Darin Altway

(OOC: This is a rough outline of Darin's daily routine. Feel free to comment to this post with a time and location if you want to thread! This post is meant to be a catch-all contact post to thread out and expand on things that happen in game that might be too little for a log! Anything is game! Open to all! And feel free to have someone catch Darin someplace that isn't necessarily listed! He gets around, for sure!)

Sunrise to Early Morning

[It is around this time that you'll catch Darin out at the beach. He's doing his usual training regiment; jogging around the temple, sit ups, push-ups, liberally exercising whatever magical abilities he's awoken. He might be sparring with a clone projection, practicing summoning his weapon, or maybe just cooling down. Afterwards, he goes in search for metal, whether it's at the junkyard, or digging into the cliff face for whatever he can find!]

Morning to Afternoon

[Around this time, you'll see Darin around Waverly Bay. He might have his stall set up and selling his wares, or he might be running errands for the sake of the townspeople. Maybe he's doing some repairs around town, or lending a hand wherever it's needed. If it's slow, he's relaxing and getting some food, or maybe he's taking a nap under a tree! He's around though, that's for sure.]

Afternoon to Evening

[Around this time, Darin might be rustling up some dinner. Once the sun starts to dip, he'll head home for the day. He likes to take a more scenic route home so he can watch the sun set over the horizon. It's one of his favorite things to do. You might catch him along this route, or maybe catch him in his room in the Temple, where he's hard at work in his forge, working on parts and custom orders. He keeps his door open though, and when you look in, it'll be the storefront to his Smithy back in Kenmore. Don't be shy to come on in, the door's open for a reason!]

Evening to Night

[If it's a nice, clear evening, you'll find Darin out on the beach. Maybe he's training, maybe he's just wandering aimlessly, barefoot, through the surf. If it's a particularly clear night, you may find him climbing the cliff face. When he reaches the top, he'll watch the stars before making his way back down. If it's nice, he might just sleep out there! If it's raining, he'll be in the Temple, doing some sketching in his notebook.]

Player Info:
Name: Ant
Timezone: EST
Contact: email - jiraiya.taichou@gmail.com
AIM - daigurrenkamina
plurk - bitterbearface

Character Info:
Name: Darin Altway
Age: 24
AU/PG/CANON/OC: OC

Key Points:
First, aim to list 5-7 bullet points of the history of your character.

• Born one of a pair of identical twins


• On top of his own soul, half the soul of a powerful demonic warlord rests in him, the other half with his twin brother, Dromas


• Possesses eidetic memory


• His mother died in childbirth, his brother and father were murdered when he was five


• He was raised by his town's weapon master and blacksmith after the incident.


• Accused of murder and is currently on the run trying to find the true culprit.


• Despite all evidence pointing to Darin, he does have an alibi.

History:
Darin was born one of two twins to a modest home in a relatively bustling fishing village.  He and his twin brother Dromas, however, were not exactly the definition of normal.  Both he and his brother, from the moment of their birth, were meant to be pawns in a game between the rulers of heaven and hell.  Darin and Dromas both contained half a the soul of an unparalleled demon warlord, that, once they had grown and fully matured, were meant to take their place in the ranks of Hell's forces and tip the scales of the war in their favor. Unfortunately, due to the treachery of another demon, the family was targeted and attacked when the boys were five.  In the attack, Darin's father fought bravely, only to be slain.  Dromas, tapping into a power the boys weren't aware they had, attacked but was quickly overcome and slain as well.  Darin, though wounded, survived by hiding under the body of his slain father.  Due to his eidetic memory, Darin remembers that night down to the last detail, including what was said about him and his brother and the power he witnessed Dromas having.  Darin knows, full-well, that he is not entirely human, that a great power lurks inside of him and he has no idea on how to tap into it.  Shortly after the incident, the town's weapon master and resident blacksmith took the boy in to raise him as his own.  There, Darin spent a prosperous nineteen years, learning the trade of a blacksmith.  He would routinely take trips to the nearby capital to deliver his and his foster father's wares, and it was on one of these trips that would turn his world and his life upside down. 

One day, after a routine delivery in the nearby capital, Darin was apprehended outside of his village by a detachment of guards for the murder of a prominent ambassador.  Darin was not the culprit, but he had been in the city by himself the evening the murder took place, and all eyewitness accounts and evidence put Darin at the scene of the crime.  His likeness was described perfectly by the servants and a man of his exact description was seen leaving the scene.  After being taken into custody, he was being transported back to the capital for trial when, as fate would have it, the detachment came under attack by monsters.  Using the battle as cover, Darin escaped custody and fled back home.  Once home, he explained the situation to his foster father.  Both knew that he would not be able to continue a peaceful life until the true culprit was brought to justice and so Darin made a decision:  He chose to leave his hometown on a journey to clear his good name and find the true culprit, and with any luck, bring him to justice. 

Personality:
Darin just wants to live a normal, peaceful life.  He doesn't necessarily wish to be anything great.  He'd rather live comfortably, maybe settle down one day and start a small family, and live in peace.  However, one of Darin's greatest powers is the fact that he's just plain not that lucky!  Due to his eidetic memory, Darin can recall the fateful night he lost his twin brother and father with total clarity.  He recalls the words exchanged, the powers on display, everything, and because of that, Darin prefers to not call attention to himself as much as he possibly can out of fear that he, or worse, those he loves might be hurt to get to him.  However, that doesn't stop Darin from shooting his mouth off or getting involved in a situation that doesn't necessarily concern him.  Darin has a very ardent sense of justice and willingly involves himself in fights or altercations if he feels it's the right thing to do.  Because of his nature, Darin was very much the pride of his foster father and his village, and many of his neighbors would come to him if they needed an extra pair of hands.

Darin is good-natured, though a little too cocky for his own good.  Despite the problems its caused him, he considers his eidetic memory a true gift and he uses it to his advantage whenever he can.  If something catches his interest, he'll practice and hone his body to master the skill, using his memory as a template until his body can perfectly recreate the skill.  This is the reason he has been able to pick up smithing in such a relatively short time.  If Darin wants to learn something, nothing is going to stop him.  He'll devote himself full to picking up the skill.  Darin has determination and perseverance in spades.  He still thinks back to the night of the attack and how helpless he was.  He remembers his father trying to defend him and his brother, and even how Dromas rose to the occasion and displayed his power before being cut down as well.  He never wants to feel that helpless again and takes steps to better himself at any opportunity. 

After being apprehended for a murder he didn't commit, Darin was filled with consternation.  He couldn't for the life of him figure out who would frame him, and he couldn't even begin to figure out how he could clear his name as a wanted man.  The final night he spent with his foster father, he confided in him.  He told him about Dromas and the power he displayed, and he spoke of his concern that maybe this was all related.  His foster father had no answers for him, but he imparted some words that helped Darin's decision.  'Sometimes life is full of coincidences. And sometimes coincidences are something more.  The only way you can find out the answers, how everything is connected, is by first being brave enough to ask the questions.'  Darin took this to heart.  he knew that if he was ever going to live a truly peaceful life, he would have to clear his name.  And in doing so, learn who and what he truly is. 

The following morning, at first light, he left his hometown on his journey.  Intending to be quiet about it, the whole town showed up to see him off.  If nothing else, Darin was the pride of their town, and they knew that he was innocent.  If anyone could clear their name, they knew he would be able to.  That's one of the benefits of having a photographic memory; an image like that will stay clear with Darin for as long as he lives.  And it's that image that gives him courage to move forward.

Gem Considerations: For Darin, the gem I have considered above all others is pyrite.  Being known as 'Fool's Gold' suits Darin's aloof nature, but as anyone who knows pyrite would know, its inherent worth has nothing to do with how it looks.  Its defining elements are earth and fire, which would suit Darin to ground his personality, but would also lend fire to his passion and drive to move forward.  It also coincides with his positive nature and his desire to help whenever possible.  My goal is for Darin to begin to understand himself and cope with who and what he is through learning and mastering the abilities his gem will bestow upon him.  He will grow in understanding who he is and prove that he can live a prosperous life no matter what he really is. 

Power considerations:
List Three Powers You Would Like Your Character To Have:

• Density manipulation - the ability to alter his body's density to be super heavy and dense to super light and fragile, and anywhere in between


• Fire manipulation - the ability to manipulate an open flame


• Clone projections - the ability to create a small amount of replicas of his projected form. 

Darin would actually be incredibly unsettled at the loss of his eidetic memory.  His ability to recall so many important aspects would leave him feeling completely helpless, and he would be racked with a sudden surge of self-doubt.  However, after some adjustment, he would pick himself up and the loss of his eidetic memory would be just another mystery on the list of things he's working to solve.  Once he started gaining powers, he would work hard to begin mastering them in hopes that he can prove to be useful and so he can protect his friends. 

Sample:  It had been a few weeks now since he arrived in Waverly Bay.  A few weeks of living with the new addition of a gemstone embedded in his shoulder.  A few weeks of finding himself...forgetting things.  He never forgot things.  He never recalled something as 'fuzzy' or precede a recounting of an event with 'I'm not sure but...' and yet here he was doing just that. 

It was horrifying.  He found himself wondering about what he would do if he forgot his father's face?  His brother's face?  Or the faces of his friends and family that he had left behind when he started his journey?  What if he forgot how to get home?  There were so many 'what ifs' that Darin had been too worried to take any steps forward. 

He idly moved his hand to his shoulder, where his gem was embedded.  He scratched at it, like a scab; a habit he'd picked up since he awoke to find it without any evidence as to how it got there.  He'd never felt so uneasy and his positive attitude had given way to uncertainty.

No, he had to do something.  He had to at least try and move forward.  He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small notepad and a pencil and he flips to the first page.  The first thing he writes is his name.  Under that, he writes a phrase:
'Sometimes life is full of coincidences. And sometimes coincidences are something more.  The only way you can find out the answers, how everything is connected, is by first being brave enough to ask the questions.'

He considers the phrase.  It was what his foster father told him the night before he left.  He flips to the next page and begins writing names...the names of his friends from back home.  Minutes blend into hours, and he fills the notebook with as much as he can immediately remember about his home.  He wasn't going to forget them.  He was going to move forward and this notebook, this was going to be his record.  He was going to fill this and as many other notebooks as it took with everything he learned.  This was going to be how he moved forward.

"Alright..." he says to himself.  It was a start.  He felt his mind begin to settle. 

"Let's go find some answers, then..."