Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Topics - MonsterManic

Pages: [1] 2 3 4
1
Beacon Academy / Guilt, Acceptance and Overcoming [COMPLETE]
« on: March 05, 2021, 09:30:46 AM »
It was another usual Sunday at Beacon. The sun shone, the skies were clear, the birds were cheerfully singing their tunes.

Which left the boy sitting on his bed looking miserable entirely out of place.

The dorm was empty save for him, leaving the room eerily still and quiet. Theodore was probably working a shift at the bartenders, Anna most likely at the library. Calen...well, Calen could be anywhere, but the further away the better. After their last mission in that ruined, abandoned city, it was better that no one was actually here to witness his condition.

Sighing despondently, the boy fell backwards onto his bed, staring blankly at the plain ceiling. In his mind, the events kept replaying themselves - specifically highlighting the moments where he'd failed at his duty - and there were certainly plenty of them too. Part of him felt like it was the hallucinogenic plants still at work, but the medical staff had assured him that it'd worked its way out of his system already. So, it was just him. Him and his failures.

He was about to turn over and submit himself to more of his nightmares - daymares? - when the dorm door creaked open softly, accompanied by the light patter of footsteps. Mentally groaning, Setsuna sat upright to see which one of his teammates would get to see his sorry figure. "Oh. Hey, Anna."

2
AMA Section / Boba/Bubble Tea Challenge
« on: July 02, 2019, 05:42:18 PM »
Your character attempts the boba/bubble tea challenge. What happens? (Irrelevant of gender)

3
The Vale Region / The Seven Stances of the Sword [CLOSED]
« on: June 19, 2019, 02:05:51 PM »
CLASS BRIEFING:

The objectives of this class is to improve your swordsmanship on a level beyond what Beacon's staff normally offer to students, as well as a practical test of survival. You will be ascending a mountain near the town of Sleipnir, where your teacher for this class will be waiting near the peak. This class is expected to take 3-5 days, including the ascension and teaching period itself; as such, students are required to bring with them sufficient food, water, and other necessities as the student deems fit, to be procured by themselves. If a student is for any reason unable to procure their own supplies, Beacon will provide one 50L climbing backpack with enough food to last 5 days on 3 meals per day, a 2L water bottle, cooking stove, fuel, tent, sleeping bag and mat. In addition, Beacon will provide each student with one distress beacon, to be used in case of emergency. Doing so, however, will result in an immediate end to the class and return to Beacon.


 -- Sent to Camelia Sol and Wabul Paka --




As the first rays of the morning sun peeked over the looming mountain providing shade to the small town nestled at its base, the same light flashed off the hull of a Bullhead beginning its descent to the town below. Considering its remote location and distance from any major settlements, Sleipnir was fairly large and it showed. Tall wooden walls protecting the circle of houses and stores within could clearly be seen even at the Bullhead's current height, as well as a shining, crystal-clear lake situated just a minute's walk from the town walls. Even at this time, the lake's jetties were active with fishermen either returning with their catch or just pushing off for their day's work.

As the Bullhead dropped ever closer to Sleipnir's designated landing zone within its walls, the pilot thumbed a button, sending a fairly loud buzz echoing around the interior as a means to wake the two students within. For once, Beacon had spared one of their more comfortable transports in lieu of the fact the flight was an overnight one, complete with reclining seats that doubled as decent beds - for a Bullhead, at least. "We'll be landing soon," the pilot spoke into his intercom. "Make sure you've got everything with you - don't want to accidentally leave food or your tent on your trip." A few nearby heads turned toward the landing pad in curiosity as the Bullhead touched down in a blast of wind, curious to see the passengers within. As the doors opened and fresh air blasted the student's faces within, their pilot added "I'll be here for 6 days, maximum. If you're not back by then, I'll be activating your distress beacons remotely so I can go find you."

4
Plot Zone / The Seven Stances of the Sword
« on: June 16, 2019, 09:52:55 AM »
Within the hallowed halls of Beacon Academy, many a class is held that allows Hunters-in-training to hone their skills, improve their techniques or simply gain experience by fighting one another in a controlled environment. Some are more sought after than most, but the status quo has not changed for a long while - always the same classes held by the same group of teachers.

Until recently.

The official story is the same as shown on all the class boards, open to all years - that a new class has opened, only applicable to Hunters learning the art of the sword, and only two students at that. The only factor that would raise an eye is the location; not held in Beacon, but rather in the far east mountain ranges of Vale, on the coasts facing Mistral's borders. The class is labeled as a school excursion, and is expected to take more than a few days, certainly less than a week. The stories that spread among the students are anything but ordinary, however - that the teacher is none other than Olberic Emeriss, previous Vytal Festival champion and world-class swordsman who, after years of service as a well-known Huntsman, abruptly faded from the public spotlight. Many a aspiring Hunter has sought him out, to learn from one of the best, but to no avail; yet, according to Beacon's class boards, there the name was, clear for all to see.

This experience would be once in a lifetime - invaluable time spent apprenticing under a master of his craft, and even possibly learning the fundamentals of one of his seven legendary swordsmanship techniques that secured him the victory in his Vytal Festival championship and brought fame and fortune to the Hunter. But, as the class description pointedly states, the goal is not so easily obtained. To even begin their class, the two participants must ascend the reportedly Grimm-infested mountain where, near the top, the legendary swordsman awaits his potential pupils.

Class is about to begin...

AVAILABLE SPOTS:
  • Camelia Sol
  • Wabul "Toast" Paka




With the plot side out of the way, let's get into details...

This plot is designed to give students character development in terms of combat (because that's almost all we do here anyway), so it doesn't matter which academy or year your student comes from, so long as they wield a sword. Elsewise, what you should expect in terms of development is a general improvement in the fundamentals of combat with a sword, as well as your character learning some advanced techniques using Aura as the basis.

Potentially, if the student is skilled / willing to put in effort and it shows, they may get to learn the basics of what would be considered a move only a Huntsman could learn - a personal move, in other words. However, considering that it is far beyond the levels of what a student studying at the academies would be able to pull off, the student would not be able to use the move immediately. A first year might be able to use a far inferior version in two years practice, while a fourth year with more experience in Aura control might be able to do the same with only one.

The thread is intended to span across a few days, including the mountain ascension and the training at the mountain's peak, so this hopefully should be a action-filled, entertaining plot that ends up benefitting the participants.

Keeping it limited to two people that I'll pick depending on how they'll suit the thread both to keep the plot going, but if there's interest, I might open another similar thread for two more.

5
Approved Characters / Emile Antiqua
« on: December 21, 2018, 02:34:05 AM »
CHARACTER

Name: Emile Antiqua

Age: 56

Species and Gender: Male Human

Occupation: Former Professional Huntsman

Appearance: Easily recognisable by his gigantic 7’9 height and a smile that stretches from ear to ear, Emile Antiqua is not a person one likely forgets quickly. With very dark brown hair that could easily pass for black in a regular taper cut, dark amber eyes, and an angle to his face that gives him a dashing, roguish charm, one could easily imagine him to be younger than his age, but the interlaced streaks of grey in both his hair and well-trimmed beard indicate otherwise. Emile’s unnaturally tall height, combined with a muscular body allows him to tower over any crowd and intimidate anyone if he so wished, but also brings the side effects of basically always being stared at and having to duck at basically any doorway.

When not out protecting his village from any stray Grimm or going hunting with some of his old mates, Emile dresses surprisingly up-to-date: a static-pattern henley shirt, light brown chinos and loafers - all sized up appropriately for someone of his stature. Naturally, clothes of his size are hard to come by in any regular store - so he has made deals with tailors to supply him with clothing should his old wear come to some unfortunate end.

History: Emile’s story is a long one for his age, spanning multiple continents over the years. Born in Vacuo’s scorching deserts immediately before his Vacuan parents decided to move to Vale due to the ever-looming threat of the Grimm by the name of the Shiru, he never knew his original home much, though to this day he remembers the unparalleled heat and the blazing sun shining high above the sparse clouds. Upon his relocation to the much more modernised city of Vale, both his parents - his dad a former blacksmith and his mother a clothes peddler - attempted to find work in their previous occupations. While his mother eventually became a waiter in a nearby cafe, his father found a job in a local steelworks, his resistance to heat from being born in Vacuo and constant exposure to a furnace making him a valuable worker.

While the combined efforts of Emile’s parents granted them sufficient income to afford their new place of a small apartment in a quiet corner of Vale, the long hours they worked resulted in them having little time to interact with and teach Emile about the workings of the world. Eventually, Emile’s mother started bringing the now 6-year old child to her cafe at work so she could keep an eye on him while she worked. During this time, Emile amused himself by listening to stories from customers, many of whom were regulars and soon became fond of the young, curious and gentle child. Among the tales they spun, many involved the adventurous deeds of the defenders of cities and villages, the protectors of mankind: Huntsmen and Huntresses, the pinnacle of human’s defense. Or so they claimed. Either way, Emile was engrossed. He wanted to experience for himself what it felt like to be a hero, to stand and defend all that life stood for.

However, one crucial roadblock stood in his way; neither of his parents came from fighting stock, and neither was he. He had no way of unlocking this mystical “Aura” the stories spoke of, the magical shield that protected all Huntsmen from harm. And when he discussed this topic with his parents, they absolutely forbid him from ever trying to unlock his own Aura. They’d seen the destruction left by the Shiru and wanted no part of it. Dismayed by their reaction but unwilling to give up yet, Emile approached one of the regulars at the cafe and asked for help with his dream. In hindsight, he now realises the only reason they even agreed to help was because of his size. For a kid who was merely now 9, he had the height of short adult, something that came completely unexpected considering his parents were not of particularly tall stature. Still, the Huntsman the regular introduced Emile to saw untapped potential in the kid, and agreed to train him secretly. Under the guise of studying and playing in the nearby playgrounds, Emile would sneak off after school and practice under the Huntsman’s guidance. Apart from releasing his Aura, the Hunter focused on improving Emile’s natural strength by designing a simple workout routine that he could do at home. Having to keep up with his studies while simultaneously training his body was taking its toll, but Emile persevered. His life felt like it had actual meaning now.

As the years went by, Emile grew. Now the age of 13 but with the body of a full-grown adult, his training had borne fruit. His training with a sword, his mentor’s choice of weapon, was not nearly as successful as his other exploits, but he was as ready for Signal as he could be at that point. Going home that night he mentally prepared himself to break the news to his parents, but he found them sitting at the table with a sad, melancholy expression on their faces. They’d figured out that Emile had intents on being a Huntsman long ago since he started coming back from his “studies” sweating and tired, but hadn’t said a word. To Emile, this was a sign of acceptance. But his parents had one condition: Never go back and fight the Shiru. Gladly taking the chance to try his hand against proper opposition, the boy entered Signal Academy wielding a cheap sword gifted by his mentor.

If Emile thought his time in Signal was going to be simple, he was in for a rude waking call. The amount of time spent with his mentor, and therefore lack of time spent with his parents, meant that they didn’t teach him the proper etiquette or how to converse with other people - without looking like an absolute idiot. Paired with his monstrous size when comparing him to fellow Hunters-in-training, and Emile stuck out like a Vacuan in water. It didn’t take long for the attention-seekers to find a target in the gentle giant, especially when he refused to fight back. They started with name-calling, then moved on to harsher words and jabs at his physique. It was only thanks to his size that Emile’s bullies didn’t go physical at first, but with each day in Signal it became more apparent that his time spent building his body figure didn’t apply to his skill with a sword. To him, nothing felt right in his hand. Short swords felt like toothpicks, two-handed blades felt like swinging a log. This didn’t go unnoticed by both the teachers and his classmates, many who began to scorn the boy for getting in simply because of his natural size. Soon enough his “torturers” caught on that Emile wouldn’t raise a hand to retaliate if they started using physical force.

So they did.

Emile took to hiding when not in lessons, whether it be during breaks, lunch, or any time he didn’t have a lesson. Unfortunately, a person his size would have trouble finding places where they’d be able to hide or fit in, and considering he stood over even the second tallest boy in the school, it was fairly obvious that it was him. There was no proof he was being hit, either - Aura’s knack of healing all wounds conveniently removed any evidence for his bullies. As long as they didn’t break his Aura, they could get off relatively easily. Each time, Emile ended up huddled in a corner while scores of his abusers, some jealous of his size and others merely cruel in nature, rained punches and kicks on the cowering boy. It didn’t take long for Emile to start wishing his Aura didn’t exist so the torture would stop, to find some way, no matter how vague, to defend himself…

His soul responded in one of the most resonating ways it could. When, during another bullying session, one of the most prominent bullies raised a wrench taken from Signal’s workshop to smash down on Emile’s head, his light green Aura exploded with light for a singular second before the wrench was knocked flying, as was the student who now lay stunned on the floor. Seeing the offender on the floor without Emile having moved a finger disheartened the crowd, and they fled the scene quickly leaving the boy confused yet emboldened. When he eventually brought the subject up with his teachers (hiding his reason why the situation developed), they realised that Emile’s soul had been tempered by his constant experiences, developing his own countermeasures to fight back without technically doing anything - his Semblance had revealed itself. And while they had just recently realised that such bullying was happening within school grounds, they didn’t have enough evidence to step in and halt the actions. Besides, the teaching staff recognised this as a opportunity for Emile to develop his own sense of independence. It seemed he’d taken his first step.

But though Emile had won a temporary respite with the discovery of his Semblance, he knew enough by now to know that his assailants would come back as hard as before. He needed to find a permanent solution, one that didn’t involve fighting back - for as much as he’d been attacked both physically and mentally, he was still the same boy who knew that hurting other humans wasn’t the right thing to do. As such, he turned to an unlikely answer - humor. By making himself someone of ‘value’ to others they’d eventually stop harming him, he reasoned. And though it was the most unnatural thing in the world to begin with, it actually worked - his attempts at banter and humor gradually building Emile a group of friends who appreciated the chat. Once he had made bonds with a fairly significant portion of his year, the bullies could no longer simply pick on him without risky consequences, and slowly started leaving him alone. Without his most difficult roadblock in the way of his progress, Emile made swift progress catching up on lessons he’d otherwise forgotten and graduated Signal significantly more confident in himself, both physically and socially. No longer the awkward boy who couldn’t talk about a topic for more than half a minute; while also not the most popular, his sense of humor had developed him into someone who could slide into a conversation and break the ice with ease.

Entering Beacon with a newfound personality that made him instantly well known around the new year of students, it didn’t take long for Emile to find a team that he could get along with and vice versa. After a bit of “getting-to-know-each-other” time, made easy with Emile’s ice-breaking skills, they were assigned a simple initiation to retrieve a lost document from a now abandoned laboratory. While it sounded simple enough, their Bullhead was attacked mid-flight by a displeased flock of Nevermores that didn’t take kindly to the team travelling through their airspace. The transport was sent crashing out of the sky, forcing the team to practice their “landing strategy”. While they all landed safely next to the wreckage of the Bullhead, Emile lost his sword during the fall, so he grabbed the next best thing for a weapon: a large piece of dented and ripped Bullhead wing in the general shape of a sword and wrapped his clothing around it for a temporary grip. Surprisingly, it felt more stable and balanced than any other sword he’d swung before, despite the uneven shape, and they fought off the Nevermores with minimal problems before making the long trek back to Beacon, fighting off small packs of Grimm while doing so. While they technically didn’t complete the initiation, the instructor with them gave them the approval anyway due to the teamwork they exhibited in a stressful situation. Emile later took his Bullhead wing to the forge and reshaped it into something more befitting of a sword, which his team named Gigantes due to its size. Though the rest of their first year was less eventful and more successful than their initiation attempt, as was their second year, Emile felt constricted, slightly trapped. He didn’t want to spend all four years in Vale after already doing so in Signal, for his soul was begging for new horizons and exciting adventures. So when an opportunity came for students to embark on an exchange program between the four combat academies, Emile bid farewell to his team and took everything he had on board a ship bound for the walls of Atlas Academy, promising that he’d be back to graduate in his fourth year.

In his third year, Emile transferred to Atlas with the intent of learning from one of the most strict, most rigid academies. The militaristic style of teaching was worlds apart from Beacon’s more laid-back attitude to teaching; here was a world of efficiency, technology and obeying orders. In truth, it didn’t fit Emile’s personality one bit. He chafed under being given constant commands and having to live like being in an army, but there were two things that enticed him to stay. The first factor was the level of technology available to Hunters or Specialists, people who weren’t going to be in the army. Here, Emile could make good on his ideas of creating a set of body armor, updating his old blueprints with the help of some of the instructors that specialised in defense outside of Aura. This allowed him greater longevity in battle, superior to what he would be able to achieve with only his Aura reserves. With what resources he had on hand and assistance from people more experienced than him, Emile forged his first set of armor that was deemed actually combat ready.

The second factor was a girl named Marina. When they first met in one of their classes, Emile was instantly taken in by her stunning beauty, like a newly blooming hydrangea breaking through a layer of snow during spring. Herein lay a new problem; while Emile was now fully confident in his socialising skills, love was something he hadn’t ever experienced. Suddenly, the usually voluble teenager was tripping over his feet and stuttering every second word whenever he had to talk with Marina, whether it be on a training exercise or just bumping into her outside classes. ‘Coincidentally’. Either way, each conversation, each encounter added more fuel to Emile’s newly ignited fire within his soul, whether Marina knew it or not. His classmates certainly did, judging by the nudges and giggles he got whenever he tried to approach her. If before his life existed solely to become a Huntsman, now a new path had been illuminated, another future showing itself. Perhaps there was more meaning to his life than just fighting.

Alas, his third year in training came to an end swifter than the day drawing to a close on a bitter winter night. Emile had to fulfill his promise to his old teammates to finish his studies in Beacon, no matter how enjoyable he’d found his time at Atlas (largely thanks to a certain someone). As such, he bade farewell to the few new friends he’d made - taking one last longing glance at the girl he’d come to admire - before returning to familiar grounds and plunging into his studies once more. In his free time, he sought out armorsmiths in Vale to help him improve his armor, as well as constantly sparring in it to gain more experience. Eventually, he rejoined his old team who couldn’t believe the change one year at Atlas had wrought, as well as his stories of meeting the most beautiful girl to ever exist.

Graduating Beacon with flying colors alongside his team, Emile instantly found work as a official Huntsman due both to his size and his experiences in two combat academies, and soon built himself a small reputation as an iron fortress who would not waver when tasked with defending settlements against oncoming waves of Grimm, yet became the most gentle of people when in simple conversation. Perhaps as well known as his unfaltering sense of humor was the mere sight of his sword, which many tried to swing and failed. However, it was his one-year exchange with Atlas that brought him to the attention of the Vale government as they approached him with a request. The Atlesian and Valian forces were joining together for a co-op mission they were code-naming Operation Iron Flower, an extermination mission that would be carried out on the jungles of western Vale which included some of the largest Grimm on record. To that end, they needed Hunters with a trustworthy reputation as well as being able to cooperate with Atlesian Special Forces, which Emile had experience with. With little hesitation, Emile signed on.

The mission involved Hunters from both Vale and Atlas, with Atlesian airships standing by in the sky to provide aerial support. Valish Hunters knew the territory, Atlesian Special Forces brought the tactical advantage and technical superiority. Yet despite this, the combined forces were almost overrun by the sheer variety of Grimm that were hiding in the forest, from Totocoatls, Underminers, Shenzi, Sabors, Kaiju to the more standard yet equally lethal King Taijitu and full-grown Beringel. Not only did they have more numbers that were being constantly reinforced, the mishmash of Grimm came together to form a deadly combination that almost proved too much for the Hunters. Emile himself fought until his Aura broke and then continued until his armor was ripped and destroyed, his left arm punctured with poisonous bites from multiple Grimm and Gigantes snapped in half by a particularly enraged Ursa Major, all to cover his retreating allies while airships rained death from the skies. As his consciousness succumbed to the weariness and the poison beginning to flow through his blood, he thought he could see the girl he once loved dropping from the skies like an angel coming to bring him away...

”Hello again, Emile.” Waking to those words was one of the most shocking and simultaneously amazing moments he’d ever experienced in his life. On the one hand, he wasn’t dead, though everything felt like ten tons of Grimm had fallen on it. But on the other...that face. Those shining, wide eyes, that gorgeous hair, those rosy cheeks - his angel had truly descended from the heavens. While Emile lay stunned in his bed, Marina explained all that had happened while he was out. The mission, despite the odds, was a resounding success. Thanks to his noble sacrifice, there were no casualties, only injuries - which was where she came in. She and her specialist team were standing by in the backlines ready to either evacuate or heal any Hunters who were in a tight spot, but due to the high number of Grimm and the cover fire of the gunships, they couldn’t get in as quickly as they wanted to. Marina’s voice started breaking and thin streams of tears dripped down her face as she reflected that it was her fault that Emile was in the condition he was currently, but it abruptly stopped as he slowly raised his right hand and brushed his thumb softly across her tears, reminding and thanking Marina that he would be dead if it wasn’t for her aid. While he gradually healed with Marina by his side boosting his recovery, they got to know each other on levels much deeper and more intimate than they did when both were teenagers with Emile working his charm to the best of his ability. Within the month of his recovery, they both felt like they’d known each other for more than the short duration of their meeting.

When Emile was deemed fully ready to return to regular Huntsman life, he’d already been transferred from the temporary camp set up for the operation’s wounded to a proper hospital, Marina accompanying him every step of the way. Upon his release from medical care, Marina told him that she’d written a resignation letter to her superiors and was discharged with all honors. She was now free to follow him wherever his journey now led of her own volition, but before that Emile needed to fix his other problem of gear. With the help of his teammates, Marina’s contacts and the Lien he was paid for being a part of Operation Iron Flower, Emile designed and forged himself a new, highly upgraded set of body armor as well as a “reincarnated” Gigantes. The duo travelled Remnant as a tag-team pair of Hunters upholding the sacred creed and defending humanity from Grimm, just like the stories Emile was told when he was but a kid. He’d accomplished his dream, but there was new meaning in his life now. After saving up a considerable sum of Lien from the missions they were taking, as well as consulting with his parents secretly, Emile proposed to Marina one night in front of a blazing campfire in the woods with the twinkling stars and the unending sky as witness, presenting to her an exquisite pink sapphire ring and vowing, now and forevermore, to protect her from harm, to stand with her against all troubles, to love and cherish her until the end of all creation. One of his most treasured moments was Marina allowing him to slip the delicate metalwork of the ring around her finger, the multifaceted gem reflecting both the flames from the roaring fire and the flames that were blazing hotly in his soul.

The now married couple searched for a place to settle down, eventually choosing the quiet island of Patch off the coast of Vale to start their new life. Hiring a contractor to build a relatively simple but modern house for them to live in, they conceived two children, naming them Setsuna and Jocelyn, each reflecting mixed assets of their parents. Now, Emile no longer takes on missions for a living, instead choosing to work as a part-time lumberjack while Marina spends her working time in a hospital healing the wounded as a way to provide for both their children’s education, though both regularly accept local missions to cull the ever-rising Grimm population and keep their skills from dulling.

Personality: Once a highly awkward kid who didn’t know how to respond to simple greetings or conversation starters, Emile is now a natural at bridging conversations and breaking the ice at new meetings, borne from a necessity during times gone past. Though his size may come across as intimidating, he tries to put others at ease with his easygoing attitude and cheer. Additionally, Emile’s humor is a defining trait of his personality, with a regular tendency to crack jokes among familiar faces and unknown strangers alike, though he is also an excellent judge of when he is overstepping his boundaries.

When it comes to his immediate family, Emile becomes a completely different beast. Hugely protective doesn’t begin to describe how he feels, doubly so for Marina. Even so, he’s gotten over it to the point where his children can come back injured and he doesn’t walk out to take the head of whoever did the deed. Overly gentle and kind, he can be a little too doting at times and is aware of this, but has done nothing to change that fact.

In battle, Emile is the first to engage and the last to leave - a perfect representation of his protective personality in that he refuses to let anyone else get hurt if he can help it. He’ll stop to pick people up who have fallen, encourage and boost morale of others, and does usually volunteer to break through tight spots or enemy barricades where the first person through would take the most damage. In short, he counteracts feelings of negativity when in battle, a good repellent against Grimm.

Aura: Aura Color: Light Green
Emile’s gentle light green aura is a perfect representation of who the intimidating giant truly is. Though the Hunter is physically past his prime, every Aura technique he has ever learned still retains most of its potency; Aura Strength and Shield being his specialties. Notably, while fighting Emile commonly brings up an Aura Shield to block attacks even though he still takes the damage like before, the main intent of this being to retain distance between the opponent.

Semblance: Full Counter - For a single second, Emile’s Aura is capable of reflecting any form of attack aimed at him toward its attacker. This affects his entire body in all directions, and can reflect as many attacks within that time period. This attack must have come from an non-natural source, like Hunters or Grimm, and excludes any attacks from the environment like a lightning bolt from a rainstorm. This also applies to Semblances - as long as the attack is generated via the Semblance then it applies. There is no visible cue that Emile is using his Semblance, making it a useful surprise tool.

Physical attacks, such as sword slashes and spear thrusts, will have its kinetic power “rotated” 180° and sent toward the original attacker with the same speed, damage and Dust effects that may have been active on the attack. This “attack” is invisible to the human eye since it is reflecting the kinetic force. Equally, ranged attacks like bullets, arrows or missiles will be instantly “rotated” and returned to sender with the same angle and velocity, being treated as if the attack was launched by the user and not the attacker. Following this logic, spread from shotgun pellets would be “reset” as if the shell was freshly launched, while any form of fuel-propelled projectile like missiles would not have their propellant restored. Raw Dust effects like Fire or Electricity are similarly blasted back at the attacker and treated as if Emile was the one using the Dust instead.

Obviously, such a fine-tuned Semblance has its drawbacks. While using Full Counter renders Emile completely immune to any attacks and returning the damage to the original attacker, he also has to make sure that the timing is within that split second for Full Counter to trigger. As such, any attacks that catch him by surprise are much more likely to hit, as well as any attacks that travel faster than Emile can register with his sight and reaction time. Due to Emile not having relied on his Semblance much during his pre-Huntsman years, the full potential of this Semblance - unlike other veteran Hunters - is still yet to be unleashed, though due to his age that potential is slowly diminishing. As such, it has remained relatively unchanged from his teenage years - apart from its recharge time, which now only takes 15 seconds to recharge every use from its initial minute. Independant from that is the number of times Emile can use his Semblance is quick succession, remaining unchanged from his teenage years at 15 uses every hour.

Combat Behavior: Emile’s behavior in battle depends on what opponents he’s fighting and what conditions the battle’s taking place in. This can mostly be separated into two categories: Against Grimm and Against Hunters.

In either case, his large size and tall height work against him; the extra height means that his heart has to pump blood that much harder than regular humans, while also taking more time to circulate blood around his entire body. Of special note would be his legs, which are the furthest away from his heart. This leads to Emile being unable to cover any long distance without having to take constant breaks, which also applies to his arms, though not as seriously. During his teenage and prime years, this was less of a problem as he kept in prime physical shape, but after retiring the symptoms rebounded in full force, leaving Emile with around half his original maximum wielding time of half a hour. While he does also suffer from lower blood circulation, Marina is consistently checking on his condition and ensuring it does not evolve into a serious problem.

Against Grimm: Whether or not Emile brings his full body armor into the fight depends on what sort of mission he’s undertaking; search-and-destroy variants tend toward a longer mission with more movement and stamina required, so the armor is less suited toward that purpose. On the other hand, defending an objective (villages, cargo, etc) demands longer engagements that take the fight to him instead of vice versa, so this is where the armor comes into play.

When on missions that require eliminating of a target/multiple objectives, Emile brings only his sword for the hunt. His mobility is unhindered and thus allows his stamina to be fully dedicated to the pursuit and the fight ahead, though not his preferred style - even without the armor he tends to lag behind due to his natural height being a hinderance. Equally, while other allies take up roles such as the ranged damage dealer or the swift and silent distraction, Emile is the vanguard of any team, taking the attention of the enemy due to his intimidating size and weapon. While he has little tools to avoid the damage, rest assured he is more than capable of returning it twofold.

Defense is Emile’s forte: his size does not lend well to quick, in-and-out fights. Similarly, his Semblance is defense-oriented and clearly used to protect himself from being overwhelmed by quick attacks or simply too many attacks at once. However, when his tools are turned to defense he truly shines above the rest; swarms of Grimm are dispatched by the power of a single swing, while he can single-handedly stand as an equal to some of the largest Grimm on offer. When all other Hunters have exhausted their Aura defending a point, Emile can remain holding despite having lost his Aura and Semblance thanks to his full body armor protecting his vitals, though he knows that his defense is not impervious; once his Aura is down he acts as the vanguard to protect his retreating allies, while simultaneously doing so himself.

The longer a battle goes on, the more his strengths and weaknesses show; while Emile can remain fighting, it won’t help if his stamina is exhausted. His size means he tends not to spend energy dodging and instead just takes the hit, something which is inadvisable if he goes up against anything beyond his caliber. While his sword swings cover a large area and the nature of the greatsword allows Emile to chain cuts together efficiently, it isn’t a particularly effective tool against quick-moving targets. In addition, he has absolutely no effective tools against flying targets unless they are immobilised. Emile is best suited to fighting large hordes of Grimm or keeping groups of lightly armed attackers at bay with the long reach of his sword, although not without more than one trick up his sleeve.

Against Hunters: Fighting fellow Hunters normally indicates that it’s a friendly spar or a battle with imposed Aura rules ; therefore Emile shuns his full body armor since it would be useless and only hinder his movement. Even so, his mobility is still reduced by his weapon, causing him to adopt a more defensive “wait for the opponent to strike first” attitude toward combat. Emile firstly aims to engage the opponent at his ideal range (being within range of his weapon) and prioritises this, meaning ranged opponents get opportunities to chip away at him while he repositions on the battlefield. While his sword is large enough to act as a pseudo-shield, his size negates most of the benefits that provides.

When Emile does eventually get in range, his attacks are slower but naturally hit hard. The length of his sword acts as a buffer zone that prevents any melee fighters from approaching without consequences, and while people might assume that due to his size he’s not quick on his feet, he certainly doesn’t fit the bill for most standard tanks or bruisers: even with his gigantic but balanced sword he’s surprisingly nimble, though obviously not a match for anyone who even remotely specialises in that sort of combat. Matching his personality, Emile is not one to trash-talk opponents, considering it a dishonest way of battle, and scorns others who do. When going up against Emile, expect a standard, honest fight yet never drop one’s guard.

His weaknesses against Hunters are similar to those when fighting Grimm: Stamina is once again a big issue when using a sword of that size. Creating a “no-entry” zone with the length of his blade means nothing to those with the reflexes or natural speed to get around the area of effect, meaning he is easily countered by people who specialise in speed or Hunters who have a mobility option. While he does have a way to counterattack against ranged opponents in his rocket, it is single-use, meaning he has to take cover behind his blade or natural obstacles and be unable to fight back.

WEAPON

Name: Gigantes Reincar

Primary Form: Arguably one of, if not the, largest weapons ever to be made on Remnant, Gigantes is a 11’ long greatsword used solely by Emile. While at first glance the sword may look too heavy to lift, anyone with a decent level of training in Aura Strength (Third Year Academy Training / onward) can wield the sword with a good amount of speed for around two to three minutes, belying the sword’s true weight. A relatively long and thick quadrilateral of metal is welded under the handle of the sword to counterbalance the length of the sword’s body, and the handle is telescopic, able to extend into a dual-handed grip.

Picture Reference: ShowHide




Secondary Form: The quadrilateral of metal under the handle detaches into a short mace, effectively removing half the length of the handle. While Emile is unable to dual-wield both the greatsword and the mace at the same time for long, it is an effective deterrent to prevent enemies from entering point-blank range. A toggle of a switch opens up the head of the mace, revealing a single missile stored within. This cannot be used while the mace is still attached to the main sword.

Dust Functions: While the sword itself is a faithful replication of its ancestors by not having any dust capabilities, the mace is powered by both Kinetic and Electric Dust, enabling it to be rapidly spun at high speeds as well as be electrified, acting as a stun baton. The rocket itself uses no Dust.

History: After the events of the Bullhead crash, Emile’s makeshift weapon in the form of the Bullhead wing was lugged back to Beacon, where he set about reshaping, reinforcing and reforging the dented and twisted metal into a shape more suited for a aerodynamic sword. This iteration of the weapon lasted until after his Huntsman training, wherein the creation of Gigantes Reincar came around after the reforged blade was once again destroyed during Operation Iron Flower, with the upgrades nearly doubling its length, adding more width to the body of the blade, and introducing the counterbalance to the now very long blade. The word “Reincar” derives from the word Reincarnation, symbolising the second rebirth of Emile’s weapon.

ARMOR

Name: Valkyrja 

Description: When on missions that don’t generally require hunting down of a single target or movement over a wide duration of time, Emile dons a suit of full body armor, painted a regal gold as well as shades of liberty and ruddy blue, that allows him to remain on the battlefield for much longer than he usually would be able. For occasions where rules on Aura apply, he simply doesn’t wear it as doing so would reduce his mobility for no reason.

The armor worn comprises of a barbute with a curved eye visor, twin white long tapered horns that extend straight above the helm and a transparent screen within the visor which links to Emile’s scroll, mainly used to logging his Aura. A bulky closed cuirass with two small slits over the chest for ventilation covers Emile’s main body, noticeably thicker around the chest and shoulders, alongside twin overly large rounded pauldrons adorned with two large shoulder spikes that overlap slightly with his cuirass. Golden vambraces and gauntlets, the bottom of the fingers lined with segmented leather for better gripping, protect his arms while a fauld protects his hips and legs. The front and back skirting armor of the fault is articulated to swing forward to allow movement of either leg, while greaves padded with leather and felt cover the legs themselves. The footwear is a hybrid between a sabaton and a military boot; the top is made of numerous steel plates while the bottom is ridged like a boot for gripping on smooth and slick surfaces. The boot itself can expand the surface in contact with the ground in a circle for a larger surface area and better stability. Gaps underneath the armor reveal a layer of grey padded clothing worn underneath to prevent direct contact/friction with the skin.

While putting the entire suit of armor on is not impossible for Emile alone, the process takes a considerable amount of time. Most pieces of armor are hinged so he can close the piece around his designated limb, including his breastplate and vambraces. However, in order to efficiently equip himself he must put each piece on in a specific order to not obstruct the placement. All in all it takes a good 7 minutes to go from suitless to armored, up to 10 when on his own. However, when put on it does little to restrict Emile’s range of movement due to the weight being spread evenly across each piece, and his articulation is not hindered whatsoever. Removing his armor is much quicker, taking about 3 minutes on average.

Picture Reference: ShowHide




History: Originally inspired and conceived in Atlas Academy where technology was abundant, Emile’s first set of body armor was his attempt at replicating ancient suits of armor that knights would wear with a extra technological twist. Although crude and clearly made by a beginner, it served its purpose and allowed Emile to fight on after Aura depletion with additional risk. However, it was rendered unusable after Operation Iron Flower, with many pieces torn to shreds and others buckled to the point of unrecognizability.

Emile’s second and current set was a completely different story. Among the many tales he was told as a child, one particular legend tells of a team of four mighty Huntsmen from the four corners of Remnant, each specialising in one unique category. The Hunter from the east was said to wear a magical cloak which granted him complete control over winds both weak and strong. The Hunter from the west wore upon his feet a pair of boots, said to directly harness the power of the ground itself and grant the user immense stability. Wherein the Hunter from the south brandished a blade that represented offense taken material form, the Hunter from the north was said to be adorned with a suit of armor, unyielding in its defense and unflinching as a bastion of a steel fortress.

The truth of this tale is yet to be confirmed, but it was the direct inspiration of Emile’s creation. Before delving into the creation of this ‘sacred’ armor piece, Emile sought out all the information he could find on the tale and enlisted the help of many armorsmiths across both Vale and Atlas, Marina’s contacts within the Atlesian Army proving a lifesaver. With the Lien he had at hand from the success of Operation Iron Flower, Emile spent many days laboring in the forge with the help of his father. Iteration after iteration was put to the test, but none withstood the laborious gauntlet of conditions that Emile imposed on the suit, returning each meticulously crafted piece into rods of rough metal ready for the next forge, until design variant 36 met every single requirement and was considered worthy of continuing the tale. The name of the Hunter who once wore the legendary armor varied across each storyteller, but to Emile’s ears it would always take the name of Valkyrja.

6
WiP Characters / Emile Antiqua
« on: December 03, 2018, 04:40:06 AM »
CHARACTER

Name: Emile Antiqua

Age: 56

Species and Gender: Male Human

Occupation: Former Professional Huntsman

Appearance: Easily recognisable by his gigantic 7’9 height and a smile that stretches from ear to ear, Emile Antiqua is not a person one likely forgets quickly. With very dark brown hair that could easily pass for black in a regular taper cut, dark amber eyes, and an angle to his face that gives him a dashing, roguish charm, one could easily imagine him to be younger than his age, but the interlaced streaks of grey in both his hair and well-trimmed beard indicate otherwise. Emile’s unnaturally tall height, combined with a muscular body allows him to tower over any crowd and intimidate anyone if he so wished, but also brings the side effects of basically always being stared at and having to duck at basically any doorway.

When not out protecting his village from any stray Grimm or going hunting with some of his old mates, Emile dresses surprisingly up-to-date: a static-pattern henley shirt, light brown chinos and loafers - all sized up appropriately for someone of his stature. Naturally, clothes of his size are hard to come by in any regular store - so he has made deals with tailors to supply him with clothing should his old wear come to some unfortunate end.

History: Emile’s story is a long one for his age, spanning multiple continents over the years. Born in Vacuo’s scorching deserts immediately before his Vacuan parents decided to move to Vale due to the ever-looming threat of the Grimm by the name of the Shiru, he never knew his original home much, though to this day he remembers the unparalleled heat and the blazing sun shining high above the sparse clouds. Upon his relocation to the much more modernised city of Vale, both his parents - his dad a former blacksmith and his mother a clothes peddler - attempted to find work in their previous occupations. While his mother eventually became a waiter in a nearby cafe, his father found a job in a local steelworks, his resistance to heat from being born in Vacuo and constant exposure to a furnace making him a valuable worker.

While the combined efforts of Emile’s parents granted them sufficient income to afford their new place of a small apartment in a quiet corner of Vale, the long hours they worked resulted in them having little time to interact with and teach Emile about the workings of the world. Eventually, Emile’s mother started bringing the now 6-year old child to her cafe at work so she could keep an eye on him while she worked. During this time, Emile amused himself by listening to stories from customers, many of whom were regulars and soon became fond of the young, curious and gentle child. Among the tales they spun, many involved the adventurous deeds of the defenders of cities and villages, the protectors of mankind: Huntsmen and Huntresses, the pinnacle of human’s defense. Or so they claimed. Either way, Emile was engrossed. He wanted to experience for himself what it felt like to be a hero, to stand and defend all that life stood for.

However, one crucial roadblock stood in his way; neither of his parents came from fighting stock, and neither was he. He had no way of unlocking this mystical “Aura” the stories spoke of, the magical shield that protected all Huntsmen from harm. And when he discussed this topic with his parents, they absolutely forbid him from ever trying to unlock his own Aura. They’d seen the destruction left by the Shiru and wanted no part of it. Dismayed by their reaction but unwilling to give up yet, Emile approached one of the regulars at the cafe and asked for help with his dream. In hindsight, he now realises the only reason they even agreed to help was because of his size. For a kid who was merely now 9, he had the height of short adult, something that came completely unexpected considering his parents were not of particularly tall stature. Still, the Huntsman the regular introduced Emile to saw untapped potential in the kid, and agreed to train him secretly. Under the guise of studying and playing in the nearby playgrounds, Emile would sneak off after school and practice under the Huntsman’s guidance. Apart from releasing his Aura, the Hunter focused on improving Emile’s natural strength by designing a simple workout routine that he could do at home. Having to keep up with his studies while simultaneously training his body was taking its toll, but Emile persevered. His life felt like it had actual meaning now.

As the years went by, Emile grew. Now the age of 13 but with the body of a full-grown adult, his training had borne fruit. His training with a sword, his mentor’s choice of weapon, was not nearly as successful as his other exploits, but he was as ready for Signal as he could be at that point. Going home that night he mentally prepared himself to break the news to his parents, but he found them sitting at the table with a sad, melancholy expression on their faces. They’d figured out that Emile had intents on being a Huntsman long ago since he started coming back from his “studies” sweating and tired, but hadn’t said a word. To Emile, this was a sign of acceptance. But his parents had one condition: Never go back and fight the Shiru. Gladly taking the chance to try his hand against proper opposition, the boy entered Signal Academy wielding a cheap sword gifted by his mentor.

If Emile thought his time in Signal was going to be simple, he was in for a rude waking call. The amount of time spent with his mentor, and therefore lack of time spent with his parents, meant that they didn’t teach him the proper etiquette or how to converse with other people - without looking like an absolute idiot. Paired with his monstrous size when comparing him to fellow Hunters-in-training, and Emile stuck out like a Vacuan in water. It didn’t take long for the attention-seekers to find a target in the gentle giant, especially when he refused to fight back. They started with name-calling, then moved on to harsher words and jabs at his physique. It was only thanks to his size that Emile’s bullies didn’t go physical at first, but with each day in Signal it became more apparent that his time spent building his body figure didn’t apply to his skill with a sword. To him, nothing felt right in his hand. Short swords felt like toothpicks, two-handed blades felt like swinging a log. This didn’t go unnoticed by both the teachers and his classmates, many who began to scorn the boy for getting in simply because of his natural size. Soon enough his “torturers” caught on that Emile wouldn’t raise a hand to retaliate if they started using physical force.

So they did.

Emile took to hiding when not in lessons, whether it be during breaks, lunch, or any time he didn’t have a lesson. Unfortunately, a person his size would have trouble finding places where they’d be able to hide or fit in, and considering he stood over even the second tallest boy in the school, it was fairly obvious that it was him. There was no proof he was being hit, either - Aura’s knack of healing all wounds conveniently removed any evidence for his bullies. As long as they didn’t break his Aura, they could get off relatively easily. Each time, Emile ended up huddled in a corner while scores of his abusers, some jealous of his size and others merely cruel in nature, rained punches and kicks on the cowering boy. It didn’t take long for Emile to start wishing his Aura didn’t exist so the torture would stop, to find some way, no matter how vague, to defend himself…

His soul responded in one of the most resonating ways it could. When, during another bullying session, one of the most prominent bullies raised a wrench taken from Signal’s workshop to smash down on Emile’s head, his light green Aura exploded with light for a singular second before the wrench was knocked flying, as was the student who now lay stunned on the floor. Seeing the offender on the floor without Emile having moved a finger disheartened the crowd, and they fled the scene quickly leaving the boy confused yet emboldened. When he eventually brought the subject up with his teachers (hiding his reason why the situation developed), they realised that Emile’s soul had been tempered by his constant experiences, developing his own countermeasures to fight back without technically doing anything - his Semblance had revealed itself. And while they had just recently realised that such bullying was happening within school grounds, they didn’t have enough evidence to step in and halt the actions. Besides, the teaching staff recognised this as a opportunity for Emile to develop his own sense of independence. It seemed he’d taken his first step.

But though Emile had won a temporary respite with the discovery of his Semblance, he knew enough by now to know that his assailants would come back as hard as before. He needed to find a permanent solution, one that didn’t involve fighting back - for as much as he’d been attacked both physically and mentally, he was still the same boy who knew that hurting other humans wasn’t the right thing to do. As such, he turned to an unlikely answer - humor. By making himself someone of ‘value’ to others they’d eventually stop harming him, he reasoned. And though it was the most unnatural thing in the world to begin with, it actually worked - his attempts at banter and humor gradually building Emile a group of friends who appreciated the chat. Once he had made bonds with a fairly significant portion of his year, the bullies could no longer simply pick on him without risky consequences, and slowly started leaving him alone. Without his most difficult roadblock in the way of his progress, Emile made swift progress catching up on lessons he’d otherwise forgotten and graduated Signal significantly more confident in himself, both physically and socially. No longer the awkward boy who couldn’t talk about a topic for more than half a minute; while also not the most popular, his sense of humor had developed him into someone who could slide into a conversation and break the ice with ease.

Entering Beacon with a newfound personality that made him instantly well known around the new year of students, it didn’t take long for Emile to find a team that he could get along with and vice versa. After a bit of “getting-to-know-each-other” time, made easy with Emile’s ice-breaking skills, they were assigned a simple initiation to retrieve a lost document from a now abandoned laboratory. While it sounded simple enough, their Bullhead was attacked mid-flight by a displeased flock of Nevermores that didn’t take kindly to the team travelling through their airspace. The transport was sent crashing out of the sky, forcing the team to practice their “landing strategy”. While they all landed safely next to the wreckage of the Bullhead, Emile lost his sword during the fall, so he grabbed the next best thing for a weapon: a large piece of dented and ripped Bullhead wing and wrapped his clothing around it for a temporary grip. Surprisingly, it felt more stable and balanced than any other sword he’d swung before, despite the uneven shape, and they fought off the Nevermores with minimal problems before making the long trek back to Beacon, fighting off small packs of Grimm while doing so. While they technically didn’t complete the initiation, the instructor with them gave them the approval anyway due to the teamwork they exhibited in a stressful situation. Emile later took his Bullhead wing to the forge and reshaped it into something more befitting of a sword, which his team named Gigantes due to its size. Though the rest of their first year was less eventful and more successful than their initiation attempt, as was their second year, Emile felt constricted, slightly trapped. He didn’t want to spend all four years in Vale after already doing so in Signal, for his soul was begging for new horizons and exciting adventures. So when an opportunity came for students to embark on an exchange program between the four combat academies, Emile bid farewell to his team and took everything he had on board a ship bound for the walls of Atlas Academy, promising that he’d be back to graduate in his fourth year.

In his third year, Emile transferred to Atlas with the intent of learning from one of the most strict, most rigid academies. The militaristic style of teaching was worlds apart from Beacon’s more laid-back attitude to teaching; here was a world of efficiency, technology and obeying orders. In truth, it didn’t fit Emile’s personality one bit. He chafed under being given constant commands and having to live like being in an army, but there were two things that enticed him to stay. The first factor was the level of technology available to Hunters or Specialists, people who weren’t going to be in the army. Here, Emile could make good on his ideas of creating a set of body armor, updating his old blueprints with the help of some of the instructors that specialised in defense outside of Aura. This allowed him greater longevity in battle, superior to what he would be able to achieve with only his Aura reserves. With what resources he had on hand and assistance from people more experienced than him, Emile forged his first set of armor that was deemed actually combat ready.

The second factor was a girl named Marina. When they first met in one of their classes, Emile was instantly taken in by her stunning beauty, like a newly blooming hydrangea breaking through a layer of snow during spring. Herein lay a new problem; while Emile was now fully confident in his socialising skills, love was something he hadn’t ever experienced. Suddenly, the usually voluble teenager was tripping over his feet and stuttering every second word whenever he had to talk with Marina, whether it be on a training exercise or just bumping into her outside classes. ‘Coincidentally’. Either way, each conversation, each encounter added more fuel to Emile’s newly ignited fire within his soul, whether Marina knew it or not. His classmates certainly did, judging by the nudges and giggles he got whenever he tried to approach her. If before his life existed solely to become a Huntsman, now a new path had been illuminated, another future showing itself. Perhaps there was more meaning to his life than just fighting.

Alas, his third year in training came to an end swifter than the day drawing to a close on a bitter winter night. Emile had to fulfill his promise to his old teammates to finish his studies in Beacon, no matter how enjoyable he’d found his time at Atlas (largely thanks to a certain someone). As such, he bade farewell to the few new friends he’d made - taking one last longing glance at the girl he’d come to admire - before returning to familiar grounds and plunging into his studies once more. In his free time, he sought out armorsmiths in Vale to help him improve his armor, as well as constantly sparring in it to gain more experience. Eventually, he rejoined his old team who couldn’t believe the change one year at Atlas had wrought, as well as his stories of meeting the most beautiful girl to ever exist.

Graduating Beacon with flying colors alongside his team, Emile instantly found work as a official Huntsman due both to his size and his experiences in two combat academies, and soon built himself a small reputation as an iron fortress who would not waver when tasked with defending settlements against oncoming waves of Grimm, yet became the most gentle of people when in simple conversation. Perhaps as well known as his unfaltering sense of humor was the mere sight of his sword, which many tried to swing and failed. However, it was his one-year exchange with Atlas that brought him to the attention of the Vale government as they approached him with a request. The Atlesian and Valian forces were joining together for a co-op mission they were code-naming Operation Iron Flower, an extermination mission that would be carried out on the jungles of western Vale which included some of the largest Grimm on record. To that end, they needed Hunters with a trustworthy reputation as well as being able to cooperate with Atlesian Special Forces, which Emile had experience with. With little hesitation, Emile signed on.

The mission involved Hunters from both Vale and Atlas, with Atlesian airships standing by in the sky to provide aerial support. Valish Hunters knew the territory, Atlesian Special Forces brought the tactical advantage and technical superiority. Yet despite this, the combined forces were almost overrun by the sheer variety of Grimm that were hiding in the forest, from Totocoatls, Underminers, Shenzi, Sabors, Kaiju to the more standard yet equally lethal King Taijitu and full-grown Beringel. Not only did they have more numbers that were being constantly reinforced, the mishmash of Grimm came together to form a deadly combination that almost proved too much for the Hunters. Emile himself fought until his Aura broke and then continued until his armor was ripped and destroyed, his left arm punctured with poisonous bites from multiple Grimm and Gigantes snapped in half by a particularly enraged Ursa Major, all to cover his retreating allies while airships rained death from the skies. As his consciousness succumbed to the weariness and the poison beginning to flow through his blood, he thought he could see the girl he once loved dropping from the skies like an angel coming to bring him away...

”Hello again, Emile.” Waking to those words was one of the most shocking and simultaneously amazing moments he’d ever experience in his life. On the one hand, he wasn’t dead, though everything felt like ten tons of Grimm had fallen on it. But on the other...that face. Those shining, wide eyes, that gorgeous hair, those rosy cheeks - his angel had truly descended from the heavens. While Emile lay stunned in his bed, Marina explained all that had happened while he was out. The mission, despite the odds, was a resounding success. Thanks to his noble sacrifice, there were no casualties, only injuries - which was where she came in. She and her specialist team were standing by in the backlines ready to either evacuate or heal any Hunters who were in a tight spot, but due to the high number of Grimm and the cover fire of the gunships, they couldn’t get in as quickly as they wanted to. Marina’s voice started breaking and thin streams of tears dripped down her face as she reflected that it was her fault that Emile was in the condition he was currently, but it abruptly stopped as he slowly raised his right hand and brushed his thumb softly across her tears, reminding and thanking Marina that he would be dead if it wasn’t for her aid. While he gradually healed with Marina by his side boosting his recovery, they got to know each other on levels much deeper and more intimate than they did when both were teenagers with Emile working his charm to the best of his ability. Within the month of his recovery, they both felt like they’d known each other for more than the short duration of their meeting.

When Emile was deemed fully ready to return to regular Huntsman life, he’d already been transferred from the temporary camp set up for the operation’s wounded to a proper hospital, Marina accompanying him every step of the way. Upon his release from medical care, Marina told him that she’d written a resignation letter to her superiors and was discharged with all honors. She was now free to follow him wherever his journey now led of her own volition, but before that Emile needed to fix his other problem of gear. With the help of his teammates, Marina’s contacts and the Lien he was paid for being a part of Operation Iron Flower, Emile designed and forged himself a new, highly upgraded set of body armor as well as a “reincarnated” Gigantes. The duo travelled Remnant as a tag-team pair of Hunters upholding the sacred creed and defending humanity from Grimm, just like the stories Emile was told when he was but a kid. He’d accomplished his dream, but there was new meaning in his life now. After saving up a considerable sum of Lien from the missions they were taking, as well as consulting with his parents secretly, Emile proposed to Marina one night in front of a blazing campfire in the woods with the twinkling stars and the unending sky as witness, presenting to her an exquisite pink sapphire ring and vowing, now and forevermore, to protect her from harm, to stand with her against all troubles, to love and cherish her until the end of all creation. One of his most treasured moments was Marina allowing him to slip the delicate metalwork of the ring around her finger, the multifaceted gem reflecting both the flames from the roaring fire and the flames that were blazing hotly in his soul.

The now married couple searched for a place to settle down, eventually choosing the quiet island of Patch off the coast of Vale to start their new life. Hiring a contractor to build a relatively simple but modern house for them to live in, they conceived two children, naming them Setsuna and Jocelyn, each reflecting mixed assets of their parents. Now, Emile no longer takes on missions for a living, instead choosing to work as a part-time lumberjack while Marina spends her working time in a hospital healing the wounded as a way to provide for both their children’s education, though both regularly accept local missions to cull the ever-rising Grimm population and keep their skills from dulling.

Personality: Once a highly awkward kid who didn’t know how to respond to simple greetings or conversation starters, Emile is now a natural at bridging conversations and breaking the ice at new meetings, borne from a necessity during times gone past. Though his size may come across as intimidating, he tries to put others at ease with his easygoing attitude and cheer. Additionally, Emile’s humor is a defining trait of his personality, with a regular tendency to crack jokes among familiar faces and unknown strangers alike, though he is also an excellent judge of when he is overstepping his boundaries.

When it comes to his immediate family, Emile becomes a completely different beast. Hugely protective doesn’t begin to describe how he feels, doubly so for Marina. Even so, he’s gotten over it to the point where his children can come back injured and he doesn’t walk out to take the head of whoever did the deed. Overly gentle and kind, he can be a little too doting at times and is aware of this, but has done nothing to change that fact.

In battle, Emile is the first to engage and the last to leave - a perfect representation of his protective personality in that he refuses to let anyone else get hurt if he can help it. He’ll stop to pick people up who have fallen, encourage and boost morale of others, and does usually volunteer to break through tight spots or enemy barricades where the first person through would take the most damage. In short, he counteracts feelings of negativity when in battle, a good repellent against Grimm.

Aura: Aura Color: Light Green
Emile’s gentle light green aura is a perfect representation of who the intimidating giant truly is. Though the Hunter is physically past his prime, every Aura technique he has ever learned still retains most of its potency; Aura Strength and Shield being his specialties. Notably, while fighting Emile commonly brings up an Aura Shield to block attacks even though he still takes the damage like before, the main intent of this being to retain distance between the opponent.

Semblance: Full Counter - For a single second, Emile’s Aura is capable of reflecting any form of attack aimed at him toward its attacker. This affects his entire body in all directions, and can reflect as many attacks within that time period. This attack must have come from an non-natural source, like Hunters or Grimm, and excludes any attacks from the environment like a lightning bolt from a rainstorm. This also applies to Semblances - as long as the attack is generated via the Semblance then it applies. There is no visible cue that Emile is using his Semblance, making it a useful surprise tool.

Physical attacks, such as sword slashes and spear thrusts, will have its kinetic power “rotated” 180° and sent toward the original attacker with the same speed, damage and Dust effects that may have been active on the attack. This “attack” is invisible to the human eye since it is reflecting the kinetic force. Equally, ranged attacks like bullets, arrows or missiles will be instantly “rotated” and returned to sender with the same angle and velocity, being treated as if the attack was launched by the user and not the attacker. Following this logic, spread from shotgun pellets would be “reset” as if the shell was freshly launched, while any form of fuel-propelled projectile like missiles would not have their propellant restored. Raw Dust effects like Fire or Electricity are similarly blasted back at the attacker and treated as if Emile was the one using the Dust instead.

Obviously, such a fine-tuned Semblance has its drawbacks. While using Full Counter renders Emile completely immune to any attacks and returning the damage to the original attacker, he also has to make sure that the timing is within that split second for Full Counter to trigger. As such, any attacks that catch him by surprise are much more likely to hit, as well as any attacks that travel faster than Emile can register with his sight and reaction time. Due to Emile not having relied on his Semblance much during his pre-Huntsman years, the full potential of this Semblance - unlike other veteran Hunters - is still yet to be unleashed, though due to his age that potential is slowly diminishing. As such, it has remained relatively unchanged from his teenage years - apart from its recharge time, which now only takes 15 seconds to recharge every use from its initial minute. Independant from that is the number of times Emile can use his Semblance is quick succession, remaining unchanged from his teenage years at 15 uses every hour.

Combat Behavior: Emile’s behavior in battle depends on what opponents he’s fighting and what conditions the battle’s taking place in. This can mostly be separated into two categories: Against Grimm and Against Hunters.

In either case, his large size and tall height work against him; the extra height means that his heart has to pump blood that much harder than regular humans, while also taking more time to circulate blood around his entire body. Of special note would be his legs, which are the furthest away from his heart. This leads to Emile being unable to cover any long distance without having to take constant breaks, which also applies to his arms, though not as seriously. During his teenage and prime years, this was less of a problem as he kept in prime physical shape, but after retiring the symptoms rebounded in full force, leaving Emile with around half his original maximum wielding time of half a hour. While he does also suffer from lower blood circulation, Marina is consistently checking on his condition and ensuring it does not evolve into a serious problem.

Against Grimm: Whether or not Emile brings his full body armor into the fight depends on what sort of mission he’s undertaking; search-and-destroy variants tend toward a longer mission with more movement and stamina required, so the armor is less suited toward that purpose. On the other hand, defending an objective (villages, cargo, etc) demands longer engagements that take the fight to him instead of vice versa, so this is where the armor comes into play.

When on missions that require eliminating of a target/multiple objectives, Emile brings only his sword for the hunt. His mobility is unhindered and thus allows his stamina to be fully dedicated to the pursuit and the fight ahead, though not his preferred style - even without the armor he tends to lag behind due to his natural height being a hinderance. Equally, while other allies take up roles such as the ranged damage dealer or the swift and silent distraction, Emile is the vanguard of any team, taking the attention of the enemy due to his intimidating size and weapon. While he has little tools to avoid the damage, rest assured he is more than capable of returning it twofold.

Defense is Emile’s forte: his size does not lend well to quick, in-and-out fights. Similarly, his Semblance is defense-oriented and clearly used to protect himself from being overwhelmed by quick attacks or simply too many attacks at once. However, when his tools are turned to defense he truly shines above the rest; swarms of Grimm are dispatched by the power of a single swing, while he can single-handedly stand as an equal to some of the largest Grimm on offer. When all other Hunters have exhausted their Aura defending a point, Emile can remain holding despite having lost his Aura and Semblance thanks to his full body armor protecting his vitals, though he knows that his defense is not impervious; once his Aura is down he acts as the vanguard to protect his retreating allies, while simultaneously doing so himself.

The longer a battle goes on, the more his strengths and weaknesses show; while Emile can remain fighting, it won’t help if his stamina is exhausted. His size means he tends not to spend energy dodging and instead just takes the hit, something which is inadvisable if he goes up against anything beyond his caliber. While his sword swings cover a large area and the nature of the greatsword allows Emile to chain cuts together efficiently, it isn’t a particularly effective tool against quick-moving targets. In addition, he has absolutely no effective tools against flying targets unless they are immobilised. Emile is best suited to fighting large hordes of Grimm or keeping groups of lightly armed attackers at bay with the long reach of his sword, although not without more than one trick up his sleeve.

Against Hunters: Fighting fellow Hunters normally indicates that it’s a friendly spar or a battle with imposed Aura rules ; therefore Emile shuns his full body armor since it would be useless and only hinder his movement. Even so, his mobility is still reduced by his weapon, causing him to adopt a more defensive “wait for the opponent to strike first” attitude toward combat. Emile firstly aims to engage the opponent at his ideal range (being within range of his weapon) and prioritises this, meaning ranged opponents get opportunities to chip away at him while he repositions on the battlefield. While his sword is large enough to act as a pseudo-shield, his size negates most of the benefits that provides.

When Emile does eventually get in range, his attacks are slower but naturally hit hard. The length of his sword acts as a buffer zone that prevents any melee fighters from approaching without consequences, and while people might assume that due to his size he’s not quick on his feet, he certainly doesn’t fit the bill for most standard tanks or bruisers: even with his gigantic but balanced sword he’s surprisingly nimble, though obviously not a match for anyone who even remotely specialises in that sort of combat. Matching his personality, Emile is not one to trash-talk opponents, considering it a dishonest way of battle, and scorns others who do. When going up against Emile, expect a standard, honest fight yet never drop one’s guard.

His weaknesses against Hunters are similar to those when fighting Grimm: Stamina is once again a big issue when using a sword of that size. Creating a “no-entry” zone with the length of his blade means nothing to those with the reflexes or natural speed to get around the area of effect, meaning he is easily countered by people who specialise in speed or Hunters who have a mobility option. While he does have a way to counterattack against ranged opponents in his rocket, it is single-use, meaning he has to take cover behind his blade or natural obstacles and be unable to fight back.

WEAPON

Name: Gigantes Reincar

Primary Form: Arguably one of, if not the, largest weapons ever to be made on Remnant, Gigantes is a 11’ long greatsword used solely by Emile. While at first glance the sword may look too heavy to lift, anyone with a decent level of training in Aura Strength (Third Year Academy Training / onward) can wield the sword with a good amount of speed for around two to three minutes, belying the sword’s true weight. A relatively long and thick quadrilateral of metal is welded under the handle of the sword to counterbalance the length of the sword’s body, and the handle is telescopic, able to extend into a dual-handed grip.

Picture Reference: ShowHide




Secondary Form: The quadrilateral of metal under the handle detaches into a short mace, effectively removing half the length of the handle. While Emile is unable to dual-wield both the greatsword and the mace at the same time for long, it is an effective deterrent to prevent enemies from entering point-blank range. A toggle of a switch opens up the head of the mace, revealing a single missile stored within. This cannot be used while the mace is still attached to the main sword.

Dust Functions: While the sword itself is a faithful replication of its ancestors by not having any dust capabilities, the mace is powered by both Kinetic and Electric Dust, enabling it to be rapidly spun at high speeds as well as be electrified, acting as a stun baton. The rocket itself uses no Dust.

History: After the events of the Bullhead crash, Emile’s makeshift weapon in the form of the Bullhead wing was lugged back to Beacon, where he set about reshaping, reinforcing and reforging the dented and twisted metal into a shape more suited for a aerodynamic sword. This iteration of the weapon lasted until after his Huntsman training, wherein the creation of Gigantes Reincar came around after the reforged blade was once again destroyed during Operation Iron Flower, with the upgrades nearly doubling its length, adding more width to the body of the blade, and introducing the counterbalance to the now very long blade. The word “Reincar” derives from the word Reincarnation, symbolising the second rebirth of Emile’s weapon.

ARMOR

Name: Valkyrja 

Description: When on missions that don’t generally require hunting down of a single target or movement over a wide duration of time, Emile dons a suit of full body armor, painted a regal gold as well as shades of liberty and ruddy blue, that allows him to remain on the battlefield for much longer than he usually would be able. For occasions where rules on Aura apply, he simply doesn’t wear it as doing so would reduce his mobility for no reason.

The armor worn comprises of a barbute with a curved eye visor, twin white long tapered horns that extend straight above the helm and a transparent screen within the visor which links to Emile’s scroll, mainly used to logging his Aura. A bulky closed cuirass with two small slits over the chest for ventilation covers Emile’s main body, noticeably thicker around the chest and shoulders, alongside twin overly large rounded pauldrons adorned with two large shoulder spikes that overlap slightly with his cuirass. Golden vambraces and gauntlets, the bottom of the fingers lined with segmented leather for better gripping, protect his arms while a fauld protects his hips and legs. The front and back skirting armor of the fauld is articulated to swing forward to allow movement of either leg, while greaves padded with leather and felt cover the legs themselves. The footwear is a hybrid between a sabaton and a military boot; the top is made of numerous steel plates while the bottom is ridged like a boot for gripping on smooth and slick surfaces. The boot itself can expand the surface in contact with the ground in a circle for a larger surface area and better stability. Gaps underneath the armor reveal a layer of grey padded clothing worn underneath to prevent direct contact/friction with the skin.

While putting the entire suit of armor on is not impossible for Emile alone, the process takes a considerable amount of time. Most pieces of armor are hinged so he can close the piece around his designated limb, including his breastplate and vambraces. However, in order to efficiently equip himself he must put each piece on in a specific order to not obstruct the placement. All in all it takes a good 7 minutes to go from suitless to armored, up to 10 when on his own. However, when put on it does little to restrict Emile’s range of movement due to the weight being spread evenly across each piece, and his articulation is not hindered whatsoever. Removing his armor is much quicker, taking about 3 minutes on average.

Picture Reference: ShowHide




History: Originally inspired and conceived in Atlas Academy where technology was abundant, Emile’s first set of body armor was his attempt at replicating ancient suits of armor that knights would wear with a extra technological twist. Although crude and clearly made by a beginner, it served its purpose and allowed Emile to fight on after Aura depletion with additional risk. However, it was rendered unusable after Operation Iron Flower, with many pieces torn to shreds and others buckled to the point of unrecognizability.

Emile’s second and current set was a completely different story. Among the many tales he was told as a child, one particular legend tells of a team of four mighty Huntsmen from the four corners of Remnant, each specialising in one unique category. The Hunter from the east was said to wear a magical cloak which granted him complete control over winds both weak and strong. The Hunter from the west wore upon his feet a pair of boots, said to directly harness the power of the ground itself and grant the user immense stability. Wherein the Hunter from the south brandished a blade that represented offense taken material form, the Hunter from the north was said to be adorned with a suit of armor, unyielding in its defense and unflinching as a bastion of a steel fortress.

The truth of this tale is yet to be confirmed, but it was the direct inspiration of Emile’s creation. Before delving into the creation of this ‘sacred’ armor piece, Emile sought out all the information he could find on the tale and enlisted the help of many armorsmiths across both Vale and Atlas, Marina’s contacts within the Atlesian Army proving a lifesaver. With the Lien he had at hand from the success of Operation Iron Flower, Emile spent many days laboring in the forge with the help of his father. Iteration after iteration was put to the test, but none withstood the laborious gauntlet of conditions that Emile imposed on the suit, returning each meticulously crafted piece into rods of rough metal ready for the next forge, until design variant 36 met every single requirement and was considered worthy of continuing the tale. The name of the Hunter who once wore the legendary armor varied across each storyteller, but to Emile’s ears it would always take the name of Valkyrja.

7
Everywhere Else / New Relations, New Family [CLOSED]
« on: November 24, 2018, 05:19:17 PM »
Even without competing in the Vytal Tournament, the whole spectating experience was an exhausting affair. Thanks to her brother’s first 2v2 match and Prism’s match against a Smokey Emberstone being held one after the other, Jocelyn wasn’t able to take a breather before diving into cheering for the next round. Though she unfortunately wasn’t able to get seats next to Prism, she could still clearly see the overexcited faunus leap into the air after the team fight had ended and the familiar gust of wind even reached her across the stadium. After that Prism’s relatively one-sided match with Smokey came next, the faunus leader creating a tornado of fire out of thin air - literally, scorching the poor opposition. Once again, proof that size didn’t always matter. Jocelyn had never been so proud in her life, and her uncharacteristic loud squeals of joy forced the entire rows above and below her to cover their ears. Only the lack of Steam Flower on her back prevented her from taking to the skies like Prism had in the previous match.

Now, the unusually hyperactive medic waited impatiently outside the room where all fighters went after each battle, to ensure that no lasting injuries were inflicted. The normally quiet Jocelyn was completely unable to control herself, pacing back and forth in front of the shut steel sliding door like an anxious mother waiting for news of their daughter, though not for the same reasons - this time, Jocelyn had a surprise planned. She just didn’t know how it’d work out. Just then, her scroll buzzed, temporarily ceasing Jocelyn’s pacing. Tugging the device out of her pocket revealed a message from her brother, who had just escaped the confines of the medical room after taking a nice long dive in a freezing pool.

<Overprotective> just got out, waiting 4 u at food hall
<Overprotective> thx remnant i managed to ditch calen, think he’s ill from swim

Jocelyn smiled at the second line, remembering a previous conversation where the contents were just half an hour of Setsuna offloading his steam about stuff he had to deal with, most of it Calen. Typing into her scroll she replied:

<I need healing> Be right there, I’m still waiting for Prism
<I need healing> Great match btw
<I need healing> You feeling ok from the dive?

8
The Vale Region / Big Guns and Bigger Booms [CLOSED]
« on: November 10, 2018, 03:10:53 PM »
In amidst the hustle and bustle of a regular Beacon school day, the mission notice board would always be visited constantly, be it by a single 4th year veteran or a fresh new team of 1st years eager to prove their worth to the wide world of Remnant. Quests posted on the electronic board would normally quickly be snapped up by hunters-in-training looking to earn mission credit for their reports, and Beacon has been praised for having one of the highest acceptance rates of any academy. However, one particular mission has stayed on the board, with even 4th years looking it over before shaking their heads and moving on. The notice goes as follows:

MISSION BRIEFING:

Hunters wanted to carry out an extermination mission around the borders of Vale. Must be equipped with suitably heavy weaponry to deal with large-scale threats including full-grown Death Stalkers, King Taijitu, Beringels. Possibility of having to engage with Goliaths. Will be accompanied by a fully trained Huntsman.

DANGER LEVEL: ★★★★★☆

9
Beacon Academy / Meet and Beat [Team CASA][Closed]
« on: November 07, 2018, 02:45:46 PM »
All good things must come to an end.

That was what Jocelyn kept repeating to herself as she sat on the floor, Ice Dust crystal cupped in her hand rhythmically glowing and fading with her luminous Aura. To the uneducated viewer, she looked like she was meditating, or perhaps training her Aura to flow through a conduit. But to the leader of team CASA, they’d know that Jocelyn was trying to calm her emotions through the usage of her Semblance, letting the cooling properties of the Ice Dust travel through her body.

All in vain. There was no stopping the anxiety and nervousness that surpassed the feeling of taking a test which one hadn’t revised for, or even one of Prism’s “early-morning issues”. No, it was the feeling of losing someone who, in her own way, she cared for and considered part of her extended family.

Amane was gone, called away by one of her unknown ‘benefactors’ for reasons she couldn’t reveal. That left a rift in the team, but more importantly, left a hole in Jocelyn’s heart that wouldn’t be easy to heal. She knew that psychological damage could be fatal if left untreated - she was a medic, she knew her business - and so fervently hoped that their new member would be someone who their team could get along well with. To herself Jocelyn silently commended Beacon’s administrative staff for being able to find a suitable replacement for their team as quickly as they did, though apparently this was fairly common among Beacon teams.

The sun was beginning to fall overhead, its shine casting shadows through the hall’s rounded glass roof. If their member was to show themselves, it would be now.

10
INITIATION BRIEFING:

Recently, reports have surfaced from several aerial shipping companies of a new mercenary band calling themselves the "Immortal Lancers" repeatedly harassing cargo Bullheads transporting shipments of seemingly random materials. The manner in which they carry out the 'heist' is, according to each report sent in, identical; a group of 8 pirates grapple the targeted ship before breaching and boarding, a similar tactic used by Grimm Lancers to bring a ship down. However, instead of sinking the Bullhead, they merely strip the ship of all cargo and load it onto their own ship before vanishing off the radar. Eyewitnesses have determined and confirmed that this is not the infamous "Red Corsair" and as such have deemed this a safe case for a Beacon Initiation.

Team CNRS, overseen by Professor Ferus, is to undertake the following mission/initiation. The team will board a cargo Bullhead which is identical to the previous targets struck by the pirate group and act as bait to lure the "Immortal Lancers" out. Once the pirates have boarded the ship, the team is to capture the 8 pirates and bring them back to Vale. The pirate ship has been confirmed to be on autopilot during each 'heist' so reinforcements are not expected. Each of the 8 pirates have also been confirmed to have some degree of Aura training, and every report makes strange mention of some very lucky incidents for the pirates. Team CNRS is advised to exercise caution while engaging.

Objectives:
 - Capture the "Immortal Lancers"
 - Do not let any pirates escape


As the sun started to fall from the sky, casting dark grey shadows over the expansive ground of the Beacon landing pads, one lone cargo Bullhead stood on the far left platform, with its only visible accompaniment being one lone, tall Hunter. With the more rough, defined angles of the cargo ship easily separating it from the more sleek, polished passenger Bullheads, it was hard to mistake--yet even if one paid close attention, there was little to distinguish it from any of its other 'brethren'--just a old, standard grade cargo ship.

Professor Ferus was alone on the platform, standing solitary vigil and clad in full combat attire for his next upcoming mission. Though his blank face showed little emotion, time was somewhat of the essence--it was essential that the ship be in the air and on one of the regular flight paths at the right time. There he stood, patiently awaiting his new charges' arrival. They should have received the message to sortie a while ago...

11
Beacon Academy / Birds of a Feather [CLOSED]
« on: June 23, 2018, 03:46:52 PM »
It just wasn't the same.

Even going so far as to clear a large circle of land within the Emerald Forest with his own hands, sending the trees he chopped down to a lumberjack to craft into benches for students to sit on simply didn't replace the true feeling of proper fighting. Yet here he stood, watching two students go at each other as their Aura depleted bit by bit. It wasn't that they weren't skilled--quite the contrary--rather being compelled as a teacher to hold PvP sessions simply did not sit well with him.

As one student beat the other to a pulp before the electronic board he had brought with him started beeping to confirm Aura depletion, the professor sighed and tapped his scroll to roll the next duo of fighters. A similar sequence of events also appeared on the screen, mimicking a roulette with the student's mugshots rolling by, until...

"Would students Prism Skylark and Rook Ryder take the stage and continue the day's entertainment." There's a noticeable hint of sarcasm and snark to the Hunter's voice, as if somewhat bored by the proceedings.

12
Approved Characters / Yu Nanhai
« on: June 15, 2018, 05:24:10 AM »

CHARACTER

Name: Yu Nanhai

Age: 17

Species and Gender: Male Otter Faunus

Occupation: First Year Beacon Academy Student, Royale scholarship recipient

Appearance: On first glance, no one would assume Yu Nanhai to be anything more than another regular old Faunus. With the short height of 5'1, dark skin which serve to illuminate his bright green eyes with short, choppy brown hair and his easily visible otter nose and whiskers which Yu trims regularly, the small boy gives absolutely no reason for others to keep him in their mind. He is, at first glance, a cute but easily forgettable person. If one did choose to pay closer attention, however, they would soon find out that there is much more than meets the eye to Yu. His choice of loose clothing serve to conceal his remarkably well-built swimmer's physique, with defined shoulder, arm and chest muscles--details that tell a story more intricate than what the eye can perceive.

Speaking of clothing, Yu's fashion sense is equally as unassuming--almost every piece of clothing he owns is waterproof with few exceptions. Unlike other hunters-in-training that can afford to have custom threads sewn to their liking, Yu's clothing is ill-fitting, loose and baggy, a result of having little choice when searching for expensive waterproofs. As such, most of his clothes are either second-hand or old, some of the cheapest yet intact pieces of clothing scrounged from thrift shops, yard sales and the like, though he tends to stay away from animal fur if possible. A pair of cheap, nondescript sneakers adorn his feet that can be easily removed if Yu needs to swim.

Even in school or on missions, Yu has little that actually defines him as a Hunter. While some hunters have elaborate, ornate sheathes, shining plates of armor and gleaming swords, and others wear rows of belts filled with hundreds of cartridges and magazines, Yu simply does not have that luxury. Nothing about him stands out in battle, simply wearing the same outfits he does in everyday life. Not a single amenity will ever be found on Yu's body, for the simple reason that he does not own one. The closest thing one would find is a metal fishing net hanging off Yu's left shoulder--an odd fashion choice. It is, however, so much more than that...

History: Yu himself doesn't know where he was born apart from being in Atlas. A member of a small nomadic Faunus tribe, he and his parents formed part of a small Faunus community living independently from the high-tech cities of Atlas, having found refuge from the faunus-hating communities in the frigid, frozen forests and rivers. Their group never stayed in one place to avoid patrols of Atlesian soldiers and the ever-looming threat of the Grimm, constantly on the move and simultaneously on the hunt for prey to eat.

Yu's tribe were masters of hunting and survival. Having lived off the land and the water for more than fifty years, Yu's parents were obliged to pass on everything they knew to ensure that not only Yu, but also the generations after that, would continue to flourish in the unrelenting cold and snow. This involved teaching Yu to recognise what greens, roots and berries were edible and what medicinal purposes they contained within their unassuming exterior, how to use the tools at their disposal to set up a base camp, the techniques of reading spoor of wild animals and how to fish without a pole. Rather than rely on flimsy, thin rods and string, Yu's tribe preferred to use reliable and sturdy tridents to break the ice and spear the fish underneath. All of this information was passed on to Yu, who absorbed it dutifully. When not out hunting, foraging or scavenging, Yu's parents would educate him on general knowledge of the world (what they knew of it, at least), including their motto of "Durabo" or "I will endure", words which Yu took to heart.

In order to find another solution against the creatures of Grimm apart from running away, Yu's tribe developed their own style of fighting with their tridents to not only hunt large animals, but to find an effective way to fight off the Grimm that periodically harassed their camps. While none of the tribe were Hunters--which meant none of them had their Aura unlocked--they still had the instincts and skills to hold off the attacks of the Grimm with relatively minimal losses, and like a obedient student Yu learnt to wield the trident not only as a tool for survival, but also as a weapon. In a show of special treatment Yu's parents fashioned a fishing net from scraps of rope and wood as a gift. In a situation where everything was gold to the tribe, this was a rare occasion and thus Yu treated it as if it were indeed made of gold.

Over the years of being constantly on the move the tribe had established for themselves predetermined routes where it was safer, more sheltered or with more resources to gather. It was on one of those routes that they had to cross a wide river, not frosted over since they had arrived in the summer where Atlas was at its warmest. Still, the process of constructing rafts from trees meant that they had to remain in the same location for longer than was safe, and they were in the process of fording the river when the Grimm chose to pounce. With half the tribe on one end, half on the other and some people in the process of crossing the river, even with the pack's relatively small numbers the tribe still stood little chance of survival. With no other way of escape Yu was forced to dive into the river and swim downstream, his last glimpses of his family being them fending off the Grimm that had followed him into the water in pursuit. After struggling to find his way back to the river crossing, shivering both from fear and cold, he found little remaining of the battle except for the blood-soaked snow, bits and pieces of broken equipment and bundles of branches tied together upright in freshly upturned snow, used to pay respects for the fallen of the tribe. There was no-one to be seen--what remained of the tribe had moved on after burying the casualties of the battle, assuming Yu had been one of the dead.

There was no time to grieve. Efficient as his tribe was at using everything at their disposal, even their scraps were of utmost importance to Yu at this point in time. To him, this was the ultimate test of survival, his time to use every skill he had learnt from his parents in order to live until he could reunite with civilisation. With nothing but his trident, net and clothing Yu spent five years alone in the woods, doing whatever it took to feed himself and evade larger predators. He climbed trees, dug holes, straight up ran from whatever he couldn't face, but also practiced his trident skills with the knowledge that if he failed, he would die. He'd 'spar' against similarly-sized animals like deer and the odd boar, learning how to wield it like an extension of his own arm, alongside the support from his net. However, never once in those five years did he ever fight Grimm. Without Aura he knew it could only ever end one way. Slowly but surely he accumulated enough materials and skills to establish a foothold in life, yet still scraping by with the skin of his teeth. He dared not approach people for help lest they report him to the Atlesian authorities, and so stuck to the routes he knew best.

This monotonous lifestyle changed abruptly one day when an unexpected caravan crossed paths with Yu on his standard route. With five years to get familiarised with the standard times when trade lines were at its busiest, this came as a massive shock and surprise for the teenager. Reluctant to approach with suspicions that this was, at worst, an Atlesian military patrol, those worries were unfounded as the owner of the caravan was revealed to be one Marvin Royale, who took Yu under his guidance after hearing his story. Deciding to release Yu's aura to heal some unavoidable wounds, the event was nothing if not spectacular. His soul, tempered under the years of harsh conditions and events, instantly revealed his Semblance to him--it was as if his Aura itself was offering ways to help him through the hardships. Recognising this as a strong sign that Yu would prove to be a good Hunter if he ever took up the option, Marvin offered him a scholarship at an academy of his choice, as well as introducing him to the wonders of both Atlesian technology and Dust alike. In awe of his sudden fortune and luck, Yu was inspired by the display of Dust to design a new, more combat-oriented net, which one of Marvin's contacts easily supplied.

Ultimately choosing Beacon as the place to start his new life as a Hunter anew, over the more rigid traditions of Mistral and the scorching heats of Vacuo for the louder, bustling cities of Vale, Yu enters his time as a Hunter-in-training armed with more survival knowledge than any of his classmates. He does, however, have a lot to catch up on when it comes to getting accustomed to Vale's more carefree lifestyle...

Personality: Yu Nanhai is a humble and hard-working person who prefers to avoid attention. Quick to praise others and slow to receive, his personality paired with his innocent young face completely hide the fact that he's alone in the world, having lived many a year in the wilderness with nothing but himself and his trident to tide him through life. Despite having entered a world of technology far-flung from his old nomadic ways, Yu prefers to keep it old-fashioned--rarely using the school's technology provided (partly due to lack of Lien), as well as making constant, valiant attempts to preserve his tribe's traditions. This does also mean that he is a loner at heart, unused to much social talk and being firmly rooted in his past.

Unfortunately, the painful truth is that Yu is a Faunus, and literally has no way to hide it. Despite being born in Atlas, where the attitudes toward their kind have been...less than ideal, Yu has embraced his roots and has only benefited from it. It's more than likely that being born half-aquatic animal has made Yu equally comfortable both on land and water, not to mention being an impressive swimmer to boot, able to manoeuvre through fast-flowing waters without need of goggles. He's also grown resilient to harshly cold climates, and can thrive even in temperatures near 0, though the opposite cannot be said for hot climates. Over the years, he's developed an intense love for seafood even with it being a luxury in Atlas, and being an otter Faunus even has a favourite rock stored away on him for when he needs to break hard-shelled crustaceans. One might often find Yu in his spare time just floating in a pool with a plate of clams and oysters on his chest, cracking each one open like an actual otter.

Despite his cute appearance and likeable personality, there's a part of Yu's soul that has closed itself off to everyone due to the Grimm attack that wiped almost all of his loved ones off the face of the planet. Yu will do whatever it takes to survive, abandoning former allies in a heartbeat if it looked like they were losing, letting others take the blame without effects on his conscience, even going so far as to steal from people. The latter is quite rare, however--having lived in the wilderness for the greater part of his life has taught Yu how to live off the fruits of the land and thrive with bare necessities. So strong is the habit that till this day Yu still prefers the scenery and quiet that the nature provides over the bustling, safer cities. After all, out in the woods and rivers lie only similar-minded animals to live or hunt with, and none of those humans who live solely to see the faunus suffer.

The PTSD that was absent from Yu's life during his solo adventure before he was found by the caravan has hit back thrice-fold in the absence of the strain of survival, leaving Yu with a concentrated flurry of emotions that he never had to deal with before. Now that he no longer has the constant threat of losing his life hanging over him, Yu experiences frequent nightmares about the few seconds he witnessed of the slaughter before diving into the water to escape, as well as extremely heavy experiences of homesickness, often enough to leave him in tears and incapacitated. In addition, with no treatment and no one close enough to him that Yu can vent his experiences to, the nightmares have only become worse since they first started emerging, causing Yu to begin hallucinating slightly whenever night falls. As such, he is always nervous and jumpy at night even when many people are around, and has troubles falling asleep without nightmares plaguing his sleep. While his physical condition has improved since leaving his old life behind, his mental state has not.

Thanks to the scholarship Yu was granted, he no longer has to scrape by on minimal resources. However, old habits die hard, and he still prefers to camp out somewhere on the campus ground instead of wasting unnecessary money on accommodation. In addition, most of the funds goes into paying for Beacon, repairs for his weapon and net, and purchasing Dust--meaning that Yu has had to find a job as a bona fide fisherman selling whatever he caught to the highest bidder, leaving the smallest catches for his meals. It's not a high-paying job, however--Yu is still struggling with his finances, and is constantly looking for jobs he can take on that can further supplement his tight pockets.

Aura: Aura Color: Maya Blue/#73C2FB

Born and raised a resilient and hardy survivor, Yu's soul burns strong with the desire to live on in the harsh world. He'd survived in the harsh climates of Atlas with no Aura, living off the land and doing whatever it took to evade predators, both human and Grimm. So unsurprisingly, when his Aura awoke it brought with it the corresponding traits that reflected his soul. Yu's Aura has a significantly stronger Aura Detection ability than most untrained hunters and can even match some trained Hunters--able to detect both Aura users and Grimm at longer distances than others.

Semblance: Survivor's Instinct--Yu gains a sixth sense of sorts; the ability to detect incoming objects that would pose a threat to his body. Once the semblance detects one such threat, it sends signals directly to Yu's brain which include: what the object is, what direction it is coming from, the velocity of the threat (if any), and how much damage it will do to his Aura (if up) or his body, including any internal damage. The information is instant, providing Yu with a 180 degree sense of awareness of anything that may cause him harm. This takes form in a invisible halved sphere that can be rotated around Yu's body as the centre.

This does not affect Yu's reaction time, however--anything normally too fast to really do anything about will damage Yu before he can register that the threat has emerged. Survivor's Instinct has a 3-meter range in any direction, too short to properly deal with ranged projectiles, but perfect for melee combatants. One way to counter this ability is to overload Yu's senses with a overwhelming amount of attacks; each one will be displayed as a separate attack and will confuse Yu heavily.

Survivor's Instinct can be activated in up to 3-minute bursts with 5-minute cool downs in-between.

Combat Behavior: Simply put, Yu fights not to win, but to survive. He fights in a way that he will be the last one standing no matter the size of the fight, in the least-harmed state of any participants involved. This involves fighting cautiously, patiently, never hesitating to retreat or even straight-up run from an opponent that clearly outclasses him. Backing his fighting style up are his Aura abilities and Semblance, providing Yu with a ability to avoid danger that others might lack. However, his willingness to retreat and run, while keeping him safe, also endanger any teammates he fights alongside. This does not affect Yu's decision-making--he'll sacrifice others' lives to protect his own in a heartbeat.

A lifetime of running from things that could kill him as simply as taking a breath has drilled into Yu the natural instinct of "fight or flight"--the reaction that causes adrenaline to be inserted into the bloodstream. It's not uncommon to see Yu on edge, ready to spring into action at the slightest sense of danger--or eject himself from the fighting just as quickly. Paired with this is his natural stamina and speed, both on land and in water--running from predators was a thing he had to do often, and being caught meant his life. It was with this threat looming over him that Yu relentlessly honed his speed and stamina, while his Faunus traits meant he felt equally at home in the water.

Incredibly rarely will Yu go on the offence, but when he does, he dual-wields his choice of weaponry with a dexterity and natural flair that only a lifetime of training to save his life with them could achieve. Able to coordinate both arms ambidextrously, the combination of trident and net, each feeling like an natural extension of his arms, present a intimidating front for any melee fighter to face. While one hand keeps his opponent occupied with swift, smooth thrusts of his trident like spearing fish from a river, the other holds the net ready to ensnare the target at any opportune moment, all the while backing his prey into a corner, giving them no way to escape from his elaborate trap.

While Yu fights more defensively than any other Hunter he knows, that strength can easily be turned into a weakness. His reluctance to attack can be exploited by ranged fighters by simply chipping away at his Aura, assuming their projectiles aren't slow-moving targets that can be knocked out of the air. In fact, anything that has a longer reach than his trident will have a relatively easy time against Yu as he will never opt to close the distance. Similarly, skirmishers and fast-moving fighters in general can easily slip past Yu's guard, bypassing Survivor's Instinct with enough speed. While Yu has good stamina, those who can outlast him will also benefit as Survivor's Instinct's usefulness relies on Yu being able to react in time--and that becomes harder and harder as he becomes weary from the fight. Multiple fighters converging on Yu at the same time will almost guarantee a retreat, something that becomes clearly obvious after the first few attempts.

To Yu, fighting is simply another form of hunting and of survival, only with prey that fight back--and he's had plenty of experience with those.

WEAPONS

Name: Recens Procellam (Storm Caller)

Primary Form: Recens Procellam is a simple grey trident measuring up to 6 feet in length. While almost the entirety of the trident is dinged up, scratched and slightly dented in places, the three prongs are kept in pristine condition, always ground to a fine point. Along the length of the shaft are seam lines running along the circumference of the pole, and near the non-pointy end there is a thicker section for ease of gripping. The entire trident is well-balanced, allowing for simple one-handed usage.

Secondary Form: Recens Procellam can be split into many separate metal rods that can be reformed to create many different objects ranging from a small, one-man tent frame to a spit roast, stool frame, tripod for boiling water, makeshift stretcher, spit roast--only limited by Yu's large knowledge of DIY tools. In total, Recens Procellam can be broken down into 30 rods of different lengths, and can be reassembled into 3 spears of equal length. However, it's main function is its flexibility to be built into many tools for living out in the wilderness.

Storage Form: Breaking Recens Procellam down to its smallest pieces and sections allows it to be stored separately in Yu's pockets and sleeves.

History: It's no exaggeration to say that Recens Procellam is single-handedly responsible for saving Yu's life countless times over, both from enemies and from the invisible danger of starvation. While his nomadic tribe had always preferred sturdy, reliable tridents and harpoons over frail fishing rods when it came to fishing in the frigate climates of Atlas and those frozen lakes, it was the constant threat of Grimm that drove them, and later Yu, to mastering the art of wielding the trident not as a tool, but a weapon against the forces of darkness. They say necessity is the mother of invention, but to Yu it was also his saviour. Inherited from his father before he died during the river crossing

Name: Apath

Primary Form: Apath is a large fishing net that Yu thought up the design of after seeing Dust in action for the first time, and now brings his expertise with using nets to combat. The rope mesh has been replaced with metal wire, interlaced with small metal capsules in each cross-section. A short circular handle wrapped with leather is on one end of the net giving Yu an easy handhold for one-handed casting. A button on the grip of the handle sends a minor electrical charge throughout the net, using positive and negative charges spread through the metal wire to untangle any fumbled knots via magnetism.

Storage Form: When not in use, Apath simply hangs from Yu's left shoulder strap, resembling a shoulder cloak. It also doubles as a sort of chainmail armor for his left arm, wherein any Dust can be activated to create an extra layer of protection.

Dust Functions: Inserting any form of Dust into Apath's handle imbues the net with similar effects, with the points of ejection being the small capsules in each cross-section.
Dust effects: ShowHide

Fire Dust -- The entirety of the net, bar the handle, bursts into flame, not hot enough to melt steel even under 5 minutes of constant exposure but certainly enough to burn any opponent trapped underneath.

Ice Dust -- Both sides of the net are coated in ice, making the net heavier as well as causing laceration damage to anything underneath the net that is large enough to be trapped.

Electric Dust -- Every part of the net apart from the handle is given a strong electrical charge, shocking anything that conducts electricity if it comes into contact with the net.

Earth Dust -- Covers the net with packed earth. While not of particular use in combat, it makes for a remarkably water-proof tent cover--perfect for conjoined use with Recens Procellam's other features.

Gravity Dust -- Weighs the net down heavily, effectively adding 300lbs of weight to the net. Used to pin prey to the floor for an extended duration of time.

History: Yu's original net, a simple one made of bits and bobs of cloth and string, had underwent multiple repairs by the time the caravan found him. Upon discovering the wonders of Dust, Yu's experimentation with the stuff led to a more combat-oriented design to replace the old net. He still keeps the net, one of his only mementos of his parents.

13
WiP Characters / Yu Nanhai [MOVED]
« on: June 11, 2018, 01:53:21 AM »

CHARACTER

Name: Yu Nanhai

Age: 17

Species and Gender: Male Otter Faunus

Occupation: First Year Beacon Academy Student, Royale scholarship recipient

Appearance: On first glance, no one would assume Yu Nanhai to be anything more than another regular old Faunus. With the short height of 5'1, dark skin which serve to illuminate his bright green eyes with short, choppy brown hair and his easily visible otter nose and whiskers which Yu trims regularly, the small boy gives absolutely no reason for others to keep him in their mind. He is, at first glance, a cute but easily forgettable person. If one did choose to pay closer attention, however, they would soon find out that there is much more than meets the eye to Yu. His choice of loose clothing serve to conceal his remarkably well-built swimmer's physique, with defined shoulder, arm and chest muscles--details that tell a story more intricate than what the eye can perceive.

Speaking of clothing, Yu's fashion sense is equally as unassuming--almost every piece of clothing he owns is waterproof with few exceptions. Unlike other hunters-in-training that can afford to have custom threads sewn to their liking, Yu's clothing is ill-fitting, loose and baggy, a result of having little choice when searching for expensive waterproofs. As such, most of his clothes are either second-hand or old, some of the cheapest yet intact pieces of clothing scrounged from thrift shops, yard sales and the like, though he tends to stay away from animal fur if possible. A pair of cheap, nondescript sneakers adorn his feet that can be easily removed if Yu needs to swim.

Even in school or on missions, Yu has little that actually defines him as a Hunter. While some hunters have elaborate, ornate sheathes, shining plates of armor and gleaming swords, and others wear rows of belts filled with hundreds of cartridges and magazines, Yu simply does not have that luxury. Nothing about him stands out in battle, simply wearing the same outfits he does in everyday life. Not a single amenity will ever be found on Yu's body, for the simple reason that he does not own one. The closest thing one would find is a metal fishing net hanging off Yu's left shoulder--an odd fashion choice. It is, however, so much more than that...

History: Yu himself doesn't know where he was born apart from being in Atlas. A member of a small nomadic Faunus tribe, he and his parents formed part of a small Faunus community living independently from the high-tech cities of Atlas, having found refuge from the faunus-hating communities in the frigid, frozen forests and rivers. Their group never stayed in one place to avoid patrols of Atlesian soldiers and the ever-looming threat of the Grimm, constantly on the move and simultaneously on the hunt for prey to eat.

Yu's tribe were masters of hunting and survival. Having lived off the land and the water for more than fifty years, Yu's parents were obliged to pass on everything they knew to ensure that not only Yu, but also the generations after that, would continue to flourish in the unrelenting cold and snow. This involved teaching Yu to recognise what greens, roots and berries were edible and what medicinal purposes they contained within their unassuming exterior, how to use the tools at their disposal to set up a base camp, the techniques of reading spoor of wild animals and how to fish without a pole. Rather than rely on flimsy, thin rods and string, Yu's tribe preferred to use reliable and sturdy tridents to break the ice and spear the fish underneath. All of this information was passed on to Yu, who absorbed it dutifully. When not out hunting, foraging or scavenging, Yu's parents would educate him on general knowledge of the world (what they knew of it, at least), including their motto of "Durabo" or "I will endure", words which Yu took to heart.

In order to find another solution against the creatures of Grimm apart from running away, Yu's tribe developed their own style of fighting with their tridents to not only hunt large animals, but to find an effective way to fight off the Grimm that periodically harassed their camps. While none of the tribe were Hunters--which meant none of them had their Aura unlocked--they still had the instincts and skills to hold off the attacks of the Grimm with relatively minimal losses, and like a obedient student Yu learnt to wield the trident not only as a tool for survival, but also as a weapon. In a show of special treatment Yu's parents fashioned a fishing net from scraps of rope and wood as a gift. In a situation where everything was gold to the tribe, this was a rare occasion and thus Yu treated it as if it were indeed made of gold.

Over the years of being constantly on the move the tribe had established for themselves predetermined routes where it was safer, more sheltered or with more resources to gather. It was on one of those routes that they had to cross a wide river, not frosted over since they had arrived in the summer where Atlas was at its warmest. Still, the process of constructing rafts from trees meant that they had to remain in the same location for longer than was safe, and they were in the process of fording the river when the Grimm chose to pounce. With half the tribe on one end, half on the other and some people in the process of crossing the river, even with the pack's relatively small numbers the tribe still stood little chance of survival. With no other way of escape Yu was forced to dive into the river and swim downstream, his last glimpses of his family being them fending off the Grimm that had followed him into the water in pursuit. After struggling to find his way back to the river crossing, shivering both from fear and cold, he found little remaining of the battle except for the blood-soaked snow, bits and pieces of broken equipment and bundles of branches tied together upright in freshly upturned snow, used to pay respects for the fallen of the tribe. There was no-one to be seen--what remained of the tribe had moved on after burying the casualties of the battle, assuming Yu had been one of the dead.

There was no time to grieve. Efficient as his tribe was at using everything at their disposal, even their scraps were of utmost importance to Yu at this point in time. To him, this was the ultimate test of survival, his time to use every skill he had learnt from his parents in order to live until he could reunite with civilisation. With nothing but his trident, net and clothing Yu spent five years alone in the woods, doing whatever it took to feed himself and evade larger predators. He climbed trees, dug holes, straight up ran from whatever he couldn't face, but also practiced his trident skills with the knowledge that if he failed, he would die. He'd 'spar' against similarly-sized animals like deer and the odd boar, learning how to wield it like an extension of his own arm, alongside the support from his net. However, never once in those five years did he ever fight Grimm. Without Aura he knew it could only ever end one way. Slowly but surely he accumulated enough materials and skills to establish a foothold in life, yet still scraping by with the skin of his teeth. He dared not approach people for help lest they report him to the Atlesian authorities, and so stuck to the routes he knew best.

This monotonous lifestyle changed abruptly one day when an unexpected caravan crossed paths with Yu on his standard route. With five years to get familiarised with the standard times when trade lines were at its busiest, this came as a massive shock and surprise for the teenager. Reluctant to approach with suspicions that this was, at worst, an Atlesian military patrol, those worries were unfounded as the owner of the caravan was revealed to be one Marvin Royale, who took Yu under his guidance after hearing his story. Deciding to release Yu's aura to heal some unavoidable wounds, the event was nothing if not spectacular. His soul, tempered under the years of harsh conditions and events, instantly revealed his Semblance to him--it was as if his Aura itself was offering ways to help him through the hardships. Recognising this as a strong sign that Yu would prove to be a good Hunter if he ever took up the option, Marvin offered him a scholarship at an academy of his choice, as well as introducing him to the wonders of both Atlesian technology and Dust alike. In awe of his sudden fortune and luck, Yu was inspired by the display of Dust to design a new, more combat-oriented net, which one of Marvin's contacts easily supplied.

Ultimately choosing Beacon as the place to start his new life as a Hunter anew, over the more rigid traditions of Mistral and the scorching heats of Vacuo for the more orderly, bustling cities of Vale, Yu enters his time as a Hunter-in-training armed with more survival knowledge than any of his classmates. He does, however, have a lot to catch up on when it comes to getting accustomed to Vale's more carefree lifestyle...

Personality: Yu Nanhai is a humble and hard-working person who prefers to avoid attention. Quick to praise others and slow to receive, his personality paired with his innocent young face completely hide the fact that he's alone in the world, having lived many a year in the wilderness with nothing but himself and his trident to tide him through life. Despite having entered a world of technology far-flung from his old nomadic ways, Yu prefers to keep it old-fashioned--rarely using the school's technology provided (partly due to lack of Lien), as well as making constant, valiant attempts to preserve his tribe's traditions. This does also mean that he is a loner at heart, unused to much social talk and being firmly rooted in his past.

Unfortunately, the painful truth is that Yu is a Faunus, and literally has no way to hide it. Despite being born in Atlas, where the attitudes toward their kind have been...less than ideal, Yu has embraced his roots and has only benefited from it. It's more than likely that being born half-aquatic animal has made Yu equally comfortable both on land and water, not to mention being an impressive swimmer to boot, able to manoeuvre through fast-flowing waters without need of goggles. He's also grown resilient to harshly cold climates, and can thrive even in temperatures near 0, though the opposite cannot be said for hot climates. Over the years, he's developed an intense love for seafood even with it being a luxury in Atlas, and being an otter Faunus even has a favourite rock stored away on him for when he needs to break hard-shelled crustaceans. One might often find Yu in his spare time just floating in a pool with a plate of clams and oysters on his chest, cracking each one open like an actual otter.

Despite his cute appearance and likeable personality, there's a part of Yu's soul that has closed itself off to everyone due to the Grimm attack that wiped almost all of his loved ones off the face of the planet. Yu will do whatever it takes to survive, abandoning former allies in a heartbeat if it looked like they were losing, letting others take the blame without effects on his conscience, even going so far as to steal from people. The latter is quite rare, however--having lived in the wilderness for the greater part of his life has taught Yu how to live off the fruits of the land and thrive with bare necessities. So strong is the habit that till this day Yu still prefers the scenery and quiet that the nature provides over the bustling, safer cities. After all, out in the woods and rivers lie only similar-minded animals to live or hunt with, and none of those humans who live solely to see the faunus suffer.

The PTSD that was absent from Yu's life during his solo adventure before he was found by the caravan has hit back thrice-fold in the absence of the strain of survival, leaving Yu with a concentrated flurry of emotions that he never had to deal with before. Now that he no longer has the constant threat of losing his life hanging over him, Yu experiences frequent nightmares about the few seconds he witnessed of the slaughter before diving into the water to escape, as well as extremely heavy experiences of homesickness, often enough to leave him in tears and incapacitated. In addition, with no treatment and no one close enough to him that Yu can vent his experiences to, the nightmares have only become worse since they first started emerging, causing Yu to begin hallucinating slightly whenever night falls. As such, he is always nervous and jumpy at night even when many people are around, and has troubles falling asleep without nightmares plaguing his sleep. While his physical condition has improved since leaving his old life behind, his mental state has not.

Thanks to the scholarship Yu was granted, he no longer has to scrape by on minimal resources. However, old habits die hard, and he still prefers to camp out somewhere on the campus ground instead of wasting unnecessary money on accommodation. In addition, most of the funds goes into paying for Beacon, repairs for his weapon and net, and purchasing Dust--meaning that Yu has had to find a job as a bona fide fisherman selling whatever he caught to the highest bidder, leaving the smallest catches for his meals. It's not a high-paying job, however--Yu is still struggling with his finances, and is constantly looking for jobs he can take on that can further supplement his tight pockets.

Aura: Aura Color: Maya Blue/#73C2FB

Born and raised a resilient and hardy survivor, Yu's soul burns strong with the desire to live on in the harsh world. He'd survived in the harsh climates of Atlas with no Aura, living off the land and doing whatever it took to evade predators, both human and Grimm. So unsurprisingly, when his Aura awoke it brought with it the corresponding traits that reflected his soul. Yu's Aura has a significantly stronger Aura Detection ability than most untrained hunters and can even outmatch some trained Hunters--able to detect both Aura users and Grimm at longer distances than others.

Semblance: Survivor's Instinct--Yu gains a sixth sense of sorts; the ability to detect incoming objects that would pose a threat to his body. Once the semblance detects one such threat, it sends signals directly to Yu's brain which include: what the object is, what direction it is coming from, the velocity of the threat (if any), and how much damage it will do to his Aura (if up) or his body, including any internal damage. The information is instant, providing Yu with a 180 degree sense of awareness of anything that may cause him harm. This takes form in a invisible halved sphere that can be rotated around Yu's body as the centre.

This does not affect Yu's reaction time, however--anything normally too fast to really do anything about will damage Yu before he can register that the threat has emerged. Survivor's Instinct has a 3-meter range in any direction, too short to properly deal with ranged projectiles, but perfect for melee combatants. One way to counter this ability is to overload Yu's senses with a overwhelming amount of attacks; each one will be displayed as a separate attack and will confuse Yu heavily.

Survivor's Instinct can be activated in up to 3-minute bursts with 5-minute cool downs in-between.

Combat Behavior: Simply put, Yu fights not to win, but to survive. He fights in a way that he will be the last one standing no matter the size of the fight, in the least-harmed state of any participants involved. This involves fighting cautiously, patiently, never hesitating to retreat or even straight-up run from an opponent that clearly outclasses him. Backing his fighting style up are his Aura abilities and Semblance, providing Yu with a ability to avoid danger that others might lack. However, his willingness to retreat and run, while keeping him safe, also endanger any teammates he fights alongside. This does not affect Yu's decision-making--he'll sacrifice others' lives to protect his own in a heartbeat.

A lifetime of running from things that could kill him as simply as taking a breath has drilled into Yu the natural instinct of "fight or flight"--the reaction that causes adrenaline to be inserted into the bloodstream. It's not uncommon to see Yu on edge, ready to spring into action at the slightest sense of danger--or eject himself from the fighting just as quickly. Paired with this is his natural stamina and speed, both on land and in water--running from predators was a thing he had to do often, and being caught meant his life. It was with this threat looming over him that Yu relentlessly honed his speed and stamina, while his Faunus traits meant he felt equally at home in the water.

Incredibly rarely will Yu go on the offence, but when he does, he dual-wields his choice of weaponry with a dexterity and natural flair that only a lifetime of training to save his life with them could achieve. Able to coordinate both arms ambidextrously, the combination of trident and net, each feeling like an natural extension of his arms, present a intimidating front for any melee fighter to face. While one hand keeps his opponent occupied with swift, smooth thrusts of his trident like spearing fish from a river, the other holds the net ready to ensnare the target at any opportune moment, all the while backing his prey into a corner, giving them no way to escape from his elaborate trap.

While Yu fights more defensively than any other Hunter he knows, that strength can easily be turned into a weakness. His reluctance to attack can be exploited by ranged fighters by simply chipping away at his Aura, assuming their projectiles aren't slow-moving targets that can be knocked out of the air. In fact, anything that has a longer reach than his trident will have a relatively easy time against Yu as he will never opt to close the distance. Similarly, skirmishers and fast-moving fighters in general can easily slip past Yu's guard, bypassing Survivor's Instinct with enough speed. While Yu has good stamina, those who can outlast him will also benefit as Survivor's Instinct's usefulness relies on Yu being able to react in time--and that becomes harder and harder as he becomes weary from the fight. Multiple fighters converging on Yu at the same time will almost guarantee a retreat, something that becomes clearly obvious after the first few attempts.

To Yu, fighting is simply another form of hunting and of survival, only with prey that fight back--and he's had plenty of experience with those.

WEAPONS

Name: Recens Procellam (Storm Caller)

Primary Form: Recens Procellam is a simple grey trident measuring up to 6 feet in length. While almost the entirety of the trident is dinged up, scratched and slightly dented in places, the three prongs are kept in pristine condition, always ground to a fine point. Along the length of the shaft are seam lines running along the circumference of the pole, and near the non-pointy end there is a thicker section for ease of gripping. The entire trident is well-balanced, allowing for simple one-handed usage.

Secondary Form: Recens Procellam can be split into many separate metal rods that can be reformed to create many different objects ranging from a small, one-man tent frame to a spit roast, stool frame, tripod for boiling water, makeshift stretcher, spit roast--only limited by Yu's large knowledge of DIY tools. In total, Recens Procellam can be broken down into 30 rods of different lengths, and can be reassembled into 3 spears of equal length. However, it's main function is its flexibility to be built into many tools for living out in the wilderness.

Storage Form: Breaking Recens Procellam down to its smallest pieces and sections allows it to be stored separately in Yu's pockets and sleeves.

History: It's no exaggeration to say that Recens Procellam is single-handedly responsible for saving Yu's life countless times over, both from enemies and from the invisible danger of starvation. While his nomadic tribe had always preferred sturdy, reliable tridents and harpoons over frail fishing rods when it came to fishing in the frigate climates of Atlas and those frozen lakes, it was the constant threat of Grimm that drove them, and later Yu, to mastering the art of wielding the trident not as a tool, but a weapon against the forces of darkness. They say necessity is the mother of invention, but to Yu it was also his saviour. Inherited from his father before he died during the river crossing

Name: Apath

Primary Form: Apath is a large fishing net that Yu thought up the design of after seeing Dust in action for the first time, and now brings his expertise with using nets to combat. The rope mesh has been replaced with metal wire, interlaced with small metal capsules in each cross-section. A short circular handle wrapped with leather is on one end of the net giving Yu an easy handhold for one-handed casting. A button on the grip of the handle sends a minor electrical charge throughout the net, using positive and negative electrons spread through the metal wire to untangle any fumbled knots.

Storage Form: When not in use, Apath simply hangs from Yu's left shoulder strap, resembling a shoulder cloak. It also doubles as a sort of chainmail armor for his left arm, wherein any Dust can be activated to create an extra layer of protection.

Dust Functions: Inserting any form of Dust into Apath's handle imbues the net with similar effects, with the points of ejection being the small capsules in each cross-section.
Dust effects: ShowHide

Fire Dust -- The entirety of the net, bar the handle, bursts into flame, not hot enough to melt steel even under 5 minutes of constant exposure but certainly enough to burn any opponent trapped underneath.

Ice Dust -- Both sides of the net are coated in ice, making the net heavier as well as causing laceration damage to anything underneath the net that is large enough to be trapped.

Electric Dust -- Every part of the net apart from the handle is given a strong electrical charge, shocking anything that conducts electricity if it comes into contact with the net.

Earth Dust -- Covers the net with packed earth. While not of particular use in combat, it makes for a remarkably water-proof tent cover--perfect for conjoined use with Recens Procellam's other features.

Gravity Dust -- Weighs the net down heavily, effectively adding 75lbs of weight to the net. Used to pin prey to the floor for an extended duration of time.

History: Yu's original net, a simple one made of bits and bobs of cloth and string, had underwent multiple repairs by the time the caravan found him. Upon discovering the wonders of Dust, Yu's experimentation with the stuff led to a more combat-oriented design to replace the old net. He still keeps the net, one of his only mementos of his parents.

14
Beacon Academy / Discussions at Dawn [COMPLETE]
« on: May 19, 2018, 12:41:38 PM »
Her bed was empty.

It was with a tired body and mind that Jocelyn had collapsed on her bed that night, fully expecting the rest of the people (bar 1) sharing the room with her to do the same. As for the exception, she probably wouldn't be going to her own abode until around 4 or 5, working hard at something or other and displaying that tenacity and determination that Jocelyn had come to admire and love. But even so, a person had to sleep, and Prism was nothing if not a person. So it was with a sinking heart that she woke to and saw the bed opposite her empty. She reached for her scroll, and the time read 5:26.

It was way past her normal sleep schedule, and Jocelyn was determined to drag the faunus back to bed, with force if need be.

Absentmindedly picking up her first-aid kit, she tip-toed to the door and slipped out (even though she probably woke Amane simply by waking up herself), blinking her eyes to adjust to the darkness. It was times like these where she wished she had night vision like the Faunus did, or had the money to buy herself a pair of night vision goggles. Maybe Amane could help with that...

Her fruitless search brought her to the roof after ten minutes of wandering around the large campus, her progress hampered by the lack of light and the need to remain quiet lest she wake other students, or even worse the teachers. She was about to turn and head somewhere else when a glimmer of turquoise caught her eye amongst the dark grey of the floor. A closer inspection revealed the girl she was looking for...curled up in the fatal position and huddled against a wall. All previous thoughts shoved out of her mind, Jocelyn hurried over to the girl, careful not to make too much noise while running, while flipping open her pack and withdrawing a Ice Dust crystal. With an ease borne of practice she placed the crystal on Prism's arm whilst simultaneously channeling her Semblance.

15
INITIATION BRIEFING:

Local huntsmen have reported a gigantic swarm of Grimm heading to a village hamlet by the name of Verdea. The village has already begun evacuating with Hunters on standby, but the locals have expressed concern at the speed of the evacuation. To that end, Beacon has volunteered to send a team of hunters-in-training to man a defensible position outside the village borders, to ensure as little Grimm as possible make it to Verdea before complete evacuation is achieved. Team CASA, accompanied by Professor Ferus, is tasked with holding off as many Grimm for as long as possible until either Verdea completes its evacuation or until retreating is deemed necessary by the accompanying teacher.

Objectives:
 -Hold out for as long as possible/until evacuation completion
 -Let as few Grimm through as possible


As the distinct chime of his scroll sounded to indicate the message he'd been expecting, Professor Ferus finished his pre-mission checks on his equipment and reached back to read the mail. Finding the details included satisfactory, he swiftly composed a message to the four members of team CASA: Meet me at landing platform 12 as soon as you finish necessary preparations. -Professor Ferus. Shouldering his equipment, he strode off to his designated meeting point to await the team he would be supervising on their initiation.

Pages: [1] 2 3 4