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Dark | | Age: | | Believed to be about 300 years, plus the time between Japan's Feudal Period and the modern day spent trapped in an Argob's Pot in suspended animation. | | Gender: | | Male | | Species: | | It is a shadow-beast species called a "jinbu", see below for info. | | Height: | | Nine feet tall. | | Build: | | Muscular and lithe, a swimmer's build. He weighs around 490 lbs. | | Body Coloration: | | Skin and "hair" are a smooth streamlined jet black, except for his face which is white. | | Eye Color: | | His eyes are entirely black, but if one were to look closely they would be able to discern his silvery irises. It's possible to see the direction he is looking in by the light reflecting off the moisture of his eyes. | | More appearance details: | Dark is a tall and strong "jinbu". His body is nude and looks humanoid, with rather long arms, hands and fingers. He has the normal five fingers and toes, but they all end in long, sharp black claws. His sturdy musculature is plainly visible under his black skin. He has a narrow chin and refined, elegant facial features, and slitlike slanted eyes. On his face is a white oblong shape that starts on his chin, touches the outer edges of his eyes and meets at the top of his forehead. It looks somewhat like a mask but it's actually white skin.
Dark's "hair" is several long black ropey tendrils that sag slightly from their own weight. The longest of these go to the top of his back. His ears are long and thin, tapering to a point like his "dreadlocks". They are around ten inches in length and blend in with his tendrils, swept back the same way. Dark has fangs but they're not visible with his mouth closed. He has a long, tapered tail.
Tattoo - Dark has a large Yakuza-style silver tattoo across his back, depicting a stylized Japanese raiju (a mythological being resembling a ferret or stoat) surrounded by lightning and swirling winds.
In all, his appearance is humanoid, but he looks more like a supernatural creature or demon.
 | | Clothing: | | Usually Dark either wears a long, primitive-looking but regal grey fur cloak, or is nude. No genitalia showing from outside. | | Occupation / Class: | | Shadow-beast and guardian, former assassin. By his birthright he is also the young leader of the jinbu people. | | Affiliations: | | He has made quite a few friends while in the Dream, yet remains a somewhat elusive being. Dark is one of Prince Orias Rofocale's Vassals. He was the guardian beast and lover of Zene Amburo. His recurring nemesis is the wily Abyssi, who seeks to wrest control of Darkside. Although Dark and Abyssi have clashed several times, theirs is a semi-honorable adversity and they do not attack one another without reason. | | Accessories: | Yari - Dark's spear, handed down to him by his Father, Ojii-Kurai. It is a heavy, ornamented, ancient weapon with a long history of being used against evil spirits and monsters. It seems to have some enchantment upon it that prevents the blade from dulling or being sullied, as impurities slide off. It also has a tassel for absorbing opponents' blood, preventing it from sliding down the handle of the weapon.
Shuriken - Dark keeps a ready supply of Japanese throwing shuriken concealed inside his person. They melt up through his skin into his hands when he wishes to use them.
Wolves - A pack of wolves that occassionally accompany Dark on his hunts. When Dark joins them he is recognized as the pack Alpha.
Flying Whale - A shadow-beast whale that "swims" through the air, mainly used for transportation. Traditionally the jinbu monarchy has a blood contract with the whales of Darkside, allowing Dark to summon one. The size and type of whale that appears varies.
 | | What is a shadow-beast? | Dark is a shadow-beast, which are basically monsters which were created out of pieces of nighttime shadows and made alive. There are many different kinds and they all have certain properties in common. Shadow-beasts prefer to be active at night, and much prefer dark places. Since their bodies were made out of shadows, some are incorporeal, existing only as what appears to be a shadow that moves on its own. They all have the ability to move into a normal shadow as if it were a doorway. To them shadows act as passages to what is known as the "Darkside", which is basically a dark, reversed version of the normal world (the "Lightside" which we inhabit). We as humans are not normally able to travel to Darkside, and many shadow-beasts are not strong enough to leave there. The ones that are able to manifest on this side, are sometimes mistaken as ghosts, or "the monster under the bed" or "in the closet".
Shadow-beasts, being creatures of shadow, can normally make themselves incorporeal or unsolid in some form. Some cannot abide bright sunlight, others can tolerate it but none really like it.
Shadow-beasts, with their incorporeal abilities, are very hard to strike or harm with a normal weapon, and most things will pass right through them if they're aware of it. However like cold iron to fairies, they have a weakness towards a certain natural material, which causes them paralysis, great pain, or paroxysms if struck with it, or various combinations of these. (PM me if you need to know what it is for a roleplay purpose.) | | What is a jinbu? | Dark's species of shadow-beast are called jinbu. They are mysterious and extremely rare, and strong enough that they can easily pass over to the Lightside, and are not deterred by bright sunlight (though they do not like it). Black skin with a white face is the identifying characteristic of jinbu. (Patches drew an excellent picture of a female jinbu.)
Dark's clan of jinbu all have a desire to seek out and find a suitable Master. This relationship could be as varied as a student learning under a sensei, a 'summoned beast' obeying a magic-user, a vassal operating under a warlord, or even a very large 'pet' to an innocent child.
Each jinbu has slightly different fighting styles and abilities, but most rely on stealth attacks and tactics as opposed to outright battle.
 | | Special Effects: | | Dark always has an extremely deep and resonant voice that seems to have an echo or reverb on it. | | Abilities/Skills: | Form of Liquid - If Dark is attacked, his body can take the form of a black liquid so that the weapon passes harmlessly through, and then he reforms. Attacking him can be like trying to cut water with a sword, however he can be KOed or injured if he can not see the attack or is caught off guard unexpectedly, since his body is normally solid.
Natural grace - Dark is very swift and stealthy, with cat-like reflexes. He can move very silently. There is always a grace to his movements.
Strength - Dark is not supernaturally strong, but his physical strength is proportionate to his size. He can be viewed as having similar might as a tiger or bear. He is more than a match in strength for an average human being.
Consumption - Dark's race is said to be able to devour evil spirits--Perhaps as an extension of this, Dark is able to eat more food than he should be able to consume. He loves eating and is quite fond of cooking too.
Nihongo - Dark speaks fluent Japanese in addition to English/Common. | | Combat-Related Skills: |
- Dark can flatten his fingers and using the claws, punch his hand in a stabbing motion like a knife. He is also able to crack his tail like a whip. He sometimes does this as a visual warning if he feels very agitated.
- While in liquid form, he is able to move around at will. If he is "splattered" the black droplets of himself are able to reform by collecting together in the same place.
- One of his favorite tricks is to hide in a person's shadow. He can be magically or spiritually purged from a shadow, but is normally not physically touchable.
- Dark is reasonably strong, but not supernaturally so. His aptitudes in speed and stealth are his main focus.
| | Miscellaneous Jinbu/Species Abilities: |
- Dark has a long tapered tongue which he uses to snatch up things to eat. He is able to digest a wide variety of food, even raw meat.
- His sense of smell is as keen as a hound's, enabling him to track by scent.
- His night vision is about as good as what a human can see in daylight.
- If he falls off a ledge, he can spread a membrane between his arms and legs and glide down slowly.
- He has the ability to become an inky black liquid for self defense, locomotion through small spaces, and limited shapeshifting.
| | Weaknesses? | Dark has to shield his hyper-sensitive eyes from bright light, and light magicks scorch him. When not a liquid, his body is solid and prone to the same kinds of injuries as a human body. In his solid shape, he must breathe, eat and drink like any living creature. Dark is protective of his friends and loved ones to the point of self-sacrifice.
 | | Description of Personality: | Dark is a neutral but honorable being. He is friendly and protective towards his friends and those who have earned his trust. He is capable of being very selfless and kind.
He is quite curious and often wanders exploring different lands under cover of nightfall. He can also be elusive, shy, or secretive, as befitting a creature of the night. His words are very honest and he maintains a certain integrity and honor in how he deals with others. However, when pressed into fighting, his more feral aspects become apparent.
Dark's normal way of talking is politely genteel, if a bit outdated (he is from a Feudal Japanese setting). He has some animal mannerisms sometimes, such as running on all fours or slinking about like a cat. In the capacity of guardian he is fearless.
As a whole, Dark's general aura can be compared to the stalwart Larva from the anime Vampire Princess Miyu.
| | Brief History: | Dark and the shadow-beasts were believed to have been created by Narse, titan of darkness. Their exact purpose is not known, but as Narse is not a malevolent being, they were most likely intended to be a race of guardians of the night, protecting others from unclean things.
In Dark's past, he and a series of other jinbu were used as formidable assassins by a Black Emperor, who ruled an empire called Gaul. The Emperor was believed to have been one of the men from Darkside, who had passed over to Lightside and was attempting to conquer it. Gaul had special knowledge of how to control shadow-beasts, as well as the disease that turned nornal humans into shadow-beasts, and so the other lands cowered in fear of the monsters of the night. The jinbu in particular, due to their unwavering obedience to their Master the Emperor, fearlessness and murderous stealth tactics, were greatly feared. It is not known if the jinbu willingly served the Emperor, or were enslaved by him.
A small town called Albion Du, which was styled much like a feudal Japanese village, was in danger of being assimilated into the Greco-Roman styled Gaulian Empire. However, a great hero from this town, whose name was Argob, learned the secret weakness of shadow-beasts. He led a resistance movement of shadow hunters called the Kage No Ryoshi. After many bloody battles, Dark and the other jinbu were sent on a mission: Dark was to assassinate the royal family of Albion Du, while the other jinbu distracted the Kage No Ryoshi with a full scale assault on the town. Dark was instructed to slay any who saw him, and killed many on that night.
However, when Dark found the royal chambers, he was confronted by none other than Argob himself. A long and fierce battle ensued with the katana-armed warrior, and in the end Argob was victorious. Dark and the other jinbu were sealed by Argob's men in what are called "Argob's Pots". These are black urns with ancient carvings, and have needles stuck into them which hold each jinbu in a state of helpless suspended animation. The pots were all locked away inside a building called Temple Achelon, to hopefully never be disturbed. Eventually, Argob and his men, using their shadow-hunting abilities, fought their way to Gaul and overthrew the Emperor.
A thousand years passed and Albion Du became prosperous, while Old Gaul lies in ruins. The jinbu race are believed to have been a legend. However, this is about to change, as robbers, other shadow-beasts, and all manner of things have disturbed the Argob's Pots, each one containing a jinbu of the Emperor...
Dark's own Pot was opened and he was freed... However his memory had blurred over so many years and he could not remember anything about Gaul or the Emperor, his old Master. He found himself in the Dream upon awakening, and has been wandering there ever since, trying to find a new Master and a new Purpose, or remember the old one. | | Why is he called Dark? | | Dark's jinbu clan were traditionally named after shadows or blackness. It is not their 'true' name, but it is the name most often associated with each individual. The names of some of Dark's jinbu clan are Nightfall, Shadow, Nyx, Sable, Ebon, Abyssi, Stygia, Obsidia, Carbonite, Schwartgeist, Star, Kuro, Umbra, Halfmoon, Blackout, Dhu, Phanto, Erebus, Mysterion, and Black Radiance, so Dark's name is not too unusual in this context. Dark is also referred to by some as Kuragarimaru. His true name, which he cannot recall is Rodo. | | Dark-art by other people: | Many thanks to all that have drawn Dark, I love each of them.
Cave! | Sariel! | Light! | Reica! | Mercutio! | Burne! | Denise! | Denise2! | Ende! | Seby! | Seby2! | Oni! | Oni2! | Oni3! | Xaotl! | Xaotl2! | Christine Gavlas! | Quetzal! | Ferlain! | Kim Gavlas! | Kim2! | Patches! | Patches2! | Salen! | Maus! | Kalista! | Torn! | Lila! | Kei Unit 01! | Kayin! | Kyoht! | | Additional Art: | Dark as a human. | Playing with Rusuu. | With antlers. | Human, in Zene's lap. | Dark is framed! | With a sleeping Charon. | Another human Dark. | Hunting the wild cinnamon roll. | Wearing a kimono. | Wearing a fancy coat. | A sweet smile. | A determined face. | Early concept sketch. | A tender embrace. | The shadow's whisper. | The guardian.
All of these images were drawn by myself (Andrea Koupal). | | Important Roleplay Appearances: | The Shadows of Ecstasy - An epic adventure. Dark must be rescued from the Darkside Emperor's geas in time for he and his companions to foil Abyssi's even more dreadful scheme.
Edo Lullaby - The party encounters a battle-toughened future Dark in this emotional quest to rescue Abyssi's daughter Tsuki.
Dragon Hunt - Dark, Zene and Madley work together to slay a monstrous sea dragon.
Midsummer Ball - Dark and many others dance at a fancy gala.
Eve of the Bat - Dark and company must foil the manipulative intentions of the jinbu Van Esche, who changes Dark into a human.
Glace's Riddle - Dark and Zene cross the icy wastes on a quest to implore Zene's patron goddess to heal her damaged lungs. | | A brief and character revealing answer to the question, "What is your ambition?" | | "To find a new Master." |
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