Sir Nathaniel

Name: Arthur Morn. Alias(es): Sir Arthur. Art. Arty. Race: Human. Profession: City Guardsman. Watcher. Vigilante. Age: 30. Gender: Male. Marital Status: Single. Height: 6'0. Weight: 180 lbs. Hair Color: Fair. Eye Color: Brown. Skin Color: Fair. Build: Lean but well toned muscle. Sculpted physique, powerful limbs. Appearance: _________________________________________________________________________________________ Relatives: *Jack Morn. (Father, deceased) *Laura Morn. (Mother, deceased) *Isaac Crane. (Adoptive father) *Elias Morn. (Younger twin brother) *Miya Morn. (Birth name Cosette) (Adoptive daughter) _________________________________________________________________________________________ History: Arthur was born in Shrine City, Genesaris to Jack and Laura Morn as the older of identical twin brothers. His father was a wrestler who taught his sons the basics of wrestling. His mother was a stay-at-home woman. Arthur remembered later that his mother was kind and very beautiful, but frequently suffered from heart problems that left her bedridden. When the boys were five - she fell victim to aortic failure, suffered from cardiac arrest and died before she could be treated. From then onwards, the boys were raised by their father - though Arthur remembers little of this time period - only recalling that his father was never the same after the death of his wife - and took to drinking heavily. Arthur remembers that before he died, Jack taught him to always value justice and warned him not to become like him - a failure because of his own emotional weakness. Shortly after the boys turned eight, Jack drank too much and succumbed to alcohol poisoning. The city's child services became involved and the boys were sent to an orphanage. Arthur recalled this as the darkest period of his life - although he was a bright student and exceptional fledgling athlete, he was bullied by his peers. At this point, his powers started to manifest - and so he was labeled a freak by the other children. To protect himself and his brother, he started to fight back against the bullies and was often subject to disciplinary action. When the boys were twelve years old, they met and were adopted by Isaac Crane - then a young Lieutenant in the Hell's Gate Defense Force - though Arthur refused to change his name - believing the man was not truly his father. The three moved to Hell's Gate where they lived for the next ten years. Isaac tried to connect to his adopted son, but Arthur resented him. The boys were given a proper education and were allowed to choose their own careers. Rather than follow in Isaac's footsteps in the military, Arthur chose to pursue a career in criminal justice - remembering Jack's final words to him. During this time, he and Isaac started to bond over their love of hand-to-hand combat - and he started training in Karate. At age eighteen, Arthur started attending Hell's Gate College and received an advanced education - specializing in law, criminal justice, forensic science and criminology. At age twenty two, he graduated from College and decided to move back to Shrine City, though he continued seeing Isaac and trained in several other fighting styles. When he did return to Shrine City, it had become mired in corruption and was beset by a crime wave that seemed to have no end in sight. Seeing the city's poor state, Arthur decided to make a difference and joined the City Watch. He quickly went through the Benton Academy - emerging with top scores in his class - and earned the rank of Guardsman. In his first assignment, he was deployed into the Bay Area - where he proved himself by helping to settle a public disturbance in a hardware store. Suspicious of the owner, Arthur discovered it was actually a front for a weapon's smuggling ring. His arresting the owner led to the ring being shut down. After this, he was commended by the Watch authorities for rescuing three children from a fire, showing his bravery by charging into a burning building alone and carrying all three children on his back. His actions allowed the fire to be extinguished without casualties. Further actions he undertook during this time while on patrol included the dismantling of a prostitution ring, the arrest of several poachers dealing in the fur trade of endangered beasts, and a raid on the headquarters of a thieves guild. Watch authorities noted his performance during these assignments - praising his outstanding fighting skills and his excellent detective work, but saw his violent treatment of the criminals he arrested as unnecessary and excessive. After this, Arthur was twice reprimanded by Watch Command - first for violently interrogating the lead suspect in a murder case, (although he was later proven correct, his actions nearly rendered the man's confession inadmissible) - and second for savagely beating a rapist almost to death. Watch Command considered relieving Arthur of his commission, but decided to acquit him - provided he show restraint and supervision on future assignments. Following his rebuttal, Arthur proved himself again by uncovering and arresting several members of a dog-fighting club - played a key role in the non-violent quelling of a food riot in the Bay Area - and participated in the case that led to the arrest of the serial killer nicknamed "Black Mercy". At age twenty five, after three years on the force, Arthur was promoted to Watch-Commander and assigned a unit in the city's Third Ring, which started as a simple desk job, but he soon took up responsibility over the entire branch. He proved to be an excellent administrator - with crime in his area dropping considerably. However, Arthur grew bored with the life of a pen-pusher and requested a return to active service. Watch Command granted his request and he was assigned to the Bay Area, where he fought for the next three years against the criminal element; arresting crooked merchants, smugglers, corrupt politicians, slavers, drug-runners and many others. At age twenty eight, he was promoted to Watch High Command and became the de facto leader of the entire city's security force. Under his leadership, crime in the city dropped to an all-time low. During this time, he met and adopted a young Kitsune named Miya Cosette and had a change of heart because of her influence. With his guard career and his newfound role as a parent conflicting, he resigned from the force, deciding that raising his daughter was more important than administering. With that, he and Miya left Shrine City - moved to Last Chance and there, he met Nathan Jameson, who recruited him into the fledgling vigilante group called "The Watchers" - becoming a founding member. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Personality: Arthur, for lack of better term, is complicated. Initially he viewed the world in very black and white terms, with his thinking being that crime had to be violently punished so as to deter it. This led to his joining the Shrine City Guard, eventually becoming its leader. Working in the mean streets, he was cold and objective - almost single-minded in his pursuit of criminals whilst following the laws of the city to the letter. Although commended multiple times for his bravery and his heroism in the field, he cared little for fame and less for more mundane pursuits - devoting all his time to his job. He had few friends and barely spoke to his family, only scarcely visiting his brother. However, after taking in a young Kitsune named Miya and adopting her - his view started to change. For his adoptive daughter's sake, he learned a measure of restraint, even mercy - becoming more level headed to a degree. Because of his parent's deaths at an early age and being raised by an emotionally distant father-figure, Arthur has a short temper which he has worked his whole life to keep under control - eventually learning to harness it to positive ends. Occasionally his control slips and he lets loose, but such times are becoming increasingly fewer and farther in between. In more recent times he has learned to open up - slowly letting his emotions show and has started to learn to enjoy himself in times of peace. ___________________________________________________________________________ Relationships: Miya - Arthur's adopted daughter is by far the most important person in his life. Having experienced firsthand the love and care that a father feels for his child, he shows his most visible emotion and happiness around her - trying to be the best parent to her he can be. He is fiercely protective of her safety and will respond to any threat to her with extreme hostility - once viciously beating several criminals into unconsciousness when they attempted to kidnap her. In times of peace, they often take walks, play games or reads stories together. Overall, Arthur's relationship with his daughter has become very stable and loving. Elias - The Morn brothers were close from birth, but grew apart after their parents deaths. Arthur's anger and strained relationship with Isaac caused his connection with his brother to deteriorate - eventually it got to the point where, when they were adults, they were barely on speaking terms with each other. Arthur viewed his brother as weak minded and naive for trusting Isaac, but still admitted to himself that he still loved his brother. After adopting Miya, Arthur realized his stubborn pride had kept him from recognizing the man his twin had become - and so he apologized for his stubbornness - with Elias happily accepting and the brothers finally reconciled their differences. In battle, when not fighting with Nathan, Arthur covers his brother - standing back-to-back. Being so alike in voice, appearance and fighting style, they make a highly effective duo. Isaac - Arthur's teacher and father-figure, the guardsman always refers to him as "Master" or "Teacher" - partly out of respect for the skills he learned from Isaac, but also out of resentment over the fact that their initial relationship as he was growing up was cold. The reason for this being Arthur believing that his mentor had taken in the brothers to replace his estranged biological son, Jake. The only activity they enjoyed together was Martial Arts training - and so to help him defend himself, and to teach him discipline - Isaac taught Arthur everything he knew about hand-to-hand combat. When Isaac found out he had become an adoptive grandfather, he reached out to Arthur, hoping for a reconciliation - and the response was lukewarm. Today, they are civil to each other - but there remains a rift between them that has not been fully closed. Nathan - Arguably Arthur's closest friend among the Watchers, the guardsman holds Nathan in considerable respect - being the most ready among them to defer to his authority. Although initially suspicious of the man's good nature, Nathan's charisma and genuine desire to improve the world won him over. In battle, they cover each other well: Arthur preferring a straightforward approach - frontal assault tactics - Nathan opting for a more cerebral and strategic fighting style. When not in combat, they often go out for drinks. They spend time talking about any number of topics; politics, philosophy, their differing attitudes about justice, but there is rarely a disagreement between them, likely because they regard each other as kindred spirits. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Abilities and Skills- Although psychic, Arthur primarily relies on his combat skills and peak conditioning - believing that relying on special powers makes one weak. Master Martial Artist: Arthur is described by everyone that has seen him in action as a brilliant fighter - an exceptional combatant able to take on large groups of opponents in short order. Trained by Isaac, who called him his best student, Arthur is proficient in several disciplines reminiscent of Muay Thai, Shotokan Karate, Shorinji Kenpo, Judo, Hapkido and Professional Wrestling. His signature move is the chokeslam - he has developed a more effective variant of it because of its impracticality - that being to kick out his opponent's knee and then shove them via their neck to the ground. In general, his fighting style is extremely brutal - being quite willing to break bones, shatter cartilage and cause serious injury to his opponents to the point of crippling them. Master Spearman: Regarded as one of the best lancers in the Guard Academy, Arthur's weapon of choice is the spear. He is trained to play a dual role on the battlefield: Be fast and agile one moment, stout and immovable the next. With its range, he fights in a counter-offensive style meant to take advantage of his opponent's openings. Master Tactician: With his keen mind and quick thinking, Arthur is a highly effective tactician. He is able to come up with unorthodox strategies on the fly, even when under pressure, making it difficult to catch him off guard. A firm believer in adaptation, when directing the Watchers (most often in Nathan's absence) he frequently employs flanking, ambushes and dominating the field through superior position. Psionics: Arthur is a powerful psyker with several unique abilities related to his mind and affecting the minds of others. He is registered as a 6 on a rating of 1-to-10 - meaning he possesses moderate skill in the application of his powers. He can read minds, access their memories, plant hypnotic suggestions and even dominate weak minds - though he almost never does so, believing it to be unethical in the extreme. Furthermore, he is listed as having a limited form of precognition - able to see glimpses of possible futures. In battle, this manifests as combat instinct - a form of limited prescience. This makes it extremely difficult to strike him. Peak Human Condition: Right from an early age, Arthur showed himself to be an exceptional athlete - able to outperform many of his peers in the Guard Academy, earning top scores in every training course. After intense training from Isaac, he has pushed his body further, allowing him to perform at the limit of human potential. The result has made him into a highly fit man - and an extraordinary fighter. Peak Human Strength: Through high intensity workouts and a high protein diet, Arthur has a great deal of physical strength. An accomplished weightlifter, his top benching record stands at 550 pounds, Squat 740 lbs., Deadlift 750 lbs. Using his strength, he has lifted a man in full plate armor with one hand - smashed through a thick wooden door with one kick, sent men flying with his blows, even broken and fractured bones with his strikes. Peak Human Speed: Arthur is a frequent runner - often sprinting around Mageside City to keep himself in shape. With his powerful legs, he has run about 3 miles in 15 minutes. Even in full plate armor, he can still run at high speed and can keep up with most criminals in foot chases. Peak Human Durability: Through training in Iron Shirt, his muscles and bones have become denser and harder than normal - allowing him to take far more punishment than any ordinary man and survive. He has been struck in the head with a wooden baseball bat (which broke on contact) and showed only minor discomfort, has taken blows from the super-strong Nathan Jameson in a sparring match - and even once withstood a 30 foot drop off a building unscathed. Peak Human Stamina: As part of his training in aerobics for an extended period of time, Arthur has learned to enter a heightened state of rest, lowering his heart and respiratory rate so as to conserve oxygen and inoculate himself against fatigue toxins, letting him push his body harder and longer. With this, he can fight at peak capacity for 24 hours before tiring. It also means he requires less sleep than normal - able to compress a full night's rest into 3 hours. Peak Human Agility: While not quite as agile as his brother, Arthur remains a skilled practitioner of parkour and given that part of his training included flexibility and gymnastic exercises, he has achieved a heightened state of balance - and can perform many acrobatic feats. He can scale buildings with few handholds, walk unaided across narrow ledges and leap over obstacles with little difficulty. _______________________________________________________________________________________ Weaknesses: Although he is a skilled, steady, disciplined combatant - Arthur has a few key weaknesses. Human Anatomy: Even with his training and near-superhuman prowess, Arthur remains a human man with all the weaknesses therein. His body cannot sustain too much damage or he will be seriously injured or possibly even die. Any injury to his organs will have to be treated, or he risks permanent injury or death. Wrath: Arthur's anger is his greatest weakness. His short fuse often gets him into trouble, especially when his loved ones are threatened - doubly so if Miya is harmed in any way. His rage becomes an almost tunnel-vision like state where he focuses all his aggression on beating the offender with his bare hands. On at least one occasion, he very nearly disregarded his self-imposed rule never to kill. Burnout: Although Arthur possesses complete control over his psychic powers, he has a limit to how long he can access them before he starts to overexert himself. If he uses his power too long, he becomes quite drained and eventually will succumb to unconsciousness for several hours.

Thanks for the kind words. And yeah, I just might take you up on that offer. At the moment, I'll settle for a quick explanation as to what and why this Civil War thing is going down. God knows, I'd love a fight to clear my head after all this shit.

One, did anybody miss me? I sure as hell did miss this place. Good news and bad news. Good news is that I have a LOT more free time at the moment. The bad news is that I lost my job, so I'm in a pretty dire strait at the moment. Until I can find another one, I'll be able to post a bit more now. Two, is there any room for an old soldier like me anywhere? I unfortunately never did finish my Watchers storyline - and I don't believe my partners would be up for starting over. I lost sight of my inspiration when I became depressed. My life had taken a rather dark turn, when I left Valucre. I tried to stay onboard, but things got complicated. It got hard. Anyways, enough with the sob story. I'm here for a while longer - and I hope to make my mark again.

Nathan, Gale, Max and Arthur - Just knowing they have saved lives or destroyed another demon. That's what they're all about. They care little for money. Elias - A free meal. Dugall - Also cares little for money, though he will accept it if offered. He often takes a piece of weaponry, armor or some kind of memento to mark his victory. His hideout is positively littered with such trophies: Swords, spears, axes, staves - and even a few pieces of armor (mostly helmets) to commemorate his triumphs. It's glory and satisfaction that drive this mercenary - though his private stash of cash from his jobs is great enough to where he could probably retire and live as a wealthy man for the rest of his life. Dugall loudly proclaims himself to be the best assassin on Valucre - and he measures that as people paying top dollar for his services, so he's happy to accept.

Ignorance is not bliss. It is oblivion.

For all the Watchers (except Max), it's getting killed and being raised as revenants - evil undead warriors. Jameson in particular thinks of this as a fate far worse than death. Max is the only one that can't be raised because he has a bit of celestial blood. He's the only one with real immunity to being turned. His bad end? Haven't thought of that yet.

My original character was and still is a Paladin. The character in question being Nathan of course. He is for all intents and purposes, an ordinary human (comparatively speaking since he has supernatural powers) but he remains very much an ally of the divine. He has electrokinesis - as that is the way his faith manifests: Complete absence of emotion and total peace of mind help him achieve a state where he can bend positive and negative energy to his will and release it into something tangible. This energy is basically like matter and antimatter collision - and the electricity he releases (often from his fingertips) is potent enough to kill an ordinary human near instantly. In more mystical terms, it's because his patron deity (the one he most favors) is the God of thunder, lightning and storms. The other character I have literally has some form of divinity in his blood - that being Max. He's the only remaining member of a group of Paladins that took in the blood of an angelic being. The transfusion made him superhuman - giving him enhanced physical and mental abilities whilst also increasing the potency of his inherent magical abilities. Previously, Max was a low-level pyromancer. Now, he's packing high level holy fire. This gives his flames a unique property: Anything considered "unholy" or demonic will be set ablaze and burn to ash. Anything mortal will not be harmed at all.

Balancing technique and raw power is all about knowing your toon and their opponent. It's about establishing clearly what your toon can do and what they can't do. For example, most of mine are about peak-human or low superhuman. They can deliver knockout punches in as few as one blow, or several, depending on the opposition - but they cannot just go *tap* and the other guy goes flying. It's a bit difficult to explain - but I find it easier to use physical prowess as opposed to Magic. Try and describe what your character is doing and what kind of effect it has on the opponent. For example: Toon A throws a punch and it knocks out Toon B's tooth in a spray of blood. Toon B spits out the residual blood and recoils. Obviously, you're going to be adding a lot more detail - but that's the gist of it. When it comes to fights, I recommend reading up on real styles and the like: Make it clear your guy practices this discipline so people will know what you're talking about. Fighting is all about cause and effect. Cause is the blow, throw or grab they do; the effect is what hurts the opponent - or not, if it misses or gets countered. In that case, describe the counter or what the opponent is doing to reply, or your RP partner does that. I've found since coming to Valucre that just about everybody is fine with working with realistic fight scenes: Have our guys do everything a human can do, only better. That's what keeps it interesting and helps us keep on our toes.

I know I suck at making promises I can't seem to keep. Real life gets in the way, but know that I'll still try my best to return to Valucre as much as I can. Make the occasional posts like this one. As for my toons: *Nathan - Sucks at expressing his true feelings. He's the kind of man that doesn't know when it's smart to stop talking in riddles and start being straight. He's of the mindset that it's better to let people figure out the answer on their own through cryptic conversation and the occasional advice, not through direct teaching. *Arthur - Even moreso to the above, except it's that he literally couldn't bring himself to express his emotions. He had little in the way of social skills - which obviously didn't make him the ideal parent for when the time came. Yet, when push came to shove, he stepped up and improved on that. He learned how to be a better dad. Nowadays, his biggest flaw is not knowing when to stop using violence to solve his problems. His way of thinking: "If my family is threatened, go and punch as many bad guys in the face as I can until the danger has passed." Sometimes, that doesn't work. *Gale - Two words: Walking Techbane. He has no technological skills whatsoever. If he's left alone with machines, he'll inevitably end up destroying it. *Isaac - Ever wonder where Arthur got his Martial Arts from? This guy. He unfortunately also got the same issues with social skills - and commitment. The fact he's got a son out of wedlock is testament to that. He says the biggest reason he didn't marry his lover was because he had duties at war - but that's a lie. Truth is, he had no idea she was pregnant and didn't think he deserved to stay with her - and he feels he can't be tied down by emotions.

I've got two characters that I'd like to use if I ever get free time (and a new laptop to RP with) - those being Gerald and Anthony. Gerald is a farmer - a pessimistic killjoy - he's got a cynical wisecrack for any situation. That said, he knows his stuff. What most people don't appreciate is that working on a farm will give you a heroic build. In terms of sheer strength, he could give a Powerlifter a run for their money. I didn't mention him in my topic "Strongest Characters" - because he's really not much of a fighter. Anthony is a blacksmith - (speaks with a German accent) I had a subplot with him and the Watchers planned - whereupon they'd come to him with their weapons and armor - and he'd improve them. He's one of the few men left on Valucre that knows how to reforge and rework Iselyrian Magics.

Hello, since I (for once) have a day off, I thought I might give you guys another topic of discussion. That being as simple question as - what is your character's trademark favorite food? Quite simply, what is a food/drink that your toon just loves? Often, I share the same tastes as my toons. -Nathan loves Apple Pie. Favorite drink is Apple Cider. Once claimed he could drink a whole barrel of it. -Arthur's is steamed crab. Favorite drink is sweet red wine. -Elias' favorite food is salt cod. Favorite drink is water. -Gale's is eggs. Any kind of eggs: Scrambled, fried, deviled, sunny-side-up, you name it. One of the few ways of breaking his stoic exterior is offer him eggs. Favorite drink is milk. -Max loves lamb: Rare and juicy. His favorite drink is hard stout. (Though given he's got Angel blood, he never gets drunk). -Isaac loves whiting (a type of fish) and his favorite drink is coffee: Hazelnut especially. He often drinks vast quantities of it - given that his super soldier enhancement makes it impossible for him to get drunk either. -Theron has no particular preferences, but he likes vegetables of any kind. As he's a Frost Giant, he likes cold water. Really cold water.

About a year or so ago, I created a list of the Watchers' weaknesses. They are as follows. _____________________________________________________ Nathan - Post hypnotic suggestion in his sleep to bypass his mental shield and make him believe he has lost control of his electric powers. His own willpower will do the rest. Arthur - Think of a mirror image of himself in your mind while he is accessing his psychic powers. The mirror image will then redirect his psionic attack and the resultant backlash will shut down all mental faculties and turn him into a vegetable. Alternately, take his adopted daughter hostage. The latter counter is not recommended, as he is fiercely protective of her. Elias - Lure him into an ambush. Alternately, get him to fight Arthur. The twins powers are absolutely useless against each other. Their shared blood means he will refuse to fight his brother. Gale - Lure him into an urban environment with no plants or natural scenery to disorient him - then trap him in an iron cage. Fairy Magic is useless against cold iron. Max - Deprive him of sunlight for a long period and then decapitate him with a demonic based weapon. ______________________________________________________ Non-Watchers weaknesses: Isaac - Tracheal trauma. Bal - Break one of his arms. Dugall - Sniper shot to the back of the head. Theron - Incendiary bombs. Drake - Attack from blind spot in his left eye.

"You're wrong." He said emphatically. "Men are not such beasts. They become demons because of black magics - or because they were deceived." He paused a moment to let his words sink in. "If you are truly a mirror - and can see what lies in men's hearts, then surely you can see what lies in mine. You know that I am a psychic. I too can see into the minds of men. Though I have never used that power for personal gain. I have only ever used it for the good of others. To encourage them to bring out that inner goodness." Throughout the conversation, Elias hadn't used his psychic power. The implication was clear. His ability to read minds had given him empathy - but that same power was a two-edged sword, and he had successfully resisted the temptation to abuse that power. Even now, when it might offer him some advantage - he hadn't used it. "In spite of everything, I truly do believe men are good at heart. That we are not born with malice. Too often, we are led astray by outside forces or influence - but with the right guidance, we can purge that malice at its source. I believe that even the worst of us have something positive. And I believe that even you must have something positive - a scrap, even." He paused again as he gathered his thoughts. "You must have had a very sad, painful life. I know how that feels. But Rin, you can put an end to that." Slowly, very slowly, he outstretched his right hand. The implication, again, clear. His brown eyes were pleading. "Just please; stop this. This need not end with bloodshed."

"Made them better?" Elias couldn't believe his ears. "You have turned them into mindless monsters. They did not ask to be turned into demons." Elias looked up at the sky, wistfully. "Eternal Heavens know, I nearly went through the same experience once. It is not a fate I would wish on anyone." No doubt she didn't have the patience for a long story, so he kept it at that. He gestured to the land around them. The corruption had taken hold of the soil and trees. Wherever they fought hellspawn, it seemed to have grown. Their hope was that by destroying them, it might be lessened. "We are the Watchers. Our mission is to eradicate demons for the good of Mankind. And now, I ask you - why have you turned these people and cursed this land? Have you the slightest conception of what you are doing?"