Post by Nina Foster on Sept 16, 2008 4:02:52 GMT -5
The Basics...
Name: Nina Elizabeth Foster
Age: 26
Gender: Female
Occupation: Mercenary / Assassin
Alliance: One of the Burned
Appearance:
Nina's most predominant feature is her green eyes. Almond shaped, and slightly larger than average, they hold her darkest secrets and reveal her inner feelings. Despite how much she attempts to hide them, her eyes will giver her away.
Shadowing her face, she has a thick mass of dark brown hair that never seems to be tame. No matter how often she slicks it back or combs it, it will eventually resume its messy look. Easily teased by a slight breeze, or rumpled by even the slightest touch, her hair is the most recognizable part of her physique.
Her skin is a light brown color, rather than the more feminine peachy tone that most ladies of the Nameless World possess. The coloring is mostly due to spending her days outside, for she has no place she can call home. Furthermore, the outside suits her persona more. She would choose the freedom of an open field, rather than the confinements of a building.
Nina's physique is rather lean, but a soft muscular undertone gives her body some volume. She stands at a height of about 5’5, fairly average for a human female.
Upon her right eye lies her mark of the Burned. It is shaped to resemble a symbol from her family's linage that meant "Rebellion." Nina's heart longs for change, for rebellion against the way things are.
'I'm strange because...
Personality:
Nina's neither elegant nor graceful.. She's stubborn, sarcastic, rude, and hard-headed. She has a strong mind and heart, and would fight for what she believes is right, even if the rest of the world is against her. She has a quick tongue that gets her into trouble. Basically, she fights firsts and asks questions later.
...at least that's the front she puts up; but within the very pit of her soul, Nina is in fact a loner. Shunned by her own family and friends, Nina finds it hard to trust anyone. To her, most women are weak, reckless, and motivated by emotion; most men are arrogant and brash.
In a way, Nina has packed a thick layer of ice around her heart. Feelings of compassion are rare, and quickly lost. Being close to any person means allowing herself to be vulnerable to some sort of hurt. Fearing what fate may do to those she cares about…
Being one of the Burned, Nina has found even more reason to resent company and to not trust too many other people. She accepts the other Burned as her companions, but makes a point to never get to close…
Fears:
Atychiphobia – fear of failure
Soteriophobia - Fear of dependence on others
'I'm me because...
Mother: Julia Colvin – Alive: age 49
Father: Vance Colvin – Alive: age 52
Siblings: Derek Colvin – Deceased at age 25 (5 years ago)
History:
The sun had just begun to set in the west, casting a deep auburn shade over the valley. Everything about the Blood Valley was true: the view at sunset was beautiful. The canyon walls glimmered crimson red. The sky accented shades of pink, and further to the east, a soft blue hue began to form. Upon a high canyon cliff, the obvious silhouette of a woman stood tall and proud; rigid, as if stubborn against the natural curve of her back.
A breeze billowed over the valley, teasing the soft blades of grass that surrounded the canyon. The sound of the billowing reeds seemed like music to the woman’s ears, for she smiled a sly, yet, tranquil smile. The wind teased the short, thick tresses of the woman’s dark hair, and she ran a tanned, slender hand through the mass in an attempt to tame it. The effort was in vain, however, for her hair seemed to stay in the same place anyway.
To any eye, the woman would seem like a happy, peaceful woman of her time. Only one who had looked deep into her green eyes would know better, for in the eyes of this woman lie hatred, disgust, deceit, sorrow, betrayal, and pain. Her eyes told her story, but for one who cannot read her eyes, elaboration may be necessary…
This woman is Nina Elizabeth Foster: Worth £10,000 if captured, and even more if brought back alive. She is a woman whose face is known and loathed throughout the town of Etsumo, for she was a murderer…
… According to the rumors anyway.
Perhaps it would be wise to start at the beginning?
Twenty-Six Years ago…
Nina Elizabeth Foster was born to Vance and Julie Colvin in the well-known town of Etsumo. She was six by the time the war ended. Her brother Derek was ten years old. They were not very close, for he was following in his father’s footsteps in the blacksmithing business while Nina was preoccupied with other things.
Nina had befriended a young boy known simply as Cameron to her. Soon would she come to learn that he was of the high-class, and well-respected clan of Fosters. Her family of Colvins were lower in the social standings, not approving their friendship at all, and although the Fosters tried to discourage Cameron from seeing Nina, their friendship blossomed. At their young ages, what did social standing mean to either of them? Even into their teens, when they had an understanding of social class and what it meant, they had been friends too long to care. They were young, reckless, wild and free.
Nina and Cameron were bound for life, and nothing would sever them, “save death,” they would say. They were irresponsible and always bound to get themselves into some sort of mess, for trouble always seemed to find them. The town knew them quite well. Many stories worth telling in the town always began with “Nina and Cameron…”
Childhood friendship soon blossomed into young love for one another. When Nina was eighteen, Cameron proposed; naturally, she accepted. Their families never approved, but gave them their blessings just the same.
They were married six months later. Nina felt like she was in a fairy tale. The world around her was at peace, and her life seemed to be falling into place. There was no more talk of war, no conflict in the town, and prosperity reigned.
Nina and Cameron talked of traveling the whole of The Nameless World. They were going to go all the way to the Blood Valley, and see the stairway to Tengoku. Their plans were delayed, however, when Nina realized she was with child. Oh, how their dreams soared nonetheless! Their loved blazed like a wildfire, and their dreams and fantasies reached the sky…
7 Years ago...
Fate, however, had different plans from what Nina or Cameron had in mind. The afternoon was dark and grey. A quiet rain drizzled from the heavens. A birthing mother’s cry was not echoed by that of a newly born infant. Nina felt darkness overtake her soul. The doctor packed up his bag and placed a tiny bundle in the arms of Cameron. A quick whisper, and the doctor left the Foster household. Nina studied the face of her beloved, and watched in horror as sobs shook his body. Nina had never seen a man cry, and it tore her heart in two.
“He was too soon…” she remembered hearing Cameron say before exhaustion took over her body.
Nina at first cursed the gods for taking away her first child. Cameron remained pious however, thanking Pyro for leaving him with Nina. Although bitter, Nina accepted this fact, rose up from her sorrow, and followed Cameron with a heavy heart.
They would try again. Although the tragedy shook the sturdy spirits of the Fosters, Nina and Cameron would not be broken so easily. They had so much more life to live, so many dreams to make reality, so much happiness they had yet to experience. They were sill together, forever, “save death” they would say…
5 years ago….
Sadly, the tragedy did not end there. The dreams of Nina and Cameron would never be realized. The evening was so dark on that night; Nina remembered not being able to see the moon through the thick mass of clouds. She walked down the cobblestone road with her hands full of supplies and food to last her and Cameron through the coming months. Cameron had stayed behind at their house, re-roofing the hut to be sure that the rain this season would not seep through.
Nina managed to open the door into her home, despite the cumbersome packaging she held. She called for Cameron to help her. Her voice echoed through the walls as if the place was vacant and hollow. Why was it so dark?
“Cameron?” She called again, this time with an eerie feeling creeping into her stomach. “Cameron?” Her voiced quivered. She made her way to the kitchen, praying that she would not drop the bag that held glass.
The bag fell nonetheless, and the sound of shattered glass echoed down the hall Upon her once-clean kitchen floor lay her childhood friend and husband, drenched in his own blood. His own sword was still wedged within his abdomen saddened in rich, crimson blood.
Nina crouched down beside him to wrench the murderous weapon from his gut. Blood covered her cloths and her hands. She screamed in horror at the sight of her fallen love. The blood-curdling scream could be heard throughout the small corner of the town. Out of the corner of her left eye, Nina caught sight of a shadow move to escape her home. Still holding the blood-soaked sword, she jumped up and sprinted after the villain.
Once outside, he turned to face her, and to Nina’s horror, she recognized her only brother. “Derek…” She whispered his name as her heart stopped beating. “Why?”
“Foster,” Derek replied, using her last name as if he had never known her, “You’ve heard of the Burned. They are rising, we normal humans are gathering to combat them before their numbers rise to great. Your husband refused to join…”
Nina heard, but didn’t understand. She stood dumbfounded.
“He was a threat against the rest of us, Foster. The human army will prevail. We will keep the peace.”
“I cannot listen to this, Derek. You killed my husband! You murdered Cameron!” Nina shouted hysterically. Still wielding the blood-soaked sword, she lunged toward her brother, and was easily subdued. Derek had his own sword, now embedded within his sister’s abdomen.
Nina felt a darkness overtake her, almost the same way she had when she lost her little boy. And then… a voice entered her mind. “Fight for me, for peace, and I will give you the power to defeat this adversary…” Nina’s heart accepted, and suddenly, she felt her face burn. Her body suddenly filled with power. The sword that pierced her stomach no longer hurt. She leapt at Derek once more, and the earth shook beneath her feet.
Suddenly, the world around her grew silent. She stared into the eyes of her brother as she pierced him through the heart... He died there, but not without consequence.
Nina Foster found herself surrounded by neighbors as a murderer of her husband and brother.
“Nina Foster! What have you done?”
“I-I … Derek… Cameron!” She stammered. They surrounded her in an attempt to catch her before she could run.
“What’s that upon your face?” Nina touched the right side of her face. It still hurt, but she had ignored the pain until this moment.
“Foster’s… Foster’s one of the Burned!”
“They are rising!”
“Murderers!” The cries of the town folk rang in Nina’s ears. They tried to catch her, but Nina found herself moving the earth and clearing a path for herself.
She fled.
Etsumo was fairly easy to escape. The only people who knew of the incident were close neighbors, everyone else slept peacefully in their beds. No alarms were raised, and no one else pursued Nina that night.
She headed towards the coastline where she managed to wash her body and her cloths which were still caked with dried blood. Cameron’s sword, too, was washed of the blood that stained it. The sword was the last thing Nina had of her beloved, and she tucked it into her belt with care.
Nina continued to travel up the coast, and came upon the Plains of Fire where the legendary weapons had once fallen. She stayed there for a year, letting the heat of her warrant die before she moved on. During her stay upon the Plains, she met an old monk, slightly older than her father: Shonari Tusga. Nina still remembers one night the spent together next to a burning fire. She spilt her story to him. The old monk listened intently and thoughtfully.
“You, child, have become a victim of Fate… but all hope is not lost,” he started slowly. Nina looked at him with tear-filled eyes. “Do not wallow in despair. Rather, pick up the weapon that slain your husband, become one with it. Fate has more in store for you than despair and sorrow. Pyro did not choose you for nothing…”
“I can barely hold it. How will I ever learn to use it?”
“I will teach you, and you will learn.”
Fighting styles and combat skills were a specialty for Old Man Shonari, for he was apart of the epic war years ago. She left him after a year on the Plains, but continued her training around the Namelss World. She endeavored to master the art of swordsmanship. She named her sword Valdis – a name that meant “spirited in battle.” Along with her sword, Nina gradually learned to use her newly gained power, the element of Earth…
Present…
The sun had set completely now. The sky was a dark, navy-blue color flecked with white, shinning stars that glimmered with innocence. On the precipice, Nina let the memories wash over her. Gently, she touched the sword that still hung at her side. A lump formed in her throat, but she swallowed it firmly. She would not cry. No, never again.
It has been five years since that death; and since she left Shonari and the Plains, Nina has also lost sight of her original destiny. Not only was she wanted for murder, she was persecuted for being one of the Burned. Anger and bitterness took over her heart, she turned her back on Pryo, as well as the whole human race.
Nina became a mercenary for the race of the Burned, fighting wherever they led her. Sometimes, she found herself using her skills for the highest bidder, not necessarily the Burned. The path she walks is long an crooked, twisted within the battle of justice and revenge within her soul. Although she doesn't realize it, she kills to hide the pain, though though the years, she’s found that the pain of her loss has not, and probably never will, gone away. Where would life take her now? What was her destiny from here? Where will this pointless war of hatred bring her and the rest of the world?
Little does Nina Foster know that her part in this tale was just beginning…
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'I'm special because...
Powers:[/u]
From her burning, Nina has gained the power to move stone, dirt, and other earthly materials – the element of Earth.
Strength / Weaknesses:
Nina's will is her ultimate strength. She will never give up, never back down, and never let go. Her ability to shut out any emotional attachment is her strength in a way. She will never let her feelings get in the way of her judgment. Thought quick to anger, she knows how to control it She does have a problem where she acts without thinking. She would never strike out in anger, but she will never assess a situation before taking action. She judges first, then asks questions.
She can handle a sword better than most women, though she could always use more training. Her brute strength is lacking, however, she’s fast and agile. Combined with high stamina, she’s a formidable opponent.
Furthermore, she’s quite competitive. When challenged, she will fight, and she wants to win. Not quite the soar loser, but of course never enjoying it. She hangs tight to pride, be it a weakness or a strength.
When it comes to her Burned Power, she copes well with others who have another earthy, solid gift, such as water and fire. But when it comes to supernatural and more abstract elements such as wind, shadow, and light, Nina has a hard time facing such opponents. She’d prefer to draw her sword against these people.
Earth is also a very heavy element. Nina’s lack of physical strength leads to a disadvantage in wielding this earth-bound power. Her gift can only stretch so far. Although not limited by how many pounds she can lift physically, she is bound to some extend. Nina can’t move mountains, theoretically if you will. Minor rocks, and perhaps flat solid ground, boulders, and possibly objects the size of trees she can handle. Any bigger, and she may have to cut it in half.
Nina's Journey Thus Far[/b]
Time Heals Nothing[/center][/color][/size]
