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Topics - willow_lark

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1
Everywhere Else / Clothes make the Huntress [VLPS]
« on: March 31, 2017, 05:42:31 PM »
"I for one, am quite happy to be off the floor!" Sona says with a plop as she falls backwards on the bed in Team VLPS's new dorm room. Her arms spread out, she stares up at the ceiling of the room. "Definitely more spacious than the last place I was staying." She says. She kicks her legs straight up in the air, swinging them down and to her feet.

Sona has only two bags. A worn backpack with a faded denim color blue back panel and the rest of the bag in a tannish fabric. It's made of canvas and the padding in the straps has long been worn down. She sets this bag aside and opens her second bag. A large black rolling suitcase that looks almost new.

2
Everywhere Else / Typical Nights for Shade Staff
« on: March 13, 2017, 03:34:09 PM »
Dr Richard Pelle (Richard to friends, Dr Pelle to strangers, and Dr Pelle with twice the respect to his students) sits quietly in a corner of Oasis, a bar a mere half mile from Shade Academy. The bar has been a frequent place for staff and upperclassmen of the academy to visit for most of Shade's own tenure. Indeed, Richard visited frequently in his time as as student close to 20 years ago and it's difficult to spot more than a handful of changes to the bar. The name is just as old as the bar. The general theory is the bar actually predates the combat school that shares it's name and depending on who you ask, the school took inspiration from the bar.

The building shows its supposed age as well. Brick walls are weathered by years of sandstorms and desert winds. Replacement bricks stand out from the the rest with their unfaded colors. The bar itself is a worn and weathered piece of wood, sand in every crack. There are only a few windows and the place was originally lit by a fireplace of all things. Modern lighting now supplements the old thing, but it continues to be lit in the evenings when the desert air is cool enough to send a shiver down one's spine. The tables are mostly high tops, sized for a pair of people. They're moved about by patrons, building tables large enough for groups and splitting off just as frequently. On the wall opposite the bar are larger, normal height tables with booths set into the wall.

Richard sits in one of these booths, his portfolio briefcase open by his side on the bench. In front of him is a stack of papers, tests from his freshman archaeology course. Its obvious to anyone how he feels about these exams, with his brow furrowed and a hand massaging his temples. His other lightly swirls a glass of whiskey. Taking a swig of his drink, he marks down yet another name on his growing list of students who will need extra assignments to keep up.

3
Worldbuilding / Cavalcade Bandit Tribes
« on: February 16, 2017, 06:23:20 PM »
Cavalcade Bandits



Location: The Cavalcade region is located in the northwestern region of Vacuo's sprawling deserts. The  stretch of desert is known for sandstorms and rough terrain. The saving grace in the sandstorms are the many rock formations through out the region. They provide shelter in bad storms and places to hide. Cavalcade's region has few oasis's, and much of the water needed by the tribes is stolen. The desert between civilized Vacuo and Cavalcade is a hotspot for ruins and treasure, but is also considered by Cavalcade to be territory it occupies. The area is often encroached on by Cavalcade for a period of time before a particularly successful mission against them forces them back a bit. This happens frequently enough that no line in the sand can be drawn on safe territory in the area. The upper level tribes prefer to only temporarily push in. They have the force required to do so, complete whatever their objective is, and retreat back to the familiar Cavalcade region.

Tribes: The Cavalcade region contains no cities, only roving tribes. The tribes are difficult to track in the region, as they know many shortcuts, caverns and ways to disappear in the sands. Their mastery of traversing the sands contributes to their continued existence. Some notable tribes:
   
  • Cavall: The Cavall are the oldest and most powerful tribe in the Cavalcade region. Universally respected and universally feared, they are said to have inspired the name of the region. The tribe itself is small, barely numbering 25 people in their roving camp. The demographic among the tribe is almost exclusively male, both for adults and children. Any women found in their camp are likely slaves and/or concubines. The tribe's attitude towards the slaves it keeps is 'disposable'. No one in the tribe has and ever will marry, the children of the tribe are born to slaves. The fighting force of the Cavall is only a third of the tribe (on average this around 7 warriors), though they can each fight at the level of a decorated huntsman.
       
       The Cavall are ruthless, cruel beings. The tribesmen raise the youth as a tribe, to be even more ruthless than the future generations. The entire tribe is the father to each child. If one makes it to adulthood, the tribe becomes one's brothers. While tight nit, no one would be jealous of the dysfunctional family parody presented. It is not an easy childhood. Between the Cavall's activities, the 'survival of the fittest' mentality, and the harsh combat training many do not make it. The adults of the Cavall are trained to be both soulless and phenomenal fighters. All of them have aura unlocked and have survived thus far on their skill with a variety of weapons. The Cavall has access to anything they may need either through other tribes or by taking it themselves. They are well equipped with military vehicles and technology, though some build custom weapons made for inflicting more pain on victims.
       
    They are regarded as the exclusive head of the Cavalcade region out of fear more than anything. The Cavall are clever and sly. Their combined force is something that could provoke a military response, yet they've managed to avoid making enough of a splash to attract that attention. They are practiced in appearing and disappearing in the course of hours, not appear again for weeks as to prevent tracking. Scouting parties sent to find their camps come back with nothing or don't come back at all. The Cavall choose their targets well. While no Robin hoods, the tribe's connections with the black market allow them to raid rich individuals who have criminal secrets. These secrets are brought to light in the attack, diverting some of the heat from the attack to their victim. Other options are a no survivors policy, particularly for border towns. A newly cropped up border town disappearing will quickly be attributed to Grimm. The Cavall have even used weapons modelled to look like a Grimm attack to encourage the comparison. Their raids, however they are designed, net the tribe more than enough supplies and valuables to last them until their next. The Cavall are not a constant presence in the deserts, but rather surface like the boogieman.
       
  • Scelerat: The Scelerat are a tribe of primarily slavers. They are not particularly violent but rather greedy. They do not prefer killings, as that cuts into the bottom line. While they occasionally deal in other trade their consistent focus is slaving. They number in the hundreds and travel together in one large caravan. The caravan also includes the 'wares' they have captured. Smaller groups will branch out to actually capture slaves and eventually return to the main caravan. Smaller groups rarely do the trading, the Scelerat prefer business being done in their own home. Scelerat provide slaves within the tribes of Cavalcade as well as to unsavory individuals in other kingdoms as well as their own.
       
       Scelerat operations tend to run in a similar manner. The group will slip into town unnoticed and linger before deciding how things should run. They'll either target a high profile target (possibly for ransom), kidnap opportunity targets and get out of town, or plan a snatch of a group of people in the dead of night. The Scelerat are not the type to raze a town to capture the whole town. Too risky.
       
  • Grogneur: Grogneur are the grunts of the Cavalcade region. They are pickpockets, thugs, thieves, murderers and arsonists to name a few. If it's illegal, you can find someone in a Grogneur tribe that has done it. Grogneur is actually a blanket title for any tribe that yet to define itself as its own. They make up the majority of the banditry. Being a Grogneur is a simple life. The tribe steals, murders and pillages freely. Often they will harass a town until someone arrives to help it, only to move on to the next. Grogneur is a loosely attached group. You can kill a fellow in the middle of camp and be cheered for, and the next day run through yourself. There is no law and no standard. Infighting is common in the tribe as well as tribe to tribe. Grogneur tribes will often fight each other over petty squabbles. Most Grogneur lack aura and make do with raw strength or weapon force. The biggest threat of Grogneur is the size of the tribe, as they have large war parties. Tribes are led by whoever takes the role up, and they continue to lead until someone else kills them for the job. Grogneur know the chain of command to the Cavalcade region and actively avoid the Cavall. If the Cavall are looking for grunts, Grogneur are recruited into it. They have no choice in that matter.
Symbol: A blade with no hilt, chain wrapped at the base. The whole thing is dripping blood.

Colors: Red and Black

Government:
  • Political Structure: Tribes are internally managed. When a large enough threat surfaces to the bandits way of life or encroaches on their territory, tribes gather in the center of the desert for a 'Counsel'. This counsel considers of the leadership of mostly Grogneur tribes. When Grogneur only tribes convene nothing tends to be the result. Every leader goes in looking to come out ahead of the others while still fighting the threat. This attitude does not make for good teamwork, and infighting quickly ensues and the Counsel breaks apart. (Leaders never come to blows when meeting under these circumstances. It's one of the few rules most respect.) When a named tribe comes to a Counsel, the Grogneur tend to fall under that tribe's command. If multiple arrive, these leaders work out some form of plan together they can agree on. Operations made under a Counsel's direction tend to work very well due to numbers and execution being organized. If the Cavall come to a Counsel, all fall under the Cavall's banner. These operations (though only one has been recorded to have occurred) are highly dangerous focusing on destruction, damage, and death. Human lives are not considered valuable in the planning stage and even less so during execution.
       
  • Trade: Any trade done is on a tribal basis. Most don't trade as a unit, but as individuals. The Scelerat trade as a tribe, and contacting them is as dangerous as slave ownership in a free remnant.
       
  • Huntsman: Most tribes avoid Huntsman, even in training students. While a handful of Grogneur might be difficult for an Oasis student, it would take twice that to a full raiding party to stand up to a team of Shade students and over half the tribe for a true Huntsman. Grogneur can be individually skilled, but common sense dictates avoiding the best trained combatants in the world. Grogneur confidence does go up with numbers, on joint tribe missions they can be more aggressive.
       
       The Cavall treat Huntsman like prey, or a rare chance at a good fight. Each adult is on the level of a decorated huntsman in the tribe, and encountering a graduated Huntsman is among few things that challenge the tribe. When dealing with a lone Huntsman, like many operate, they use their full force (7ish adult tribesman) to overwhelm the target. They'll scalp the Huntsman and add it to their tribal decorations. Against an operating team of full Huntsman, the fights tend to be 50/50. If the Cavall are ever outnumbered against Huntsman, they'll retreat and leave their injured for dead.
       
       A team of Shade students have a chance of surviving against a single Cavall adult. The challenge is not recommended, as the odds are at best 50/50. The Cavall tend to play with students more than they murder them however, for better or worse. Defeated students tend to be tortured in the field until reinforcements arrive that can cause the Cavall member to retreat. Over half those victims were unable to continue as Huntsman, and a fourth were unable to move past that trama. Students are warned when heading into an area the Cavall are known to travel and told to retreat at first sign of the bandits.
       
       (From a meta perspective, Cavall are not to be treated as standard, or even second tier enemies. Cavall should be treated as the top tier of Vacuo bandit enemies; akin to Boss Grimm standing at the top of Grimm.)
     
       
  • Political Relations: While the tribes are criminals, they are a fairly stable existence. This is attributed to a few features. The first is the location they travel though. With the sandstorms aerial engagement is out of the question unless a serious military move is made against them. Tracking is difficult in the dunes as well which keeps their roving paths a secret to those outside the region. The lack of military in Vacuo also contributes to the region's build up. Huntsman are excellent for quelling individual uprisings but can't be asked to serve as police force and search and destroy teams all the time. Shade is the only organization with enough military power in the region to organize against the tribes, but students are not soldiers and very few people would support action by Shade to change that (let alone Shade itself). The numbers of the region also secure its place in Vacuo. The sheer amount of tribes in the region that can unite against a threat is enough to keep a threat from ever mounting. The tribes are large enough that almost any military effort would be met with at least as many men on the other side of the battlefield. The government of Vacuo and Shade organize Huntsman missions to keep the status quo, but are unable to change the status quo with the way things have evolved. It’s a well-known sore spot to many people.

Resources: Cavalcade tribes vary on equipment. The smaller the tribe, the better the gear is a safe trend. Grogneur use borrowed blades and jammed rifles, while the Cavall build custom shifting weaponry designed for optimal pain. Cavall sit on military surplus that would make a general envious, while Grogneur are hard pressed to maintain a few sandcrawlers. The Cavalcade tribes all encourage slavery, and many keep slaves. The tribes are not above using slaves as hostages or bullet shields.

History: The bandit tribes are not the literary sort and have no written history of their own past. The tribes have been around as long as Vacuo itself has, as far as anyone can tell. No one knows who founded the bandits proper, though the popular theory to their formation is below. It is generally accepted that each tribe formed on its own, much like how current Grogneur tribes form. People's knee jerk reaction was to blanket all criminals from the desert under the term Cavalcade. Why Cavalcade is a common debate, some subscribe to the idea that the Cavall have been operating that long and the name came from them, while others say it was an early tribe that no longer operates. This caused the bandits themselves to feel a form of unity, and it snowballed from there. The tribes evolved as different tribes surfaced (the Cavall and Scelerat are such examples) but continues to be the chaotic mass of negativity and destruction people assumed it to be.

4
Approved Characters / Dr Richard Pelle
« on: February 16, 2017, 08:59:52 AM »
Request for a Shade Professor approved by DrGustave.

CHARACTER

Name: Dr Richard Pelle (Silent e, pronounced Pell)

Age: 39

Species and Gender: Human Male

Symbol:  A dark arch showing a cave entrance with a light effect approaching from the base.

Occupation: Head of Archeology for Shade Academy, Liaison for Vacuan Archeology Cooperative

Appearance: Richard is an older man, and his time in the dusts have tempered his look. He has sandy brown hair and his skin is beaten rough by desert wind and sand. He's tanned like many Vacuans, a shade oddly close to his hair. He's never clean shaven (if asked, he says it grows back immediately when he tries) and his stubble only adds to the complexity of his skin. He is in excellent physical condition and has 6 pack abs, though he does come off as any kind of bodybuilder. His shoulders are a bit broad. He has a single scar on his right side of his torso.

Richard always dresses for practicality while still upholding the prestige of his position. In the office, he wears white button up shirts and light colored slacks. Depending on the day he accompanies this with a matching suit jacket. Despite the business slant in his attire, he refuses to wear anything but hiking shoes. Rumors swell around Shade and Vacuo Archeology about what happens to those who try and convince him out of the shoes. He'll occasionally wear his field jacket when the weather permits.

In the field, Richard wears a custom made long sleeve tactical weave shirt that is a whiteish tan in color, the sleeves a dark tan along with the sides of the torso. He routinely rips the shirts in the field despite best efforts by the tailor. He accompanies with a pair of brown 'scavenger' pants. Popular with scavengers, the style has a variety of pockets and random stitching all over the legs. They're made of a hearty material, and stand up well to exploration. He continues to wear his hiking shoes and pulled up socks. In Vacuo he rarely needs anything more than this, though he'll often packet his leather jacket as well. The jacket is brown, has plenty of pockets, and a high collar that folds down for normal wear. If he isn't travelling with anyone, he occasionally adds a brown fedora to his outfit. He doesn't do this when others are round, since most make some comment about him being just like a movie character.

Richard keeps his weapon on his belt, along with half a dozen pouches along the back. One of these pouches contains his ammunition mixer and dust vials, another contains loose rounds. He carries multiple spare clips for Raster as well on the belt. He carries an extensive multi tool on his belt as well. His weapon is holstered at his side on his thigh, in its custom holster.  His knife (a large combat knife) is stored on his other leg.

Either case, he wears a few accessories. He has a large military grade digital watch he received as a gift from an Atlisan friend. While it lacks many of the mundane features, it handles all the scroll features Richard would ever use.  Examples include compass, gps location, flashlight, phone, and other survival style features. It notoriously does not do instant messaging, something anyone who has tried to message the professor headaches. There is almost no part of the crystal face that isn't scratched. He carries a heavy brown scarf his uses for emergency, face protection, and a myriad other uses as he thinks of them. It's made by the same tailor who makes his shirts, making it incredibly resilient. In the office he keeps it folded in a jacket pocket, or in his backpack. In the field, he ties it through his belt loops over his belt, if it's not around his neck. He uses his field backpack all the time, a canvas bag that seems limitless as he pulls things out. He's a meticulous packer which is the secret to his never ending space. The bag has more pockets than necessary and they can be collapsed into each other. There are plenty of attachment points on the outside of the bag for tools as well. Among the things on and in the bag are a whip attached to the outside.

History: Richard comes from a family of scavengers. His father lead a team of intrepid types who were not afraid of the desert to raid old buildings and such for supplies. The troupe was large for scavengers without council sanctions but was well respected for operating fairly and supporting anyone found out in the deserts. Richard began going out with his father's team as early as age 7, staying with the sandcrawler rather than assisting. He found his own love for out in the wastes when he stumbled on an underground tomb with his father. The discover paid well later, but Richard never forgot the thrill in being the first one to unearth that room in centuries.

When Richard was 10 he was primed to work as scavenger like his father, looking for the mysteries in the sands he was so entranced with. However, his father was forced to retire when a Grimm attack hit during a scavenging trip. Thankfully most of the part had been able to retreat to the sandcrawler quickly, but Richard's father took a nasty injury to his right arm and leg. Unable to rely on them any longer, his father backed out of personally scavenging and took over the business operations of the team. The incident changed his father's stance on his son following in the family career. Over the course of many arguments about the safety of such a career his father finally stated that the only way Richard could go out in the wastes is if he's a Huntsman. Richard takes this to heart, and begins training.  At first this training is a means to an end for Richard, but over time he found he liked being able to rely on his own strength. At the same time, his father comes to realize that his son not only can become a Huntsman, but that it suited the boy. They come to accept that this path works towards both their ends, and his parents support him entering Oasis Academy.

In his third year at Oasis, Richard was falling into the idea of being a full time Huntsman. He took an archeology class on a whim and nostalgia, remembering the tomb he found as a boy. That course brought back all of his love for exploration over the career of a Huntsman. He spent many long nights awake that year thinking on what he really wanted to strive for. He knew Shade had an excellent Archeology program, given it advised even the government on all matters ancient, but he was torn as to enter as Huntsman, or an Archeologist. His parents support for his Huntsman career also weighted heavily on him at the time. He eventually brought his conflict to his parents, who surprised him by saying he could do whatever he wanted. He had the grades to get to Shade. Whatever he came out to do, they would support him in it. After much deliberation, he chose to continue as a Huntsman, rather than close the door on the legendary career.

In Shade Richard was popular for both his skill and passion. The archeology department constantly pulled at him for more training and work in the field, realizing he was a natural for the field. His skill on the battlefield and quick thinking as leader of team RALE (Rail) had his teammates clamoring for attention as well. He managed well, though each side will say he spent too much time with the other, and graduated with full honors in Archeology as well as a Huntsman. His team insisted they go out in the world together, and Richard found he could not say no to the team. He put Archeology to the side to build a career as a Huntsman.

Richard was a full time Huntsman for 8 years. While he toppled no empires in his tenure, he made a name for both himself and RALE, while they functioned together. He preferred to steer the team towards exploration missions and they had been fairly successful with them. Those missions were a bit less frequent that he'd like but his team made it worth it. Lasi and Alb settled down after 6 years, and Eclat suffered injury less an year before. Richard continued alone, but he began to grow tired of the lifestyle. While visiting his team in the city, he happened on his old Archeology professor from Shade while out to dinner. The man had plans to retire soon and tried to lay ground work to pull Richard away from the life. He had no idea Richard would almost immediately accept. Richard finished his doctorate while working under his long time mentor, taking over the positon when graduated. Richard now teaches full time, using his Huntsman connections and family friends to keep an eye on the rumors out in the desert. He occasionally disappears when the leads are good, and the results speak for themselves. No one wants to be the TA for his class because of it.

Richard runs the archeology department at Shade at his leisure. He continues the policy his predecessor started that allows non Shade students the chance to study archeology at the best school for it on Remnant. The archeology department is in its own building to facilitate this. Richard handles all things old and musty for Shade, and Shade is often consulted by the Vacuo Archeology Cooperative (the government run archeology program) for their expertise. Richard represents Shade in dealings with VAC and occasionally works personally with VAC as well.

Personality: Richard is a professional and yet not. He has immense respect for his position as a Professor of Shade and knows it's one of the greatest honors he'll ever receive. He respects Shade and it's headmistress, and demands that respect of any in his presence. He's sent students on dead end desert missions for having a negative attitude of the school. He dresses well and works hard not for his own reputation, but the Shade department's. At the same time, he's a simplistic man who likes what he likes. He rarely plays social 'games' and says what's on his mind, which while well thought out and intelligent, can often be brash for some people's tastes. When advising the headmistress he is often spoken to ahead of time, and never brought in the room with the negotiating party.

He loves teaching, though he has a love hate relationship with being considered a huntsman. He has a notable trend of being dismissive and gruff with younger students and only opening up with the upperclassmen. It's not a steadfast rule, but it comes from the fact that he expects his students to earn his attention. He has no tolerance for poor students, but the opposite for those willing to improve. Seniors can attest to him being a relaxed professor whose priority is learning, not grades. He loves questions, and students that end up in his good graces are the type to ask them, the type to think for themselves. He teaches with handwritten notes on the board which he refuses to share after they've been erased. When alone he spends time on keeping up with the world, writing his papers for publishing (he's quite behind), and keeping in touch with contacts on new field work. He is less a historian than many of the other decorated archeologists in the Vacuo Archeology Cooperative. His goal is to discover and find, rather than to explain the past.

In the field Richard can't help but be relaxed. He's comfortable out in the desert, and enjoys being there. While the sun is down and his team is in camp, he'll shoot the breeze, partake in some youthful rebellion with alcohol, and generally let things go. The tradeoff is he expects every student to pull their weight during the dig. He will remove a student from a job if they cannot do it or are not doing it to the best of their ability without question. The digs he directs are serious endeavors and he does not tolerate slacking. Students are worked to the bone before any Grimm combat, which is treated as a nice stress relief from the efforts of the dig. Despite his serious attitude to the work, he's a Professor first and foremost and will prioritize student safety (but not comfort).

Richard is not much of a huntsman. While he graduated from Shade, his true passion has always been discovery and his training as a huntsman was a way to enable that in the dangerous Grimm infested lands. He often must be reminded of his duties as a graduated huntsman, especially when there's other work to be done. He keeps his skills up to date only for the goals of protecting students and himself in the field. He has no qualms with abandoning a site and getting backup if Grimm over run it. First and foremost, Richard is an archeologist over a huntsman. He is a Professor over an Archeologist.

Aura and Semblance: Richard's aura is Ruin Brown in color. He has excellent aura control and can manipulate better than most. While lazy about improving he is adamant about maintaining it. He uses the control in two primary ways. Both methods reduce the overall effectiveness of his aura for a focused affect. He focuses his aura to increase his strength, simply increasing aura's already present strength increases by using more aura to do it. He also focuses for a thicker defense, usually on his forearm for blocking. As more aura is manipulated to an area for either effect, the area gets a faint shine of color.
Richard has a semblance called Pulse. The semblance is a form of radar using aura that spreads out from his person and throughout the area around him. The may take a few seconds of focus depending on the size of the room. At first the semblance showed him everything in a room, but he has trained with it to reduce what he learns from it to more useful information. When not trying to see everything, the semblance highlights exits, dust, weapons, Grimm, and people in his vision. This are not actively updated, so he'll have to continually use the semblance to 'track' something. He has done this a few times in his Huntsman career, but it becomes exhausting and Richard considers it a worst case scenario option.

Combat Behavior:  Richard does not immediately choose to fight. He'd often rather retreat, long retired from fighting Grimm and openly happy to be done with it. When required, Richard aims to go big or go home. His magnum is powerful, and can deal with single Grimm quickly if he's accurate. He prefers to eliminate something before it's in spitting distance if at all possible. When at a distance he will consider the use of Raster's rifle form, but not when enemies are nearby. He values the ease of use of the pistol form in close combat. Richard carries a knife for close combat but only really uses it to finish off a foe. His aura control and pistol allow him to block hits with aura and the weapon respectively and he prefers that. He tries to get space on close opponents, but can also sucker them in to a shotgun round from Raster's secondary form. If they persist he continues to make use of the close range form till his opponent is done with. Richard prefers single combat, and avoids fighting against groups without backup. Groups become challenging and he runs a higher risk of injury.

WEAPON

Name: Raster

Primary Form: A large handgun, based on a desert eagle magnum. The weapon is decorated with engravings along the barrel and slide and the barrel and slide extend beyond the grip over the hand. The barrel is longer than standard as well. The top of the weapon has notches along it's barrel, with two tracks carved into the top. The weapon has a laser sight below the barrel and can be equipped with a silencer. The is a switch on the side of the barrel that triggers the secondary form. The weapon is made of stronger material than most guns, designed to be able to block Huntsman weapons at close range in a pinch. The interior is similarly strong, to withstand experimental rounds.

Secondary Form: Raster can expand its barrel by rotating itself counterclockwise, widening the barrel for larger caliber shells. The weapon elongates a bit when the barrel is rotated wide and becomes a side loading single shot weapon. The shells Richard designs for this format are for a variety of applications. The stock form from the rifle attachment can be deployed here.

Tertiary Form: Raster has a secondary attachment that takes the form of a the large holster the pistol rests in when not activated. The pistol is slid in on a diagonal normally. When ratcheted up in the holster the holster releases from his leg and expands out. Raster forms the base of a rifle based on the HK G28 sniper rifle. No scope is compressed into the holster however. The barrel is wrapped and expanded into the large make barrel on the base rifle. Raster's long barrel is noticeably telescopic however. Raster serves as the firing mechanism in this form as well, but is augmented by the surrounding hardware. The back of Raster kicks outward and forms a stock for the weapon. The rifle form must be loaded in a separate magazine slot located on the expanded attachment. It is unable to be loaded while as a holster.

Dust Functions: Raster takes magnum rounds and packs a hell of a punch. The clip contains 9 rounds for the primary magnum form, becomes a side loading single round weapon in second form, and the rifle clip contains 18 rounds. Richard carries multiple magnum clips, but only one for the rifle. He also carries a device that loads dust into ammunition casings. It creates three rounds with a load. He uses this to quickly create new, funky rounds. He carries casings for Hollow point (low penetration, more wound), standard full metal jacket and Armor Piercing (high penetration, more likely to go straight through than spread out) rounds.
Richard has been merging dust together for effects out of Raster for over two decades. He carries a lockbox of dust  in his backpack so that he can keep his on hand stock resupplied in the field. In the same pouch as the ammunition mixer he keeps a two use vile of dust in each variety. These sit in between himself and the mixer to protect them. Some of the specialty rounds he uses are:
   
Hi-explosive (Explosive dust + Fire dust): This blow up people's heads. They're something barely short of a grenade launcher round. Rather unstable, sometimes blow up early.
   
Taser (Electric dust): Releases an electric charge throughout the body on impact. Good for things without aura. Tracer (Fire Dust + Wind dust): This can be combined with other combinations. It's actually a coating on the casing that causes a line of fire to trace the bullet out of the gun. Useful to see where Richard is shooting. If the bullet isn't being shot at long range, the remaining dust on the casing may cause whatever was hit to burn.
   
Lockup (Ice Dust): Used only in hollow point rounds. The ice dust expands out with the point of the round on impact, freezing the area around the wound. This tends to immobilize a joint if it's a good hit.
   
Lockup Lightning (Ice Dust + Electric Dust): A lockup bullet that also electrocutes the body to paralyze. The tasing effect is not as effective as hollow points don't get as deep into the body as the rounds used for the Tasers.
   
Fists (Earth dust): Causes the bullet to hit like a rock. Loses the penetration due to the weight of the earth dust reacting, but hits like an armored fist. Useful to knockback enemies.
   
Black Hole (Gravity dust + Wind dust): Wind dust is used to help keep the gravity altering dust moving. When the bullet hits, the gravity dust is released and forms a black hole attraction effect for a few seconds, forcefully pulling anything in a fairly large (say 10 yards/meters) area towards it.
   
Turbines (Wind dust): rounds surrounded by gale winds. These are much more effective at knocking back enemies, but the bullet often fails to reach the target because of it. If the target doesn't move and stays standing through the gale, the bullet has a chance of hitting but it's force will be rather weak.
   
Lasers (Wind Dust): Wind dust is used internally to increase the speed of the round. These bullets are generally armor piercing. They are almost guaranteed to go straight through a target. They will however go completely straight though so asides from the hole made by the bullet, there will be little collateral internal damage in the target's body.



When in it's secondary form, Raster can fire alternate size rounds. The primary round type this is used for is shotgun shells. The spread is wide and the form is pretty much a close range only option. A few dust rounds only work with shotgun shells however. The above can be used in shotgun shells as well to varying degrees of effectiveness.
   
Firestorm (Fire dust): Causes the pellets released to by the shell to be on fire.
   

History: Richard built Raster when he was at Oasis. Originally it had no rifle attachment, and used standard rounds. His partner Eclat in Shade was an expert with dust, and helped Richard learn to experiment with new rounds. Richard fell in love with the gun as he realized how much more he could do with the weapon. During his years as a Huntsman he built the rifle attachment to get some additional range and a larger clip.

5
Everywhere Else / Trial Under Fire[VLPS][Closed]
« on: January 01, 2017, 11:24:03 PM »
Team VLPS, as they were to be called from now on were seated in an all terrain jeep, driving just outside the limits of the city surrounding Shade Academy. The midday sun is high in the sky and the desert is hot as it always is. The four girls had only just finished with the freshman ceremony at the Academy when they learned all the newly formed freshman teams would be sent out on missions around the city. The team was given access to this very jeep and instructions to head outside city limits and wait for contact about their mission details.

Their newly appointed leader Lynae had taken the wheel, possibly because of her appointment, but probably because she was the only one comfortable driving the vehicle. Sona sat in the passenger seat, while Patchouli and Vidalia had the backseat to themselves. If they were at all worried over where exactly they should stop to be outside limits, they needent have. Their scrolls ding in unison.




Sona snatches up her scroll as it dings, so quickly it's obvious how anxious she was to receive the details of their job. Glancing to Lynae driving, she sighs and begins to read aloud as opposed to herself.



Team VLPS,
This mission will serve as your initiation at Shade Academy. It does not grade on the standard Huntsman mission grades, and is well within your capabilities according to your transcripts. You will prove your skills in your execution of the objective below, and return successful to the Academy. There shall be no alternative.

A group of merchants has been harassed by poachers near the south exit of the city you are now approaching. Harassed individually, they eventually gathered together and counter attacked against the poachers after their product. The group drove the poachers from the area, but they want them captured so they do not resume operations. They deferred to the academy on this as they are hesitant to follow the ruffians to their hideout, a small ruin whose coordinates are enclosed. Recovery of any stolen goods will be considered for extra credit. The apprehension or elimination of the bandits will complete the request, and is your objective. All other mission information can be found attached to this mail.

We will observe your work via your scroll readouts and after action interview. The professor who will be following your progress is Professor Sohrab. You will be representing the academy, so please keep this in mind as you take action. We at Shade look forward to the results of your Trial under Fire.




Signed Shade Academy. Sona finishes.

6
Approved Characters / Sona Aurelia
« on: November 29, 2016, 01:20:01 PM »
CHARACTER

Name: Sona Aurelia

Age: 17 - Huā 4

Species and Gender: Cat Faunus Female

Symbol:  A ring slicing through another, the latter which is shattered

Occupation: 1st Year - Shade Student

Appearance: Sona is of an average female height for her age. She has long, straight dirty blonde hair which she insists on leaving down. She has brown-tan fur on her faunus feature, her cat ears, like a tabby cat. She has hazel eyes and very soft features. Her face is feminine and serene, and quite beautiful. Her body is much the same, serene and beautiful. She has an average bust and build, and a perfect 'hour glass figure'. While humble in measurements, her symmetry, poise, and proportions make her undeniably a beautiful girl. Her movements are feminine as well, and she is all around as attractive as they come.
Most of her attractiveness is from natural things, others are things she was forced to learn in her childhood experiences. Because of the latter, she knows just how much males and even other women care about an attractive body. Despite the negative experiences, she doesn’t forget this and continues to act as she was required to at times, as being beautiful and attractive opens many doors.
This impacts her choice of clothing as well. On a mission,  Sona wears a black tank top, which is form fitting and tight. If weather demands it, she wears a brown military jacket that only goes down to just below her bust. It is loose enough in the shoulders to not restrict her, and the sleeves only go about three fourths of the way down her arms. If she isn't wearing the jacket, she ties it around her waist out of combat. She wears a too short for practicality sandy brown skirt, with bicycle shorts underneath them. Given her dancing fighting style, a skirt fluttering around attracts enemy attention and she enjoys punishing a lecherous gaze in combat. She wears stylish ankle high boots, with flat heels. Her black socks come up to her knees. Similar to the skirt, she knows the socks distract people in combat and makes use of her looks. She has gloves on her hands when using her weapons, which have some armoring to protect her. She wears stud earrings, and has fairly large belt around her waist with a hip pouch or two. Her chakram have a holster on the back of the belt, two sit slightly to the left and the others are slightly to the right. She wears a choker collar, cheap and flimsy plastic like, around her neck.
In combat situations where she doesn't try to use her looks as a weapon, or in casual wear, she often replaces the skirt with proper jeans, the tank top with a similarly tight fitting black tee, and the short boots with knee high books. Even casually, she doesn't put her hair up.

History: Sona was born and raised in a small desert village, out of the way of any major city in Vacuo. She was an only child and always strong willed. She'd never take no for an answer, and always worked to get her way. She was spunky with a capital S. Sona was a good kid and well regarded, often helping around town by doing the things a spunky tomboy could do.
Sona's life was perfectly normal until age 10, when Vacuo bandits attacked and raided the town. The place was razed, and Sona lost her parents. They were killed in front of her and the rest of the town children. The banditry kidnapped the town children and brought them to their tribe, to be used for labor, amusement, torture, the works. Many break, and become indoctrinated in the tribe, forgetting about their life before. This is why the tribe does this, it pads the tribe numbers and the slaves can be used as cannon fodder in combat when they become old enough to last more than a second against an opponent.
Despite the pain laid on Sona, she however, did not break. Her childish spunk and strong willed personality helped her persevere in the face of pain, misery, and abuse. Unfortunately, that strength only attracted more and more trouble to the poor girl. The odds against her were severe, but despite tears, screams, and pain she always turned around with a glare at her captor. The older she got, the worse things got. By 15, she was more abused than used for labor or other roles in the tribe, being treated much like a wild stallion in need of being broken.
Sona's aura, had been forcible activated shortly after arriving under the control of the banditry. While that's not good for children, it certainly helped keep her alive. As aura is strength of the soul and her soul and willpower is strong enough last against many years of torment, she has a large amount as well. However, the longer it took for her aura to break, the angrier those abusing her got and the worse the damage would be after it did. Over time, she psychologically suppresses her aura, only letting a fraction of act as her shield before it shatters. (Technically, she subconsciously shuts down her aura.) Her strange aura evolves into her semblance when it reveals itself.
At 15 years and 4 months, Sona was beaten harder than ever before. Her aura broke quickly and the physical damage added up. Blood flowed down her arm, and she was quiet bruised. Even with all her will, it was all she could do to keep glaring and not fall apart. The next blow goes to her head, but before it can land a golden surge explodes from her person. The chieftain who had been attacking her was launched across the room, from the shockwave. Her aura had returned, in some capacity. While strange, her injuries were still quite heavy and she couldn't move away as the chieftain returned for a new round. Her aura is broken again, and after more physical damage, the same thing occurs again. The cycle continues, the chieftain bringing more pain to her and her aura coming back with less and less energy. By the 8th resurgence, the chieftain was more than a bit confused and she knew something had changed. She knew she had to take the initiative, while the Chieftain was disorientated. She slowly rose to her feet, despite heavy injury, and reached for the Chakram sitting on the table in the room. The chief was stunned, and the chain that collared her to the center pole of the tent was cut at the base. In a surreal moment, the bloodied girl was able to walk up to the chieftain and swing the weapon at him, and she kept at it. Eventually he fell unconscious, too shocked to mount a resistance. The battered girl slumped to the ground, knowing she'd be in for it when someone found them. She knew she had to try and escape now, and with the 4 Chakrams in the room as her only weapons, she left.
The coincidences piled up, like karma owed to her, and she was able to leave the compound. Terribly injured, and her partial aura not healing her like a normal aura should, she eventually collapsed in the desert, expecting to be found long before her aura could rouse her. Further karma, however, kept her unfound. She was able to resume travelling, the lesser injuries healed by her aura, and eventually made it to the city. Afraid to travel the wastes less she run across the bandits again, she lived as an urchin in the city for a year and a half. She made some friends with kind people who helped a poor girl out, made enemies with people who clashed with her, and regained her strength and familiarity with the regular world. She put the skills she was forced to learn in her time with the banditry to use, dancing, fighting, cleaning, anything to earn a lien. Over time, she's able to readjust to a slightly normal life.
However, that isn't what she desires. Her spunkiness as a girl, her perseverance as a slave, and her gutso as a free girl all come together. She knows she wants to kill people like those her murdered her family and thousands more, tortured children and even herself. While not a specific revenge, it is a powerful, justice style revenge that drives her. Using her new connections in the city, she starts to look into ways to use her strength to defeat these people. Police work has too much red tape for her style forever, and that is what draws her to becoming a Huntress. Huntresses can act freely, take missions they see fit, and are mostly independent of organizational structure. She gathers her own possessions, things she was finally able to say she owns, and heads out of the city. She is no longer afraid of the bandits that caused her so much pain and tears. Now, she is ready to get the training she needs to get her revenge on them. To snuff them out for the crimes they've committed, and to prevent others like them from ever getting to harm an innocent.
To do this, she gathers letters of recommendation from a retired Shade professor, a police detective, a public defender and many other people whose lives she's touched and vice versa in her time in the city. As a certifiable Jill of all Trades, she had preformed dozens of jobs around the city and with each place she said goodbye to in the city, she brought with her something more to show just who she is to Shade Academy. With combat skills based of the perverse dancing she had to do in captivity, refined as she protected herself and her freedom, and finally truly harnessed with time, she knew she could pass the physical part. While she didn't have the money for the academy, the words written by the people she met and the evidence of her work alone was enough to earn her a merit scholarship, at least for the first year. Not that she was worried. She knew they'd love her once they saw her drive. That drive has taken her this far and she has nowhere else to go but up. 

Personality: Sona is strong willed to the nines. She is confident, but not stubborn. She will not back down on something she believes in, though she is willing to admit being wrong if the facts say otherwise. She is not prideful, though she is also not humble. She prescribes to the world in a black and white morality style. Anyone who does an action that she associates with the black side of the scale is immediately an enemy and a target. She does not forgive when people cross the line. She is no pacifist and has no qualms with injuring a perceived enemy.
Due to her past, Sona is always tense. She tries not to come off cross to strangers because of it, but it isn't something she can consciously shake. Let alone her muscles, always poised for trouble, she is very distrusting. She doesn't fear betrayal, she assumes all people can and will be out to get her. While she knows this isn't true, she cannot shake the subconscious fear. She despises that she can't shake that fear, as well as her aversion to men. While she is mentally unafraid of men, her body reacts to one being close to her and acts out her subconscious fear. As a girl who prides herself on strength of will, her subconscious betraying her is a shame mark for her. She hates showing fear or weakness and will take large steps to prevent it. (This applies to weaknesses of person, not combat.) Sona is at odds with herself, her powerful will and force of personality allow her to mentally avoid the repercussions of the abuses she has suffered, but her subconscious cannot help but show the signs and consequences of the same. She is not too prideful to admit she has large demons, but she refuses to 'lose' to them. To her accepting that she can't continue forward, continue fighting the effects is synonymous with losing all those years ago.
On a day to day basis, besides her twitchiness and subconscious fears, she lives surprisingly normally. Her relaxed is still quite tense, but she fights to not be controlled by those subconscious feelings. She is personable once she knows who you are and what your intentions are. She occasionally shows a thousand yard stare though, often in the middle of a pleasant moment, a reflection of her experiences.

Aura and Semblance: Sona has a large amount of aura, which is golden in color. However, due to her experiences, she subconsciously represses her total aura. Her aura only can take at best a dozen or so good hits before failing, a proportionately low amount. While she still has aura remaining at this point, she subconsciously disables her aura. She has next to no control of her aura and cannot reactivate it herself. To her benefit, when she takes enough damage her body kicks on her aura again, at about 25% the strength it had been before. When this happens, she can take another 3 hits before it once again drops. This continues to occur until her total aura is depleted, which allows the aura to resurge 9 times. This effect is controlled by physical damage, she needs to lose a certain amount of 'HP' before her 'shield' comes back up. She calls the ability Nine Lives, after her faunus.
In summary:
Her total aura, in terms of hits, is 12 + 3*9= 39.
Her aura going into a fight, the initial aura, is a rating of 12.
After each resurgence of her aura from Nine Lives, which happens up to 9 times, the aura returns at a rating of 3.
Sona's semblance is force projection. It isn't elementally aligned by nature, and she has no control over her semblance the same way she cannot consciously control her Aura. The only manifestation of her semblance is she does is a blast of golden light that knocks back those around her when her Aura resurges from the Nine Lives effect. This is lightly damaging at best, and mostly useful to give her space. The knock back is a good 15 feet. She could theoretically learn to control her semblance, at which point it would allow for concentrated blasts for more knock back or damage. However the psychological trauma from her childhood is not easily kicked, and she does not have the attitude to do it.

Combat Behavior:  Due to her personality, Sona fights a bit like a berserker. She is immediately aggressive and has no qualms attacking those she deems morally black. She is very lithe and agile, and uses that when in an opponent's face. She basically dances (that's where her Chakram skills originated, when she was forced to be a dancer in the past) around the foe slicing at them. She dodges fairly well, but is too comfortable getting close, and gets hit more than she needs to. Her aggressive style is counter intuitive to her agility, she would be better suited as striker role. Good luck telling her that. Dust rounds cannot be triggered while fighting with the chakram in hand.
At mid range, she can throw her chakrams in two ways, one which is less powerful but returns the chakram to her ala a boomerang, and another which does not return to her but spins faster and causes deeper wounds. She can also trigger dust rounds when throwing the Chakrams as well, to give her elemental effects.

WEAPON

Name: Chakrams

Primary Form: Sona's weapons are a set of Chakrams. They are specially designed, though not by her. She stole them from the bandits who stole them originally when she escaped captivity and has never given them up. They are bladed all the way around the ring, and Sona has practiced extensively to not cut herself. On her combat gloves, she has steel on the knuckles to the first joint of her fingers, which allows for her to not be cut by anything she 'hooks' inside of the ring. They are well designed, and will always return when thrown from the hand. They act like boomerangs in that case, and may not cut as deep as when thrown from the finger. A chakram can be twirled on a finger and released, and when this is done they are more powerful. (In reality, a chakram thrown this way can cut throw most of a man's leg.) The Chakram will not return to her though when thrown this way, but the damage is significantly better as there is deeper penetration by the spinning disk.
The rings have a six dust round chambers on them. When a ring is thrown with a round in the chamber, the round is activated by the spinning and an appropriate dust effect envelopes the ring. Due to the rings aerodynamics, there is no way for a round to be ejected mid throw, and must be emptied upon return by Sona.

Dust Functions: Sona uses the following form of dust rounds:
Fire - Causes the ring to burst into flames and becomes superheated for a moment. A gash made by this effect will be cauterized.
Electric - The ring crackles with electricity. Doesn't increase damage output, but does tend to act like a taser on the body part the ring slices, causing numbness and mild paralysis for a few moments.
Wind & Gravity - A mix she made herself, the Wind dust increases the spinning speed of the ring while the gravity dust reduces friction and gravity's pull. This makes the ring spin dangerously fast, making gashes from the blades twice as deep. It doesn't help penetrate aura any better however

7
RPG Discussion / Irc suggestion
« on: November 16, 2016, 11:51:06 AM »
Hey, I'm wondering if anyone as thought to create an official discord channel for the forum. Discord is growing in popularity with pretty much every type of community, and while I'm an long time IRC user I can see the appeal. It's easier to join, easier to moderate, and you can set up subchannels for each team that only they could read. Having off forum communication has helped my own team a lot, and I think a lot of people miss out on irc because if you aren't familiar with the steps to join, it can be difficult.

8
RPG Discussion / Classes?
« on: November 08, 2016, 12:03:24 PM »
So do any of the professor characters ever hold classes of some kind? I haven't seen anything like that thus far, but I've only been on this board, not the original. Sometimes feels like we're on break or something, at least at Beacon.

9
Beacon Academy / Locker Rooms Initiation Morning [ASPN][Limited]
« on: September 26, 2016, 04:09:03 PM »
Waking up at the crack of dawn had been another bout of homesickness for Sherwood Cathasaigh. No one else in the great hall, all transfers and freshman woke up that early as far as he could tell. As Sherwood spent most of his childhood hunting in the forests of western Vale as is the family trade, it was natural for him to be up so early.

Sherwood had made his way out of the large room, throwing his stuff back together in the hallway as to not wake the many sleeping classmates. He was first to breakfast, and idled in the set aside area (the great hall, where meals usually were was filled with sleeping students) until he could head to the locker rooms where his weapon lay.

All throughout his morning, Sherwood watched and observed his fellow freshman. Some were obvious fighters; big brutish fellows who walk around with grins and scowls, always ready to throw down. Others were like himself, ranged combatants who relied on their weapons, not their own strength. And yet more were unique, different in combat style and personality, clearly the kind of stand out students that would be pulled into a prestigious academy like Beacon. He wonder which of these many people would end up on his team. The final thing his mentor had told him was to 'take care of his team'. That weighed heavily on Sherwood. Not because of the words, but because of how his mentor looked when he said it. It was a sad, wistful statement, clearly ringing back to his mentor's own days in the academy. Sherwood knew his mentor had long lost his own team, though Sherwood knew not how. Sherwood would have asked... but it didn't seem an approachable subject with the older man.

Still musing on his future team (and partner, since that's yet another distinction that occurs at Beacon), Sherwood enters the locker rooms. Seeing his bow, all his other thoughts flow from his head. While he certainly trusted Beacon to respect student's weapons (some students seemed to care more for their weapons than their schooling!), he was worried about his inherited weapon. His mentor passed the unique bow down to him when Sherwood became his mentee, and the bow represents all the work Sherwood has done so far in his path from Hunter to Huntsman. Looking around and seeing he is in no rush to get out to the gathering point for initiation, Sherwood sits down with his equipment and decides to give it a full cleaning. His weapon should shine for whatever challenges he's about to face.

Ironic, he thinks to himself as he starts working; Considering his battle clothes are so worn the dirt stains look like part of the pattern.

<<OOC: Limit for team ASPN meet and greet.>>

10
Beacon Academy / Wonders of the Wood[Open]
« on: September 20, 2016, 08:04:17 PM »
Sherwood walked along the outer edge of Beacon Academy, carrying his newly received bag of uniform and school supplies. Across his back he had a duffel, filled with what worldly possessions he chose to bring to become a Huntsman. In his other hand he carried a hard case, long and large, which contained his precious weapon. He wore his standard clothes still, not yet having a chance to change into the uniform before attending this social event. He wished he could meet his team sooner, but he had to hope Beacon knew what it was doing keeping the team announcements for a later date.

The path Sherwood walked came around the building it bordered, revealing a view of the Emerald Forest stretching out beyond the cliff. Sherwood stopped, and with only a brief moment of thought he turned to get a better view. Looking out over the forest brought a wave of nostalgia over him. He missed the forests of Western Vale. The Emerald Forest was the closest thing to home he had here in Beacon, as the city was nothing like his hometown and the Academy was unique place all it's own. He knew there were far more Grim in this forest, the Academy needs them for classes and practical exams, but he still longed to get lost in them for a day, hunting what he could and bringing it home for a meal.

That was impossible of course. Not that he couldn't, he was sure Beacon could care less. But he was no longer a hunter, but a Huntsman. Huntsman hunt Grim, to protect people. They are the bastion against the wild of Grim, rather than the apex predators that a hunter in the woods is. He had embraced this role at home, and a little home sickness wasn't going to waver his resolve. If he went and acted as a hunter, ignoring his new responsibilities, he'd never recover. Sherwood steeled himself, until he came to be comfortable at Beacon, he'd have to resist going back to his favorite activities.

His thoughts fading at their conclusion, he was left with only the view and the weight of his gear. He listened to the sounds of the forest, idle questions floating through his mind only to be ignored so he could enjoy the quiet.

11
Approved Characters / Sherwood Cathasaigh
« on: September 19, 2016, 04:20:50 PM »
CHARACTER

Name: Sherwood Cathasaigh

Age: 17

Species and Gender: Human Male

Symbol: The second form of Tristram

Occupation: Beacon First Year Student

Appearance: Sherwood has blond red hair. Some would call it strawberry, but the red highlights are far too dark to be called strawberry. It's rather unkempt and full on top, and pulled into a small braid behind him. The braid barely falls past his shoulders. He has well defined facial features, hazel eyes and some stubble. He wears a black turtleneck, warm and breathing, a carry over from his hunting days. On his left arm sits a glove that goes over his wrist, this contains the magnets required to hold Tristram, his bow. His right arm is similarly equipped, with a gauntlet useful for deflecting weaker melee strikes. Over all of these he wears a red flannel shirt, buttons up to the second to highest. The top of his turtleneck is visible through it, and he likes it that way. He wears what amounts to jeans, made of a more flexible but just as durable material. He has hiking boots under the boot cut 'jeans'. His flannel, jeans, and shoes are stained and aged, they've been his outfit of choice so long they can't be fully cleaned anymore.

History: Sherwood used to live in a forest in western vale. It's a quiet, small town. Most of the trade and income comes from hunting and lumber. Sherwood's family, and quickly by extension himself, are hunters. Sherwood learned to bow hunt from a very young age, and proved to be quite handy with a bow. By 12, he rarely missed his game. He brought it enough for his family to survive peacefully, no more, no less. Respect for the forest is how the village has lasted all these years, and he takes that to heart.
One evening hunting shortly past his 14th birthday, a large storm rolls into the area. During the storm, Sherwood is knocked from a cliff side while trying to make his way home. He falls a fair distance, and is unable to move. This was most unfortunate, as he fell right into a nest of Grim. His story would have ended there, if not for an older huntsman passing through the same area. The white haired man seemed to have no business out in the woods, yet he drew an amazing looking bow and began firing at the grim. It felt like the longest stretch of time in Sherwood's life. The man grew tired, starting to take hits from the Grim. By the end of it, even the experienced huntsman was ready to fall. With his last arrow, he finished the grim and fell to his knees, barely conscious. When a final Grim rose, arrow slightly missing it's heart, it was Sherwood who mustered the strength to put an arrow in it's eye. The huntsman passed out after seeing just who shot the arrow.
Sherwood struggled for half a day, but he was able to bring the old man to his village safely. Days later, after both of them had some much needed recuperation time, Sherwood met the man again. The man told Sherwood that he would be retiring, and he'd like to do something for the boy. The huntsman presented his weapon to the bow, saying he was worthy enough of an archer to take on the weapon. The huntsman would give it to him, and train him in it's use until the boy was old enough to go to Beacon, if the boy swore to be a huntsman. At first Sherwood wasn't willing, he was just a 'humble hunter'. A few close people spoke to him, and the old man approached him again. After a long discussion, in which Sherwood found just what being a hunter of Grim meant, he accept the proposition. The boy trained under the retired huntsman and learned how to wield the powerful bow. He unlocked his aura, and discovered his semblance of Electricity. At 17, he was accepted to Beacon and left home for the first time. The last words from the old man were 'look forward to meeting your team. And don't lose them like I did.'

Personality: Sherwood is a contemplative, quiet sort. Not to say he doesn't speak, but he is comfortable in silence has no drive to end pauses in conversation. He often asks a question and only nods in response, thinking about how to use what he learned. He isn't a book learner, and suffers in classes without a practical bent. He also suffers in close combat, which is often the case in the Academy. He is incredibly patient, taking each loss with class. Some people think he's weak and/or dumb, but they would be wrong. He knows his strengths in combat and doesn't try to pretend he's good at close range. Nor will he ever bother to speak up on his own behalf. He's content to let people belief wrong information. This same situation occurs with his studies. He's loyal, sometimes to a fault. He would rather work than play most of the time, but goes along with 'play' to form bonds with his team and allies.

Aura and Semblance: Sherwood has a fair amount of skill with his aura. He only uses it for shielding and regeneration. The old man who gave him his bow never taught him about the strength increasing techniques he used to pull the bow they both wield. The old man wanted Sherwood to learn how to shoot with his muscles, not his aura.
Sherwood has a semblance for electricity. He hasn't used it extensively, and only really has one technique. He conducts electricity from his right hand into one of his iron arrows, creating a beam between him and where the arrow landed. He can then have that current bounce from arrow to arrow, if multiple lie around the battlefield. He can control the arc between himself and a point rather well, able to twist and turn it to attack.
As far as range, Sherwood can protect an arc to an arrow upwards of 100 yards away. Each arrow the arc of lightning hits increases that maximum some, but he'll eventually run out of arrows. He needs line of sight to an arrow, and if the arc is to travel to other arrows, the other arrow needs to be visible from the arrow he projected to. It costs him 2% or 3% of his aura to project electricity for a second, they aren't large beams rather they're lines of lightning.

Combat Behavior: Sherwood is a glass cannon. His bow is extremely powerful, but due to the time it takes to pull the bow and aim (it's beyond heavy to pull back) he can't use it's full strength while shooting quickly. When full pulled, the thing can launch arrows like they're tank shells. They'll hit with a shock wave, and blow a hole in most defenses. He prefers to separate from an opponent, 'hunt' them down and take one, powerful shot to eliminate them. When brought into close range, he uses his semblance and any arrows around the field to restrict his opponent's movement and give himself more time for shots, before turning to his bow's collapsed form and hand to hand.

WEAPON

Name: Tristram

Primary Form: (For those unfamiliar with a take down bow, the bow limbs snap into place inside the center piece. Then the bow is strung. The bow looks more like a flattened w unstrung, as the tension of the bow is what creates the stereotypical bow shape.) This bow, of the take down variety, has no string. Where the string attaches to the limbs, a small loop attached to a metal piece ends after only a few inches is attached. The metal piece is a powerful, tuned magnet. The two, when aligned on the proper side of the limb, pull towards each other and pull the bow limbs taught. The strength of these magnets is half of what makes the bow at full draw so powerful. More tension is equivalent to more power. A center piece is held by Sherwood, it's another metal string like piece that fits right into the field created by the two end magnets. The arrow is nocked against this piece, and once the piece is aligned in the field it will align perfectly at the center of the bow. This piece is what's pulled back by Sherwood to fire an arrow.
Unlike most archers, Sherwood's quiver is on the same side of his back as his bow hand. Because there is no (physical) string, he can nock an arrow from that location easier than if he were to do the standard. Also unusual, his arrows are all made of iron alloy. The alloy is conductive, and could easily have dust infused into it. They are specially made, and heavy. Only this bow can fire the arrows.
The limbs of the bow are nondescript, other than their excellent craftsmanship. The center piece, (riser) is similarly well crafted. It is magnetically attuned to the glove Sherwood wears on his bow hand, it keeps the bow in his hand. The blowback of the bow firing without this magnetic attraction would launch the bow a dozen yards from Sherwood each release. The magnet is incredibly powerful, yet at full draw the bow still hops out of his hand a bit before being pulled back.

Secondary Form: The limbs detach from the bow, and form a triangle shape with the center piece as the bottom line. While the previously internal to bow sides of the do not touch, the arrow shape they form is clear if you extend them slightly. The limbs are held in front of the bow in this arrow formation by (you guessed it) magnetism. The magnets that for the bow string ends rotate around in this form, and continue to point to each other. They are shifted up wards however, so that they point the intersection of the internal side of the limbs (where that would be, as they don't go butt up to each other). Sherwood can use the two end pieces as conductive arrows, creating a current between them of solid electricity. All this creates a rather large and unruly punching weapon. However, it's good at what it does, deflect weapon attacks once Sherwood's opponents get too close.

Dust Functions:  Sherwood knows he will eventually be able to use dust with his arrows. The old man told him of this. He has no knowledge on how to though.

History:  See character back story.

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