This was copy/pasted from my MySpace blog, so it will not make nearly as much sense to those of you who don't know me personally. Then again, I doubt hardly anyone will read it anyway, but I felt like posting it here.

This is not about emotional drama or video games. It's not about school or work. It's simply about me. There is no moral to the story, no deep meaning behind it all that I'm trying to explain. It is just thoughts, transcribed with as much (or as little) delicacy as I care to muster.

I always enjoy learning about my childhood, what I was like before times when I can remember. Sometimes, they fill in the gaps of my memory, and other times they refresh it, turning on a dim light in a dark room in the recess of my mind. There are some things I remember. I was a very sensitive child, and I was very precocious.

I remember living a set of apartments here in Eugene, years and years ago. Some of you will remember me pointing them out to you. Over on Willamette, by the Wendy's, there are some apartments there the street-side has a wall of balconies. I recall seeing those balconies through the window of the backseat of a car. I remember thinking that it was where I lived, though if you asked, I couldn't tell you the color of the car I was in or what kind of stuff was in the apartment in question. I simply have the image in my mind.

I remember grade school. I was the manager of the student store at Meadowlark, along with my friend Cassie. Cassie and I were close there for a while, and though we are still in touch we have wandered. but back then, we were a match. I just pretended that I thought she had cooties at the time. Silly kids. I remember her imagination. More vivid at that time than any I can recall to date. I also remember Jake, though he is a constant. He is like a brother, my other hand, my reflection in times of need.

I also remember how different I felt from the other kids. Though, of course, don't we all feel different? I remember that when other kids would color or play games or read whatever age-oriented stuff we had on hand, I would be the one reading about the hole in the ozone layer and 'oh no, we're in trouble!'. I remember wanting so much to do well in school. We had an imaginative writing assignment, only a few pages long. Mine was..if I recall, about seven and a half. The teacher read it aloud to the class. It was about an older, wise scientist and his young assistant. They have an adventure in a volcano, then go back to the lab and realize that their research could mean that we can save lives by predicting eruptions. A jealous co-worker kidnapped the scientist, dragging her into a large freezer unit, where the hero followed and saved her. A lot of plot for less then a dozen pages.

I also remember having a mini breakdown in the middle of class because on our weekly math challenge question, I got it wrong, and I was so proud of my answer. I had interpreted the question in a different way than the rest of the class, so my answer was still valid, but different, because of subjective wording.

Even before school, though, I was extremely precocious, ahead of my time. I was writing before I was reading, actually. When I was about three and a half years old, I was sitting at the table with my mom and grandma, who were, as was common, playing Rummy. They had a piece of paper to keep score, so I took a piece of paper and scribbled on it. Mostly they were just scribbles, nothing special. Then at one point, I drew a little swirly scribble, labeled it with the word "mom", and said "I made this for you, here ya go." and gave it to my mom. I wasn't even reading at the time, and it stunned my mom at the time.

Before I ever entered kindergarden, I was reading, writing, and doing basic math. One day I was seeing my pediatrician, and I was left alone for a long time in the room with my mom. I took some crayons and got up on the bed. If you've been to a doctor's office lately, you know they have a sheet of paper across the bed that you lie on. at 5 years old, I took my crayons and drew on this piece of paper. First, I did my addition tables. 1 + 1 = 2, 2 + 1 = 3, until I got to 10 + 10 = 100. Then I wrote the alphabet out. Then I wrote the names of colors according to the color of the crayon I was holding. So writing out the word "red" with the red crayon. My doctor came back, and saw the writing. "Oh, did he write that?" she asked my mom.

"yes, he did."

"Wait. Really? You mean you didn't help him, he wrote all that?"

"Yep."

According to my mom, as I don't have a vivid memory of the incident, the doctor was stunned into silence for a few moments. Then with a casual, "Well, I guess I won't have to check his mental health!" she conducted the check-up.

When I finally did get into school, I always loved learning and helping. During day-care, I would inform the care taker that it was snack time, thank you very much. I would help out the younger kids. Even though i did not, at that time, have any of the eventually 6 siblings I would grow to have, I was already playing the role of elder brother. In class, I would always raise my hand, always be ready to stand out. Be smart. Be different.

Until second grade. Then, in second grade, I was taken out of the class during our math instruction. We took a desk out into the hall and I was tutored by a higher level math teacher, since I was ahead of anyone else in my class. I didn't want to go. it made me too different. it isolated me, ostracized me. From then on, as I feared, I was treated differently. "Teacher's Pet" was their weapon of choice, among many others. From then on, I did not raise my hand very often. I still excelled on my homework, but I made no effort to stand out.

I have always had very few friends. I have always been rather shy, hesitant to reach out to others, though if you engage me in converastion you'll realize that it can be hard to shut me up. I was not fit as a kid. Chubby or husky is the nicer term, but I knew that I was a fat youngster. Still am, if you ask me, though all my peers will disagree. Yet this has never been the overriding fear of others in school and other social environments. It was being the teacher's pet.

True, during 5th grade I was more independent. I was, as I said, the manager of the student store. we kept track of inventory, sales, and decided who would be "hired" to run the store. I remember, I had to actually fire one kid because he gave his friends cheap stuff. I was very indignant about this. I also remember wanting to order these pens that would blow bubbles that you could hold in your hand, but the teacher would not allow it. Also during this year, I volunteered in the homework center after school. Sometime before that, I had volunteered in SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) where I read to, and with, little kids from the lower grades. So, to some extent, I still excelled and stood out. but most of what I did was out of the "public eye" of my peers. I still didn't speak up in class alot, I wouldn't talk about my volunteering stuff very often.I didn't want to be different. This downhill deterioration of my determination continued, and as plagued my heavily in high school. I no longer desire to be on honor roll, as I was one year in middle school. I was relieved when I was no longer a part of the TAG (Talented And Gifted) program. I took advanced classes, but it is easier to blend in at high school, where there is always someone smarter than you. but even still, I don't always raise my hand. Sometimes because I don't know all the answers any more. I have lost much of my drive, much of my dedication, and I do not put forth the effort anymore. This is not only because of my early outcast, but also because I can get away with not doing much.

I wrote my senior paper's final draft two days before it was due. I got it back to day and I got an A-. I do projects, papers, homework at the last minute, and generally speaking, I do well. The biggest exception to this is my math classes, which ironically used to be my strongest subject, but has become my worst. Of course, saying my "worst" subject is advanced Calculus may be a hollow declaration, but the fact remains. If I had still pursued my love of academics that i had as a child in first and second grade, if I had pushed myself to learn and be better, I would probably be taking university classes, 4.0 gpa, all that happy shit. Same goes with my drawing. My writing. I do not do either very much. I think alot, which I consider my way of mentally writing, but my word count of things actually written is lacking compared to many, and yet when I write, be it for school, for college, or for independent game designers, my words always stand out. I'm not saying they're perfect. My grammar is terrible, because I write by what sounds accurate to me. Still. Similarly, with drawing, I very rarely draw and I am not up to the level as many of my good artist friends. Yet when I concentrate, I can occasionally end up with a respectable drawing, even an excellent one when you consider that I have absolutely no instruction or training and very, very little practice. So what if I had pursued these? What if I had started drawing when I was a kid, and kept at it, ignoring everything that people said to me? Where would I be? Who would I be?

I don't know.

I'm not sure I want to.

I am who I am, for better or for worse. I could be a better person. I could try harder. There is much that I am not proud of, but it is who I am. Who I have become. I have had the good blessing to find people who respect and enjoy that person that I have become, and have befriended me. For those, I give my thanks, and my appreciation, of which I can never give you enough. I was shunned by many, so for every single one of you I have, every friend, past or present, every kind presence in my life, know that you are worth a hundred of those who looked down on me, teased me, scorned me.

Thank you. This wasn't supposed to get so heavy or serious. I was just reflecting on my life. One last detail about it, though. The very earliest details of my life.

I almost did not survive my own birth.

I was blue, out of the womb. Not breathing. The usual slap that the doctors give to babies didn't jump-start my crying or breathing. I don't know the details of what happened, but I lived. I was my mother's first born, and I was her miracle baby, as she sometimes calls me (despite all my objections). For all that has happened to me, good or bad, I am grateful. because, in honesty...

I'm lucky to be here.

A constantly updating collection of all my role playing characters.

Hone

Name: Hone [pronounced Ho-nay]
Gender: Male
Age: approx 500
Race: Demon
Height: Varies [see powers] but on average; 6'0
Hair color: Almost black, with blue highlights
Eye color: silver

Weapons: No 'normal' weapons [see powers]

Powers: Hone is a unique demon. Where as most of his kind have no magic abilities, but they can shapeshift into animals, and they have horns or hooves, Hone's abilities seem to have faded some of these ideas. Instead of shape shifting into an animal and having horns or something, Hone is actually able to shape shift his bones themselves. Horns, after all, are bones. So in a sort of bastardized version of the original Vaknar demons, Hone can, at will, control the shape, density, structure, and position of his bones, even passing them through his skin, creating weapons with them, or creating a type of durable exo skeleton by forming thick plates of bone directly under the skin. He can, basically, instantly regenerate and morph his bones. He can make bone-blade weapons and such through this power, as well as distort this joints, and other physical feats.

Strength: Acrobatic feats, instant shaping and regeneration of bones, and can pass these bones through skin without harm.

Weakness: Hone is prone to mental attacks, unable to properly defend himself, and they usually drive him a little crazy

History- Hone was born in secret, and hidden in a human village in the hopes that his powers would be repressed, undiscovered. However, he was picked on as a child because he was different. Eventually his powers were unleashed, and he murdered five teenagers that were bullying him. Scared and frightened, he was captured, then tortured to the brink of insanity, and finally burned alive. He survived, however, though his mind has blocked much of his childhood. His memory fragmented, Hone travels with idle blood lust, finding peace only in battle.

Appearence- His skin is dark, not quite black but not far from it either. His hair is a dark blue color, which at first glance appears just as black as his skin until the light hits it, and then you see the lighter blue highlights. He has tattoos all over his body. Covering his lithe, agile body are silver tattoos, lines that appear to be marking the position of the bones in his body. While not the exact shape, the thin lines trace over where his skeleton would appear.



Alvara Okami

Name:Alvara Okami
Age: 24
Race: Chi Shaper (see below)
Category:
Choose from: Warrior
Sex: Female
Appearance:Tall and slender, Alvara is fleet footed. She has long black hair and dark green eyes. She is of oriental descent, with pale skin and bright features. She often wears her black hair in a ponytail, with two locks framing her long, thin face. Straightened and kept down, her hair reaches above her lower back and below her shoulder blades. She was built more for fast reflexes and flexible acrobatics rather than brute strength. The lack of any distinguishing marks, such as scars or tattoos, betrays her lack of real experience with life threatening situations or honorable battles. A dark blue and black hakama, traditional oriental attire. This is her typical attire when she has the time to look formal or when she knows she is going to be in a battle. When traveling she wears a more rugged set of light leathers for long distance traveling over mountains and forests.

Weaponry:
Nemusama; her father's blade. It is an enchanted katana, which will cut through any non living material, slicing through steel and armor like a red hot rod in the snow. Also, the blade is virtually unbreakable by any normal means, and the blade has a gap in the middle, a kind of oval hole in the steel. However, it cannot cut living flesh of any kind, unless it is to commit an honorable suicide by the sword's wielder.
Tsume: The only kind of lethal weapon she has in her arsenal is a long, thin blade. It is hidden in Nemusama's hilt, the butt of the hilt fitting into her palm, and the razor thin blade extending the length of it. Unlike Nemusama, which could cut only non-living material, this small dagger, named Tsume, can pierce into any living being. If she presses the blade all the way in, up to the round piece of hilt that served as its handle, the enchantments on the blade would almost guarantee that the victim would be killed.
Alvara has a pouch of small, round orbs that, when thrown against a hard surface, have various effects. There are smoke orbs that release a thick concealing smoke. Flash orbs, that blind those in the immediate area, and blast orbs, that create a small sonic boom, a tiny explosion of sound.


Weakness: Arrogant and headstrong, Alvara is over confident and heavily reliant on her weapons and abilities. Her inexperience is her greatest downfall.

Strength: Nemusama, as mentioned, is practically indestructible and can cut through nearly any material, but cannot ever injure living tissue, except in the one exception of seppuku. Alvara herself can channel her chi into manifestations of energy. These can take the form of energy barriers, that can block either a physical or magical blow (only one, not both, decided at the shield's creation), or can enhance a movement. For instance, she can channel her chi into her legs and jump extraordinary height. Or she can channel it through her arms and accent a punch, making it more powerful. She can only use her chi in one "method" at a time. So, she can either make a punch more powerful or use it to create a barrier. She is currently too inexperienced to split her concentration into multiple chi uses.

Personality: Arrogant and headstrong, Alvara is constantly trying to prove herself to others. She feels that her father scorned their family name, and that she must bring back its honor. (Read history, it tells more about her personality)

History: Alvara is the daughter of Miyagi Okami, a master samurai and Guardian. Her clan were born and raised as Guardians, a small tribe of warriors who were taught to protect life. They were trained in defensive arts as well as medicine. Her father was the Guardian for a fuedal lord, a selfish and power hungry person. In defending this man, Miyagi was killed. Alvara never understood why he would have given himself for someone else, choosing instead to live and fight only to protect herself, never others. Now she travels the country, seeking an answer to her questions, with her father's sword lashed at her side.

Alvara was born to a clan of Mystics, who were known throughout time for their ability to shape their Chi into outward manifestations. Over the years, the clan has spawned some of the greatest doctors, warriors, and politicians alike, each using unique aspects of their abilities to bet suit their position. The Okami bloodline is a very small one, each generation usually only having two children at the most, who do humble work in the clan. They are the unspoken miracle workers, often the unsung heroes. Specifically, the Okami bloodline were most famed for their Guardians. Guardians were trained in the defensive arts, and taught the ways of honor and wisdom. Then, they would choose an individual to protect, and they would swear their life to that person, whom they called their Charge, To protect them to their last breath. Sometimes the Guardians would choose high profile individuals, such as Emperors or High Priests, but other times they would simply watch over the leader of a smaller group of individuals, and protect the smaller cities from attack or corruption. The Guardians were often the unsung heroes because they were always subtle. They often did not appear threatening or violent, and they would usually place themselves in a low social position, posing as servants or maids, doing the housework as well as keeping an eye on the family. A Guardian would usually choose to protect the entire lineage or family clan of the Charge they chose. However, in the end their loyalty was only to the Charge and the Charge's command, so if the Charge should die of age or sickness without leaving instruction, the Guardian could choose a new Charge.

A Guardian will always protect life first.
A Guardian's word is his soul bond. It is sacred.
If a task is assigned to a Guardian by his Charge,
it will be done unto death.

These are just some of the values of the Guardians.

Alvara's father, Miyagi, was a Guardian. His charge was a feudal lord. The two of them had grown up together, but as time went on, it slowly ate away at the soul of the Lord. He became a wicked and greedy man, yet Miyagi still saw, on occasion, the glimpse of the good man inside him. Attempting to steer him back to the path of truth, while protecting him from the enemies he had made, Miyagi offered his services as a Guardian. The Lord had treated his subjects poorly, raising taxes during hard times and prosecuting even the most innocent of crimes. He was a corrupt man, and there was a riot. His subjects stormed his mansion, blood thirsty and seeking his death. Miyagi protected the Lord, but did so without permanently hurting any of the citizens. However, there were too many, and Miyagi would not be able to stop them all without killing some of them, which he did not want to do. He discussed with the Lord while barricaded into a room. The only way to keep both the Lord alive and the citizens at bay was to insist that Miyagi, a man of great reputation but of mysterious agenda, had been coercing the Lord into these evil acts. Miyagi knew that, seeing the citizens at his door and thirsting for his blood, the Lord would see at least some of the errors of his way, and his best friend giving himself was no small sacrifice. Miyagi had to hope that it would work. The citizens wanted blood, and they demanded Miyagi's life when they found out he was behind all this. The only solace they gave him was the offer to take his own life in honorable seppuku, an offer which Miyagi accepted. On that day, at sunrise, Miyagi's sword Nemusama, tasted blood.

Years later, Nemusama has been handed down to his daughter, Alvara. The Okami name has been stained by Miyagi's betrayal, and Alvara's training as Guardian was tainted by the knowledge that her father was wrongfully portrayed as a sinister and evil man. She was trained in the arts of the Guardians, but she never took a Charge. She could not imagine why anyone, especially a great man like her father, would give their own life for a coward like the land Lord. She swore that she would never give her own life away so foolishly, and shielded this conviction with layers of bravado and headstrong foolishness.

The truth of the matter is that Alvara is upset, because she never got to learn who her father really was, she never got to spend much time with him as a child because of his sacrifice. Her father was dead, and all that remained of him was a memory, and a false one at that. That thought scares Alvara to this very day, and she decided that she would make a name for herself, carve out a place in history and make sure that she would be remembered for her greatness. When she was a young girl she convinced a drunken old mystic to create Tsume, a lethal dagger hidden within Nemusama's hilt. With this and her own skills, she struck out in the wild world, taking on dangerous escort missions for high profile targets, or participating in various arenas and tournaments, where her defensive skills have so far been more than adequate. However, she has never faced real challenge, and her inexperience is her downfall. Her pride is her sin. She is afraid of what other people think of her, and thus she always struggles to keep up a tough face, appear fearless and strong and mighty.

In recent weeks, Alvara met a man who knew her father. He had heard of her activities. He told the woman that she was a disgrace to the Okami name, and that Miyagi did what he had to do as a Guardian. Reputation means nothing to a Guardian. Words and rumors mean nothing. Only the act has meaning. It was not Miyagi that smeared their name, nor their memory, but it was Alvara who had betrayed her father.

Stricken by this accusation, Alvara now finds herself lost in a world where she confuses the importance of appearance and lies, truth and meaning.


Genesis

Kardahn Character Sheet [Dragon sheet, modified to fit]

Name: Genesis

Age: 1,138

Color: Varies, but when "neutral", its silver

Gender: Male

Height: about 3.5, 4 feet at the shoulder

Weight: about 250 lbs

Power Description: Can shift his scales colors, see multiple spectrums of light, strengthened scales, sharp claws and teeth, and can manipulate the earth around him

Physical Description: Roughly the size of a lioness, Genesis roughly resembles a wingless dragon. Sharp, razor spikes run along his shoulders and down his spine. His tail ends in a spade tail, a bladed tip. His colors constantly change, so his appearance is always changing.

Weapons: Claws, teeth, razor tail

Weakness: Mental attacks, can't fly, and though a strong swimmer, can't hold his breath very long

Affiliation: Chaotic

Bio: Genesis is a prowler, always has been. He left his pack behind from a young age and went traveling across the lands. He has become somewhat arrogant, following his intuition, guided by his own twisted moral compass. He has no qualms about killing people, but he doesn't pick fights. He wins them. If he can't, he will simply back off, until he knows he has the advantage. Genesis' best weapon is his own intelligence and cunning. Genesis is very mentally and emotionally aware of himself. His arrogance is driven by the fact that he knows (or thinks he knows) precisely what he is doing. It is almost impossible to make Genesis angry, or scared, for he keeps a very logical view on things.


_{Information about Kardahn}

Kardahn [being both the singular and plural word for them, like moose] are an off shoot of Dragons. At largest the size of a lion, their structure more resembling a cat than the reptiles like dragons, they look like wingless, scaled felines. Instead of wings and the gift of flight, Kardahn are known for their agility, physical strength, and ground based movement. The old texts say that the Dragons were given the air: they have wings, they can fly. Even the air in their lungs, which becomes their breath, taking the form of fire or ice. Kardahn, instead, were given the Earth. They run fast enough to keep up with their flying kin, and their scales are unique. They can shift the color of their scales to roughly match their surroundings, though strong emotions can change their colors, too. Instead of a breath weapon, manipulating air, Kardahn can manipulate the earth around them, shifting the ground beneath and around them. Though the most powerful of Kardahn can actually move colossal boulders, most Kardahn are simply able to create small walls or give them a boost while jumping. They are extremely fast, their scales are known for being even tougher than that of the Dragons, and their teeth and claws are lethal. They communicate telepathically, through mindspeak, though they cannot harm or otherwise attack other creatures mentally. They can also see in multiple spectrums, such as heat and ultra violet.
Strong and fast. They can alter the earth around them, and they can shift their scale colors. They can also rely on their scales to keep them safe from a lot of attacks.
They cannot fly, and have no "breath weapon" like other dragons. Also, since they communicate mentally, they are vulnerable to any other kind of mental perception, and their minds are easy to read for any creature that has the ability to do so. Do not have a human form.


Tai

Name: Tai
Age: 150 approx.
Race: Panserbjorne
Clan (If applicable): The Clan of the Tae'Dae
Occupation: mercenary
Physical Description: a large white furred polar bear with opposable thumbs, Panserbjorne are known as the "armored bears". Standing 12 feet tall when upright and about 5 feet at the shoulder when on all fours, Panserbjorne are known for their strength and their loyalty.

They have opposable thumbs on their front paws. Despite their large digits and immense strength they have remarkable dexterity. This, together with an innate sense of metallurgy, makes them exceptional metalsmiths, and they are capable of creating and repairing metal items far beyond the capabilities of human smiths.

They are completely bear in structure, though slightly larger and stronger. They are definitely not any kind of anthro or vaguely humanoid creatures.

[link]

-Eye Colour: Black
-Hair Colour: (fur) white
-Weight: 1400 lbs
-Height: 12 ft when standing upright
-Distinguishing Marks (if any): A round scar, possibly a faded bullet wound, on his right shoulder
-Attire/clothing: His armor (see below)
Weapons (If applicable): teeth and claws, physical strength
Other possesions: Panserbjorne armor is made from Sky Iron, which when worked in the correct fashion, is nearly indestructible, being over an inch thick in some of the plates. It is a Panserbjorne's soul, and they make it themselves.

Powers/Abilities/Skills: Panserbjorne claws can cut, shape, twist, and bend normal metal like cardboard, making them excellent metal smiths. They are also able to "see" lies and deception as clearly as one could see the color of one's eyes. This means it is almost impossible to trick a Panserbjorne, unless he lets himself be tricked. They can speak English, as well as their own native language and any others they care to learn, given the normal difficulties any intelligent species would face.

Weaknesses: Without his armor, Tai is vulnerable, even though he is still strong and tough. He is also slower than many fighters, so if he is not wearing his armor, he is likely to be outmanuevered.

History: Tai was born in the clan of the Tae'dae, a smaller tribe of Panserbjorne. Like most armored bears, Tai lived his life as a mercenary, a bear-for-hire. He has served in armies for every world power across the globe, at one time or another. However, after meeting with an elder Bear, Tai realized that he had nothing to truly fight for. He always gave his services to the person who paid the best. Now he seeks a cause, something to fight for.



Amara Langward

Name: Amara Langward
Age: 24
Sex: Female
Occupation: Doctor
Hair color: brunette
Eye color: brown
Physical Description: Amara is tall and slender, standing at 5'9, with straight brown hair and deep brown eyes, sharp and intelligent. She usually wears her hair up in a bun, or back in a ponytail, somewhere out of her face. She wears a warm, cheerful smile with the twinkle of intellect.

Weapons: Only her medical tools

Powers/Abilities: (Only when powers/abilities are applicable) Amara has an innate sense of the human body, and can see how the body flows. This allows her to detect troubles within the body, such as poisons or other illnesses. If she wanted, she could also use this as a way to detect nerve clusters, pressure points, and even the flow of chi, or the body's natural energy.

Strengths: Amara is very intelligent and calm, and most of all she is selfless, caring, and willing to put others before herself.

Weakness: Amara is not a fighter at all, and while she does not fear for her own life in a physical confrontation, she never likes to see anyone get hurt. She is also a little naive, trusting, but her biggest weakness (as well as her biggest strength) is her compassion, and her willingness to be harmed before seeing anyone else hurt.

History: Amara was born to Mr. and Mrs. Langward, in the country of Altaron. In Altaron, there is no separation of church and state. Politics and religion are one and the same. Amara's religion emphasizes a "all work, all prosper" attitude. When children are young, about 10 years old, they are subjected to a series of evaluation tests. The tests are supposed to reveal the child's Profession, the job for which they are most suited. Then, throughout their schooling, they are taught a few general areas such as math and science, but they are taught in the area of their Profession. This way, they can function best for the general good, by training for a job they would be most suited for.

Mr. Langward was a writer, her mother a professor of biology. Her mother was never around because she was offered a position as Assistant to the Dean at a prestigious university. Her father, however, was almost always home, since he was a failing writer. He was excellent at the craft, but he refused to write in the strict rules and guidelines that the publications required by the state. Amara grew up very close to her father, while she learned to become a surgeon and general medic.

When she was young, her parents split up after a loud divorce. Amara's father got custody, so she went with him and until her late teens, bounced from household to household as Mr. Langward met, wed, and divorced three more women in that time.

Amara left when she was 19.

For five years, Amara has been bouncing around from one medical facility to the next, having inherited her father's habit of never being satisfied, always searching out the new and exciting. She also decided, after a particularly poor relationship, that she would never commit herself to a man, and never take to bed with another one, unless she knew he was The One. She would not make her father's mistake, she would marry for love, and nothing less.

Currently, she is in search of her Mission, an idea in her religious community that we all have a destiny, a role to play, where our skills will be of great benefit. Now she searches for her place in the world, the way in which she can best serve the world.


Nigel Valentine

Name: Nigel Valentine, also known as "Sparky"
Age: 27
Accents: British
P.O.B: London
Heritage: English with Irish mixed in
Languages spoken: King's English and some rough Irish
Affiliation: None

Race: Human, elektrokinetic
Occupation: Hacker
Eye Colour : milk chocolate brown
Skin Tone: fair
Hair Colour: Blond short hair, usually up in spikes that curve upward.

Height: 5'11

Personality: Nigel enjoys the fun life. He is a very casual person, keeping his cool in most situations. While he is not as trigger happy as many he's encountered, he's always willing to throw a punch in a good brawl. However he is more likely to try to barter his way out of any given situation. A hacker, he loves technology of all kinds, and keeps his stock of tech magazines up to date. Few things trouble him in life, and he lives for the rush of it.

Description: Nigel is tall, thin, and light footed. He has a body like a runner, and would have made an excellent free runner or martial artist. He has a variety of clothes that changes constantly, usually the latest and greatest.

Weapons: Nigel is mostly a hand to hand fighter, but he has a boot knife and a single metal rod he uses together with his unique abilities.

Abilities: By manipulating electromagnetic fields, Nigel can produce electricity, using his own body as a conductor of sorts. Able to use lightning and electronic blasts, he can also create small EMP's. Furthermore, he can link up with the electronic signals of a computer network, allowing him to delve into computers and enhance his hacking skills. He can charge metallic objects with electricity, which he often does with his metal rod he carries. He can "cast" lightning if he is near a strong power source.

History: Nigel grew up living two lives; the peaceful stay-at-home family life that he so adored, with the darker underground hacker life that he was so drawn to. He learned about his powers from an early age, since he would cause minor localized power shortages whenever he felt an extreme emotion. He learned, over time, to control this ability, and learned the various ways he could use it. He got drawn into the world of cyber hacking, and got introduced to a bad crowd. A gang of mutants and unique, gifted individuals such as himself, that used his powers to make their life more satisfying.

THE FOUR LIMBS OF KARDAHN

The Four Limbs of Kardahn are four elemental demons, each said to represent a part of one of the long forgotten Demons of the Underearth, Kardahn. Kardahn was a master of control over all four of the native elements; wind, air, earth, and fire. It is said that with these four weapons he could control the UnderEarth, the world beyond this one. He was overthrown by his shadow, the One of Many Names. He was drawn and quartered, his limbs torn apart, each one becoming a Lesser Demon with unique elemental powers and personalities.

Each of the Four Limbs have the ability to summon or banish their given weapon, which is a manifestation of their demonic heritage. They also, when properly weakened or provoked, can summon up Ultimate Techniques, which can include either a) Transforming into the user's given element (bursting into a creature of flame or billowing away into smoke) or b) concentrating their powers and summoning up a powerful manifestation of their element.

If they use either of these Ultimate Techniques, they are, once finished, henceforth unable to use their elemental powers for the rest of the match, until they have had sufficient time to rest and regain their strength. In battle, either of these techniques usually only work for one (1) turn before they are then robbed of their powers.

Wade
_Water

Name: Wade Kardahn
Gender: Male
Age: [appearance] 26 [actual] 2,000 years since the fracture of Kardahn
Height: 5'8
Hair color: Black with blue highlights
Eye color: blue-green

Weapons: A spear, short enough to be used with one or two hands.

Powers: Complete manipulation mastery over water and all of it's forms. He can draw moisture from the air, plants, even other humans to produce water, ice, or steam. His spear is a manifestation of his powers, so he can summon or banish it at will. He can also breathe underwater and move freely in it. Can't use powers in a completely "dry" environment if there are no living beings to draw moisture from

Strength: Water mastery, is cunning and manipulative
Weakness: Opposed to fire mastery, is physically weak

Appearance: Short and thin, his hair is black, though direct light reveals blue highlights. His eyes are the color of shallow water at the tropical shore. His skin is pale, his hair has a slight sheen, as if from a morning dew. He is almost always moving, even if very slightly. Standing still, Wade will still gently sway back and forth, as if from a gentle breeze.

Personality: Wade is the most sinister of the Four Limbs. Though he is calm and quiet, his mind is always clicking away, thinking. He suffers from psychosis bordering on a split personality. He is usually quiet, but only because he is always plotting. He will act however he needs to get his way, but if you're in his way or of no use to him, he'll find a covert way to eliminate you. He prefers to keep himself out of range of harm.

Flare
_Fire

Name: Flare Kardahn
Gender: Female
Age: [appearance] 22 [actual] 2,000 years
Height: 5'9
Hair: Ash Grey
Eyes: reddish-brown when calm, burning embers when excited.

Weapons: A spiked chain that ends in sickly curved blades, hand to hand, and throwing knives

Powers: Complete manipulation mastery over fire. Can produce it by using the air in her lungs, heat in her body, and the environment around her. She cannot use her powers underwater, obviously, or if she is completely drenched (will have to steam it off, first). Can walk harmlessly through fire. Can summon and banish weapon.

Strength: Fast and furious, Flare, when provoked, will not stop fighting until the job is done
Weakness: Is unable to stop or control herself.

Appearance: Lean and wiry, Flare is of an athletic form that is surprisingly strong and fast for her size. Her hair is the color of ash, and she is almost always moving, fidgeting, or even twitching, for she almost always has pent up energy. her hair is short enough that it doesn't need much work, but just long enough to annoy her by getting in her eyes. (Hair length similar to [link])

Personality: Switching from moods of extreme boredom to high bursts of energy, Flare is among the more playful and excited of the Four Limbs. She can be reckless, gullible, and easily angered. She is forgiving, though, she doesn't hold a grudge once the issue is out of sight and out of mind.

Onyx
_Earth

Name: Onyx Kardahn
Gender: Male
Age: [Appearance] 65 [actual] 2,000
Height: 6'2
Hair: Dark brown with many grey streaks
Eyes: earthy brown

Weapon: Dadao sword

Powers: Mastery of manipulation over the earth, ranging from clay, stone, metal, crystals, gems, dirt, and sand. Cannot manipulate man-altered metals. Can tunnel through the ground with ease, and summon his weapon. Can levitate boulders and rocks, lift slabs of stone, create armor of metal.

Strength: Most physically powerful and most balanced offense/defense
Weakness: Stubborn and slow to accept change; physically slow.

Appearance: Tall and still strong in his old age, Onyx is heavily scarred from his many years. He is equally heavily muscled, with powerful arms, legs, and torso muscles that show his extreme discipline. His hair is streaked with metallic gray, and his skin is a dark chocolate color. His movements are slow and precise, every motion thought out and deliberate.

Personality: The wisest of the Four Limbs, Onyx is well versed in ways of the old ways. The ways of honor, of discipline. Of truth. Onyx would never willingly tell a lie, or betray his word. He can often see things that other's can't. However, his greatest weakness is his own stubbornness. He is not very receptive to change, and sometimes refuses to adhere to the new way of doing things.

Ariel
_Wind

Name: Ariel Kardahn
Gender: Female
Age: [Appearance] 17 [actual] 2,000
Height: 5'10
Hair: Blond
Eyes: Blue

Weapon: Staff

Powers: Able to manipulate the wind and air, Ariel can command wind currents, gusts of air, powerful tornadoes, and create devastating vortexes. She is among the most fluid and adaptable of the Four Limbs, but also the most pacifistic.

Strengths: Most nimble of all the benders; curious and wise
Weakness: Weaker physically; absent minded

Appearance: Slender framed, Ariel is the most nimble and agile of all the Four Limbs. She has long, blond hair that seems to billow even when there is no wind. Her eyes are, naturally, sky blue. Her movements are the most graceful, flowing, and dynamic.

Personality: Ariel is sort of the child of the Four Limbs, innocent and naive. While she can be just a good of fighter as anyone, she focuses her energy most on evading and countering enemy movement. She is constantly curious, always wondering how things work; she is very outgoing towards strangers, and can be a little spacey at times.

Nexus

Name: Nexus Arelius

Age: 35 [appears about 20; see below]

Gender: Male

Eye Color: Mostly blue with red tendrils around the rim of the iris.

Hair Color: blonde

Weight: 175

Height: 5'10

Race: caucasian

Species: Mutant human

Physical Appearance: Nexus has an athletic but very acrobatic build, like that of a gymnast. Short, blonde hair that is usually up in curved spikes, Nexus would have been quite the starry-eyed young man, were it not for the tragic effects of the war. Now, with a twisted chemical burn starting at his right shoulder and twisting its way across his back like a snake, all the way to his opposite hip, he is scarred for life.

Clothing: Slightly baggy, grey rugged and durable cargo trousers tucked into more flexible, padded boots. A thin, black sleeveless shirt underneath a long sleeve one, and a tough dark faded brown long coat. Also wears tough leather gloves.

Weapons: A dozen dirks strapped to his body. Able to be wielded as long knives, or thrown, there are three strapped to either thigh, two on either side of his lower torso, and one behind each shoulder. These are his primary weapons. The blades are coated in teflon for extra penetrating power. For when firearms are needed, he has a single m1911 .45 caliber firearm, holstered at his lower back. Also has a single standard issue boot knife in his left boot.

Weakness: Due to the effects of his Exposure (see History and Skills) Nexus' slowed aging process means that his immune system is also slowed, and he is very susceptible to poisons, disease, and other ailments.

Items: Strapped to his waist he has his tool belt, which contains standard and not-so-standard hacking devices, such as a run of the mill lockpick, a decoy card (for card swiper devices), three microphone thumb-nail bugs (place with mic up, hear general room noise. Place with mic down, hear vibrations in surface) with earpiece, a spool of carbon nanotube cable, wireless computer network and one optical contact lens that allows him to view his computer system, and an LED keyboard to use with it.

Tribe or Gang: Solo

Skills: Nexus can create up to three 'ortals'. These are inter-dimensional portals. It starts by opening up a gate at point A. The gate appears as any 2 dimensional geometric shape he wants, as small as he wants, or as big as a doorway, but not much bigger without dangerous amounts of energy and concentration. Then another gate opens up at point B, where you would come out at. There is only one portal, but both gates exist simultaneously. Because the gate is 2 dimensional, it can only be entered on one side of the plane it exists on. So if its sitting in the air like a doorway, you can go through and see the portal on one side of the doorway, but on the other it basically doesn't exist. you can walk through it and you wouldn't go anywhere.

Nexus can create up to three portals, and thus six gates.

History: Nexus came from a poor family, the middle child in a family of 3 girls and 2 boys. The oldest, one of the daughters, died of lukemia before Nexus was born. His father was always working, trying to provide for the family. The second oldest, his brother, was drafted into the army, and was killed there. Nexus was left as head of household, because his father too had been killed. It was him, his ill mother, and his two younger sisters. When Nexus was about 20, and the war really began, and the bombs began to drop, he was running to a bomb shelter with his sisters when there was a chemical explosion from a nearby plant. Trying to shield his two sisters from the explosion, he wrapped his arms around them and turned his back to the explosion, exposing him to high radiation levels and creating a menacing burn on his body. One sister died from radiation sickness a month later, and the other had vanished without a trace. Now, so many years later, Nexus has given up all hopes of happiness with any kind of family, and lives only for himself. The exposure to radiation slowed down his body's aging process, so he is as youthful and energetic as he was when he was first Exposed. He needs less food and sleep than most people, but the downside is that this slowed process slows his immune system as well.

Family: Parents deceased. 1 brother, killed in action. 2 sisters, medical deaths. 1 sister, whereabouts unknown.

Optional: Nexus is cold and socially rough, so while flattery will lead you nowhere with Nexus, he can still be tricked fairly easily, for social dynamics are his weak point.

Alexis

Name: Alexis Arelius

Age: 30

Gender: Female

Eye Color: blue-grey

Hair Color: blonde

Weight: 145

Height: 5'8

Race: Caucasian

Species: Human Mutant

Physical Appearance: Alexis, while lacking the pin-up curves of fantasy women, has a seductive, fierce appearance because of the strength in which she carries herself, and the fiery intelligence in her eyes. Her blue-grey eyes are like a stormy sky, revealing the ever-turning gears in her head. She has some mass on her, she's far from frail, though not muscle bound. Her full lips can hold a range of expression, from blissful laughter, bemused smirk, to vampiric grin. It is how animated, how alive, and how ever-changing her demeanor is that gives her that attractive edge. Her hair falls just above the bottom of her shoulder blades. When she is in a very serious mood she pins it in a bun to keep is out of her face.

Clothing: When on the space station she is usually seen wearing a black pin-striped vest over a silk black blouse. Black slacks match the vest, fitting loosely around her form. She wears moderately sized heels. In this uniform she commands respect and authority. While out on the field working as a collector, she looks no where near as professional, but still has that air of respect and power. A tight shirt and tighter pants that do not restrict her movement much. She wears a pair of military style boots on her feet, and a pair of fingerless gloves on her hands.

Weapons: She is equipped with various guns, swapping them out depending on her needs, and gaining more from the space station as well as Collector bases on earth. Her favorite weapons that hse usually has on her is a fully automatic Tokyo Marui. The mags clip together, making reloading a quick and easy task, short barrel, but long range; hi-cap mag holds 400 rounds. It is usually kept at her side with a shoulder strap. She also carries a smaller gun, a fully automatic Blowback handgun, located at her hip. Depending on the situation she also carries a Machine Gun MG3. The MG3 is fully automatic weapon for sustained firing and firing in bursts. It is a"Recoil-operated weapon" in which the recoil forces are used to feed and load the cartridges and to extract and eject the spent cartridge cases.

Weakness: Arrogance and overconfidence has lead Alexis to put herself in vulnerable positions, believing that her ideas are fool proof, perfect, and that often she herself is infallible. In conflict, both physical and social, her greatest downfall is pride, and the need to establish her superiority any time weakness is revealed.

As far as her powers go, obviously extended use or large expenditures of energy will wear her out. Telekinesis is the single most tiring skill of hers, and it is difficult to use it while doing other things. Telepathy she can use nearly nonstop while doing other activities, but it cannot be used on those with a psychic mental shield, anyone particularly strong willed or highly confident in themselves, or against those with an alien or inhuman mental state, such as cyborgs and non-humanoids.

Items: On the shoulder opposite of the one with her gun she carries a large black bag. Inside the bag she carries ammo for her guns, a simple first aide kit, a lighter, and a few articles of extra clothing. She also had a hand held communication device in her pocket, used to communicate with the Senate and the other Collectors, and possibly tune into the conversations of anyone who may have a device similar to a walkie talkie or radio.

Tribe or Gang: Collectors

Skills: Alexis was always a great thinker, her mind developing faster and earlier than ordinary people. During an incident in her youth, she was Exposed to radiation, and it unlocked psychic tendencies, a number of powers all mentally linked to one another.

Telekinesis: While she has the power to lift enormous objects, thanks to intensive daily training while with the Collectors, Alexis prefers to use her manipulation to skillfully move small or fast objects, able to turn any object into a speeding projectile, and has even honed her skills to the point that she can alter the path of projectiles such as sniper fire or rockets.

Telepathy: Alexis has always been a natural empath, able to sense how people would react to certain emotions and play the role to fit. She can usually tell if she should be threatening, or submissive, or casual to best get information out of someone, or befriend them; needless to say she is very manipulative. This natural talent was then amplified when the Exposure granted her slight telepathy.

Signature Reading: Everyone who passes through an area leaves a mental signature, a residual psychic energy. Alexis can read these leftover thoughts, and "replay" them in front of her, seen to no one else but her. They would have a slightly hazy quality, like an old recording, and the quality of it dims if the incident took place a long time ago, or if there have been more recent events there. However, it strengthens if she can recognize the unique person's signature, or if the incident was emotionally charged.

History: Alexis came from a poor family, the second youngest in a family of 3 girls and 2 boys. The oldest, one of the daughters, died of lukemia before Alexis was born. She had very little interaction with her parents, with her father always working and her mother often ill. The second oldest, his brother, was drafted into the army, and was killed there, and her father died not long after that. Alexis always blamed Nexus, her older brother, for what had happened, since he was the oldest sibling that often looked after the household, and was thus "liable" for what was happening to those he was trying to look after. When she was about 15, and the war really began, and the bombs began to drop, she tried to convince her older brother to take them away, but he refused to leave. Not until things got really bad. Only then did they leave, and Nexus ignored her advice of going to the underground, and instead headed for the local shelter, short cutting past a chemical plant. The plant exploded, and though Nexus Exposed himself to the radiation to save Alexis and their younger sister, Autumn, she still held Nexus' stupidity responsible for the incident, which resulted in Autumn's death from radiation sickness. She vanished, deciding that she would make the world a better place by joining the Collectors. [You can go from here, as for how she got in with them, etc] The one thing that was clear in her time was that she rose, very quickly, through the ranks of the Collectors, both due to her masterful skill in combat and her genius sense with people.

Family: Nexus, older brother. All other siblings and family dead.

Haku

Name: Haku Miyamoto

Age: 23

Gender: Male

Eye Color: green

Hair Color: black

Weight: 140-ish

Height: 5'10

Race: Asian (Japanese)

Species: Chi Mystic of the Valley Clan [Human with powers due to meditation, not mutation]

Physical Appearance: A slender, acrobatic build, Haku is an oriental man with black, uneven hair that falls over his eyes when not held back by a dark green headband. His eyes are emerald green and bright, though a bit inexperienced.

Clothing: Usually a dark green headband keeping his hair out of his face. He wears a navy blue tunic and dark pants. He wears tough and hefty, but sleek boots and durable gloves.

Weapons: In either boot are pressure-release blades that slides forward from the toes of the boot, and back from the heel. his gloves are specially modified, with a metal plate in the palm and three small spikes that, when the palm is held flat, protrude forward. This is a modified tool similar to what ninjas would use to scale wooden walls. Over the sleeves of his forearms are leather wraps that don't provide much protection but can soften blows when blocked. He has a HF blade, a katana-style sword that uses high frequency vibrations to enhance its power.

Weakness: Very inexperienced, and while he has excellent training, Haku can often get thrown off by people who demonstrate obvious proficiency in combat. He thinks he's better than he really is.

Items: His weapons, his clothes, a water skin, rations.

Tribe or Gang: Clan of the Valley, a Japanese bloodline

Skills: The Clan of the Valley are masters of chi, the energy that binds all things. Specifically, they possess the ability to manipulate the energy in the air around them. For Haku, before he abandoned his training he learned two techniques.

Technique of the Living Wind This technique allows Haku to control the air directly around him, and by manipulating it he is able to levitate himself, and grant himself the ability of flight.

Technique of the Gale By gripping the chi floating in the air, Haku is able to conjure a solid barrier, a kind of "shield" around him that protects him from physical objects, such as bullets. It is actually easier to block fast-moving objects that slow moving ones, so one could break through his shield with little force. It is also easier to block solid objects that dynamic ones such as water or fire, so he can only hold them at bay for a short time.

Haku could, in theory, learn more techniques but he interrupted his training.

History: Haku was in training to be a Mystic in his home village when his sister, Cheza, was kidnapped. He abandoned his duties, which was to train to be the Emperor's assistant, in order to find his sister, who was kidnapped by a rebel group who wanted to use her unique powers of seeing the future. Haku has followed their trail in his search for his sister.

Family: Cheza Miyamoto, sister.

Inertia

Name: Theodore "Teddy" King, aka Inertia

Age: 35

Gender: Male

Eye Color: dark brown

Hair Color: black

Weight: 235

Height: 6'1

Race: African american

Species: cybernetically enhanced human

Physical Appearance: A tall and vastly muscular man, Inertia is build like a train, all speed and force and very little grace. He is only half human these days, part of him being replaced by machinery.

Clothing: Inertia wears very heavy battle gear, mostly metal armor and mechanical regulators. Over that he wears a big overcoat and a broad hat

Weapons: On his right arm, Inertia has a massive cybernetic fist, much bigger around than a normal fist. It has mechanical motors and gears that allows the fist to load a massive amount of energy and release it at the exact moment of a blow, allowing him to plow through almost anything. On his left arm, his bone structure has been slightly flattened and plated to create a kind of shield that can be used to defend, or to ram into things.

Weakness: Very slow and susceptible both to organic threats (disease, illness, starvation) as well as mechanical ones (EMP, etc) Inertia suffers from both sets of weaknesses.

Items: His gear

Tribe or Gang: Escaped Collector experiment

Skills: Besides being able to load up enormous amounts of energy in his cybernetic fist, Inertia's feet were also modified, adding small thrusters on the side and base, allowing him to slide across the ground, allowing him to slide around or dash forward at very high speeds, the momentum following through into his blows, hence the name "Inertia". His body armor is also very tough, but he doesn't have much maneuverability.

History: Teddy was a soldier in the army before the world went to hell, and he was one tough sonofabitch. Then, when the bombs fell, he lost his family; his wife and his daughter. He was almost killed himself, but the new military (Collectors) tried to reinvent him as a forward-assault soldier unit. Teddy escaped and is searching for his family, which he doesn't realize is dead.

Family: Megan King, wife. Sarah King, daughter. Both deceased.

Rules

Room -> [link]

1: No character killing; if you feel a character should die, you must get permission from that player. However, never ask to kill another player's character, unless you are willing to risk your's from dying. This means that: if you kill another player's character, with their consent, you are then giving equal permission for your own character to be killed.

To note: Characters do not just drop dead. In order for a character to be killed, they have to fall in battle, be poisoned, eaten, etc. So even if you give permission for your character to be killed, it is not a promise the character will be easy to kill.

2: Use Brackets when not rping ) } ] This is known as "Out of Character" or OOC talk

3: no god moding. What is God moding? Any time you use an attack, ability, or other action that a) controls another character's actions b) harms them in a way they cannot defend against c) instant death or unblockable attacks. Any excessive abuse of these rules will result in a single warning kick, then a ban.

For plot purposes, Dust may interfere with the roleplay, and is allowed to god mode. Because I am all powerful

4: No cybering. Romance is allowed, but keep it pg-13, and if its getting steamy, take it somewhere else.

5: No fighting or arguing with other players outside of the rp. You can debate, and have heated discussions, but there will be NO flaming, put downs, racism/sexism/other-isms, of ANY kind. One verbal warning, then a ban, not a kick. I do not allow disrespect in here.

6: No spamming or advertising

7: Obey your higher ups (Higher ups = Dust or Watchers)

8: Do not disrespect people of lower rank

9: Do not harass a specific person, or target anyone for any kind of teasing. This is similar to rule 5

10: No thumbnail spamming, and keep even simple thumb posts to an ABSOLUTE minimum

11: Don't come in here to whine or cry about your personal problems. If you know people, you can chat about your day, but if all I hear is complaints and no rping, you're gone.

12: I do not accept one line character posting. Put some thought into it. I wont accept 'doesnt remember' or other crap as a bio. If you cant make a decent character, you wont be accepted!

13: If any of the high ups give you a command, do it without backtalk.



Get it? Got it? Good.

Character Posting:

Description: [link]

you MUST read the description^ before posting, unless you are familiar with the Dark Materials books. This is not a free for all fantasy; no vampires, no DBZ or other anime characters. Further, your character is not the center of attention in the world, unless I or a high power chooses your character to be such.

You may create a human and daemon pair, or if you would like, you may co-op with someone else, one of you taking the human, the other the daemon.

When posting a daemon, if that daemon has settled on a form, they need to reflect the human's nature or character. If your character is cowardly, don't make his or her daemon a lion. I don't care how much you want a badass dragon, if you're human character is a poodle in spirit, so too should their daemon be.

Panserbjorne, Witches, and other non-human/daemon characters have to be approved by me, and ONLY if you are an experienced rper, or demonstrate skill and respect in the room.

All character posts must be posted in THIS journal, with the following information:

Name: (Of both human and daemon, if applicable)
Age:
Gender: (Of both human and daemon, if applicable; keep in mind daemon are 99% of the time opposite sex of human, but if you want to come up with a creative cause or effect, they may be the same)
Race:
Physical Description:
Personality:
Possessions: (This includes weaponry and equipment)
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
(strength and weaknesses may be physical, such as being particularly strong or fast, BUT there must be an explanation [working out to be strong, running from the police to be fast, etc] Or they can be social strengths and weaknesses, such as gullible, or easily tricked)
History:

If there is a higher up, you may NOT rp until your character is approved. If there is no one to approve your char, you may engage in some limited rp.

This is the description and list of rules for my rp based on Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials books, including; The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass.

Note: DO NOT POST CHARACTERS IN THIS JOURNAL. POST THEM IN THE CHARACTER POST JOURNAL ONLY

Character Journal: [link]

The trilogy takes place across a multiverse, moving between many alternate worlds. In The Golden Compass, the story takes place in a world with some similarities to our own; its society seems to resemble the 19th century with Victorian era dress style and steampunk technology level. It could also be speculated that in this world The Reformation never took place. The church (referred to as the "Magisterium") controls all of the western world (and probably the entire planet). The universe of has interesting technology; at a glance, it appears to be considerably behind our own world, devoid of conveniences such as cars, but in many fields it is equal or superior to ours.

The world of His Dark Materials has many differences from our own.

Dust:

Dust is a form of dark matter (as we call it in our world), an elementary particle that is of fundamental importance to the novels. Dust is invisible to the human eye and can not be seen without the use of special instruments such as the The Amber Spyglass or a special film. However, while humans cannot see dust without the use of outside devices, creatures such as the mulefa are able to see dust with their own eyes.

Unlike ordinary particles, Dust is conscious. It falls from the sky and is attracted to people (especially adults) and objects made by people. This makes it of great interest to the Church, which believes that it may be the physical manifestation of Original Sin. We later learn that Dust actually confers consciousness, knowledge and wisdom. This allows creatures who have the ability to see dust to identify other sentient and intelligent creatures.

It is Dust that provides the answers given by the alethiometer.

Dust has various different names among the various different worlds within the trilogy. Dust was previously known (in Lyra Belacqua's universe) as Rusakov particles after their discoverer, Boris Mikhailovitch Rusakov. It is known also as Shadows in our world (Pullman relates Dust to Dark Matter).

Angels, including The Authority, are formed when Dust condenses.


Daemons:

Daemons are animals that exist externally from the body, and they are the manifestation of the human soul. Daemon and human are powerfully connected. They can, for instance, talk to one another mentally, and can even feel each other's joy, or pain. An average human's daemon cannot stray more than a couple meters from its human. Before puberty, a human's daemon can change form at will into any animal the child knows of, though of limited size and strength. Once they hit that age, the daemon then settles on a shape, assuming the form of a single animal for life, usually reflecting the nature of the human.

The single biggest taboo in all of society is the touching of another person's daemon. Daemon may interact with one another, even fight or settle quarrels, but no human ever touches someone else's daemon. Daemon do not usually talk to other humans than their own, though it is not forbidden, just uncommon.

If a human dies, their daemon fades away, and if a daemon dies, their human dies as well. This is the linked fate between human and daemon.

A daemon's gender is almost always the opposite of the human.

Note: The only exception to these above rules is intercision, or cutting away of a human's daemon. This is a fate worse than death for humans in this world, as you are cutting their very soul in two. Almost always, the human becomes a shadow of their former self, weak and pitiful, a disgust to the rest of the human race, and almost always die soon after.


->[link]

panserbjørne:

The panserbjørne are large polar bears who almost always wear their robust armour, a practically indestructible suit of armor made from sky metal. They have opposable thumbs on their front paws. Despite their large digits and immense strength they have remarkable dexterity. This, together with an innate sense of metallurgy, makes them exceptional metalsmiths, and they are capable of creating and repairing metal items far beyond the capabilities of human smiths. They are highly intelligent and, whilst they mainly appear to speak English, have been shown to speak in a number of indigenous languages.

They are governed by a king who is usually determined by bloodline, but can be elected by armed combat. They are the protectors of Svalbard, the centre of their civilization.

A panserbjørne fashions his own armour using 'sky-iron', rare iron collected from meteorites which the bears discover on or buried in the ice. Panserbjørne have a strong spiritual connection with their armour (much as humans do with their dæmons).

panserbjørne are also invulnerable against lies and trickery. They can see a feint like a human can see a tree. This gives them an edge in hand to hand combat, and makes for very tricky engagements between panserbjørne, both social and in combat, since you cannot trick a panserbjørne.

Lastly, a panserbjørne is bound to his word. If an armored bear makes a promise, or a contract (for panserbjørne are also mercenaries), they will uphold that agreement, either to its completion or their own death. panserbjørne are creatures of honor.

[link]

Witches:

Witches are females of great power and wisdom, though they do not usually interfere with the lives of the lower races. Like humans, they have daemons, though their daemons can travel far and wide for miles away from their human.

For witches to fall in love with men appears not uncommon. There are men within the witch society who serve the witches, or who can be taken for lovers or husbands. Witches are said to be capable of appreciating men for their beauty, intelligence and bravery, but due to the witches long life-span, the men appear to grow old and die almost at once. This is said to cause the witches great emotional pain. When witches give birth, if the child is female it is a witch, if male it is human, and in the case of the latter, he too is likely to be outlived by his witch-mother.

Witches live for many hundreds of years. A clans oldest witch mother is usually nearly a thousand. Witches own nothing, and so have no means of exchange save mutual aid. They have no notions of honor, so insults mean nothing to them. Temperature extremes appear not to harm witches and although they feel the cold, wrapping up against it would prevent them from experiencing other things that the humans of the text may not feel, such as "the bright tingle of the stars, or the music of the Aurora". Witches fly on branches of Cloud-Pine, and equate flying to living, as the witch Serafina states "A witch would no sooner give up flying than give up breathing. To fly is to be perfectly ourselves." Witches see themselves as subject to fate, yet they feel they must act as if they are not, or "die of despair". They believe that when they die Yambe-Akka, the goddess of the dead, comes kindly to collect them.

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Spectre:

These beings are invisible to pre-adolescents, and cannot harm them. To adults, they appear as slight shimmerings in the air, and move with malevolence. If they catch an adult, they eat the adult's soul out, leaving the person as a lifeless zombie. When travelling, all human groups have to by law contain a man and woman on horseback to flee and look after the young. Spectres did not have the ability to fly, so their travel speed is limited.

Spectres cannot be killed by humans (or any physical entities at all), but are warded off by The Subtle Knife. Angels have some means of neutralizing Spectres and ghosts may be able to combat them. Humans whose dæmons have been removed from them via intercision can pass them without being attacked. Spectres are created from the use of the Subtle Knife, a knife that can cut a window into another parallel universe. Whenever it does this, a gap is left that opens into the void between worlds, and a Spectre escapes from this void.

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Angels:

The Authority was the first angel to come into existence, who (according to the angel Xaphania) seized power and claimed to be the creator of the multiverse. He was formed from the substance known as Dust, just like the other angels, but he used his cunning to convince them that he had created them and the worlds.

He rules his various churches and organisations from the Clouded Mountain, a city believed by many in that universe to be Heaven. As he grows older and weaker, the Mountain becomes more and more obscured by cloud.

God did not create the angels. He found them already existing and enslaved them. Angels were created when Dust condensed. They do not have a solid, human form, and they are immortal.

Angels do not see the world as we see it. The angels envy us our solidity. Death, they think, would be a price worth paying for the power and brilliance of our senses. If an angel were to see with our eyes, or hear with our ears, he would be dazzled and stunned by the force with which we perceive the physical world. With gifts like this, he would think, why do these creatures not spend their lives in exploration of the physical universe that they are so well equipped to understand? Why are they not consumed with intellectual bliss? This is a mystery to angels.

The angels created the human beings. The arts and the sciences are alike to angels, both being means of apprehending the glory of creation. Angels are ordered and classified by the tasks they perform. Such tasks include carrying messages, giving warnings, bearing consolations, guiding or indicating the way, and spying. Thus there are at least five kinds of angels. Angels have no passions or affections, except one, which is curiosity, or intellectual passion. This is for them the highest of all things. However, others maintain that although they have few feelings for fellow angels, they are capable of love for creatures of other kinds. Some say that the Watchers fell in love with the daughters of men and had offspring by them. That was so long ago, and so many generations have mingled since, that we can all claim to be the descendants of angels.

Angels also have wings and can fly.

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Human Groups:

Besides the average array of jobs, backgrounds, and professions available to humans, there are certain groups that are well known in this world.

Scholars:
Educated men, Scholars are usually older individuals, predominately male, that inhabit the various universities and colleges. Scholars know a great deal more about the academic fields than the rest of the human groups, though their comfort zone does not extend far beyond the border of their schools.

Gyptians:
They are divided into large families, the heads of which make up the gyptians' Council. Their culture, whilst widely spread, is described as being tightly knit. Gyptian children are described as being extravagantly loved, and looked after instinctively by other members of the culture if they are to stray from their mother. Their ethnic group is small enough for all gyptians to know each other by name.

Unlike real-world Gypsies, gyptians are water-travelers. They mainly live aboard boats traversing the canals and rivers of England. They also have connections with salt-water sailors. The gyptian's primary source of income appears to be through trading goods as they travel. Gyptians are said to pride themselves on their ability at card games.

Gyptians have a distinctive accent, andthey also have a distinctive physical appearance. Gytpians sometimes gather as an almost entire culture, and this is called a byanroping, meaning a summons or muster of families. They gather in the fens of Norfolk to discuss and decide important matters.

Gyptians are an honourable people, though they are sometimes perceived negatively by hegemonic society. Although they trade fairly, they are described as partaking in "incessant smuggling and occasional feuds" in which they may kill other gyptians.

Gyptians have little other recourse in society, as they are described as having little standing in the law.

Some gyptians and half-Gyptians take up employment on land. It appears that this is a cultural minority though. Some hide their gyptian heritage whilst still reporting information back to the Gyptian leaders.

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Tartars:

A group of tribesmen in the north, Tartars are isolated from most society, and are rumored to scalp their enemies and drill holes in their skulls, though in reality the skull-holes are a high honor and privilege.

The General Oblation Board:

Known by kids and Gyptians as "the Gobblers", the General Oblation Board is a dangerous faction of the Church, which is a powerful force in this world. The Gobblers are a small group that kidnaps children that have not yet reached puberty, and take them to a lab station far, far in the isolated north. Here, they conduct intercision tests, where they attempt to cut children from their daemons, and see if they can survive, in order to protect the children from the feared Dust.

Today is Valentine's Day. For the couples, it is a day of romance, of celebration of love between two people.

However, what about the rest of us? Those of us who, even if we are in a relationship, can't be with our loved one. What do we celebrate? What about those of us who are single, perhaps always have been, or maybe just recently.

Even though I am one of those who have their loved one with them this day, this is the first year it's been so, and I know from before that things aren't always cheery when all you see are love struck couples.

Yet we must remember that there is more to the spirit of Valentine's Day that just love in relationships. I mean, if we are celebrating love, why does it have to be so narrowly considered?

What about our friends? Friends that have been with us through the thick and thin, maybe for a short while, maybe all our lives. I know I have many people that mean a lot to me, who I love. Why shouldn't we celebrate this?

Family, perhaps the most, and at the same time least, pure love. We should celebrate our family, remember those who we love and hold close to us.

So this Valentine's Day, tell someone you love them. Your mother, your father. Brothers, sisters. Pets. Friends who will never truly know how much you appreciate them.

So what do I think Valentine's Day should be? Well, to quote:

"Always remember, life is not how many breaths you take, it's how many moments take your breath away."

This Valentine's Day, remember love of all kinds.

Pass it on.