[ INFO ]
░ the basics
▐ YOUR NAME Miru.
▐ OVER 18? Yes.
▐ PERSONAL LJ databomb
▐ EMAIL/IM miruvix[@]gmail.com | dash chromatique
▐ OTHER AT CHARACTERS N/A.
. CHARACTER Gladias.
. CANON SERIES Erementar Gerad.
. TIMELINE After volume 11 (post-death).
. WIKI LINK FOR BIO/HISTORY: There's a little snippet over [ here ] on wiki, and a longer bit on the Japanese wiki page over [ here ].
▒ the details
▤ ELABORATE
Think 'assassin.' Think 'hired killer.' Think 'the last thing you see before you get decapitated.' Most people will think of some man clad in black-leather, armed with a rifle or perhaps a combat knife. Some sleek, shadowy figure, face obscured, emerging from the darkness to slit your throat and vanish without a trace.
Most people wouldn't really imagine Gladias to be a high-caliber assassin when it comes to first impressions -- but then again, that's what they always say, huh. "Don't judge a book by its cover."
That's not to say Gladias doesn't look intimidating, it's not that. Standing at 6'4", all toned muscle and flowing kimono, Gladias looks -- impressive. Or at least, that's one way to put it. A fighter through and through, Gladias is very much built for combat. All long limbs and toned muscle -- barrel-chest that he's really not afraid to flaunt and chiseled abs barely covered by a sarashi -- he doesn't really look like the type of person you'd want to pick a fight with.
But what might throw some people off is his appearance other than his physique. The fact that he always dresses in a swoopy (and rather revealing) green kimono lazily belted with an equally swoopy sash, and the fact that his silver-blonde hair is left hanging loose almost down to his ankles, and the fact that he saunters around with claw-like nails left long and painted red -- he looks, for the most part, like some old Japanese artisan off to drink tea, rather than someone assigned to a slaughter mission. And the long opium pipe -- a custom-crafted kiseru -- that he's almost always got hanging out of his mouth probably doesn't help either. He looks formidable, sure, but also eccentric. Like that expression of his. Eyes slit narrow (colored a mismatched gray-and-gold combination) and lips pulled thin, he often looks like a fox anticipating a fun puzzle. Not necessarily bad -- but definitely not necessarily good. It'd probably be hard to believe if he was ever pointed out as a cold-blooded killer.
And his personality certainly doesn't do much to clarify anything either. Gladias is once described as being terribly "my-pace" -- this is probably the most apt description of him possible. Fickle, selfish, and with little consideration for anything other than himself (and, maybe, things related to himself), Gladias tends to act in ways that probably wouldn't be expected of a hired killer agent.
For one thing, he's almost pleasant in terms of first impressions. Suave in his words and polite in his mannerisms, he comes across as a well-mannered, if somewhat blunt sort of man. Friendly, too. He has no qualms when it comes to speaking to strangers, and he doesn't mince his words, either -- if he knows you well enough to think that you're rubbish at something or the other, he'll probably say it, but if you happen to be particularly good at something (like fighting, say, or just standing around looking good), then he'll say that too. He doesn't seem to have much consideration for that little thing called subtlety, despite the way he always makes himself sound well-mannered and polite -- if he finds you entertaining, he'll tell you, and if you're not, he'll tell you that too. Maybe both at the same time.
Because when he says stuff like, "my, that sounds entertaining," he really means it. He's not the type to lie or fluff up the truth -- how troublesome is that? No, that would be entirely too much effort, so when he tells you -- you, who he's assigned to kill -- "it's good that you're enjoying yourself before I kill you," he means it. He is sincerely glad that you were having fun, since -- once you're dead, it's just as well that you were happy before you died, yes? That's the thing. Gladias isn't evil to the core, or have that bad sense of humor ("oh! you're dead! that's comedy gold, ha ha!" -- not quite) that a lot of villains seem to have. He enjoys the little things in life, like nice food and festivals and lounging around in the warm sunlight and fighting.
Fighting, yes, that's not strange, is it? Gladias enjoys the thrill of battle a lot more than anything, and combat is probably the one thing he's a real connoisseur of. Prove your strength when he's watching, Gladias won't hesitate to shower you with praise and hold you in high regards -- something worth looking for, someone that he'd gladly make time to fight with, someone amazing and tempting and quite delightful! But -- you know. Just like any good connoisseur, he's picky, too. Only likes the nice things. Weak people, he's not really interested in, nor the stupidly brash. Because, you see, they're just not fun to fight. Gladias is strong, and seeks opponents that are equally strong -- fights are meant to be between equals, no? -- and anything less is ... aah. Boring.
After all, Gladias is quite strong -- to make it an understatement. As an agent of a murderous organization, Gladias is a killer of the highest caliber and isn't afraid to flaunt his abilities. With his sort of physique, it's a given that he's stronger and more durable than the average person, capable of dealing out and enduring more damage than would be expected. But -- perhaps surprisingly -- the arena in which he has the most confidence is speed. Despite his height and his somewhat clumsy looking attire, his agility is nothing to laugh at. A practitioner in the iaijutsu school of swordfighting, to say that he's deadly with a blade would be a gross understatement.
Though normally looking quite lax and unarmed, Gladias always keeps a concealed blade at hand. (In his canon, a small companion who can instantaneously transform into an enormous blade entwined with streaks of dark energy. In Nuadoria, well -- whatever he can get his hands on, probably.) At the first sign of threat -- or any desire to kill -- all he does is whip the blade out, and use that motion to dismember and destroy. His movements are quick and efficient -- forward dashes, lunging thrusts, sharp slashes when he first draws the blade, no wild swings or movements -- and once he puts his mind to it, Gladias is quite good at his job. With the ability to demolish large chunks of concrete wall with a single blow, there's no reason for him to pursue tedious combat, after all. (His preferred method of working is to strike up a conversation with his target, then decapitate them in a single motion. Courteous, efficient, and clean.)
Other than in the area of combat, his abilities are both varied, and of questionable success. The absolute basics of carrying out an agent job -- operating a helicopter or similar vehicle, using basic communication technology, tracking and spying and information gathering -- he can carry out to some degree. Despite his oldschool appearance, he's not that bad at handling technology, and doesn't mind it much -- it just doesn't entertain him any more than is necessary for work. In the end, everything goes back to the job of killing people, and making sure that he does it well.
Oh, and one more thing. Even if you can outrun him, he's got a good throwing arm, and deadly aim -- and you'd be surprised how easily his steel-tipped pipe can puncture through your skull.
See? Killing is quite easy for him, so unless you put up some good resistance, it's just not fun, and it won't pique his interest at all. How dull. And he'll tell you, quite bluntly, if you're not up to his expectations. "How disappointing," he'll say, brows furrowed. "I was expecting more from you."
But he'll still kill you. Oh, he won't enjoy it as much as when he killed that prodigy swordsman who put up a valiant fight, but he'll still kill you very thoroughly. Why not? A job's a job, and pity is just such a weak thing, to him. Life has so little value. Anyone's. (Probably including his own.) Ending a life, in his opinion, is a job that really isn't any different from picking a flower (except some flowers are prettier and nicer than others, to carry on the metaphor), and if his commanders say "kill that brat," he'll smile and murder the target. Even acquaintances, even coworkers. Just because he tells you in the morning, "ah, good morning, it's nice to see you again," that doesn't mean he'll hesitate to slice your chest in half that afternoon. Though then again -- he might not. Not because he knows you, but simply because he doesn't feel like doing it just then.
And that's when his fickle, selfish personality starts peeking into view. Because Gladias, really, isn't one of those agents programmed to follow every order down to the dot. Gladias is more the type of person to push deadlines and do stuff only when he really has to and already has a good plan for it. Only when he damn well feels like it and knows how to get it over with in a manner that is fun or efficient. Show him a boring target, and he'll sigh as he deals with it; throw a wrench halfway into his plan, and he'll simply ditch the battlefield to take a break -- he hates being derailed halfway through something he expects to go well, and rather than carry on working with something he feels foul about, he'd rather just retreat and relax. After all, work is done best when one is feeling good. Of course, he does have to push himself to meet deadlines at times -- because his life's on the line, or something of that sort -- and when it comes down to that, he'll do his job, and do it well. (How else would he still be employed after all his fickle moodswings?) But if he can, he'd rather put things off until he feels like them.
Which. Honestly, might not be for some time. Because Gladias is lazy. Or at least, he likes to be lazy. When he's not working, and he's not fighting, Gladias is more than likely lounging around next to an open window simply dozing in the sunlight, content to do absolutely nothing except puff away at his pipe.
(Which, it has been hinted, may contain a psychostabilizing drug, not just plain opium or tobacco. Why did you think he's so adamant about having it on him all the time? He gets even more lethargic, even more unmotivated when he doesn't have his precious custom kiseru, and might get grumpy when it's gone for long. God forbid he ever go into withdrawal, because he may just start taking his frustration out by hunting up people to fight, and there's no way that'll end pretty. Just another facet of his fickle tendencies.)
See -- Gladias might be a murderer, and a villain, and a bastard, but that doesn't mean he's active in any of those categories. He'd much rather lounge around being lazy, but oh well, work must be done -- so he goes and does it.
So when he's not on work, he's not much different from any other lazy old man. With a seeming fondness for destructive little animals and for trivialities like funny costume shows and nice weapons, he goes through life at an easy pace, doing what he wants at his own pace. (Meeting people at his own pace, too. Just because he might kill you later doesn't mean he won't like you at the moment. He likes a friendly acquaintance as much as the next person, and he's easy-going and casual -- why shouldn't he find some casual companions?) The problem is probably just the fact that he doesn't give a damn about a lot of things. Like priorities. Or lives.
And how, exactly, does a man end up like this? Who knows.
Gladias' past is largely unknown -- and probably isn't that important, either. All that's known is that he was an agent of the Orga Nights -- a mysterious organization hunting down rogue Adel Raids (humans with the ability to transform into amazingly powerful weapons), such as the Revery Metherlance -- and probably had been for quite some time. Having risen in rank through the years, he worked as one of the higher commanders of his division, directing the other members in the hunt for the Metherlance.
It was probably some combination of his self-centered priorities and lack of empathy for others that resulted in his demise. After punishing an underling member for failing in a mission to retrieve the Metherlance -- simply hacking off both of the poor sap's arms just below the elbow -- he continued to work towards capturing the target via his higher up's order. After watching yet another underling make an attempt, then fail, he finally sighed and ended the poor girl's life before taking action himself.
Alas -- he stood a good chance of winning, and very well might have, if it weren't for the fact that he was effectively fighting one against four. (The typical fate of a villain.) The fight ended with Gladias forced to retreat after being badly injured, and he staggered into the Orga Night headquarters looking to sit back and recover before making another strike. But in a cruel twist of fate, the very underling he'd previously punished had been moved under the rule of another commander -- granted with a powerful new weapon-partner -- and was evidently still holding a grudge. Gladias was killed easily, as was his weapon-partner.
And then, he landed in Nuadoria. Oh dear, he mused. This isn't much like any afterlife I imagined. I do hope they have some opium.
▓ nuadoria specific
≡ WHAT ARE THEY BRINGING TO NUADORIA?: The clothes off his back, a high-quality, custom-made pipe, and a small case of the drug crystals for the pipe.
≡ YOUR CHARACTER'S ELEMENT: Air.
≡ WHAT IS THEIR GESTALT?: Since Gladias seems to have a bit of a traditional-Japanese fox motif going on, he'll be having a fox youkai as his familiar. Black-ish, with three tails, and holding its hoshi no tama curled up in one of its tails.
As cliche as it is, his familiar leveled-up form will be a nine-tailed fox. Slightly larger than its three-tailed form, and colored silvery, with its hoshi no tama still curled up in one of its tail. It'll be able to do some standard youkai 'magic' -- illusions, shape-shifting, fox-fire, flight and invisibility.
〓 samples
✔ THIRD PERSON SAMPLE:
[ older writing sample. ]
"Hmm..." The lit end of his pipe flickered steadily as Gladias sat on the rocky ledge, the hem of his kimono and his lengthy sash billowing in the wind, long hair buffeted this way and that by the steady breeze. It was a nice day. The sky a clear blue, not too hot but not too cool, the air clean, and the ground stained a gorgeous, blotchy red. The puddle of blood has continued spread as he sat there, and he lifted his feet clear of the spreading stain just in time to prevent the blood from reaching his sandals. It would never do if he ended up tracking bloody footprints all over the place, that would be terrible inelegant.
A small form poked itself out of his sleeve, careful to stay within his shadow. "Gladias-san, aren't we going to go now?" She reached up, tugging at the cloth of his kimono. "Aren't we? Idui doeshn't like the light."
"Ah, yes, I suppose we should get going now, shouldn't we?" Petting her head, he rose, waiting for her to secure a position in the inside of his sleeve before surveying the scene of carnage before him. Perfectly sliced bodies, with the Core Stones for each of the Adel Raids torn out. Nudging the closest body with his foot, he turned it over, giving a small sigh and glancing balefully at the pipe that protruded from its forehead.
It was a pity that one had tried to run. What an undignified death. He'd been rather disgusted -- a warrior should never try to run, should die proud, with a blade through the chest, not the back -- and he hadn't been able to resist throwing his pipe like a miniature lance, puncturing straight through the skull and piercing clear through the brain. The pipe he puffed now was a replacement, as he sighed out a lungful of smoke as he muttered to himself, "I really should have kept from using my favorite pipe to kill him... This extra one just does not taste the same."
✔ FIRST PERSON SAMPLE:
VIDEO.
[ click! the video feed turns on, showing gladias looking into the camera -- a vaguely bemused expression on his face, opium pipe securely parked between his lips. he gives an amused sort of noise, and quirks an eyebrow before smiling (almost pleasantly) and speaking in a calm voice. ]
Ah -- good afternoon.
I must question the logistics of having what I assume is a communication network in a place that I can only imagine is some equivalent of the afterlife -- but I suppose I cannot complain.
[ a thoughtful pause, as he breathes out a streamer of thick smoke. ]
I do wonder if anyone would be generous enough to supply a newcomer with some information. The name, perhaps, or the geographic location of this city.
▐ YOUR NAME Miru.
▐ OVER 18? Yes.
▐ PERSONAL LJ databomb
▐ EMAIL/IM miruvix[@]gmail.com | dash chromatique
▐ OTHER AT CHARACTERS N/A.
. CHARACTER Gladias.
. CANON SERIES Erementar Gerad.
. TIMELINE After volume 11 (post-death).
. WIKI LINK FOR BIO/HISTORY: There's a little snippet over [ here ] on wiki, and a longer bit on the Japanese wiki page over [ here ].
▒ the details
▤ ELABORATE
Think 'assassin.' Think 'hired killer.' Think 'the last thing you see before you get decapitated.' Most people will think of some man clad in black-leather, armed with a rifle or perhaps a combat knife. Some sleek, shadowy figure, face obscured, emerging from the darkness to slit your throat and vanish without a trace.
Most people wouldn't really imagine Gladias to be a high-caliber assassin when it comes to first impressions -- but then again, that's what they always say, huh. "Don't judge a book by its cover."
That's not to say Gladias doesn't look intimidating, it's not that. Standing at 6'4", all toned muscle and flowing kimono, Gladias looks -- impressive. Or at least, that's one way to put it. A fighter through and through, Gladias is very much built for combat. All long limbs and toned muscle -- barrel-chest that he's really not afraid to flaunt and chiseled abs barely covered by a sarashi -- he doesn't really look like the type of person you'd want to pick a fight with.
But what might throw some people off is his appearance other than his physique. The fact that he always dresses in a swoopy (and rather revealing) green kimono lazily belted with an equally swoopy sash, and the fact that his silver-blonde hair is left hanging loose almost down to his ankles, and the fact that he saunters around with claw-like nails left long and painted red -- he looks, for the most part, like some old Japanese artisan off to drink tea, rather than someone assigned to a slaughter mission. And the long opium pipe -- a custom-crafted kiseru -- that he's almost always got hanging out of his mouth probably doesn't help either. He looks formidable, sure, but also eccentric. Like that expression of his. Eyes slit narrow (colored a mismatched gray-and-gold combination) and lips pulled thin, he often looks like a fox anticipating a fun puzzle. Not necessarily bad -- but definitely not necessarily good. It'd probably be hard to believe if he was ever pointed out as a cold-blooded killer.
And his personality certainly doesn't do much to clarify anything either. Gladias is once described as being terribly "my-pace" -- this is probably the most apt description of him possible. Fickle, selfish, and with little consideration for anything other than himself (and, maybe, things related to himself), Gladias tends to act in ways that probably wouldn't be expected of a hired killer agent.
For one thing, he's almost pleasant in terms of first impressions. Suave in his words and polite in his mannerisms, he comes across as a well-mannered, if somewhat blunt sort of man. Friendly, too. He has no qualms when it comes to speaking to strangers, and he doesn't mince his words, either -- if he knows you well enough to think that you're rubbish at something or the other, he'll probably say it, but if you happen to be particularly good at something (like fighting, say, or just standing around looking good), then he'll say that too. He doesn't seem to have much consideration for that little thing called subtlety, despite the way he always makes himself sound well-mannered and polite -- if he finds you entertaining, he'll tell you, and if you're not, he'll tell you that too. Maybe both at the same time.
Because when he says stuff like, "my, that sounds entertaining," he really means it. He's not the type to lie or fluff up the truth -- how troublesome is that? No, that would be entirely too much effort, so when he tells you -- you, who he's assigned to kill -- "it's good that you're enjoying yourself before I kill you," he means it. He is sincerely glad that you were having fun, since -- once you're dead, it's just as well that you were happy before you died, yes? That's the thing. Gladias isn't evil to the core, or have that bad sense of humor ("oh! you're dead! that's comedy gold, ha ha!" -- not quite) that a lot of villains seem to have. He enjoys the little things in life, like nice food and festivals and lounging around in the warm sunlight and fighting.
Fighting, yes, that's not strange, is it? Gladias enjoys the thrill of battle a lot more than anything, and combat is probably the one thing he's a real connoisseur of. Prove your strength when he's watching, Gladias won't hesitate to shower you with praise and hold you in high regards -- something worth looking for, someone that he'd gladly make time to fight with, someone amazing and tempting and quite delightful! But -- you know. Just like any good connoisseur, he's picky, too. Only likes the nice things. Weak people, he's not really interested in, nor the stupidly brash. Because, you see, they're just not fun to fight. Gladias is strong, and seeks opponents that are equally strong -- fights are meant to be between equals, no? -- and anything less is ... aah. Boring.
After all, Gladias is quite strong -- to make it an understatement. As an agent of a murderous organization, Gladias is a killer of the highest caliber and isn't afraid to flaunt his abilities. With his sort of physique, it's a given that he's stronger and more durable than the average person, capable of dealing out and enduring more damage than would be expected. But -- perhaps surprisingly -- the arena in which he has the most confidence is speed. Despite his height and his somewhat clumsy looking attire, his agility is nothing to laugh at. A practitioner in the iaijutsu school of swordfighting, to say that he's deadly with a blade would be a gross understatement.
Though normally looking quite lax and unarmed, Gladias always keeps a concealed blade at hand. (In his canon, a small companion who can instantaneously transform into an enormous blade entwined with streaks of dark energy. In Nuadoria, well -- whatever he can get his hands on, probably.) At the first sign of threat -- or any desire to kill -- all he does is whip the blade out, and use that motion to dismember and destroy. His movements are quick and efficient -- forward dashes, lunging thrusts, sharp slashes when he first draws the blade, no wild swings or movements -- and once he puts his mind to it, Gladias is quite good at his job. With the ability to demolish large chunks of concrete wall with a single blow, there's no reason for him to pursue tedious combat, after all. (His preferred method of working is to strike up a conversation with his target, then decapitate them in a single motion. Courteous, efficient, and clean.)
Other than in the area of combat, his abilities are both varied, and of questionable success. The absolute basics of carrying out an agent job -- operating a helicopter or similar vehicle, using basic communication technology, tracking and spying and information gathering -- he can carry out to some degree. Despite his oldschool appearance, he's not that bad at handling technology, and doesn't mind it much -- it just doesn't entertain him any more than is necessary for work. In the end, everything goes back to the job of killing people, and making sure that he does it well.
Oh, and one more thing. Even if you can outrun him, he's got a good throwing arm, and deadly aim -- and you'd be surprised how easily his steel-tipped pipe can puncture through your skull.
See? Killing is quite easy for him, so unless you put up some good resistance, it's just not fun, and it won't pique his interest at all. How dull. And he'll tell you, quite bluntly, if you're not up to his expectations. "How disappointing," he'll say, brows furrowed. "I was expecting more from you."
But he'll still kill you. Oh, he won't enjoy it as much as when he killed that prodigy swordsman who put up a valiant fight, but he'll still kill you very thoroughly. Why not? A job's a job, and pity is just such a weak thing, to him. Life has so little value. Anyone's. (Probably including his own.) Ending a life, in his opinion, is a job that really isn't any different from picking a flower (except some flowers are prettier and nicer than others, to carry on the metaphor), and if his commanders say "kill that brat," he'll smile and murder the target. Even acquaintances, even coworkers. Just because he tells you in the morning, "ah, good morning, it's nice to see you again," that doesn't mean he'll hesitate to slice your chest in half that afternoon. Though then again -- he might not. Not because he knows you, but simply because he doesn't feel like doing it just then.
And that's when his fickle, selfish personality starts peeking into view. Because Gladias, really, isn't one of those agents programmed to follow every order down to the dot. Gladias is more the type of person to push deadlines and do stuff only when he really has to and already has a good plan for it. Only when he damn well feels like it and knows how to get it over with in a manner that is fun or efficient. Show him a boring target, and he'll sigh as he deals with it; throw a wrench halfway into his plan, and he'll simply ditch the battlefield to take a break -- he hates being derailed halfway through something he expects to go well, and rather than carry on working with something he feels foul about, he'd rather just retreat and relax. After all, work is done best when one is feeling good. Of course, he does have to push himself to meet deadlines at times -- because his life's on the line, or something of that sort -- and when it comes down to that, he'll do his job, and do it well. (How else would he still be employed after all his fickle moodswings?) But if he can, he'd rather put things off until he feels like them.
Which. Honestly, might not be for some time. Because Gladias is lazy. Or at least, he likes to be lazy. When he's not working, and he's not fighting, Gladias is more than likely lounging around next to an open window simply dozing in the sunlight, content to do absolutely nothing except puff away at his pipe.
(Which, it has been hinted, may contain a psychostabilizing drug, not just plain opium or tobacco. Why did you think he's so adamant about having it on him all the time? He gets even more lethargic, even more unmotivated when he doesn't have his precious custom kiseru, and might get grumpy when it's gone for long. God forbid he ever go into withdrawal, because he may just start taking his frustration out by hunting up people to fight, and there's no way that'll end pretty. Just another facet of his fickle tendencies.)
See -- Gladias might be a murderer, and a villain, and a bastard, but that doesn't mean he's active in any of those categories. He'd much rather lounge around being lazy, but oh well, work must be done -- so he goes and does it.
So when he's not on work, he's not much different from any other lazy old man. With a seeming fondness for destructive little animals and for trivialities like funny costume shows and nice weapons, he goes through life at an easy pace, doing what he wants at his own pace. (Meeting people at his own pace, too. Just because he might kill you later doesn't mean he won't like you at the moment. He likes a friendly acquaintance as much as the next person, and he's easy-going and casual -- why shouldn't he find some casual companions?) The problem is probably just the fact that he doesn't give a damn about a lot of things. Like priorities. Or lives.
And how, exactly, does a man end up like this? Who knows.
Gladias' past is largely unknown -- and probably isn't that important, either. All that's known is that he was an agent of the Orga Nights -- a mysterious organization hunting down rogue Adel Raids (humans with the ability to transform into amazingly powerful weapons), such as the Revery Metherlance -- and probably had been for quite some time. Having risen in rank through the years, he worked as one of the higher commanders of his division, directing the other members in the hunt for the Metherlance.
It was probably some combination of his self-centered priorities and lack of empathy for others that resulted in his demise. After punishing an underling member for failing in a mission to retrieve the Metherlance -- simply hacking off both of the poor sap's arms just below the elbow -- he continued to work towards capturing the target via his higher up's order. After watching yet another underling make an attempt, then fail, he finally sighed and ended the poor girl's life before taking action himself.
Alas -- he stood a good chance of winning, and very well might have, if it weren't for the fact that he was effectively fighting one against four. (The typical fate of a villain.) The fight ended with Gladias forced to retreat after being badly injured, and he staggered into the Orga Night headquarters looking to sit back and recover before making another strike. But in a cruel twist of fate, the very underling he'd previously punished had been moved under the rule of another commander -- granted with a powerful new weapon-partner -- and was evidently still holding a grudge. Gladias was killed easily, as was his weapon-partner.
And then, he landed in Nuadoria. Oh dear, he mused. This isn't much like any afterlife I imagined. I do hope they have some opium.
▓ nuadoria specific
≡ WHAT ARE THEY BRINGING TO NUADORIA?: The clothes off his back, a high-quality, custom-made pipe, and a small case of the drug crystals for the pipe.
≡ YOUR CHARACTER'S ELEMENT: Air.
≡ WHAT IS THEIR GESTALT?: Since Gladias seems to have a bit of a traditional-Japanese fox motif going on, he'll be having a fox youkai as his familiar. Black-ish, with three tails, and holding its hoshi no tama curled up in one of its tails.
As cliche as it is, his familiar leveled-up form will be a nine-tailed fox. Slightly larger than its three-tailed form, and colored silvery, with its hoshi no tama still curled up in one of its tail. It'll be able to do some standard youkai 'magic' -- illusions, shape-shifting, fox-fire, flight and invisibility.
〓 samples
✔ THIRD PERSON SAMPLE:
[ older writing sample. ]
"Hmm..." The lit end of his pipe flickered steadily as Gladias sat on the rocky ledge, the hem of his kimono and his lengthy sash billowing in the wind, long hair buffeted this way and that by the steady breeze. It was a nice day. The sky a clear blue, not too hot but not too cool, the air clean, and the ground stained a gorgeous, blotchy red. The puddle of blood has continued spread as he sat there, and he lifted his feet clear of the spreading stain just in time to prevent the blood from reaching his sandals. It would never do if he ended up tracking bloody footprints all over the place, that would be terrible inelegant.
A small form poked itself out of his sleeve, careful to stay within his shadow. "Gladias-san, aren't we going to go now?" She reached up, tugging at the cloth of his kimono. "Aren't we? Idui doeshn't like the light."
"Ah, yes, I suppose we should get going now, shouldn't we?" Petting her head, he rose, waiting for her to secure a position in the inside of his sleeve before surveying the scene of carnage before him. Perfectly sliced bodies, with the Core Stones for each of the Adel Raids torn out. Nudging the closest body with his foot, he turned it over, giving a small sigh and glancing balefully at the pipe that protruded from its forehead.
It was a pity that one had tried to run. What an undignified death. He'd been rather disgusted -- a warrior should never try to run, should die proud, with a blade through the chest, not the back -- and he hadn't been able to resist throwing his pipe like a miniature lance, puncturing straight through the skull and piercing clear through the brain. The pipe he puffed now was a replacement, as he sighed out a lungful of smoke as he muttered to himself, "I really should have kept from using my favorite pipe to kill him... This extra one just does not taste the same."
✔ FIRST PERSON SAMPLE:
VIDEO.
[ click! the video feed turns on, showing gladias looking into the camera -- a vaguely bemused expression on his face, opium pipe securely parked between his lips. he gives an amused sort of noise, and quirks an eyebrow before smiling (almost pleasantly) and speaking in a calm voice. ]
Ah -- good afternoon.
I must question the logistics of having what I assume is a communication network in a place that I can only imagine is some equivalent of the afterlife -- but I suppose I cannot complain.
[ a thoughtful pause, as he breathes out a streamer of thick smoke. ]
I do wonder if anyone would be generous enough to supply a newcomer with some information. The name, perhaps, or the geographic location of this city.