Changes in blue. Previous update is HERE. I am sure I have screwed up coding or links.)
The world has too many heroes for the opportunistic to pass up on the foolish philanthopy of the noble and stupid.
Name: Storm Veritas
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 39
Height: 6'1
Weight: 175 lbs
Hair Color: Black, with Grey Streaks, straight
Eye Color: Grey or blue, depending on his disposition
Appearance
Storm Veritas is tall, lean, and can pass as a politician while lacking the moral compass of one. His long, black and grey hair generally serves him as a facade of experience; he has also learned to groom and pull it back neatly with looks bordering on model. Despite a very pale natural complexion, the wizard is typically tanned from extensive travel. His eyes are glowing and bright, set deep in his handsome face above high-held cheekbones. Long, twisted fingers extend from behind the carefully tailored cuffs of his sleeves, and his body beneath the garb, once frail and thin, has grown lithe and athletic due to various physical encounters. Once a meek and cowardly villain, he is now a commanding presence.
Handsome, he usually dresses very well. He understands the benefits of fine clothes and a good first appearance, and can speak the role of diplomat when necessary. His vanity has grown with pride as his powers have increased; two things that barely needed to be added to the list of problems. Storm Veritas doesn’t want for shortcomings. A well-traveled thirty-something, he still considers himself of the absolute prime of his physical life, and has a clear sheen of arrogance that this feeling manifests itself in.
Personality
To the common person, Storm can appear quite charming; he can be funny, apparently lighthearted, and good-intended. Unfortunately, his positive light is merely superficial, as beneath the layer of joviality lies a dark and murky core. He is self-serving, a completely self-absorbed sycophant who manipulates and swindles the good-natured and foolish trusting.
His intelligence and guile will drive him to great lengths to promote himself and create a comfortable setting for himself. If others benefit from his deeds, it is generally purely coincidental.
He has grown to be quite brazen with the development of his own strength; he no longer fears combat or necessarily runs from battle. Quite often, he will incite combat when he feels the opportunity for benefiting from it has arisen. Storm has become fond of displaying his powers, and uses the enormity of his electromagnetic effects to intimidate others.
Storm also has a weakness for women, as their charms can certainly garner his attention effectively. He will always be somewhat taken by a pretty face, particularly the one belonging to Karuka O’Sheean.
Items
Armor: Storm does not wear formal armor, but rather formal suits. He oft wears a long ebony coat, draped off his scant shoulders, and he wears comfortable leather boots to protect his feet from damage during general travels. Steel heels in the base of his traveling boots serve his electromagnetic capabilities well, often granting him the assimilation of flight. The finer clothing he has gathered does little to nothing in the means of physical protection. Storm Veritas is miles away from the knight in shining armor.
Burlap Sack- It seems as though this swindler would often have something up his sleeve, but in Storm's case, a single strapped bag of burlap is wrapped taut around one shoulder, slung across his body and fastened tautly against the ribcage of the opposing flank. This simple setup allows him to hide and smuggle small and potentially dangerous items under his robe.
Right now, the burlap bag contains only a few sticks of desiccated meat for sustenance and a small parcel of his current gold stash- which is a pittance relative to his almost outrageous financial holdings.
- Titanium Dagger - A fine, twisted blade, this weapon serves Storm as a primary piece of weaponry. It is generally mounted at his right hip, and can be ready in a flash.
- - Small Dagger- A fine titanium weapon, this dagger has served him well by the ankle, but can also be wielded at the hip to offset his primary knife. He can use it to his advantage and has managed to sneak the weapon past many searches.
- - Length of wire - This small rope is useful for many reasons, and is often tied about the belt region, free from sight. As a wielder of the electrical fields, this grants Storm an extension of his prowess, and also serves as a fine strangulation device when necessary.
- - Powder Pouch- This small sack hangs from the hip, and usually contains flour. It can often contain something far more lethal, such as gunpowder or powdered poisons.
- The Might of Moxxilus: - A simple ring that once per day can be used to coat the user in a thick Jade-like stone to prevent all damage they would take that post. They are rendered immobile and have decreased senses, but cannot be injured or moved from their place. A last resort more than anything.
- Moonwing’s Scale Gauntlets: Two thin, pliable, and extremely strong bracers, which can deflect most if not all stabbing attacks. They are carved from the scales of a mighty dragon.
- The Rat: Found from pursuing and killing the gambler Qu-Li, this beautiful sword has the ability to unleash a blast of ethereal rats, working in a quick team for Storm.
Horse - A large, black beast named “Atilla” which loyally answers to Storm. Atilla is saddled and has basic gear for riding. He is massive, incredibly fast, and has the endurance to cross continents when properly fed and cared for.
Skills:
Storm is a fast talker, a relatively smooth operator who is slippery and convincing. His skill in diplomacy, general persuasion, and his conniving way are typically his most useful. He can generally sell ketchup popsicles to penguins, as they say.
Horsemanship- Storm can ride his horse masterfully, and Atilla will answer to him and come to his call. Moving about the saddle to fire projectiles, hide from sight, or leap from the back of the mighty beast are all techniques not unusual.
Dagger Mastery - Having learned his way around the stiletto, Storm knows how to dispatch a man in combat. He is very capable of killing an enemy with the dagger, fighting with two hands when needed, and for use in stealth situations. He is exceptionally lethal when using both blades, and can quickly defeat four average swordsmen in direct combat.
General Weaponry Skills - A seasoned veteran of several tournaments, Storm is now capable of engaging opponents with almost any weapon, including short and long swords, one handed axes, bludgeoning objects, and spears, as well as advanced improvised weaponry. He is still best with the daggers, and prefers combat with the basic blades to use of the more complicated weaponry. He is masterful with advanced weapons, including nunchuka, sai, halberds, and two-handed swords (claymore style).
Hunting / Survival Skills - Storm is able to survive in the wild, thanks to multiple trips across Alerar and Dheathain. He can trap or track game, fish, make camp, and avoid common traps. Of course, he can always use his electrical abilities to “cheat” his way through a survival situation, such as fishing with electric current.
Abilities
Electric Blast - A great parlor trick also hides within this vile creature one that has grown with time and experience into a formidable weapon. From his fingertips, Storm can arc devastating amounts of electricity. At this level, he can now fire an extended blast of electrical energy, which can proceed at ballistic velocity for four hundred feet. This powerful blast is concentrated and can easily kill nearly any normal human when hit squarely. Still his cornerstone attack, the electrical energy taxes him nonetheless, slightly fatiguing him after use. He has the stamina to use this attack four times at full strength before needing a rest of at least two minutes; any sustained attacks take longer to recover.
- Electrical Manipulation - As a master of the lightning based arts, Storm can use electricity sources (rarely found about Althanas) to charge his strength, revitalize him, or heal small and medium sized wounds as well as fatigue. He can draw electricity from a source, killing the electrical media, or use his own power to amplify lights and other electrical subsystems. Not something to be commonly used, but potentially very powerful.
- Continuous Pulse - When applying the energy through a closed circuit (through a medium and back to his hands), Veritas is able to continue his electrical output for a given period of time. As air is insulative, this cannot be done from any distance, he must be in contact. This circuit does not typically entail opponents, unless of course they happen to be wearing metal armor and he can grab hold of the metal.
- Electrical Storm - Storm can create a splintered effect with his lightning-style attacks, spreading his bolt across multiple targets at the cost of power and range. His full-powered “Storm” attack can strike multiple targets up to 60 feet from him, however is only potent enough to possibly kill three normal grown men (assuming direct hits).
- Powerful Electromagnetic Manipulation - As electrical fields and magnetic fields are synonymous, Storm has found that he can attract certain small metal objects to his hand with the pull of his electrical pulse. He has developed working functionality with simple objects, along with the crafting or manipulation of metal structures under fifty pounds within 100 yards. He can push and pull items with control, and move them with speed he could normally manipulate by hand. Taking something very heavy, such as an anvil, Storm is competent, able to move items up to 1000 lbs with finesse and the speed of a walking man. Small items, such as ball bearings, can be projected at ballistic speeds.
- ”Flight” - when Storm has any sizable metal objects (such as an anvil, or ore-rich rock) beneath him, he can use a magnetic field to repel himself into the air up to thirty feet, and hover there for up to ten seconds. He cannot run or move freely from this position, but can use it to gain a tactical fighting advantage. From his elevated position, he can fire a bolt, or thrust himself up in one more normal jump before he will be exhausted, coming to the ground or adjacent areas. He can only do this once every ten minutes.
Silver Tongue - Storm uses his experience in trade and negotiations quite readily. He is generally capable of completely dominating a NPC in debate, getting what he wants typically without conflict. This also carries over to the merchant side, where Storm can typically negotiate a twenty percent discount on goods and services compared to an untrained peer.
Fleet Feet (Speed) - No stranger to getting the hell out of a situation, Storm has developed a knack for high-tailing it. As it stands, he can sprint as fast as forty miles per hour for hundred-yard bursts, and has reflexes which are highly attuned to sustain such impressive nimble deeds.
Fleet Feet (Acrobatics) - He is also capable of some advanced acrobatics, as his light weight, good speed, and keen balance seems to land him on his feet almost every time.
History
It is said that monsters are made, not born. This can be verified in the case of our anti-hero in question, as Storm did not lead the ideal life, whatever that may be. Born to a rich family, Storm was given the finest amenities growing up - proper schooling in both language skills and physical fitness, all the finest clothes and membership into the best social circles, and, of course, enough money to buy his happiness through all of his childhood. Life was good for him, and for the poor around him, Veritas learned little in the ways of mercy or compassion, despite the best efforts of his adoring parents.
Storm was fifteen when he left home, running away in some self-absorbed ego trip, sure to show his parents that their latest tragic shortcoming - perhaps a late payment of his outrageous allowance - would not be tolerated. He left for five days, the longest of his selfish, childish temper tantrums to disrupt life in the Veritas household. This time, however, his allowance hold-out would not pay off, as his parents had simply had enough. When he came back to the house, he was locked out, abandoned, and his parents would no longer allow this callous little attention whore to steal the limelight of his more deserving children any more.
Leaving home, Veritas instantly went from the cocksure rich to the needy, and there were more than a few who lined up to laugh at the misfortune of this spoiled boy who had wronged himself, allowing himself to be ostracized from the richest family in town. Long he wandered, leaving home and not looking back, determined to find his way on his own.
Now, twenty-five years later, Storm thrives again. His physique is impressive, his clothes dapper, and he is sufficient, cunning, and more than capable of handling himself. Those that meet him know not of his fortunate past, idiotic misdoings, or his ingenious plans for a return to glory. He whittles away at the coffers of the foolish while planning his own rise to power.
Storm encountered many hardships about his lengthy stay in Althanas. This included a few battles and encounters with various people from around the world, from Scara Brae to Corone and Vainta upon Haida. He has searched far and wide for the powers that can develop him into the leader he feels destined to be, but at this point the vagabond merely reaches out into the cold world, a subtly skilled mage and con-man, striving to succeed amongst the wolves.
Storm has emerged as one of the great warriors upon Althanas in his lengthy tenure. He has been champion of Serenti, the Adventurer’s Cup, the Lornius Corporate Challenge, victor of the Shinsou Vaan Osiris Invitational, finalist in the Cell, he is always at or near the front page of the news, clasping at the brass ring. No longer needing to grift people for short change or pickpocket, his fortunes ride with the tides.
Storm has also found some familial structure in his love for Karuka O’Sheean, and fondness for her daughter, Taische. He has adventured with both on multiple occasions, and enjoys the role of surrogate uncle to Taische. Although his maturity has cost him dearly as he is not the father figure that Taische needs, he may at some point reprise his role within the family structure. Unfortunately for the masses, the disappearance of Karuka and Taische left Storm somewhat withdrawn from relationships, cold, and cruel.
His partnership with Shinsou Vaan Osiris has led to laying dual claim to the Brotherhood of the Castigars, where they have recently taken Whitevale for their own purposes. A leader whom is as slick with the tongue as he is powerful, diplomacy remains a skill he relishes showcasing.
He may go further down a devious path, self serving and power hungry, or turn his fate brighter, preferring to lavish worship from those that seek a hero.
