I copied this post almost verbatim from SharpEvil; I'm sure he won't mind.
Welcome to Pen and Sword! For you that don't know what Pen and Sword is, allow me to explain; Pen and Sword is a writing game that rewards skill, creativity, and prose. This is not a game for those with commitment issues, those who dislike writing, or anyone incapable of capitalizing the first letter of their sentence. However, if you like to tell stories, have a character in your head clawing to be cemented in history, and enjoy some healthy competition, read on.
HOW TO PLAY
I - Overview
II - Winning and Losing
III - Character Information Sheets
IV - Reserves
V - "Good" Playing and "Bad" Playing
VI - Misc FAQ
VII - Characters Playing In THIS Game
I -- OVERVIEW
Here are the rules in a nutshell, which I will soon explain in depth. The game is an all-out war of combat and writing skill. In this game, each participating player submits a profile of the character they will be adding to the story. The characters will all then be dropped into a tournament where the object is to kill all the other players. When the game begins, the GM will post a prologue, which will drop each character into the game at a certain location. Once the game has begun, players can "reserve" a spot by putting in a post with the word "Reserved". This gives the player a set amount of time (Depending on the number of players at the time and speed of the game, it should be around 2 to 3 hours) to write their piece of the story. Once each character has gotten an opportunity to get some writing in, the GM will make his reserve, and end the round. At this point, the GM determines who is the weakest writer, and writes their piece of the story, eliminating their character. (generally, but not always, through death.) The object of the game is to be the last character standing. Please note that this is a long game for those who don't lose early, so please be prepared to keep going. Nothing is more disappointing than having a game fall apart because nobody feels like writing.
IMPORTANT: You
may choose to use a character from an existing work. Last game I used Blackbeard from the series
One Piece and had a helluva good time doing it. But don't make the pre-existing character a crutch; this game is about what you can create or evolve, not just show us what some one crafted before you. As GM I reserve the right to deny these sorts of entries if I feel they will be a detriment to the game. Keep it classy.
II -- WINNING AND LOSING
As stated earlier, there is only one way to win: Be the last person standing. In addition, because nearly every one of these games includes the characters being forced to kill each other against their will, the characters have, on occasion, staged uprisings against the GM's character. This can happen in the last or second to last round. When this happens, the GM may choose to become a playing character, and the winner will be decided by votes of those not playing. If two players rise against the GM, they may both win, if their writing abilities are on par with each other. This is the only time more than one player can win.
Losing comes in two simple varieties. The first way is dying with honor. You write your heart out, you put up a good fight, but the GM is forced to kill your character off because the other players simply managed to outshine you. There is nothing wrong with this.
However, not everyone stays the course, and the GM maybe be forced to disqualify someone for inactivity. This will look no different from a regular loss. The character will be removed and a new round will begin.
I understand that some people are a bit sensitive about having their characters killed off. The only guaranteed way to keep your character alive is to win, but depending on whether or not the GM had a death planned, you may be able to arrange a kinder fate for your character with the GM.
III -- CHARACTER INFORMATION SHEETS
Before you can play, you need a character. You can make one up, or "borrow" it from something else.
Using characters from other materials is only suggested for the best writers. Certain characters may be denied at the discretion of the GM. Regardless of where your character is from, you must fill out a CIS. Every player will have a different color. All length suggestions are merely guidelines, and may be ignored if you so desire. Please PM your completed CISes to the GM. (Me.)
CIS:
Character Name
Character Race
Age
Text color
Apearance- A paragraph or so description of the character's appearance.
Description- A 1-2 paragraph description of the character's personality, origins, fears, morals, etc. Don't be too descriptive; after all, then you won't have as much material to write about once the game starts. Give us a rough idea of what your character's like. For a full character, it is good to include flaws as well as strong points.
Weapons/Techniques/Etc.- What sort of weapon does your character wield? Does he or she rely on martial arts techniques? Do they use magic? Can they fight at all? (Because your character is being dropped into a fighting tournament, it is best, but not necessary to create a battle-ready character.)
Do not feel limited in the creation of your character. Remember, the winner is based on writing skill, not their character's abilities. You can choose to play a 16 year old girl from Colonial America, or a crazed swordsman with a magical glove giving near-godlike abilities. Either can win, and neither has an excuse for god-moding. (See: Good and Bad playing) For ideas on the variety of characters you can create, previous characters have included:
A young girl who communicates with a rabbit
An old man who commands six sentient marionette puppets
Don Quixote
A Twenty Foot Norwegian Titan formed of demonic black paper
The group of sentient leeches from resident evil 0
Inspector Gadget
Here are some examples of previous CIS entries. Please note that these are rather long ones, and that yours can be as short as you want.
[collapse=Leebrus]
Name: Leebrus
Age: 11
Color:Green
Race: Human
Appearance- A Link-ish green cap, blond hair, a tattered dark green shirt overtop of a light green long-sleeved shirt, baggy, dirty, tattered brown pants.
Description: Leebrus lived for a long time in an orphanage, where he was the subject of abuse of the nasty old owners of the place. One day, he acquired a magic pocket watch, one of four (each of which represents one of the four elements). His particular watch allows him to alter the age of things, with certain limitations that I'll explain in the Weapons section. At first, he used this new power to right wrongs that he saw, but has now descended into using it for his own amusement. He absolutely loathes adults, and often makes them the butt of his trickery.
Weapons: As explained above, Leebrus has a very large pocket watch. He will swing this around like a ball-and-chain (though it's not quite as large as one) when combat is required of him. Other than that, he uses the watches special properties to manipulate the ages of his enemies/victims. There is are certain rules that he must adhere to, and since I don't plan on explicitly telling them during the story, I guess I'll list them here.
1. Depending on the amount of change he performs, the speed at which he makes things age, and the victim's proximity to the watch, Leebrus expends a certain amount of energy. Therefore, ideal conditions would be for him to change something as little as necessary, as slowly as possible, and while the victim is in direct physical contact with the watch. The watch can't affect things far distances from it at all. Overuse of the watch can physically exhaust him or even kill him.
2. When Leebrus uses his powers on himself or an inanimate object, the first two things that cost him energy in the previous paragraph are ignored; he'll only expend energy if he isn't touching the object with the watch.
3. The watch has an infinite ability to make animals and people younger. For every year of time taken away from a victim, a year gets stored inside the watch. Leebrus can then add these years to other victims in order to age them. He'll start this game off with 10 years, unless Sharp objects.
4. Making some one so young that they become unborn or aging some one to the point of death both take MASSIVE amounts of energy, and are therefore usually not done.
5. While fighting, the amount of energy comfortable for Leebrus is one where every direct hit with the watch will take off or add one year, depending on which he wants to do. He very seldomly defeats opponents by actually KO'ing them or something similar; his goal is instead to make them an age at which they are no longer a threat.
6. Leebrus' watch is the one that represents wind. Therefore, he has the ability to hover above the ground a few feet.
[/collapse]
[collapse=Seth Albel]
Colour - Blue
Seth Albel
Age 23
Weapons - Although proficient with every weapon, he excels with a bowstaff and at marksmanship. His martial arts is also something to fear.
Bowstaff, Martial Arts, Revolver. (Don't have firing the gun in your posts, mmkay?)
Physical Description
Fair skinned and standing at 5'11, Seth is both incredibly fit and flexible. He is slim, and thusly isn't as powerful as the more robust fighters. However, he more than makes up for this with his speed, technicality, and endless stamina. With this, he is easily able to outlast his opponents and discover flaws in their technique. He has dirty blond hair and green eyes. As for clothing, he wears a white material long coat, which parts above his hips. (Sort of like Seto Kaiba's blue one, for all you Yu-Gi-Oh kids) Under this, he wears a black undershirt, and fitted black pants. His clothes are specially tailored for him, and are strangely durable and leave plenty of room for his martial arts. He also wears black boots, with tiny spikes on the bottom to improve traction.
Psychological Description
Seth is very calm and collected. Along with that, he is also very intelligent. His quick wit allows him to constantly come up with new approaches on the battlefield. He is very arrogant, so he only decides to fight when he feels it's worth his time. He carries around a case of cigarettes, and smokes however many he sees fit per day. He is never afraid of any person, creature, or object. Rather, he'd find enjoyment being on the losing side of a battle. HE WILL NOT BE THE ONE TO INITIATE A FIGHT.
Likes - Reading, Sunsets, Obstacles. (um, the moon!)
Dislikes - Being interrupted, Weak people, wasteful people
Fears - Running out of cigarettes.
Background
Seth is the leader of a Bounty Hunter's guild, based in Spain. His nationality isn't known, and neither is much of his past. What is known however, is that he appeared as a bounty hunter at the tender age of 15. He learned how to use each weapon in the bounty hunter guild's armory, becoming at least mediocre with each. His teachers quickly became his subbordinates, as he became the leader at the age of 20. He went off for a year on a special assignment, returning as an exponentially better fighter, and a chain smoker. He never lets anybody touch his cigarettes.
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Please note that in all likelihood, we are going to have more than enough "mysterious samurai/ninja loner with extreme battle skill" types. You're welcome to use one if you'd like, but if you're too similar to someone else, you may find it difficult to differentiate yourself from them.
IV -- RESERVES
Reserves are fairly simple. When you want time to write out a chunk of story and nobody else has a reserve, simply put in a post which clearly states that you reserve the next post. You will have a certain number of hours to write. As the game progresses, you will get more time per reserve. If your reserve time runs out, your reserve will be canceled, and you will have until another player reserves to post your story. If another player reserves, you
may not post, as it may contradict what they are writing.
V -- "GOOD" PLAYING AND "BAD" PLAYING
Because this is a writing game, you have virtually limitless potential in what you can do during your turn. The best players tend to spice things up to keep the game interesting, forming groups and truces with their characters, triggering huge events that everyone must respond to, and filling in their characters with lots of personality for others to work with.
There are two practices majorly frowned upon in this game: god-moding and player-controlling. These are considered very unsporting, and will count against you when the GM is considering who to kill off.
God-moding is when you treat your character as though he were invincible. Theoretically, a character can have infinite power, but it annoys everyone if he constantly taps into it to beat the ever-loving crap out of all of the other characters. Even though the story is about characters fighting, the actual battle is one of writing skill, and it's both boring and poor writing to have a character that has no faults. Heck, your character could lose every fight he takes part in, but if you're the best writer, you'll still win.
Player-controlling is when you write extensively about the thoughts and actions of a character other than your own, especially when your portrayal of the character is inaccurate. This rule becomes laxer as the game goes on and you learn more about the subtleties of the characters of others; after all, how are you supposed to write well if you can only talk about one character? Still, try to avoid this near the beginning. The GM will probably be lenient on you for this one unless the player who owns that character complains. In addition, it's generally a bad idea to permanently mutilate another player's character. (Cutting off fingers, scarring the face, etc.)
The best way to avoid trouble with other characters is to get in touch with them through AIM or another instant messager. If you send your AIM to me with your CIS, I will put it into your character's profile.
VI -- MISC FAQ
Q: How much do I have to write?
A: That depends on your competition. Generally, the average length will be somewhere between 1 and 2 pages in Microsoft Word. Quantity is secondary to quality, however, and two pages of poorly written story will still lose to half a page of well written story.
Q: You talk about this game like it's been around before? I can't find it. Has it been here?
A: This game is new to the smashboards. If necessary to get a feel for the game, I can post a link to a separate message board with a few older games on it, but I would prefer to start fresh here.
Q: How many people can play?
A: I would prefer to limit it to ten players, maximum. If I get more entries than this, some of the more suspect players may have to give a few paragraphs to prove their ability. If there are no suspect writers, we will either go above ten, or I will be forced to not include the later applicants.
Q: When is the game starting?
A: The game is expected to start around the 21 of June. At this point, school will be out in just about all US states, assuring that everyone has time to write. It also gives ample time for people to think about and submit their characters.
Q: I've found a flaw or error in your rules!/I have a question not in the FAQ!
A: Then send it to me through PM, or at my email address
laskowski.andrew@gmail.com
SIGN UPS AND CHARACTERS
I'm aiming at having 12 people in the game (or 10, depends on the turnout). It's first come first serve; send me your CIS and you'll be given a slot. Once the roster fills up we'll get going and I'll post the prologue.
1) Tom
2) KevinM
3) Meta-Kirby
4) Clownbot
5) Evil Eye
6) Macman
7) Vanderzant
8) McFox
9) Scav
10) (｡◕‿‿◕｡) aka JungleFever
11) TMW Redcell
12) Namaste
[collapse=Dr. Ulysses Day]
Tom said:
Name: Dr. Ulysses Day
Age: 68
Color: Sienna
Race: Human
Appearance: Dr. Day stands at a fit 5'5", dressed as an impeccable English gentleman in a bespoke brown-tone suit, including all of jacket, trousers, waist-coat, and flat cap. He wears a bronze pair of small round spectacles and keeps his matching pocket-watch tucked inside his jacket, hooked to his waist-coat. Underneath his flat cap, his grey hair neatly recedes to a balding crown. He carries a dark brown umbrella to match his dark shoes and belt.
Description: Dr. Day is the aged curator of the British Museum's Medieval exhibits, including European and Islamic scientific instruments, European Medieval Archeology, and Late and Post-Medieval Arms and Armour. Ulysses was born in Egypt to a pair of English archeologists. He was raised traveling around both Africa and the Middle-East with his parents until mid-adolescence when he was sent to a formal boarding school in London. Graduating from formal school, Ulysses attended the University of London, studying and excelling in the fields of Medieval history and archeology. After graduation, Ulysses obtained his doctorate in both subjects before becoming a professor at the Institute of Historical Research at Senate House in London. The young doctor fell in love with a literature professor named Margaret, and after a lengthy courtship, married her and had a single son. Teaching well past tenure, Ulysses remained well respected by his colleagues and loved by his students until Margaret's death to illness. Ulysses searched for renewed happiness traveling the globe as he did in his youth, until after more than three years of scattered travel he was invited back to the United Kingdom for the birth of his first grandchild, a baby girl named after his Margaret. Ulysses settled back into his house in London and accepted an invitation to act as a curator of the British Museum, devoting his life and his home to taking care of both the museum and his young Molly. While Dr. Day often has to keep Molly from getting lost in the museum or destroying the artifacts he keeps as his private collection in his basement, her endless curiosity revitalized his mind and spirit and gave him his renewed happiness.
Weapons/Techniques: 1. Dr. Day wields a hardy and durable steel umbrella.
2. Dr. Day is incredibly knowledgeable in the areas of mathematics, science, archeology, and Medieval weaponry. He is accustomed to long hikes, climbing, swimming, and other physical activities accompanying rigorous travel.
[/collapse]
[collapse=Icho Itachi]
KevinM said:
Character Name: Icho Itachi
Character Race: Human
Nickname: One Punch
Age: 25
Text color: Sandy Brown
Appearance: He's an extremely tall slender man of about 6'9 with a majority of the height being in his legs which are of his most prominent features. He wears a loose fitting suit and a white fedora and is normally seen with a prominent scowl upon his face. He has platinum blonde hair at medium length and he weighs roughly 175 pounds. His entire body is rippled with toned muscle and he walks with a swagga.
Description-: Itachi is a 25 year old chef for an old sushi restaurant out of necessity. He had no where else to go as he was abandoned at a young age by his parents who were creeped out by a very special trait of Itachi's. He has no emotions, ever since he was little he just went through life and it sickened his parents. He was found torturing cats and other children by beating them and forcing them to do things for him that he didn't want to do himself. His parents soon got rid of him fearing for their own safety as his lack of emotion and his demands for perfection became too threatening to the family. He saw himself as a plane above everyone else. As a result he always keeps himself in flawless condition and his cooking is renowned throughout the world. The only thing he ever could express himself in was art, but due to his utter lack of emotion he often found himself throwing away pieces that would otherwise be considered works of worth. However, his lack of emotions contributes to his brutal fighting style as he kicks and punches much harder and faster then most human beings since he has absolutely no reservations of human life and doesn't tire as quickly.
Weapons/Techniques/Etc: Itachi stands with his hands loosely tucked into his pockets, relying on his height and leg span to both defend and attack. Using his legs like a man would a sword, holding up his leg & using defensive kicks to parry peoples blows, using his speed to constantly be just out of reach of the opponent. When doing kicks he will keep his distance, spending most of the time defending to wear down the opponent, then finish them with a swift kick to the head. Often, if provoked to fight longer than the blow to his head, he would bring down his kicks like someone would when slashing with a sword, bringing his legs down from high up & striking down ones body. Fists are the same, he mainly defends, but instead uses counters more than simple parrying, catches the fist, crushes the fist. Catches the fist, pulls the arm out of the socket. And in the same way as the legs & feet he will finish with a blow to the head. He is also very fast. When he simply can't be bothered to block he is more than happy to duck & weave as the opponent throws whatever at him. Not only is he strong (possibly because pain doesn't hold him back) he is much faster than most normal people & shows acrobatic skills like they are as natural to him as breathing & will often flip over people in a means of getting away. He would land perfectly & then calmly walk away, hands in pockets. If someone was watching one of Itachi's fights they would think he was toying with his opponent, much like an older brother would to his younger brother. However his lack of feeling adds a lack of morality & his hits are brutal & merciless.
Weapons: He has almost no weapons those in times of great peril he has blades hidden in his wingtips that he merely access by pressing a button with his big toe.
[/collapse]
[collapse=Ayoko von Stroll]
Meta-Kirby said:
Name: Ayoko von Stroll
Race: Human Cyborg
Age: 17 (in appearance) and 5 (in number of years since built)
Text Color: Carolina Blue
Appearance:
Ayoko is a slender build, about 5 foot 3 inches tall. She has a very pale white colored skin. Her hair is a misty blue color and is tied at the top into two pigtails that extend down her back and to her knees. She wears a black and navy miniskirt and a sky blue tanktop. Her eyes are extremely big, bearing pupils the color of the sky. She wears a pair of high-tech looking boots.
Description/Background:
Ayoko von Stroll is the teenage "daughter' of Professor Karma von Stroll. Because Professor von Stroll's wife was killed in an automobile accident, von Stroll became mentally unstable and began constructing cyborgs from the various mechanical parts in his basement labaratory. In December of 2005, he created Ayoko von Stroll, his first "successful" creation intended to replace his dear wife. However, the "replacement" may have become slightly too literal; creating Ayoko, Professor von Stroll used body parts from his deceased wife.
Ayoko von Stroll has the cognitive processes of a typical teenage girl. However, before Professor von Stroll could program emotions into Ayoko, he was killed creating another cyborg. Ayoko shows little emotion aside from happiness and surprise.
She does not know her purpose in life, and often may wander into situations that do not call for her presence. Ayoko is half human, half cyborg.
Techniques/Abilities:
Built into the pigtails of Ayoko's body are vast amounts of blunt weapons and cutting tools, such as chainsaws, hammers, and, her favorite tool to use, a round, spiked chain-mace; the spikes of this mace are tainted with a lethal poison. Ayoko can cognitively "summon" these weapons to replace her pigtails, which are constructed of an unbreakable synthetic fiber.
Ayoko is an incredibly quick problem solver, able to completely solve problems using theoretical and mathematical algorithms and reliable heuristics.
Ayoko's reflexes are incredibly swift and her brute strength does not match her apperance at all. She has the strength of a machine, yet the appearance of a teenager.
Ayoko's body is composed of human skin on the exterior; however, her organs are synthetic and made of steel.
Ayoko has a innate fear of other cyborgs. She does not have much battling experience with others; however, she has perfected use of at least 10 of her pigtail weapons.
Ayoko's boots are specially designed by her "father, Professor von Stroll. Similiar to Shadow the Hedgehog, Ayoko is able to speed around the ground using a Xenon-gas based jet engine built into the bottom of her boots. She is unable to remove these boots and, using the jets, travels around 60 miles per hour.
[/collapse]
[collapse=Legna]
Clownbot said:
Name: Legna
Age: 518
Color: Red
Race: Demon
Appearance: Legna's body is gaunt. His ribcage is grotesquely visible through his red, rough skin; his arms and legs are bone thin. Two small, curved horns sit atop his head. His yellow eyes are like those of a cat's. His teeth are fanged and his hands and feet are clawed. Most of the time these are his only notable features; however, he may grow a long tail ending in a sharp blade and a pair of leathery wings at will.
Description: Legna is a household name in hell. He's not a very popular demon, but he is well-respected for his experience at his job: Underworld Head Messenger. He's something of a mail carrier for pain and suffering. He also delivers messages to Earth-going demons on duty.
Legna is cold, sadistic, and cruel. He has no passion or respect for human beings or other demons below, equal to, and in some cases even above him in status. He is quite condescending, giving himself much more credit than deserved (especially when it comes to his level of intellect, which leads him to believe that he's never wrong).
Legna is claustrophobic, not taking well to confined spaces. His thin body is rather fragile, and although he can heal any bones he breaks faster than they would heal naturally it does take a good bit of time and strength for him to do so.
Weapons & Techniques: Legna's physical strength is rather lacking, but he makes up for it with his experience in psychological warfare. At a wave of the hand he can find out anything he needs to know about a human being, and more often than not he uses this information to his advantage. One of his favorite things to do is toy with people's emotional weaknesses.
If the battle gets physical his primary weapon is the blade of his tail, which he usually grows out long enough to hold in front of himself, using it as a flexible sort of sword. Other than that he uses his pointed claws and fangs for fighting. He can also use his wings to take to the air if the situation demands it.
[/collapse]
[collapse=Bruce Clay Cooper]
Evil Eye said:
Character Name: Bruce Clay Cooper
Character Race: Human
Age: 51
Text color: Blue
Appearance: Cooper is a large man, standing just over six feet tall and weighing well over two hundred pounds, he has the bulk and muscle of a football player, though he has gained a small paunch in his latest years of middle age. Despite this, he remains a surprisingly agile and durable man for his age, and people are often surprised to find themselves outran by him. His right hook is known to break jaws and he once suckerpunched a target into a brief coma.
Cooper typically wears a red T-shirt, brown leather jacket, well-worn from his many adventures, blue jeans and thick boots. He is bald, and often forgets to shave. His face is a widened array of injuries collected as only a man who spent his days trading fists could boast -- a flattened, oft-broken nose, battered and thick lips, mild but common facial scars.
Description-: Cooper was initially a police officer in the city of Orlando. However, just a few years into his career, he soon gathered a severe disdain for procedural and structural flaws that allowed many of his hard-won collars to go free. The last straw was in 1987, when he sat outside a known serial-pedophile's home waiting for an arrest warrant to come and ended up called away from the scene due to lack of evidence.
Quitting, Cooper spiralled into a brief period of alcoholism before the idea of pursuing justice outside the law came to mind. He acquired a bounty hunting licence, and before long the name B.C. Cooper was feared by those hoping to escape justice. Finding purpose in bringing criminals in with no one to answer to but himself, Cooper's reputation as almost sadistically violent with his charges began to precede him. He is, above all else, doggedly persistent, and he would live his days as a bounty hunter by the code that he would finish what he starts or die in the process.
In finding himself on what he felt was a proper path for himself, Cooper made little time for friends. Those that he had, at the time, soon faded into the mist in favor of his pursuits and determination to do what he felt was right. This has led to a lonely existence, although he would never consider this.
Weapons/Techniques/Etc: After losing some fights to the odd savvy criminal, Cooper put his bounty hunting on hold briefly while he trained in krav maga with a private instructor. This, in addition to his police training, added a much-needed degree of technical skill and finnesse to his, at the time, ordinary brawler fighting style. Though Cooper was no doubt a world-class fighter in the prime of his bounty hunting career, and though he trains hard to stay in shape, he has of course slowed down somewhat in his age. He remains highly skilled and very strong, but his speed has been difficult to maintain, and thus he is bound to have difficulty with a combatant that is faster than he. All the same, Cooper staves off retirement because he can often counter this by fighting dirty. Whatever it takes.
As many of his charges would attempt fleeing to Mexico or even farther south, Cooper has taught himself to speak most dialects of Spanish.
In addition to the random skills one picks up when operating outside the law -- lock-picking, B&E techniques, hotwiring, etc -- Cooper has a set "toolbelt" of sorts that he uses to optimize his success.
Taser: A standard police-issue Taser that fires a probe on a wire that lodges itself into the victim and releases a paralyzing and incredibly painful electric charge. Has a limited range equivalent to roughly the length of your average house.
Baton: A titanium alloy extendable baton that can go from half a foot long to a solid two-point-five feet long at the flick of a wrist. It hurts. A lot.
Handcuffs: A bounty hunter's second-best friend.
Pepperspray: Self-explanatory, a highly caustic aerosol that causes temporary blindness.
PDA: Cooper uses this for just about everything, from communication via its cellphone and e-mail technologies to information storage. Cooper keeps a file in his PDA on almost every person he ever meets and his thoughts on what they may or may not be up to. He has personally made a steel faceplate to protect the PDA from damage, and the screen is highly durable Plexiglass. The PDA also doubles as his camera, binoculars, and GPS unit.
Switchblade: One of the illicit skills picked up in his days of bounty hunting, Cooper's trusty switchblade has proven a highly useful tool... and a highly deadly last-ditch weapon.
Beretta 92FS: A highly accurate nine-millimeter firearm with a ten round detachable magazine. This would be a bounty hunter's first best friend.
[/collapse]
[collapse=Saruwatari]
Macman said:
Character Name: He is referred to as Saruwatari
Character Race: Human
Age: 11
Text Color: Crimson
Appearance: Saru is a scrawny, but lean young boy; he is just nigh of 5 feet tall and weighs about 98 pounds. He has clear chocolate colored skin and small but defined muscles throughout his body. His hair that was once long and chaotic is now cut down to just a few millimeters. He maintains the care-free expression of a boy though his brown eyes show a hint of sadness. A small, horizontal scar can be seen just above his left eyebrow.
A small, crimson, monkey can generally be seen hanging from Saru's shoulder or curiously poking his head out of Saru's black drawstring bag. His name is Kohiin[Ko].
Description: Saru lived in Africa until the age of 8, where he was raised in a jungle by his father. They lived in a very secluded area; not many people came by the house. Because of not having much outside human contact, he would befriend many of the local animals.
However his father was a very strict and knowledgeable man. He taught Saru many things, ranging from how to speak english and japanese to how to kill a wild boar. Saru suffered from what Americans would refer to as ADHD, and because of this his father pushed and disciplined him very much in order to not let such a condition affect Saru to a great extent. Because of his fathers guidance, Saru turned out to be a quick learner and well disciplined. When he turned 8, he witnessed the death of his father and only parent.
At that time he was flown to New York and put in an orphanage. A few months later he ran away from the orphanage and began to live on the streets of New York. He relied on petty crimes like pick-pocketing and stealing from convenience stores to survive. However he would feel bad about doing such things and would always try to do one good deed for each bad deed that he committed in order to repent. The good deeds generally would not be well balanced with the bad ones. For example, helping an old lady cross the street would be enough to make him feel better about accidentally causing a small traffic accident while fleeing from the cops. But in his adolescent mind it seemed to be a fair trade-off.
Weapons, Techniques, Etc: His father taught Saru Judo, Tae Kwon Do, and Capoiera. Saru is also very quick and agile and has a good deal of endurance and energy. He sometimes carries around a red wooden staff that he is very adept at using. He also has a small switch-blade that he uses to cut open the pockets and purses of unsuspecting civilians. Saru has an uncanny connection with animals; any creatures that are around tend to gravitate towards him and will generally help him out with any struggles that he may have.
[/collapse]
[collapse=Jaha]
vanderzant said:
CIS
Character Name: Jaha
Character Race: Turtle
Age: 15 (In turtle years, maybe?)
Text color: Plum
Appearance: Jaha is a turtle. Not quite a ninja, not quite a squirtle, but some kind of overweight in between. He's a little bit pudgy, but not to the extent where movement is impossible or inhibited. Like any other overweight reptile, Jaha's most defining feature is his incredibly hard shell, which he can withdraw into at will. This shell may or may not contain pressurised waster cannons (but probably not). A talented young fellow, he can stand on both hind legs and walk around, but only reaches around 4 feet high. His shell is a brownish-yellow colour and his skin is jacaranda blue.
Description: Jaha comes from a large family of other turtles, but left his watery home to pursue other interests such as fighting. He is quite a simple being, and while he is deep down a "good" turtle, his lack of intelligence can often lead him to display a lot of greed and stubbornness. Jaha is a free spirit who likes to make friends, but his flaws often prevent him from keeping them around for very long. His biggest weakness apart from his personality is his insatiable hunger. Jaha is ALWAYS hungry, and as such can be bribed, tricked and beaten in the name of food.
Weapons/Techniques/Etc.- Jaha is quite strong for a turtle his size, and wields a large axe. He is also known to slide around on his shell as he makes a formidable projectile once he gets going. Jaha prefers to be on all fours while moving around, yet to do this he must sheath his axe. He also carries several hand axes in his shell, which he can throw pretty far. Plus, as a turtle he will happily bite/sit on those who stand in his way.
Weapons: Axe, Throwing/Hand Axe, Turtle Power
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[collapse=Calvin]
McFox said:
Character Name - Calvin
Character Race - Human Male
Age - 6
Text color - Orange
Apearance - Calvin is a thin boy with blonde hair. He wears a red and black striped shirt and black pants.
Description - Calvin was born on November 18, 1979. Calvin never developed proper social skills, and as a result, spent most of his time personifying and playing with his stuffed tiger, Hobbes. To Calvin, Hobbes is not a toy, nor even a pet, but a friend. A tiger with his own history, thoughts, and emotions, that sometimes run counter to Calvin's. Many of Calvin's ideas could actually be attributed to Hobbes. Together with Hobbes, Calvin would imagine himself in all kinds of crazy universes: a universe where he was a space-traveller, or a fighter pilot, or a detective; there was no limit to what Calvin's imagination could come up with.
However, Calvin's greatest invention was the Transmogrifier. It began as a simple cardboard box, to which Calvin attached a dial and left some space. By simply writing the name of a person or animal, turning the dial to it, and getting in the box, Calvin could become that thing. He could become a tiger, or a dinosaur. Calvin could become tiny, or grow to enormous proportions. The Transmogrifier is all-powerful; with it Calvin could reverse the direction of gravity, or even clone himself; simply by writing the appropriate command on the box and turning the dial.
Calvin spends a lot of time in his own company, even when he is around others. It is sometimes hard to tell whether his perception of reality is closer to truth or to some fantasy that he has come up with. Calvin is lost without Hobbes' presence and guidance, even when Hobbes manages to get him into trouble. Calvin also has a (not-so) secret crush on one Susie Derkins, although it is Hobbes who manages to articulate Calvin's feelings about her.
Weapons/Techniques - To Calvin's mind, things from his imagination are as absolutely real as anything from reality. So from Calvin's perspective, the Transmogrifier has limitless potential.
In the past, all adults and other people Calvin have encountered do not believe that the things in his imagination are real. They see Calvin talking to a stuffed tiger toy, or emerging from the Transmogrifier exactly as he entered it.
However, should someone ever believe in Calvin's powers, then they will be just as affected by Calvin as the rest of the world is in his imagination. To them, Calvin can turn into a giant dinosaur and eat them, or clone himself a million times and attack. And in a competition like this, all it would take is one believer to set Calvin's imagination loose on the other contestants...
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[collapse=Sergei Ivanov]
(｡◕‿‿◕｡) said:
Character Name - Sergei Ivanov
Character Race - Human
Age - 54
Text color - Tomato
Apearance- Sergei is a 6'1, slenderly built Russian. He looks somewhat straggly, and is a bit of an alcoholic. His hair is beginning to turn grey, his eyes are bloodshot. Under his fur coat and shirt, however, he is incredibly toned and seems fit. He always seems to have a 5 o'clock shadow, with a bit of a beard growing at the end of his chin. He uses an umbrella as a cane to walk around with.
Description- Sergei was born and raised a Russian nationalist. His dream was to be a part of the secret police everyone knew and feared. When we turned 18 he finally began to see his dream come true.
He started as an "intelligence provider." He made his first big niche' with the KGB when he developed the Umbrella Gun, used in the assassination of Georgi Markov. He then began to work for the Third Directorate, which covered military counter-intelligence and armed forces political surveillance. After serving the KGB for 15 years, Sergei disappeared off the face of the Earth. It was said he defected from the KGB.
Weapons/Techniques/Etc.- While Sergei's main area of study was in weapons manufacturing, as an Agent he learned how to wield light fire arms. He also learned several techniques pertaining to machines, including hot-wiring, disabling and building new machines. As a spy, he taught himself two forms of martial arts; Krav Maga and Southern Style Preying Mantis. He keeps two Makarov Pistols and one SPP-1 Pistol in his fur coat. His umbrella is also of the same design of the Umbrella gun, which enables him to shoot pellets containing the toxin Ricin.
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[collapse=Max Jeremiah Quartermain]
tmw_redcell said:
Character Name: Max Jeremiah Quartermain, aka MJQ, JAzz Bar, MJQ Jazz Bar
Character Race: Human
Age: 30
Text color: FireBrick
Apearance: Picture Duke Nukem... with an attitude. He always has his pair of shades. He wears a denim vest, a t-shirt, and jeans. He is 6'2" and 195 pounds, brown hair, and aside from his size and fashion and appearance he looks like your average American citizen.
Description- MJQ is a man born and raised in Portland, Oregon. He takes a lot of pride in being a concerned citizen who enforces common courtesy and protects the weak,situations that seem to come up a lot. He is both socially aware and socially ignorant. He is confrontational to the utmost, fearless, and always believes he is in the moral right. Sometimes he really is, sometimes... not exactly. Here is a journal entry he might write:
So, I was at work yesterday, and I happened to walk by this guy's desk. I noticed on his computer screen that he had his personal E-mails pulled up. I asked him who he thought he was to do this on company time, and then, he told me that his daughter was sick at home, so he was checking up on her. I then punched his cimputer screen out, and Look him straight in the eye and said, " Who do you think I am? Jerry Lewis? I dont want to hear your sob story, so get back to work before I get you fired." He then said a few cusswords, and then, then He tried to punch me, I blocked it, then , I gave him a swift, round kick to the groin. I asked him if he wanted some more, and he came at me, again, so, I slapped him, then I hip tossed him into the nearest filing cabinent. I looked Over my should at anther worker who was standing near by, and I said...." File him under G..... for garbage." Needless to say, I was quite pleased, because now, that means there one less person in the company for people to look at.
He tosses one-liners with ease and always looks people straight in the eye. When not in some kind of fight, he lives the life of an 80s/90s action hero, driving his corvette, having sex with his girlfriends, and working at his weight training office. If he finds no fault with someone he is congenial but gruff.
Weapons/Techniques/Etc.: MJQ Does not carry any weapons of his own. He is however skilled in non-fancy martial arts, wrestling moves, and general fisticuffs. He frequently hip tosses and drop kicks punks and other people disturbing peace and productivity. He is also a keen observer and will always use his environment to his advantage, neglecting any damage that may be caused in subduing those on the wrong side of the argument. He is not opposed to using weapons when he wants to, and is skilled with guns, knives, blunt objects, and any simple weapon. He is incredibly tough and, while he never seems to need to, he can take a hit with the best of them.
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[collapse=Chris Walker/The Broken Man]
Scav said:
Name: Chris Walker/The Broken Man
Race: White
Age: 32
Text color: Slate Gray
Apearance – Chris Walker is a gangly 5'10, wearing a white oxford shirt with the sleeves rolled up, dark slacks, and shoes that are much too expensive for any kind of physical activity. He has the build of a guy who keeps himself in shape for golf – fit enough to not need a golf cart, strong enough to get a decent drive, coordinated enough that when he lets his coworkers win, it's only by a stroke or two. He keeps his blonde hair closely trimmed so it won't get in his face, and when outside he almost always wears a pair of cheap sunglasses.
Description – Chris is a talented surgeon for a prominent Chicago hospital. He's meticulous when it comes to work and charming when it comes to coworkers. Combine this with the fact that he graduated top of his class from Johns Hopkins, and Chris is one of the fastest-rising surgeons his new employer has ever seen. If you were to read his online dating profile (who has time for meeting people when you're throwing in multiple double-shifts a week?) you'd quickly label him as a perfect catch. I mean, he even volunteered as a physician's assistant in rural Peru for a year before committing to med school. Peru!
There's just one problem. Chris Walker, technically, no longer exists.
What was once Chris Walker has been infected (or chosen, or ****ed) by an ancient demon known as The Broken Man. For thousands of years, the demon has jumped from person to person, gradually taking control of their minds and annihilating their personalities. The Broken Man is actually the sum of every soul it has ever possessed, taking its victims thoughts and memories with it to the next target.
The demon's goal: pain. Physical pain. It draws power from the physical pain of both its own vessel and that of anyone nearby. The more pain surrounding it, the more powerful the demon becomes, and the more control it can exert over its host.
Luckily for Chris, he was only recently infected. For now, he's still (mostly) in control of his mind. In fact, he still has no idea that he's not alone inside his head. All he knows is, when his patients cry out in pain, he's suddenly calmer, stronger, and better able to tie off that artery...
Weapons/Techniques/Etc. –
Chris: If you need a doctor, Chris will be there with all the superpowers bestowed on him in Medical School. He also has an old-school doctor's bag containing a few necessities – morphine, adrenaline, bandages, iodine, syringes, scalpel...
Broken Man: The Broken Man's power is simple, but the applications are complicated. The Broken Man can sense and feed on pain experienced by anyone in a 50-foot radius.
The more pain people feel around him, the stronger he becomes. This manifests as physical strength, manual dexterity, reflexes, hand-eye coordination, and endurance. It also allows the Broken Man to manipulate and alter Chris Walker's body, manifesting most often as regeneration. The Broken Man can repair Chris's broken arm, fix Chris's sliced carotid artery or even heal a shot to the heart, but only if it can draw on enough pain from both Chris and the immediate vicinity.
If nobody is hurt, Chris will be an average doctor who is (mostly) in control of his mind. But if surrounded by agony, the Broken Man will be in control of Usain Bolt Meets 1970s Arnold Schwarzenegger. And that's not counting any unpleasant ideas the Broken Man can then draw from the experiences of 1000 lifetimes.
It's important to note that the power of the Broken Man is finite. A papercut will not provide enough energy for him to repair Chris's broken arm. It might, at best, make Chris feel like he just finished his morning coffee. Painkillers are also an effective way to dampen the effect.
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[collapse=Max Payne]
Namaste said:
Character Name: Max Payne
Character Race: Human
Age: 31
Text color: SeaGreen
Apearance: Caucasian, clean cut. Brown cop hair. Black trench coat, white undershirt, grey suit pants, black loafers. A lackluster red and blue spotted tie tied loosely around his neck. His face seems stuck in a dead look, like a sculpture carved by a blind maniac who had never seen human emotion. His voice is a low noise, like a narrator for a film.
Description: He was still in the force then. NYPD, patrol officer. Every day it seemed worse, every action simply stewing the broth in Hell’s Kitchen. A wife, a baby girl, and a house, until the drug epidemic. V, a designer drug, short for Valkyr, named for the norse angels. Junkies geeked out on the drug chose who lived or died, like the Valkyrie themselves, and butchered his family.. That was when everything changed, when he woke up from the American Dream. Went undercover for the DEA, but the Valkyrie weren’t done, and he was framed for a murder he didn’t commit. With nothing to lose, Max Payne unleashed a storm of violence against the city’s underworld during the worst blizzard on record, leaving behind a trail of dead crooks and bullet casings in case he needed to find his way back. But there was no going back. His family was dead. He was now a fall guy, put into a catch 22 against his will. But Max Payne wasn’t one to shy away from his fate. He was put into a fatalistic position, and he would be ****ed if he was going to sit back and let them get away with it. He knows the depth of the criminal minds, and knows the only way to see the world is in abstract metaphors that make little sense, like skidmarks behind him that branch out in a bonsai tree, giving him the illusion of which branch he should follow when the path was already laid out. Like Loki he was chained to the rock of his revenge, his past dripping on his face like burning snake venom with no way to dodge. But in a world of violence and criminals, Max Payne was unleashed.
Weapons/Techniques/Etc: Duel berrettas hang in holsters on his belt, his jacket pocket filled with opiate pills to kill his pain. He’s been in more gunfights then John Wayne, and knows how to jump and lunge, dodging a hail of bullets while releasing his own like white doves from the pocket of a magician.
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