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Name: Joshua Rosette
Age: 21
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Hair Color: Dirty Blonde
Eye Color: Blue hazel
Height: 5'8"
Moral Orientation: Chaotic
1: Fire
Crimson flames licked the setting skyline, reaching into the heavens as our city burned. A chorus of screams accompanied a symphony of clashing metal, sharp explosions, and horrible howls. Invaders had struck unexpectedly in the night, crashing down upon the city as it was preparing to sleep. A terrible wave that crashed into its gates, monsters born both on the wind and by the ground. Even nature itself, at that crucial moment, seemed to turn against us as the earth shook and churned, ruining our walls before they had the chance to provide any feasible defense. Those who lived in the outermost parts of the city were killed the fastest, their own homes and protection collapsing on them as the ground sank. All forms of defense were eliminated, even the small military barracks exploding in a column of fire before any of its men could be roused. The wave fortunately slowed as it entered the perimeter of the great city, but it spread horrifyingly fast. Beasts and monsters of all kind quickly moved in small groups into each building. Routinely they slaughtered the inhabitants then left the fresh graves aflame. Quickly after the horde had begun it's frighteningly organized assault, a militia began to rise. The siege had been efficient that some in the innermost parts of the city did not even yet know they were under assault. One man, though, ran for the true center of the city, bearing on his heels the great importance of a dire message. He sought the Apostle.
Bursting through a door high up in a watchtower that loomed over the city the messenger skidded to a halt. Before him, dressed in the purest of whites yet in such a fashion to almost seem ordinary, was a young man with golden hair and fine hair. Almost angelic in his grace, the man turned from his study of a tome and looked down at the messenger with compassion and gently placed a hand upon him to sooth his exhaustion and pain. Unsurprised at the sudden relief of all his ails, the messenger stood and bowed quickly before exploding with information. Speaking too fast for the young man to listen, he stopped him and sat the messenger down, asking him to start once more.
"Joshua... We are invaded. Some great...monsters have breached the outer walls, twisting nature against us and destroying every defense before we could even muster our forces. The military is gone, the guard is dead. All that stands is a small militia that waits outside your door to engage these... beasts. Please, help!"
His eyes wide, Joshua knew he had no time to think. The tome he was studying hit the floor and the young man was already standing on a balcony overlooking one half of the city. His eyes saw nothing but black, such a thick blackness that blotted out the setting sun and he knew it came from the burning of his beloved him. Without hesitation he leaped from the balcony, words of power lost to the wind as he sped to the ground. Hitting the pavement softly as if he had jumped but a meager distance the Apostle walked into the gathering crowd. They were but merchants and craftsman, brandishing what the could find for weapons. No words could describe what they were to face, so he simply nodded and broke into a run for the northern gate. The group split up, each heading a different direction to hope to protect the inner city. If the monsters got that far, there would no longer be a reason to fight, for their wives and children would be burning.
Joshua expected to be winded by time he reached the black soot, but it sped towards him as he to it. Suddenly the young man was forced to stop, a line of monsters charging towards him. It was an indescribable mass of creatures, each unique and different, and each uniquely terrifying. They flew, slithered, charged, stampeded, leapt, and crawled forward. Each with a purpose and a goal, large parties breaking from the whole to almost instantly demolish a building before rejoining the mass and forging on. Only one thing between them was common, one unifying factor in the mass of monsters. They moved with the cold, hard intelligence of a creature knowing full well its dark intentions. Fear like he never felt before welled up inside the Apostle, making him hesitate before calling upon his powers. Every second they grew closer to the lone young man standing in the wide street, a tide of flame and pitch racing on.
Moments before he thought he would surely be destroyed, Joshua's senses came crashing back to him and ancient vowels burst from his lips. Their power seared his throat and lips, and he felt as if his tongue would burst into flame. White energies blossomed in both palms, expanding as he threw them violently at the closest of the monsters. Changing into massive spears of searing light the spells struck the monsters, tearing entire groups asunder. Screaming the words of power, the Apostle bloomed with energy, letting lose spell after spell, destroying what must have been hundreds of them. Yet they came, and so quickly that he couldn't help but be overwhelmed. With no concern for his own safety he continued launching bolts, hoping that he would die protecting his home. However, as the wave came, it parted. None of the beasts turned to attack, nor even cast a glance in the Apostle's direction. If not for their avoidance, one would think they couldn't see him.
Taking this new infomration as an advantage, he conjured larger and more powerful spells. Light exploded from both of his arms, encompassing most of his body with brilliant white. Within it, he slammed his hands together and a massive beam shot out, ripping a hole through the wave of invaders. Joshua gazed at the destruction, and almost screamed as the gap disappeared. It was as if he tried to fight the ocean, their numbers appearing limitless and of unlimited ability. It was an impossible battle. As he prepared another spell, he felt a massive shudder in the ground and turned to see his tower sinking into the ground. The final defense, standing in the very center of a great city.
All was lost.
Falling to his knees, into the blood and soot that rose up to meet him, the Apostle cried.
2: Faith
Silence descended.
As quickly as they had come, the monsters fled. Into the shadows, the ground, and the sky they fled, disappearing as night fell. The battle had been lost before it begun, ending in only a moment between breaths. The flames died, and soot rained gently from the sky, settling like snow on the silent black landscape of the city. The boy who once was in white, now was but a ashy phantom sitting in the ruins, surrounded by nothing but memory and loss. His mind was elsewhere, unable to be at that place in that moment, for it was a reality he refused to accept. Gradually, as he was covered in ash, his dream was failing and the world stood before his dry eyes. Not even death lingered here. It felt as if the battle had ended hundreds of years ago, for nothing remained but the husk of what was.
Joshua stood, shifting his feet and turning to face a lean dark blot that shot up from the center of the desolation. It stood at an angle now, broken and burnt, but it still had the semblance of a tower. Even in death it stood as the tallest building, for all those that surrounded it barely reached the boy's knees. He was unable to muster any thoughts, and his entire body felt numb. In this trance, he did not notice the slow but steady cadence of footfalls approaching him. A single pair, moving at a leisurely pace. Just as the beating grew unbearably loud in the deep silence, they stopped. It was the voice ringing out that pulled him back to reality.
"You can have it back."
Joshua turned, shocked and confused, and looked at a man who appeared to not entirely be present. Even as the boy looked at the figure, he seemed to shift and change, in such a way that Joshua was unable to remember what he was the moment before. His mind hurt, and he averted his eyes, but faced still towards the creature. He knew if it came to a fight, he would simply die. There was nothing left for him to fight for.
"Everything, everyone, you can have it all back."
He looked up again, staring into the eyes of the man. The only thing that never changed, those deep, dark, golden orbs. There was truth there, the simple honesty of a man that had no reason to lie.
"How...?" Joshua said gently, his voice harsh from the toxic air.
"You are an Apostle. A creature of such immense power that it is thought your gifts are a sign of divinity. Some even consider you to be a demi-god, if not a god entirely. Yet, you are nothing more than a mere human."
"How!" Regaining his lost voice, the boy screamed, staring defiantly into the mans eyes. He didn't care to hear about what he was, because what he was had failed him.
"Powers given by Gods can be, in turn, taken by Gods. They did not want you to win this battle today, or they would have granted you the ability to be victorious. You were spared, a single human spared from the thousand that lived here."
"HOW!" Joshua was screaming at the top of his lungs, gripping the air and feeling his powers rushing up inside him, ready to burst out at the man.
"I am able to give you everything you have lost and more. I can protect what you have returned with complete assurance, with greater ability than you can imagine. No war, famine, plague, disease, or sorrow will touch this place ever again."
Falling back to his knees, tears welled up in the boy's eyes as his voice cried out meagerly, "Please....tell me how!"
"I ask for nothing in return except your willing, humble servitude. You shall do as I command, and your home will forever be preserved."
Without thought, the boy nodded, bowing his head and very quietly answering, "I will..."
"Joshua Rosette, do you pledge conscription into my service. To obey my full will until I release you?"
Defeated, broken, Joshua stared up at the man. The look of an empty soul that had nothing left but hope met the eyes of a monster. Some part, deep inside, knew that this man could be responsible for the destruction, but Joshua didn't listen. Resolved to protect him home, even if it meant the greatest of sacrifice, he spoke loudly. The one word rang across the silence, seeming to crackle the very air.
"Yes."
3: Loss
Everything began to happen at once, the man taking one slow step forward after another. Each footfall rang out with a colossal sound, almost as a wave blasting through the ruined city. The air sizzled, the ground shook, and the sky began to move and swirl in strange patterns. Another step forward, the sound now closer resembled an immense bell tolling. Ringing out, the earth trembled and buildings began rising from the ground. A powerful wind picked up, taking the ash and soot into the sky. The bell rang once more, people seemed to walk out of the very air. Curtains, doors, windows all formed from nothing, a crackling energy running through all as normal daily business began on the busy street. Finally the man stood in front of Joshua, in the middle of a parted crowd that took no notice of them. Nothing had changed, the city was as prosperous and beautiful as it was the day before. Only the boy was different, his white clothing still marked with soot as a testament to the dream. Uncertain, he reached out and touched a passerby. The man suddenly took notice of the Apostle, smiling and thanking him for the sunny sky before continuing on with his business. Joshua looked at the man who had done this, and noticed that his shape was now solid and stable. More notably, he was ordinary.
With shaggy brown hair, suitably fashionable clothes for a middle class average man, and no distinguishing facial features to make him more or less attractive, the stranger was in all ways common. With a simple tone and a steady voice, the strange spoke again.
"You are mine, Joshua."
Apostle suddenly felt the pressure of his vow and was forced again to his knees. Something deep inside him changed, almost like a switch, and he felt a great rushing. At first it felt good, like his blood was rushing, then it grew stronger and deeper, and he recognized the feeling. It was what he felt when he called upon his powers, but this time it came with such intensity and strength like he had never called upon before, pouring up through him from its unknowable source. Soon he was bursting with it, and he felt his skin burning as it tried in vain to hold the massive energy in. Exploding into a flash of white, Joshua screamed as every ounce of energy burst from every opening in his body, fleeing into the sky. So much power had been contained within, that it went on for what felt like an eternity, before finally the last drop left his mouth and escaped into the heavens. Leaving him dry and drained the boy collapsed into the street, unable to move with the strength sucked from him.
"The favor of the divine no longer shines upon you, Joshua. To make a deal with a demon is disappointing. Worry not, I do not leave my Conscripts defenseless. You will become my monster. Murder and death will make you grow stronger, with each you kill and consume increasing your power with their own. Yet, no power comes without a price. As you live under my oath, the monster I place inside you will eat away at your soul. Each you slay will, in turn, slay a part of you. Eventually, you will not care for this petty town, for every trace of humanity you had will be stripped away. It is this, that I put upon you. My Mark of Conscription. Enjoy your new life, Joshua Rosette."
With that, the man touched Joshua with one finger and walked away.
The spot where that finger had come in contact with his skin began to itch. Gradually the itch spread, turning into a burning sensation that spread outward. It came in contact with his veins, and suddenly fire shot through his veins, filling every part of his body with the man's vile touch. Even now it felt as if it was eating away at him, replacing every part of his body with something darker, something more sinister. Bones shifted, skin molded, organs moved, and agony blurred his thoughts so that he didn't even know he screamed. With no attention paid to the boy, he writhed and wailed in the center of the crowd, his skin blackening and hardening until it cracked, exposing vile red energies flowing underneath. Horns sprouted from his brow, arching back as his hair fell out and was replaced with hard ridges. His clothing burned off, exposing the dark cancer spreading to every part of him, changing him into the black, broken monster. Nails grew into long sharp claws, his palms and feed growing tough, and his muscles tightening with strength. Last of all, his eyes seemed to sink, red flaming energies bursting from the holes they left behind. The thing that was once Joshua stood, his burning eyes sweeping the crowd. Some part of him screamed inside, begging to be released and to be human again, but the part that was in control sought nothing but blood.
Just as Joshua reached out, he felt the mark receding. Faster than it had set upon him, it ripped through his body and returned him to his feeble human skin. Exhausted and naked, he tumbled to the floor, and as his face slammed into the pavement it seemed to signal some change in the crowd. They noticed him, and rushed to his prone form, worried and concerned. Black unconsciousness set in, but he knew when he woke again, his life would never be the same.
Mark of Conscription
When called upon, or when order by his new Master, Joshua's Mark of Conscription will take his body over and change him into the monster that lies dormant within. This monster moves and acts in a way completely alien to Joshua, and seems to have some sort of intelligence based on his deeper and darker instincts. Even when it is not awake, he can almost hear its voice muttering in the background. When the Mark is active he is slightly stronger and faster, and his teeth and claws are sharper and equivalent to iron. Being that Joshua is normally frail and quite weak, the Mark currently makes him about average for a fit male.
Devour: The main, and currently only power that is granted by the Mark of Conscription. It is the Mark's prerogative to gain power so that it can better serve the Master. It does this by devouring those more powerful than it and replicating their abilities. When Joshua kills and devours something, he will gain a small fraction of its power and add it to his own. It adds it to a sort of reservoir of abilities that is stored in the Mark, that can be accessed currently one at a time. Accessing each ability takes time as when he activates it the Mark will shape shift into a form that is more suitable to the ability. For example if he devours something that has a great gift of flight, the Mark will be able to slowly be able to morph wings and take flight or glide. Even with simple things this will take time [Up to an hour, or more for more complex changes], not making it suitable to be used in the midst of combat, or to be changed during combat. However it can be used to prepare for combat. [Permission by a player must be granted to both Devour and to steal abilities from them.]
Knowledge
With much time spent in his previous life reading and learning about foreign places, Joshua knows quite a lot about several places. Although since he went by what interested him, his knowledge has very large gaps. While in the Mark form, it seems to ignore any advice on Joshua's part so any knowledge is utterly useless.
Tactics: Joshua has a slightly above average understanding of tactics, both in close combat and in warfare.
Regional: Corone Average knowledge of Corone, and deeper knowledge of ancient lore.
Magic An apt student of magic, he knows many things about the several of the limitless numbers of magical arts. Above average level of knowledge.
Survival A below average, very broad but shallow understanding of wilderness survival.
Combat He read one book, once, on the subject of fighting. Didn't finish it.
Botany: Joshua would probably be able to identify any common plant, and some of the rarer ones. Also know whether it is edible and some of its basic medicinal or magical properties if any.
Weaponry: He can recognize common weapons, and generally understand their use. Pointy edges into someone's else's flesh.
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