The Royal Society of Hunters - [Interest Check, Monster Hunters, Van Helsing]

Started by MissFire, July 02, 2016, 09:49:35 PM

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MissFire


The Ink. This oily black substance is the foundation of the world we live in. It contains everything that makes everything anything, if that makes sense. It is called 'The Ink' because it is akin to what flows from a writer's pen. It is the very substance which we are all made of. It is infinite possibility and infinite darkness. Everything in our world contains traces of it. Normally, it remains sealed far below us in the depths of our world. The Ink runs in it's veins. Sometimes it seeps above and when it does, magic happens. Curses are cast, monsters are created, insanity sprouts in the minds of men. Events good and bad transpire in small part because of it. Ink is responsible for the monsters that haunt our world.

In the early 1800's one Abraham Van Helsing became one of the first professional monster hunters. He traveled the world dispatching werewolves, witches, vampires, the undead, and all sorts of things that go bump in the night. His altruism changed the world and inspired others to follow in his footsteps. He was eventually Knighted by the Queen and put in charge of an officially sanctioned group of hunters. The Royal Society of Hunters. The RSH fought with such ferocity that more intelligent monsters eventually relented their assault on humanity and an uneasy peace was brokered. This became known as The Pact.

It is one hundred years later, the year 1904. Monster hunting is not done quite so openly anymore, but the RSH still exists to hunt down mindless or rogue monsters that terrorize humanity. To keep what they do fairly hush, members of the RHS identiy themselves as Van Helsing - a tribute to the greatest monster hunter ever known. By perpetuating his name, the general populace thinks that the Van Helsing family is solely responsible for fighting back against the darkness.

A contact in the city of Borgova (capitol of Borgovia) has put in an urgent request for aid. It seems that a mad scientist by the name of Lugosi is causing chaos in the city and creating abominations that put even vampires and werewolves to shame while the city's ruling council does nothing to stop him. It is up to four members of the RHS to cross through the treacherous Gorgon Pass on a dark and stormy night and set right what has gone terribly wrong...
"There are five possible operations for any army. If you can fight, fight; if you cannot fight, defend; if you cannot defend, flee; if you cannot flee, surrender; if you cannot surrender, die."
    - Sima Yi

Ontan

Bookmarked for interest! This looks like a great concept, and I can’t wait to see how it develops.

TheDarkGoddess


Alhanna



The Oath of the Drake

She's real, she's deep, she's logical and mystical. She believes in kindness and oneness and romance. She's sensitive and distant, a warrior, a lover. She believes in road trips to the stars and dancing with the universe. She's fearless and gentle, wondrous and brave. She lives in waterfalls and forests and sunsets and galaxies. She's the artist, the thinker, the poem and the dream. - Creig Crippen


MissFire

The player characters are going to be members of the RHS. They can be new members, veterans, or anything in between. They should at least vaguely know each other, ie; they should be friends (or more), have worked together or at least heard of one another. Your hunter can fight monsters in the style of your choosing. For instance, they can be a Van Helsing-style  slayer, chasing down prey with firearms and a wooden stake. They could stick to the shadows and assassinate prey with silver knives and a variety of sneaky tools, akin to a monster-hunting Geralt from Thief. They could use steampunk inventions to create things like holy water grenades, bolt guns, and other gadgetry. They could even tap into the Ink to wield strange and unusual magics.

The hunters need not be human. The Pact means that humans and the more intelligent monsters hold an uneasy truce. If you opt to play a monster character, that's quite fine, but remember to stick to the lore of the monster! Vampires cannot be in broad daylight, fear religious symbols, are weak to silver and holy water, etc. Werewolves are berserkers when transformed, extremely weak to silver, mercury, and wolfsbane. Most monsters are also afraid of fire. Humans should treat monster (or half-monster) PC's warily.

Tech level should be early Edwardian-era and Steampunk. Basic telephones and motorcars exist. Steam power has made these things relatively cheaper and more affordable by the general populace so they are everywhere, but there are still plenty of horse drawn carriages about. Steampunk influence should be fairly low, though. There won't be any automatons or rayguns here. These things are still being discovered, too, as it is an 'age of invention', so the characters won't instantly recognize everything that comes their way.

If anyone has questions, don't hesitate to ask.
"There are five possible operations for any army. If you can fight, fight; if you cannot fight, defend; if you cannot defend, flee; if you cannot flee, surrender; if you cannot surrender, die."
    - Sima Yi

TheDarkGoddess

Cool! I'll throw an idea for a character out there as a guinea pig.  :-)

What do you think of an undead/franken female, maybe who had previously dedicated her life to fighting monsters and was killed and brought back, by some evil deranged villian, to be a slave... when she woke up and discovered she herself was a monster she killed the evil guy and went a little evil herself from the pain of hating her monster self... She was brought into the RHS instead of being eliminated, out of respect for the work she did in her previous life. The RHS gave her "life" purpose again, though sometimes her desire for vengeance can get the best of her and make her impulsive and rash. She could make decent bait from afar, though up close of course she doesn't look like a normal woman.


frankenfemme pics


CurvyKitten

Quote from: TheDarkGoddess on July 03, 2016, 02:01:31 PM
Cool! I'll throw an idea for a character out there as a guinea pig.  :-)

What do you think of an undead/franken female, maybe who had previously dedicated her life to fighting monsters and was killed and brought back, by some evil deranged villian, to be a slave... when she woke up and discovered she herself was a monster she killed the evil guy and went a little evil herself from the pain of hating her monster self... She was brought into the RHS instead of being eliminated, out of respect for the work she did in her previous life. The RHS gave her "life" purpose again, though sometimes her desire for vengeance can get the best of her and make her impulsive and rash. She could make decent bait from afar, though up close of course she doesn't look like a normal woman.


frankenfemme pics

This concept sounds awesome and I'd love to read it hehe.

idea removed due to not fitting setting

MissFire

Interesting ideas. I was leaning toward using real images, though, instead of artwork.

And CurvyKitten, I'd also like to stay away from angels and demons.
"There are five possible operations for any army. If you can fight, fight; if you cannot fight, defend; if you cannot defend, flee; if you cannot flee, surrender; if you cannot surrender, die."
    - Sima Yi

Florence

I might be interested!

I've got a few ideas I'm bouncing around that I could use for something like this.

I was thinking of perhaps playing a dhampir. Though I'm curious how they'd work in this world, or if they'd exist at all. Would they still possess any of the conventional weaknesses of vampires? In any case, I imagine the amount of vampire powers she possesses would be roughly proportional to how much their weaknesses impact her.

Another idea I had was for a witch and alchemist who has toyed around with the ink in so many ways that some might view her with the same mistrust as a monster. Despite her dark inclinations, however, she has decided to hunt monsters; perhaps so that she's not hunted as one instead.
O/O: I was going to make a barebones F-list as a rough summary, but then it logged me out and I lost my progress, so I made a VERY barebones F-list instead: Here.

CurvyKitten

Quote from: MissFire on July 03, 2016, 03:21:23 PM
Interesting ideas. I was leaning toward using real images, though, instead of artwork.

And CurvyKitten, I'd also like to stay away from angels and demons.

Ahh ok, well that scrubs my idea. Oh well, I'll let you know if another one comes up.

MissFire

Quote from: Florence on July 03, 2016, 03:36:51 PM
I might be interested!

I've got a few ideas I'm bouncing around that I could use for something like this.

I was thinking of perhaps playing a dhampir. Though I'm curious how they'd work in this world, or if they'd exist at all. Would they still possess any of the conventional weaknesses of vampires? In any case, I imagine the amount of vampire powers she possesses would be roughly proportional to how much their weaknesses impact her.

Another idea I had was for a witch and alchemist who has toyed around with the ink in so many ways that some might view her with the same mistrust as a monster. Despite her dark inclinations, however, she has decided to hunt monsters; perhaps so that she's not hunted as one instead.

Both of those ideas are good. As a dhampir I think you would get the vampire's slow aging, enhanced toughness, and some regenerative ability. You would still be hurt by silver, though, and would be required to ingest blood or at least consume raw (or rare) meat to stave off cravings.
"There are five possible operations for any army. If you can fight, fight; if you cannot fight, defend; if you cannot defend, flee; if you cannot flee, surrender; if you cannot surrender, die."
    - Sima Yi

MissFire

"There are five possible operations for any army. If you can fight, fight; if you cannot fight, defend; if you cannot defend, flee; if you cannot flee, surrender; if you cannot surrender, die."
    - Sima Yi

TheDarkGoddess

Found some real images! Her skin would be more grayish than the picture. Obviously being "dead" she has no way of healing so the more injuries she sustains the more disfigured she will become.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Ontan

Quote from: MissFire on July 03, 2016, 03:21:23 PM
Interesting ideas. I was leaning toward using real images, though, instead of artwork.

Is portrait style / realistic artwork an acceptable compromise?


If you wanted to stick with real images, it's not a huge deal. Just thought I'd ask  ;)

MissFire

Quote from: TheDarkGoddess on July 04, 2016, 12:10:01 AM
Found some real images! Her skin would be more grayish than the picture. Obviously being "dead" she has no way of healing so the more injuries she sustains the more disfigured she will become.

The clothing and gear is too modern. Do any of these appeal? I spent some time looking around.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/81/d4/ec/81d4ecd23676f3b92f3cdda1a4e9458b.jpg
[ulr]http://65.media.tumblr.com/7d9506fe2e5f2d4718c0b76676382c02/tumblr_nw4lfe5tCI1ttszx1o1_1280.jpg[/url]
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/90/84/b1/9084b12d3c73e19cf84b315c67bc0f13.jpg
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/76/ff/ac/76ffac3d7dab0c2e8a4eb2444be99879.jpg

Quote from: Ontan on July 04, 2016, 03:17:04 AM
Is portrait style / realistic artwork an acceptable compromise?


If you wanted to stick with real images, it's not a huge deal. Just thought I'd ask  ;)

Yes, something that realistic is acceptable!
"There are five possible operations for any army. If you can fight, fight; if you cannot fight, defend; if you cannot defend, flee; if you cannot flee, surrender; if you cannot surrender, die."
    - Sima Yi

MissFire

Profile tempalte is up! There's a lot here, so I expect to see some nice well-rounded characters! As far as merits and shortcomings go, these are not abilities (ie; he's a great fighter, she's really smart, etc.) but more personality-based positives and negatives.


[float=right][img height=350 padding=7]IMAGE LINK HERE[/img][/float]
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Sex:[/b]
[b]Race: [/b]
[b]Role:[/b] (What does your agent do? Scout? Inventor? Medic? Knight [ie; a fighter]?)
[b]Sexuality:[/b]
[b][u]Notable Abilities/Skills:[/u][/b]
[list]
[li][b](Ability One Goes Here)[/b] (Description goes here)[/li]
[li][b](Ability Two Goes Here)[/b] (Description goes here)[/li]
[/list]
[b][u]Notable Equipment:[/u][/b]
[list]
[li][b](Gear One Goes Here)[/b](Description goes here)[/li]
[li][b](Gear Two Goes Here)[/b](Description goes here)[/li]
[li][b](Gear Three Goes Here)[/b](Description goes here)[/li][/list]

[b]Appearance:[/b] (Any additional description or image links you may want to include)

[b]Employment History:[/b] (Describe your agent's time working with the RSH)

[b]Personality:[/b]

[b]Hobbies:[/b]

[b][u]Background:[/u][/b]

[b][u]Merits:[/u][/b]
[list]
[li][b](Merit One Goes Here)[/b](Description goes here)[/li]
[li][b](Merit Two Goes Here)[/b](Description goes here)[/li]
[/list]
[b][u]Shortcomings:[/u][/b]
[list]
[li][b](Shortcoming One Goes Here)[/b](Description Goes Here)[/li]
[li][b](Shortcoming Two Goes Here)[/b](Description Goes Here)[/li]
[/list]
"There are five possible operations for any army. If you can fight, fight; if you cannot fight, defend; if you cannot defend, flee; if you cannot flee, surrender; if you cannot surrender, die."
    - Sima Yi

Chreestafer

Still looking?

I'm definitely interested in the idea :)

I'm thinking something sort of Era equivalent technomancer. Someone whose dipped into the ink to better his inventions as well as out curiosity.  Obviously tampering with the ink comes at a price and I have a whole background idea for that. :)
“The Doctor: This is bad, I don't like this. [kicks console and yells in pain] Never use force, you just embarrass yourself. Unless you're cross, in which case... always use force!
Amy: Shall I run and get the manual?
The Doctor: I threw it in a supernova.
Amy: You threw the manual in a supernova? Why?
The Doctor: Because I disagreed with it! Now stop talking to me when I'm cross!”
Ons and Offs
F-List

MissFire

"There are five possible operations for any army. If you can fight, fight; if you cannot fight, defend; if you cannot defend, flee; if you cannot flee, surrender; if you cannot surrender, die."
    - Sima Yi

Chreestafer

Cool, I'll start working on a character sheet asap!

So is the ink more like a magic? Like the "fell" from wow?
“The Doctor: This is bad, I don't like this. [kicks console and yells in pain] Never use force, you just embarrass yourself. Unless you're cross, in which case... always use force!
Amy: Shall I run and get the manual?
The Doctor: I threw it in a supernova.
Amy: You threw the manual in a supernova? Why?
The Doctor: Because I disagreed with it! Now stop talking to me when I'm cross!”
Ons and Offs
F-List

MissFire

The ink is the dark material of creation and dreams. It binds the world together and is the essence of everything. It occurs naturally in the very center of the world and in a scant few places, leaks up to the surface. It is obscenely difficult to obtain, even for someone in power, and working with it is about the most dangerous thing you can do. It's like grabbing God's wrist and trying to get him to sign a check for you.
"There are five possible operations for any army. If you can fight, fight; if you cannot fight, defend; if you cannot defend, flee; if you cannot flee, surrender; if you cannot surrender, die."
    - Sima Yi

MissFire

Name: Jack The Ripper
Age: 150+ (DOB - 1871)
Sex: Female
Race: Dhampir
Role: Knight
Sexuality: Lesbian

Notable Abilities/Skills:

  • Surgeon: Jack is a 'talented' surgeon, for certain definitions of the word. She knows where all the parts go, certainly. Trusting her to put them back where they belong, however, is a gamble. She is far more skilled in taking people apart than putting them together, but in a pinch she can make for a fine doctor. For certain definitions of 'fine'.
  • Combatant: With training in Baritsu, Fencing, and Boxing, Jack is an excellent fighter. She's spent much of her time after the Whitechapel incident reading and learning instead of fighting, so she is a bit rusty and has doubtless been surpassed by all the younger up-and-coming fighters in The RSH, but she can certainly hold her own against many a supernatural entity.
Notable Equipment:

  • Rainmaker: Designed and built by Jack, this specialized umbrella appears to have a fine black canopy and a lovely oak handle with a silver raven's head at the very end of the crook. In actuality, it has an extremely strong yet light metal core which houses a sharp silver fencing blade. The canopy is extremely durable and treated to withstand fire, corrosive agents, small arms fire, and blades.
  • Weighted-Knuckle Gloves: Jack needed a pair of gloves to protect herself from her own silver cutlery and so acquired a pair of black leather gloves. Upon further consideration, she figured that adding some extra 'punch' to her punches couldn't hurt. Called weighted-knuckle gloves, they have powdered steel sewn between layers of leather just over the knuckles. They add a bit of 'oomph' to her strike and while common enough to not make these stand out, they're unique enough to warrant a passing mention.
  • Throwing Knives: Made to order by New South Wales Steel Moulders, Jack carries a brace of throwing knives in her coat. Custom weighted and made of silver. She is no crack shot, but can hit a stable target fine enough. It's always handy to have some sort of ranged weapon.

Appearance: Addt'l Image, Outfit, Outfit (sans coat)

Employment History: Jack owns a vintage and rare book store called 'The Black Library'. After The Whitechapel Incident she (mostly) retired from slaying monsters and focused on her love of research and reading. She does not have any noteworthy feats outside of literary acquisitions after that point, though will happily talk the ear off of anyone whom asks what her most treasured book is. In any case, a historic serial killer is an interesting target indeed and when The RSH found out that the so-called 'Butcher of Whitechapel' was still alive, they sought her out - with the intention of finding and killing her. Surprised were they when they found out that Jack The Ripper was female and actually rather quite pleasant. Her skills would come in handy and so she was brought into the fold, after many promises of exciting new research and a chance to get back into action.

Personality: Talking to Jack is an invitation to either boredom or madness, depending on your personality. She often speaks in riddles, literature quotes, or what seems like utter nonsense. Yet behind all the absurdity lies a keen intellect and one of the sharpest minds that the world has ever known. Would that she could focus on any one thing for more than a moment, for she might revolutionize entire industries. Yet, like a child with ADHD, she bounds from one thing to the next with little regard for anything in her way. Her strangeness can be off-putting to some (most), but those that can hold a conversation with her can find the great wisdom and insight she imparts. Jack is mostly concerned with herself and her own studies, but eagerly protects the things she loves, such as her hometown of London and her precious books. It's hard to wind up in her good graces, but once someone does they have a friend for life. She has a bit of a violent side as well. Jack finds combat an exhilarating change of pace from studying and relishes the chance at a good spar - but not too good. She'd find a challenging fight too exhausting to bother with. Jack fancies women and in a slight bit of hypocrisy, she finds men to quite often be brutish, despite her own penchant for slicing things to ribbons.

Hobbies: Cleaning, Reading, Fencing

Background: One Vlad Dracul III, Prince of Wallachia became known far and wide for his cruel and usual methods of tormenting those that dared cross him. He became known quickly as Vlad Tepes - Vlad The Impaler. His soul was perhaps the darkest in Europe. It is unknown how or when he became tainted with vampirism, or weather the transformation was his own meddling with the Ink in search of power or if it was forced upon him. What is known is that his newfound power and immortality made him even more of a terror to Romania than ever before. Terrifying, but not unstoppable. Not when an entire country was ready to rally against him. Eventually the populace started fighting back and Vlad (now going simply by Dracula) decided to move to London, a city teeming with life and growing ever more prosperous. He conducted business with a solicitor by the name of Jonathan Harker and made arrangements to move his affairs overseas.

Arriving in London much later, the vampire and his brides soon took to the city. While the count spent his time planning his methodical takeover of the city, his brides sowed chaos. In the guise of harlots, the brides of Dracula turned other women into vampires and drained men of their life, leaving them as little more than emaciated corpses. In that age the death of the poor was mostly ignored, simply chalked up to over-work, starvation, or the burgeoning taste for opium that the city was developing. One of the brides, however, made the tragic mistake of falling in love with one of her 'johns' - one Regenald Rimsby. Visiting him night after night, the couple soon gave birth to a daughter, which they named Jacqueline.

It is impossible to keep secrets from one of the most powerful vampires in existence for long, however, and Dracula soon found out. He had Jacqueline's mother torn to pieces by the other brides. The sight of it left Regenald a broken man and even though he tried to continue to take care of his daughter, he soon fell into alcoholism and when she was sixteen, he died of liver failure.

With a mind set on vengeance, a young Jacqueline found herself alone on the streets as a six year old girl. Left to her own devices, the girl struggled to juggle making ends meet, discovering her supernatural ability, and developing the skill she'd need to destroy Dracula's brides. As time marched on she grew ever stronger - and crazier. At the age of seventeen she finally felt strong enough to have her revenge and took to the streets, preying on prostitutes, human and vampire alike. The papers called her 'Jack The Ripper' and 'Springheel Jack'. The public were both horrified and intrigued. Yet after a year, the murders stopped. All vampire activity in London seemed to cease.

Despite thorough investigation by both The RHS and outside sources, no one can understand what happened in 1889 to bring and end to the Whitechapel murders and Jack herself refuses to comment. It is also unknown what happened to Count Dracula, or if any of his brides survived Jack's killing spree.

Merits:

  • Dhampir: Jack's heritage provides her with much of the powers of a vampire, yet only some of the weaknesses. She has superhuman, stamina, slow aging, and limited wound regeneration. Holy water, icons, and weapons (unless made of silver) have no affect on her, as blessed objects affect not the physical body, but the unholy darkness in the soul and Jack's is still human. Jack suffers from blood cravings on occasion, but can stave them off with a rare steak.
  • Learned: With over a hundred and forty years of existence behind her, Jack is much smarter than her rather odd personality would let on. She is extremely knowledgeable in world history, language, the occult, medicine, biology, and mechanics. Her quarters hold a vast library of books both common and rare. Jack has a fanatical dedication to reading and learning.
Shortcomings:

  • Undead: She does not burst into flame when exposed to sunlight, but it does make her uncomfortable and staying out of the shade for too long will make her ill. A stake to the heart will kill her and silver will inflict grave wounds upon her that halt her supernatural regeneration and bring it to more human levels. A deep gash from an ordinary blade, for example, could heal within an hour or two and disappear as if it were never there. A similar wound from a silvered or holy weapon, however, will take days or even weeks to heal and leave a scar. Though she doesn't crave blood as much as a full vampire does, the hunger pangs she get can become extremely painful or even crippling if she goes too long without eating rare meat. This can be quelled by blood, of course, but she is loathe to do such a thing. In a bit of a miscellaneous quirk, Jack has a reflection, but not a shadow.
  • Reviled:Jack's personality tends to drive off some people and her reputation as a world famous serial murderer tends to send the rest off screaming. Her reputation and the folklore surrounding Jack The Ripper is a double-edged sword. It causes her enemies to fear her, but her colleagues to shun her. Those in The Society tend to stay away from her unless they need something and only a select few can see through the myth and stories to find the woman that loves a good read and was close friends with Arthur Conan Doyle. What's more, Jack has plenty of enemies; most other monsters despise her for her half-breed heritage, rich and powerful men have been sniped for rare books by a woman with a bank account over a hundred years old, and the elusive Dracula still walks the mortal world waiting for his revenge. Jack even hates herself, in a way. She loathes her vampiric heritage, despite the benefits it has given her.
  • Obsessive Compulsive:Jack has OCD, if the massive library of books and fascination with learning wasn't a giveaway. She has an obsession for making things even, neat, and orderly. Everything must be at right angles, her clothing must be neat, her hair must be neat. She hates throwing away old books out of fear she'll forget the information it contains and won't have easy access to it. Jack can easily become distracted on an operation if things are too messy and she is loathe to get herself dirty on a job. While she's got her behavior tempered enough in public, she might end up staring at someone for a bit too long if, say, their outfit is lopsided or uneven.
"There are five possible operations for any army. If you can fight, fight; if you cannot fight, defend; if you cannot defend, flee; if you cannot flee, surrender; if you cannot surrender, die."
    - Sima Yi

TheDarkGoddess

Let me know if anything needs changing. I'm sorry if I botched the merits/shortcomings! I think I did them right but I wasn't 100% positive.

Name: Nyx
Age: She was 23 when she died
Sex: female
Race: Resurrected Undead
Role: Knight though often plays the role of bait
Sexuality: Pansexual

Notable Abilities/Skills:

  • Immunity Being undead, Nyx is immune to a number of things; mind-altering effects (charms, compulsions, hypnotism, etc), substances like poisons, and any kind of electric shock that would stop the living's heart. It takes a lot of creativity to destroy the undead. Fire or other ways of complete decimation (exploding, shredding, disintigrating, etc) of the physical form are the obvious ways to keep Nyx from being put back together. Unfortunately, this means her soul can no longer move on without help from strong magic. If her physical form were to be obliterated, her soul would be stuck in a state of limbo.

  • Enhanced Endurance/Stamina Nyx does not need any form of sustenance to survive. She does not eat, sleep, or get tired. This is something that separates the undead from other types of monsters, as most need nourishment of some sort eventually.

Notable Equipment:

  • Shield Nyx's shield is the only thing she has left from her past life. It is a family heirloom, given to her by her father when she was old enough to begin fighting. It was blessed long ago, in ancient times, and is able to deflect most dark magic as well as being suitable against many weapons.
    Shield

  • Dagger Axe This is an item that Nyx took from the Necromancer who killed her and made her what she is. It is also the weapon he used to kill her, and she in turn used to kill him after she was resurrected. It is used for keeping distance between her and her enemy, as well as makes a great stabbing and decapitation tool. She straps this weapon to her back, so it takes more effort to unsheathe than her other weapons.
    Dagger Axe

  • Silver Hand Sickle Another item that she took from her captor. Nyx uses the hand sickle for close combat.
    Hand Sickle

Appearance:
Outfits


Employment History: Nyx fought monsters with her father when they were alive. They didn't have much in the way of belongings, aside from weapons, but they had made a lot of connections through their work. Often times they were provided with shelter and meals from people they had either helped or people who had heard of their work. They were also skilled at living off the land, hunting and gathering to survive. If they were desperate they would resort to stealing only what they needed to survive. After being brought back as an Undead, Nyx dealt with a lot of self-hatred and confusion. This led to a wild rampage that left both monsters, and innocents, at risk. However, she didn't manage to harm anyone before she was caught by the RSH. After much debate they decided to bring her onto the team, instead of eliminating her.

Personality: Nyx is a shadow of the person she was. Her sense of humor has turned into cruel sarcasm, her desire to protect mankind is now an incessant yearning for vengeance, and the fact that she has nothing to lose or “live” for makes her a ticking time bomb. Nyx's actions are often rash and impulsive, and she is more for head on attacks than stealth. Life has beat Nyx down and left her bitter and sullen. Her only purpose is to destroy her enemies. Deep down within her there is a shred of humanity left, though not even she knows it exists. She prefers silence and solitude, which is good, because most avoid her company if they can.

Hobbies: Picking fights, killing monsters, pouting in the corner... In all seriousness, Nyx doesn't have many hobbies. She does spend a lot of time reading and training, since she doesn't sleep, but it's more out of a need for knowledge and skill, she doesn't find any particular joy in it.

Background: Nyx was born and raised in Romania, as were her ancestors before her. Those who didn't know better thought her family were gypsies, since they were constantly moving around. This was the nature of their business – monster hunting. She was an only child, and her mother's throat had been ripped out by a vampire, whose mate Nyx's father had killed, when she was very young. Her father raised her no differently than he would have raised a boy. She spent her days studying monster lore and training to fight, and at night she watched her father at work, until she was old enough to join in.

When Nyx turned sixteen, she became the obsession of a very deranged, powerful Necromancer, Lord Vasile. He had asked her father for her hand in marriage, which her father of course refused. Deeply offended, Lord Vasile spent the next five years psychologically torturing Nyx's father, using her mother's animated corpse. In the end, his madness led him to leap to his death from a cathedral tower window.

Crazed with grief, Nyx made a reckless attempt to avenge her father. It took her a couple years, but eventually she had found where he resided. After a heated battle, Lord Vasile killed her by piercing through her heart with his dagger-axe. He then attempted to reanimate her corpse to make her his undead slave. Something went wrong with his ritual, and he ended up resurrecting her instead, the difference being she had her free will. Nyx promptly used the Necromancer's dagger-axe against him to chop him up into little pieces and set him ablaze. She spread his ashes on consecrated ground so that he would be unable to bring himself back.

Once the realization set in that Nyx was now the very thing she hated, severe depression took hold. She went on a rampage, having the intention of destroying towns that were rumored to be monster-friendly. This put countless innocent lives at risk and brought the attention of the RSH who captured her before she could kill anyone and ended up giving her a job and a purpose again.

Merits:

  • Iron Will Nyx has one goal and one goal only; destroy monsters. Nothing will get in the way of her end goal. She has nothing to lose, and she desires nothing, so she cannot be manipulated by her enemies. This leads her to be impulsive, as well as causes her to struggle to see gray areas. She has a hard time trusting monsters, even though she is one.
  • Daredevil While most are all about self preservation, that is not the case for Nyx. She does not value her “life”, which means she is willing to put it at risk without a second thought. Being bait, a distraction, or the first line of attack is common for Nyx.
Shortcomings:

  • Self-Hatred Nyx despises herself. She is the very thing that she loathes, and it is a reminder of her failures in life. This makes Nyx pretty bleak to be around, but also makes her reckless and unable to see likely consequences of her actions. Not only does she hate who she is, but she blames herself for the fact that her family line ended with her.
  • Driven by Vengeance The only end goal Nyx sees is destroying monsters. There is no bigger picture than that. It is her obsession. However, it's a battle she can never win. You can stop evil temporarily, but you can never eradicate it. Nyx is like Sisyphus, destined to spend eternity pushing the boulder uphill, only to watch it roll back down.

Madriv


Florence

Just wanted to say that I've been working on mine. I'm a bit at a loss for images, though.
O/O: I was going to make a barebones F-list as a rough summary, but then it logged me out and I lost my progress, so I made a VERY barebones F-list instead: Here.