Character List

James Vincent Gainsborough


Alias: Vinx

Age: Born December 13th, 1793 AD (Approx. 123yrs old)

Race: Half Demon

Affiliates: Demon Slayers

Gender: Male

Hair color/style: Short black hair

Eyes: Gray-blue

Weight: 155 lbs. (70kg)

Height: 5'11'' (1.5m)



Weapons:

Vinx has collected quite an arsenal of weapons throughout his life. As a Demon Slayer, much of his tools are mandatory to carry, though his time in the field has allowed him to collect more effective, rare weaponry with which to kill monsters. Like any typical Demon Slayer, his weapons are also made mostly out of silver, a well known purifier of evil.


Bequeath- A fencing sword formed in the style of an Épée (picture), which is a three pronged foil. It is the heaviest of foils used in traditional fencing, reaching about 110cm (3’7’’) long. The sword itself is formed from an alloy of silver and steel, which is kept in a black leather sheath with silver lettering on it (which is also worn on his left on a slanted, black leather belt). Both edges are dangerously sharp, though the tip of the blade is the deadliest point. The hilt of the blade has a curvaceous, intricate guard that protects the hand with metal rings and curves (picture).


Revolvers- Vinx carries two small black revolvers that are strapped in another leather belt, resting on the front part of his legs. Both are carried in their own holster, with two pouches of ammo kept on the same belt. These pouches are medium sized, one holding steel bullets and the other silver.


Silver Stake- A collapsible 2 foot long stake made of pure silver. It has a grip on the thick, blunt end, which is reinforced with carved bumps to keep the hand from slipping. When collapsed, it is no longer than a foot, and a small, ovular button on the hilt springs the tip of the stake out. Engraved onto the hilt are ancient symbols which bless the staff with holy magic. This rests in a holster on Vinx’s right, held at the bottom of another belt that straps diagonally across his chest.


Bottled Sunlight- Perhaps the rarest of a Slayer’s tools, bottled sunlight is collected light that is retained within an enchanted bottle. The flask itself is painted an opaque black to keep the light from showing. Upon breaking, it emits a powerful burst of light that covers a radius of ten feet. Anything caught within that blast of light is exposed to very condensed sunlight, which inflicts both burning and holy wounds onto the flesh of the victim. Outside of that, it is simply an extraordinarily hot and bright light. Vinx carries three such bottles in padded pouches that rest on the belt that crosses his chest.


Silver Darts- Within a black leather pouch strapped tightly to his left thigh, Vinx carries five six inch darts made completely out of silver. Each darts’ shaft is about one centimeter in width, with four black feathers placed at one end for balance. The darts are perhaps even sharper than needles, with the barrel full of a blessed substance known as liquid silver. Upon impact, this substance is released from the dart’s tip and into the creature’s body, which sends deadly poison into living creatures, and even more potent toxin into cursed creatures.


At a glance, these darts are fairly plain, the feathers being the only decorative touch. Within the barrel, the liquid is a somewhat translucent silver which has a sharp metallic smell, even stronger to cursed creatures.


Silver Crossbow- The crossbow itself is not made out of silver, but of simple wood. Vinx can fire it fairly rapidly, though at far distances, the blessed silver bolts are much less penetrating. The crossbow itself is also rather plain, with no complex designs or writing on it. This weapon is also attached to a leather strap so that Vinx can wear it on his back or pack it on his horse. Vinx keeps the 16’’ bolts in a black leather quiver that he also straps on his back. He doesn’t usually wear these unless he is already on a hunt for demons.


Whip- Vinx carries a thick, black leather whip that reaches about eight feet long. It has a strong wooden handle which is also black. At the end of the rope, there’s a small, sliver tipped blade. This he keeps on a strap on his belt, which is wrapped up in a coil near the back of his right side.


Silver Knives- Vinx carries four knives, all of which have been blessed and have letters engraved into the blade. Each one is about eight inches long (made of silver) with a black leather hilt to reinforce the grip. Vinx carries one in the back of his right boot, another on his left side, a third in the center of the belt that goes across his chest, and the fourth is strapped onto the back of his right shoulder. These are easily used for both stabbing and throwing.



Armor:


Leather- Vinx wears black leather gloves that extend halfway up his arms that have mystic symbols carved on the inside. While this does not make it impossible for cursed weapons to penetrate it, cursed objects will be burned and corroded when touched with them. His black leather boots are tough, but not reinforced with magic. His thick leather coat provides protection for his torso and upper legs, with enough flexibility to keep from hindering him in battle. Just like his gloves, his coat is also blessed to keep demons away.


Shadow Charm- One of the few mementos that Vinx carries from his home, the Shadow Charm acts as an efficient means of protection from dark magic. It serves to absorb the damage that projectiles inflict, and protects against curses that other demons may inflict on their prey. While it is most effective to reduce at least 30% of dark magic damage, it can also absorb any kind of elemental damage, though this is much less powerful, taking only about 10% of damage away.

The symbol itself is carved out of silver, forming a small pendant shaped into an ancient symbol. Vinx wears this around his neck, underneath his clothing, and its magic power is subtle enough not to be noticed by even the best of wizards.



Strengths:


Reflex- As a Half Vampire, Vinx has inherited the traditional “supernatural” reflexes, which include superior senses to that of a human’s. He can hear whispering through a solid rock wall, see with perfect vision for great distances, and has a very strong sense of smell— especially for blood. He also has faster reaction speed to stimuli, which has been improved upon in his years of survival and combat. This gives him a decided advantage against those who move at a normal pace, allowing him to move with ethereal speed and grace, which becomes particularly deadly when he wields his weapons.


Raw Strength- Vinx has inherited unnatural strength, allowing him to perform feats of power that would be impossible for other humans. This includes being able to jump distances of 32 ft (9.8m), as high as nine feet (274cm), and lift weights up to 1670lbs (757.5kg). This makes for incredible strength in combat, and with power tempered over 100 years, it is perfectly lethal.


Demon Fighting- Vinx’s victims over the years have been nothing short of inhuman. His experience with evil creatures— everything from ghosts to vampires— has left him with creative skill in investigation and combat. His many years of life has given him enough time to perfect his own proficiency with his weapons, and he can easily adjust to fight creatures of different backgrounds and strengths. If there’s any kind demon at all out there, it’s very likely that he’s killed one of them.


Weapon Versatility- Vinx’s experience in numerous weapons gives him a basic proficiency with almost any kind of weapon, and even without one, he is particularly dangerous. His past battles have often forced him to improvise, and he can do so fairly well when put in a difficult situation. His particular fighting style specializes in lunges and stabs, which is pointed mostly at getting a silver blade into a vampire’s chest.

The numerous weapons Vinx carries also serve to create very interesting combinations. He can wield different weapons at the same time with ridiculous skill, and is ambidexterous with each one.


Range- Vinx’s weapons provide a versatile range to fight with, allowing him to fight comfortably with targets at close and far proximities.


Knowledge- With any centuries old character, Vinx also holds a great knowledge of the world. He can read and understand demonic language (as well as French, Chinese, Spanish, Latin, and Arabic), and is easily able to memorize and retain any given information. He knows of most races and their history, as well as important historic dates and cities. This also gives him uncanny perception into other people, allowing him great insight into ambiguous characters.


Poison/resistance to Disease- As a half vampire, Vinx has strong resistance to toxins, and will never age. He is not, however, impervious to poisons, and can in fact die from strong illnesses and poisons, though this will take much worse circumstances to harm him than it would a normal human.



Weaknesses:


Humanity- As a half breed, Vinx does not have the full power of a vampire. He still has to breathe, still has to keep warm, and he cannot match another vampire’s full speed and power. Though he is on fairly equal ground with a newly formed vampire, older ones provide a much greater challenge. In such cases, he generally relies on his wit and weapons.


Blood Lust- Yes, the lust that haunts all vampires also gets on Vinx’s nerves. While his attraction to blood is not as strong as a normal vampire’s, it still tempts his self control, though he has taken great care to master it. Blood is instinctually desirable to him, but it will not have a distracting influence unless he is particularly weakened, in which case he will easily loose his concentration. In extreme cases, he may loose himself enough to attack even a friend to obtain their blood.


Holy Weapons- Vinx himself is impartial to the very weapons he carries. While he has lived with irritability of these things for a very long time, and they no longer bother him, holy attacks of others will strike extra damage upon him.


Magic- Though Vinx has had plenty of experience with the supernatural, he lacks the ability to dispel or destroy the magic of… well… magical creatures. He relies solely on physical attacks to inflict damage, though he has been known to play mind and logic games with his prey. He also doesn’t have much of a defense against magic, and almost anything magical that he comes up with to use against an enemy has to be researched and found before he attacks.


Light- Though Vinx can walk in daylight and doesn’t have to sleep as long as a human, he still isn’t very fond of it. It takes longer for his eyes to adjust than it does a normal human, and bright lights are particularly painful. He’s also more susceptible to sun burn.


Weapon Rarity- The ammo and weapons which Vinx uses are expensive and rare. He has to make good judgment when using them, and often has to salvage what he can from his targets.



Skills/Magic:


Dark Sight- Another trait of the vampire, Vinx can see in the dark as if it were day. It does, however, take time for his eyesight to adjust to perfect darkness.


Diet Versatility- Vinx can eat both food and blood. While he is naturally more partial to blood, he can still eat even vegetables with the greatest of ease. However, his body is effected immensely by his diet, and becomes much stronger and proficient when he drinks blood. When drinking blood, he doesn’t have to eat food at all, but he has to feed at least weekly, or he will become fairly psychotic. On a diet of plain food, Vinx’s vampire abilities become less prevalent, and his blood lust is much calmer, though it still burns his throat.

Though Vinx lacks the traditional fangs to suck blood, his sharp teeth can easily pierce human and animal flesh. He can bite into a prevalent vein and suck blood from there, allowing the person’s heart to do the majority of the work. This makes his drinking slower than the average vampire, but his bite is just as effective. When he bites and blood is released, certain capillaries in his mouth release a drug, or vampiric venom that works to sedate and calm the subject that he drinks blood from. The pain of his teeth is but a moment— the drug will quickly take effect to block the pain by inducing the victim’s system to release large amounts of dopamine (a neurotransmitter), thus hindering their moving capability and stimulating the pleasure center of the brain.


Stealth- Vinx is an excellent tracker of humans, animals, and demons. He knows how to stay unnoticed by his prey, and his skill in stealth is undeniable. He is nearly silent when he walks or moves, and his movements are unnaturally quick, though he has learned to conceal such irregularities when around humans.


Survival- Vinx is easily able to adapt to wherever he is, be it urban paradise or rural marshes. He is an excellent hunter, and has great stamina when it comes to travel. In wilderness settings, Vinx generally allows himself to become more vampiric, feeding off of the blood of animals. In urban areas, he rarely eats blood, and never blood from a human. He makes exceptions only in dire situations, when he has to hunt down another demon quickly within a city, which requires that he is at his full strength. Though he may feed from a human, he will never kill them— he’s spent too much time practicing control over blood lust for that.


Intimidation and Insight- Vinx is annoyingly attentive. He can read a person simply by what they’re wearing, and it’s easy for him to catch the tell-tale signs of a liar. His background in history (particularly in cursed creatures) gives him a wide arsenal of knowledge to pull from when faced with a challenge. His vampiric nature also serves well in intimidating others, as he has a naturally dark aura and particularly cold, sharp eyes.


Demonic Sense- Vinx has an uncanny ability to sense the presence of other dark creatures. He can sense them as far as three miles away, and has taken great care to be sensitive to such things (as it often implies an attack). It’s not a matter of strength of aura or magical presence— the sense is in the blood. Other vampires are particularly sensitive to him as well.


Form- Vinx is used to being in sticky situations, and has thus learned how to use his body to get out of them. His flexibility and skill allow him to climb and doge quite well, which makes him rather difficult to chase down.


Vampire Slayers- As part of a group, Vinx can call upon the aid of other Demon Slayers, who are scattered throughout the world. They easily exchange information and are quick to give aid, as they all share one common purpose: to protect the innocent from demons. Along with this, he also has strong ties to the Christian church, which provides much of the information and weaponry Vinx uses.


Regeneration- Vinx has an unnatural healing speed, which isn’t instant, but can be quick enough to save him from mortal wounds. It takes a good hour or so to completely heal minor scratches, and a broken bone will keep him down for about three days.



Appearance:


Physical Features- Vinx’s eyes are light, grayish blue, and unremarkable in shape. His face is heart shaped with a prominent square jaw and sharply pointed nose. His face is lean, as is the rest of his body, with his skin being an albino white. His dark black hair is short and neatly combed over to the left side, with a few bangs falling over his forehead. His red lips are thin and his teeth perfectly white, with his incisors being particularly sharp (but not nearly as prominent as a vampire’s fangs). This, however, is difficult to see, as he is almost always wearing crooked fedora whose brim masks his face and hair with shadow. He stopped aging when he was turned— that was at about 25 years of age.


Clothing- Vinx’s prominent feature is one color: black. His hat is black, his leather boots (that go up to just below the knee) are black, his pants are black, his long overcoat is black— he’s depressing as a raincloud. This general gloom of his very appearance is enough for others to subconsciously avoid him, and his tall figure is only more intimidating. Everything he wears is pretty much the same color of black, even his long sleeved shirt. The dark linen shirt tucks into his gloves, which are rather loose at the arm end. His leather overcoat extends a few inches past the knee, with buttons lining the chest until it reaches his belt, where it splits in the front and back. This conceals many of the pouches on his belt and legs, including a good portion of his sword.


Body- Vinx has a firm and muscular frame, though it is not ostentatiously so. He also has plenty of scars across his chest and back from some particularly nasty bouts with demons, though his body heals fairly quickly. He carries a subtle scent of Juniper and mint, and his voice is pleasantly smooth, but almost always apathetic, with a very strong British accent.



Other equipment:


Salt- The wonderful substance for all who fear the undead—Vinx carries the stuff in a medium sized pouch that is strapped to his belt (the one also attached to the sword). It’s useful for drawing protective circles, including circles which the undead cannot cross.


Holy Water- The bane of curses and acid to evil, Vinx carries three bottles of water blessed by a priest. These serve well to reduce and banish curses, and are particularly good at burning the flesh of the undead. He has three bottles of this, which he keeps in padded pouches on the belt that comes across his chest.


Holy Symbols- Vinx wears blessed pendants of various religions on himself. This includes a silver crucifix that he wears on his neck, a bracelet with the Star of David (made from silver as well), another bracelet with the holy symbols of the crescent moon and star (Islam), and various other symbols from different religions. All of these are meant to protect from any kind of demon that has ever walked the earth.


Thievery Tools- Not all of life’s doors are unlocked. Vinx carries a pouch of small lock picking tools to help with door locks and cumbersome binding devices.


Elixir- Vinx carries a potent healing potion created by a Christian monk, and its healing qualities are unmatched in the world of chemicals. Drinking the whole vial will provide the drinker with full health, healing all physical ailments. The liquid itself looks just like water, though it has the sweet scent of vanilla. Vinx carries two bottles of this, which are strapped in a pouch on his belt.


Travelling Supplies- Vinx carries a bag full of all traveling necessities, including vittles, soap, cooking utensils, flint and steel, money, spare clothing, as well as other various, simple items used for convenience. This bag is usually left strapped to the saddle of Vinx’s horse.



Vinx’s Horse:

Name: Amin

Race: Arabian horse breed

Height: 14.2 hands (58 inches from the base of the neck to the hooves)

Weight: 900lbs. (408.2kg)

Appearance: Amin has a sleek black coat with a long black mane and tail. He is a muscular horse with a delicate looking head, though he is quite a strong and powerful animal.

Temperament: Amin has been extensively trained and is loyal and obedient to Vinx. He has a tendency to blatantly ignore others that may try to ride him. Amin can easily take jumps and is a difficult animal to spook. He doesn’t handle ship travel very well.

History: Amin was a mount that Vinx acquired in England through an expensive trade in London.



Personality:


Vinx is a rock. He just is. He has a very unmoving and logical personality, which is attentive to detail, but not always responsive to it. Vinx is a particularly quiet man, and while he is generally willing to cooperate, he will not hesitate to disobey orders in order to take the course of action that he thinks is best. He’s generally curious about information he has not heard or seen before, but unless it is information of any importance, he doesn’t care to pursue it.

Vinx isn’t necessarily peaceable—simply calm. If he thinks he needs to take something, he will not hesitate to take without asking, hardly even thinking of how his actions might offend another. He cares nothing about how others feel or what they think, only that they are safe. The only law that exists for him is his own, and his belief in the Christian God is one of grudging acceptance.

Though Vinx’s hatred towards demons is strong and deep, he is not easily moved or manipulated by them. His encounters with them have often been callous and sardonic, removing any sense of pity at all in him. He doesn’t have a great interest in the world, seeking only to pursue and kill demons, leaving him with very few friends. He has pursued no relationships, and much prefers solitude over any kind of company.

Despite his isolation, Vinx is a gentleman, if grudgingly so. A good portion of his life was spent in England, and before he became a Half Vampire, he belonged to a noble family. His is perfectly aware of social graces, and generally acts upon them, often being genially detached. Annoying people, however, will find that Vinx’s terse mannerisms can be somewhat harsh. Vinx tends to use his "genteel" charm best when he's in need of human blood.



Likes:


Music- Vinx has always had a soft spot for music. He enjoys listening to classic and opera, and is fairly skilled at playing the Violin. This was a taste that he developed in his earlier years as a human, and it still remains with him. Along with this, he is particularly well trained in traditional English dances, including the scandalous waltz.


Children/Innocents- Vinx is only too familiar with the dark side of society. He prefers the company of sincere, honest people who lead small, simple lives. It is to their protection that he has committed his life.


Books- In the small moments of peace that Vinx has, he prefers to read. While novels aren’t exactly up his alley, he still enjoys informational text on linguistics, mathematics, geography, and history. There are few technical terms that he is unfamiliar with.


Food- Vinx rarely has time to settle down to a decent meal, and while he’d never admit it, he’s particularly grumpy when he goes without eating. Eating good, hot food generally puts him in a better mood. He tends to favor traditional English food, with his favorite dish being Crown Roast Lamb.



Dislikes:


Demons/Vagabonds- Vinx has zero tolerance for demons and criminals. A sadistic demon is dead on sight. Criminals are given no mercy when they cross him. While Vinx doesn’t go out of his way to hunt down criminals, he will not hesitate to inflict “justice” where necessary, and is particularly terse with cruel and dubious individuals.


Pleasant Weather- When the sky is blue and the sun at its highest, Vinx becomes particularly sullen. Perhaps that’s because his dreary attitude contrasts heavily with anything cheerful, but he prefers the cool, dark and damp to anything bright and painfully vibrant.


Indulgence- Vinx has a strong dislike towards materialism and insincere, ardent emotions that are so easily expressed in the Victorian society. Showy, chatty people are likely to get little response from him.



Biography:


Vinx was born during turbulent times in England. The Revolutionary War was recently lost by the British, and great reforms in slavery and the Church of England were occurring. His father was a wealthy merchant of the noble class, and so he was provided with genteel education. He also studied business alongside his father, and being the oldest of two brothers and one sister, he was also expected to inherit his family’s wealth.

As Vinx grew into a young man, the French Revolution was occurring just beyond the English Channel. He saw his father become politically involved as Britain faced fears of revolution, and became active himself by studying the arguments of men like Edmund Burke and Thomas Jefferson. He continued his basic studies in Latin, mathematics, and business, and balanced such activities with music, dance, and fencing. As he gained good reputation as a dignified and intelligent noble, his birth engagement to Callista Elizabeth Cudney was soon announced, though the marriage to this noblewoman never took place.

A terrible event occurred one night as Vinx’s family gathered to dinner. He was at his prime, strong and ready to marry, his family was comfortably wealthy, and his parents and siblings were in perfect health. This in and of itself was a small miracle considering the hard economic times, but they graciously accepted the circumstances. All of that changed on that chilly autumn night.

What happened was a vampire attack, the reasons of which Vinx did not discover until a full year after it occurred. His father’s business had expanded particularly well because he had employed the help of a vampiric cult to help “negotiate” otherwise impossible deals. This turned into an alliance in which Vinx’s father provided the vampires with supplies and shelter, until he became overconfident. Disgusted with himself and his own business, and certain in the strength of his trade, Vinx’s father tried to break the deal with the vampires, claiming he would never work with them again. Before this deal ever came into effect however, the cult attacked, and Vinx’s family was killed.

Vinx was not the sole survivor, in a sense. Both of his brothers were successfully turned into full vampires themselves, but something strange occurred with Vinx. Fearing for his life, as his other brothers did, Vinx also tried to drink the vampire blood presented to him once his human blood was nearly drained, but was only half successful. The vampire attack was interrupted by two demon slayers, who managed to kill one of the vampires and chase the others off, and it was then that they discovered Vinx. They originally intended to kill him, as they did all vampire survivors before they turned, but they were quick to sense that the transformation was incomplete. A rare event had occurred— one in which Vinx held a perfect mix of human and vampiric blood.

In order to keep his life, Vinx had to take the Slayer’s Vow, a pact with God that promised his allegiance to him, which had hold over his very life. He swore to protect God’s innocent, and to slay the wicked demons that walked the earth, unchallenged by mortal power.

To make a long story short, Vinx joined the ranks of the Demon Slayers and undertook their training. This consisted of controlling his blood lust and attaining resistance to holy objects, as well as intensive survival and weapon training. After learning such basics, he was paired with another Demon Slayer until he learned the ropes of demon hunting, and since then, he has gone solo. He has reached a more “elderly” position among the Demon Slayers, having managed to kill even a 700 year old vampire.



History of the Demon Slayers:


All Demon Slayers are half vampires. There are no exceptions. Each and every one of them has sworn a sacred vow to protect the innocent, and it is a vow that they uphold with their very lives. The group has existed for almost as long as vampires have, though they are certainly less in number because of the unique and rare way in which they are created. Their purpose is generally fed off from the circumstances in which they were turned, which are predictably violent, abhorrent events. They have all been assaulted by vampires and affected for eternity because of it, and none of them bear any fondness towards vampires because of this.

Half Vampires are created when a subject’s blood is replaced with enough vampiric blood to biologically change them, but not enough to turn them fully. Such a balance is virtually impossible to create, and these instances have occurred only because of a bizarre mix of fate and luck. None of these subjects ever turn to become sadistic demons themselves— the Demon Slayers are too tightly knit a group for this to happen. They have an unnatural sense for finding each other, and there have been no known half vampires to have refused to make the Slayer’s Vow. Because of this, they have become a small, but terrorizing group to demons that traverse the world. Their numbers have never grown over one hundred (which is pretty small, considering the world’s population), due, of course, to their rare creation and dangerous profession.

Demon Slayers work closely with the Christian church, though they are by no means on “friendly” terms with it. They are recognized as demons themselves, damned creatures that drink forbidden blood, but they are kept around because of their supernatural abilities. It is rare for any mortal to have the power to kill a vampire, and even half vampires are at a serious disadvantage. Their real power comes from their holy weapons, which are immensely effective against powerful, dark creatures. They are unforgiving soldiers of the night who are trained with incredible skill, which is only reinforced by their vampiric strength.

Demon Slayers are the bane of all demonic and dark creatures, and are greatly hated for this. While those outside of the Demon Slayers have no understanding as to how they function and what they really do (Demon Slayers are often interpreted to be singular mercenaries that aspire to do God’s will), it’s not difficult for dark creatures to recognize that these “mercenaries” have the intent and power to kill them.

For all these reasons, the Demon Slayers are a mysterious, isolated group that very, very few ever come to recognize. They disappear as quickly as they come, often leaving nothing behind to tell their story. Vampire Slayers rarely gather in large groups, but it is not unusual for them to work in pairs and small groups when teaching or gathering up power to fight a particularly large enemy. They’re also known to wear similar clothes and wield similar weapons— a Slayer is easily recognized if one knows what to look for. Each of them has contact with the Christian church, though only a few monks and priests even know of their existence.

Name: Kaizar

Nickname: Cyborg

Occupation: Mercenary

Age: 34

Apparent age: N/A

Race: Human

Gender: Male

Hair colour: Brown

Eyes colour: Blue

Weight: 90 kg (187 pounds)

Height: 6 foot 1 inch (1 metre 85 centimetres)

Weapon: Twin blades passed down to him by his swords master. The blades of these swords are plain. The hilts have an intricate gold tread pattern that looks like many rivers that spreads from the centre, leaving a hole in the middle, only to be completed when the young man finds the right gemstones.

Dimensions of swords: Blade - 30 inches (76 centimetres)
Hilt - 4 inches (10 centimetres)

Armour: None.

Carried possessions: His twin swords, a pendant given to him by his mother the day they left the town, a shaving set and a spare set of clothes.

Magic: Kaizar has a basic use of an ancient and powerful magic. It was said to have died out thousands of years before his birth, but those who used it merely remained hidden in society. Those able to control this magic are said to have the secret to life itself.
While he is using it he sees everything as threads. Each thread is a certain type of magic. There is a thread for fire, one for water, another for air, a fourth for earth, and the final one, which is only present in living creatures, is spirit. Kaizar takes the threads from the surrounding area, and himself, and weaves them together to make his spells. Each spell has a certain, and different, way of weaving the threads together. If he weaves the threads even slightly wrong then he can either end up with the wrong spell, or an explosion that will severely hurt him at the least. The ability to weave these threads means he can perform almost any spell, as long as the threads are available, and he has seen it first.
He can also able to pick other spells apart, but this often results in a massive explosion and is not advisable. Sometimes when he is sat quietly away from people his magic will call to him, and if he answers he could destroy everything in the surrounding area without meaning to. He also needs to clear his mind to reach for it, leaving no room for any emotion, meaning he will attack friend and foe without thought. When using his magic Kaizar is not easily stopped, but he is not always able to control it, or even summon it for use at all!

Abilities: Magic weaving - This is Kaizars form of magic. Although it is powerful when used, he cannot control it well so tends to ignore it in battle, instead he tends to use it outside of battle for the menial tasks like clearing his camp site in the morning. No one other than Kaizar can see the magic he weaves until it is finished and it becomes a spell. This can take many forms, depending on the spell he wishes to perform.

Sword skills: Kaizar relies on his swords in a fight in order to survive. His skills in wielding his two blades can lead to many surprising styles.
Style 1 - focused attack - When using this style Kaizar focuses all his attacks and blows on one opponent, trying to deal the most damage as possible. With this style he swings both swords in unison with each other, striking any foe with both blades at once. His favourite move in this style is to swing them in front of himself, like a windmill. He will often block an attack with one sword and strike back with the other when using this style.
Style 2 - unfocused attack - Kaizar uses this style to fight more than one foe. His swords will often seem to be used by two separate people when fighting in this style. When fighting link this he can block two separate attacks at the same time, but then cannot fight back until one of the others breaks off their attack. This style has more thrusts than his first fighting style, but contains less slashes. Kaizars favourite move in this style is to act like a spinning top, extending both arms in opposite directions and spinning around with both swords in hand.
Both styles are fought in close quarters with his opponents and are mainly focused on defeating the enemy as quickly as possible.

Strengths: He is an expert swordsman, which he has been practising from the day he was left his family. Now he uses practise to keep fit and check his left arm works properly. He is blindingly fast with his swords and it is not easy to get past his defences. Kaizar also has the basic use of a powerful magic that means he can do almost anything when it is used. He can also pick other peoples spells apart, if he so chooses.

Weaknesses: Kaizar is not able to control his magic effectively, and it sometimes doesn’t even answer his calls for use. He is easily overpowered by other people magic spells used on him due to his inability to use his own magic. If Kaizar ever gets disarmed in a fight he cannot fight well as he was only taught how to fight with his swords, and not his magic, before being outcast by his home town.

Appearance: Kaizar has a pair of icy blue eyes, and messy brown hair. His face is harsh looking and covered in many scars, the main one running from just under his left eye to the right side of his mouth. His nose is short and stubby, most if it missing due to a fight he had a few years ago. His mouth is almost always twisted into a frown. He is clean shaven and doesn’t like to have a beard.
His torso is quite well toned with plenty of muscles. But it is also pitted and scared from the many operations he has had to replace his left arm, which is commonly in a sheath of synthetic skin, giving the appearance of a well muscled arm. He has a small power pack hidden beneath his skin just under his left shoulder, which needs recharging every few days. His right arm is well muscled due to his constant sword practice.
The hilts of his two swords stick out over his shoulders, and often get caught on low hanging branches. He wears a top made from cotton with a sleeve on his left arm that goes down to his wrist. This sleeve is very loose fitting and shows no detail underneath it. He also wears a pair of black leather trousers and a black leather long coat, also revealing no details of his physique beneath.
He likes to keep himself clean and washes whenever he can. Sometimes however he is not able to wash for a few weeks and can smell quite bad. But as soon as the opportunity arises he will go and have a wash.

Personality: When meeting new people Kaizar often puts on a cold and heartless personality, and rarely says anything unless spoken to. Even then he keeps his answers short. He also tends to hide his left arm from view, whether it is under the sleeve of his top, under the synthetic skin he buys, or just under his long coat. This is because of the bad experiences he has had whenever people have found out that he arm was metal.
Once you get past all the cold remarks and heartless outlook on life Kaizar can be a very kind and caring person, who would do anything for anyone. Not many people take the time to get to know him however, and he finds it easier to keep them away by pretending to be cold and heartless instead.
His outlook on life is that you only get one life so there is no point complaining about your misfortunes, you just have to get on with it instead. His favourite line to use when describing this is “Life’s not fair. Now get on with it!”

Likes: spending time alone, practising his sword fighting skills, animals of all sizes, his special drink called ‘power’ and defending others.

Dislikes: Being in a crowd, losing his swords, being alone with another person, seeing animals hurt and telling people about his robotic arm.

Fears: The four things that scare Kaizar most are being hated by the world because of his left arm, never finding anyone who would stand by him despite the way he is to them, death itself and losing control of his magic, and destroying everything he has left that he holds dear.

Virtues: He will do almost anything for anyone, and will always defend those he feels to be in the right. Kaizar will also give out his trust to any that he thinks he should.

Vices: Kaizar will often give trust to those he shouldn’t and feels betrayed by them, he also doesn’t make the right decisions on everything when he chooses who to defend. Because Kaizar has spent most of his life alone he often makes rah decisions and gets himself into a lot of trouble.

Biography: Kaizar was born in a small town deep in the countryside, almost cut off from the rest of the world. At the age of seven he started swords school, and at the age of ten he showed promise of magic practises as well. He spent the next four years training to use both swords and magic, but not doing well with his magic.
At the age of fourteen he infected by a demons curse. His left arm soon became useless and Kaizar fell very ill. The only way to save his life was to remove his arm and replace it with a metallic one. His parents agreed, even though cyber limbs were shunned in their society.
Kaizar had to have a special synthetic drink called ‘power’ to recharge the power cell used to power his arm from that day on. Even though his arm was covered in a synthetic skin it was not long before other people in the town found out about it and chased him and his family out of the town. This went on for two more weeks in every town they stayed in. Finally Kaizar packed his things and left when the family were asleep.
He became a mercenary and worked for many people just to pay for the hospital bills he incurred from having his arm replaced. His life continued like this for the next seven years, when he had his last replacement.
Two years after that he was finally able to return to his hometown, only to find it being destroyed, and the people killed. He was soon captured by the demons that had laid the curse on him. These demons then forced him to watch everyone he had ever known and loved killed right in front of him, because he had escaped the curse of the demon all those years ago.
Eleven years has passed since that day, but he still harbours the thought that everyone is against cyber limbs, and no one will ever want to know him because of it. He has never taken the synthetic skin off his arm, and replaces it at every opportunity he gets. He never lets anyone get close to him and always keeps them at arms length.

(Approved by meeee!)

Name: Damien
Occupation: No fixed occupation, tends to pick up odd jobs as he wanders from city to city but is rather unskilled.
Age/Birthdate: 19
Apparent Age: 19
Gender: Male
Race: Angel
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 140 lbs
Eye Color: A muddy, turbid brown color that's rather unremarkable, but look somewhat friendly if they give off any impression.
Hair Color/Style: Skunky blonde and wavy, cut in a rather messy, shaggy style in short layers, the bottom-most reaching to his jawline. Has a cowlick in the front that never seems to want to stay down, no matter how much he wills (and excessively gels) it to.

General Appearance: Damien is neither cherub nor like an adonis from a classical Michelangelo canvas, and cuts a rather gangling, tall, lanky figure that slouches because it's most comfortable for him and would more so belong to a lazy college freshman majoring in general studies with a nickname like "Pizza Face" than an angel. His face is neither handsome nor particularly unattractive--the best way you could really describe it would be to say it's "average", and still rather youthful. He gives off the appearance of having yet to grow into his features, and has a slightly bigger than normal nose, thin lips, and eyes set a little wider apart. He has a somewhat strong brow with decently trimmed eyebrows, and his face is longer than it is wide. His chin and jaw are a bit weak and not particularly overtly masculine or mature looking. His first set of wings were stubby, pathetic, irregular-shaped things too flimsy to support flight and too embarrassing to pull out in front of the other fledglings--they have grown since then into more functional things, but are still not the perfectly plumed kind that one would expect from an angel (at least they're white, he often says.) Sometimes they make his back itch when he retracts them. He has large, skinny feet and hands, and fair, more or less smooth skin that sunburns quicker than most. He has never been able to grow more facial hair than boyish peach fuzz.

While in Heaven, Damien sticks to wearing the standard toga, leather belt, golden sandals, and laurels behind each ear. On earth, he likes to sport old, comfortable, worn-in t-shirts (often band t-shirts, thrift store, or rummage sale items), similarly old and battered jeans, brown leather sandals or well-worn white sneakers, and a blue South Carolina Tar Heels college windbreaker he feels helps him blend in more. He carries a off-brand backpack with his few possessions, covered in buttons and stickers of various places he's been, with the straps loose so its weight sags comfortably on his shoulders.

Weapon(s): A slingshot, which he feels is rather pathetic and not worth pulling out, made of oak. The pellets are simply old, hard acorns. He's attempted to purchase a gun, but has always been too afraid to follow through and hasn't got an ID to prove his age.

Armor: None but his cloth kneepads and a helmet he occasionally wears when skateboard, but feels is too dorky to be seen in.

Carried Possessions: Inside his backpack (described in appearance), Damien has a scuffed old red Walkman, repaired countless times with duct-tape, with a skip button that tends to stick; an assortment of CDs collected from yard sales all over the United States; a thermos with a slight leak, some pens, a spiral-bound notebook he sometimes likes to jot down thoughts or notes in, covered in band stickers; and a few changes of clothes which, when lucky, he scrounges up enough change to wash at local laundromats. He also carries a threadbare, fabric fold-up wallet with a few useless membership cards, whatever cash he may have on him, and a library card that is the only proof of his identity. Buried underneath the clothes is an old gray Gameboy Advance he picked up at, yes, a yard sale, and he has a small collection of games in cheap plastic cases to go with it. He carries a blue, mesh-and-fabric South Carolina Tar Heels ballcap for the days when he simply can't tolerate his cowlick any longer. If he's got some extra cash, he tries to keep at least one package of batteries in his backpack, but has always been afraid of them getting damaged and leaking acid all over his things. His backpack often smells of half-finished food.

Powers/Magic/Skills: As an angel, Damien has decently serviceable wings that can fly for short distances and/or medium altitudes. He also possesses a few holy talents.

Blessing: Damien possesses the power to heal small wounds, minor illnesses, and injuries, by using a specific prayer. He needs to focus to perform this, and then clasp his hands together, speaking the words earnestly and with genuine and selfless care for the person, plant, or animal he wishes to heal. The prayer takes about a minute to recite, and he cannot perform it repeatedly without tiring himself in the process. If he visits a church or other holy location, he is able to return to Heaven with God's permission.

Sanctify: With a different prayer, Damien is able to bless a certain area or building (or if he wishes, a person), and make it holy for a limited period of time (at most, two days.) This blessing protects the area or person from any manner of dark or sinful magic or power. It can also purge an evil or demonic spirit from a person or place. Depending on how long the blessing lasts, this skill will consume more of his energy.

Battle Strengths: Being a holy being, Damien is unharmed by gunshots and most mortal wounds that would kill a human, as well as lesser dark magics and curses. He can fly for short periods of time, and his wiry body possesses some strength, but not much.

Battle Weaknesses: He's awkward and often clumsy on his feet when under pressure, and does not possess much in the way of offensive magic or physical dexterity or power. He's not really very sure how to fight; his punches are sloppy, and he sometimes does not know where he should hit to make an effective blow. This leads him to waste a lot of energy punching someone in their sturdy shoulder when he should have gone for, say, the vulnerable Adam's Apple of their throat. More powerful dark or sinful magic can harm him and require him to flee or return to Heaven injured.

Personality: Damien is not your typical angel. He can't carry a tune when singing, and harps and bows have never agreed with him well--he'd always hurt a finger on either. He goes through life feeling as though he's the butt of most jokes, and therefore has become rather mellow, jaded, and skeptical of any luck that comes his way. He has low expectations and takes little seriously. He's awkward around girls, but tries to pretend he's not. Feels most at home around earth, because people are more "average", he thinks, and he can fit in better. After about seven years on earth he's fairly well assimilated into the culture, especially the teenage culture, but still finds some habits and other things about humans strange or incomprehensible. He's unused to kindness and can be easily flustered, but often tries to hide it and play things "cool" and not looking too eager. Damien speaks slang to even the most dignified of audiences and when he gets excited, he has trouble controlling how quickly or loudly he speaks. He gives off the impression of a grungy teenager slacker, and is well-aware of this perception others hold of him. Someone can easily endear themselves to him by not judging him in this way right off the bat. He doubts his own merits and has low self-confidence, despite the image he tries to project of a more laid-back, socially competent young man. He likes to sometimes try to act older or more mature and manly than he is.

Likes: Video games, burgers, rock music, television, skateboards, girls, cars (despite never learning how to drive), movies, magazines, thriller novels, pizza, tea, cocoa, sugar, Dance Dance Revolution, thrift stores, dogs, cities.
Dislikes: School, math and science in particular, artificial sweeteners, bullies, snobs, over-priced things, trains, elevators, car horns, car alarms, broccoli, beets, socks, harps, bows.
Fears: Being rejected (especially by girls), being judged, being the worst.
Virtues: Modesty, honesty
Vices: Overeating, laziness

History: He was an angel named Damien, and he had always felt there had been rather a mix-up between babies when he was being named. He was an ineffectual angel, been told he would never amount to much, and had been that way from the very start; when all the other fledgling angels had been practicing their hymns and stringing their harps, he was getting his fingers tangled and squeaking off-key, and tripping over his own sandals (just learning to strap those things had been a monumental chore--like shoe-tying, but with pointy metal buckles.) Something about him just always "screamed" average, and in a world of flawless divine beings, he always stood out like an awkward sore thumb. For many of his childhood years, he tried to ignore this--ignore it even though it stared him in the face each day, thwarted him in nearly every effort, followed him around like a tiny, personal stormcloud. He grew miserable and yet tried to stay chipper for as long as he could manage, until finally, someone noticed.

Damien did not, actually, get an audience with God when the day came. But he was assured that the big man upstairs was very sympathetic to his plight, and yadda yadda, some heartening jabber they put together for his sake. But he at least got a brief sit-down with an Archangel, and a decently comfy cloud to sit on during it. The blonde, chiseled superior angel sat across from him, pulled out some impeccably clean reading glasses, and a file that materialized out of thin air. He spent some minutes skimming it, with the occasional half-interested "hrrm".

"I see that, perhaps, you have not been particularly happy here in Heaven, Damien, my boy," he said, without much feeling. "This seems somewhat contradictory, seeing as how this is... well, Heaven, the eternal paradise and all. Even if this place is meant for humans, angels are normally quite content here as well. Most don't know much else beyond this place."

"B-beyooond, sir?" his twelve-year old voice cracked.

"Yes, Damien, beyond--Earth, the living world, inhabited by humans and all of God's other creatures. Some angels have spent time there. We believe... perhaps you would like to spend some time there."

"M... me? You'd let me go...? Even though only a couple angels get to...?"

The archangel gave him a small smile. "Yes, Damien, we will let you go. He has decided it."

Damien was not sure what he could expect on earth, but even so, for the first time he could remember, he was thrilled. He was getting a chance to start somewhere new, where he could possibly fit in, and a chance to see a world few of his kind had seen and experienced in person. That made him different... and in a good way. He couldn't wait. He had no belongings aside from the clothes on his back, and after some further discussion with Michael, the archangel who had first talked with him, he soon learned that his clothing would not be well-suited for earth life anyway. He was given a small wad of bills, and directions to seek out some kind of place called a "thrift shop". They would become his new favorite sight, more welcome than a fluffy cloud or a bright patch of sun. They guided him and left him in a small city in South Carolina, where he would start his first day, as an angel on earth.

He has seldom wanted to go back to Heaven since.

I recently realized that I never posted Tatek here. While this copy of his profile likely won't stay updated, it's probably a good idea to have a version of it here anyway. Unofficially approved by Puck, officially approved by Altamira.

Name: Tatek (No last name. Pronounced: TAA-tehk)

Age: 25

Race: Enchanted Human (Type: Qixueye). Many of his ancestors were the subject of a semi-magical enchantment (actually more closely related to the Chinese term "chi"/"qi" or the Japanese term "ki", than magic) which made them immune to all forms of magic. This immunity is hardwired in their DNA, and so is passed on as a (in this case dominant) genetic trait. More on this ability in the skills/magic section.

Gender: Male

Hair & Eyes: None. Approximately 1 in 20 enchanted humans are born with no hair or eyes, but instead can see magic & chi/qi/ki (hereafter referred to as qi, pronounced identically to the term "chi") without peer. There is only skin where the eyes would've been.

Weight: 75kg

Height: 181cm (5 feet, 11 inches)

Weapon: None

Armor: *see Skills/Magic -> Qi Abilities*

Skills/Magic: While magic comes in many forms, qi is simply a being's internal energy focused to be usable outside or in a different part of the body, allowing for increased speed, strength, and with the particularly powerful, it allows for telekinesis and ranged attacks, plus more which Tatek has yet to even learn about.

Innate abilities:

Magical Immunity: Due to his powerful and unnaturally-structured qi aura, Tatek cannot be harmed or helped by magic. Any magic used on him will automatically be absorbed into his aura upon touching him, which lessens his ability to use his qi. Similarly, no kinds of telepathy work on him unless they are strictly technological in nature (eg. an MRI machine). This ability is always active as long as he is alive, and thus takes no effort whatsoever (except when his qi is depleted, but he replenishes it quickly when unconscious). To clarify, it is only magic itself he is immune to; a person using magic to hit him with, let's say, a rock, would still hurt him as it would a normal person.

Magic Banishment: Through his martial arts or through simple touching if he chooses, Tatek is able to forcefully dissipate magical energy, whether it be in an object, a creature, or just latent in the air. The more magic he wants to destroy, the more energy it takes him.

Second Sight: Tatek can see both latent and active magic & qi, simple as that. What magic looks like depends on the caster and/or the environment (of course, latent magic has no caster), while qi depends purely on the user. This ability includes magic which is normally invisible (yes, this includes qi and magic power which a person suppresses within themselves). The stronger the magic, the brighter Tatek sees it, and the further away he can see it from (although particularly far away things will be somewhat blurry and undefined). This ability is only inactive when Tatek is unconscious (asleep, coma, dead, etc.), and thus takes no energy to use. One downside is that he cannot "blink" away this form of vision as a normal person would blink to stop using their eyes. And a positive or negative thing, depending on the situation, this ability lets Tatek see straight through all non-living, non-magical objects.

Qi Abilities:

Super Strength: When fully focusing his qi, Tatek would be able to lift objects up to around what a mini-van weighs. His combat strength increases as well (up to around 10x)

Super Speed: When fully focusing his qi, Tatek's running speed increases four-fold, while his reaction time (including sharp turns while running) doubles. However, since his brain cannot be similarly powered-up, his reaction speed is the only complex action which is quickened. His normal, unpowered, running speed is around 20km/h (which is typical for a fit person of his age)

Telekinesis: Tatek can pick up or move any object he could normally, even if it is not near him. Combined with his qi-enhanced strength, this allows for large or heavy objects to be moved as well, however the further away the object is, the weaker his movement is. The range for moving something with his natural (1x) strength is 20m. (2x) is 15m. (4x) is 10m. (7.5x) is 5m. The full (10x) strength is not usable at range (ie. 0 metres). Everything in between is on a simple curved scale.

Armor of Qi: Surrounds himself with his qi to create a iron-strength armor around himself. Can be maintained indefinitely as long as he does not get hit, but halves the effectiveness of all his other qi abilities, including his Magic Immunity. If hurt, Tatek can choose to either restrengthen the shield (further lessening his capacity for other qi abilities) or leave it at lower power, with the latter being the default. The shield will lose defensive strength uniformly.

Shield of Qi: Like the Armor of Qi, but focused to a single part of his body. Tatek will usually make this steel-strength, which lowers his other qi-based abilities' potential power by around 25-50%, depending on the size of the area protected; a single limb is 25%, and each further limb is 5% more (including the torso and head each as limbs).

Bandage of Qi: Essentially the same as the Shield of Ki, only focused inwards, healing a part of his body. It takes between a few seconds to a few minutes to heal wounds between bruises and deep cuts, depending on the size of the wound, a few hours to repair broken bones, and full day to reattach dismembered limbs. Everything in between is on a fairly linear scale.

River of Qi: Tatek can channel his qi through any object he is touching, giving it all the same benefits he gives himself. Only works on non-living things, and only works while he touches it.

Qi-insomnia: Due to his extraordinarily large Qi reservior, Tatek needs only half as much sleep as would a normal person with the same age and physical fitness as him.

Qi-equilibrium: Really a side effect of having used Armor of Qi so much during his training, Tatek has developed a permanent, yet very weak, layer of qi all over his body. This qi does essentially nothing to protect from enemy attacks, but does protect him from high or low temperatures, letting him feel little temperture change nearly no matter where on the planet he is. Excessively hot or cold temperatures will break this shield though.

Other:

Un-armed combat: Tatek began being taught at a very young age in the practise of an unnamed style of combat focusing on utilizing the versitility of the upper body in executing direct hits, feints and grabs. This style of combat focuses little on offensiveness, and instead works with the foe's momentum to tire them out until they can be subdued. (See footnote section for more information)

Zhonguen: Tatek does not speak English, or any other language essentially identical to English, but instead speaks "Zhonguen", which shares almost all its words and grammar with Chinese. (Note: As a translation convention, Tatek's speech shall always be surrounded by pointy brackets <Like this> instead of quotation marks "Like this", unless it's written exactly how he's saying it: in Zhonguen.)

Strengths: His speed & strength are superior to an average human's, and his immunity to all magic makes him stronger in combat than most magic-users. Tatek's combat style of evading and reciprocating enemy attacks means that he is at an advantage over many melee fighters too.

Weakness: He's blind, so moving around is a bit of a problem. Although his ability to sense magic & qi means he can "see" living things easily, inanimate objects are invisible to him unless they are magical in nature. In order to not look disabled to others, he forgoes the use of a walking stick or other guiding tool, and so can be clumsy if the ground is not flat or if there are many walls. Tatek is at a serious disadvantage when fighting foes who use weapons, especially large weapons, as he cannot see the weapons themselves, only anticipate where they are based on his foes' qi, and unless magical in nature, he cannot sense incoming attacks from ranged weapons by anything except sound.

Appearance: If you looked at him, you'd likely call him Asian, and if you were particularly skilled, you'd be able to tell that most of his lineage came from what amassed to the south-east Asia region equivalent on his world... but beyond that, Tatek is a bit of a pot luck.
He wears a large hood whenever he can to hide the fact that he has no eyes (which is made even creepier by the fact that he still has eyebrows). While travelling, he likes to wear an oriental-style silk robe which is white with an ornate red patterned lining. He also wears loose, open-ankled, pants of a similar design.

Personality: Tatek is the kind of person who will not get into a fight unless he wants to, and practically the only reason he'd want to would be if his foe is either magical or threatening his life, in which case he will remain calm even during the fight. Note that just because he is calm, it does not mean that he is kind. The only time his calmness would normally deviate would be if he was fighting something he really wanted gone, and in which case his mood can range anywhere from normal calm right up to a fanatical frenzy. (Only entering a frenzy against the strongest of opponents.) Tatek will back down from a fight if he knows he cannot win, but he tends to have a high opinion of his abilities, and so this doesn't happen as often as it should.

Biography: It was a warm summer night. The nomadic people known to some as the Chidun, or "Shield's breath", made camp for the night, halfway between the cities of Shou-du and Chengshi, a six-year-old Tatek asked of their travel-hardened leader, "Why do we fight the wūpo?"

"Ah... this is a long story. Bring here whichever other children want to hear, and I shall tell you all together." After a few minutes of convincing parents that they did not need the help of their sons and daughters, the nomads' leader Lingdao Ren began.

"Well you see children, long ago, before even my great-grandparents were born, our people lived in a small village near the base of Xueshan. Life was peaceful, and everybody helped where they were needed."

"One day, mere weeks after the flowers bloomed and it started to get warm again, a man came from the west, exhausted from traversing the mountain. Then, as we always had, we gave this man shelter, food and a promise of safe passage down to Gangkou when he was ready."

"Little did we know though, this man was a Class-A magician - a wūpo held with extremely high regard among their community - and he was not happy that we tried to help him. In hindsight, we think he deemed recieving help from us as an insult."

"We lasted three whole days and nights in the nearby caves as he took our town to rubble. It was just as he found us that the qilaoshi came. The fight was close, but our people could tell that we would not be saved if they stayed still and did nothing. It was from this realisation that they came up with a plan."

"The first step of the plan was to get the qilaoshi to keep the wūpo away for long enough for the rest of the plan to work. The second step was to get the qilaoshi to make us able to help him. Of the various options, only one was effective enough and quick enough to actually work - we would trade our magical potential for immunity to magic."

A girl a few years older than Tatek butted in to the leader's story, "ah, so that's why magic doesn't work on us."

"Yes Ke'ai, that's right. Now, where was I? Ah yes, the immunity." the leader shifted his sitting position when he began to speak again. "After the wūpo was defeated, many people asked if the immunity to magic could be removed, believing that they could better protect the village if they had magic. The qilaoshi was doubtful, but he agreed to try after he was feeling better - the fight took a lot out of him. When the reversal spell was cast, it didn't seem to work, but as payment for our people's hospitality, he decided to accompany us, and teach us of a power we could use - qi. And so our people learnt.

When our ancestors chose to trade away their magic potential, on top of not realising that it could not be reversed, they were not aware that the children they were yet to have would also be affected, but they were lucky for one point: The children of two immune people would invariably become a qi prodigy. While many members of our wandering village have over the years partnered with people who were not born into the village, some have had children together with others here. Although these children may be blind like Tatek here, it is well known that they can see all the people around them." Lingdao Ren turned to face Tatek, "You dear boy, and the six other qixueye here, can see magic and qi. You also likely have a far higher potential for using your qi than almost anyone else."

"Anyway. It has been our mission since we were first given our immunity to eliminate or depower any and all of the wūpo we find, and to put your life on the line to do so. As you are all children, you are either in the middle of, or are soon going to start your qi training; once you have completed it, you and a number of others who completed it at the same time will go on a pilgramage to our old home by Xueshan."

When Tatek looked around as he noticed the leader had finished his story, he saw that most of the other children had fallen asleep, and were being carried to their huts by their parents, and the ones who weren't asleep looked like they soon would be. It was likely nearing midnight, he thought. "You'd better get to bed now too; your qi won't keep you awake forever," Lingdao Ren told him, "goodnight."

---

"I now declare your training officially over. We shall be waiting at Gangkou for your return," Lingdao Ren told the five teens gathered before him, "good luck." With that, the band of teens gathered their belongings and set out to their ancestral home.

Chao Lan, the eldest (at 18), was the self-declared leader of the group. She was a bit bossy when things needed to be done, but the others all knew that she was never afraid to show her lighter side. Weilding a pair of iron dao, she was the most proficient at offensive useage of qi.

Xu Xiang, one of a set of twins aged 16, was the antithesis of Chao Lan's business-first attitude; she always kept that a job done well is a job done slowly. A master of the qiang and the Magic Banishment ability.

Xu Roen, the younger twin, was always the brains behind his and Xiang's antics when they were little children. He would've finished his training when he was 11, but he wanted his sister to catch up. He spent the five years between his and his sister's end of trainings to learn the best ways to incorporate a gun into his qi useage. The gun he used when he was younger was wooden, but as he grew stronger he moved on to heavier, harder-hitting materials, finally settling on steel - A rare and powerful metal, considering that the gun is a blunt weapon.

Ke'ai Fu, mere days younger than Chao, was never really focused on her studies. A less-than-satisfactory effort put into her qi training meant that the only reason she was granted pilgrimage to Xueshan was so that she did not complain when her closest friends left. Ke'ai haphazardly weilds a steel jian into battle, and in the process neglects to actively use any of her qi abilities at all.

And Tatek, the only one without a family name, which is due to his mother not having one. Tatek began the trek to Xueshan as a 15 year old, but had his birthday before they reached their goal. Weilds no weapon, but is fairly good with most useages of qi, and acts as the team's radar due to his unique form of vision.


It was early afternoon of the fifth day when the group reached the twisted snowed-over wreckage of their ancestors' village. Having been told beforehand that they must stay there for three nights just as their ancestors did, Lan organised everyone into setting up their pinnacle camp.

The first day passed without a problem. Berry bushes were rich at this time of year, and fish, however small, loved the fresh running water in the nearby stream. It was the second day when the problem came. "Problem" being an understatement.

"Fu! What have you done now?" Lan berated the other.

"I don't know Lan; I just went to look up this little path... I think I tripped over a rock, and then heard that huge noise..." Fu didn't really seem to notice that Lan was angry. "And now I'm stuck under this avalanche."

"Ugh. I'll go get Roen; He'll know what to do."

After a few minutes, when Roen and Xiang had arrived, Fu had begun to complain louder, although she stopped when she heard Roen's voice.

"Now Fu, I need you to make a Shield of Qi around each of your hands - that should give you enough strength to dig your way out."

"But it's too cold! I can't concentrate my qi at all!" Fu complained.

"Well, if you want to freeze to death, you stay there and die," Lan brutally responded.

Ignoring her plees, they left Fu one-by-one, with Xiang staying the longest. Just as she too started to leave, a man suddenly appeared in front of her. "Now just what are you doing on this fine afternoon young lady?" He said.

"Why does it matter?" She answered, "and who are you anyway? This place isn't even on any maps, and hasn't been for more than 100 years."

"100 years, eh? The Dome has a lot to answer for then; it keeps sending..." The man trailed off mid-sentence. "Regardless, where are my manners? Pelarn Veyer, mage of the balance elements Light and Dark, at your service."

Upon hearing the word "mage", Xiang's demeanor shifted to the right a notch, making her choose to whistle out to the rest of the people in her group. "Mage? Then you won't leave here alive."

"...You picked the wrong man to pick a fight with. I've destroyed this place before, and dammit, I can do it again." The mage pulled a small orb out of his pocket and formed a wall of darkness between himself and the people coming up behind him. "I can see you have no magic, so this will be a piece of cake."

After blasting Xiang with a bolt of Light, he was surprised to see that she had not moved. "You... How?"

"Why should we tell you?" Tatek called out from behind the mage.

"Oh great, and now you completely ignore my wall of darkness. Four against one isn't in my odds if my magic won't work against you, so I'm outta here." Pelarn quickly looked around for an escape route and decided that up the mountain would be the best option. After creating a giant flash of Light magic, he ran up the mountain.

"Get him!" Lan commanded.

"But what about Fu?" Xiang asked.

"Ugh... Roen, can you get her out quickly while the rest of us chase the mage?" Chao groaned.

"I can do that. Don't have all the fun though." he answered.

"He's pretty quick; if we don't leave now, he's going to get away," Tatek said as he looked up the mountain. "I'll lead the way."

And they ran.

---

It had been almost ten years since she last saw her friends. Xiang may have been the only one to catch up to the mage that fateful day, but she was no match for him in a one-on-one fight. Bringing out her diary, she began to write.

At least I know that the others are okay. Lan was taken as a wife by the Emperor of Zhongguo merely two years after the incident. It meant no one was allowed to see her unless they were of the imperial family, but she's always been at home in politics, so she's fine. She'll probably be Empress soon too, considering the Emperor's health.

When I went back down to Gangkou after the encounter with Pelarn Veyer, I had heard from multiple sources of people matching the descriptions of Roen and Fu had joined back up with Chidun on their way leaving the city.

And of course, Tatek is hard to miss. Like me, he's been travelling rather randomly around the world, but I know it's him because he's the only person who could fit the description of "has no eyes". I hope I catch up to him soon.

---

Bio Glossary: It's mostly based closely on Chinese words, so I shall just give translations direct to english from their chinese origins. Note that I used each of these with artistic licence, so there's nothing really wrong with, for example, calling a large city "Chengshi".
Chidun - Qi Shield/Qi Armor. "Shield's breath" is also correct.
Shou-du - Capital (city)
Chengshi - "Large city"
wūpo - witches
Lingdao Ren - "One who leads"
Xueshan - snow (Xue) mountain (Shan)
Gangkou - harbor/port
qilaoshi - Qi teacher
Ke'ai Fu - cute (Ke'ai) shallow (Fu)
qixueye - qi blood
Dao - Sabre
Qiang - spear
Gun - staff
Jian - (double-edged) sword

Note that as in Chinese style, a person's first name here is their family name, while their given name is their second name. Also note that it is the mother's family name, not the father's, which gets passed down to descendants.

Tatek's unarmed combat style has many similarities to Bāguà zhăng, the Chinese martial art on which airbending (from Avatar: The Last Airbender) and the fighting style of the Hyuuga family (from Naruto) were based, except that Tatek's style also incorporates grabs and holds if dodging and direct attacks don't work. So if you can't picture properly what I write, then just think of one of these other fighting styles.

Name: Ryal Hamad

Nickname/Alias: He is famously know as “The Bard.”

Occupation: He is a bard and plays at inns, but also does some mercenary work in his free time for extra cash.

Age/Birthdate: 26. Birthdate is unknown.

Apparent Age: He looks fairly younger than he is, but mainly because of his small build.

Gender: Male

Race: Human

Hair: He has dark-brown hair that is gelled back usually.

Eye Color: He has brown eyes.

Height: 5'7

Weight: 184 pounds.

General Appearance: Ryal wears a dark green cloak with a brown shirt and tan slacks under it. He has an eyepatch over his left eye because of an accident when he was a child, and has dark brown buckled boots. He also has a belt that his sheath is attached to on his side. He is very slim for his age and is slightly pale because he usually covers a lot of his skin with his clothes. He isn't very muscular, but is in enough shape not to have a flabby looking body.

Weapon(s): He has a long sword (a sword that has a grip that allows the sword-user to weild it either a one handed or two handed style) that is polished to a mirror sheen. It is made of steel and the guard of it is wide. The hilt has an eye engraved in the center of it that Ryal has fashioned himself. He also has a knife that he hides in his boot. The knife is as short as a butter knife, but is as sharp as the claws of a lion. It is a very thin blade that would likely break in half if Ryal would try to deflect a heavy blade with it. It does not have a hilt and is made of iron.

Armor: He wears a thing layer of chainmail underneath his shirt, but is otherwise lightly equipped with armor for mobility.

Carried Possessions: He carries a lute on his back that is engraved with many strange words that is in a language that Ryal neither understands or knows of. It is made of wood from a willow tree. He has a little bit of money earned from playing at inns, but doesn’t have any other notable possessions apart from these.

Powers/Magic/Skills:

Total Magic: 80

-Speechcraft (10 Magic): The ability of sheer persuasion to achieve certain goals. Masters of speechcraft can get many things in a simple conversation to go their way. Ryal is adept in this skill, but sometimes says the wrong things that get him in a lot of trouble.
Limits: He can use speechcraft pretty often, but if used too much on the same person, his wily tricks can be seen and he will probably not get what he wants. It does not work very well on people that are intelligent and is only useful on the very weak minded if Ryal really wants to get something out of it.
Side-Effects: There aren’t many notable side affects to this, but sometimes it can get people to dislike him after they figure out they’ve been fooled. If speechcraft is failed, it can sometimes get the user into some real big trouble if the victim takes it the wrong way.

-Swift Strikes (40 Magic): This is a very quick swordstyle that is used to overcome the enemy with speedy attacks. The style usually requires a light weapon and trades power for speed. The speed of this style is often so fast that the user’s weapon becomes a blur to the opponent. This style uses a lot of magic to amplify the speed of the user.
Limits: This style is very tiring if used excessively and must be used sparingly. It takes a while for the user to use this style after assailing their opponent with it.
Side-Effects: The style is not a very strong one, as it sacrifices strength for speed. Often the user can be quite tired after using it, as well, because it drains their magic quite a bit.

-Lute of Healing (25-40 Magic): Ryal can combine his lute playing skills with healing magic to make melodies that sooth the body and heal all ailments. The inscriptions on the lute are really notes for this song of healing. Anyone that can hear this, unless they be an enemy of Ryal, will be healed. The farther away they are, the less effect it has on them. It Ryal targets a single person, he can heal all of their ailments such as broken bones, cuts, or sicknesses. If Ryal targets several people, he can only heal minor wounds and nothing else.
Limits: This healing power takes quite a bit of magic depending on how many people Ryal is healing at once. Normally it will take a few minutes for the powers of the magical lute to recharge.
Side-Effects: Sometimes, if Ryal is not careful, he may heal his enemy by accident. He must concentrate on who is healing so that he doesn’t heal anyone he does not want to.

Battle Strengths:
-Ryal is very quick and agile, making him able to move a lot faster than most of his opponents.

-He is very skilled with the blade and is great at deflecting blows with it.

-He is great at hand to hand combat as well, when the need arises, and can give very quick punches.

-Ryal can utilize the advantages of his small size and speed to sneak around when he is forced in such a situation. He is very light of feet whenever he is concentrating on his task of sneaking around or to his opponents.

Battle Weaknesses:
-Though he is quick, Ryal lacks the strength to make up for it. Most of his opponents are much stronger than he, so it makes him rely on pure speed to fight.

-He is not very skilled with any other weapons other than the sword and fist, so improvisation in battle almost never happens.

-Ryal, though he would never admit it, has the weakness of women. Whenever in battle with a woman, he is always cautious about his strikes, as he does not feel it is right to strike a lady.

Other: Nothing at the moment...

Personality: Ryal is not a very flattering person. He is often rude to most people when he feels that they aren’t any use to him and often throws sarcastic remarks at people to anger them. Though he probably wouldn’t ever reveal it to anyone, he is, deep inside, a caring person, but he does not want anyone to know, as he thinks that it would show weakness. Ryal tries to be funny around people sometimes, but usually ends up making them angry instead. He acts like this mainly because he desires a lot of attention, no matter how bad he has to act. Whenever Ryal is in battle, he usually tends to make fun of the opponent and taunts them a lot.

Likes:
-Ryal enjoys music and loves to show off his musical skills to others. He has been fascinated by the art ever since he was a small boy.

-He likes to have conversations with people, even though he usually never does unless they are kind of close to him.

-He is greedy and likes money. Most of the things he does are for money.

-Ryal also likes women, and often tries to impress them, though he fails to do so usually.

-He is also a lover of food, but he often restrains himself so that he maintains his current build.

Dislikes:
-Ryal does not like people who think that they are smarter than him. He does not like people who try to show him up by outsmarting him.

-He dislikes authority, and does not like them to get involved in anything, because they get in the way too much.

-Ryal dislikes rich and corrupted people, and feels that someone should do something about their evil deeds for money.

-He hates puzzling situations or mysteries, and tries to avoid them.

-Ryal also dislikes it when someone tries to outmatch him and succeeds at it.

Fears:
-Ryal has a great fear of heights and usually goes into a state of panic when too high up. He has this fear mainly because of a bad experience when he was kid trying to help his father on their house and he fell off, breaking his arm.

-He is scared of the dark, and is very embarrassed by it. He always has a feeling in the back of his head that someone is watching him through the darkness, and is frightened a lot by it.

-Ryal is also afraid of bugs, and anything related to them. He doesn’t like the sight of them and thinks that they are very disgusting and pointless creatures designed to make life for people a living hell.

Virtues:
-Ryal is very brave in combat and usually never gives up until he or his opponent are defeated.

-He is good at working in a team and often utilizes their powers.

Vices:
-Sometimes Ryal gets clumsy when he feels that he can easily defeat his opponent, and often tries to do tricks, but fails.

-He will do many things for money, and sometimes his greed can blind his judgement.

History: Ryal was born in a small town under his father, a great bard. Ryal grew up messing around with various kids in town and having fake sword duels with branches from the trees. Ryal was sent to school when he was old enough, but he could scarcely pay attention and usually messed around and got in trouble.

After being reported by his instructor to his parents, his father laughed, remarking that he went through the same thing. Soon his father realized that school wasn’t for his boy. He was almost sure that his son did not want to be a scholar and wanted to be something else in the world. Someone important.

Thus, his father took him out of the school and brought him under his own wing to teach him how to be a bard like himself. Ryal was, of course, thrilled at the idea of leaving school and spending the days with his father. For quite a few years, Ryal’s father instructed his son how to use the lute and taught him the world and the people in it.

Ryal picked up the lute playing very quickly because he became entranced by it, but struggled with the other subjects that his father thought was important for his son to learn. After his training sessions, Ryal would leave his house and go to the town’s sparring arena to view the fights that were held there. Soon, the master of the arena, Matsu, noticed Ryal’s interest in the art of fighting, and offered to give him lessons for free.

Ryal accepted without a second thought and began to go to the lessons after his father’s teachings. Ryal was slow to pick up on the art of the blade, but became very adept in due time. Finally, after a few years, Ryal finished his father’s training.

After a long celebration party at his house with his family and friends, Ryal’s father took his son to the back yard to show him something. He brought out a case, and gave it to his son. Inside it was a willow lute, carved with intricate patterns and designs and polished heavily. His father told him that it had been passed down through their family and that it had magical power deep within the wood; power to heal wounds. Ryal accepted the gift at once with much joy and thanked his father merrily, but his father held out his hand to his son, stopping him short. Ryal’s father told him that he would have to go to work as what he trained to be tomorrow: a bard.

Ryal soon realized the reason that his father gave him the instrument and sighed, but was eager to explore the world and please its inhabitants with pleasant music. On the day that Ryal would finally leave his home, he was approached at the town gates by his master, Matsu. His mentor held out a bright sword and a leather sheath for Ryal to keep as his own, claiming that he would need to have some protection in the wild world.

Ryal was overjoyed, happy to receive two great gifts in such a short time span. Ryal thanked his master, and ran into the wide open world. His name spread across the land quickly, and he soon became a popular invite to inns around the country.

Overall, business for Ryal was great, until one day he received a letter from his parents. Ryal, hoping for some sort of congratulation, opened the letter quickly, but realized soon after reading over the letter, that something was wrong. The handwriting of the letter was very hasty and it stated that something had happened to his father.

Some sort of disease had struck him, and was killing him slowly. It would be only a matter of time before his father would pass painfully from this terrible blight. Ryal was grieved at knowing of his father’s troubles, and knew just what to do. There was a certain medicine man that Ryal had met along his travels that he thought would be willing to help him out.

When he made it to the medicine man’s hut, he was informed that the doctor only worked for money, not pity. Ryal was angered to learn this, and the amount of money was high for healing, but he didn’t have a choice. He would not let his father die. Thus, Ryal gathered his money from his concerts and set out on mercenary missions for extra cash.

After finally gathering enough money, he told the doctor to meet him at his home town for the cash, so that he could heal his father. The medicine man swiftly made his way to the town, and walked into the house to see his father. The doctor all of a sudden burst out into a frenzy, burning the house down and stealing the money for his own. Ryal, realizing he had been cheated, ran after the thief to fight.

Ryal challenged the doctor, but the medicine man turned around and shot fire at Ryal, hitting him in the eye, blinding him and leaving a foul mark. Ryal fell onto the ground in pain and the thief escaped with all of his hard earned money. The next day, his father died from grief and from his disease, causing Ryal to become angered. Ryal left his home and set out on a journey to find that foul doctor and bring him judgement that he deserved.

After a few years of searching, Ryal’s anger passed, and he soon gave up on his pursuit. It was like the doctor disappeared into thin air. Ryal gave up his mission of revenge, and resumed his bard and mercenary duties for money, but he never forgot that foul medicine man. If he ever came across the man again, he would do unspeakable things to him.

Heh, here he is at last, and I've gotta say that I'm looking forward to trying him out. ^^ Should be a lot of fun! xP

Name: Luca Mercury

Nickname/Alias: He usually prefers to be known as Mercury. He considers it his 'work name', though he does not mind his friends to call him Luca.

Occupation: Mercury is a master thief, and he considers himself to be a rogue in general, but of the good kind.

Age: 26

Gender: Male.

Race: Human.

Height: Luca is not overly tall; he stands at 5' 6".

Weight: He is light, with an average build, weighing approximately 138 lbs.

Eyes: Luca's eyes are a deep blue. They gaze casually and easily at the world, giving him a relaxed and friendly look, yet remain curious and inquisitive. His eyes wrinkle at the corners slightly when he laughs and smiles, which is often. There is a twinkle in his eyes that tells of his confidence and easy personality.

Hair Color/Style: His hair is a simple dark brown. He keeps it several inches long, enough so that it ends just above his brows and over his ears. It is loose and thin, but neat and tidy.

General Appearance: Luca is not particularly tall or largely built, but he uses his smaller stature to his great advantage. His shoulders are neither broad nor thin. His torso, like the rest of his body, is lean and athletic. Toned but not muscular, he takes care of his body with regular work outs, but not with the intentions of buffing up - instead, he simply keeps in shape, focussing more on stamina than strength.

His face is content and he always has a small smile on his lips, often breaking out into huge grins. His face is average in its proportions, and unremarkable, which helps Luca blend into crowds and not be particularly memorable.

He is an easy going person, which comes across in his confident, relaxed stances. He can feel at home anywhere, instantly leaning against something and getting comfortable. He always looks confident, calm, and relaxed, with an amused look in his eyes, as if he knows a joke that he's not sharing.

He wears two sets of clothing - his regular attire, and his 'work' clothing. His regular clothing isn't pretentious, but clean and smart, usually consisting of tan suede pants, high, soft leather boots, and a dark blue tunic with lighter blue trimmings. He wears a brown leather belt about his waist, over the tunic.

His work attire, which he wears if he is planning a theft or some adventure of his, is instead composed of very dark grey clothing. In place of high boots, he wears soft shoes which end at the ankles, giving him more flexibility with his feet; the shoes have tough soles, which gives him better traction and grip. His pants are loose and slightly baggy so as not to hinder his movements, and are made of a soft yet tough fabric, which does not rustle when he moves. He wears a jacket of the same material; it too is slightly baggy, cinched about the waist with a black belt, also of the material. The end of the arms have fingerless gloves attached to the underneath of the wrists, so he can slip them on and off quickly and not have to worry about dropping them. The palms of the gloves are tough, allowing a strong grip (most notably for climbing). When they are not in use they are tied loosely to his wrists. About the neck of the jacket, there is a loose material which Luca can lift to cover the lower half of his face, with drawstrings at the back.

Luca has a bag containing his equipment which he wears on the belt of his clothing (regular or work), on his left hip. On his right hip, he wears his small dagger in its sheath.

He also has a tattoo on his right shoulder blade of a caduceus (image). He had this done because it is a symbol of one of the gods of thieves (Hermes). It marks him as a thief, and he wears it with pride.

Luca's voice is not particularly deep or melodious, but is easy and relaxed. He talks calmly and confidently, and almost naturally puts the listener at ease. He has no particular accent.

Weapon(s): None. (Though Mercury carries a small knife, it is not used as a weapon.) Luca does not involve himself in fights, choosing instead to flee and escape if he is found or chased.

Armor: None.

Carried Possessions: Luca carries an assortment of equipment, both during his everyday activities and during his work. He carries these in a pouch at his waist, attached to his belt (whichever he happens to be wearing). This pouch is his Bible, and he would never willingly go anywhere without it. It contains:

-- a roll of velvet, which in turn holds his extensive set of picks, which progress in size for locks of every size.

-- small paper packets of substances for varying uses, including (but not just) smoke packets, for diversion or attracting attention; a gel like substance which reacts with water violently, acting as an acid and burning violently (Luca keeps small vials of water for use with this substance); powders with differing effects, from tranquilizers, to powders to induce sneezing or temporary blindness, etc.

-- a small roll of strong nylon rope. Though not particularly long at only 20 feet, he can use it effectively for short climbs and other uses. Its smaller length allows it to be stored easily.

-- a grappling hook; this is a small, intricate contraption which, at only five inches long, can be stored with great ease. The beauty of this device is that at the flick of a catch, three strong metal claws are released, which helps with its storage. It has a small hoop at its end, through which the rope can be looped and tied.

-- a small glass-cutting tool; collapsible, this tool unfolds into a V shape, each arm 6 inches long. The main arm has a suction pad on a swivel joint, which can be attached to the glass. The other arm ends in a small diamond tip. The tool is used in two ways. For a circular hole, the sucker is placed on the glass, and the tool is rotated on the swivel joint. The tool can cut a circle hole of up to roughly 8 inches radius (or a hole 16 inches wide). The other method for use of this tool is simply grasping the tipped arm and using it manually - this method is best used cutting squares and rectangles, or other rough shapes.

Luca also carries a small knife. He wears it in its sheath upon his right hip, on the belt - like the pouch, he wears it at all times. It is a simple thing, coloured black, and double edged, with no special properties at all. At 4 inches long, its only purpose is for cutting and slicing objects; it is not a weapon at all, but is instead carried and used as a tool in Luca's line of work.

Powers/Magic: None whatsoever.

Skills: Luca, as a master thief, has many skills and talents at his disposal. Easy and charming, his charisma can be employed to his advantage, often acquiring information and details he can use in his plans. He is an extremely confident and affable person, and finds it easy to get along with and adapt to the crowd he's in. He is also an easy, practised liar.

He is very dexterous, deft and quick with his hands and his movements, which gives him his skill in lock picking, which he has perfected. He is also extremely good at pickpocketing, able to slip in and out of someones pockets or purse in a blink of an eye.

His agility is extraordinary, as his stamina. He has trained each to their limits over many years. He can sprint over short distances with ease, but his particular preference for escape is scrambling over rooftops and through quick, short alleyways. He excels at climbing, and can scale most buildings with no problems.

Mercury is also extremely lucky. He uses both his good fortune and his great agility to slip out of danger, which aids him greatly when he needs to make an escape from pursuing guards.

He is also good at sneaking about, keeping quiet and moving with great care. He can usually disguise himself and often hides amongst groups of people. He does this using his astounding confidence and people skills, assimilating himself into a group with little trouble.

Battle Strengths: Effectively, very few. Luca would has virtually no means to attack a foe, and nor would he like to, as he's firmly unwilling to take a life. However, his agility, speed, and dexterity would be highly effective in evading and dodging attacks. He also has a strong will to live, which would no doubt bolster his attempts to avoid being hurt.

I an only imagine that, in the case of a battle, he would need to repeatedly avoid an opponents attacks, and (if absolutely necessary) to use his agility to get close enough to his opponent to hit them (probably somewhat clumsily) with a rock or something heavy, in the hopes of incapacitating them. Mercury would never draw his knife on another, not even with the aim of simple injury.

Battle Weaknesses: Mercury is almost completely vulnerable in a fight. He has no armor, no weapons, and no way of defending himself from attack. His moral code means he is unable to slay or severely harm an opponent, even in the face of threat to himself. He could also become overconfident in the face of a threat, putting himself into danger.

Personality: The first thing most notice about Mercury is his confidence. He is a very relaxed, easy going person. His confidence is incredible; he isn't afraid to take chances, and he's extremely flirtatious. He'll flirt with any women he meets, simply because he enjoys it - even if the woman's lover is present. He considers himself a bit of a ladies man, flirting with them for the simple enjoyment of it. Despite his flirtatiousness with women, Luca respects them as equals, and completely abhors the mistreatment of women, and is weak for the 'damsel in distress' - something that has, more than once, gotten him into trouble.

Luca often comes across as arrogant or cocky, but he is not. His confidence is simply his driving force, and he believes he is absolutely up to any job, any woman, or any challenge.

He is, despite his profession, an honourable man. He has a conscience and a strong moral code. He doesn't steal from those who would suffer for it. He is even kind and generous for a thief; he has no problems spending money because, at the end of the day, it isn't his. He often gives to the poor and needy, though not excessively so - he keeps enough to ensure a high standard of living for himself.

He isn't greedy - he simply steals for the fun of it, and he loves a challenge. He has even made several incursions just to see if he could, with no particular goal in mind. It has occurred to him - and others - that with his skills, he could do anything and go anywhere. He has been invited to become an assassin many times, but the thought of killing repulses Luca. He has never taken a life, and he has vowed that he never will. He'll steal anything that catches his fancy, but his favourite saying is, "There is honour among thieves."

Mercury has a vast sense of humour, and is able to brush off jokes and insults with great ease, for he knows his abilities and takes great pride in them. However, his pride and his honour can be his downfall. He will not take smears to his pride or his honour. He considers an oath to be of the highest importance (which is why he is loathe to make them), and would never break one - another of his sayings is, "If a man's word is meaningless, what value have gold and silver?"

Luca loves to have a good time, and enjoys his work thouroghly; he often taunts the guards that chase him. He has even waited for them to catch up before dashing away again - further evidence of his confidence and astounding luck.

Likes: Stealing; a challenge; gold; treasures; women; his drink.

Dislikes: Having no gold; fighting; poor living standards; authority, particularly those eager for his imprisonment; harlots and whores; greedy people; merchants; assassins and killers.

Fears: Imprisonment. As a thief, Mercury's greatest fear is to be locked up. He needs to roam the open lands, to see the starry skies, to steal the finest treasures. To be locked in a tiny room would be the end of him.

Virtues: Honour, pity, and mercy.

Vices: His pride; distressed women (he feels compelled to help them); over-confidence.

History: Luca was born into a well to-do family. He often tells a woeful story about how he became a thief, telling of his family's downfall at the hands of a greedy baron, who raised and raised the tax until there was nothing left, at which dramatic point, Luca chose his current profession, vowing to steal from the greedy, selfish, and wealthy, and help the poor. This is a lie.

The story he tells less often is that, as a child, his family was set upon by a band of travelling brigands. They killed his parents, capturing him and his sister. Mercury escaped, but was forced to leave his sister. Seeking help, he stumbled across a fabled thief, who took him in and trained him. Becoming a thief became his new goal in life, but he would always have his sister in his mind. Bits and pieces of rumours would float to him. She had been sold as a harlot, working in various towns and cities, and the present day Luca searched for her still.

This too is a lie, one he uses if his first tale is discovered or he needs something more dramatic - it is usually saved for women.

The truth is that Luca simply grew bored of doing nothing. His father, a landowner, simply wanted Luca to follow in his footsteps, but that wasn't good enough for the young Mercury. He wanted to see the world, and experience its wonders for himself. He had always had a way with words, and his confidence was vast from childhood.

One day, while bartering with a merchant for a trinket, he grew angry with the man's refusal to lower the price. He stalked away, but still lusted after the small bronze piece. Unwilling to ask his father for more money - his pride at work again - he fumed silently, until finally, nervously, he simply walked past the stall and picked it up with ease. Walking stiffly from the marketplace, he ran home after turning a corner.

Despite the fear of being punished for what he had done, the act of theft had revitalised his dull life. And so, he had the bug for it. For a year he would steal and pinch that which he wanted, perfecting the art of picking pockets. Finally, at 16 he decided to leave his home town. Setting out with his meager belongings, he changed his surname, inventing the new Luca Mercury. He moved to another town, continuing his quick fingered crimes, challenging himself further and further.

For many years, he'd challenge his wits and his skills, developing more on the way, joining a 'guild' of thieves - albeit an unofficial one - learning what he could, improving his already potent skills. Working on his agility and stamina, he challenged himself to be the greatest thief ever. He would never settle for second best.

And so, to this day, he roams from town to city to village, looking for riches, challenges, and excitement.