About

NAME: Cornelius Steele
CODE NAME: Shadow Knight
ALIASES: Dukeling Steele/ Young Lord Steele
RANK: Knight
AGE: 72
RACE: Vampire
FAMILY: House Steele of the Clan Damascus
HERITAGE: Latin
RELATIVES: See family lineage at bottom.
DESCRIPTION: A Vampire with raven hair and amber eyes. Often wears a fake smile to hide his sorrow.
DISCIPLINES: Cornelius is a former knight of the western kingdom of Damascus, trained in the ways of chivalry and the Hades Thínon Ripi fighting style, and a skilled martial artist and wrestler. Hades Thínon Ripi is an ancient western sword fighting style from before the Middle Ages, developed to allow a single warrior to defeat numerous foes unaided, created by the 3rd Crimson Skull and adapted to be applied to the use of other bladed weapons, such as daggers, or axes, by the 5th. Rooted in the concept to strike in a single blow, practitioners of this style use a combination of immense speed and agility, sword drawing techniques, and acquired, observation-based pseudo-clairvoyance that permits a practitioner to anticipate an opponent's movements. Both offensive and defensive maneuvers are executed with minimal movement to increase a practitioner's ability to counter-attack and to conserve energy.
The style originally had the user keep one hand on the sheath at all times and stresses two-step attacks to ensure that the practitioner is never off guard while executing said attacks and allows the user to use the sheath as a shield to block attacks. Arguably, its most well-known trait is the surreal speed practitioners of this style use in battle, allowing the user to accelerate, maneuver, and strike at speeds most eyes are unable to properly follow. This allows the user to close considerable distance in seconds and strike down enemies before they can react.
The techniques of Hades Thínon Ripi have only been held by a select few through the course of its entire history. In the face of its tremendous power as a style, this is due to its adherence to the strict yet responsible practice of the masters being very selective of their pupils, to ensure that the knowledge is not misused, resulting in there being very few knights skilled in it. And fewer still, trained in its most advanced techniques.
Due to its tremendous power and speed, Hades Thínon Ripi has been nicknamed "The Red Fortress" in that it would almost certainly secure absolute victory for whichever side might wield it in a conflict and in homage to the great hero, the Crimson Skull, who invented it. In light of this probability, the practitioners of Hades Thínon Ripi have for the most part, historically maintained independent of any and all political entities, stressing highly the importance of wielding its expertise in the name of their fellow Vampires, and only in defense. Under this duty, all generations of practitioners receive a great deal of insight regarding the psyche from the school's teachings. This includes instruction regarding the relativism of morality and the idea that perceptions of good and evil are not absolute; a potentially "good" person can have any number of beliefs that may not mesh with those of the practitioner without necessarily being wrong. Other core tenants of the style include the idea the art of swordsmanship ultimately amounts to nothing more than a way to kill other people, regardless of the practitioner's intentions or beliefs, and that the Hades Thínon Ripi should never be used to improve a practitioner's social standing, acquire wealth, or obtain political power. Finally, while heirs are encouraged to protect the defenseless and less fortunate, the Hades Thínon Ripi school ultimately permits its practitioners to execute individuals whom they deem to be truly deserving of death.
As powerful as it may be, Hades Thínon Ripi can also be detrimental to its practitioners. Medically speaking, the physical demands for Hades Thínon Ripi are tremendous. For anyone ill-equipped, simply employing their techniques causes cumulative, physical damage to their body. Normally, the training provided during apprenticeship enables a practitioner to condition themselves properly to perform without incurring the cumulative trauma from regular usage, having developed an extraordinarily resilient physique with an incredible musculature over years in tenure.
Cornelius has also developed his own dual martial art called "Chiroptera Ex Hades that incorporates the use of two fighting stances. The main stance known as “Open Wing”, is used for defense and consists of incorporating the clairvoyance of the Hades Thínon Ripi style into the use of defensive unarmed martial arts and wrestling that breaks through an opponent’s attacks and turns them against them, making the opponent open and vulnerable to unavoidable return attacks, as well feinting attacks and confusing the opponent with his cape to keep them from seeing where he’ll strike from. The alternate stance, known as “Cross Wing”, combines the great speed of Hades Thínon Ripi with use of backstreet brawling and small weapons concealed by his closed cape, but can use the same unarmed offensive techniques as Open Wing.
PERSONAL HISTORY:
PERSONALITY: Calm, calculating, cunning, a master strategist, never enters a situation he hasn’t already figured out a solution to. He cares about the innocent as well as his allies to the point that he is willing to die to save them and possesses great resolve not to kill his enemies. But he also possesses great wrath that is normally repressed but can come out in times of extreme anger or grief, causing him to enter in to his Slayer State, in which his eyes turn blood red and become deep wells of bloodlust and rage that weep blood and terrify all who look into them. During this state, His strength and speed become heightened and he becomes overwhelmed by the intent to kill and although his subconscious keeps his weapon blunt, he’ll just bludgeon his victims to death. Fortunately, when brought on by moments of extreme rage, this state passes quickly as the anger is usually released in a single devastating attack that most victims manage to survive. However, when brought out in times of extreme grief, it can last indefinitely. Cornelius deeply believes in Aidar’s cause and is in love with Luminova.
LIKES: Aidar, Homac, Greagus, Playing Chess with Shinryu, Watching the sun rise, apples,
DISLIKES: Prejudice, Tyrius, Mr. Stubbs, Jack, Zudhred&Erinys, Violence.
CLASS: Phantom
TYPE: Shadowdancer
STYLE ORIENTATION: Balanced
HANDEDNESS: Ambidextrous
STATS
____- STRENGTH:****
________ POWER:********
________- SPEED:******
______DEXTERITY:******
FIGHTING ABILITY:*******
ELEMENT: Darkness
SKILLS: Shadow and light manipulation, Hellfire, Sorcery, fencing, sword mastery, marksman, pole-arm mastery, C.Q.C. Devilforgery
FAMILY SKILLS: bat transformations, bat control, sonar, horseback riding, hunting and tracking
SPELLS:
Dark Metamorphosis: A Blood Magic “Spell” that surrounds the caster in an aura of red plasma that causes them to absorb all blood that splashes them, and heal their self. COST 3 POWER POINTS
Gale Force: The caster sends ut a blade of wind that can travel from 10 feet up to 50, cutting through all in it’s path, before arching up and back like a boomerang, and flying the other direction to hit anything that may also be coming at the caster from above and behind. COST 3 POWER POINTS
Chain lightning: The caster calls down lightning from the heavens with one hand and acting as a conduit, directs it into a target with the other, upon which it jumps to another target, and another and another, electrocuting whole groups of enemies. COSTS 6 POWER POINTS
Dark Force: Draws shadowy sparks of Dark ki out of the are all around one or more individual targets that then rapidly gravitate to them and bombard them with explosive results. COST 12 POWER POINTS
Evil Gate: Opens one or more disc-like tears in the dimensional fabric that contains swirling shredding forces, right were individual targets are located. COSTS 18 POWER POINTS
Soul Steal: creates a vortex current of air that draws out and sucks a “piece” of one or more targets into himself to heal his wounds. Depending on the caster’s level of power and the condition of the targets, the spell can steal from a small portion of the life force of the target/s, up to the whole thing, entirely absorbing the target/s in the caster’s being. COSTS 18 POWER POINTS
Mjolnir: Level three Lightning Spell that summons a massive net of lighting from the heavens to electrocute a targeted area 15 square feet. COSTS 24 POWER POINTS
SIGNATURE TECHNIQUES
DEFENSES&SUPPORTS
Hades Thínon Ripi Style Default Stance: The fighting stance of Cornelius's main style. When using this style, Cornelius normally assumes a sideway stance with his scythe held out in front by the middle of the shaft in his forward hand, like a fencer's rapier, with the blade facing his opponent and the butt end of the shapes reaching back by his leg, while his arm is curled at his rear side with the fist wrapped in his cape, ready to block at a moment's notice. While using this style, Cornelius receives a +6 to parrying and evasive rolls due to being constantly on guard.
Drawing Stance: The more powerful alternate stance of Hades Thínon Ripi. Cornelius leans on his front knee as he morphs Erebónychos into a dark sphere that is held back at the hip in the rear hand, he turns his shoulder, nearly facing his back to his opponent as he reaches his front hand around to Erebónychos as if to draw a sword. When in this stance, Cornelius’s speed becomes elevated and all of his regular melee attacks become super-fast slashes in which he draws his scythe out of the sphere and swings it at lightning fast speed. However this stance leaves him vulnerable, as he cannot hold his cape. Attacking breaks the stance making it mostly useful for just singular attacks. This stance is favored for felling opponents much stronger than Cornelius and sets him up to perform the Hades Thínon Ripi style's more powerful techniques and is reliant on Cornelius being faster than his opponent.
Open Wing Stance: The The main defensive side of Cornelius's personal brand of martial arts, Known as "Chiroptera Ex Hades". When using this style, Cornelius telekinetically enhances his Strength while forming Erebónychos into shadowy shield-like plating on his boots and gauntlets that can turn into throwing blades in an instant as Cornelius assumes a more open side-way stance with his fists raised, ready to punch or parry. While in this stance, he can counter any melee with an array of grappling moves and unarmed striking techniques with minimal effort, depending on the nature of the opponent's attack, and his choice of target level, and even disarm and use an opponent's weapon against them. This style is favored for fighting unarmed opponents or thugs and underlings with poor fighting skill, but can also be used just as well against skilled warriors and relies on Cornelius’s Strength being greater than his opponents and opponent's physically stronger or equal to him can roll to escape the grapples. He can also dislocate his opponent’s joints if a critical is rolled.
Cross Wing Stance:Cornelius brand of back alley brawling and the offensive side of Chiroptera Ex Hades. When using this stance, Cornelius stands with his cape completely closed about him, preventing his opponent from seeing his limbs. While in this stance, Cornelius is considerably fast and illusive, capable of even dodging bullets. Though this stance does render him incapable of blocking, he is able to substitute his Power level for his Dexterity and cuts the rolls of all oncoming melee by the first 3 die. His normal attacks are also more direct and the force behind them is telekinetically enhanced. Also, though keeping wrapped up in his cape does restrict his space, making him harder to hit to where he can dodge attacks with ease, it also restricts his movements, decreasing his options of fighting techniques.
Shadow Barrier: Wraps himself or an ally in a protective bubble of darkness that hides the person inside from enemy eyes, making it difficult to hit them. Cuts enemy attack numbers
Bat Familiars: Summons one or more bats to assist him or an ally adding additional hits to regular attacks.
Smoke cloud: generates a cloud of smoke that rises up from below his feet to enable him or an allay to shift location without being seen.
Forward Shadow Step: Cornelius darts forward in a short burst resembling a dark blur that can slip between attacks, including projectiles, and he can break the dash to strike with a powerful high or low attack that cuts their reaction time in half, or even throw his opponent. With this technique, Cornelius can instantly cover 10 feet at 25% Power, 15 feet at 50% Power, and 20 feet at 75% Power. If the distance Cornelius is stepping exceeds the location of his opponent, he can get behind them and cut their reaction time to a quarter. This technique is purely based on speed and it is dependent on Cornelius being more faster or powerful than his opponent is fast or dexterous. If he is not, then the opponent will not suffer any cuts to their rolls.
Sideways Shadow Step: Cornelius darts left or right at an arch in a short burst, resembling a dark blur that dodges projectiles and other attacks, can maneuver him behind his opponent when close, and he can break the dash to strike with a powerful high or low attack, offensive technique or even throw his opponent. At the cost of extra energy, Cornelius can increase the length of the burst to cover more ground. OPEN WING STANCE ONLY
Shadow Walk: Wrapping his cape around himself, Cornelius turns into shadow and disappears, teleporting to another position around his opponent, opening or closing 5 feet in front of his opponent on the ground or in the air at 25% Power, 10 feet at 50%, and 20 feet at 75%. He and can also appear listed distance behind his opponent at double the cost. It is only required to roll for this technique, when using it to dodge an attack, the movement its self is instantaneous and does not fail as long a Cornelius isn’t hit before he can move and when he reappears, he is no longer wrapped in his cape and can instantly attack, combining this technique with any of his others in the same roll that he executes them with and using the surprise to cut his opponent’s defense/evasion roll in half. Favored for use against gunners and other long ranged opponents.

TECHS&COUNTERS




Teleport: SEE DEFENSES&SUPPORTS




A weaker version of Dark hammer Flash that is executed from a jump instead of a teleport. Looks exactly the same but lacks the force to topple opponents and only stuns, but is less predictable and cuts the opponent's reaction time in half.
Special Dash: See DEFENSES&SUPPORTS
(High)Shadow Reap: Cornelius breaks his shadow step and strikes his opponent with a lunging two handed diagonal slash with his scythe that has a 1 foot blade increase in the arch and knocks them prone 2 feet away at 25% Power, a 2 foot blade increase that knocks the opponent prone 4 feet away, and a 3 foot blade increase that knocks the opponent prone 6 feet away at 75%.
SPECIAL
Shadow Harvest: At 100% Power, Cornelius emerges from his Shadow Step engulfed in a black flame and performs an extra powerful Shadow Reap that has a 4 foot blade increase and delvers 3 slashes in a single stroke.
(Low) Shadow Kick: Cornelius breaks his Shadow Step in a slide that crashes his right foot into the feet of his opponent to knock knock them on their face at 25% Dexterity, Springs from the slid to deliver a flying kick to the mid section at 50% Dexterity, and a drop kick in which he back-flips off the torso at 75%.
SPECIAL
Shadow Bicycle: At 100% Power, Cornelius emerges from his Shadow Step engulfed in a black flame and performs an extra powerful Shadow Kick in which he does a 4 hit bicycle kick.











SUPERS!!!
LEVEL ONE
Shadow Form: Cornelius becomes enveloped by a dark purple flame-like aura ad then shifts into a creature that appears to made of living shadow with dark shadowy flames and a single noticeable eye gleaming in the right half of the face. While in this form, his speed is tripled and he becomes virtually invulnerable, but he can only maintain it for a short time (10 turns). At the cost of all of his remaining energy and vulnerability, he can also summon eight Shadow Doppelgangers.

LEVEL ONE-EIGHT
Shadow Doppelganger: Cornelius becomes enveloped by a dark purple flame-like aura and then a shadowy double resembling his Shadow Form jumps out of him. The double can do everything Cornelius can do, mirroring his movements and although incapable of touching Cornelius, the double is fully capable of touching and harming the opponent. But Cornelius has to constantly concentrate to maintain it, rendering himself incapable of replenishing the Power Points used. He can summon as many of them as he has stars on Power and can also send them off to fight independently, as this is actually a form of Devilforgery.






OPEN WING TECHS AND COUNTERS

























Teleport: SEE DEFENSES&SUPPORTS






Special Dash: See DEFENSES&SUPPORTS
(High) : Advancing Punch: At 25% Strength, Cornelius breaks his shadow step to deliver a powerful uppercut that knocks his opponent down. He also knocks them into the air at 50% Strength, and sends them flying at 75%. This attack can also be feigned in favor of a flooring over head punch that sends the opponent skidding 5 feet back at 50% Strength, and 10 feet at 75%.
SPECIAL
Advancing One-Two: At 100% Power, Cornelius burst into black flame as he breaks his shadow step to change to his Demon Form and deliver a powerful overhead punch with his right hand than knocks his opponent to the ground so herd that they bounce back up and then sends them flying with a powerful left uppercut, before changing back.
(Low) : Advancing Kick: At 25% Dexterity, Cornelius breaks his shadow step and slides to kick his opponent’s feet out from under them and knocks them to the ground. He can also launch himself off the ground and knock his opponent away kick to the gut at 50% Dexterity, and a kick tothe head at 75% Dexterity.
SPECIAL
Sliding Bicycle Kick : At 100% Power, Cornelius burst into black flame as he breaks his shadow step and slides to kick his opponent’s feet out from under them and knock them to the ground and then launching himself from the ground beneath them, changes to his Demon Form and propels himself forward with a flap of his wings and knocks them away with a four slash bicycle kick to the belly, before changing back.
Special Dash: See DEFENSES&SUPPORTS
(High) : Advancing Punch: Cornelius breaks his shadow step to deliver a powerful uppercut that knocks his opponent down. At the cost of extra energy, he can also knock them into the air or even send them flying.
SPECIAL: Advancing One-Two: Cornelius burst into black flame as he breaks his shadow step to change to his Demon Form and deliver a powerful overhead punch with his right hand than knocks his opponent to the ground so herd that they bounce back up and then sends them flying with a powerful left uppercut, before changing back.
Low) : Shadow sweep: Cornelius breaks his shadow step and going into a crouch, spins with his left leg out in a far reaching sweeping kick that trips whoever gets caught in it. At the cost of extra energy, he can also spring back up on his right foot and delver a roundhouse kick to the gut and then even a spinning back kick to the head to knock them down.
SPECIAL: Shadow Propeller: Cornelius burst into black flame as breaks his shadow step and going into a crouch, changes to his demon from and spins with his left wing out in a far reaching sweeping kick that trips whoever gets caught in it. Then continuing to spin as he flies into the air, he proceeds to beat his opponent with his wings at every turn, for a total of six blows, knocking them back, before changing back and landing on his feet.

Special Dash: See DEFENSES&SUPPORTS












WEAPONS&GEAR:
Erebónychos: A manifestation of Cornelius's mastery over light and darkness combined with a psionic field. Usually takes the form of a scythe but can also be molded into other devises, such as throwing blades, drill, grappling line, sword, shield, ect. Can stand up to any force as long as Cornelius's mind can handle the strain. It can also cut through matter on a molecular level or hit with the force of a blunt club, according to Cornelius’s will. Whatever form it takes, it always leaves behind the flash of a shape resembling a bat’s wing in it’s arch.
Vampire Cape: Like all vampire capes, Cornelius's cape is a specially crafted armor as thin as a regular heavy cape, but as durable as hard ring mail and can stop even the strongest arrows and even bullets, when at rest, yet versatile and responsive to its wearers will as if a part of them and is capable of taking various forms with nearly indestructible durability. In addition, Cornelius has also developed a fighting style in which he hides the movement of his attacking limbs with his swinging cape, making his movements hard to follow and cutting his opponent's reaction time in half.