Difference between revisions of "Shadow"

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|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...
|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...
|History=Past: 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>Present: 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.<BR><BR>Recent: 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...
|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.<BR><BR>
|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.
|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">'''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.
|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">'''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.

Revision as of 15:39, 22 January 2018

Natasha Cranston (Scenesys ID: 1092)
natasha-cranston.png
Quote
"I know what evil lurks in the hearts of men
I see behind their pretty 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: Active
Groups: {{{Groups}}}
Other Information
Apparent Age: 30 Actual Age: 30
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.

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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