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[PLAYER]
Player Name: Imp
Player Age: 30
Player Contact: impiousimp at plurk
Characters Currently Played: N/A
[CHARACTER]
Character Name: Shadow
Character Age: 13
References Pages: http://orig02.deviantart.net/46fd/f/2016/140/6/0/chrisjonesshad_by_impious_imp-da37wny.jpg
Powers/Abilities/Skills: (Anything that your average person can't do should be listed here; wiki links are acceptable)
Shadow Manipulation Shadow possesses the ability to manipulate shadows in a variety of ways, as well as teleport through them, using them as a conduit. He can change the shape and size of shadows, given adequate light contrast, as he can't work with something that's not there. As stated he can use shadows as a tunnel like conduit for travel, phasing through the objects they're cast against as if they were incorporeal. He can store things in his own shadow, but also leave things trapped inside them if he wanted to.
Due to his control over the shadows, he can create dark tendrils of of darkness in order to immobilize his foes, but the nature of this darkness also has life draining components to it. Shadow can drain life force to heal himself, make himself physically stronger, or revitalize his endurance should he require it in battle. Fair to say that these powers are ones that he's still beginning to understand.
The darkness also grants him a strong resistance to psychic powers, the reason being that the darkness inside his mind, in his soul, acts like a haze which is hard for most psychics to penetrate or navigate. Likewise, it manifests physically as well, making it difficult for a telekinetic to hold or effect him for any length of time provided he's conscious. However as good as his resistance is he is not immune to the effects of psionic attacks, just resists damage taken from them specifically due to his dark power.
The darkness causes him to be prone to bouts of fury, leading him to relish in combat and battle. It encourages the fighting by giving him a slight boost to his attack power with every blow that hits him, and every hit that he lands on his opponent, at the cost of all reason. He lacks the experience to control himself during these periods, and can be provoked into this state rather easily provided the fight is intense enough.
Given the conditions of his transformation, he is now basically made of magic with Orion's entire spiritual form sealed inside him. The power manifests mostly physically, granting him speed and strength far beyond either a lion or a man. However this is really limited to his relative side and how much of that power he can actually tap into, and at the moment, it's a fraction of what he's actually capable of.
Physical attributes.
Orion's power inside him grants him a number of abilities that the darkness inside of him does not. He has a measure of super strength, and can lift upwards of 2000 pounds. Speed and agility is also greatly enhanced, allowing for him to leap higher and farther than any natural born lion.
He is extremely sturdy, able to take blunt force blows, cuts and stab wounds rather easily, as well as low caliber bullets in non vital areas may not be enough to slow him down. Energy blasts and light however are extremely effective against him and will take him out in short order. He does not fair particularly well against ranged weaponry. Bright light weakens his darker power, as well as drains his endurance, which is usually quite high in low light conditions. Being able to run long distances at fifty miles an hour is a fairly good mark of said endurance, but don't expect him to be running around at high noon.
On top of his ability to siphon off energy to heal himself, he also has a base passive healing factor. It's not perfect, but his wounds and injuries heal rapidly. Taking a few minutes to a few hours depending on what the injury is or was. Severe injuries however, will take a few days to heal from.
Shape shifting.
Shadow can shapeshift from his semi-human form to a feral lion form at will.
Sleight of hand and stage magic. Shadow has some skills as a pick pocket and playing card tricks and card games, things his father taught him as a young boy. Though with his powers, using these skills are not exactly at the forefront, and he can actually use his powers to make his illusions much more convincing. It's probably the only hobby he has.
Your Character's Backstory
The world of Primal Earth was once just like any other world, relatively normal, with the notable exception of the long forgotten myths of the ages that have been shown to be true, most notably by a pair of stalwart friends seeking a cure for a life-threatening illness shortly after WWI. The two stumbled upon the Well of the Furies, and in drinking from it, they gained the god-like powers of the incarnate. The two friends also discovered the fabled Pandora’s Box, which instead of containing all the world's plague and disease, contained all of the golden light of creation, and all of human creativity from the past millennia. Once released, it began the new golden age of superheroes. The two friends went their separate ways, later becoming Statesman and Lord Recluse.
Today, superheroes are so prevalent that there is an entire economy based around them in Paragon City, the home to many of the greatest heroes Primal Earth has ever seen, from Numina and Manticore in the Freedom Phalanx, to hundreds of everyday men and women gifted with god-like abilities fighting for truth, justice and freedom against hoards of vicious criminals. Paragon itself had suffered a serious blow at the hands of the aliens known as the Rikti. The city set themselves up with a series of war walls around each borough constructed with the very technology the Rikti had used against them. Circa 2007, Paragon City took down the mothership and isolated it in it’s own sector of the city, inviting many heroes to take their heavily guarded fortress down once and for all.
Meanwhile, across the sea, the Rogue Isles fester with all manner of villainy, ruled by the iron fist of Lord Recluse and his Arachnos organization. Ruled by anarchy and chaos, the rogues and villains gather there, making it an extremely dangerous place. Civilians would rather bow their heads than risk provoking a super villain, or their ruling power, lest they be stolen away in the dead of night. Everyone here is aware of the war zones scattered along the coast, the ultimate showdown of Recluse’s evil might, and Statesman’s righteous heroism. The world awaits the conclusion of the conflict of these age old enemies.
Mathieu Carver was born in the isles, a young son to a magically inclined family. His grandfather was a powerful wizard, retired but formerly an informant in the magical underworld for the Midnighter’s Club. Hiis mother, meanwhile, was a skilled potion maker and alchemist. His father was a petty crook, trying to make it into the big leagues and pull off a few good heists so they could leave the isles behind them. When Mat was five he disappeared, forcing the family to move into a more modest living arrangement.
Mat didn’t much care for the family arcane business, and usually kept his mouth shut about it and his grandfather’s history. He instead took an interest in the things his father taught him, like sleight of hand. This was a skill which his grandfather Bastien cultivated by introducing him to the concept of stage magic, which was more appealing to Mat but with little practical application. Thus it came to everyone’s surprise when the boy was confronted by a being of magical light, Orion. Orion introduced himself as a long dead warrior given new life and form, that of a lion, by the Well of the Furies. He had chosen his descendant Mathieu to be his vessel to someday return to the battlefield upon the arrival of “The Coming Storm”. Eve and Bastien were not exactly thrilled by the news, but given how enamored Mat was with the entity, they gradually accepted the idea.
It was around that time that Mat turned 10 that he began to hang around with other kids in the community that were his age. Some were orphaned children of villains, a few were naturally powered, and others were just normal kids like he was sans the lion companion. The existence of these children did not go unnoticed by those keeping tabs on the metahuman population and those interested in exploiting them. A subsidiary of Arachnos, a sort of evil school for gifted youngsters called Nest Academy, had the resources and the incentive to do so. As far as Arachnos was concerned they were responsible for producing the next generation of super villains to fight on Lord Recluse’s behalf.
A trap was set for the group of kids as a ‘routine’ contraband investigation was issued for their area, and the kids were sent off towards the coast to play. They didn’t expect anything, at least until Orion was snagged by a specialized containment field used to trap the spectral pirates that haunted another area of the island. Once he was taken care of, a powerful psionic was then deployed to knock the kids unconscious. From there, they were loaded onto a carrier ship and sent off towards Cap Au Diable, another island in the system.
Upon their arrival, a magical specialist named Thaddeus was called down to examine Mat and Orion to see what was to be done about them. They found that Orion was too powerful to control on his own, and Mat was powerless without him, but it was clear that they shared a powerful arcane connection. Through further research, it was determined who Orion was and what his purpose with Mat truly was, so they decided to speed things along with a little of their own magic. Using a powerful spell and a number of other magically inclined staff, they chose to infuse Orion with the essence of an umbral beast in order to take control of him and his power, while still using Mathieu as a vessel. Using their most powerful spells, they forcefully merged the two.
The results of this unnatural fusion were quite traumatic, forcing the boy’s body to warp and morph to a different configuration, accommodating a more predatory anatomical structure. A happy medium between man and beast, the transformation left the boy unconscious for a week. When he came to, it was to a new and changed body that he would have to relearn how to use. Time, however, was not a luxury his new captors were willing to afford him.
He learned quickly what the consequences of bonding with Orion would have been, were he corrupted or not. The two individuals were gone, a single consciousness leaving Mat to wonder which thoughts were his and which were Orion’s. There was a heavy presence in his mind likewise, the darkness, counterbalanced only by what was left of Orion’s strong spirit, protecting Mathieu’s soul, in a sense. Were it not for that, there was probably nothing stopping the boy from embracing the darkness wholeheartedly.
If that wasn’t a headache enough, he was frequently put into what appeared to be a courtyard inside a fortress along with others. Power inhibitors were used to insure the youths couldn’t kill each other with their powers but still allow them to figure out a pecking order. The only solace he could find was that his friend Emile, an older boy with sonic powers, was more than willing to look out for the poor kid as he readjusted.
After months of learning to co-exist with others, Emile and he were decently settled though neither of them had much interest in the training. The only difference between the two was that Thaddeus had Mat under his thumb. Thaddeus had a strong ability to control the boy with his power over the dark essence that he had instilled in him. Any order given to him, Mat was compelled to obey. There were some notable exceptions such as his refusing to kill a prisoner scheduled for execution, for which he was reprimanded harshly. For his punishment, Thaddeus had simply trapped the boy in his own shadow for a few days, leaving him completely isolated from his friends or sensual stimulation. This power over him made him easier to handle, but it bred a strong dislike for authority in the boy. He hated every minute of it.
As time moved on he became more accepting of his circumstances, and the fact that he felt distinct from either Mat or Orion, but those two parts contribute to the whole. He choose to take on the name his peers had been calling him, Shadow, as a moniker for his current form. Straight to the point and simple, just like he preferred it.
Then came Mot, a long forgotten god of death and destruction. It sought to consume everyone and everything, if its reach were to escape the confines of Dark Astoria in Paragon. Word got out that some heroes were seeking to bind him so he would be forever trapped in his prison within the warwalls in Astoria. Lord Recluse himself sent and order down calling for every able bodied superhuman to join the fight in Dark Astoria, fighting alongside the heroes against a common enemy. The kids at the Nest where all left behind with minimal supervision..
It would have gone fine, except one of Mot’s corrupted tendrils breached the walls of the fort and killed the base’s power source and the power inhibitors, meaning there was nothing stopping the kids from retaliating. Most of the kids fought against Mot’s minions, driving them off and defending what little they had, others turned against the staff who had held them here against their will. Throughout the fight, Shadow was forced to stay near Thaddeus’ side, as the man chose to stay behind to watch over the Nest. It seemed as though they were pushing back until a spined tendril arced into the air and slammed down toward the two. Shadow was grazed but dodged the brunt of the blow with his quick reflexes. His eyes fell upon his controller, as the man begged, then commanded the boy to save him. He actually might have, but be it through his own willpower or Thaddeus’ rapidly fading power, Shadow just stood there and watched as the tendril sunk further into the ground, pulling the man down with it.
Finally free, the boy sent a rallying cry to the others, to bust out through the wall while they could and earn their freedom, but only a few, including Emile, followed through with him, and only after clearing the path. If the world was going to end, Shadow figured he’d go out on his own terms. The night was long and bloody, but suddenly, everything stopped. The hoard of monsters and tendrils seemed to melt away into the ground, leaving the kids grateful that they still had their lives. Most of them split away, either doubling back to the hives to check on things or going out on their own. Shadow, Emile, and two others, however, simply boarded the nearest ferry and headed to Nerva Archipelago. Not exactly safe, but they could figure something out.
They made their home in a cave in the jungles of Nerva. Their biggest problems being the Longbow base to the south and the Circle of Thorns to the north, but the cave they chose to inhabit was well-isolated from either camps. They made a base inside an old forgotten pirate ship that they fixed up to fit their own needs. From here, they managed to live pretty securely, though without most luxuries one might hope for. For three years they lived there, looking for other kids like themselves to increase their ranks. Eventually they reached numbers of over twenty in their modest fort, and searched for their parents in the chaos that was the rogue isles.
Heroic/Villainous/Neutral: Shad would fall squarely in the neutral category. He was brought up with a slight stigma against heroes for their indifference and a healthy fear of villains. Given the nature of his abilities, however, he could go either way. When Thaddeus used his dark magic to fuse Orion with Mathieu, their souls merged as well, creating a composite being that became Shadow. Orion seemed to regressed in age to a degree to suit his new vessel, but Mathieu's personality was clearly the dominant one. Orion, having been an incarnate brought back by the furies, power from the light of creation, which in turn spared the their soul from being corrupted by the darkness but it is still an ever present force that has influence over Shadow.
The presence of both light and darkness comes with a duality of light and the dark. His soul may be protected from corruption but he's still subject to it's influence. Sure, he tries to do good, fight for a noble cause, but more often than not, he fights for selfish reasons. He likes to fight, loves the thrawl of it all, and will pick fights just for fun. Even as good intentioned as he usually is, he'll just as likely go out and do something illegal just because he can. Either fight, or steal, or property damage. Little things like that actually take the edge off the urge to do even worse, like go into a fury and slaughter a bunch of people. Thankfully he hasn't gotten to that point yet but he certainly has the potential and predisposition to become a villain or be swayed to that side. He's pretty stubborn though, and usually will do what he wants over the desires of anyone else.
He may yet be too innocent yet to take a life deliberately. He can talk tough, he can threaten death against his enemies, but he usually won't follow through. On accident is a distinct possibility due to bouts of blind fury he's prone to in battle. In this state, with every blow he makes or takes, he is just encouraged to fight more and more, regardless of what happens. That aside, he's still a child, and despite his tragic past, he still acts and behaves like one, so he's less likely to do things with cruel malice. He's just a kid, and with outside influences could be swayed to become a great hero or a horrible villain, or remain a rogue. Either way it depends on who he spends most of his time with.
Mentor/Rookie: As a thirteen year old...
Rookie. Very much rookie. He has power and significant strength, absolutely, but any fighter who can use someone's strength against them could probably defeat him in battle. Of course there's always luck and brute strength has trumped skill from time to time. Generally Shadow is a novice, at least in being a hero, or in any real useful life experience. He really hasn't had the chance to explore his options aside from strict survival. Who is he, what does he want out of life, what else is there to do besides hunt, eat and sleep? Good questions, and ones he hasn't had the opportunity to explore yet given his inexperience and circumstances of the last few years of his life.
He's definitely at a point where, depending on who he associates with, could put him down a path he wouldn't have otherwise have taken left to his own devices. That said he doesn't trust easily and even when he accepts someone, he may not even trust them fully. He dislikes heroes for their seemingly pretentious actions and philosophies, but also fears villains for their cruelty and malicious tendencies. Him, he just wants to do this own thing and hope he can actually make something of himself worthy of the destiny he was supposed to inherit from Orion.
Which Area(s) Of The City Interest You For Your Character? Shad would likely naturally be drawn to the City of Adventure. The wild landscape suits him both biologically and psychologically. He's drawn to action, and anything where he can cut loose and have fun, but still feel reasonably safe in his probably the place for him. He might actually live there, since he's been already living in a jungle for some time now, but with constant threats on all sides. At least here, he can have an environment taht suits him, without having to worry about being shot or attacked by various foes at all times. The other option for him, as a viable place to hang around, would be the City of Tomorrow. Certainly an interesting place with things to see and do, and it'd probably be more attractive than places like the city of shadows because he's been there, done that.
The city of Nightmares may be interesting, but it and the city of Shadows may just be places he wants to avoid unless he needs to take some aggravation out on some unlucky criminals.
Samples: http://maskormenace.dreamwidth.org/457042.html?thread=114182226#cmt114182226 Mask or Menace
Third person
Shadow, spry and adaptable as he was, began to question his decision to succumb to his curiosity and press that button. He'd been teleported into a very bright city, the sun almost blinding against the white buildings and mirror windows. And that light being somewhat of a weakness for him he spent the better half of an hour hiding out in the shade to get his wits about him again. When he was better able to look around this glistening city of tomorrow he was overwhelmed by the unfamiliarity of it all. It wasn't terribly easy to get any momentum running the roofs either, since many of the buildings were too tall or too far apart for him to leap to, so he ended up having to climb down after a while of trying. So he was grounded. Grounded with the normal people.
He pulled his hood up, if only to give himself a shield from whatever stone cold looks he figured he'd earn just for walking down the street in the open. Oddly enough, the people seemed unphased by his presence. You'd think they'd at least had a reaction considering that even in his world there were all manner of strange beasts and people still gave him a side eye when he showed up sometimes. Begs the question though, why were they so desensitized? Acting like he was normal. That's weird.
And kinda cool.
He turns to a person standing at the corner of a street and lifts the rim of his hood up a bit to get a better look at him.
"You from around here, mate?"
First person
[Coming on screen is someone who clearly doesn't know how to use a camera, frame a shot, or even speak into one. It's as if he hadn't used a camera phone before, which is accurate. Very accurate. He turns his ears back and squints at it. Oh. It is working. Okay.]
Hi. Aah.
I don't know what's goin' on around here, not quite. Not too big a' deal though cos' for far as I can tell it ain't terribly dangerous around here. Better than what I heard about Paragon anyway. Shining city of hope or dreams or whatever, right? Is that the story around here? Cos that's the vibe I'm getting.
Seein' as how going home won't do me any good, any chance anyone'll help me find a place to stay around here? This place is wacky, but pretty mild compared to most alternate realities I've ever heard of.
I mean, c'mon. There's like ten dystopian realities for every good ones. And even the utopian ones sucks. And there's about a million more normal ones for every one of those. So yeah, of the possible crap realities to drop into, this ain't too bad.
So yeah. Kid lookin' for a place. Not sure if I want... Definitely sure I don't want adult supervision. Yeaaaah.
Oh yeah. Name's Shadow, if you're wonderin' what to call me.
Signing out. [Fumbling with the phone, and blip. It's over.]
Anything Else?: Get in the car
Player Name: Imp
Player Age: 30
Player Contact: impiousimp at plurk
Characters Currently Played: N/A
[CHARACTER]
Character Name: Shadow
Character Age: 13
References Pages: http://orig02.deviantart.net/46fd/f/2016/140/6/0/chrisjonesshad_by_impious_imp-da37wny.jpg
Powers/Abilities/Skills: (Anything that your average person can't do should be listed here; wiki links are acceptable)
Shadow Manipulation Shadow possesses the ability to manipulate shadows in a variety of ways, as well as teleport through them, using them as a conduit. He can change the shape and size of shadows, given adequate light contrast, as he can't work with something that's not there. As stated he can use shadows as a tunnel like conduit for travel, phasing through the objects they're cast against as if they were incorporeal. He can store things in his own shadow, but also leave things trapped inside them if he wanted to.
Due to his control over the shadows, he can create dark tendrils of of darkness in order to immobilize his foes, but the nature of this darkness also has life draining components to it. Shadow can drain life force to heal himself, make himself physically stronger, or revitalize his endurance should he require it in battle. Fair to say that these powers are ones that he's still beginning to understand.
The darkness also grants him a strong resistance to psychic powers, the reason being that the darkness inside his mind, in his soul, acts like a haze which is hard for most psychics to penetrate or navigate. Likewise, it manifests physically as well, making it difficult for a telekinetic to hold or effect him for any length of time provided he's conscious. However as good as his resistance is he is not immune to the effects of psionic attacks, just resists damage taken from them specifically due to his dark power.
The darkness causes him to be prone to bouts of fury, leading him to relish in combat and battle. It encourages the fighting by giving him a slight boost to his attack power with every blow that hits him, and every hit that he lands on his opponent, at the cost of all reason. He lacks the experience to control himself during these periods, and can be provoked into this state rather easily provided the fight is intense enough.
Given the conditions of his transformation, he is now basically made of magic with Orion's entire spiritual form sealed inside him. The power manifests mostly physically, granting him speed and strength far beyond either a lion or a man. However this is really limited to his relative side and how much of that power he can actually tap into, and at the moment, it's a fraction of what he's actually capable of.
Physical attributes.
Orion's power inside him grants him a number of abilities that the darkness inside of him does not. He has a measure of super strength, and can lift upwards of 2000 pounds. Speed and agility is also greatly enhanced, allowing for him to leap higher and farther than any natural born lion.
He is extremely sturdy, able to take blunt force blows, cuts and stab wounds rather easily, as well as low caliber bullets in non vital areas may not be enough to slow him down. Energy blasts and light however are extremely effective against him and will take him out in short order. He does not fair particularly well against ranged weaponry. Bright light weakens his darker power, as well as drains his endurance, which is usually quite high in low light conditions. Being able to run long distances at fifty miles an hour is a fairly good mark of said endurance, but don't expect him to be running around at high noon.
On top of his ability to siphon off energy to heal himself, he also has a base passive healing factor. It's not perfect, but his wounds and injuries heal rapidly. Taking a few minutes to a few hours depending on what the injury is or was. Severe injuries however, will take a few days to heal from.
Shape shifting.
Shadow can shapeshift from his semi-human form to a feral lion form at will.
Sleight of hand and stage magic. Shadow has some skills as a pick pocket and playing card tricks and card games, things his father taught him as a young boy. Though with his powers, using these skills are not exactly at the forefront, and he can actually use his powers to make his illusions much more convincing. It's probably the only hobby he has.
Your Character's Backstory
The world of Primal Earth was once just like any other world, relatively normal, with the notable exception of the long forgotten myths of the ages that have been shown to be true, most notably by a pair of stalwart friends seeking a cure for a life-threatening illness shortly after WWI. The two stumbled upon the Well of the Furies, and in drinking from it, they gained the god-like powers of the incarnate. The two friends also discovered the fabled Pandora’s Box, which instead of containing all the world's plague and disease, contained all of the golden light of creation, and all of human creativity from the past millennia. Once released, it began the new golden age of superheroes. The two friends went their separate ways, later becoming Statesman and Lord Recluse.
Today, superheroes are so prevalent that there is an entire economy based around them in Paragon City, the home to many of the greatest heroes Primal Earth has ever seen, from Numina and Manticore in the Freedom Phalanx, to hundreds of everyday men and women gifted with god-like abilities fighting for truth, justice and freedom against hoards of vicious criminals. Paragon itself had suffered a serious blow at the hands of the aliens known as the Rikti. The city set themselves up with a series of war walls around each borough constructed with the very technology the Rikti had used against them. Circa 2007, Paragon City took down the mothership and isolated it in it’s own sector of the city, inviting many heroes to take their heavily guarded fortress down once and for all.
Meanwhile, across the sea, the Rogue Isles fester with all manner of villainy, ruled by the iron fist of Lord Recluse and his Arachnos organization. Ruled by anarchy and chaos, the rogues and villains gather there, making it an extremely dangerous place. Civilians would rather bow their heads than risk provoking a super villain, or their ruling power, lest they be stolen away in the dead of night. Everyone here is aware of the war zones scattered along the coast, the ultimate showdown of Recluse’s evil might, and Statesman’s righteous heroism. The world awaits the conclusion of the conflict of these age old enemies.
Mathieu Carver was born in the isles, a young son to a magically inclined family. His grandfather was a powerful wizard, retired but formerly an informant in the magical underworld for the Midnighter’s Club. Hiis mother, meanwhile, was a skilled potion maker and alchemist. His father was a petty crook, trying to make it into the big leagues and pull off a few good heists so they could leave the isles behind them. When Mat was five he disappeared, forcing the family to move into a more modest living arrangement.
Mat didn’t much care for the family arcane business, and usually kept his mouth shut about it and his grandfather’s history. He instead took an interest in the things his father taught him, like sleight of hand. This was a skill which his grandfather Bastien cultivated by introducing him to the concept of stage magic, which was more appealing to Mat but with little practical application. Thus it came to everyone’s surprise when the boy was confronted by a being of magical light, Orion. Orion introduced himself as a long dead warrior given new life and form, that of a lion, by the Well of the Furies. He had chosen his descendant Mathieu to be his vessel to someday return to the battlefield upon the arrival of “The Coming Storm”. Eve and Bastien were not exactly thrilled by the news, but given how enamored Mat was with the entity, they gradually accepted the idea.
It was around that time that Mat turned 10 that he began to hang around with other kids in the community that were his age. Some were orphaned children of villains, a few were naturally powered, and others were just normal kids like he was sans the lion companion. The existence of these children did not go unnoticed by those keeping tabs on the metahuman population and those interested in exploiting them. A subsidiary of Arachnos, a sort of evil school for gifted youngsters called Nest Academy, had the resources and the incentive to do so. As far as Arachnos was concerned they were responsible for producing the next generation of super villains to fight on Lord Recluse’s behalf.
A trap was set for the group of kids as a ‘routine’ contraband investigation was issued for their area, and the kids were sent off towards the coast to play. They didn’t expect anything, at least until Orion was snagged by a specialized containment field used to trap the spectral pirates that haunted another area of the island. Once he was taken care of, a powerful psionic was then deployed to knock the kids unconscious. From there, they were loaded onto a carrier ship and sent off towards Cap Au Diable, another island in the system.
Upon their arrival, a magical specialist named Thaddeus was called down to examine Mat and Orion to see what was to be done about them. They found that Orion was too powerful to control on his own, and Mat was powerless without him, but it was clear that they shared a powerful arcane connection. Through further research, it was determined who Orion was and what his purpose with Mat truly was, so they decided to speed things along with a little of their own magic. Using a powerful spell and a number of other magically inclined staff, they chose to infuse Orion with the essence of an umbral beast in order to take control of him and his power, while still using Mathieu as a vessel. Using their most powerful spells, they forcefully merged the two.
The results of this unnatural fusion were quite traumatic, forcing the boy’s body to warp and morph to a different configuration, accommodating a more predatory anatomical structure. A happy medium between man and beast, the transformation left the boy unconscious for a week. When he came to, it was to a new and changed body that he would have to relearn how to use. Time, however, was not a luxury his new captors were willing to afford him.
He learned quickly what the consequences of bonding with Orion would have been, were he corrupted or not. The two individuals were gone, a single consciousness leaving Mat to wonder which thoughts were his and which were Orion’s. There was a heavy presence in his mind likewise, the darkness, counterbalanced only by what was left of Orion’s strong spirit, protecting Mathieu’s soul, in a sense. Were it not for that, there was probably nothing stopping the boy from embracing the darkness wholeheartedly.
If that wasn’t a headache enough, he was frequently put into what appeared to be a courtyard inside a fortress along with others. Power inhibitors were used to insure the youths couldn’t kill each other with their powers but still allow them to figure out a pecking order. The only solace he could find was that his friend Emile, an older boy with sonic powers, was more than willing to look out for the poor kid as he readjusted.
After months of learning to co-exist with others, Emile and he were decently settled though neither of them had much interest in the training. The only difference between the two was that Thaddeus had Mat under his thumb. Thaddeus had a strong ability to control the boy with his power over the dark essence that he had instilled in him. Any order given to him, Mat was compelled to obey. There were some notable exceptions such as his refusing to kill a prisoner scheduled for execution, for which he was reprimanded harshly. For his punishment, Thaddeus had simply trapped the boy in his own shadow for a few days, leaving him completely isolated from his friends or sensual stimulation. This power over him made him easier to handle, but it bred a strong dislike for authority in the boy. He hated every minute of it.
As time moved on he became more accepting of his circumstances, and the fact that he felt distinct from either Mat or Orion, but those two parts contribute to the whole. He choose to take on the name his peers had been calling him, Shadow, as a moniker for his current form. Straight to the point and simple, just like he preferred it.
Then came Mot, a long forgotten god of death and destruction. It sought to consume everyone and everything, if its reach were to escape the confines of Dark Astoria in Paragon. Word got out that some heroes were seeking to bind him so he would be forever trapped in his prison within the warwalls in Astoria. Lord Recluse himself sent and order down calling for every able bodied superhuman to join the fight in Dark Astoria, fighting alongside the heroes against a common enemy. The kids at the Nest where all left behind with minimal supervision..
It would have gone fine, except one of Mot’s corrupted tendrils breached the walls of the fort and killed the base’s power source and the power inhibitors, meaning there was nothing stopping the kids from retaliating. Most of the kids fought against Mot’s minions, driving them off and defending what little they had, others turned against the staff who had held them here against their will. Throughout the fight, Shadow was forced to stay near Thaddeus’ side, as the man chose to stay behind to watch over the Nest. It seemed as though they were pushing back until a spined tendril arced into the air and slammed down toward the two. Shadow was grazed but dodged the brunt of the blow with his quick reflexes. His eyes fell upon his controller, as the man begged, then commanded the boy to save him. He actually might have, but be it through his own willpower or Thaddeus’ rapidly fading power, Shadow just stood there and watched as the tendril sunk further into the ground, pulling the man down with it.
Finally free, the boy sent a rallying cry to the others, to bust out through the wall while they could and earn their freedom, but only a few, including Emile, followed through with him, and only after clearing the path. If the world was going to end, Shadow figured he’d go out on his own terms. The night was long and bloody, but suddenly, everything stopped. The hoard of monsters and tendrils seemed to melt away into the ground, leaving the kids grateful that they still had their lives. Most of them split away, either doubling back to the hives to check on things or going out on their own. Shadow, Emile, and two others, however, simply boarded the nearest ferry and headed to Nerva Archipelago. Not exactly safe, but they could figure something out.
They made their home in a cave in the jungles of Nerva. Their biggest problems being the Longbow base to the south and the Circle of Thorns to the north, but the cave they chose to inhabit was well-isolated from either camps. They made a base inside an old forgotten pirate ship that they fixed up to fit their own needs. From here, they managed to live pretty securely, though without most luxuries one might hope for. For three years they lived there, looking for other kids like themselves to increase their ranks. Eventually they reached numbers of over twenty in their modest fort, and searched for their parents in the chaos that was the rogue isles.
Heroic/Villainous/Neutral: Shad would fall squarely in the neutral category. He was brought up with a slight stigma against heroes for their indifference and a healthy fear of villains. Given the nature of his abilities, however, he could go either way. When Thaddeus used his dark magic to fuse Orion with Mathieu, their souls merged as well, creating a composite being that became Shadow. Orion seemed to regressed in age to a degree to suit his new vessel, but Mathieu's personality was clearly the dominant one. Orion, having been an incarnate brought back by the furies, power from the light of creation, which in turn spared the their soul from being corrupted by the darkness but it is still an ever present force that has influence over Shadow.
The presence of both light and darkness comes with a duality of light and the dark. His soul may be protected from corruption but he's still subject to it's influence. Sure, he tries to do good, fight for a noble cause, but more often than not, he fights for selfish reasons. He likes to fight, loves the thrawl of it all, and will pick fights just for fun. Even as good intentioned as he usually is, he'll just as likely go out and do something illegal just because he can. Either fight, or steal, or property damage. Little things like that actually take the edge off the urge to do even worse, like go into a fury and slaughter a bunch of people. Thankfully he hasn't gotten to that point yet but he certainly has the potential and predisposition to become a villain or be swayed to that side. He's pretty stubborn though, and usually will do what he wants over the desires of anyone else.
He may yet be too innocent yet to take a life deliberately. He can talk tough, he can threaten death against his enemies, but he usually won't follow through. On accident is a distinct possibility due to bouts of blind fury he's prone to in battle. In this state, with every blow he makes or takes, he is just encouraged to fight more and more, regardless of what happens. That aside, he's still a child, and despite his tragic past, he still acts and behaves like one, so he's less likely to do things with cruel malice. He's just a kid, and with outside influences could be swayed to become a great hero or a horrible villain, or remain a rogue. Either way it depends on who he spends most of his time with.
Mentor/Rookie: As a thirteen year old...
Rookie. Very much rookie. He has power and significant strength, absolutely, but any fighter who can use someone's strength against them could probably defeat him in battle. Of course there's always luck and brute strength has trumped skill from time to time. Generally Shadow is a novice, at least in being a hero, or in any real useful life experience. He really hasn't had the chance to explore his options aside from strict survival. Who is he, what does he want out of life, what else is there to do besides hunt, eat and sleep? Good questions, and ones he hasn't had the opportunity to explore yet given his inexperience and circumstances of the last few years of his life.
He's definitely at a point where, depending on who he associates with, could put him down a path he wouldn't have otherwise have taken left to his own devices. That said he doesn't trust easily and even when he accepts someone, he may not even trust them fully. He dislikes heroes for their seemingly pretentious actions and philosophies, but also fears villains for their cruelty and malicious tendencies. Him, he just wants to do this own thing and hope he can actually make something of himself worthy of the destiny he was supposed to inherit from Orion.
Which Area(s) Of The City Interest You For Your Character? Shad would likely naturally be drawn to the City of Adventure. The wild landscape suits him both biologically and psychologically. He's drawn to action, and anything where he can cut loose and have fun, but still feel reasonably safe in his probably the place for him. He might actually live there, since he's been already living in a jungle for some time now, but with constant threats on all sides. At least here, he can have an environment taht suits him, without having to worry about being shot or attacked by various foes at all times. The other option for him, as a viable place to hang around, would be the City of Tomorrow. Certainly an interesting place with things to see and do, and it'd probably be more attractive than places like the city of shadows because he's been there, done that.
The city of Nightmares may be interesting, but it and the city of Shadows may just be places he wants to avoid unless he needs to take some aggravation out on some unlucky criminals.
Samples: http://maskormenace.dreamwidth.org/457042.html?thread=114182226#cmt114182226 Mask or Menace
Third person
Shadow, spry and adaptable as he was, began to question his decision to succumb to his curiosity and press that button. He'd been teleported into a very bright city, the sun almost blinding against the white buildings and mirror windows. And that light being somewhat of a weakness for him he spent the better half of an hour hiding out in the shade to get his wits about him again. When he was better able to look around this glistening city of tomorrow he was overwhelmed by the unfamiliarity of it all. It wasn't terribly easy to get any momentum running the roofs either, since many of the buildings were too tall or too far apart for him to leap to, so he ended up having to climb down after a while of trying. So he was grounded. Grounded with the normal people.
He pulled his hood up, if only to give himself a shield from whatever stone cold looks he figured he'd earn just for walking down the street in the open. Oddly enough, the people seemed unphased by his presence. You'd think they'd at least had a reaction considering that even in his world there were all manner of strange beasts and people still gave him a side eye when he showed up sometimes. Begs the question though, why were they so desensitized? Acting like he was normal. That's weird.
And kinda cool.
He turns to a person standing at the corner of a street and lifts the rim of his hood up a bit to get a better look at him.
"You from around here, mate?"
First person
[Coming on screen is someone who clearly doesn't know how to use a camera, frame a shot, or even speak into one. It's as if he hadn't used a camera phone before, which is accurate. Very accurate. He turns his ears back and squints at it. Oh. It is working. Okay.]
Hi. Aah.
I don't know what's goin' on around here, not quite. Not too big a' deal though cos' for far as I can tell it ain't terribly dangerous around here. Better than what I heard about Paragon anyway. Shining city of hope or dreams or whatever, right? Is that the story around here? Cos that's the vibe I'm getting.
Seein' as how going home won't do me any good, any chance anyone'll help me find a place to stay around here? This place is wacky, but pretty mild compared to most alternate realities I've ever heard of.
I mean, c'mon. There's like ten dystopian realities for every good ones. And even the utopian ones sucks. And there's about a million more normal ones for every one of those. So yeah, of the possible crap realities to drop into, this ain't too bad.
So yeah. Kid lookin' for a place. Not sure if I want... Definitely sure I don't want adult supervision. Yeaaaah.
Oh yeah. Name's Shadow, if you're wonderin' what to call me.
Signing out. [Fumbling with the phone, and blip. It's over.]
Anything Else?: Get in the car
