It's an interesting character and I've no troubles with it. Rather enjoy the Zoroastrian element. That said, I don't know if I'm gonna be able to work the Div-e-Speid bit into the story; especially given the extreme power of the being. As long as that isn't an issue, the character is fine.SamtheDeathclaw said:Name: Zaosh Ushah
Gender & Age: Twenty-five year old male.
Appearance: Zaosh is Parsi, with the dark skin and deep brown eyes and hair to prove it. He stands at roughly 5'8", with a sturdy, well-muscled build, weighing around 150lbs. Zaosh wears his hair cut short, simply having it buzzcut every few weeks, and keeping his face clean-shaven. He has a number of tattoos, of fire and stars in esoteric patterns, covering much of his torso and back.
He moves with a confident ease that puts many people off their guard, neither creeping nor hurrying. He's not precisely graceful, but he's light on his feet and in good shape, at least.
He'd partial to wearing red, with lots of red hoodies, jeans, and sneakers. He carries a long curved scimitar, allegedly the sword of Rostam, handed down from generation to generation. (A copy, to be sure, but he doesn't like people implying such. Allegedly, his family does hold the original somewhere, but no one is quite sure where.)
Faction: Independent, but with ties to U.N.I.T.E.D.
Biography/History: Zaosh had an... Interesting childhood, to be certain. His father was the local priest of Ahura Mazda, tending their community's fire temple. His mother was a local in their small Indian village. Zaosh and his mother were always treated with respect- almost reverence- above even that of their father, and Zaosh never quite understood why until December 21st, 2012. He was 19 when the world ended.
His mother took him aside, that night, speaking of dire prophecies and the reawakening of Angra Mainyu, the source of all evils in the world. Monsters and devils were returning to the world, and he was to fight them. There was no prophecy, no long-standing hope of a hero- simply a decision from his mother that, well, someone had to do something. She had him meditate in a cave near their home all that night, before emerging at dawn. He knew, somehow, that the world was completely different, even if the average person would never know. When he returned home, it was gone, the entire village levelled. A lone survivor emerged from the rubble, carrying a sword and crying. The man, a local carpenter, attacked Zaosh, crying that "the beast demanded it or the world would burn." Zaosh disarmed him, but the man died anyways, his heart seeming to simply fail.
Zaosh took the blade, and went to seek whatever being caused the destruction, but the beast found him first: Div-e-Sepid, slain by the legendary hero Rostam, but returned to life by foolish cultists. The creature- huge and powerful, fueled by dark magics- looked at Zaosh and laughed.
"Blood of Rosham, you are no match for my magic. You will be no challenge in this state, weak as you are. Become strong, wielding that thrice-cursed blade. I shall find you when you do." The beast disappeared into thin air.
Zaosh understood, then. He was the descendant of Rostam, whose progeny had been driven out of their native Persia with the rest of the Parsi. The great beast, Div-e-Sepid, had sought out the descendants of Rostam, seeking to test his new form against them. When he found nothing but Zaosh's mother, he demanded the male descendant of Rostam be brought to him. When no one could find him, hidden as he was in the caves, he destroyed the town, and killed the last villager when he failed to slay Zaosh. Then that meant the blade was probably Rostam's, then, if the demon told him to take it.
And so, lacking anything else to do, he prayed to Ahura Mazda for direction. He saw smoke rising from another nearby village, then, and knew what he had to do. He would become a hero. He hadn't been chosen by anything except blood and timing, but he would take up his forefather's blade and cut a bloody swath through the demons with it.
So he wandered India, avoiding populated areas where people would question a young Parsi man toting around a sword, and sticking to rural areas, focusing on Parsi villages, where he would root out local dangers before moving onto the next. But I'm getting ahead of myself. The first monster he saw besides Div-e-Speid was a karkadann, a rare Indian variant of a unicorn. Vicious beasts, but fond of virgins, likely a rhino infused with magic or similar. Zaosh found himself face to face with one just outside of the neighboring village (the smoke he'd seen was just the local fire temple, but it was a handy reminder than there were other people to protect still.) The karkadann wasn't rampaging yet, but he knew his legends, and knew it was capable of great destruction. So he drew his blade, and approached. The beast, smelling Zaosh, began to snort and stomp, and quickly charged the boy. He dodged its charge, and slashed it as it passed. This continued for a time, the karkadann circling and charging while Zaosh slashed at it. But, eventually, Zaosh slipped up. He would have got caught right in the gut by the beast, but a cry to Ahura Mazda slipped from his lips before impact, and that was all Zaosh's god needed to step in- a pillar of flame descended from the heavens, igniting the beast and immolating it, leaving not even ashes.
After that incident, he became a proper wandering hero, testing the limits of his newfound powers, fighting Type 1s and 2s, getting into a few close scrapes a time or two. Then, he met UNITED. He didn't know who they were, exactly, but while he was tracking a div in the jungles of India, he came across a half-dozen worth of human tracks. He followed them instead of the demon's trail, deciding he wanted to know what they were doing, instead of facing a potentially extremely powerful monster. They turned out to be a bunch of soldiers from UNITED, tracking that selfsame monster. Zaosh came out of the brush, his sword sheathed across his back, his clothes disheveled, and he did indeed look like a warrior out of legend. He offered to lead them back on course, since they'd lost the trail. They reluctantly agreed, then, once the div- as it turns out, it'd just survived a fight with another demon hunter, and was significantly weaker than expected- had been defeated, they dragged Zaosh back to the UNITED headquarters in India, where they had him sign on as a guide. They left him to his own devices mainly, but called on him for tracking aid from time to time, given his familiarity with rural India, and his powerful divine magic.
Then, the relationship escalated from, "help us in India," to "help us in central Asia," to "help us in Asia and the Middle East," to "help us." He was sent on longer and longer assignments away from India, and was protecting more Muslims, Christians, and Hindus than Zoroastrians, though he decided he didn't mind. Everyone needed help, though using Ahura Mazda's supreme power to protect nonbelievers made Zaosh slightly uncomfortable at times. UNITED didn't need him, not at all, but the people he helped while working with them? They did. And so Zaosh agreed to these assignments, working with them as requested.
However, this Boston assignment is on track to be the last straw. They dragged him away from tracking a ghoul in Iran- a beastie that won't be caught unless he does it himself- to Boston. America. They had their own defense force, for crying out loud, not to mention a ridiculously well-armed populace. Zaosh was not needed here. He was not wanted, either, given the looks he was given by the local. He didn't want to be there, to boot. But since he was there, he'd do his best to fight the monster, then get back to Iran and hope the monster hadn't killed too many innocents.
Personality: Zaosh holds the teachings of Zoroaster very near and dear to his heart, believing wholeheartedly in the simple idea of,
"On three noble ideals be ever intent:He's fond of good conversation- and especially enjoys speaking with people of other religions- and good food. He tries not to allow the tragedy of his past- mother and father dead at the hands of a demon who has sworn to reappear when he judges Zaosh to be strong enough- to bring him down, and tries instead to prevent others from ever having to undergo what he did. He likes people, likes conversation, and likes jokes. He tries to be accepting of everyone, handing out his healing as he can to help people out. He is, in short, a pretty good Zoroastrian. Logical, given that his faith is the source of all his power.
The good thought well thought,
The good word well spoken,
The good deed well done."
Divinity: Zoash draws his power from Ahura Mazda, calling down pillars of holy flame to scourge the demons from the world. He is also fond of using the blessing of his lord to increase his prowess with his blade, and of focusing the holy chants of his religion into healing magic. (See Other for his standard healing chant.)
Notable Skills: Zoash is a capable swordsman- good enough to defend himself against Type 1 demons, especially while wielding his ancestral blade, even while not blessing himself. While under a blessing, he fights as well as Rostam ever did, and is capable of slaying a Type 2, or even a low-grade Type 3, by his lonesome, though doing such is still incredibly dangerous, and leaves him near-catatonic for days afterwards. Needless to say, he avoids doing such as much as he can.
Outside of combat, Zaosh loves to cook. For him, cooking is an easy way to feel connected with Ahura Mazda, and cooks over an open flame as often as he can, often mumbling prayers as he does.
Other:
Speaks four languages fluently: Farsi, Hindi, Avestan (ancient dead language, the language of Zoroastrian holy texts), and English, though all of it is filtered through a moderate Farsi accent, as that's what he spoke in his home, though it's been years since he started using others more, so it is lighter than one might expect.
He came to Boston on a plane, with a ticket purchased by UNITED. They chose to send him to Boston as a sort of test- they want to see if he has the spirit of multiculturalism that they claim to have. Plus, their American operatives were all taking the month off, so they figured, eh, why not?
Zaosh will probably be poking around whatever crime scenes prompted investigation into the monster, looking for clues.
As a note: his sword is simply sharper and lighter than the normal sword. It having been (a copy of) Rostam's sword is the only true mark of exception. Zaosh has been known to refer to it as "Kin-Killer" for its sad part in the story of Sorhan and Rostam, where Rostam unknowingly slew his own son, Sorhan.
Ahmai raeshca kharenascaThis is the long form of his prayer, though he often shortens it to just the first three lines.
Ahmai tanvo drvatatem
Ahmai tanvo vazdvare
Ahmai tanvo verethrem
Ahmai ishtim pourush-khathram
Ahmai asnamcit frazantim
Ahmai darekham darekho-jitim
Ahmai vahishtem ahum ashaonam
Raocanghem vispo-khathrem.
I like the character a lot. Only 1 item of note; it's possible that another Knights Templar will be chosen for the game and so this mission will no longer be your first solo job.Texas Joker 52 said:Here's my contribution. Let me know if he's alright, and if there's anything I need to change.
Name: Father Shaun Daughtry
Gender & Age: Male, 28
Faction: The Knights Templar
Despite his tall and lanky stature, standing at 2 meters whenever he doesn't slouch, Shaun is normally described as a man that is easy to overlook simply due to what little attention he draws to himself. His skin is fair, while his face is rather narrow. His jaw is strong, his nose blunt, and his mouth thin, while his pale green eyes are narrow behind the thin-rimmed glasses he wears. His hair as a golden blonde, usually cropped roughly short, while his face clean shaven.
Most often seen wearing the black formal wear of a Catholic priest, along with a long white overcoat, he usually 'goes to work' with an additional white armband around his right arm, depicting a red Templar Cross. Whenever he isn't dressed formally, he tends to favor the black trousers of his formal wear along with a loose white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Regardless of what he wears, he can't be described as anything but awkward and mousy. One thing he always wears however is his rosary, something he wears even in his sleep.
The weapon he wields for his demon hunting is a replica of the Spear of Longinus, a simple spear in the style of a Roman Hasta. Whenever he happens to be carrying it with him, and not using it in battle, he keeps the spearhead covered with what appears to be a brass headpiece in the shape of an ornate cross.
Around most people, Shaun is considered an awkward and rather soft spoken man, shy around crowds, particularly women, but beneath that he is a man of steadfast faith, iron will, and has a stubborn streak a mile wide, with the main problem being the fact that he is anything but a social creature. He is by far most comfortable whenever he is alone or with close comrades. However, even then, he is seen as something of a black sheep among the Roman Catholic priesthood, as well as among the Knights Templar due to his somewhat differing beliefs. While he is a strong believer in God and Christ Jesus, he doesn't entirely agree with the teachings of the Catholic Church, and is slightly more open-minded than most on certain things in regards to Christianity.
While is faith is a large part of who he is, however, he does try to avoid using his religion to define his interactions with others when at all possible, being a firm believer that others need to find their own way, and that shoving his Christianity down the throats of others will only harm his cause.
Overall, Shaun is a compassionate man, if impatient. He sees others, even if they are of a different faith, as God's children regardless, and fights against the Extraplanar to protect humanity at large. As such, he sees himself almost as a holy foot soldier, part of a new Crusade against the Legions of Hell, and because of that, he is particularly dangerous. Not because of his physical or Divine skills, but because he believes in his cause so firmly.
Divinity
Purification: Out of all of Shaun's talents in divinity, Purification is his weakest suit. He can perform basic Purifications, though they don't have the same impact as a Templar who has specialized in them, partly because he doesn't channel the same focus as he does with Blessings and Prayer, and doesn't have the same righteous anger fueling them. However, they are somewhat potent to lesser types of Extraplanar, just not as effective as they could be.
Blessings: Blessings are by far Shaun's strongest Divine power, to the point that they are more advanced than they would be for another Templar priest of equivalent rank and experience. His specialties are to enhance a person's resilience and stamina, as well as providing wards to repel demons, though he can supplement a comrades strength in a pinch. However, most of his Blessings tend to be more defensive than offensive.
Prayer: Besides Blessings, Prayer is Shaun's other strongest facet of his Divinity. Unlike other priests, he tries to avoid simply reciting a prayer like an actor would a script, but instead believes that a sincere Prayer, coming from ones heart in the heat of the moment is more effective, and that God responds more strongly to sincerity than simple verses. Unlike his Blessings, Shaun's Prayers are only slightly more effective than they would be had they come from a Templar of similar experience and rank.
Spear of Longinus: While only a copy given to low-ranking Templars, the Spear Shaun was given is still a rather effective weapon against the Extraplanar, having been Blessed with a fraction of the power of the original, giving it a Divine effect against Demons. In addition, Shaun tends to use it as a sort of catalyst alongside his rosary whenever giving Blessings or making Prayers.
Rosary: While a simple Roman Catholic rosary, Shaun has taken to wrapping it around his left hand while holding his Spear in his right, and occasionally resorting to using it as a makeshift holy knuckle-duster. Due to his strong faith, and the fact that he often uses it as a focus for a very minor Blessing of Strength, it proves to be slightly more effective than one would expect.
Physically, Shaun is rather fit, and although while he isn't exceptionally strong, agile or speedy, his real physical talent is his stamina. While partly due to his Templar training, a large part of it is due to his mindset and sheer stubbornness.
He is also extensively trained in fighting with a spear, and can use his Spear of Longinus to great effect, be it as a proper melee weapon or a thrown spear. Still, he prefers to keep to a support capacity with Blessings and Prayer. That does not mean that he will hesitate to use his spear should the worst come to pass.
Despite his training however, he will often devolve into fist-fighting should he get disarmed.
Shaun Daughtry was born in Dublin, Ireland, the result of an indiscretion between a minor Catholic priest and a member of his congregation. When said indiscretion was found out, Shaun had been born to two parents who wanted nothing to do with him, and was promptly given to a orphanage run by the Church. From there, he was taken in by the one of the priests there, a Father Roarke, and was given a proper Catholic upbringing. As a child, Shaun was rather easily intimidated by other people as a result, but looked up to Father Roarke as a parent, as well as an example of the Catholic Church itself: Patient, kind, compassionate, and understanding. At least, usually understanding.
His life in school was generally quiet, passing most of his classes and scarcely garnering any notice from either teachers or fellow students. This is due to him avoiding most unnecessary contact, though he did make a scant few friends, if one used the term loosely. Instead, his time was usually taken up by either textbooks, or the Bible given to him by Father Roarke himself. Even at a young age, he was fascinated with the book and it's teachings, as well as the history that was put into it.
Seeing that interest, Father Roarke suggested grooming Shaun into a priest himself, and after some time, Shaun accepted. Immediately after graduating secondary school, Shaun thrust himself into seminary. It was there, unlike during his public education when he was younger, that he actually garnered some notice among his peers, mainly because some of his differing beliefs. Despite that, however, he went through the four years necessary for his graduation, and from there took the necessary steps to be ordained to be a Priest.
But, at 24 and with his disposition towards people, he was far from an ideal priest to be leading in church services. He found it increasingly difficult to actually connect to the members of his parish thanks to his shyness and awkward demeanor, but in April of 2013, he found his true calling.
Late in the evening on Saturday, while he was preparing for the service the next morning, the church had been broken into. While he had heard the commotion, he had thought it would be some mislead thief, or someone planning to desecrate the church itself. Instead, he found out that it was a Type I Extraplanar. A demon. It had been chased there by a particularly dogged Knight Templar, who had led the beast to the church in the hopes of a place devoid of civilians, and as a form of home-field advantage.
As Shaun watched the two do battle, he took his rosary and prayed for God to bolster the Templar's strength, to keep him safe, as well as for the demon's destruction. Unbeknownst to him, his prayer took the form of a Blessing on the Templar, though the Templar himself noticed his renewed strength. When he smote the demon in the main chapel, he turned to Shaun and thanked him for his help, but refused to answer any questions. Instead, he cryptically said that only a higher power would be able to answer his questions, and he left.
The following weekend, Shaun had gotten a phone call from the Vatican. Called into Rome, he was informed of the Knights Templar's existence, and their purpose: To protect humanity from the Extraplanar, demons who had entered the world after the end of the previous year. And they told him that Shaun had potential, and offered him a chance to join the ranks of the Templars.
His former discontent as a mere priest, one who didn't properly reach his congregation, along with the chance to pursue an even higher calling was all the motivation he needed, and he accepted their offer. With the same zeal that he put into seminary, he put into his Templar training. He learned of just what kind of demons there could be, and of the limits of his own abilities. That he could channel God's power using his own faith in the form of Purifications, Blessings, and Prayers.
In addition, he was given a copy of the Spear of Longinus and trained to wield it. For the following three and a half years, he trained, studied, and practiced his new weapons, the gifts given to him by God to protect his children, as well as destroy his enemies. Once the Vatican felt he was ready for real combat, he was sent into the field with a temporary partner: The very same Templar he had watched kill the first demon he laid eyes on.
For the following six months, they traveled the world in response to demon sightings, and after killing several Type I's under the Templar's supervision, he was given his first solo assignment: Investigate a recent string of killings in Boston, suspected to be caused by a demon.
-Thanks to the Vow of Poverty Shaun had taken when entering the priesthood, he is almost borderline homeless, usually making due with what little they give him in the way of pay. While it means he has to live off of canned soup, instant noodles and frozen waffles, he accepts it because he sees his duty to the Knights Templar as not a career, but a calling. However, he wouldn't complain the opportunity to eat better.
-Shaun took his vows of priesthood early compared to some others in the clergy. Thanks to that, and lack of both time and opportunity when he was younger, Shaun is still a virgin, and it's because of those vows and the fact that he is still only human, he tends to be more awkward around attractive women than he would be some others.
-Despite being Irish by birth, Shaun doesn't have a noticeable accent. This is thanks to vocal training he was given when he entered into the Knights Templar, to help him blend in in the different countries he would be sent to. Since he disliked even the slight accent he had when he was younger, he is immensely thankful for this, but it occasionally comes out whenever he is extremely emotional.
-Shaun has an actual Mission account for whenever he is actively hunting demons that is completely separate from his piss-poor wages. However, he must justify every single expense, and if he ever used that account for something other than a dire emergency or on an actual mission expense, in his words, "Only the Mother Mary or Christ Jesus themselves could keep the Vatican from stripping the cost out of my sorry hide."
-He also has a glasses allowance, due to being nearsighted and in a very dangerous profession. However, should he use them all within a year, any new glasses come out of what pay he has. Needless to say, he works to avoid that by being careful.
