Sign Up Pierce the Shadows [M-LVS?]

[Onix]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=Silver][CENTER]Don't turn around.[/CENTER][/COLOR]

The wind whispers and tugs at your clothes. Leaves skitter, skeleton fingers on the cold asphalt streets. No people walk in the darkness; you are alone. Your only companion is the huge white moon, looming in the distance. It casts long shadows across the ground, stretched and twisted into unnatural shapes, only melted more by the occasional splash of streetlight.

And in the loneliness, a voice whispers in your mind.

[COLOR=Silver][CENTER]Don't turn around.[/CENTER][/COLOR]

Without warning and without cause, the sick, cold hand of fear reaches into your heart, wraps its ice-slick fingers tight and [I]squeezes[/I]. You feel dread. Something is coming, something is looming. And though there is no one in the street, no sound but those skittering spider leaves crawling from their tree trunk nests, you know, deep in your heart, that there are eyes boring into the back of your head.

But there's a voice in your head, whispering, whispering.

[COLOR=Silver][CENTER]Don't turn around.[/CENTER][/COLOR]

Unconsciously, you walk faster. The pulse in your throat and in your fingertips matches the beat of foot on ground, quicker, quicker. The dread chases, a noxious cloud swimming around you. Though moments ago you were out for a reason, now you just want to get somewhere [I]safe[/I], somewhere with [I]people[/I], and you don't know why or where but you just have to keep moving and get away from this lonely, empty, open street.

And you can't pause, can't turn, can't look back. The voice demands it.

[COLOR=Silver][CENTER]Don't turn around.[/CENTER][/COLOR]

But you are weak. And you are afraid. And you are human. So curiosity grips, stronger than the dread, stronger than the primal knowledge, stronger than death itself. You turn, almost in slow motion, to face the darkness behind. There's nothing.

...Or is there?

At first it's only at the corner of your eye, but then it moves, shifts, black against black but not quite the same color as the shadows, not quite the same color as pitch darkness. It's something else. Something [I]alive[/I], or maybe not alive, but real.

It comes into sight not suddenly, but it is suddenly that you recognize it, realize it. Faceless, naked, writhing and jerking, a poorly guided marionette, a clockwork toy about to break down. It lurches, place to place, from on the wall to on the street, and always in the black.

A person made of darkness. Made of shadows.

And though it has no eyes, has no face, you know it is staring.

Hungry.

[COLOR=Silver][CENTER]Don't turn around.[/CENTER][/COLOR]

It's a scream this time, but there can be nothing worse than this shadow person, you know that, and yet you know you shouldn't turn, either. But turn you do, and now the street isn't empty. There's someone else.

A little boy.

[B]"Please, can you help me?"[/B]

Too late do you notice what your mind knew so long ago.

His eyes are pure black.

[CENTER]*****[/CENTER]

[B][CENTER]Shadow People[/CENTER] [/B]

If you've ever seen something move out of the corner of your eye, don't disregard it as a trick of the light. You might have just seen a Shadow Person.

Some might call them Shadow Men, but that would be quite incorrect, with even Shadow "Person" stretching the truth. For they are entities without gender or even identity, base creatures full of hunger and homogenous mindsets that point only towards death. Created by dark sorcerers long ago to act as assassins and slaves, they are cursed souls, stripped of everything that makes them human except form.

Originally there were few, with only a handful of wizards strong enough to create one and even then only as many as five. With only the occasional wizard creating them, and being almost impossible to kill, their numbers remained constant for years and years. They couldn't breed, didn't die, just traveled across the world and killed.

Humans near with Shadow People almost always feel an intense sense of dread, of impending death. That is the nature of Shadow People, which are truly psychic vampires. Filled with nothing but hollowness and the vaguest shadow of humanity, they are drawn to those full of life and vitality, and strip them of their life force, slowly draining it away. Though humans can recover from this if they get away, it can kill, resembling a stroke or heart attack.

It is the nature of the Shadow Peoples' killing style and diet that causes them to change, to evolve. The more life energy they drain, the more powerful they become. The basest Shadow People lack any kind of distinguishing features, faceless, lanky humanoids that move jerkily, lacking cunning save the basest strategy. But with more psychic force, they become smarter, more devious, and more human. Stronger Shadow People can develop glittering red eyes, horns, talons, tentacles, even mouths, though they hold no function.

And the strongest of Shadow People, after draining enough life energy to fuel roughly 500 adult humans, change entirely into a new being.

The Black Eyed Kids.

[B][CENTER]Black Eyed Kids[/CENTER] [/B]

When a Shadow Person absorbs enough life energy, it can take on an almost fully human form. This shape, child-like and pale, the only symbols of its existence the utter darkness of its eyes, is referred to collectively as the Black Eyed Kids. They are virtually human in both shape and mind, merely being without compassion or pity, heartless killers with innocent faces.

Comparable to the Vampires of lore, they retain much of their former power. All the abilities gained by its past form are then passed onto it, as well as a kind of low-level hypnosis that allows them to better incapacitate their human targets, and the extremely powerful ability to control Shadow People. Most importantly, they are the cause of the rise in Shadow People, as victims of their draining become Shadows themselves. Nearly immune to conventional weaponry, not to mention disease and the flow of time, they appear all but immortal.

But immortal they are not, and weaknesses they have. Like the Shadow People, they are powerless in the face of light, infantile when brought out into the noon sun. And though most weapons can do them no lasting harm, silver is more than capable of wounding them, a potent allergy that makes the wounds almost impossible to heal. Lastly, without a constant supply of life energy, they wither and die, turning to less than Shadow People, mere vapours.

Also like Shadows, though, they are not condemned to a limit on form or power. Absorbing life energy grants them greater strength, as well, even manifesting as aging in some cases. Few attain an adult appearance, but those that do are often hailed as kings.

Not that many Black Eyed Kids interact with one another. Or, so it was. Until quite recently, Black Eyed Kids were solitary and territorial hunters, staking out entire cities as their own playgrounds, sometimes entire countries. But lately, they have started banding together. Something is brewing.

So someone has to stop it.

[B][CENTER]The Order of Piercing Light[/CENTER][/B]

Founded in Rome, Italy by the Catholic Church, the Order of Piercing Light is a group devoted to protecting the world for the Shadow People and all associated with them, most of all the Black Eyed Kids. Having begun to cast off its religious trappings in the past 100 years, it has welcomed in agents from all across the world, although there is still a heavy Catholic population.

Members of the group are human and, thus, at a heavy disadvantage against their fearsome supernatural adversaries. Most train extensively in both armed and un-armed combat, specifically marksmanship and swordsmanship, keeping their bodies at the peak of physical perfection. The warriors of the Light are some of the most impressive in the world, but they are not the only weapons in the Order's arsenal.

Also at its disposal are a number of researchers, both mystical and technological, as well as scientists, weapon forgers, and even mages, trained both in battle and healing. All these specialists are devoted to doing their best to support the warrior field agents, causing the Order to have massive libraries and armories.

With just 20 branches across the world so far, the Order dispatches agents in small cells to fight off Black Eyed Kids and Shadow People hordes in the nearby areas. Cells are anywhere from 3 to 7 people, with straight forward warriors backed up by one or two mages, of healing or battle, and even other specialists depending on the mission.

Though the headquarters remains in Rome, Italy, our story starts instead in one of the three American branches, down in the slums of Los Angeles, California...

There, in that City of Angels, will the war with the darkness truly begin.

[CENTER]*****[/CENTER]

Well, now. Intrigued? If you're reading all the way down here, I should hope so. Pierce the Shadows is a story of horror, war, darkness, hope, and epic battles between good and evil, light and shadow.

You know, the usual.

Still interested? Good! Without any more of my blabbering [that'll be saved for the Underground, which'll go up eventually har har har], here's the app!

[B]Name:[/B] The is Los Angeles so, uh, you can go pretty wild, especially since agents in the Order tend to get shuffled around from place to place.

[B]Gender:[/B] There isn't much of a gender bias, so no worries here.

[B]Age:[/B] Depending on your specialty, can range quite a bit. Powerful mages are more likely to be in their 40s, while researchers can be young or old; fighters generally don't live past 30.

[B]Appearance:[/B] A nice picture is good, a solid paragraph+ description fine, both even better.

[B]Specialty:[/B] Most people in the Order have a specialty of some kind. For many, that's just being good at killin' stuff, but it can vary from espionage, to magic, to research, to whatever.

[B]Weapons/Spells:[/B] For combat ready agents, list your weapons of choice or magic. Few mages spend much time at all learning how to handle a weapon, too busy trying to control the powerful flow of magic. Likewise, most combat specialists don't spend any time on magic. As far as weapons go, most will be laced with silver, blessed, or wielding some kind of special trick to deal with the Shadow People and BEKs unnatural stylings, so get creative. Spells are primarily elemental, with a heavy focus in light, too. No dark spells. Ever.

[B]Personality:[/B] How do they act, what do they like, etc. etc. You know the drill. Or should, anyway.

[B]Bio or Writing Sample:[/B] Either a nice, fairly detailed back-story on your wayward hero, or a sample of writing in character, at least five paragraphs, ten is better.

The vast majority of Order members is, remember, combat specialists, but I'd like to get a mage, researcher, or technological operative or two as well. Keeping things mixed up is always fun, remember.

But, then, surely there are those of you not so Light-fully inclined. No, for you, there is another option.

The Black Eyed Kids.

I'll only be accepting a handful at most, no more than five, and hopefully a sight fewer than Order members. To get a BEK you have to be rather exemplary, far more so than just Shadow-fodder. So wow me.

[B]Name:[/B] Most, if not all, of the Shadows have forgotten their true names long ago. Black Eyed Kids often take new ones, creatively trying to set themselves apart from the human masses. However, those who interact with the human world in any regularity will have an alias or two, so if you want to make a note of that, feel free.

[B]Gender:[/B] Male, female, hermaphrodite. Or maybe you just never evolved those bits, who knows?

[B]Age:[/B] Now, for this, I don't want a number. Black Eyed Kids have been around a long time, and often don't keep track of years. So what I want is: Young, Experienced, Old, or Ancient. Young would be twenty years or less; Experienced, up to 50. Old is getting into centuries, and you're Ancient if you've been around a Millennia. Those are most of the first Black Eyed Kids.

[B]Appearance:[/B] Aside from a relatively youthful look and pitch-black eyes, go wild. Some look like the creepiest little kid-in-a-suit you've ever seen, some have started to devolve from humankind, with horns and fangs. Surprise me.

[B]Powers:[/B] Aside from the aforementioned Hypnosis, Shadow People Control, and near-invincibility, what makes your Kid different? Shadow People and the Black Eyed Kids gain power with age, generally focused on manipulating darkness or their own body. The older ones sometimes step into magic and elemental power.

[B]Personality:[/B] Aside from lacking a soul, for lack of a better word, and being a bit more animalistic than normal people, Black Eyed Kids have the standard personality quirks and etcetera.

[B]Writing Sample:[/B] Writing a bio for these kids would just be tricky, so I'll be fine with a Writing Sample. Show them in their element, be that killing, or whatever.

Well, that should do it for now. Hit me up with questions at the Underground, whenever it goes up, and I'll be posting a bio of my own relatively soon. See you cats when the action gets hot.[/SIZE]

[Flo]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkSlateBlue] [COLOR=DarkRed][B]Name:[/B][/COLOR] Jessica Hun

[COLOR=DarkRed][B]Gender:[/B][/COLOR] Female

[COLOR=DarkRed][B]Age:[/B][/COLOR] 34

[COLOR=DarkRed][B]Appearance:[/B] [/COLOR] [URL=http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n32/1Anime_Princess/hp29.jpg]{Cickith}[/URL]
[COLOR=DarkRed]
[B]Specialty:[/B][/COLOR] Hun specializes in the feild of research, she's always burying her nose in anything she can find that can tell her about unknown subjects.

[COLOR=DarkRed][B]Weapons/Spells:[/B][/COLOR] [list]
[*][URL=http://files.turbosquid.com/Preview/Content_on_4_2_2006_18_33_18/Falshion%20duals.jpgf001eccd-b960-4922-b90a-9a67fb82c328Large.jpg]Temperance-[/URL] These weapons serve more of a cermonial purpose and do not fare well in batttle. In Jessica's case she only uses them as a last resort, though they are rather effective at keeping dark spirits at bay. Their inner core is made of a mix of white gold and silver and coated with ivory.
[/list]

[COLOR=DarkRed][B]Personality:[/B][/COLOR] There's almost nothing that Jessica doesn't know about people or places and not knowing isn't an option for her. This isn't always her best feature, but it can be helpful when a listening ear is needed. Jessica has spent many nights passed out on top of a book and on other ocasions woken up with keyboards imprints on her face. The never ending quest for knowledge is her uncurable disease.

When she can, Jessica likes to play the ditzy female depending on others to do the dirty work. More people know about her past as a model due to the media mainstream, but few know of her other occupations, making her acting rather believable. Especially since through all her book smarts she has almost no common sense. Her greatest social weakness is that she still believes in a thing called love.

[COLOR=DarkRed][B]Bio or Writing Sample:[/B][/COLOR] Jessica Angelika Hun orginally lived in Britain till her family moved to the United States when her father's company decieded to expand. He was offered a promotion and a much larger paycheck without hesitation the family moved to Texas in hopes of prusuing the American dream. Jessica adapted well to the move and proudly admitted that see perfered this America better than Britain.

Yet as life became more mundane for Jessica she felt the need to creat some flavor in her dull life. A poster advertising a beauty pagent sparked intrest in this young teen. With parental support Jessica worked her way up the harsh and greuling world of modeling and by the age of17 she became Jr.Miss Texas. However,after a few more years on the modeling circuit Jessica felt a calling elsewhere like her life wasn't meant to be consumed by the light and delicate and at the same time demanding and twisted world of way to skinny models.No, Jessica felt drawn to a dependable career, not one that would replace her as soon as she gained 5 pounds.

Her persuit led her to and intellegance group that assisted espionages, it was then that she first experianced failure after a long record of perfect work. Miscaculating a sercuity feature ended up costing the team dearly. This failure was too much for a perfectanist like Jessica. Even though her superoirs reassured her that it could happen to anybody, yet she counldn't let it go. They had depended her and one simple overlook had cost them their lives.

Jessica left the agency and went back home, her tail between her legs, defeated. Once home, she applied to work as a tour guide fat the historic Alamo. The job was no where as thrilling to the work she had grown accusmed too, but it was safe and she made a decent penny. At least enough to afford a few pleasures. It was like her former life was slipping down the drain.

A second spark began to take over Jessica as she began to fell burdened with her mundane life. It was like her her life was stuck on repeat. Gaining the courage, once lost, Jessica started to search for a more thrilling occupation. Her second wind called for something with more fire and flare. Something she could sweat about and force her to find every single minute detail she can find and know as much as she could. Jessica craved a limitless knowledge, one without bias or prejuidies. It was difficult to fin da place that fit her vision, but eventually she came across a place that made her dream real. Though there was a darker side to this place that seemed innocent, The Order of Piercing Light.

The Order of Piercing Light held many secerts beneath its gleaming exterior. Jessica was ready handle the mystery of the Order though. After all it was the excitement she longed for and needed.

[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[Engel]

[COLOR=SeaGreen][SIZE=1][b]Name:[/b] Ramirez Vaelastrasz.
[b]Gender:[/b] Male.
[b]Age:[/b] 34, although he doesn't act like it.
[b]Appearance:[/b] [url=http://img466.imageshack.us/img466/760/alcidzp8.png]Ramirez.[/url] Ramirez is often described as suave looking, with a perfect smile that makes most people sink to their knees. His dark hair is often lighthearted and windswept, carrying off into the wind. He wears a pair of dark-shaded sunglasses at times, even if it's not dark out. Although most of the Order may look at him strange, his attire is more casual, either consisting of pinstriped suits or a pair of black slacks and a miscellanious t-shirt, or button up shirt. After being stationed in Los Angeles, he's taken to wearing two rings on his right ring finger, one inlaid with a deep pinkish-red garnet and the other a simple silver band.

[b]Speciality:[/b] Ramirez has proven himself to be a capable fighter on more than one occasion, although he's a masterful linguist and has several languages underneath his command.

[b]Weapons / Spells.:[/b] While he's not an "experienced spellslinger" as some would call those rather loosely in the Order, he is a skilled weaponsmaster, and has lived beyond the life expectancy of 30. While most of the newcomers like to indulge in childhood fantasies of using entirely too large weapons to be realistic, Ramirez has managed to pull his dreamer's head out of the clouds long enough to realize that the only thing that gets you is dead, and fast.

[list][b]Dio & Licht:[/b] Two semi-automatic [url=http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/6792/ramirezgunkf5.jpg]pistols[/url] are always carried around with Ramirez wherever he goes. While seeming simple in design, on the inside they are much more complex. For starters, when firing the gun, the gunpowder Ramirez uses is laced with flecks of silver upon silver coated, mercury-tipped bullets that explode upon impact. Another handy feature is the automatic detatchment of used up cartrigdges, and the guide of a laser sighted aim. One of the handguns is named "Dia", which is God, and the other is named "Licht", which means "light."

[b]Obscuratio:[/b] An elegant and yet functional [url=http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/3663/ramirezrapiersl5.jpg]rapier[/url] is also strapped to Ramirez's hip whenever he goes out. The blade is a dim glowing silver colour, and most of the weapon in itself is a mercury, lithium, and silver compound reinforced with moderate amounts of iron and nickel. This is his weapon of choice when fighting the stronger Shadow People, as it allows him greater accuracy and control.[/list]

[b]Personality:[/b] Ramirez is a laid back, almost lazy and rustic kind of person. He speaks with a mixed accent, which sounds like Russian, German, and Spanish rolled up into one. He almost always seems to be wearing a secret smile, and doesn't hesitate to take up in any ongoing action. A suave and smooth talker, he's been able to escape various forms of law inforcement through political debate alone. While at first glance, he seems to be a proper gentleman, he is in fact, a ruthless womanizer. People often wonder what a man like this would be doing in a once almost strictly Catholic-organization.

[b]Writing Sample:[/b] [i]OOC:[/i] As you said, Onix, everyone hates Bios. =p[/i]

The afternoon began to drain into night, the sky peeling back the skin of white clouds and lazy sunlight to reveal the bleackness underneath. It had started, the time when nothing was truely safe and everything was truely hunted. Strips of the blueish-purple still stained the sky, a welcome sight to Ramirez. The twilight was holding long enough for him to get into position. Slowly, he slipped into the warehouse which had been reported "Haunted" years ago, and people claimed they saw shadows crawling along the darkness, bleaker than the shadows cast by anything else.

[b]"Ah, so ze 'oung princes of ze dark have come out to play, yes?"[/b] He said in a long drawling voice, tempting them with his "foolishness." In reality, Ramirez held two silver laced throwing knives in right hand and Licht in his left. If he strained his ears hard he could almost hear their gaze, staring down on him like a sort of meal that oozed and dripped pretentious life, precious, delicious life.

The first one came from the rafters, sailing down like a shadow to crawl up on the left side. Ramirez nodded to himself and began to walk forward carefully, trying to guess the attack patterns of this group. His dark hair bobbed with every footstep and as he stopped, his right hand strayed to his face to pull off his glasses. At that moment, one of the shadow people lept at him like a beast from the leaves, and that's when he thrust his right palm outwards from his face, catching the beast with the two silver-laced throwing knives.

[b]"You may "think" of me as the pretentious type, but I am dearly afraid that it is you who are pretentious, attacking when I mean to fix a fashion accessory! It only serves you right to be countered in return, my fair "prince."[/b] It began then, the bloodshed. The other two dropped from the ceiling as Ramirez brought his foot up into the general chest region the shadow, kicking it off as he lept on it, pulling out Licht and firing off an entire magazine into the creature.

The other two began to rethink their strategy, sinking back into the shadows. Ramirez raised his eyebrow at this. Shadow people usually never attacked in groups, much less formed reasonable thoughts. He dipped his right hand into his pocket and produced Dia, stepping forward cautiously into the pale moonlight that was being cast down from the open windows that fluttered softly in the springtime breeze.

It was then that he spun around and held the guns out, firing off two shots in opposite directions and ducking as they took the hits, flying into each other. They made no sounds of pain, or sounds of anything at all, but seemed qutie annoyed. He grinned and fired off two more shots at each, running to the right and leaping up onto a stack of crates.

Quickly and silently they followed him, stepping through the shadows and appearing behind him. With a grin, his fingers twirled the guns backwards, facing the barrels towards the creatures and unloading both magazines into the shadow people. They were fading fast, utterly wounded. He kicked both of them off and put another magazine in each, firing off more and more rounds.

[b]"A hunter does not claim ze title of having lived past his life expectance so easily, small ones. Now, I wonder what is happening on der [i]Family Guy[/i] tonight? I vunder...will Peter claim to be retarded again?"[/b] Ramirez mused to himself, quietly sheathing the weapons of war into his pockets and whistling a tune as he strode out of the abandoned warehouse. They wouldn't be back.

He hoped.[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Onix]

[SIZE=1][B]Name:[/B] Nicholas Sypher, but everyone calls him "Nick."

[B]Gender:[/B] Male

[B]Age:[/B] 22 - Just young enough to be stupid, and just old enough to be dangerous, as he's so fond of saying.

[B]Appearance:[/B] [URL=http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y48/UnbornLordXion/pe2-pierce.jpg]Nicholas[/URL] is often called a hippy by his peers, and not without reason. Tall and rather on the skinny side for a warrior, Nick is usually stained with dirt, motor oil, or a combination of the two. His fair hair is usually view as unnecessarily long, but he keeps it tied back in his stubby little ponytail, so doesn't often see the problem. His habit of keeping his brown eyes half-lidded and the naturally sardonic quirk of his lips also tend to make superiors and, well, everyone think he's mocking them - or at least not taking them seriously.

Dress wise, Nick is just as scruffy. His usual attire consists of a white t-shirt, thoroughly grease-stained, and a pair of ragged, frayed jeans. Vests or jackets often complete the ensamble, generally of a dark faux-leather. Never-changing are the dark aviator glasses he wears, though, and the dog-tags that bear the name Artemis Sypher.

[B]Specialty:[/B] Though mainly a combat operative, Nick also has a head for technology, earning him the title of Los Angeles' resident grease monkey - or mad scientist, depending on who you talk to. A weapon designer, he often acts as his own field tester, occasionally to disaterous results.

[B]Weapons/Spells:[/B] Nick has an ever-changing arsenal, always shifted in the name of upgrades or a brand new test to run. This makes him relatively unpredictable; both for enemy and ally.

His current weapon of choice is the [URL=http://hyung-taekim.org/albums/userpics/10001/%5Bwog-concept-sketches-vr%5D72.jpg]Flare Edge[/URL], a combination sword-gun with a lockable blade and a hefty kick to the barrel. The blade is standard steel, but tempered in holy water and mixed with a silver edge. His specialty rounds for the weapon, on the other hand, are his Sorcery Shells, shotgun shells backing powerful light spells in a clever little trigger mechanism he's very proud of. Of course, he also packs the standard silver-mixed shotgun shells, just in case he runs out of the Sorcery Shells.

As a back-up weapon, he wields his veteran sawed-off Shotgun, strapped to the small of his back at all times. He nevers knows precisely when weapons will or won't work, so he always enters battle with "Sonia," as he calls it.

[B]Personality:[/B] As said, Nick is oft referred to as a hippy of sorts, being generably peaceful and very laid-back when it comes to anything other than his "toys." He tries to avoid confrontation with his teammates as much as possible, and defuses tense situations when they arise.

Some wonder why he's even part of the group when he's so nonviolent, but the simple fact is, he's fascinated by the various new discoveries made along the lines of battle as part of the Order. He treats war as an experiment, testing his new weapons, new devices, and new theories against the dark armies. Some might find his almost childish take on things bitter in taste, but he likewise finds an overly serious outlook boring and almost apalling.

[B]Writing Sample:[/B] [Later]
[/SIZE]

[Kenso]

[size=1][[OOC: I'm writing the bio assuming this takes place in present day, just for the purposes of dates.]]

[b]Name:[/b] Gabriel Vincent Creatil - Not particularly fond of his first name, Gabriel goes by his middle name of Vincent, and very few people are even aware that it's not his actual name

[b]Gender:[/b] Male

[b]Age:[/b] 24, nearing 25

[b]Appearance:[/b] Vincent is tall, standing at a towering 198 cm (6'6"), his lithe frame looking ackward and out of proportion, with long legs that looked distinctly out of proportion with his comparatively short torso. He is lanky but well-toned, built more for speed than for strength, weighing in at just over 86 kgs (190 lbs).

His hair is shoulder-length and strength, often held back in a tight ponytail to keep it out of the way in battle. Though naturally blond, he keeps it dyed a dark brown, with relatively subtle red highlights. His eyes are a vibrant electric blue, so bright they appear to glow in the proper light.

Vincent is clean-shaven, his face kept just as orderly as his hair, with thin eyebrows that sit low to the eyes that sit deep in his head, a feature further accentuated by his high, squared cheekbones. Indeed, his entire face is distinctly angular, squared off, his features sharp and defined, like the muscle that lines his body.

A practical person for the most part, Vincent's one excessive trait is his taste in clothing, at least when not dressed for battle. Vincent has a distinct interest in fashion and designs and makes his own clothes, which are painstakingly tailored to fit his form almost like a second skin, simply for the effect he knows it has on women, who he long ago decided were not half as immune to sex appeal of guys who are trying as they like to pretend (especially the ones who are already taken).

Dressing for battle is another story. If battle-ready, Vincent merely wears pure black U.S. military BDUs, knowing full well that they are designed for efficiency in combat, fitting in a manner designed to give maximum movement in all situations with the least interference possible, and also tougher than anything to be found in the civilian world.

[b]Specialty:[/b] Vincent is a dual-wielding specialist, capable of fighting with nearly anything you can wield in only one hand. He has a marked preference for more exotic weapons, such as nunchaku and sais, and has more than one weapon he's designed for himself and had made. He also works with various chain weaponry, weapons only someone who relies on finesse instead of brute strength can truly use.
Vincent does dabble in magic, but is not particularly proficient in it.

[b]Weapons/Spells:[/b] Vincent does not have a typical weapon to use, preferring whatever happens to be available from the Order. He does have a few weapons of his own, however. His favorite weapons are a set of matching sais. They are forged purely of steel, with grooves running throughout the blades. Within these groves is pure liquid silver, magically kept in its liquid state within the confines of the grooves. Upon contact with a Shadow Person or BEK, the silver instantly crests into sharp lines, designed to puncture anything internal as the sai is driven in.

He has had numerous silver chain weapons of various sorts made for him, usually on a relatively short length of chain (about 3 1/2 feet), one end of the chain connected to bracers. ((For reference, think God of War, without the utterly obscene range. Perhaps magically enchanted so the blades can't turn back on him, so as to bypass the technical ackwardness of such a weapon, as you said we could get creative, and I really want to make a character who fights like that.))

The most powerful magic Vincent is capable of is channeling light through his weaponry, though he can only due it through silver. He only learned it as something for a defensive technique when he knows he's in over his head. It has saved him on more than one occassion, and he has yet to regret taking the time to learn to do it. He can also produce light of his own power, but finds it easier when using silver for a focus.

Vincent also keeps two custom Reuger 9mm semi-automatics, with various attachments, including laser sights. He doesn't particularly care for guns, but he is hard pressed to deny there usefulness in the war against the Shadows.

[b]Personality:[/b] Vincent takes a practical look at most things, though he has his moments of free-spirited uncaring. Tasks are meant to be approached in the most direct way possible, wasting little time in their accomplishment. In his eyes, the entire Order is a tool of the world, albeit a necessary one. Granted, it's a tool many are entirely unaware of, but it's a tool nonetheless, merely a means to an end, probably the only means to said end.

He approaches each and every combat as a new experience, a new rebirth. Fighting comes as naturally as breathing to Vincent, and he is at his happiest in the midst of combat. Combat is his religion, his god, but he does not so blindly adhere to the tenants of violence that they bleed into his everyday life. He acknowledges that combat is not meant to solve most problems, and will merely make them worse.

Vincent enjoys the finer pleasures of life - women and alcohol, and not necessarily in that order. He doesn't generally understand the concept of attaching oneself to a single other person, and the word relationship practically does not exist in his vocabulary.

This isn't to say Vincent does not form friendships. Indeed, Vincent is as loyal to his friends as anyone could be. He just doesn't form serious romantic relationships, though there are rumors that he has multiple 'friends with benefits' amongst the newer, younger members of the Order - rumors he neither confirms nor denies.

[b]Bio or Writing Sample:[/b] 1 May 1982, 00:13 AM: It was a dark, stormy night the day Gabriel Vincent Creatil was born - some would say ominous, prophetic of what his life would be. Vincent would argue this thought vehemently. Vincent led a fairly simple life in a small Montana suburb, nothing much out of the ordinary. He had loving parents, friends in school, fairly decent grades, and was naturally athletic.

Like all children, he quickly found his own distinct interests. A fan of Eastern martial arts films, he developed a taste for combat and weaponry. Throughout most of his schooling, he has a different martial arts class nearly every night, and found that it helped him cope with the everyday stresses of homework and the numerous other problems associated with school.

High school was, for the most part, fairly typical for Vincent. He was fortunate enough to have hit his main growth spurt of puberty before high school, and had none of the issues of being picked on that many younger high schoolers did. He stayed out of clubs and off sports teams, simply because they would conflict with his martial arts classes, a fact many coaches were aware of and annoyed by. He went through his fair share of girlfriends, made his enemies, the usual.

Then came his senior year. That was when he started to really notice them. At first, he thought he'd just started being paranoid for some reason. After all, everyone thought they saw things out of the corner of their eyes all the time. So why was he so singularly convinced that he had every time? So he started researching in his free time.

It took some hard searching, but he eventually came upon references to 'Shadow People' and 'Black-Eyed Kids' in obscure books of myths and legends. At first, he didn't want to believe it. Really, he was only being paranoid. It had to be that. But something happened - throughout the town, adults and many older high school students seemed to be getting weaker, increases in heart attacks and strokes were astronomical, and no one seemed to know why.

But Vincent knew - or rather, he guessed. However, he could do nothing. He couldn't hurt them, and he couldn't tell anyone, because they'd only laugh. Then one night decided it all. He was with his girlfriend, who had so far managed to be OK. But without warning, without reason, she began growing weak. Vincent could feel its presence, that dreadful sense of wrong, could feel it trying to work on him also. He was stronger than her, a far more difficult victim, if mildly more satisfying. It diverted its power to her, with intentions to make him next.

There was no need for a next. She died of an apparent heart attack in his arms. What Vincent didn't know was that the creature left, her life force providing the final boost to its already considerable power. But it wouldn't be the last he saw of it, and it would become the defining moment of his life.

This was occurred toward the end of the school year, and Vincent graduated as normal, though the ceremony was understandably somber compared to normal, with so many people missing. It was after the ceremony when something strange found Vincent. A young child, as pale as could be, calmly walking up to him in the twilight just before true nightfall. His legs wanted to run, run so very far away, but his mind would not let him. No, it couldn't fight the urge to wait for the child to reach him.

The child's head was down, eyes at the ground. [b]"You got lucky once, fool. Your luck has run out."[/b] Vincent could do naught but stare. He didn't even know this kid, let alone what he was talking about. But then the head raised, and Vincent saw the eyes. The eyes, blacker than the darkest night, unmistakeable evidence as to what the thing in front of him was.

The desire to run finally won over. Never had Vincent moved with such speed in his life. He just ran as hard as he could for home, staying up with his parents all night (using the excuse of missing his girlfriend at the graduation). He and some friends were using the summer to go on a trip to Europe and were leaving in the morning. He would use that trip to learn more, and hopefully come back better prepared. He had no clue what he'd find.

Europe held no allure for Vincent, its wonders lost on his wandering mind. He could not focus, could not bring himself to stop and take in the sights. But then they arrived in Rome, and he heard rumors of an organization. The Order of the Piercing Light - not just a religious order any more. Vincent never left Rome.

For seven years, Vincent has served the Order. His parents aren't exactly happy with his choice in life, and they'd be far less happy if they really knew what he was doing, but they don't argue. (They believe he teaches martial arts somewhere in Rome - a very large lie, but they don't really know what else to think.)

[[OOC: DONE!!!!]]
[/size]

[Zen]

[color=darkred][size=1]

[b]Name:[/b] Achilles (a name given to him long ago in his early days in accordance to his prideful demeanor)

[b]Age:[/b] Ancient, created in the later days of the Greeks.

[b]Gender:[/b] Achilles' body has taken on the shape of a human male, going as far as to develop identifiable sexual organs and male traits.

The rest to be finished later. Shadow Person, if you hadn't guessed.[/color][/size]

[Guest BloodVampiress]

The Black Eyed Kids.


Name: Crimson Rose

Gender: Female

Age: Young

Appearance: Bleach blonde hair, fiery red eyes, a slim body that has beautiful curves, toned, and has two gleaming white fangs as her mother was a vampire and her father was a black eyed kid.

Powers: She has the kiss of seduction, anyone she kisses out of rage she will make them fall deeply in love with her and will be hypnotized until her or another Black Eyed Kid/ Shadow person snaps them back to their reality.

Personality: Likes to party and have fun, but when she needs to she gets right down to business. she is searching for her soul mate hoping that she will find him.

Writing Sample: Crimson crouched down low in the brush, watching as he doe walked silenty past her, stopping to graze every few feet. Crimson waited until the opurtune moment and sprung, grabbing the doe's neck and breaking it quickly. The doe fell down the ground lifeless, Crimson picked it up and hoisted it over her shoulders. At that moment she heard a sound behind her, using her mother's vampiric senses she spung around knocking her enemy to the ground and dropping the doe. She leapt ontop of her attacker and held a dagger to his throat. "Who are you, and why have you been following me for the last two days?" she asked pushing the dagger closer to his throat.

[Darren]

[SIZE=1]I am very interested in this. I hope it gets started.

[B]Name:[/B] Tristan Brady Stockard. His mother named him after the famous knight, Tristram of Cornwall from the opera, [I]Tristram und Iseult[/I]. Most refer to him as Tristan, but his close friends call him Brady. It was the name his father called him. (Who wanted Brady to be his first name, but couldn't win over his wife)

[B]Gender:[/B] Male

[B]Age:[/B] 24 almost 25. He's actually been having a bit of a panic-attack fearing that he may be getting too old for his occupation.

[B]Appearance:[/B] [URL=http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/9021/stinorp5.jpg]HERE[/URL] and also [URL=http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/2001/stino2qy0.jpg]HERE[/URL]. Tristan stands about 6'1" with brown, naturally curly hair and hazel colored eyes.

[B]Specialty:[/B] Tristan doesn't really have a specialty. He's more of a "Jack-of-all-trades," and while this is usually perceived badly within the order, it's the only thing that has kept him alive so far. He's a novice hand-to-hand fighter. He's had some training in the martial arts, but never finished. He's also a mediocre marksman. His true specialty is a special type of magic that is rarely practiced anymore. He never finished his training in this either due to certain circumstances, but he knows plenty to actually be useful in battle. Also, when combining this magical ability with his martial arts skills and weapons, it makes him deadly.

[B]Weapons:[/B] As said before, Tristan is moderately useful when it comes to hand-to-hand combat. Because of this, he wears two [URL=http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/5644/kakuteqr2.png][U]Kakute[/U][/URL] around his middle fingers and two [URL=http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/3135/shukosz7.png][U]Shuko[/U][/URL] which are used to hack and slash like a tiger or bear. Shuko can also be helpful for climbing walls. Both of these weapons would be lined in silver. Of course, this method is only for battle. Tristan is a practicioner of Kuji-In and Kuji-Kiri. Kuji-In is a method of meditation (and magic for the extremely well taught) which not only allows the user to increase his strength or speed, but also read minds, see into the future, and heal as well as many others. Kuji-In has 9 hand signs. (much like what you would see on Naruto except these are real and actually practiced by buddhists in REAL meditation techniques. All except for the magic part. That's just for story-telling, and since that's what we're doing here...) Each finger on the hand represents a specific element, thus the handsigns represent elements being used together to produce the outcome:
RIN - Power
KYO - Energy
TOH - Harmony
SHA - Healing
KAI - Intuition
JIN - Awareness
RETSU - Dimension
ZAI - Creation
ZEN - Absolute
Kuji-Kiri is a type of written spell (for lack of a better word) that is used to gain control over an element. it uses 9 alternating lines (5 down and 4 across) that are placed over a kanji symbol. For example: Fishermen who wish to have a save voyage might take the symbol for sea or water and draw the "grid" over that symbol to insure their safety even if the boat sinks.

[B]Personality:[/B] Tristan is very light-hearted. He's your typical alpha-male. (He'll try anything once) At least on the surface. Besides being a public dunce and an, "embarrassment to all males," as his many flings have told him, he's actually very smart. He's moderately OCD. (Room is alwasy clean. Life is pretty much scheduled down to the second. Has to do everything evenly) He's always analyzing things and likes to take in the whole scenario before rushing to conclusions. This if often misinterpretted as cowardism which causes him to rush in anyway in order to prove himself. (that's the alpha-male speaking) He's one of those terribly kind and generous people that you can't help but feel sorry for because even though he acts all nice on the outside, you know he's falling apart on the inside. And he'll never admit that fact either; he doesn't ever let too many people get close enough to see the way he really is. He helps himself last, which is what causes him so much pain. But besides all that, he actually enjoys giving back. If he had the time, he'd volunteer at a homeless shelter or something like that. It makes Tristan happy to know others are happy, and it doesn't matter the sacrifice he has to make.

[B]Biography:[/B] Tristan was born in New York City to a wealthy diplomat and his dramatically-inclined wife. She had actually starred in three movies before he was born. He had three older brothers and one older sister. Two of his brothers were already in college so he never got to really know them.
Tristan's mother passed away when he was two and he and his siblings were forced to move around alot since they couldn't stay home any longer. They lived in several cities throughout the U.S. before they finally moved to Europe. Once again, there was a lot of moving through Europe and Asia. Tristan's Sister became ill and died before Tristan turned 10 and by that time, his only other brother was well into college back in the states, leaving him and his father.
Tristan finally moved to Japan with his father when he was 14 and he ended up staying there for several years. He never bothered to learn the language, but he had several friends nonetheless.
One day, when Tristan was 16, his father was killed in a bizzarre attack against the American Embassy. At first, people suggested that Tristan go home and live with one of his brothers, but they all had families and he didn't want to impose. Then he was offered the choice to live with his best friend in Japan. He gladly accepted Tristan discovered that his friend's grandfather was a buddhist and when he became curious of the ways, the old man taught him the basics of Kuji-In and Kuji-Kiri. Tristan was a child prodigy when it came to the arts and the man began adding methods, teaching him the abilities of increased strength and stamina; forming his body into a deadly weapon of reason and peace. This is where Tristan developed many of his philosophical ideas.
When he turned 18, he moved to L.A. to attend college and live with his brother. He later found out from his best friend that his teacher had passed away due to a heart-attack. The news was strange to Tristan because the Kuji-In kept his teacher in the best physical condition. That's when he learned of The Order. At first, he didn't know what to think of it so he started out as a research guy and provided back up on certain missions that didn't pose much danger. Tristan had never personally seen a shadow person, which was why he never fully committed to the Order. (His logical mind didn't want to believe it was true)
One day he actually saw a BEK, and from that moment he knew that they were the ones responsible for his mentor's death. He finished school and joined the ranks of the order, completely thereafter. He has small odd-jobs on the side for some extra cash, (like building homes for low-income families, fixing up cars, or delivering packages across town) but he's completely devoted to the Order.
Since he fully joined, he's increased his abilities in martial arts and Kuji-In. Despite his age, he's a very valuble asset to the team.[/SIZE]

[Mykul]

[B]OOC:[/B] Just holding my place until Onix messages me back, then I'll finish.

[CENTER][B][U]Black Eyed Kid[/U][/B][/CENTER]



[B]Name:[/B] Through the centuries of his shadow-life, the black eyed kid has called himself Samael. However, many an alias have been attached to him by humans, and the order of the piercing light knows that he is sometimes reffered to as: The thin one, the boy, Mr. Yellow, or Jason Sanborn by the mortal masses.

[Guest Syramoon]

[COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=1]I figured I'd send this in. I don't know if you wanted it done any other way Onix- this is my first post. This looks really cool and I'm thinking about sending a BEK in too, but that may be too much... Anyways....
[B]Name: [/B] Alaina Syraiken (also called: Alsi or- by people who don?t like her- Witch)

[B]Gender:[/B] Female

[B]Age:[/B] 25- always seems to act older though

[B]Appearance:[/B] She has long black hair with silver streaks that almost seem to magically appear in her hair as it flows down to almost below her waist and stunning silver-blue eyes that seem as though they can look straight through you. She?s usually seen wearing her ?work clothes? as she puts it- a pair of blue jeans with tribal tattoo markings up her left leg and a navy blue, close-fitting, T-shirt with a collar on it and a Japanese design across her right shoulder in brighter colors- green, yellow, and red- along with a bit of Japanese writing on the left side of her stomach. Tends to wear more comfortable shoes- a pair of white and black Nike running shoes to be exact or another pair of blue and silver ones she?s worn in pretty good. Always wears a silver link bracelet with a pentacle on it- also made out of pure silver as well as a black leather choker with a silver chain running from one side of her neck to the other with a sun and moon pendant hanging in the middle. She also wears a black and silver (real silver) belt with the silver making a couple of spikes on it. She?s got an extremely fair complexion- some would call it as pale as a Black-Eyed Kid- that?s come from not seeing that many days of sunlight and a thin body racked with muscles that?s come from fighting and training many days out of the year. If she even goes outside during the daytime, she?s always wearing the darkest pair of sunglasses she can find- usually a pair with black lenses and a dark teal frame that?s form-fitted to her face. She tends to tower over everyone at a height of about 6 feet- her tallness making her look skinner than she already is. She?s beautiful to most other guys as long as she doesn?t have her weapons on her or is giving them a death glare. Usually, she has her 2GB MP3 player on her, filled with her favorite songs- mainly rock and metal (part of the Mortal Kombat soundtrack, Nickelback, among others). Always has a hair tie in one of her pockets to tie back her hair- usually a light blue, stretchy one.

[B]Specialty:[/B] She?s mainly a combatant and does a lot of fighting but is also a researcher- mainly focused about her weapons and how they can kill Shadows better- while attempting to get a handle on her spells that she doesn?t use that much (they tend to use themselves). She does have a good handle on technology though- able to use computers and everything along with them, chiefly for making her weapons better and for downloading new songs to her MP3 player.

[B]Weapons/Spells:[/B]
[list]Her two swords are her first weapons of choice: the first a long Katana (blade length: about 5?2?) named Robin- an odd reference to an almost obscure animated TV show- with the blade made of strong silver and the unsharpened side having some sort of silver-colored paint running from the hilt almost to the tip, as well as a second retractable blade hiding in the hilt- silver coated as well (length: about 1?5?); the second blade is a Wakizashi- a small Katana (blade length: about 2?2?) named Aoshi- another odd reference to a slightly less obscure animated TV show- the blade is also made of the same strong silver and blessed as well which makes one wonder why the first isn?t blessed as well. Both blades have been sharpened over the years by an insane amount- to where they could probably cut off a large tree branch without much effort? and cleanly to boot. [/list]
[list]She does have a pistol that she keeps on her at all times for protection- whether that would be for someone else?s or her own is to be seen as it?s a rare occasion that she?ll fire it. The bullets are silver with a nice amount of holy water set into the top of the bullet- the cap explodes on impact. The butt and barrel of the gun have small silver blades inlaid into them (blade length: about 5 inches) with holy water inlaid through the middle- like it?ll be injected if stabbed into someone. At the rear of the gun, there?s a small chamber holding more holy water. She's been thinking about naming the gun Brandon- yet another obscure anime reference. [/list]
[list]The only real magic ability she has is a little power over fire- like to set things aflame but usually only if they?re able to be set on fire in the first place. She claims to be able to create a fireball but there?s no evidence to this- no charred bodies of those who?ve ticked her off by accident or otherwise. [/list]

[B]Personality:[/B] Tends to be very cold and calculating at times and only cares about making her ?babies?- as she calls her weapons- better. Has a quick temper and can?t stand the guys who gawk openly at her on the street (considering her skin and looks)- she wishes she could throw a sword or two through them... but she knows it?s not kosher. She?s extremely crazy at times, characterized by the smile she'll wear at those times- one of few times she does smile.

[B]Bio/Writing Sample:[/B]
([I]about 3 years before[/I])
?Why don?t you let someone else work on those?? A researcher asked, holding his hand out for Alaina?s swords. Alaina paused for a while as she held Aoshi in her hand. There was a loud swish as she brought the blade around- quick enough that the researcher couldn?t react to the blade moving through the air. He winced with his eyes shut, believing his hand to be missing.
?These are my babies. Now get out of here before you actually loose a hand.? Alaina snarled as the researcher opened his eyes. Aoshi was about to cut through his wrist if he didn?t move- which he quickly did and ran away about down the hall as well. Alaina reached over with a scowl on her face and got a soft cloth- gently cleaning the blade on Aoshi a little before picking up a sharpening stone. She started to sharpen the blade when the door suddenly opened up. She didn?t even look up, simply reached behind her to the gun sitting in her belt and aimed it at the door. ?This better be good.?
?A shadow-?
?Speak earlier if it?s that.? She snapped and leapt up from her seat, holstering the gun while her sword fell towards the ground. She snatched it out of mid-air, spun it around her hand, and sheathed the blade. Halfway running towards the door, she grabbed her MP3 player- headphones still attached- and the second researcher by the neck, dragging him backwards out the door. ?Where?? She asked.
?A-about t-two blocks from here? a-and closing?? The researcher managed out. Alaina let him fall to the ground as she dropped with an odd grin on her face.
?It knows I?m here? nice?? She disappeared out the door and started down the street. It wasn?t too long before a moving shadow caught her eye in the moonlight. She quickly drew Robin but froze as the figure came into full view. She felt weak in the knees as she stared blankly- unable to move. The figure was almost a Black-Eyed Kid? almost. It had a near-human form- a little girl, probably about seven years old- but still moved jerkily like a marionette on strings. ?? Sis?? The shadow person looked up, pure black eyes evident. There was no mouth or nose on the face- the long black hair almost covering it. The tip of Robin hit the ground as Alaina lost faith in herself. ?? Celina?? The shadow person lunged at her, hungry for it?s next meal. Alaina hit the ground- Robin flying away from her. She shoved the Shadow person back by it?s head as she drew Aoshi- the shadow clawing at her. She put the blade through the shadow person, kicking them off her and leaping to her feet. It gave an animalistic noise and ran away into the night. Alaina fell to her knees, feeling the scratches across her face and chest. She leaned on Aoshi and reached for Robin, knowing what had really happened to her sister. She got to her feet and followed after the shadow person mechanically.
It sucked to be a Witch- the first person the Order of Piercing Light would love to be rid of.[/SIZE][/COLOR]