Near Matthew Cronqvist
The Crown Clown
Real Name: None. (You’ll see why)
Assumed Identity: Near Matthew Cronqvist
A.K.A.: King Clown, King Pierrot, Angel’s/Angelic Clown, Crown Pierrot, Crown Clown.
Age: Unknown, even to him. (Appears to be around eighteen or nineteen)
Race: Appears to be human, but he’s actually a manifestation of raw holy/light power, made up of something called Innocence. Innocence is a holy material, which brims with power. Sometimes people are born with it already in their bodies (like in the biography, Mathias’ left arm) or they can be made into weapons or items which only certain people can wield. In other words, Innocence usually has a mind of its own, able to ‘choose’ its wielder or act on its own.
Sex: Appearance is male
Hair: White-ish. Chin length, but the back is sort of spiked outward. It’s soft and silky.
Eyes: Silvery-blue
Weight: 122lbs
Height: 5 feet 6 inches.
Weapon(s):
Crown Jewel: Near’s slender left arm is made up of a black material (a concentration of something called Innocence. It is the substance that Near is made up of). It encases his whole arm and extends his fingers’ ‘reaches’ by creating silvery, razor sharp ‘talons’ (see his appearance). This arm cannot be broken or shattered, neither by physical pressure nor by any sort of magic. The hand itself can be expanded to Near’s will, creating an impenetrable shield or a large weapon. Even though it is made like this, it is extremely light and easy to wield. Each talon can cut through the toughest metals and his grip can crush steel and bones alike.
When his Demented side is in play, the arm can be detached and changed into a massive
zweihander sword that only Near can lift and wield with his right arm (it will seem to be too heavy for anyone else.) Demented is the only one that can willingly detach and reattach the arm, because of his high pain tolerance. This sword will be explained more in the Skills/Magic section.
When the hand is not in use, or the
sword is
in use, his cowl automatically drapes over his left side, covering his ‘weird looking’, or missing left arm.
Strengths: The Clown is extremely agile and swift--able to complete near impossible flips and antics without harming himself. He can also run almost as fast as the speed of sound (but cannot break the sound barrier--and he can only
run that fast, not
move that fast). The three different personalities that he has also act differently in combat situations. The Manic is the one that concentrates mostly on defense and evasion, having the lowest tolerance of pain, while the Demented focuses on all out attack, and has the highest tolerance of pain out of the three. The Normal is the balanced one. Calm and collected, he thinks before he acts, balancing both offense and defense perfectly. Holy or light energy used against him will make him heal at an accelerated rate, and due to his connection with a being called Chaos (the same connection that brought about the Demented), dark/shadow magic has little effect on him.
Weaknesses: The Manic is in control most of the time. This side has the lowest tolerance of pain; therefore, he’ll almost always retreat from a fight if he takes a hard blow or serious injury. Manic is also very easily distracted if the current situation is not interesting enough to hold his attention; dangerous against a seemingly dull but strong opponent. Since there is more than one personality, the Manic and the Normal sides keep fighting for control (the Demented only shows when Near takes a lot of hits, or if someone or something hurts his friends). Sometimes, when a switch between personalities takes place, it can take Near’s focus off of a situation, which can have disastrous consequences (especially if Normal is in control before Manic kicks in) When Demented is in control, Near goes into a full offense, often detaching his left arm to turn it into the sword. In this state, Near will often let the opponent land a blow just to land one of his own; this could be used against him.
Skills/Magic:
Telepathy: Near can read minds, and hear other peoples' thoughts, but can't communicate telepathically.
Punctual Fool: Using a single talon, he can rip the space time continuum, and teleport himself through time. However, he
cannot go back (or go forward) a few hours, or days. He can only use it to go back or go forward
decades or centuries at a time. He can also take other people with him. (This is just so that he’ll be ‘able’ to participate in almost any time/place setting in an RP)
Cross Grave: Near crucifies and annihilates his targets by etching a cross onto them with his left hand, capable of destroying lesser demons with only a single talon. The crucifix he etches explodes, engulfing the victim in pure holy light energy. The move deals little damage to holy beings or powerful demons. And the explosion itself has basically one quarter the power of a modern day grenade.
This move can also be used to heal other people (Near cannot use it to heal himself) by drawing the cross in the air, close to the person’s chest. It can heal paper cuts or make a limb regenerate.
Marionette Strings: Released from the sleeve and glove on Near's right arm, it is an ectoplasm-like flurry of ‘strings’ used to grasp objects, immobilize opponents, or form hardened spikes to impale enemies. Each strand is as thin as a fishing line, but much, much stronger.
Marionettenspieler: Using the strings, Near can have utmost control over a very weak-willed being. He doesn’t have to be very close by or above his puppet to do so. The hold is broken only when Near is very, very far away, or if the person suddenly gains the amount of strength and willpower to break free.
Crown Edge: The giant zweihander broadsword Near's left arm transmutes into. The sword can be wielded like any other, though, if the he wills it, the blade can exorcise evil from almost any vessel it strikes without any harm coming to the vessel itself. If used on a weak-ish demon, it (the demon) will explode. The sword is so large, that if it is stuck into the ground, Near can
stand perfectly on the hand guard.
Clown Edge: A swipe of raw destructive power dealt with Near's full claw. If less than four talons make contact with the opponent or object, then this spell won’t activate.
Eyes of the Fool: When Near steps into an illusion (or if an illusion spell is directed at him), a masquerade-style mask appears over his eyes. It allows him to see through the illusion, making him able to discern what is real and what is not. The mask is a shimmering purple colour.
Shadowblend: When Near is in need of rest, or wants to sneak around without being noticed, he can just hop into any shadow. When this ability is used, the three personalities split up into three different entities (The Manic, Demented, and Normal) all resembling each other while in the shadow. When like this, the three can discuss a variety of subjects or plan something together or they can move through the shadows to another area. If a being is melded with the shadows, the three can interact with it. Other than that, they cannot attack or interact with anything outside of the shadows.
Near can also enter mirrors to rest and regain energy faster, but he doesn’t split up as he would in a shadow, and anyone viewing the mirror would see a slight difference between their reflection and the real thing (different coloured eyes, a grey hair, etc)
Nightsplit: If it’s night, and the area that Near is in a pitch black area, he can choose to split himself up into the three entities. It only works in pitch black areas, it won’t work where there’s a noticeable light shining.
When split up, their Tri-Cross Grave and Tri-Clown Edge moves are extremely devastating.
Shadowrun: When occupying a shadow, the three can literally *steal* it. Although, they can’t do anything much while in the shadow, it raises an alarm when someone finds their shadow missing and someone else seeing the same shadow running down the street.
Crown Cowl: The white cowl/cape around his neck can expand and contract to Near's will. It can expand to the size of a football field or contract to the size of a scarf (as seen in the picture). It also seems to have a will of its own, as it always covers his left side when his arm is down or missing, even if Near isn't thinking about it.
Crown Iris: The eye, itself, seems normal, but the scar that’s on his cheek and on his forehead is not. When there is any kind of evil that is
intent on doing harm, the pentacle above his eye activates and a set of clockwork-like gears and hands appear before that left eye. The gears never touch each other, but they turn nonetheless, and the whole set seem to hold up in mid air without any kind of support, keeping in line with Near’s left eye. The thin ‘second’ hand is the fastest moving, pointing in the direction that the threat is located. The thicker and shorter ‘hour’ hand is the slowest, pointing out the level of power that the threat commands, while the longer ‘minute’ hand shows the number of threats.
The eye also makes things that are invisible to others, visible to him, such as ghosts.
Notes:
If the second hand keeps on spinning without stopping, then Near is surrounded.
If the minute hand keeps on spinning without stopping, then the number of threats is in the hundreds and/or increasing.
If the hour hand keeps on spinning without stopping, then the threat’s power is rapidly increasing, or limitless.
Appearance.
Not shown: At the base of the left side of his neck, rests the shimmering purple masquerade style mask. It is stuck there, and cannot be pulled off. It is only moved when ‘Eyes of the Fool’ is activated.
Personalities: (As you’ve read…multiple personalities)
The Normal: This side mimics the personality of his old master: Near is a genius, able to figure things out quickly. He isn’t usually curious, but he likes to learn new things. He is basically your happy-go-lucky character. Smiling and fun loving most of the time, Near is a friendly person. He’ll take friendly hits without attempting to dodge them, although he may be well aware that the attack is coming. This is the side that is the most balanced, and the smartest of the three. He fights by analytically breaking down his opponent before knowing if to go into offensive or not at all. This side and the Manic repeatedly fight for control.
The Manic: This one is hyper. He is almost always happy and grinning. Manic is almost always active; skipping, flipping or walking on his hands to any where he goes. He also has a severe case of A.D.D. and is very,
very easily distracted. In battle, he goes on the defense; evading and blocking to the best of his ability. But even when he fights, he is still cheerful, as if nothing bad is happening at all. He can be distracted even in battle, which may make the opponent annoyed, which makes Manic even happier. He may seem extremely silly at first, with his odd way of responding or talking, but once in a while, a tiny intelligent side shines through. He finds joy in making new friends and acquaintances, and can be hurt badly if someone betrays him. Manic and Normal keep fighting for full control, but Manic almost always wins.
However, when the Crown Iris activates, Manic lets Normal take over, because Demented only comes out at certain times and Normal is the most capable of handling enemies.
The Demented: Only comes out when Near’s friends are threatened or hurt, or if Near takes a lot of hits. Demented will strike down almost anything or anyone (besides his friends and things close to him) in his path to get to his opponent. He doesn’t care what happens to him as long as he makes his enemies suffer and will often leave himself wide open to entice the opponent into attack, just so that he could hit them with an attack of his own. Demented is bloodthirsty when it comes to taking down someone--so much so that he seemingly becomes cannibalistic, threatening to eat eyes or brains and even going so far as to biting and ripping off pieces of flesh. You’ll know when he comes out when he reaches up suddenly on on his opponent, pinning them to a wall or piercing them with his talons. There’ll be a noticeable glint in the eyes that wasn’t there before. He’ll look up and say his greeting in a low, menacing tone:
“Well, hello…”
before going on full offensive. After his opponent is dead or fleeing, Demented will willingly give control up to the Normal side or the Manic, as he knows that he is dangerous, and has a fear of hurting the people who he cares about.
Notes:
All three can be said to have a ‘piece’ of each other.
For example, Manic can still attack or be intelligent like Normal. Normal, when the time calls for it, will take on the pain to bring about the broadsword. Demented has a piece of them both; a tiny piece, that cares and fears for those close to Near.
Themesongs:
The Demented: Rob Zombie - Bodies
The Normal: Bush - Letting the Cables Sleep
The Manic:Blind Melon - No Rain
Biography:
((To fully understand this one’s story, we must have a look at his former master’s story.))
Near
Mathias Cronqvist was born in a family of special exorcists in the early years of the first millennium. They were ‘special’ because they had control over a unique holy power called ‘Innocence’. The Innocence came in many forms, from a pair of shoes to actual body parts. Near was born with his left hand made up of concentrated Innocence, which made it seem not human at all. His arm was slender, with claw-like talons instead of fingers.
When he was growing up, Near used to try everything to hide his ‘deformed’ left arm from other people, afraid that no one would like him if they knew. Aside from that, Near was a genius in school. He was very observant and quick-thinking, sometimes making up solutions on the spot to solve problems.
When his twelfth year came, he had his first encounter with an actual possessed person. Without invocation, his left arm move for itself, impaling the possessed being and etching a cross onto its chest. Before the cross activated, however, the possessed person was able scar Near’s face, cursing him by etching a pentacle into his forehead.
Because of this curse, Near’s left eye was able to detect the movement and power of any evil being nearby.
This was it. This was destiny. He could not turn away from being an exorcist now, like the rest of his family. He had never thought about it until that moment, he had never thought about his future. But now that he did, he only saw one path.
By the time he was twenty-one, he was already a famous exorcist. He was able to control his arm and even turn it into a sword which had the power to destroy demons without destroying the vessel. And he was even able to invoke the Innocence’s power fully, changing his whole appearance. Because of how he looked when this was done, people began calling him the ‘Angelic Crowned Clown’.
It was in his twenty-third year that the Near Cronqvist that people knew would disappear forever. It was on his last exorcism. A girl, seemingly not much younger than Near himself, was said to be possessed. She wreaked havoc and attacked people without warning. When the Crown Clown finally cornered her, he swung his sword--the Crown Edge--and attempted to destroy the demon within.
However, what was inside her wasn’t a demon, nor an angel of any kind. It was something that Near had never seen before. Near was swallowed by what seemed to be a humungous purple eye and brought into complete darkness. The being inside the girl was now inside Near.
It called itself Chaos. Neither devil nor angel, but stronger than any two combined, it stole Near’s body and used it as a vessel, adding another to his collection. Near’s soul was stripped from his body and trapped in Chaos’ sword, Legion, so all that remained were the Innocence and the shell of Near Mathias Cronqvist.
Chaos found a favourite in Near’s Crown Clown power, using it to wreak havoc wherever he went. Now, the Innocence was a holy power, and using it to do such deeds took its toll; the Demented side was nurtured by this.
The Crown Clown power, along with the Demented, was stripped from Chaos when he encountered and fought against a black-winged angel who wielded two swords. Chaos tried to take the angel’s body for another vessel, but during the process, the angel triggered an explosion, interrupting the transfer, but the Innocence’s power had already switched, entering the body of the angel.
However, the angel was not entirely compatible with the Innocence, and each time he used it, he got weaker and weaker.
The final split took place when the angel encountered Chaos, in Near’s body, once more. He attempted to get the Crown Clown power back. But the Innocence refused to go, splitting from the angel who was badly weakened by that time.
The pure shock of seeing Near’s body used in such a way from a different perspective and the shock of splitting so fast created the Manic side.
The Innocence then tried to invoke the Crown Clown form by itself, which forced it to take a humanoid form, this was when it decided to take on the appearance of its former master: Near Mathias Cronqvist.
Chaos retreated when he was faced with the raw Innocence and the recovering angel.
Since then, the ‘new’ Near took on the identity of his former master and started searching for Chaos, intending to break the hold on its current favourite vessel.
After so long of being in humanoid form, the Innocence began to
feel human. Emotions started to grow inside something called a ‘heart’. Remembering how his former master used to act, he adopted the personality. He felt like an actual
person after all his interactions with different people, he wanted to help and protect those who showed him care. As a result, he changed the ‘Mathias’ to ‘Matthew’, but leaving the other two in memory of his former master.
Later, he found that he was affected with something called ‘Multiple Personality Disorder’, but he also found that he could see and communicate with the other personalities, especially in the shadows, or in a pitch black area. Knowing that he had such a ‘human problem’, he decided that he would not seek help to absolve it; which turned out for the better, as the different personalities helped in different situations.
Even though he thinks and has emotion; he is not human, nor does he want to be. Finally realizing that the quest to get his master back is a lost cause, all he wants to do now is keep on living.