I do so very much love the concept of this RPG. I really hope it sticks around.
And in order to do my part in making sure it does, here's my application.
Application:
Character: The Shadow (Kent Allard, a.k.a. Lamont Cranston)
Occupation: Former aviator, soldier and adventurer, now a vigilante posing as an old-money playboy.
Allignment and Affiliation (what groups, if any is your character associated with, ie: Nazi): American, formerly affiliated with the French Army.
History:
(Drawing mostly from the novels, with a dash of the 1994 movie and a few tweaks here and there to fix continuity. Hope nobody minds too much)
Kent Allard was a man who wanted to see the world, who thirsted for the kind of adventure he could not find in his home country. Shortly before the outbreak of the First World War, he had joined up with the French Foreign Legion. He showed extreme aptitude with firearms (particularly his pistols) and hand-to-hand combat, but found his true calling in the seat of an airplane.
When the War began, Allard found himself as part of what would soon be known as the Lafayette Escadrille, an elite squadron of American pilots fighting for the French. He made several friends in the squadron, the best of which was a New York aristocrat named Lamont Cranston, the sole surviving heir to the Cranston fortune. The two became fast friends, mostly due to their equal passion for flying, though some say it was because the two bore an uncanny resemblance to each other. Tragically, Lamont's plane was shot down, and while his body was never recovered, he was declared Missing In Action and presumed dead.
Allard was changed by the war, after seeing so many of his friends (particularly Cranston) killed and so little gained. A darkness grew in him, and his need for adventure became a lust for combat that would not be satisfied even after the war ended. Rather than return to America, he continued to travel the world, starving and alone, making his way to some of the most dangerous and violent places he could reach.
His travels eventually led him to Tibet, where he dealt in opium and other vices best not mentioned. His reign as king of the Tibetan underworld is cut short when he is kidnapped by an order of monks led by the Tulku, an old mystic steeped in the powers of the mind. The Tulku knew of the ideals that Allard once held, and sought to train him to control the darkness in his heart, rather than letting it control him.
For seven years, Allard trained his body and mind, eventually becoming an expert hypnotist, able to cloud men's minds and render himself invisible. Upon hearing how bad things had gotten in America following the onset of the Depression, Allard left the Tulku in order to set things right in his home country.
Returning to New York, he realized that Kent Allard simply did not have the means or the influence to effectively fight injustice on his own. Now a master of disguise, he was easily able to assume multiple false identities, far and away the most important one being his old friend Lamont Cranston. With most of the old aristocratic family passed away or simply senile, it was almost too easy for Kent to fully assert himself as Lamont Cranston.
While he would see to it that Lamont Cranston's good name and fortune would go to helping out the city at large, he would assume yet another identity to combat injustice in person. Using his skills as a former soldier and the powers he had learned from the Tulku, he would soon become the terror of New York's underworld.
Powers/Skills:
The Shadow is an expert at most forms of combat, particularly hand-to-hand and with his signature twin pistols. He is also an ace pilot, though that rarely figures into his current work.
More importantly, the Shadow is adept at mentalism and hypnotism, most commonly using his abilities to cloud men's minds, rendering him invisible except for--naturally--his shadow.
Supporting Cast:
Margot Lane- a wealthy socialite who is involved romantically with Lamont Cranston.
Commissioners Ralph Weston- NYPD Commissioner, has an 'understanding' with the Shadow.
Moe Shrevnitz- cab driver and Lamont Cranston's chauffer
Shiwan Khan- gangster and arms dealer, direct descendant of Ghengis Khan.
Allard/Cranston/the Shadow also employs a vast network of agents throughout the city to aide his quest to restore New York City.
Please give two reasons you wish to play this character:
1. I absolutely love the style of the pulp era, and who better to bring to the game than
the classic pulp anti-hero?
2. This is my first attempt at playing the dark-detective sort of character, so I might as well go for the gold and try the one that started it all.
Picture, if accessible, of desired character:
Sample Post (2 paragraphs with 3 lines of dialogue):
"Okay, lady, we'll start with the pretty pearls around your neck, and see where it goes from there."
The man's about twice the woman's size, holding a gun to her with a crooked, yellow sneer. It's a scene that's far too common this day and age, especially in this city. Sometimes it's started by desperation, sometimes by plain greed, but once people get a taste for violence, that darkness makes them do terrible things.
Unfortunately for this would-be mugger, a terrible thing is walking up behind him, and he doesn't even know it.
A low, haunting laughter interrupts his depraved enjoyment. He turns and looks into the fog, catching a glimpse of my outline. He fires his gun wildly, but hits nothing. I've clouded his mind, and he has no idea where I am until the butt of my pistol breaks his nose.
I let myself become visible again, and the woman runs away, screaming. It's a good thing that she left; a lady shouldn't have to see what I'm going to do to this thug.
"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?"
*BLAM!*
"The Shadow knows."
