Edgefall
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
Spirit Warrior
Enforcer of Justice
Edgefall is a spirit-empowered warrior currently in the employ of the PPD. Her tracking skills are well-honed and her exotic fighting style is merciless to those who stand in the way of justice. Some worry about exactly where she got so good at hunting down her targets—the thing about that, though, is that it’s sort of her job, so why question it?
Contents |
History
Act I: Raised by the Streets
Kelly was born the youngest of three siblings in Overbrook. Before long, however, the Faultline disaster reduced the area to a shadow of its former self, and the Rose family was forced to move north, to Skyway City. This uprooting did no favours to the young Kelly, who acted out as a result of the trauma brought on by the utter destruction of her home and near-death of her family.
Growing up, Kelly was mischievous and rambunctious. She knew a thousand and one ways to sneak in and out of her house at night, and she used all of them. Her friends were just as morally reprehensible as she was. As adolescence settled in, Kelly began to find the Tsoo an attractive option for affiliation, believing that associating herself with other people of a similar background would be good for her.
Kelly spent a number of years in the Tsoo, completely unknown to her parents. She convinced those friends she had who were also of similar descent to join her and her new comrades, and together they became troublemakers of legendary proportions. As Kelly became more and more proficient with her precious new katana, she was able to earn more sway with her leaders. As time went on, Kelly and her friends dropped out of school and spent the majority of their time partying and acquiring illicit wealth through their Tsoo connections.
The time came when Kelly’s parents reluctantly kicked her out, seeing that she was not showing any signs of improvement. While her brother, Xiang, disapproved of her, Kelly’s elder sister was always a loving friend and confidant. Mei moved out concurrently with Kelly’s expulsion, and the two got an apartment together in Steel Canyon. While Mei constantly worried about Kelly during her field-trips with the Tsoo, she remained a caring sibling, loving her sister unconditionally.
Life in Steel Canyon, however, proved to be a catalyst for disaster. Being a bit of a center for super-related activities, this new neighbourhood introduced the Rose sisters to a lot of things. One of them was the Knives of Artemis. Kelly, seeing the mercenaries in action, was enamoured. She immediately left the Tsoo and sought a new future with the Knives.
Act II: Sister Rose
Kelly was easily accepted into the clandestine sorority, given her exceptional combat skills. Years of training ensued, but Kelly soon became Sister Rose, a deadly agent of the Knives. As Sister Rose, Kelly was called upon for mission after mission, each one involving stealth, subterfuge, and assassination. While Kelly now deeply regrets her days of cold-blooded sisterhood, they were an integral part of forging her current identity.
Kelly’s new sisters-by-oath began to note her deep attachment to her sister-by-blood. They saw this as a weakness. Kelly was put through a series of trials, under the guise of “testing her worth for the inner circle”. She was put through intense regimens that stretched the limits of the human body—Kelly could take them. She was given tasks that no ordinary person would be able to complete—Kelly took them on with gusto. Finally, however, she was presented with the doorway to a large, darkened room. At the threshold, Kelly was told that she must kill whoever lay beyond, no matter who they were. Sister Rose had never hesitated before, so she assured her masters that she would not hesitate now.
Once inside, the lights came on and Kelly saw that it was her sister who awaited her, strapped to a chair and gagged. Kelly freed her sister and defied her masters, refusing to end her own flesh and blood. Kelly’s fellow Knives informed her that she had broken their trust, and that they would both be killed. Kelly pried the badge from her chest and drew her blade, vowing to defend her sister.
In the end, spurred on by incredible willpower and the skills taught to her by the very Sisters who now sought to kill her, Kelly had won. She carried her sister away to safety. Kelly failed to notice, however, that Mei had been struck with a poison dart in the brawl. Mei Rose lay dead in her sister’s arms.
Act III: Lighting a New Dawn
Kelly fled her home in Steel Canyon and moved in with her brother, who had grown past his disapproval of her. While Xiang wondered where Kelly had gotten all her money, he decided not to press the matter, given Mei’s death. Eventually, Kelly revealed her secrets to her brother. Initially appalled, Xiang stopped speaking to her for several days. After roughly a week or so, though, he came to her with a proposition: use her unique and advanced skillset for good.
Finding Xiang’s idea to be one worth considering, Kelly took to meditating upon it and consulting with the spirits that helped guide her as a member of the Tsoo. As she delved deeper into her own soul, something clicked, and she found herself communing with her own ancestor spirits. New hope and optimism rushed to her and filled her with the warmth of life. Her sister’s death became the catalyst for an internal revelation: this is not what destiny wishes for me. That moment spawned Kelly’s steadfast belief in fate, and her belief that going in a direction incompatible with the one fate has given you will end in nothing but disaster.
While Kelly continued to mourn the loss of Mei, she did not let it consume her. Now, Kelly believed that Mei’s spirit would live on, so long as she willed it to live on. Using this newfound enlightenment, Kelly took her sword, her skills, and even some leftover Knives equipment and forged a new identity: Edgefall. Ever since, Kelly has been in the service of the PPD, using her skills as a stealth operative to help the PPD with particularly sensitive missions requiring the disposal of exceptionally dangerous opponents. When not working with the PPD, Kelly has been a freelance hero, operating under her own volition.
Act IV: Full Potential
Kelly’s career as a hero had been faltering slightly as the threats to Paragon grew graver and graver. Enemies such as the Malta Operatives, the Praetorians, the Soldiers of Rularuu, and even her own Sisters in the Knives of Artemis—they were becoming hard to deal with. As if that wasn’t enough, Kelly had also founded the Pact of Absolution with Kyodai Saburo and had been dealing with the operations of that supergroup, as well. Ultimately, Kelly began to feel as if she wasn’t enough to deal with everything.
On the cusp of retiring herself as a hero and simply continuing to work with Saburo and the PPD, Kelly took to a long, profound meditation. She asked her ancestor spirits for guidance. The spirits told her that she was wise to be humble in the face of such opponents, but that she had grown strong enough to face them. The ancestors smiled on her, and bestowed her with their power. When Kelly woke from the meditative state, she found herself massively empowered: her strength multiplied greatly, her speed and agility increased, and she found herself able to conjure spirit fire. Finally, one of her ancestor spirits materialized before her as a cloud of unfathomable energy. Kelly would no longer have to worry about being strong enough to face new threats.
Kelly’s new power of the spirits designated her as an Incarnate-class hero. She continues to work with the PPD, although now her power now far surpasses mere special ops. Ultimately, she is still but an enforcer of justice for Paragon City.
Characteristics
Physical
Height-wise, Kelly is unimposing. Beyond that, however, it is clear that this is the body of an accomplished warrior: her skin is soft, but tightly taut over a distinct musculature. She walks calmly and carefully, yet still with purpose; her gait suggests that every step has a thought process and reason behind it. In combat, she bonds with her blade in a graceful flow of steel and self. While typically postured and demure, she quickly becomes a fierce enforcer of swift justice when the situation calls for it.
Kelly’s hair is soft and flows to her shoulders, but is often messy when in-costume. When not maintaining a noble vigil over Paragon, she keeps her hair as straight and proper as possible, as if to compensate for its typically tousled nature. Her voice is soft and cultured, bearing hints of both her father’s British heritage and her mother’s Chinese heritage. She is careful to enunciate every word clearly, making sure that her communication is not tampered with by the remnants of either accent.
Personality
Kelly is a noble soul, having experienced a personal enlightenment and spiritual revitalization. She believes everything has a place and purpose, and that destiny is ultimately our guide. To her, everything happens for a reason. This does not, however, mean that she is a puppet in the hands of fate; in Kelly’s eyes, fate is a force that gives us a vague destination, but not a map.
In social settings, Kelly is affectionate and genuine. She tries to show tact in what she says so as not to offend anybody, but her tendency to speak her mind sometimes leaps ahead of that carefulness. She is generally respectful and mindful, but the remnants of her thrill-seeking youth still peek through into her adult personality. She can be a bit on the sarcastic side, and enjoys well-mean fun-poking at her friends (and expects the same to be done to her).
Despite this gentle demeanour, Kelly is easily roused by the disrespect of those she cares for. Should an outsider dare deride a loved one, Kelly will not hesitate in stepping up to the plate to defend that friend’s honour. The most grievous offense, however, is to disrespect Kelly’s family—it is one she will never tolerate.
As an aside, it has been noted by some of her acquaintances that Kelly has not yet shed her teenage fondness for alcohol. Kelly herself finds the idea that she is an alcoholic laughable, but will not deny that she certainly likes her vodka.
Powers, Abilities, and Equipment
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Physical Skills
Being a former member of the Tsoo, Kelly displays an advanced level of skill in martial arts. While she is deadly even unarmed, she specializes in wielding a katana. Her sobriquet is even derived from her signature technique: the Edgefall. Kelly’s style is heavily defensive, but allows for strong, single strikes when the enemy is exposed.
As a result of intensive special forces training and an extensive history of combat, Kelly is hard to keep down in a fight. Her willpower knows no bounds, and she will fight until she cannot stand. Additionally, she is an exceptional athlete and can easily outrun most people—especially when aided by the power of her ancestor spirits.
Gear
While she has left her life as a Knife of Artemis behind, Kelly kept some of their high-end technology as a souvenir. She uses a communication device to stay in touch with allies, and wears tough body armour (which, in addition to her relentless willpower, makes her quite a stalwart warrior). Her favourite toy, though, is the signature Knives of Artemis cloaking device. Kelly uses the absurdly advanced device to become almost completely invisible, making her job as a stealth operative much easier.
Kelly’s calling card is her blade, around which her exotic fighting style revolves. From when she joined the Tsoo up until her connection with the spirits, this role was fulfilled by a simple katana, which Kelly had named Sky Sunder. Since receiving a blessing from her ancestor spirits, Kelly has reluctantly retired Sky Sunder in favour of her newfound abilities.
Ancestral Blessing
While Kelly is an exceptional fighter, she would not be nearly as capable of enforcing justice if not for the blessing of her ancestral spirits. Now, she fights as one with the ancient spirits of her family. Not only does this amplify her physical abilities tremendously, it has also offered her a supernatural ability—a limited command over fire, being that her ancestor spirits identified with the element. Now, Kelly has the power to rain fiery indignation on her foes from afar, as well as manifest a blade of pure, arcane fire.
In addition to the direct power offered by her ancestors’ spirit flames, Kelly has been empowered greatly by their magic. While she had previously been powerless and therefore a great deal weaker than the majority of Paragon’s champions, the arcane blessing of her ancestor spirits had made Kelly unfathomably more powerful. She can wield spirit fire to devastating results, empower herself and her allies, and even directly summon one of her ancestral spirits to aid her in battle.
Relationships
Mei Rose
As children, Mei and Kelly were inseparable. While Mei always refused to join Kelly on her more daring escapades, this did not damage their relationship whatsoever. Where Kelly was gifted in terms of physical ability, Mei was bookish and clever. Whenever Kelly needed help with school, Mei was there. Whenever Mei needed a bully dealt with, Kelly was there.
In adolescence, the bond between sisters remained just as strong. When Kelly joined the Tsoo and began to make home life difficult, Mei was not angry. Through it all, she stayed by her sister’s side and loved her unconditionally, feeling that her family was the most important thing in the world. When Alexander and Ling kicked Kelly out, Mei left as well, moving in with her sister in Steel Canyon.
Mei supported her sister’s decision to join the Knives of Artemis, given that the money was better and Kelly would be much safer with their training and equipment. Evidently, Mei was not informed of what the Knives actually did. When Kelly’s final trial as a sister of the Knives came to pass, Mei was killed.
Kelly was devastated by Mei’s death, but this loss later proved to be the greatest driving force in her quest to do good. She does not mourn her sister’s death; she believes that so long as she cherishes the life and memory of Mei, she will live on.
The Gentleman’s Edge
The Gentleman’s Edge is a savvy villain from the Rogue Isles who fancies himself too suave for the rest of the world. Kelly encountered him during a bank heist, where they duelled relentlessly. Being both masters of swordplay, Edgefall and the Gentleman’s Edge fought to a near-stalemate, before the villain overpowered Kelly. He left her with a charming smile and a tip of the hat.
After that encounter, Kelly found herself plagued by confusing affections for the rogue. Her belief in fate told her that the two were meant to meet each other. Given her growing desire for the man, Kelly concluded that destiny had brought both swordmasters together as soulmates.
Kelly sought out the Gentleman’s Edge once more and told him of her affections. He removed his hat and introduced himself as James Gidley, immediately beginning to romance her when she revealed her attachment. He succeeded in seducing her, but his enjoyment of her ended when she let slip the word “soulmate”.
James was, incidentally, a staunch opponent of the idea of destiny. Once Kelly revealed herself to be a devout follower of the idea, he was done with her. He warned her that should she ever try to force fate upon him or stand in his way, he would end her.
Kelly has since marked the Gentleman’s Edge as her arch-rival, but a faded affection still remains for James Gidley.
Xiang Rose
Xiang was the first-born of the family, and all the expectations were laid on him. As such, he had little time for Kelly and her childish antics. Throughout their childhood, the two could not stand each other, and would often fight—although these fights would usually end with Xiang being battered by his sister and having to cry for help.
Xiang was not as heavily affected by the move from Overbrook to Skyway City, as he was older at the time. Despite that, he was still able to sympathize with Kelly over her trouble accepting it. As teenagers, the two finally started to bond a bit, although Xiang was still uncomfortable with his sister’s high-strung demeanour.
When Kelly dropped out of school and became a party animal, Xiang was not impressed. He tried to help Kelly fix her life, but she rebuffed him at every chance. He sided with his parents when they decided to kick out their drop-out, dead-end daughter.
Now, Xiang and Kelly have made up their difference and are actually roommates. Xiang has pursued a career as a doctor, and so can aid Kelly should she get too seriously hurt in the field. The siblings have become quite close after the death of Mei.
The Pact of Absolution
Kelly is a high-ranking member—ostensibly the leader—of the Pact of Absolution, a supergroup which focuses on reforming villains and criminals. Kelly leads her fellow heroes with kindness, tact, and serenity. She is always available to serve as a mentor, a friend, or even just a shoulder for someone in need. That being said, she is always a fierce enforcer of the oath that all members make. She knows first-hand what horrors can come from a dark past of crime and villainy, and she will do all she can to make sure a Seeker of Absolution reaches the light once he or she has taken that oath.
Miscellaneous
IC Trivia
Favourite Colour: Green
Favourite Drink: Vodka and Orange/Screwdriver
Favourite Food: Sushi in general
Hobbies: Painting, dancing
OOC Trivia
Inspiration: The Kyoshi Warriors, from Avatar: The Last Airbender
Theme Music: Uprising by Muse
