The Four Colonies {Started/Accepting Characters}

Plot: For many years, humans have dominated the earth. Then vampires and shapeshifters declared war upon the nature-loving elves, but the humans intervened with an offer: if the four of these colonies can remain peaceful on the earth, then no war shall be made and no blood will be shed. All four colonies agreed and so began the Great Peace which lasted until July 15th, 2010. Now the vampires, shapeshifters, and elves are on the verge of declaring an all-out war and the humans can't reason with any of them at all! It's been almost a year since the war was made notice, so begins the story of The Four Colonies.
You and your friends were nominated as the Restorers of Peace by James Arceus who was dying of poison from an arrow shot by a werewolf. On his dying breath, James gave one of your friends his blessing to marry his only daughter Sarah and appointed Zenkile Celebi as her bodyguard. It's up to you, your friends, Sarah, Zenkile, and their new friend Lester Shiva to restore peace to the world before there's nothing left in the world to live for. Good luck.


Here are the Four Colonies to choose from, but gender must be even:
The First Colony- the dominant colony on Earth.
Humans- There can be humans who are part elf or part shapeshifter in the family tree.
Humans- Just normal humans.

The Second Colony- spirits of Nature.
Dryad Elves- divided into four tribes called the Willow, Dogwood, Oak, and Redwood.
Naiad Elves- divided into four tribes called the Riveran, Oceanic, Swamper, and Beachish.
Napaeae Elves- divided into four tribes called the Meadow, Harmony, Valleiana, and Wheatana.
Aurae Elves- divided into four tribes called the Boreas, Eurus, Notus, and Zephyrus.

The Third Colony- children of the night.
Overworlders- the Civilians and the Wealthies
Underworlders- the Elders and the Assassins/Spies

The Fourth Colony- eternal hidden clans
Shiva Clan- the royal dragons
Felina Clan- the guardian panthers
Serpentana Clan- the covert cobras
Aerialina Clan- the working and peaceful falcons

Rules:

1. Romance is okay, but for heaven's sake no sex or rape. There's kids around here.
2. Swearing is allowed, on the condition not to use it as a second hand or overdoing it.
3. No god-modding or Redfang18 will be forced to kill off the character.
4. People can own up to three characters, no more than three.
5. There will be a fight or two in the story, but I forbid the fights to be bloody.
6. Ranks will be given to the characters by Redfang18. If rank is undesirable, PM me for a rank change or explanation.
7. Write as long as you want and at any time you can.
8. If questions are present, PM your questions to Redfang18 ASAP.
9. When writing, you must write in first person after naming the character that's telling the event.
10. If someone wants to kill off a character, contact the creator of the character via PM for permission first.

Spoiler

Here is the profile format

Name: (Everyone must have a first name and last name. Nicknames are acceptable if desired.)
Age: (Vampires' physical age is 16-35; everyone else is 13-21.)
Race: (Take your pick, but choose wisely.)
Appearance: (Describe the best you can. Picture is optional.)
Personality: (flaws, strengths, weaknesses, and greatest love. In this book, a certain flaw must lead to the characters' downfall.)
Power: (Elves have nature-related magic, vampires have gifts like those of Anne Rice, shapeshifters change form and body temperature, and magical humans are either psychic or have power from the elf or 'shifter in the family.)
Combat skill or weapon: (don't forget, there's a war brewing so there's going to be some fighting.)
History: (Start with family relations, then create a brief summury of the characters' lives.)
Dwelling: (Where in the world does your characters live and lives with them. If they are alone, where do they work.)
Social Status/Rank: (leave the rank to Redfang18. After the rank is given, explain how the characters got it.)
Friends/Comrades: (you will have to know who else is in before you fill this blank in.)

Now some of the colonies will know you're coming and might send in assassins to prevent you and your comrades from restoring peace to the four colonies. Shapeshifters made an alliance with vampire hunters; vampires allied with witches; elves teamed up with elementals; and certain humans made a deal with demons. Either one of these enemy tribes will pop up at random, so be on your guard at all times.

Spoiler

This is the format for the enemy tribes
Name: (Everyone must have a first name and last name. Nicknames are acceptable if desired.)
Age: (Vampire hunters and witches 13-21 years, demons and elementals physically 21-35.)
Race: (Take your pick, but choose wisely.)
Appearance: (Describe the best you can. Picture is optional.)
Personality: (flaws, strengths, weaknesses, and greatest love. In this book, a certain flaw must lead to the characters' downfall.)
Power: (Vampire hunters are mainly psychic, witches are magical, and the rest have elements depending which one assumed. In this rate, darkness doesn’t count.)
Combat skill or weapon: (don't forget, there's a war brewing so there's going to be some fighting.)
History: (Start with family relations, then create a brief summury of the characters' lives.)
Dwelling: (Where in the world does your characters live and lives with them. If they are alone, where do they work.)
Main Tagets: (you will have to know who else is in before you fill this blank in.)

Redfang18 will play Lester Shiva, Sarah Arceus, and Zenkile Celebi. Let the storybook begin!

Spoiler

If you want to reserve a spot, PM Redfang18 ASAP. If you want to be a part of the enemy tribes, ditto.

Well here you go:

Underworlders- the Elders and the Assassins/Spies

Name: Ariadne Damashreid. Goes by the name of 'Kylla' (Kill-ah)
Age: 21
Race: Shapeshifter

Appearance: Dark, raven hair that she wears short, just above shoulder length and cobalt blue eyes. Her skin is tawny and shows signs of wear on the hands and feet, both being calloused and the hands mildly stained by various chemicals. Her finger-nails are kept very short. Her figure is by no means manly but not overtly womanly either. She has a small bust and only a few curves, though these are often accentuated by the tight clothing she favours. Her facial features are sharp and feline.

Personality: Ariadne is confident, skilled and aloof, having no difficulty with the normal relationships that people form. Her strengths lie in her agility, her willingness to kill to defend herself and her top training. Her flaws, oddly, are all social. Ariadne didn't spend much of her youth interacting with people but developed a great curiosity over them so she would watch them and mimic their movements, a skill which she uses to the great annoyance of others. However, when it comes to talking to people with her own voice, she just can't. Ariadne doesn't know how to interact with people on that level. She also often makes mistakes due to her curiosity, letting a target go because they interested her or taking risks when she shouldn't. Another flaw Ariadne has is her cockiness. She believes she can do anything and, particularly when her ego is stroked, will place herself in difficult situations just to prove she can survive. Ariadne's greatest love is the thrill of the chase, the excitement, but she can sometimes hit a bit of a downer or uncertainty when the prey has been killed and the fun is over. She also loves or rather yearns for comfort. She doesn't understand it herself but that human affection she's witnessed infuriates and enchants her. She wants it but doesn't want to have to pay the price or make the effort for it.

Power: Changes form. She can change herself into most kinds of feline but has also found that she can change parts of her own anatomy, for example the colour of her hair or the shape of her nose. She also has limited control over her body temperature.

Combat skill or weapon: Ariadne is a trained assassin. She's adapt with most basic weaponry but favours poisons or scythe knives like these:


History: Ariadne's mother, Octavia, fell ill a few months after her birth and had to track the father of her baby down. He was a solitary but descent seeming man who turned up in their town infrequently and always without warning. Octavia had been lonely and so they'd formed a sort of relationship over the years but she feared she wouldn't live to see his next visit. She was right. She failed to track the man down and the four month old child was left with a family friend who had met the man. So more months passed and the girl was almost a whol year old by the time Athalus came riding into town. When he did not find Octavia at her home he asked discreetly after her and was directed to the friend's house where the story was explained and the kid was dumped in his arms.

Now Athalus had never wanted children and had no intention of keeping her but the friend refused to take the child back and he had more honour than see one of his own starve on the streets. So he decided he would raise her until she was old enough to be left at some school or other. Now Athalus was not a loving parent and his trade took him from place to place so Ariadne was never anywhere long enough to form attatchments. She grew and somewhere along the way, Athalus forgot his plan or sending her to a school and instead trained her himself in his trade of assassinations and poisons. Ariadne took to it very quickly and Athalus soon realised how useful she was when she developed her ability to change her face, a skill he himself did not have.

The years passed and Athalus decided to retire, now quite happy to live quietly with his daughter but Ariadne was having none of that. She was much too adventurous and restless to settle down and seeing his younger self in her, Athalus could do nothing but let her go. So at the age of 19 Ariadne set off on her own and took nothing of her past with her, except the rather childish name of 'Kylla' which she had adopted when her father first started teaching her the trade. Sometimes she feels that she misses him but she doesn't quite understand why.

Dwelling: She lives alone and moves about, usually staying in Inns and what have you. She goes wherever she likes and always finds willing clients since her skills are flexible: they can be used for thievery or assassination or for guarding.

Social Status/Rank: A descendant of the Felina clan on her father's side. Ariadne, like her father, prefers the gypsy life style but will protect the Shiva clan whenever called on; Athalus made it very clear that it was her duty and while she doesn't quite understand why, she will obey. Her clan's nickname is the Stealthmasters and their clan symbol is a silver panther.

Friends/Comrades:

Name: Akasha Hectate
Age: she looks about 20 but she is actually 720
Race:Vamp
Appearance: light brown skin, hazel eyes but her eyes change color in certain lights; color is also controled by her emotions. above average height--5'7, full-figured but its all feminine and toned.long raven-colored hair and blood stained lips. short talon-like fingernails. Akasha loves bearing her fangs, but doesn't do it in public. Consult Qoh16's avive for picture
Personality: Akasha is loud and eccentric, even if she doesn't look like it by any means. She is very loyal and firmly believes in respect, don't disrespect her or you shall feel her wrath. Her personality can be described as overpowering sometimes, as she will make sure you listen to her and doesn't let anyone walk all over her. She is no doormat. Her strengths are her loyalty, leadership; sometimes interrupted as bossiness, and her caring nature. Once you get to know her you will instantly love her, she is someone everyone heavily depends on. But yet, Akasha does have trust issues, putting her trust in others, letting people become close her. She hates that she affect people greatly. Her fatal is flaw is her stubbornness, very very stubborn. If you say left, she'll go right. If you say up, she will go down, just because she doesn't like people telling what to do. She marches to her own beat, which sometimes is a gift and a curse. Remember, first impressions can be deceiving.
Power: pyrokinesis but it is channeled through her hands, mind-reading, the power to raise souls; dead or otherwise. Akasha can also inhabit people's bodies, suck souls, tbe power to instantly travel wherever she likes and shape shift into whatever she pleases. (she is not a shape-shifter)
Combat skill or weapon: Akasha is a master at fighting and war strategy, her specialty is hand-to-hand combat. She likes the intimate feel of taking someone's life up close and personal. Her favorite weapons are her blades and swords, but she does have a whole arsenal of all different kinds of weapons. She always has weapons hidden on her, whether it is blades, daggers, or her various guns. Her oldest weapon is her double-bladed sword. But she only uses that for special things. She prefers her scythes and samurai swords.

History: Akasha was originally from Uruk, or modern-day Iraq. Akasha has one brother, a twin, by the name of Alexos. Akasha rose to become a Queen in Kemet, the land that would eventually become Egypt; she and her husband King Enkil wanted their people to turn away from their cannibalistic ways and encourage the eating of grains. Her and her husband were assissnated by the supporters of cannibalism, and an evil,treacherous and bloodthirsty spirit by the name of Amel joined with her spirit fussing with her heart and brain to create a new kind of breed: the vamipire. Amel's deadly lust for human blood thus passed to Akasha. Akasha then took her king Enkil and passed the "Dark Gift" onto him, transforming Enkil into a vampire.As her progeny proliferate, Akasha's need for blood diminishes. Akasha and Enkil are almost killed. Akasha gets a loyal follower by the name of Maron to safely get her and her husband out of Egypt. Later, she meets Lester Shiva who helps her re-gain power in the vampiric community. And thus, he becomes her lover and cohort, when she almost created the New World Order.
Dwelling: New York with her husband Enkil; this is her primary home, but she has homes all over the globe. Some places include Rio, Brazil, Paris, London, Florida, Puerto Rico, Jamaica etc.
Social Status/Rank: Akasha is an Elder. The Elders are the lawmakers of the Underworld colony and were once rulers of any era of history. An Elder, as the law states, must be treated with great respect or else there are going to be grim consequences. Unlike most vampires of the Overworld colony, an Elder rarely sires a fledgling. A newborn vampire sired by an Elder is a highly rare honor. Akasha became an Elder because, she is the mother to all vampires, she was once a pre-Egyptian queen in a land called Kemet, thousands of years ago. Eventhough she's an Elder, Akasha did in fact sire with Lester Shiva. She knows you wonder why. Well it is because he interest her in a very odd way, she is very curious and he just has this mysterious way about him. She doesn't know what it exactly is, but she wants to find out. She wonders why there is a deep sense of great power in him.
Friends/Comrades: Lester Shiva and Enkil Hectate

Name: Lester Shiva (lives up to the nicknames Black Dragon and Living Crossroads)
Age: physically 21, actually 721
Race: Vampire
Appearance: Contrary to the nickname Black Dragon, Lester is parchment pale. Six-foot-five, nearly white chest-length hair (which once was gold blonde), nearly black eyes (once were sky blue), dragon birthmark on his back, and has a circular face. Always seen wearing a wedding band on his left hand, but it's really a private joke.
Personality: He shows no sign of emotions around humans or vampires and is very detached from the shapeshifters. His one flaw is his pride that often gets him into a heap of trouble at the oddest times. What could lead to his downfall is his love towards any female descendant of the Felina clan. He's quite athletic for someone his physical age and can't be around elves who hear of him as a renegade vampire from the Underworld vampire colony. Due to his appearance, he often gets a lot of female humans come running towards him and he has a hard time shaking them off the minute he knows that female humans have spotted him. Because of 350 years of isolation, he's constantly curious about the world around him but is a quick study in music, fencing, painting, and computer work. His greatest love is painting landscapes and portraits, even if he doesn't do this for a living.
Power: Reincarnation, necromancy, pyrokinesis, and mind-reading. He can also see and talk to the recently deceased souls. He can turn into a dragon only as a last resort, but can change his body temperature to blend in with humans.
Combat skill or weapon: He's a master at stealth and no stranger to swords or daggers. When needing to feed, he often plays with his food before moving in for the kill. He's only vulnerable when he's feeding on chosen prey, which is normal humans who do wrong to others.
History: Lester was once a member of royalty in his old life. He was the only child of a black leopard (an orphan of unknown origin) and a red dragon (king and leader of the Shiva clan). His power of reincarnation, a trait once believed to be elven, is considered a job in itself and was taken seriously when he was only five years old. His birthmark covers all but the small of his back. His life was a happy life until he was scared away from the clans at sixteen on the murder of his father. At eighteen, he was abducted by Assassin vampires to become one of them against his will. At twenty-one, he was sired as a vampire by Akasha against the command of Enkil who wanted Lester to be sired by an Assassin. He was in the Underworld colony for three-and-a-half centuries when he went renegade to see the Overworld colony and the outside world for himself. He doesn't know why Akasha chose him to be her fledgling and apprentice, but he never stays around long enough to find out.
Dwelling: Lester is constantly on the move and can't be in the same place for more than a year or less than a month. He wears a wedding band (a spoil from a victum who left his bride at the altar) as a private joke, since he's "married to his job." His job is basically reincarnate anyone who choose to be reincarnated, but often work is slow when there's barely any bodies to pick because most humans prefer to be cremated. He often lives in a church and plays an altar boy, or in a crypt for protection. Because he was once a shapeshifter in his old life, he rarely sleeps. When he does sleep, he gets nightmares of that fateful moment he was sired as a vampire or of the heart-breaking moments of his childhood.
Social Status/Rank: In his old life, he was royal on his father's side and heir to the Shiva family throne before his father's murder and Lester's expulsion. When sired by Akasha, Lester was returned from outsider to royalty. He went renegade by his own choosing and is currently a gypsy soul in the human world around him.
Friends/Comrades: Half the time Lester is a pure loner, but his closest friends are Sarah Arceus and Zenkile Celebi. Even though he's on the run currently, he often remembers the times he spent with Akasha as her lover.

Name: Sarah Arceus (nicknames: Hindsight and Silver Panther)
Age: 18
Race: Part shapeshifter and a quarter elf, but mostly human.
Appearance: five-foot-six, circular face, waist-length red hair, sea-green eyes, and moonlight pale. Has a silver panther on her left leg. Wears a cat's eye pendant under her shirt for some odd reason.
Personality: Willing to sacrifice herself for her inner circle of friends, free-spirited, and -unfortunately- emotionally unstable, hence being under a reserved mood. Also very talkative. If someone gets her talking, there's no way she'll shut her mouth. Her greatest love is baking for others who are in need of food, which she does for a living. Her greatest flaw is herself being emotionally unstable. In fact, even the smallest death can cause her to reaction at the greatest degree.
Power: shapeshifting and changing body temperature. Unlike normal shapeshifters who become only animals, Sarah can become any animal or object at any given time. However, because she's unstable emotionally her shapeshifting power is unpredictable. Whatever mood she's in at the greatest degree could make her become any animal or object associated with that emotion. Her favorite forms are a dragon and a panther.
Combat skill or weapon: She's a self-trained fencer, martial arts master, and no stranger to the mace. She can also control water or ice at will or communicate with her comrades using dogwood flower petals. She's also a master of camouflage to use the element of surprise or deception at any given time.
History: Sarah is an illegitimate child of a half-elf and a prostitute. The latter is rumored to be part shapeshifter. Sarah never knew her parents because she spent her childhood in a foster home. At six years old, Sarah's foster mother left her in the bitter cold out of pure hate. Sarah uncovered her shapeshifting power at the same age and survived the bitter cold by changing her body temperture to below normal human temperature. At sixteen, she found her mother's grave and learned of her father's whereabouts. She learned of her surname at seventeen and now lives with her long-lost father to rekindle the family relation.
Dwelling: Although a part-time gypsy soul, Sarah lives with her father in the Arceus Bakery where she learned how to cook and uncovered her gift for baking. Because she lives in a bakery and is the only female there, she's the new keeper of the Arceus family recipes and surpasses her father in baking cakes. The number of hired help is very few, so Sarah hardly ever sleeps on the job. The bakery she and her father run was founded by her great-grandfather.
Social Status/Rank: Sarah is royal on her father's side since her grandfather was a prince from the Dogwood tribe.
Friends/Comrades: Because her shady lineage and unstable emotions, Sarah has a loose circle of friends but has Zenkile as a childhood friend and just recently made friends with Lester Shiva.

Name: Zenkile Celebi (nicknames are Zen and the Zenmaster)
Age: 19
Race: Part elf, but mostly human.
Appearance: Six-foot-three, chocolate brown eyes, burnt orange hair, and bronze skin. Has a ying-yang symbol on the nape of his neck. Wears a silver cross under his shirt at all times.
Personality: True to the nickname Zen, he's very calm, but the reserve is blown and he himself gets shakey around his father. He's not very emotional, but if the conversation's on his mother, that's when he hits the water works. His greatest love is his father, but his fear is his greatest weakness. Because his surname means "hindsight" in vampire terms, Zenkile understands the past in the view of those who speak to him.
Power: Zenkile can smell a vampire in a three-block radius and recognize a shapeshifter if he or she hits him in the face.
Combat skill or weapon: He's a master martial artist, self-trained fencer, sharpshot in archery, and mixing poisons. To help him know which arrow is poisoned, he has the feathers of the arrow color-coded. Red means poisoned, white means normal.
History: Zenkile is the only child of a normal human and a descendant of the Willow tribe. At birth, Zenkile lost his mother and was raised by his over-protective father. He was ten years old when he met Sarah Arceus and had a crush on her at the first sight of her. He courted her at sixteen and was about to propose to her when she refused to let him near her during her emotional breakdowns. This was translated as a break-up to Zenkile. He's currently single and straight in sexuality.
Dwelling: Zenkile still lives with his father and is Sarah's next-door neighbor. He works in the Arceus Bakery as a stockboy to help his father maintain the house and learn how to bake properly from the masters. Ever since Lester waltzed into his life, Zenkile rarely sleeps and often works night hours.
Social Status/Rank: Zenkile is royal on his mother's side. His royalty is one of the fewest of elven tribes to ever breed with humans and produce a half-blood or partial blood.
Friends/Comrades: Zenkile is not very socialable when someone talks trash about his deceased mother, but the closest he has to a kinred spirit is Lester Shiva and to a sibling is Sarah Arceus.

Name: Roxanna Fira *Goes by Fira or Roxxie*
Age: 21
Race: Shapeshifter half Felina and half Aerialina
Appearance: Midnight black hair down to her waist silvery grey eyes. She is one of those femme fatale short of characters she looks sweet and innocent but once you fight her forget it. She is 5'9 thin but well muscled, curvy, kind of a big bust.
Personality: She is very quiet, calm, she is very sweet, slightly fiery, kind, and has a gentleness about her she has a a bad temper and a very dark and sarcastic sense of humor. She has mood swings at very odd times never the same time. Her greatest love is singing and playing music. Her greatest flaw is when reminded of her family she shuts down completely.
Power: She can shift into felines mostly but birds as well.
Combat skill or weapon: She's very adapt at mixing poisons, martial arts, and hand to hand combat. She loves knives, and swords in preference to guns. She is an expret markswoman and swordswoman. She likes knives with hollow handles so she can insert her poison in them. Her favorite weapon are her throwing knives.
History: She was a very happy child in a very loving family then her mother, father and older sister decided to go out and never came home to this day she and her younger sister have no idea what happened to them. She has been very protective of her younger sister ever since whenever someone messes with her little sister they rarely survive.
Dwelling: New Orleans and her younger sister lives with her.
Social Status/Rank: (leave the rank to Redfang18. After the rank is given, explain how the characters got it.)
Friends/Comrades: She gets along with Sarah Arceus and Zenkile Celebi.

Name: Kirun Threnon

Age: 20

Race: Dryad Elves - of the Willow variety!

Appearance: Kirun is blond-haired and green-eyed. He's tall, which is normal for his kind, and lithe as well, just as a willow would be. His skin is snow pale and translucent. Virtually unmarked. He's eyes are larger with tilted tearducts, and his cheekbones are defined, like that of aboriginal decent. He doesn't like to wear too much battle gear in any case so he prefers to wear that of crimson clothe over chainmail. He has two small braids that dangle in front of his rather pointed ears. His lips are thin and just a tiny bit darker than the colour of his skin. Though very strong, he's the farthest thing from 'jacked'.

Personality: Kirun has attitude. He's too the point. Blunt as possible. Pretty much one of those people who says something out front not because its the right thing to do but because it could give the right amount of sting. He's generally nice to the people he cares about but even that doesn't stop him from spewing truths in the most unguarded manner imaginable. His 'lack of filter' often gets him in trouble with the elven elders, but it never really bothered him. He's young so what does it matter, right?

That being said, Kirun is the witty type. Very observant and quick to learn. Because of this, his ability to create art and music often make him a commodity. That and his eyes are sharp. Some say he was made for archery.

Power: Kirun, like his personality, has the ability to light fires with just the snap of his fingers. His incessant lack of care is often the reason for things boiling up to a certain point before he burns it down with his blunt truth. That being said, Kirun's fiery nature is both an inner and outer quality.

Combat skill or weapon: Simple but to the point



History: Kirun grew up in the Willow tribe of the Dyrad elves. His parents, of the kind, loving, rather quiet sort were the reason his anger often flares. Simply because people tend to walk all over them. The elves, though, are a docile race in nature and follow rules very strictly. Speak when spoken to. Respect your elders. Do as your told. Yada yada. Kirun hated it. That being said, his dream was to escape from the colony and enter the world instead.

So, he grew up wanting and waiting. Trying to cool his incessant anger whilst obeying with the air every elf brought forth. It made him stronger, but it also made the burning within him something more fiery and opaque than anything he could handle.

Dwelling: I believe that would be in the Willow Tribe? I'm not quite sure what you want me to do with this one xD

Social Status/Rank: (leave the rank to Redfang18. After the rank is given, explain how the characters got it.)

Friends/Comrades: (you will have to know who else is in before you fill this blank in.)

Calling all current players! If anyone wants to start the storybook, be my guest. Just be sure to follow the rules and- most importantly- don't even think about overdoing or underdoing the work. The storybook must be fluent and properly run without anything that breaks the rules.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~Redfang18

Lester Shiva
(a long time ago, somewhere in Asia)


The four clans were, in a way, a clan as a whole. The Felina look after the Shiva and the Serpentana provide protection to the Aerialina. All of us, like the colonies of world, were at peace. The Shiva clan already has its blood heir to the family throne. The newborn, now five years of age, was me. I was called the Black Dragon for the birthmark on my back. For a year now, Mother was deceased and Father taught me everything he could about leading the clan. How I earned the nickname Black Dragon was a surprise to Father.
I just resurrected a recently deceased Serpentana child, in front of her parents. I knew she was too young to be dead. No, she still had a future ahead of her that shouldn't be severed away from her. I knew that because I spoke to her spirit. Father told me that our Great Mother Shiva blessed me with such a gift and power, giving me the privilege to become the first shapeshifter in family history to be gifted. A black dragon was supposed to be the symbol of resurrection, but because of what I have done I earned the title. Father was proud of me then. I was becoming true leadership material at five, but he never knew I had a rival in the family.
That rival was my cousin, Artemis Shiva. He was an orphan at infancy and raised by Father- his uncle- until I was born. Knowing that I was proving myself as a true leader, I had the feeling that Artemis held a grudge against me. He wanted the family throne, but since I came along his chance was up in smoke. He was six years older than me and never had the same traits as I did. No, he was a tyrant inside the body of a soldier.
I was sixteen when Father lost his life and I lost my birthright. I know, even today, who really killed Father. My appearance at the scene of the crime was staged by the culprit, the result my expulsion from the shapeshifter colony and demotion from royalty to outsider. Even though I refused to believe Father would let such tragedy happen, I vowed my revenge on the one who murdered my father and framed me for the crime.

Spoiler

This is to let you players know where Lester comes from.

Ariadne

I was following prey and a big one at that, a renegade vampire wanted by the queen herself. Akasha. That wasn't who'd hired me of course, or at least not directly but I knew the queen's money when I saw it and it didn't look half bad. But it was money just the same. Useful but not fun, or not directly at least.

It was day so there wasn't any cover in the shadows and too many people threw curious looks my way: I stood out. Perhaps it was the tight navy clothing I'd chosen to wear, somewhere reminiscent of a ninja outfit. I'd thought it looked pretty cool but it was starting to get in the way of my job. So I took to the rooftops. This part of town was too crowded for a confrontation anyway. I was waiting for him to enter an alley or some other qually secluded and over-used place. Assassin's use alleys for a reason though; they work. Trust me.

And at last he veered off and predictably entered an alley.

"You're following me," he said in a cool, very calm voice. Not so predictable. I dropped down to the floor in a wide stance, blocking his way out of the alley.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Your friends want you back and if you say no I get the pleasure of taking you out." I allowed myself a little smile and drew the scythes from my belt, holding them at the ready. A big, strong looking vampire like him? There was no way he was agreeing to go back. He was probably thinking he could beat me. Fool. Like I'd ever let a bloodsucker take me down.

Lester Shiva

I should've known Akasha would be making a big deal out of my absence. This assassin before me had said I was wanted back. Obviously she was hired. The smell of currency was unmistakable. I studied her a little. Able-bodied, no mistaking that she was as the humans call a "gyspy soul" like myself.
By the looks of the sythes, she was armed and highly dangerous. I smiled rather calmly and said, "You'll never take me alive, girly." I pried her mind a little and found something shocking. Without a second thought, I ran off, causing her to chase me. As I ran, I tore my shirt off my body and called, "I'm one of you! I'm a shapeshifter! I'm a Shiva!"

Akasha
-In her apartment/house in Manhattan
"I hate this place. I miss Kemet. Well I guess I should get out of bed." I sigh. My thoughts drift to last night, I can't shake the nagging feeling of longing. The longing for Lester. As soon as I say that, my husband, Enkil walks in.
''Baby, what are you doing in bed?"
"Tired I guess. Why?"
He looks sort of upset, troubled. Like he knows I'm lying to him. Well he should, because I am lying to him. "Nothing." He says climbing into the spot next to me. The spot where Lester was just last night. He doesn't know about Lester, and nor do I intend to tell him about the other. I don't want to explain myself, but sometimes I feel like I do. Like I owe him that much. Enkil sees that my mind is somewhere else.
"You okay?" he says looking me straight in the eye with those aquamarine opals.
"Yeah. I'm fine." I say sitting straight up and walk toward my closet. "Well I have to get ready, I have to meet with Council and also have a business meeting later with Akel."
"Okay. So I'll see you later." he said looking hopeful.
The look on his face is so full of trust and hope, it almost hurt. Which is why I sort of regret the next statement.
"Yeah. Sure." I say, kissing him on the cheek and striding out of the room. The joys of being an Elder. I so need a break.

Ariadne

As he started to flee (after a rather degrading taunt) I felt the rush of andrenaline kick in and the thrill of the fight. I swung my blades back, stepped lightly up onto the tips of my feet, started to run and- and was sorely disapointed. I heard the words before he'd torn his shirt off in some unecessary dramatics and had to pull myself back mid pounce. Boo hoo. Well there went my fun for the night. And I felt awkward. What was I supposed to do now? One of my own and a Shiva at that. I'd not met many before and the protocol was unknown to me.

"Yeah, point made, you can put your shirt back on. So what now? I bow down and promise my service to you?" My father hadn't been too forth-coming with the rules but I wasn't about to prostrate myself in front of some vampire dude just because he happened to also be Shiva. Weak. He'd let himself be turned and I still had to serve him? That was just a little bit sucky, pun fully intended.

"If you like," he said in that dead set calm.

"I think I'll pass. So. Do I get to go kill the guys that sent me after you? No promises on the queen though, she's one tough lady. but we can just pretend that we don't know who really sent me."

Lester Shiva


She didn't look happy at the most, but at least I saved my own neck for the time being. Putting my shirt back on my chest to cover my birthmark, I pried her mind a little more. She was Felina, but only on her father's side. A half-blood shapeshifter, in the flesh. Also a master of her father's trade. I noticed that she disregarded me as someone who let himself be turned into this bloodthirsty disposition. That noted, I confessed, "I didn't become what I am by choice. No, I was changed against my will. I'm still trying to live with this new life."
The assassin- Kylla, as she called herself and I managed to find- gave me a rather hateful look, like she couldn't stand the likes of me.
I said calmly, "As for your request, be my guest. But I want you to leave one alive so he could send Akasha a message. Tell Akasha I'm not going back to the Underworld colony. I rather be in the Overworld colony to mingle with my own kind." I thought it over a little more. "Also ask your father about how much he knows about Lester Shiva. Knowing his kind of shapeshifters, I advise you not to push him too far. From what I hear, Felina shapeshifters are predators if you push them over the edge."