Miss Semper Fidelis
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
| File:Semper02.jpg | |
| Miss Semper Fidelis in Signature Costume | |
| Miss Semper Fidelis | |
| Player: @Comic-Relief | |
| Origin: | Magic |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Controller |
| Security Level: | 50 |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Katherine Stone |
| Known Aliases: | "Kat" to those she considers friends. |
| Species: | Lycanthrop |
| Age: | 18 |
| Height: | 5'6" |
| Weight: | 115 lbs |
| Eye Color: | Opaline |
| Hair Color: | Blonde |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | Born in the U.S. |
| Occupation: | Senior @ Paragon High School (transfered to Grae Academy) |
| Place of Birth: | Confidential |
| Base of Operations: | Talos Island (raised in St. Louis, Missouri) |
| Marital Status: | Single |
| Known Relatives: | Husband (Siberian Battlecat)Father, Mother, two older brothers, various relatives. |
| Known Powers | |
| Mind/Empathy | |
| Known Abilities | |
| See article | |
| Equipment | |
| See article | |
| No additional information available. | |
Miss Semper Fidelis is a Hero in the MMORPG City of Heroes. Parts of her background are heavily influenced by the "Anita Blake Vampire Slayer" novels written by Laurell K. Hamiltion, as well as the Carpathian "Dark Series" written by Christine Feehan. Quoted material from the Feehan novels will not be posted on this page until I have obtained permission from Feehan herself. Miss Semper Fidelis is a member of the Paragonian Knights-Grae Academy Super Group on the Virtue Server.
Contents |
Background
Katherine "Kat" Stone was born with her abilities. Exactly how and why is open to a great deal of speculation. Perhaps it was the lunar eclipse that took place on the night of her conception. Or maybe her powers are linked to the the rare form of lycanthropy that she was born with. The experts, both traditional and non-traditional, all have differing opinions. But one thing was very certain. The Stones' welcomed a very special child into their family.
It was apparent at a very young age, that Kat had innate telekenetic, psychic, and telepathic abilities. As an infant, she could move things with her mind. She could even sense the thoughts of others; though she could not understand them due to being so young. As a toddler, she began displaying psychic abilities, having infrequent visions about the past, present and future that both frightened and intrigued her family. Much of what she saw was mundane and held little significance. However, her visions made it very difficult for her older brothers to get away with much, especially once she could speak in full sentences.
As Kat grew older, her telepathic abilities grew in strength. This was both a blessing and a curse, because she could now understand the thoughts she was picking up from other people. She was unskilled in shielding herself from such things, so the world felt like a very noisy place to her. If one failed to shield their thoughts, Kat could pick them up just by passing them on the street. Crowded rooms were something she avoided often, making it difficult for her to make friends in school.
Kat's abilities were not the only thing that made childhood difficult. She was born a Were-Swan; the rarest type of Lycanthrope in the world. They are so rare, she has never met another like herself. One cannot contract this form of lycanthropy, they must be born with it. The were-swan strain does not always pass to one's offspring; it can skip many generations. Kat's parents were not aware of her lycanthropy until around her first birthday.
The first time Kat changed form was a terrifying experience for her and her family. Imagine their shock as their child began to sprout tiny wings and downy feathers all over her body. Oddly, she did not completely change into a swan, much like other lycans can take on the form of their beast. She maintained much of her human form, despite the wings, feathers, and change in skin tone. Once the initial shock wore off, they sought the aid of the local were-community. Though even the were-experts cannot pinpoint the origin of the strain, they still had a great deal of information on her rare condition.
The Stones' would discover their daughter's life could be in grave danger. There are very few were-swans in the world today. Their "race" is nearly extinct for several reasons. Though the were-swan is considered the weakest race of the were-community, they are highly valued. Their blood possesses magical qualities, that when consumed, grants immense power. It cannot pass on the swan strain, but can grant the imbiber many lycan-like abilities for an extended period of time. It is also possible that anyone who drinks a were-swan's blood will temporarily gain any other abilities the swan might have. Before the race became endangered, other lycans, vampires and mythical beings would enslave the were-swans, keeping them closely guarded so their blood supply was always at hand, for consumption and study.
The were-swan's blood is not the only thing that makes them so valuable. Their feathers are precious, and yet another reason they were captured so often. Were-swans rarely loose their feathers and do not molt while shifted. When they do loose a feather here and there, the results are surprising. Once the feather no longer has contact with the body, it turns to pure, solid silver. This makes the were-swan one of few lycans immune to the effects of silver. The feathers are so rare now, that possessing one is said to be a token of good fortune if it is given willingly. It can provide small amounts of protection against phsyical, mental and magical harm, much like a ward or enchantment might. When Kat was a child, the few feathers she lost were melted down by her father so the silver could be sold without anyone becoming suspicious of odd, silver feathers. The money was put into a college fund for her. Kat's two older brothers used to tease her incessantly that they would pluck her to supplement their allowances. Currently, the only other person to be in possession of one of Kat's feathers is a fellow student from the Grae Academy.
Were-swans age normally until approximately age 25. It is then that the proccess slows significantly, allowing for very long lifespans. It is very likely that should you ever meet a were-swan, they may appear in their twenties, but infact may be closer to ninety. The swans also possess many of the same traits as other lycans; heightened senses, reflexes, regeneration, strength, and the ability to change form at will.
Katherine tries very hard not to shift into her swan form until absolutely neccessary. It grows exceedingly difficult to control the change closer to the full moon. More often than not, as much as a week before the full moon, she will become agitated and quick to anger. The spot between her shoulder blades, where her wings sprout, will ache, the muscles often spasming painfully. She may look pale compared to her usual deeply tanned complextion. Even more frustrating, her powers will fluxuate, sometimes becoming less effective than she is accustomed to. (IC explanation for exemping) Regardless of how near the full moon is, if she is severely injured in battle, the change will come automatically to strengthen her regenerative abilities. If Kat is forced to change before the full moon, she will usually remain in swan form until the moon begins to wane. Forcing herself to change repeatedly within several days of the full moon is extremely painful, physically and mentally.
Becoming A Hero
At the age of 14, Kat's empathic abilities manifested, so she could now pick up on people's emotions as well as their thoughts. She had discovered that through meditation and a telepathic link, she could merge her mind with another's, feeling emotions; especially pain. This triggered a healing response. The telepathic link allows her to seek out and mend internal injuries as well.
Having a child with so many gifts had been a blessing for her family, but it had also posed many hardships. They lived in St. Louis Missouri; the city rumored to be the paranormal hub of the U.S. Many lycanthrops, vampires, witches and ghouls inhabited the city, offering support groups and a great deal of insight to Kat's conditions. However, they soon exhausted their options when it came to seeking help for Kat. They had seen a great deal on the news about Paragon City and decided to move their family to Rhode Island to seek further expert advice.
After the family had settled in Talos Island, they made contact with MAGI, whom recommended Kat use her gifts in the same manner so many other heroes had chosen to. This gave Kat a great deal to think about; not that she didn't have enough on her teenaged mind as it was. It took many months of family discussions before her parents agreed to allow her to begin her training.
Kat greatly admired the Heroes of Paragon, but the true heroes of her heart were the generations of her family that had served in the United States Marine Corp. So to honor her them, on her 16th birthday, she registered as a hero under the name Miss Semper Fidelis. She continues to train, honing her skills, fighting crime, and still manages to study for midterms!
The Paragonian Knights - Grae Academy
Kat continued to attend public school through out most of her education. She also kept close contact with Magi while training to use her abilities in the field. She made friends easily enough, and had managed to keep her lycanthropy a secret by getting doctor's excuses close to the full moon. Despite the school's support groups and special classes for gifted students, she just didn't feel like she was getting enough out of the system. Though it was a late decision, she began looking for alternative options during her Senior year of high school. It was then, she discovered the Grae Academy in Founders Falls. She applied and was accepted immediately.
Kat's experiences at the Academy have been nothing but positive. It was inspiring to see so many unique students like herself learning, and even training in the field together. She dons her uniform for official functions with pride, and has been known to wear it in the field in place of her signature hero costume. Kat's affiliation with the Knights might play a major role in why a Rogue Knight by the name of Inertial Storm began to associate with her while working in the Rikti War Zone. Their working together may pose a problem for Kat with more than one of the Academy Advisors.
Kat had not revealed her lycanthropy to the Academy or to the other students out of fear of being ostricized. Even the sight of other shape shifting students didn't ease her concerns, for the emotional scars of her child hood in St. Louis remained fresh. However, several weeks after joining the academy, her secret was revealed during a mission to aid a fellow student against a demon and his minions. Though she had sent a mass compulsion into the minds of the minions to confuse them into attacking eachother, a few of them resisted and located her hiding spot. They attacked her while she was distracted. The injuries she'd suffered were minor, but it had proved to be enough that the change forced itself upon her in the midst of battle. It hadn't helped that the full moon was only a few days away at the time, and that her control had already been slipping. With her secret out, she had alot of explaining to do to the other students that had been present. Kat's fears of being rejected by them for her condition were eased significantly, for the students willingly accepted her new appearance. Some of them even proved curious, expressing an interest to learn more about her rare form of lycanthropy.
Powers
As mentioned before, Kat is a telekenetic, telepathic, psychic, empath. Her psychic abilities are still sorely under developed and play only a minor role in her life at this time. Her telekenetic, telepathic, and empathic abilities aid her and her commrades in battle. The following are explanations of how she ICly uses her powers. Parts of the descriptions are derived from the power descriptions in-game.
Mind Control
- Levitate: This is a telekenetic ability that Kat uses to send foes flying into the air, only to crash back to earth. It deals smashing damage, and has been known to break and crush the bones of enemies.
- Dominate: A psionic attack she uses to render foes helpless by tearing at their minds. She will often delve into the psyche with brutal force, pinpointing their deepest fears so they are left frozen in place, lost in their own terror.
- Confuse/Mass Confusion: A telepathic compulsion planted in the mind of a single or multiple foes. This compulsion confuses them, causing them to act aggressively toward their own allies.
- Mass Hypnosis: A telepathic compulsion to fall into a light sleep.
- Telekenesis: The ability to move people and objects with her mind.
- Total Domination: A psionic attack that can effect more than one foe at a time. It will repel enemies away, leaving them unable to escape or defend themselves. Using this ability often leaves Kat drained of energy and feeling very weak.
Empathy
- Healing Aura: By touching the minds of her commrades and sensing their injuries, this triggers an automatic healing response that is more than likely tied to the power of her lycan blood.
- Heal other: works much the same as healing aura, but on a single commrade at a time.
- Ressurrect: A form of telepathic CPR, she can use this to resucitate a fallen commrade.
- Clear Mind: When she senses a commrade is under the effects of anything rendering them helpless, this ability is automatically triggered, much like the healing aura and heal other.
- Fortitude/Recovery Aura/Regeneration Aura: These are telepathic abilities triggered when she senses the needs of her commrades. She draws on the power of her lycan blood to fortify her allies for short periods of time, boosting their adrenaline, and temporarily causing them to regenerate.
Travel
- Recall Friend: A telekenetic ability that allows her to move commrades short distances.
- Flight: An inherant ability she was born with, due to the lycanthropy and telekenesis. however, this ability did not manifest until age 14.
Other Abilities
- Swift: Runs slightly faster than the average person due to her lycanthropy.
- Health: Regenerates due to the lycanthropy.
- Stamina: Has increased strength and stamina due to the lycanthropy.
- Indomitable Will: Has and increased resistance to psionic based attacks due to lycanthropy and telepathic abilities.
Hero Affiliations
(Feel free to add yourself if you interact with Kat/Semper)
Villain Affiliations
(feel free to add yourself if you interact with Kat/Semper)
Carpathian Notes
Katherine's family has been working with a geneologist for many years, hoping to trace back their family history. They hope to discover exactly where the were-swan strain originated from and if any of the other remaining swans might be distant relatives.
Roughly two years ago, the geneologist traced their ancestry to the Carpathian Mountains in Romania, discovering that the Stones are in fact, part Carpathian. ((I cannot list any further information on the Carpathian people until I have received consent from Christine Feehan, as I have based this portion of Kat's background off Feehan's "Dark Series".
OOC Notes
(to be expanded later)
- Kat cannot read all minds. Only those that do not shield their thoughts/emotions. With people whose minds she has never directly "touched", she will pick up on their emotions, but not their personal thoughts. With those she has had direct mind-to-mind contact with, she will feel their emotions, and even physical sensations such as pain, to a greater extent. She will even pick up on their surface thoughts, and communicate telepathically with them. However, she does not intrude upon the inner recesses of their minds without permission, maintaining strict respect for their privacy. I will also ask OOCly first, before RPing any mind-to-mind interaction.
- As mentioned, Kat does pick up on emotions, but if your bio states something to the effect that your emotions can't be read, I'll honor it.
- Only the Academy, fellow PK members, and those she highly trusts, are aware that she is both Katherine Stone and Miss Semper Fidelis. If you meet one persona, and the next time you see me, she is dressed as the other, please don't automatically act as though you know her. Slip ups happen though, so if this ever occurs, the likely response will be an emote to the effect that you must have her mistaken with someone else, followed by an IC (re)introduction.
- The disclaimer at the top of this page mentions that Kat's background is influenced by the Laurell K. Hamilton "Anita Blake" series. The part that was derived from the books is the idea for the were-swan. The embelishments (pertaining to the origin, rarity, blood, feathers etc) I made up myself.
- The disclaimer at the top of this page also mentions that this character is influenced by the "Dark Series" by Christine Feehan. Parts of this characters concept delve into Feehan's interpretation of the Carpathian people, specifically their healing practices. However, I cannot list or post links to those parts of Feehan's novels here until I receive her permission. Until then, you can learn more about Feehan's novels by visiting her website: www.christinefeehan.com
- The plant details on her swan costume are RP'd as feathers.
