text: Idea for sequel came from GigaRidley, The Storm and myself(Shadow*91) Epic Prologue typed up by The Storm Theme for Realms 2: Collide by Skillet Spoiler [video=youtube;jc6v31NV0u4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc6v31NV0u4"]Collide by Skillet[/video] In the beggining.... There were four countries. Four countries who were filled with peace and harmony. Drosin, the cultural playground, was under control of a monarchy. Its vast control over land in Northwest Renit was its strength, its people always loyal to a cause. Drosin sported the colors of gold and red, symbolizing the courage and strength of its people. The capitol of Drosin, Negliv, is close to the epicenter of Renit. The King and Queen of Drosin resided here, and controlled their land as such. Conud, the land of technology. It had amassed small armies of its own, but its true strength was that it was a colony of scientists. The technology of Conud is the most advanced in Renit, sometimes a hundred years or so in front of the other backwater civilizations. It controlled the lands on the Northeast area of Renit, its neighbor to the West being Drosin. The two have always worked well together, Conud's technology fuelling Drosin's vast armies. Salfir, the merchant's paradise. Salfir was neutral in every meaning of the word. They had no armies, no weapons, and no will to fight. Salfir was a land of trade and gold, sporting vast wealth over the other countries. Salfir was a merchant country, a place of refuge for those who could not make a living, and the holding place of the fallouts in Renit. Salfir controlled the large southern and southeast part of Renit. Destry, the military complex. The Destrian's were controlled by a dictatorship, under the influence of Storm Valentine. Destry controlled the Southwestern hemisphere of Renit, glaring up at the other countries. Its strength is its own government, being able to mobilize armies in mere days, and having troops trained so harshly they rivaled Drosin's armies neck to neck. The Grand Citadel in the center of Renit was a place of peace and cultural integrity. Once a year, the four countries would send their leaders to the Citadel to discuss the continuing stability of peace between the lands.. At a particular meeting, the Destrian representative and military dictator, Storm Valentine, declared war upon the other three countries. Drosin, Conud and Salfir thought this motion ludicrous, and dismissed Valentine's ruse completely, as if leaving a child crying in the sand. Valentine did not take kindly to this. He led his armies into the defenseless lands of Salfir and took control of the entire coutry within days. Slave Labor and Concentration Camps were set up around Salfir, putting the merchants to work. This cut off all trade to the rest of Renit, which in turn angered the opposing countries. Drosin and Conud formed an alliance. There armies invaded Destry the next day. Within a week, the armies of Destry had pushed the Drosin and Conud armies fully back into their own territories. It seemed that Drosin and Conud had underestimated Destry, and their armies were feeling the force of their strength. A group of Heroes appeared, combatting the terrifying power of the Destry armies. Richand Zamikios and Siana Makantes were the leaders of this force, with Oric Halgern, a son of the Royal Family of Drosin, being one of the premiere soldiers. They also enlisted the help of Storm Valentine's son, Drake. They were a force to be reckoned with, combatting Destry's every move and beggining to slowly push Destry back into its own territory. Destry bit back, sending out its own military commaners to fight against the heroes. Sekhmet, Grand Priest of Destry; Satra Morta, Brutal Battalion Commander; Seth Covull, Mastermind of Destry's antics; and Storm Valentine himself.. After a great many battles between the opposing forces, it seemed as though the heroes were going to win. They had vanquished the obliterating power of Sekhmet, and had slashed down the cruel Satra Morta. In the final battle, it was Storm and Seth against Oric, Richand, Siana, and Drake. Then, at the last moment, Seth betrayed Storm Valentine, joining the Heroes in their conquest. Storm was outraged, and used the full force of his power against them. After finding out that Storm was immortal and could not be killed, Drake, his son, gripped and restrained him. Richand summoned the strength of his dead father and all the heroes Valentine had killed, and with Seth's help, banished him into the Void of Eternal Torture. Unfortunately, Drake sacrificed himself in draggin his father to his doom, being sealed along with him in the void. The bertrayer left for solitude, promising the world peace. The Heroes became celebrities and the world sang of their conquest. The country that followed the villanous Valentine was abolished, all traces of its existence removed by the higher council among the three remaining countries. The world entered a lasting peace, just as the traitor, Seth, had promised. The world had returned to peace, Valentine's reign of terror had been extinguished, and the war was over..... .... Until now.... 15 years later, the world has begun recovered valiantly from the wrath of Valentine. The fight against him is now a mere memory, known as the Destrian Conflict. The Heroes have been living in the public eye, being showered with gifts and thanks from all refugees and families of casualties. The countries have vastly expanded since the Destrian Conflict, with Drosin and Conud giving the former land of Destry over to Salfirian control. The Salfir people suffered the greatest from the conflict, and are taking the longest to rebuild. They still do not have much to hold onto, but their hope is the only thing they truly own anymore. Rebuilding the populous has not been easy, with many full-fledged past followers of Destry attempting to reclaim the land taken from them over the years. They have been put down all to easily, the Drosin military stopping them in their tracks. Drosin and Conud both learned from the Destrian Conflict greatly, and so they have been amassing armies of their own to combat any threat to the peace. Acts of violence and vandalism, or entire legions of troops fighting to regain Destry control, no force is too big or too small for the Drosin military to handle. And yet, where there is light, there is always a shadow. And darkness is indeed looking to fall over Renit once more. A group of elite soldiers calling themselves the Destrian Shadows has risen within the past year, attacking numerous cities and shipments in the name of their former country and in honor of their sealed leader. They honor him by burning the villages they attack, and draining the blood from those they kill. The Destrian Shadows have been recognized as the largest terrorist threat since the Destrian Conflict itself. The Drosin armies are being dwindled against this new force, with the latter relying on guerilla tactics, picking off the armies a few soldiers at a time. Infiltration is another of their key ways to attack, taking a Drosin man's uniform and murdering many of whom he was thought to work with. The seem to have no fear, yet they instill it upon the stability that the three countries have rebuilt over the past 15 years. Nothing is more frightening than fear itself. This fear they use seems to originate in their style, forcing all of Renit's wise men and fortune tellers to tell the people of how, "it will be all right," and, "There is no way Destry could return.." These are hollow truths, and if you look closely enough, many of what people hold onto are hollow truths. Hope itself is a hollow truth. They only remaining truth the people of Renit actually beleive in are the ones who saved them before. They hope they will save them again. Hope is many things... It can bring about hidden power, but it can also be a hinderance and the signal that their is no chance of winning. Yet they still hold onto hope, as if it were some sort of perpetual force that could save them from their own doom. And so they hold onto hope, they love it, they feed it, and they let it grow until it can do what they meant for it to do. Save them. And so now the world calls upon the Heroes once more, to save them from this new threat..... Realms 2: Rebirth of Evil Rules: 1: No bunnying. This means taking control of another persons character without permission. If you have permission place a little note at the beginning of your post. We can't read minds. 2: No God-modding. This means no overpowered characters. There will be some exceptions to this but they will be rare. If I claim it god-mod then it must be edited. 3: Try to use proper grammer and spelling. I know nobodies perfect but try as much as you can. This will ease up a lot of possible confusion. 4: Have Fun! EvilCharacters Vent Nogeth (Shadow*91) Spoiler Name: Vent Nogeth Age: 18 Alliance: Destry (Leader of the Destrian Shadows) Appearance: Stands at 5'8" with pale white skin. Has short spiky blue hair and dark blue eyes. Wears a sleeveless blue vest with a long sleeve black shirt underneath. Blue pants and black steel toe boots. He carries two identical katanas on his back in the shape of an X. Thier sheathes are black with blue handles and silver blade guards. He's muscular but keeps a slim, youthful appearance. Bio: Vent wasn't born in the normal sense of the word. He was manufactured, one of several in Destry's secret super-human project. He was raised with a single goal in life, to serve the great nation of Destry. Each child of the project was given a special power and taught a specific fighting style so as to find the strongest ability amidst the greatest style. Those that failed expectaions were 'deleted'. Vent managed this to surpass all expectaions for him and survived through 16 hard years. Then the unthinkable happened, Storm Valentine was defeated. Without thier leader to guide them, Destry was quickly overun by the Drosin/Conud armies. When the facilty keeping the tests was discovered it was immeaditely burnt and the expieraments slaughtered. Vent barely escaped with his life, only carrying his two swords and some tattered clothes. He lost everybody he ever knew that night and it drove him mad. He no longer had a reason to live and many times considered ending his life. Then one day he felt some strange force calling him to a peculiar spot, the place where the Conflict had ended. He followed this force and upon arriving he was mentally attacked by a spirit. However instead of running for help or trying to kill himself, Vent listened. The spirit told him many things, things none should ever know. Vent felt reborn by the spirits words and left promising to return. He came back after a year of studing and training and sealed the spirit inside a small purple gem. He carries the gem with him now and the spirit gives him counsel and knowledge. Vent formed the Destrian Shadows at the spirit's request. With the knowledge from the spirit, Vent has led them against the world. However nobody but Vent and the spirit know this. The Destrian Shadows are led by a leader that the world has supposedly never seen. Vent masquerades as one of four generals to confuse enemy spies. The entire world believes Vent Nogeth to be one of the generals and searches for this mystery leader. Not even the other generals know. All they know is that only Vent speaks with this leader and they recieve orders from him. Vent leads the Shadows, promising the return of the great country Destry. Personality: Vent is cold, not showing the slightest distress or emotion at even the most dire of news. He can make decisions that many find unthinkable with ease and has no regrets about anything he does. Vent keeps the gem with the spirit on his person at all times as if it was his greatest treasure. The spirit can speak to him although nobody else can hear it. To answer the spirit though he must speak out loud, giving the appearance that he's talking to himself. Many believe he never recovered from his loss of sanity. Vent sees the world as curropt and believes it is his divine duty to cleanse it. He holds honor and justice in high regard but his views on justice are different from normal. He believes it is the strong that decide justice and that Valentine was denied his justice. He holds himself as the judge of the world and none will escape his rule. Powers: Vent is a master of a two sword style. He can fight perfectly with either one or both of his blades and is ambidexterous, so switching between hands is quite easy. Because he is the product of a super-human expierament his strength is better then the average humans. He also has a special power that was dubbed Divine Graviton. He can manipulate his gravitational pull on his surroundings, pulling anything towards him or pushing it away. By pushing himself away from the ground he can seemingly fly. The powers only limit is his stamina. When he uses the power his eyes glow a bright blue, which is the only indication as his gravity manipulation is invisible to mortal eyes. Role in Realms 1: N/A Theme Song: Sell Your Soul by Hollywood Undead Spoiler [video=youtube;Hk9boXu_4MM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk9boXu_4MM"]Sell Your Soul by Hollywood Undead[/video] Vibro Iracundia (InugamiGod) Spoiler Name: Vibro Iracundia a.k.a Fatum Militis Age: 25 Gender: Male Appearence: Vibro is 5ft. 10in. He has black hair & dark red eyes. He is a little muscular not different than an average person. His hair is spikey. He has a scar from the top of his forehead to 5in. below his right eye. The scar didn't effect his eyesight. He wears black boots with black pants & a blue t-shirt under his silver armor. The sword & crossbow are slung across his back. He has a bright blue pendant that helps him control his powers on a chain around his neck. His tunic has magic on it allows his to be uneffected by natural cold & heat. Any attacks that use cold or heat still effect him at full force. Weapons: Crossbow & Sword. Basic crossbow but has no arrows instead uses sound made arrows that make no noise. The sword is 4ft. long & a 1/2ft wide. It is made from a steel that is lightweight but strong. Spoiler Abilities: He controls sound waves freely to do anything he desires, but without his pendant it is difficult to do. When he controls sound it becomes visiable & is blue. Without his pendant he can only make lowpowered sheilds, waves, blast, ect. & has to use his sword to make sound blades.He is faster & stronger than a normal person. He can stand & walk in midair by making platforms of sound. Armor: He wears light weight silver armor, but doesn,t wear a hemet. The armor is resistant to wind so he don't slow down. Personality: He is calm & intelligent. He perfers to thinks things through & doesn't like to speak much. He rarely loses his temper, but loses all restraint when he encounters certain people from the Human Weapon Program. He only obeys General Vent Nogeth. He likes destruction & perfers to destroy anything that could be a threat. He doesn't like to lose. He despises people that beg for their life & people that don't keep their promises or word. Bio: Vibro joined the Destrian Shadows at 14 in order to destroy the remnants of the H.W.P. & the people who made it. He was experamented on while he was 5 in order to make a solider that couldn't be defeated & could control what none other could. They succeded in giving him control over sound waves, but the powers were unstable &went berserk. He wiped out half the lab & was put into lockdown. It took 4 years before he was let out thanks to one of the new doctors named Dr. Marisa. She made an agreement that she could help him control his powers in 4 moths when he become 10. If she failed she would be killed & Vibro would be put in lockdown again. 2 months after his release Dr. Marisa made the pendant he now weres to help him get control. He was able to bring them under control in the next 2 months. After he got them under control he was put in intense training. While training he found out that while he was in lockdown the lab got 3 more childeren for the experenments. One died before he got through the first few experements. The other 2 a brother & sister succeded & were able to control their powers from start. Vibro was a couple years behind them in training. Before he could meet them they were sent to different facilities for further test & training. He found out that a couple more were going to arrive soon, so he tried to destroy the lab. He destroyed most of it but was subdued & put in lockdown for his actions. 3 months later the lab was attacked. During the attack the power went out & Vibro broke out in order to protect Dr. Marisa & her assistants, 2 males & 1 female who were friends of his. He fought his way to her office. When he got there he killed the 4 soliders in there & helped the poeple get out. On their way to the exit they were ambushed by soliders. In the struggle Vibro got his scar, Dr. Marisa lost her left arm, & 1 of the male assistants died. He sent the others ahead to the next town while he bought them some time. During the fight his pendant was knocked off & he lost control wiping out everything in a 1mi. radius. A couple hours later he was heading toward Salfir in an attempt to lose the soliders. He got away hiding in a little town till they gave up the chase. He wandered till he wound up in a town & heard a rumor that the labs were destroyed by a joint military of Drosin, Conud, & Salfir & that something wiped out an entire area around there including all troops at that lab. Vibro was furious at the fact that they did all that for no reason. He then decided to wipe the 3 countries from existance. He heard rumors about the Desrtian Shadows & went out to serch for them. It took him 3 months find them. He took 2 years to join at the age of 14. The test he had to pass was to destroy a small town. Vibro got to the town & wiped it from existance. They gave him the nickname Fatum Militis, & that is when he gave himself the last name Iracundia. He rose through the ranks to become a general in 11 years. He is known as General Fatum. Theme Song: Spoiler [video=youtube;2UdcFnJuA_c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UdcFnJuA_c"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UdcFnJuA_c[/video] Storm Valentine (The Storm) Spoiler Name: Storm Valentine Age: 595 Alliance: Destry Appearance: Valentine's appearance as a spirit is a whispy form of smoke. In his physical form, he is 6'0" even, weighs 243 pounds, and has long blonde hair, ponytailed at the end with dark/dirty look to it. Wears a white scruffy collar, long-sleeve white tux shirt with dark purple vest. The coattails of his vest make a V shape going downwards. He wears black tux pants with Dragonhide boots and Alligator teeth belt buckle with leather fitting and custom vortex belt buckle. Holds a shiny gold handled Cutlass at his side, along with a black and gold plated multi-barrel Pistol. Role in Realms 1 / Bio: Storm Valentine's life started 595 years ago. At least, thats what he can remember. It was when he was bitten and put under the curse of the vampire. His life before that is a blur. He remembers the primordial ooze in which his true being emerged from the night after he was bitten. He remembers the insatiable lust for blood, and the terrifying truth of what had happened to him the night before. He studied his new features, delicately testing the limits of his strengths on various creatures in the Sagomir Gorge. His first human kill was legendary. His lust had led him into a frenzy, and he had taken the life of one whom had been his closest friend. He had thereafter proceeded to drain his body. When he was finished, he noticed something quite astonishing. He was not a normal vampire. When he drank the blood from the body, he had also sucked all the tissue and muscle out of it. This gave his own body the power of his victim, plus his own. He studied his systems intently, utilizing his vast wealth in the Valentine family to gain as much knowledge as humanly, or as.... demonically possible. He learned that he was an Atrum Vampierre, the most powerful and deadly form of a Vampire. It is said that only one is born every 500 years. It is also said that when the new one is born, he must replace the other. Storm immediately fulfilled this prophecy by hunting down the Vampire race, exterminating all he could find. Still, he had not managed to find the previous Atrum Vampierre. He did of course eventually find him, after about 157 years of searching, in a well near the Grand Citadel. He immediately destroyed the creature, sentencing it to hell. Over the next 400 years, he used his vast wealth to form the Destrian Empire and revolt against the opposing countries. He declared war against Conud, Drosin, and Salfir. At first, these countries thought this idea ludicrous and that he was daft for thinking of it. However, this was not the case. The other countries were not aware of the vast military knowledge Destry had gained over the years, nor of the thousands of armies he had created. He decided to test his armies strength, and invade the weakest country first: Salfir. The Destrian Conflict had begun. Salfir was a nuetral country, with very few resources, and bar minimum of militia, other than a mere salvaation army. Within 2 weeks, the Destrian Empire had expanded throughout Salfir's entire territory.Within months, the Destrians had set up labor camps, work forces, and execution factories. The Salfirian bodies of their dead were smelted in forging pots and put into the Destrian armory. As Valentine's saying goes, "There's nothing better than dancing with the dead." Valentine was as cunning as he was ruthless, and his flawless command of the Destrian army prevaled over the liliputionized armies of Conud and Drosin. Drosin and Conud eventually formed an alliance, putting the might of their armies together to combat the oncoming Destry offensives. And for a time, they did. They were able to keep the Destrians at bay, but the slashing offenses of the relentless Destrian soldiers kept pushing the armies farther and farther into their Capitol cities. Storm was the most powerful man in the world. He had enlisted the aide of many dark beings, the likes of Sekhmet, Grand Priest of Destry, and Seth Covull, International Intelligence Designator of Destry. He also found aide in a demonic being who called itself "Naxus." But, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The reaction of this scenario was the birth of the race called heroes. The Fighter, Lloyd Zamikios, the world's most powerful known swordsman and Master of Zodiacal magic. And The Mage, Makantes, the world's most powerful known magician and, as legend has it, the last in the long bloodline of Makantes. Makantes itself runs through the ages, thousands of years ago, the Makantes were the first to discover and utilize magic. Their potential and power without barriers, and being the first users of magic, the nexus of energy in the universe. Together, this duo cut down entire armies of Destrian soldiers by themselves. They were seemingly undefeatable, until they met Valentine. He and his dark legion of sorcerors and followers separated the two of them. Naxus, the being of evil, attacked and killed Makantes. Lloyd, at the sight of his friend and partners death, attacked Valentine with a vengeance. However, without Makantes protective magic to back him up, Lloyd was no match for Valentine's incredible power. Valentine gripped Lloyd by his throat, suspending him in the air as he choked the life out of him. Storm unsheathed his blade and thrust it through Lloyd's chest, hanging him on the middle of the wall as if he was a painting. As a painting, Valentine admired its beauty. At the same time, he heard a rustling in the shadows of the room. He investigated, and found a boy. He could feel the boy's tremendous power even then, and he suspected that he may have been the offspring of Lloyd Zamikios. With this knowledge, he forcefully kicked the boy through a window out of the high tower, sending the infidel's broken body plummeting towards the river below. Afterwords, Valentine initiated his dark gift of creation, and created himself a son. He named the boy Drake. The boy had much of Valentine's skills, and he grew up under his shadow. It was only when the boy was of age that he ran away from home, forsaking his evil heritage. Storm realized then that his son had inherited another gift from him: He was an Atrum Vampierre. He realized what this meant; one would eventually have to kill the other. Years later, he enlisted the aide of Satra Morta, a violent Commander without fear, and without condemnation. She was perfect to lead Destry's Grand Army through the Conud defenses. Storm immediately assigned her to the task, without fear it would be complete. In the mean time, his Grand Priest, Sekhmet, was in a battle against a number of youths, a number of youths that he claimed to be Heroes. The flames in Storm's eyes were of undeniable rage, and he initiated attack against the youngsters. In battle, he realized that he was fighting offspring of the original Heroes. He was fighting Richand Zamikios, and a woman who called herself Siana Makantes. This was very unusual to him, along with the fact of being attacked by his son, Drake, at the same time. He displayed a small bit of his power, and gave the Heroes their leave. He would fight them another day, when he was better prepared. Storm rode to the Grand Citadel for the annual meeting of peice between the countries. The representatives cordially told him he was not welcome. His reply was simple; three bullets in the chest of the Conud Senator. The room scrambled, and Storm exited the building, but not before lining it with gunpowder. As he walked across the bridge, the flames licking the stone structure of the Citadel. As he left the tower belched flames, and he smiled, because to him, it was beautiful.... Days later, his creation powers had allowed him to manipulate the matter in the area and create Valentine Tower where the Grand Citadel had once been. It was the ultimate symbol of fear, that which replaced the last hold on the old generation from Renit. His son hunted him down here, and the two of them had a showdown. Drake revealed his true power, a demon of both darkness and light. Storm was suprised at the power increase, and noticed the dark spirit that inhabited Drakes body instantly. He had felt its energy before. It was the Atrum Vampierre he thought he destroyed all those years ago. Storm transformed into his Atrum Vampierre form and destroyed the spirit for good, then attacked Drake. The boy sprouted wigns and fled. In the meantime, Sekhmet and Satra were fighting against Conud and Drosin armies. A particularly talented warrior, Oric Halgern, was among them. Sekhmet flared him with his lightning powers, and Oric was thought to be dead. When Satra led her armies to the Capitol of Drosin, Negliv, Oric was still alive and he had returned. He led the Drosin army to a fantastic victory, defeating the giant of Destry, Kaiburr Lacertus, and killing Satra Morta in a stunning display. The Heroes then gathered with the Rebel army in the Sagomir Gorge beneath the newly formed Valentine Tower. Sekhmet noticed this, and immediately gathered Naxus and an army of spellcasters. They attacked the Rebel camp with many casualties, along with the death of Naxus at the hand of Siana Makantes. After the fight against Naxus, Siana was unconscious from such a strong use of magic. Sekhmet used this oppurtunity to kidnap the girl and take her to Valentine. He would know what to do. He always knew. Valentine defiled the girl completely, raping her. Eventually, Richand and Drake came to the Tower to negotiate her release. Somehow, Drake had gathered an elite force and destroyed numerous parts of the tower. The heroes rescued Siana and fled the Tower before Valentine could retaliate. Meanwhile, Sekhmet had been fighting a number of heroes and their armies by himself, including the infamous Oric Halgern. Somehow, the Heroes overcame Sekhmet,and he was forced to explode. He killed thousands of soldiers, friendly and opposition, including the Hero, Zanaku. Halgern survived the explosion, and fled with Drake, Richand, and Siana... the last of the Heroes. Storm was infuriated. He called on Seth Covull to bring him a plan to exact his revenge. Covull came up with the perfect solution. They travelled North, into the Arctic lands, and uncovered a city called Eterna. The city was a nexus of magical power, and floated into the air by Valentine's will alone. They took the foretress over Negliv, the Drosin Capitol, where Valentine initiated the cities power and destroyed Negliv in one swift blow. The Heroes were mortified, and this was their last chance to attack before Storm Valentine dominated the entire world. Valentine used the cities power to bring the demon, Naxus, back to life. Yet he lost it again in the fight with Siana Makantes, and Oric Halgern launched a full blown attack toward Storm, with Drake and Richand joining in. Siana came too. It was at this time that Seth Covull betrayed and attacked Storm Valentine. This disturbing change of events made Valentine very unsettled, but nevertheless, he was stronger. His powers grew, and he gained tremendous strength. Not the strength to beat them, but the strength to never die. They could not kill him. In response to this, Drake anchored himself to his father, locking Storm into one place. Seth opened the void of Torture behind Storm, and Siana gave Richand all her power. Richand attacked Storm with the full power of the light, and Storm was knoecked backward into the void. Seth closed the void, sealing Valentine inside it. The bertrayer left for solitude, promising the world peace. The Heroes became celebrities and the world sang of their conquest. The country that followed the villanous Valentine was abolished, all traces of its existence removed by the higher council among the three remaining countries. The world entered a lasting peace, just as the traitor, Seth, had promised. The world had returned to peace, Valentine's reign of terror had been extinguished, and the war was over..... It has been fifteen years... And Storm Valentine remains trapped in the Void of Eternal Torture. He has been in their... Suffering every second of every endless day for fifteen years. Every moment of his suffering has built up power within him... and he has been attempting to muster the strength to break free. He is close... but he needs more than just his own strength to free himself from the void with his physical form intact. He found refuge when he discovered he could send his spirit to attack travelers who traversed the area that he was sealed in. His body could be shackled for eternity, but they could not hold his mind. One particular traveler he attacked did not struggle... And Valentine made quick use of him. The traveler freed Valentine's spirit from the Void, sealing him inside a small purple gem. Valentine gives guidance to Vent Nogeth, and instructed him to form the "Destrian Shadows." This group aims to reinstill the terror from Valentines reign. Valentine cannot attain true physical form without a proper host, and so he has Vent Nogeth searching Renit for a proper host, while burning its cities to the ground. Personality: Storm's personality is completely cutthroat, and he bases all decisions based on what he can gain from them. He is highly distasteful of disrespect, and shows it to all who give it to him in brutal fashions. Powers: (explained in Bio) Theme Song: Spoiler [video=youtube;3JtYlaPYh3w]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JtYlaPYh3w[/video] Nero Yamato (Shadwdemon) Spoiler Name: Nero Yamato Age: 29 Alliance: Destry Appearance: 5' 10" (See pic for clothing) Black spiky hair with red tips. On his back is a 4' 10" sword, (see pic), glows red when revved up, and a double-barreled revolver. (see pic) (Gun)- Spoiler (Sword)- Spoiler (Clothing)- Spoiler Bio: At the age of 10, Nero's father gave him his first katana to train as a swordsman. After 2 years of in tense training, his father gave him his first custom sword. When Nero turned 14 his father was drafted into the war between his country, Destry, and the other countries, Drosin and Conud. In the middle of Drosin and Conud countries invaded Destry, Nero's mother was killed trying to protect him. He was able to escape away from the war zone and found a place to hide out as the war continued on. When the war ended he was taken by soldiers of the other countries and put into prison. 5 years later Nero escaped from prison and ran through the underground catacombs and found a group called the Destrian Shadows. They took Nero in and trained him to be an assassin. They gave him a revolver with twin barrels to train with. He trained for 3 years and was sent on his first mission to free as many Destrian citizens as he could and kill anyone who stood in his way. Nero carried out the mission with little success, only bringing back half the people he freed. 3 years more of training and doing missions, Nero became from being search and rescue to search and destroy killing Drosin and Conud soldiers one by one. At age 29 Nero became third-in-command as a general, but he still tells the other generals that he insists on doing missions to kill the people who killed his family, seeking only revenge. Personality: Calm, quiet at times when he has nothing to say. When he gets into a fight he gets a little psychotic. If he meets an opponent worthy of his power he grabs the hilt closest to the sword to the sword and revs his sword for more power. Powers: Able to control fire and darkness for a short time and 10x the speed of a average human when he needs to go that fast. Role in Realms 1: N/A Theme Song: Death Trend Setta by Crossfade Spoiler [video=youtube;6DfklWH4LqM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DfklWH4LqM[/video] Yamata Takizaki (ShadwDemon) Spoiler B]Name:[/B] Yamata Takizaki Age: 30 Alliance: Destry Appearance: 6' 0" tall. (See pic for clothing) Black colored hair. On his back are two 4' 10" swords, (see pic), and two panther claws on his side for closer combat. (See pic) Clothing- Spoiler Side Arms- Spoiler Swords- Spoiler Bio: Yamata was born and raised in a Country called Destry. His father enlisted into the military when Yamata was five years old. Four years later Yamata started to train with his wooden sword to become a great swordsman. Six years later the leader of Destry declared war on the other countries. Yamata was taken with his mother to a shelter to hide out from the war. When the solders of Drosin and Conud came into Destry and attacked the shelter. Yamata's mother told him to leave to find someplace safe to hide. He left the building and went into the underground catacombs and sought a place to hide with solders that were down there to protect the people who made it down there. Five years went by and Yamata get trained by the solders and was given steel to fashion his own weapons. Two years later he had finished carving out his swords and named them 'Twin Dragon Blades'. Yamata used what was left of the steel and made knuckle bracers with knife like claws at the end of them; he called them 'Panther Claws'. Seven years while training with the solders he left the shelter and was quickly caught by the rivaling solders. Yamata was thrown into prison. He spent eight years in prison before he was able to escape. He wandered through the city and found an abandon catacomb entrance outside the city border and followed the tunnel for miles until he came to the end and found a group of people called the Destrian Shadows. Three years later with training and killing for them, he was accepted into the group and was quickly named 'The Destrian Assassin'. Personality: He hardly says a word; he rarely says an entire sentence. He does any mission that he is assigned to do against the Drosin and Conud solders. Powers: His swords are one key to his strength. He can shoot darkness power from his swords. When he slashes one or both his swords, a dark power wave comes from the blades and goes toward the enemy. He is three times faster than a normal human, but doesn't use that as much and he can lift three times his weight so he can lift his swords. He is the only one who his able to handle the swords. Role in Realms 1: N/A Theme Song: Boom by POD Spoiler [video=youtube;5m83BQ7LQ8A]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m83BQ7LQ8A[/video] Venator (lbu8) Spoiler Name: Venator Age: 24 Alliance: Destry (Member of Destrian Shadows) Appearance: Venator stands 5' 11" with long, muscular arms. His skin is an almost mud brown color and is very visable due to the absence of clothes on his upper body. The only clothing Venator does wear is a pair of dirty brown pants that are cut off just above his knees. A mop of curly brown hair sits unneatly atop his head, and brown stubble surrounds his cheeks. His eyes are very large, a pale grey in color and sit far apart. In between his monsterous oculers is his nose, flat and wide. His pointed ears are also fairly large and are raised slightly off his head. He wears no shoes, but carries a large bow, quiver of arrows, two throwing knifes, and a bomerrang on his back. A large machette on his hip completes his gear and is his most used piece of equipment. Bio: Venator is one of few remaining surviors of Destry's secret super-human project. He was created to hunt and given the tools to do so. After the defeat of Storm Valentine. Venator went into hiding in the woods of Salfir doing what he was bred to do, hunt. The locals in Salfir spoke of a "Shadow Phantom" that lived deep in the woods. Over the years a few foolish men would enter the darkness of the canopy, none were ever seen again. Venator learned of a small group of Valentine supporters gathering and decieded to seek out this organization. Under the leadership of some unkown leader The Destrian Shadows have risen in power, their number increasing by the day. Personality: Venator is a two trick pony. He hunts, and he follows orders. He was created to serve Destry and with the Shadows he can complete his destiny. Venator spends very little time thinking and almost never speaks. His speach is broken, words often replaced with grunts and hand gestures. He despritly awaits Valentines return and feels that each kill brings Storm closer to life. Powers: Venator is an expert archer. He uses a large assortment of arrows to make his kills and can generate incredable power his his bow. He also uses his throwing knifes and bomerrang with deadly accuracy. Venator is all about stealth and tracking his prey. He has the ability to meld into the shadows, making him practicly invisable. His senses are also boosted. With dog like hearing and smell, and bird like eye sight the element of supprise is always on his side. Crossed with animal DNA Venator is a physical speciman, stronger, faster, and more agile then any man or beast. Lucas Alexander CG_Reaper) Spoiler Name:Lucas Alexander A.K.A the Death Knight Age:25 Alliance: Destry Appearance: Spoiler http://mythicmktg.fileburst.com/media/images/newsletters/warhammer/2007/NL-Chosen001.jpg Bio: Lucas was a legendary soldier who worked for destry for his raids and pillages. He was locked up in the same asylum as Nurgle for making his whole squad die in a raid. It started with him getting orders from the leader himself. They were to go to a town that supplies the other countries armys with guns and liberate it. Little did he know that their military saw this coming and had a platoon there. When they got there it was a blood bath, people dying back and forth. The problem was that at the first sight of trouble he was supposed to retreat to conserve soldiers. Lucas did not do that but instead executed anyone who tried to retreat. He ran them and ran them until his last man fell in combat. Lucas ran back and was sent to jail for his incompetents and failure to follow orders. Most of his child hood consisted of harsh special training from an organization that makes special soldiers for destry. It was like their super soldier program except they wanted to infuse them with beast like powers and the ability to control nature around them. They were only successful in making him control the earth but he posed very great stregnth, more than they thought. The facility was cancelled cause there was only 1 success from it, Lucas. After they cancelled it he went to serve destry as his fathers, fathers have for generations. Personality:He is quiet and easily angered. He does not like submitting to defeat and thinks retreating is for the weak but will if it is right. Powers:Lucas has the power to control the very earth around him, manipulating it in every way possible for his deeds. He also posses inhuman stregnth. theme song: DeathHarmonic by Dethklok Good Characters Caedus Zamikios (The Storm) Spoiler Name: Caedus Zamikios Country: Drosin Alliance: Good Age: 15 Appearance: Caedus stands at 5' 11" tall. He currently weighs 237 pounds of ripped muscle. He wears a dark black vest over his fluffy white aristocrat shirt. Usually, he wears fingerless black gloves made from Ram-hide. His boots are black, made with cow hide leather, and are laced with steel from the tip of his toe to the crown of the shoe. His laces are made from cow-hide leather as well, with the buckles made of pure gold. He wears black slacks, traditional of the Aristocratian style. The slacks are held up by a sash that is laced with Gold. His shirt buttons are Gold plated as well. He has one hoop earring, formed from pure Silver, only to pump up his already strong appearance. His hair is slicked back with the finest Gel money can buy, near to the skin on the sides of his head while being ridiculously long on the top. This is, as aforementioned, slicked back on the top of his head. His hair is tied into a rat tail in the back, lengthed to hanging just above his spine. His face, chin, and bone structure are absolutely perfect. Personality: Caedus is a perfectionist. Whatever happens, whatever occurs, it HAS to be his way. Because in his mind, the world is not perfect, and he is the only one with the power to make it so. He is incredibly strong willed and will never back down from a fight. Although he prefers not to fight, even though with his great size and strength few can stand up to, he prefers to settle things democratically. He completely despises wild and erratic behaviour. Planning is everything. And when things dont go according to plan, people tend to find themselves gasping for breath under his powerful political fist. Biography: Caedus Zamikios is the child of the two greatest known heroes in Renit; Richand and Siana Zamikios. Being a child of two celebrities, Caedus has never known the shallow life peasants follow. Standing on top of them from his childhood, he was able to observe and learn from the mistakes of others. His mind developed at an accelerated rate since he was born, learning to speak at 11 months old; fluent in three languages at 6 without any prior influence. His mind is like the greatest of all sponges, absorbing any knowledge he hears, reads, writes, or sees and stowing it into the depths of his mind. By the time he was 10 years old, he was a very active political idealist. Noone could place doubt into the boys apparent ability to influence others decisions greatly. Since the fall and separation of Destry, Caedus has convinced 48 former military activists to turn their back on the old ways of the trecherous Destrian Empire. He has been known by many names since his introduction to politics. Genius, Protegy, The Hero without Fear, and in a sense, he has become all of these things. He has never shown any opposition the slightest glimpse of fear. Anything he cannot accomplish, he continues trying until he succeeds, and does not stop until said task is completed. So, in a way, he can accomplish anything. Now 15 years old, he is one of the most powerful activists in the newly rebuilt Grand Citadel of Renit. He represents the Drosin territory for the most part, but as a whole, he represents the entire continent against any opposing force, foreign and domestic. Even as young as he is, he has already gained enough fame among the residents to become the Face of Justice among the countries on Renit. He is particularly just on the slums of Salfir, a barren wasteland of peasants and poor folk who were hit the hardest by the Destrian Conflict. It absolutely disgusts him when people take advantage over others for no reason other than their personal success. He always thinks about the effects of actions on others before he makes a move, which is the very reason for him being such a prominent force in Politics. If Richand, Siana, Oric, and the other past celebrities were the Heroes needed to save Renit, then Caedus would be dubbed the Hero who would rebuild it. Weapon of Choice: Caedus prefers not to fight physically, although his physical disposition would allow him to take out many opponents with ease. When faced with battle, he conforms to using the newfound technology of gun powder. He carries a bronze-hilt, gold-plated pistol at his hip, while carrying a variety of other accessories on his belt sash. He has two small black balls on his hip-sash, that, when met with an impact, disperse a great deal of smoke that clouds the lungs and causes de-suffocation. The oponent passes out without physical harm, and can be healed at a local hospital. Other than these weapons, he has a blade the size of a small telescope that, like a telescope, extends to a full length of three feet. Theme Song: Spoiler [video=youtube;zuyupBmHfVQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuyupBmHfVQ]Hero By Skillet[/video] Night (GigaRidley) Spoiler Name: Night Age: 32, but looks 19 Alliance: Neutral (Inclined to Good) Appearance: Night has long, scraggly and uneven black hair that he constantly pushes out of his eyes. It is roughly self-cut, and the fact that he used rocks to do it clearly shows. He is 5'11 and thin with pure black eyes. He wears a long black cloak that he wraps around himself to hide the curse mark on his left arm, a clear sign that he has been "Touched by a Devil", as the citizens of Renit put it. The curse mark's design is a long purple snake with hundreds of eyes circling down his arm, the signature mark of the demon Chillam the Millioneye. Night carries around an intricate staff he made himself from an oak tree. He keeps it beside him at all times to defend himself with, and the bottom is sharpened to a point in case he needs to use it. However, Night only uses the deadly tip in emergencies, greatly preferring to not kill. Bio: Night was probably an ordinary boy, living an ordinary life for the first 17 years of his life. The word "probably" is used because, when he was 17, he was possessed by the dread demon Chillam the Millioneye, the second-in-command to Naxus, the Dark One, the most dangerous demon of them all, robbing of his memories prior to that instant. All Night remembers is waking up and being surrounded by the dead bodies of his friends. Horrified at what he had done, Night ran away, looking for a place to hide away. However, the possession had given him a powerful curse mark with dark powers, and Night found himself attacked everywhere he went simply for his appearance. Resigning himself to the fact that he would never live a normal life, Night lived in the forests, living off the land and only journeying to the edges of civilization to get sustenance. Personality: Night is deeply conflicted, torn between his desire to do good and the temptation of the dark power that lurks within him as a result of his brief possession. He tries to stay away from the rest of humanity, convinced that no one will accept him due to his tragic past. He can often be a little forward and socially inept due to the fact that he has not had human contact in years. He is also silently frightened of the possibility that he may never die, due to the fact that he has only aged two years physically over the past 15 years. He has tried to take his own life many times, but has always stopped at the last second. Powers: Night's curse mark gives him a certain degree of super strength, as well as the ability to shoot small globs of darkness out of his left hand. These "Darkness Grenades" latch onto whatever they hit and explode a few seconds afterward with great force. Night can also fire a small stream of dark arrows out of his arm to damage targets quickly with great accuracy. He can also charge up a larger amount of dark energy to shoot a stream of larger darkness arrows that can pierce steel. He can also "drain" energy from people through his curse mark upon contact, healing himself but weakening the victim for a short period of time. Night really prefers to refrain from using the curse mark powers, however, and only uses them if necessary. His fighting style, in which he uses his oaken staff, is savage and brutal from his years in the dark forests and his attacks are suited to his unnatural strength, favoring brute force over finesse. Despite his vicious style of fighting, Night never kills anyone if he can help it and only fights in self-defense. However, if in extreme stress, or if he overuses his dark powers, Night's curse mark spreads to the rest of his body and takes control of his actions, the remnants of Chillam's soul controlling Night's movements. While in this state, Night's dark powers are amplified greatly and he gains the ability to fly, but he loses all good in him and becomes a beast of destruction, massacring both friend and foe. This "Curse Night" can only be returned to normal if knocked unconscious, or if the true Night is somehow reached and reawakened. Role in Realms 1: Night first ran into Richand and Siana as he was escaping from a mob of angry villagers. Realizing that he was really a good person, they helped him escape, and he joined them in gratitude. While Night was with the heroes, he helped them in their first battle against Storm directly and (unbeknownst to him) almost ran into his former possessor, Chillam. Although Night was truly happy that he had finally met people who would accept him for who he was, rather than what had controlled him, he feared that his dark powers would end up killing them, so he ran away as the group made their way to Sagomir Gorge. Unbeknownst to the other heroes, Night was also present at their final confrontation with Storm, and he helped defeat some of the Destrian demon-soldiers before quietly slipping away when the battle was won. Since then, he has remained in hiding, watching with a mix of happiness and envy as the friends he had met grew older while he stayed the same, gaining fame and praise for their victory. Several times, he saw that Richand and Siana looked for him, but he always avoided them without letting them know he was alive, believing that it would be better for everyone if he never returned. However, he has finally begun to move again, looking for a new place to take shelter. Theme Song: I Am... All of Me by Crush 40 Spoiler [video=youtube;_kTBbTSjZpI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kTBbTSjZpI&feature=related[/video] Giles Morgrim (ShyestGuy) Spoiler Name: Giles Morgrim (AKA Grim, or any other acceptable nickname) Age:52 Alliance: Conud Appearance: A shrewd-looking gentleman with pale blue-grey eyes. He has long grey hair which is obscured by the hood of his worn magenta cloak and a medium length beard tied together with strands of twine. He is of average height and has a narrow build. His skin is slightly tan, and wrinkled, but not too wrinkled. He has a somewhat large nose. His wardrobe is loose and colorful, with small trinkets dangling from his belt. Bio: A Gadgeteer from Conud. He ran a "chop shop" where he used parts from broken war machines to build wooden inventions and mechanical servants, which he sold for a hefty fee. However, the destryans burned down his shop. Now he's a vigilante, not skilled at hand to hand combat, but wise, and makes use of inventions. He left Conud to seek out the destryan captain that destroyed his shop. He doesn't know his name, and wasn't able to see him clearly in the shadows, but he does know that the captain has pyrokinetic powers and doesn't speak very much. Personality: Doesn't have a sense of humor, and distrusts other. Once you get to know him, he's a nice, level-headed guy, and can teach you much. Is always saying how he's "too old for this". Plays the violin. Powers: Is good with machines and alchemy. Uses his gadgets to help him out. He can construct just about anything, even with very few materials at his disposal. His main weapon is a grappling hook gun. His specialty however, is vehicles. Role in Realms 1: N/A Theme Song: Spoiler [video=youtube;ylslcF-fUeE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylslcF-fUeE[/video] Richand & Siana Zamikios (2 characters / GigaRidley) Spoiler Names: Richand Zamikios and Siana Zamikios (Makantes) Ages: 32 (Siana), 34 (Richand) Alliances: Good (Drosin) Appearance: Richand: Richand 6' 3", and has ice blue eyes and wavy brown hair that goes down to his neck. Richand always wears a chestplate of light, silvery-blue armor with moderate defense along with fingerless gloves. He wears light, comfortable pants with chainmail underneath and boots. On his back, he carries his Zodiac sword, Stargleam. Although the combined weight of his armor is enough to make an average man fall to his knees, Richand is strong enough to wear it all with only a slight decrease in his agility in combat, which is formidable, to say the least. Although he is quite a bit older since his first adventure, Richand is just as strong as always, constantly training to keep in shape. He also still looks incredibly young for his age, and most people assume he's in his early 20's. Richand still uses the exact same armor that he did in his first adventure, though he personally reforged it with new steel making it stronger, lighter, and more durable. Richand's old blue headband is now tied around his right arm rather than his head, and his hair is slightly shaggier. Richand's sword, Stargleam, remains the same save for it's faint glow visible only in the dark, due to it's use in his Avatar of Light transformation in his final battle with Storm. Siana: "Sia" is 5' 8" and has light blond hair that goes down to her hips. She has fiery red eyes and wears a red and white robe with light chainmail underneath so she can move fast. The center of her robe bears the symbol of the Makantes family- two golden fire serpents entwining each other. In the original story, Siana wore a black glove on her right hand with the same emblem. She now wears a bulkier "gauntlet" with the Zamikios symbol in addition to the Makantes symbol on her robe. The Zamikios symbol consists of a sword surrounded by 12 spheres, representing the 12 Zodiac animals the Zamikios family can use. Due to her magic blood, Siana ages slower than normal humans and looks very young, like Richand, and appears no older than 23. Bio: Richand: Richand is the second youngest member of the Zamikios family, a warrior family known in all four nations for their unique type of combat known as Zodiac Mastery. Zodiac Mastery allows the wielder to channel the powers of the symbols of the Zodiac into the weapon they wield. Only members of the Zamikios family are able to use more than one Zodiac spirit in combat. Richand's father, Lloyd, was possibly the most famous of all of the Zamikios line, having slain numerous legendary beasts terrorizing the nations. Richand learned all of his combat abilities from his father. Tragically, his father was murdered by the vicious Destrian dictator and old rival of Lloyd, Storm Valentine the day Richand turned 19. Once Destry declared war on the other nations, Richand's younger brother Nicklas went off to join the Drosin military. Richand, however, agreed to go with his close friend Siana, believing that they might be able to do more good by joining the resistance in Salfir. Richand also believed that he might finally be able to get to the bottom of the mystery behind his father's death, and learned Storm was responsible over the course of his journey. Siana: Sia was born and raised in Drosin. She is the youngest member of the Makantes family, a famous spellcasting family who has worked hand-in-hand with the warrior family of Drosin, the Zamikios family, to protect the land. Her mother taught her the art of healing magic until age 12, when her mother died. Since then, Sia has practiced both healing and offensive fire magic. When Destry declared war on the other three nations, Sia was not chosen to fight in the army simply because she was a woman. Wanting to help, she and her friend Richand set out for Salfir, hoping to help the resistance. After the events of the first story, Richand and Siana got married, and shortly after Storm's defeat, she gave birth to a child, Caedus Zamikios, whom they both love. Despite their newfound wealth and worldwide fame as the heroes who beat the evil Storm, they do not flaunt their fame, instead living a quiet life in a house close to Negliv. However, Richand and Siana are both now commanders of the Drosin military, as well as peacekeepers between nations. They also are taking an active role in stoppping the Destrian Shadows, and keep in close contact with Oric, their old friend. Personality: Richand: Richand is extremely good-natured and kind. Like Siana (or as he affectionately refers to her, "Sia") he does not fight unless he has to or his friends are in danger. Since the original Realms, he has become more experienced and comfortable in commanding troops, and he has natural leadership skills. As many have said, he is a natural and true hero. Siana: Siana is a very friendly and nice person, and is always looking to see if someone needs help. Although she doesn't fight if she doesn't have to, she has a strong sense of justice and will help her friends. Like Richand, she has also developed better leadership skills and is an expert tactician. Richand and Siana love each other very deeply, and they both love their son, Caedus, very much. They also help out any of the citizens of Renit whenever they can. Powers: Richand: Richand is an amazing hand-to-hand fighter, but he truly shines in swordplay. Richand has mastery of the legendary sword Stargleam, which was once his fathers' and is known throughout the world. Stargleam is a Zodiac weapon, which allows Richand to channel the might of the symbols of the Zodiac through it. Richand is quite strong and is also quite agile, able to do flips and jumps even while in his heavy armor. Since the first story, Richand has achieved a much better mastery of his Zodiac abilities. They are as follows: Fist of Aries Horn of Taurus Illusion of Gemini Inspiration of Cancer Roar of Leo Salve of Virgo Sight of Libra Blade of Scorpio Arrow of Sagittarius Spiral of Capricorn Tower of Aquarius Hook of Pisces Richand also has access to a powered-up form known as "Constellation Richand" which he first accessed through the Rite of Gaia in his battle with the demon Naxus. In this form, all of Richand's armor and sword become golden-white, and his hair stands up straight, a shimmering white. Although going into the form can be very physically draining, it gives Richand access to a variety of amazing "Constellation" powers, as well as powering himself up tremendously. At the very end of Realms, Richand accessed his ultimate forms using the help of all of the deceased heroes as well as the sheer power of the four Orbs of Renit to become "The Avatar of Light", the purest manifestation of good in all of history and one of the strongest fighters ever, being powered by heroism and light. Siana: Siana has mastery of her two types of preferred magic, which are Healing magic and fire magic. When in combat, Sia surprises her foes with her mix of impressive agility and mid-close range fire blasts. She is also skilled in hand-to-hand fighting thanks to training from Richand. Since the original story, Siana's magic has improved quite a bit. In addition to her offensive and defensive magic, she now has access to close combat lightning attacks that spark from her gauntlet. She has also extended her knowledge of fire magic to the point that she can speed around by shooting jets of flame from her boots, as well as leap very far distances. Role in Realms 1: Richand and Siana were two of the main characters in the original Realms, with Richand eventually emerging as the leader of the heroic rebels. The plot of Realms followed their and their allies journey to collect the four Orbs of Renit and stop Storm from taking over the world. At the end of the story, Richand used the four Orbs to transform into the Avatar of Light and seal Storm away. He then scattered the orbs across the land once again. OVer the course of the story, Siana and Richand also came to realize that they were in love with each other. Theme Song: (chose slightly more dramatic songs for them than the standard rock and roll) Richand: Vampire Killer Spoiler [video=youtube;MOElM9CJ7h0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOElM9CJ7h0[/video] Siana: Slash Spoiler [video=youtube;I9bhMaS4sfY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9bhMaS4sfY&feature=related[/video] Constellation Richand/ Avatar of Light Theme: What I'm Made of by Crush 40 Spoiler [video=youtube;MuVAaU63K7k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuVAaU63K7k[/video] Seth Covull (Shadow*91) Spoiler Name: Seth Covull Age: Unknown Alliance: Neutral Appearance: Seth stands at 6' even. He wears a small gold mask at all times that only covers his eyes, making them look like white slits. He wears a white cloak that goes down to just short of his feet. The bottom is slightly torn and it has a hood, keeping his head covered. Though his hood usually covers it, he has shaggy unkempt silver hair. His face has a few wrinkles in it from his extreme age. He wears a suit of silver chain mail at all times. He wears a golden shirt with some small silver plating and silver shoulder guards with gold inlay. He wears golden pants as well as golden leather boots with silver fastenings. He wears gold gloves with silver inlay and a bright blue gem in each. just like in Realms 1, Seth can be made in Soul Calibur 4. PM me for the how-to Bio/Role in Realms 1: Seth has no recollection of when he was born. Its been so long ago that he has forgotten his age but it doesn't bother him. He is the last follower of his religon which worships gods known as Eternals. By worshipping them and following his religions laws he was granted a semi-immortality. Old age can never kill him. A long time ago he was worshipping as normal when his gods spoke to him. They told him that thier divine role is to keep the balance of everything. Seth's people had grown to powerful and thier was no force to balance them. Seth was given an offer. Because of his great faith, the Eternals would grant him an everlasting sword and some of thier divine power. In return he would remain to do thier bidding after they kill his people. Seth feared for his own life and took the deal. He was given power and his people were wiped off the planet overnight. Seth has regretted the deal ever since. He has followed the gods orders since, doing as they command to keep the world in balance. It was Seth that gave the four legenadary Orbs to humans millenia ago. His gods then decided that for the greatest peace to occur, the world would have to go through its greatest trial. For that reason he traveled to Destry and secretly manipulated it to become the fierce dictatorship it became. He even befriended Sekhmet and Storm to further keep in control of the conflict. Seth manipulated everything about the war so that it was the darkest event since the universes creation. Eventually it came down to the heroes Richand, Siana, Oric and Drake against Valentine, himself, and the most vile demons Valentine could conjour. Seth did battle against Oric, neither side giving in. But when Valentine began to release his true power, Seth turned against him. He showed his true strength and intentions and fought against Valentine. When Drake and Oric restrained Valentine, Seth opened the portal that would seal him forever. Richand dealt the final blow and Seth sealed Storm in. Seth apologized for the deciet and pain his actions caused and left for solitude. He regrets his actions against Valentine because of the friendship they shared but knew it must have been done. He has kept in contact with his gods ever since and kept a silent watch over the world. Recently though he has noticed several things that were not supposed to happen. The end of Valentine was supposed to bring great peace yet the world still fights. These Destrian Shadows should never have existed yet they do and they terrorize the mortal world. Seth has set out from his solitude to find the reasons behind these mysteries as well as to help bring forth the peace he promised. Personality: Seth is calm and wise. He tries to help with things and he seeks answers to things he doesn't know. He tries not to be arrogent but he'll occasionally brag and boast about his power. He is respectful and wants others to be respectful to him. His favorite hobby is a good game of chess. Powers: Due to his religon, Seth cannot die from old age, only battle can kill him. He weilds a massive scythe as hus main weapon. It stands as tall as he does being ornately made of gold and silver. He has had hundreds upon thousands of years to master the weapon thus his skill with it is unmatched and few can stand against it. He keeps the weapon sealed in the gem on his right glove when its not in use. Because of his deal so many millenia ago he has a special blade. The blade is 5' in length and 1' wide. It is silver with a black and gold handle. Its called the Eternal Blade and is enchanted with thier magic so that it will never dull or break. He has knowledge of all magic but prefers not to use it as he detests how much persicion and concentration it requires. By tapping into the power his gods gave him Seth can temporarily become one, gaining an appearance similer to a fallen angel with black fire surrounding him. However ever since sealing Storm his power has been weakend. He still hasn't returned to the full power he once had. Theme: Fireproof by Pillar Spoiler [video=youtube;0F8vyoxFe3k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F8vyoxFe3k"]Fireproof by Pillar[/video] Fringe (BurrHenry) Spoiler Name: Fringe Alliance: Salfir Age: 22 Appearance: 5'5'', short dark hair, and skin, blue eyes. Simple peasant-like outfit, white blouse, dark vest and pants, clothes are rather loose and easy to move in. Wears a belt, with two holsters on it for a pair of (stolen) standard issue pistols from the army. Not particularly muscular, but still physically fit (a bit stronger than the average human female). Bio: At age 7 when she was placed in a concentration camp, her father and mother took the best care of her that they could under the circumstances, giving up all the had to her, to make things as pleasant as possible for her. Along with a few other children judged to have substantial magic, or fighting abilities, Fringe was taken before she could experience many of the horrors in the camp. On her 18th birthday, she was sent out with two friends, when she saw the destruction in towns along the way, she decided to stay and help rebuild them. Known as being 'behind' all the others that were trained in terms of her fighting ability, she knew it would be believed if her friends reported her to have died on the journey. With their agreement, she stayed and began her work to rebuild towns. For four years she has been traveling and doing what is essentially 'charity' work. On the way she has picked up a number of random talents. Personality: A kind and charitable person, rather naive. She doesn't really know what the army is doing, and that more destruction is currently going on (having never been on a real field assignment, she really doesn't get that there's a huge new problem a-brewing). An optimist and a realist. Powers: Current powers allow her to breathe in any environment (underwater, in smoke, in poisonous vapors). She cannot utilize any offensive magic currently, but may have the latent ability to be incredibly strong (manipulating oxygen particles to her will). She also can use her pistols, but is well out of practice. Oric Halgern (lbu8) Spoiler Name: Oric Halgern Alliance: Drosin: King Appearence: Oric stands about 6 foot 4 inches tall and 220 pounds. He is muscular, with blue eyes, shaggy black hair and a well kept beard. As the king of Drosin he is usually found wearing elegent, long sleeved crimson robes with gold trim. On his head he wears a silver crown adorned with his family crest, two eagles, talents outstreached with their beaks at each others throats. The only jewelry he wears is a necklace of the Halgern Family Shield. A short sword never leaves his hip, and he usually will carry a straight hunting knife in his right boot. Bio: Oric was born the second son of Rutan Halgern, king of Drosin. His brother, Raman was four years older than Oric and the apple of their fathers eye. As the first born son, Raman was the heir to the throne and was treated like it. Oric was always being compared to Raman, who was perfect. He was tall and strong, smart and wise. Where as Oric was short compared to the rest of his family, and skinny. He was also smart and confident, but Oric was lazy and didn't put full effort into anything. His father decieded he needed more disipline and heired a man to train Oric and make sure he didn't slack off. Oric got tired of the pressure from his father to change and ran away to Salfir at the age of 16. There he moved to a layed back sea town and set up a local tavern. He was happy with his life, until Destry invaded. Oric and most of the other villagers boarded a ship and set sail before the invaders got to his town, but a few men stayed to fight for their land and were slautered. After the events of the first Realms, Oric was named king and placed the responsability of rebuilding Renuit on himself. Now in his late thirtys, he has been working closely with the Zamikios' to restore order to the world and keep the peace. Personality: Oric is a natural leader, he is a deep thinker, and never rushes a decision. Oric is a scholar and takes a preticular likeing to history. He is a good hearted man, that believes in peace, but also knows that blood must be spilled to keep it and he was no trouble doing so. The last 15 years has taken a toll on Oric mentally and he will often spend hours at a time locked in his study keeping to himself. He has been so preocupied with rebuilding the three nations and fighting off Destrian loyalists he has not married and currently has no hier, which is something that troubles him greatly. Powers: Oric was trained in both military stratagy and combat by the best advisers in Drosin and his strategic mind has no equal among mortals. His fighting skills are well polished and he feels comfortable with any weapon in his hands. He has the abillity to shapeshift into a huge crimson and gold eagle but doesnt hold any magical powers. Sela (Shadow*91) Spoiler Name: Sela (pronounced say-la) Age: 20 Alliance: Conud Appearance: Sela is 5'6" and has long black hair that goes down to about halfway down her back. She keeps it out of her face with a gold hairband with a black gem in the center of it. Her eyes are a sky blue and she wears a couple small blue earings shaped like stars. She has a somewhat curved figure and weard a long sleeve black shirt with golden inlay, it has her family crest sewn onto the front. Her family crest is an angel hold a heart above its head. She wears a black pants that are somewhat tight on her legs and small boots. Bio: Sela comes from the rich noble family Drask of Conud. They mainly kept out of the Destrian conflict because they lived closer to the center of Conud, which saw relatively little fighting. Sela was educated by the finest scholars in Conud. Yet she'd always be wondering about her life later, such as what she'd be doing and who she would marry. At the age of 17 she met the love of her life and they began dating. Within a year they were set to be married and Sela felt nothing could go wrong. But that thought itself was wrong. On her wedding day it happened, the Destrian Shadows attacked the city. Everything was burnt and nearly everyone was killed. Sela was one of the few survivors. In fact, of the church she was to be married in, she was the only survivor. She searched desperately for the man that would have been her husband only to find him with a spear through his chest. She had lost everything; her family, her home, and her love. She took the spear that killed him and trained herself in its use. She's now one of the best spear warriors accross Renit and has set her mind to a single goal: to kill every Destrian Shadow with the very spear that destroyed her life. Personality: Sela is cold and heartless, her compassion died on the same day as her lover. She cares only for revenge and will attack anybody that she feels is aiding her enemy. She is very intelligent because of her tutoring and can memorize anything after glancing at it for a few moments. She will occasionally play the part of seductress but only to get what she wants before she either leaves or kills the person. She keeps the ring her lover proposed with because it's her only reminder of what once made her happy. Abilities: Sela is a very skillful spear warrior, there's no wasted movement. Her style is like dancing accross the battlefield with pinpoint strikes to the enemies vitals. After training with it she discovered that the spear was charmed with powers of it own. As long as she holds it she can manipulate water and ice to do her bidding. She form either from the water vapor in the air or from a source nearby to do nearly anything. However if it's to dry she can't form enough or if the spear is taken from her then her control over it shatters instantly. The spear itself has a light blue rod of 5' and a 1' blade of silver on it. The blade has a dragon carved into it and Sela keeps it on her at all times. Role in Realms 1: N/A Theme: Falling Inside The Black by Skillet Spoiler [video=youtube;_HKnzAF3d2c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HKnzAF3d2c"]Falling Inside The Black by Skillet[/video] Neko (Night888) Spoiler Name: Neko Alliance: Conud Appearance: Neko is about 5'11'' has black hair that is short in the back and long in the front that covers one eye. Both his writs have scars on them. he is tan with one brown eye and the one that he hides under his hair is white. he wears black baggy pants and wears and black t-shirt and normal shoes. Bio: Neko was born in Conud and always like it there. When he was about 15 years old he killed his first man. When he killed the man Neko ran away never returning to the place were he was born. After he ran, Destry men kidnaped him and made him kill inccent people aguist his will. One day he escaped Destry and into Salfir. He is living in the woods of salfir makeing sure no one finds him to use him as a "tool" again, and to make sure he tried to take his own life but somehow lived. Personality: Neko dosent trust anyone nor will he talk to anyone. He belives people are worth less and unforgiveable. If Neko sees a Destry man he will kill him no matter what. Powers: Neko power is like this, with his eyes he send out a invisable shockwave that cuts through mostly anthing he can also throw these Shockwave through his hands. he also has great running speed. Forenz Fidelis (The Storm) Spoiler Name: Forenz Fidelis; Drosin Battalion Commander Age: 58 Alliance: Drosin / Oric Halgern Appearance: Forenz stands 6'7" tall. He is complete muscular build. Even his muscles have muscles. He weighs 288 pounds. His appearance only reflects his age due to his snow white hair, which is more than usually darkened from dirt and dust. His face looks more like it was put through a meat grinder. Not an inch of his skin does not bear a scar from some sort of combat. He wears plain, flexible clothes. they are usually dark and have some type of earthy look to them. Biography: Forenz has been the protector of the Halgern family since he was able to pick up and wield a blade. He has had nothing but the fiercest of all loyalties to the Halgerns which will never falter. He was brought up in Drosin under a military based family. He was born during the first signs of Destries corruptive plot to overthrow Renit. Though they were only rumors, Drosin still prepared and began inducting Men and children into the military in case a threat came to be. Forenz was transferred in at 8 years old. He was trained under the normal ranks, until he proved his superiority in combat by besting all four of his mentors in a four on one swordfight. The boy's talents were unmistakably remarkable, and it was decided he would have the job of defending the King and Queen. Years went by, and slowly Destry began unveiling its sinister plot. Forenz began issuing orders to the militia, giving strategies. Strangely enough, Forenz's presence on the battlefield was so magnanimously valorous as he fought, he racked up the high score for enemy surrenders. At age 38, he suffered the worst injury of his life. During a battle againt a flood of Destrians, his last men fell. Forenz, however, would not retreat. He stood against hundreds of troops alone. He cut down many of them, giving him the nickname "Liberator." As the last of the flood fell, he looked to the mountains only to see dark lines of incoming troops. He readied his blade, but heard a soft pitter patter of air being sliced. His eyes moved towards the dark skyline to see it red, engorged in a storm of flaming arrows. As he ran back, attempting to get out of range, three of the arrows caught his back. One in each shoulder, and the third in his lower back. Fire crawled up his spine and he could smell his own flesh burning as he ran through the firestorm of arrows. He wrenched the arrow heads from his back and kept running, loosing strength fast. He slipped and landed face first in a visquis material that soaked him throughout. He recognized the scent of the fluid immediately, and his face turned to sorrow. It was oil and brush weeds. Suddenly the firestorm was no longer in the sky, but it was all around him, all over him, fighting eachother for a peice of his flesh. He gathered himself and took off, burning skin flying from his body as he ran. The screams were inhuman, and as he ran he fell, yet again, into a fluid. But this one did not harm him. It was water. As the burns cooled, his skin scarred and deformed. He was found unconscious in the river by a small rebel group in Salfir. They nursed him and kept him hidden. A few years later, he was still recovering. Until one day, an inhuman beast attacked the village. It tore people apart by twos, and threes, and dined on their flesh. It angered him, but the proud warrior could not stand and fight. He fled for Drosin. On his way there, he was captured by the Destrians and thrown into a holding cell. He had become a Prisoner of War. Days and weeks and what felt like years went by... Until the day it happened. Destry was liberated by Drosin troops, and Forenz was freed from the life of a prisoner. As he made his way back to Drosin with the troops, he had learned prior to the liberation of Destry, Storm Valentine had been defeated in an epic battle that shook the world. He was very dissappointed in himself to learn that the King and Queen of Drosin had been slain, but was even more impressed to learn that their son, Oric, had not only assisted in the defeat of Valentine, but had also reclaimed the Drosin throne. Presently, Forenz has resumed his post of protecting the family of Halgern, and was also promoted to Battalion Commander of Drosin. With Oric's strategies combined with his own, there are no equals in military combat. Personality: Forenz is a brutal and lucrid tactition. He spares no expense to ensure complete and utter domination when it comes to battle. These same traits are seen through his normal persona, being extremely well educated and pompous above all others. He will never back down from any arguement or fight, even if he knows he is in the wrong. Completely ignorant and overbearingly scary to most, Forenz is the worst enemy to have. He is submissive only to his Drosin King, Halgern. Powers: He is a perfectionist in every form of combat. Able to wield any weapon, and carrying most of every weapon on him at all times, his power is his own versatility to adapt to any situation in combat to overpower the enemy completely. His skin is extremely thick, and able to sustain much more pain and damage than a normal person. Parried with his own tremendous strength, height, and speed, he is the fiercest warrior Renit has ever seen. Role in Realms 1: P. O. W Theme Song: Spoiler [video=youtube;KUGQpyZddeA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUGQpyZddeA[/video]


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California Lane
Bushey Heath
Located in a prominent position on California Lane in Bushey Heath, Tigertail is a delightful family home of approximately 3,592 sq. ft.
Set on a commanding corner plot with a sweeping carriage driveway, it features four/five bedrooms, three reception rooms, and a double garage. Its beautiful mature rear garden measures just under half an acre and extends to a depth of 187 ft. with development potential (Subject to Planning Permission).
Situated close to Watford, Stanmore and Edgware, Bushey Heath retains a quaint, small town atmosphere which is reflected in its lovely residential roads which are surrounded by Green Belt.
With an excellent high street, the area is well-suited to shopping and dining, with its numerous restaurants, cafes and delicatessens.
There is easy access to excellent schools in the area including the nationally regarded Purcell School for gifted young musicians - Britain's oldest specialist music school - as well as various highly regarded schools and colleges which are located close by including Harrow School, Merchant Taylor's, Haberdasher's Aske's and North London Collegiate.
Bushey Heath has access to transport links including the M1, A1 and A41.
To arrange a viewing or for further information, please contact Preston Bennett on 020 8954 0060; e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com or visit www.prestonbennett.co.uk

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Camory Backpackers Hostel
Offering views of the Mekong River, Camory Backpacker Hostel offers air-conditioned dormitories just a 5-minute walk from Wat Phnom. It is within easy walking distance of the Royal Palace, National Museum and the Night Market. Free Wi-Fi is available.
Guests have access to shared bathroom facilities and offer free toiletries. Other guest facilities include a 24-hour front desk, luggage storage and a tour desk. Massage and laundry services are available at a fee.
Khmer and Western dishes can be enjoyed at the restaurant. Refreshments and beverages are available at the bar.
It is a 15-minute drive to the Killing Field and Phnom Penh International Airport from Camory Backpacker Hostel.
Availability & RatesTo view availability and prices please select dates and click 'Update Dates'
Hostel Facilities & Policies
- 24 Hour Reception
- 24 Hour Security
- Air Conditioning
- Bar
- Bicycle hire
- Bicycle parking
- Book Exchange
- Cable TV
- Café
- Child Friendly
- Common Room
- Credit Cards Accepted
- Currency Exchange
- DVDs
- Telephone/Fax Facilities
- Free Internet Access
- Free Parking
- Free WiFi
- Hot Showers
- House Keeping
- Internet Access
- Jobs Board
- Laundry Facilities
- Meals Available
- Mini Supermarket
- Parking
- Postal Service
- Reading Light
- Restaurant
- Safe Deposit Box
- Taxes included
- Tea & Coffee Making Facilities
- Tours/Travel Desk
- Towels Included
Cancellation PolicyThis property has a 2 day cancellation policy. Failure to cancel within this time will result in a cancellation charge equal to the first night of your stay.
Must-Read Hostel InfoThis property has specific Terms & Conditions.
1.Check in any time of your arrival, But check out must be before 12:00 PM.
2.Children under 2 years old is free of charge when using the existing bed.
DirectionsShow MapHide Map
The hostel is located in the riverside. Please show the address to the driver, who can bring you to reach us. Free pick up is provided, and please inform us in advance.
Located Near
Nearby Walking Attractions:
Pub-street along the river: 3m
Wat Phnom: 2m
Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda: 15m
Night Market: 3m
Central Market: 5m
Sorya Shopping Center: 5m
Major Bus station along the river: 5m


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ROVERS' 14-match unbeaten run in the Championship came to an end in heartbreaking fashion at a fervent Carrow Road last night as Bradley Johnson and Lewis Grabban condemned them to a first league defeat since March 12.
After Johnson struck in the 87th minute salt was rubbed into the wounds in injury time when Grabban, who was the match-winner for his former club Bournemouth the last time Gary Bowyer's side lost in the Championship, netted his second of a dramatic evening.
Rovers had threatened to blow Norwich away in the first 10 minutes after Tom Cairney broke the deadlock in sensational style after just 41 seconds.
But Neil Adams' team, who have come down from the Premier League, hit back impressively and were level at half-time after referee Graham Scott gifted them a penalty which Grabban tucked away on the rebound after man-of-the-match Paul Robinson had saved his initial spot-kick.
The Canaries, who had failed to win any of the previous 10 meetings between the sides, were ultimately worthy winners.
But Rovers, after a spirited rearguard action, will feel they did enough to merit a point.
Bowyer made one change from the team which started the Rudy Gestede-inspired 2-1 triumph at Blackpool on Saturday as Lee Williamson was recalled at the expense of Josh King.
That meant Cairney was switched from the centre to the right of midfield.
But former Rovers left back Martin Olsson was not the man marking Cairney after he was hit with a three-match ban by the FA for making physical contact with the referee prior to his sending off in Norwich's 1-0 opening day defeat at Wolves.
With Olsson's suspended, and denied the chance to go head to head with his twin brother Martin Olsson, the Canaries were unchanged from the team which started their 3-0 home win over Watford on Saturday.
But their hopes of keeping another clean sheet were shattered within the first minute as Cairney scored what will be one of the goals of the season.
If you think the talented midfielder's strike in the opening day 1-1 draw at home to Cardiff City was good, well this was better.
A deep free kick from Markus Olsson was headed down by Gestede into the path of Cairney who did superbly to adjust his body and send a stunning 22-yard half-volley into the top corner.
And shell-shocked Norwich could have no complaints had they fallen further behind soon after.
After Jordan Rhodes had a strong penalty appeal turned down, Alex Baptiste headed over from the corner that followed.
Then it was the turn of Gestede, who was simply unplayable in the opening stages, to go close as he flicked a Craig Conway free kick inches the post, before Cairney tested John Ruddy from 25 yards with another well struck, but this time low, shot.
Crucially, however, Rovers were unable to get the second goal their blistering start deserved.
And, having survived the onslaught, the Canaries fought back with a 15-minute spell of pressure every bit as intense as to which they had just been subject to.
Firstly the onrushing Alexander Tettey rattled a 20-yard drive against the post after Grabban had missed Javier Garrido's cutback before Robinson pushed a 25-yard curler from Kyle Lafferty around the post.
Former Burnley forward Lafferty went closer still when his header from a Nathan Redmond cross deflected off Grant Hanley and dropped agonisingly wide.
But fortune deserted Rovers in the 22nd minute when referee Scott inexplicably adjudged Jason Lowe to have handled Wes Hoolahan's cross into the box despite the right back having his hand down by his side.
Justice appeared to have been done when Robinson saved Grabban's penalty.
However the ball broke kindly for the £3m striker and he side-footed home.
Robinson then saved from Redmond from distance as the Canaries, roared on by a passionate home crowd, seemed set to turn the contest on its head.
But, bar a fantastic tackle by immense Rovers captain Hanley on Grabban when he was bearing down on goal, they did not threaten again before the break.
Grabban, at the focal point of Norwich's fluid front four, created the first chance of the second half in the 58th minute when he produced a sharp turn in the area before poking an effort that would have sneaked it at the near post had Robinson not reacted smartly to palm it away.
Robinson was beaten in the 67th minute, though.
But fortunately half-time substitute Ryan Bennett's powerful header from Tettey's wonderfully whipped cross from the right hit the bar and went over.
Norwich rattled the woodwork again six minutes later yet that only tells half the story.
Redmond's cross from the left was flicked on to Grabban who, from eight yards out, seemed certain to score.
But Robinson produced a truly breathtaking save to push his header on to the bar.
Rovers sent on King for Rhodes and the sub did head an opportunity straight at Ruddy.
But it was the Canaries who were doing all the pressing and eventually they found a breakthrough three minutes from the end of normal time when Johnson placed the ball beautifully over Robinson from 18 yards.
Ruddy then denied Markus Olsson a dramatic equaliser before Grabban rounded off the scoring after Rovers were caught upfield.
Norwich: Ruddy, Whittaker, Martin, Turner, Garrido (R Bennett 46), Tettey, Johnson, Redmond (Josh Murphy 81), Hoolahan, Lafferty (E Bennett 74), Grabban. Subs not used: Rudd, Loza, O'Neil, Surman.
Booked: R Bennett.
Goals: Grabban 23, 90, Johnson 87.
Rovers: Robinson, Lowe, Baptiste, Hanley, Olsson, Cairney, Evans, Williamson (Varney 89), Conway (Marshall 81), Rhodes (King 64), Gestede. Subs not used: Eastwood, Henley, King, Dunn, Taylor.
Booked: Lowe, Evans, Williamson.
Goal: Cairney 1.
Referee: Graham Scott.
Attendance: 25,835.


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Free libraries open up new page in book-borrowing
If people know anything about Andrew Carnegie, it's that he made lot of money making steel, and spent a lot of it building thousands of libraries around the world. In Pittsburgh, you're never very far from a Carnegie Library.
Todd Bol started his own library-building project in 2009, which has probably already surpassed Carnegie's total. He has spent very little, but has had plenty of help.
When Bol put up the first Little Free Library in his front yard in Hudson, Wis. — not much bigger than a mailbox — it was mostly just for fun. A few short years later, it has become an actual worldwide movement.
"A little puppy can enter a room and the biggest, burliest guy can go, 'Oh, how cute.' I built a little library and had a garage sale," he says. "Everyone who walked by said the same thing: 'Oh, how cute.' It's amazing — it really opens them up."
The concept is so simple, that adults may be a little suspicious at first. (The "free" bit tends to trip them up.) Kids, though, tend to figure it out immediately.
Open the door on the Little Free Library, and take a book. Return it when you're done. You can drop off additional books for others to borrow, if you like.
One can order a Little Free Library from Bol and his main fabricator, Rick Brooks, at www.littlefreelibrary.org. The designs range from Double Wide Cranberry Crate for $250, to Little Red British Phone Booth Library, $600. There's also a page full of plans and tips for building your own. You don't have to pay the Wisconsin-based nonprofit anything, though Bol notes that material costs can be surprising. To get on the website's locator map, though, requires a fee of $25.
The appeal goes beyond free books. Not everybody thinks that building and running your own library would be fun — but for certain people, it's just too good an idea to pass up.
"They love books," Bol says. "Books are a part of their heart and soul. They feel bad that they sell them to the used-book store for 25 cents. Sharing a book is like sharing a piece of themselves."
That seems to hold true for Ann Kotyk of Sharon. So far, hers is one of just three Little Free Libraries listed in Western Pennsylvania, along with others in Smicksburg and Johnstown.
"We found out about (Little Free Libraries) from an article in the USA Today last winter, I believe," Kotyk says. "I wanted to do it because I love books. I worked for Borders for 10 years, and was an elementary-education major. I have a lot of books, and wanted to share them with people, rather than just let them sit there.
"My husband built the box for me. We got it put up in June. (Because of it) I've met a lot of people in my neighborhood here. We have a nice neighborhood, and it's a good way to connect with people in the community."
Bol says he gets this kind of feedback a lot.
"It's like having a front porch that extends to the sidewalk," Bol says. "I get emails all the time from people who say, 'I met more people in the last five days (since installing the library) than in the last 20 years.' Immigrant families, especially, say they've met all their neighbors this way."
Soon after putting up her Little Free Library — filled with "mostly adult literature, beginning readers for the kids, picture books" — Kotyk found a note left inside.
"The second day, there was a note in there addressed to 'Ann's Books,' from a neighbor that I didn't know. It said, 'Thank you so much for sharing your books with us. My daughter is so excited to walk down and get new books.' So, we've gotten acquainted."
Ed Patterson, the Indiana County Parks and Trails director, heard about the do-it-yourself libraries from his sister, a retired librarian. He thought it would be perfect for Smicksburg, a tiny tourist destination under-served by formal, bricks-and-mortar libraries.
"It has been very popular, including with the Amish up there," Patterson says. "They're pretty big readers, though we don't really track who takes what. They like the Beverly Lewis books (Amish-set novels). We've put some of those in there. Quilt-making books. Also, just fiction books. There's a book on clock-and-watch repairs. I can't imagine who fixes clocks anymore except the Amish.
"We've talked about expanding it. A lot of the county isn't really served by a library. It doesn't really take the place of a library, but it helps."
Jacqueline Simonich of Johnstown heard about the concept from her nephew in Massachusetts, who put one up. He brought one for her, a prefabricated plastic container of the type that usually hold free papers and advertising flyers.
"It doesn't do too bad, considering where I live, on the last hill," she says. "There's a retirement home adjacent to my house. It's a nice concept. I put up a bench next to mine, so that people can browse the books. I planted some flowers, and made it really cute and inviting."
Bol has been in Washington, D.C., all week, receiving an AARP grant for the project for working with isolated adults.
In Milwaukee, there are more than 50 Little Free Libraries. In Madison, Wis., there are more than 250. All kinds of creativity goes into their construction — some are shaped like phone booths, some like houses, and at least one looks like a canoe.
"Peace Corps workers are building them throughout Romania. We've got a doctor in Pakistan who is building a half-dozen of them. Someone has built 40 in Ghana (Africa)," Bol says.
Vandalism is rarely a problem, Bol says — and almost nonexistent for libraries placed in front yards. Communities tend to feel responsible for them. Stealing isn't typically a problem either.
"You can't really steal a free book," Patterson says.
Michael Machosky is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or 412-320-7901.


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How big was Noah's foot? when the KJV says God told Noah "the length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits". Genesis 6:15 KJV
Silly Question? Not when you remember Noah's Ark is given the length of 450 "feet" in many modern Bibles. Never thought about it? Now is the time, since it assumes present day translators' feet are the same size as Noah's. The old measurement "foot" is quite literally based on the length of man's feet. The old King James Bible left the Ark measurements in their original form when it said the ark was 300 cubits long. But a cubit was an arm measurement, not a foot measurement. It was the distance from elbow to fingertip. If you assume this is 18in long, (therefore 300 cubits is 450 feet) then you are assuming Noah was the same size as the modern Bible editors. Just as well the editors were not African pygmies or they really would have trouble answering the sceptic's question: "How did Noah fit everything on the ark?"
That raises the more serious point of how big Noah actually was, and how wise it is to translate cubits into space age measurement rather than leaving them as cubits with explanatory footnotes. Most of our creation research indicates many of today's tiny creatures such as tassel ferns, dragonflies and goannas were absolutely gigantic in the past. The explanation is probably that creatures originally lived in a much better world and therefore lived much longer. Many creatures today grow every day as long as they live but they don't live very long because the climatic conditions in the modern world are so extreme. The Bible records Noah as the last man to live over 900 years, so modern man does not live very long in comparison. Humans do not grow every day of their lives for as long as they live, but their size does depend on the quality of the environment and all indications from Genesis 1 - 9 (creation to flood) are that the perfectly created world was a much better place to live. There were no extremes of summer and winter, desert and snow, storm and dust, combined with the hazards of carnivores, disease and pollution. These are all long term consequences of man's rebellion and God's judgement. All of which means the bigger Noah was, the bigger his cubit was and the bigger the ark was, and the easier it was to fit in two of each kind of creature, particularly if they were taken as babies. The fossil evidence for many creatures tells us that babies have always started the same size. You might also find it interesting that a quick flick through many encyclopaedias will tell you that 2-3,000 years ago the foot was over 13 inches. So, how big was Noah's foot? Get the point? (Ref. Noah, Ark, cubit)