remembered. But only the singular event that was his awakening, the lead up and aftermath are dust in the wind. Plot Hooks ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ 'Glitchy' Arcane, Pushy Avatar, Amnesia. 'Can you please not? I working on getting a handle on this Forces thing and I'm almost there.'

<sub>Affiliations
^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}



Daxter: Local fence for Robert to pawn his conned goods off too. Isn't as affected by Roberts Arcane as much as most people are.</sub>

Mage The Ascension: Illusion and Reality in the City of Sin

@Fiber No worries. And glad to know that I was more or less on point with where I was thinking/expecting his skills to land with sticking to three Spheres.

I am well versed with Mage, have the hard copies of 20th and some of it's splats as well. Am big fan of it, and all of World of Darkness really.

On that. As noted in the Plot hooks for Robert there is 'Glitchy' Arcane. I wanted his to be stronger then expected, and somewhat outside of his control. He can't turn it off all the way unlike normal, and it can slip above the normal cap as well, but again not within his direct control. I'm also cool just playing it straight which I'd wager is having it around three dots or so.

Mage The Ascension: Illusion and Reality in the City of Sin

Figured I'd get him written up anyway.

@Fiber Let me know if there are any questions, concerns, or incompatibilities.

Robert

'I'm going to be frank with you. At the end of the day the world is fucked. But you'll not catch me laying down in the ashes. Not when I can dance in the fallout'

Tradition ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Orphan. 'And damn proud to be one too!' Spheres ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ 'Just you wait until I figure them all out!' Prime, Matter, Correspondence. ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔	_______________________________________________ Robert █████ Age: 28, or at least that's a safe bet. Robert is an odd person to describe. Mainly because you can't, not truly at any rate. How he looks varies from person to person. But rarely does he stand out to anyone, always being an average face in the crowd. The exception is the large, weathered jacket he always has on him. This un-person nature extends to recordings of him in all shapes. Written records, video tapes, memories. All fade, or get misplaced, or destroyed with shocking regularity. Mixed with his missing history Robert is forever just a step disconnected from others. It does make him very good at sneaking around places he shouldn't be though. Though Mages, other supernaturals, and the occasional odd mundane, are more resistant to Robert and his Arcane nature. Outlook: Robert is a Nihilist with a mean streak. A armchair optimist, and a backroom pragmatist. He is fully convinced that the World is a fucked up mess, built to exploit and abuse everyone and everything. And that's fine. Because Robert has found the Keys to the Kingdom in the trash. He doesn't know where he came from. Those memories are lost, possibly forever. He doesn't know where he is going. He has no grand ambitions or goals. But he knows where he is at and what he can do. And that's enough for him. The first Sphere Robert Awakened to was Prime. So more then anything he is tuned into Reality. He might not be able to parse the full picture, not yet, but he's got a finger on it's pulse. So he knows, intimately, just how little he is in the face of 'Everyone' but that's not disheartening to him. That's just a challenge. Plus there is something endlessly awe inspiring to just sit back and watch 'Reality' as it ripples and folds and changes. To find the fault lines where the ways of thinking shift imperceptibly. Knowing that Upstate you can get the cops to show up in five minuets with a shaky voice, while in downtown you can't get them to show even if you call them while in the middle of a active shoot out. And that's a lot of what Magick is to him. Finding the patterns, and techniques, and tricks, and cheats. There isn't anything that can't be done. You just have to know the right way to do it. And if one doesn't exist, you make it, or fake it. How it works isn't something he could really explain to a non Mage. It's a frame of mind, and a way of pushing your Will out into the Everything that is. Sometimes you need tools and props to help. But like any good Con, it only has to look good on the surface. As not many people bother to look twice, and by the time they would Robert is long gone. The difference is that when it comes to Magick, Robert is truly devoted to the craft. For all his apathy, and cynicism, and devil-may-care about the world and it's current state of affairs. He Loves Magick. He is shockingly open with it, using smaller effects often as he can get away with. And loves to hear about how people view their world. Because he doesn't think that there is one 'True' way to see the world. All of them are right. His is just more correct then most. This is in part to his Avatar. A statuesque woman, that seems intent on pushing Robert as far as he can go in regards to Magick. Teaching and testing him in regards to how to twist and rewrite reality. He sees her often. Weekly if not more, in the spaces between Con's or Grifts or in his dreams while he sleeps. She's too perfect to be human. Almost too perfect to be real. But she knows him. Better almost then he knows himself. But... She also doesn't quite seem to see Robert as he is now. And there is a level of frustration underlying all of their interactions. As if she feel like he should know all of this already. And she will make mentions of things that Robert can't remember, things from the nebulous 'before', but never explains any of them to him.	Personal History ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ 'You a cop? Why you asking? Who wants to know?' A surprisingly tricky thing to answer. Because put bluntly, Robert doesn't know. His memories only go back a few years before they just stop. What caused him to lose his history isn't something he knows. It wasn't his Awakening, as that's back in his gaps, but he does sometimes get flashes of insight, or recollections from these lost years that hint at a lot more then they realistically should. That said, Robert also doesn't really care. Who he was isn't who he is now. And who he is now, is a fast talking Con Artist. Testing the edges of what he can get away with, both legally and Magickally. And then working out way to get past even those limits. Notably, Robert's Awakening is remembered. But only the singular event that was his awakening, the lead up and aftermath are dust in the wind. Plot Hooks ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ 'Glitchy' Arcane, Pushy Avatar, Amnesia. 'Can you please not? I working on getting a handle on this Forces thing and I'm almost there.'

_{Affiliations
^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}
Daxter: Local fence for Robert to pawn his conned goods off too. Isn't as affected by Roberts Arcane as much as most people are.}

Mage The Ascension: Illusion and Reality in the City of Sin

Here you go

[CENTER]Quote that embodies the character. Can be something they said, something said about them, or a famous quote that fits them[/CENTER]
[color=BFAFB2][CENTER][img]i.imgur.com/ySbSImB.png[/img][/CENTER]
[table][row][/row][row][cell][sub][b][color=FFE81F]Tradition[/color][/b][/sub]
[sub][sup][color=BFAFB2]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color][/sup][/sub]
[color=BFAFB2][sub]Tradition of magic (Can be any of the nine traditions, any of the disparates, or an Orphan mage. No Nephandi, no marauders, and no open Technocrats. Defectors and undercover Technocrats are allow)

[/sub][/color]

[sub][b] [color=FFE81F]Spheres[/color] [/b][/sub]
[sub][sup][color=BFAFB2]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color][/sup][/sub]
[sub][color=BFAFB2](List the spheres of magic that your character has skill with, in order of most skilled to least skilled. The less you list, the more skilled you will be at each of them. )
[/color]
[/sub]

[sub][sup][color=BFAFB2]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color][/sup][/sub][/cell][cell]
[img]pngitem.com/pimgs/m/30-307416_profile…
[center][color=BFAFB2][sup]_______________________________________________[/sup][/color] [/center]
[center][sub]
Full Name
Age (18 or older, please)
Appearance details not highlighted in the image used (optional)

Outlook:
This section is the one where you talk about who your character is as a person. Personality is a big part, so are inner struggles, and their general outlook on life. This is also the section where you talk about their relationship with reality, what do they actually do when they are working magic? What actions do they take to invoke these powers, how do they think they operate? Are there inbuilt assumptions or limitations? This is also where you can talk about your mage's Avatar, the entity that exists inside the Mage's mind and represents their connection with their magic. How this operates differs for every mage, some see their avatar as a person that comes in their dreams, others hear a voice in their head, still others may not even see them a conscious being, just notice signs and messages that seem to be from a mirror of themselves. How overtly it appears to a mage also varies, some hear from them only once in a blue moon, others seldom spend a moment where they don't feel their avatar's presence in some way

[/sub][/center]
[/cell][cell]

[sub][b] [color=FFE81F]Personal History[/color] [/b][/sub]
[sub][sup][color=BFAFB2]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color][/sup][/sub]
[sub][color=BFAFB2](Talk about their biography, how they came to be where they are now)
[/color]
[/sub]

[sub][b] [color=FFE81F]Plot Hooks[/color] [/b][/sub]
[sub][sup][color=BFAFB2]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color][/sup][/sub]
[sub][color=BFAFB2](Not required. If you want to list potential storylines or unresolved issues related to your character that might come up later, this is where you can do that)
[/color]
[/sub]

[/cell][/row][/table][/color]

[sub][b] [color=FFE81F]Affiliations[/color] [/b][/sub]
[sub][sup][color=BFAFB2]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color][/sup][/sub]
[color=BFAFB2]
[sub]

(Not Required. List characters they know and have some kind of relationship with. Can be PCs or NPCs)
[b]Character:[/b] Relationship

[/sub][/color]

Mage The Ascension: Illusion and Reality in the City of Sin

On character creation, roughly where would they be at if they only had 2 or 3 spheres that they were skilled in?

EDIT: Are things like Arcane also allowed?