TheSequelReturns
Faithful Crusader
Do let me know if any of this needs to be changed / edited. I'm not 100% sure I got all the details right.
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Name: Illya "Crow" Carthage
Age: 25
Gender: Female
Species: Human
Class: Assassin
Color Alignment: White / Black
Appearance: Illya stands a little shy of six feet, around 5' 9''. With a body trained for speed and flexibility over raw strength, Illya has a dense but not overly buff build and pale skin from rarely seeing the light of day. She carries herself with the deadly precision only a lifetime of training can bring, every movement measured and purposeful. Her entire body is a tool, a weapon, to be wielded as needed. She has footsteps as silent as death, a voice that is calm and piercing, and a deadly grace about her that sets her apart as something more than just a human. She is a predator, a specter of death, and of that no one who sees her can have any doubt.
Hair as inky black as a moonless night runs halfway down her back. The long wavy tresses conceal the hood of her cloak, which she dons upon the setting of each day's dusk. Eyes as bright and blue as any sapphire gleam in the moonlight, but often only to show a cold and calculating fury staring back from behind them. A scar runs diagonally across her otherwise doll-like face, from her left temple, through her eyebrow, across her nose, and stopping on her right cheekbone. The scar line is white and not too deep, but still very noticeable, scaring off many potential suitors, though that doesn't bother her. Other scars, some more noticeable than others, mark her from head to toe, a visual history of the battles she's fought and walked away from.
One look at Illya's attire will make it clear that she has embraced her title, the "Crow". A black cloak wraps around her body. Two long, flowing sections, almost wing-like in shape, trail off from either shoulder and each is covered in black feathers. The remainder of the cloak covers her form well making it hard to place if she is even a human or not in the dark of night. Long sleeves cover her arms from the simple black undershirt she wears, and tough black pants made from a patchwork of durable fabrics and leather combine to form an all-black uniform that makes her melt into the shadows. When she opts to wear her hood up, her hair is tied back underneath it and hidden. The shape of the hood is reminiscent of a crested bird, with a few black feathers above ear level on either side. With her hood comes a simple white mask, a black bird's foot painted on by hand. When she does not opt for the hood (it does restrict her peripheral vision, but can offer better protection, its a trade off), her hair billows wildly as she moves, combining with the wings of her cloak to create an unsettling array of motion for any opponent to keep track off. Black boots, the kind that look like they can, and have, taken a beating protect her feet.
To describe Illya as a walking arsenal wouldn't quite do her justice. Any fortunate soul lucky enough to get a good look under her cloak without dying in the process would find her undershirt covered in straps and pockets, each holding some sort of small but extremely deadly item. An array of silver blades, a collections of vials and scrolls, and even a few holy relics are all a part of her inventory. She detests heavy weapons though, and keeps her arsenal as light weight as possible. If the need arises, the wings of her cloak can be folded over and tucked in, hiding her trademark feathered wings. With her hair hiding her hood, and her mask safely tucked away, she can enter a new area without drawing too much attention. The Crow's infamy among both the clergy and the vampire circles makes this approach all too often a necessity.
Personality: For all appearances, Illya seems to be quite the level headed but typical woman. She's coy, if reserved, and well mannered. Never a cross look or a crude gesture to be found, she keeps attention away from herself and blends in as best as possible. This is all an act. Beneath this social mask she wears, her mind is churning like a machine absorbing every detail of her surroundings. Weaknesses to exploit, leads to follow, escape routes to take, any and everything that could be of potential use. The machine of her mind is fueled by rage and fury driving her ever onward to an impossible goal, the elimination of all monsters. Her hatred of all creatures inhuman or formerly human manifests as drive to kill the creatures before they can hurt anyone else. This is always front and center in her mind. The idea that she could ever work with, or even tolerate the presence of, a vampire or werewolf is ludicrous to her. They are beasts to her, feral and dangerous, and they deserve nothing less than to be put down. But nothing boils her blood quite like the idea of a necromancer. Be they ghoulcallers or skaberen, they are still human, and yet still throw their humanity away. For them, there is no answer but death.
Justice is the center point of her character, the axis around which the rest of her mind revolves. Illya believes quite firmly that it was not Avacyn that abandoned humanity, but humanity that abandoned the archangel. Humans have lost their way. When people try to raise the dead, when mortals seek out immortality, when would be gods try to ignite the spark of life, when humans betray and murder and hate one another, then they have become monsters. And the archangel would not, could not, abide it any longer. That is what Illya has chosen to believe, and she has taken it upon herself to measure out the justice that the archangel no longer can. Monsters are not the only targets of her fury. Anyone, be they a vampire lord or Inquisitor of the church who through action or inaction allows an innocent to come to harm will feel the sting of her blades.
Illya's eye for detail is her greatest asset. Nothing slips past her eyes. Her natural cleverness, accented by a lifetime of training, makes her a formidable opponent or a brilliant strategist. Unfortunately, her temper often leads her into sticky situations she should have easily seen coming, making her quick whit a survival tool rather than a weapon. Though hard to earn her trust, Illya is a true friend and will never betray an ally. She is harsh and sometimes cruel in her actions, though she sees this as a necessity. For her, the value of ridding this world of the inhuman scourge far outweighs the dark stain she is branding on her soul. She kills not out of pleasure or to fill any need, but out of a sense of duty. A responsibility to some higher power, archangel or otherwise, to save this world even if it means damning herself in the process.
Calm and measured with her words, Illya keeps a graceful air about her. Reserved, almost serene, at all times. Even her rage in the heat of battle is efficient and predatory, seeking only to end her opponents life as quickly and painlessly as possible. There is no joy to be found in death, not for her. To kill a vampire is to mourn the human who once was. That is how she copes. Her heart is, despite it all, more lonely than anything else. She misses companionship, friends, people she can rely on. Or even just another soul who understands. A shoulder to cry on. A voice to reassure. Such things are lost to her now. She keeps her true feelings well guarded beneath her mask of indifference, unwilling to open up to anyone lest she lose them too.
History: There was only one pursuit Illya ever had her eyes on, an Inquisitor of the church of Avacyn. As a young girl she trained with the other children in her small village, all of them hoping to be like their heroes, the cathars. They had to be heroes, they kept the town safe from the things that came in the dark to drag people off into the woods. She wanted to be one of them more than anything, wanted to protect her village and the people in it. There were five of them, the girls Illya, Rayne, and Juno, and the boys Luke and Sampson. The five of them grew up together, training everyday, and were as close as family.
Eventually, four of them were accepted into the church to be trained as cathars. It was their dream, of course they excelled at it. Each of them had their own specialty, and they worked together as much as was allowed. Rayne was a spectacular artificer. Juno was a prodigy with magic. Luke was a master of the sickle. Sampson was unmatched with throwing weapons. And Illya found her calling with blades. Once they had all been anointed as genuine cathars of the church of Avacyn, they took to the streets finally able to protect the city as they had always wished. Though, their town was small and the threats were few and far between. Five skilled church warriors was simply too much for the town to handle. Unwilling to be separated from each other, the five of them set out at the behest of the church to travel to a larger settlement farther south, were there were more dangers and more people in need of saving from them.
They became a renowned team, hunting down vampire covens, exterminating undead infestations, and slaying rampaging werewolves across the countryside. They were only minor threats compared to the true dark powers farther out in the world, but it was enough for them. Eventually, they found a new home at Eldshire. Their new home was a large farming town nestled in a valley. The church parish there was in need of more cathars to combat something that had so far remained unseen and unidentified despite claiming many lives. For a time, Illya and her friends stayed in Eldshire, protecting it from any threats that arose. But despite a new victim of the mysterious creature appearing regularly, no trace of it could be found. Whatever the creature was, it was strong if it was able to stay in the city this long and remain undetected.
During their time in Eldshire, Illya and Luke became very close. Before she knew it, they had gone from friends to lovers. But they couldn't enjoy each others company, not fully, not until they could find this vampire and put a stop to the killings. Searching high and low for the creature, Illya and her companions worked tirelessly. Their search led them to discover the ruins of an old fortress buried beneath the city. There, they discovered their killer, or killers. A Skaberen had turned the old fortress into his personal lair, and the killings were simply his "children" looking for new parts. Outraged that a human, not a monstrous creature, had been the cause of such needless bloodshed, Illya and her friends descended into the fortress to end his reign. But the old hermit was prepared for such an invasion. The group was soon surrounded by hundreds of abominations, stalking them through the dark tunnels. It wasn't just the villagers he had been using for parts, the catacombs in the bowels of the fortress were filled with the dead. One by one, Illya had to watch her friends fall to the creatures. When she finally emerged from the dark, covered in blood and gore, the Skaberen and his horde were dead but she was all alone.
Stricken with grief, Illya returned to the local parish carrying the weapons of her friends and the head of the Skaberen. It was when she threw the head at the feet of the Mayor that she learned the horrible truth, he had known about the necromancer all along. Sometime long ago, the Mayor's men had discovered the Skaberen in the old ruins. His army of undead frightened the small parish too much, and when the fiend threatened to slaughter everyone in Eldshire if the cathar ever came after him, the Mayor had relented. It was for the people he told Illya, he had made the choice to save the many of the town by damning those few the Skaberen chose. The truth broke Illya completely. Gone was her faith in the church warriors. Gone were her friends. Gone was the light in her soul, the spark that made her aspire to be a hero. There were no heroes. No shining knights, no holy warriors full of righteous fury and compassionate hearts. There were only people. Horribly, terribly, weak people. And the monsters. And sometimes, they were one and the same.
The assassin known as The Crow was born that night, as the Mayor's head was cleaved from his shoulders by Luke's sickle. By morning, every member of the parish in Eldshire that had known about the Skaberen was dead. The rest were left with a warning. Do not stray from the just and true path, or else you too will be put down like a monster. Since then, Illya has taken the mantle of The Crow across the region, slaying foul creatures and corrupt humans alike. The weakening of the church's powers with the disappearance of Avacyn has only steeled her resolve. Even the archangel could not find a reason to defend this world. So it must fall to her then, to be the harbinger of change in this world. Even if this world is doomed to despair and oblivion, she will press on with her mission. It's all she has left.
Abilities: Illya has no aptitude for magic beyond the basic spells needed by a cathar. She makes up for this by being incredibly proficient with her weapons and tools. She is a master with each of her weapons and fights on a level beyond what most human warriors are capable of. Combining the training of a high ranking cathar with the skills she's picked up on her solo travels and studies with various teachers of the assassin arts, her fighting style is primarily suited for ambush attacks, stealth kills, and one-on-one duels. However, her cathar training has been adapted to make her an extremely proficient fighter against most church-trained warriors, as she knows how they fight and can often predict their moves.
Illya is quick on her feet, as silent as possible when in motion, and has a great sense of balance and awareness of her surroundings. Her night vision is good as well, and fighting at night is of no handicap for her. Though, she obviously doesn't see as well as say, a vampire. She is trained and built primarily for speed and finesse and brute force is not her strong suit. If a fight comes down to a contest of raw power, she will almost always have to flee or try some underhanded trick to gain the advantage. Vampires are a particular annoyance for her because of this. Their speed and strength is beyond normal human means, meaning its beyond hers as well. It hasn't stopped her from killing a few, but her skills remain untested against a truly skilled vampire and she is afraid she won't be able to prevail against one.
Though skilled with the few artifacts she carries, she much prefers her metal weapons to any holy power. Especially now that it can be a little hit or miss. That said, she knows that sometimes a little light magic is often much more effective than a blade and knows when each should be applied. In addition to her skills as a warrior and assassin, Illya is an expert survivalist and can identify edible plants, track and hunt wildlife, build fires, treat injuries, and anything else one traveling so long in a dangerous world would need to know.
Equipment: Illya carries the weapons of her fallen comrades at all times in addition to her own set of tools and artifacts. Her arsenal includes the following: A silver sickle blade, a set of three chakrams, a short silver sword, six steel throwing knives, metal claws that fit in her hands for offense or climbing walls, scrolls containing holy icons or other protective effects (used when setting camp when she's on her own, not very useful as weaponry), a silver necklace shaped like the holy symbol of the Flight of Alabaster inscribed with general runes of protection against vampiric glamour and other such threats, and a small collections of holy relics and trinkets that are more practical than useful.
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Name: Illya "Crow" Carthage
Age: 25
Gender: Female
Species: Human
Class: Assassin
Color Alignment: White / Black
Appearance: Illya stands a little shy of six feet, around 5' 9''. With a body trained for speed and flexibility over raw strength, Illya has a dense but not overly buff build and pale skin from rarely seeing the light of day. She carries herself with the deadly precision only a lifetime of training can bring, every movement measured and purposeful. Her entire body is a tool, a weapon, to be wielded as needed. She has footsteps as silent as death, a voice that is calm and piercing, and a deadly grace about her that sets her apart as something more than just a human. She is a predator, a specter of death, and of that no one who sees her can have any doubt.
Hair as inky black as a moonless night runs halfway down her back. The long wavy tresses conceal the hood of her cloak, which she dons upon the setting of each day's dusk. Eyes as bright and blue as any sapphire gleam in the moonlight, but often only to show a cold and calculating fury staring back from behind them. A scar runs diagonally across her otherwise doll-like face, from her left temple, through her eyebrow, across her nose, and stopping on her right cheekbone. The scar line is white and not too deep, but still very noticeable, scaring off many potential suitors, though that doesn't bother her. Other scars, some more noticeable than others, mark her from head to toe, a visual history of the battles she's fought and walked away from.
One look at Illya's attire will make it clear that she has embraced her title, the "Crow". A black cloak wraps around her body. Two long, flowing sections, almost wing-like in shape, trail off from either shoulder and each is covered in black feathers. The remainder of the cloak covers her form well making it hard to place if she is even a human or not in the dark of night. Long sleeves cover her arms from the simple black undershirt she wears, and tough black pants made from a patchwork of durable fabrics and leather combine to form an all-black uniform that makes her melt into the shadows. When she opts to wear her hood up, her hair is tied back underneath it and hidden. The shape of the hood is reminiscent of a crested bird, with a few black feathers above ear level on either side. With her hood comes a simple white mask, a black bird's foot painted on by hand. When she does not opt for the hood (it does restrict her peripheral vision, but can offer better protection, its a trade off), her hair billows wildly as she moves, combining with the wings of her cloak to create an unsettling array of motion for any opponent to keep track off. Black boots, the kind that look like they can, and have, taken a beating protect her feet.
To describe Illya as a walking arsenal wouldn't quite do her justice. Any fortunate soul lucky enough to get a good look under her cloak without dying in the process would find her undershirt covered in straps and pockets, each holding some sort of small but extremely deadly item. An array of silver blades, a collections of vials and scrolls, and even a few holy relics are all a part of her inventory. She detests heavy weapons though, and keeps her arsenal as light weight as possible. If the need arises, the wings of her cloak can be folded over and tucked in, hiding her trademark feathered wings. With her hair hiding her hood, and her mask safely tucked away, she can enter a new area without drawing too much attention. The Crow's infamy among both the clergy and the vampire circles makes this approach all too often a necessity.
Personality: For all appearances, Illya seems to be quite the level headed but typical woman. She's coy, if reserved, and well mannered. Never a cross look or a crude gesture to be found, she keeps attention away from herself and blends in as best as possible. This is all an act. Beneath this social mask she wears, her mind is churning like a machine absorbing every detail of her surroundings. Weaknesses to exploit, leads to follow, escape routes to take, any and everything that could be of potential use. The machine of her mind is fueled by rage and fury driving her ever onward to an impossible goal, the elimination of all monsters. Her hatred of all creatures inhuman or formerly human manifests as drive to kill the creatures before they can hurt anyone else. This is always front and center in her mind. The idea that she could ever work with, or even tolerate the presence of, a vampire or werewolf is ludicrous to her. They are beasts to her, feral and dangerous, and they deserve nothing less than to be put down. But nothing boils her blood quite like the idea of a necromancer. Be they ghoulcallers or skaberen, they are still human, and yet still throw their humanity away. For them, there is no answer but death.
Justice is the center point of her character, the axis around which the rest of her mind revolves. Illya believes quite firmly that it was not Avacyn that abandoned humanity, but humanity that abandoned the archangel. Humans have lost their way. When people try to raise the dead, when mortals seek out immortality, when would be gods try to ignite the spark of life, when humans betray and murder and hate one another, then they have become monsters. And the archangel would not, could not, abide it any longer. That is what Illya has chosen to believe, and she has taken it upon herself to measure out the justice that the archangel no longer can. Monsters are not the only targets of her fury. Anyone, be they a vampire lord or Inquisitor of the church who through action or inaction allows an innocent to come to harm will feel the sting of her blades.
Illya's eye for detail is her greatest asset. Nothing slips past her eyes. Her natural cleverness, accented by a lifetime of training, makes her a formidable opponent or a brilliant strategist. Unfortunately, her temper often leads her into sticky situations she should have easily seen coming, making her quick whit a survival tool rather than a weapon. Though hard to earn her trust, Illya is a true friend and will never betray an ally. She is harsh and sometimes cruel in her actions, though she sees this as a necessity. For her, the value of ridding this world of the inhuman scourge far outweighs the dark stain she is branding on her soul. She kills not out of pleasure or to fill any need, but out of a sense of duty. A responsibility to some higher power, archangel or otherwise, to save this world even if it means damning herself in the process.
Calm and measured with her words, Illya keeps a graceful air about her. Reserved, almost serene, at all times. Even her rage in the heat of battle is efficient and predatory, seeking only to end her opponents life as quickly and painlessly as possible. There is no joy to be found in death, not for her. To kill a vampire is to mourn the human who once was. That is how she copes. Her heart is, despite it all, more lonely than anything else. She misses companionship, friends, people she can rely on. Or even just another soul who understands. A shoulder to cry on. A voice to reassure. Such things are lost to her now. She keeps her true feelings well guarded beneath her mask of indifference, unwilling to open up to anyone lest she lose them too.
History: There was only one pursuit Illya ever had her eyes on, an Inquisitor of the church of Avacyn. As a young girl she trained with the other children in her small village, all of them hoping to be like their heroes, the cathars. They had to be heroes, they kept the town safe from the things that came in the dark to drag people off into the woods. She wanted to be one of them more than anything, wanted to protect her village and the people in it. There were five of them, the girls Illya, Rayne, and Juno, and the boys Luke and Sampson. The five of them grew up together, training everyday, and were as close as family.
Eventually, four of them were accepted into the church to be trained as cathars. It was their dream, of course they excelled at it. Each of them had their own specialty, and they worked together as much as was allowed. Rayne was a spectacular artificer. Juno was a prodigy with magic. Luke was a master of the sickle. Sampson was unmatched with throwing weapons. And Illya found her calling with blades. Once they had all been anointed as genuine cathars of the church of Avacyn, they took to the streets finally able to protect the city as they had always wished. Though, their town was small and the threats were few and far between. Five skilled church warriors was simply too much for the town to handle. Unwilling to be separated from each other, the five of them set out at the behest of the church to travel to a larger settlement farther south, were there were more dangers and more people in need of saving from them.
They became a renowned team, hunting down vampire covens, exterminating undead infestations, and slaying rampaging werewolves across the countryside. They were only minor threats compared to the true dark powers farther out in the world, but it was enough for them. Eventually, they found a new home at Eldshire. Their new home was a large farming town nestled in a valley. The church parish there was in need of more cathars to combat something that had so far remained unseen and unidentified despite claiming many lives. For a time, Illya and her friends stayed in Eldshire, protecting it from any threats that arose. But despite a new victim of the mysterious creature appearing regularly, no trace of it could be found. Whatever the creature was, it was strong if it was able to stay in the city this long and remain undetected.
During their time in Eldshire, Illya and Luke became very close. Before she knew it, they had gone from friends to lovers. But they couldn't enjoy each others company, not fully, not until they could find this vampire and put a stop to the killings. Searching high and low for the creature, Illya and her companions worked tirelessly. Their search led them to discover the ruins of an old fortress buried beneath the city. There, they discovered their killer, or killers. A Skaberen had turned the old fortress into his personal lair, and the killings were simply his "children" looking for new parts. Outraged that a human, not a monstrous creature, had been the cause of such needless bloodshed, Illya and her friends descended into the fortress to end his reign. But the old hermit was prepared for such an invasion. The group was soon surrounded by hundreds of abominations, stalking them through the dark tunnels. It wasn't just the villagers he had been using for parts, the catacombs in the bowels of the fortress were filled with the dead. One by one, Illya had to watch her friends fall to the creatures. When she finally emerged from the dark, covered in blood and gore, the Skaberen and his horde were dead but she was all alone.
Stricken with grief, Illya returned to the local parish carrying the weapons of her friends and the head of the Skaberen. It was when she threw the head at the feet of the Mayor that she learned the horrible truth, he had known about the necromancer all along. Sometime long ago, the Mayor's men had discovered the Skaberen in the old ruins. His army of undead frightened the small parish too much, and when the fiend threatened to slaughter everyone in Eldshire if the cathar ever came after him, the Mayor had relented. It was for the people he told Illya, he had made the choice to save the many of the town by damning those few the Skaberen chose. The truth broke Illya completely. Gone was her faith in the church warriors. Gone were her friends. Gone was the light in her soul, the spark that made her aspire to be a hero. There were no heroes. No shining knights, no holy warriors full of righteous fury and compassionate hearts. There were only people. Horribly, terribly, weak people. And the monsters. And sometimes, they were one and the same.
The assassin known as The Crow was born that night, as the Mayor's head was cleaved from his shoulders by Luke's sickle. By morning, every member of the parish in Eldshire that had known about the Skaberen was dead. The rest were left with a warning. Do not stray from the just and true path, or else you too will be put down like a monster. Since then, Illya has taken the mantle of The Crow across the region, slaying foul creatures and corrupt humans alike. The weakening of the church's powers with the disappearance of Avacyn has only steeled her resolve. Even the archangel could not find a reason to defend this world. So it must fall to her then, to be the harbinger of change in this world. Even if this world is doomed to despair and oblivion, she will press on with her mission. It's all she has left.
Abilities: Illya has no aptitude for magic beyond the basic spells needed by a cathar. She makes up for this by being incredibly proficient with her weapons and tools. She is a master with each of her weapons and fights on a level beyond what most human warriors are capable of. Combining the training of a high ranking cathar with the skills she's picked up on her solo travels and studies with various teachers of the assassin arts, her fighting style is primarily suited for ambush attacks, stealth kills, and one-on-one duels. However, her cathar training has been adapted to make her an extremely proficient fighter against most church-trained warriors, as she knows how they fight and can often predict their moves.
Illya is quick on her feet, as silent as possible when in motion, and has a great sense of balance and awareness of her surroundings. Her night vision is good as well, and fighting at night is of no handicap for her. Though, she obviously doesn't see as well as say, a vampire. She is trained and built primarily for speed and finesse and brute force is not her strong suit. If a fight comes down to a contest of raw power, she will almost always have to flee or try some underhanded trick to gain the advantage. Vampires are a particular annoyance for her because of this. Their speed and strength is beyond normal human means, meaning its beyond hers as well. It hasn't stopped her from killing a few, but her skills remain untested against a truly skilled vampire and she is afraid she won't be able to prevail against one.
Though skilled with the few artifacts she carries, she much prefers her metal weapons to any holy power. Especially now that it can be a little hit or miss. That said, she knows that sometimes a little light magic is often much more effective than a blade and knows when each should be applied. In addition to her skills as a warrior and assassin, Illya is an expert survivalist and can identify edible plants, track and hunt wildlife, build fires, treat injuries, and anything else one traveling so long in a dangerous world would need to know.
Equipment: Illya carries the weapons of her fallen comrades at all times in addition to her own set of tools and artifacts. Her arsenal includes the following: A silver sickle blade, a set of three chakrams, a short silver sword, six steel throwing knives, metal claws that fit in her hands for offense or climbing walls, scrolls containing holy icons or other protective effects (used when setting camp when she's on her own, not very useful as weaponry), a silver necklace shaped like the holy symbol of the Flight of Alabaster inscribed with general runes of protection against vampiric glamour and other such threats, and a small collections of holy relics and trinkets that are more practical than useful.
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