Sign Up Shadows of Ourselves

[Darth Vectis]

[size=2][b][u]Journal entry #36, Journal 7[/u][/b][/size]

[size=3]The year is 2025 and the world as you know it is long gone, we as a human race still live on and we still thrive as a species with our numbers being roughly 2 billion. But those 5 billion people who arenâ??t with us were not so lucky, taken from this world during their initial appearance in December 21[sup]st[/sup] 2012. That day is one for all to remember, the day the Thinners arrived in our world and ran rampant through our streets, through our homes and through our lives. We were unprepared for their arrival, their sickly bodies bring on peoples sympathy for them as if they were a dying puppy who needed our care. They played submissive for months, simply letting anyone take them in or finding shelters where ever they supplied them. They pulled most of the population off guard, playing innocent with us all; the few who were suspicious were not strong enough. Soon enough, the creatures had learned everything needed to make their move and as a single force they began to do terrible things to us.[/size]

[size=3]The creatures seemed to have a sort of power over their victims, able to make them do whatever they wanted with the smallest guttural word. It took us a year to figure out that the creatures had an unknown property to them; they were able to take a creatureâ??s true name and bend them to their will by learning it. They controlled us through our names! They made us kill others on a whim; they sent us off to our deaths with but a single word. We were completely helpless to stop them, they were able to be killed, and we could gun them down or gut them in the streets. But they just kept coming back; any we killed seemed to return the next day with a fierce hatred in their eyes, making their abilities even more frightening. The whole world was in chaos, everything crumbling around us as we were not about to stop them, millions of people gone so easily and millions more would die long before anyone would have any idea how to stop them.[/size]

[size=3]But, someone eventually did, and fortunately for me it was my mentor in the Free Mason way of life. The order had congregated, going over anything they could that would help us fight the menace we were facing now. In that gathering, they had come to an understanding with what the creatures were, spiteful creatures from another universe, another place all together. We called them Thinners, they looked sickly and their thin appearance made them that much more deadly in how easily the deceived so many people. They had also decided to do something drastic, to take words and arcane symbols and try to create something that could affect these things. It was 2017 by the time they had gotten it right, worked out all the problems and mastered the techniques. By this time, 5 billion people had been murdered or forced into slavery by the Thinners. It was only a matter of time before they wiped the rest of us out, they acted then. I was only allowed to observe as they used their new words to combat the creatures, initially it didnâ??t seem to bother the Thinners at all, just amused them as they peeled back their gray, and cracked lips. But, things changed quickly as the first screamed and the screams escalated, I remember the gun fire then going off. The roar of people running into battle as they charged these monsters, and for the first time in nearly a decade we were able to put up a real fight. Their numbers meant nothing, their abilities meaning even less as we slaughtered them with minimal casualties. We pushed them back over a long year; it was October 16[sup]th[/sup] 2018 when they had been pushed back into their own world. We celebrated that same night, feeling we had pushed them back forever. But we hadnâ??t anticipated that the â??gatewaysâ?? they had created wouldnâ??t close once we pushed them back. They emerged during our celebration; they tore through our ranks, showing their intelligence by going after the unprepared word bearers. Even though we had been caught off guard, we pushed them back, words placed on the gateways that would warn us and could slow them down enough to be prepared.[/size]

[size=3]The entire world was safe for now, but with the understanding that we hadnâ??t closed the gates, it became clear that we needed people who were willing to be guardians for these doorways. On that day, the Forgotten were born, everything they were was created as a precaution to prevent our world from falling into darkness once more. Members of the Forgotten were volunteers, the original ones gladly made the sacrifice for the rest of humanity. As a Forgotten, they are supposed to choose a new name, one that has nothing to do with their previous life or their families. Once that name is chosen, their minds are erased, their memories pulled out of their minds and hidden away from them. Their memories taken to protect their real name, if no one knows our name then the Thinners could never use it against us. Several attempts were made initially to get this to work, but it became clear that memories couldnâ??t just be removed from a mind and left to float on the wind. They needed to remain inside of a mind for the process to work correctly, this created the Name Bearers. The bearers are the only ones who remember who they are, their past is still clear to them, and the past of the others is placed within their mind. It also seemed to ease the apprehension at taking the leap, knowing that their memories were kept safe somewhere.[/size]

[size=3]I was just an apprentice at the time, my mentor taking on the role of Name bearer and sending me off into the nearby town. I learned the words and I gained the strength to be able to help the other Forgotten, but my mentor did not live long after his induction. I had gotten to him in time to take on the memories, becoming the Name Bearer of the first chapter of Forgotten. I have done my best to maintain my role, but I am no leader, I try to avoid all of the attention to keep the Thinners confused. I let others lead, and simply offer my own advice, today was one of those days I took on the role of advisor. Iâ??ll recant the tale of it before I start to forget the details.[/size]



[size=3]â??This is a complete waste of time Azriath, we should be doing our job.â? The words being voiced hit the cold morning air in a hot cloud, drifting through the air before vanishing. The man holding his coat loosely as his expression seemed to get only harder with the slowly rising sun. Azriath stood on the edge looking out into the ruined town, only wearing his ballistic vest and cargo pants. His boots sinking into the soft ground as he shifted his weight ever so slightly, reaching up and pulling back his shoulder length hair and securing it into one tight â??war tailâ?? as he called it.[/size]

[size=3]â??We can only do our job so well Talos, especially since our numbers are dwindling again. We need new recruits to start filling in the spaces, the Thinners wonâ??t wait for us to be replenished.â? There was only a grunt from the one known as Talos, his arms crossed as his scowl only seemed to deepen now that the clouds had swallowed up the sun once more and creating a dismal gray day. He spat to the side as he uncrossed his arms, watching Azriath turn to look his direction to look over the other. Seeing his dirtied clothes, his shoes were torn in some areas and his pea coat was missing several buttons, no longer closing effective enough to keep the warmth. A scar across his face showed an event that happened in his child hood, but he wouldnâ??t remember what it was. Azriath remembered it clearly, his burden making him the only one to remember as he rubbed his face, feeling the rough beard on his face. Feeling the patched under his chin that was bare of hair and the scraggly hair he had on his chin that covered it enough, something he was self conscious about in his youth.[/size]


[size=3]Taking just a moment to the look at the tattoo covered hand, following the images that scaled his arms, covering them in ink work he wouldnâ??t have even dreamed of having for the sake of his career. But that life was long gone, the Thinners had made sure that everyoneâ??s life was never the same. He rolled his shoulders and started walking, Talos following behind him as they walked back to the chapter house. The building was barely standing when they had first moved into it, but with time and effort they had managed to fix it up enough to make it habitable for them all. It was buzzing with life, several Forgotten moving around to do daily chores to keep everything running smoothly. Some were even cleaning weapons to make sure they would function when the inevitable attack came; Azriath bowed his head to Talos as he head off to his room. His own quarters nothing more than four walls, an old cot they had salvaged and a piece of wood he used as a door. The ceiling cracked above him, but the room was in better condition then some, he had simply gotten lucky with it. The chill morning air was getting to him now, grabbing his wool lined jacket and slipped it on. The wool was barely holding up these days, he would need to get someone to stitch it back together soon. Leaving his room he looked at all the faces of current members, knowing each of their stories with just a glance. All he could do was keep his mind focused, ready to speak his piece in the council meeting being held.[/size]

[size=3]Welcome to Shadows of Ourselves, the world is all sorts of messed up and we are the first and last line of defense against one of the biggest enemies the entire world has ever seen. We are the only ones are truly capable of keeping, whatâ??s left of our world, safe. Everything in the world is at its most base level, electricity is erratic and hardly reliable anymore, supplies arenâ??t plentiful but with a reduced population itâ??s not quite scare yet. We live in a decimated world, but we strive on. We are the Forgotten, and we will fight on until the end.[/size]



[center][size=3][b]Sign-up[/b][/size][/center]

[size=3]Name: (This is your true name, you may not remember it, but someone else does.)[/size]
[size=3]Alias: (This is who you are now; you can put ANYTHING here for your new name. Nothing is too outlandish)[/size]
[size=3]Gender:[/size]
[size=3]Age:[/size]
[size=3]Appearance:[/size]
[size=3]Member Status: (Not everyone needs to be a veteran of the Forgotten, I would like to see some Veteran and some recruits.)[/size]
[size=3]Talents: (None of us have any powers, this is still our world and we are all good at something. Whether it is marksmen or survivalist, maybe youâ??re a great farmer. Anything will do that helps us survive to do our job.)[/size]
[size=3]Weapons: (The Forgotten do have a fair arsenal of weapons, which is your preferred for killing Thinners?)[/size]
[size=3]Writing Snippet: (As your memory is gone, there is no need for a Bio. I would like to see here is a little bit of either your experience with Thinners before they were pushed back or maybe itâ??s just how you are when you are in the place we call home. Anything will do that just so we can understand your character a little bit.)[/size]

[size=3]Alright folks, I hope you all enjoy the read and I am looking forward to seeing peoples sign-ups. I do encourage people to use themselves as the bases for their character, but you can be as original as you want. Happy creating all.[/size] I will also get a backstage up in a day or so, so be on the look out.

[Shwa]

[size=3][b]Name:[/b] Gabriel [/size][size=3]"Gabe" Pryde[/size]

[size=3][b]Alias[/b]: "Hawk"[/size]

[size=3][b]Gender[/b]:[/size] Male

[size=3][b]Age[/b]: 38[/size]

[size=3][b]Appearance[/b]:[/size] [img]http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z154/ookami06/stump__fighter_v2_0_by_nmrosario-d3epvxl.jpg[/img]
[size=3]Standing roughtly 5'8'', the stocky yet quick footed "Hawk" braces for another round wit the thinners. Weapons low, surrounded and no support. [/size]

[size=3][b]Member Status[/b]: Veteran [/size]

[size=3][b]Talents[/b]: Hawk has trained for years as a hand to hand fighter to aid his allies and protect the remaining people from the onslaught [/size][size=3]of the thinners, even before making choice of becoming a Name Bearer. Aside from his well known fighting prowless, he is very skilled with throwing knives. His earned his nickname during many battles against the Thinners by aiming his knives right inbetween the eye or directly at major organs of his Thinner targets[/size]. [size=3]Some say he has the eyes of a Hawk, and never misses his kill. [/size]

[size=3][b]Weapons[/b]: Throwing knives. He keeps two sets strapped to the side of his legs and one arm set on his right bicept for quick throwing. [/size]

[img]http://allninjagear.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/rc0406.jpg[/img]
[center]
[size=3][b]Writing Snippet[/b]: [/size][/center]

[size=3]Hawk strolled down the street aimlessly, holding a bag of supplies he was able to scrounge up from the market corner, not too far away from the safehouse of the other Forgotten. He stared at the ground, his bare feet taking their slow steps onto the cold concrete surface of the ground, the cold air brushed past the fabric of his run down clothing, causing a slight shiver in the stocky mans body. The sleeves of his faded black shirt ran past his hands, stretched and torn from countless wear adn tear battles and usage. His once bright grey sweat pants now charcole smoked color, and both cut past his knees now, exposing his calves to the open air. Hawk didn't mind the lack of fresh clothes or items he and his Name Bearing partners[/size] [size=3]remeber, it always reminded the man to always stay alert and be happy with what was available. Which is, ironically, how the world seemed to be now, just...happy. Times were tough for everyone, but as a whole, they were able to pull together though disaster and make ends meet. The thought brought a slight smile to the mans lips as he turned a corner, almost back to what he called "Home".[/size] [size=3]It resembled an old red brick apartment building from the outside, and yet to this day, it still looked like one. [/size]

[size=3]Taking a breath, Hawk opened the fenced gate that lead to the front stoop of the building, the entrance door stood stall and mighty amongst the aging structure. Once entering his home, Hawk was greeted by several of his Forgotten allies, some were making repairs to the building, others cleaning to make it as presentable as they could. Everyone lent a hand, and worked as a unit with one another, almost like a cologne of ants or bees, they all had a purpose. Making his way upstair, Hawk spotted his ally Azirath, another Name Bearer of their group, the men exchanged looks for a moment. They were both tired, worn out and exhausted from their countless trials and history, the aging wrinkles on their faces exposed everything. [/size]

[size=3]"Hawk, better late than never" Azirath gave a smirk.[/size]

[size=3]"Just had to go and grab a few supplied from town. So far, nothing new to report" Hawk closed his eyes as he made his way past his friend, headed to his room.[/size]

[size=3]"Meeting will be in a little bit, try not to be late. This one is important" Azirath gave a hint of warning, Hawk stopped short of entering his room to stare back at his friend. He marvled that not once since he volunteered to become a Name Bearer has his mood or attitude changed, or the countless battles they were in years past. He still remained the same man as he is today.[/size]

[size=3]"I'll be there" Hawk almost whispered as he entered his room, closing the door quietly, leaving Azirath to raise an eyebrow at the almost whispered statement. The man brushed it off and continued on his way. [/size] Edited March 24, 2012 by Shwa

[Akieen Cloud]

[font=comic sans ms,cursive][color=#000080][size=3]Name: Tayana Rash[/size]
[size=3]Alias: Maxwell[/size]
[size=3]Gender:[/size] Femle
[size=3]Age:[/size] 22
[size=3]Appearance:[/size] [img]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d5GLsZgzfFM/Ta8ZSCVIwpI/AAAAAAAAB50/4_-i31hFguI/s1600/anime_girl_elf.jpg[/img]
[size=3]Member Status: Recurit[/size]
[size=3]Talents: Decent at hand to hand (Mostly kicks) she is also adept with a pitsol, her aim is pretty good for a newbie but she's best at cooking. Able to make good meals out of minimal ingrediants. [/size]
[size=3]Weapons: A low claibur postol she carries holstered and on her hip always.[/size]
[size=3]Writing Snippet: [/size][/color][/font]
[font=comic sans ms,cursive][color=#000080]She leaned back in the worn out chiar, the piece of furniture prostesting loudly and going ignored; soft snores could be heard coming from under the ratty, filthy, and barely eligable comic that covered the girls face as she reclined back, her booted feet resting on the mangled desk. She had been watching people come in and out of the small community that they had established; something of a test of character her mentor had told her. Didn't make it any less boring. Her eyes had been scanning the old comic as best they could past the age and dirt that had accumulated on the pages, anything to help keep her awake, but nothing seemed to be working. Maxwell didn't budge as foot steps came down the hall towards her, she merely kept snoring lightly til the old book was removed from her eyes. She groaned and blinked rapidly trying to get her eyes to adjust.[/color][/font]
[font=comic sans ms,cursive][color=#000080]"Ugh...uh...wha?"
"Maxwell, did you even hear me coming?"
She snatched the book from the hands and nodded lazily.[/color][/font]
[font=comic sans ms,cursive][color=#000080]"Mile away Az, just faking it."[/color][/font]
[font=comic sans ms,cursive][color=#000080]"This is serious."
She waved her hand at him and grunted.
"Uh huh, which is why I scrounged those last time I was out."
She didn't see the man redicule the desk top littered with old, rusted, red bull cans.[/color][/font]
[font=comic sans ms,cursive][color=#000080]"Do have any idea how old those are?"[/color][/font]
[font=comic sans ms,cursive][color=#000080]"Nope, do you?"
"No. But stop driking them, they aren't working."
"Alright Az, I'll get right on that."
"Maxwell."[/color][/font]
[font=comic sans ms,cursive][color=#000080]His voice serious like most times.
"I got it, Cranky."
"By the way, meeting."
She leaned back nodding at Azirath as she did before putting the comic back over her face.[/color][/font]
[font=comic sans ms,cursive][color=#000080]"I'll be there."
"Hope so, this one is important. And you should really stop drinking those, they obvioulsy aren't working."
She waved him off once again before her eyes just bore into the grey pages infront of her eyes, her mind going over every possibility the meeting could be about. [/color][/font]

[Darth Vectis]

[size=3][b]Name:[/b] Mark Waite[/size]

[size=3][b]Alias:[/b] â??Azriathâ??[/size]
[size=3] [/size]
[size=3][b]Gender:[/b] Male[/size]

[size=3][b]Age:[/b] 35[/size]

[size=3][b]Appearance:[/b] Azriath stands at a height of 5â??10, with a muscular build from the training he puts himself through to stay on point for when the Thinners return. He has shoulder length, wavy brown hair that he typically keeps tied back for the sake of ease and line brown eyes that tend to have a piercing effect to them. He usually stands tall, his presence sometimes conveying a sense of authority that he never really wanted. He typically wears his bulletproof vest, one is a civilian issued soft vest made of Kevlar, and another is one he picked up off a fallen soldier with a few plates to put into it. He also wears cargo pants with multiple pockets so he can always have some essential items on him to make him feel more comfortable.[/size]

[size=3]His arms are tattooed, starting from the back of his hands going all the way up to his shoulders and down his back and across his chest. The tattoos on his right arm are all images or work of things his family enjoyed, one of a band his older brother loved, and other such art work. His left his decorated in symbols and images of villains from old comics and books read when he was younger. His back is simpler in that he has two symbols on either shoulder, and in the center of his back is a man who is hald undead and half alive, sitting in a throne over the words â??Talga Vassternichâ??, a line from one of his favorite books meaning Deserve Victory. His chest has an image of a crow with its wings spread open, the feeling of freedom and a sign of the afterlife, he takes both messages to heart. [/size]

[size=3][b]Member Status:[/b] Veteran[/size]
[size=3] [/size]
[size=3][b]Talents:[/b] Azriath is an experienced member of the Freemasons, the secret society primarily responsible for the Thinners being pushed back. Learning the arcane words that were used against the Thinners, he also has a minor history in medical knowledge and simple survivalist techniques. [/size]

[size=3][b]Weapons:[/b] M249 Light machine gun when out in the field or fighting the Thinners, otherwise he keeps a Ka-Bar Becker Tac Tool and a Ceremonial double edged dagger.[/size]

[size=3][b]Writing Snippet:[/b] Azriath walked through the halls of the Forgotten chapter house, his boot making his steps sound heavier as he moved about the house. He had walked through the house at least three times now, feeling a sense of anxiety slowly build within himself. They hadnâ??t had a Thinner attack in over a year, and the thought of that was putting him on edge since the creatures had been coming through nonstop for two months then suddenly disappeared. New recruits who had been brought in after that hadnâ??t even seen a Thinner since their memories were pulled from them, something that could prove fatal to them all if they didnâ??t up their numbers soon. After his third lap through he turned his attention to looking for a specific person, a member he knew would help ease his apprehension in all of this. His search didnâ??t take long as he came across the person he was looking for, a woman that many knew as Heartbreaker and she fit the profile to the T. Having a full body figure, she maintained it even when food wasnâ??t at its best and still was strong enough to turn away any man who tried for her affection. Azriath remembered that she had only really loved one man and he had died seven months ago during a training accident. She had managed to hold herself together, but it was obvious to Azriath that she wouldnâ??t be the same for some time. He approached her, hearing the sound of a stone on metal as he saw her slide it across the blade in her hand.[/size]
[size=3][/size]
[size=3][b]â??I thought I might find you here Breaker.â?[/b] She looked up from her task at hand, a smile spreading on her face as she set the stone and knife down and stood up, wrapping her arms around him as he hugged her back.[/size]
[size=3][/size]
[size=3][b]â??Azriath, I didnâ??t hear you coming. What can I help you with Bearer?â?[/b][/size]
[size=3][/size]
[size=3][b]â??I find that our Chapters lack of experience is somewhat disturbing. Our new recruits are not accustomed to what Thinners can do.â?[/b] She started nodding along with what he was saying.[/size]
[size=3] [/size]
[size=3][b]â??And you need someone to give them a good scare and advice on the subject is that right?â?[/b] Azriath gave a slight bow with one hand flourished out.[/size]
[size=3] [/size]
[size=3][b]â??Exactly my dear, I would appreciate if you could get that started right away. And Iâ??ll come see your first session, maybe give them a few tips myself. Is that acceptable?â?[/b] Heartbreaker nodded, a smile on her face that he hadnâ??t seen in awhile, but it was heartwarming to see some kind of spark in her again. She replaced her knife and the stone and walked off, Azriath watching her walk away before his mind returning to the cold world around him. The warmth in him receding back into him as his face hardened once more, his jacket was open and let in some cool air that drafted through the building. It didnâ??t bother him as it let him know that he was still alive, even when the memories tried to pull him in. He had more tasks to attend to before the meeting convened, he hoped his words would be heard and their current â??leaderâ?? would be open to his suggestions.[/size]

OOC: Alright guys, the sign-ups so far are great and I look forward to seeing others who sign-up. As for the Name bearers, those roles are filled right now so I look forwar dot see what appears next. Also, the back stage is up, here's the link if you need it. [b][url="http://www.otakuboards.com/index.php?/topic/45282-shadows-of-ourselves/"]ShadowTombs meeting Hall.[/url][/b]