Corva, the Night Raven
Model #: NG-970723
Codename: Corva
Title: Night Raven
Favored Skills:
- Stealth and assassin skills
- Knife throwing
- Dark energy manipulation
Weapons: Throwing Knives
Character Concept
Now, here we have the last Gizoid idea that I requested from my friends and family, this one being made for my friend Savannah. And as I mentioned with Zephry, both Zephyr and Corva are coming out together, and will have a connected story, due to close finishing times and similar theming. So, they are comrades. (Also, I swapped Corva and Zephyr's intended order, due to Corva having a little more story to herself.)
Corva's idea phase went through a lot of change, actually. Savannah wanted a bird-themed Gizoid, even down to the abilities. But, considering this was intended as a birthday gift, I wanted to take it a step further, and asked Savannah what her favorite bird was. And she said her favorite bird was the crow.
...And that got me thinking more along the lines of stealth. Crows and ravens are birds of the night, after all. So, I discussed it with Savannah, and agreed to alter the idea to make more of a stealth-type Gizoid. We even changed the name to "Corva", based on corvids, the family of birds that crows and ravens belong to.
I also loved the idea of making another stealth Gizoid, since up until now, Argentum was my only stealth Gizoid (my brother has a stealth-themed Gizoid too, but we'll get to that). Although, I think I might've ended up leaning more toward a raven than a crow...
But I am also still keeping the original idea, including some of the original abilities (which is everything but the feathered throwing knives), so I can still make that idea into a Gizoid at a later date, perhaps as Corva's robo-sister. (And it is because of this that I am not going to reveal the original name, yet...)
Also, with the nightbird and stealth theme, plus the throwing knives idea, Savannah's idea here reminded me a lot of Vax'ildan from Critical Role: Campaign 1 and The Legend of Vox Machina, due to his connection to the Raven Queen (something I'm sure could be more well known now, since we've seen this in Vox Machina Season 2). I didn't want to base this Gizoid too much on that idea, but it was enough for me to want to lean into a sort of rogue-like style to the Gizoid. This also gives Corva a similar but different enough theme from my brother's Gizoid, Zephyr.
Besides all of that, I also came up with this dark-energy idea for Crova. Not a darkness-type theme, like with Parallax or Kronos, but more like night energies.
Also, like with Alder, the Gizoid I made for my friend Caitlin, this Gizoid's model number has Savannah's birthdate, since it was intended as a birthday gift (even a VERY late one).
I hope you like this, Savannah!
Corva's Design
Corva is a shorter, more petite Gizoid, with a midnight black color, dark amethyst accents, and ultra-violet eyes (her eyes being similar to Argentum's). Her horn is more closely curved over her head, with an inlaid feathered headdress, splitting into to tail in the back. She also has a shimmering feathered cloak, build-in along her arms and shoulders, and split in the back, forming a wing-like shape.
She has a few fashioned-feathers around the upper-back of the screw on the sides of her head, the same raven feathers installed on the pommels of her throwing knives. Corva also keeps a few extras of her feathered throwing knives on her waist, for quick access in case she doesn't have time to form more.
Corva's Weapons and Combat Style
Corva's combat is focused on her projectiles and stealth. Because of this, melee isn't her strong suit, beyond the basics. Even the handles of her knives are too small to properly hold, only for throwing. However, she is incredibly quick and agile, and is capable of gliding through the use of her raven cloak (and some energy manipulation).
Corva's throwing knives are small, so she can from them with her nanobots very quickly. Even still, she carries several knives on her waist, just in case. She can also just as quickly dissemble her knives, even from a distance, acting as a "return" for her blades.
Since Corva fights alongside Zephyr, she is often playing ranged support to her comrade.
Corva's Favored Skills
Corva uses negative energies to empower her attacks, and confuse her enemies. Because of this, she works best at night, or in dark areas.
- Mark of Death:
Corva will place a hex on one of her enemies, which will cause her throwing knives to turn in the air, and track down the marked foe. It also increases the piercing power of the knives.
Corva can only place one Mark of Death at a time. It also doesn't work with any of her other abilities.
- Shadow Flare:
Corva will infuse her throwing knives with dark flames before she throws them, turning them into burning projectiles.
- Unstoppable Arrow:
Corva will infuse her throwing knives with dark energy before she throws them, allowing them to phase through any stuck foe, or even wall, after causing their damage, without losing much of its thrown momentum.
- Shadow Thread:
Corva will use her dark energy on one or two of her throwing knives before she throws them, creating a thread of dark energy. This thread is very strong, so she'll use this as a makeshift grappling hook.
She might even use these threaded knives as a sort of dancing ribbon, cutting through enemies with the blades on the end. This is the closest Skill Corva has to a melee ability.
(If you want to, you can think of this like Kratos's Blades of Chaos, but with smaller blades, them being knives, and less barbaric, more like a dance.)
- Raven's Glide:
Channeling her dark energies in her cloak, she can glide through the air.
- Shadow Shimmer:
Taking advantage of the darkness, or any shadow, Corva will use her negative energies to create illusions, to confuse her enemies. Of course, these illusions have no physical form, and appear to be in darkness, but they can affect both vision and sound, enough to cause fear.
- Dancing Shadow:
Corva will infuse herself with negative energies and shadows, making her harder to hit. It shares some properties with "Shadow Shimmer", making her appear as if she is a mirage, ever-shifting.
However, to a certain degree, she is ever-shifting, as attacks may ouch her form to the side, rather than strike her. They may even phase through her. However, being overwhelmed with numerous attacks, or aiming for and striking anything greater part of her form, attacks can still harm her.
But that's not all, as her speed and flexibility will also be increased a bit. With all of this, you can see where the name of this Skill comes from, as Corva does look like a Dancing Shadow while using this move.
- Shadow Meld:
Corva will use her negative energies to merge with the shadows, turning herself invisible and intangible. She can only use this while standing in a shadow, or pure darkness, but even the smallest of shadows can be used, so long as it's visible. This makes her both invisible and intangible, so she can be seen or touched, making this both good for stealth and bypassing barriers (excluding energy shields or walls that or too thick).
However, she can be forcibly exected from this form if she stays outside of a shadow for too long, or her form overlaps with too much mass or motion, including attacks, and this can cause lots of damage to Corva, so she has to be careful with this power. It also uses lots of energy, so she can only this ability for short periods.
Along with all of this, like any invisibility Skill, Corva is generating a field of energy. Meaning you can see her with anything that can track energy.
But despite this, Corva will often use this when she is sneaking around, as added protection to her stealth.
Story and Character
Seeing as Corva becomes the comrade and partner to Zephyr, much of her story is the same as his. But her beginnings are different for her.
The first thing Corva remembers when she was first activated was finding another Gizoid, who was built with a similar female frame to her, watching her with curiosity. Seems that this other Gizoid had also just been activated, and like a young child, was intrigued by everything, especially this robot similar to her. Corva, who at the time was still unnamed, started a conversation with this Gizoid, sharing what little they knew.
As the two began early training and learning, this Gizoid pair became to be like sisters. All Giziods of the new generation considered themselves to be siblings, but these two were especially close, even as they became two different personalities. But shared an early interest in birds, which led to their names of Corva and [REDACTED], as well as their bird-like design styles.
But yes, they became different personalities, and even had different preferences in the Skills they wished to learn. While the more outgoing and colorful [REDACTED] jumped completely into the bird theme, Corva used it more as the outer vision of her stealth and negative-energy manipulation (though she was never a high-level negative-energy manipulator like Parallax was).
Corva became an assassin, thus making her an outcast. And while she made different friends with fellow outcasts, including Zephyr, who would become her partner in battle, she still worked occasionally with her sister.
The change in Corva's and [REDACTED]'s roles never once damaged their familial relationship, even as Corva was looked down on, and the two of them worked together less and less. [REDACTED] even teased Corva on her partnership with Zephyr.
On her own, Corva became a powerful Gizoid. It was too late for her to be selected as an Elite, as she was too new, but with Zephyr, [REDACTED], or on solo missions, Corva was a force to be reckoned with. One time, she made great use of her "Shadow Shimmer" illusion Skill to drive an entire group of Kronos's followers mad, allowing Zephyr to finish the job.
Corva always hoped that her adventures with her sister, [REDACTED], and her comrade, Zephyr, would never end. Unfortunately, it would all soon come to an end...
- After the End:
Corva's from this point is shared with Zephyr, so there will only be a quick recount, as well as Corva's view on the events that transpired.
Corva and Zephyr were on a mission when the final battle began, completely unaware of what was happening. When they found out, it was too late to get to the battle in time, as the end of the world happened...
The two managed to survive, with some damage to them, and as they began to search for answers, as night fell, they ran into the Elites, Reverie the Reality Weaver, and [REDACTED] the Trinity Tactition. Only to find out that these two had betrayed them, the new generation, and the world they were meant to protect, as well as the newly dubbed Dread Zealot, who was the one responsible for the destruction.
As Zephyr asked the questions to [REDACTED], Corva became increasingly agitated. The stealth pair had not run into any other Gizoids before these two traitors. This included her sister. And she was worried about what happened to her.
[REDACTED] could have been destroyed by the apocalypse, and Corva would never see her again. And these Elites, who were supposed to lead them, and prevent this very situation, ...they were the ones responsible for this.
As Zephyr's questioning continued, Reverie eventually snapped, saying that Corva and Zephyr should help them find the Time Stones, and help take out Cobalt. Corva knew who Cobalt was, another Elite, but she didn't care about that. Nor did she know what the Time Stones were.
But she did know that she had to avenge to possible fallen sister.
Zephyr finally clashed with [REDACTED], and a battle started between them. Reverie tried to strike the ninja Gizoid from behind, but she didn't get the chance. Corva wanted the two Elites gone, and since Zephyr had the Trinity Tactician, she was going to take the Reality Weaver. Besides, she never liked the ruby Gizoid.
With the night coming, Corva was in her element, but she was still outmatched by Reverie. Her Shadow Meld Skill couldn't help much, as Gizoids can track energy, including the field made by her invisibility Skill. And while Corva could use illusions, Reverie's Phantom Ruby allowed her to practically warp reality. She wasn't even phased by Corva's abilities. Corva's advantages with ranged combat and even her "Dancing Shadow" Skill helped little against Reverie's twin whip-swords.
The odds of victory against this Eltie were low, but Corva wouldn't give in. She had to take down this traitor, even if it meant her destruction. For her sister, for her comrade, and for everything she once cared for.
But alas, it would not come to be, as Reverie got the best of the Night Raven, piercing through her body with both twin blades. Reverie then mercilessly pulled her swords out, aiming to tear Corva down further, slicing her to pieces, before [REDACTED] put a stop to it. Zephyr had similarly been felled, and Trinity Tactition saw no reason to linger.
Corva didn't listen to what the Elites had to say, as she had lost, and in her dying moments, wished only that she could give one last goodbye to her sister. She made a quick message in her internal computer systems, and sent it out. On the chance that [REDACTED] was still active, still out there, and on the chance that the message could reach her, Corva had to give it a shot. There was nothing else she could do, anyway, as her power faded.
In her last moments before her vision gave out, she found that her comrade, Zephyr, had managed to make his way over to her, and embrace his friend. And Corva was happy to at least spend her last few seconds with her close friend, before shutting down, permanently...
Author's Note: And this is the last of the Gizoids I made for my friends and family, ...and this is probably the last time I ask for things to draw for my friends and family for a long time.
Don't get me wrong, I loved making these Gizoids for my brother and best friends. I mean, I was the one who asked for these! But... I intended these to all be for their respective birthdays, but every single one of them ended up being over a month or two late. And while the reason for these delays has to do with things unrelated to the Gizoid projects, they have all become part of a collective of long overdue projects, between both my stories and art, and all of this has been dragging me down.
So while I am happy to have these out for my friends, I need to start working on projects that I really want to work on, projects that I am excited to work on.
Regardless, I hope these are all appreciated!