[center]War of Arcana
[/center]
[center]Twenty-one figures watching over me.

Twenty-one fathers watching over fate.

Twenty-one mothers watching over life

Twenty-one sons watching over our land.

Twenty-one daughters watching over truth.

Twenty-one sleepless nights.

Twenty-one dreams.

Twenty-one nightmares.

Twenty-one pair of lips, whispering to me dark secrets.

Twenty-one, taught me the Art.

Twenty-one Arcanas, I will remember.

The Magus' Pledge, as forgotten by mankind.[/center]



I. Story

Tarot, that is the common name we have for this simple game of cards. Innocuous enough, after all, there are hardly any incidents related to it, and then those that do exist are merely tricks of our feeble minds.

Or are they? Is it merely that us, humans, have forgotten about the truth of eons past? That the magicians once told of in the tomes of ancient lore did actually exist but that this was a very different world then?

If that is what you believe, then you might be closer to the truth than you expected.

The Ancient World, that is how we knew it. In this world, long forgotten in a past turned to dust and silenced in a history that wants itself politically correct, magic was not merely the impotent tricks of a simple public entertainer, but a very real, fearsome, force to reckon with. Under the watchful eyes of the Twenty-One Arcanas, the laws of magic were both respected and revered, and the might flow of mana was available for all to tap into, should they truly wish to learn to do so.

However, this would not last.

None knows what It looks like.

None knows what It desire.

Its only name is Om, and with it echoes the very creation of our universe.

The Twenty-One Arcanas were powerful entities at heart, and they desired nothing more than to be free from any rules and do as they please. With their nearly godlike abilities and reign over the material world, they felt nothing could challenge them or stand in their way. Not even their maker, not even Om.

This would prove to be their undoing, which would take the form of the fall of the Ancient World into the New World.

One day, mankind woke up as if all that had been at the tip of their fingers had vanished, the almighty flow of mana all but beyond their grasp now. This was the dawn of the New World, and where our story trule begins.

The Twenty-One Arcanas were sealed away into an eternal prison by Om, forever to be forgotten for their arrogance and petty pride. Their prison took a very peculiar form, an object we would learn to call the tarot deck.

Or, as one may comprehend from this story, the first tarot deck. As a work of art regal and beyond human comprehension, it was soon copied by a simple artist who found herself down on her luck, and spread itself across the world. They held no true power, but the one of the selfish desires and illusory dreams of their owner.

However, the first deck, was quite different from its children of sort. It held a much greater value, for as the prison of the Twenty-One Arcanas, it also became a portal of sort from which their power could leak back into our world. For those brave enough to use that deck, the Arcanas would sometimes answer questions, sometimes deceive, sometimes bless, sometimes curse and sometimes simply play with them. However, as eons passed and the New World grew into the world, pure and simple, they once mighty and revered forgotten, acquired a simple idea from this situation. After all, if their powers could leak into this world like this, then perhaps they could find a way out.... to escape from this wretched prison of theirs.

One cold winter's night, a desperate woman used the first deck. Using all their combined might, the Arcanas managed to speak in but a whisper within the psyche of the woman, offering her all she desired if only she would grant them her unborn child.

So she accepted, and the deck was passed to another, who too accepted.

Thus were born seven children, seven avatars of the lucky Arcanas who managed to overpower their bethren as their vied for the chance to bestow a child with a small fragment of their soul, so that they may become their avatar unto this world.

An avatar which they would use one day to escape their cage and earn back their rightful glory. A chance to bring back what was stolen from them, the Ancient World, into existence.

However, all was not well in the world, and not all of the Arcanas who earned their rightful place into the world wished for a peaceful comeback, or one where they once anew shared the power.

No, some even went as far as to desire divinity for themselves, and would influence their avatar in any way they can imagine to get what they want. For they have no remorse.

This is how what was once lost was recovered, and that the Art which had been ridiculed and forgotten, came back into our world for a select few.

It is also how what would later be known as the War of Arcana took place, a bloody and brutal battle between selfish and emotionless entities wishing only to gain ultimate power.

The seven young avatars of the Arcanas.



II. Character Sheet

Name: Please pick something that makes sense in a modern, realistic, setting. Your parents weren't freaking elves, they picked a human name, damn it.

Age:: Since the Major Arcanas aren't known for their patience, the avatars were born relatively close in age to each other. They can be as young as 15 years old and as old as 24 years old. Of course, if that really bothers you and you have a great idea or good reason to go along with your displeasure, feel free to PM me with whatever you got. We'll work something out.

Gender: Are you male, female or Bridget? =o (You better get that one Jay! *shakes fist*)

Ethnicity: It's self-explanatory, I believe. They are no other races than humans, but I'm curious to know the ethnicity of your character.

Location: All characters live either in the bustling city of Serene Hallows in the United States or in the suburbs of said city. For details on that, please see 'Appendix I'. In any case, what I'm asking is where exactly in Serene Hallows or its suburbs does your character live.

Occupation: Is your character a student? Unemployed? An average salaryman? What do they do for a living really?

Arcana: This is the Arcana of which your character is an avatar. It must be one of the twenty-one major arcanas of tarot, excluding the World. Meaning you may pick the Fool. For details, please see 'Appendix II'. Furthermore, Judgement is not to be taken either and if someone wishes to take the arcana of Death, then they better not make it some stupid cliche crap.

Personality:Influenced by your Arcana, but otherwise feel free to customize and imagine it as you please. For the details on how a certain Arcana influence your character's personality, please see 'Appendix II' again. Also, I'd appreciate it if you told me in this how your character deals with their status as an avatar and whether or not they accept to obey the Arcana from which they gain power.

Appearance: The appearance of your character, obviously. Not just how their clothes look though, thank you very much, but how THEY look. I expect to hear just as much about their personal looks as I hear about how they usually dress. I'm sick of hearing a earing described in scrupulous detail with stuff like "Her eyes are blue and her hair is brown.". That's just plain insulting to my intelligence.

Avatar Blessings: The powers granted to you by your status as an avatar of a certain Arcana. The powers must be related to your Arcana. I don't want to hear no bullshit about psychic powers from, let's say, the avatar of the major arcana Justice. That wouldn't make much sense. I'm being nice here and letting you imagine whatever crazy stuff you can come up with, so don't dissapoint me. Be good about it. Impress me.

History:Tell me about your characters life. From childhood to the present, in as painfully excruciating details as necessary. I'll read it carefully and lovingly, promise. <3





III. The Life and Times of an Avatar

Being an avatar isn't all fun and pink bunnies m'dears! Oh no, it isn't. Let me tell you a bit about it, so you may better comprehend what kind of contract your mother has got your little unborn selves into!

You were born with a strange mark, almost like a tattoo. This is a symbol that within your soul, a small sparkle of an Arcana's soul dwells. This is what makes you an avatar. As you grew up, you would hear voices whispering to you strange things, a bit like a conscience. Depending on your Arcana, it could have been lectures on proper behaviour or even inciting you to commit terrible deeds! In the end however, you were always free to obey or disobey the voice within you, although it did promise much if you obeyed. As time went on, you understood the nature of the 'voice' as a part of you, whether you liked it or not, for it was undeniably 'there' for you.

The 'voice' would calmly and thoroughly explain who and what they were, and what they expected from you in exchange for their tremendous power and blessing. Whether you accepted or not, they would forever pressure you into doing their bidding. Into fighting the other avatars as a symbol of the Arcanas vying for power over the material realm.

From a long time, you could tell easily when one had crossed the path of the Arcanas, and in due time even if one was an avatar, alike you. You felt deeply attracted to a place known as Serene Hallow, as to why that was, you could not tell. But the voice would encourage this tendency heavily, and so you did either move in Serene Hallows, or perhaps were even born there! Many an avatar was born there after all.

The game, so to speak, starts as you wake up from a long, intensely realistic dream, in which you were facing a strange figure who pretended to be "Judgement". They spoke of many things, but mostly that this was not as your Arcana told you. In fact, Om had given a select few this opportunity to test them, and so you. What was the subject of the test? That was irrelevant. All that was asked of you was to follow your heart and path. Whether that was one of compassion or sadism, creation or destruction.

After that mysterious dream, many of your kind will meet you, and perhaps even hurt you. Things would never be the same again.



Appendix I

Serene Hallows, a bustling fictional metropolis somewhere in the United States. As the third largest concentation of population in the states, one can find virtually anything they desire if they know where to look and accomodations of all sort are available, at an impressive range of prices. Of course, with such a large city, comes equally sprawling suburbs, which too are part of our story.

Your characters, as avatars, are attracted toward each other by a magnetism of sort that makes them likely to gather at the same places if they are close enough. By all bringing them over to Serene Hallows like this, the Arcanas hoped to not only find who were the avatars of the other competing Arcanas, but also to possibly get rid of them, or something else, depending on their personal ethics.

In other words, I don't care how, but find a reason for your character to live in Serene Hallows, or at least for them to be one of its citizen for a while, and by a while I mean a few years.



Appendix II

This appendix's purpose is to give a rough explanation of each Arcana's meaning, symbolism and effects on one's personality. For further details that you may wish to use, please consult this webpage: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/learn/meanings/

The Fool: The Arcana of infinite possibilities. The dawn of all. The beginning. Fresh and new, spirited and full of energy, it is the card of youth, of those who are nothing yet, but thus have the potential to be anything. The Fool's journey may have just begun, but the sky is the limit, so to speak. The Fool promotes a positive outlook on life and an energetic personality, but it also promotes carelessness and ignorance, which all affect its avatar's personality. The Fool is also somewhat more likely to appreciate purity, as it incarnates untainted youth.

The Magician: The Arcana of wild creation. Without direction, it is unrefined energy at its finest. It is the soul of all that create on a material level, the builder, the creator, the conceptor. The Magician's avatar is likely to have at least some level of appreciation for science and engineering. The Magician is likely to promotes a tendency to have a 'one-track-mind' and obsess over anything new, but it is also just as likely to promote callousness and irresponsibility for one's creation, for all the Magician Arcana cares for is creation, however it might be done.

The High Priestess: The Arcana of secrets and mystery, arcana knowledge that is beyond rationality. It holds secrets yet untold and perhaps even dangerous, but it might be willing to share them with you, if it so desire. It is all a matter of whim with the High Priestess. The avatar of the High Priestess is likely to be secretive, sneaky, discreet and thoroughly enjoy a good mystery, which will probably lead to an healthy curiosity, which in turns can be considered a tendency to be nosy.

The Empress: The Empress is the motherly aspect of creation. What the Magician creates, the Empress nurtures. It is caring, tender, loving and gentle. Those who would be her avatar would find themselves with a strong motherly instinct and an healthy dose of kindness, though that might turn into a tendency to be overprotective and clingy.

The Emperor: The Emperor is, as his name may hint, sovereignty and sheer power. It is the Arcana of dominance and charisma, of leadership. Those who would be his avatar are born leaders, charismatic and with a good sense of authority, but they might as well turn into tyrants and petty children who cannot be challenged without throwing a tantrum. The Emperor is both extremes balanced. The Emperor's avatar is likely to hold a powerful political office of some sort or something at least related to traditional power.

The Hierophant: The one who brings forth the divine unto heart, the Hierophant is the spirit or religion, faith and tradition. Deeply faithful and spiritual, the Hierophant is the one who answers the questions of the every day man about their spiritual lives and even their daily problems without hesitation. At his best, the avatar of the Hierophant is a spiritual person who sooths others with their wise words and inspiring speeches, at their worst they are an unbending traditionalist. The avatar of the Hierophant is likely to hold a spiritual position of some sort, likely in any of many religion's churches.

The Lovers: The Lovers, as one may suspect, incarnations love, infuation, affection and passion. Be it passionate, consuming, lust or tender, romantic, eternal love, it is both, yet neither. The one who incarnates the lovers is likely to be an unpredictable, whimsical, changing person, who jumps from one relationship to the next without much thought to the consequences yet no real bad intentions. At heart, its avatar would be a person who wish to spread love, and love a lot would, but in doing so goes pain to those left behind. The defining point of the Lovers' avatar would be their limitless, consuming, love. They love, a lot, and they love hard.

The Chariot: The Chariot represents struggle, opposition, war, victory and other such. It is the warrior who fight until their last breath, the one who never gives up. The Chariot's avatar is likely to be extremely stubborn and willful, yet also often earn victory despite being the underdog. There is a slight chance that they might work within the military or police, but that is not significant.

Strenght: Strenght represents both the untamed lion that roars and the serene maiden that holds its maw shut, proving the superiority of spirit over matter. Strenght is the victory of inner strenght over physical strenght. The one who proves to be the avatar of Strenght will tend to be indomitable, unafraid, undaunted, courageous and brave. Honour is likely a value dear to their heart.

The Hermit: The Arcana of introspection and analysis, it is the wisdom of ones who knows themselves perfectly and who is deeply perceptive. It also incarnates sharp deductive skills. Obviously, the avatar of the Hermit possess all those qualities, along with the flaws of being solitary, shy and somewhat untalkative most of the time. The avatar of the Hermit, in the right circumstances, can be inspirational and awe others with their ability to observe the world around them and extract almost imperceptible fact out of it. Although they are unlikely to be one, they would make a marvellous private detective.

The Wheel: This Arcana represents luck, fortune and prosperity. There isn't much else to say about it, beside that with it can also come a sense of unhealthy invulnerability and greed. The one who is the avatar of this Arcana is likely to be a gambler of sort, happy-go-lucky and deeply irresponsible. Chances are they are naive and take things for granted too, due to their absolutely ludicrous amount of luck.

Justice: Justice is about cold, objective balance through reason or natural force. It is pure rationality, the cold objective judge of the world and itself. The avatar of Justice is likely to be fair but cold, loyal and steadfast but unbending and self-righteous. Obviously, a job in the legal system is the perfect match for this one.

The Hanged-Man: This is the Arcana of meditation, selflessness, sacrifice and prophecy. This is the one who lets himself go and make himself vulnerable, so that they may reach enlightenment. Ascetism is a very likely value of its avatar and there is a serious chance of them being poor or homeless, as they care very little for the material world. They are completely tuned to the spiritual world and may even have limited psychic abilities, but by doing so neglect the material heavily.

Death: This is the Arcana of change. That which build the new upon the ashes of the old. Death is when you completely throw away something to replace it with something radically different. Thus, Death is not an end, but an end from which is born a new beginning. The avatar of Death is likely to be a visionary, an idealist and a revolutionary with very different ideas who wish to completely bulldoze the old system to put forth a completely new one that suits their vision. They may even be an anarchist! However, it is to be noted that they very rarely have any bad intentions. If they choose a cause, then they do believe it to be just and good for the sake of the whole. Although some may think they always are, they are not likelier than anyone else to be cruel, although they may be.

Temperance: This Arcana represents moderation and balance. The one who is its avatar is very likely to be frugal, simple and above all else very normal. They can easily see both sides of the coin, and generally prefer the center to either of the extremes presented. They are likely to be very neutral individuals with centrist ethical and moral convictions. Otherwise, their personality can be extremely widely varied, as a varied personality is more balanced.

The Devil: The Arcana of materialism. Spirituality is meaningless to it, and only the material matters, binding people in shackles of pleasure and desire. However, one should remember that one willingly submit to this devil, it does not enslave. The one who is the avatar of the Devil is likely to be extremely materialistic, selfish, egoistical and short-sighted. However, they are also likely to be charming, cunning and spirited, seemingly unbreakable behind all their wealth and power. They are likely a powerful member of a Fortune 500 company or something to that effect. Wealth is almost mandatory with someone of this Arcana.

The Tower: This Arcana is hard to understand, for it represents both lies and truth. The clash between the two is what brings forth ruin and misery. The Tower is a dangerous Arcana, one of suffering, pain and despair, and perhaps the most negative of them all. The avatar of the Tower is likely to be cynical, bitter and full of sorrow and hatred. Furthermore, they are likely to be at a constant war with themselves between the lies they have built for themselves to keep their sanity and the truth that attack them from all side, since they still live within reality.

The Star: The Star is the Arcana of healing, hope and compassion. It sooths the wounds of those hurt and gives a smile to those who's heart has long closed to the invasions of the outside world. It mends and repairs, shine as a lone light in a darkened sky of hopelessness. The avatar of the Star is likely to be selfless, compassionate, tender and thoughtful. They give without thinking, and are likely working either as a social worker or in a charity. Their idealistic approach to life is commendable, but the pitfalls are all too obvious. Overworked, stressed and stretched thin, they can easily become sick and forget to take decent care of themselves.

The Moon: The Arcana of insanity, creativity, imagination, unconscious and poetry. This Arcana is a shining symbol of what lurks within the unknown void of the night, both the wonders and the monsters. The avatar of this Arcana is likely to be insane is some way, be it schizophrenia, a bipolar disorder or any of a number of mental issues. Perhaps even more than one at once! They are likely very chaotic, unstable and creative. Their imagination is something to behold and chances are they may even have a cult-following for what poetry they manage to write despite their issues. They likely work as an artist of sort.

The Sun: This Arcana is science and math, beautifully constructed music, carefully reasoned philosophy. It is a card of intellect, clarity of mind, and feelings of youthful energy. It is the radiance of the Sun vanquishing the darkness of the night, bringing forth a bountiful harvest and prosperity. The avatar of the Sun is likely to do any number of jobs that is of benefit to the public at large, because of their willingness to give a bit of themselves to 'light' the lives of those less fortunate than themselves. They are very likely to have a passionate affair with mathematics, science, philosophy or music, possibly even all four! They are reasonable and coherent, calm and composed. However, they can also be easily distracted and tend to have a bad attention span.

Judgement: Wouldn't you like to know?

The World: The opposite of the fool, it is the end of the journey. All that was desired has been acquired, all that was needed is within reach and has in fact been grasped. The happy ending, in other words. It doesn't work very well for this game, so it is forbidden.


[center]Important Note[/center]

At best, I will let in seven people. Not one more. And even that many is unlikely, as I like having some NPCs to further along the story. You should keep that in mind while applying.

Considering the massive amount of data I had to type down and the many ideas I had to include within, I might have forgotten something, if that happened, please forgiven me and notify me asap via PM. I will correct my oversight in a timely manner.

And now.... may the sign-up begin!

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Can you feel the irony? *Wink-nudge-wink*

The World is not allowed?! D:
I know of quite a few ways it could fit in, but nevertheless, I see your reasoning.

_________________
FUKKATSU

Well, since it's you, if you have an idea, feel free to talk to me about it.

I mean hey, just because I can't see it happening doesn't mean I'm not willing to hear you out!

But yes, right now, the World isn't really allowed for obvious reasons. I'll take it that was the one you wanted eh? ^^;

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Can you feel the irony? *Wink-nudge-wink*

Not really, but I figured that The World, which represents total completion, could also easily stand for what the character strives for, or believes he has obtained. I.e. a completionist who does everything he does for the sake of perfection and a satisfying reward at the end of his journey. Alternately, it could be a closed-minded individual who already believes he has everything he wants and has perfected himself, and responds violently to things that suggest otherwise.

I didn't actually want that Arcana myself.

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FUKKATSU

I understand, but well, that's not the spin I wanted to give to the World. Though it is an interesting way to put it. Wish I had thought of it myself! xD

_________________


Can you feel the irony? *Wink-nudge-wink*

I love you, Danny.

I'll probably join.

Just gimme a moment.

_________________

Why do you love me? oO

I hope it doesn't involve stalking... ;_;

_________________


Can you feel the irony? *Wink-nudge-wink*

...Ooohh. Looks cool. Might try to make a character. Will have to study this carefully.

_________________
Garren Lagann - Proving that sometimes, yelling and pointing is all you need to do to be completely awesome.

The question you should be asking is, "Why wouldn't I love you?"

Don't close yourself off right from the get-go.

Free your mind, baby. Let it take you for a ride.

A wild ride.

_________________

B-baby? XD

Oh dear....

Silly! *smack Bob across the head hard, laughing*

PS: No, but seriously, why'd you say that? >>;

_________________


Can you feel the irony? *Wink-nudge-wink*

Cause I liked the idea.

...

...

O WAIT NO, YOUR WORDS TOOK ME IN AND GAVE ME MASSIVE ERECTION.

_________________

You know, most people would get offended by this.

Me? I'm still laughing. >>;

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Can you feel the irony? *Wink-nudge-wink*

It's because it's Bob, and soon you will be gay for him. Like Jun.

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FUKKATSU

Who's Jun?

And sure, why not I guess *shrugs*

_________________


Can you feel the irony? *Wink-nudge-wink*

Hey you don't mind if a newbie applies do you, my sis set me up on here and this one looks quite interesting. I have Rp'd before, but not on a server in a few years.

_________________
Fear not death, for he is a pussy compared to me!

Name: Real name Patrick Flint, currently using: Daniel Masters

Age:: 23

Gender: male

Ethnicity: Caucasian

Location: He is renting a small, one-room flat in downtown, in a rather poor district.

Occupation: He works in the city zoo as attendant. (Feeding animals, cleaning pens, etc.)

Arcana: Tower.

Personality: Patrick is very disappointed in humanity. People always lie, betray and double-cross each other. He simply doesn’t like or trust anyone. He likes animals, expect cats. Cats are treacherous beasts. He is quite bitter, and happy people tend to irritate him. Sometimes he enjoys slapping the truth and reality into other people faces. Patrick is obsessed with the truth. He can’t enjoy a fantasy book or a movie. All he sees are lies, lies, lies, and he can’t make himself believe in them.
On the other hand he spins web of lies to reach his goals, but he doesn’t enjoy that either. It is only a tool for him. Deep in his soul he longs for something pure and truth, something he can trust in. Once he found someone he trusted, and loved her with all his heart, but the love turned into cold hatred as she betrayed him.
He is cold, calculating, determined and is ready to go to the extreme if needed.
Patrick is afraid of the voice, because it’s the only thing he knows immune to his power. He can’t tell if it’s saying the truth or not. “Everyone lies, why should this voice in my head do otherwise?” He doesn’t trust to voice, and tries to look behind its motives. He suspects a trap behind every suggestion. “What happens if I obey? Can I trust him? Will I really benefit from it, if I do what he suggests? What if he knows I don’t trust him, and suggests this to trick me into doing the opposite?” This kind of constant paranoia is wearing on his nerves.

Appearance: His eyes are brown and look quite large, because his low sitting cheekbones. His left eyebrow is a little higher, than the right one. His nose stumpy and has gentle curve to the right in the middle. He has a strong jaw-line, but his chin is practically missing. He wears a thick beard to hide some surgical scars. His hair is black and greasy, growing to shoulder-length. He wears it usually free. (The facial flaws are because he had a serious reconstruction surgery. See history.)
He doesn’t care about dressing much. In his opinion clothes should be comfortable, warm if needed and cheap, how they look is not of importance. He mostly buys second hand clothes. He doesn’t like bright colors; he usually wears dark-blue, grey and black.

Avatar Blessings: He has a unique talent to separate truth from lies. In the same time he can spin the most complex schemes. In a nutshell; it’s impossible to mislead him, on the other hand he can make people believe almost anything. As convenient it may seem, this bless can be a curse. There are no white lies in his world; reality keeps stabbing him sharp like a knife.

History: Patrick was born in Dallas, Texas. The Flints were typical American middle-class family. Patrick’s parents loved their child, and tried to provide him everything he needed. His parents tried to raise him as an honest person. “Lying is bad. You don’t lie to people, who you really love.” On the other hand children need fantasy and fairytales, a gentle veil of lies, to protect their fragile souls from the cold reality of the world. But Patrick simply couldn’t believe in the untruth. “Santa brought you this train. We took your dog to live on a farm.”
Patrick was confused by this paradox, and believed that his parents were bad, evil people, who don’t love him. At early age he tried to run away several times. As he grew a little older and started school, he met more people and realized that his parents are not worse than the rest. Their relationship calmed somewhat, but he kept his distance from them, just like from everybody else.
He lacked of ambitions. Patrick managed fairly in school using cheating most of the time. He despised all those lying people surrounding, and even himself when he used unfair methods. He felt playing fair wouldn’t bring him anywhere in life, and the wicked world is forcing him to turn wicked too. After finishing high-school he started to work at a gas-station.
The only bright moment in his cruel life filled with self-hatred, was when he met Jessica. He fell in love with the girl who seemed the only pure and true person in the world. Six months later, at the age of twenty, he married her. The following year was the happiest in Patrick’s life. He started to study again. But his world was shattered as he found out, that his wife is cheating on him.
His love turned into bitter hatred. He plotted for months, created a false identity of Daniel Masters, and placed little evidences in an upcoming ‘murder’. Sixteen months ago Patrick Flint went missing. The police found evidences, that he was brutally murdered by his wife and her lover. The evidences were quite convincing, as Patrick didn’t back down from self-mutilation. The couple was sentenced to death. The execution is dated in two months.
Two days after Patrick went missing, two hundred miles away a man was found with serious injuries. He claimed that his name was Daniel Masters, and he was robbed. The medics tried to reconstruct his face as good as they could. In the end Daniel Masters didn’t look like Patrick Flint at all. As a matter of fact Patrick smashed his own face beyond reorganization to hide his older self inflected injuries, and get a ‘legal’ plastic surgery.
Daniel moved away from Texas to Serene Hallows to lay low and have a quiet life. Some people weren’t convinced by the evidence against his wife, and are trying to clear her name. They might come looking for him.

Quality is what matters, not post count. ^ ^

-----------------------------------------------



Creative history, if short. I enjoy the concept of your character, it's very different and totally fits the aspect of ruin and misery of the Tower. I wasn't actually expecting anyone to go for that one Arcana, so I'm pleasantly surprised.

Though, before I pass judgement upon your CS, no pun intended, I'd like you to elaborate on his personality a bit more. Also, I'm not sure if you were tired, but although a very interesting history, it was riddled with grammar mistakes.

Furthermore, I'd like if you told me in his history how he dealt with his parents, what kind of people they were and the relationship he had to them. Just stating he hated them like everyone else is a bit vague.

Oh and before I forget, you forgot to mention something I especially asked for in personality... ^^;

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Can you feel the irony? *Wink-nudge-wink*

I am glad you like it.
Sorry for the mistakes, english is my second, but I will work it over. If I repeat a very bad misstake over and over again, please tell me.

I will PM you when the CS is updated.

English is my second language too. I speak french. ^^

But anyway, please work it over as you said. I'll be expecting nothing less from you than what I can produce. After all, if I can do it, so can you!

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Can you feel the irony? *Wink-nudge-wink*

Im doing my CS at the mo, but it won't be up untill tomorrow cos its on my works computer. Its to do with the wheel, so hopefully it wil be cool.

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Fear not death, for he is a pussy compared to me!

Alright, so since I'm real merciful, I'm gonna tell you this once.

Please type in full words and proper english for the love of all that is holy, pure and beautiful.

Seriously. ^^;

Chatspeaks of any sort, however minor, just irritates me.

And the Wheel eh? We'll see what you've come up with, won't we?

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Can you feel the irony? *Wink-nudge-wink*

Sorry, i will use real English. I hate how i can't speak more than one language, let alone write it!!!!!!! The English (that does incude me) are so lazy at other languages!!!!! Sorry, irrateded self has ceased!

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Fear not death, for he is a pussy compared to me!

Hehe, well as I said earlier, english is my second language, and I expect nothing less than what I can do from others. ^^

You do seem like one to get worked up, but really, I'm not mad, just warning you.

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Can you feel the irony? *Wink-nudge-wink*

Name: Jaered Xian

Age:: 22

Gender: Male

Ethnicity: Cantonese

Location: City Serene Hollows

Occupation: Bartender/Waiter

Arcana: Magician

Personality: He's an upbeat, fairly positive man with a mesmerizing sort of presence. Despite that, Jaered's not totally honest. His focus is more on telling others what they want to hear than being straight with them. It's hard not to like him, but at the same time, one never gets very close to him. Jaered is friendly to others and always willing to assist or give advice, like a good samaritan, but never gets personally involved, and always has a pragmatic excuse handy, married to any singular act of kindness he enacts. Mostly, he doesn't trust in his own goodness, though it doesn't bother him much, and "Jaered" does not come into the equation when dealing with others. It makes him an ideal professional, but a distant, difficult friend.
He's got a certain creative quality of originality that allows him to put his own spin on things like drinks and culinary dishes, but he restricts himself and doesn't explore these options. By far, the qualities of the Arcana that come out in Jaered most are his seemingly "magic" influence over other people and ability to advise them. He's a smooth talker and a very persuasive individual that seems to know no limits, but restricts himself for worldly reasons. His mind is inquisitive and innovative, and not alien to trying something that seems a bit risky, but he never is without basis in his reasonings. Things seem to happen just as he previously stated, but it's not the same as a prediction; rather, he *makes* the impossible possible. Other people are spellbound by him and keep coming back for more.
When Jaered has doubts or uncertainties, he keeps them all to himself, and they eat him from the inside.

Appearance: He's a dashing fellow of 5'9," with short black hair swept up and slightly spiked in the front of his head, with a hint of dye in the front's tips. (A dark reddish brown color, very subtle and easy to miss.) He's got a lanky but strong figure, and well-kept, beautiful hands that seem to have endless flexibility. He himself has brown eyes that contain some red, to the point of resembling varnished cherry wood. His face is thin and youthful, and some people express disbelief at him being behind the bar. It lends itself to a feeling of uneasiness in the customer, thinking that he might not know what he's doing, and his casual "let's try this" experimental attitude just worsens things. Most noticeably, his face has a inquisitive, focused look to it, and he always watches others with great interest.

Underneath his shirt, upon his right shoulderblade, Jaered has the symbol of the planet Mercury, which is representative of the Magician.

As for his manner of dressing, he usually wears dark red dress vests, black ties, a white shirt with discrete, sparse pinstripes, black slacks, and, when on the job, the typical black apron. He never goes anywhere without a silver pen and a charcoal grey hankerchief in his front pocket.

Avatar Blessings: The creation of rumors. He has the power to create rumors that distort reality when spread by the people he talks to. People "infected" with his optimism and healed by him come under his sway, whether he realizes it or not, and unconsciously actualize rumors originating from Jaered's words. The limits are determined by a few factors:
First of all, the power of the rumor is directly proportional to how many people come to believe it. Thus, an outlandish rumor will be ineffective while a believable one that seems to have some basis in reality will potentially come true. There needs to be enough receptive minds to "create" the extra part of reality for the rumor.
Second of all, the rumor is perpetuated unconsciously by human beings, and to a certain degree, a subtle manipulation of random chance. The rumor cannot come into being unless it is possible and can be actualized by a number of real people. So if Jaered started a rumor like "I am a ghost," he would not become a ghost, but rather, people would think he was a ghost, and perhaps he would become slightly less easy to notice, but overall the effect would be minimal. If he started a rumor like "the Serene Hollows' Observer is having a sweepstakes with a rare diamond as the prize," if enough people came to believe it, then eventually someone with the ability to make that possible, like a diamond seller and an editor at the Observer or whatever newsletter chosen, will make it come true.
There are other aspects to this. The limitations of a confined environment and a lack of knowledge about a subject which is affixed with a rumor can effect its potency. For example, if no one knew anything about Jaered, he might be able to make a rumor that he's actually a retired painter. If nobody conclusively knew this was false, eventually he himself would start to be modified and gain better painting skills. Also, if he and a group of friends were in a confined environment, and he was able to convincingly lie to them all, that lie might come true because there is no one else to act as an observer and invalidate the lie.
The weakness of this power is that Jaered is not yet aware of it, and even if he was, there is no way to tell whether the rumor is working until the desired result happens except for word of mouth to determine its spread. There is also no way to tell if the result caused by the rumor is exactly the same as the original intended one; rumors are sometimes distorted, and the greater degree of complexity behind one, the more likely it is to hardly resemble the original rumor by the time it has passed through 10+ people. (Like Telephone.)

He also has an almost supernatural ability for slight-of-hand tricks, posesses considerable throwing and manual dexterity skill, and is quite fit/well-balanced. It's uncertain whether this was the product of a rumor or if he really has these talents ingrained within him. According to Jaered, it's just because he's used to handling bartending tools and doing silly magic tricks in his spare time.

History: A young Cantonese restaurant employee, Jaered is the first generation of his family to be born in the United States. Being their only child and from a family of lower-than-average wealth, it has always fallen upon him to provide for them. In the past, even as a young kid not old enough to legally work, he helped pay for his own existence by working with his parents. They owned a small convenience store, where Jaered worked furiously until he was old enough to go to college, in order to help fund his education all the way through highschool and up until that point. Eventually, he settled on a respected culinary school, achieving great success and making a number of useful connections; however, Jaered, always an individualist, decided to take his own path and sign with a large restaurant in the Chinese neighborhood of the city, The Compass (Luo Pan). There he works double duty as a bartender and a waiter, and for his first year or so of employment, customers who loyally frequented the restaurant traded their stories, hopes and fears with him, and thus became his loyal allies and valued patrons. As for his own future, however, Jaered dreams of being a master chef or a master bartender who creates his own recipes to share with the world, but he is constantly busy with obligations and helping others, and the dream seems far off.
It is also said that The Compass is a front for a US branch of a certain pervasive Chinese secret criminal society that participates in extortion, drug dealing, sales of weapons, and worse. But does Jaered know anything about this?

It is important to note that Jaered wants to move out of Serene Hollows, but feels "compelled" to stay and make his home there. He lives in a tiny, messy apartment near the restaurant in SH's Chinatown, and pretty much knows every single person living in the building and up and down the street.

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FUKKATSU

Name: Katerina “Kitty” Illimitato

Age:: 22

Gender: Female

Ethnicity: Italian-American

Location: Kitty hails from the more bustling nightlife portion of the city, living in the apartment just above her shop.

Occupation: Piercer and tattoo artist who started up her own shop in Serene Hallows a few years back

Arcana: Death

Personality: Kitty is a generally friendly woman, though she’s often a little edgy and sarcastic, mixed with a little flirty. However, she’s also easily bored with the repetitious, and doesn’t call anyone a friend unless they’re interesting and spontaneous, very much like herself. She’s highly charismatic, and people often decide to make an appointment for tattoos and piercings at her shop, Path Less Traveled, due to her interesting aura and way of speaking her mind. People want to get to know Kitty, and hear what she has to say. While Kitty has been following the advice of her Arcana, she does so in her own way. Instead of changing the world, she wants to change the individual and help them become what they’ve always wanted to be.

Appearance: (Colored version to come later)

Kitty is a gorgeous young woman with luscious, silky red hair that falls to the middle of her back when let down. Most of the time, however, she keeps it tied back and clipped, so it doesn’t get all in her face when working. She’s not too tall, but not too short either, landing comfortably in the middle at 5’5, though her high heeled boots make her look even taller. Kitty’s body curves pleasingly in all the right places, and often wears sexy clothes that can show off the designs that have been painted into her flesh, several by her own hand. She has more tattoos than she has piercings, as tats are more her thing, but she does have several piercings in her ears and one on her navel. Kitty has a long, lean, and sexy build, her features somewhat catlike, quite true to her name. She loves playing around with eye makeup as well as tattoos, often shaping her almond-colored eyes with jet-black liner and various colors of shadow.

Avatar Blessings: Kitty’s words are her true weapon, as her charisma and rebellious attitude can draw people to listen to her, and change their outlook on themselves and the world in general. People want to hear her thoughts and views, and want to change themselves in such a way that they can find out who they truly are

History: When Kitty Illimitato was born, every one knew that she was destined to shake the world to its core. Born with the symbol of the Tudor Rose emblazoned on her arm, her parents were sure that their little girl was special. A strange birthmark, and her parents were already aware of the symbol’s connection to the Death card in the Major Arcana of the Tarot. However, they were also aware that it didn’t spell an early grave for their child, but for great changes to be made in the future. What kind of changes…well, that was something that they didn’t know, but that wasn’t really their place to figure out. That would be up to their daughter.

Kitty was always a very artistic and adventurous child, always trying a million different activities when something got too routine for her. And she knew things were getting too routine when Azrael (the name she dubbed the Death Arcana as a child, whom most everyone simply assumed was her imaginary friend at the time), told her that there was something much more fun that she could do with her time. This spurred on Kitty’s usual spontaneous changing of hobbies and need to surround herself with interesting people. Kitty went through her school years like this, constantly changing her interests and the groups of friends that she hung out with, all the while receiving guidance and advice from Azrael, telling her of what she must accomplish as his chosen. Like everyone else she knew, the Arcana kept telling her that she was destined to shake the world to its core, and that in the end, she’d come out on top, over all the other chosen Avatars of the Arcanas.

Kitty got her first tattoo when she started college, though it was more of an enhancement to the natural one she had as opposed to a new image all together. She had remembered seeing that symbol on Death’s flag on the 13th card of the Tarot, and thought it would be fun to make the white rose more noticeable on her skin by having the black flag it was originally emblazoned on painted in around her birthmark. The number thirteen was written in roman numerals just underneath it to complete the image. Seeing all the interesting people both working at the shop and coming in and out for appointments made Kitty start thinking that this may be the kind of life she had been looking for. Thus, she started her apprenticeship as a tattoo artist. To this day, it’s the only hobby that has always kept her interested, as all different types of people want all different types of tattoos or piercings, making a small statement of who they truly are.

After finishing college with a degree in Art, Azrael told Kitty that the next step would be to head to the city of Serene Hallows, and there would be where she would be making the big change to the world as we know it. Kitty liked the idea, though she had no idea how she would be making that change to the world. And then it hit her. She herself couldn’t make change alone, but what if she could make that little change in several different people? What if…by making a slight change to that show off their true selves (a new tattoo or a piercing for example), the people who come to her can begin to shape the world anew? After all, nothing really says as much about a person than what they decide to have designed permanently into their skin.

Once she scrounged up enough money and moved to Serene Hallows, Kitty opened up her own tattoo parlor, which she lovingly named, “Path Less Traveled,” which has become quite popular in the city. The shop has a very gothic feel to it, with dried roses hanging from the ceiling and gargoyles watching from the corners. A slightly dark theme, yet it still felt rather safe to be getting work done there as opposed to somewhere else. And not only would you get a gorgeous tat or the perfect piercing, but you’d get a very pleasant conversation after which you’d feel as if you could do absolutely anything. Kitty was gifted like that.

Over the few years that she had lived in Serene Hallows so far, Kitty herself had gotten a number of tattoos, all fairly cool or creepy. She kept her left arm bare, however, to keep the focus on the Tudor Rose she had been born with. Kitty does have one sillier tat on her body, which has an even sillier story behind it. A girl she had hired as a piercer had come up to her one day and asked why she didn’t have any “fun” tattoos. “These aren’t fun?” Kitty asked her with a frown. The girl explained that all she meant was that while she had plenty of tattoos, Kitty should get one that shows off her sense of humor, to laugh at a bit. With a huff, Kitty stormed off.

When she returned, she had a bandage on her arm, showing that she had gotten a new tattoo. She revealed to her friends and employees that she had decided to get…Kermit the Frog. “That fun enough for ya?” she then asked the girl with a smirk. Next to the Tudor Rose, Kermit is her favorite tat.

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