Difference between revisions of "Shadow"
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|Theme=Original | |Theme=Original | ||
|Chartype=OC | |Chartype=OC | ||
|Active= | |Active=Shelved | ||
|Groups= | |Groups= | ||
|Occupation=Society Debutante | |Occupation=Society Debutante | ||
|Citizenship=U.S. Citizen | |Citizenship=U.S. Citizen | ||
|Residence=New York | |Residence=New York | ||
|Education=Oxford & East Asia | |Education=Oxford & East Asia | ||
|Quote="I know what evil lurks in the hearts of men<br>I see behind their | |Quote="I know what evil lurks in the hearts of men<br>I see behind their petty masks<br>And see the animals within<br>And I laugh." | ||
|PAge= | |PAge=32 | ||
|AAge= | |AAge=32 | ||
|DOB=18 April 1994 | |DOB=18 April 1994 | ||
|Height=178 cm | |Height=178 cm | ||
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|Song="Original Sin" - Taylor Dane | |Song="Original Sin" - Taylor Dane | ||
|Profile=High society debutante.<br>Heiress to the Cranston fortune and Cranston Multinational Shipping, Ltd.<br>Great granddaughter of the late lamented Lamont Cranston.<br><br>The Shadow... Lives. | |Profile=High society debutante.<br>Heiress to the Cranston fortune and Cranston Multinational Shipping, Ltd.<br>Great granddaughter of the late lamented Lamont Cranston.<br><br>The Shadow... Lives. | ||
|Description=<span style="color:#F8F8FF">'''Natasha Cranston:'''</span><BR>A woman in her early thirties who is clearly putting a lot of effort towards looking like she probably did in her mid-twenties -- tastefully applied makeup covering the first signs of wrinkles along her jawline, and a well-toned body that speaks of extensive time in the gym to stay that way. Dark hair cascades freely down her back and over her shoulders, only partially concealing delicate earrings. <BR><BR>Her clothes appear to be well tailored to subtly emphasize her figure, an embroidered top with long loose sleeves over a stylish pair of pants, rounded off with a pair of leather shoes with heals just high enough to add some class to her gait without becoming garish. On her right hand is a gold ring with a single girasol, almost incongruously simple compared to the rest of her outfit... <BR><BR>(Image: http://proteus.systemec.nl/~shadur/HU/Images/natasha-cranston.png ) <BR><BR><span style="color:#00CED1">'''Janine 'Jen' Winters:'''</span> <BR>A young woman in her early twenties, brimming with health and the easy confidence of youth. Dark hair, dyed haphazardly blue, is pulled back in a tight pony tail to keep out of her eyes, leaving only a mild fringe of bangs to frame sparkling blue eyes.<BR><BR>The cropped tank top covering her torso does very little to conceal her highly toned body and shoulder and arm muscles, or the sports bra underneath. On her hands she wears a pair of fingerless leather gloves, and a silver ring with a single girasol adorns her left ring finger. <BR><BR>From her waist down she's clad in loose-fitting pants obviously chosen for 1) freedom of movement and 2) pockets, held in place with a simple belt. When she isn't barefoot, she's generally wearing simple yet sturdy sneakers.<BR><BR>(Image: http://proteus.systemec.nl/~shadur/HU/Images/natasha-jen.png )<BR><BR><span style="color:#1F75FE">'''The Shadow:'''</span><BR>A broad, tall, imposing figure. Most of it is concealed under leather greatcoat and billowing cape that fall across its shoulders all the way down to their ankles, while a slouch hat and burgundy scarf - the sole flash of distinct color in the entire outfit - serve to hide all of its face aside from piercingly blue eyes that seem to stare straight into the soul... | ===Current Player Approved: Not Applicable=== | ||
|History=Very little needs to be said about the original Shadow's career. Starting in the 30s, rumors abounded of a tall, shadowy vigilante with supernatural powers of stealth and intimidation and a pair of handguns that terrorized petty criminals and hardened mobsters alike, appearing out of thin air and laughter. Law enforcement wasn't happy about matters, but they had actual criminals to apprehend -- and shortly after, a world war to worry about -- so the official efforts to apprehend the vigilante never got very far.<BR><BR>This suited Lamont Cranston just fine -- he had no quarrel with the official authorities, he just had his own personal war to fight against the evil that lurked within the hearts of Man with a convert's zeal and the abilities taught him by the Tulku until a climactic battle in 1964 that absolutely no one remembers except him -- and his wife, Margot Lane. Fighting night-time battles against evil is an easy decision to make when you have no one else to live for, but after thirty years he could feel himself starting to slow down -- and he did not wish to leave his wife a widow, nor his son an orphan. Thirty years of penance for five years of evil deeds was enough for him to forgive himself. He sealed off the entrance to the Sanctum behind a veil of illusion, its purpose done.<BR><BR>His son, unburdened by his father's guilt, never felt the calling and instead focused on turning Cranston Oriental Shipping into Cranston Multinational Shipping, expanding the reach of its trade network and making the world better with ethical business practices.<BR><BR> By the time his granddaughter was born, Lamont was well into his nineties and even though the Shadow's gifts kept him healthier than he had any right to be, he'd retired from public life entirely, and with his son and daughter-in-law kept busy traveling as they supervised the growing company, that naturally left him with a great deal of time to babysit. Young Natasha learned to read from forensic science journals and the Complete Sherlock Holmes. Bright and inquisitive, she loved the mysteries as much as she loved exploring the manor and its grounds, including the one spot inside that always made her pause and squint, as if trying to make out something she couldn't quite see. <BR><BR>Unfortunately, her father hadn't quite inherited his parents' sense for people; when Natasha was 16, the Cranston Multinational Shipping plane carrying her parents back to the USA was lost over the Pacific Ocean. When his granddaughter had finally cried herself to sleep, Lamont put on the coat and cloak one last time...<BR><BR>The guilty party turned out to be one of the directors on the board; Natasha's mother had been examining the accounts and gotten entirely too close to his side business of smuggling for his comfort. The man wound up paying for his crimes in like coin, but not before Natasha discovered her grandfather's secret.<BR><BR>There was a... Well, to call it a discussion would be understating things. Lamont did not spend thirty years doing penance to watch his granddaughter throw herself into the same dangers he'd faced... But Natasha was as stubborn as his wife had been, and as determined as both her paternal grandparents. Evil still lurked in the hearts of Man. The corrupt still preyed on the innocent. Someone should take a stand. Eventually, Lamont realized that his granddaughter was going to do this whether or he gave his permission or blessing, and an agreement was reached...<BR><BR>Some accommodations were made, an old favour called in, and identity papers forged for "Uncle Kent", a hitherto unknown younger brother of Lamont, to take guardianship of the recently orphaned heiress, who promptly packed her off to "a European finishing school for young ladies" -- and in truth, she did spend several years there while her "uncle" contacted certain people in Tibet.<BR><BR>Upon finishing college, Natasha "took a sabbatical to see the world", eventually traveling to the same monastery where the old Tulku had instructed her grandfather. Meanwhile, "Uncle Kent" got busy laying the groundwork for her return: the Sanctum was restored to its former function, and its capabilities upgraded to more modern standards, and there were still /some/ people alive whose favours he could call in... <BR><BR>On her thirtieth birthday, the presumed-lost heiress of Cranston Multinational Shipping resurfaced in the city her family had called home for several generations, and immediately resumed control of the Board from the trusteeship that had been set up once she'd been declared missing... And sinister laughter once again haunts the nights of those who prey on others. | |Description=<span style="color:#F8F8FF">'''Natasha Cranston:'''</span> | ||
|Personality=<span style="color:#F8F8FF">'''Natasha Cranston'''</span> is, by most appearances, just another lazy socialite living off her inherited wealth, showing up at the Board of Directors of Cranston Multinational Shipping only occasionally to lay down a seemingly random decree, most often to cancel a sale on a whim or fire a department head who has displeased her sensibilities -- or in two cases, veto a firing. Her inherited majority share means that the board has very few options but to indulge her whims and try to make the best of it; at least she doesn't seem interested in draining the company's wealth to augment her own. She much prefers to go partying at overly expensive nightclubs over attending high society gala, but accepts the occasional invitation regardless. To those who meet her, the word that springs to mind easiest when trying to describe is "frivolous", playful and easily distracted from anything most people would consider important... But then just when you're about to dismiss her as yet another vacuous dilettante she says something insightful, or does something thoughtful that suggests she's been paying very careful attention indeed. She also enjoys a good joke; the sound of loud, rich, yet refined laughter is often the first sign to crowds that she's entered the room.<BR><BR><span style="color:#00CED1">'''Janine'''</span> likes to be slightly larger than life; loud, boisterous, gregarious, and something of a showoff. When she's not pulling urban running stunts around Hell's Kitchen or dancing Capoeira in the roda in Central Park, she's most often found showing off her dancing skills at a rave - the more informal, the better. She's generally fun to be around, even if she dances around questions like what she does for a living as deftly as she dodges a spinning kick from a fellow jogador. She's generally a cheerful person, and her warm, carefree laughter can brighten up an entire room.<BR><BR>Most people don't meet <span style="color:#EE204D">'''The Shadow'''</span> in a situation suitable for small talk. Those who do encounter them tend to come away somewhat unnerved, speaking of a harshly whispering voice (vocal distorter in the scarf), a brusque, almost impatient manner... And sinister laughter echoing from the very walls. | <BR> | ||
|Abilities=<span style="color:#00CED1">'''CLOUDING MINDS'''</span><BR>The Shadow's core ability; what she does is affect the visual perceptions of everyone in range. This ability is limited by the number of people affected, how long the illusions have to hold, and the degree to which their perception is distorted -- IE, becoming a blurry mass of mist and shadow is significantly easier when it's already dark outside; convincing a bunch of dazed would-be muggers that the person who beat them up vanished into the darkness is easier than turning invisible in broad daylight in the middle of a crowd, and so on. <BR><BR>The one exception to this is her own shadow, which will always show show what she truly looks like.<br><br><span style="color:#00CED1">'''LONGEVITY'''</span><br>The Shadow does in fact age -- after all, her grandfather eventually got old -- but but ever since she took up the mantle, she has been aging significantly slower than normal. Combined with her fitness and health, Natasha physically looks to be in her twenties despite being in her early thirties. Of course, being a wealthy socialite it's not terribly hard to convince people that she's "merely" spending a great deal on cosmetic treatments to look younger than she is, and when asked she merely replies "Healthy living" which everyone accepts despite knowing it has to be a lie.<br><br><span style="color:#00CED1">'''PEAK FITNESS'''</span><BR>A combination of good genes, intensive training and the Shadow's gift means Natasha's general physical condition exceeds that of many Olympic sporters. She's not quite on the level of, say, Steve Rogers, but she's stronger and faster than anyone her size and build has any right to be -- a fact which helps confuse matters further when she's "at work".<br><br><span style="color:#00CED1">'''SEE MOTIVE'''</span><BR>Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows! The other half of the Shadow's gift. When Natasha focuses her attention on someone, she gains an instinctive sense of their deepest motivation. Nothing so simple as surface thoughts or emotions or memories, but over the course of a confrontation or discussion she can zero in, instinctively, on what, in their heart of hearts, they want more than anything in the world. As a tool for unnerving a hoodlum into confessing, or obeying her command to turn themselves in, it is invaluable -- and it's exceptionally useful as a negotiating tool in the corporate world as well.<BR><BR><span style="color:#00CED1">'''SLEEP IS OVERRATED'''</span><br>Back in her college days, Natasha's roommate once asked her how she managed to still get all her homework done with the staggering number of "parties" she kept disappearing to. Natasha replied, with a perfectly straight face, that her grandfather used to travel in the Far East and a group of Tibetan Monks taught him the ability to function indefinitely on three hours of sleep per day. Her roommate's response was to throw a pillow at her face and the subject was dropped.<br><br>Natasha does not consider it her problem when people refuse to believe her when she tells the unvarnished truth. | A woman in her early thirties who is clearly putting a lot of effort towards looking like she probably did in her mid-twenties -- tastefully applied makeup covering the first signs of wrinkles along her jawline, and a well-toned body that speaks of extensive time in the gym to stay that way. Dark hair cascades freely down her back and over her shoulders, only partially concealing delicate earrings. <BR><BR>Her clothes appear to be well tailored to subtly emphasize her figure, an embroidered top with long loose sleeves over a stylish pair of pants, rounded off with a pair of leather shoes with heals just high enough to add some class to her gait without becoming garish. On her right hand is a gold ring with a single girasol, almost incongruously simple compared to the rest of her outfit... | ||
|Skills=<span style="color:#00CED1">'''AMBIDEXTROUS'''</span><BR>Natasha has trained herself to ambidexerity; she's carefuly to keep her right hand dominant when she's in her persona as Natasha Cranston, but she's equally effective with either hand, or both at once.<BR><BR><span style="color:#00CED1">'''CAPOEIRA'''</span><BR>The circle of friends that introduced Jennifer to the joys of urban running also convinced her to try Capoeira. Jennifer enjoys the energy and joy in motion as well as the showing-off aspects of the style. The Shadow finds that a martial arts style consisting almost entirely of feints until it's impossible to tell where the actual attack will come from to suit her very well indeed.<BR><BR><span style="color:#00CED1">'''COLLEGE EDUCATED'''</span><BR>Her "sabattical in Europe" was only partially a cover story - she did enjoy a thorough college education in one of the best finishing schools an impressive amount of money could buy.<BR><BR><span style="color:#00CED1">'''DETECTIVE'''</span><BR>A bit of an overarching term for a combination of a diverse set of skills and an acquired way of looking at the world; Natasha knows how to examine a crime scene without disturbing evidence, how to look for clues in what is or isn't there to be seen, how to interrogate a stool pigeon, and how to connect seemingly disparate clues to find a lead.<BR><BR><span style="color:#00CED1">'''GUNS'''</span><BR>Firearms were only a tangential part of Natasha's combat training; the vast majority of automatic weapons were dismissed as entirely too crude or inaccurate for her purposes. She does, however, share her ancestor's aptitude and preference for a pair of handguns -- accurate at the range she generally works at, and there's a certain style and intimidation factor to a pair of Desert Eagles that you can't quite emulate with an AK or submachinegun. She's no Deadshot, but she misses what she aims at only very rarely. The fact that she's aware of her limits and does not generally attempt ridiculous trick shots when there's an alternative helps with that.<BR><BR><span style="color:#00CED1">'''SHADOWBOXING'''</span><BR>Natasha inherited her uncle's suspect sense of humor; this is what she calls her preferred fighting style when "on the job" -- a mixture of the various martial arts she knows combined with the distortion of her enemies' perceptions to make blows seemingly come out of nowhere and appear to be anywhere other than where she actually is. <BR><BR><span style="color:#00CED1">'''URBAN RUNNING'''</span><BR>Like most urban vigilantes lacking the ability or technology to fly, Natasha has developed and honed her ability to very quickly traverse terrain normal people would consider impassable. As Jennifer, she regularly practices this skill with Jennifer's friends and even without drawing on her heritage she's quite good at it. When she's acting in her identity as the new Shadow, fully drawing on her strength and using her shrouding abilities, it lets her flat out "vanish into thin air, save for the sinister laughter echoing from the walls" | <BR><BR> | ||
|Resources=<span style="color:#00CED1">'''CRANSTON MULTINATIONAL'''</span><BR>Natasha is the CEO, heir and owner of Cranston Multinational Shipping, a global transportation company with a net value in the billions. While there was some initial uncertainty about her takeover when she returned from Europe, her decisive actions during the Tidepool crisis secured both her position of authority and CMS' place among the industry greats. CMS and/or its subsidiaries have facilities in pretty much every city that has an international seaport or airport as well as anywhere that's a significant transportation hub in the North American and Western European continents. As such, if she decides she needs to be somewhere or have something shipped somewhere, she can make it happen with a single phone call. Of course, while her staff isn't paid to question why, the phone call and request will be on record if an investigation ensues.<BR><BR><span style="color:#00CED1">'''FAMILY WEALTH'''</span><br>As the heir and sole majority stockholder of Cranston Multinational Shipping, ltd, her personal finances are... Significant. She's not Bruce Wayne or Lex Luthor levels of wealthy, but Natasha Cranston will likely never have to worry about money. Of course, funneling any of it into the Shadow's available resources is trickier, but that's her own fault for hiring skilled and honest accountants.<BR><BR><span style="color:#00CED1">'''JEN - SECRET IDENTITY'''</span><BR>Natasha Cranston is in her early thirties, and a lazy socialite who has never worked a day in her life and only practices exactly as much fitness and yoga as is necessary to keep her youthful shape. A lot of the minor bruises and scrapes she might incur in her actual line of work are tricky to explain, as are the kinds of exercise that keep her in the physical shape she needs.<BR><BR>Janine ("Jen" to her friends, because she dislikes how snooty 'Janine' sounds) is a twentysomething girl that likes to hang out with a group of urban runners and a Capoeira troupe, neither of which knows where she goes when she's not around and generally doesn't care as long as she stands her rounds at the bar post-exercise session.<BR><BR>Ironically, her appearance as Janine is a closer match to her real self than her public appearances as Natasha Cranston...<BR><BR><span style="color:#00CED1">'''SANCTUM'''</span><br> | (Image: http://proteus.systemec.nl/~shadur/HU/Images/natasha-cranston.png ) | ||
|Weaknesses=<span style="color:#00CED1">'''INEXPERIENCE'''</span><BR>Natasha has the Shadow's power. She has had extensive training in hand to hand combat, stealth, gunplay, psychology and investigation. What she doesn't yet have is a great deal of actual experience in the 'field'. Of course, one thing she absolutely can't afford is to act like she isn't sure of what she's doing.<BR><BR><span style="color:#00CED1">'''OVERCONFIDENCE'''</span><BR>For the kind of drama and symbolism the Shadow requires to strike fear in the hearts of criminals, a certain amount of confidence is necessary - you have to project absolute control over the situation if you want others to believe it, after all - and to a degree Natasha's is well warranted. She has training, intelligence, and the power of a legacy behind her. She knows what evil lurks within the hearts of Man. She can cloud their minds, strike from the darkness, move unseen... And she has yet to come up against anything or anyone that can challenge her abilities. This is likely to change, soon - the only question is whether she'll realize it in time to avoid getting embarrassed, injured, or in the worst case, dead.<BR><BR><span style="color:#00CED1">'''SILHOUETTE'''</span><BR>The one thing she can't conceal or alter with her abilities is her own shadow; an enemy that keeps their head together and is quick with a flashlight might be able to spot her. Of course, her brand of psychological warfare tends to make it hard for people she's targeting to keep sufficient presence of mind... | <BR><BR> | ||
<span style="color:#00CED1">'''Janine 'Jen' Winters:'''</span> | |||
<BR> | |||
A young woman in her early twenties, brimming with health and the easy confidence of youth. Dark hair, dyed haphazardly blue, is pulled back in a tight pony tail to keep out of her eyes, leaving only a mild fringe of bangs to frame sparkling blue eyes.<BR><BR>The cropped tank top covering her torso does very little to conceal her highly toned body and shoulder and arm muscles, or the sports bra underneath. On her hands she wears a pair of fingerless leather gloves, and a silver ring with a single girasol adorns her left ring finger. <BR><BR>From her waist down she's clad in loose-fitting pants obviously chosen for 1) freedom of movement and 2) pockets, held in place with a simple belt. When she isn't barefoot, she's generally wearing simple yet sturdy sneakers. | |||
<BR><BR> | |||
(Image: http://proteus.systemec.nl/~shadur/HU/Images/natasha-jen.png ) | |||
<BR><BR> | |||
<span style="color:#1F75FE">'''The Shadow:'''</span> | |||
<BR> | |||
A broad, tall, imposing figure. Most of it is concealed under leather greatcoat and billowing cape that fall across its shoulders all the way down to their ankles, while a slouch hat and burgundy scarf - the sole flash of distinct color in the entire outfit - serve to hide all of its face aside from piercingly blue eyes that seem to stare straight into the soul... | |||
|History=Very little needs to be said about the original Shadow's career. Starting in the 30s, rumors abounded of a tall, shadowy vigilante with supernatural powers of stealth and intimidation and a pair of handguns that terrorized petty criminals and hardened mobsters alike, appearing out of thin air and laughter. Law enforcement wasn't happy about matters, but they had actual criminals to apprehend -- and shortly after, a world war to worry about -- so the official efforts to apprehend the vigilante never got very far. | |||
<BR><BR> | |||
This suited Lamont Cranston just fine -- he had no quarrel with the official authorities, he just had his own personal war to fight against the evil that lurked within the hearts of Man with a convert's zeal and the abilities taught him by the Tulku until a climactic battle in 1964 that absolutely no one remembers except him -- and his wife, Margot Lane. Fighting night-time battles against evil is an easy decision to make when you have no one else to live for, but after thirty years he could feel himself starting to slow down -- and he did not wish to leave his wife a widow, nor his son an orphan. Thirty years of penance for five years of evil deeds was enough for him to forgive himself. He sealed off the entrance to the Sanctum behind a veil of illusion, its purpose done. | |||
<BR><BR> | |||
His son, unburdened by his father's guilt, never felt the calling and instead focused on turning Cranston Oriental Shipping into Cranston Multinational Shipping, expanding the reach of its trade network and making the world better with ethical business practices.<BR><BR> By the time his granddaughter was born, Lamont was well into his nineties and even though the Shadow's gifts kept him healthier than he had any right to be, he'd retired from public life entirely, and with his son and daughter-in-law kept busy traveling as they supervised the growing company, that naturally left him with a great deal of time to babysit. Young Natasha learned to read from forensic science journals and the Complete Sherlock Holmes. Bright and inquisitive, she loved the mysteries as much as she loved exploring the manor and its grounds, including the one spot inside that always made her pause and squint, as if trying to make out something she couldn't quite see. | |||
<BR><BR> | |||
Unfortunately, her father hadn't quite inherited his parents' sense for people; when Natasha was 16, the Cranston Multinational Shipping plane carrying her parents back to the USA was lost over the Pacific Ocean. When his granddaughter had finally cried herself to sleep, Lamont put on the coat and cloak one last time... | |||
<BR><BR> | |||
The guilty party turned out to be one of the directors on the board; Natasha's mother had been examining the accounts and gotten entirely too close to his side business of smuggling for his comfort. The man wound up paying for his crimes in like coin, but not before Natasha discovered her grandfather's secret. | |||
<BR><BR> | |||
There was a... Well, to call it a discussion would be understating things. Lamont did not spend thirty years doing penance to watch his granddaughter throw herself into the same dangers he'd faced... But Natasha was as stubborn as his wife had been, and as determined as both her paternal grandparents. Evil still lurked in the hearts of Man. The corrupt still preyed on the innocent. Someone should take a stand. Eventually, Lamont realized that his granddaughter was going to do this whether or he gave his permission or blessing, and an agreement was reached... | |||
<BR><BR> | |||
Some accommodations were made, an old favour called in, and identity papers forged for "Uncle Kent", a hitherto unknown younger brother of Lamont, to take guardianship of the recently orphaned heiress, who promptly packed her off to "a European finishing school for young ladies" -- and in truth, she did spend several years there while her "uncle" contacted certain people in Tibet. | |||
<BR><BR> | |||
Upon finishing college, Natasha "took a sabbatical to see the world", eventually traveling to the same monastery where the old Tulku had instructed her grandfather. Meanwhile, "Uncle Kent" got busy laying the groundwork for her return: the Sanctum was restored to its former function, and its capabilities upgraded to more modern standards, and there were still /some/ people alive whose favours he could call in... <BR><BR>On her thirtieth birthday, the presumed-lost heiress of Cranston Multinational Shipping resurfaced in the city her family had called home for several generations, and immediately resumed control of the Board from the trusteeship that had been set up once she'd been declared missing... And sinister laughter once again haunts the nights of those who prey on others. | |||
|Personality=<span style="color:#F8F8FF">'''Natasha Cranston'''</span> is, by most appearances, just another lazy socialite living off her inherited wealth, showing up at the Board of Directors of Cranston Multinational Shipping only occasionally to lay down a seemingly random decree, most often to cancel a sale on a whim or fire a department head who has displeased her sensibilities -- or in two cases, veto a firing. Her inherited majority share means that the board has very few options but to indulge her whims and try to make the best of it; at least she doesn't seem interested in draining the company's wealth to augment her own. She much prefers to go partying at overly expensive nightclubs over attending high society gala, but accepts the occasional invitation regardless. To those who meet her, the word that springs to mind easiest when trying to describe is "frivolous", playful and easily distracted from anything most people would consider important... But then just when you're about to dismiss her as yet another vacuous dilettante she says something insightful, or does something thoughtful that suggests she's been paying very careful attention indeed. She also enjoys a good joke; the sound of loud, rich, yet refined laughter is often the first sign to crowds that she's entered the room. | |||
<BR><BR> | |||
<span style="color:#00CED1">'''Janine'''</span> likes to be slightly larger than life; loud, boisterous, gregarious, and something of a showoff. When she's not pulling urban running stunts around Hell's Kitchen or dancing Capoeira in the roda in Central Park, she's most often found showing off her dancing skills at a rave - the more informal, the better. She's generally fun to be around, even if she dances around questions like what she does for a living as deftly as she dodges a spinning kick from a fellow jogador. She's generally a cheerful person, and her warm, carefree laughter can brighten up an entire room.<BR><BR>Most people don't meet <span style="color:#EE204D">'''The Shadow'''</span> in a situation suitable for small talk. Those who do encounter them tend to come away somewhat unnerved, speaking of a harshly whispering voice (vocal distorter in the scarf), a brusque, almost impatient manner... And sinister laughter echoing from the very walls. | |||
|Abilities=<span style="color:#00CED1">'''CLOUDING MINDS'''</span> | |||
<BR> | |||
The Shadow's core ability; what she does is affect the visual perceptions of everyone in range. This ability is limited by the number of people affected, how long the illusions have to hold, and the degree to which their perception is distorted -- IE, becoming a blurry mass of mist and shadow is significantly easier when it's already dark outside; convincing a bunch of dazed would-be muggers that the person who beat them up vanished into the darkness is easier than turning invisible in broad daylight in the middle of a crowd, and so on. | |||
<BR><BR> | |||
The one exception to this is her own shadow, which will always show show what she truly looks like. | |||
<br><br> | |||
<span style="color:#00CED1">'''LONGEVITY'''</span> | |||
<br> | |||
The Shadow does in fact age -- after all, her grandfather eventually got old -- but but ever since she took up the mantle, she has been aging significantly slower than normal. Combined with her fitness and health, Natasha physically looks to be in her twenties despite being in her early thirties. Of course, being a wealthy socialite it's not terribly hard to convince people that she's "merely" spending a great deal on cosmetic treatments to look younger than she is, and when asked she merely replies "Healthy living" which everyone accepts despite knowing it has to be a lie. | |||
<br><br> | |||
<span style="color:#00CED1">'''PEAK FITNESS'''</span> | |||
<BR> | |||
A combination of good genes, intensive training and the Shadow's gift means Natasha's general physical condition exceeds that of many Olympic sporters. She's not quite on the level of, say, Steve Rogers, but she's stronger and faster than anyone her size and build has any right to be -- a fact which helps confuse matters further when she's "at work". | |||
<br><br> | |||
<span style="color:#00CED1">'''SEE MOTIVE'''</span> | |||
<BR> | |||
Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows! The other half of the Shadow's gift. When Natasha focuses her attention on someone, she gains an instinctive sense of their deepest motivation. Nothing so simple as surface thoughts or emotions or memories, but over the course of a confrontation or discussion she can zero in, instinctively, on what, in their heart of hearts, they want more than anything in the world. As a tool for unnerving a hoodlum into confessing, or obeying her command to turn themselves in, it is invaluable -- and it's exceptionally useful as a negotiating tool in the corporate world as well. | |||
<BR><BR> | |||
<span style="color:#00CED1">'''SLEEP IS OVERRATED'''</span> | |||
<br> | |||
Back in her college days, Natasha's roommate once asked her how she managed to still get all her homework done with the staggering number of "parties" she kept disappearing to. Natasha replied, with a perfectly straight face, that her grandfather used to travel in the Far East and a group of Tibetan Monks taught him the ability to function indefinitely on three hours of sleep per day. Her roommate's response was to throw a pillow at her face and the subject was dropped. | |||
<br><br> | |||
Natasha does not consider it her problem when people refuse to believe her when she tells the unvarnished truth. | |||
|Skills=<span style="color:#00CED1">'''AMBIDEXTROUS'''</span> | |||
<BR> | |||
Natasha has trained herself to ambidexerity; she's carefuly to keep her right hand dominant when she's in her persona as Natasha Cranston, but she's equally effective with either hand, or both at once. | |||
<BR><BR> | |||
<span style="color:#00CED1">'''CAPOEIRA'''</span> | |||
<BR> | |||
The circle of friends that introduced Jennifer to the joys of urban running also convinced her to try Capoeira. Jennifer enjoys the energy and joy in motion as well as the showing-off aspects of the style. The Shadow finds that a martial arts style consisting almost entirely of feints until it's impossible to tell where the actual attack will come from to suit her very well indeed. | |||
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<span style="color:#00CED1">'''COLLEGE EDUCATED'''</span> | |||
<BR> | |||
Her "sabattical in Europe" was only partially a cover story - she did enjoy a thorough college education in one of the best finishing schools an impressive amount of money could buy. | |||
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<span style="color:#00CED1">'''DETECTIVE'''</span> | |||
<BR> | |||
A bit of an overarching term for a combination of a diverse set of skills and an acquired way of looking at the world; Natasha knows how to examine a crime scene without disturbing evidence, how to look for clues in what is or isn't there to be seen, how to interrogate a stool pigeon, and how to connect seemingly disparate clues to find a lead. | |||
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<span style="color:#00CED1">'''GUNS'''</span> | |||
<BR> | |||
Firearms were only a tangential part of Natasha's combat training; the vast majority of automatic weapons were dismissed as entirely too crude or inaccurate for her purposes. She does, however, share her ancestor's aptitude and preference for a pair of handguns -- accurate at the range she generally works at, and there's a certain style and intimidation factor to a pair of Desert Eagles that you can't quite emulate with an AK or submachinegun. She's no Deadshot, but she misses what she aims at only very rarely. The fact that she's aware of her limits and does not generally attempt ridiculous trick shots when there's an alternative helps with that. | |||
<BR><BR> | |||
<span style="color:#00CED1">'''SHADOWBOXING'''</span> | |||
<BR> | |||
Natasha inherited her uncle's suspect sense of humor; this is what she calls her preferred fighting style when "on the job" -- a mixture of the various martial arts she knows combined with the distortion of her enemies' perceptions to make blows seemingly come out of nowhere and appear to be anywhere other than where she actually is. | |||
<BR><BR> | |||
<span style="color:#00CED1">'''URBAN RUNNING'''</span> | |||
<BR> | |||
Like most urban vigilantes lacking the ability or technology to fly, Natasha has developed and honed her ability to very quickly traverse terrain normal people would consider impassable. As Jennifer, she regularly practices this skill with Jennifer's friends and even without drawing on her heritage she's quite good at it. When she's acting in her identity as the new Shadow, fully drawing on her strength and using her shrouding abilities, it lets her flat out "vanish into thin air, save for the sinister laughter echoing from the walls" | |||
|Resources=<span style="color:#00CED1">'''CRANSTON MULTINATIONAL'''</span> | |||
<BR> | |||
Natasha is the CEO, heir and owner of Cranston Multinational Shipping, a global transportation company with a net value in the billions. While there was some initial uncertainty about her takeover when she returned from Europe, her decisive actions during the Tidepool crisis secured both her position of authority and CMS' place among the industry greats. CMS and/or its subsidiaries have facilities in pretty much every city that has an international seaport or airport as well as anywhere that's a significant transportation hub in the North American and Western European continents. As such, if she decides she needs to be somewhere or have something shipped somewhere, she can make it happen with a single phone call. Of course, while her staff isn't paid to question why, the phone call and request will be on record if an investigation ensues. | |||
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<span style="color:#00CED1">'''FAMILY WEALTH'''</span> | |||
<br> | |||
As the heir and sole majority stockholder of Cranston Multinational Shipping, ltd, her personal finances are... Significant. She's not Bruce Wayne or Lex Luthor levels of wealthy, but Natasha Cranston will likely never have to worry about money. Of course, funneling any of it into the Shadow's available resources is trickier, but that's her own fault for hiring skilled and honest accountants. | |||
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<span style="color:#00CED1">'''JEN - SECRET IDENTITY'''</span> | |||
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Natasha Cranston is in her early thirties, and a lazy socialite who has never worked a day in her life and only practices exactly as much fitness and yoga as is necessary to keep her youthful shape. A lot of the minor bruises and scrapes she might incur in her actual line of work are tricky to explain, as are the kinds of exercise that keep her in the physical shape she needs. | |||
<BR><BR> | |||
Janine ("Jen" to her friends, because she dislikes how snooty 'Janine' sounds) is a twentysomething girl that likes to hang out with a group of urban runners and a Capoeira troupe, neither of which knows where she goes when she's not around and generally doesn't care as long as she stands her rounds at the bar post-exercise session. | |||
<BR><BR> | |||
Ironically, her appearance as Janine is a closer match to her real self than her public appearances as Natasha Cranston... | |||
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<span style="color:#00CED1">'''SANCTUM'''</span> | |||
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Like most self-respecting vigilantes, The Shadow had an underground Sanctum underneath Cranston Manor. When he retired, he arranged for the other entrances to be closed off, and used his powers to conceal the main entrance inside the Manor proper. | |||
<br><br> | |||
Cleaning it out was Natasha's first chore when she returned to New York; the second one was upgrading its amenities -- pneumatic tubes and a radiophone really don't cut it anymore these days. | |||
<br><br> | |||
Its current amenities include a top-of-the-line computer system, a compact but well-equipped forensics lab, and an equally well stocked first aid kit that Natasha has not yet had cause to use. | |||
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<span style="color:#00CED1">'''SHADOW NETWORK'''</span> | |||
<BR> | |||
At its height, her grandfather's network of people who owed him their life and could be counted on for simple favours extended throughout the city and all walks of life. Of course, the vast majority of them have died of old age long ago, with only a girasol ring and tall tales to pass on to their descendants. Natasha currently has her hands full trying to rebuild it, but it's as much a matter of getting "lucky" and spotting a "useful" person in distress to save. As it currently stands, the following people have accepted a girasol ring of their own: | |||
* Benjamin "Benny" Winters, a cab driver from Brooklyn who accidentally witnessed something he shouldn't have and only survived it because she was in the neighborhood. | |||
* Julia Lee, an accountant who found a discrepancy in her employer's finances and almost died for it. | |||
* Jefferson "Jeff" Michaels, an electronics store worker who found himself in the middle of a robbery gone violent. | |||
* Natasha Cranston, a rich dilettante who is somewhat reluctant to describe what she owes to The Shadow, but frequently acts as his intermediary to the others... | |||
|Weaknesses=<span style="color:#00CED1">'''INEXPERIENCE'''</span> | |||
<BR> | |||
Natasha has the Shadow's power. She has had extensive training in hand to hand combat, stealth, gunplay, psychology and investigation. What she doesn't yet have is a great deal of actual experience in the 'field'. Of course, one thing she absolutely can't afford is to act like she isn't sure of what she's doing. | |||
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<span style="color:#00CED1">'''OVERCONFIDENCE'''</span> | |||
<BR> | |||
For the kind of drama and symbolism the Shadow requires to strike fear in the hearts of criminals, a certain amount of confidence is necessary - you have to project absolute control over the situation if you want others to believe it, after all - and to a degree Natasha's is well warranted. She has training, intelligence, and the power of a legacy behind her. She knows what evil lurks within the hearts of Man. She can cloud their minds, strike from the darkness, move unseen... And she has yet to come up against anything or anyone that can challenge her abilities. This is likely to change, soon - the only question is whether she'll realize it in time to avoid getting embarrassed, injured, or in the worst case, dead. | |||
<BR><BR> | |||
<span style="color:#00CED1">'''SILHOUETTE'''</span> | |||
<BR> | |||
The one thing she can't conceal or alter with her abilities is her own shadow; an enemy that keeps their head together and is quick with a flashlight might be able to spot her. Of course, her brand of psychological warfare tends to make it hard for people she's targeting to keep sufficient presence of mind... | |||
}} | }} | ||
Latest revision as of 14:21, 12 November 2020
Natasha Cranston (Scenesys ID: 1092) | |||
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Quote | |||
"I know what evil lurks in the hearts of men I see behind their petty masks And see the animals within And I laugh." | |||
Profile | |||
Full Name: | Natasha Cranston | ||
Gender: | Female | ||
Species: | Metahuman | ||
Theme: | Original (OC) | ||
Occupation: | Society Debutante | ||
Citizenship: | U.S. Citizen | ||
Residence: | New York | ||
Education: | Oxford & East Asia | ||
Status: | Shelved | ||
Groups: | |||
Other Information | |||
Apparent Age: | 32 | Actual Age: | 32 |
Date of Birth | 18 April 1994 | Actor: | |
Height: | 178 cm | Weight: | 66 kg |
Hair Color: | Black | Eye Color: | Blue |
Theme Song: | "Original Sin" - Taylor Dane |
Profile
High society debutante.
Heiress to the Cranston fortune and Cranston Multinational Shipping, Ltd.
Great granddaughter of the late lamented Lamont Cranston.
The Shadow... Lives.
Current Player Approved: Not Applicable
Sheet
Description
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History
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Personality
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Abilities
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Skills
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Resources
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Weaknesses
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Logs
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Cutscenes
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Gallery
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