The Darkest Days: New York City

The Darkest Days
-New York City-

Lineage

Humans, or Mankind, are the most numerous of the sentient species. They are mortal, and must eat, drink, and sleep to live. They, by nature, are greedy and selfish, though many overcome this. Most humans know nothing of this world's dark secrets. They live in ignorant bliss, trodding through their meager existence in this world. Humans are the only race which can use magic.


Illuminati- "Sex, Drugs, and Rockefeller." Notorious bad boys and girls of the secret world, the Illuminati are the most ambitious, cut-throat, and furtive of secret societies.
From the gilded halls of the ancient pharaohs to the private clubs and decadent parties of the famously rich and egocentrically famous, from leaders of industry and Hollywood Agents to presidents and popes, the Illuminati have weaved their intricate web with ruthless cunning and acute skill.
They rule their corporate pyramid with cold opportunism, and only the strongest members survive. Their secrets can make you rich and powerful beyond compare - or they may destroy your soul and sanity with it.
The Illuminati seek to plunder heaven and hell by any means necessary, and God help those who stand in their way.
As a member of the Illuminati, you don't play by anybody's rules. The are no rules. There is no honour.
There is only victory.

The Order of the Dragon- "The Art of Chaos." Manipulators and conspirators, the Dragon have survived for millennia by playing their enemies against each other. Since before the first empire, through the aggression of the Mongol Khans and the ebb and tide of political change, a whisper in the right ear, a strategic assassination, alliances carefully crafted and broken - and the world eventually bends to the patient will of the immortal Dragon.
With a spiritual and philosophical approach to the secret crafts, as an acolyte of the Dragon you are taught to listen, shown how to teach others, and expected to respect the balance of the universe and to be humble in the face of fate. Yours is not the path of force. though force is often needed to clear the path.
Few know of the Dragon and their long history, and that is how the Dragon want it. You are invisible but pervasive, silent but all-knowing, and when the other secret societies have decimated each other, you will rebuild the world from the ruins of their arrogance.
The Dragon is too easily underestimated, but those who do so live to regret it - or die before they get the chance

The Knight's Templar- "Deliverance from Evil." Crusaders. Judges. The Holy Terror. The Templars are the world's least secretive secret society. Their military-ideological machine has operated in plain sight since Babylon - a matter of pride, or moral superiority. Conspiracy theorists underestimate the Templars' true European empire. Private armies. Members of parliaments. Royal families.
The Templars believe they will deliver the world from evil by force, and even their opponents - who call the zealots and warmongers - cannot deny that force. As an agent of the Templars you are not just fighting the war on darkness, you "are" the war on darkness. Suave and sophisticated, but brutal and uncompromising, you use history as a weapon to shape the future.
Few will stand in the way of the Templars' banner. Do you have the will to stand behind it?

Kindred, or vampires, are the world's greatest hunter. Not for reason of brute strength, or instinct, or even intelligence. In these, they are surpassed by many. But, these cold husks hunt among the living, blending in with their prey to the letter. Vampires are undead humans who must drink the blood of the living to sustain their unlife, though, it grants them quite a few advantages. Vampires naturally have sharper senses, are stronger, faster, and more resilient than humans. They are also immortal, time doing nothing to them, and most weapons not affecting them much. Though, there are drawbacks; a vampire cannot be touched by daylight, holy objects burn their skin, garlic weakens them, and they can be killed by a wooden stake through the heart.

Maleficar- Maleficar are a clan of vampires which were mages in life. Now that they have passed into unlife, their magic has left them, and they have had to adapt. Most of a Maleficar's time is devoted to improving their signature ability; manipulation of the blood. This "Blood Magic" as it's called is a powerful tool in the hands of a Maleficar. The clan itself is very secretive, and most of its members seem withdrawn to the rest of the world.

Romani- The Romani are a clan of nomadic vampires, each being a loner for the most part. This clan has an innate connection with nature, and they spend most of their time in the paths untraveled, communing with beasts. The clan's members have a closer connection to nature, allowing them to speak to animals and plants, and even manifest traits and forms of the world's inhabitants through practice.

Incubi- The Incubi are by far the most dangerous of the vampires; they glide effortlessly through mortal affairs. This clan has a natural empathy, sensing and swaying living creature's emotions to frightening degrees. Incubi are suave and sophisticated, each being at the top of the social ladder.

Werewolves, or lycanthropes, are by all means terrible beasts. These beasts are bearers of an ancient curse that burns in their blood. By day, they must go about their business in the form of a human, but once night falls, they become hulking monstrosities bearing both human and lupine qualities. In their beast form, they have enormous strength, speed, and greatly enhanced senses. Though, they are lost to their primal instincts. In modern times, they have grown wary of humanity and know they must conceal themselves, restricting their haunts to sewers and dark alleyways. What makes werewolves such a threat, though, is their invulnerability; a werewolf can only die by silver piercing it's heart. Wolfsbane will weaken a werewolf, but not kill it.

Legionnaires, or demons as most know them, are otherworldly spirits that are thrust into this realm for any number of reasons. Demons are not meant for this world, and that is shown by their morbid bodies and warped mindsets. No two demons look the same. To exist in the mortal world, a demon has to have a medium with which to interact with the word; the most common choice is possession.

Profiles

Name: Julian Harker
Age: 21
Gender: Male
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 170 lbs.
Faction: Illuminati
Signature Weapon: Custom LeMat Revolver
((Yeah, no bio. I'd prefer it if you left those out.))

Bella Leona LeStratos
Age: 213
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 122
Faction: Romani
Signature Weapon: Katana

Name: Pre Vizsla
Age: 45
Height: 6'
Weight: 150
Faction: The Knight's Templar
Signature Weapon: Throwing knives, Short sword, Long sword, and hidden wrist blade.

Pre Vizsla in full gear for a misson

Julian turned off of a sidewalk down a dark alley, walking further into the darkness. He was on the hunt for something, and this was his last day to kill it before he would be called back to his headquarters.

Bella was in an alleyway as well, and had just finished feeding, her eyes still a faint tinge of red as she wiped the blood from her lip on a handkerchief. She looked both ways to make sure no one had seen her, then brushed her hair over her shoulder, leaving the body behind her nonchalantly.

Pre Vizsla jumped from roof to roof. It was his turn to be on patrol. His white garb shone in the moon light. He stopped abruptly. He checked all his weapons quickly. He then continued along the roof tops.

Julian continued his trek through the alley, coming upon the corpse of Bella's victim. "Damn... this isn't what I was expecting...." He said, kneeling beside it and catching a glimpse of the bitemarks.

Pre Vizsla also came upon the scene. He knelt on the ledge and looked down at Juilian. He said nothing and hardly even breathed as his hand slowly moved and wrapped around one of the knives.

Bella walked back onto the streets, the soft glow of neon reflected on her pale, colorless cheeks. She looked up into the lights, smirking softly, then walked on.

Julian cocked his head to the side a bit, sensing something was amiss. He had a few enhanced sensory spells helping him perceive things he normally shouldn't.

Bella, being the Romani she was, couldn't bear to live just in the shadows. She crossed to a more deserted part of town, where an old Italian restaurant once stood, unlocking the door and then closing it behind her. She remembered what this place had been like in it's glory days; the crystal chandelier all lit up with the soft glow of candles, a candelabra on each white-clothed table with a bottle of wine in an ice bucket, a soft operetta crooning seductively in the background. Now, it was but a shadow of it's former self, but the memory was good enough to keep it alive in Bella's mind. She walked up the grand staircase to what had once been a powder room, where the sinks had been torn out and the mirrors turned backwards so a coffin could rest. She hummed the gentle prelude to the old song that used to echo faintly in this very room, tying her hair back and sliding into a silken night dress for a day's sleep.

Pre Vizsla drew the knife from its sheath. He flipped it so he was holding the point in his fingers. He raised it so he could throw it. He took a moment to steady his aim. The knife would pierce the back of Julian's neck. He sent the knife flying. He then ducked behind the ledge of the building.

Julian spun around quickly, knocking the blade out of trajectory with his pistol. The knife sliced his arm a bit, but he ignored the wound for the moment, aiming his pistol at the rooftops. After a few minutes of waiting, he lowered his gun began to jog through the alley, keeping alert.

Bella looked outside. She had a long while before the sun set. She strode, humming all the way, to her "library". She climbed the shelf, taking an old, red, leather-bound book and sitting in a dusty leather armchair sideways, so that her legs dangled over the arm rest, reading and humming.

Footsteps resounded through the alleys as Julian walked through; the noise would be obvious to Bella, and still audible to Pre Vizsla. Julian was focused on the rooftops, keeping his eyes on them as he walked.

Bella smiled, glancing up as she heard the footsteps. He was almost to her back door. She licked her lips. Another snack before bed wouldn't hurt.

Pre Vizsla slowly and almost silently climbed down the side of the building to investigate the body. He was not afraid of the other who was about. He reached the ground and slunk over to the body and examined it. He noticed the bit marks. He had his hand on his short sword and looked at the body. He then pulled a bit of cloth out of his robe and placed it over the victims face. Upon the cloth was a red cross reminiscent of the one seen during the crusades. He then made the sign of the cross.

Julian walked on, keeping his eyes mostly on the rooftops. An occasional glance to the streets surrounding him was given, but most of his attention was given to the sky. His hand held his pistol at the ready, though.

The back door to Bella's home was cracked slightly open, the wind blowing through moaning slightly.

Julian began to walk towards the door, the opportunity a rather promising one.

The floorboards creaked as his feet touched them, warning Bella to his presence, even if his heartbeat didn't. She hadn't left her chair in the library, smiling.

Julian opened the door, stepping in. He held his gun at the hit, pulling back the hammer as he stepped further inside.

Bella stood, putting the book she had been reading back on the shelf.