Post by Ninmast on Aug 31, 2009 13:26:55 GMT -5
Zasalamel was a man that had lived a thousand lifetimes, always reborn upon death to live another, and another, and another, on and on without end. Time flowed by him, took his life from him, then shoved him into another. While most would consider it a gift, the time where life held meaning to him had long passed and he he had grown tired. His very soul had grown tired. He had accomplished a great many things, mastered many arts, both scientific and mystical, and had seen things that many thought to be of naught but myth and legend, but he no longer wished to see more. Man was meant to live a few harried years of existence, then rest eternally, not be forced to do so over and over again without ceasing.
In his time, there were two great swords of power, equal to one another and locked in eternal conflict. These swords drew men into constant conflict, incredible wars of greed and malice as they fought to acquire their power, but with good reason. The power those swords contained was so great that even one could grant incredible might. One who could master both could use the transcendental power within them to give shape to the greatest desires of his heart, or so the legend went. Few knew of the incredible danger the swords posed. Semi-sentient themselves, they drew men in and controlled their own wielders, turning them into tools to their own causes. Certainly Soul Edge, the cursed blade, was the worse of the two, using its host to cover the world in darkness, but its twin, the benevolent spirit sword Soul Calibur, was capable of the same, even with the objective of destroying Soul Edge and bringing peace to the world.
Still, one who resonated with both and possessed the will power and knowledge to use them rather than to be used could harness that power and bring truth to the legend. After researching both thoroughly, Zasalamel searched across the land and hunted them down. When he finally grasped them in his hands, ready to direct his will, a vision came to him, a vision of towering structures that seemed to reach as high as heaven itself and steel boats that flew freely through the skies, the birth of a plan for leaving Earth and striking moonward, then the achievement of that goal. On and on, the vision went. He was witnessing the future and, eventually, the sum of all human potential.
For the first time in ages, the will to live swelled up inside him. One great desire filled him: He had to be there when that vision became a reality! He had to see it happen!
When his vision came to an end, however, the swords had already gone their ways, but still he could feel their might as they readied themselves for yet another clash. Again, he hunted them down, again, he fought his way through his adversaries, and in time, he found himself standing over the twin blades once more. Grasping them in his hands, he used his arcane might to shape their colossal energies to his will, not to end his life, but to preserve it indefinitely. He then shattered the swords into oblivion, so that they would no longer manipulate the will of Man.
Four hundred years passed and he watched humanity grow and refine itself. It was not perfect and, he knew, it never would be, but it continued to improve itself. No longer reincarnating at the end of a life cycle, he continues to live forever as a guide to mankind and encouraging progress.
But immortal blades of infinite power that transcend time are rather difficult to completely destroy, and though Zasalamel's attempt was thorough enough to stave it off for centuries, the time finally came when their power would coalesce once more and drag the souls of humanity back into the war it had long since forgotten.
It is the very beginning of the 21st Century, and that time is now.
Characters
Name: Zasalamel
Age: Unknown, for he has lived many lives
Birthplace: More than one, for he has lived many lives
Height: 5' 11" (in this life)
Weight: 170 lbs (in this life)
Birth Date: May 5 (in this life)
Blood Type: B (in this life)
Weapon: Death Scythe
Weapon Name: Kafziel
Discipline: Self-Taught
Family: Long since deceased
Background:
In the modern world, Zasalamel has established a company with his centuries of experience and remains as its head, using it as a means through which to shape the world. Through carefully orchestrated double identities, he keeps his documented identity as normal as possible, filing his death every half dozen decades or so and leaving all assets to his new identity as his own next of kin. His fortune is unknown to even fewer people than his true identity, so large that its annual accrued interest just sitting in banks is in the billions, and much of it is funneled into research projects through various corporations so as to cover most of its tracks, all in the interest of furthering the development of mankind.
The day he awoke and felt the presence of two powers he thought long lost to history, he knew everything he was striving for was now in jeopardy. If the twin swords were once more allowed to clash, they would shatter the world unity and start a global war for their power, and with society more developed technologically than ever before, the devastation it would be able to bring against itself would be catastrophic.
Though he had not lifted the relic as old as he with the intention of bringing it to bear against another living thing for four centuries, Kafziel nonetheless was a familiar weight in his grip. He, better than anyone else, knew that society was vulnerable to the classic metaphor: The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Humanity had grown large, indeed. He could only hope he was strong enough to catch it.
Name: Ashlotte
Age: 400 years since creation
Birthplace: Unknown (Ruins of a nameless, hidden shrine of the Heretical Order Fygul Cestemus)
Height: 4'9"
Weight: 439 lbs.
Birth Date: March 9
Blood Type: Sacred oil blessed by incantation
Weapon: Ax Halberd
Weapon Name: Krnielk
Discipline: None
Family: The priests of the heathen cult are her creators, but they have long since passed away.
Background:
A golem of gears and arcane enchantments, the beautiful Ashlotte was a soulless machine designed for a single purpose, devoid of emotions despite her demeanor of innocence. Though she talked and walked, she lacked true life or true will, and without mind for what she passed through, she completed her purpose, destroying her predecessor, the flesh golem Astaroth. She returned to the temple where she was created, unaware and inconsiderate of the passing of her creators, and entered a serene slumber where her timeless body awaited new orders that would never come.
Mere months ago, a team of archaeologists unearthed an old, ruined temple of a cult they were unfamiliar with, though scriptures and carvings that were salvaged and translated suggested it was an extremist offshoot from the temple of Aries, the Greek god of war. What they first thought was a statue of a young woman, remarkably preserved due to its steel construction, was found in one of the deepest, most intact portions of the temple. Closer examination found something else entirely. They called it an android because of its mechanical construction, but determined it was more likely a valiant but failed attempt at mimicking the natural processes and movements of the human body. Perhaps it would have run, but there was no power source. The archaeologists theorized that the ancient cult had probably thought prayers alone sufficient to give life to this inanimate but nevertheless articulately created doll.
Returning her to the main research center with various other recovered artifacts, she was a curiosity to be examined and studied, a basis for theories surrounding the incredibly complex design, radical for its era. That is, until she woke up.
When the powers of Soul Calibur and Soul Edge reappeared in the world, Ashlotte's perfect eyes fluttered open from their centuries of slumber and she sat up as if she had only slept overnight, only to find herself somewhere she didn't recognize. Much to the amazement of the scientists that had been studying her, she spoke with them at length as they questioned her of her past, her origins and her construction. She could offer them little information beyond the basics that resided in her own mind, much of it wrapped in the mysticism of the occult which to her will-less mind was unquestioned fact. This only made it more difficult for the scientists to gain the answers they sought.
That night, left alone with only a lone guard to watch over her room, she came to the conclusion that she must return home. Where home was or how she was to get there did not occur to her. It was not where she presently was and if it took another four hundred years, her timeless body would find it again. That was all that mattered.
So it was that, for the first time in half a millennium, that beautiful Iron Maiden's face was touched once more by the night's fresh air.
Name: Scheherazade
Age: She does not keep count, but young among her people
Birthplace: Reclusive village
Height: 5' 2"
Weight: 93 lbs.
Birth Date: 12th day under the Chanting Moon
Blood Type: Unknown
Weapon: Rapier
Weapon Name: Alf Layla Wa Layla
Discipline: Self-taught
Family: The stubborn elders in the woods
Background:
Scheherazade was the storyteller of her people, charged with the chronicling of history and myth through the retelling of tales both true and fiction, who thought her own tale had come to an end, or at least the part worth telling. She had loved, fought and lost, then fought and met tragedy again. It was a tale worthy of telling, to be sure, but it had reached its conclusion four centuries ago.
Because of the actions she took to follow the story to its end and the crimes she had committed in the process - foremost among them falling in love with an outsider - and doing so twice without remorse, she was exiled from her people who had hidden themselves deep within the deepest woods so none would ever find them. Still unrepentant, she felt no sorrow at the loss. Nothing would change in the village of the elders and nothing of note would occur within its walls. Here, among the ever-changing mural of human existence, was where the stories worth remembering were happening, and she was determined to witness them all.
Possessing the lifespan of her people, far greater than that of a human, she still lives today and time has done little to change her. She is still a storyteller and lives a comfortable and aloof lifestyle funded by books she writes under the pen name of Sara Herazade. When not flitting from one interest to the next, she spins stories for children in daycare and is as happy in their clamor for their favorite storyteller as they are to listen in silent rapture to her neverending selection of tales.
Then one day, something happened that made her heart burst with excitement. Two energies she never thought she'd ever feel again reappeared in the mortal world. Curiosity filled her to overflowing, and she took off once more to see first-hand just how this latest chapter of their story would unfold.
Name: Bakura Hideki
Age: 25
Birthplace: Kyoto, Japan
Height: 5' 7"
Weight: 142 lbs
Birth Date: January 5
Blood Type: O+
Weapon: Katana
Weapon Name: Yoshimitsu
Discipline: Manji Ninjitsu
Family: Orphan, considers the Manjitou his family
Background:
Bakura grew up as a street urchin after his parents died in a car accident and he was shipped off to an orphanage in Tokyo. It wasn't long after he ran away from the orphanage before he was picked up by a gang calling themselves the Manjitou. They took care of the young child and taught him what he needed to grow into a contributing member of the group.
Unlike most gangs, the Manjitou were one of the oldest "clans" still in existence and the only crimes they committed were aimed at helping others, particularly those being preyed on by the rich and powerful. The years that passed saw Bakura grow into a young man who then quickly climbed through the ranks, becoming a person of trust to the leader of the Manji clan. The leader taught him first-hand about the history of the chivalrous band and told him of an ancient sword that their founder fought against. The leader was old, however, and passed away, naming Bakura as his successor on his death bed.
Soon after the former leader's passing, two powers pressed themselves against his senses, one of them more sinister than anything he had ever felt. With the sword of the leader of the Manji clan in hand, itself bearing an aura much weaker but not unlike the sinister energy, Bakura heads out to finish what his adopted ancestor began.
OOC Information
If you wish to enter, you may either play as one of the pre-created characters above or you may create your own character using the form below, designed to be a faithful recreation of the profile format from the game. The three recurring characters above are the only ones returning from the series. All others are assumed to have perished four centuries ago. Your character may be a direct reference of a previous canonical character's actions, such as Bakura and the Manjitou clan, but this must be done tastefully and is subject to refusal if it's entirely inappropriate. Completely original characters with no ties to the main series are also acceptable so long as they are reasonable. So long as the characters are within these boundaries, anything goes, including modern weaponry. Be warned, however, that, given the level of skill that is supposed to be present in these characters, guns will not be the end-all weapon in an engagement.
In his time, there were two great swords of power, equal to one another and locked in eternal conflict. These swords drew men into constant conflict, incredible wars of greed and malice as they fought to acquire their power, but with good reason. The power those swords contained was so great that even one could grant incredible might. One who could master both could use the transcendental power within them to give shape to the greatest desires of his heart, or so the legend went. Few knew of the incredible danger the swords posed. Semi-sentient themselves, they drew men in and controlled their own wielders, turning them into tools to their own causes. Certainly Soul Edge, the cursed blade, was the worse of the two, using its host to cover the world in darkness, but its twin, the benevolent spirit sword Soul Calibur, was capable of the same, even with the objective of destroying Soul Edge and bringing peace to the world.
Still, one who resonated with both and possessed the will power and knowledge to use them rather than to be used could harness that power and bring truth to the legend. After researching both thoroughly, Zasalamel searched across the land and hunted them down. When he finally grasped them in his hands, ready to direct his will, a vision came to him, a vision of towering structures that seemed to reach as high as heaven itself and steel boats that flew freely through the skies, the birth of a plan for leaving Earth and striking moonward, then the achievement of that goal. On and on, the vision went. He was witnessing the future and, eventually, the sum of all human potential.
For the first time in ages, the will to live swelled up inside him. One great desire filled him: He had to be there when that vision became a reality! He had to see it happen!
When his vision came to an end, however, the swords had already gone their ways, but still he could feel their might as they readied themselves for yet another clash. Again, he hunted them down, again, he fought his way through his adversaries, and in time, he found himself standing over the twin blades once more. Grasping them in his hands, he used his arcane might to shape their colossal energies to his will, not to end his life, but to preserve it indefinitely. He then shattered the swords into oblivion, so that they would no longer manipulate the will of Man.
Four hundred years passed and he watched humanity grow and refine itself. It was not perfect and, he knew, it never would be, but it continued to improve itself. No longer reincarnating at the end of a life cycle, he continues to live forever as a guide to mankind and encouraging progress.
But immortal blades of infinite power that transcend time are rather difficult to completely destroy, and though Zasalamel's attempt was thorough enough to stave it off for centuries, the time finally came when their power would coalesce once more and drag the souls of humanity back into the war it had long since forgotten.
It is the very beginning of the 21st Century, and that time is now.
Characters
Name: Zasalamel
Age: Unknown, for he has lived many lives
Birthplace: More than one, for he has lived many lives
Height: 5' 11" (in this life)
Weight: 170 lbs (in this life)
Birth Date: May 5 (in this life)
Blood Type: B (in this life)
Weapon: Death Scythe
Weapon Name: Kafziel
Discipline: Self-Taught
Family: Long since deceased
Background:
In the modern world, Zasalamel has established a company with his centuries of experience and remains as its head, using it as a means through which to shape the world. Through carefully orchestrated double identities, he keeps his documented identity as normal as possible, filing his death every half dozen decades or so and leaving all assets to his new identity as his own next of kin. His fortune is unknown to even fewer people than his true identity, so large that its annual accrued interest just sitting in banks is in the billions, and much of it is funneled into research projects through various corporations so as to cover most of its tracks, all in the interest of furthering the development of mankind.
The day he awoke and felt the presence of two powers he thought long lost to history, he knew everything he was striving for was now in jeopardy. If the twin swords were once more allowed to clash, they would shatter the world unity and start a global war for their power, and with society more developed technologically than ever before, the devastation it would be able to bring against itself would be catastrophic.
Though he had not lifted the relic as old as he with the intention of bringing it to bear against another living thing for four centuries, Kafziel nonetheless was a familiar weight in his grip. He, better than anyone else, knew that society was vulnerable to the classic metaphor: The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Humanity had grown large, indeed. He could only hope he was strong enough to catch it.
Name: Ashlotte
Age: 400 years since creation
Birthplace: Unknown (Ruins of a nameless, hidden shrine of the Heretical Order Fygul Cestemus)
Height: 4'9"
Weight: 439 lbs.
Birth Date: March 9
Blood Type: Sacred oil blessed by incantation
Weapon: Ax Halberd
Weapon Name: Krnielk
Discipline: None
Family: The priests of the heathen cult are her creators, but they have long since passed away.
Background:
A golem of gears and arcane enchantments, the beautiful Ashlotte was a soulless machine designed for a single purpose, devoid of emotions despite her demeanor of innocence. Though she talked and walked, she lacked true life or true will, and without mind for what she passed through, she completed her purpose, destroying her predecessor, the flesh golem Astaroth. She returned to the temple where she was created, unaware and inconsiderate of the passing of her creators, and entered a serene slumber where her timeless body awaited new orders that would never come.
Mere months ago, a team of archaeologists unearthed an old, ruined temple of a cult they were unfamiliar with, though scriptures and carvings that were salvaged and translated suggested it was an extremist offshoot from the temple of Aries, the Greek god of war. What they first thought was a statue of a young woman, remarkably preserved due to its steel construction, was found in one of the deepest, most intact portions of the temple. Closer examination found something else entirely. They called it an android because of its mechanical construction, but determined it was more likely a valiant but failed attempt at mimicking the natural processes and movements of the human body. Perhaps it would have run, but there was no power source. The archaeologists theorized that the ancient cult had probably thought prayers alone sufficient to give life to this inanimate but nevertheless articulately created doll.
Returning her to the main research center with various other recovered artifacts, she was a curiosity to be examined and studied, a basis for theories surrounding the incredibly complex design, radical for its era. That is, until she woke up.
When the powers of Soul Calibur and Soul Edge reappeared in the world, Ashlotte's perfect eyes fluttered open from their centuries of slumber and she sat up as if she had only slept overnight, only to find herself somewhere she didn't recognize. Much to the amazement of the scientists that had been studying her, she spoke with them at length as they questioned her of her past, her origins and her construction. She could offer them little information beyond the basics that resided in her own mind, much of it wrapped in the mysticism of the occult which to her will-less mind was unquestioned fact. This only made it more difficult for the scientists to gain the answers they sought.
That night, left alone with only a lone guard to watch over her room, she came to the conclusion that she must return home. Where home was or how she was to get there did not occur to her. It was not where she presently was and if it took another four hundred years, her timeless body would find it again. That was all that mattered.
So it was that, for the first time in half a millennium, that beautiful Iron Maiden's face was touched once more by the night's fresh air.
Name: Scheherazade
Age: She does not keep count, but young among her people
Birthplace: Reclusive village
Height: 5' 2"
Weight: 93 lbs.
Birth Date: 12th day under the Chanting Moon
Blood Type: Unknown
Weapon: Rapier
Weapon Name: Alf Layla Wa Layla
Discipline: Self-taught
Family: The stubborn elders in the woods
Background:
Scheherazade was the storyteller of her people, charged with the chronicling of history and myth through the retelling of tales both true and fiction, who thought her own tale had come to an end, or at least the part worth telling. She had loved, fought and lost, then fought and met tragedy again. It was a tale worthy of telling, to be sure, but it had reached its conclusion four centuries ago.
Because of the actions she took to follow the story to its end and the crimes she had committed in the process - foremost among them falling in love with an outsider - and doing so twice without remorse, she was exiled from her people who had hidden themselves deep within the deepest woods so none would ever find them. Still unrepentant, she felt no sorrow at the loss. Nothing would change in the village of the elders and nothing of note would occur within its walls. Here, among the ever-changing mural of human existence, was where the stories worth remembering were happening, and she was determined to witness them all.
Possessing the lifespan of her people, far greater than that of a human, she still lives today and time has done little to change her. She is still a storyteller and lives a comfortable and aloof lifestyle funded by books she writes under the pen name of Sara Herazade. When not flitting from one interest to the next, she spins stories for children in daycare and is as happy in their clamor for their favorite storyteller as they are to listen in silent rapture to her neverending selection of tales.
Then one day, something happened that made her heart burst with excitement. Two energies she never thought she'd ever feel again reappeared in the mortal world. Curiosity filled her to overflowing, and she took off once more to see first-hand just how this latest chapter of their story would unfold.
Name: Bakura Hideki
Age: 25
Birthplace: Kyoto, Japan
Height: 5' 7"
Weight: 142 lbs
Birth Date: January 5
Blood Type: O+
Weapon: Katana
Weapon Name: Yoshimitsu
Discipline: Manji Ninjitsu
Family: Orphan, considers the Manjitou his family
Background:
Bakura grew up as a street urchin after his parents died in a car accident and he was shipped off to an orphanage in Tokyo. It wasn't long after he ran away from the orphanage before he was picked up by a gang calling themselves the Manjitou. They took care of the young child and taught him what he needed to grow into a contributing member of the group.
Unlike most gangs, the Manjitou were one of the oldest "clans" still in existence and the only crimes they committed were aimed at helping others, particularly those being preyed on by the rich and powerful. The years that passed saw Bakura grow into a young man who then quickly climbed through the ranks, becoming a person of trust to the leader of the Manji clan. The leader taught him first-hand about the history of the chivalrous band and told him of an ancient sword that their founder fought against. The leader was old, however, and passed away, naming Bakura as his successor on his death bed.
Soon after the former leader's passing, two powers pressed themselves against his senses, one of them more sinister than anything he had ever felt. With the sword of the leader of the Manji clan in hand, itself bearing an aura much weaker but not unlike the sinister energy, Bakura heads out to finish what his adopted ancestor began.
OOC Information
If you wish to enter, you may either play as one of the pre-created characters above or you may create your own character using the form below, designed to be a faithful recreation of the profile format from the game. The three recurring characters above are the only ones returning from the series. All others are assumed to have perished four centuries ago. Your character may be a direct reference of a previous canonical character's actions, such as Bakura and the Manjitou clan, but this must be done tastefully and is subject to refusal if it's entirely inappropriate. Completely original characters with no ties to the main series are also acceptable so long as they are reasonable. So long as the characters are within these boundaries, anything goes, including modern weaponry. Be warned, however, that, given the level of skill that is supposed to be present in these characters, guns will not be the end-all weapon in an engagement.
[b]Name: [/b]
Put a picture or a written description of your character here
[b]Age: [/b]
[b]Birthplace: [/b]
[b]Height: [/b]
[b]Weight: [/b]
[b]Birth Date: [/b]
[b]Blood Type: [/b]
[b]Weapon: [/b]
[b]Weapon Name: [/b]
[b]Discipline: [/b]
[b]Family: [/b]
[b]Background: [/b]
