✘ Cross my HEART 心泥棒

[Grif ♥]

Currently not accepting players
IC THREAD ➟​

Armour will not protect us, and
the shadows will not hide us,
but hope might bind us.
What we cherish,
everything that we know,
and everything that we love;
It is all at risk.
To protect what remains
and reclaim what was lost
I Cross My HEART ✘
- Motto of the Heart Stealers​

✘ Cross My HEART A high-powered action-adventure roleplay set in an apocalyptic setting about a new world filled with magic, technology, horrors that lurk in the dark, and people who hunt them.


✘ Darkness lurks within every person. Nobody is wholly good, and we are all capable of great evil. In turn there is light within each person, representing the ability to help and protect others despite our darker urges. There are some entities, however, that do not abide by these rules, and seek to disrupt that balance. We had stood strong against them for so long, and our souls were so impregnable, that we forgot they existed. Many fled this world, unable to corrupt our hearts and minds as they wish, but one remained in secret. This one was a being of darkness, and it fed off of our hate, anger, greed, and sorrow. It did not lash out as its companions had long ago, but instead watched and waited, growing stronger and stronger, as its shadowy tendrils coiled themselves around our world in secret.

✘ An eon passed, and humanity reached its height. We remember it as a golden age, which makes our inevitable fall all the more painful. The Dark Presence, the name which we now refer to the hidden entity as, tightened its grip on us, and brought us crashing down in almost an instant. The darkest of us were consumed by their own shadows, warped into nightmarish creatures of dark, and could feel nothing but pain. They lashed out with teeth and claws, hunting down those that had resisted the influence of the Dark Presence. Those that resisted fought back, but found their weapons useless against their seemingly omnipresent foe, and for every thrall of the Dark Presence slain a dozen would take their place.

✘ Those that survived found safety underground or in the most isolated parts of the world where the Dark Presence could not find them. They carved out a meagre existence here, struggling for survival for generations as nightmares crept along their borders. Tales say that, in their most dire hour, a figure in white appeared to the survivors. Possessing unnatural strength and courage, she taught the survivors how to use the strength of the Dark Presence to benefit themselves. Thralls had no need for their heart, and so it was corrupted and twisted, turned into a solid black stone that held immense arcane power. The figure in white revealed it could power great weapons of war, and even empower people. With this knowledge they could fight back and make a new world for themselves. While it is not known if the figure in white is anything more than a fairy-tale, it is known that humanity erupted from their havens, brandishing weapons and new, arcane abilities. With these new powers they fought the darkness, and began to reclaim the lands they had once called home.

✘ So the New World was built upon the ashes of the old. New havens were built atop the ruins of old cities, which only grew in number as more people rose up and pushed back the forces of the Dark Presence. As two hundred years passed the grip of the Dark Presence seemed to weaken and fade. The darkness that enshrouded the world vanished, and only the remnants of Darkness remain. Some believe it was slain, while others claim it is merely sleeping. Nobody knows for sure. Now though, with the threat of destruction gone, men and women dedicate themselves to learn from and to hunt down the monsters that remain, hoping to make sure humanity still follows the path to its old glory. While battered and torn, the world lives on.

✘ This is where our story begins. We follow the story of the Heart Stealers, a small but skilled band of hunters that have been tracing rumours of an artefact from the Old World that might be able to dispel the darkness that plagues the word. Their quest will not be easy, however, as the wasteland is a dangerous place, and it is not only the thralls that hope to stop them before they succeed in their quest.

The World Characters and the CS

• 
  
  Bestiary

  ✘ Thralls: The simplest and most common type of thrall, these individuals possess no abilities beyond that of an ordinary human other than an inhuman tolerance for pain and injury. They possess little threat alone even to inexperienced hunters, although they often congregate in large groups called hordes to make up for their physical frailty. Thralls only feel negative emotion, such as anger or sadness, and are so consumed by it that they lack the ability to reason or communicate any more than a few brief words at a time. These overwhelming emotions cloud their judgement, and as such thralls are not particularly intelligent and a hunter can outwit them without great difficulty. On occasion a Witch will take command of a group of thralls. These thralls show unusually great levels of intelligence and restraint; just enough to follow the orders of the Witch and brandish makeshift weapons.
  
  ✘ Witches: Although not commonly encountered, witches are well known for their ability to stand toe to toe with even experienced hunters. Whereas ordinary human beings transform into thralls, hardier hunters who battle the forces of the Dark Presence daily seem more resistant to its influence, and retain their memories and intelligence even after the transformation is complete. Witches are no more able to feel positive emotions than thralls are however, and this drives many of them mad regardless. Witches almost always have the ability to command essence, even if they did not before their transformation, and their abilities are volatile and extremely powerful. Oddly social beings, Witches often gather hordes of thralls to act as soldiers and guards, or they may ally with other Witches to form a coven.
  
  ✘ Balors: The origin of these creatures is a mystery, as no human being has ever been witnessed transforming into a balor. These creatures are universally feared however, as they dwarf any other type of thrall. Ranging from roughly 18ft at the smallest to over 100ft at the largest, balors are almost completely immune to conventional weaponry and are usually powerful enough that no structure can slow them down. Interestingly, balors are not particularly violent, and only attack when provoked. They are, however, dim-witted, and may topple an entire city by merely walking through it, completely unaware of the destruction they leave in their wake. Because of this, and their immense strength, balors are typically left alone unless their path leads them directly towards a settlement. On occasion they pass by cities, ignoring them completely, heading blindly towards some unknown destination.
  
  ✘ Sliggs: Although not humanoid in form, sliggs spawn from the thick black ichor that thralls leave behind. Resembling mobile balls of black slime containing a single, tiny heart shard, sliggs are almost completely harmless, possessing no weapons or methods of defense. They feed off of emotion, both good and bad, and as such as drawn to population centres, whether those places are populated by humans or thralls. Despite their harmlessness, sliggs spotted outside of human settlements are still expected to be slain on sight, as sliggs that feed from too much negative emotion may grow into the far more dangerous sliggoth.
  
  ✘ Sliggoths: Considered the adult form of sliggs, sliggoths are large, bull-sized monstrosities with an uncontrollable hunger for flesh. Thick, leathery skin has covered the sligg and spines as sturdy as steel sprout from their back and jut backwards. Enormous, insect-like pincers have appeared to form a mouth, and six short legs protrude from their body, which allow them to move at remarkable speeds. While thralls seem capable of only feeling negative emotions, the sliggoth is more limited still, and feels nothing but rage. They are exceptionally violent and will attack without provocation, making them among the most deadly types of thrall.
  
  
  
  Key Terms

  ✘ Dark Presence: A powerful, unseen entity that embodies hate, anger, and sadness. It brought about the end of the Old World by twisting most of the population of the world into puppets known as Thralls which hunted down those strong enough to resist. There is no evidence of the Dark Presence's activity in over a hundred years, and it is generally assumed to either be dead or asleep.
  
  ✘ Thralls: Human beings that have been turned into monsters by the Dark Presence. There are many different types of thrall, from the cunning and powerful Witch to the single-minded but numerous Thralls that share their name with the collective group. They feel only negative emotions, and are extremely violent towards human beings. All thralls are humanoid figures cloaked in an inky black darkness, their only discernible features being their mouth and eyes which glow with a ghostly blue light. A human being who has spent too long in areas under the influence of the Dark Presence, which accounts for most areas outside of city walls, may one day transform into a thrall themselves.
  
  ✘ Essence: An almost magical source of energy that provides the majority of the world's energy. When properly harnessed it can act as a fuel source, or it can imbue items with unusual properties, and most modern technology is influenced by essence in both ways. Certain processes can even grant human beings superhuman abilities through essence.
  
  ✘ Heart Shard: When humans transform into thralls their hearts solidify, turning into a black, fist-sized stones that hums with power, most commonly called heart shards. Heart shards are lethally toxic to everything around it, but once properly treated they are safe to handle. They are the only known source of essence, and so they are harvested in huge quantities to power cities and technology. If implanted into the chest of a human being in place of their heart, a heart shard can grant them abilities that go far beyond what a human being is capable of.
  
  ✘ Artificers and Warlocks: Individuals that have dedicated themselves to hunting down thralls and other monsters created by the Dark Presence, both types fight in a different manner. Artificers rely on more advanced technology, taking advantage of the world's wealth of unusual and powerful technology to gain the upper hand in battle, while Warlocks act as a conduit for essence, their heart long replaced by a heart shard, and can perform unique styles of magic that are difficult to predict, but unique to each individual. The term "warlock" is often used outside of the context of hunters merely to differentiate those who have the ability to command essence from those who do not.
  
  
  
  Locations

  To be updated.
  
  
  
  Major Factions

  To be updated.
  
  
• 
  
  Active Characters

  Colony: Δ (Delta)
  Grif ♥: Bernadette Westerveldt
  Sakuyahime: Ashley Cross & Kallen Brandt
  Sephear: Gerard Karrol
  
  
  
  Inactive Characters

  N/a
  
  
  
  Dead/Lost Characters

  N/a
  
  
  
  Character Sheet

  Feel free to colour this as you wish, especially the parts left in grey. It can make it a little more vibrant and personal to colour it in a way that suits your character.
  
  
  

  

  
  
  Cross my HEART
  ✘✘心泥棒✘✘
  "Insert Character Quote Here"
  ✘✘✘​

  
  
  ✘Name: A full name for your character.
  ✘Age: Age and date of birth. The roleplay begins in the early spring of 200NW for reference.
  ✘Sex: Male or female, etc.
  ✘Title: A brief title that sums up your character in a few words. It may be humorous, epic, or both!
  
  
  ✘Appearance: Your character's appearance; a text description complimented by a picture is preferable, although either will suffice.
  ✘Biography: Personality and history rolled into one!
  
  
  ✘Equipment/Weaponry: Heart Stealers employ a multitude of different types of weaponry and equipment. Some are simple and practical, like communication devices or PDAs, while others are flamboyant and outlandish, like mechanical gauntlets and transforming buster blades. Go wild!
  ✘Abilities/Combat Style: The various abilities that your character might possess. People skilled enough to travel the wastes outside of the cities often have a plethora of skills under their belt, such as technical know-how, combat expertise, or the ability to harness the power of essence.
  
  ✘Musical theme
  A musical piece that suits your character!
  
  
  

 

[SPiCa]

They're ready.

Spoiler

Heart Stealer ➟ ​

➟ Name: Kallen Brandt
➟ Age: 18
➟ Sex: Female


➟ Abilities and Skills: Kallen is a capable fighter both up close and at a distance. Her mother had helped her become a skilled marksman with bolt action and semi-automatic guns, and her uncle had taught her kickboxing. However, she isn't able to handle fully automatic guns and melee weaponry.

In addition, Kallen uses two abilities granted by her heart shards.

Her first ability, Distortion Field, creates a pocket of reality in which time and space are slowed to a crawl. It appears completely empty on the outside, like a black hole, but on the inside, the rest of the universe seems to stop existing, and Kallen becomes the fastest thing alive. The size of the Distortion Field varies, but the extent of its power is that it can only affect up to three or four living things (humans, Warlocks, the Darkness, etc.) at any given time, not counting Kallen herself. If any more are caught in the field, the effect becomes dampened to the point of uselessness or ends outright. Any less, however, and the effects of the field become strong enough to make time stop entirely.

Second is a power she calls Spawn. By distributing her essence and the corruption that goes with it (almost entirely forfeiting the use of her Distortion Field in the process), Kallen can summon a swarm of thralls and sliggs. She can also divide her essence amongst existing thralls and sliggs in a certain range to gain control over them. Kallen's eyes and mouth emit a blue light when her Spawn are active, and she has command over her summons akin to a witch, able to control them without conscious input. A similarly-attributed blackness covers portions of her body as well.

Possessing Kallen's essence, the Spawn have abilities of their own—mostly explosive. When the Spawn are destroyed or commanded to, they explode similarly to a grenade; the explosions can be just so, or an incendiary, a short-range flash freeze, or they can just spew an icky, viscous black and blue slime everywhere. There's nothing special to the slime. It's just really gross.

Spawn has a unique utility, rather than existing for the sake of freaking you out, blowing you up and getting slime in your pants. Due to the nature of dividing and using Kallen's corrupted heart to create and sustain her Spawn, the overall amount that returns from a dead Spawn is less than what she'd used to create it. However, the benefit of being able to further stave off her corruption comes at the cost of lessening the effect of her Distortion Field. More importantly, she's susceptible to bouts of memory loss and missing time—an inability to recall what took place during Spawn's use, or forgetting something that doesn't have much value to her.

Her cooking ain't bad, either.

➟ Equipment and Weaponry: Charon is a medium- to long-range semi-automatic rifle with an essence Motor embedded in the stock and an adjustable sight to allow for more accurate shots at range.

Charon can also be split in two, wrapping around Kallen's arms and hovering just over them like a shell, and a glove-like shield covers her fingers individually. A pair of engines latch onto her shoulders, acting much like a jetpack controlled by her shoulder blades. Two small tubes grow out of the shells on her wrists, being engines with lesser power and delivering most of the strength behind her punches; Charon's magazine is embedded in the right wrist, and add an additional concussive explosion to her punch.

Since Charon only has a six-round magazine, Kallen almost always has at least one extra immediately available, in addition to a shoulder-slung pack carrying more, along with a change of clothes, a basic first aid kit, and often food.


➟ Appearance: At 5'5" and only 54kg, Kallen is probably not the kind of person you expect to freely carry firearms, but she does. She has dark amber eyes that are constantly looking for something interesting to keep her attention. Silver-grey hair flows down to the bridge of her nose, the top of her breast and down to her waist in the back, and two long scarlet ribbons stay tied into a bow around part of her bangs.

Kallen has a light skin tone and a modest blush in her cheeks, with a lean figure that belies her fighting style and ability to lug a rifle around. Most of her strength actually comes from the essence Motor in her rifle, but you can hear about that later. Kallen's regular clothes don't cover much of her skin, skirts and dresses usually reaching only halfway down her thighs or to her knees, a pair of trainers, and tops that tend to hang off her shoulders; jackets and jeans take over during the cold months. Most of her clothes have some kind of design at the hems, but overall they're rather plain.

In the field, her clothing covers her much better by comparison. Tough, durable pants that fit just a tad loosely over a pair of combat boots, with holsters strapped to the thighs for a revolver and the extra ammunition she carries. She always has a long-sleeved undershirt under various plain-colored T-shirts as well, and a pair of black gloves that allow her a better grip. Most of the time, though, she either leaves her hair alone or ties it into a low ponytail with the ribbons.

➟ Biography: Kallen Brandt grew up somewhat comfortably, aside from a dangerous curiosity and aspirations to fight the Dark Presence, and her parents' work prompting them to move every couple of years. Even with death and destruction looming over humanity she managed to stay bright and cheery, and treat everything like it was a game to break. Her father was rarely home for half of her life—an employee at the Gamayun Institute named Alexander who played with the applications of essence Motors—and her mother worked at the Jadis Corporation, working in the weapons industry and helping to supply the Scarlet Guard and Heart Stealers. With her mother's supervision throughout her childhood, Kallen was able to learn how to use a variety of weapons relatively safely. Her uncle is the one who taught her to fight, though, a member of the Scarlet Guard himself.

At fifteen, she decided to join the Heart Stealers at her mother's recommendation, partly to help the latter, and partly because she wanted to put five or so years of practice into... well, practice. During one of her father's visits, Kallen was fitted out with an essence Motor-equipped rifle she named Charon, and put it to extensive use whenever she made little challenges for herself.

It was another year before she'd gotten a heart shard implanted. She lost more than one friend and teammate to the Dark Presence's corruption, yet she didn't hesitate when her mother finally gave up on the matter. Since everyone who had them gained the power of essence and used it differently, she wanted to know what she could do if she had it, and eventually her parents got on board the curiosity train with her. They're researchers and such. Of course they wanted to know.

As Kallen recovered from the implants, she started exploring her new capabilities. She couldn't breathe fire, she couldn't fire beams of ice from her eyes, and she wasn't able to accelerate her healing so she could get back to work quicker. Instead, the first time she tried to make something come out of her body it turned out to be a thrall, spawned from her chest. Then another. And another. On top of it, her eyes and mouth flared with blue light, and an unsuspecting nurse screamed bloody murder, accusing her of being a witch in sheep's clothing. It was hilarious... after the nurse was assured that Kallen was most certainly not a witch.

Other developments during her recovery included being able to slow down and even freeze time, and soon enough the Brandt parents couldn't help themselves. They were over-the-top fascinated, and the only things stopping Alexander from taking her to the Gamayun Institute with him were his wife and the fact that Kallen was their daughter with her own things to worry about. Kallen returned to the Heart Stealers with more vigor than before, using her newfound essence both for battle and to occasionally (not always on purpose) scare the everliving hell out of her friends.

Spoiler

Heart Stealer ➟ ​

➟ Name: Ashley Cross
➟ Age: 26
➟ Sex: Female


➟ Abilities and Skills: Regardless of how she acts, Ashley is a troublesome fighter to deal with; speedy and acrobatic, using her small body to her advantage to disable multiple targets in a flash. She relies on agility and dexterity over anything else to avoid and deal damage, rather than holding any real strength behind her strikes, and has difficulty standing back up after taking a good hit. On the defensive Ashley isn't nearly as reliable against much more than thralls. The most she can make of her strength is in her momentum.

Her heart shard has given her many things, though none of them the strength to wield most of the amazing weapons other Heart Stealers have. Instead, Ashley was given incredible dexterity, flexibility and balance, allowing her to maneuver at high speed with minimal repercussions. Her essence tends to pour out in the form of feline ears and a tail. They function and move like the real thing, and Ashley likes to think they help, but they don't particularly provide any benefit.

Ashley's first real power that emerged was one to generate and exert control over crystals, and the ability to crystallise liquids she comes in contact with; it could be water, beer or blood, and she'd turn it into a gem. Ashley grows the crystals from her body and existing ones she's already made, the limit of the former not being particularly clear. In battle, she uses this power to create her weaponry, armor, a fine powder, or a large pillar or shield, but little else is in her repertoire that isn't just for looking pretty. She can make pressure-triggered explosives with the crystals, but she doesn't think it looks very good (compared to flying around, knives and needles blazing).

Her second ability to develop was to control electricity, and she generates it to excess; she can literally become a bolt of lightning or EM waves and still have the energy to do it some more. She uses this ability for much more utilitarian purposes than her crystallokinesis, which she plays with recreationally as much as she does for actually hurting things, and she usually uses them together. For example, by charging her crystal weapons, she can expel lightning and link them like an electrical grid, or instantly transport herself from any location to them as long as there's open air between her and the needle.

Ashley can also create a static tether, allowing her to pull herself in any direction, charge her entire body electromagnetically to drag things in and fire them back out, or even defy gravity.
➟ Equipment and Weaponry: She has no abnormal strength, so she's unable to wield many weapons. Guns, unless it's just a pistol or possibly mounted, are pretty much out of the question. Even a sword is a stretch for an extended period. Instead, Ashley opts to create a pair of crystal knives on command. At the end of the hilt on each dagger is a ring, giving Ashley the option to spin them rapidly, splitting the blades in two and throwing them like boomerangs. She's more accurate with them in this fashion than she is at firing a bullet. (Granted, she's terrible with a lot of weapons even if she can use them, so it's not really much of a feat.)

Aside from the knives, Ashley can also form a variety of smaller objects that are fired off as projectiles; these are almost always electrically-charged needles that act as a conduit for some of her abilities, rather than being used to deal any real damage. When she expects to go out for a day or more, Ashley brings along a backpack occupied by a pillow with cartoony tiger faces on the pillowcase, a first aid kit, and a coat.
➟ Appearance: Due to her heart shard, Ashley had aged at a decelerated rate, among it causing a variety of other changes. At twenty-six years old, she's only physically aged to twelve or thirteen, and much of her mind has progressed just as slowly; she's fluent in two languages and can process information like a savant, but her energy and sense of wonder border the insane.

She's only five feet tall and feather-light, a very slim girl who still has yet to grow. Ashley has light, smooth skin, an adorable button nose, big copper eyes and pale brown hair that lays down to her waist in low twintails, tied there by big bows. Much of the time, felid features appear in the form of a pair of fuzzy ears colored in the same tone as her hair, fur growing along parts of her skin, and a fluffy tail poking out from where her spine ends, showing itself from under her shirt. A faint blue glow occasionally emanates from the fur, almost like an aura.

Her favorite outfit is a plain white blouse and a pleated black skirt with a pair of knee-high socks and running sneakers, sometimes accompanied by a large red bow that hangs around her collar. Other outfits include, but are not limited to, a variety of dresses and skirts appropriately fitted for her stature. Ashley also wears a thin layer of tough fabric under her clothes to protect herself from minor damage and some cutting since she can't lift actual armor.
➟ Biography: Ashley is probably best known for her immortality, her young looks and ever-childish attitude deceptive to reality. Her uncle, guardian and caretaker Earl, however, will never let her live down the fact that she swallowed a heart shard when she was a little girl.

It was a lot more serious at the time—like a baby gnawing on a stick of uranium when Mom isn't looking—but Earl laughs about it when he reminisces. Ingesting a decent number of heart shard... shards, left lacerations in her throat down to her lungs and heart as it penetrated her body, and it took the effort of multiple medics to keep her alive; their work helped her make a full recovery. They couldn't remove the pieces, however, so the heart shard was left scattered through her chest; oddly enough, the shards still functioned. Its effects were of no concern to Earl, a member of the Scarlet Guard who had been given custody of Ashley after the death of his sister and her husband, and he just wanted to keep her safe. As long as that never changed, he could deal with anything.

Obviously, after that incident, Ashley was rarely left alone, and Earl tended to bring her along to work—the safest place he could think of without boring the life out of her. (Really, he just brought her out to battlefields.) This continued for years as Ash's growth slowed enough that molasses could beat it in a race, and essence-based powers started to develop from the effects of the heart shard pieces. He continued to dote on her, though. Even as she learned how to fight, he always taught her to go around danger and stab it in the back so she doesn't get hurt.

When she was about 24, her uncle in his fifties, Earl started getting a visitor from working odd jobs related to the Guard; a man her age (and looked it) named Gerard. She'd seen him fight before, and was enamored by the brutality he delivered. Gerard was able to see Ashley work with a knife, but they never actually met until Earl let him into their home. With Ashley enjoying having a companion, and bringing a bit of lightheartedness into Gerard's own life, the two became fast friends.

At one point, Earl wanted to entrust Gerard with her. (No, he didn't trade for a cow, two goats and six chickens.) Initially, Gerard declined, believing himself to be unfit to take care of a little girl in his line of work. Although, when the soldier was given an offer to join the Heart Stealers, he wasn't able to leave her behind, knowing it would have been safer with people who were always at the ready. Earl was old, and wasn't getting any younger, either, and he couldn't leave the girl on her own.

Gerard joined the Heart Stealers with his new best friend and adopted child under his wing. Earl decided he could die happy knowing someone could protect his niece when he no longer could, and resigned himself to fighting to the end of his days.

 

[Colony]

Woo, not the last one to post up the SU. :P

Spoiler

Heart Stealer ➟ ​

➟ Name: Δ (Delta)

➟ Age: 20
➟ Sex: Male

➟ Abilities and Skills:
The first thing in Delta's book regarding combat is that it's better to run away and live than fight and die. Stealth is what he was trained in, and he truly takes it to heart. As a result his skill set revolves around thievery with a touch of sidearm brilliance, but that will be further touched on later. He was trained by an outsourced group of mercenaries hired by Gamayun Institute to prepare him for the undercover missions they had assigned him. This training gave him heightened agility, dexterity, and made him adapt with knives and Krav Maga. As a general rule of thumb, Delta attempts to disable the opponent if it's a viable approach. The only time he kills is when necessary or if it's lucrative.

His proficiency with a gun is purely coincidental, as one of the two abilities provided by his Heart Shard gives him a unique affinity with guns and other long-range weapons. This particular ability is known as Ballistic Vision. With this ability Delta is able to instantly understand the ballistics of projectiles, whether they are being lined up or they have already been shot. This allows him to read the path of pretty much any projectile, including bullets, arrows, etc. In the situation where he's being shot at even though he can read the path of the shot it does not mean his body can react in time to prevent it from hitting him. It would require that the shot was far enough away to allow him sufficient time to dodge.

Delta's second ability was originally called Chameleon by Epsilon. As a tribute to his deceased friend, he continues to call it by that name. When using this ability light is wrapped around Delta, thus allowing him to alter his appearance in numerous amounts of ways and variations, such as blending into his surroundings or taking on the image of a person. It works differently depending on what the wanted effect is. If trying to blend in with the environment then the light surrounding him appears to take on the appearance of his surroundings. Regardless of where a person looks, it's as if nothing was there. When trying to take on the appearance of another person, it gets a bit more complicated. He must see what the target looks like to replicate them. The target doesn't have to be seen in person, so a picture will suffice. One problem that can be observed when he is replicating an object is that the ability is limited in that it can not produce light itself, which means Delta is unable to mimic creatures such as Witches who emit light from their mouths. Regardless of which way he uses the ability it must be constantly maintained by him or else the illusion breaks. Also, since the changes are merely visual they do not alter his smell or the sound of his voice.

There is another ability, though trait may be a more accurate description. Due to the extensive modifications as a test subject in the Prometheus project his body has taken on unique traits. Prometheans, as they're called, are able to consume the energy of additional Heart Shards to gain temporary boosts in all facets of their being. They draw the Heart Shard's essence in through their mouth, metaphorically eating the essence. Athletic abilities are amplified and essence abilities often take on profound changes that were previously unrelated. For example, Delta's Chameleon ability changes from an optical illusion to actual physical changes, including appearance, smell, and sound. There are serious drawbacks to being a Promethean, though. They must take heavy precautions to avoid addiction, as Heart Shards carry drug-like reactions in Prometheans. These drug-like effects are not necessarily limited to addiction, though. If a Promethean consumes the energy of a Heart Shard that does not match their own, then they have a very high chance of backfiring. Other effects include: temporary loss of abilities, increased rate of corruption, and decreases in physical ability. In Delta's case, as with all first generation Prometheans, he requires Witch Heart Shards.

➟ Equipment and Weaponry:
GI Chimæra .45: This little beauty is one of only three weapons produced for the Prometheus project. Under first inspection it appears to be a heavily modified handgun, but the only thing that's normal is its seven round magazines loaded with .45 caliber bullets. No, what makes this firearm a work of art is how intricately its Essence Motor is integrated into the design. Everything from the action, barrel, and even the overall frame has something to do with the motor. Blue lights along the slide help indicate the nature of the gun, but chance are you wouldn't notice it before it's too late. There are both an under-barrel rail and over-barrel rail for various attachments, such as optic sights or lights and lasers. Typically Delta has no need for an optic sight, but during development they did not know about his Ballistic Vision. The light attachment can be very useful, as it can disorient certain enemies while illuminating the dark. In addition, this pistol is equipped with a DNA sensor in the grip, thus preventing anyone other than Delta from using it.

The Essence Motor of the weapon gives it the ability known as Altered Ballistics. Altered Ballistics does pretty much what the name implies. With this the user is able to perform unnatural effects with projectiles fired from this weapon. Such effects are not limited to, trajectory, penetration, range, and velocity. For example, the trajectory can be bent, thus "curving" the bullet. These alterations do have side-effects, though. If the trajectory is changed, then the velocity and penetration is reduced, likewise if the velocity is increased, trajectory can not be altered. Bullets can also be primed with essence, increasing their native ability to penetrate an object, though this ability requires an additional amount of time to charge the shot along with whatever alterations are applied. This ability is not user-friendly, and pretty much requires Ballistic Vision to be used to its fullest extent.

GI Tac-Tool: Primarily, this is a basic survival knife. The blade is made out of specialized metal alloy to promote extended durability, and for a precise measurement it comes in at seven inches. Pairing the blade with its six inch hilt and you have a knife that is long enough to pack a punch and be useful in a fight, while short enough to do basic tasks, like skinning game. There is one unique feature, specifically designed for the types of missions Delta was originally assigned to do. A small Essence Motor is attached to a sliding mechanism on the sheath of the knife. When it is extended there is a key-like adapter that has an ability known as Access programmed into it. Access is another ability that pretty much does what the name implies. This ability pretty much turns whatever tool it's equipped to into a skeleton key, digital or analog. In other words, it can crack safes, unlock doors, and even hack computers.

➟ Appearance:
With an unsuspicious frame, Delta stands at 5'10" and comes in at a lean 164 pounds. His face is composed of an angular chin, subtle facial lines, and oval shaped eyes. The gleaming, copper eyes are one of his most distinguishing features. They stand out against his lightly tanned skin. A nearly unblemished complexion can be observed when looking at Delta, a fact he takes pride in. There is a large scar on his chest from the Heart Stone operation he received at a young age. His brown hair loosely curls towards the end of each strand. In addition to the curl, it hangs heavily at chin level, with the exception of his bangs which are about nose level. He always maintains a clean shave, regardless of the situation.

When he's not doing a job, he gallivants in the fanciest clothes he can find. His preference for suits goes against everything he's supposed to represent. Instead of blending in with his basic appearance, he stands out like a sore thumb. The typical black dress coat paired with black slacks is his favorite choice to wear. Often, he pairs a vertical pin-striped shirt under his coat, all pulled together with a vibrant red tie. In addition to his penchant for dressy clothes, he wears a black and red short-rim fedora along with a pair of thin leather gloves. There are also more cloak and dagger accessories that accompany his wardrobe. He wears a black leather shoulder holster, which carries his pistol along with three easy access extended mags. A tactical knife sheath is attached to the back of his belt. Both of these accessories are hidden by his dress coat and offer him a range of options in how to deal with situations.

Delta's on the job clothing doesn't vary too much from his casual clothes. He maintains the black slacks and the pin-stripe shirt, but loses the tie and coat. Along with the alterations to his basic wardrobe he shifts around a bit of his equipment to make it more combat accessible. His knife sheath is shifted to his leg and without the coat the gun holster has easy access. One major addition to his equipment is a canvas storage bag. In this bag he keeps even more magazines for his handgun, but the bag is mostly empty to provide space for any item that he may come across.

➟ Biography:
Delta's story does not begin like most would. It didn't start the day he was born. No, it started several years later, during his first few years with the Gamayun Institute. At the time he was around ten years old. He had no recollection of his time from before then, a well known side-effect associated with the project he had been enrolled in. Their reasoning for the memory loss was that they needed blank slates to work with or else their plans could be compromised. The project that he was coaxed in to was known as the Prometheus project. Its goal was fairly simple; they wanted to produce the next step in human evolution. Their means to accomplish this goal was also simple in that they wanted to increase a human's compatibility with Heart Shards all while minimizing the possibilities of corruption. This plan sounded very effective on paper, so many of the higher ranking members of Gamayun Institute decided to proceed with the project.

Twenty four children were taken as subjects for the project, with each subject's name being replaced with a Greek alphabet. One of the first stages of the project (after the memory erasures) was complete Heart Shard replacement surgeries. Initial testing after the surgeries appeared to be showing progress, as many of the test subjects were displaying significant integration with their new Heart Shards. It took several weeks before negative symptoms started appearing. Unlike other Warlocks, these test subjects weren't being corrupted, instead they seemed to be deteriorating. Their DNA was literally coming undone, body parts turned into an ash-like substance, crumbling into nothingness. The only thing that was left afterwards was the Heart Shard. Watching these kids die was a nightmare, as many of them had connections with Gamayun employees. Out of the original twenty four, only three survived. These three were known as Δ (Delta), Ε (Epsilon), and Σ (Sigma).

Once Gamayun had confirmed that Delta, Epsilon, and Sigma had stabilized, which was reaffirmed with relentless DNA tests, they moved them in to the next phase of Prometheus. Their individual abilities became the locus of this phase, as it would determine how they would proceed in the future. This was the hardest point for Delta, as his abilities were rather situational and hard to activate. After all, he needed a weapon or to be aimed at by a weapon for his Ballistic Vision to activate and Chameleon required intense concentration to be used. It was a complete accident that he ever discovered his power. It had been a few days after both Epsilon and Sigma had discovered their abilities. Delta was being pressured to discover his talents soon, or else he'd be removed from the project. Naturally, with nothing left to hold on to, he spent a large amount of time focusing on what he could do. His mental effort triggered Chameleon. He disappeared from sight, which was supposed to be impossible in a place where everything was on camera. Within twenty four hours he was being introduced to a mercenary group that specialized in espionage.

This group of mercenaries was well-known within the Gamayun Institute for their unparalleled success. They had a nearly spotless record when it came to their assignments, and every last one of them was a normal human. Gamayun Institute knew that with the training provided by this group mixed with the newly discovered camouflaging ability, Delta could become the perfect tool to gain access to classified information hidden by A.C.R.E. Delta was trained in an opportunistic form of hand-to-hand combat, known as Krav Maga, which focused on ruthless and dirty fighting all while promoting the concept that combat should be avoided. Along with this combative training, he was taught the various tools of trade of spying and various weapon techniques. It was during weapons training that he discovered Ballistic Vision. As a result, he was a natural, though his preference was with handguns. After Gamayun caught wind of his second essence ability they specially crafted him a gun that would be able to maximize its potential. The training lasted for four years, during which Delta's body was refined in to a machine and his mind one with out a conscience. Once it was done, Delta went on to perform various missions at the discretion of the Gamayun Institute.

During these missions he refined and developed several of his abilities, such as learning the extent to which Chameleon could be used. The reason for his personal developments was numerous, but it was most likely the diverse requirements that accompanied each job. Sometimes he needed to impersonate an official to go unsuspected, while other times they were high-profile hits (primarily with Gamayun's competitors). As his missions went on his choice in equipment got simpler. He no longer needed rows of equipment, instead opting for his pistol and a tactical knife he specifically had rigged with a special Essence Motor. It was a sign that he was truly mastering his talents, over the next three years he completed several missions for Gamayun. It wasn't until he was about to turn eighteen that everything had started falling apart.

The Prometheus project was being pushed to a completely new level, as Gamayun wanted to find new ways to further the surviving three test subjects. New experiments were conducted, all trying to push the boundaries of conventional knowledge regarding Heart Shards. They stumbled on a temporary boost in essence when additional Heart Shards were introduced into the subject's body. Further testing showed that only the same species of Heart Shards could be exhibited in the same body, or else they would conflict with each other and damage the original Heart Shard. Sigma was the perfect example of the negative reactions that occurred when multiple species of Heart Shards were present in one body. Unfortunately, by the time they had learned about these severe side effects, it had already cost Epsilon his life.

Gamayun Institute had received reports that one of their smaller facilities was being targeted for an attack, but by who or what they did not know. The facility was one of their splinter research bases, which should have been inconspicuous to any known enemies. Under that pretense, the heads of the Prometheus project were told to send Delta, Epsilon, and Sigma to investigate the situation. If anything suggested a raid, they were instructed to do a pre-emptive strike. Their time on the base was brief before they were attacked.

There were no warning signs. The attack was initiated at night, sometime in between 0100 hours and 0300 hours. A somewhat small platoon of twenty Thralls lead by a Witch infiltrated the unprepared base. It was a nightmarish experience for all involved. Dozens among dozens of researchers were killed before Delta, Epsilon, and Sigma were able to confront them. The Thralls were little trouble for the group, as they were unable to match the trained Prometheans. By the time they dispatched the majority of the Thralls the true threat appeared in front of them. The Witch presented a unique challenge, as none of the group had a lot of experience fighting them. As they were pushed into a corner by the Witch, Sigma had decided to pull off a last resort. She devoured the essence from one of the Thralls' Heart Shards, fully unaware of what was about to happen. Her body convulsed violently, eventually corrupting into a Witch. What started as a threat quickly became a crisis with the new development. The now unrecognizable Sigma used one of her essence abilities to remove Epsilon's Heart Shard, effectively killing him. With no other option in sight, Delta was faced with a gruesome choice. He could either die or consume the essence from Epsilon's Heart Shard. For Delta, this was no choice, just a solution. He proceeded to consume the essence of his dead friend's Heart Shard, but in much the same way as Sigma, he had no idea the extent of the effects. This was the first time he had eaten essence from a Heart Shard, as those tests were usually done by Sigma, but the power he received from the supplement was profound. His natural abilities were pushed to new heights, even going so far as to change the basis for how they worked. He was able to merge into his surroundings, becoming truly invisible. The two witches were completely deceived. Delta proceeded to fire off several high impact rounds into the two Witches, all of which landed perfectly into the region their Heart Shards would be located. One had been defeated, but Sigma still remained. Obviously wounded, the new Witch fled the base, never to be seen again. After the incident, Gamayun Institute recalled Delta.

The death of Epsilon and Sigma's corruption caused Gamayun to reevaluate the assignments associated with the Prometheus project. With Delta being the last of the first generation of Prometheans all assignments were redesigned to either fit his skill set or to continue testing the limits of his kind. This turn of events lead him to join the Heart Stealers. Delta also has a secondary motive for joining the Heart Stealers, in addition to the ones given by Gamayun Institute. His personal goal is to find Sigma and eliminate her in the vilest way possible. The Heart Stealers aren't fully aware of his intentions, but his particular abilities were immediately found invaluable, though untested. Now to prove himself he is working on a certain investigation pertaining to important individuals in the Risa Eist.

➟ Other: N/A

 

[Sephear]

[spoili]

Heart Stealer ➟​

"You can never erase darkness, but we must fight it anyways, and whatever happens to me I won't become another monster."​

➟ Name: Gerard Peter Karrol

➟ Age: 26

➟ Sex: lots Male

➟ Abilities and Skills ➟

Gerard's fighting style is not as explosive as some Warlocks because of his lack of offensive powers. He usually wields Nyx in his right hand and Umbra in his left, their names symbolic of using the power of darkness against it. If Umbra and Nyx prove ineffective or his enemies get up close and personal he makes use of Esmerelda to hack his opponent to pieces. Gerard is skilled in using a sword and generally a cautious person, but his regenerative abilities have rendered him reckless in the heat of battle, making his melee combat almost like that of a berserker. With Esmeralda he charges straight for his opponents relentlessly, never letting up until they're dead or he can't fight anymore. At range no enemy is safe because he doesn't have to worry about running out of ammunition, but up close they have to deal with someone who's constantly attacking, leaving them to defend until they finally wear down or attack and show an opening.

➟ Equipment and Weaponry:

Esmerelda: A hand-and-a-half double-edged sword with an emeraldine blade and pommel. It was created from a strange substance Gerard vomited up shortly after his regenerative abilities were first discovered. It is razor sharp and appears to be sturdier than any material he's heard of before, but is still flexible enough not to be damaged when it hits something it can't cut.

[BCOLOR=#339966]Umbra and Nyx[/BCOLOR]: Two custom-made pistols fashioned by the Gamayun Institute for their favorite test-subject, which feature the same strange green scales Gerard has a patch of on his face. Modeled after the Colt 1911s of the old world for their famous reliability to the point of being used for over a hundred years around the world, these pistols contain micro-essence-generators. The generators create new rounds for the pair within their magazines from various particles in the air fast enough that they can't be emptied out unless fired as fast as humanly possible, and even then they'd fill up again fairly quick. Umbra and Nyx have been modified to fire larger "Shard-shatter" rounds powerful to punch through most monsters of the Darkness, though this comes at the cost of much-increased recoil.

➟ Appearance: Gerard used to be a fairly average-sized person, but ever since becoming a Warlock he has steadily grown taller, apparently because Sliggoths are larger than most people. He is now about 6'4, after the heart shard transplant his hair became dark red, almost scarlet. Normally his hair splays about fairly randomly, managing to still frame his face well, but sometimes he keeps it in a ponytail. His eyes usually have purple irises with slightly larger than normal pupils, but when he's angry his irises expand to engulf the whites of his eyes and his pupils stretch into vertical slits both reminiscent of serpents and cats while the purple of the irises becomes like rich amethysts. His skin is naturally pale, but has taken on a slightly tanned hue from all the time he's been spending outside as a Heart Stealer, with no freckles and a small patch of scales on his left cheek that look as if they were made of opaque emerald. Gerard's face could be called ruggedly handsome, but not particularly great or anything (random girls don't swoon at the sight of him that's for sure...unless they have a warrior fetish or something.) with a strong shape, rounded but not chubby cheeks, a slightly smaller than average, barely upturned nose and a strong pointed chin. His physique is powerful, but not bulky, as if his muscles hid deep enough under his skin to only slightly show.

Thanks to his regenerative abilities and quick reflexes Gerard doesn't wear armor, opting instead for comfortable. maneuverable clothing. He usually wears black and/or white shirts with blue jeans and leather boots over a black bodysuit. With a combat belt on his waste that has holsters for a combat knife in the front, and for Umbra and Lucis on either hip. He also has a belt on his torso to hold Esmeralda's sheath. He always wears a very nice gold and ivory wrist watch from before the fall that used to belong to his grandfather. He always has a large forest camo hiking backpack on hand for carrying food and anything especially relevant to a mission, but he only carries it when he has such important items or he's not near anywhere else he could keep his food.

As a side note Gerard's least favorite part of his appearance is a small bit of red scruff on his chin that seems to regenerate as fast as the rest of him, so it won't go away no matter what he does to it. The rest of his hair won't get shorter either but at least he can do something with the hair on top of his head.

➟ Biography: Gerard is a lifelong inhabitant of the new world, his parents were born after the fall and his grandparents are long gone, the only things he's ever even heard of the old world are a few incomplete stories from his parents and some vague, unreliable books he's read. His father was one of the early explorers of the hostile new world for a research company, and like many of them he eventually met a grizzly fate at the hands of a corrupted creature, however he was lucky enough to simply die instead of becoming a thrall. The sizable savings Gerard's father gathered together doing his dangerous work were enough to keep him and his mother going for quite a while, especially with his mother working where she could while raising him. As soon as he was 16 he started working his own odd jobs to help out his mother, but it didn't feel satisfying, he had always wanted to be a new-world frontiersman like his father. His mother predictably refused to let him try to join any of the growing research companies or their security forces, but once he turned 18 she couldn't anymore.

Gerard went out one day without leaving a note to try and get a more meaningful job that would lead to one day exploring the wastes, making new discoveries and maybe even making the world just a bit better. The best part though had to be that such a job would ensure his mother could be taken care of the same way she had taken care of him, and do his father's efforts justice. But of course Gerard had no hope of being a researcher or a guard, he had no ingenious theories or weapons training, or heart shards, the only job he could possibly get was as a willing test subject. The thought of his body being experimented on terrified him, he was too young to risk dying for nothing, besides all that he realized more and more what it would do to his mother. So he went back to his normal enough life, for a while anyway. Learning more about some of the research corporations had only temporarily deterred Gerard, he knew now that he needed his mind and body to be in the best condition he could manage to achieve what he wanted, but he was far from giving up.

Life went on for another 4 years seeming fairly normal, everybody who knew him definitely admired Gerard's newfound passion for physical fitness and academic prowess. Eventually he was convinced that he couldn't be anymore ready for his aspirations without going through as many years of schooling possible and/or turning out to be a super genius. He was sick of waiting as youths often are, and after four years of thinking about much more practical things his fear of experimentation had faded. His mother didn't need to take care of him anymore and one way or the other he was going to take care of her. There turned out to be a project going on at the Gamayun Institute that required voluntary human test subjects. The payment offered was definitely enticing and it was even more promising for the families of any test subjects who were killed or crippled by the tests, ensuring his mother would be able to live comfortably for the rest of her life either way. But Gerard was confident he would survive, he had a young man's confidence in his own invincibility.

After the 7 volunteers who were deemed genetically fitting for the test had signed their contracts they were informed of just what exactly the test was. When people had heart shards implanted in them thrall shards were almost always used, but the Gamayun Institute planned to attempt implanting Sliggoth Heart Shards into the subjects, such experiments so far had yielded wildly unique results. Thralls had once been human, and so at least had a connection to us however small, the Sliggoths presented much more possible power and bonding more symbiotically with the corruption, but exponentially more risk. Even though the only volunteers to actually become subjects were the 7 most genetically suitable people there were still only 3 survivors, Gerard, one other man, and one woman. More tests were conducted on the survivors to assess the results of the transplants, but Gerard didn't seem to have developed any special control over essence, it almost seemed like he hadn't become a Warlock at all.

The institute had put too many resources into the project to give up on one of only 3 survivors so easily, so despite how mundane Gerard was so far they moved him on to weapons testing. When it seemed that Gerard could indeed charge weapons with his energy the researchers felt renewed hope that he would be a success. The researchers grew even more hopeful when Gerard overcharged an experimental pistol and it exploded in his hand, blowing off part of his middle finger and filling him with potentially poisonous shrapnel, this proved he had more essence than most warlocks, but there was a much more exciting revelation in the mishap. Only moments after the unfortunate accident Gerard doubled over in even more pain as all the various bits of shrapnel slid out of his body, seemingly of their own accord, and the entrance wounds promptly closed. The pain caused Gerard to black out on the spot. With the subject out so securely the observers decided to watch him until he woke up instead of collecting him and, sure enough after a few minutes new flesh burst forth from the nub of his finger and it reconstructed all at once.

Gerard's regenerative capabilities were much faster and more powerful than ever before seen in any Warlock, he quickly became "the favorite" test subject, so they decided to see just how far they could get with him. The researchers began to speak with Gerard more instead of simply telling him how to conduct tests, before long he asked why he hadn't done any tests in a while and was rewarded with an interesting piece of information. Apparently when the transplant was done Gerard began convulsing like crazy, so much so that he broke through the restraints before the incision could be properly closed and fell to the floor before throwing up what seemed to be a large emerald even bigger than his head. They had run tests on the "emerald" separately from his own tests and found that they could not synthesize more of it or even scratch it, let alone break it up to better see what it was made of.

A Pair of researchers were moving the "emerald" out of the facility to a more industrial facility to see what use it had, when all of a sudden it seemed to lose some of it's shape and upon picking it up, felt that it had become soft and malleable. On the pair's way back to show the facility director their discovery the "emerald" suddenly became completely solid again and they stopped. One of the researchers had an idea and backtracked, at exactly the same place the "emerald" became soft again. After the director was informed of the development, more trial and error confirmed the "emerald" became soft a certain distance away from Gerard, and unbreakably hard with a certain proximity to him, proving the stone was not useless, but had no practical potential with any sort of industrial use.

Since Gerard was the only thing that made the "emerald" anything more than a pile of playdough, research on it was focused around Gerard and it quickly became clear what the best course of action was. One of Gamayun's weapons research teams made a mold in a different facility and melted the crystal down into it, once it was safely in the mold they brought the whole thing back to Gerard, where it solidified into a beautiful green, crystalline sword. Since it would be useless to anyone else, Gerard was allowed to keep the blade when he was finally released to go on with his life, he named it Esmerelda, a word from a language that was apparently dead even before the fall and was sometimes used as a girl's name. He felt it fit, because of what the word meant and because Esmerelda was indeed a gorgeous weapon.

After finally being released Gerard got home as fast as possible with the money he'd earned, his mother had been assured he was alive and well the whole time he was a subject but she still practically crushed the life out of him with her embrace when he showed up. Things went on well for a while, they had enough money to get a nicer house and afford plenty of food but Gerard grew...restless. He just wasn't satisfied living like a normal person anymore, as happy as he was that he'd done something special, he wanted more. He practiced using Esmerelda until he could be called a competent swordsman, but it wasn't enough, and it wasn't long before Gerard joined a group of men hired to clear out an odd pack of Sliggoth from the city's outskirts.

One of the men he was working with was named Earl, and clearly beyond his hayday. They became friends, and Gerard occasionally visited the man and his niece, Ashley, as the two worked together. His company was always welcome, and the girl took a liking to him. She never knew her parents, Earl told him, and Gerard noticed that she never seemed to age in the two years he'd known her.

Eventually, as Gerard's visits became more frequent and the men were getting more jobs together, the aging uncle asked Gerard if he could care for the child. At first he staunchly refused; the work he did was becoming more and more dangerous, there was no way he could take care of a little girl by himself, but the old man was proving it could be done.

"She can fight," Earl assured him, and Gerard already knew that—she was surprisingly good with a knife, and had a Heart Shard of her own to give her a boost. His age was keeping him from protecting the girl the way he'd like (that is, being able to keep her safe as she started to join the danger), and Gerard was more capable than he could hope to be at this point in his life, experience be damned.

Gerard took a lot of time to think about it—maybe too much—to the point where Gerard decided he wouldn't say goodbye before he left town. When the time came, though, he couldn't just leave. In this world, was a child really any safer behind the walls of a city that was little more than a bull's-eye than if she were with someone, or a group, who could defend her any time, and teach her to defend herself? Was that the way Earl saw it?

He stopped by their home one more time, telling Earl that he would be happy to take care of his niece on the condition that she came with him when he left the city. He had been approached by the Heart Stealers, and wouldn't be able to stay in one place for long. Nothing would stop him from accepting their offer, but that didn't mean it left no room for a companion. Needless to say, Gerard joined the former Jadis Corporation affiliate with a bubbly young lady who, even after two years, had more than a few surprises up her sleeve for him in tow.


➟ Other: Weeeeebles we did it!
[/spoili]

 

[Grif ♥]

Cross my HEART
✘✘心泥棒✘✘
"You think you can win? You think your soul is stronger than mine? Then prove it!"
✘✘✘​

✘Name:Bernadette Faith Westerveldt
✘Age: 17 years old. August 5th, 182NW
✘Sex: Female
✘Title: The Heartfelt Hunter of Horrors


✘Appearance: Slender and deceptively delicate, one would be mistaken to consider this young woman weak. Bernadette Westerveldt, usually known as Bernie, stands at roughly five and half feet tall and is armed with slim build and a pretty visage. Soft and almost child-like features compose her face with a slightly upturned nose and rosy cheeks, all framed by thick locks of curled strawberry blonde which would fall down to her lower back if it were not tied back into a single ponytail slightly to the left side of her head. Bernie's eyes, large and glistening, are a brilliant deep aqua colour and her usually pale skin has fleshed out with a little colour from the warm sun and decorated with the scratches and scrapes familiar to any wanderer of the Marble Wastes.

Fond of boots coming up to her knees, Bernie is rarely seen without a pair regardless of how scruffy and broken they might be. Her current pair, tan brown and steel toe-capped, are in relatively good condition. Short rose coloured jeans cover her legs, reaching half way down her thighs and held up with a brown belt and silver latched buckle from which dangle several cylindrical containers holding her weapon's ammunition. Bernie's torso is covered by a low cut white shirt and a brown leather jacket with the sleeves pulled up, a yellow flower resting in its outer breast pocket for decoration. A long rose scarf wraps once around her neck but then hangs loose, both ends reaching down to her knees. Finally a rose coloured bow holds her mass of hair back into a ponytail.

✘Biography: WIP


✘Equipment/Weaponry:

Ardent Rose #3.04: Bernie's signature and only weapon. In its simplicity, Argent is a harpoon launcher the size of a bulky rifle, coloured silver with rose trim. The Ardent Rose fires two-foot long spears with broadhead points, each adorned with three blades. They are loaded into the weapon from a cylindrical clip mounted on the side, a semi-automatic weapon capable of holding ten harpoons in a magazine and a single one loaded into the barrel. Additional magazines are fastened to the side of her belt for later use. The range of the weapon is phenomenal, seemingly firing straight and true regardless of distance, and Bernie has a seldom-used detachable scope to help take advantage of this. Through the use of essence the ammunition can be enhanced, and with a flick of her finger the bladed heads of the harpoons spring outwards into hooks, transforming them into grappling hooks. In turn a thick chain constructed from raw essence spills out from the back of the harpoon, linking the projectile to her weapon, which can be used to pull objects closer to her or visa versa.



✘Abilities/Combat Style: Bernie, unlike many of her fellow Heart Stealers, does not rely on any essence to support her combat style. Instead she focuses on her natural agility, flexibility, and resourcefulness, and has created a fighting style relying on the use of her weapon and the environment in equal parts. Bernie's acrobatic abilities are impressive, allowing her to dodge, flip, and weave her way between enemies almost effortlessly, which she uses to tire her enemies or wait for an opening to present itself, which she exploits with a flurry of high kicks or dirty blows. When faced with more threatening foes, Bernie usually arms herself with one or two of the harpoons she would usually use as ammunition, wielding them as impromptu spears.


✘Musical theme: Key Plus Words – link​