Blood Money: A Dresden Files RP [Closed]

[Loki]

Blood Money IC

October 27th, 2003 ----- New York City, NY

The city is finally starting to resume some sort of normalcy in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Society has lost much of the unifying spirit that gave them the strength to overcome the fears of the terror that overtook the city just over two years ago and the people are vulnerable as they continue to pick up the pieces of their shattered illusion of protection. A sense of unease lingers throughout the city like a haze that leaves all within unable to see what dangers may be lurking near allowing them to only see the obscured silhouette of something beyond the range of clarity, unable to be distinguished as friend or foe.

From the chaos of a public cry to arms and political turmoil came Dionyne Incorporated. In a matter of months the company grew at an unprecedented rate thanks to the backing of tens of thousands of wealthy and influential figures. Dionyne is involved in just about everything ranging from pharmaceuticals to international trading and is currently among the top 10 most powerful corporations in the world. Their community outreach programs have made them a hero among the general population, though the involvement of several controversial figures has caused their popularity to wane as the company begins to lose interest for helping those in need. The reality is that nobody really knows much about the company since the divisions within are compartmentalized to a point where general information is hard to come by. With all influential people that surround them, the board of directors at Dionyne exist in name only without a single photo that reveals more than the back of their head or a very vague profile.

In these apprehensive times, the magical and supernatural community has been making a conscious effort to maintain their anonymity. History has shown time and time again that revealing the existence of the paranormal to a society so tightly wound up would be catastrophic. The Inquisition and the Witch Trials were bad enough, but enticing another such incident of irrational paranoia when combined with nuclear arsenals has the potential to tear the entire world asunder. On the other hand, some might view that as the perfect opportunity to strike out when those who would impede their progress would have to react carefully.

---

There is a glimpse to the state of the city that we will be playing in. This is a mystery RP that will be as true to the Dresden Files spirit as I can possibly manage. I have no doubt that a lot of OOC discussion will be needed to clearly portray several details that may have gone overlooked as well as planning with one another how scenes will play out. All of our players will be independent from one another, pulled into this plot for their own reasons until they are ultimately grouped together for the sake of making it through the story alive. It should also be noted that there is bound to be times where the group separates from one another as they take care of some issues on their own. Sharpened wits are essential for this RP, though a powerful punch will also come in handy; just remember that you will not always be the "big kid on the block" and sometimes the best way to overcome an adversary is with strategy or a long stride.

This RP will not officially begin until sometime in January so the holidays do not cause this to stall out. When the time comes, I will present each of you with a scenario that is specific to your character until you ultimately end up in the same location. That said, this month would be a great time to build up anticipation, discuss aspects of the RP, and tweak your characters to perfection in your mind's eye.

So without further a due, your character template:

Code:


[b]Full Name: [/b] (The name that when said perfectly would create a link to your character.)
[b]Used Name: [/b] (The name your character usually goes by.  Could be a first name, last name, or nickname.)
[b]Species/Race: [/b]
[b]Affiliation: [/b] (The body that guides your actions, be it White Council, Summer Court, or even NYPD.)
[b]Age: [/b]
[b]Alignment: [/b]
[b]Appearance: [/b]
[b]Attire: [/b] (Especially include any articles that may be enchanted and in what way.)
[b]Personality: [/b] (Limit it to a few adjectives as a broad guideline to what they are like.)
[b]Bio: [/b] (We have a month to work on this, so gradually adding more detail and depth is encouraged.)
[b]Abilities: [/b] (Magical abilities, skills, strengths, etc. Please provide some insight to how they are used and their limitations.)
[b]Purpose: [/b] (The driving point for your character.  The motto, phrase, or mantra that guides your character's actions.)


---

Cast
Summer Fae: Kitsune - Loki
Witch/"Female Wizard" - Kaito
Jade Court Vampire - DigitalMuse
Human pre-Denarian - M4Minion
Wizard/Necromancer - Squall Reyes

[Loki]

Full Name: Isokanumaki
Used Name: Isoke
Species/Race: Kitsune
Affiliation: Summer Court
Age: Unknown
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Appearance:

Spoiler:

Attire:
Natural Form: None
Disguised Form: Isoke alters his wardrobe based upon where his duties take him in the material realm for the sake of blending in more effectively. However, as with any fae, he is fond of more lavish attire and will often wear them at every chance he gets without overdoing it to the point of being gaudy even if just barely. It is a regular accessory of his to wear gloves of one sort or another to protect himself from the iron containing elements humans have become quite fond of.

Personality: Just like the rest of his kin, Isoke strives for personal gain and increasing his power be it through rank, wealth, ability, or knowledge. Despite being treacherous and underhanded at every opportunity that would make him better off in the long run, his word is his law. With any fae, a promise is absolute truth and if given thrice it becomes an unbreakable covenant. However, one must be very careful when phrasing such promises since all agreements follow wording and not the underlying meaning. The fae love loopholes and will utilize them for personal game without hesitation.

Beyond that what comes with the nature of his being, Isoke prides himself in being a trickster often in the forms of theft, seduction, humiliation, or vengeance. It is a common occurrence that his pranks go too far since he has trouble comprehending several aspects of human nature. The most common of his victims are those whom he views as being arrogant or unworthy of the power they possess. He is also highly curious and will often throw caution to the wind for the sake of investigating something that has caught his attention.

Bio: Trying to estimate Isoke’s true age is virtually impossible since he holds no importance over the concept of time, especially since time in the material realm and the Nevernever can vary greatly. He is old enough to have made an impression in ancient Japanese culture. Nearly every account of a kitsune throughout eastern lore was either the product of human superstition or Isoke. It was around that time that he had really developed a curiosity for humanity as a species and sought to interact with them in hopes of learning their nature. Since eastern culture was more accepting of the supernatural world, at least in that age, Isoke was rather open with revealing his true nature to the humans most often in the form of concluding a prank or general carelessness.

In the middle of the 12th century, Isoke realized he might have taken his studies too far when he found himself betrothed to a young mortal woman by the name of Kaeda. Upon first meeting her, he was instantly able to sense the spark of innate magical talent and got close to her in an attempt to learn more. Without realizing where the social rituals were taking him, he had unintentionally proposed to her. The couple had been married for a year before Isoke was summoned by the Summer Queen. Leaving under the pretense of traveling to town for supplies one last time before winter prevented such a journey, he returned to the Nevernever. After spending a week within the fae realm, Isoke returned to find that two years had passed since he left the mortal plane.

As if fate had sought to punish him for his decision to not remain by his bride, he returned to find the smoldering remains of his village. Kaeda was discovered outside of where their house once stood with a mortal spear wound to her abdomen. Her final moments of life were peaceful for having been able to spend them with the man she loved. With her final breath, she asked Isoke to always be the man she had known years before; a promise Isoke made without realizing the implications until it was done. Since then, he had never been able to return entirely to his natural form effectively locking away a significant portion of his power. With all nine tails, Isoke was among the most powerful Summer Fae; since the promise each tail he revealed became more difficult and he had never been able to get more than seven. Although he was still quite powerful at that level, it is significantly less than what he was and it is difficult to sustain even that form for long. Overnight, he went from personal guard of the Summer Queen to simple envoy for the Summer Lady and laughing stock of the fae community for being duped by a simple mortal.

As the world began to modernize, especially with the intervention of western culture, Isoke began to see the danger of revealing his powers to humans like he once had. Around that time, he spent more time serving the Summer Court in his own realm of the Nevernever. Due to his experiences of living among the humans, much of his service was spent in the mortal realm though now without free reign of his actions. Although he understood the logic behind his demotion, the shot to his pride was enough to make him spiteful towards other Fae. It is at a point where Isoke was no longer used for delicate diplomatic matters since his mischievous behavior was no longer kept in check while on missives.

Abilities:
Shapeshift – Isoke is able to assume a human guise to help blend in with human society. Only one form is effortless, being his default human form, which is the same every time with minor alterations to his hair and complexion. He is also able to assume the form of other humans and some animals. The perfection and ease of which is dependant entirely upon how well Isoke knows the one whom he is trying to imitate or if he holds power over said mortal or some physical link to them (hair, blood, etc.). The more he conceals his natural form, the more the power behind his magic is reduced; most of which can be regained by revealing one or more of his tails. Due to a promise he had made, he had never been able to fully revert entirely out of his human form, effectively keeping a large portion of his power locked away.

Foxfire – The staple ability of kitsunes; a magical fire or lightning that can be conjured and controlled at will, though in disguised form he is limited to conjured lances and bolts cast from his person.

Levitation – Requires three of his seven tails to achieve enough lift to break the Earth's gravitational pull. In his natural form, he is able to move through the air with speed and grace, though only in bursts. This power is not to be confused with flight.

Compel – As suggested by Japanese lore, Isoke has the ability to sway a mortal’s thoughts and desires. This is most often utilized as a form of seduction or to otherwise lure his quarry into one of his traps. Those who have even weaker wills, the type who lack the ability to resist their vices, can potentially fall entirely under his control; hence the reportings of kitsune possessions from centuries past. Unfortunately, such a thing takes considerable effort and those who are susceptible to such control are all but useless to begin with.

Open Gateway – Since much of his duties takes place between realms, Isoke is skilled at opening a large rift between the mortal world and the Nevernever while having the stamina to hold it for a significant while.

Kawarimi – In the tales of Katsume being able to teleport or vanish in a puff of smoke, it was Isoke performing this ability. In actuality, he utilizes his fire magic to open a hole between realms around him in an instant sending him to or from the Nevernever in a puff of smoke. Such a feat is not without significant risk though, since doing so does not allow him to see where he will end up once he does transition. Since it is Summer’s power that he uses to do so, should he end up anywhere in Winter territory it would stand out like a beacon in the blackest of nights, alerting any nearby Winter Fae of his precise location.

Martial Arts – Having spent several decades in ancient Japan, it was only natural that he would learn several styles of martial arts, several of which from the masters that created them. Due to the effect iron has against his bare flesh, his training was almost exclusively with hand to hand combatives.

Purpose: To either restore his status among the Sidhe or make them regret taking it away from him.

[Digital Muse]

OHMIGOD this is long....Sorry

Full Name: Sen Binh Thien Nguyen

Used Name: Bian Nguyen

Species/Race:Eastern Vampire (Kuei Jin)

Affiliation: Jade Court

Age:235

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Appearance:
Court:

Spoiler:

Daily:

Spoiler:

Attire: Bian dresses to suit the situation she finds herself in. If she visits the Courts of the Western Vampires (which she has never done), she wears the traditional Cheong-san silk dress of her native Vietnam. If she is meeting with the skin-changers; she chooses the common dress of the people of the street; denim jeans, t-shirt and boots. For the Court of the Fae, she chooses the finest silks of the tradition of the Chinese Courts. Finally, if sent to the Court of the Wizards, she will choose a simple dark business suit of fine linen.

Personality: Unsure of her path, manipulative, secretive, greedy for knowledge, proud, Self-loathing, dedicated, honorable, perceptive, intelligent, charming, insightful, casual killer, deeply religious. She has become a skilled diplomat and is a knowledgeable lorist.

Overtly prideful. Jade Court Vampires look down upon the other Courts (whom they refer to as Children of Caine, even if that’s not entirely accurate). The term is derogatory and any other Vampire found on Jade Court territory is actively hunted and destroyed as ‘soul-less monsters’. They believe other Vampires to be outside the Karmic Wheel with no possibility of redemption. They see themselves more as tortured souls seeking enlightement. Their own secretive nature means that often not even the other Courts are entirely sure of their existence. The Jade Court follow the Accords to the letter. However, they use the letter of that law whenever they can.

Abilities:

Vampire - Super-human strength and speed. Body manipulation allows her to slip into the tiniest crevasses (much like a bat). This manipulation not only allows her to nearly liquefy her body, but to harden it as well. This affords her amazing flexibility and physical protection. Low light vision, infra-red vision, enhanced sense of smell and hearing. In general, Jade Court Vampires are stronger and faster than the other Courts, but there is little known of them as they are exceedingly secretive. They do not brag about their superior strengths. It is to their advantage to be underestimated if known at all.

Magical – none

Skills – Bian has had many years of training to become a courier of the Jade Court. Despite their intense desire to be insular, the reality is that the Court must deal with others within the Never Never. As such, they designate lower members within the court to be exiled and deal with the outside for them. As such, they are given as much training regarding the other creatures and magic as is possible.

Meditation allows Bian to extend the time she can go between feedings. However, the longer she goes, the harder it is to maintain her body and her control when she finally is able to feed.

Languages: Bian speaks Vietnamese (her native language), Mandarin (the language of the Jade Court), Cantonese, and English.

Martial Arts: (Aikido) Bian is a skilled hand to hand combatant. Her small size, coupled with enhanced strength, speed and body manipulation makes her a formidable enemy. Bian has also been trained in the uses of common melee weapons, such as knives and swords.

Occult knowledge and Lore. Bian knows of the existence of most of the inhabitants of the Never Never, but Asian types are more familiar to her than Western. She has had a great deal of contact with the more populace of the races in her role as messenger.

Street survival. Bian knows the underworld of major cities. Both the Human and other-wordly steet gangs are familiar to her and she moves with ease among them. She is an expert at tracking, hunting and hiding.

Her training included an extensive pharmacology mostly geared toward warding minor haunts and poisons. Given her frequenting of the BDSM clubs, Bian has also garnered an extensive knowledge of torture techniques. Her innate ability to sense deception makes her a particularly deadly interrogator. When she has access to the Court library (located in Hong Kong), Bian also has access to a nearly limitless body of knowledge to assist her in her duties.

Weaknesses - Bian needs to feed on blood at least once every 2 weeks to keep her body from decomposing. Unlike some Children of Caine (Western Vampires), the feeding is not sexually ecstatic. It is painful and in some cases deadly. The oldest Jade Court Vampires can feed on the life force (or Chi) of victims, causing little or no harm to them. Bian has overcome the painful blood-letting by frequenting BDSM clubs where blood-play is a frequent form of sexual release for the humans that are patrons within.

She can be repelled and even harmed by icons of religion, however it does require the bearer to have True Faith to wield it.

Exposure to sunlight is harmful, even fatal to Jade Court Vampires. However, due to their unique nature, they can withstand brief periods in daylight with only minor ill-effects. The time they can withstand depends on their age and level of enlightenment. Bian can walk in daylight for up to 10 minutes without harm, but for every minute over that, she begins to rot.

Because Jade Court Vampires are dead, they are particularly susceptible to necromantic magic. Necromancers are actively hunted by order of the Jade Court.

Purpose: When Bian can see a clear path, she realizes she served only herself in her previous life. She cared for no one; not even her own family held much precedence. Now she allows her gifts to be used by the Jade Court. She prays her soul can be redeemed and she can return to the Karmic cycle of life.

Bio:
Sen was born in 1775 into a strong Bhuddist family in Phú Xuân in what is today South Vietnam. Her family was a wealthy family, who at the time of her birth were not among the ruling class. However, in 1802, the Nguyen dynasty began and lasted 143 years before becoming a colony to the French. By that time, however, Sen had already been turned.

Her family maintained a country estate and employed many villagers to work their land, tend their animals and care for their home. Sen had 15 brothers and sisters and her privileged life made her dissolute and spoiled. She regularly beat her maids for the slightest infraction. Twice, young girls barely younger than her were beaten nearly to death by her orders.

In the East of the past, creatures of the Never Never were known and respected; especially the spirits of the Ancestors. When Sen finally went too far and a young stable boy died by her hand; those Spirits wrought their horrible revenge. In the night, Sen’s soul was torn from her and banished to hell. That is where her story truly begins.

Hell: Screaming pain. She was being eaten alive; preyed upon by demons all around her. She fought with the demons to gather back pieces of her own flesh even as another demon disemboweled her. As her flesh was torn from the bone it grew back so that she was forever being tortured by shrieking demons, never-ending pain and the desperation to get her flesh back. She couldn’t bear the pain, couldn’t bear the sight of her own blood and flesh being torn away from her bones. Her entrails were being fought over by more and more demons. She had to get out, if she could just get all her flesh back from the demons she could get away from this pain. She screamed, clawing at the demons in complete madness, clawing at the veil that separated her from relief with a single-minded intensity.

She experienced her 2nd breath several weeks later. Her soul slammed back into her rotted body. She is Kuei Jin, a Vampire; a creature of madness and bloodlust. Her travels between the Never Never and the waking world had changed her into a beast. In time, she came to believe her fate was deserved because of what she did in her life. When she returned to the Middle Kingdom, the hunger in her belly drove her mad. Two, unfortunate grounds keepers where her body lay were killed, drained and half-eaten. But a member of the Jade Court was able to get to her quickly. She subdued Sen and brought her into a stone-reinforced underground chamber of a safe house. There, Sen’s grueling training began.

Her training with the Court had been fraught with conflict at nearly every turn. The Jade Court’s fine, Cold Mind was something Sen struggled against. She had great difficulty closing her mind to its turmoil given her state. She struggled daily while the others in the Court deigned to instruct her in the 8 tenets. She will be an ambassador and the guardian of her family and that of the boy she killed. She would become everything she wasn’t in her life. She would be forced to serve. Her training was harsh, one might say cruel. Sen was beaten when she allowed her mind to stray from her lessons. If Sen reacted, she was beaten again. Sen questioned everything. Stupid questions were rewarded with a lash. A valid question was rewarded with a riddle or perhaps a blessing if she was lucky. Sen’s natural superiority complex gives way to one of self-doubt. It made her question her own abilities to solve the riddles she must to receive a blessing. She found herself in any library she was allowed access to. She was taught her histories, Martial Arts, diplomacy. She learned about the other denizens of the Never Never, how to make poisons and how to remain unseen in the shadows. Most importantly, she is taught how to survive.

83 years ago – Finally 83 years ago, the Court deemed Sen able to take up her duties. When presented, she was given a new name; Bian. It meant secretive in Sen’s native Vietnamese. In the Jade Court, it was forbidden for any to have any interaction with others of the Never Never. In the modern age, however that is unrealistic and even dangerous. As such, some from the lowest members are chosen to be exiled, to become ‘half-person’ in order to serve the Court in the wide world. Messages must be sent, deals must be struck, warnings issued and in some instances, deaths ordered. Bian is one such.

Today – Today, Bian lives and works in Hong Kong as a courier and diplomat for the Jade Court in China. She watches over her family, making frequent treks to watch the houses of the descendants of the stable boy and her family in the night. Watching her nieces and nephews grow and in time leave home too. She also regularly visits the temples to pray hoping against hope that her ancestors will forgive her for the sins she committed in her lifetime.

Another goal is to continue to learn. She feels inferior because her modern education lacks compared to other people. Over 200 years of being beaten and looked down upon by the elders within the Court has only fueled that belief. She wants to attend University to learn pharmacology and eastern herbalism. She also needs a better grasp of business, so she can earn more money so she can continue to perform her duties for the Court.

[M4Minion]

Full Name: Domhnall Duncan Maxwell

Used Name: Max to most. ‘Dudley Doright’ when he’s done something to piss off his Captain.

Species/Race: Human. Former member of the Order of the Blackened Denarius.

Affiliation: Detective with the New York Police Department. Formerly a Constable of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Age: 32

Alignment: Neutral Good

Appearance:

Spoiler:

Attire: A button up shirt, and gray or black pants and jacket. Max refuses to wear a tie with his outfit, seeing the garment as a reminder of the noose that is eternally around the neck of Nicodemus. His 9mm sidearm is strapped under his jacket.

Personality: Observant. Reserved. Logical. Haunted. Loyal. Just.



Bio: June 26, 1971 - Domhnall Duncan Maxwell was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to lucky parents Duncan and Molly, and named for his grandfather, who immigrated from Scotland as a boy.

September 1977 through June 1989 - School. Max (as he constantly begged people to call him, not yet understanding the deeply personal history the name ‘Domhnall’ carried) was near the top in his class in nearly every subject. It did help that his parents moved to a small town before he entered the public education system. Easier to be #3 out of 30, than #3 out of 274. He had a few close friends, and the usual problems with bullies, though not enough to really be a bother. He played tennis and soccer when time allowed, and generally had a normal, wonderful childhood.

September 1989 through April 1993 - University. Thanks to a vast number of scholarships and bursaries, Max was able to attend Acadia University. Though he started as a science major, he quickly realized his passion was philosophy, and ended up taking as many such courses as he could. In the end, though Max did graduate with a BSc, majoring in Physics, nearly a full third of his education centered around philosophy. During his third year, one of Max’s classes had a guest lecturer. An RCMP officer, who talked about police life, and the merits of becoming an officer. The talk must have stuck in Max’s mind, because…

May 1993 through January 1994 - Max spent the next eight months in a series of intensive tests and interviews, all gauged to judge if he was RCMP material or not. The RCMP Police Aptitude Test was followed by several documents and questionnaires (dealing with honesty, integrity, and ethics). More interviews followed, as well as medical checks, physical fitness tests, and a full background check. In the end, it all paid off.

January 1994 through June 1994 - Cadet Training. Applied Police Sciences, Police Defensive Tactics, Police Driving, Firearms, and Fitness. An intense six month training course changed Max from a small town kid to an Officer of the Law. After graduation, he became a Regular Member of the RCMP.

June 1994 through December 1994 - Max worked his six month field-coaching programme in rural Ontario, coincidentally enough, under the coaching of the very same RCMP officer he saw speak during his years at Acadia.

January 1995 through September 1999 - Max worked his way up to the Business Crime unit in the RCMP, dealing with various white collar crimes. He had a good career before he came down on the wrong side of a rather wealthy CEO during the course of an investigation, who suggested to the RCMP that Max should retire from his job very early.

November 1999 until September 10th 2001 - The RCMP was kind enough to secure Max an entry level position with the NYPD, and so Domhnall Duncan Maxwell relocated to Manhattan. First as a beat cop, eventually working his way up to junior detective in the Major Crimes division.

September 11th, 2001 -

September 30th, 2001 - Max was unable to deal with the horror of what happened. Though it shamed him, he wasn’t as strong as the rest of New York’s Finest, and New York’s Bravest. That afternoon, while at Ground Zero, doing his best to hold himself together and help with the continued clean up and recovery efforts, Max was approached by a man calling himself Nic. As the two got to speaking, Max found himself voicing his own personal shame. Nic made him an offer. He could have strength to overcome his own weaknesses, and power to protect the people he served from having to suffer through such a tragedy again. Max accepted. Nic handed him an old roman coin.

November 1st, 2001 through December 15th 2002 - The moment Max took up the coin, he began living in a nightmare world. A world of magic and monsters, and to his horror, he had become one of the evil creatures that inhabited this previously secret hell. The coin Nicodemus had given him contained a Fallen Angel. Varthiel, now free of the coin, took up residence in Max’s mind, speaking to him, taunting him, doing its best to corrupt him. Over the course of weeks, Max’s mental guard was worn down enough that, while sleeping, Varthiel could control his body, changing him from a lowly human being, to a supernatural creature, born of the nightmare of beings far older than any man.

More than once, Max was forced to sit helpless as he listened in on the detectives from Homicide discuss the gruesome scene of Varthiel’s recent trips into the city. He tried to force the Fallen away, but lacked the will power to battle against it. All seemed hopeless, until one day…

December 16th 2002 - Max woke up, and found himself alone in his own mind. Varthiel was gone. He has no idea how it happened, but refused to question his good fortune.

December 17th 2002 through October 21st 2003 - Domhnall Duncan Maxwell has continued to work as an officer with the NYPD, living to serve and protect the people of the city. In his down time, he has spent many hours studying the new paranormal world that his year long encounter with a Fallen Angel opened him up to. He has learned a great deal, about wizards and monsters, vampires and fairies. His silent promise to himself is to use whatever knowledge he gains to protect the people of New York from the supernatural evils that exist around them, as well as the more mundane human monsters.



Abilities: Policing skills - Max’s training, both with the RCMP and the NYPD, have given Max great proficiency in skills related to law enforcement, and criminal investigation. Strong observational skills, coupled with keen instincts when it comes to understanding people make him a successful detective. Training with the RCMP gave Max knowledge of various defensive tactics, both hand to hand and with firearms, and his own logical thought process allows him to plan for a great many situations.

Near Perfect Recall - As a side effect of his time as host to the Fallen, Varthiel, Max can very nearly perfectly remember every moment of his life since the time he first took up his coin. Even events since he was freed from his service are still as clear in his mind as anything. This skill disturbs him somewhat. Though useful in his daily life, he views it as a sign that he may not be as free from the influence of the Fallen as he would like to be. This can also be a distraction, as there are many memories of his time in the Order that he would much rather forget.

Knowledge of the Supernatural - Having been host to a Fallen Angel, Max is very aware that the supernatural world exists alongside the mortal one. Since his release from Varthiel’s service, he has spent a great deal of time exploring as much of this world as he can safely experience, though such experiences are very limited. He has come to respect the fact that he will never know enough to keep the people in New York safe from the monsters that exist, but he does his best with what knowledge he does possess. He carries a special clip of ammo for his sidearm at all times, filled with iron tipped bullets, as a last ditch defence against any creatures from the Nevernever that cross his path.

Chess - Max took up the game during his administrative leave from the NYPD, and became quite good in a short time, thanks to a lucky combination of other skills.

Culinary arts - Max is a damn fine chef.

Purpose: (The driving point for your character. The motto, phrase, or mantra that guides your character's actions.) Max doesn’t know how, or why, he was freed from Varthiel’s influence. He knows that a person with a strong enough will can push the Fallen away, and free themselves from the horror of possession, but he also knows that he made no such effort.

His purpose in life now is to not squander the second chance that he never asked for. He will do his best to ensure that the criminals of his city meet a just end, even if it means bending the word of the law in order to see justice served.

[Squall Reyes]

Full Name: Alexander Sharpe

Used Name: Alex

Species/Race: Human(Wizard)

Affiliation: White Council (to their dismay)

Age: 28

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Appearance:

Spoiler:

Attire: The most important items of his attire.
Walking cane with hidden blade: He uses his cane to focus his power, and like the hidden blade inside his spells though lacking is brute force are sharp, quick, and piecing. Alex can focus the magic so sharply that with a swing of his cane he can cut through metal like a hot knife through butter. The hidden blade inside the cane is used only for mundane defense.

Batman watch: Keeps horrible time, but provides him the means to call upon his very solid and versatile shield spells. Once a present as a child, this childhood favorite once could be found on the wrists of every little boy and girl in the summer of 1989. Alex's watch however is unique as he once took it to a watch repair man and had it converted to wind instead of battery.

Black Leather gloves: Simple black leather gloves which Alex came to love at a local leather goods shop. Now that Alex has a hold of them however, they are used to focus his necromancy namely to look into the corpses memory. Though Alex has NEVER tried this *cough cough* he theorizes that because his powers are much more precise the added benefit of this focus would allow him to reach FAR into the corpses previous life.

Bio: Alex was born to Jason and Jessica Sharpe in 1975, in Boston Massachusetts. Alex's upbringing was all together one of normalcy. His parents were good people who made just enough to truly enjoy life and provide enough for Alex and his 2 siblings, Maria and Richard. So it's a complete mystery as to why Alex is such a strange individual. It started off with a number of fight in school, along with strange occurrences when Alex was in a heightened sense of distress.

As Alex grew older however, these occurrences became less frequent and Alex himself seemed to clam as well, though he still maintained his quirky sense of self. He rarely took things seriously, and hardly tried in many of his endeavors, both academic and social. However that is not to say he was a failure, on the contrary he excelled in school, and though never one to stick with a group of friends was fairly popular.

Alex however, was quick to noticed the difference between himself and the other teenagers. His fascination with life after death was one thing that set him apart from others. Another event which brought Alex to a separate path than others was his early and experimental drug use. When this part of his past is revealed to people, many often take it as the explanation for many of his quirks. Drugs however have not been a part of Alex's life for 10 years now and he has the AA Token to prove it! Er...Somewhere.

What high he does still have however is magic. He had once brushed off his many first experiences on the imaginations of a young child, and later drug induced hazes. A experience with ectomancy while sober however brought him to a realization of his gifts. Finding conversations with the dead much more interesting than those of the living Alex spent all his free time trying to locate them. He was eventually discovered however by a social worker and wizard and eventually his mentor.

It's been several years since then and much to the disliking of the White Council Alex is still very much alive and kicking. He continues to lead about as normal as a life as a wizard can have, eventually even going to college to be come a surgeon for a short period of time. Alex however found the practice and teaching of medicine much too boring and left for a career which Alex has found much more enlightening.

Personality: To say Alex is interesting, is an understatement. His personality can jump from bizarre to friendly in little time and it more often than not throws those around him completely off. Alex however, is very intelligent and sometimes one must ask if his quirkiness is a cover for his own means. Then again this is Alex we are talking about.

Abilities: Evocation: As stated before Alex is a young wizard and because of it does not have as much power to his magic than most. He does however have remarkable focus on spells making them much more precise and one might say dangerous. He prefers wind and fire spells because Alex has a notion in his mind that they are much better at the cutting and slicing he does with his spells.

Necromancy: This particular practice is what has caused Alex to become a benign to the White Counsel existence. Alex specializes in necromancy's use of extracting information from the recently deceased. Though he is also proficiency at all other aspects of necromancy Alex has little interest in practicing them. Though he does keep an consistent tap on his shoulder, should he ever need to take control.

His mundane abilities are varied, from the practical such as first aid and various styles of sword play. To the less so, such as burping his A,B,C's.

Purpose: Alex has really yet to find a grander purpose to his life and seems to be quite content on letting it roll on by while he practices his spells. The ones he's allowed to do he means of course.

[Kaito]

Full Name: Ivorie Federline
Used Name: Ivy
Species/Race: Human, Wizard
Affiliation: White Council
Age: 127
Alignment: Neutral Good
Appearance:



Attire:

Necklace of Limitation: A simple necklace with a small gem that dulls the wearer's magical abilities and senses, depending on the strength of their presence. It is especially crafted for Ivy to let her retain some awareness of the arcane while being able to stay near machinery and simple electronic devices for a prolonged time without frying them. Cannot use Evocation magic while wearing this.

Ritualistic Tattoo: Ivy wears a tattoo on her left forearm which is capable of storing arcane power with the capability of instantly releasing it. She is used to pour small amounts of power into it at any time. Filling it up to a moderate, usable amount takes about a week, for bigger rituals, it can take a lot longer. It has a worked in safeguard which, in case it gets disrupted (by physical injury to the skin), will discharge the energy in electrical form. There are some useless, blurred remains of the first version of this tattoo on her right arm, healing up. Obviously used for thaumaturgy, it can be used to power a strong, but badly controlled evocation spell aswell.

Stocked Laboratory: Ivy owns a small suburban house and backyard. A large selfmade hut, protected by various barriers and veils, houses her Laboraty, which is filled with all kinds of raw materials for potions, pendants, staffs and more. It also contains a variety of books on thaumaturgy and ritualistic magic, aswell as other interesting topics such as demonology or herbalism.

.357 Magnum: During her travels, Ivy found that having a revolver with you is always a good thing. As modern firearms are beginning to get more and more complex, they tend to malfunction when magic is thrown around - the only situation in which Ivy would need to use it.

Personality: Orderly, Curious, Analyzing, Introverted
Bio:
Born 1883 in London, UK, her Apprenticeship ended 1909. She had nearly been killed in a bombing run on London in 1916 and recovered from heavy wounds in the next few years. In World War II, she worked as a nurse for the British troops in battle.
In the time following the war, she travelled the world as a courier for the White Council, often found reinforcing locals with their problems, such as spottings of supernatural beings, warlock hunts and treating various wounds, from curses to venoms. (She of course wasn't always successful), during these days she had the first version of her tattoo made.
She moved to the USA in 1983 when technological development sped up, went to university to get a degree in mathematics and worked at the university aswell as starting her own research on magic, especially on how to solve the problems between magic and technologic equipment. She found the process of crafting her own magical items aswell as the science behind it to be very interesting and in 2005 quit the university to pursue this better. She bought a house in the suburbs of New York and works part-time in a library ever since.

Abilities:

Magic Average magic prowess, good senses, bad at evocation - "on the spot" magic, but creative and precise when able to prepare.
Specialties include infusing items with magic in different ways - triggers, beacons, delayed spells, setting up barriers or veils, aswell as ritualistic magic.

Knowledge Ivy has seen a lot, and especially read a lot. She is knowledgeable about a lot of things, although she always likes to learn new things, aswell. This knowledge and wisdom she has, even if not shown directly, gives her an aura of authority - around people who value these things.

Medical Prowess Working as a nurse and travelling the world has left Ivy with medical experience and knowledge to treat a fair amount of wounds. Expertise in herbalism and pharmaceutics. Sure she is no surgeon, but she could do a crude surgery by herself. probably.

Distance In theory, Ivy is a caring person. But most of the people she knew having died away, having lived two lifespans already, she is quite detached from humans in general. She could make hard decisions, involving innocents getting involved or even killed, if it's the right thing to do. Generally, she'd like to stay out of "normal mortal's" business as much as she can, although she likes to hear the news or socialise now and then.

Lawless Ivy has learned to avoid the law, and as such, doesn't live by them. Although the White Council's laws still apply to her, she stays under the mortal's radar. Forged documents and illegal posessions are some of the
lesser crimes she's done in her time. "I mean, who cares if a smuggler or two are missing? They should be thanking me..."

Life of a Wizard No one knows exactly how long a wizard actually lives - not a lot have died of old age, so far as people know. As such, wizards live a very long life and their bodies regenerate even from severe wounds - as long as there is something to heal. It's doubtful a ripped off arm will grow back - although if reattached surgically, chances are it will heal back to normal again, given enough time.

Music Music may be the only thing she could call a hobby. Ivy plays (played?) the guitar, the flute, the piano, the drums and the sax.


Purpose: Ivy wants to break magic down, understand it better, and use it better than before. You could say she's an experimental researcher. She is also interested in the correlation of magic and modern technology.

[Digital Muse]

Quick question; Squall and I were wondering if you have a preference for writing our posts in 1st person like the books or 3rd person?

[Loki]

I have no preference, what do you all think?

[Digital Muse]

Squall and I both thought we'd write in first person. To keep with the feel of the books. And I like that the characters don't know other parts of the story as we work through it.

[M4Minion]

I've never done first person writing, but I'm up for trying it out, whatever the majority of the rest decide to do.

[Kaito]

I think it could get quite confusing with several people writing as "I", but we'll only know if we try, so whatever floats your boat, people.

[Digital Muse]

Hrms. That's a good point, Kaito. I'm good with whatever we all decide is best.

[M4Minion]

Just to draw attention to things. I've updated my character's bio (about time, really).

[Kaito]

M4, your Character looks like he'd get along with mine. They've been living in the same town for more than five years so chances are they could've met sometime, already, seeing that the supernatural community isn't so big.
Much like the original dresden files, you could be asking Ivy for help with a case now and then, in return for a favour or something here and there.
what do you think?

[Digital Muse]

M4Minions and I have co-written a prequel for our characters to get used to them. We thought you might like to have something to read to get in the mood. Click Here

[Kaito]

There is a distinct part in that missing. Namely, the part where they learn of each other's origins.

[Digital Muse]

Sorry Kaito. The site I hosted it on cut out a chunk of the document. I've got it corrected now, but it's a slower download.

[Loki]

The IC is up so get off my back about it!

In all seriousness, sorry it's taken so long and even though there was a lot of pressure with it, I'm glad to see you all are so excited.

Now, you all are probably wondering where your characters come into play. That will be determined once you shoot me a PM stating where your character would usually be found on a Monday shortly after nightfall.

[Loki]

Ok, now that I've gotten your answers to the aforementioned question, I'm going to do some puzzling to get them to fit. In the meantime, feel free to put up your introductory posts that ends with you being at the location you PMed me. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

[Loki]

Just to clarify any doubts, the man Max is following is actually Alex. M4, you can leave you post as is since it is likely that with the way Alex carries himself, he can come off as very suspicious. Though one minor revision is necessary for the sake of consistency is changing library front door to side door.

[M4Minion]

Got it now.
Fixed the door issue.
Thanks for letting me know!

[Loki]

Alright, got the post up. From the post alone, you may not have too much to respond to, that's why you are to message me in one manner or another with any sort of investigative methods you use to see if you can discover anything that may be hidden.

This is a detective story after all, it wouldn't be nearly as entertaining if I gave you all the key clues.

[Loki]

Almost forgot to mention. Once the guests pick their entertainment, they will lead them down the side corridors. To what? Well, if you get led down one, I'll tell you, otherwise we'll investigate in the next round.

[Loki]

Part of my next post is going to be from the ambassador's perspective. So if you have questions you want to ask, send them to me through a PM or IRC chat. Furthermore, this is a good (though somewhat brief) opportunity to collaborate between characters to share information and get an idea of what everybody has discovered.

Furthermore, throughout this RP there may be details or bits of information that I am leaving out intentionally. To get them, you need to be proactive and ask me if you notice anything unusual when more closely observing any elements. Worst case scenario, I'll say there is nothing unusual; best case scenario, you will find a vital piece of info. I am simply a guide to this RP, it is up to you all to piece things together.

Of course, at this point Isoke knows more than any of the other characters about what is going on. Though he certainly doesn't know everything. If you find yourself stuck or needing a vital clue, you could try your luck asking him. Of course as with dealing with any Fae, information isn't given for free.

[Loki]

Alright, so we have a captive who has information. Here are the questions that have been PMed to me:

M4/Max:
"How did you get involved in this?"
"Who invited you here?"
"What did they tell you was going on?"
"Do you know of any other highly placed individuals at this gathering?"
"Did you know that the evening's 'toys' were forced victims, who were brainwashed, or were you under the belief that they were willing participants?"
"Do you know who is in charge of the event?"

Muse/Bian
"Who is behind the captivity of the entranced?"
"Are they choosing victims specifically of a type?"
"What is the meaning behind the vine, the tree of the brooch and the peacock feathers on the masks?"
"Is there a ritual being powered? To what end?"

Now, what order should we ask these questions and how should they be asked/what interrogation techniques should we use. Pending on how we go about asking and what is asked, we will either get the answers we are looking for or cause him to become uncooperative. It is unlikely that we'll get answers to all the questions (that is if he knows the answers), but pending on how we ask, we can potentially get through a decent number of them.

[M4Minion]

After discussion with Digi, where she pointed out some wonderful points, I think we've come to a good idea of what these people should do.

With the Russian sort of freaked out by Bian's strength, and the flash of her monster face (which, she'd get rid of, going back to her more human appearance), she will ask her list of questions. After she is done, Max, knowing that events have probably left the Russian feeling the need for a friend, will step in with some good cop stuff. "I want to help you. We won't hurt you. Yes, she's scary and would like to hurt you, but I won't let you. Now, tell me what you know."

As far as the order of Max's questions go, the list is perfectly fine the way it is, except that his question about 'other highly placed people' at the party should be moved to the last spot.

How's that sound?

[Loki]

Got the post up. If there is anything you need me to modify for the sake of keeping true to your character, please let me know. And if you want to know what a Maenad looks like outside of her human form, just picture the witch from Left 4 Dead 2.

[Loki]

Alrighty, so we're going to be leaving that room shortly. Question is: where did you want to go from here? After all, it wouldn't be much of a mystery themed RP if I guided us everywhere.

Your options include, but are not limited to:
-Observing the other private rooms to see if there is anything to find.
-Return to the subway.
-Go down the middle corridor that was back at the place of congregation.
-Continue along side corridor to see where it leads.

Also, what shall be done with the Russian?
-Leave him tied up.
-Try to bring him along.
-Knock him unconscious and leave him behind.
-Kill him to remove the witness that would be able to identify us.

[Digital Muse]

Where to go: Bian would want to save the 'sacrificial victim' but would know it would be suicidal to do that. So she'd want to go down the middle corridor to learn more about what's happening.

As for the Russian, she'd want to ask Isoke to cloud his mind as was done to them when they were capture to temporarily erase his memory and give them time to get the hell out of the room and away from it.

Max still has the robes the Russian was wearing so he could pretend to be leading his 'toys' along as they explore.

[M4Minion]

Max will violently oppose anybody killing their pet Russian, of course, but they can't just bring him along, because the people in charge will still be able to track his fear if he goes with them.

As far as where to go, Max has the costume that the Russian was wearing, so, I think, he should wear that, and lead the others as if they are still entranced. They could make their way through the place, trying to gather more info, and hopefully figuring out how to put a stop to everything.

Though, they should avoid the main crowd as much as possible. The disguise and 'fake trance' probably won't fool the big bads.

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