facing the past - discussion

[wolf.skull]

okay yeah that's what I thought, I just wanted to make sure. She's accepted and I added her to the front so feel free to jump in

[assiel]

PHEW i wrote a lot for that one. i apologize LOL hopefully my other responses aren't nearly as long winded

[wolf.skull]

that's okay lol I've been trying to write longer posts

[tooru.]

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✬ ＺＨＯＮＧＬＩ ✬

name; zhongli (钟离) / gender; male / age; mentally 6000, physically 28 / race; ex-archon / sexuality; bi / cabin; #2, bottom bunk. / alias(es); morax, the exuvia / fandom; Genshin Impact
note: this specific bio is canon-divergence, so it isn't fully canon and has some of my own inputs to suit the RP conditions.
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likes : spending money (unfortunately), rare gems, exquisite ceramics, osmanthus wine, and in general, tea.
dislikes : seafood. it reminds him of a traumatic incident during the days when he still wielded the power of an archon, but he will eat seafood only if it has been turned completely unrecognizable from its usual state.
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personality : Zhongli is a calm, reserved, and polite man who knows much about his nation's history and culture in part due to his time as their archon. he is humble despite his wealth of information, and can sometimes be somewhat insecure about it. he holds an air of melancholy around him, often reminiscing about the past and before, and he can get extremely nostalgic at times. he takes contracts (ie. promises) extremely seriously and will not hesitate to punish or be punished if one fails to keep their end of the deal. 
back story : it's a bit long, but i'll try to summarize it. basically, he was a merciless god that slaughtered countless other gods during a heated war to fulfill a said contract. after the war and after having rule a nation for decades, he chose to give up his power in order to test his nation to see if it was ready to proceed into a new age without his presence (because the people were very dependent on him all the time). his plan to depart his nation succeeded far better than he had expected it to, and now he roams the streets not as their god, but as a regular human, spending his days as a mortal being. 
also, I feel like I'm talking too much about this. sorry!

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abilities :
zhongli wields the power of Geo, hence he wields the power of rock, stone, and earth. he is able to manipulate the earth to his will, similar to telekinesis. he can create strong shields and summon steles that can aid in sealing a lifeform and aid in battle as obstructions. the steles he can erect are imbued with an energy that can be strong enough to injure, but this energy can be controlled and suppressed at his will.
his shields last until it is broken, or until he commands it so. it can be spread out to cover more than one person in the form of a ring and can be used to physically push or force someone back. he can control the size and flexibility of it as well. his main form of offense would come off more as a defense, as whenever he raises his shield, he produces an energy wave that knocks back and gathers Geo that helps to supply the shield's strength. and his strongest skill (which takes an immense toll on his physical body) brings a falling meteor down to earth, dealing massive damage and petrifying anyone caught within its range. this petrification wears off when the affected break free (if they are strong enough to), or when the timer of one minute runs out. this is his last go-to ability since it can exhaust him entirely, especially during long fights.
zhongli has this last skill that he seldom ever uses at all. this skill morphs him into a half-human, half-dragon being. his abilities are amplified and he becomes more dangerous to fight, but this comes at the cost of his sanity. he calls this loss of sanity 'erosion', and he loses his memories and his humanity the longer he stays as a half-being. he never uses this skill unless the situation turns absolutely dire. this skill had only been used in the past when he was still a god, when he still fought in the war, and even then it was only used when he felt that his own power wasn't enough.
NOTE : All of his abilities come at a cost of his energy, and rarely can he use all of it at once. reminder that even though he is still considered a god, he is no longer as equally strong as one.
Weapon : He wields a spear (of which he is extremely adept with) that can be materialized and dematerialized at will. Image is here.

hopefully this is comprehensive enough... apologies for the extremely long biography!
i haven't participated in a roleplay event for a year now. apologies once more if I'm rusty !

[wolf.skull]

he's accepted lol it's fine, this is my first rp in a long time as well so I understand

let me know if you need a recap!

[tooru.]

ah, that's good to hear! and it's alright, I've been reading the plot so far, and I'm excited to start. I'll find a suitable time to slot Zhongli in so for now, I'll just watch the thread ^^

[wolf.skull]

alrighty sounds good :)

[assiel]

AHHH i apologize for not responding for a little while i was dealing with. life LOL
i'll get up a response in a little bit! :D

edit: okay i ended up not writing a lot but i have some ideas for where jade is going to go next... i didn't want to fit it all into one post though because i was worried about writing wayyy too much

[wolf.skull]

oh that's okay! I also have some ideas as well, I'll figure it out lol don't worry about writing lots, it's always appreciated

if anyone else has any ideas I'm open to hearing them too!

[Kveykva]

Resulting from his heritage, Nicholas is incredibly talented
with necromancy. He's able to raise and maintain the
undead in this realm with very little effort. Of course,
raising the dead isn't the only thing he can do with ghosts;
Nicholas can commune with spirits, manipulate their
tangibility and what all they're able to sense, as well as
tame particularly dangerous poltergeists. This affinity with
the dead also gives him a similar affinity to life, so Nick is
able to sense the living or dead status of another and
determine some states about another's life from an object
that was important to them. He's also capable of
shadowmancy to a lesser degree, which is essentially
limited to darkening a room or moving from one shadow to
another, as though it were a doorway. He has wings made
from a material with a similar make as obsidian, and while
he doesn't use them for flight, they're very sharp and
resilient enough to block attacks. Bloodline abilities aside,
Nicholas is a skilled swordsman, with the rapier being his
preferred weapon. His style with the weapon is heavily
influenced by fencing, involving swift strikes and jabs. He
also is rather musically inclined, having both a decent
ability to sing and play a few different instruments. Both
of these skills stem from his nobility as a child.

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𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐘 𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐃

❖ nicholas storm ❖ fifty-six; appears mid-thirties
❖ male ❖ horseman of death ❖ oc ❖ cabin 2 bottom bunk

Nicholas stands taller than most at 6'2 and has a
thin, waifish build, but strikingly attractive
features. He comes off looking rather harmless,
but his divine aura is another thing entirely. It
boasts presence and power when in effect,
demanding all attention. People feel this aura
most strongly when looking into his eyes, which
are a deep shade of lavender. He also carries a pair
of large, bladed wings reminiscent of volcanic glass.
They are sturdy enough to block attacks and sharp
enough to serve as weapons on their own, but he is
incapable of flight. Nicholas has thin black hair,
which is cut just above shoulder length, pale skin,
and teeth like a military cemetery.
Nicholas has rather refined tastes when it comes to
his clothing choices. He prefers suits, slacks, and
ties on occasion. His outfits always match, though
they usually have a muted color palette.

i. confident and lively; knack for showmanship
ii. enjoys the little things and doesn't plan ahead
iii. outgoing, persuasive, and charismatic, especially
with larger groups iv. impulsive, sometimes his
mouth runs faster than his thoughts v. can be calm
and collected when it's demanded; thrives in the
leadership position vi. natural diplomat vii. fluent
in eight languages

▸ walking cane - a sturdy but stylish walking cane;
has a handle made of bone, a collar of silver, and
the shaft is crafted of ebony. although not
dangerous on its own, the cane serves as a sheath
for a Stygian Iron rapier. the knob handle serves as
the sword's pommel when unsheathed and the collar
reshapes to form a handguard.
▸ birthright - an amulet consisting of a brilliantly
polished blue gemstone and a silver chain; the
gemstone is framed in silver and engraved with
a gold avian crest. it never leaves his person.
▸ signet ring - represents his position as a
horseman; a wide, rounded ring made of cold
iron with the Inner Eye symbol stamped into it.
▸ Xaliphax - the pale horse. takes the form of an
off-white, ivory-colored Arabian stallion with black
sockets instead of eyes, and its presence makes
people and animals alike anxious. it can also take
a more modern form of a '67 Ford Mustang Fastback
of the same color. is a fickle creature who enjoys
being treated like royalty and often is uncooperative
with his master for fun. in the end, however, his
loyalty is to Nicholas. horse | car

▸ themes
As the horseman: Jeff Tuohy - Bourbon Street
As himself: Poor Man's Poison - Wayfaring Stranger

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▸ History
Curiously, Nicholas began his life as a demigod, child of the virgin God of Death, and a mortal named Angel. From what he understands, his mother was thrilled at his birth, but she came to blame him for the departure of his father. As a result, he grew up under the care of nannies who were terrified of him and his budding necromancy, only finding solace in the time he spent with his father. Thanatos made what time he could to take a part in Nick's life, and as a result, the two have a fairly close relationship. While Nicholas is thankful for the time they spent together and accredits his skills to what his father taught him, he would never fully understand why until later in his life. When he was about 16, Nicholas ran away from home and his mother. He grew tired of being groomed for a role he didn't feel like he belonged in and hated the way everyone treated him. They did what he said, but they did it out of fear. He decided to try life out on his own, and it was a lot more difficult than he accounted for. He spent his early adulthood wandering from place to place, never really settling down. He did his best to get by, and aside from near-constant spectral companions, his life was relatively ordinary. Eventually, Nicholas' wanderings brought him full circle back to his mother, who seemed to be a drastically different person. Gone was the reigning queen he knew from his childhood, who groomed him to be her heir. She'd found happiness with someone else and had a second child. Nicholas tried to be happy for them, but their relationship never really healed and he couldn't completely hide the bitter resentment he felt towards Angel. When he was in his mid-thirties, Nick took a fatal blow meant for someone else and died, meeting his father in less than ideal circumstances. Reluctantly, Death informed him of the destiny he'd been dealt; He was to become the fourth horseman of Armegeddon, taking the role originally meant for Thanatos. There wasn't a choice to become a god; the divinity was forced into him, and originally Nicholas was just a vessel. The ordeal left him in pieces, and he was mute for many years afterward. He regained his voice when he began to accept his destiny, and the spirit of destruction merged with his own, making them one and the same. Although Nicholas has accepted the title and the spirit of death living within him, he still shuns the role and is, unprepared to handle the apocalypse should it come to pass. Put frankly, he wishes the position did not belong to him.

tldr: demigod turned god after living a less than fulfilling life, but his new purpose is arguably worse