Moonlight Nocturne
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
AKA Blind Requiem(Villain) and Taliesen La'naia (Warshade)
Be careful when you fight the monsters, lest you become one, yourself and if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.
Come on! Vampires! Grrr! Nasty! Let’s annihilate them. For justice... and for... the safety of puppies – and Christmas, right? Let’s fight that evil! ... Let’s kill something! ... Oh, come on!" ~Spike/Buffy the Vampire Slayer
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| Moonlight Nocturne | |
| Player: @SnowJackal | |
| Origin: | magic |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | scrapper |
| Security Level: | 22 |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Taliesen |
| Known Aliases: | None |
| Species: | anthromorphic jackal |
| Age: | 23 |
| Height: | 5'4" |
| Weight: | 130lbs |
| Eye Color: | green (although faded out to near-white through entropic effects on his body) |
| Hair Color: | silvery white |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | Confidential |
| Occupation: | Volunteering at Chiron Hospital's Paralysis ward as well as a student |
| Place of Birth: | Layleux System |
| Base of Operations: | Confidential |
| Marital Status: | partnered to Sunburst Corona/Gray Dwarf |
| Known Relatives: | mother (Deceased), father (unknown), adopted sister Minsha |
| Known Powers | |
| Force based martial arts, Warshade powers from merger with Shadowfang | |
| Known Abilities | |
| animal empathy, basic martial arts | |
| Equipment | |
| Confidential | |
| Moonlight Nocturne has the appearance of an anthropomorphic jackal that has been on the streets for far too long. His fur, once grey and dingy is returning to it's softer pure-white state. He is unable to see, physically, but his various powers compensate. | |
Contents |
Personality
Moonlight Nocturne is a rather distinct opposite to his Alternate Universe Taliesen. He is cold, mischievous and has a bit of a snarky edge to his nature. Under it all, he has pains that are healing although he typically shields it with an edge of sarcastic humor and gruffness. He is vulnerable, though, when reminded of his past, especially when reminded of his darkest times in the Rogue Isles. He has a strong predatory nature with a lust for control and enjoys making those he confronts squirm. He also has an extreme threshold for pain due to experimental techniques and mental tortures he had experienced in his past. Underneath, the kindness he once showed is hidden and shown only to those he trusts. It reflects also in his determination to redeem himself and protect the city, once again, as well as the Luddites. He guards this kindness and vulnerability, well, for fear of losing someone he loves, again, or being hurt once more. The ones who see it are lucky indeed.
Description
Moonlight Nocturne has the same appearance as Taliesen with notable differences due to the decay that has racked his body. He has tall, slender ears and a slim, pointed muzzle. At one time, his fur was grey and patchy in places, his once-bushy tail was sparse and bristly, the skin beneath his fur is veined and grey as well as along his muzzle and eyes. All of these changes were a result of the decay he'd undergone using his connection to the life force, destructively.
These decays, however, are improving as he is seeking redemption and renewal with his connection to the Force. His gray, patchy fur is beginning to thicken out and regain it's white softness and the sparseness of his tail is filling out, as well. His eyes, however, are permanently damaged and will always appear milky and empty with sightlessness.
Power Descriptions
In essence, Moonlight Nocturne's powers are inspired by Force powers as well as the art of Teras Kasi. He uses these talents to aid his martial arts that he is slowly rediscovering. His willpower is simply from the years of pain and darkness he has experienced, giving him an unusually high tolerance to pain and a strong fighting nature to get back up again. It is augmented by his underlying control of these inner force powers which he uses to add an extra power to his kicks.
He has recently merged with a Nictus Kheldian named Shadowfang and is struggling to give it a second chance at life. Together, he and his merged symbiote are seeking redemption. He doesn't often fight with his Warshade powers, but he does practice them from time to time when not using his Teras Kasi. (The Warshade is simply known in game as Taliesen La'naia)
Personal History
The beginnings
His origins and history are exact to Taliesen's
Descent into Darkness
When Taliesen's lover was killed, he had two noteworthy options on how to deal with it. In the parallel universe he resided in, he chose to remain in Paragon and continue on without respite, guidance or at the time, companionship and support. This choice proved to be a terrible mistake for the young Nalroni as the sorrow and work, on top of the weakness of his powers, combined wore heavily on him. In short time the sorrow and anger took hold of him, and his realization as to how weak he was.
It was in this moment of weakness that he discovered through the simple act of crushing a creature in his apartment with his powers, that he could crush life out of his opponents, versus hold them with his gravitational forces. Practicing and honing these abilities as well as realizing that life can be drained as well as given, he set out on a new mission. Revenge.
His first target was the imperial forces whom had destroyed his lover, focusing on their captain. In an exhilarated moment of torturing and draining his life, the rush of power over life and death took hold of Taliesen and his descent into his dark powers was complete. Ignoring the pain and sickness this power tainted him with, he continued on this path.
His violence escalated, turning to a rather Darwin-esque task of destroying the weak heroes and those who had no real heart for protecting the city. Seeing somehow in his own heart he was doing good by eliminating this, he ignored his quickly fading eye sight and humanity. This appalling task he set upon himself, eventually turned his target to what he viewed as a worthless group of weak heroes, the Longbow.
After the incident of violently murdering an entire training facility of Longbow he was sent to Zig to serve an execution's sentence where he stayed until a ripple of dimensional instability cracked the very folds of time. His timeline folded over into the current Taliesen's time line, pulling him through and into the primary time line's Zig. Taking advantage of the opening and opportunities for more recruits, Arachnos rescued him as well as many others, seeing an opportunity for further 'recruits'.
Rescue being a relative term as he was quickly taken into servitude by a mysterious Mentalist who took him to the Rogue Islands Pet Shelter where he worked as a 'veterinarian'. To Mesmer, it was another animal. It belonged in the Pet SHelter.
The doctor's experiments and training expanded the decaying corruption, further, but also honed his abilities and his pain tolerance further. Mesmer dubbed him Blind Corruption in reference of his current state of sightless decay then sent him out to do his bidding, under his control. He encouraged his thirst for power, his bitter revenge, and his desire to destroy the failing system of Hero registry and destroy those who harmed innocents and honed in him a depraved enjoyment of pain inflicting.
The chain he wore was one of the vet's tools of control, as it inhibits his rebellious nature and keeps him well-leashed to the Arachnos. There were also promises of the ultimate power to teach him to reverse death.
This is now in the past, for him, as a valiant effort of two who believed in the good in him, destroyed the Doctor and freed him.
Awakening from Darkness
Taliesen's descent into darkness plummeted to an all time low when he discovered the effect of draining the lifeforce of the pure had a heady, euphoric effect on him. The madness and insane levels of need that it inspired only furthered his growing darkness. Turning on someone whom had stood by him and considered him his partner, he set out to draw the life from Gray Dwarf a hero whom had fallen into work with Arachnos through a series of unfortunate events. Something sparked in him, perhaps an inherent good, perhaps care for Gray Dwarf that he denied over and over. Whatever it was, he found he couldn't kill him, no matter how euphoric that sense of purity and kindness within him lured.
Over time his madness furthered, kidnapping his alternate in desire to drain his and others' energy and life to gain further power. Another promise offered to him from Mesmer.
This descent called someone from his past that he had not believed he would see again, his sister, Minsha. Soundly defeating him and impressing upon him memories of his past and her love and sadness for what he had become, the numerous emotional and physical assaults took their toll on him, leaving him battered and near dead. In desparation with noone else to turn to, he sought out Gray Dwarf's help and forgiveness shortly after; for now, possibly redeemable.
After the turmoil of his redemption, Taliesen finally accepted that he had fallen in love with Gray Dwarf. He had denied it out of fear of the pain of loving again and sheer stubbornness that he was better off a lone entity. Realizing and accepting these feelings have also aided him a lot in trying to claw his way out of the darkness.
His constant fighting against the Arachnos, however, motivated him to take a hidden identity. Hating the name that Doc Mesmer had given him, he changed his name to Blind Requiem to protect his few loved ones, and kept himself fully hidden in cloaks and robes when fighting the Arachnos soldiers.
This cloak and robe he still retains now that he has returned to Paragon City to take the final steps of redemption granted him. He hides himself for fear of backlash from his past as well as to separate himself from his alternate universe Taliesen He has taken the name of Moonlight Nocturne to express his dark origins and to complement the solar based name of his partner and lover, Sunburst Corona (Gray Dwarf on the Isles).
In an act of rather quick decision, Taliesen has found himself merged with a Kheldian. Once a Nictus, tortured and experimented on, the Kheldian known as Shadowfang sought him out to regain the merger it had shared briefly with Tal on the Rogue Isles. Miserable and dying, the Nictus found desperate fascination in Taliesen's redemption and for it's own preservation as well as a strange curiosity, it agreed to merge with Taliesen, choosing to explore the path of redemption.
Enemies and Nemesis
His biggest enemies are himself, as well as his loathing of who he once was. It is unclear whether the loathing is resentment that his alternate found peace while he had found pain or if it is simply a hatred of the hero that Taliesen is. Underlying, he bears a growing animosity for his master but at the moment is helpless to his whims due to the chain he keeps on him, keeping psionic control over him. He has a strong rebellious hatred of the Arachnos for what they've done to his lover and in general the oppressive control they enforce on the Rogue Isles. He fights them and assists the helpless on the Isles, in secret, doing whatever he can to find retribution from his dark path.
Alies and Love
Sunburst Corona: Serving as his anchor, the young ex-hero, known as Gray Dwarf on the Rogue Isles, now Sunburst Corona, is constantly at his side, helping keep his moral compass on track. He provides a conscience when Taliesen grows too snarky and bitter and also when Sunburst Corona becomes too cynical and angry, himself, it is then that Taliesen's internal heroism rises to protect and preserve the idealism that helped him. On April 22, 2009, they exchanged vows to solidify their partnership.
Minsha Cornell: his adopted sister from Layleu, has a special bond with this particular Taliesen as she has a violent, pained past, as well. She lashes out with murderous levels of violence and often retreats to drinking or her own loneliness. In the fact they both know how dark they can be, they help each other and lean on each other so that it doesn't happen again.
The Luddites are a strange ally to dark Taliesen as they are decidedly loopy and fanatical. Nevertheless, in an act to go into hiding and remove the name Blind Requiem from being associated to his lover (who must work for the Arachnos, reluctantly), he was beaten severely and left for dead.
While laying in the streets of Cap au Diable, a Luddite monk stumbled on him, healed him and took him to their shanty-camp. It was here that he realized that they had recognized him from the broadcast news surrounding the Volcano's true powersource. (A thing they had been protesting, themselves). He now strives to protect them and help them any way he can.
