25 replies to this topic

[Ilyse]

 

The Magician’s Black Market

 

The darkness of the city comes in a lot of different forms: the shadows that keep the danger hidden, the corruption created by a partnership between law and crime, but the most dangerous of them all was an entity known as the Emporium of the Crooked.

 

The stories that surround the store is many, but the most commonly accepted one is that the store somehow seems to change locations. In fact, there have been cases where the mages located in Tokyo would find the store missing the very next morning after having visited it, only for the Turkish magi in Istanbul to find it underneath a brothel. The locations are varied, random, and it is likely that the only way to find the Emporium is through chance.

 

The storekeeper seems to be the cause of all this. Apparently, the store had remained the same regardless of time. Since the time of the Founders, a brown-haired man, tall and dark, stood behind a desk, with information in every single item available in the store. The stocks never seem to run low, and the man rarely leaves the seat behind his desk.

 

When he introduces himself, he calls himself “Mammon”.

 

In more recent times, finding the Emporium has become a lot easier when a device known as Ariadne’s String, a thin line that would extend itself in a path that would ultimately lead itself to the store. The inventor of the trinket is unknown, but many suspect it may have been Mammon himself, looking to grab more patrons for his store, where the shelves never run low and that carry just about everything you need to survive in this world.

 

Allow greed to welcome you into the darkness of your soul, magi.

 

Store Listing

 

[Coming Soon]

 

[Post your completed characters here!]

[Juro]

Spoiler

Theme: Six Shooter

Name: Lee
Nickname: ---
Gender: Male
Age: Twenty Five
House: Criamon
Biography:

Lee was born to a poverty stricken family and had an abusive, unemployed drunkard as his stepfather. Fortunately for him, he still had a reliable mother to depend on. Although solely responsible for providing for their family, Lee’s mother always found a way to gain just enough to get them by. Sadly, this only lasted for a few years. The stress and exhaustion that came from her work slowly accumulated and was further worsened by the frequent outbursts of violence from her spouse. Lee at the time was but a mere child, helpless and left with nothing to do as his efforts to intervene or aid his mother in any way were simply futile. Eventually, his mother had ended up with an unplanned pregnancy, but despite this, she continued to overexert herself with her work. With her degrading health, it was not a surprise that she had given birth prematurely, two months prior to the expected date. Financial constraints prevented them from seeking medical care and her delivery was simply done at home. Given the lack of facilities and the needed equipment for herself and her newborn, both of them met their untimely demise. Flooded with feelings of sorrow and grief, Lee was left practically broken as he partly blamed himself for his mother’s death. Left with his bastard of a father - whose daily routine remained unchanged – Lee had no choice but to learn to survive on his own. Spending most of his time away from home, Lee had turned to a life of theft, pick pocketing, and various odd jobs that would be considered illegal by most. Despite not being the most noble of professions, this type of lifestyle allowed Lee to live a relatively better life compared to what he had before. With the death of his stepfather, due to a variety of complications secondary to his alcoholism, Lee finally felt that he was no longer bound to his hometown. Presently, he spends his days as a freelancer, embracing a vagrant-like lifestyle.

Other:

• Has no knowledge on who his biologic father is but cares little about finding out.
• Due to monetary problems, Lee never had any form of formal education; he was merely thought by his mother and was usually given old, thrown away, or donated books to read as a child.
• Enjoys spicy food and rice.
• When not taking part in illegal activities, Lee usually goes for jobs that involve manual labor.
• Participated/assisted in acts of burglary, extortion, drug marketing, piracy, robbery, several scams, and a few cases of assault.
• Usually carries around a knife or two.

Edited by Juro, 15 February 2015 - 07:35 AM.

[Misty]

Spoiler

 

 

 

Name: Ecaterina Bela Džugi
Nickname: Schejkris (girl of fate), Dead Girl, Ink Blood,
Gender: Female
Age: 19
House: House Quaesitor
Biography:

 

Ecaterina’s story begins many many years before she was even a twinkle in her parent’s eyes. It begins with the assassination of Quaesitor. Upon his death, his wife and their two children and their cousins became the objects of much unwanted attention as various relations began to fight for the seat of power. Hoping to secure the place for themselves, his children were either murdered or taken in by men without good intentions.

 

The only exception to this, was his youngest child, a girl by the name of Antanasia. She was taken in by several loyal mercenaries who managed to spirit her to where they felt she would be safest, the Roma people that her mother had belonged to before she married Quaesitor. Knowing that they may never return, they marked the girl as was their way with a tattoo of her father’s crest on her right hand. Although she was very young, they made it clear to the gypsy people they were leaving her with that she should always mark her children in this same manner. The loyal mercenaries in question were hunted down, tortured, and none gave up the whereabouts of the young girl in hopes that someday Antanasia would someday retake her father’s place. She never did.

 

The Roma people did teach her to tattoo her children on their hands, but they did not bother to tell her of her lineage. And with the passage of time, all but the hand marking was forgotten. Antanasia married, had a child, lived a happy life, and died. Her son did the same ad nauseum. In fact, the only thing that remained within the family was the tattoo marking which had long since lost its magical power. The only reason the line even stayed perfect was that the Roma clan Antanasia had been put in only allowed each couple one child due to issues of tradition (money).

 

Yet now, the stars have aligned (as the fortune tellers would say) and Ecaterina was born under several omens. Her mother’s death on the child-bed and her father’s death during the Romanian revolution (her father had held citizenship not only in Romania but also in the eyes of the Roma people) left Ecaterina in a very difficult position – she had no one to look out for her. She grew up a street thief, stealing from others simply to live with nothing to her name but the mark of her mother and a sash her father had worn on the eve of revolution.

 

Like most people that float at the edges of society, Ecaterina was an immediate target for being abused and taken advantage of. The only reason she avoided this until 13 was because the other gypsies and fortune tellers liked her and claimed she lived under a fated star. But upon turning thirteen she was taken by human traffickers hoping to prostitute her until she could be sold over to America as a wife.

 

Much to what some might consider luck, a medical scientist who worked in what most would consider unethical ways purchased Ecaterina and several other of her gypsy brethren who had been stolen that day. For several years she endured chemicals that turned her slender body gaunt, made the blood in her veins run black, and even caused her eye to seemingly glow a discoloured red.

 

Nobody knew what ends he was pursuing, only that his victims screamed until they couldn’t scream anymore. Ecaterina was by all words lucky, as her body (due to her heritage) had been in many ways born to endure the sort of trials he was forcing upon it in pursuit of super humans. The scientist often found himself stumped as to why the things that killed or rendered insane others simply seemed to flow off of Ecaterina without giving the results desired.

 

At the same time this was going on, mercenaries in Quaesitor were gathering. Tired of being free agents, having strong belief in the message of Quaesitor, and in very few cases being sons of the men who had once saved Ecaterina’s ancestors, they had begun to suspect that an heir to Quaesitor must exist. And only due to the stubborn and secretive nature of the Roma people were they having so much trouble following the trail of marriages and blood. In fact, it is likely they never would have found Ecaterina were it not for the fact that one among them noticed the tattoo marking on the hand of Ecaterina's father. (A picture taken and available for all wishing to see pictures of Romanian independence.)

 

From there it was simply a matter of time before the medical scientist was taken in by the mundane world for purchasing humans. (Much to her eternal luck, Ecaterina's gypsies had gotten word to the outside and while much of Romanian law is corrupt, this had hit home on the national scene when America became involved.) It was the footage of all the news stories and the pictures of a shuddering and Ecaterina that tipped off the Loyalist Quaesitor, Marius.

 

During the time it took one particular man, Marius Attano Flaurien (the leadership and child of one of the original Quaesitor loyalists) to get Ecaterina safely released from the psych ward the police had put her on, Ecaterina healed considerably. Although they were still attempting to address the obvious post traumatic stress she exhibited, plentiful food, extra rest, and the care of a doctor from the magical world worked well.

 

When he finally managed to convince them through fraudelent documents that he was indeed her uncle, and Ecaterina was considered no longer a danger to herself or others, she was released into his custody. Smart enough not to look a gift horse in the mouth, Ecaterina left with him. Not wishing to push the girl too far and having been made aware of her fragile state, he took her back to his home in france and set about enrolling her in school. Although she didn't for a second believe this man to be her uncle, he'd made it clear more times than she could count that he wouldn't hurt her and having only ever known a life of hardship, she was more than happy to live in comfort briefly.

 

Finally, when she was sixteen, she decided it was time to run away. (She'd been living with him several months at that point). She'd stolen enough money in between school and home to buy a train ticket and had managed to pack the clothing, books, and jewelry he'd purchased for her. Marius, having always been aware that it was in her nature to wander caught her at the train station. After a very loud confrontation, which neither will speak of as more than "the confrontation at the train station", Ecaterina was made aware at some very low level that magic existed and that in some way her whole existence was connected to the tattoo on her hand. The only reason she chose to stay was that he managed to return her father's scarf to her.

 

A tenative bond has since formed between the two. While Marius' reasons for taking her in are still suspect, they have lived largely without incident together for three years. He has taken to tutoring her in English, taking her to various magical events, and training her as his apprentice while he gathers power around her. He still hasn't told her about her lineage. She's proven an excellent student and he wonders at what her power might be when she is fully trained and given time to pursue it.

 

He has also agreed to allow her to attend college studying International Politics and Diplomacy.

Other:

Ecaterina’s time with the scientist unknowingly caused the tattoo marking her ancestors are known to have to reactivate awakening her magical abilities without her knowledge. Unfortunetly, the side-effects of the testing have made it so that when Ecaterina uses magic it causes the blood in her veins to turn black and bulge as if they are veins on a plant. This goes so far as to flow into her right eye and make it turn black.

Marius has taught her to cover the hand marking due to his own paranoia that the rest of Quaesitor might try to kill her rather than have a true-blooded heir retake the throne.

 

Ecaterina speaks the following languages like a native: Roma, Romanian, French, Bulgarian, and Russian.

She speaks English well enough to get by, but it is very clear due to thick accent and frequent pauses that she struggles with it.

 

Ecaterina is a talented dancer and singer as that was largely how she made money besides theft and palm reading.

 

Ecaterina is rather slow to trust and very naturally believes everyone is trying to take advantage of her.

 

Ecaterina like most Roma enjoys all jewelry and bangles and it is an especially easy way to win a low level of favor or trust.

 

Ecaterina despite her lawless way of living has a strong belief in human rights and the law's duty to protect them.

 

A secondary side-effect of the testing by the scientist left Ecaterina with a very bad case of Asthma that she does not take seriously enough. This has led her to unconciously dislike smoke-filled places.

 

 

 

 

[Diabolical Rhapsody]

Spoiler

 

 

Theme: Steeped in Blood

Name: Marut Zvijer

Nickname: Canavar (His moniker in the 'Arena', known for his instinctual and rough fighting style the name got stuck.), Cain, Conan

Gender: Male

Age: 24

 

House: Quaesitor

Biography:  The result of a brief fling between a Croat and an Indian, his moter decided to honor the power of bringing a new life to the world. A petite, hard-working lass. She worked multiple jobs to keep the roof overhead and the food in their belly. Woking as a server in an up-end Istanbul restaurant and as a bartender in a back-alley bar at night, it is easy to assume that the struggle for survival made spending time with her son tough.

 

But still she tried hard and did manage to make some memories, precisely the reason that had some semblance of a check over a mostly neglected Marut. He had a habit of making friends much older than him and in the suburbs that he grew up in that meant he was into crime a lot earlier than most. He started small, shoplifting, thuggery and small jobs.

 

It was after the shocking death of her mother that that last chain of hope was brutally snapped by fate. In a pursuit to bring justice he tried methods both legal and illegal but he soon realized that the rich owned the world and the useless feral dogs like were just that, dogs.

 

The city of desire had failed to bring his to fruition. He used his links and got an opportunity to leave. He traveled on the Black sea to Romania and from there to his father's homeland. Hoping to find him and maybe get him on his side. The search turned out to be a wild goose chase and he ended up burning through his money.

 

Resorting to what he knew best, he approached the local gang and life restarted as before but he was still angry. Like a black hole he felt rage covering and sucking the life out of him. In his desperation he seeked a release. Luckily, he got one. The underbelly of Zagreb was a concrete jungle and likewise it was a big hunt. He pursued the underground fighting scene. With bare fists he did what others hadn't seen before. The ones gifted like him were never found involved in this. They showed their talents where a hefty price could be charged, yet their was no mistaking the talent he had, it was almost magical. With fists like steel he crushed his foes, with a body made of rock he braved deadly hits. He earned a name for himself in the arena and slowly anger gave way to hunger, hunger for more blood.

 

For the first time in life he had power and he wanted to use it to its savage best but something about it felt incomplete as if he had some hidden potential, it all sounded cliche but he still couldn't shake it off. Thus, he decided to quit the scene and travel again. Who knows where he'll land next.

 

Other: 

 

- Is good at knifing and intimidating people.

 

- An expert Brawler from his time in the pits of Zagreb.

 

- Loves animals, especially little birds.

 

- Likes being alone and doing Sudoku in the newspaper.

 

- Has a few books, primarily on Mathematics and Art of War.

 

- Likes strong women with raw animalistic oomph. Is a regular in the more shady parts of town.

 

- Loves eating meat in any form.

 

- Speaks fluent Turkish, Croatian and Russian. Can read Arabic, Hindi. Understands French and Romanian. His English is at best challenged.

 

[Wasted]

Spoiler

Theme: Our Demons

Name: Yvette van Rooyen

Nicknames: Ivy, Vet, Vettie (Only if you're very close to her or if you aren't partial to having your insides on the inside), HBIC

Gender: Female

Age: 28

 

House: Tremere

 

Biography: Yvette grew up in one of the richest neighborhoods in Cape Town, South Africa; Clifton. This was not to say that her family was necessarily rich, in fact it often seemed that her father, Christiaan van Rooyen struggled to keep afloat of the ocean of debt he was accruing. They had been well-off at one stage Yvette understood, before she was born her father had landed a top job at a newly established asset management firm in South Africa. Christiaan marrying Yvette's mother, Inge van Rooyen (nee Versfeld) whose father, Henrik Versfeld, owned the company had had a lot to do with the appointment. During this time Christiaan, while the lacking the necessary skills involved in managing funds other than feeling quite at ease spending other people's money, marketed himself as an entrepreneur.

 

The luck of the van Rooyen's took a turn when a full investigation and audit was conducted when the South African Revenue Service was tipped off to the less than savory business practices of the management firm. The auditors had marched in and torn the place apart, poring through the books until they had dug up enough dirt to fill the metaphoric financial grave of everyone in a management position upwards. This meant that Christiaan and Henrik were both left near destitute after reparations had been made to clients. While Henrik had become a pariah in the financial world with whom nobody wanted to work he at least had the credentials to take on an advisory role at a small private bank so long as he stayed well clear of any client's money, Christiaan on the other hand had nothing to fall back on.

 

He resorted to cajoling old friends he had made during the few golden years into investing into sure thing business ventures from which he took 'commissions' even if the deal never came to fruition. In other words he introduced hopeful idiots to each other then promptly turned around and demanded they pay him for the pleasure of meeting each other. That was the general problem with commission based jobs, it left so many avenues open for dishonesty and Christiaan knew his way down them all. The bigger the supposed payout of these deals, the larger his commission. This was how he supported our decadent lifestyle that he and my mother had grown accustomed to. That and a string of debt that never seemed to get completely payed off.

 

Yvette and her elder brother, Pieter, were put through one of the most expensive schools in the area with the money the Christiaan also seemed able to make magically appear when it was needed. It wasn't until her later high school years when she finally caught wise to the fact that her family was essentially penniless. Her father in the mean time had made connections with her and her brother's school friends' parents in order to continue his desperate ploys to keep their family afloat. The money however was just not there and shortly after Yvette graduated high school, obtaining a bursary to go study in Johannesburg, Inge left her father, satisfied that the children had at least gotten an education.

 

She didn't know why her father had insisted on living such a hopelessly lavish lifestyle despite their means. Everything had to be the best. Te cars, clothes...the food even, so often payed for by whichever poor sod her father had been buttering up for 'the deal of a lifetime'. It had something to do with appearances she had gathered not only did both her father and mother feel intense embarrassment about their situation, but her father would not have been able to swim in the waters he did if he did not keep up appearances. No-one would deal with someone living in a ramshackle apartment near the Cape Flats, but if one gave off the appearance of wealth it lent more credence to any story they happened to tell. 

 

Yvette had been angry at her father. For living so far above their means that they would be buried in debt, but she at least conceded that they had gotten a damn good education. She went on to study law, specializing as a contract lawyer as well as a minor in business law and joining a practice, Opperman & Associates before finally taking a partnership position at the tender age of 28 (she was still contesting changing it to Opperman & van Rooyen). Pieter unfortunately had been taken under her father's wing and had begun learning the family tradition of fleecing people out of their money and staying ahead of debt collectors. For her part she threw herself whole-heartedly into her work. Some might find contract law boring, but for her it was exhilarating knowing the kind of power a properly binding contract could enforce.

 

There was always a higher mountain to climb however and she had recently caught the eye of some specialized group in Johannesburg, as far as Yvette understood they were lawyers who only catered to a special list of clients and kept their activities were under wraps. If the research she had conducted was anything to go on however it pointed to this secretive cabal of lawyers being rolling in unseemly amounts of money. She hoped to hear from them soon.

 

Other:

• Although she judges her father harshly she is still a lawyer and not above engaging in unscrupulous acts of her own.
• Gets off on control. Likes to have her house in order with her as top dog.
• Forceful, sometimes abrasive personality although very able to play a role if it fits her purpose.
• Likes cute, ditzy assistants who are eager to please.
• Still keeps in contact with her family, despite her sentiment towards them. Even Oupa Henrik gets a call now and then.
• Speaks fluent English and Afrikaans while competent in Xhosa; also knows a few phrases of Zulu.

[ANIMA]

Spoiler

Like blood red

The rose in her hands

like the colour of her dress

and evil which awakens

Name: Draga Lazarević

Nickname: Princess of the Rose

Gender: Female

Age: 22

 

House: Quaesitor

Biography:
Draga was born at a very unfortunate time, a daughter to the king whose kingdom was falling apart.  The Rose Dynasty, named after their coat of arms, came to power in Yugoslavia during the WW2, when they overthrew the incompetent king who wanted to ally with Axis powers. From the start the new royal family was unpopular with the nobility, not only because of their illegitimacy but also because of their efforts to better the livelihood of the commoners at the expense of the noble’s privileges. The throne was only kept because of the powers and cunning of the first king, Josif, Draga’s grandfather.

However, after Josif’s death (many say at the hands of the assassins), Draga’s father Petar was unable to maintain the reigns of the kingdom, which was both the result of the conspiracies of various nobles and rich commoners as well as his own incompetence and preference for the use of force. Petar’s blundering ways have left him with no powerful allies and eventually the conspirators started an armed rebellion. The king attempted to maintain order in his kingdom by force of arms and by trying to pit nobles against each other, but the monarchy was slowly falling apart amidst the bloody wars.

It was in these turbulent times that Draga was born, but early in her life she felt no hardships. She was raised like the only daughter of the king was supposed to, in luxury, without ever needed anything. It is safe to say that she was also a bit spoiled. During these days Draga was taught a very white-washed history of her family. The bloody coup which led to Josif crowning was turned into a noble uprising against tyranny, for the good of the people. Her father’s brutal and paranoid reign was described as just and kind and the current war was shown as a result of corrupt nobility’s unwillingness to let go of their privileges in order to better the life of the common man.  

Things changed in later years, when Draga was forced to flee the country with her mother. The rebels were gaining victory after victory, the principalities of the kingdom were breaking off and declaring themselves independent monarchies and the monarchy’s capital, the White City, was besieged by the local lords attempting to overthrow the king. It was a dire state of affairs and Draga’s father decided to send his beloved and wife and daughter to the only remaining ally he had: the royal court of Moscow.

Things didn’t change much for Draga abroad, at least initially. Due to large savings of the family she could still live a luxurious life, as befitting for the royalty. But, as she entered her teens, her mother revealed to Draga a secret: she was a magician. The queen Aleksandra was member of a magician house of Quaesitor who fell in love with king (back then prince) Petar and married him. This revelation put many questions in Draga’s mind: Did father know? Why hasn’t mother helped father? And is she, Draga, a magician too?


Yes, king Petar did know, but he refused to let the queen use her powers to help him. A part of it was his male pride not allowing him to be saved by a woman, even if she was a mage, but the biggest reason was him not wanting to risk the life of his wife. Sure, she may help him, but she may as well get herself killed, and an overprotective husband and father he was, he couldn’t let that happen. He preferred to get them both somewhere safe than to put their lives in danger.

And, for the last question, yes, Draga was a mage. In fact, the queen told her everything because she decided it was time for her daughter to learn to tap into the power within her. Aleksandra taught Draga how to use magic, about the system of twelve Houses of Hermes, her own House, Quaesitor and its position in the magic society. Draga was an eager student, almost childish in her joy as she had spell incantations tattooed on her body.  To the pride of her mother, she was also very gifted in magic, quickly comprehending the ways to utilize it with maximum potential. Originally, Draga’s study of magic was simply out of delight to possess such unnatural talent, but things changed after the two received news about king Petar’s death by execution, several years into their exile.

The queen wanted to return. Possessed by rage and sorrow, she wanted to go back to their country and slaughter all those responsible for the shameful way her beloved has departed from this world. But Draga kept her cool and restrained her mother from doing something foolish while making plans in her head.  Even if they were mages, there was only so much that could be done by two people. But, what if she used these talents and tried to win back the old alliances, the ones her grandfather used to gain the throne and which her father foolishly lost? Not only that, a new world was open to her now. A different, magical world.

Could she find allies there? 

Other: 
Draga is very territorial. If you are part of her family or she considers you a friend, she’d go to great lengths to help you and protect you, even putting her own well being at risk. You receive similar treatment if you are welcomed as a guest in her home. However, she lacks empathy for anyone else. Sure, she will be able to act warm and friendly, but she would also mercilessly kill you if she believes you to be a treat or if you harm anyone she does care about. 

She really, really likes sweets and eats them several times a day. How she can maintain her figure is a mystery. Seriously, it’s almost like magic.

In her manor in Moscow she has large collection of plushy toys of all shapes and sizes and is always on the lookout for more. When she travels she will always carry at least one of the toys with her. She hides this hobby of hers from strangers, but is pretty open about it with her friends and family. 
 

About Draga’s non magical abilities, although she wouldn’t win a world championship, Draga is quite good at fencing. Besides her mother tongue she fluently speaks Russian, German and English and can somewhat speak French. From the young age she was trained in proper etiquette so if she ever found herself in the presence of nobles or royals, she would know how to behave perfectly. She also knows names and coat of arms of all major European and American (as in, the continents, not just the states) noble and royal families.

 

Her tattoos are located on her arms, back, and her left leg. 

Last, but definitely not the least, she is a bewitching beauty, so wherever she goes she will be noticed, for better or worse.

[I-Am-X]

Spoiler

 

 

Theme: Madness

Name: Evangeline Strauss

Nickname: "Hex" or her most common one "Eva"

Gender: Female

Age: 18

 

House: Merinita - Vampire Sect

 

Biography:

Born to an German father and an English mother in the German city of Nürnberg, Eva was a troublesome child of sorts. Well, having said that, she wasn't a bad child in any stretch (depends on who you ask), she was a good kid who one couldn't really understand. Maybe calling her an enigma might be more of an accurate label for her. She could be blatantly obvious one moment and totally change gears the next. She tends to hide herself behind various 'masks', hiding her true intentions. Though, depending on the subject, her pride would surface and reveal her true feelings on the matter.

 

It wasn't just her behavior that set her apart from other kids that she grew up with but her physical ability. Even most adults couldn't compare to her. Along with this and how she can keep her calm in the gravest situations (and seemingly unfazed in disturbing/immoral ones) tend to keep people away from her, like she was some sort of freak or oddity. Some even took to calling her 'Hex' since things seem to go quite wrong whenever she's involved with something, like a curse. Though, while it's only true some of the time, the name stuck. Which is fine, she prefers being by herself and kind of likes the nickname. All the free time gives her all the time in the world to indulge in her various interests.

 

 

Other:

• Wears a strange cross around her neck, given to her by her mother.
• Also wears a silver bracelet engraved with strange, yet beautiful, stones on her right wrist. Given to her by a strange man, which she assumed to be a friend of her mothers, when she was little.
• Was named after her grandmother, on her mothers side.
• Enjoys messing/toying with others, seeing people as sources for amusement and viewing the lot of them as parasites, though she keeps that part to herself.
• Likes learning new things, when it relates to her interests.
• Loves stuff relating to the supernatural, occult, history.
• A german otaku, enjoys reading manga, watching anime and cosplaying (especially as a witch)

 

Current Ability

Spoiler

At this point in the story, she has gained fangs in which she's able to 'steal' the ability of whomever she bites. However, She's only able to hold onto one ability at a time.

Edited by I-Am-X, 17 February 2015 - 04:34 AM.

[Wandering Rogue]

Spoiler

Down the Road

 

Name:  Jonathan Johnson

Nickname:  Radiculus

Gender:  Male

Age:  28

 

House:  Ex Miscellanea

 

Biography:  I'm a man that needs no introduction but because you look  so stunned at being in my presence I will do just that to give you time to attune yourself to being around the radiculus me.  You are welcome.  So, I guess I'll start at the beginning which is to say how I graced the world with my wondrous self twenty eight years ago.  I was born on a plane by the way if that wasn't already completely obvious.  That's right.  I was born looking down at you all from up on high.  I think my parents did that intentionally because they knew could feel that I was going to be awesome.   I was a beautiful baby too.  That plane was actually in the middle of a hijacking but the bad guys were so taken aback by majesty of my features they were easily subdued.  Did I mention this all happened on Christmas morning?  

 

Yep.  I was a gift to the world.  Pretty god damn radiculus if I do say so myself.

 

From there things progressed pretty much as you might expect.  I conquered school after school with my brilliant wits and impeccable physical prowess.  I became so popular everywhere I went that I would have to transfer to avoid becoming swarmed by my fans on the daily.  It obviously had nothing to do with the fact that the faculty couldn't handle me and continuously handed me pink slips of paper filled with words I didn't understand and made me stay after to explain what they meant.  Yeah, my leaving was totally done of my own free will so that I might share myself with more of the world.

 

My dad had crazy amounts of money and made a living out of buying and selling businesses piece meal.  Guess he is kind of a bad guy but he was also pretty cool and rich so maybe he just was streets ahead.  Yeah, love the guy can't hold it against him.  Got to travel all over the world because of it and that job is also how he met my mom.  Should probably lay this out plain right now.  My dad isn't magical.  My mom is.  I don't know why a noble of one of the founding families houses would run of with a ruthless businessman but I guess I should be happy what with that being the reason I'm here.  Super grateful for that.  Guess she wasn't a huge fan anyway what with the criminal ties and all.  I mean my dad might rob people blind and leave thousands jobless but it's all done on the level which makes all the difference maybe.  

 

Eventually I got to know her family which meant I had my feet in both the natural and supernatural.  Think that makes me main character potential right?  I mean they didn't seem to like me a whole lot but I'm sure they will get over it.  They haven't yet of course which is weird because I try super hard to be the greatest so why don't they acknowledge me?  They keep telling me the weirdest lies out of jealousy too.  What do they mean I'm a terrible mage?  Do they not see how much ass I kick?  It all happens too fast for them probably.   I mean I could try and slow it down so they can keep up but I won't.  Gotta go full speed or I won't be first and if I'm not first I am pretty much dead last.  Everyone knows that.

 

Other:

Radiculus is my name.  Please use that before anything else because it would embarrass me.

 

I don't use only one wall because I can't use more.  C'mon man you know I could break out as many as I want but I just hold back.  The hero never uses his full strength until the last second probably.  It's a handicap or something.

 

Am I supposed to list my special skills and stuff here because that should take a while.  Just assume I'm awesome because it's true.

[Vafhudr]

Spoiler

Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqe2Nqr2hNs

Name: Frederico Hainen Fulc-Este 

Nickname: Maestro 

Gender: Male

Age: 21

 

House: Jerbiton

 

Biography: 

 

 

Frederico spent most of his childhood in the shadow of the Alps, spending much time in Austria, Germany, France, Switzerland and Northern Italy – his family was a big swill of aristocrats, high and low, from all the way from Bavario to South Tyrol and everything inbetween. He was born to a noble family in title only, at this point. His mother was the current countess, and Italian woman with a lineage as long as the country's history. His father, a rather enigmatic figure – in that he left early without leaving any impressions on Frederico, beyond the fact that his name was Junko and that he came from some frigid hellhole out there in the northern countries. The family was not very rich – that is, in fact, an understatement. Her mother tapped an unexplicable heritage that seemed to trickle into her hand at the speed of piss dripping from an inflamed bladder or prostate. That is to say, slowly and sporadically, often accompaniend with sensations of discomfort and pain. She refused steadfastly to work in anything that could be seen as debasing to the circles she tried to fit in and she certainly never allowed her precious boy to be demeaned by such activity. She instead opted to make him learn of his birthright. Her mother had been a famous violinist and to teach musical instruments and music in general was considered an integral part of one's general instruction. She also took care of his instruction, as well as she could. They had to dispense with waiters or servants, and so, despite his mother's insistance, he learned to do many day-to-day chores such as cooking, sewing, and budgetting very early on. Dominating all this was his musical instruction, often at the detriment of his education or his personal wellbeing. He was gifted, that was for sure – he had it in the blood, as his mother like to put it.

 

By the age of 10 he was already playing for the convenience of aristocratic evenings and gatherings. By the age of 13 he was already playing solo pieces of chamber music. Despite his talent, no breakthroug came. He was born at a poor time and his mother's ambition and vision for him were, even by modern standards, hopelessly outdated. The aristocratic lifestyle she worshipped was dying out, giving way to the more simple conveniences of technology. She dragged her son from salon to salon, adrift in a world that she refused to acknowledge. If anything, she instilled into her son a love for old things – old places, old objects... and old ways of thinking.

 

His life took a turn for the unexpected and the bizarre during a performance in Venice. He was 16 years old at the time, playing the violin for a small audience at a private reception. He noticed that a man in the crowd, instead of devoting his energy to empty socializing, was instead staring at him intently. The man was perhaps in his 30s, with brown hair and brown eyes – a very dark kind of brown, almost black. He had a certain Byronic quality to him, moody and intense, with a smile that seemed made for mocking and not for laughing. The man continued to appear at the various performances until he eventually introduced himself.

 

He was a Count, going by the name of Count Benito Settembrini. He once told Frederico that he had a much older name, but that was a name he did not share with others. He was a man from Rome – and I mean that in the strongest sense possible. He declared that he was deeply interested in Frederico and that, with permission, he would become his impressario as well as mentor in his craft. He invited him to come and live at his villa in the suburbs of Rome, on the condition that he would leave the protection of his mother in favour of his own. The Count would provide directly to her financial needs, of course, and the young Frederico would soon be more than able to pay back his tremendous generosity.

 

What the Count meant by payment was not quite what young Frederico had in mind. It turns out that music was not the only thing the Count had in store for the young musician. The first indication was perhaps the villa of the Count itself. It was a vast complex that could be compared to a private museum. It contained art from all over the Mediterranean, with a strong emphasis on Italian, Roman and Etruscan art. This was a man obssessed with the past and aestheticism – and it turns out he was on a crusade. The modern world was but a shadow of the former world – a world filled with beauty and magic, one that awed man in the most profound sense of the word. He was a man frustrated by what he saw was the encroachment of an ugly world upon his precious past. He needed a pupil – and an ally – for he feared that his vision would die with him. He saw in Frederico, he thought, the same longing for a world of beauty and refinement. He had to agree, insofar that he had grown nostalgic for a world of yesterday his mother and her circle seemed to worship. This man, though, did not simply worship – but actively tried to bring about. The method was rather unorthodox – magic. The man was no simple aesthete or libertine, but a magus of some strenght and prestige of the Jerbiton line. A line, the Count revealed to the young Frederico, they had in common. His family was related – but had long fallen off the map and the magical talent of its member went untapped and untrained, to the point that manifestation had become inconsistant in the recent generations. For some reason magic had returned in force to Frederico – raw and only dripping and seeping into his work, instead of being fully utilized. To emphasize his point, the Count began to play the piano, and the song he played, infused with a melancholia known only to Italians, made the young musicians fall to the ground sobbing uncontrollably. From henceforth, the young man became the apprentice to the skillful, if mysterious Count. Frederico's career took off, and so did his magical talents. But the Counts true designs, his plans to bring about a return of a glorious past to bear upon the modern world, seemed an everdistant vision. For now, the young man was absorbed with his career and his training as magus, living two lives between the socialite flirting in high society and his intense and deep studies to the ancient and beautiful arts of the Jerbiton. His education did not only cover music, but a slew of other subjects as his mentor shaped him in the mold of the great Italian masters of the Renaissance. He would make him a poet to equal Virigil, Dante and Petrarch, and the likes of Raphael and Da Vinci – a renaissance man just like him, his vision of the perfect man, of the perfect Jerbiton.

He was initially hesitant to join the covenant, but the Count seemed to believe that the formation of such a covenant could very well be the opportunity they had waited for.

 

Other:

- Frederico's musical talent are focused on the piano and the violin, especially the later one. He is also very skillful at writing music.

 

- Spending his life among multinational circles, Frederico is well versed in Italian, French, German, Spanish, and Dutch. He can speak English decently enough and his working toward improving it. He also speaks Arab, to the insistance of his teacher, who also taught Latin and Greek to the young lad.

 

- Through the influence of his master and his Jerbiton heritage, he is incredibly knowledgable in Art History. He is also a capable painter and drawer. In a similar vein, he is also a decently competent engineer.

 

- The Count, perhaps channeling the Conte de Monte Cristo, taught him a considerable amount about poisons and other forms of intrigues more fitted to the social circles he frequented. He also received instruction in wielding the sword, drawing from the original Italian tradition, as well as the physical fitness of the Roman. He eschewed the gun entirely, considering it one of modernity's ugliest invention. In a fit of rebellion, stemming perhaps of a streak of deadpan practicality, he taught himself how to handle a handgun.

 

- He has an intense hatred of seafood. He has a great love for food and loves to cook. Along with reading and playing music, it is his biggest pass-time. When he wants to socialize he will often invite others to cook with him. 

 

- Unlike his master who tends to be a rather emotionally unstable and chaotic individual who tries to keep himself in check, Frederico is serious and rather serene, with a melancholie look about him. He is structured and methodical in his approach, but tends to slip into anger and other violent emotions when his plans are foiled or upset. The Count blames this on the Germanic blood that mingled into his family over the generations.

 

- His attitude toward money and lineage is pragmatic. Unlike his mother and even the Count, he is hardly wedded to either, and would prefer spend his days living in the Alps, the backdrop to his childhood and a place that he holds up with the same reveration the Count holds for his mythical Rome.

Edited by Vafhudr, 29 January 2015 - 03:29 AM.

[Johnny Paradise]

Spoiler

 

 

Theme: Cedarsmoke

 

Name: Maximilian Black

Nickname: None, please.

Gender: Male

Age: 30

 

House: Tytalus

Biography: Max's family is, unfortunately, indebted to the family of one Jonathan Johnson. Through some complicated series of events, Max's grandfather owed his life to Jonathan's, and from that moment on the two families were bonded together forever. In servitude, that is. The Johnson's were terrible people. Max's grandfather didn't think so, but his father did, and indeed Max did as well. Though he was groomed from a young age to serve and protect the family's young child, Jonathan, Max had never felt anything but disdain for him. There were, admittedly, a few moments of unadulterated agony mixed in with the disdain, but the point is, Max was not a happy child growing up.

 

Max, thus, lives a tortured existence, where his duty and the honor of his family conflicts with his own personal desires. Though he wants nothing more than to see the life slowly drain out of Jonathan Johnson's eyes, he is sworn to servitude--with a smile. How mortifying. Max does little to hide his hatred, though he is fairly certain Jonathan doesn't realize that he is disliked.

 

Though desperately unhappy, Max is a professional, and you'll likely find no one better taken care of than Jonathan. Max takes pride in his craft because it is the only thing he has in the world to take pride in--the Johnson's have robbed him of everything else. It's not so bad, though. There's no evidence to substantiate that claim, but Max makes it every day in order to feel better about himself.

 

Other: In service to Jonathan Johnson.

 

Hates Jonathan Johnson.

 

Raises bonsai trees.

 

[KDPtheKing]

Spoiler

Theme:

Spoiler

http://youtu.be/OKsde2lWY-U

Name: DeShaun Cambell
Nickname: "Prodigy" (or D.C.)
Gender: Male
Age: 20

House: Bonisagus
Biography:
An inner city kid of Brooklyn, New York, DeShaun was raised in a poor neighborhood where the law is in the streets and the thought was, "The only way out of the hood is to be an athlete or musician." The alternative being that you fall into the life of drug dealing and death. It's a thought transplanted into many kids heads from their birth. A sad reality that many people face. It is not rare to see kids make successful life's from this place in other ways but for DeShaun, his entire life was consumed by that thought.

You see, DeShaun always wanted to be a star baseball player. He was a New York Yankees fan and everything. He LOVED baseball. On top of that, he was great at it as well. If you judged by just his skills in Baseball, you could see that he was MLB material. However a couple of factors worked against him to derail his path to a professional baseball lifestyle.

Growing up, he was always the outcast. He chose to work on his craft rather than hanging out with kids his age. He hated his environment and wanted to leave so badly. Each day he could walk outside and and watch a drug deal go on in many different manners. He would see people he knew get arrested repeatedly. Even saw shady cops take part in some of the illegal activities that plagued the city. It was like living in an outlaw infested town where the only separation between going to jail and not is the amount of money in your pockets.

He did not grow up with his father in his life. The man left long before DeShaun could walk. All that was left to him was a bracelet with a peculiar emblem on it. Though, his mother never told him that it was from his father, DeShaun figured it was anyway. At least, he had hoped.

In school, he had good grades in school though he was not stellar by any means. Mostly, average to be honest. He did have a few friends there and they were all in a gang. His friends actively tried to get him to join but he was strong in resisting the urge. He was doing well and was on his way to his dream.

All was good but, then a tragic scene took place that took everything away. DeShaun was hanging with his friends playing basketball. Out of nowhere, a guy comes by and sprays the court hitting DeShaun and his friends. The two boys who were with him died and DeShaun was hit in the back. Luckily, the bullet missed all vital areas, leaving him with just pain. His life was the only thing he kept though.

After the incident, colleges and the pros all backed out of trying to recruit him. All of them assumed that DeShaun was apart or had strong association with gangs and felt he was bad for their business and programs. His dream was shattered by happenstance.

Depression filled him for a while, there was not much else for him to do. College was going to be very hard to start because he didn't have the money to pay and baseball was out of reach, let alone any other sport. He was musically inept as well. His mind was distraught he almost chose to become a dealer in drugs. Then, a woman came into his life and changed everything.

She was very strong and influential. She gave him hope, and job and a purpose. This woman had been watching him for a while and monitoring him. She saw something in DeShaun that was especially powerful but, never told him what it was. Her real purpose was never disclosed to him. He was gonna learn soon though, his life is much bigger than what he thought.

Other:
He works at a mixed martial arts gym and gets free training from Janice, the lady to hired him.

He enjoys working out.

He is diligent in learning anything he is introduced to.

Not a quiet person but doesn't disclose information to just anyone.

Keeps a picture of his two friends in his chain.

He is a bit flashy in his sense of style. But he always try's to look his best. Takes pride in being best dressed even if it's street wear.

A bit of a perfectionist but isn't OCD about it.

His necklace is his magic item

His Bracelet is secondary

All of his clothes are essentially magic items

He does not sag his pants or talk like he lives in the ghetto. He speaks plainly and clearly. He may use some slang words here or there but he was taught to speak, act, and look intelligently, not like some hoodlum from the streets.

Edited by KDPtheKing, 12 February 2015 - 12:58 AM.

[Chizzy]

Spoiler

 

 

Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5BDRpeMFkA

 

Name:  Michael Santos

Nickname:  Mikey

Gender:  Male

Age:  20

House:  Tytalus

 

Biography:

 

Mikey was adopted into a fairly wealthy family in the U.S. However, because his parents are constantly going on business trips, he is often left in the care of different aunts and uncles. With the constant moving and transferring of schools, Mikey has been able to make various friendships and bonds many of which he cherishes deeply. The young boy is very easy going and has a happy-go-lucky personality. This has allowed him to make friends rather easily as he is pretty easy to approach. Growing up the kid never really had any struggles. He was plenty talented in various crafts and enjoyed playing sports like football and basketball. These talents helped him in earning respect from fellow students and acted as a simple gateway for him to connect with people. 

 

That said, Mikey is constantly trying to better himself. Whether it is through his relationship(s) with people or through the things he works on, the young boy wishes to become someone people will remember and someone they can rely on. 

 

Other:

 

- Mikey has a kind heart and is idealistic; however, many of his beliefs can often times seem unrealistic.

 

- He's not picky with food.

 

- Shallow: only likes pretty girls.

 

- He enjoys nature and the majestic aspects of it.

 

- He is ambidextrous.

Edited by dudeitzmeh, 26 January 2015 - 02:33 AM.

[Jod]

Spoiler

 

Name:  Omer Bazan

Nickname:

Gender: Male

Age: 17

 

House: Tremere

Biography:

 

Every few decades there are a few genius’s born, that such a genius be born into a rich family is another matter altogether.  After that many factors come, the two forces of nature and nurture battle it out. It depends on the result of these forces playing out, how this child will turn out. Will he be some kind of slothful rich boy who wastes his talents, or will he be  mental mogul, using the resources available to him to bring about something amazing. He can seem to be perfectly normal, never realizing the full extent of his potential.

 

Luckily for Omer, he falls into the more proactive class of genius, thankfully he inherited the willful drive from his father. A need to be great, just that unlike his father, Omer had the mental ability to make his dreams. People had acknowledged his intelligence from way back in his childhood, His mother made him, forced him to push himself, everyday. She was a prideful women, and expected only the best from her children.

 

He finally decided to go off own his own in his 16th year, it was time for him to spread his wings and fly. He decided he wood become the mogul of coffee, the count of caffeine, the baron of beverages. He had it all planned out, he would start off with a cafe, he even had a name ‘The Brown Stuff”. There was only one way to go from there, up.

 

Other:

 

He’s a member of the Bazan family, an old landholding family with a several good investments over the years. A powerful house in Spain with a lot of influence, the Bazan are regular player in the European political scene.

 

He’s the favorite grandson of Bernardo Bazan. Infact Omer’s cafe was a gift from his grandfather.

 

Omer is not actually a genius. People just wanted to use his money. He is diligent though.

 

He hasn't been able to expand his coffee business beyond the one store. He has recently renamed it too, Peat Moss.

 

He has a bad naming sense.

 

Companion: Sultan, the cat

[Mors]

Spoiler

 

4x4 = 12

Name: Christian Dior, formerly Christian Settembrini

Nickname: 0rpheus 
Gender: Male
Age: 21
 
House: Jerbiton
Biography: 

 

I still remember the routine.

 

Wake up at six. Bathe, get dressed, then play. First piano. Violin. Clarinet. Cello.Study the histories and the arts. Dinner at six, then learn the family craft with father until the dead of night. Repeat the next day. Dante wrote the entrance to Hell read "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here" but he was a fucking liar. Really it was a sign with the words "House Settembrini" etched onto it. Every day my father would drill the classics into me. I studied until my eyes were red and swollen and practiced until my fingers were callused and scarred.

 

It was on one rare weekend when my father took me to town for supplies that my life would change completely. Back then I thought I hated music...heh, can you believe it? Me hating music. But this was no symphony or toccata, this was something that actually spoke to my soul. It wasn't Beethoven's work that represented the voice of angels, it was this, this music of the modern era. I became absorbed in it...pop, rock, hip hop, electro, it didn't matter I devoured it all. Naturally when my father found out he forbade it. I think I was sixteen then, and long sick of his obsession with the past. I gave him a long overdue "fuck you" and left that house, never looking back.

 

Well look at me now, father. My face is on every billboard and poster. Thousands fill giant stadiums just to hear me perform. The world knows the name of the DJ 0rpheus while the name Settembrini can fade into dust!
 
Other:

- Is a perfectionist, compulsive liar, and germaphobe 

- He hates animals, but animals like him

- Constant exposure to loud sounds has left him hard of hearing

- Loves the dramatic

- Likes to call himself a womanizer but is secretly gay

- Fluent in Italian and English

[Darkoda]

Spoiler

 

Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3ESTf5CyGo

Name: Anabelle

Nickname: Belle (Only one person can call her that without having to dodge something), Sparks

Gender: Female

Age: 17

 

House: Tytallus

Biography:

You want to know my story? Well it’s not the most complex thing out there but why not, I’ve got some time to kill. So basically I grew up on my own running around the streets. Now I don’t mean that I was an orphan or anything but, for various reasons, it wasn’t the best idea for me to spend any time in that house if I could help it. They did enough to ensure I attended school for image’s sake but yeah, when they were around I was safer sleeping outside than there and that’s all you need to know.

 

It wasn’t really bad though. I learned to take care of myself quick and desperation and knowledge of reading goes far in working out how to properly cool even the less edible stuff for survival. Things went…well they went by until someone slipped up, and next thing I knew, I really did end up an orphan. Caused a big public mess too with the police, good thing I was underaged and unmentioned. Anyway, I kept on going all the as a ward of the state or something, got saddled with all the kitchen chores once people realised I could cook worth a damn too but then they also sprung for cooking lessons so quid pro quo yeah? This kept up till the nice age of thirteen when I sold a pastry to this guy for spending money and next day, fucker was up and trying to adopt me! Came good too; the guy was apparently loaded and was offering to spring for her education and everything in exchange of my cooking.

 

Did I say yes? Hell yeah I did! Do you know how much an orphanage sucks? I mean, the other girls weren’t bad and we had some fun but still, no, I can just visit. It helped that everyone knew the guy’s family name so we were all fairly sure this wasn’t some sex slave cult or something. They did have their secrets though. Oh did they have secrets. They were also really good as pissing people off with their better than you shit. Did no one tell these fools to not piss off the person who cooks your food? They lessened up after one of them ran their mouth and ended up getting slightly crispy though. Hey, I got magic, who knew? And the same type as the family who took me in, convenient.

 

Other:

Spoiler

Things Anabelle isn’t allowed to do anymore:

 

1. I should not bring home my dates, or if I do, try to keep our activities at a reasonable volume
2. I should not seduce the other staff.
3. Or other family members.
4. I should not ignore these points when it’s convenient to me. Or this one.
5. I should not throw knives at people when they annoy me. My aim is good enough that I might hit something important.
6. I should not try to stab them either.
7. Or punch them
8. Even if they’re asking for it with their stuck up attitude.
9. I should not poison people with my cooking just because they annoy me
10. I should not get involved with poker night. It’s not nice to fleece a bunch of drunkards.
11. I am not allowed to have so many plush dolls that they cannot all fit in my room.
12. The main Tytallus family members should be shown some respect.
13. Even if I won the right to call them whatever I want in a game of blackjack
14. I am forbidden from cheating at games against family members. I’m good enough already without grifting them.
15. Pickpocketing them is frowned upon as well.
16. My combat lessons are not an excuse for me to beat people up.
17. My chef set I carry around is for ease of meal preparation wherever I am. It is not an ammo holster.
18. Spice containers should not be used as mace.
19. Tricking people into performing the cinnamon challenge isn’t funny.
20. Magic is a wonderful gift. Using other mages as portable refrigerators is discouraged.
21. There is no water to wine or any other alcohol spell. I should stop spreading that rumour.
22. I also shouldn't tell my friends in other families that this is true.
23. Or that the head is lying about it to keep all the alcohol to himself.
24. Telling people that my ability to steal people's underwear while they're still wearing it is family magic is expressly forbidden

[Rainbow Dash]

Mischief: Minerva Fairchild
 

Spoiler

Theme Song: Requiem

Name: Minerva Fairchild
Nickname: "The Lioness"
Gender: Female
Age: 18

House: Verditius

Biography: From a young age, Minerva hadn't the slightest clue that she was inclined to magic. Growing up as an impoverished child, she and her stricken mother struggled day to day to survive. Oft sinking into thievery and the like simply to eat. Despite that, they were happy, living in a loving home where no matter what storm may come, mother and daughter would protect and cherish one another.

And many storms they would weather, until Minerva turned twelve, and her mother became terminally ill.

For several excruciating months, she watched her mother slowly die. Desperate to pay for a doctor that the couldn't afford, Minerva went to terrible lengths to try and accumulate the funds, and just a few days before the last payment would come, her mother took her final breadth.

As Minerva wept at her mother's side, she noticed an envelope at the side of a table.

Within it was a key.

After the funeral, she stood in front of the closet her mother had kept shut for many years, she discovered a Cavalry Saber with peculiar inscriptions on the flat, a photograph, and a letter. Within the envelope were her mother's words, informing Minerva of what she actually was. She was a Mage! Well, she was meant to be one. The sword was once her father's, and photograph was of him. Upon the back however, was a phone number.

Picking up her phone, she dialed the number only to hear a neutral voice on the other side. Replying with her name, and stating she was searching for her father initially garnered no response. That was until she stated her father's name: William Verditius. Sharply the phone clicked shut, and then not a moment later there was a ring of her doorbell.

The last thing Minerva could remember of that night was opening it to see three hooded figures, and then the world went black.

With bleary eyes, she woke to the sound of an impatient rapping of fingertips upon a table. Cold steel rested in her lap, and her gaze came into focus of a stern looking man. With a magnificent scowl, he explained introduced himself as the patriarch of the Verditius house, and that Minerva was meant to be a mage. That is, of course, if she managed to pass the rigorous and strenuous training that was set before her. He spoke of her father, and the horrific things that he had done.

He had once incited an inter-family conflict in the branch houses that had killed hundreds of people.

With such words, also came a warning.

If she once displayed the potential to be like her father, a repetition of him, he would strike her, his niece down in an instant. She would be under constant watch, even in the walls of the estate she was to inherit.

Six years later, the suddenly wealthy girl lives in comfort at her estate, and over the past six years, she has developed the nobility required of her, the wit and mercantilism skills her family is known for. And most above all, a love for swordplay. Using her father's old saber, the last six years had honed her skills to a razor sharp edge, rivaling the talents of the best swordsmen across Europe in the hope that one day she would be rewarded her own blade to wield alongside her father's.

So that the blade, Durendal, could be redeemed from its bloody history.

Other:
Swordsmanship - Anyone would be hard pressed to outdone Minerva in the sport of swordplay, she is simply one of the best.
Mercantilism - With her close tutelage into nobility, she has grown to possess an adept ability in marketing and haggling. This also has given her a few merchant contacts that she can trust.
Estate - Her father's exile has granted Minerva his former estate, a huge sprawling mansion with gardens, vineyards a guest cottage, and even a full staff.
Sleight of Hand - Deft fingertips are also a mark of Minerva talents. Lockpicking and smooth pick pocketing are very much in her repertoire. Having grown with this talent as a child, she has perfected it in her teenage years.
Street Smarts - While others of noble blood are usually bookish and intelligent, Minerva retained her common sense and wariness of the streets she grew up on.
Cook - Minerva is actually a fairly decent cook, though she would never admit to it. For having barely any food in childhood brought her to love the incredible variance of tastes that luxury can furnish.
Physical Prowess - "To have a sound mind, one's body must be sound." Part of the training to inevitably become a Magi, Minerva has beep put through, and continues to be put through conditioning that puts her at the peak of physical strength and agility.


 

Edited by Katia Managan, 26 January 2015 - 02:34 AM.

[SliceAndDice]

Spoiler

 

 

Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrC_n5hUDKs

Name: Gideon Sorias

Nickname: None

Gender: Male

Age: 19

 

House: Verditius

Biography: Gideon's story is one that he is loath to discuss, mainly because it's not very happy. He and his family used to travel the world, living in a new country every couple of months. Gideon never understood the reason; he thought it was because his parents just loved moving from place to place. What was actually happening, little did he know at the time, was that his parents were both gifted with magic and served as magical investigators. They traveled the world, not to see sights, but to find rings of magical crime and root them out. Gideon never found out about such things; he didn't even know he had magic himself because his parents kept it from him. Something about wanting to keep him from their world, they said. Perhaps, if they had taught him how, they might have survived.

 

One night, when they stayed in France, the remnants of a criminal mage ring lashed back at his parents. Worn out from a battle earlier that day and preoccupied with keeping their son safe, his mother and father lost their lives in the struggle. Gideon would have lost his as well, had another mage not arrived and dispatched the criminals then and there. The mage introduced herself as Basillia, saying that she had once worked with his parents. Basillia took Gideon under her wing, teaching him not only magic but also how to defend himself and survive in the world. In a way she became a second mother to him... until one day, she was gone. Vanished with nary a trace, save for a note she had left for him to seek out her cousin; a man called Verditius. Intent on finding out what was going on, he set out to find the man his teacher had told him. When he did, Gideon found himself put to work immediately; as it turned out, the man had a niece, roughly Gideon's own age, who he had taken in. However, her father had been a man of great evil, and he feared that she might follow the same path. As much as he would like to keep an eye on her himself, he could not be certain she wouldn't evade his gaze or lie to him. As such, he was employing Gideon to be his niece's attendant, to keep an eye on her and help her in her endeavors... and, once he had gained her trust, to report back to him on all that she did. Having little other choices, he agreed, and thenceforth started his service as personal attendant to Minerva Fairchild.

 

Other:

-Gideon is a very well trained and incredibly talented martial artist in a variety of forms, both armed and unarmed.

 

-His weapon of choice is a spear that he christened Aiglos, but he also carries a pair of daggers left to him by his mother on his person at all times. He refuses to engrave them, however.

 

-Gideon's parents, for better or for worse, were very well known in the magician's world. As such, his name alone is often enough to instantly curry favor with morally righteous groups and bitter hatred with the reprehensible.

 

-As part of his forced worldly travels, Gideon is fluent or near-fluent in multiple languages, including English, French, Italian, Russian, and Chinese.

 

-Because he was often home alone, Gideon taught himself how to cook from a young age.

 

-His preferred pastimes are parkour and meditation, but he also enjoys reading. Particularly Tolkien's works, from which comes the name of his spear.

[Nualie]

Spoiler

Credit to respective owners. I didn't make this_~

Theme: I really have to find one? T_T

Name: Laura Duciel

Nickname: None, please.

Gender: Female

Age: 15

 

House: Bjornaer

 

Biography:

Spoiler

Books.

Laura loved books the most. She learned how to read early, and she could spend hours reading just about anything, as long as it was in a language known to her. And since she knew three of them well enough, there was more books for her to read than she'd ever be able to read.

 

Most thought of her as a quiet, curious girl. Even after that.

Laura was from a wealthy "bourgeois" family, living in Paris. 

She was an only child. Until that happened, Laura went to a very good boarding school, and stayed a diligent student. Maybe she was a bit lonely. Her parents loved her, of course, but they were very busy.

 

However, back then, the apparently calm girl was hiding a secret.

Not a "bad" thing, not something she should not have seen, heard, or even thought.

It was more of a boiling feeling inside. Bottled up. A chained, raging feeling, trying to free itself from its bounds.

This showed more and more as she grew up.

Age eight, she could be violent, sometimes without even noticing. Some of the fellow students found her scary, called her crazy.

There was that dreamy attitude of hers that got them on there nerves.

Sometime they would pick on her.

She didn't care.

She kept reading, and daydreaming when she couldn't read. 

Why should I care about what they think of me?

My imagination is enough to keep me company, if they can't accept me as I am, the young her thought.

 

"She's practically sleeping in class, how does she get such good grades..?"

She sighed, amused.

 

"It's like she's living in a different world..."

She sighed, smiling.

 

"She's always off when you talk to her. Such an idiot."

She sighed, annoyed.

 

"I heard that loner talking alone. That just so gross!"

She sighed, pissed.

 

But she didn't really care. Until that happened...

 

Laura is nine.

She wakes up like every morning. No one is there. Laura is alone in the dorms.

She thinks she just woke up too late. She gets dressed quickly, and heads to the cafeteria, reading while walking as usual.

She never paid much attention to her surroundings, but she soon notices something is strange. Odd.

She can hear nothing but her steps' sounds reverberate in the empty corridors. 

The nine-years-old girl realizes something is seriously wrong. A thousand scenarios pass through her mind.

The cautious girl decides to go for discretion. Her heart beating to her ears, she silently visits all the school's hallways.

Still no one.

She finally heads to her original destination, hoping for some kind of prank. Or maybe a reunion no one told me about?

The door is opened, she can see it from the other side of the gallery. Be over already. She is going to rush there...

What if it's some kind of enemy?

As soon as that thought crosses her young mind, she freezes.

It is as silent as a cat that she reaches the door.

Splash!

Splash?

Laura feels something wet.

The ground is red.

The walls are red.

With blood.

Blood from the students' and teachers' corpses that are lying around here and there. 

Every single of their faces has an expression of horror. She can't count them.

Her hands covering her mouth, Laura falls to her knees.

Her dress is stained by the crimson pool. 

And everything becomes black.

 

She was woken up by the sirens of the police cars.

A neighbor had seen a splat of blood on one of the windows. 

Policemen asked her what happened. The told her she was the only survivor.

She told them what she knew, but they didn't look satisfied.

She soon blacked out again, distraught.

Next time she woke up was in the hospital. They did a check-up, but she had nothing serious. A little anemia.

Policemen again, same questions again.

Twice.

Until she was finally sent home.

 

This day had felt like a hazy dream, a nightmare. No one bothered to tell her what happened, either.

Actually, no one knew. 

A day, they were alive, and the next morning, they had been slaughtered by what seemed to be a wild animal. 

Even she wasn't sure whether this really happened. 

In any case, this event led to a volt-face in her personality.

She decided to let free the violent feeling she had held up inside.

"I want to learn how to move properly. I want to learn how to fight." She told her parents.

Thinking it was her way to cope, they gave in, and she started to learn martial arts.

She had two lessons a week and proved very good at this. 

"She has good instinct", her teacher said.

Concerning the accident, for her sake all proofs that it actually happened were kept away from her.

She now attended a neighboring school. 

 

 

Six years later, Laura is now fifteen. 

She casted this tragedy away from her mind. Forcibly persuaded herself it was all a very bad dream, a nightmare.

 

She's proficient in martial arts, despite having no interest in competition.

She still reads heaps, too. Both books and online. 

 

 

Other:

-Speaks french, english and german. 

-She does Krav Maga (AKA self-defense). She just passed black belt, 1st Darga.

-She's generally a calm, carefree person, but if she snaps she may get violent. But even so she'll (probably) restrain herself from hurting others.

-Loves meat and sweet things_~

-Likes to meddle in other's business, if she thinks she can help. 

-Weird fashion sense. She only cares about whether or not it's comfortable and warm.

-You don't want to sleep in the same room she does. She tends to scream in her sleep.

[Imnostrong]

Spoiler

 

Theme:
光 - Hikari

Name: Iam Bernhard Nobel
Nickname: Iam
Gender: Male
Age: 13
 
House: Mercere
 
Biography:

Spoiler

 
For one who born in the house of mercere, their knowledge and their Passion towards Science and Alchemy are the foundations of their existence.
For without any of it, his existence is no different than those who didn't know the existence of magic
 
Just like Bartholomew Bernhard Nobel, The Son of the Alfred Bernhard Nobel, Iam's Great GrandFather.
 
After Alfred learned that his son did not posses neither the brain nor the heart to do alchemy, His heart is broken.
 
The son that his been longing for, the Heir that he was looking for.. cannot continue his legacy.
 
He then told his Love, Sofie Hess, that the boy had to disappear.
the House cannot know that his heir will not continue the legacy of the founding father
 
so Sofie sent the boy to his family in Vienna,
and Bartholomew Bernhard Nobel reborn as Bartho Hess.
He Grew up, Married and died peacefully in Vienna.
Unknowingly the truth about his origin.
 
Time Flies..
 
Without any clue of the magician blood within them, Iam's parent working as Pharmacist in Vienna.
Living a carefree life as a normal person.
 
.....
..
.
 
Until......
 
 
One day, they found the magician Journal in the attic - one that Bartholomew birth parents, Alfred Bernhard Nobel - wrote on how and what had happened.

Even though They are considered to be the Genius on the pharmaceutical ndustry, ever since they found out their origin, they considered them selves to be lack of knowledge and become so absorbed in the research of Elixir and Magical Formula.
 
 
So absorbed that they began to lose something Important... COMMON SENSE..
 
They began to experimenting their formulas on themselves, and when that's not enough they used their just born Son as a test subject.
 
Only after a few decades of failed experiment that they understand that Guinea Pig can also be used in the magic experiment.
 
But it's already a bit too late, Iam's body already put through many kind of transformation and side effects.
 
even though his appearance is still that of a normal young boy at his 13th, his mind is already at his twenties.
 
Tired of cleaning the mess that his parents made (and afraid of being the test subject again), The boy Flee.
 
Thus began his Journey in the world of magic
 
 

Other:
After being used as a test subject multiple times Iam's body become accustomed and developed antibody against magical elixir.
 
He also knowledgeable in the Field of Potions and Alchemy, since he had to clean up the mess that his parents have made
but His main expertise is Inhale type elixir and Clay alchemy.

Even though he look carefree like his parents, He can be Serious when it's involving Potions and Elixirs.
 
He's a book otaku, whenever he had a free time (or not being a test subject) he would kill his time by reading any kind of book: Manga, Novel, Literature, Bible, Alchemist journal, Advance Economics, World Politics, Peace in the Middle east and so on.
 

[Viscoun]

Spoiler

 

 

Theme: Tristam - Once Again

Name: Alfred "Al" Fama-el Mahid Di Santo

Nickname: Alfa, Alfredo

Gender: M

Age: 29

 

House: Flambeau

Biography:

 

There is no soul as pristine as one that lives to cleanse the bodies and minds of others. Such could perhaps be said of Alfred Fama-el Mahid Di Santo, a man who, despite being cast away from his own home, still seeks the same things as he did during the events that made him who he is today.

 

Born in Tangier, Morocco, at the tip of the country closest to Europe, Di Santo was son to a retired Spanish spy and a Moroccan native girl, who housed the Spaniard during a mission and later fell in love with him. Though the family was poor, as his father now looked to menial labor at the local market to sustain his wife and son, they were happy and content with their lives.

 

From a young age, Alfred expressed aspirations to become an engineer, and work at the port he often frequented in his spare time. His parents supported him fully, and with some luck and hard work he entered one of Morocco's most premier higher institutions of learning. However, trouble struck at the most inconvenient time - his mother fell ill to a disease that was quickly gaining ground in the northwestern part of Africa, and due to the severity of her condition, soon fell into a coma from which she could not be awakened. She hovered on the brink of death for days, before eventually recovering visibly, though she still could not be roused from her sleep.

 

At the same time, after France and Spain ceded its final colonies in Morocco and the sultanate took over, Morocco's government issued an order for the permanent expulsion of all agents, current or former, of the erstwhile European invaders. One night, Alfred's family were woken up, and forcibly dragged into a cart headed for a harbor in Ceuta, a gruelling three-hour drive across ragged desert road. As Alfred's mother could not be awoken, she too was thrown bodily into the cart, despite Alfred's and his father's pleas. They were then taken aboard a ferry across the Gibraltar Strait and arrived at the Port of Algericas, where they discovered Alfred's mother had passed away during the journey.

 

Given Alfred's father's past service to the country, the Andalucian government was more sympathetic to their plight, and immediately summoned the consul of Tangier-Asilah, demanding an apology and financial reparation for the Di Santo's. With more money at hand and security under the Andalucian authorities, Alfred's father was able to afford for him to go to a university in Spain, where he began studying medicine, soon becoming one of Andalucia's, and perhaps one of Spain's, most promising young talents in the field.

 

Despite this, he never forgot his old hometown, and returned to Morocco after receiving his master's degree, taking his mother's surname, Fama-el Mahid, in order to avoid discrimination and discovery by the Moroccan government. He joined a local hospital in Tangier, where the disease was still running rampant, and took to specializing in the disease in order to find a permanent cure for it. He has never forgiven the Moroccan government for their actions, and yet has realized that his mother would most certainly have been revived had she reached Spain. Given this, he is willing to forget and forgive for the moment, and concentrate on giving himself to eradicating his mother's killers to the best of his abilities.

 

Other:

 

- Is a lover of ships, and still enjoys spending time at harbors in his free time, watching ships come in and out.

- Specialized in electrical engineering in Morocco, and immunology in Spain.

- Secretly likes heavy metal, though most of his friends seem to listen to classical.

- Chain smoker. Tried one of his dad's smokes once, and has never stopped since. (Ironic for a doctor, but he doesn't care.)