=Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups

=Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups (Full Version)

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Starflame13 -> =Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups (6/19/2020 23:54:22)
Dawn arrived swiftly, tendrils of rose and gold twining their way across the sky to chase off the inky blackness of night. The land itself stirred, currents of power winding their way slowly across Bren. They whispered to the minds of the townsfolk, quickening hearts and warming blood as the city awoke. Further and further they spun, spiraling outwards from the city to reach out to travellers near and far. Calling to the desperate and the brave. Calling to its challengers. Calling all to the eye of the storm. Bren surged about the epicenter, citizens and strangers alike racing about to prepare for the festivities. Music wound its way through the streets, inns and shops threw open their doors, all to welcome the crowds of people suddenly pouring into the city. Fighters, families, nobles, thieves - all were caught up in the eddies of the building tempest. The city shook. The tension snapped. And the Arena awoke once more. Welcome, Esteemed Writers! Welcome to the fighters and the mages, the heroes and the villains, the doers and the dreamers and everyone in between! Welcome, all that have assembled, to the 2020 Elemental Championships! Come ready your wits, sharpen your swords, and join in the festivities as Bren prepares for the coming tournament! I once again have been given the privilege of serving as your Director, with assistance from Gingkage as needed. I’ve continued taking everyone’s feedback from last year, and I’m excited to see what everyone has in store for this year! Now that the formalities are out of the way, on to the important information: ANYBODY on the AE forums, regardless of prior roleplaying experience, is welcome to participate in the ECs. To sign up, you will need to provide a character biography that passes both my inspection and includes the following general requirements: quote: Name / Title Element Age Range Race Appearance (Build, hair, skin, clothes, etc.) Equipment (Armor, Weapons, etc.) Skills, Spells, & Special Abilities Personality / Backstory (Optional) You are allowed to select a single element to represent from the following: Fire, Darkness, Energy, Wind, Ice, Light, Water, & Earth. The element you select must align with your character in some way - whether due to the abilities, personality, values, backstory, or any combination thereof. Any action performed in the tournament itself, including but not limited to spells, special attacks, and magical abilities, must have some reference in your biography. You may use spoiler tags to hide certain abilities, though this does not guarantee other competitors will not peek. I will be reading (and judging) the complete bio, and there will be consequences for those who attempt to pull off actions in the arena that I was not aware of prior. It is based off of the listed abilities, skills, and so forth that your character will be balanced and admitted to the tournament. If you are new to balancing, I recommend checking out the Balancing 101 Guide , or bios from prior years. Applications will be open until 11:59 PM (EDT - or AE Server Time) on Saturday, July 11th. Any bios still under review will then have 24 hours, or until 11:59 PM on Sunday, July 12th, to get their characters approved. Once submissions have completely closed, I will reveal the Paragon Arenas that will be utilized this year, and randomly assign participants to each based off of the number of bios that are approved. Approved bios will be added to a sorted list at the bottom of this post. If your initial submission is not approved, you have until submissions are locked to either re-submit an updated application using Director feedback in a new post, or submit an entirely new character. To assist with re-submissions, characters not approved will be given an explanation why, and further clarification may be requested via PM. DO NOT edit your bio after posting without express permission. You must submit a new post to correct an error or update your character, and only the most recent post submitted will be evaluated. The preliminary round, or Paragon Phase, will begin on Sunday, July 12th and last for approximately three weeks. Currently, the period is expected to end at 11:59 PM EDT on Saturday, August 1st, but I will keep everyone posted of any potential date changes. At the end of the Paragon Phase, one finalist from each element will be selected to move on. It usually takes at least a day to process decisions and get the Finals thread ready. Anticipated start date of the Finals will be Monday, August 3rd. More information on the Finals will be released when they are closer. Now, the Official Rules: All normal RP Boards Rules will apply. In particular, please read and be aware of the definitions of Bunnying, God-Modding, and Meta-Gaming. Violators will be immolated, electrocuted, drowned, and pulverized. Survivors will be undone at an atomic level. Lists are kept of violators, and depending on severity, you may be barred from future participation. In addition, by participating in this Elemental Championships, you recognize my role as Director and my say as final. 1. Characters must engage in combat. This is a combat RP event. Your character must be willing and able to both initiate and take part in combat. 2. Do not use cross-element powers. This is the Elemental Championship. Your character is competing for the favor of a single Elemental Lord in the preliminaries, and against the chosen of the other elemental Paragons in the Finals for the reward of a Boon from your Lord. No Lord will choose as their representative someone who cannot win upon the strength of their element alone. 3. You must post regularly. Consistent activity is required. Please do not enter the tournament if you are not committed to remaining active for the full duration. During the preliminaries, any competitor who does not post at least once every 4 days (counted from the time of your last post) will automatically be disqualified. Your character will then be considered free for the slaughter - any other character in the arena will be allowed to kill him/her/them/it. You are allowed to request up to 36 hours in extension, in 12 or 24 hour increments (so, either one 24 hour extension and one 12 hour extension, or three 12 hour extensions). Make extension requests via a forum post in your Arena’s OOC thread. 4. Do not edit your posts (or your bios) once they have been submitted. You may only edit your posts or your bios with the express written permission of me, myself, and I. Editing of bios or of posts without foreknowledge creates the suspicion of foul play. Proofread and double-check formatting prior to posting, and live with any errors you might have made once a post is submitted. 5. Each entrant is allowed one and only one character. You may not enter in pairs, squads, platoons, battalions, armies, or swarms. 6. Death has Consequences. Characters who die in the Elemental Championships are dead in the AE RP forums. This is a Canon event with regards to normal RP Board rules. Characters who die during the Paragon Phase are still eligible to be chosen as Finalists, but this is the only free pass to revival. Dying in the Finals is permanent. 7. Have fun! All these rules and regulations may seem daunting, but while this is a tournament and a competition, the entire objective is to have some fun. We all like to win, sure, but try to enjoy yourselves along the way! The penalty for failing to follow the rules may result in immediate disqualification from the tournament. Failure to comply with the direction of the Director may also result in immediate disqualification from the tournament. While discussion of a ruling may be allowed, as has been stated prior, I have the final say. General Information and Tips: Though this is a competition, collaboration is still extremely useful and often necessary. Your character is in combat with other characters, but you are not in combat with the other players. We urge you to discuss combat and options with your fellow contestants. You are free to make collaborative posts, and to work out battle sequences. Please keep records of your discussions for collaboration, however, as they may be requested depending on how close the competition is! OOC threads will be provided for each arena for the express purpose of communication with your fellow contestants and with us. Additionally, you may make use of the AEF RP Discord Server - which will also have channels provided for each arena. All AEF Rules apply to this server. This server is a privilege, not a right. If you do not follow the AEF rules or are disrespectful to others in the server, you will be banned, and you will need to rely on the forums for communication. The Discord server may be found here. If you need to reach me directly, you can do so via PM, posting in the OOC threads, or using Discord. List of Accepted Entrants by Element Fire [3] Lunas Kal, created by Kellehendros! Spider Lily, created by roseleaf320! Argyll of the Flame, created by Riprose123! Darkness [4] Carina, created by Anastira! Drageados, the Umbral Knight, created by deathlord45! Mori, created by Chewy905! Syn, created by Kooroo! Energy [1] Shinjri'shakraphrjat'shu'Sinaken, created by ChaosRipjaw! Wind [2] Taria, The Blood Fox, created by draketh99! Agiara Storm-Eyes, created by Starstruck! Ice [2] Ricarda Von Geier, created by Caststarter! R'thazz, created by Necro-Knight! Light [2] Mia, Witch of the Lighthouse, created by Sylphe! Abbi Pryzumn, created by Jay! Water [3] Micol Dhon, created by Apocalypse! ~~Argent Raincrest, created by Silver Magna!~~ Idle Out Rocky, created by San Robin! Earth [4] Sledaristan, created by nield! Oro, created by Thyopath! Piper Cassidy, created by Ultrapowerpie! Circa, created by Fionnes! Master List of Accepted Characters Total: 21 Micol Dhon, created by Apocalypse, fighting for Water! Sledaristan, created by nield, fighting for Earth! Carina, created by Anastira, fighting for Darkness! Drageados, the Umbral Knight, created by deathlord45, fighting for Darkness! Ricarda Von Geier, created by Caststarter, fighting for Ice! ~~Argent Raincrest, created by Silver Magna, fighting for Water!~~ Idle Out Shinjri'shakraphrjat'shu'Sinaken, created by ChaosRipjaw, fighting for Energy! Lunas Kal, created by Kellehendros, fighting for Fire! Mori, created by Chewy905, fighting for Darkness! Spider Lily, created by roseleaf320, fighting for Fire! Rocky, created by San Robin, fighting for Water! ~~Oro, created by Thyopath, fighting for Earth!~~ Idle Out Mia, Witch of the Lighthouse, created by Sylphe, fighting for Light! Piper Cassidy, created by Ultrapowerpie, fighting for Earth! Abbi Pryzumn, created by Jay, fighting for Light! Circa, created by Fionnes, fighting for Earth! Syn, created by Kooroo, fighting for Darkness! R'thazz, created by Necro-Knight, fighting for Ice! Taria, The Blood Fox, created by draketh99, fighting for Wind! Argyll of the Flame, created by Riprose123, fighting for Fire! Agiara Storm-Eyes, created by Starstruck, fighting for Wind! Rosters by Arena Fountain Arena Rocky, created by San Robin! Sledaristan, created by nield! Abbi Pryzumn, created by Jay! Mia, Witch of the Lighthouse, created by Sylphe! Micol Dhon, created by Apocalypse! Lunas Kal, created by Kellehendros! Agiara Storm-Eyes, created by Starstruck! Twilight Arena Drageados, the Umbral Knight, created by deathlord45! Piper Cassidy, created by Ultrapowerpie! Syn, created by Kooroo! Ricarda Von Geier, created by Caststarter! Mori, created by Chewy905! ~~Oro, created by Thyopath!~~ Idle Out Argyll of the Flame, created by Riprose123! Forge Arena ~~Argent Raincrest, created by Silver Magna!~~ Idle Out Circa, created by Fionnes! R'thazz, created by Necro-Knight! Shinjri'shakraphrjat'shu'Sinaken, created by ChaosRipjaw! Spider Lily, created by roseleaf320! Carina, created by Anastira! Taria, The Blood Fox, created by draketh99!

Apocalypse -> RE: =Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups (6/19/2020 23:59:15)
Name: There are many, but today ae has chosen Micol Dhon Race: Appears human...mostly Age: Unknown, though one would guess an adult just shy of aer twenties Element: Water Appearance Overall Micol takes the shape of a human with all the appropriate limbs and correct number of fingers and toes, but one would certainly not conclude aer as being one. The skin is much too pale, borderline chalkwhite with the veins pulsing through with a slight purplish hue. This is not helped by the eyes as one is pure white while the other is solid black, creating an unnerving gaze even when Micol smiles and laughs in good spirit. This almost draws attention away from aer hair that hangs past aer ear on the left side but lengthens at a gradual pace until it reaches shoulder-length on the right. In a similar fashion, the hair on the left starts ravenblack but lightens up in the slightest of gradients until it is stark white on the other side. Once one gets past the inhuman nature of aer appearance, then one finds much less by which to be intimidated. Micol stands a few inches shorter than six feet and weights in just slightly more than eight stones' worth - thin by the standards of most races. Micol’s attire is simple and has often been compared to that of a priest or similar holy person, though is far easier to maneuver in. The tunic and trousers are snowy in color accented by a tight blue vest. Abilities Grasp of Empyrean Glimmer Micol shares a bond with the weapon set ae carries, being able to exert aer grasp upon them due to the unique material from which they are formed. The grasp takes two forms: a push and a pull. The former, as its namesake, pushes Micol and the weapon away from one another in a straight line. When the two are of similar weight, then each only moves a couple feet. The more one outweighs the other, however, then the greater the launch of the lesser. This use of the grasp is best performed in close proximity as the force behind it diminishes over distance, becoming negligible after forty feet. The latter has a similar range though works in quite the opposite manner - a pulled target has more velocity the farther it is away when affected by the grasp. Under perfect conditions with range and dissonance in weight, the pulled can achieve the speed of an arrow. Micol is unable to exert multiple grasps at once. Weapons Training One who has lived as long as Micol has trained with a plethora of weapons of all shapes and sizes to make even the most seasoned warrior green with envy...though one who has lived as long as Micol has also lost many of those skills as time marches on. In this day and age, Micol specializes in swordmanship, a master of the blade who uses quick and efficient strikes. With the dual sai, Micol is skilled but not as deadly with the sword. Ae prefers to disarm and disrupt foes with this pair of weapons. Last - and, in this instance, least - is the spear. The longer reach is appreciated but serves to test foes and gain an inkling of their fighting style while keeping them at length rather than achieve victory. In particular, Micol refers to aer fighting style as the “Many Faces of War”. It revolves around cycling through aer weapons rapidly, often fluctuating the pace of battle by building aggression or falling back to more defensive and reactive tactics. Arms of Eternity Micol possesses weapons carved from polished stone - some light, some dark - that each have an innate ability ae may call upon. Though carved from rock, the strength, sharpness, and durability of the set rivals that of tempered steel. Burden of Heaven - A six foot long spear with a sharp ivory head beset by two curved crescents on either side of the tip, enabling the weapon to catch blades as a form of defense. Its power lies within Micol’s ability to transfer up to three-fourths of aer weight into it. The weight will remain in the spear until Micol pours it back into aerself or the two are more than thirty feet from one another. Waxand Wane: A twin pair of sai - one ivory, one ebony - that peculiarly have a curved wedge carved onto their tips. This prevents the sai from being able to stab but turns them into bludgeoning tools that can hook an enemy’s weapons or limbs. The power that sets these apart from Micol’s other weapons is that ae is able to exert aer grasp between one of these sai and another of one of aer’s weapons. The same limitations apply with the added caveat that both weapons must be within forty feet of Micol for this power to be used. Blooming Crescent/Beneath the Shadow’s Mask: A brilliant blade that most closely resembles a nodachi, though it curves more than a proper one. This carved stone blade gifts the power to extend Micol’s grasp upon water while wielding it. Only one source of connected water is affected at a time, and Micol must target the whole body of the source with each grasp. Yet this blade has hidden potential, as with a flick of aer will the blade transforms from bright stone to a seemingly absence of light and color. The shape of the sword, while detectable, is difficult to discern though the handle remains both present and corporeal. In this form, the blade passes through all material - both living and beyond - without leaving a mark. Instead, once the sword of nothingness passes through a living creature, it forms a bond with it. This connection allows Micol to exert aer grasp between the creature and another one of the Arms of Eternity. The bond can only affect one living creature at a time and will transfer from one target to another if the blade passes through another living entity. This lasts until Micol either stops holding the handle with both hands or reverts Beneath the Shadow’s Mask into the form of Blooming Crescent.

nield -> RE: =Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups (6/20/2020 0:00:15)
Name: Sledaristan (Stalos) Age: ??? Race: Vevalartraidan Element: Earth Appearance: Standing at just over nine feet in height, Stalos is a mountain of a woman with sun browned skin. Deep red eyes the colour of dried blood peer out from her face and a cocksure grin is a nigh-permanent feature upon it. Short brown hair, reminiscent of rock formations sits upon her head. She has a well-muscled, somewhat bulky form riddled with scars. Stalos garbs herself in very little, wearing only a faded grey pair of pants that have been torn off above the knees and strips of cloth wound around her chest. Equipment: Styoio Kar: Stalos does not walk into battle with much, only her massive double-headed battle axe, which is larger than she herself is and even with her strength normally requires she wield it with both hands. Both heads of the axe are sharp enough to split hairs Capabilities: Stalos is a powerful combatant, boasting strength well above the average individual, however she is not ordinarily particularly any faster nor survivable than the average individual. The only special capabilities Stalos possesses are Tekkon Skil and Stalos Kyie. Tekkon Skil: Stalos hardens her skin, giving it the durability of steel plate, the offset of which being that her speed drastically decreases. While her blows do not lose any of their power, they are considerably more avoidable while she is in this state. Stalos Kyie: If Stalos is enjoying herself enough, or if she’s taken a large amount of damage even through Tekkon Skil, she’ll enter this state. In this state her power increases even beyond its natural levels, to the point where she can swing Styoio Kar around with a single hand, but she loses the defensive properties of Tekkon Skil, alongside its speed reduction. However, she’ll also ignore all wounds and pain, the only wounds that will bring her down in this state are wounds that would legitimately keep anyone down. spoiler: Ghosts of Memory: Stalos is followed around by four ‘ghosts’; Stafa, who stands at 8 feet exactly with blue flowing hair who wears ornate robes and holds an elegant staff in her right hand. Keskie, who is by far the shortest at 7 feet, with black tenebrous wisps of hair, garbed in black, muffling gear with a hood, twin daggers ready at their sides. Vyelar, who stands at 7 feet 9, with lightest blond hair that floats about his head, reminiscent of a halo, who garbs himself in green forest gear with a bow and quiver resting upon his back. Zperan, who stands at 8 feet 3, with fiery red hair, wearing full plate, a longsword belted to his side. The ghosts can share their input on what Stalos sees and hears, but they cannot tell her things she is entirely unaware of. For example, Stafa can translate what other people are saying for Stalos, but if someone was sneaking up on Stalos and she was unaware, Stafa could not alert her to their presence. The ghosts can also be helpful or not as they feel like and while they are ordinarily unobservable to others, if someone had exceptionally keen senses, it is possible they could notice the ghosts.

Thyopath -> RE: =Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups (6/20/2020 0:14:42)
Name: Oro Age: 22 Gender: Male Element: Earth Race: Human Appearance: Oro has brown hair intertwined with faint strands of white hair that weaver in and out of visibility in his hair that falls just past his ears almost touching his shoulders. His face pale with very little emotion appearing on his face almost stiff and unchanged. Eyes a nice hazel color but unwavering, with no sign of a pupil creating a dull and expressionless face. Having a slender build with very little tone or fat on his body seeming as though no strain has been taken on his body. Followed by a floating ring with fragmented stone slabs adorning the outer rim of the ring, slowly spinning around as the center ring sits motionless otherwise. Wearing only tattered apparel with black plate armor covering the upper chest, and his legs only showing signs of wear without much repair. His arms and pale chest are still exposed, showing parts of a tattoo that runs from his waist till around his wrists appearing as a snake wrapped around his body. With no footwear to be seen walking on battered bare feet, his walk seeming to be unaffected by terrain stabbing his feet. Oro’s body seems to have cracks in many different places, primarily on his arms and legs, as if his skin were a shell rather than a human body itself. Oro’s true soul lingering within the ring that follows him defended by the stones that encompass it. Abilities: Oro’s Ring: The ring that follows Oro has 20 stone slabs that rotate around it having the ability to do various things. Once they are used they are gone and can only be regenerated through extensive concentration over a long period of time. Each piece can be removed from the ring through telekinetic powers that will follow a command word and transform it into the requested command, with the ability to expand or shrink depending on the object being created the larger the object the longer it takes. These stone slabs can be controlled telekinetically as long as Oro can see them, once that vision has been broken the piece of stone will crack and shatter falling to the ground. Command Words: Wall, Weapon, Cocoon, and Finale. Wall: Taking one of the stones from the ring Oro expands it to a 5x5 foot Wall that can be moved around freely, but if it’s 10 feet away from Oro it will stop moving, taking roughly 5 seconds to grow to the appropriate size. The Wall itself can be broken through a heavy force, magical or physical. Up to 3 can be out at any given time. Weapon: Taking one of the stones from the ring Oro can transform it into one of the following weapons made from solid stone. Greataxe, Hammer, and Shield, these can be swung telekinetically but Oro has to put full concentration on it so any other stones will crack and shatter. The weapon chosen will take roughly 2 seconds to form from the stone. Cocoon: Taking one of the stones from the ring Oro can expand it and create a sphere around himself or someone within 10 feet of him that is willing, this roughly takes 10 seconds to expand and form around the willing person or Oro. They would need to utter the command word as well to be enveloped by the sphere. The Cocoon can be broken through a heavy force, magical or physical. Only 1 can be out at any given time. Finale: Taking only the last of the 20 stones Oro can enter Finale. The ring will move from behind him to around his waist fully surrounding the body in a stone shell giving the appearance of a golem. This form gives Oro immense strength with the drawback of slowed down movements and no capability to use any other abilities except for Finale’s specific ability, Shatter. This outer shell can be broken through 2 heavy force hits or the use of shatter forcing the form to drop and the ring to return to the back of Oro with no stones to use. Shatter: Oro can choose to break the outer shell of his Finale form by uttering the words shatter. This command forces his golem form to curl up into a ball pulsing for a few seconds then will cause the outer shell to break and explode outward scattering the stones of his golem form around him, creating a loud boom. The sound of this explosion will deafen Oro and anyone within 10 feet of the explosion, lasting only around a few minutes.

Anastira -> RE: =Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups (6/20/2020 3:53:52)
Name / Title Carina (nicknamed Musca) Element Darkness Age Range 20 Race Human Appearance (Build, hair, skin, clothes, etc.) Slight, frail, and fragile, upon first glance Carina appears as though she is almost a ghost. She has medium-dark skin, wide glassy gray eyes, and shoulder-length dark hair with a few small braids. She wears nondescript clothing - a shirt, trousers, belt, gloves, and soft boots, all in neutral tones. Equipment (Armor, Weapons, etc.) Canes Venatici - Assorted Daggers The only universal ability of these daggers is that they return to her hand after they hit their target (the time it takes to return goes up as the square of the distance they are thrown). Columba Columba is a straight-bladed, white-blue blade with spreading dove’s wings as the hilt and a single polished blue stone as a kind of eye. It is rumored that Columba kills painlessly, although no one has ever had the opportunity to question the dead. Pegasus Pegasus’ hilt is made of two wings which twirl together, creating a guard for the hand. Its blade is made of two overlapping wings with the feathers making a ragged edge on either side. The dagger is colored iridescent, and Carina uses it normally as a last resort in hand-to-hand combat, as the dagger seems to make her slightly more sure-footed and fleet-footed when she wields it, seeming almost to fly on her feet as she dodges around her opponents or slips through alleyways; but if she is disarmed or drops the dagger, the effect dissipates instantly. Sagitta Sagitta is a black dagger with a straight blade that ends in a flaring, inverted V - like an arrow, but sculpted as a blade. It travels a longer distance than the other daggers, returns more quickly, and is quite lightweight. Auriga Auriga is normally the first blade Carina throws. Its handle is like the basket of a chariot, and its blade is twisted, shining gold like the sun. When Carina is not wielding Auriga in combat, the dagger has a strange ability to tug her towards that which she wants or needs most. Circines Circines is the most accurate of all of her daggers, with a stylized compass emblazoned on the hilt. If Carina “marks” a person as a target in her head, Circines seems to enhance her ability to track and find them; however, if they are skilled enough they can certainly outpace this effect. It only aids her probability of success; it is by no means a guarantee. Vulpecula Red-bronze, with a long hint embellished with a single green stone, Vulpecula’s blade is fashioned like the claw of a fox. When Carina wields Vulpecula, she feels slightly more cunning than she might be without it; like Pegasus, this is another dagger she does not like to throw unless forced to. Skills, Spells, & Special Abilities Carina has three skills, all of which are grounded in natural abilities with a slight touch of magic. Translucent Veil Carina can alter how she is perceived by others. This is not so much a physical alteration than an alteration in how she projects herself and how others see her in terms of her poise, her level of self-possession, her social status, wealth, level of beauty, and how much others notice her. Someone who is wise or seasoned enough may see through this effect. Siren Song Carina has a knack for improvising music on the spot which influences her target’s emotions. This ability cannot be used to cause an individual to take a specific action, and some individuals may be completely or partially immune. The efficacy depends entirely on the individual and the situation, and how well Carina guesses what to use to achieve the desired effect. For example, in the past she has accidentally sung music which called up haunted memories, or had the opposite effect than intended, and found herself in dangerous waters as a result. This ability is complemented by her final ability: Inner Focus Carina can choose to focus on a person’s physiological state (perspiration, heart rate, and so on). She can focus on this for up to one minute, with a better understanding garnered the longer she focuses; after one minute, the ability stops giving any new information and instead offers her only a searing migraine headache. While she is using this ability, she can only focus on the person’s physiology and her music, making her completely vulnerable to attacks and oblivious to everything around her. Personality / Backstory (Optional) On a dark night in a remote forest clearing next to a steadily dying fire, a young woman gave birth prematurely to a baby girl. The infant was so weak the woman, who was herself starving and abandoned by her lover, left the child to die, choosing instead to save herself; but before she left, she gave the baby girl one gift: a name - Carina, as an homage to the cold, heartless, distant stars which she believed the girl would never live to see. But when the mother left, the spirit of darkness claimed the child for its own, thriving off the girl’s life-force as a parasite and, in turn, giving the girl an assortment of natural knacks and an affinity for the shadows. Carina was taken in by a mid-aged herbalist who stumbled upon the lone infant the next morning. Carina was brought back to the herbalist’s home city, where Carina learned not only simple herbal remedies and potions, but also how to thieve, steal, and make a living in the night. Though her adopted mother strictly forbade her, Carina could not resist the calling of the shadows - and so, when she fell in love with the son of a procurer of magical items, she could not resist stealing six magical daggers from his father’s shop. Unable to live with the guilt of what she’d done, she disappeared that same night, never to be seen again. When the son learned Carina had fled the city the same night the daggers went missing, he told his father and denounced her bitterly; but his father only smiled and said, “She is Carina, daughter of galaxies, stars, and nebulae. She will find her way to the light.” And the son knew that this was true, for the son had nicknamed her Musca, his “little fly”, who flits always through the dark and yet is drawn to the light. And so Carina left all she had known behind, searching for a meaning to her life, a purpose, and a way to escape the parasitic darkness that deepened in her heart; and thus she finds herself at the Elemental Championships, wanting an answer to all her questions, wanting a life worth living, wanting forgiveness for her sins; and, most of all, wanting freedom.

ChaosRipjaw -> RE: =Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups (6/20/2020 8:48:30)
Name: Shinjri'shakraphrjat'shu'Sinaken, or simply Sinak; also known as "the Baby Shark" Gender: Male Race: Shha'rarken Element: Energy Appearance At first glance, Sinak is full grown shark, though smaller than average: around 9 feet fully extended, (see great white to human for comparison) and 3 feet wide, not counting the pectoral fins, and 4 feet tall, not counting his 2 feet tall dorsal fin. Although typical Shha'rarken are appearance-wise mostly the same as typical sharks, close up it becomes horribly clear he is no ordinary shark. Sinak has blue-black hide with the armored parts tinged with purple. His back is covered in what can only be described as like a row of interlocked shields. The shark's signature dorsal fin, now razor sharp, rises up between it. His (four!) pectoral fins have largely expanded and is bladed. Rotating joints have grown where they connect to his body, so he can rotate and swing his fins with great dexterity, as though they were scimitars. His tail fins are also bladed likewise. Despite their bladed nature, they can flap deceptively as though they were mere flesh. His head and body have grown into two distinct parts, such that he can rise upright and still have his head face forward. His head's cranium has elongated slightly as is customary to Yyranaiad life forms, and the bulge that marks the end of his skull glows and crackles ever so slightly with psionic power. His shark teeth are considerably longer, sharper, and also more jagged compared to his non-sentient cousins. His eyes have a dull, predatory stare but with a glint of cunning and malice not found in typical maneating beasts. They will also glow slightly when he uses his psionic abilities. His body has a strange, skeletal and sinuous appearance that can only be described as alien. One might say he somehow appears both meaty large and emaciated at the same time. His back, parts of his sides, and his head are armored in structures that can appear both bonelike and metallic. The rest of his exposed skin is similar to shark skin, though with much sharper "teeth" that can tear unprotected flesh. He is covered in scars from countless battles at sea against the Hunters. Abilities/Gear (?) ---------------------------------------Shha'rarken Physiology Shha'rarken have the same general abilities as sharks, such as enhanced olfactory senses, vision, hearing, and the abilities of electroreception (detection of electromagnetic fields given off by living beings) and the lateral line, which allows them to detect changes in nearby water speed and pressure. Like sharks, Shha'rarken hunt and attack by ramming their prey, whipping their tails to stun them, and of course, taking large, messy bites and thrashing. Their bites are strong enough to dent steel, although the real danger is their strength in ramming and thrashing. If a Shha'rarken inadvertently consumes a totally inedible or dangerous object, they can rapidly expel it from their stomach by literally vomiting their guts, propelling said object out before rapidly re-swallowing their innards. They are also highly resistant, if not immune, to many kinds of toxins and venoms, being able to survive in dangerously polluted environments. Shha'rarken are cold-blooded, so drastic changes in temperature can be fatal to them. They are capable of breathing in fresh or saltwater, and can survive a limited time on land (about a minute, due to their size). Underwater, they move with speed and agility, while on land they are still very fast albeit clumsy, flopping tanks. When they lunge to attack, they roll their eyes back into their heads to protect them, rendering them effectively blind for the duration of the attempted bite. Like sharks, their weak spots include their eyes, gills, nostrils, and getting stabbed in the mouth. Naturally, with the limitations of shark physiology and by extension, that of Shha'rarkens', Sinak would not fare well in the Championship, especially since most of the combatants fight on dry land. This is where his next set of abilities come in . . . ---------------------------------------Yyranaiad Abilities ---Physical -------------Bladed Pectoral Fins: Sinak's four bladed fins, mounted on newly grown joints to allow them to rotate in every which way, allow him a great deal of defense to his front. They are still too short for him to actually attack with the blades, so he uses them to slash aside obstacles. -------------Body Armor: Sinak's back, head, and some of his sides are clad in metallic bone armor, grown by the DNA of the Yyranaiads. They are marred in scars from numerous battles against the Saarphisscaakplaa. He uses his armor to his advantage, using his body as a battering ram. -------------Bladed Dorsal Fins: His large dorsal fin knifes the air as he "swims" toward his prey. It should also be noted that he sports a second, smaller dorsal fin "horn" on his head. ---Psionic NOTE: All Passive abilities have a range of 30 feet. -------Passive -------------Psychic Shield: The backbone of Sinak's power on land, the psychic shield allows him to levitate and move about on land, as well as protect against the elements and allow him to breathe out of water. It also negates his having to physically protect his eyes when lunging for a bite. When the shield is up, he levitates enough to make eye contact with an average human. In this state, he moves through the air the same way as he would underwater, with similar physics, and retains all shark-like abilities that would normally only work underwater. When moving about in this manner, the shield can be considered as a cushion best described as a "force water field;" he moves slowly but smoothly as it "slides" along the ground, and lunges powerfully but erratically as it "splashes" and "bounces" him across the field. The psychic shield is capable of blocking many kinds of magic and small, physical projectiles. Conversely, it does very little against close quarters, physical attacks. Also, it has trouble blocking multiple attacks from different angles, such as being struck simultaneously from the left and right. An especially strong attack can falter his shield and even outright disable it, reducing him to flopping on the ground. As stated before, he will still pose a considerable threat until he suffocates, restores the shield, or enters water. -------------Fear Feeder: Sharks are incapable of vocalization, and the same applies to Shha'rarken. However, Sinak's undiluted killing intent powers a sort of "mental roar" that applies whenever he attacks. At the same time, he can sense the fear of his prey, which depending on its intensity, can give temporary boosts to his physical and mental capabilities. Lastly, not necessarily a combat ability, he can project his thoughts to others, though they will be in the incomprehensible, alien tongue of the Shha'rarken, which to most eyewitness accounts, is described as "utterly dreadful." In case he actually does need to communicate, he can project simple words, thoughts, and ideas. -------Active -------------Accelerated Healing: Sinak can forcibly simulate his cells to regenerate his wounds faster, though doing so would drain nutrients and also his mental clarity, gradually reducing him to a frenzy. To counteract this effect, he must consume nutrients, and that means anything he can get his teeth on. Since his armor is part of himself, it will regenerate as well. -------------Electromagnetic Aura: Sinak's mutated brain crackles with energy. This energy can by psychically manipulated into powerful energy blasts, which can take the shape of thunder lances that sear and melt armor and flesh, to lightning balls that stun whatever they come in contact with. Although Sinak sometimes uses it as ranged attacks, he prefers wrapping himself in sheets of lightning which he uses to paralyze his victims before descending into a feeding frenzy.

Silver Magna -> RE: =Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups (6/20/2020 11:04:45)
Name: Argent Raincrest Race: Human Appearance: In his hired mercenary’s eyes, Argent was a fairly attractive man who always had intense curiosity and the desire to question anything. His distinctive appearance such as dark blue hair and bright sapphire eyes were often associated with witchcraft in other men’s mind but in fact, he considered himself as an ordinary human with little ability to use magic. Usual Equipment/Weapon: Tome of Protection, dagger, Crystal Vial (Use to light up dim environment), Basic Potion and bandage Ability: Blessing of Protection: A targeted ally/caster is protected with a translucent barrier for total 6 sec Spell of Reflection: Raise barrier, reflecting spells cast on caster and reducing physical/magical damage for 5 sec Heal: Heal over minor wounds Glamour: Blending into environment over 3 sec. While visually invisible, caster cannot be targeted. Lasts 30 sec. Taking any damage or vigorous movement cancels the effect. (Side effect: Dizziness for 5 sec) ?Stabbing with Dagger: Aim, stab and repeat if things go horrible Shadow Reading (Passive ability): Cannot be controlled. Catching a slight glimpse of the past. Pretty useless when it comes to tournament … but very critical in catching deceivers and hidden enemies in story. Personality/Backstory: A compassionate and honest scholar that dislikes using magic since it often gave him headache. Despite his welcoming personality, his eyes would turn cold if you go over his borderline or hurt him. It often will take a long while to gain his trust back. Since he was still a young man, he could get flustered when things didn’t go according to his plan and his face blushed when feeling embarrassed.

Sylphe -> RE: =Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups (6/20/2020 18:35:29)
Name / Title: Mia, Witch of the Lighthouse Element: Light Age Range: Early sixties Race: Human Appearance: Mia is a short, elderly lady clothed in what appears to be either a worn down coat or robe with many, many pockets, holes and patches. Not often do you get the chance to see what’s under her hood, her coat, or her gloves, but when you do, what you see is a cheery, wrinkled face with a crooked nose and blue-tinted sea glass glasses resting on it. Her hair is white, long and untamed, with beads and seashells braided in between the wild strands that seem to have a mind of their own. Despite this gentle look, Mia is in no way a helpless, delicate woman. Her body is full of scars and especially burns both magical and chemical, out of which one stretches across a solid half of her face. Despite being small, she is well in shape and packs enough muscle to match. It was a good thing she didn’t stop swimming on her own when she befriended a sea spirit. Their name is Thousand or Thu, and they do not plan to fight. They will just be a moral support. A big, levitating, spirit whale shark of a moral support, in the stands. Equipment: Mia wears a pair of protective gloves that are strong enough to withstand magic-infused chemicals. In a similar fashion, her glasses allow her to stare directly at her explosions without becoming blinded. They also make up lovely reading glasses. Her rob eis not as resistant as her gloves, though in the many layers and pockets it has, many things are hidden, and those things appear as if she is pulling them out of nowhere. No way so many bottles could fit into such tiny pockets. (Bottles, their effects and amounts explained in abilities) Helia, the blade of dawn and dusk One bottle she keeps outside of her coat, though. It hangs on her belt, and is made of clear, scratched glass, and full of shimmering liquid. The bottle’s neck is adorned with thin rope and a guard, as when this bottle is opened, its contents form a sword. It is durable enough to not be broken, and its blade shimmers with the colours and light of dawn in darkness, and darkens into the soft tones of dusk in sharp sunlight. It is not otherwise enchanted. Skills, Spells, & Special Abilities: Swordfighting: Mia is an experienced fighter with her sword, Helia. She’s able to use her sword in one hand, as she needs the second hand to be able to use her potions, though she i salso able to wield her sword with both hands, which allows her more control of it and better movements. Pocket dimensions… in… pockets? Mia carries countless pockets on her coat, many of which appear way too shallow to contain anything more than a few coins. Despite this, she is able to pull any of the following items out of any pocket at any time, given she has some left. Willi t be a seagull feather, a fish, or a bomb? Who knows? Alchemy: Mia’s beloved craft, the ability to use alchemic circles and her knowledge to create potions and bombs out of light itself. Though, since circles ar time consuming and sloppy work is worse than none at all, she has prepared all of her potions to use in advance. Those are: x 10: Starlight bombs: Little glass balls filled with starlight, they are small and fast to throw, but only deal weak damage to the target. If enough of them is used in a short span of time, the target will be dotted with little stars, making it harder for Mia to lose sight of them. x 4: Reflection Flask: A flask full of light reflected by the sea, it deals moderate damage, is slower to throw, and produces a flash of light that will hopefully blind the enemy for a short amount of time. x 4: Shimmering barrier: A clear bottle filled with the light Mia stole from sailors’s lanterns, it has the ability to form a protective barrier around Mia should she smash it against the ground, protecting her from an attack. Alternatively, she is able to throw it against an enemy attack in order to block it. x 2: A bottle of Noon: A heavy flask of sea glass, bulky, and slow, but dealing high damage and causing UV burns to the poor soul that gets hit with the full power of sunlight collected on a beach during noon. x 1: Luminescent liquor: A jar of glowing deepsea jellyfish lights Mia can drink to restore some of her energy. They’re not actual jellyfish, just their lights. No jellyfish were harmed in the making of this potion.

Starflame13 -> RE: =Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups (6/20/2020 22:55:38)
Wow, one day and a lot of bios already! Very excited to see what everyone has created this year! Let's get started. @Apocalypse - Welcome back! Glad to see you got Arro's boon finished in time for you to enter Micol. Micol has a lot of variety to aer with the different types of grasp - but given the limit on the distances and the limit to one grasp at a time, it looks solid enough to me. Keep in mind you'll have a lot to keep track of if you scatter your weapons about the arena in terms of their distance relative to Micol aerself. We clarified in PMs that the grasp specific to Blooming Crescent worked with water specifically, not general liquids, and that it scaled appropriately with the size of the water source. Make sure you're collaborating while using Beneath the Shadow's Mask to avoid bunnying. Approved! @nield - Why hello! I know this bio's been written for a bit, so I'm glad to finally get a look at Stalos! Just to start with some clarification on the race, I am assuming that Vevalartraidans are humanoid from context clues, and that they have no major distinguishing racial characteristics outside that which you have listed in appearance. You did confirm that her capabilities were in reference to an ordinary human, so things look fine from that angle. Given the size of Styoio Kar, it sounds more like a greataxe in terms of weapon types/fighting style (which despite the size, is more a close-range style than a polearm) - which fits with the two-handed description. Let me know if that's incorrect, as well as Stalos's general skill with the weapon. The Tekkon Skil/Stalos Kyie ability tradeoff is solid as well - though I would like confirmation if Stalos can enter/exit the former state at will, and if she even can exit the latter state at will rather than using it until she exhausts herself. It should be workable with either path, just let me know which one it is! I will message you directly with feedback on the spoiler tagged abilities. Looking forward to seeing version 2! @Thyopath - Welcome to the ECs (and to the forums!) Oro's bio is a really solid starting point, but we've got some things to clarify and a bit of balancing to do. First, I'd like some clarity as to the race. You list Oro as human, but make references to his soul being in the ring, and his body being almost golem-like (even outside of the Finale ability). One key factor in the ECs is that characters must be able to take damage and risk death. How would this work for Oro? Does his body act like a normal human's in terms of taken damage, or does the ring itself need to be damaged in order to permanently hurt or kill Oro? We can make either option work - just let me know which path you had in mind. A bit more description would be useful in the appearance section as well - you mention a slender build, but give no reference as to the height. If you don't have an exact number, "average" or "taller than average" can work - but this is one of the cases where numbers are useful! I'd also give the exact dimensions of the Oro's ring, and some clarity as to the outfit. You mentioned both that Oro's chest is exposed, and that he has black plate. Please specify what's protected, and what's not. Onto Oro's Ring - My understanding is that it just floats behind Oro, rather than being directly controlled. About how far away does it float? And, in the case of where the ring itself needs to be damaged to truly injure Oro, how can the stones or the ring itself be damaged? I like the line-of-sight requirement for the telekinesis, but given the number of stones, I'd also like to explicitly limit it to controlling one stone at a time telekineticly (which seems to be what you've implied anyways in reading the various commands). Speaking of the commands, Wall! With the limitation that only one stone can be controlled at a time, would you like to adjust Wall to be exempt from breaking once he loses eye contact with it? That way you could keep up to 3 walls out at a time - the first one formed would merely be stuck in place when he controls the next one. I'd also liked a set thickness of the wall, if you have one in mind. Similarly for the weapons - if Oro can wield them by hand rather than telekineticly, and thus be holding one while he summons another, I would put a limit on these to 2-3 as well. The other abilities look good at the moment! Keep in mind you won't have the time mid-battle to concentrate to restore the stones (which is actually a great way to balance this character). Feel free to reach out to me if you have questions, and looking forward to seeing a more polished version! @Anastira - Hello hello! Glad to see you made it to the ECs! Let's take a look at Carina. The bio is pretty solid and well-thought out on the whole (though I notice you're also missing a height descriptor in appearance), but I've got a few general questions for you before she's in the clear. Firstly, for your daggers. Is Carina able to dual-wield them, and if so, can multiple effects be in place at a time? (This is a concern specifically for Pegasus, Circines, and Vulpecula). My initial thought is if she can dual-wield, only one passive effect should be in use, but you are welcome to try other solutions to balance that. Also, your wording states that the daggers return to Carina "after they hit their target". What happens if they miss? In either case, do they return magically to her hand/sheath, or do they reverse their course and fly through the air towards her? Either should work, but be sure to specify which! In terms of specific daggers, the abilities seem solid - although I have issues here and there with your wording. For example, Columba states that "it is rumored…" for the effect. This is fine for IC or lore-posts, but for the bio, be sure to specify what the actual concrete effect is. That was the only one that jumped out at me, but skim the others to double check too. Looking at abilities; is Translucent Veil a passive ability, or does she need to intentionally be focusing for it to occur? It should work in either case, but if its passive, I would adjust Inner Focus to cancel it out, since you emphasize the amount of concentration that ability needs. For Inner Focus directly, just remember that a minute is a long time once the fight starts, and I wouldn't count on having more than 5-10 seconds at most to observe people with such concentration. If you want to shorten the maximum time, I am ok with that - but you can also keep it as-is if you prefer working with quick snapshots. Love how you adapted Siren Song in order to work with your fellow writers - just be ready for collaboration to determine how best the emotions Carina means to sing match the emotions her opponents may experience. Get a new post up with those clarifications, and we should be good! @Chaos - Glad you liked the WPC enough to give the ECs a try! I can tell you've reworked your character strategy, but Sinak has a bit of work left to do before he's ready. Starting with the characteristics of a Shha'rarken: 3 feet is a VERY wide shark, almost to the point where I'd call it a swimming barrel. Add in an extra several feet of pectoral fins on either side, and this is too wide to fit through the halls of the arena. I'd drop the width to 2 feet - which is comparable to a human body builder. Additionally, please provide a length for the fins. You referred to them as scimitars at one point, which are typically around 3 feet in length, so I'd use that as a starting point (although he may still be a bit squished in the standard hallways). I'd also like to know where exactly this second set of fins is located, and the location of the second "horn" dorsal fin. Lastly, note that if Sinak does end up regurgitating in battle, rapidly is not immediately, and there is a strong chance his opponents will target the squishy innards. Onto the passive abilities. First, the Psychic Shield. There was a rather long conversation on Discord about this one, with the end understanding that this is meant to provide a combination of a shield to protect from attacks, and a bubble to enable transportation/avoid suffocation. To accomplish both of these, this really only needs to extend beyond Sinak a few feet, if that. Additionally, I would like you to clarify exactly how others can interact with the shield. I believe we determined it was better described as being made out of electricity/electromagnetic waves, which, to Sinak, mimic the effects of water surrounding him. What does this mean for someone who leans into the shield, verses someone who attacks it forcefully with a weapon? You initially stated that it was meant for more projectiles than close-ranged attacks, but this may change now its size is decreased. The "bubble" part is always a constant - is the "shield" part as well? Lastly, if the shield/bubble is deactivated, what does it take Sinak to reactivate it? It shouldn't be an instantaneous process, otherwise he faces no risk in letting it dispel on occasion. Now, Fear Feeder. As this is, this is too strong as a passive ability. I would recommend splitting this into two parts: First, a passive ability that enables Sinak to project thoughts to others when he feels like it. (I would clarify if he can project things in the standard human language, since you say both that he can project simple words, and that his thoughts are in the Shha'rarken tongue). Second, an attack ability that is specifically the mental roar - a terrifying sound that can either be towards a single target, or a close range AoE (you can decide which fits the character better). For the Active abilities, I would actually recommend removing both of these. This is a highly defensive, physical, tank-centered, brute of a character. He has shielding AND armor, and is going to be terrifying to get within close range of. Healing makes that style of character virtually untouchable, and Sinak doesn't need it to avoid the worst of the damage heading his way. As for Electromagnetic Aura, you've spent less than a paragraph describing what in other cases would be complex enough to fill an entire bio. You don't need this on Sinak as a character. That said, if you want to adapt his shield so that it can switch between either deflecting blows, or outputting a mild electric shock to force opponents to back away, that should be doable. A rather creative concept on the whole, but let's get the core abilities decided upon and nailed down for the next submission! @Silver Magna - Glad to see that you're able to try again this year! Argent is a pretty simple character, so nothing is over powered, but we are lacking some details. First, I want to address your element choice. In our prior discussion, you stated that Argent is fighting for Water. Going through your abilities, with names like Reflection and Glamor, he reads to me more of Light (or potentially Darkness). I don't see where this character is tied to Water. I would either change your Element to better fit the character you have now, or else re-work the flavor of the abilities to better represent Water (or find some other way to tie yourself to the element). On to Argent himself! Firstly, an age (either an exact number or an estimate) is missing, as are more concrete details like his height (tall? Average?) and build (slim? Muscular?). I'd also like you to describe his outfit - if he has armor or any non-magical protective gear, that's especially important to include. His general capabilities (if he's above or below average in terms of things like strength, speed, cleverness, etc) would be good too. Looking at his Equipment: I'm guessing the Tome is what he uses to cast Blessing of Protection. Are any of his other spells cast through it as well? For the Crystal Vial, some general information about how long it lasts and how much it lights up is needed. The longer it lasts, the less of a range - so something that lights up your standard room should only last for 10, 15 seconds. Additionally, how is the vial actually used? Is it consumed, or shattered, or something else? I'm not sure why you have the potion when you have healing as a character ability, but it works as long as it's only for a minor wound, maybe a broken bone at the worst. As an aside, since most of your magic is defensive, you may want to consider a weapon with further reach than a dagger, include hand-to-hand combat as a known skill, or add in an offensive attack spell of some kind. Speaking of your magic: You currently don't have any limitation to using spells. I would make note that using the spells costs mana, and figure out what you want to happen as Argent gets low on mana - this can be from reaching a point where he can't cast spells anymore, to becoming physically exhausted as he drains his mana. For example, Blessing of Protection is a short ability, but he should not be able to cast it repeatedly and remain invincible. Perhaps the stronger the attacks it protects from, the more mana it drains, which would mean that after blocking a major attack, Argent would need to rest from casting spells for a bit before he could cast another. Similar can be done with the Spell of Reflection - a barrier that drains more mana, the more spells or the stronger the spells that it reflects. Additionally, I would add the caveat that Argent cannot have both the Protection and the Reflection spells up at the same time. Now, Healing. Healing should drain a large amount of mana. If Argent heals, say, a life-threatening injury, that should drain him of mana for the rest of the fight. Healing minor wounds like bruises or shallow cuts is ok, but it should take its toll on him. I would say he should be able to heal about the equivalent of 3-5 minor healing potions before he's out of mana. Lastly, Glamour: Usually invisibility is tricky, but since this requires the caster to be fairly still, it should work alright. I would add in the limitation that casting any other spells would end the glamour. The core idea is very sound here! Just get a new bio up with a lot more detail, and we'll go from there. @Sylphe - Welcome officially to the ECs! Mia is well thought-out, we just have a few small questions to answer before she's approved. Starting with items - what kind of sword is Helia? I.e., is it a standard long sword, curved like a scimitar, etc.? A general idea helps others to get a better picture of the fighting style. Secondly, as a quick note on the Pocket Coat - pocket dimensions are fine as long as she Mia doesn't pull anything out of them not listed in the bio. If you do have a pocket full of seagull feathers, let me know. In terms of the Alchemy, the biggest question here is just what kind of damage the potions cause. When we discussed it in PM, you suggested chemical burns - which works for me for mild burns for the Starlight bomb, and moderate burns (coupled with the blinding light) on the reflection flask. For the Bottle of Noon, I would suggest combining the severe burns with a concussive (or knockback) effect, something that might bruise people through armor/break unprotected bones (or send them flying if knockback is preferred). Since there are only two of these, it's ok for them to be fairly powerful! I also would like a duration on the barrier erected by the Shimmering Barrier potion - if this is upwards of 20 seconds, the number of potions should be dropped. Very well done for a rookie bio, and looking forward to the final version! As an aside, especially to our newer writers - don't be discouraged if you don't get approved on your first submission! Most bios take at least one resubmission, some as many as three or four. As long as you're willing to work with me, we'll get there! As always, feel free to reach out to me, or ask others in the thread/discord server, if you have questions or need help brainstorming.

Anastira -> RE: =Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups (6/20/2020 23:44:03)
Thanks for the tips, very excited!! For convenience, here's a list of what I've edited this round - I think I addressed everything you mentioned, but if I didn't let me know: - Added her height in her physical description - Clarified daggers reappear magically in sheath after being thrown, no matter whether they hit a specified target or not - Clarified that only one dagger ability may be in play even if Carina is dual-wielding - Changed the "seems to", "rumored", etc. wording in the dagger section (no change to actual abilities/effects) - Added focus-clarification for Translucent Veil (i.e. Translucent Veil and Inner Focus cannot be used simultaneously) - Clarified Inner Focus is only used in "blinks" or short periods of time while in combat; out of combat, the max time is one minute, which Carina may use as a utility ability during social interactions Very much looking forward to collab'ing with the other players on Siren Song! I especially want to emphasize the open-endedness; although it could technically work in combat, it's more of a utility ability meant to open the door for other players to delve into their backstories if they so wish. I can't wait to see how the other players interpret/use it! ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Name / Title Carina (nicknamed Musca) Element Darkness Age Range 20 Race Human Appearance (Build, hair, skin, clothes, etc.) Slight, frail, and fragile, upon first glance Carina appears as though she is almost a ghost. She has medium-dark skin, wide glassy gray eyes, and shoulder-length dark hair with a few small braids. She wears nondescript clothing - a shirt, trousers, belt, gloves, and soft boots, all in neutral tones. She’s 5’2” in height. Equipment (Armor, Weapons, etc.) Canes Venatici - Assorted Daggers The only universal ability of these daggers is that they magically return to her sheath after they are thrown (the time it takes to return goes up as the square of the distance they are thrown). Also, if she is dual-wielding, only one dagger effect can be in play; she can consciously choose which one it is, although as soon as that dagger leaves her hand the effect will automatically become whichever one she still holds. Columba is a straight-bladed, white-blue blade with spreading dove’s wings as the hilt and a single polished blue stone as a kind of eye. Columba kills painlessly; Carina favors it for merciful deaths. Pegasus’ hilt is made of two wings which twirl together, creating a guard for the hand. Its blade is made of two overlapping wings with the feathers making a ragged edge on either side. The dagger is colored iridescent, and Carina uses it normally as a last resort in hand-to-hand combat, as the dagger makes her slightly more sure-footed and fleet-footed when she wields it, seeming almost to fly on her feet as she dodges around her opponents or slips through alleyways; but if she is disarmed or drops the dagger, the effect dissipates instantly. Sagitta is a black dagger with a straight blade that ends in a flaring, inverted V - like an arrow, but sculpted as a blade. It travels a longer distance than the other daggers, returns more quickly, and is quite lightweight. Auriga is normally the first blade Carina throws. Its handle is like the basket of a chariot, and its blade is twisted, shining gold like the sun. When Carina is not wielding Auriga in combat, the dagger has a strange ability to tug her towards that which she wants or needs most. Circines is the most accurate of all of her daggers, with a stylized compass emblazoned on the hilt. If Carina “marks” a person as a target in her head, Circines enhances her ability to track and find them; however, if they are skilled enough they can certainly outpace this effect. It only aids her probability of success; it is by no means a guarantee. Red-bronze, with a long hint embellished with a single green stone, Vulpecula’s blade is fashioned like the claw of a fox. When Carina wields Vulpecula, she feels slightly more cunning than she might be without it; like Pegasus, this is another dagger she does not like to throw unless forced to. Vulpecula works as a confidence boost: it helps Carina ignore her emotions and makes her bolder, more calculating, and more sure of herself (which, incidentally, can either help her be more clear-minded or cause her to do foolish things). Skills, Spells, & Special Abilities Carina has three skills, all of which are grounded in natural abilities with a slight touch of magic. Translucent Veil Carina can alter how she is perceived by others. This is not so much a physical alteration than an alteration in how she projects herself and how others see her in terms of her poise, her level of self-possession, her social status, wealth, level of beauty, and how much others notice her. Someone who is wise or seasoned enough may see through this effect. If she uses Inner Focus this ability drops. Siren Song Carina has a knack for improvising music on the spot which influences her target’s emotions. This ability cannot be used to cause an individual to take a specific action, and some individuals may be completely or partially immune. The efficacy depends entirely on the individual and the situation, and how well Carina guesses what to use to achieve the desired effect. For example, in the past she has accidentally sung music which called up haunted memories, or had the opposite effect than intended, and found herself in dangerous waters as a result. This ability is complemented by her final ability: Inner Focus Carina can choose to focus on a person’s physiological state (perspiration, heart rate, and so on). She can focus on this for up to one minute, with a better understanding garnered the longer she focuses; after one minute the ability stops giving any new information and instead offers her only a searing migraine headache. While she is using this ability, she can only focus on the person’s physiology and her music, making her completely vulnerable to attacks and oblivious to everything around her. As a result, in combat she usually uses this only in snapshots, in “blinks”, but she often chooses to use it for longer when she is interacting out-of-combat. Personality / Backstory (Optional) On a dark night in a remote forest clearing next to a steadily dying fire, a young woman gave birth prematurely to a baby girl. The infant was so weak the woman, who was herself starving and abandoned by her lover, left the child to die, choosing instead to save herself; but before she left, she gave the baby girl one gift: a name - Carina, as an homage to the cold, heartless, distant stars which she believed the girl would never live to see. But when the mother left, the spirit of darkness claimed the child for its own, thriving off the girl’s life-force as a parasite and, in turn, giving the girl an assortment of natural knacks and an affinity for the shadows. Carina was taken in by a mid-aged herbalist who stumbled upon the lone infant the next morning. Carina was brought back to the herbalist’s home city, where Carina learned not only simple herbal remedies and potions, but also how to thieve, steal, and make a living in the night. Though her adopted mother strictly forbade her, Carina could not resist the calling of the shadows - and so, when she fell in love with the son of a procurer of magical items, she could not resist stealing six magical daggers from his father’s shop. Unable to live with the guilt of what she’d done, she disappeared that same night, never to be seen again. When the son learned Carina had fled the city the same night the daggers went missing, he told his father and denounced her bitterly; but his father only smiled and said, “She is Carina, daughter of galaxies, stars, and nebulae. She will find her way to the light.” And the son knew that this was true, for the son had nicknamed her Musca, his “little fly”, who flits always through the dark and yet is drawn to the light. And so Carina left all she had known behind, searching for a meaning to her life, a purpose, and a way to escape the parasitic darkness that deepened in her heart; and thus she finds herself at the Elemental Championships, wanting an answer to all her questions, wanting a life worth living, wanting forgiveness for her sins; and, most of all, wanting freedom.

Chewy905 -> RE: =Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups (6/20/2020 23:54:17)
“They claimed we were Gods, that we were those above all other beings. They claimed it was our right to rule, to make law and form and obedience. But what does it mean to be a god? Omnipotent? Nay, for there is much we can not do. Omniscience? Nay, for there is much we do not know. If there are true gods, we are not they. Of that, I have become certain.” Name: Mori Age: Very, very old. Race: Undead Element: Darkness Appearance: Mori is an ancient husk of a man. Beneath a graying cloak lies a malnourished body, wrinkled and fading to a pale brown standing at what would be 5 feet tall, were it not constantly slouched over. A bald, wrinkled head looks out with cold black eyes from the hooded shade of a long gray cloak, smiling with a toothless grin. Under the cloak he wears naught but the sagging black robes of a monk. His hands bear two silver rings on his pointer fingers that seem to draw in the light around them, forcing their central black stones to glow with a quiet luster. His feet are bare, hardly seen as he shuffles along within the safety of his cloak. Hidden by the cloak and robes, and hinted at on his hands and face, are scars and wounds of hundreds of years of living and un-living. Skin is pierced, leaving holes that one can see through. Cuts dig deep into flesh, with no blood staining their paths. Flesh rots away in some places, exposing bone beneath. From his forehead, a chunk of skin has been removed, exposing the ivory skull of a dead man. Traits of a Dying God: As a form of undead, Mori has some benefits and detriments that humans do not have. Physically, Mori’s body is very old, resulting in a form that is not strong nor fast. He hardly has the strength to lift his staff, and cannot walk properly without it, instead shuffling along with uneven steps whilst using it as a crutch. Though his body is aged and slow, his mind is sharp, constantly taking in everything that happens around him and allowing him to consider his best course of action. This does not, however, mean he is physically capable of performing said action. Mori does not bleed, and can continue operating at a relatively normal capacity even when he is missing limbs. He cannot regenerate or re-attach said limbs, however. Mori will live through various injuries so long as his heart and his brain remain intact. If either of them are destroyed, Mori will die after a few seconds of limited consciousness. Mori does feel pain fully, but has incredibly high tolerance for it, and as such is able to continue thinking and acting normally even after sustaining heavy injuries. Additionally the pain of losing limbs will fade quickly, leaving him with no more than a dull ache. As an undead, Mori is susceptible to damage from light based magic and fire. These types of damage will cause him intense pain that overcomes his tolerance, leaving him unable to focus. Additionally, Mori still requires oxygen to function, and will die if he is rendered unable to breath, just like any human. Equipment: The Wizened Staff: This gnarled piece of wood is as ancient as Mori himself. It stands 2.5 feet tall, constantly supporting Mori’s weight as he leans on it. Parts of it are rotten, covered with fungus and moss. And yet, it cannot break. The staff can survive fire and force and blade. It cannot be destroyed by anything save the Lords. Dead-man’s rings: Mori’s black-crystal rings have the ability to detect hostile intent, warming slightly against his fingers if an attack is purposefully directed at him. However because of Mori’s poor physical ability, they are not always effective enough to allow him to avoid attacks completely. They also contain powerful magic, which is locked inside until needed and keeps the rings extremely durable. Abilities: The Weight of Death: Mori exudes a constant aura, extending about 30 feet out from himself. This aura instills a slight feeling of dread and foreboding on those that gaze upon Mori while within range. This feeling is non-magical, creating no harmful effects, and can easily be ignored or suppressed without the use of any magical abilities. The Chains of Lost Lives: Mori’s primary ability is to manifest magical onyx chains ending in sharp spearheads. These chains can extend up to 30 feet in a single direction, traveling slightly slower than an arrow. Upon reaching their max length, a chain will stay suspended for a moment before dissolving into shadow. Chains are fired from plate-sized magic circles that Mori can create at any angle anywhere within 5 feet of himself. Chains travel in a perfectly straight line, ignoring gravity, though Mori may add a slight curve in any direction to their trajectory by concentrating. Mori may only have two chains active at once, but can cause them to dissolve away with a thought at any moment, even mid-flight. Physically, these chains are as durable as regular steel chains. Broken chains dissolve into harmless shadow. Chains are infused with a type of death when created, activating if any part of a chain comes in contact with a creature (including armor, but not including weapons). Activated chains move on their own, performing a specific attack against the creature that activated them before dissolving away (with one exception). Activated chains will become invisible to (only) the creature that activated them, instead planting an illusion in that creature’s head based on the type of death the chain is infused with, though exact details are unique to each creature. In normal cases, the illusions lack color and are purely visual, overlapping the real world without robbing the victim of their perception of it, and can only be a little less than twice the size of the target at max. Illusions do not have any direct way of influencing the target’s mind, meaning a smart victim can understand that what they are seeing is not real. Illusions vanish once the chain they are connected to dissolves. Though Mori cannot directly see the illusions others are experiencing, he is still aware of the contents. Types of Chains: Skewer: This type of chain will instantly retreat upon activation, then plunge forward, attempting to stab through the initial point of contact with the chain’s spearhead. While the stab has a significant amount of force behind it, it can be blocked or parried if the defender is strong enough. This chain’s illusion will involve the target being stabbed by something or someone at the same location as the spearhead is aimed. Strangle: This type of chain will wrap around the throat of the target, and attempt to choke them to death. This attack will not stop until either the victim dies or the chain is broken. The chain itself is slightly less sturdy than the other chains, able to be broken by brute strength if enough force is applied. This chain’s illusion will involve the target being suffocating in some way, such as being choked or drowned. Shatter: This type of chain will loosely wrap around the point of contact twice before tightening instantly, attempting to crush the location beneath it. The crushing force is incredibly strong, able to break bone, but there is time to attempt to insert something between the chains and the target to lessen the blow. This chain’s illusion will involve the point of contact on the target being crushed by some force. God’s Spite: Mori is able to use his spite towards those that have wronged him to enhance his grasp over their minds. Illusions created against those that have struck Mori are more powerful, appearing in color and deceiving more senses by creating sounds, scents, and even slight feelings of temperature or wetness. "I have experienced things they never have, that they believe they never will. I have experienced that which makes us mortal." spoiler: Race: Avatar of The Dead Form: Skeletal In Death, Life: When Mori is on the brink of death, his rings will shatter, reinvigorating him with magical energy and burning away his earthly form and robes, leaving behind his true form, an Avatar of The Dead. This process releases a massive amount of dark energy, spreading out an aura of dread for a moment that reaches into the minds of those nearby and attempts to make them retreat in fear. This mental attack is not particularly strong, but will likely serve to prevent Mori from instantly being destroyed upon his transformation. If Mori’s heart was damaged before his transformation, transforming will repair it. Flavor Note: Outside of the EC’s, Mori enters his Avatar form upon his actual death, preventing him from dying initially and giving his body time to rebuild. In the EC’s, this power has distilled into his rings, preventing his death before it occurs, rather than returning him to life after the fact. Mori is aware of this, but wants to avoid using it. Appearance: Mori’s true form is that of a basic human skeleton, lacking any organs other than his heart, which is a ghostly, semi-transparent blue. The skeleton itself also gives off a faint blue aura. But as an Avatar of the Dead, Mori will appear to others as those that have passed on. Any who gaze at Mori will instead see him as someone they have killed. If they have not killed a person, he will instead appear as someone close to them that has died. This illusory form is translucent, overlapping his skeletal form. If neither condition applies, or if the viewer has the ability to see through illusions, they will instead see just Mori’s skeletal form. Abilities: Acceptance: Mori’s “Weight of Death” aura changes, instead instilling intense calmness in those that gaze upon him while within its range, which may cause those affected to either sharpen or relax their minds. Again, this feeling is non-magical, creating no harmful effects, and can easily be ignored or suppressed without the use of any magical abilities. Additionally, Mori keeps both his God’s Spite and Chains of the Dead abilities, though he can now only use one chain at a time as opposed to two. Equipment: The Avatar’s True Chain: Mori’s staff shifts form as he dies, becoming a single chain tipped with a spearhead, similar to those he casts, though this True Chain is a permanent and physical weapon. This chain can change length freely, up to 15 feet long, and he can subtly adjust its momentum and movement as he swings it. While this chain does not create a visual illusion like the others, it does alter the type of pain the victim feels upon cutting or piercing them. Rather than the sharp bite of steel, they will feel a unique feeling of pain depending on their own abilities. Trait: God’s Hubris: When in his Avatar form, Mori’s thought process changes dramatically. He becomes arrogant and ambitious, believing himself above all others. As such, he will take risks and perform actions without ever considering consequences, and he will practically believe himself to be invincible, waving off truly potent threats as “unimportant.” Additionally, Mori’s true form is a being of pure darkness. Light based magic will cripple him, dissolving away bones and his summoned chains simply on contact and stunning his body and thought process for a few seconds. Mori does not fear this and will not act as if it is any threat. When Mori is not in this form, he despises it. He hates how vulnerable and arrogant he becomes. As a result, Mori will never intentionally enter this form unless he truly believes he has no other option.

nield -> RE: =Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups (6/21/2020 0:00:22)
Name: Sledaristan (Stalos) Age: ??? Race: Vevalartraidan Element: Earth Appearance: Standing at just over nine feet in height, Stalos is a mountain of a woman with sun browned skin. Deep red eyes the colour of dried blood peer out from her face and a cocksure grin is a nigh-permanent feature upon it. Short brown hair, reminiscent of rock formations sits upon her head. She has a well-muscled, somewhat bulky form riddled with scars. Stalos garbs herself in very little, wearing only a faded grey pair of pants that have been torn off above the knees and strips of cloth wound around her chest. Equipment: Styoio Kar: Stalos does not walk into battle with much, only her massive double-headed battle axe, which is larger than she herself is and even with her strength normally requires she wield it with both hands. Both heads of the axe are sharp enough to split hairs. Given that it is her sole weapon and she has used it for rather a number of years at this point, one might be inclined to say Stalos is ‘skilled’ with her axe, but given that her battle tactics rarely evolve past ‘hit thing hard’ such an assessment is hard to make properly. Capabilities: Stalos is a powerful combatant, boasting strength well above the average individual, however she is not ordinarily particularly any faster nor survivable than the average individual. The only special capabilities Stalos possesses are Tekkon Skil and Stalos Kyie. Tekkon Skil: Stalos hardens her skin, giving it the durability of steel plate, the offset of which being that her speed drastically decreases. While her blows do not lose any of their power, they are considerably more avoidable while she is in this state. Enabling Tekkon Skil requires a meagre few moments of calm meditation and if she wished to, could simply cease the state at will. Stalos Kyie: If Stalos is enjoying herself enough, or if she’s taken a large amount of damage even through Tekkon Skil, she’ll enter this state. In this state her power increases even beyond its natural levels, to the point where she can swing Styoio Kar around with a single hand, but she loses the defensive properties of Tekkon Skil, alongside its speed reduction. However, she’ll also ignore all wounds and pain, the only wounds that will bring her down in this state are wounds that would legitimately keep anyone down. Stalos Kyie can be disabled manually, but requires the presence of mind to realise that having it active is an actively bad choice and she would need to calm herself significantly; thus it is unlikely that she would exit this state during combat unless she were dead. spoiler: Ghosts of Memory: Stalos is followed around by four ‘ghosts’; Stafa, who stands at 8 feet exactly with blue flowing hair who wears ornate robes and holds an elegant staff in her right hand. Keskie, who is by far the shortest at 7 feet, with black tenebrous wisps of hair, garbed in black, muffling gear with a hood, twin daggers ready at their sides. Vyelar, who stands at 7 feet 9, with lightest blond hair that floats about his head, reminiscent of a halo, who garbs himself in green forest gear with a bow and quiver resting upon his back. Zperan, who stands at 8 feet 3, with fiery red hair, wearing full plate, a longsword belted to his side. The ghosts are linked inextricably to Stalos’ own senses, that is, they know no more than she about things around her, so while stafa can translate other people’s speech for Stalos, she would be as unaware as she if someone were sneaking up on her and thus unable to warn her. The ghosts can also be helpful or not as they feel like and they are entirely unobservable to others, due to the means by which they are bound to Stalos, they only exist proper within her mind, so while she can ‘see’ them moving around and doing things, others would be entirely unable to.

ChaosRipjaw -> RE: =Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups (6/21/2020 11:50:54)
Editing notes: -Resized Sinak -Added details about his fins (pectoral and dorsal) -Realized I never said what exactly the "Yyranaiad" abilities are -Psychic Shield fixed and clarified -Split Fear Feeder into Depth Scream and Telepathy, with the removal of the "fear feeding" effect -Removed Accelerated Healing -Electromagnetic Aura is now Electromagnetic Pulse, which is an extension of Psychic Shield Name: Shinjri'shakraphrjat'shu'Sinaken, or simply Sinak; also known as "the Baby Shark" Gender: Male Race: Shha'rarken Element: Energy Appearance At first glance, Sinak is full grown shark, though smaller than average: around 9 feet fully extended, (see great white to human for comparison) and 2 feet wide, not counting the pectoral fins, and 3 feet tall, not counting his 1 foot tall dorsal fin. Although typical Shha'rarken are appearance-wise mostly the same as typical sharks, close up it becomes horribly clear he is no ordinary shark. Sinak has blue-black hide with the armored parts tinged with purple. His back is covered in what can only be described as like a row of interlocked shields. The shark's signature dorsal fin, now razor sharp, rises up between it. His (four!) pectoral fins have largely expanded and is bladed. Rotating joints have grown where they connect to his body, so he can rotate and swing his fins with great dexterity, as though they were scimitars. His tail fins are also bladed likewise. Despite their bladed nature, they can flap deceptively as though they were mere flesh. His head and body have grown into two distinct parts, such that he can rise upright and still have his head face forward. His head's cranium has elongated slightly as is customary to Yyranaiad life forms, and the bulge that marks the end of his skull glows and crackles ever so slightly with psionic power. His shark teeth are considerably longer, sharper, and also more jagged compared to his non-sentient cousins. His eyes have a dull, predatory stare but with a glint of cunning and malice not found in typical maneating beasts. They will also glow slightly when he uses his psionic abilities. His body has a strange, skeletal and sinuous appearance that can only be described as alien. One might say he somehow appears both meaty large and emaciated at the same time. His back, parts of his sides, and his head are armored in structures that can appear both bonelike and metallic. The rest of his exposed skin is similar to shark skin, though with much sharper "teeth" that can tear unprotected flesh. He is covered in scars from countless battles at sea against the Hunters. Abilities/Gear (?) ---------------------------------------Shha'rarken Physiology Shha'rarken have the same general abilities as sharks, such as enhanced olfactory senses, vision, hearing, and the abilities of electroreception (detection of electromagnetic fields given off by living beings) and the lateral line, which allows them to detect changes in nearby water speed and pressure. Like sharks, Shha'rarken hunt and attack by ramming their prey, whipping their tails to stun them, and of course, taking large, messy bites and thrashing. Their bites are strong enough to dent steel, although the real danger is their strength in ramming and thrashing. If a Shha'rarken inadvertently consumes a totally inedible or dangerous object, they can rapidly expel it from their stomach by literally vomiting their guts, propelling said object out before rapidly re-swallowing their innards. They are also highly resistant, if not immune, to many kinds of toxins and venoms, being able to survive in dangerously polluted environments. Shha'rarken are cold-blooded, so drastic changes in temperature can be fatal to them. They are capable of breathing in fresh or saltwater, and can survive a limited time on land (about a minute, due to their size). Underwater, they move with speed and agility, while on land they are still very fast albeit clumsy, flopping tanks. When they lunge to attack, they roll their eyes back into their heads to protect them, rendering them effectively blind for the duration of the attempted bite. Like sharks, their weak spots include their eyes, gills, nostrils, and getting stabbed in the mouth. Naturally, with the limitations of shark physiology and by extension, that of Shha'rarkens', Sinak would not fare well in the Championship, especially since most of the combatants fight on dry land. This is where his next set of abilities come in . . . ---------------------------------------Yyranaiad Abilities While wandering the sea, ever burning with fury that rivaled the abyssal lava rivers at the Hunters for the deaths of his ancestors, he discovered an ancient temple that once belonged to the Klaayphaunthuu --- Mutagenic Shamans of the Shha'rarken. Once long before the Hunters came, the meteor fell from space; a meteor that contained DNA of an alien species dubbed the Yyranaiads. The Klaayphaunthuu had learned how to harness the mutating abilities of the Yyranaiads, specifically that of psionic powers, an Energy element discipline. Armed with these new abilities, the leviathan emerged from the sea, ready to strike at the heart of the dirtwalkers' empire, at a place where they once thought they were safe. ---Physical -------------Bladed Pectoral Fins: Sinak's four bladed fins, mounted on newly grown joints to allow them to rotate in every which way, allow him a great deal of defense to his front and sides. Each fin is about 3 feet long, allowing them to reach to his mouth. They are too short for him to actually attack head-on with the blades, so he uses them to slash aside obstacles (he has to twist to one side or the other to use the blades to maximum effect). There are two pectoral fins on each side, vertically stacked on one another, though with his new "shoulder" joints he can twist them almost to the point where they are aligned horizontally. Although he can keep them fully extended in the deep sea, structures on land are not typically built for creatures such as Shha'rarken. However, he can fold them along his sides like typical fish, and even in this position he can swing them vertically. -------------Body Armor: Sinak's back, head, and some of his sides are clad in metallic bone armor, grown by the DNA of the Yyranaiads. They are marred in scars from numerous battles against the Saarphisscaakplaa. He uses his armor to his advantage, using his body as a battering ram. -------------Bladed Dorsal Fins: His large back dorsal fin knifes the air as he "swims" toward his prey. It should also be noted that he sports a second, smaller dorsal fin "horn" on his head, like a rhino's. When he rises upright, the back dorsal fin will face down while the one on his head will face up. ---Psionic NOTE: The boundary of Psychic Shield (and thus Electromagnetic Pulse) is about 2 feet away from Sinak's body, while Depth Scream and Telepathy each have a range of 20 feet. -------Passive -------------Psychic Shield: The backbone of Sinak's power on land, the psychic shield allows him to levitate and move about on land, as well as protect against the elements and allow him to breathe out of water. It also negates his having to physically protect his eyes when lunging for a bite. When the shield is up, he levitates enough to make eye contact with an average human. In this state, he moves through the air the same way as he would underwater, with similar physics, and retains all shark-like abilities that would normally only work underwater. When moving about in this manner, the shield can be considered as a cushion best described as a "force water field." He moves slowly but smoothly as it "flows" along the ground, and lunges powerfully but erratically as it "splashes" and "bounces" him across the field. The psychic shield is capable of blocking many kinds of magic and energy as well as physical attacks and projectiles. Although it blocks attacks, it is possible bypass the shield and get up close to Sinak (to grab him, place a bomb on him etc), as long as one does not attempt to strike him. Simply put, the shield reacts fiercely to sudden, "strong" impacts. When the shield is active, those in close proximity will feel the uncomfortable sensation of static electricity. The waterlike effect that keeps Sinak afloat does not extend to others within the shield. The shield has several weaknesses. It can only defend against single attacks or multiple attacks made in a localized area. If a two-pronged attack is made (e.g. both from the left and right), the shield will fail to block either. If same two attacks are made in quick succession instead, the shield will only successfully block the first one. The shield can cushion most falling impacts unless he is thrown hard enough to bypass the shield and slam him down into a surface. A sufficiently powerful blow can disable the shield and reduce Sinak to flopping on the ground. He will be stuck in panic mode, thrashing uncontrollably as he attempts to escape or quickly eliminate his opponent. He is extremely dangerous and unpredictable in this state, but cannot restore the shield as long as he remains in combat (i.e. the opponents keep up the attack). As stated before, if he cannot breathe again within one minute, he will asphyxiate. -------------Depth Scream: Sharks are incapable of vocalization, and the same applies to Shha'rarken. However, Sinak's undiluted killing intent powers a sort of "mental roar" that applies whenever he attacks, which intensifies as one gets closer within his radius. -------Active -------------Telepathy: Not necessarily a combat ability, he can project his thoughts to others, though they will be in the incomprehensible, alien tongue of the Shha'rarken, which to most eyewitness accounts, is described as "utterly dreadful." In case he actually does need to communicate, he can project simple words in standard human language, as well as thoughts, images, and ideas. His telepathy also works the other way around, letting others communicate with him even if they do not have natural telepathy. However, as this is an active ability, he must choose to listen to accomplish this. He cannot read minds though. It should be noted that although Telepathy only works if he chooses to activate it, he can generally sense fear and/or anger (or lack thereof) from his prey, an ability derived from a shark's natural electroreception. -------------Electromagnetic Pulse: Sinak's mutated brain crackles with energy, which is mainly used to keep the psychic shield active. When the odds are against him and he is surrounded and/or pinned down, he can unleash an EMP explosion to stun and force back his aggressors, enough for him to retaliate. The pride of a Shha'rarken warrior dictates that he wields only his senses, his body, and his teeth to defeat his enemies. Thus, Sinak will not use this ability unless the circumstances are dire.

Silver Magna -> RE: =Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups (6/21/2020 11:53:13)
(Edit) Name: Argent Raincrest Race: Human Age: 19 Height: 167 cm Build: Slim Outfit: He usually wore a comfortable dark blue coat and clothes on travel. Sadly, none of the armor is magically or physically protective Elemental: Water Appearance: In his hired mercenary’s eyes, Argent was a fairly attractive man who always had intense curiosity and the desire to question anything. His distinctive appearance such as dark blue hair and bright sapphire eyes were often associated with witchcraft in other men’s mind but in fact, he considered himself as an ordinary human with little ability to use magic. Usual Equipment/Weapon: Tome of Protection - Primary way for him to cast spells Flute - Play the song that could mesmerize enemies (Mostly up to three enemy at the same time) while blowing acidic bubbles. (More details in the Ability part) Dagger (one dagger) - 10 cm long, use to stab Crystal Vial (one bottle) - Violently shake it and it will temporarily light up an area within 45 yards for maximum 15 minutes only. Can’t detect traps, nor enemy. WoundSeal Powder (Three small packages) - Stop bleeding in emergency Elixir (One bottle only) - Fixing broken Long bones only Dark Rose Pendant - Given by his mercenary, No use in Tournament. Ability: Total Mana Points: 100 mp (If the mp is below 50 mp, Argent will feel drained and dizzy or eventually fainted.)?Regeneration: 10 mp per 30 seconds Mesmerizing Song (10 mp, require flute) - Play a song with his flute and mesmerizing his opponent for 5 seconds. Can be interrupted by any attacks. Acidic Bubbles (10 mp, require flute) - While playing the flute, watery corrosive bubbles (Around 5 bubbles) are scattered around the opponent. Damage upon touch. Mist (20 mp, require Tome of Protection) - By manipulating the water elements in the environment, he can Cloud the environment with mist for 20 seconds. Any attack on Argent can cancel out the effect. Bubble Barrier (20 mp, require Tome of Protection) - Using water elemental to form a bubble like barrier in front of him, neutralizing physical attack Way of Water (30 mp, require Tome of Protection) - Heal over minor injuries, cannot fix broken body Shadow Reading (Passive ability): Cannot be controlled. Catching a slight glimpse of the past. Pretty useless when it comes to tournament … but very critical in catching deceivers and hidden enemies in story. Personality/Backstory: A compassionate and honest scholar that dislikes using magic since it often gave him headache. Despite his welcoming personality, his eyes would turn cold if you go over his borderline or hurt him. It often will take a long while to gain his trust back. Since he was still a young man, he could get flustered when things didn’t go according to his plan and his face blushed when feeling embarrassed.

deathlord45 -> RE: =Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups (6/21/2020 12:13:10)
Name / Title: Drageados, the Umbral Knight Element: Darkness Age Range: Antediluvian Race: Dragon(Vampire) Appearance: Deep scarlet scales dully shimmer and ripple across the emaciated creature. Claws and fangs stained a deep black from the blood of countless victories. Crimson eyes sunk deep in their sockets glare out endlessly hungering for a satisfaction never to be found. His wings are long since tattered, pitted and torn keeping the mighty beast earth bound against his will. Standing 5ft tall at the shoulder and his head rising another 2 feet upwards if he so desires. He's 10 ft long end to end and about 2 ft wide; the tail making up 5 ft of his total length. A simple golden armlet is found on his right front leg. Equipment: Fangs: One full set of exceptionally sharp teeth that combined with his strength he can easily rend flesh from bone or limbs from an unfortunate individual. They are also how he ingests blood. Claws: Four sets of three razor sharp talons; one set per foot. Quite good at cutting, slashing or severing flesh and leather. Tail: A thick and somewhat long tail that can be easily used as a bludgeon. Armlet of Protect from Sunlight: He doesn't die in sunlight while wearing it. Skills, Spells, & Special Abilities: Undead Stuff: Undying Resilience: He doesn't need to eat or drink any substance other than blood. He doesn't physically tire nor do extreme temperatures inhibit him. Blood loss is also a non-issue though one could say it makes him hungrier. Though he does still feel the full pain of wounds and injury. Bloody Regeneration: By consuming blood he is capable of healing from injury. If he were to drink enough blood to sate his hunger he would be restored to the prime of his youth physically though to do so he'd have to completely drain another dragon or creature of similar size to himself. Vampiric Weaknesses: His heart being pierced will completely immobilize him. Decapitation, total immolation, completely soaking him in holy water or if his armlet were to be disconnected from his body sunlight can all easily kill him. Vampiric Strengths: He has preternatural strength keeping him still stronger than most bipedal creatures even in his emaciated. He also has exceptional reflexes due to his vampiric nature. Cloying breath: He no longer has an elemental breath attack instead he releases a miasma that extends out 15ft from him to sicken and disorientate his prey. Though he can only do it thrice before he must rest and recover. Personality: Having long since gone mad from the insatiable hunger that fills him moment to moment utterly destroying the social skills he was once vaunted for. He still retains his wits and his mind though they are primarily honed towards hunting prey or finding a way to free himself from the endless hunger.

Caststarter -> RE: =Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups (6/21/2020 17:03:17)
Name: Ricarda Von Geier, Scavenger of Souls Element: Ice Race:Human (though difficult to tell in regards to other humanoids existing thanks to her attire) Age: Indiscernible with her armor on. Height: 5’7 Appearance: Cladded in armor, Ricarda bears the visage of a seasoned veteran. A bascinet obscures her head, with an aventail attached to protect the neck and shoulders. The visor is pointed like a beak, akin to that of a vulture, where the face protection has a distinct hinge to easily remove the visor. At the torso area, she dons a brigandine with a mail shirt underneath. Her arm underneath the pauldron is at first covered by a red shirt sleeve until it reaches the forearm, which is protected with a gauntlet. The gauntlet for the sword hand has knuckle dusters that protrude a couple inches from the knuckle. Chausses run down to cover past the thigh to her knees. Her shins are covered by basic padded hard leather pants. The hard leather boots have spikes strewn at the bottom. The knight’s surcoat is emblazoned with the dreadful image of a horned demon wrapped in flame with curled teeth. Other ostentatious decorations include the small bronze rings around the aventail, golden thread around the surcoat’s trim, and armor plates fashioned with red that highlights the edge of the metal. Overall, necessary protection to vitals and limbs are found even if it is not a full suit of plate armor, while the armor itself is not uncomfortable or stamina inducing enough to hamper long travels. Her red pouch, around the front of the surcoat slightly above the waist, carries various essentials and other objects. Sword of Stygia: A blue steel blade, modeled after a double edged sword designed for both one and two hands. The metal tapers towards the point with the edge maintaining a relative thinness, with an intense cold to the touch. The crossguard is straight on both ends complete with a golden sheen. Red leather wraps around the handle, where the grip slims down until around the pommel, granting the leverage necessary for two handed techniques. The pommel itself is particularly round, runic inscriptions scrawled across it. Practically, it is a normal blade for any normal warrior, with the caveat that it would slowly and steadily drain their life force upon brandishing. However, for the chosen permitted to shed blood with the accursed weapon, it brings forth a cold and dark power without destroying their very soul. For Ricarda, with the blade drawn, the immediate air around her chills, a warning of what is about to come. Any wounds directly from the sword numbs the immediate area, with frostbite-like effects as well. In addition, using the embedded magic along with her innate talent for the arcane arts, she can conjure fist sized shapes of ice, up to five at a time, or swing the sword with near perfect edge alignment to bring forth a sturdy sheet of ice roughly half the size of her shield. For the former, the ice can be any shape as long as it is at most around the size of her fist as well as the same general design, be it crescent, spearheads, or mere thick ice stones. With gestures from her sword hand, she can command the ice within the limit of the shape and relatively straightforward implementations, such as assailing targets directly, orbit around her, or even wedge them into the spikes of her shield or the tip of the sword, albeit messing with the center of gravity depending on the shape. In the end, the ice can only be commanded once and can't be too complex, so ideas such as sending ice in an arc is possible, but forcing them to boomerang back is not. Another limitation is that the ice must be commanded all at once, not separately. For the ice itself, once they come into contact on any surface with a decent amount of force, they immediately shatter. Any ice after about two standard interactions of a duel akin to parrying and dodging then counterattacking will turn into ice dust. The sheets of ice, without any surface to connect to, will swiftly fall back down to the ground and turn into dust. If they connect to a surface however, they can maintain their position indefinitely without interference and absorb more force, slightly more than the knight’s shield. Otherwise, the sheets of ice only merely slow down anything in the way, rather than outright stop it. Any one foolish however, unless protected from the cold, who dares touch the conjured ice of both types will still find it mildly harmful, including any ice that somehow did not shatter. Prolonged exposure can lead to numbness or even frostbite if held drastically long. Spiked shield: Designed more for close quarters combat rather than protection against missiles such as arrows, this shield has custom designs to suit Ricarda’s preference for close quarters combat. Used for defense and offense, it has four spikes aligned as a square, with a larger central spike. It should be noted that the four corner spikes are noticeably not as tapered as the central spike, in order to prevent over penetration, unless Ricarda so desires via use of her ice. The shield is made of iron, where if braced against her, it will cover the knight’s torso. The shield can easily be carried around the waist, especially since the spikes are detachable. Fighting Style: While her ice magic supplements her capabilities in other areas, she is first and foremost a close quarters combatant with a distinct flair for brutish as well as disciplined sword and board fighting techniques. Amidst her stark aggression one can find sudden points of methodical defense, and vice versa. Respect from her master is first and foremost, so it matters not how “clean” her fighting is. Despite this, even her more brutal methods tend to have nuance to them in order to generate enough force or shift Ricarda’s or her opponent’s momentum for maximum effect. Reason for this is, while strong and dexterous, she is still not at the level of peak human capabilities for anything. Any trained fighter can clearly see discipline brought her far, whereas a combatant with only moderate martial capabilities will merely see her as brutal and rough, potentially becoming confused once she brings forth her other skills to play. Story: “A tale of pain, death, perseverance, many things can describe this individual’s life. Yet why be privy to all that for the grand show? The lord that all souls come to demands an entertaining spectacle. Therefore, this is a tale that shall be told another time”, coarse laughter echoed, dread permeating the twisted and dark landscape, lighted merely by a dim moon...

Starflame13 -> RE: =Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups (6/21/2020 23:44:05)
Day two, and a lot more approvals coming in! And a lot of diversity in characters and elements too, yay! @Anastira - looks like everything has been clarified that needed to be! Excited to see Carina in action. Approved! @Chewy905 - Good to see you back in the fray! I see we have also gone back to complex abilities. Let's take a look at Mori. To start with, I will note that it is risky to have a character so dependent on his staff. If it gets knocked away in the first few seconds, are you still going to enjoy writing this character as he spends the entire fight stumbling/crawling around? If not, you should increase the mobility a tad. Speaking of the staff - if it's meant as a walking stick, this is extremely short for Mori's height. If it's meant as a cane where he leans on the head of the staff, it still seems a bit short - but should be ok with the slouch. Looking at abilities, the Weight of Death has a bit of a far range - but I think it's workable since it does require line of sight. The big issue here is your Chains of Lost Lives. For the general use of them: Onyx is a hard stone, which could probably be carved to pierce skin or light coverings, but won't do much against heavy armor. You also stated the chains were magical, so please clarify if the prior statement is incorrect, and what kind of damage to expect from them in that way. I also want to know how the chains are infused - whether its verbal or otherwise. For the specific types of "death" magic - Skewer is alright for the most part, although I'm curious how much it doubles back if it's part of the chain that brushes the target when the spearhead has traveled past them. Strangle and Shatter, however, are both extremely powerful potential auto-kill conditions - especially when the target can't see the chain properly in order to dodge/break it. To even begin balancing these how they are now, the chains need to either be much easier to break, or easier to dodge (i.e., easier to see). If you are set on keeping both forms, I can provide some potential suggestions, but I actually have something different to propose. Consider merging Strangle/Shatter into a single ability (perhaps "Restrain"), that, upon making contact, attempts to hold the limbs/person in place. Once the person is restrained, Mori could then make a decision to shift the chain to either attempt to Strangle them, or target a specific limb to attempt to Shatter. This gives the target a chance to dodge or mitigate the damage at two separate points - although I would still keep the weakened chains from the original Strangle type here. Give it some thought, and let me know if you want to discuss other possibilities. Lastly, I am ok with keeping "God's Spite" if it's an effect that builds. If the person has only struck at Mori once, the added enhancements are milder (or only some of the senses). The more strikes against Mori, the more this can increase. I will PM you directly with feedback on the spoiler-tagged abilities. Clever character, with a lot of potential, but let's make sure it's fun to fight both with and against. @nield - changes all look to be in order. Welcome to the fray, Stalos. Approved! @ChaosRipjaw - Things are definitely a lot more focused and streamlined now! Just a few smaller clarifications/questions left, as well as a suggestion. First, for the Shha'rarken traits themselves: The maneuverability of the pectoral fins is alright if the speed of the fins is akin to a sword swing - if Sinak is currently able to rotate them to the point where he's basically a floating chainsaw, either the speed or the dexterity of the fins should be decreased. We also clarified in discussion that his armor is similar in strength to plate mail, for you to include in the next version. Next, abilities: The psychic shield. This version is MUCH more reasonable and understandable, but one clarification and one suggestion. You mention that the shield fails against multiple or successive attacks - does this mean that the entire shield breaks and Sinak is left floundering, or is JUST the defensive part disabled while the mobility remains? Either should work, but let me know which. Additionally, it sounds like ANY rather powerful blow can temporarily shatter the shield - which puts Sinak in a vulnerable position. I would suggest to give Sinak the ability to choose whether to block with the shield (and risk it shattering), or to take the blow directly and maintain his mobility. This way you can avoid getting trapped in a loop of "shield broken -> frenzied suffocation -> reformed -> shield broken again immediately." You do not need to include this, but I would consider it. Now, Depth Scream. If you insist on this remaining as a passive ability every time he attacks, then we need to clarify what an attack means. Just swinging a bladed fin and generating a 20 foot radius AoE is too powerful - I would either adjust this so only the person being targeted hears the scream, or else clarify that only specific attacks (like the ramming charge described above) activate it. Lastly, Electromagnetic Pulse. If Psychic Scream keeps the AoE quality, this is rather powerful to stack deafening scream + floating shark + minor EMP stun. I would specify either that Sinak can't both scream and generate a pulse at the same time, or that he can only use the pulse when the shield has been disabled (as it seems a good method to force people to back off long enough for him to reform it). I would also clarify that the stun is more of a knock-back than a full-body stun, although this would depend on the opponent since those with more metal are likely more susceptible to the shock. We should be almost there! Sinak's looking better and better. @Silver Magna - I like the greater detail here, and the current ability set fits the Water Element much better! We've got a bit of balancing to do with the new abilities, but I'm excited for this iteration. First, a quick note on the Crystal Vial: Since the arenas themselves are about 135 feet in diameter, this vial would light up the entire arena. This is too much for an object that, with a maximum of 15 minutes, would last the majority if not the entirety of the in-game fight. Either drop it to 15 feet (5 yards) radius, or drop the time to 10 seconds. Speaking of timings, I tend to suggest avoiding abilities that rely too heavily on numbers such as mana points or timed cooldowns - it makes things hard to keep track of. That said, I think the amounts/timings you have picked are well balanced, so it should work - just be flexible if not every character is keeping track of time so closely. Now, abilities, starting with Mesmerizing Song. I'm assuming by that a "mesmerized" opponent simply slows down and listens to the song for the duration, rather than attack. I would add in a note that people with strong wills could resist the effects (this will help avoid bunnying), as well as that only the people Argent specifically "targets" have to fight it, rather than just the nearest people to him. I would also increase the mana cost by 5 for each additional person targeted, up to the 3 total targets mentioned earlier. Allowing the effect to end when interrupted is a good touch, too! For acidic bubbles, please clarify if the bubbles spawn from the flute and float towards the opponent, or if they form around the opponent directly. I'm assuming by "damage", it would be similar to minor acid burns. For the Mist, this is ok if the cloud covers only a 10-20 foot radius. You can decide of the cloud remains centered on Argent and moves with him, or centered on the point he cast it to enable him to move within it. Everything else looks ok, and the scaling for the mana cost is done well! I am curious if the Shadow Reading shows Argent's past, past events of the location, or glimpses into an opponent's past - but any should be workable! Looking forward to seeing the next version. @deathlord45 - Welcome! I will admit, I was fully expecting the Vampiric Dragon to take several rounds of balancing. That said, any time I had a question or concern it pretty much got addressed later on. I'm a bit hesitant in the combination of speed and strength relative to the size, but since there's no magical defense or really a focus on defense besides the scales, a highly offensive physical fighter should work. We clarified in discussion that Drageados's scales were equivalent in strength to steel plate. The one comment I have is, with Bloody Regeneration, I am assuming that even if Drageados manages to consume enough to restore him physically, this wouldn't significantly alter his capabilities within the tournament. If this is incorrect, then we're going to increase the number of large creatures he needs to consume to several. Approved! @Caststarter - Welcome, welcome! Ricarda is a different style than I've seen from you the past few years, but also a more straightforward one. The two assumptions I have made in reading the bio is first that, with the fist-sized rocks of ice, the command is given to them at their formation; and second that the surface needed for the sheets of ice must be large enough to support it (so something like a wall or floor). If these are both correct, then the character is good to go. Let me know if either are not, and we can discuss balancing. Otherwise, Approved! Director's Note: I've noticed that several bios have included ambiguous wording for the age section, or else dismissed it entirely. Your age can be something that you conceal from your competitors, but as Director, I need to know the relative age/maturity level of your character. Any characters who have been approved who did NOT include this, I reached out to the writers directly and have it recorded in my notes. All future submissions, please ensure this part is included in the bio.

Silver Magna -> RE: =Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups (6/22/2020 2:33:53)
Name: Argent Raincrest Race: Human Age: 19 Height: 167 cm Build: Slim Outfit: He usually wore a comfortable dark blue coat and clothes on travel. Sadly, none of the armor is magically or physically protective Elemental: Water Appearance: In his hired mercenary’s eyes, Argent was a fairly attractive man who always had intense curiosity and the desire to question anything. His distinctive appearance such as dark blue hair and bright sapphire eyes were often associated with witchcraft in other men’s mind but in fact, he considered himself as an ordinary human with little ability to use magic. Usual Equipment/Weapon: Tome of Protection - Primary way for him to cast spells Flute - Play the song that could mesmerize enemies (Mostly up to three enemy at the same time) while blowing acidic bubbles. (More details in the Ability part) Dagger (one dagger) - 10 cm long, use to stab Crystal Vial (one bottle) - Violently shake it and it will temporarily light up an area within 5 yards for maximum 10 seconds only. Can reveal hidden enemies. WoundSeal Powder (Three small packages) - Stop bleeding in emergency Elixir (One bottle only) - Fixing broken Long bones only Dark Rose Pendant - Given by his mercenary, No use in Tournament. Ability: (Every time he cast three spells consecutively, he will feel dizzy. If he continue, he might collapse) Mesmerizing Song (10 mp, require flute) - Play a song with his flute and mesmerizing one to three opponents for 5 seconds. His opponent’s speed will slow down and lost their will to fight. Any people with strong mind can resist it. Can be interrupted by any attacks. Acidic Bubbles (10 mp, require flute) - While playing the flute, watery corrosive bubbles (Around 5 bubbles) are formed in the air and are scattered around the opponent. Acid like damage. Damage upon touch. Mist (20 mp, require Tome of Protection) - By manipulating the water elements in the environment, he can Cloud the environment with mist for 20 seconds. Cover about 10-15 foot radius. The mist centre on Argent but it will not move with him. Any attack on Argent can cancel out the effect. Bubble Barrier (20 mp, require Tome of Protection) - Using water elemental to form a bubble like barrier in front of him, neutralizing physical attack Way of Water (30 mp, require Tome of Protection) - Heal over minor injuries, cannot fix broken body Shadow Reading (Passive ability): Argent has this ability since birth. It happens more frequently when his hired mercenary is around him. He will then witness a few vision of the past, including the landscape, people and lots of winged serpents as if someone wants him to see. Anyone/anything unrelated to a certain “clan” will not have their past revealed to Argent. Personality/Backstory: A compassionate and honest scholar that dislikes using magic since it often gave him headache. Despite his welcoming personality, his eyes would turn cold if you go over his borderline or hurt him. It often will take a long while to gain his trust back. Since he was still a young man, he could get flustered when things didn’t go according to his plan and his face blushed when feeling embarrassed

ChaosRipjaw -> RE: =Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups (6/22/2020 13:53:53)
Editing notes: -Clarified the pectoral fin dexterity. Essentially, he's a four-armed swordsman, not a quad-blade harvester -Clarified that armor is similar to plate mail -Added more clarifications to Psychic Shield -Depth Scream is strongest in a charge, other misc attacks only produce weaker kiai -EMP is now limited by his need to be relatively stationary Name: Shinjri'shakraphrjat'shu'Sinaken, or simply Sinak; also known as "the Baby Shark" Gender: Male Race: Shha'rarken Element: Energy Appearance At first glance, Sinak is full grown shark, though smaller than average: around 9 feet fully extended, (see great white to human for comparison) and 2 feet wide, not counting the pectoral fins, and 3 feet tall, not counting his 1 foot tall dorsal fin. Although typical Shha'rarken are appearance-wise mostly the same as typical sharks, close up it becomes horribly clear he is no ordinary shark. Sinak has blue-black hide with the armored parts tinged with purple. His back is covered in what can only be described as like a row of interlocked shields. The shark's signature dorsal fin, now razor sharp, rises up between it. His (four!) pectoral fins have largely expanded and is bladed. Rotating joints have grown where they connect to his body, so he can rotate and swing his fins with great dexterity, as though they were scimitars. His tail fins are also bladed likewise. Despite their bladed nature, they can flap deceptively as though they were mere flesh. His head and body have grown into two distinct parts, such that he can rise upright and still have his head face forward. His head's cranium has elongated slightly as is customary to Yyranaiad life forms, and the bulge that marks the end of his skull glows and crackles ever so slightly with psionic power. His shark teeth are considerably longer, sharper, and also more jagged compared to his non-sentient cousins. His eyes have a dull, predatory stare but with a glint of cunning and malice not found in typical maneating beasts. They will also glow slightly when he uses his psionic abilities. His body has a strange, skeletal and sinuous appearance that can only be described as alien. One might say he somehow appears both meaty large and emaciated at the same time. His back, parts of his sides, and his head are armored in structures that can appear both bonelike and metallic. The rest of his exposed skin is similar to shark skin, though with much sharper "teeth" that can tear unprotected flesh. He is covered in scars from countless battles at sea against the Hunters. Abilities/Gear (?) ---------------------------------------Shha'rarken Physiology Shha'rarken have the same general abilities as sharks, such as enhanced olfactory senses, vision, hearing, and the abilities of electroreception (detection of electromagnetic fields given off by living beings) and the lateral line, which allows them to detect changes in nearby water speed and pressure. Like sharks, Shha'rarken hunt and attack by ramming their prey, whipping their tails to stun them, and of course, taking large, messy bites and thrashing. Their bites are strong enough to dent steel, although the real danger is their strength in ramming and thrashing. If a Shha'rarken inadvertently consumes a totally inedible or dangerous object, they can rapidly expel it from their stomach by literally vomiting their guts, propelling said object out before rapidly re-swallowing their innards. They are also highly resistant, if not immune, to many kinds of toxins and venoms, being able to survive in dangerously polluted environments. Shha'rarken are cold-blooded, so drastic changes in temperature can be fatal to them. They are capable of breathing in fresh or saltwater, and can survive a limited time on land (about a minute, due to their size). Underwater, they move with speed and agility, while on land they are still very fast albeit clumsy, flopping tanks. When they lunge to attack, they roll their eyes back into their heads to protect them, rendering them effectively blind for the duration of the attempted bite. Like sharks, their weak spots include their eyes, gills, nostrils, and getting stabbed in the mouth. Naturally, with the limitations of shark physiology and by extension, that of Shha'rarkens', Sinak would not fare well in the Championship, especially since most of the combatants fight on dry land. This is where his next set of abilities come in . . . ---------------------------------------Yyranaiad Abilities While wandering the sea, ever burning with fury that rivaled the abyssal lava rivers at the Hunters for the deaths of his ancestors, he discovered an ancient temple that once belonged to the Klaayphaunthuu --- Mutagenic Shamans of the Shha'rarken. Once long before the Hunters came, the meteor fell from space; a meteor that contained DNA of an alien species dubbed the Yyranaiads. The Klaayphaunthuu had learned how to harness the mutating abilities of the Yyranaiads, specifically that of psionic powers, an Energy element discipline. Armed with these new abilities, the leviathan emerged from the sea, ready to strike at the heart of the dirtwalkers' empire, at a place where they once thought they were safe. ---Physical -------------Bladed Pectoral Fins: Sinak's four bladed fins, mounted on newly grown joints to allow them to rotate in every which way with great dexterity, as though he were a four-armed swordsman, allowing him a great deal of defense to his front and sides. Each fin is about 3 feet long, allowing them to reach to his mouth. They are too short for him to actually attack head-on with the blades, so he uses them to slash aside obstacles (he has to twist to one side or the other to use the blades to maximum effect). There are two pectoral fins on each side, vertically stacked on one another, though with his new "shoulder" joints he can twist them almost to the point where they are aligned horizontally. Although he can keep them fully extended in the deep sea, structures on land are not typically built for creatures such as Shha'rarken. However, he can fold them along his sides like typical fish, and even in this position he can swing them vertically. -------------Body Armor: Sinak's back, head, and some of his sides are clad in metallic bone armor, grown by the DNA of the Yyranaiads. They are marred in scars from numerous battles against the Saarphisscaakplaa. He uses his armor to his advantage, using his body as a battering ram. The armor is similar in strength to plate mail. -------------Bladed Dorsal Fins: His large back dorsal fin knifes the air as he "swims" toward his prey. It should also be noted that he sports a second, smaller dorsal fin "horn" on his head, like a rhino's. When he rises upright, the back dorsal fin will face down while the one on his head will face up. ---Psionic NOTE: The boundary of Psychic Shield (and thus Electromagnetic Pulse) is about 2 feet away from Sinak's body, while Depth Scream and Telepathy each have a maximum range of 20 feet. -------Passive -------------Psychic Shield: The backbone of Sinak's power on land, the psychic shield allows him to levitate and move about on land, as well as protect against the elements and allow him to breathe out of water. It also negates his having to physically protect his eyes when lunging for a bite. When the shield is up, he levitates enough to make eye contact with an average human. In this state, he moves through the air the same way as he would underwater, with similar physics, and retains all shark-like abilities that would normally only work underwater. When moving about in this manner, the shield can be considered as a cushion best described as a "force water field." He moves slowly but smoothly as it "flows" along the ground, and lunges powerfully but erratically as it "splashes" and "bounces" him across the field. The psychic shield is capable of blocking many kinds of magic and energy as well as physical attacks and projectiles. Although it blocks attacks, it is possible bypass the shield and get up close to Sinak (to grab him, place a bomb on him etc), as long as one does not attempt to strike him. Simply put, the shield reacts fiercely to sudden, "strong" impacts. When the shield is active, those in close proximity will feel the uncomfortable sensation of static electricity. The waterlike effect that keeps Sinak afloat does not extend to others within the shield. The shield has several weaknesses. (-----Bypassing the shield) It can only defend against single attacks or multiple attacks made in a localized area. If a two-pronged attack is made (e.g. both from the left and right), the shield will fail to block either. If those same two attacks are made in quick succession instead, the shield will only successfully block the first one. If an opponent is within melee range and a second opponent attacks from a significant distance afar, the shield will prioritize the ranged attacks instead. The shield can cushion most falling impacts unless he is thrown hard enough that the water effect fails to cushion him sufficiently and slam him down into a surface. Note that bypassing the shield does not disable it, so he can still levitate as usual. (-----Disabling the shield) There are two ways to actually disable the shield and thus his levitation. It should be noted that Sinak does have some conscious control over the shield despite it being a Passive ability. A sufficiently powerful blow can disable the shield entirely and hit him, although the impact against the shield should weaken the blow enough to make it non-fatal. However, unless it is a sneak attack, if Sinak is aware it is coming, he can choose to not block the blow instead (which will not disable the shield regardless of whether it hits him). The second method is to take advantage of the two-pronged attack weakness and strike his body with a powerful blow when the shield either fails to block both or is busy blocking the first one. In either case, if the conditions are met and the attack is strong enough, one can disable the shield and reduce Sinak to flopping on the ground. He will be stuck in panic mode, thrashing uncontrollably as he attempts to escape or quickly eliminate his opponent. He is extremely dangerous and unpredictable in this state, but cannot restore the shield as long as he remains in combat (i.e. the opponents keep up the attack). As stated before, if he cannot breathe again within one minute, he will asphyxiate. -------------Depth Scream: Sharks are incapable of vocalization, and the same applies to Shha'rarken. However, Sinak's undiluted killing intent powers a sort of "mental roar" that applies whenever he attacks, which intensifies as one gets closer within his radius. The Depth Scream is strongest when he charges forward, akin to a tiger roar. With typical attacks (bites, tail whips, sword slashes), he produces much weaker kiai that is just audible at the edge of the Depth Scream's range, but like typical sound becomes stronger the closer one gets within his radius. -------Active -------------Telepathy: Not necessarily a combat ability, he can project his thoughts to others, though they will be in the incomprehensible, alien tongue of the Shha'rarken, which to most eyewitness accounts, is described as "utterly dreadful." In case he actually does need to communicate, he can project simple words in standard human language, as well as thoughts, images, and ideas. His telepathy also works the other way around, letting others communicate with him even if they do not have natural telepathy. However, as this is an active ability, he must choose to listen to accomplish this. He cannot read minds though. It should be noted that although Telepathy only works if he chooses to activate it, he can generally sense fear and/or anger (or lack thereof) from his prey, an ability derived from a shark's natural electroreception. -------------Electromagnetic Pulse: Sinak's mutated brain crackles with energy, which is mainly used to keep the psychic shield active. When the odds are against him and he is surrounded and/or pinned down, he can unleash an EMP explosion to force back his aggressors, enough for him to retaliate. A defensive ability, the pulse takes a split second to charge, during which he will pause in movement. Oppponents will be alerted by a low whine and a stronger tingle of static electricity before the pulse initiates. The pulse can only be interrupted if he is thrown or knocked away significantly, enough to count as moving (being moved by being carried does not count). The pulse is chiefly designed for knockback rather than stun, but the presence of conductors on the opponent's body could work against them (such as metal). (Should be implied but just to clarify: since he has to pause to use the Pulse, he can't use Depth Scream.)

Starflame13 -> RE: =Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups (6/23/2020 1:39:58)
Another day, another round of balancing! Looks like the opening rush has ended, but you still have plenty of time to get your characters submitted! @Silver Magna - Thank you for making the changes! I noticed that you kept the mana points for each spell while shifting how many he can cast in a row - this is ok, as long as the higher MP spells (i.e., the stronger spells) still exhaust him faster and can be cast less often. Welcome officially to the fray. Approved! @ChaosRipjaw - I think we're there! I noticed you decreased the power levels of the AoE of Depth Scream, rather than adjusting how it targeted, but I think we've reached a happy medium. Thank you for your flexibility in reworking the character. Approved! And the with 7 approved bios across 5 elements, I'm very pleased with our entrants so far! Keep the characters coming!

Chewy905 -> RE: =Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups (6/24/2020 19:46:43)
Round 2 for old-man Mori! Changes are in bold, but for quick reference, I’ve changed the height of his staff and gave him a force-like power to summon it back to him. His chains are no longer onyx, instead being purely magical with the strength of tempered steel, and he summons them verbally. Additionally, chains now rattle while in motion (spooky). Skewer retreat has been clarified, and Strangle/Shatter have been turned into Restrain as proposed, and now require concentration to maintain/control. God’s Spite starts weak and ramps up as Mori is hit more and gets angrier. And a variety of spoiler stuff has been adjusted and clarified. Let’s begin! “They claimed we were Gods, that we were those above all other beings. They claimed it was our right to rule, to make law and form and obedience. But what does it mean to be a god? Omnipotence? Nay, for there is much we can not do. Omniscience? Nay, for there is much we do not know. If there are true gods, we are not they. Of that, I have become certain.” Name: Mori Age: Very, very old. Race: Undead Element: Darkness Appearance: Mori is an ancient husk of a man. Beneath a graying cloak lies a malnourished body, wrinkled and fading to a pale brown standing at what would be 5 feet tall, were it not constantly slouched over. A bald, wrinkled head looks out with cold black eyes from the hooded shade of a long gray cloak, smiling with a toothless grin. Under the cloak he wears naught but the sagging black robes of a monk. His hands bear two silver rings on his pointer fingers that seem to draw in the light around them, forcing their central black stones to glow with a quiet luster. His feet are bare, hardly seen as he shuffles along within the safety of his cloak. Hidden by the cloak and robes, and hinted at on his hands and face, are scars and wounds of hundreds of years of living and un-living. Skin is pierced, leaving holes that one can see through. Cuts dig deep into flesh, with no blood staining their paths. Flesh rots away in some places, exposing bone beneath. From his forehead, a chunk of skin has been removed, exposing the ivory skull of a dead man. Traits of a Dying God: As a form of undead, Mori has some benefits and detriments that humans do not have. Physically, Mori’s body is very old, resulting in a form that is not strong nor fast. Mori cannot walk properly without his staff, instead shuffling along with uneven steps whilst using it as a crutch Though his body is aged and slow, his mind is sharp, constantly taking in everything that happens around him and allowing him to consider his best course of action. This does not, however, mean he is physically capable of performing said action. Mori does not bleed, and can continue operating at a relatively normal capacity even when he is missing limbs. He cannot regenerate or re-attach said limbs, however. Mori will live through various injuries so long as his heart and his brain remain intact. If either of them are destroyed, Mori will die after a few seconds of limited consciousness. Mori does feel pain fully, but has incredibly high tolerance for it, and as such is able to continue thinking and acting normally even after sustaining heavy injuries. Additionally the pain of losing limbs will fade quickly, leaving him with no more than a dull ache. As an undead, Mori is susceptible to damage from light based magic and fire. These types of damage will cause him intense pain that overcomes his tolerance, leaving him unable to focus. Additionally, Mori still requires oxygen to function, and will die if he is rendered unable to breath, just like any human. Equipment: The Wizened Staff: This gnarled piece of wood is as ancient as Mori himself. It stands just above 5 feet tall, constantly supporting Mori’s weight as he leans on it. Parts of it are rotten, covered with fungus and moss. And yet, it cannot break. The staff can survive fire and force and blade. It cannot be destroyed by anything save the Lords. When not in his possession, Mori is capable of pulling the staffs towards him telekinetically so long as he can see it and it is not being held by another person. Dead-man’s rings: Mori’s black-crystal rings have the ability to detect hostile intent, warming slightly against his fingers if an attack is purposefully directed at him. However because of Mori’s poor physical ability, they are not always effective enough to allow him to avoid attacks completely. They also contain powerful magic, which is locked inside until needed and keeps the rings extremely durable. Abilities: The Weight of Death: Mori exudes a constant aura, extending about 30 feet out from himself. This aura instills a slight feeling of dread and foreboding on those that gaze upon Mori while within range. This feeling is non-magical, creating no harmful effects, and can easily be ignored or suppressed without the use of any magical abilities. The Chains of Lost Lives: Mori’s primary ability is to manifest magical black chains ending in sharp spearheads. These chains can extend up to 30 feet in a single direction, traveling slightly slower than an arrow. Upon reaching their max length, a chain will stay suspended for a moment before dissolving into shadow. Chains are fired from plate-sized magic circles that Mori can create at any angle anywhere within 5 feet of himself. Chains travel in a perfectly straight line, ignoring gravity, though Mori may add a slight curve in any direction to their trajectory by concentrating. Mori may only have two chains active at once, but can cause them to dissolve away with a thought at any moment, even mid-flight. Physically, these chains are as durable and dangerous as regular tempered steel chains. Broken chains dissolve into harmless shadow. Mori summons chains verbally, speaking a single word of power to create the magic circle wherever he sees fit. Chains are infused with a type of death when created, activating if any part of a chain comes in contact with a creature (including armor, but not including weapons). Activated chains move on their own, performing a specific attack against the creature that activated them before dissolving away (with one exception). While the chains are moving, either while launched or while activated, they rattle faintly. Activated chains will become invisible to (only) the creature that activated them, instead planting an illusion in that creature’s head based on the type of death the chain is infused with, though exact details are unique to each creature. In normal cases, the illusions lack color and are purely visual, overlapping the real world without robbing the victim of their perception of it, and can only be a little less than twice the size of the target at max. Illusions do not have any direct way of influencing the target’s mind, meaning a smart victim can understand that what they are seeing is not real. Illusions vanish once the chain they are connected to dissolves. Though Mori cannot directly see the illusions others are experiencing, he is still aware of the contents. Types of Chains: Skewer: This type of chain will instantly retreat so the point is about three feet from the target upon activation, then plunge forward, attempting to stab through the initial point of contact with the chain’s spearhead. While the stab has a significant amount of force behind it, it can be blocked or parried if the defender is strong enough. This chain’s illusion will involve the target being stabbed by something or someone at the same location as the spearhead is aimed. Restrain: Upon activation, this chain will shorten and wrap around the point of contact tightly, holding it in place. Afterwards Mori can command the chain to do one of two things: Loosen slightly, before tightening suddenly and extremely, crushing the target beneath it with a force strong enough to break bone or armor. The chain will then dissolve. Shift up to the target’s neck and begin strangling them. This attack will continue until the chain is broken or the target dies. In either case, this chain is less sturdy than usual, capable of being broken with sheer force if enough is applied. Additionally, commanding an actively restraining chain takes a large amount of concentration, leaving Mori open to attack by other opponents. This chain’s illusion will vary greatly, appearing as something or someone trapping the target in place, crushing it, or strangling/suffocating it. God’s Spite: Mori is able to use his spite towards those that have wronged him to enhance his grasp over their minds. Illusions created against those that have struck Mori are more powerful, appearing in color and deceiving more senses by creating sounds, scents, and even slight feelings of temperature or wetness. This effect starts weak, with colors appearing dull, scents muted, and other feelings unaffected. However the effect ramps up the more times Mori is struck by the same person, his illusions becoming more and more vivid and powerful as his spite grows. "I have experienced things they never have, that they believe they never will. I have experienced that which makes us mortal." spoiler: Race: Avatar of The Dead Form: Skeletal In Death, Life: When Mori is on the brink of death, he can cause his rings to shatter, reinvigorating him with magical energy and burning away his earthly form and robes, leaving behind his true form, an Avatar of The Dead. This process releases a massive amount of dark energy, spreading out an aura of dread for a moment that reaches into the minds of those nearby and attempts to make them retreat in fear. This mental attack is not particularly strong, but will likely serve to prevent Mori from instantly being destroyed upon his transformation. If Mori’s heart was damaged before his transformation, transforming will repair it. This form is far more agile than his regular self; capable of moving normally, and is slightly stronger and faster than the average human. He no longer needs to breathe and can continue acting as long as his heart is intact, even if his head is destroyed (though he would become fully blind). However he cannot control or reattach parts and bones as they are removed. If Mori’s heart is destroyed, he will truly die. Flavor Note: Outside of the EC’s, Mori enters his Avatar form upon his actual death, preventing him from dying initially and giving his body time to rebuild. In the EC’s, this power has distilled into his rings, preventing his death before it occurs, rather than returning him to life after the fact. Mori is aware of this, but wants to avoid using it. Appearance: Mori’s true form is that of a basic human skeleton, lacking any organs other than his heart, which is a ghostly, semi-transparent blue. The skeleton itself also gives off a faint blue aura. But as an Avatar of the Dead, Mori will appear to others as those that have passed on. Any who gaze at Mori will instead see him as someone they have killed. If they have not killed a person, he will instead appear as someone close to them that has died. This illusory form is translucent, overlapping his skeletal form, and is easily discernible as being not of flesh and blood. If neither condition applies, or if the viewer has the ability to see through illusions, they will instead see just Mori’s skeletal form. Abilities: Acceptance: Mori’s “Weight of Death” aura changes, instead instilling intense calmness in those that gaze upon him while within its range, which may cause those affected to either sharpen or relax their minds. Again, this feeling is non-magical, creating no harmful effects, and can easily be ignored or suppressed without the use of any magical abilities. Equipment: The Avatar’s True Chain: Mori’s staff shifts form as he dies, becoming a single chain tipped with a spearhead, similar to those he casts, though this True Chain is a permanent and physical weapon. This chain can change length freely, up to 15 feet long, and he can subtly adjust its momentum and movement as he swings it. While this chain does not create a visual illusion like the others, it does alter the type of pain the victim feels upon cutting or piercing them. Rather than the sharp bite of steel, they will feel a unique feeling of pain depending on their own abilities. *Unlike his staff, Mori is not* capable of pulling the chain towards him when disarmed. Trait:** God’s Hubris: When in his Avatar form, Mori’s thought process changes dramatically. He becomes arrogant and ambitious, believing himself above all others. As such, he will take risks and perform actions without ever considering consequences, and he will practically believe himself to be invincible, waving off truly potent threats as “unimportant.” Additionally, Mori’s true form is a being of pure darkness. Light based magic will cripple him, dissolving away bones and his summoned chains simply on contact and stunning his body and thought process for a few seconds. Mori does not fear this and will not act as if it is any threat. When Mori is not in this form, he despises it. He hates how vulnerable and arrogant he becomes. As a result, Mori will never intentionally enter this form unless he truly believes he has no other option.

Starflame13 -> RE: =Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups (6/24/2020 23:29:13)
I hope the silence means that people are plotting! @Chewy905 - Hello again! Most of the clarifications/edits look good to me, and I especially like adding in the concentration requirement for Restrain. That said, I'm still not entirely happy with the current iteration of the Chains of Lost Lives. I think part of it is still the lack of clarity/potential for an auto kill with the Restrain ability - since I don't think it leaves your opponent's enough room to work with. I would start by clarifying the strength of the chains: you list at one point that the general strength is similar to steel - which doesn't have a huge factor for Skewer but, even with the added wording weakening it, doesn't give me a good idea of how much strength it actually takes to break. For example, rope is nowhere near as strong as steal - but extremely tough to tear in two. See if you can quantify this, and then do one of two things: Either decrease the strength to less than what you currently think it should be, or add in a minor visibility trigger beyond the illusion. Shadows remaining visible, or the outline of the chain within the illusion come to mind, but there may be others. (While I'm at it, for Skewer: Does "instantly" refer to the start of the pull back motion, or the time it takes to complete the motion? This works much better for the former case - it may need to be re-balanced if it was the latter). Think we're almost there though!

Kellehendros -> RE: =Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups (6/25/2020 18:57:05)
Name: Lunas Kal, Etsija Race: Hiiri Zen Element: Fire Age: 18 long cycles Appearance and Equipment: The Hiiri Rotu is made up of human-rodent hybrids, and the Zen sub-group in particular have much in common - in appearance at least - with mice. While Lunas Kal is considered tall among his people, his five and a half foot stature brings him up short in most other company. He also differs from many of his kin due to his heavier than average build, a product of many long hours of workouts and training. Coal black fur covers the Etsija - where visible beneath his gear and clothing - and in spite of copious grooming it always seems to be just a little dusty. Lunas has a wedge-shaped rodential head, oddly golden eyes alive with swift intelligence, and a pair of rounded ears that can pivot and swivel to track noises. Completing his rodent features is a five-foot tail which is also coated in fur, but for a scaly patch on the final six inches just before its base meets his spine. Given the appendage's length - which makes it easily trod upon by the unwary and clumsy - he often keeps his tail curled out of sight and wrapped about his waist, or held close to his legs beneath an old and faded cloak. Lunas is protected by an armored jack - a sleeveless construction of small metal plates woven between two layers of heavy canvas that covers him from neck to hip. Below, he wears simple pants of dark cloth, but no shoes. The Etsija prefers to go unshod, having never found a pair of boots that accommodate his inhumanly short legs or wide, paw-like feet. As a result his limbs are largely unprotected, and the Hiiri Zen relies more on dodging and parrying than the protection of heavy armor when in combat. That being said, the most impressive item in his kit could qualify as heavy armor: The Etsija wears a Lohikaarme skull as a helmet. In other places one would recognize it as a dragon skull, though Lunas will insist “dragon” is no fair translation of the word from his mother tongue. The bone itself is functionally indestructible, at least to anything the Hiiri Zen has ever seen. Unfortunately for him his own skull is not, so he won’t be standing around letting opponents rain blows on it to prove a point. But the skull does fit rather snugly over his triangular head, and even boasts a pair of horns that sweep back from its brow to terminate in wickedly sharp points. Cleverly placed straps allow Lunas to attach the lower jaw of the skull in such a way that it moves when he speaks, which can make for a rather intimidating sight. The mouse ears sticking up from a pair of holes in the skull may detract from the overall effect however, even if his right ear bears the notch of an old wound. The Etsija's arming belt is rather less impressive, but the leather strap with its pair of frogs and a ring clip serves just fine to bear Luna's fighting gear. At his left hip is an estoc, a diamond-profile thrusting blade designed for armor-breaking, of approximately three feet of length. The weapon has a wide cruciform hilt and a long ricasso - only the last eight inches of the weapon are actually sharpened - allowing it to be gripped two-handed for extra thrusting power, or even half-sword for more precise control. It is balanced at his right hip by a trident dagger. Designed for off-hand use, the trident dagger’s blade is about a foot long and is notable on inspection for the fact that a spring-release built into the hilt will cause the weapon to split open. The resultant three-tined shape allows for easier ensnarement of an opponent’s weapon for parries and deflections. In addition to the blades, the Etsija also bears a solid steel orb about the size of his fist, which clips onto the back of his belt by virtue of a half-ring forged into its construction. The last items of note attached to the belt are a trio of small ceramic balls. Crafted with thin walls, the orbs could be crushed easily in an uncareful grip and are designed to shatter upon impact with any moderately solid surface. Within, the balls are filled with a greyish powder like a fine ash. Abilities: Three Hands - Lunas is ambidextrous, allowing him to wield estoc or dagger in either hand. More surprising for the Etsija’s opponents however, tends to be the least noticeable of his weapons. The Hiiri Zen’s tail can function as a whip, but is also strong enough that it can be used to grip. In this way the steel orb - held by the ring forged into it - can serve Lunas as a flail, posing a particular danger to his opponent’s ankles. While the Etsija’s tail affords him some unique options for combat - in the past he has had some success tripping foes or pulling their legs out from under them - it is also unarmored, and he is rather attached to it. For obvious reasons, the tail also lacks the dexterity and strength of a normal hand. While he has used it in the past with his dagger, experience has shown the lack of finesse is a problem against armored targets. In summation, tail strikes work best against unarmored foes, while the “flail head” can provide another remedy against those boasting better protection. Pyrophoric Nature - The true reason for the dusty appearance of Lunas’ fur is that his skin dries out and sheds at a fairly alarming rate. More unusual, however, is the fact that these flakes are incredibly flammable. As the Hiiri Zen moves the shed particles filter out across his exposed fur, gradually saturating the air around him. Once concentrated, these particulates can be ignited to produce a burst of flame, or even a sizable explosion under the right conditions. As a result of whatever strange mutation causes his unique ability, the Etsija is immune to damage from fire and heat. His fur will certainly char away when exposed to steady flame, but his skin neither blisters nor burns. In fact, exposure to excessive heat increases the rate at which Lunas produces the incendiary dust he sheds. Being doused with water, however, will prevent the Hiiri Zen from shedding until such time as his skin has dried out again. Even though his skin dries swiftly, that process can take a couple of minutes if he is thoroughly drenched. Ignition of the airborne material can be achieved through several means. The first is a blow of sufficient force, generally achieved by the Etsija sweeping his tail or a weapon through a cloud of motes; the second would be via the application of a spark, generally created by Lunas clashing his estoc and trident dagger together; the third would be from excess build-up in a confined space. When the concentration of dust in an area becomes very high - enough to obscure visibility - the particles’ own friction with one another is enough to cause a chain reaction that sets off the entire cloud. With time to prepare and harvest some of the unique flakes, the Etsija can - carefully - package the dust into small containers, like the trio of ceramic orbs attached to his belt. These balls release bursts of particles suitable for a swift blast of fire about a foot in diameter, or they can be used to supplement particles currently in the air to enhance the size of an existing cloud.

Starflame13 -> RE: =Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups (6/26/2020 0:47:15)
Everybody's working towards the weekend~ What bios are in store next? @Kellehendros - Why hello! Back to the animal hybrids, I see! Thank you for the details provided for the Hiiri Zen. We discussed a bit in PMs how the shedding of the flakes would work depending on the airflow - be sure to reach out to me when arenas are assigned to see if there are any wind patterns for you to take into account. Approved! To update people in advance: I will be a bit harder to reach thanks to a move for the majority of the second week of bios (this Sunday to the following Saturday). I will still be fairly active in checking both the forums and the discord channel. I may be a bit slower to give feedback, but I should be able to balance the bios - though you may need to wait a day for feedback.

Chewy905 -> RE: =Elemental Championships 2020= OOC & Tournament Signups (6/26/2020 15:44:53)
Round 3! First, for clarification, “instantly” in Skewer refers to the start of the retractive motion, which can take longer the further back the chain has to retreat. Second, all magical chains are now visually and structurally made of bone, which is weaker than steel and thus more easily breakable for those that get Restrained or are defending against Skewer. Changes are once again in Bold “They claimed we were Gods, that we were those above all other beings. They claimed it was our right to rule, to make law and form and obedience. But what does it mean to be a god? Omnipotence? Nay, for there is much we can not do. Omniscience? Nay, for there is much we do not know. If there are true gods, we are not they. Of that, I have become certain.” Name: Mori Age: Very, very old. Race: Undead Element: Darkness Appearance: Mori is an ancient husk of a man. Beneath a graying cloak lies a malnourished body, wrinkled and fading to a pale brown standing at what would be 5 feet tall, were it not constantly slouched over. A bald, wrinkled head looks out with cold black eyes from the hooded shade of a long gray cloak, smiling with a toothless grin. Under the cloak he wears naught but the sagging black robes of a monk. His hands bear two silver rings on his pointer fingers that seem to draw in the light around them, forcing their central black stones to glow with a quiet luster. His feet are bare, hardly seen as he shuffles along within the safety of his cloak. Hidden by the cloak and robes, and hinted at on his hands and face, are scars and wounds of hundreds of years of living and un-living. Skin is pierced, leaving holes that one can see through. Cuts dig deep into flesh, with no blood staining their paths. Flesh rots away in some places, exposing bone beneath. From his forehead, a chunk of skin has been removed, exposing the ivory skull of a dead man. Traits of a Dying God: As a form of undead, Mori has some benefits and detriments that humans do not have. Physically, Mori’s body is very old, resulting in a form that is not strong nor fast. Mori cannot walk properly without his staff, instead shuffling along with uneven steps whilst using it as a crutch Though his body is aged and slow, his mind is sharp, constantly taking in everything that happens around him and allowing him to consider his best course of action. This does not, however, mean he is physically capable of performing said action. Mori does not bleed, and can continue operating at a relatively normal capacity even when he is missing limbs. He cannot regenerate or re-attach said limbs, however. Mori will live through various injuries so long as his heart and his brain remain intact. If either of them are destroyed, Mori will die after a few seconds of limited consciousness. Mori does feel pain fully, but has incredibly high tolerance for it, and as such is able to continue thinking and acting normally even after sustaining heavy injuries. Additionally the pain of losing limbs will fade quickly, leaving him with no more than a dull ache. As an undead, Mori is susceptible to damage from light based magic and fire. These types of damage will cause him intense pain that overcomes his tolerance, leaving him unable to focus. Additionally, Mori still requires oxygen to function, and will die if he is rendered unable to breath, just like any human. Equipment: The Wizened Staff: This gnarled piece of wood is as ancient as Mori himself. It stands just above 5 feet tall, constantly supporting Mori’s weight as he leans on it. Parts of it are rotten, covered with fungus and moss. And yet, it cannot break. The staff can survive fire and force and blade. It cannot be destroyed by anything save the Lords. When not in his possession, Mori is capable of pulling the staffs towards him telekinetically so long as he can see it and it is not being held by another person. Dead-man’s rings: Mori’s black-crystal rings have the ability to detect hostile intent, warming slightly against his fingers if an attack is purposefully directed at him. However because of Mori’s poor physical ability, they are not always effective enough to allow him to avoid attacks completely. They also contain powerful magic, which is locked inside until needed and keeps the rings extremely durable. Abilities: The Weight of Death: Mori exudes a constant aura, extending about 30 feet out from himself. This aura instills a slight feeling of dread and foreboding on those that gaze upon Mori while within range. This feeling is non-magical, creating no harmful effects, and can easily be ignored or suppressed without the use of any magical abilities. The Chains of Lost Lives: Mori’s primary ability is to manifest magical chains of bone ending in sharp spearheads. These chains can extend up to 30 feet in a single direction, traveling slightly slower than an arrow. Upon reaching their max length, a chain will stay suspended for a moment before dissolving into shadow. Chains are fired from plate-sized magic circles that Mori can create at any angle anywhere within 5 feet of himself. Chains travel in a perfectly straight line, ignoring gravity, though Mori may add a slight curve in any direction to their trajectory by concentrating. Mori may only have two chains active at once, but can cause them to dissolve away with a thought at any moment, even mid-flight. Physically, these chains are as durable and dangerous as the bone they are made from. Broken chains dissolve into harmless shadow. Mori summons chains verbally, speaking a single word of power to create the magic circle wherever he sees fit. Chains are infused with a type of death when created, activating if any part of a chain comes in contact with a creature (including armor, but not including weapons). Activated chains move on their own, performing a specific attack against the creature that activated them before dissolving away (with one exception). While the chains are moving, either while launched or while activated, they rattle faintly. Activated chains will become invisible to (only) the creature that activated them, instead planting an illusion in that creature’s head based on the type of death the chain is infused with, though exact details are unique to each creature. In normal cases, the illusions lack color and are purely visual, overlapping the real world without robbing the victim of their perception of it, and can only be a little less than twice the size of the target at max. Illusions do not have any direct way of influencing the target’s mind, meaning a smart victim can understand that what they are seeing is not real. Illusions vanish once the chain they are connected to dissolves. Though Mori cannot directly see the illusions others are experiencing, he is still aware of the contents. Types of Chains: Skewer: This type of chain will instantly retreat so the point is about three feet from the target upon activation, then plunge forward, attempting to stab through the initial point of contact with the chain’s spearhead. While the stab has a significant amount of force behind it, it can be blocked or parried if the defender is strong enough. This chain’s illusion will involve the target being stabbed by something or someone at the same location as the spearhead is aimed. Restrain: Upon activation, this chain will shorten and wrap around the point of contact tightly, holding it in place. Afterwards Mori can command the chain to do one of two things: Loosen slightly, before tightening suddenly and extremely, crushing the target beneath it with a force strong enough to break bone or armor. The chain will then dissolve. Shift up to the target’s neck and begin strangling them. This attack will continue until the chain is broken or the target dies. Additionally, commanding an actively restraining chain takes a large amount of concentration, leaving Mori open to attack by other opponents. This chain’s illusion will vary greatly, appearing as something or someone trapping the target in place, crushing it, or strangling/suffocating it. God’s Spite: Mori is able to use his spite towards those that have wronged him to enhance his grasp over their minds. Illusions created against those that have struck Mori are more powerful, appearing in color and deceiving more senses by creating sounds, scents, and even slight feelings of temperature or wetness. This effect starts weak, with colors appearing dull, scents muted, and other feelings unaffected. However the effect ramps up the more times Mori is struck by the same person, his illusions becoming more and more vivid and powerful as his spite grows. "I have experienced things they never have, that they believe they never will. I have experienced that which makes us mortal." spoiler: Race: Avatar of The Dead Form: Skeletal In Death, Life: When Mori is on the brink of death, he can cause his rings to shatter, reinvigorating him with magical energy and burning away his earthly form and robes, leaving behind his true form, an Avatar of The Dead. This process releases a massive amount of dark energy, spreading out an aura of dread for a moment that reaches into the minds of those nearby and attempts to make them retreat in fear. This mental attack is not particularly strong, but will likely serve to prevent Mori from instantly being destroyed upon his transformation. If Mori’s heart was damaged before his transformation, transforming will repair it. This form is far more agile than his regular self; capable of moving normally, and is slightly stronger and faster than the average human. He no longer needs to breathe and can continue acting as long as his heart is intact, even if his head is destroyed (though he would become fully blind). However he cannot control or reattach parts and bones as they are removed. If Mori’s heart is destroyed, he will truly die. Flavor Note: Outside of the EC’s, Mori enters his Avatar form upon his actual death, preventing him from dying initially and giving his body time to rebuild. In the EC’s, this power has distilled into his rings, preventing his death before it occurs, rather than returning him to life after the fact. Mori is aware of this, but wants to avoid using it. Appearance: Mori’s true form is that of a basic human skeleton, lacking any organs other than his heart, which is a ghostly, semi-transparent blue. The skeleton itself also gives off a faint blue aura. But as an Avatar of the Dead, Mori will appear to others as those that have passed on. Any who gaze at Mori will instead see him as someone they have killed. If they have not killed a person, he will instead appear as someone close to them that has died. This illusory form is translucent, overlapping his skeletal form, and is easily discernible as being not of flesh and blood. If neither condition applies, or if the viewer has the ability to see through illusions, they will instead see just Mori’s skeletal form. Abilities: Acceptance: Mori’s “Weight of Death” aura changes, instead instilling intense calmness in those that gaze upon him while within its range, which may cause those affected to either sharpen or relax their minds. Again, this feeling is non-magical, creating no harmful effects, and can easily be ignored or suppressed without the use of any magical abilities. Equipment: The Avatar’s True Chain: Mori’s staff shifts form as he dies, becoming a single black steel chain tipped with a spearhead, similar to those he casts, though this True Chain is a permanent and physical weapon. This chain can change length freely, up to 15 feet long, and he can subtly adjust its momentum and movement as he swings it. While this chain does not create a visual illusion like the others, it does alter the type of pain the victim feels upon cutting or piercing them. Rather than the sharp bite of steel, they will feel a unique feeling of pain depending on their own abilities. Unlike his staff, Mori is not capable of pulling the chain towards him when disarmed. Trait: God’s Hubris: When in his Avatar form, Mori’s thought process changes dramatically. He becomes arrogant and ambitious, believing himself above all others. As such, he will take risks and perform actions without ever considering consequences, and he will practically believe himself to be invincible, waving off truly potent threats as “unimportant.” Additionally, Mori’s true form is a being of pure darkness. Light based magic will cripple him, dissolving away bones and his summoned chains simply on contact and stunning his body and thought process for a few seconds. Mori does not fear this and will not act as if it is any threat. When Mori is not in this form, he despises it. He hates how vulnerable and arrogant he becomes. As a result, Mori will never intentionally enter this form unless he truly believes he has no other option.

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