Grinning Guillotine

It’s unknown exactly when this lone villain entered the Rogue Isles, however it wasn't long before she was making headlines. The press would call her The Grinning Guillotine, named after her mask and penchant for butchering her victims through decapitation.

The press ate her up and the local authorities were completely baffled. She seemed to have no real motives, choosing her victims seemingly at random. The only times she would be seen would be when it was apparent she wanted an audience. It soon became clear that she was far too much for regular police, or even run-of-the-mill heroes. By that time, however, she had already caught the interests of an organization known for their own brand of madness: the Weapons Union.

Her time there was brief and her role was very small. Their base of operations proved to be an adequate resting spot when she wasn’t out terrorizing the unfortunate people who crossed her path, and she got her first taste of the professional life when the Weapons Union was hired to perform various tasks for the other organizations in the isles. Although she was content within the mercenary group, she was also bored. The exact reason is not truly known, but one day she attracted the attention of the demons of Abyss Empire.

Abyss was always looking for talented killers to fill their ranks and she fit the bill perfectly. It took little motivation for the jester to swap her allegiance seeing as she saw Abyss through the eyes of a mesmerized child; Abyss was shiny.

When Guil joined Abyss Empire, she started in the general, common ranks that all members are a part of. She interacted rarely with Labal or the upper echelon of the Empire. When it would come time to execute missions, she was usually sent out with The Jesters; magical puppets that Labal constructed himself. It was easy for any outsider to think she was another one of the constructs. In fact, one of the earlier motivations for the Empire accepting her was the very fact that she fit in so well with their Jesters.

At the time, the empire was flourishing; Labal had an army of loyal fighters who were eager to enact his final solution for mankind. Guil wasn’t instrumental in any of the long-terms goals of Abyss and really it wouldn’t be completely inaccurate to say she didn’t realize what it meant for the world itself. Just so long as she had an endless source of entertainment, she was content to follow any order.

This blind loyalty was something Labal felt he could use. After awhile he would allow Guil to participate in increasingly more pivotal missions for Abyss and, on some occasions, lead them. All the while, Labal was closer than ever to his total victory over the human race. Or so he thought. Guil was one of the few people who survived the third age of Abyss and, when the dust settled, things would never be the same for the jester.

Labal was short minions (most had been killed or had run away), so he finally summoned his Ashen Elite to earth. They were each powerful ash demons capable of rebuilding Abyss Empire to its fourth age... but where did that leave Guil? She was, after all, a human. Luckily for her, she was rewarded for her loyalty and apparent survivability.

Labal’s jesters were still intact for the most part, but he had become fed up with his once-prized creation, Yorick. He felt that Guil had proven herself immensely and she was promoted to Captain of the Jesters.

Guil found herself in unfamiliar territory; she was now in charge of her own minions. She was both happy and terrified considering she had lived in blissful ignorance up until this point. If there was a failure in a mission, she was never responsible and would garner none of the blame. Now the blame would rest solely on her shoulders and she hated getting yelled at. Not to mention at this point she had seen what happens to people who anger Labal.

Worst of all was the arrival of one of Labal’s Elite, a woman whose entire purpose, it seemed, was to “remove” dead weight from the Empire and recruit new and more powerful minions.

There are few things that Guil would consider real flaws in other people. Being too serious and having no sense of humour would be at the top of that list. Needless to say when Guil first met Simi’Kraz, she didn’t like her. Simi had one function when she arrived and that was to eliminate the weakest and most useless members of Abyss Empire. Her standards were ridiculously high and, soon enough, other members from the third age of Abyss were sent packing. Guil was totally unaware that everyone Simi had kicked out of Abyss were people who directly stood in her way of promotion and as the weeks turned to months, Simi’Kraz became second in command of Abyss Empire and then turned her sights on Guil.

Guil soon found that Simi was on her case about everything. Every mission she was sent on, no matter the end result, always had a flaw in it that Simi would point out and bring to Labal’s attention. It got to the point where it would seem that she would assign Guil tasks she couldn’t possibly finish. Naturally, Guil couldn’t understand why she was being picked on. She put up with it for months until one fateful day she decided she would confront the General, one on one.

A small comment that offended Simi resulted in the two finally coming to blows. Guil snapped and, as their fight raged on, she was finally able to fight and relieve the months of frustration and anger she had towards the general. Even in Guil’s twisted mind she knew that, win or lose, this could worsen their relationship beyond repair. The jester captain ultimately found herself the victor, luckily, and finally she could prove to Simi that she was at least as good as any Ashen in combat.

The next time Guil saw Simi, they began to speak openly about everything that had built up to that point. That conversation and many to come after it brought the two women closer to each other and a real friendship grew. At this point, Guil realized that like it or not, she and the General are connected, and they both want what’s best for Labal and the Empire.

The Jesters are Labal’s invention and nobody knows exactly how he does it. The chemical compound is shrouded in mystery and Labal had never revealed it to anyone before. What is known is that the Jesters are, for the most part, empty clothing and a human skull that somehow had been brought to life.

At this point in Abyss, Labal began to flood the Empire with more and more Ashen from Hell. Guil had always kept up with every single one of them, though nobody really knew how difficult it was for her. She was surrounded by demons that never ate or slept and, if they were damaged, they would regenerate. Guil always had to be twice as careful, twice as motivated; she always had to push herself beyond the limits of her own body.

This took a toll on her already fragile mind. She often wondered how much longer she could keep up with the Ashen before she had been killed by a lucky enemy. In the past, her own mortality never crossed her mind because she was too busy having fun. Now it seemed that every altercation served as a reminder that, despite her skills and powers, she was still only human. Did she finally have a reason to live? Of course Labal had the ability to convert humans to Ash demons. She would gain power and no longer suffer the limitations of being human, not to mention the fact that she would be immortal. However, she knew the cost would be her humanity and her soul and, ironically the person who talked her out of it was Labal himself. After a few conversations he convinced her that a soul has value and so does her humanity. Guil doesn’t understand what that value is just yet, but she trusts Labal.

Guil had decided to remain human and on the eve of one of Labal’s last major plans to destroy the world he wished to see her. Guil noticed that Labal wasn’t acting like himself, he was sullen and reflective of his own existence. He told Guil the story of how he was so alone when he was first banished that he created Yorick just to be his companion. Labal then told her that he felt it was very possible that he could be destroyed this time. Guil became upset and wanted Labal to stop speaking in such a manner, fearing for his safety. He said that if he was to die, he wanted her to learn how to make Jesters and wished to pass on his secret techniques. Over the next few days he taught her everything she needed to know about making jesters. Guil currently constructs nearly all new Jesters and absolutely loves making them. She gets to make their outfits and, best off all, she gets to collect the heads of unfortunate people she feels will make great puppets.

At some point in Guil’s life she was no doubt sane, but whatever point that was, it is not this one. Guil is absolutely out of her mind. Trying to pinpoint exactly how she will react, or what she is thinking is extremely difficult for anyone. Most pass her off as just a goof-ball who acts like a child, though the other side of her is extremely sadistic. She seems to care about no life but her own, and gets cheerful satisfaction on cutting up her victims.

She can be pacified by any number of things such as candy or toys; the more annoying or noisy something is the more she seems to like it. When not actively occupied, however, this creepy jester can be very fast to start a fight with only the teensiest, tiniest provocation. Always on the lookout for more skulls to add to her collection or convert into a magical jester puppet, even her allies should keep an eye on her at all times. On the flip side, she can be deceptively fun to have around in groups seeing as she enjoys jokes, dancing, and just about anything party-related. The Jester Captain even boasts of her ability to entertain children at birthday parties and, given her sporadic nature, it is very possible that she actually uses her magic tricks and balloon-crafting for something good.

Because her actual face is never seen, Guil cannot convey emotion through facial expression. Instead, she exaggerates her physical movements as though she were playing charades. Above all else, she is most known for her shrill, maddening laughter which announces her presence before she is seen, somehow following her like an echo wherever she goes.

Costumes:

Though she is always recognizable by her distinct mask, Guil often switches up her appearance based on her mood or seasonal celebration.

(Click for larger view)

Unlike many super powered beings, Guil initially appears to be without powers to the average person. No crazy auras, no epic technology strapped to her body, not even basic body armor. Upon entering combat, though, it is clear that she is much too fast to merely be a well-trained human and her body changes direction far too suddenly to even be controlled by muscle. The moment she detects danger, it's as though she is being controlled by the strings of a puppet, each limb snapped into place immediately without delay or effort. Likewise, her aim with knives and other small blades is almost flawless. When thrown, her weapon appears tethered to its target, often changing direction mid-air if the target moves.

Though the exact origins of her abilities are not apparent, the truth to her incredible speed and reflexes is very powerful (but short range) telekinesis. Rather than move opponents around her with this power, she instead moves her own body, guiding it with lethal strength and precision. Depending on how much energy she puts forth, her telekinesis may become visible to the naked eye. It starts off as a faint, barely-there crackling of green sparks around her body and head and, as more power is put forth, the sparks begin to glow brighter and a more vibrant shade of green until this psychic energy outright bursts from her eyes. At its strongest, her mask physically morphs shape into something much more frightening and demonic than her usual grinning appearance and, if brought to the brink of her capabilities, the light around her has been known to bend and eventually distort her image entirely from view. When brought into this heightened state, she can manifest psychic blades which replace her regular weapons and can cut through nearly any solid material.

When used moderately, Guil is easily able to restore her energy indefinitely without fatigue. In order to maintain her psychic blades or bend light, however, she must use more energy than she can readily replenish. As such, using these abilities are a last resort, used only when facing the threat of death or brought about through intense emotional circumstances.

Don't forget to check out Guil's Scrapbook!

Labal - The Ashen King of Lies and ruler of Abyss Empire, Guil doesn't really seem to regard these titles as anything special. Labal is her friend, confidante, and the source of unlimited goodies who treats her with kindness not often shown to other members of the empire. When the situation comes up, she makes no bones about her loyalty to him and would lay down her life for the Ashen King if needed.

Simi'Kraz - Guil's relationship with Simi had a very rocky start, but they are now very close friends despite how they may socially appear in public. Guil has proven herself many times to the First General of Abyss Empire and, despite their immense personal differences, Guil sees Simi much as an older sister and tries very hard to please her... well, when she's not annoying the crap out of her.

Aki'el - The Fourth General of Abyss Empire, Guil is technically below Aki'el on the hierarchical ladder. Guil tries to get along with her and is often amused by her bluntness, but otherwise simply sees Aki'el as an emotionless authority figure so far.

Thomas - Despite being an outsider to Abyss Empire, Thomas has often offered his help to complete various assignments and missions to further the interests of the Ashen. Guil thought of him as a good friend throughout her time spent working with him, but had a falling out after he developed conflicting interests with the empire. Apologies have since been made and their friendship seems to be growing again, though Guil remains cautious of fully trusting Thomas again.

Cackling Oblivion - Aside from Labal's magical jester puppets, "Chuckles" is the only other active jester in Abyss. He also wears the same colors, so it goes without saying that Guil loves Firaxis as her best jester buddy. His dimensional manipulation is also super super awesome as far as she's concerned.

Korinthus Vyle - Also known to her as "Clippy Clops" and "Azzy," Vyle seems to go along with Guil's antics despite being the big and burly demon that he is. Perhaps her greatest invention, the "rocket horseshoes" were made specially for him, something she wouldn't give to most anyone else!

Walter - Walter (or Walrus, as Guil calls him) has been on-and-off associated with Abyss Empire for years, mostly due to his infatuation with Simi'Kraz. Guil loves Walrus and goofs around with him at every possible chance. Also, she's a member of his official fan club.

Frost - Guil's not entirely sure why Frost is a member of Abyss, though she's eventually gotten used to this low brow chick and enjoys goofing around with her. When they first met, Frost tried to mug Guil, and Guil subsequently tricked Frost into presenting a cheeseburger to the food-hating Simi'Kraz. Needless to say, many laughs were had.

(( Go ahead and write anything you have to say about Guil! ))

• Where would I be without my captain? Nowhere fun I assure you! -- Labal

• "I hate clowns...almost as much as I hate everything else." -- Aki'el

• "I found some discrepancies with this page...my name is NOWHERE on here! An oversight on your part, I'm sure! But yeah, G's fun! Good times!" -- Walter

• Creepy. So creepy! *shudder* -- Ant

• Oh man what a fun gal! ...Also, can I get a jester or two whenever you eventually bite the dust?...Yes? No? I'll wait. Cackling Oblivion

• I am a dry man who glares about and makes vague threats and wears heavy armor. Fun is not something that I often experience or have, unless I'm torturing things. With this in mind, I'd surely be far less sane without Guil around to satisfy what little, shriveled bit of my fun-brain remains. - Korinthus Vyle

• "SEXY CLOOOOOOWN!" - Artificial Intel

• "Who? Ooohhh her! Yea, met her once or twice. Dunno if she remembered me. But I'd nevah forget someone that would have da nerve ta try an' color my outfit! ...Okay, yeah, it was kinda fun dodgin' her markers. But still!" - Grey Harlequin

• "Had a killing time in Recluses Victory a couple years back. It's hard to forget her style." - Nex