.:. Personal Information .:.
-- Name: Fenix Black
-- Age: 18
-- Race: Human
-- Sex: Male
-- Height: 6'3"
-- Weight: 140 lbs.
-- Nationality: Unknown--born in the Uncharted Territories
—Occupation: Treasure Hunter
-- Status: Alive
-- Appearance:
-- Demeanor: Calm and collected, despite his relatively young age he holds himself with confidence and dignity. He's perceptive and sharp of wit, but his blunt way of speaking tends to make him come off as rude more often than not.
.:. History .:.
Born in a small hamlet a ways into the Uncharted Territories, Fenix Black was marked as different at the very moment he came into the world: he sprouted wings of black fire when he was born into the world, killing his mother while giving birth to him. It was considered the mark of a demon's curse, and his father, who could only look upon the boy who took his beloved away with disgust, abandoned him before his first birthday and left the hamlet. The rest of the village was wary of the boy at best; at worst, some wished to kill him, calling him a demon-child.
The only person who stood up for the boy was an elderly priest, the sole proprietor of the local church. Despite heavy objections, he took the boy in, raising him as his own. Mysteriously, the wings which set him apart from the others vanished whenever he was within the walls of the church. Quickly learning that the rest of the village at least tolerated him as long as he appeared normal, he spent most of his childhood confined to his new home, venturing outside only at night, when his dark wings could scarcely be discerned. He spent most of his days perusing the church's vast collection of books.
He lived like this until he was ten years old. The hamlet came under attack from a barbarian tribe, and a cunning one at that; rather than just raze the village, they periodically raided it, allowing them to restock before striking again. Lacking military training, the villagers put the word out that any adventurers willing to help would be handsomely rewarded. A handful answered the call, enough to force the two sides into an uneasy standoff. Battles were restricted to small skirmishes in the wilderness, sparing the villagers...at least until it was discovered that the money they had promised didn't exist. The majority of the hired help left immediately, and the barbarians, unwilling to leave any more to chance, began to raze the village once and for all. The citizens fled in vast quantities before their might, only a handful of fighters brave enough to cover their retreat stayed behind.
Fenix could do nothing but watch; he knew that even if he fled, he would have nowhere to go. Any nearby outpost or village would turn him away, fearful of his dark wings. Even though he resigned himself to death, he wished for the priest, the man he'd always considered to be his father (despite knowing the truth) to flee and save himself. But he refused, and in a valiant stand in front of his home, he was cut down by the invaders. Fenix could only watch in horror, knowing that any second they would step inside and kill him.
A person indeed stepped into entrance, but he was not a barbarian; rather, a young adventurer, one of the few who stayed even with no pay around. His gold-hilted sword was stained with blood, a testament to his abilities. As he gazed upon Fenix's quaking form, his face suddenly steeled. Briskly turning around, sword held at the ready, he took the place of the priest, standing guard over the entrance to the church...and by extension, Fenix.
It was like nothing he'd ever witnessed. The few battles he'd glimpsed by sneaking onto the roof didn't even compare; the man flawlessly danced with his blade, effortlessly cutting down any barbarian that approached him. Even when they backed off, firing bows at him from a distance, the arrows all simply glanced off an invisible barrier, and the man shot back with barrages of icicles...and later, luminous white beams. For all that they were considered uncivilized, the barbarians weren't dumb. They soon realized that whatever the church might've held, it wasn't worth the loss of life that the young man would inflict before he was overrun...if he indeed he could be overrun at all.
And so it was that Fenix Black came into the care of Zach Kaiser. His new mentor sensed magic power in him; the "curse" he'd been living with was simply a result of his powers not being in control. While Zach used a different type of magic, the knowledge he possessed was still useful, and Fenix soon learned to use it properly, his wings no longer appearing unless he wished it...and when he did, it was accompanied by a rush of power. A weapon even appeared in his hands: the Obsidian Phoenix, a crossbow that fired magical energy instead of bolts.
While under Zach's tutelage he soon became a fighter in his own right, he preferred the investigative end of their living; for the first time, could walk in cities, talk to others, simply be there without causing a panic or having suspicious stares follow him everywhere. So, he often stayed in town while Zach did the actual dangerous work. After a few years, they returned to the church to find that orphans from the area had taken refuge in their. Both of them having sympathies for their situation, they decided to care for them by earning enough money to support them.
However, life soon took a few strange twists for him...
.:. Contacts .:.
Zach Kaiser: Friend/Mentor/Partner. "He acts like a complete idiot most of the time, but he's on top of things when it counts."
Shin Shiden: Acquaintance. "He has a fierce reputation, but he's a lot more mellow than I'd imagined him."
.:. Battle Information .:.
-- Weapon of Choice: Crossbow. In particular, Fenix uses the Obsidian Phoenix, which fires not physical bolts, but ones made of Obsidian Flame. They're more concentrated than a burst of magic, making them pack the same amount of pain into a tiny bolt...however, since it uses a small amount of magic per shot, it's useless if Fenix's magic reserves are depleted. Fenix also carries a small knife on his belt as a backup weapon.
-- Obsidian Flames: A dark, foreboding power, Obsidian Flames are a magic especially suited to killing humans and causing destruction, though they do minimal damage against demons or other dark creatures. Can be used in a wide variety of ways, but mostly adds additional projectile fire.
-- Shunpo: A ki manipulation ability, taught to him by Zach. In a straight line, Fenix can make a single move so fast it seems instantaneous. However, he's still not very proficient with it; using it more than a few times a day will strain his weak body too much, leaving him winded.
.:. Equipment .:.
Fenix carries various supplies necessary for travel, as well as some more eclectic items he needs in his career. He also carries a dagger in his boot for hunting as well as a reserve weapon.
The Obsidian Phoenix isn't carried upon his person; he's capable of summoning it to and from his hands at will.
.:. Talents .:.
Marksmanship: The ability to efficiently and accurately use projectile launchers such as crossbows and pistols. Fenix is quite a good marksman, especially with his person crossbow, the Obsidian Phoenix.
Dagger Skill: The ability to use a dagger in combat. Fenix isn't particularly great with daggers, only possessing the most basic of training with one.
Obsidian Flame Magic: The ability to wield black flames in combat. The opposite of Silver magic, Obsidian magic is incredibly deadly and destructive, but also more than a little unstable; those who use it must keep a tight rein on the power, lest it leave their control.
.:. Flaws .:.
Destructive Flame: Fenix's magic is extremely harmful by nature, and any hit taken from it is likely to kill a normal human, even one of his relatively weaker bolts. There is no way to turn down the power on it: it will always be harmful to the environment and other beings.
Wings of Flame: Whenever Fenix uses his magic or summons his weapon, the wings of Obsidian Flame reappear on his back. This almost always incurs a negative reaction: the wings appear dark and foreboding, and may even be associated with demons and evil in general. Depending on where he is, this could cause anything from suspicious stares to being attacked, arrested, or otherwise in danger.
.:. Thread History .:.
The Continuation of Something Good: With Zach still unconscious from the battle, it's up to Fenix to explain the situation to Shin. "That idiot...he's lucky it was raining, or all three of them could have bled to death out there."
The Finale of Something Good: Though hot heads quickly getting into fights certainly concerns him, Fenix has bigger problems when a bandit leader takes the entire town hostage for unknown reasons. "What you've done here is something even I can't forgive. Prepare yourself, Theleaus!"
