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Nos

It was good, for my first try. I'll keep it here.

Basic character

Name: Samuel James Rosenthal
Birthday: July 27, 1365
Birthplace: Manchester, England
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 74.8 kg
Hair: Naturally black
Iris: Hazel
Occupations/Interests: (Unofficial) Scientist, inventor, Literary Scholar, Musician, Artist
(Official): Owner of an antique shop, Freelance construction, building, reinforcing, house re-worker.

A Little Bit of Background Information:

Poor girl
I was born to a poor 17 year old girl in the summer of 1365. A bastard child, my father abandoned my mother soon after she became pregnant. There was no way for us to live, she thought she’d at least try to give me another opportunity to make something of myself, and she was going to give me to the church, as an oblate. A priest by the name of Gregory saw her and, taking pity on us, he took us into the church. He taught her how to read and write, as well as other crafts. Greg also happened to be an alchemist, and taught me as well. He taught me many things, but alchemy was always my favorite subject. Being poor and sickly as a child, the concept of a stone that would allow one to turn base metals into gold, and an elixir that could prolong one’s life eternally fascinated me. However, Gregory told me not to seek either. I was upset by this, but I loved and respected him, so I agreed. However, when I was about 17 years old, Gregory fell ill. He didn’t seem to be making any recovery for 3 months, before they were certain he would die.
I met a strange man, who told me he was a relative of Greg. I was skeptical at first, but after questioning, his story seemed to check out. He knew things about Gregory, and even mother and me. He said Greg had written to him about us, and that he wanted him o continue to teach me and act as my father figure. His name was Mephistopheles (a weird name, I thought, but there were no books written, nor any other way for me to know who or what he was). After about 4 months of studying under him, he told me to pack some bags, for we were “going on a trip. I have heard of something, a grand elixir that can save Gregory. I want you to come with me to retrieve it.” We traveled an extremely long time on a grueling journey across many lands, and met many strange people. Mephistopheles was able to communicate with them all flawlessly, and he handled all trading and other business transactions. After some more time, we came to a body of water. Exhausted, a little angry, and feeling like the journey had been largely a waste of our time, I said to him “this has been quite the experience, but what’s the point? I could have learned most, if not all, of what you’ve taught me back in England, and it doesn’t seem like we’re any closer to this ‘grand elixir.’” He calmly replied “You can turn back now if you’d like, but remember how you got this far. It was only due to my ability to speak with the peoples of these lands, and my money for supplies that we were able to get this far. How far back do you think you can get on your own?”
Strange man
“But there’s nothing out here!? Do you expect us to walk on the water!?”
He said nothing. He only turned around, and he held out both of his hands, in a parting motion. The land began to move, rising up and creating a dam of sorts, which allowed us to go farther. We continued for an indiscernible length of time before we saw land at last. It was a moderately-sized island. There were more people, the likes of which I had never seen before. Once again, Mephistopheles spoke their language while I was left in the dark. He showed them incredible things, using the same powers he used to raise the land. The natives thought we were gods. They created statues in our likenesses, gave us anything we wanted, did everything that we asked without question. They had various ceremonies, performed sacrifices, all in our honor. Eventually, Mephistopheles had us traveling around, having these ceremonies all around the island, with various smaller groups of the people. Then one day, he told me that it was to be our last day on the island, and we would finally have what we needed from the natives, and we would get the elixir and save Gregory. I had been getting tired of all the worship, but truthfully, I had forgotten why we had gone there in the first place. At that night’s ceremony, Mephistopheles had me stand in the middle of a circle, while the people serenaded me. It wasn’t really anything special at first. However, a little while into the ceremony, my circle started glowing red, an electricity-like energy flowing from the ground. Before I could react, I passed out. I awoke and found everyone lying on the ground, except Mephistopheles. He stood with his back towards me. I asked him “What happened to everyone? What was that red light?”
Taking human souls to make the stone
“Where is everyone? They’re inside you? Their souls have gone into making the Philosopher’s Stone for you. The stone has taken hold within your heart, which now pumps an elixir throughout your body. The Grand Elixir, which which is said to make men immortal and cure all ailments. That is what you wanted, right? Now you can go and help your priest.”
“It’s what I wanted, but I didn’t think I’d have to commit mass murder to obtain it. And how am I even supposed to get it to him if it’s inside my body?”
“The elixir is your blood now. If you bleed, and someone ingests it, they’ll be healed of any ailment.”
Then I felt something, like an entire Gothic cathedral had fallen in on me. I heard the wailing of, and felt the pain of over ten thousand people, all inside me. I didn’t last long before passing out.
When I awoke, I was on the outskirts of the city. I wandered back into the church, still hurting. There, I passed out once more, and I awoke seven days later. When I awoke, some of the other priests were standing over me, surprised. We talked, and I discovered that I had been gone for over 2 years, an also that Gregory had died only three days after I left. I found the cemetery where he was buried, and one night, I dug him up. I was going to put this elixir to the test. To my dismay, I found that it didn’t work. Then Mephistopheles showed up and told me “It doesn’t work on one who is already dead, and your priest is over two years expired.” That’s when I first consciously thought that this man could be no relative of Gregory. “You lied to me! You said you would help me save him!” and I charged, swinging at him like a barbarian. He effortlessly sidestepped me and tripped me, so that I fell in the mud. He calmly said “I never said that. I said I wanted you to come with me so that we could retrieve an elixir that could save him. And it could, if he was still alive. It’s not my fault he was too weak and died before we could get back.”
“He died right after we left!” I stood up and turned around to swing at him again, but he was gone.
I found out that my mother too had fallen ill, and she, too, seemed to be dying. I decided I would still save her. One day, while preparing her food, I mixed some of my blood in with her stew. She was standing within the hour, miraculously healed. Not only that, but she looked as if she had been returned to the absolute prime of her life. I figured I could explain it as a miracle of God. Even if she was a little educated, she was still religious, and relatively ignorant of many things. I continued to help her cheat death throughout the years.
During the Renaissance, I moved mother and myself to Florence, Italy and worked as a patron to many failed artists, and one who was a moderate success. After some time with that, I decided I was wasting my time, and we moved back to England, working in the church. After that, I got a job as a law enforcement officer. I moved around every 20 years so nobody would get suspicious of our long lives. I also worked as a doctor and a craftsman. I soon realized that I did not know what to do with my extremely long life on this Earth. I took to reading to pass the time. My life became reading books and taking care of mum. After some more time, I met a Frenchman named
Francois
Francois. He, too, was a scholar, a swordsman, and also owned land outside of London. We became friends, discussing various topics, such as government, the church, and a few wars that had been fought. He also let mother and I stay on his land and help him with tending to it. We became very close, best friends. Many people in England weren’t that fond of him, because he was French, and he suffered from many misdeeds regularly. He couldn’t move, however, because the land was all he had. We awoke one night to find that some people from the city had set fire to the land and killed the cattle. I immediately went down into the cellar, took up my crossbow and swords, and loaded my Sneakygun. I lent Reno and my Crossbow to Francois and mother. I told her to go upstairs and wait for my signal, then start shooting from the window. Fran and I stepped outside to face the mob. I couldn’t tell how many there were. Most were armed with torches and pitchforks. I took the first shot with my Sneakygun, and hit the tallest one in the head. Once the rest got over the initial shock and realized what had happened, they charged like mindless stampeding cattle. We thought it would be unwise to let them surround both of us and risk a two-front battle. I had the gun and was considered the biggest threat. Francois was great swordsman. Not as good as I, but his battle lust was far greater, and he cleared his crowd quickly. I, however, began to feel like I would be overwhelmed. Mother’s shooting helped, but there were still too many of them. Francois soon jumped into the fray and began cutting men down like he was swatting at flies. The rest of the crowd dispersed and fled and we put the fire out, but the damage had already been done. But then Fran took notice of something. One of my open wounds was dripping blood onto the ground and where blood fell, it was taken into the soil and the earth became fruitful again and plants grew. Instead of mindlessly rejoicing like I had hoped, they demanded an explanation. So I told them everything. I told them about my journey with Mephistopheles, the island, the Philosopher’s Stone and the Grand Elixir, and also how I had been using my blood to keep mother alive and well all this time. She just stood there, speechless. When I asked Francois on the matter, he said “I don’t want to drink your blood. That would be sick and disgusting! But we could use it to revive the land. How else will we survive?”
However, people saw how quickly our land had been restored, and we were accused of witchcraft. There was a big scare going on at the time. A much larger mob, this time with armor and swords, came to our house one morning as we were eating breakfast to carry us off to prison. Mother went quietly. Francois and I, to the contrary, stood our ground and fought for as long as we could. But this mob was too much, and we were captured, both knocked unconscious. We awoke in a cell somewhere in the city. Our names were put on a list and they told us that we’d be put on trial when our time came. Mother had heard of these “trials.” She said that we had a very slim chance of surviving. They would torture us to the brink of sanity, until we admitted to being witches, and then we would be killed, probably burned at the stake. Sometimes, she said, the guards would overdo the torture and accidentally kill people trying to get them to confess. We waited for what had to be a year, fed with meager rations, and then we were tried separately. Francois had been the prime suspect and was tried first. We didn’t see what they were doing to him. We could only hear his blood-curdling screams, which went on for hours. When they brought him back, his forearm was bleeding and the bones in it were broken. Mother was made to go next. There was silence for a few minutes, and then more screams, soul-shattering screams. I felt as much pain then in my heart as I had felt when I first absorbed all of the souls of the island natives. I couldn’t stand to hear my mother like that. They brought her back hours later. She was unable to stand,, because they had broken her leg bones right where the shin is, and they tossed her in the cell carelessly. My indignation rose and I became furious. I charged and tackled one of the men and struck him two times before being struck unconscious by a blunt object to the back of my head.
I was awakened by a bucked of dirty water being poured over my face. I had been strapped to a torture device that had a hook tied to a rope, which had been tied around my wrists, as my arms were held backwards. They tied a heavy rock to my ankles. A man in a black mask stood in the corner, next to a lever that controlled the mechanism. We sat in silence until a man in red robes entered and began throwing water on my face while chanting. I simply rolled my eyes and another man, one in black robes, stood up and shouted “Look! He is searching for Satan! Witch!” I sat still, not looking at anything in particular, just the wall. Then another man jumps up and said “Look! Now he has found Satan and is trying to ask for help!” This caused a murmur in the crowd, but the man in the red robes soon controlled the people. He asked me “Are you a witch?” I replied with a simple no and he motioned to the man in the corner, who pulled the lever, which made the hook pull upon the rope, raising my arms behind my back in a way they weren’t supposed to go. He asked me again if I was a witch, but the pain was too great, and I too busy screaming to answer. He motioned for the man to stop and asked me how we were able to restore our land so fast. I told him it must have been a miracle from God. He motioned to the man by the lever again and shouted “What do you know of miracles of God!?” More people in the room muttered to each other. When things settled down again, he said “A number of the people from the city disappeared approximately 1 year ago, and soon after, the produce from your land was more bountiful than ever before. How do you explain these events? Coincidence, hmm? Or something you planned?” I replied that God has a plan for everyone, and maybe he told them to leave the city. He said “So you’re saying God told them to leave? Just… leave, and leave their families and possessions behind?”
“When we enter the kingdom of Heaven, we are told not to worry about earthly attachments.”
Again, the man on the lever pulled on it, and I though my arms would be torn off. He said something I couldn’t even hear over the sound of my screaming, then it stopped and he said “So you admit that you killed them, sent them to meet God in Heaven. Perhaps Satan told you to kill them and he would make your land bountiful.” I couldn’t think straight and I lashed out “They attacked us for no reason. Two rather small men and a woman, and you’re defending them!?” He said “And how else could two rather small men and a woman fight off a whole group of people, except for with help from the devil!?” There were murmurs from the crowd as he told them to leave the room. Only he, the man by the lever, and I remained. I looked up at him and saw the face of Mephistopheles, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time. He said they would let me go if I placed the blame on mother and Francois. “You’ve been keeping her from us too long and he… well let’s just call him interest.” I refused and the man at the lever pulled again, this time leaving it for a much longer time. Eventually, I passed out from the pain.
I woke up in the cell, both my arms and legs aching. Mother asked me if I was alright, he voice still hoarse. I told both her and Francoise what happened before I passed out again. Things went on like this for days, until the seventh day. On that day, Fran’s trial was over sooner than usual. We found out why, and it was not good news. His sanity had snapped, and he had begun shouting curses at everyone, which, in their eyes, proved that he was a witch. He even shouted curses at me when I approached him. They brought us all outside as he was burned alive. I shudder even today, thinking about it. Sometimes I can still see him roasting, hear his screams, when I close my eyes and as I sleep. Mother and I were escorted back to our cells, she still being barely able to stand, much less walk. Using alchemy, I repaired her leg as best I could, but I hadn’t used it in some time. The torturing man told us that this would be or last day, that if we passed the next test, we were free to go. We waited a few hours and were escorted outside together. They took us to a lake, our hands and feet bound by chains. I used my alchemy to make my chains brittle, as if they had been rusted and weathered over a long period of time. They prepared to throw us in the lake, and as they threw me, my chains broke. Then, with a little chemical tinkering with the water molecules, I froze the water enough so that I could move on it. Then one of the guards came after me. He slipped and I was able to take his weapon. I set my sights on the guard who held my mother. It was the same guard who I got in a fight with on the first day. I made my way in the chaos as best as I could, but I tripped over someone who had fallen. I got up quickly, but I was still having a hard time maneuvering. He tossed my mother aside and started to make his way toward me as well. He swung wide, heavy strikes with his polearm, but I ducked and he only caught air (and a bystander). He was bigger than me, but I had my advantage. In a close-quarters combat situation, I was better suited than he, who swung wide. He raised his arms for a vertical strike and I ended it with a single, fatal blow to the heart. I made my way to my mother and we escaped back to the house, using the crowd to our advantage and remaining unseen.
When we arrived, we found the land ravaged once more. All of our crops had been dug up, and the house was in shambles. We made our way down to the cellar, which had remained untouched, and gathered my weapons and our clothes into bags. We would be leaving for the overseas colonies first thing in the morning. That night I had the first of many nightmares about Francois. I woke up four times that night. In the morning, we set off. Over the next few days, we traveled to France by way many of carriages. Then we took another going directly to Spain. From there, we boarded a ship headed to the colonies. I fell into a slump for a few years and I took to brothels, harassing women, opium, and other vices. I continued like this for many years until an intervention by my mother, who had become "tired of my whining." After that, we tried to live mostly uneventful lives. I continued to read, study new things, and create. I also do freelance construction, building and reinforcing, and housework. I suppose it can be hard to get jobs when you don't exactly advertise or use business cards.

Powers/Abilities

Immortality: It was previously thought that his body housed the Philosopher's Stone. Recently, through painful experimentation, he discovered that he is in fact a Human Philosopher's Stone himself, containing many souls within himself. Sam is capable of a miraculous level of regeneration and has been rendered incapable of death or even aging - having been preserved in the prime of life and health for over six hundred years.
Alchemy (transmutation, etc.): Samuel is a deceptively ancient and extremely powerful alchemist. Alchemy is the ancient metaphysical science/mystical art of manipulating and altering matter by using natural energy. Sam contains a Philosopher’s Stone within himself and is able to easily transmute materials. He can easily understand and practically “see” the chemical compositions of things in the world around him. This allows him to easily alter things, down to each individual particle, and even change one substance into another. It can be used to reinforce or weaken materials, such as making my weapons stronger over time, rather than degrading.
Polymath: Similar to, but superior to, a jack of all trades (Jack of all trades, master of none), Sam is a polymath and has expertise in a large many subject areas and fields of discipline. He has had over 600 years of life experience to build himself up to what he is today. He would never have his intelligence or skill ranked officially. To quote Sam, "There are so many men who are 'the smartest man on the planet,' or 'the most dangerous,' 'the strongest,' et cetera, there's no telling who's really the best at anything. It's all mindless postulating. Who ranks these people anyway?"
Extrasensory Perception: Samuel's body contains many souls, which often react strangely, violently, when something or someone of a mystical nature is nearby. He gets a warning, but also a load of pain and mental noise that can often be a hindrance to his reacting to such a being.
Weaknesses: Because of the many souls that inhabit his body, he often struggles with the personalities of other people, their souls constantly fighting for control over his body. He can hear them, often crying out, their screaming sometimes interfering with his work or other activities. If a telepath were able to sift through all of the consciousnesses inside him, psionic assaults would be a large problem.

Arsenal

Reno & Reina: Twin rapiers that usually hang from my waist. I made them myself in 1382. They were the first weapons that I crafted by myself, made for myself, and remain some of my favorites to this day, second only to the dagger that my mother made me. I will sometimes lend Reno out to an unarmed opponent, but I would never let anyone lay a hand on Reina. Reina’s blade is 103½ cm long, making her 3½ cm longer than Reno.
Nazwy982D Crossbow: Made in 1387, with subsequent upgrades. In the past, I have used it mostly for hunting. It has a 20-total ammunition capacity and rapid-fire capabilities. It also has many sharp edges. When it is on my persons and not in use, the sides are folded and it is put away in my knapsack.
PhantomT1482 Sneakygun: 9 mm calibre, made in 1482. It was designed to catch an opponent by surprise, as the name suggests. Hidden under the sleeve, needs reload after one shot, which is why I keep extra gunpowder and bullets with me at all times.
Bandit32 Throwing Knives: Throwing knives stored in leg sheaths(5 on each leg), plus 5 in 2 compartments on both of my arms. These were one of the most recent additions to my arsenal, and I like to keep a constant supply coming when I have the time. Unfortunately, I sometimes forget to pick them up from a scene when I'm done.

Avacery1378: Another one of the more recent additions. The only weapon I have that I didn't make myself, it was crafted, blessed, and given to me by my mother, and I value it even more than both of my rapiers. It is my absolute favorite, and I only use it when I feel that it is absolutely necessary. So far, it has never been used, and I would like to keep it that way.
Mortis Viridis: No, not a Harry Potter spell. It is a poison that I made himself. The name comes from Latin, meaning Green Death. This is actually misleading, as the poison itself is colorless and odorless. Only the flask that I store it in is green. It is not even designed to kill, and usually won’t unless the target has a weak immune system. It is made to daze or incapacitate, or create hysteria in opponents, so that I may capitalize or get away safely. Have developed a stronger blend for super-powered people.

Edgar & Zoe: 2 Mauser C96 semi-automatic pistols. There is a stripper clip for each.

Various Gases: I have made my own smoke devices, to be used for distraction, escape, crowds, or other purposes. Some are colored and are geared towards drawing attention toward or away from certain things so that I can remain unnoticed. Others are loaded with tear gas to really disorient enemies. These types are called Lacrima Abyssi (Tears of the Abyss).


Fulgor percussio: It's a bit of a flash grenade. What it does is, it gives off a bright flash, accompanied by an ElectroMagnetic Pulse. The effect is tantamount to staring at the sun on a bright afternoon for about ten minutes. Also seems to make minour burns on anything in the immediate vicinity.


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