NPCs The God Eater Chiifu Miss X Saki Tenki 2023 Judge NPCs NPCs created by our 2023 helper judges! Nephropidae Let me guess, you're new around here and require my services? No? Then there's no reason for you to be here. Come back when you need something. I've got more important things to do. -- Nephro Table of Contents Backstory Personality Abilities Job & Skills Location Gallery Author's Notes Backstory Hailing from a world of super heroes and villains, Nephropidae is the son of the infamous Dr. Calamity. Born with an unknown debilitating illness, Nephro has lost the functions of his legs and right arm. His father managed to replace these with machinery, 'turning him into a living weapon for revenge. However Nephro could care less about his father's vengeance, and instead wishes to pursue a permanent solution to cure for his illness. Nephro received an invite to Crossroads, but unlike most winners, he did not use his wish to cure himself. To him, magic is a pathetic and cheap solution to ones problems. Instead, he took this opportunity to find other researchers and scientists to collaborate formulas and solutions to his illness. Wanting to take this formulaic cure home to aid those who may also be suffering from similar conditions. In turn, he has offered to provide weapons, tools and technological services to those who request them. This only sated him for so long unfortunately, as time waits for no one. Nearing his breaking point, Nephro did what he swore he never would. He turned to looking at magic for aid. Still insistent on avoiding the easy route, he sought tutelage from Saki, who eased him into the ways of alchemy. He's been a practicing alchemist of four years now and is now able to provide enchantment and artifact repair services. That all said, it's still quite possible that he has access to his wish somewhere... Personality Nephro is a fairly serious, no-nonsense man. Obedient and polite, he is fairly difficult to anger as he hides his frustration well beneath his apathetic scowl. He indulges in conversation only if necessary and is not one for small talk. He is blunt and direct, wanting to get straight to the point. Patrons only come to him for supplies or equipment. There should be no further interest! However, Nephro will never turn a blind eye to another inventor or scientist. It's one of the few times he is more than eager to keep talking. He'll inquire about their creations and when asked about his own, he is usually willing to present some of his projects and can sometimes get lost in all the technological talk that someone might have to snap him back to reality. Despite being the son of a super villain, Nephro absolutely loathes the terms of Heroes and Villains, as both have brought him nothing but pain and loss in his lifetime. He does not put himself on either side and instead focuses on the himself. Don't bring that business up with him and he will aid whoever requires his services. Nephropidae Aliases/Nickname(s) Nephro Profile Data Race Human Pronouns/Gender/Sex Male Age 23 Weight/Height/Build Wt: 182 lbs (including metal) Ht: 5'10" Hair/Eye/Skin Colour Hair: Sky blue Eyes: Blue Skin: Tan Distinguishing Marks Clawed mechanical right arm Blade legs Job Mechanic/Blacksmith/Alchemist Hobbies Tinkering, Reading, Working Creator Arstasia Abilities Metallic Claw A nearly indestructible claw, allowing him to cut metals, deflect projectiles, and absorb things such as electricity as to not affect the rest of his body. His claw can also spin like a drill. Occasionally rotates subconsciously when he speaks with hand gestures. Blades Athletic and flexible, Nephro is skilled in close combat. His signature skill comes from his blade legs, sharper than steel, he could easily use these to kill, but chooses not to. CR-Series These are used as his personal security system. Equipped with camo capabilities, he can keep an eye on his shop when he's away.They also have minor capabilities to assist him in his work. Job & Skills Nephro works as Crossroads' mechanic and blacksmith, occupying a workshop in the Business District called "The Iron Claw". Charged with assisting Competitors with weapons, armor, machinery repairs, etc.He has taken to learning alchemy as well, albeit begrudgingly. He will repair broken or damaged artifacts, but it will take a lot of convincing to have him craft and enchant new magical items.His CR units are normally in charge of assistance and security, but they can also be used to scout out/spy on competitors if tasked to do so or has any interest in the specimen. Spying on Competitors for another's behalf is not an impossible task, but the payment in turn had better be worth wasting his time. Location Nephro can usually be found in his workshop located in the Business District. He tends to bury himself in his work, even when not taking on any commissions. His workshop is certainly an odd one when stepping through the door. On one side of the room is a classic forge and alchemy station one would find in any fantasy medieval setting. The other half suddenly changes to something more akin to a mad scientist's lab; pristine walls, monitors, cables, and other sci-fi machinery. Gallery 2024 Reference Outfit Pattern 2021 Reference Sheet Nephro "Thanks" art by Vashle (2021) Chibi Nephro [item description] Author's Notes Introducing Crossroad's tech-wiz/handyman Nephro! Here for your tech and tool needs! Feel free to stop by whenever you may need his services! ...And only when you need his services. He doesn't have time for pleasantries.Cain Do I perform tarot readings on myself? Ahaha, I used to-- but there are only so many times you can pull The Tower before you start to take the hint... -- Cain Known locally as "The Psychic" (complete with capital 'T' and 'P' to match his showman persona), Cain is the sole owner of The Hourglass, a small shop chock full of mystic and magic wares-- and his personal psychic services. Unbeknownst to the general public, however, his act as a psychic is just that: an act. He has not a single iota of psychic power; everything he passes off as psychic abilities is either smoke and mirrors, observation, sleight of hand, misdirection, cold & hot reading, or just plain theatrics. Table of Contents Backstory Personality Abilities Job & Skills Location NPC Usage Gallery Author's Notes Backstory Cain has been living in Crossroads for about a decade now, having hailed from... well, somewhere else. He doesn't really talk much about where he's from, his family, or his past prior to showing up in Crossroads, but word around town is he's let a few tidbits slip after a couple drinks: he allegedly mentioned that he "learned his trade from his parents" but had to "move to a city to find any success in it", apparently adding that he sends the majority of his money back to his family for reasons yet unspecified. Unbeknownst to anyone in Crossroads (sans perhaps The God Eater herself), 'Cain' is not his real name. If you wanted to find out what his real name actually is... well, you'd have one hell of a time coaxing that out of him; Cain is incredibly guarded with that information. Along the way, even prior to arriving in Crossroads, Cain acquired a steep debt to an impatient and unforgiving debtor. While it seems that he owes money, he's never actually stated that money was what he owed-- only that whatever it is was "too much". Trying to get more information out of him about it is nigh impossible. It's likely that revealing too much would incur the ire of this already ruthless debtor. What is clear, however, is that he's been set up to fail: the interest climbs ever higher, and it looks as though Cain will be in debt for the rest of his (self-proclaimed "short") life. Cain Charming Imposter Aliases/Nickname(s) "The Psychic" Profile Data Race Human Pronouns | Gender | Sex | Sexuality He/Him | Cis | Male | Pansexual Panromantic Age 28 Weight | Height | Build 110 | 5'7" | Slim/Underweight Hair | Eye | Skin Color Black | Gold | White Distinguishing Features ✦ Gold eyes ✦ Quite thin Job "Psychic" | Shopkeeper Hobbies Cooking, card tricks, illusions, petting cats, sleeping, reading detective novels Creator ElectricEidolon Personality ✦ The Façade Ever the showman, Cain is exceedingly charming and personable, able to gracefully maneuver his way through conversations with even the toughest of personalities. He has the ability to entertain, coerce, and convince most to whatever it is he may be trying to peddle (or glean) at the moment, all of which comes quite in handy as a salesman. Keenly observant while also empathetic, Cain is able to combine both traits to understand how others may think or feel, using that sense to manipulate situations toward the outcomes he desires; both traits also help him with his "psychic" services (which is to say, as a professional liar). Confident, charismatic, congenial; Cain is either well-liked or detested, there is rarely any middling indifference to how others feel about him. A few more notes about Cain with his façade: Life of the party Probably an ENTP-esque personality Minus the obsession with debating Rolls with "Yes and-" Chameleon Will literally alter his own voice/accent to appeal to someone Appears well-off Very skilled liar Though ironically doesn't enjoy lying ✧ Under The Façade Rather surprisingly, Cain is actually reserved and quiet deep down, not at all a showman by nature. For reasons he has not yet revealed, before moving to Crossroads, he forced himself outside of his comfort zone and learned how to play the role of the entertainer. While the extroverted charm is manufactured, his keen senses of observation and empathy are true to his core, leaving him frequently laden with a deep guilt due to lying being part of his current livelihood. As such, even while Cain is still technically lying for certain psychic services (such as séances, for example), his end goal is still to help his clients, and will therefore do every ounce of research he can in preparation and suss out what is the best possible thing (in his opinion) for his client to hear. In a way, he's a bit of an unintentional life coach-- just with a lot of theatrics thrown in. Hidden under that extroverted façade, Cain is simply a lonely depressed man who feels trapped in his circumstance. A few more notes about Cain's true self: Guilted and lonely Doesn't really believe he deserves happiness INTJ-esque personality Poor Has the one nice outfit that he's learned to repair/tailor himself Basically starves himself to save funds (hence being so thin) Depressed ✦ Socializing & Relationships  ✧ Outside Looking In Charming as all hell, Cain can be very suave and smooth when socializing-- and he has a knack for making it convincingly genuine under normal circumstances. Despite his secret financial hardship, Cain takes pride in his appearance and tries to look good regardless of his circumstances. A good example of this is in the one nice outfit he owns: unable to afford any additional expensive outfits or to have the one he has repaired by a professional, Cain has learned to repair and tailor it himself as needed. Not too overblown, he has a healthy amount of vanity. Dress the part and fake it 'til you make it, he tells himself.  ✧ Customers and Threats No rancid skeezy car salesman vibes here; even when he is trying to sell a product or an act, Cain holds having satisfied customers in high priority. In fact, should any typical client walk away feeling unsatisfied with a psychic service from him, he will unquestionably issue a refund. There are exceptions to this, however. While thankfully not common, any client that Cain can discern is (or recognizes as) up to no good, a deplorable person, or otherwise someone he distinctly dislikes, will not be issued any refunds-- and Cain is not above being smug about it, should the client be an especially deserving piece of work. This, of course, doesn't always work out so well for him, sometimes leading into the client becoming heated (or worse). In the face of a threat, Cain will always attempt to charm, outwit, or simply talk his way out of the situation. Should those methods fail and a physical altercation occurs, he will try to use his agility and dexterity to attempt an escape rather than fight back as he is painfully aware that he has very little in the way of strength or fighting skills.  ✧ Inside Looking Out Despite it seeming like Cain loves to socialize, he genuinely finds it exhausting and often sticks to himself when he doesn't have to interact with others. It's a complicated issue, mainly due to how draining it is to constantly keep up the act. An introvert pretending to be an extrovert is strenuous. It isn't helped by his guilt and self-loathing either, causing him to believe he doesn't deserve any sort of happiness via relationships. There's also a practical reason: the longer he's around someone, the higher the chance increases that his secret could be discovered. The complication really becomes obvious in the fact that Cain is also lonely and dislikes being so alone, even if it's of his own doing.  ✧ Friendships and Romance Relationships are a thing Cain typically has tried to avoid for various reasons, some of which have been already mentioned. While there are others he considers his friends, he still tends to keep his distance, even from them. When it comes to romance, however, Cain has never had any romantic partner, ever. Just as with platonic relationships, he doesn't believe he deserves that happiness-- let alone thinking he'd just end up accidentally ruining that person's life. This doesn't mean he can't end up with a romantic partner eventually, though. While it wouldn't be easy, someone could get him to push past his fears and allow himself to fall in love. With that in mind, it should be noted that while Cain can flirt expertly, it is entirely manufactured and not at all genuine.  ✧ How To Instantly Break His Act All of that being said, if someone wanted to instantly and undeniably destroy his façade, there is not a more surefire way to ensure that than to make the flirting become more real, aka: getting physically intimate with him, showing genuine love and desire to form a romantic relationship with him, etc. Taking it beyond simply flirting will cause Cain to suddenly become nervous and nonplussed, rendering him unable to hold up his flirtatious act (or any act at all) convincingly. He'll then try his best to talk his way out of whatever the flirting is turning into or find an escape as subtly as he can-- either way, it'll be a struggle for him to hide the sudden anxiety and fear, but he'll certainly try. Cain's likes: Cats Mysteries Lo-fi music (to decompress) Coffee Sleeping Eavesdropping Cleanliness & looking nice Smores Pop-Tarts Helping others (subtle) Cooking (when he has the extra funds) Cain's dislikes: Lying Organized religion Debt collectors Imbroglio Physically fighting Any form of teleportation (nausea) Being alone (especially with his Thoughts™) Deep ocean (thalassophobia) Fatalism Prejudices The Hourglass Cain's shop of mystic wares-- and where he provides his psychic services-- is called The Hourglass. It is a small hole-in-the-wall located deep within The Business District. With a large catalog of inventory coming from a wide array of ethical sources, he has quite a lot to offer. Whether or not everything in his stock actually works as intended (or at all), however, is a bit of a mystery; most of the time, the only way to find out the efficacy of an item from The Hourglass is to purchase and try it. As for the offered psychic services, most are walk-in welcome-- with the hard exception of Mediumship. ✦ Items For Purchase: The Hourglass inventory that your OCs can procure: Health & Healing Items Potions of healing, antidotes for toxins/poisons, elixirs of magic/power regen, powders of revival, medicines & herbs for most major ailments/status conditions, etc Most popular items 100% genuine and effective Luck Charms Both good luck [bless] & bad luck [curse] Efficacy uncertain, highly subjective Crystals & Gems For focus, spellcasting, positive/negative vibes, aura control, decoration, etc Authenticity and effectiveness are based on type and goal Buffing & Debuffing Items Come in various forms, including but not limited to: rings, bracers, sigils/charms, jewelry, food/candy, clothing, powders, crystals/gems, etc 75% reliability Books, Scrolls, & Tomes Vast and varied selection, including but not limited to: countless types of spells, ancient & modern information on a wide variety of creatures/lore/myths/legends, various magic & magic-adjacent research, etc Arguably all genuine, but vary wildly in accuracy or efficiency Trinkets & Curios Wide selection of [presumably] non-magic items simply for enjoyment, such as novelties, knickknacks, souvenirs, ornaments, collectables, & curiosities These sure are roadside attraction paraphernalia-esque Divination Tools For fortune-telling purposes: tarot decks, non-tarot cards, dowsing rods, dice, runes, pendulums, spirit boards, crystal balls, scrying mirrors, etc Effectiveness is said to depend entirely on divination skills and methods Ritual Tools Altar dishes/bowls, chalices, pentacles, patens, swords & daggers, other blades, inks & quills, wax, wands, etc Results may vary [wildly] Candles & Incense Burning options for a wide array of intentions, including but not limited to: healing, love, fertility, protection, enlightenment, money, luck, etc 100% real; ???% success rate Art & Statuary Originating from countless different cultures and worlds, a vast selection of magical arts, statues, stained glass, décor, etc Authenticity not guaranteed Summon & Familiar Accessories Items for summoning specific entities from a large catalog of available choices Results WILL vary; The Hourglass is not liable for any damage (collateral, property, physical, or psychic) caused by summons Accessories for familiars, including but not limited to: clothes, armor, name tags, cute jewelry, etc Any accessories destroyed by unsatisfied familiars will not be refunded SECRET ITEM: Information Need specific information from around Crossroads? Want to know the current rumors surrounding something or someone? Desperate for intel on your next opponent? If you are aware this secret offer exists, you may be able to order it from Cain If what you are wanting to discover is already available knowledge to Cain, it can be discreetly purchased off of him under the table Cain can also be covertly hired to acquire the desired information, using his observational skills and social adroitness, then report back to you Not all requests will be accepted; will depend heavily on many factors, including but not limited to: reason, importance, difficulty, and potential dangers involved for Cain himself ✦ Psychic Services: Psychic services your OCs may hire Cain for: Cartomancy (Tarot Reading) The art of fortune-telling and divination through the use of cards Probably the most popular psychic service he offers, cartomancy-- or more specifically: tarot reading-- is a means by which Cain may foretell a client's future by using a deck of cards. His preferred method is via tarot cards, but he is also able to utilize typical playing cards to the same degree. His tool of choice is a well-used tarot deck that seems very sentimental to him. Cain offers several different types of spreads based on what area of your life you might be aiming to focus on: love, success, spiritual, career, or any other manner of specific request Available via appointment and walk-in Clairsentience The power to perceive emotional or psychic energy that is imperceptible to the five standard senses Similar to clairvoyance, Cain offers the ability to discern various types of information through use of his extrasensory perception-- the key difference being that he receives the information via psychic feelings rather than psychic visions. He can't always guarantee what exactly he will sense as this power can yield a vast array of results and depends heavily on many different variables, but he can attempt to hone in on specific subjects of interest. The psychic feelings can also manifest themselves in three completely different ways: precognition (pertaining to the future), retrocognition (pertaining to the past), and pericognition (pertaining to the current moment) Available via appointment and walk-in Palmistry (Palm Reading) The reading of character and divination by interpretation of lines and undulations on the palm of the hand Another popular psychic service, through palmistry Cain can read a client's palm (or equivalent thereof) to glean attributes of their character, personality, and experiences. He can also read their future, which is the more common request, particularly with the focus on personal relationships Available via appointment and walk-in Psychometry The ability to discern facts or impressions about an object (or its owner) through physical contact With psychometry, a client can bring an object to Cain (or bring Cain to an object) that he can then touch and tap into images or visions that will appear in his mind corresponding to the life of the subject that the object is associated with. Cain will require time with the object to better solidify the visions as they typically appear slowly and with incomprehensible definition; over time (which varies), he is able to bring the visions into focus and make more sense of the information presented in them. Very rarely can he instantly glean clear visuals and information from the initial touch Available via appointment and walk-in Mediumship (Séance) The practice of mediating communication between familiar spirits or spirits of the dead and the living Via what is commonly known as a séance, Cain offers clients the opportunity to communicate with the deceased through the use of himself as a medium. This psychic service costs the most and is often the most demanding of him-- but it is also the only service that tends to yield paranormal occurrences perceivable to the naked eye. Séances have very specific time, place, and ritualistic demands of Cain, and thus can ONLY be via appointment. Unlike any of his other psychic services, hiring Cain's mediumship requires scheduling ahead of time and the addition of at least one preliminary meeting with the client prior, in order to allow Cain to properly prepare for a connection with the correct spirit Available via appointment ONLY Abilities ✦ Deduction Being inherently keenly observant, Cain's greatest strength comes in the form of his deductive skills. He is very perceptive, able to pick up on details and clues around him that the average person would completely overlook or disregard. Reason, intuition, and logic are his tools of instinct. All of this combined with his sense of empathy gives Cain an almost inhuman ability to accurately read and understand others-- something that plays directly into his fake psychic charade. He can pick up on nearly imperceptible tells and micro-expressions, allowing him to deduce his way through cold reading others; ironically, this also makes him quite good at detecting lies and deception. ✦ Charm For all intents and purposes, charm almost rivals deduction for Cain's maxed out skill, falling short due to being a learned trait rather than one that came naturally. This isn't to say Cain isn't a charming person under the act, but it certainly isn't the same as the sharpened persuasive silver-tongued ability he taught himself over many years. Using charm, he is able to entertain, tap into humor and quick wit, make snap judgments, exude trustworthiness, persuade (and manipulate, if the ends justify the means), lie convincingly, and typically win most people over-- the exceptions being individuals that distinctly dislike him, find his type of personality irritating, or can somehow perceive that it is an act. His charm is a key factor in his ability to ascertain desirable information from around Crossroads. ✦ Sleight of Hand Like one might expect, Cain's sleight of hand skill involves quick, clever, and dexterous movements of his hands utilized namely to deceive spectators and/or manipulate objects. This is an ability he has honed for many years, making him slick and very adept with using it in various situations. His card tricks and illusions benefit substantially from this ability, making them seem like legitimate magic to all but the most acutely perspicacious (who know what to look for). Other uses for sleight of hand include misdirection, lock-picking (his hair stick is multi-purpose in that regard), stealing/pickpocketing (though he'd only ever do either if it was a justifiable means to an end, never just for himself), cheating (especially in card games), theatrics (particularly with 'psychic acts'), and entertainment. Job & Skills Outside of running his shop, the main occupation and skillset that most others associate with Cain is that of a working psychic. In addition to the services he offers normally, his ability as a psychic has also been called upon from time to time by authorities, such as a consultant in missing persons cases or in helping solve particularly stumping mysteries. Truthfully, however, Cain's status as a working psychic is secretly a complete farce. Cain actually doesn't have any powers at all whatsoever; he is not a real psychic. The success Cain finds under the guise of being a psychic is actually achieved through deduction, research, intuition, and theatrics. For example: when the authorities believe they are hiring a consulting psychic, they are actually hiring a highly intuitive detective pretending to make discoveries through use of psychic abilities. When Cain is able to make [seemingly] very specific and accurate readings, it is actually through use of subtle cognitive tricks such as Barnum statements, reading tells and micro-expressions, prior secret research, etc. When paranormal events seem to occur during a séance Cain is conducting, it is actually due to hidden smoke-and-mirror tricks and rigging he'd already have set up in preparation. All in all, while Cain is absolutely not a real psychic, he still tries to (and typically manages to) get the results he is hired for-- it's all simply presented under the guise of having been gained through psychic methods. Deconstruction of Cain's psychic skills: Definitions of techniques used in Cain's tricks: Reading [People] Hot Reading The reading technique of utilizing information that was already secretly known prior to the reading (for example, from background research or overhearing a conversation) Warm Reading The reading technique of interpreting responses to generic catch-all statements and questions Barnum Statements General statements of characterizations attributed to an individual that are perceived to be specifically true for them, yet which are in fact vague and general enough to apply to a wide range of people Rainbow Ruse A reading technique in which the reader first assigns the subject a personality trait, and then assigns its opposite to cover all possibilities for validation Shotgunning A tactic that a reader uses to put forth a large amount of general information, then observes which one elicits a reaction in order to slowly narrow the scope Cold Reading The reading technique of quickly obtaining a great deal of information by analyzing a person's body language, micro-expressions, age, clothing, style, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, education, speech, origin, etc during a line of questioning Misdirection The art of subtle deceptive directing of an audience’s attention towards one thing (a magical effect) so they do not notice another (the method or mechanics of a trick) Mentalism A performing art in which 1) the practitioner appears to demonstrate highly developed mental or intuitive abilities, and 2) includes special effects that may appear to employ psychic or supernatural forces, but that are actually achieved by "ordinary conjuring means", natural human abilities (i.e. reading body language, refined intuition, subliminal communication, emotional intelligence), and an in-depth understanding of key principles from human psychology or other behavioral sciences Logical Reasoning Deductive Reasoning [Deduction] Making an inference based on widely accepted facts or premises; a general-to-specific form of reasoning that allows one to apply known truths to specific instances with a high degree of certainty Inductive Reasoning [Induction] Making an inference based on an observation, often of a sample; a specific-to-general form of reasoning that tries to generate broad rules that can be applied in many circumstances Abductive Reasoning [Abduction] Making a probable conclusion from what you know; a specific-to-general form of reasoning that specifically looks at cause and effect, often for a particular example Confirmation Bias The tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms or supports one's prior beliefs or values Sleight of Hand The skillful art of quick, clever, and dexterous movements of hands, utilized namely to deceive spectators and/or manipulate objects Improvisation [Improv] The activity of making, doing, or saying something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found Cartomancy (Tarot Reading) Utilizes: Cold Reading, Warm Reading, Deduction, Improv, Confirmation Bias Being without a doubt the trick that Cain has the most practice in, Tarot Reading is his personal favorite psychic service and one he can pull off with ease. It seems that Cartomancy might have been the first psychic skill he ever learned; he still uses a very old and clearly sentimental deck– perhaps his first? Having an extensive memory and understanding of both the major and minor arcana at his disposal, most of Cain's focus goes instead toward the personalization of the pulls, leaning hard into his deductions of his client through Cold and Warm Reads to improv on his working memory of the cards' various meanings. He likes to add dramatic flair for fun as well, of course. He can whip out a professional card reading at a moment's notice, seemingly always in a state of gauging those around him for information. Giving any divination reading typically depends entirely on expounding on his understanding of the client, their goals, their problems, and what he personally believes is the best way forward for them. As with any other situation in which Cain is "telling the future", he will word it all in such a way that can't be brought back on him later should his prediction be incorrect. Clairsentience Utilizes: Cold Reading, Deduction, Induction, Abduction, Improv, Confirmation Bias Relying almost entirely on his sense of empathy, the trick to Cain's Clairsentience "ability" is simply observation and reasoning; he isn't entirely lying when he claims he can intuit something through a feeling. Working with empathy as the primary tool is technically using feelings to get results, after all. Out of all of his advertised psychic powers, Clairsentience is the simplest, yet not at all the easiest: simplest in that it's merely a mix of logical reasoning (all three types typically) and empathy. However, it's quite difficult in that there are no guardrails or parameters to follow, unlike Cartomancy or Palmistry, for example; it leaves him the most subject to any manner of topic or situation that can be thrown his way, thus he must be on his game to handle the high chance of curve balls. To that end, Cain will always give the disclaimer that this service yields the lowest guarantee of accuracy due to "many variables at play" and how he "doesn't have control over what information he receives"-- aka deniability should he fail. Palmistry (Palm Reading) Utilizes: Warm Reading, Induction, Abduction, Improv, Confirmation Bias Reading palms is the easiest trick for Cain to pull off as it doesn't require much heavy mental work outside of memory. For the most part, he simply has to memorize and recall all of the possible "meanings" for the details found on palms. Warm Reading techniques can really spice up the reading to make it feel more "personal", as well as through observation and cause-and-effect reasoning (Induction and Abduction respectively). The tricky part comes in with reading palms for divination, but much like with Tarot Readings, Cain can simply expound on what he's already read of the client and improvise generic or vague enough predictions for them. He always states the predictions in ways that give him an out later should they not come to pass, though. Psychometry Utilizes: Hot Reading, Warm Reading, Mentalism, Improv, Confirmation Bias Similar to séances, Cain's Psychometry service typically relies heavily on research conducted in secret prior to the actual "psychic event" (Hot Reading). Although the focus is primarily on the object presented to him (at least to the onlooker), Cain utilizes any subtle information he can glean from the client as well to help formulate his overall understanding of the "big picture" (aka his interpretation or made-up details to fill in the gaps). Generic questions (Warm Reading) can really help in this case, something he can explain away as requisite for helping him "better understand the object and its history" so that he can "hone his psychic ability on it". Cain then requires that the object be left in his care (or that he has continued access to the object, especially if it's huge or immovable) for a number of days so that he can "focus and discern the visions". The truth, of course, is that he's actually just using that time to do as much research as possible. Once he has enough info to formulate a plan, he'll bring in the client once more, physically touch the object, and play up receiving visions of the answers (Mentalism). On rare occasions, Cain may already be familiar with the object (or what is being asked in relation to it) so he doesn't need to take time for research, instead simply pretending to get clear visions instantly. Mediumship (Séance) Utilizes: Hot Reading, Warm Reading, Cold Reading, Deduction, Induction, Abduction, Sleight of Hand, Mentalism, Misdirection, Improv, Confirmation Bias It's not a lie when Cain states that utilizing his "Medium skill" takes the biggest toll on him out of all of his psychic services-- it's simply not in the way he presents it as. Rather than due to honing his psychic abilities to reach and channel specific spirits, séances require use of all of his tricks and techniques to pull them off effectively, and then some. This is also the reason why this service is the only one REQUIRING an appointment in advance; Cain begins the service by doing as much research on the client and the client's deceased target as possible, which includes an initial "interview" appointment in which Cain gathers as much information as he possibly can (including the subtle info garnered through Cold Reading) under the guise of "making sure he hones in on and channels the correct spirit". Once he feels he has a sufficient portfolio of info to pretend convincingly, he'll rig the room in his shop that he'll use ahead of time with hidden theatrical tricks to secretly set off during the performance in order to make it seem as though paranormal activity is actually happening. Conducting the séance itself is an intensive one-man show that requires exhaustive effort from Cain and utilizes every type of logical reasoning, reading style, and a considerable amount of improvisation-- plus the Mentalism, Misdirection, and Sleight of Hand skills in order to pull off the theatrical parts at the same time. Important note: For the most part (which is to say, when the client isn't someone he actively dislikes and feels is horrible), if Cain intuits potential problems the client may be facing during any of his psychic services, he will try his best to subtly suggest help through the psychic act, be it advice for the issues at hand, his opinion on a decision, encouragement, guidance, or even just what he thinks they want to hear if it'll help them to make it through another day, etc. Cain may be a liar, but he is one with good intentions. ✦ General Stats ✦ Strengths ✧ Weaknesses Observant & perceptive Reading others Agile & quick Sneaky Silver-tongue Improvisation & thinking on the fly Dexterous Persistent Every normal human weakness Self-loathing & guilt-ridden Low stamina No magic, no powers, no extra-human anything Physically weak in strength & defense Weighs very little Stubborn Loner ✦ Psychological Stats ✦ Charisma ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦ Kindness ✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧ Patience ✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧✧ Intelligence ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧ Confidence ✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧ Perception ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦ Discipline ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧ Psych stamina ✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧ Courage ✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧✧✧ Caution ✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧ Honesty ✦✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧ Loyalty ✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧✧✧ Maturity ✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧ Creativity ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧ Cleanliness ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧ Work ethic ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧ ✧ Physical Stats ✧ Physical Strength ✦✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧ Speed ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧ Magical Strength ✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧ Constitution ✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧✧ Physical Defense ✦✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧ Dexterity ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✧ Magical Defense ✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧ Stamina ✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧✧✧ NPC Usage ✦ Audition Yes, you MAY use Cain as the NPC your OC[s] checks in with for your audition! Cain CANNOT see the ghostly fox tails that competitors have because he isn't actually psychic or magic, nor is he sensitive to The God Eater's power (though he may lie and say he is). HOWEVER, he can be made aware that your OC is a competitor via other means, for example by being told outright and/or by him recognizing the Tag, etc. Cain would then just need to inform any of the other NPCs or Crossguards that can sense The God Eater's power (aka they can see the ghostly tails) that your OC is a competitor. Gallery Chibi Cain [tbd] [tbd] Free-to-use Assets Cain's pantleg design, with gradient Cain's pantleg design, without gradient Cain's shirt pattern, full sheet Author's Notes ✦ Cain is pansexual/panromantic; if you would like to ship him with your OC, feel free to. ✦ Cain's voice claim is Billy Kametz, à la his voice for Macaque of Monkie Kid (which also includes the current VA for that character who is matching Billy's work, Alejandro Saab). Click here for a few voice claim audio examples. ✦ Cain's overall backstory details have been left intentionally vague for flexibility of your storytelling needs. Please feel free to fill in those gaps in such a way that best fits your plot-- after all, he is a set piece for your use in this OCT. ✦ Fun Fact: This version of Cain is actually an AU! The canon Cain is one of the main characters in a TTRPG podcast (and he is much... spicier, haha)! ✦ Feel free to contact ElectricEidolon (such as via the Summer Leagues Discord server) if you have any questions!Fuyuma The Crossroads is so lively. It's almost a bit much, some days. But it's nice, to be around life for once. -- Fuyuma A traveler from a world nearly gone. She and her family were rescued by Chifu and brought to the Crossroads to live for the foreseeable future. Fuyuma helps around town, using her psychic abilities to spy, fight, work, and sometimes just make spectacular shows of magic. During the tournament, she offers advice, training, and information. Basic help is free, but more involved work comes with a price. Table of Contents Backstory Name Personality Abilities Job & Skills Location Gallery Side Content Author's Notes Backstory Originally from a universe where mages rose in power so drastically that they began to destroy the universe, clawing out any useful resource until nearly nothing was left. Fuyuma was created by one mage, Brivigak, to be experimented on. Essentially, her purpose was to cultivate powers that would further strengthen his army. Her power, created through grueling experiments, was psychic ability. "10" was her designation as an experiment, and she generally doesn't tell people about it. If someone finds out and calls her 10, she would react very badly. Being indexed (like in a sport), also makes her uncomfortable, but she won't get outright angry. Eventually, Brivigak (along with many other mages) began the process of trying to enter other universes, which caught the attention of Chifu, who immediately put a stop to it. Fuyuma, caught in the crossfire of the conflict, managed to be swept away early on to the Crossroads, along with her siblings (other experiments, who essentially adopted each other), but Chifu has made efforts to evacuate all victims in this universe. As a thanks to Chifu, Fuyuma makes an effort to help out around the Crossroads, and has made an effort to assist the coming competitors to the tournament, as well. Name In her culture, people tend to have two names: a given name, and a chosen name. In Fuyuma's unique situation, she has a designation, a first chosen name, and a second chosen name. Her designation is 10 - the number of experiment she was. Her first chosen name, a simple nickname referring to her eyes, was Fufu. Her second chosen name (which she currently goes by), referring to her psychic power, is Fuyuma. Personality Guarded and anxious, but kind. She’s willing to listen and offer her insights, but doesn’t often talk about herself. She has a soft spot for children and animals. She's afraid of skulls, cages, entrapment, powerful magic (or in general lots of power), and her loved ones dying or getting hurt. Fuyuma Aliases/Nickname(s) Fufu, "10" Profile Data Race human Pronouns/Gender/Sex she/her, cis female Age 23 Weight/Height/Build 52 kg/157 cm/thin Hair/Eye/Skin Colour white/blue/pale Distinguishing Features 5 eyes Job general help/odd jobs Hobbies reading, spas, camping Siblings Kem (younger), Kip (older) Creator Sketchy Jessie Abilities Psychic Link In general, Fuyuma can make psychic links to objects, people, animals, etc. She can affect them through movement (telekinesis) or a two-way thought link (telepathy). This can also pair with other abilities. Telepathy Generally just works like you'd expect, she can send thoughts, images, ideas, etc. to people and read their minds. However, because this is from a psychic link, technically the ability is a two-way street: someone savvy and willful enough could force thoughts, images, ideas, etc. into Fuyuma's head and even read her thoughts. Fuyuma has a natural resistance to this, but it's entirely possible. Psychic Blast Basically just a blob of energy that Fuyuma can manifest to cause destruction. She can do one at a time, anywhere she can see, and it can usually only affect about the size of a full human person. Magic All people in Fuyuma's setting can do basic magic, which involves the manipulation of essence, the core energy present in all things. Most magic involves either turning something into essence, transforming somethings essence (and therefore transforming it), or consuming essence (literally eating it) to gain power. It's harder to affect things that are living or sentient, and the more intense the change or effect, the harder it is. Normally magic requires physical touch. Generally, Fuyuma is only able to turn things into essence, and only a very small amount (think a handful). However, Fuyuma can do this in connection to Psychic link, meaning she can do ranged magic. Job & Skills Fuyuma does odd jobs around town, and will offer things like information and training, typically for a price. Most of the work she does involves using her psychic ability - she's not that strong or skilled outside of that - but she can do some pretty basic things like waiting tables and library work. Outside of her basic powers, she's decent at writing, and likes to make poetry and journal entries in her free time. She's fairly well informed on human anatomy and basic medical knowledge, as well. Location During the tournament, she'll be fairly active in the business district, Kit'inn, and Fox Den, to ensure she has an eye on the competitors and what's generally going on. Her primary home is in the Phoenix Coast. Gallery Visual Reference Fuyuma (left), Kem (middle), Kip (right) Basic Telekinesis Side Content Fuyuma's side content is hosted on an independent website, as well as the wiki. Below are links to relevant pages. Site Homepage The Fox Den (Wiki Mirror) Author's Notes In terms of content permissions, be mindful of the Summer Leagues rules, and ask about anything involving ships. She can drink, but probably wouldn't use drugs of her own volition. Known Rumors Even more NPCs Competitor & Spectator NPCs not directly tied to a competitor and not a Crossguard, but exist in the Crossroads! Vallery "Sugar Glass" Henderson Calling home? Need something to wake you up? Have a sweet tooth craving? Just want to see me? Oh, you're so sweet~ Don't expect flattery to get you a discount though. -- Sugar Glass Vallery Henderson is a tall, plus sized woman, with an affinity for a white and purple color scheme. Her hair is brunette naturally, but she usually dyes it; frequently purple, though she has been known to mix it up now and then, often for holidays. She almost always has glossy white highlights dyed into it and prefers to have it tied up or braided. She has a mind for fashion and takes a lot of care in her appearance. This rarely lasts as she is constantly putting out metaphorical (and sometimes literal) fires, trying to keep her business, the "Shatter Sugar Connection Cafe" up and running. Even then, she always seems highly energized, and has a bad habit of cutting people off when they are speaking. She often accessorizes with a purple necklace and a pocket watch. Table of Contents Backstory Personality Abilities Job & Skills Location Gallery Author's Notes Backstory Sugar Glass was born Vallery Henderson to a lower-middle class family. Her childhood was messy, in a way that's not uncommon. Stress related to finances often plagued her family. She adapted to it by developing an aggressive optimism. There was a lot of pressure on her. She was the eldest daughter, and had been born with Parahuman abilities: the ability to make barriers. Her father pressed her to improve this naturally gifted supernatural talent, imagining her becoming the next big super hero, and when she was very little she entertained the idea. On her 7th birthday, this changed, when her mother decided to bake a birthday cake from scratch. It was magic to little Vallery: she knew how they were made in a vague sense, but she hadn't internalized that she could make delicious treats herself. She stopped practicing to be a super hero and started learning everything she could about making her own pastries. As she grew up, the financial strain on her family only grew, and her father eventually left. She picked up the slack by grabbing a job as soon as she was able to. The stress of it would shorten her temper and she became a social outcast. Most people were afraid to interact with her, afraid that her cheerful optimism would crack into a violent outburst. Her grades also suffered, and she found herself just barely scraping by with Ds. Making the situation further fraught for the sweetest delinquent, she discovered she liked both men and women; a simple truth to the friends she had cultivated, but devastating to her mother, who found the very concept sinful. On a rebound she wound up dating a boy near the end of her high school career, an amateur programmer named Robert. He was shy on the surface, but once you got him talking about his dreams he'd go on and on about all the things he wanted to do with his life. However upon her graduation, her worsening relationship with her mother hit its breaking point. The two moved in together, both pursuing their own goals, and their relationship struggled under that pressure. She left for a walk to cool down after a fight, and when she returned, the apartment was destroyed, taking Robert and everything she owned with it. Heartbroken, alone, with no home to go back to, she turned to a life of crime. She became what is known as a Jobber in her home realm: a villain for hire, working for people with a plan, either as glorified goons, or freelance. She bounced from gig to gig, working for everyone from revolutionaries, to cultists, to psychopaths, to well meaning people on the wrong side of the law. Going by the name Sugar Glass she was classified as a non-threat, even as her ability to create and shape barriers grew more and more powerful. Eventually she received an invitation to the Crossroads to compete. Seeing an end to the cycle of misery and poverty that was always grinding down her optimistic energy, she put her all into it for the wish that could change her life. Along the way she made a lot of friends. She clawed her way to the final round. where she lost, but not before putting up the biggest fight of her life. When the God Eater informed her that she didn't need to go back to her old life, she chose to stay. Using her newfound connections she opened a cafe, and cut deals with unknown parties to set up the technology to call home, so she could tell the few friends that she was doing well, and to attempt to rub it in the face of her mother. She hasn't fought much since opening her cafe. She's now living the dream. Constantly stressed with the difficulties before her, she still can't stop smiling. Her high energy spirit is finally in control of its own destiny, and she couldn't be happier. Personality She is a high energy optimist that casually bowls over more passive people. Not with malice, just by her nature. She has a habit of cutting people off once she realizes what the end of their sentence will be. Vallery still has a bit of a temper, and has been known to choose violence when sufficiently angered or annoyed. She cares a lot about the people around her, be they friends, enemies, or strangers. All the same, she is no push over. If you have the gall to try to take advantage of her good nature, you will find Vallery has boundaries that she will not allow anyone to cross lightly. She may choose to give some one a deal, but it's always on her terms. Attempts to haggle will, at best, fail. At worst they will backfire. The price is the price she set, and you cannot convince her to change it. She has no tolerance for those who violate her personal space, or press her with questions. She will only repeat herself to clarify if you didn't hear her. If you need a second warning, you will likely be removed from her premises. In short, a high energy, firm but fair, optimist. Sugar Glass Aliases/Nickname(s) Vallery HendersonVal Profile Data Race Human (Parahuman Type 1) Pronouns/Gender/Sex She/Her, Cis Female Age 24 Weight/Height/Build [entry/entry/entry] Hair/Eye/Skin Colour [entry/entry/entry] Distinguishing Marks Signature 2 tone braid Job Shatter Sugar Owner/Operator Hobbies She could use a few. Creator MsConductor Abilities Barrier She comes from a world where super heroes and villains fight, and superpowers are common. There is a complex classification system, but the most accessible term is 'parahuman'; a term for any super powered individual who always has access to their powers. She is a Type 1 Parahuman (meaning she was born with her powers), and as typical of Type 1 Parahumans, her abilities are simple but can grow in power like one would train a muscle. In this case she can make simple semi-transparent barriers. They can be any shape or size so long as at least one part remains within 5 feet of her. The 'material' they are made out of is indistinguishable from, and has the same properties of glass, even shattering under a heavy impact, but it is not made of actual matter and will dissipate when she stops focusing on it. Larger barriers puts a greater strain on her powers, exhausting her, and more complex objects require a lot of focus for her to create and maintain. Thus in battle she usually keeps this simple, often going with a dome or bubble around her, or a simple pane as a shield. Barriers are affected by gravity, and she did learn that their weight can be a potential crushing hazard. Job & Skills She is the owner and operator of the Shatter Sugar Connection Cafe. She does a bit of everything, from maintaining the connection systems that allow competitors to phone home, to meeting with distributors, to running the register, to cleaning the tables, and more. Most importantly, she has customized every recipe she sells, and makes almost all the pastries herself. It is her passion. The rest of it is mostly an excuse to follow that dream. She is skilled in combat and first aid from the days when she was a super villain and has a tremendous, nearly overriding, work ethic. Outside of her singular parahuman ability she is otherwise normal, if a bit on the tall side. No super strength, no super durability, no super brainpower. But she is determined, resourceful, and creative enough to turn her singular power into a finals placement in the Cross Tournament. Location She is almost always at her business, the Shatter Sugar Connection Cafe on the Phoenix Coast. You can find her there from before the sun rises, all the way til the sun sets. It's rumored she even sleeps there. Every now and then, her handful of employees shove her out the door to take a break, but often she uses this as an opportunity to meet with her suppliers instead. Very rarely, if she does take a break, she will go down to the Fox Den and- Nope, not even then. Her 'break' is often just an excuse to advertise her cafe. Gallery [item description] [item description] [item description] Author's Notes Feel free to shoot me a DM if you have further character questions. She is probably not looking for a relationship, work is her life after all, but if you wanna ship her, go ahead and ship her. More power to you. Tana Okina I don't wanna think of how easy things were back then. -- Tana Okina A Tanuki from the Okina Family, Tana Okina struggles to find her place in both her family and daily life. She's energetic, peppy, very curious and fairly dedicated to her studies trying to tackle her day to day with her 100% dedication while trying to fit in as best she can. This being the reason she keeps trying to learn new things and gain more and more talents. Her current form is actually not her true form, as she can't keep it permanently, so she switches back whenever she goes to sleep or when she's alone. Table of Contents Backstory Personality Abilities Job & Skills Location Gallery Author's Notes Backstory Tanaka was born a part of the Okina clan of tanuki, racoon dogs that eat the leaves of a magical tree to gain intelligence and magical ability. The Okina clan slowly modernized and adapted to current society by disguising as humans and eventually being almost impossible to spot in a crowd. Tana particularly, while a prodigy at the clan's transformation magic, is currently trying her best to finish her studies. She has a specific desire to make friends her age that she feels would still like her even if they knew her true form. The Okina clan has always had a good relationship with the Okagami Shrine, so Tana has known Shiori since they were kids, still being best friends to this day. Tana is mostly known around her hometown due to her father, who is a huge CEO and a heavy traditionalist. Personality A dedicated worrywart, who finds herself driven to try all she can. She's usually peppy and energetic, but that's mostly a front she puts to fit in with others, she's actually a self aware overthinker who wishes to fit in and be part of something. She is a pushover and submits easily to social pressure, believing she always has to make herself useful somehow. Tana Okina Aliases/Nickname(s) Tana. Profile Data Race Tanuki Pronouns/Gender/Sex She/Her, Female (Transexual), Male Age 19 Weight/Height/Build Lightweight, 5'10''ft(177cm), Average Hair/Eye/Skin Color Hazel with dark tips and green highlights, Lime Green, Slight Tan Distinguishing Marks Leaf-Shaped Hair Pin (Heirloom). Green highlights. Job Student, Unemployed Hobbies Social Media Photography, Reading, Personal Writing. Creator [StarDustJarr] Ability Transformation Tana has the ability to transform an object into an imitation of another object, or herself into an imitation of another living being. It can be anything, but the more mass she has to change, the more energy it spends. She can replenish energy by eating, which has her develop a big appetite just to keep her human form for longer periods of time. The less parts of an object or herself she changes, the less energy she uses. It also comes with the limitation of not being able to create liquids. Job & Skills A student in her last year of highschool, she's a quick learner and a big opportunist. As she learns of more things, she's also able to transform more objects into said things. This allows her to support others who approach her by creating something she might know about that the person specifically might need. Location She resides in the Kit'inn, sharing a room with Shiori Okagami as her tag-along. Gallery Main Render Additional Forms and Back view Full Reference Sheet Author's Notes If you want to do anything with her, feel free to. I'll be using her personally for my own story beats. Blacksmith Festo I made a bet a bet a while ago with another blacksmith to see who could make the largest functioning spear. Let's just say he lost good money -- [Festo boasting his blacksmithing skills] Self-proclaimed best blacksmith of the crossroads, the only thing Festo loves more than working metal are tournament fights (and his wife) Table of Contents Backstory Personality Abilities Job & Skills Location Gallery Author's Notes Backstory Festo was born in Crossroads and learned blacksmithing from his dad, who had learned from his dad and now Festo teaches blacksmithing to his son. Since his childhood he’s loved tournaments and has never stopped being kind of a fan boy for fighters An anvil fell on his head when he was 53 (he claims it was a plot made by the other blacksmiths since they were jealous of his skills). Miraculously it caused no brain damage as the brain simply squished itself down, most doctors are too scared to touch it since any small change to his skull might cause damage so it just stayed that way. His dream is for a fighter to win using a weapon of his making. Today he is married and has a son Personality He is a calm and kind old man, takes almost anything very easily. There are two exceptions however, betting and tournaments. He loves making bets during tournaments about who’ll win or how. He is hardworking and loving to his family, he is somewhat careless however (see his head). Festo Aliases/Nickname(s) Old man Festo, Eyebrows Profile Data Race Human Pronouns/Gender/Sex He/him Male Age 74 Weight/Height/Build 1,3 meters (4'2 feet) Hair/Eye/Skin Colour White, black, white Distinguishing Marks Funny head Ginormous eyebrows Job Blacksmith Hobbies Anything related to tournament fighters Creator Matt Demon Abilities Blacksmithing skills Festo boasts that there’s no metal he can’t work and no weapon he can’t make. To this day it has not proven to be a lie See through eyes Somehow he can see perfectly fine despite his eyebrows covering his eyes completely. Job & Skills Festo is a blacksmith, and a good one at that. He takes his job very seriously and it’s hard to bargain with him. However, he often gives free stuff to competitors, much to his much more serious son’s dismay. Location Lives in tortoise village, his house is also his smithy. He rarely goes far from there unless there’s a tournament going on. Gallery Festo's beautiful wife Aglaea Festo's son Erichtho Author's Notes Honestly I was just bored and find a weird pleasure making wiki pages for literally any minor character lolDee The first time we see each other in so long, and you're annoyed with me? -- Dee Dee (short for Deandra) is a supporting character from the personal project Spellbroom, a mysterious woman who claims to be just an adventurer, but in actuality is a witch.  In Summer Leagues, Dee takes the role of a sponsor, passing her invitation as a returning champion on to Marta. Table of Contents Backstory Personality Abilities Strengths Weaknesses Gallery Author's Notes Backstory Before Summer Leagues: At some point, Dee had won a tournament in the Crossroads, earning a wish and becoming a champion.  While adventuring around the world to sate her boredom, Dee had met Marta and grew fond of the child, constantly testing her during their encounters to see if she was ready for whatever was beyond her. During Summer Leagues: Having been sent an invitation to return to the Crossroads as a returning champion, Dee decided to pass her invitation on to Marta, instead using the opportunity to take a vacation there while being her "sponsor". Personality Above all else, Dee is arrogant and interested in few things beyond her own amusement.  On the surface.  While certainly engaged in treating her own boredom, Dee has a hidden soft side that few can bring out in her, such as Marta and her own sister Lee.  With this, she is capable of general concern for others in spite of the façade of a fully selfish person. Dee is easily bored, and is always trying new things to "expand her palate", as she would call it, even taking up new ventures such as bartending in life to amuse herself.  She considers herself an enjoyer of the finer things in life. considering her own tastes "refined", picky only when it comes to food (referring to fast food as slop, for example). Her pride is rooted in both herself and others, as she has formed the belief that those she'd believe in can not disappoint her, as it would "make her look bad", yet truly has faith in those she believes in to succeed, as she has watched Marta grow over the years ever since their first meeting. She does not enjoy unfair situations for whoever is opposing her, seeing no thrill in odds that aren't even or challenging to her. Dee Aliases/Nickname(s) Deandra (real name). Profile Data Race Witch Pronouns/Gender/Sex She/Her Age At least 30 physically, refuses to tell actual age as "asking a lady her age is rude". Weight/Height/Build Weight: "Well, you're rude." Height: 5'9 Build: Statuesque B/W/H Size "Rude, and consistent!" Hair/Eye/Skin Colour Hair: Brown (possibly dyed) Eye: YellowSkin: White Distinguishing Marks None Abilities Strong fencing skills Above average stamina "Magic", but she refuses to say what kind Preferences Weapon(s) Rapier Likes Herself, fine wines and cuisine, trying new things, amusement, fashion, traveling the world(s). Dislikes Boredom, rudeness, fast food, filth Creator Kite Abilities Ability 1 Dee is an Olympic level fencer, having won several gold medals in her years through skill alone.  Having taken fencing lessons since she was young, her skills have been honed over the years and even won her a tournament in the Summer Leagues. Ability 2 Like all magic users from her world, Deandra has higher than average stamina, able to keep her going longer than a normal human would be able to. Ability 3 Dee is capable of magic but refuses to say yet what sort, as if finding amusement in letting people guess.  However, she can occasionally be seen using her pipe and making it take the form of a rapier and a parasol. Gallery [item description] [item description] [item description] Author's Notes Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.Inari Sato (Season 2) Shut up and Fight! -- Inari, vs Gensai Rex. Previous winner of the second league of the Crossroads Tournament and ex-ghastly warrior (See, Inari (Season 1)), Inari is a seasoned veteran with a rough but effective fighting style and hot headed but sportsmanlike desire for battle. After moving to a different realm and gaining new abilities, Inari returns to the crossroads, but this time, as a mentor for newcomers and spectator of the event. Table of Contents Backstory Personality Abilities Job & Skills Location Gallery Author's Notes Backstory Origin Inari was a student without too much purpose, just seeking thrill by fighting other students with two of her close friends. Growing bored with her school life, one day she is approached by the student council's president, Sana Okagami, and her life turns around. With this new found friendship, love blossoms and Inari finds her days full of color. However this wouldn't last too long as Sana, in a misguided attempt at a gift, she reveals her identity as a kitsune and irreversibly changes Inari's soul to make her immortal. Inari became a Half-Yurei, in simpler terms, a Half-Ghost, not only able to see spirits and interact with them but also changing her appearance, as all changes to the soul will have an effect on the body it resides in.Her appearance was too demonic to show herself to her friends and family so she hides, manages to watch her own funeral after being declared missing in an accident, and then leaves her home town, now more aimless than how she began. Inari travels for a while, using her newfound invisibility powers to hide from public eye slowly developing a hatred for Sana, and by extension, Kitsune. She eventually meets a spirit named Blue during her travels, an ascetic monk and special spirit who still remembers it's time alive and yet didn't move on to the afterlife somehow. Blue becomes Inari's mentor and friend, and later on her father figure, as he teaches her how to use her powers, and eventually change her form to what she looked like in the past, albeit still unnatural looking in some traits. Inari starts looking for Sana, as she starts desiring revenge, and Blue reluctantly tags along. For 12 years they fight exorcists and youkai, and on the way she manages to help spirits pass on to the afterlife with her powers even gaining two more spirit companions: Red, an old Ronin, and Green, an European soldier. but she never seems to get closer to Sana's whereabouts, until she is approached by one of the God Eater's Fox Familiars holding a red envelope. Season 1 Audition After resentfully accepting the invitation to the Crossroads Tournament, Inari notices how she's able to see tails, and by extension, she spots The God Eater Miss Chief herself during her undercover wandering. Inari, in a sour mood from meeting the fox in charge, goes for a drink and manages to meet Senko, another contestant.[1] Intermission - Distraction[2] While taking in the drinks, Inari notices the melting summer heat was just as strong here as it was back in her home realm. She then realizes that Senko's ability gives off a cold aura and she jumps in for some contact, but gets frozen when caught in a hug by the touch starved mummy. This starts off their more friendly acquaintance relationship. Round 1 - Green[3] Inari wanders around the streets of crossroads before her match is announced and meets Delivery Girl, who asks for directions. Inari helps her before the match due to how she hasn't made conversation with a normal human for a long time. When they meet again during the match Inari is willing to help her one more time after the match is over and just desires a friendship, but then learns from Delivery Girl that Sana followed her here. She has been doing things behind the scenes to the crossguards and she wants to talk to Inari after the next round which leaves Inari filled with rage and confusion. Intermission - White[4] Inari confronts Miss Chief and gives her information on Sana's doings. After being left behind she goes to interrogate others for more information to no avail, one of these residents being the Young Prince, Armel (A fellow spirit under different circumstances) and in frustration she blows up emotionally in front of Senko and leaves. Round 2 - Blue[5] After her breakdown, Inari is comforted by Blue and reminisces about her trials and tribulations to get to where she is, and thinks about how Sana ahs been hurting people on her behalf. This lingers on the back of her mind when she gets into her next match against Gensai Rex, a demigod with a similar aura to Sana. During their clash, Inari is outmatched in raw power and her rage bubbles up. Inari subconsciously absorbs blue and manages to violently beat Gensai out of combat, but her mentor is now gone, which leads Inari down a spiral. Round 3 - Red[6] After spending the night emotionally vulnerable due to the loss of one of her closest companions, Inari tells her remaining spirits to leave her alone and forgets Sana's promise to meet up, After lashing out at her, and saying she wants nothing to do with her, Sana decides to take matters into her own hands and seal Inari's psyche away so she can think over their relationship.Her next opponents, Armel and Aude, fight Sana, who puppeteers Inari's mind-less body. Armel manages to get Inari's spirits on her side to attempt to turn the tide of battle, but this doesn't work.When all seems lost, Blue's consciousness interacts with the Sealed Inari and frees her. Inari finally letting her illusory form go and revealing her true appearance. Aude and Inari then team up to defeat Sana, which they manage by a hair's length thanks to the God Eater's intervention. Inari and Aude have a one on one fist fight to decide who wins the tournament. Inari lays down a clean hit and wins the tournament, her wish being to revert all changes Sana has done to people's souls.This allows Inari to return to being human after 12 long years of struggle. But after all the celebration, Inari remembers she has nowhere to go anymore, so she goes to Senko, asking if she can come with her, to which Senko agrees. Season 2 After a few years living in Senko's home realm, Lotus, Inari grew accustomed to her slow life with occasional pest control in another world, doing odd jobs around Senko's hometown and even starting a relationship eventually, even taking care of a child they name Cinnamon, their daughter.They receive another invitation to the Crossroads Tournament, but decide to only go as a vacation this time around. Personality She's judgmental and cautious with strangers, also a little hot headed when angered, but this is only a consequence of her more fist-to-face approach to problems, and her past experiences.Nowadays louder and more receptive towards people approaching her, and is willing to make friends with whoever shares a drink with her, or a spar. Inari is by no means airheaded though, she will not hesitate to beat down anything that threatens her or her loved ones, and is usually still fairly brash and intimidating before you get to know her more friendly and energetic side. Inari Sato Aliases/Nickname(s) Ina (Sana) Profile Data Race Human Pronouns/Gender/Sex She/Her, Female Age Early 30's (Left unspecified) Weight/Height/Build Average, 5'10''ft (177cm), Lanky & Fit Hair/Eye/Skin Color Black, Green, Pale White Distinguishing Marks Old band-aid over nose bridge. Worn-out boots. Always carrying a wooden sword. Job Handywoman, "Pest" Control, Instructor. Hobbies Sword practice, sparring, training, reading legends (or manga depending where she is), coming up with special attack names. Creator @Stardustjarr She's still uncomfortable around foxes, but doesn't really have prejudice around them anymore. Abilities Remnant of Sana Okagami's "blessing" - [Okagami Bygone] -Cured- A remnant of Inari's curse, the one that turned her into a ghost against her will. After getting rid of it, a remnant of it still remains engraved in her very soul. One part of it is [Vision], the ability to see auras and spirits, and the other being higher stamina than the average person. Lotus' Blessings -[Model] and [Conduit] Skills- After stepping foot in Senko's home realm, Lotus, she found herself blessed by the same skills the inhabitants of this world find themselves getting. She's had time to both experiment and grow accustomed to these and is actually fairly proficient when it comes to using them. These abilities use Will instead of Soul Energy. Skill - [Model] This skill allows the user to form objects and Weapons from the energy of energy based creatures, these include spirits and undead, but are not limited to them.[Model], Self WeaponInari tends to use it on herself, but this uses more Will than otherwise.There's 3 types of Self Weapon, Blue Knuckles, Red Sword and Green Pistol, based on the weapons she has used in the past. [Model], Bulk UpInari can infuse the energy acquired from model and shape it around an existing weapon or object to increase it's power and durability. Usually used with the wooden sword she possesses. Skill - [Conduit] This skill allows energy based creatures (such as spirits and undead but not limited to them) to empower Inari, which lets her gain abilities dependent on the creature she's utilizing [Conduit] with.For example, if Inari used [Conduit] with Senko (who counts as undead, as she is a mummy), she'd be able to gain Senko's sword skills. Job & Skills Inari's currently no more than a tourist, and if persuaded, can teach anyone one or two lessons in combat sense. Her fighting prowess comes from her battle experience rather than her technique, so despite being able to teach others a different mindset, she's not able to teach an actual fighting style that isn't just "apply fist to face". Additionally, she's always up for a friendly spar, and maybe even a training session. She takes pride in her winner title, maybe a little too much sometimes. Location Inari can be found walking around the entirety of crossroads. Think of a random encounter.But most of the time she can be found inside the actual town rather than the outskirts. Gallery Concept Art 1 Render First Interaction with Senko Full body + Turn Around Inari, Senko and Cinnamon. Concept Art 2 Past Inari Refsheet Classic Uniform Look + Young Inari Half-Yurei Inari Blue, Red, and Green (duh) Fun Facts Inari's mask is worn due to the culture of Senko's hometown. Not wearing one is essentially being naked in their eyes. Inari struggles with that basic etiquette but still tries to respect their customs. Cinnamon came from an egg. The whole process involved spirits converging together, but Inari and Senko think Inari laid the egg somehow, since it just appeared in their bed one morning. 2021 Judge NPCs NPCs owned by our helper judges for the 2021 run! Camio Sant Caim [] -- None [] Table of Contents Backstory Personality Abilities Job & Skills Location Gallery Author's Notes Backstory Long ago, Camio Sant Caim was a powerful President of Hell that led thirty legions of demons. He happened by Crossroads by chance and, enticed by the possibility of a wish, entered in the tournament. He made quite a ways through, but was defeated and sealed in teapot by a demon-slaying hero. The Madame found this to be, naturally, an absolute riot, and the disgraced demon ended up lingering around, stripped of his rank and title for this smear on his reputation. Centuries later, Camio is a washed-up old grouch who resents virtually everyone around him, and is often reciprocated in turn with equal vitriol. He spends his days digging up dirt on everyone he hates just for the petty satisfaction of smearing their name as his was. He has long since given up hope of escaping his porcelain prison, and now embraces his lifestyle as a piece of demon-possessed chinaware. Personality Camio is an ill-tempered and spiteful old demon with a chip on his shoulder and bone to pick with just about anyone. With his youth and most of his powers long since gone, he has become jaded and aloof, often complaining about his lot in life to anyone willing to tolerate his ramblings. One of the few things he appears to actually enjoy is gossip and rumors. Listening with fascination to any emerging scandals from across the universes. He's responsible for his own fair share of spread rumors, both truthful and fabricated, and he actively seeks to find more. To this end, Camio spends much of his time sneaking and spying on visitors and residents of Crossroads alike, and has become quite skillful at remaining inconspicuous. This has garnered him a bad reputation among most of Crossroads' frequent residents, and he is regarded with disdain by most. To the seedy types however, he is valued as an adept spy, and can almost always be guaranteed to be in the know about anything and everything. Whether he tells the truth or not is ultimately up to him, however. Camio Sant Caim Washed-up Demon President Aliases/Nickname(s) Camio Profile Data Race Demon Pronouns/Gender/Sex Male Age Many centuries Weight/Height/Build Ht: varies; about 4 ft outside the teapot Wt: 48 ounces Hair/Eye/Skin Colour Hair: White Eyes: Red Skin: Grayish blue Distinguishing Marks Demonic sigil on back Job Spy / Informant Hobbies Gossip, smoking Creator Komourix Abilities Sealed Teapot In his hayday, Camio had many demonic powers. But now that he's old and sealed within a teapot, he has very few still left that are of much use. While he cannot fully leave the teapot, he can change his form into a black mass to make himself more mobile, and better at hiding. Omnilingualism Camio's only other ability aside from the previous is his omnilingualism. He can speak any language, even those of animals. This ability is his most useful, and comes in handy in Crossroads, where many people from all walks of life will pass through. No secret is ever truly safe from this demon, even hidden in code. Job & Skills As previously stated, Camio's role in Crossroads is as a spy and informant. He tails important targets, be they contestant or otherwise, gathering information about his target and selling them to whoever is buying, or even just for the fun of spreading a nasty scandal. He technically isn't officially employed as a spy, and as such works for anyone he feels like at the time. Location Camio doesn't have any official residence or place of business, and can instead be found wandering about the streets like a vagabond. It is here that he is in his field, blending in amongst the litter in alleyways and the displays of shops. His favorite haunts are the Fox Den, the Kit'Inn, and the Business District, where he finds the juiciest tidbits of information. Gallery Author's Notes Say hello to the Crossroads' local information broker. Legitimate or not, he knows whatever it is you might need to know.