Hoax
06-12-10, 12:09 PM
Name: Unknown, answers to Raven or Hoax
Age: Unknown, assumed to be less than 30 but greater than 20.
Race: Human?
Hair Color: Dark Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Height: 5'2
Weight: Varies, base weight of about 50 Kg
Occupation: Unknown, monk? priestess?
Personality: "Raven" doesn't remember much of her past, she can go back a few weeks or months but after that, things start to get hazy. She has problems understanding the world around her, reality is a fuzzy word for her and she has difficulty differentiating between dreams and reality.
Ravens moral code is based largely off consequences, and what would likely happen if she was caught. While this tends to allow her a large degree of moral freedom, it also leaves her looking like a bit of a psychopath. She isn't one, although she does fit the definition, it is simply her fuzzy memory that causes this. With no previous morals to fall back on, Raven simply tends to just make the rational choice.
If Raven were one in a position to be called such, she would likely be labelled a coward, she doesn't like to fight - although she can, and she will emphatically state that she does not want to die. Ravens first choice will almost always be flight over fight, only when her back is to the wall will she engage in a fair fight.
Appearance: Raven might be a pretty girl if she would just clean herself up. Her shoulder length hair is black with mud, her cute and homely features are tarnished with dirt and her cloths are torn and filthy. It is clear from the sight and smell of her that she is homeless and broke. If one were to see her scantly clad it would also be obvious she is rather malnourished.
History: (Raven doesn't remember who she is, where she came from or how she got her "powers". Indeed, she doesn't remember much beyond the last few months so here's a sample of what her day tends to be like.)
"what's a pretty little thing like you doin' all alone in a town like this?"
Raven awoke with a start. How long has she been asleep? It felt like she had only just closed her eyes but it had been noon before, now the sun was low in the sky. She guessed it was low in the sky, for dark clouds had since closed in and threatened to rain once more on her already damp cloths.
Blinking Raven stared up at the man who had woken her. He looked like a fighter or a barbarian, a crude piece of plate armor covered his chest and scraps of leather hid his shame. A rusted bastard sword of some description was slung on his back but nothing about him suggested he knew how to use it properly.
Raven scrambled a little, pressing herself further against the stonework as she dug in the dirt to sit upright. The man grinned and for a moment Raven imagined it was the same kind of smile a lion might give a lamb. Never letting her eyes off him Ravens hands quickly searched in vain for her staff.
"how'd a pretty little thing like you like ta' make a shiny gold coin?"
The man produced a large gold coin and held it in-front of her face. Ravens eyes darted from the coin, to the man, to the ally - where was her staff? Suddenly Raven held her breath and closed her eyes as strands of dirty hair were brushed from her face. To her, it felt like being touched by the devil himself; cold and defiling.
"I.. Im n-not a prostitute."
The man laughed and brushed some more dirt from her cheek.
"surly' the hungry can be many things for a gold coin..."
Raven eyed the gold coin once more, her gaze then shifting to her would-be lover. It was true, it was a long time since she had fed. A quick glance down either end of her ally and she judged that they would not be interrupted. It needn't take long in any case.
standing up and with a mumbled "ok" Raven once more closed her eyes as eager hands explored her tired body. She waited until he was sufficiently distracted with hiking up her robe before striking. A swift knee to the groin was sufficient to stun him; Swiftly Raven guided his baled head into the stone wall - a most satisfying 'crack' reported her success. Now, in truth the smack against the wall had likely already killed the fighter, a sizable dimple and trickle of blood on the side of his head alluded to this already. However he was at least full foot taller than her - possibly 2 - and Raven wasn't taking any chances; a swift heal to the back of his head broke his neck, guaranteeing her kill. The whole incident had taken less than 5 seconds.
Kneeling down next to her kill Raven's hands glowed darkly. Shadowy miasma bled out from her body while that of the fighters slowly shrivelled and disappeared into her glowing hands. Raven didn't exactly know how it was happening - how little she actually knew about the dark energies keeping her alive was at times disturbing - but she did understand what was happening. Old mass was being burnt off - evident as the dark mist her body produced as she was feeding - and new mass was absorbed and stored. Where exactly she wasn't sure but Raven estimated she was actually about two to three times as heavy as she looked.
in under a minuet the only evidence left of a struggle were a few drops of blood and the remnants of a face print in the mud. cracking her knuckles Raven suddenly spotted her staff, kicked over to one side she guessed by her would be assailant. As she reached out to pick it up her eyes connected with those of a young child, barely old enough to have seen his 5th summer. They both stared at one another, both caught in the others gaze like a stunned deer. A million thoughts raced through Ravens head: how much had the boy seen? had he seen anything? should she silence the him now? they were less than a staff's length apart. She guessed she could grab him if she tried.
The child bolted and Raven swore softly to herself. She had no idea what he had seen if anything, but if the boy had seen anything at all Raven would likely once more be in deep trouble. Unless...
Raven tried to remember the road into town and the land around it. Hadn't there been some abandoned and disused buildings not far from here? She couldn't remember right now - memories not her own danced around her head, clouding her own memories and thoughts. Garbing her staff Raven decided that a night spent wandering the swamp would be better than a night in the ally should the child tell their mother what they had seen...
Skills:
Absorb: Raven may absorb the mass of any humanoid to large humanoid temporarily adding its mass (including any basic items) to her own. This act takes about a minuet (depending on how much "mass" the subject has) and leaves Raven exposed while she "feeds". Can only absorb dead humanoids, can only access absorbed items while shape-shifted, may only absorb one humanoid at a time. Absorbing a new body will "purge" the old mass from her body, destroying any previously absorbed form and any items the old form might have had on their person at the time. Raven can only absorb while she is in her "true" form.
The act of absorbing slowly heals Raven.
Shape-shift: Raven may assume the form of any humanoid she has recently absorbed, temporarily changing her form and voice to that of the absorbed form. While shape-shifted Raven gains access to any basic skills and ability's that the humanoid may have possessed (IE: strength of an orc, grace of an elf) but she loses her ability to use shadow magic and interact with shadows.
Shape-shifting takes a moment to take effect, depending how different her "true" form and acquired form are; changing into an elf might take 1 or 2 seconds while transforming into an ogre might take as long as 15.
Absorbed, or "shape-shifted" forms are immune to all forms of healing and "mass" cannot be added to a damaged form.
While shape-shifted, any damage Raven takes will cause her to lose "mass" in accordance with how much damage she takes. If Ravens shape-shifted form loses sufficient mass she will no longer be able to maintain the form and will be forced back to her "true" form. This is a very painful experience and will leave her stunned and dazed for a few moments after it happens.
The act of shifting from a acquired form to her true form will fully heal Raven of any less than lethal physical wounds, but will cost mass for all wounds healed and is excruciatingly painful. If shape-shifting would heal anything more than minor wounds Raven will be stunned for a few seconds after transforming depending how serious the wounds healed were.
If enough mass is lost for whatever reason Raven will be unable to transform and will be forced to absorb a new form.
Shadow Phase: While in her "true" form Raven may phase into any deep shadows, obscuring her form and rending her immune to physical damage. While phased Raven may only move slowly within the deepest shadow and cannot "jump" or move from shadow to shadow. Raven cannot attack while shadow phased.
Phasing into a shadow takes a few seconds and leaves Raven vulnerable while she is "phasing". Direct light will break this effect, and bright light will forcibly end this effect, stunning Raven upon exiting this state.
Shadow manipulation: Raven possess the ability to bend and manipulate shadows to her will, stretching and bending various shadows to her needs. She can even forcibly use her own shadow to attack or defend herself as the need arises. The potency of this ability is greatly diminished in sunlight or any other similar bright source of light. Extended use of this ability or trying to use it in the presence of a strong source of light will quickly fatigue and exhaust Raven.
Equipment - Personal: dirty robes and an old staff.
Equipment - Absorbed: Middle aged male adventurer, Crude armour and a crude sword.
Age: Unknown, assumed to be less than 30 but greater than 20.
Race: Human?
Hair Color: Dark Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Height: 5'2
Weight: Varies, base weight of about 50 Kg
Occupation: Unknown, monk? priestess?
Personality: "Raven" doesn't remember much of her past, she can go back a few weeks or months but after that, things start to get hazy. She has problems understanding the world around her, reality is a fuzzy word for her and she has difficulty differentiating between dreams and reality.
Ravens moral code is based largely off consequences, and what would likely happen if she was caught. While this tends to allow her a large degree of moral freedom, it also leaves her looking like a bit of a psychopath. She isn't one, although she does fit the definition, it is simply her fuzzy memory that causes this. With no previous morals to fall back on, Raven simply tends to just make the rational choice.
If Raven were one in a position to be called such, she would likely be labelled a coward, she doesn't like to fight - although she can, and she will emphatically state that she does not want to die. Ravens first choice will almost always be flight over fight, only when her back is to the wall will she engage in a fair fight.
Appearance: Raven might be a pretty girl if she would just clean herself up. Her shoulder length hair is black with mud, her cute and homely features are tarnished with dirt and her cloths are torn and filthy. It is clear from the sight and smell of her that she is homeless and broke. If one were to see her scantly clad it would also be obvious she is rather malnourished.
History: (Raven doesn't remember who she is, where she came from or how she got her "powers". Indeed, she doesn't remember much beyond the last few months so here's a sample of what her day tends to be like.)
"what's a pretty little thing like you doin' all alone in a town like this?"
Raven awoke with a start. How long has she been asleep? It felt like she had only just closed her eyes but it had been noon before, now the sun was low in the sky. She guessed it was low in the sky, for dark clouds had since closed in and threatened to rain once more on her already damp cloths.
Blinking Raven stared up at the man who had woken her. He looked like a fighter or a barbarian, a crude piece of plate armor covered his chest and scraps of leather hid his shame. A rusted bastard sword of some description was slung on his back but nothing about him suggested he knew how to use it properly.
Raven scrambled a little, pressing herself further against the stonework as she dug in the dirt to sit upright. The man grinned and for a moment Raven imagined it was the same kind of smile a lion might give a lamb. Never letting her eyes off him Ravens hands quickly searched in vain for her staff.
"how'd a pretty little thing like you like ta' make a shiny gold coin?"
The man produced a large gold coin and held it in-front of her face. Ravens eyes darted from the coin, to the man, to the ally - where was her staff? Suddenly Raven held her breath and closed her eyes as strands of dirty hair were brushed from her face. To her, it felt like being touched by the devil himself; cold and defiling.
"I.. Im n-not a prostitute."
The man laughed and brushed some more dirt from her cheek.
"surly' the hungry can be many things for a gold coin..."
Raven eyed the gold coin once more, her gaze then shifting to her would-be lover. It was true, it was a long time since she had fed. A quick glance down either end of her ally and she judged that they would not be interrupted. It needn't take long in any case.
standing up and with a mumbled "ok" Raven once more closed her eyes as eager hands explored her tired body. She waited until he was sufficiently distracted with hiking up her robe before striking. A swift knee to the groin was sufficient to stun him; Swiftly Raven guided his baled head into the stone wall - a most satisfying 'crack' reported her success. Now, in truth the smack against the wall had likely already killed the fighter, a sizable dimple and trickle of blood on the side of his head alluded to this already. However he was at least full foot taller than her - possibly 2 - and Raven wasn't taking any chances; a swift heal to the back of his head broke his neck, guaranteeing her kill. The whole incident had taken less than 5 seconds.
Kneeling down next to her kill Raven's hands glowed darkly. Shadowy miasma bled out from her body while that of the fighters slowly shrivelled and disappeared into her glowing hands. Raven didn't exactly know how it was happening - how little she actually knew about the dark energies keeping her alive was at times disturbing - but she did understand what was happening. Old mass was being burnt off - evident as the dark mist her body produced as she was feeding - and new mass was absorbed and stored. Where exactly she wasn't sure but Raven estimated she was actually about two to three times as heavy as she looked.
in under a minuet the only evidence left of a struggle were a few drops of blood and the remnants of a face print in the mud. cracking her knuckles Raven suddenly spotted her staff, kicked over to one side she guessed by her would be assailant. As she reached out to pick it up her eyes connected with those of a young child, barely old enough to have seen his 5th summer. They both stared at one another, both caught in the others gaze like a stunned deer. A million thoughts raced through Ravens head: how much had the boy seen? had he seen anything? should she silence the him now? they were less than a staff's length apart. She guessed she could grab him if she tried.
The child bolted and Raven swore softly to herself. She had no idea what he had seen if anything, but if the boy had seen anything at all Raven would likely once more be in deep trouble. Unless...
Raven tried to remember the road into town and the land around it. Hadn't there been some abandoned and disused buildings not far from here? She couldn't remember right now - memories not her own danced around her head, clouding her own memories and thoughts. Garbing her staff Raven decided that a night spent wandering the swamp would be better than a night in the ally should the child tell their mother what they had seen...
Skills:
Absorb: Raven may absorb the mass of any humanoid to large humanoid temporarily adding its mass (including any basic items) to her own. This act takes about a minuet (depending on how much "mass" the subject has) and leaves Raven exposed while she "feeds". Can only absorb dead humanoids, can only access absorbed items while shape-shifted, may only absorb one humanoid at a time. Absorbing a new body will "purge" the old mass from her body, destroying any previously absorbed form and any items the old form might have had on their person at the time. Raven can only absorb while she is in her "true" form.
The act of absorbing slowly heals Raven.
Shape-shift: Raven may assume the form of any humanoid she has recently absorbed, temporarily changing her form and voice to that of the absorbed form. While shape-shifted Raven gains access to any basic skills and ability's that the humanoid may have possessed (IE: strength of an orc, grace of an elf) but she loses her ability to use shadow magic and interact with shadows.
Shape-shifting takes a moment to take effect, depending how different her "true" form and acquired form are; changing into an elf might take 1 or 2 seconds while transforming into an ogre might take as long as 15.
Absorbed, or "shape-shifted" forms are immune to all forms of healing and "mass" cannot be added to a damaged form.
While shape-shifted, any damage Raven takes will cause her to lose "mass" in accordance with how much damage she takes. If Ravens shape-shifted form loses sufficient mass she will no longer be able to maintain the form and will be forced back to her "true" form. This is a very painful experience and will leave her stunned and dazed for a few moments after it happens.
The act of shifting from a acquired form to her true form will fully heal Raven of any less than lethal physical wounds, but will cost mass for all wounds healed and is excruciatingly painful. If shape-shifting would heal anything more than minor wounds Raven will be stunned for a few seconds after transforming depending how serious the wounds healed were.
If enough mass is lost for whatever reason Raven will be unable to transform and will be forced to absorb a new form.
Shadow Phase: While in her "true" form Raven may phase into any deep shadows, obscuring her form and rending her immune to physical damage. While phased Raven may only move slowly within the deepest shadow and cannot "jump" or move from shadow to shadow. Raven cannot attack while shadow phased.
Phasing into a shadow takes a few seconds and leaves Raven vulnerable while she is "phasing". Direct light will break this effect, and bright light will forcibly end this effect, stunning Raven upon exiting this state.
Shadow manipulation: Raven possess the ability to bend and manipulate shadows to her will, stretching and bending various shadows to her needs. She can even forcibly use her own shadow to attack or defend herself as the need arises. The potency of this ability is greatly diminished in sunlight or any other similar bright source of light. Extended use of this ability or trying to use it in the presence of a strong source of light will quickly fatigue and exhaust Raven.
Equipment - Personal: dirty robes and an old staff.
Equipment - Absorbed: Middle aged male adventurer, Crude armour and a crude sword.