Kara Teaford
Background:
A local student at King's College London, Kara hasn't had the easiest life. Throughout her childhood, she was troubled by strange dreams and odd occurrences. Her parents, when they weren't fighting with each other, were hard on her. Most of the housework fell on her as well as the cooking. Her father was out almost nightly drinking with his buddies. Despite all that, she worked her way through high school and even earned a scholarship to King's College London. As soon as she graduated, she left her home for London. She found life as a college student even harder then life with her parents. Even with a scholarship, she still needed money to pay for the expenses of full time school. She did find a job working at a pub near the college, but it was low-paying and unsatisfying work. The "Strange Times" began during the spring semester of her college studies and have continued for almost a year now. Since the times began, she has discovered an amazing ability to move objects from a distance with little more then concentration and some hand movements. She kept this knowledge to herself, practicing and perfecting it for several months. One night, as she got off work and was walking back to the dormitories, she was attacked by a drunkard who intended to have his way with her. Tapping on her new power out of fear, she sent the drunkard flying into high into the air only to have him land at her feet, neck twisted at an unnatural angle. Seeing what she had done, Kara ran back to her dorm room and hid herself away. The next three days she spent in her room suffering from a severe migraine during the days and horrible nightmares when ever she tried to sleep. Since then she hasn't used her powers. As of late, the dreams that troubled her youth have returned with new-found intensity and clarity, disturbing what little sleep she normally got between school and work.
Personality:
Kara is a soft spoken youth who has learned to take the verbal abuse of others all in stride. She constantly strives to prove herself in her studies, but that is about the only thing she shows any motivation towards. She approaches her job each night with dread at what the night brings and fears being taken advantage of by the pub's patrons. The only thing she fears more then the patrons is her powers.
Katia Freefire
Background:
Well known in certain circles as a diligent (sometimes to the point of stubbornness) archeologist, Katia has always felt a connection to the ancient cultures of days long past and myths of times that never could have existed. This is perhaps in part due to the visions of great beasts of legend that have graced her sleep ever since childhood. In school her grades were never top-notch (except in history and literature) despite her being one of the brightest students her schools had ever seen. Her parents encouraged her obsession with history and myth, to the point of buying her books on these subjects as presents. As a child, her favorite places in all of London were the library and the museum. By her freshman year of high school she had already decided her career of choice, an archeologist. For the first time ever, she dedicated herself to her studies (at least enough to get into London University). She graduated high school and moved right on to College. Fortunately, her parents were able to help pay her way through college, and she graduated a year early with a 4.0 GPA. She immediately moved into a job working for the British Museum at a dig site in the heart of Egypt. Her career excelled and she became well known in the historical circles around London. One of the quirks she became most known for is her stubborn desire to always use torches when exploring, never flashlights. When asked about the habit, she simply responds, "Torches are just more reliable for me and more comforting. But what does that matter? Both get the job done right?" When the "Strange Times" began, she was exploring a Mayan ziggurat, deep in the heart of the Amazon. It was there that she had her first encounter with the supernatural. A misstep in the dark ruins had sent Katia tumbling down a staircase, landing in a heap, bruised and bloody, but otherwise okay. It was then that small humanoid shapes emerged from the depths, drawn to the sent of blood. As the creatures advanced on her, her vision blurred. Suddenly, she was outside facing a legion of angry soldiers with shields and pikes. She was also no longer herself, but instead a massive serpentine creature, dark red in color with scales glistening in the sun, a creature that could only be described as a dragon. She opened her maw unleashing a torrent of flames upon the advancing men. As her vision cleared she found herself alone in the ruins, black marks on the walls and two charred bodies lying on the floor before her. It was only after she had returned to London that she truly began to remember her past. She was that dragon from her vision, once long ago…
Personality:
Katia has always been one to set a goal and then let nothing stand in her way to achieve it. She doesn't back down from a challenge, though she may find alternate ways around it. She is a bit of a collector at heart, ever since she was a child, and has since built up quite a collection of small statues and trinkets, including a few she's kept from her archeological digs. Her discovery of her ancient heritage has provided a new found direction as she now seeks out her former broodmates.
Long Shing
Background:
Shing has been training since he was old enough to walk within the walls of a Chinese monastery. He has always had the utmost belief in reincarnation, and often dreamed of what he considered his past lives. He has, at one point or another, been nearly any creature to ever walk the earth. His mentors encouraged him and hailed him as a prodigy, both for his visions of his past lives and his skill in their art. He has since developed his fighting style to near perfection. Recently though, since the beginning of the New Year, Shing's dreams have changed. Instead of dreams of his past lives, he now dreams of ancient beasts known as dragons. These dreams have disturbed him greatly and he left temple in search of peace. His journeys have been guided by an unknown calling that has led him to London. Now in a strange land, barely able to speak the language, Shing seeks to find the answer to the calling that has brought him here.
Personality:
Shing is not what most would consider a sociable person. His lack of knowledge of English, is only part of the reason for this. His training has taught him to be reserved and silent most of the time. When he does speak aloud, he makes sure every word counts. He seems to most to be void of humor. He prefers to find non-violent solutions to problems, but won't hesitate to defend someone who can not defend themselves.