[RWBY] RWBY Shorts

[CountvonBarnOwl]

Forgot to add my OC sheet to QQ yesterday. Remedying that now.

Lieutenant General Doctor Henryk Amzel

Inspiration: Edward Richtofen (COD: WAW specifically), Heinrich Amsel (also COD: WAW for the name) Henryk (Bloodborne) also for the name and for the fighting style.

Appearance: As muscled as a career soldier would need to be, but barely, he is a thin man whose high cheekbones and gaunt features give the impression of a leering, grinning skull that he hides behind a short, now-gray beard. The curly shock of hair poking out from under his general's cap remains orange, however. His eyes are cold blue, and he has a crescent shaped scar wrapping around the underside of his left eye, going up his nose and around his eyebrow. He is almost never seen without his mostly white general's uniform (as he has integrated his clothes into his fighting style), and two stars, as well as two tessellations of the pattern on his hochrot collar tabs mark him out as a Lieutenant General. Although when he expects to fight, he usually just wears his coat over his shoulders. When he is mainly concerned with battling cold weather, he usually buttons up and throws on a scarf and balaclava too.

Spoiler: Edward Richtofen

But Stephen Lang's portrayal of General Pickett in the movie Gettysburg was what gave me the idea for the hair and beard. Of course I cannot find any images of Lang Pickett that will let me put a link in here/are on websites with languages that I can speak. And the beard would be a real beard and not just a goatee.

And I couldn't resist paying tribute to the single best piece of Scooby Doo media ever made, Zombie Island, I had to include Morgan Moonscar's scar as a little quirk of his appearance.

Emblem: Grinning Pumpkin wreathed in green flame, holding a curved sword in its mouth.

Race: Human

Semblance: Blood Rally: "The healing is not as rewarding as the hurting." When blood touches Amzel's body or Aura, his physical wounds seal up, his fatigue evaporates, and his strength increases. The more messy a battlefield is, the more terrifying the insane doctor becomes.

Weapons: A Saw-Cleaver - which rumors circulate about the the R&D wing of the General Staff is something that he picked up during his time as a medical officer in the Jaegers for admonishing patients, a sawed off Dust drilling of a pattern similar to the Luftwaffe M30, his service pistol, Jaeger-issue knife (usually with applied toxins), his overcoat.

Spoiler: Saw-Cleaver

Spoiler: Sawed off Drilling

Fighting style: He wields his blade like a traditional Hyperborean/Vacuoan navaja fighter, with the cleaver in one hand and his overcoat draped over his other forearm. Of course, this is his first trick. When the coat is over his offhand, this is when he grabs his gun and keeps it concealed. If he can hack his opponent to pieces, rip them up, or disembowel them with his blade, that is excellent.

But the cloak component of his literal cloak and dagger fighting style doubles as a cover for him to infiltrate a gun into the engagement. This gun is usually loaded with Wind and Lightning Dust shells in the shotgun chambers, and an armor piercing Hardlight Dust bullet in the rifle barrel. When the aptly named Donnergewehr goes off there is usually a whoosh-crack of concussive force that sends whatever was in its frontal firing arc and within a few meters of the muzzle flying, flooded with electricity, and whatever the gun was most directly aimed at gets a 9.5mm hole punched through it and whatever defenses it had.

Needless to say, the surprise only works once, and he needs to fill out the form for a new overcoat after every time he pulls the trick. So he mainly sticks to cleaver-fighting. Which he is good at. The heavy, oddly-shaped, sawback weapon, covered in fraying wraps and dried gore, combined the laughter of the truly mad man wielding it is usually enough to unsettle most of his opponents. Amzel is lithe and quick darting into measure and then backstepping out. The oddly shaped grip, and the folding blade create ample opportunity for change-ups and attacks at surprisingly long distance from unguarded angles. The weapon's mass and teeth do not often leave a second strike necessary.

The Saw-Cleaver turns the Grimm's monstrous forms against them, the larger and more grotesque the monster, the more the blade rips and ruins as it lacerates flesh. Amzel will boast of this particular detail aloud when other Atlesian forces are around, usually to reassure them that it isn't just for clearing away the excess clutter on a particularly noisome patient before a prosthetic can be fitted in.

He also keeps his pistol and knife on his person, as hold-out weapons. His slight-of-hand usually allowing him to draw and deploy one of them in the heat of battle, and with a surgeon's steadiness and precision.

Spoiler: Illustrations of Navaja fighter stances

History: Like many sitting members of the General Staff, Amzel came up through the ranks of the Jaegers, where he initially served as a medical officer. However, he transferred out of the unit to escape the fallout of an apparent military-political scandal.

While several of his acquaintances were either covering their own asses or throwing blame on each other, Amzel was shuffled into R&D, where it was expected that he would just act as an administrator and organizer for whatever projects needed someone to coordinate personnel and assets, but where he quietly acquired competences and doctorates in physics, robotics, chemistry, and electrical engineering, at speed. Amzel proved to his superiors that the absence of sanity had left his mind with a great deal of free space. The Colossus-class walker, for instance, is a favorite proverbial punching bag of his.

Recently, he has been promoted to the head of the Special Construction Training Corps, based primarily out of the Jotun Installation in the cold wastes of northeastern Rana Niejta, where a group of mountains, unusual for the terrain rise high and act as a large natural curtain for the sizable box canyon between them. Here, he works bringing the next generation of cybernetics, machines, systems, and weapons into being.

Amzel is a good fit for Jotun, the Atlesian Area-51 analog. It is a source of paranormal, cryptid, and ghost stories that trickle into the Atlesian military's lore, with experiments concerning aircraft, android and walker systems, and Dust/chemical interactions mutating over retellings and speculation by drunken officers and contractors into stories about Faunus experimentation, occult rituals, and unworldly or unholy research projects taking place. Why wouldn't the commanding officer of the installation be a mad scientist with a comically Allomenian accent?

Currently, the two projects occupying his focus are the next generation 50-meter class walker - THERAPHOSA, and the Infantry Cybernetic Exoframe model: Dragon.

Politically, he aligns with the Folkers faction. Ostensibly because he sees droids deployed en masse as directly harming the Atlesian military's ability to react to fluid, violent, or escalating situations, moreover, he considers that integrating other kingdoms into their surveillance and intelligence networks as a deliberately exposing themselves to enemy infiltration, espionage, and shock assaults, as well as informing hostile/rival entities and powers of their technological and strategic capabilities and disposition.

Of course, Amzel is motivated at least in part by the fact that he is a Grimm Cultist who doesn't want to be discovered, and he worries that another country in their system may spot something that nobody in the Atlas military or security apparatus would think to look for and correlate.

The number of people who know of his true colors is incredibly small, only a single platoon in the SCTC. Jotun-4's elite security unit Grune Gespenster. (They, along with Jotun itself will be covered in a separate piece).

Each of whom was handpicked by Amzel for personal loyalty and 'like-mindedness.' Amzel never has any of them leave Jotun-4. They are a defensive unit whose entire structure is built around securing one building built halfway into the base of a mountain inside of a box canyon.

Though Amzel never takes the chance to sabotage a project placed under his authority. His pride as a (mad) scientist refuses to let him.

Role in the story/current ongoings: As of 2002, Amzel is working to bring the ICE Dragon project to life, enabling soldiers, no matter how wounded, to return to action, and with Aura-Wielder level capabilities to boot.

After the White Fang assassination attempt on Whitley Schnee left the boy as a pile of mostly-charred hamburger (they fired a trio of rockets at a limousine that they had thought Jacques was riding), and Jacques decided to make this the Military's problem, Amzel has at last found a test pilot for his Dragon frame in bad enough shape to need it. He's the military head of the program, and he works with Siarka Stark, the arms and shipping mogul who makes most of the ICE Dragon's components, and Kirk Lowenhardt, the government functionary sent to make sure the project is done on time and within requirements.

He was at the Vytal festival, he had been in Vale for the arms expo a week or two earlier and simply stayed over. This led to him scrounging and organizing a flotilla of smaller craft to evacuate Atlesians at least far enough away from Vale to the point where they can properly get underway to Atlas.

In the wake of the festival, Amzel vocalized his support for Hardy, asserting that the disaster was his every fear about Ironwood's doctrine realized on a grand scale.

In the months following the Vytal Festival, Amzel has been deploying his projects to the front. Whitley's combat data from the Vytal Festival has advanced the ICE Dragon project from the prototype stage to Pre-Production, and with that the Amphibious Powered Cavalry module has entered the initial field trial phase, with promises that it will be ready for full deployment some time in 2004.

Amzel spends his rare free time building his personal prototype for a reactor that harnesses energy released by the natural decay of high atomic weight metals.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

• Name: Gilbert Barker
• Allusion: Admiral Ackbar from Star Wars, Julius Caesar,
• Naming Process: The given name Gilbert is of Old German origin, meaning "bright pledge" or "famous promise," reflecting his steadfast loyalty and unbreakable oaths to Vale. The surname Barker has Old English roots, originally an occupational name for a tanner or one who strips bark from trees, but here it carries a subtle nautical echo—evoking the sharp, warning call of a lookout or the "bark" of naval guns, fitting for a commander renowned for his vigilant cries of impending danger.
• Age: Late 50s
• Background: Born into an aristocratic family from the Niederung sub-kingdom of Vale, Gilbert Barker is a goldfish Faunus whose early life of privilege was shattered when he was taken hostage by South Islands pirates during a trade voyage. Held captive for months, he keenly observed their tactics, command structures, and ship operations. When the pirate captain fell in a bloody skirmish with rival corsairs, Barker seized the moment—rallying the disoriented crew with calm authority and leading them to an improbable victory. Rather than continue the outlaw life, he convinced the survivors to surrender to Valean authorities upon return, testifying on their behalf to secure leniency for those who cooperated. This act of principled leadership made him a minor celebrity in Vale, celebrated in broadsheets as "the Pirate Admiral turned Patriot." The Valean Navy quickly recruited him, recognizing his intimate knowledge of pirate methods. He rose meteorically through the ranks, earning a lieutenancy and command of the frigate VSS Unicorn, where his daring pursuits of pirates, raiders, and rogue Mistralian privateers became legendary—dozens of captured vessels and disrupted smuggling rings to his credit. By the outbreak of the Faunus Revolution, he had reached full Captain and was given the Oberon-class carrier VSS Titania. When Revolutionary infiltrators crippled the Sulis Minerva Yards at Vale's easternmost naval base—blacking out power and destroying the base generators—Barker assumed emergency command. He brought Titania online under harrowing conditions, launched her full air wing to shield the docked fleet, and masterfully coordinated base defenses with incoming reinforcements. His trap-like encirclement annihilated or captured ninety percent of the raiding force, effectively ending large-scale Revolutionary assaults on Valean soil. Post-war, he was promoted to Admiral and led Titania's battlegroup in support of the Pandu Revolution, providing crucial air and amphibious support that helped topple the Kaurava regime. Upon further promotion to Chief of Naval Operations, he transferred his flag to the cutting-edge Banshee-class supercarrier VSS Archangel. Following the catastrophic Vytal Festival Attacks and the death of General Sir Aldric Varnholt during the defense of Vale, Barker assumed overall command of the Valean Defense Force, coordinating joint army-navy-Huntsman operations during the crisis.
• Race: Faunus (goldfish traits—prominent orange-gold scales along neck and arms, large expressive eyes, subtle webbing between fingers, and fin-like protrusions along the spine and forearms)
• Emblem: A stylized golden trap (spring-loaded jaws) encircling an anchor, symbolizing his knack for turning ambushes against the enemy and his unbreakable naval resolve
• Weapon: "Vigilance": A Dust-infused naval cutlass with a reinforced basket hilt shaped like spreading fins. The blade can channel Water and Wind Dust to generate pressurized waves or razor-sharp air currents, ideal for close-quarters boarding actions or slicing through Grimm carapaces.
• Semblance: "It's a Trap!"
  • Barker can project a brief, intense Aura pulse that heightens his tactical intuition and reveals hidden threats—illuminating concealed enemies, detecting ambushes, or exposing structural weaknesses in enemy formations within a moderate radius. The effect manifests as a sudden, instinctive "shout" in his mind (and sometimes vocally), allowing him to warn allies and counter traps before they spring. Prolonged use drains Aura rapidly, but it has saved entire fleets on multiple occasions.
• Appearance: Tall and imposing with smooth orange-gold scales that catch the light, exceptionally large and expressive amber eyes that seem to take in everything, a broad domed head with subtle fin ridges, and a deep, resonant voice that carries authority even in a whisper. His posture is upright and alert, moving with deliberate, fluid grace.
• Outfit: Crisp Valean admiral's dress uniform in deep navy blue with gold braid and epaulets, adorned with rows of campaign medals and the Chief of Naval Operations insignia. A ceremonial white cape flows from his shoulders during formal occasions, and he always wears reinforced gloves to accommodate his webbed fingers. On the bridge, he favors a practical greatcoat version.
• Personality: Cautious yet decisive, Barker is a master strategist who prizes preparation and intelligence over bravado. Famous for his gravelly warnings of "It's a trap!" when sensing danger, he is deeply distrustful of overconfidence and always plans for worst-case scenarios. He commands profound respect from subordinates for his cool-headedness under fire and genuine care for crew welfare—treating human and Faunus sailors alike with fairness forged from his own experiences of prejudice and captivity. Though soft-spoken in council, his insights are incisive and often prove prescient. He harbors no bitterness from his piratical past or Faunus heritage, instead channeling it into relentless protection of Vale's seas and citizens. A devoted mentor to younger officers, he is nonetheless uncompromising when lives are at stake.
• Notes: Widely regarded as Vale's greatest living naval mind, Barker serves as a stabilizing force in joint command structures, often mediating between army generals and Huntsman leaders. His Faunus heritage and aristocratic roots make him a bridge figure in post-Revolution Vale, though some conservative factions still whisper about his "pirate sympathies." Ozpin held him in high esteem for his moral clarity, and Barker remains a key ally in coordinated defense efforts against Salem's forces. Despite his triumphs, he carries quiet guilt over losses he couldn't prevent, driving his perpetual vigilance.

Yes, it's a bit on the nose but what the hell, I always loved Admiral Ackbar.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

• Spoiler

  
  • Name: Thanh Qinglong (alias: Thanh the Immortal)
  • Allusion: Killer Croc from Batman: Arkham Asylum, The Lizard from Spider-Man, Imperfect Cell from Dragon Ball Z, Darth Maul from Star Wars
  • Naming Process: The given name Thanh is Vietnamese in origin, meaning "green" or "blue-green," evoking the vivid coloration of his scales and his serpentine, predatory nature. The surname Qinglong draws from the Chinese mythological Azure Dragon (Qīnglóng), one of the Four Symbols representing the east, spring, and elemental wood—symbolizing immense power, regeneration, and primal ferocity. His weapon's name, "Rong," is an alternate phonetic rendering of the Vietnamese/Chinese word for "dragon" (rồng/lóng), tying his identity to draconic myth while hinting at his self-perceived supremacy.
  • Age: Late 40s (exact age uncertain due to his regenerative Semblance slowing visible aging)
  • Background: Thanh Qinglong emerged from the shadows of Mistral's capital underworld with no clear origins—rumors whisper of a brutal childhood in the slums where his extreme Faunus traits marked him as a monster even among his own kind. He quickly rose from low-level enforcer and assassin to a feared crime lord, building an empire on smuggling, slavery, extortion, and underground blood sports. His operation trafficked in both human and Faunus captives, and he cultivated a personal harem through seduction, coercion, or outright force—targeting powerful women like Huntresses to break and claim as trophies. His greatest miscalculation came when he attempted to enslave the renowned Huntresses Summer Rose and Saia Sarkara (then Saia Rhadri) after luring them into an illegal fighting ring. In the ensuing battle, Summer blinded him with her Silver Eyes and severed an arm, while Saia unleashed her devastating Semblance to vaporize everything below his shoulders. Against all odds, Thanh regenerated and escaped, though the defeat shattered his empire and left him a hunted fugitive. Embittered and stripped of wealth, he pledged his lethal skills to the White Fang as an assassin, carrying out messy, terror-inducing kills to sow fear among humans. Within the organization, he schemes constantly for power, despising Adam Taurus's leadership and plotting a violent takeover to remake the White Fang into a pack of depraved predators under his rule. His survival of near-total annihilation only fueled his myth as "Thanh the Immortal," a boogeyman whispered about in Mistral's dark alleys. Ultimately his loyalty is to himself, though any master who allows him free reign with his lusts for meat, power, and women will do-Until he can usurp them.
  • Race: Faunus (komodo dragon traits—extensive green scales covering most of his body, powerful reptilian tail, razor-sharp claws on hands and feet, venomous fangs, forked tongue, and bestial mannerisms)
  • Emblem: A coiled green dragon devouring its own tail, jaws dripping with crimson flames—symbolizing endless regeneration, insatiable hunger, and self-sustaining predation
  • Weapon: "Rong": A massive double-bladed monk's spade polearm, with one end a crescent shovel blade for slashing and entombing foes, the other a spear point for piercing. Integrated Fire Dust reservoirs along the shaft unleash twin flamethrower jets from dragon-head nozzles, allowing him to bathe close-range enemies in searing flames or propel himself with explosive bursts.
  • Semblance: "Rejuvenation"
    • Thanh possesses an extreme regenerative healing factor capable of reconstructing lost limbs, organs, or even his entire body from near-total destruction—as demonstrated when he survived vaporization below the shoulders. Regeneration speed and completeness depend on remaining Aura reserves and available biomass; when Aura is depleted, he requires consumed organic matter (preferably fresh) to fuel reconstruction. This makes him extraordinarily difficult to kill permanently, though sufficient sustained damage or Aura exhaustion can incapacitate him temporarily.
  • Appearance: An imposing, monstrous figure over eight feet tall with a heavily muscled, broad-shouldered build. His body is covered in thick, iridescent green scales that gleam wetly in light, a long powerful tail ending in barbed ridges, clawed digits on hands and feet, protruding venomous fangs, red slit-pupil eyes, and a bald, domed head with pronounced reptilian ridges. His movements are unnervingly fluid and predatory, often low to the ground with bestial twitches and a large, toothy smile.
  • Outfit: Minimalist and primal—loose black pants secured with a blood-red sash, bare-chested to display his scaled physique and intimidate foes. No armor or footwear, relying on his natural toughness and regeneration; the sash often conceals small Dust vials or trophies from victims. Occasionally will don a cloak to try and disguise himself.
  • Personality: Deceptively refined on the surface, Thanh speaks in cultured tones and postures as an honorable warrior-philosopher when it serves him, quoting ancient Mistralian texts on strength and survival. This is a thin veneer over a craven, sadistic monster—arrogant, manipulative, and utterly predatory. He views himself as the ultimate alpha, all others as prey or tools; women in particular are objects for conquest, breeding, or consumption. Ruthlessly cunning, he prefers ambush and psychological torment over fair fights, but revels in brutal close combat when cornered. His defeats have only deepened his paranoia and vindictiveness—he nurses eternal hatred for Summer Rose and Saia Sarkara, while scheming against Adam Taurus. Cannibalistic urges drive much of his depravity, seeing the act as both sustenance and dominance.
  • Notes: A terrifying wildcard in the White Fang's radical wing, Thanh's messy assassinations and cannibalistic reputation make him as much a liability as an asset to the cause. His extreme Faunus traits and Semblance isolate him even from many White Fang members, who fear his ambitions to turn the organization into a horde of flesh-eating marauders. He excels in aquatic or sewer environments for stealth kills, using venomous bites, flames, and claws in concert. Despite his arrogance, he is cautious around stronger warriors or overwhelming destructive forces, always planning multiple escape routes. A true monster with no redemption in sight—his immortality only ensures his evils endure.

 

[Sliverhero]

Since there isnt many villain for ren to face.

Here is my take and using inspiration from Ra a Ghul for the villain.

Name: Rashid al-Ghul (alias: The Eternal Head)
Allusion:
Ra's al Ghul (DC Comics), Ozpin (RWBY), Alexander the Great, the Green Knight (Arthurian myth), the Judge (Blood Meridian)

Naming Process:
The name Rashid is Arabic in origin, meaning "rightly guided" or "one who follows the correct path," reflecting his absolute belief that his worldview is the only valid course for humanity. The title al-Ghul ("the Demon" or "Devourer") was not inherited but earned over centuries, whispered by survivors of civilizations he destabilized or erased. The alias The Eternal Head reflects both his immortality and his self-appointed role as the guiding intellect of humanity's evolution.

Age:
Appears mid-to-late 40s
(True age exceeds 200 years due to repeated use of his Semblance)

Background:
Rashid al-Ghul was born in the harsh deserts of Vacuo during an era of endless tribal warfare. A prodigious scholar and tactician, he sought not peace, but order that could endure suffering. His discovery of an ancient Aura-saturated spring,later known as the Well of Rebirth, granted him functional immortality, at the cost of emotional erosion and moral detachment.
Over centuries, Rashid observed kingdoms rise, decay, and collapse under what he deemed predictable weaknesses: compassion, hesitation, mercy, and love.

Concluding that humanity could not be trusted to evolve naturally, he founded The Verdant Circle, a clandestine global organization dedicated to engineering societal collapse so stronger civilizations could emerge.
Rashid's greatest personal failure came through his daughter, Anzu al-Ghul, who rejected his doctrine and fled the Circle to live peacefully in the village of Kuroyuri. When the village was annihilated by the Nuckelavee, Rashid considered her death and that of her husband, a necessary purification. Their inability to dominate their fate marked their bloodline as weak.

For decades, Rashid believed that line extinct.
The survival of Lie Ren shattered that certainty.
Rather than rejoice, Rashid resolved to test his grandson to determine whether Ren was an exception worthy of survival, or proof that the bloodline should have ended entirely.

Race:
Human

Emblem:
A green ouroboros entwined around a leafless tree, its roots cracking a broken crown—symbolizing cyclical destruction, selective rebirth, and the supremacy of ideology over legacy.
Weapon:
"Al-Khadir"
A curved, single-edged saber forged from rare alloys and inscribed with ancient glyphs. The blade houses interchangeable Dust channels (Poison, Wind, and Gravity Dust most commonly), allowing Rashid to weaken, disarm, or control opponents rather than overwhelm them outright. The hilt conceals a compact Dust-triggered sidearm used only as a last resort.

Semblance:
Cycle of Renewal
Rashid can transfer his consciousness into a specially prepared host upon death, overwriting the host's Aura and identity. He gains a weaken copy of the host semblance and a percentage of the host aura is permanent added tp his aura.
Requires extensive ritual preparation and Aura compatibility

Each transfer degrades his emotional capacity and fragments long-term memory and it will take time for Rashid to recover his memory and emotional capacity multiple uses in a quick session. Can cause insanity for rashid.
If ritual is interupted or fair there is a backlash.
Hosts gradually take on Rashid's physical traits and mannerisms
Explains his apparent immortality and centuries-long influence

Self-Imposed Limitation:
Rashid refuses to use Lie Ren as a host. To do so would invalidate the "test" of whether compassion can survive without domination.

Appearance:
A tall, lean, imposing man with an austere presence. His face is sharply defined, framed by long black hair streaked with silver, usually tied back. His eyes are unnaturally vivid green—bright, alert, and unsettlingly calm. He bears few scars despite centuries of battle, his posture rigid and controlled, radiating quiet authority rather than brute menace.

Outfit:
Flowing dark green and black robes layered over lightweight combat armor, blending ancient ceremonial garb with modern tactical design. Often wears a hooded cloak when operating covertly. His attire emphasizes discipline, restraint, and timelessness rather than intimidation.

Personality:
Cold, articulate, and relentlessly composed. Rashid speaks with the calm certainty of someone who believes history itself validates him. He is not sadistic—cruelty is merely a tool—but he is utterly ruthless. To him, love is a weakness, mercy a flaw, and grief an inefficiency.

Rashid views people as variables in an equation of survival. Bloodlines, cultures, and even nations are acceptable sacrifices if they fail to meet his standard of resilience. He is deeply offended by emotional defiance rather than physical resistance.
Toward Ren, Rashid is uniquely conflicted, proud of his discipline, disgusted by his mercy, and obsessed with determining whether Ren's existence disproves centuries of belief.

View of Ren's Parents:
Their deaths were justified
Their choice to protect others instead of dominating fate was weakness
Their elimination was a purge, not a tragedy
Ren's survival is a final variable that must be resolved

The Test of Ren:
Rashid engineers Grimm incursions, impossible missions, and moral dilemmas designed to replicate Kuroyuri's fall. He observes whether Ren breaks, hardens, or transcends loss.
Rashid's judgment is simple:
If Ren survives without embracing dominance, then strength without cruelty may exist.
If Ren fails, the bloodline should have ended.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Spoiler

• Name: Sebastian Zaroff
• Allusion: Colonel Sebastian Moran from Sherlock Holmes stories, General Zaroff from "The Most Dangerous Game"
• Naming Process: The given name Sebastian directly references the infamous Colonel Sebastian Moran, Sherlock Holmes' most dangerous adversary and a peerless marksman. The surname Zaroff is drawn from General Zaroff, the aristocratic big-game hunter who turned to pursuing human prey for ultimate thrill. Together, the name evokes a refined yet predatory killer who views sentient beings as the ultimate quarry.
• Age: Approximately 100 years old (appears in his late 50s due to exceptional vitality and possible Aura preservation)
• Background: The last heir of the Albion noble family Zaroff, Sebastian Zaroff was born in the year 1889 AMF in Oberon-on-Aubrey, a small town outside of Camelot. He was educated in Hermia Academy, a model student and great athlete. Despite his Faunus origins, he was well liked and respected due to the Zaroff's family long history of serving the Crown. He joined the Albion Army, rising through the ranks and being assigned to Pandu. He gained great acclaim as a Grimm hunter, heroically fighting numerous monsters to protect everything from small villages to Hastinapur, the capital of Pandu itself. With the outbreak of the Great War, he was assigned to the 7th Cavaliers "Balls and Bayonets" Royal Brigade, a special reconnaissance unit that fought Mistralian and Mantlean Forces in the Anima campaigns. Promoted to Colonel, the war forged his reputation as a cold, unflinching soldier whose exploits were legendary. When the Empire collapsed, he drowned his sorrows in exile, lamenting the loss of grand conflict. Decades later, he was recruited into the Kauravan coup that overthrew the Sarkara royal family in Pandu, savoring the chaos of palace intrigue and battlefield glory once more. His triumph was short-lived—Arjun and Saia Sarkara returned, shattering the usurpers and forcing Zaroff into hiding. Now living in exile, he sustains himself through mercenary work and his true passion: hunting the most dangerous game—humans and Faunus alike—for the sheer exhilaration. He has allied loosely with Salem, drawn by the promise of one final, apocalyptic war worthy of his legacy. Along the way, he has taken a young Panduvian retainer named Asok as a personal servant and spotter, and he once regarded the assassin Marcus Black as a rare worthy opponent, expressing interest in claiming his skull as a trophy.
• Race: Faunus (tiger traits—prominent striped patterns across his skin, sharp retractable claws, amber eyes with slit pupils, subtly feline ears, and pronounced canines)
• Emblem: A stylized tiger's head in profile, superimposed over crossed rifle barrels with a single drop of blood at the crosshairs—symbolizing precision predation and the thrill of the hunt
• Weapon: "Final Problem": A heavily customized Martin 1895 lever-action rifle chambered in .45-70 Government, enhanced with Dust-infused rounds for explosive, incendiary, or kinetic penetration effects. Ideal for extreme-range sniping against armored or Grimm targets.
  • Secondary: "Basher": A straight-bladed, three-quarter basket-hilted broadsword with a Dust channel along the edge for enhanced cutting power or elemental bursts, used for close-quarters finishing or dueling.
• Semblance: "Old Timer"
  • Sebastian possesses an impeccable internal chronometer, allowing him to track time with perfect accuracy down to fractions of a second. While not directly offensive, it elevates his marksmanship to legendary levels—calculating bullet drop, wind drift, and target movement with mathematical precision. It also aids tracking by timing echoes, heartbeats, or footsteps, making him an unparalleled hunter in any environment.
• Appearance: Tall and imposingly built with the lean, corded musculature of a lifelong predator, silver-streaked dark blonde hair slicked back, a meticulously groomed upper-class mustache, and piercing blue eyes. His skin bears faint orange-black tiger stripes across shoulders, arms, and torso. Despite his century of life, he carries himself with vigorous poise, his face weathered but handsome in a severe, aristocratic way.
• Outfit: Classic big-game hunter attire refined for aristocratic taste—a tailored khaki safari jacket with multiple ammunition loops, dark blue shirt, light blue vest, riding breeches, polished boots, and a signature monocle over his right eye. A crimson tie and leather bandolier complete the ensemble, with "Final Problem" slung across his back and "Basher" at his hip.
• Personality: Suave, erudite, and insightful, Zaroff presents himself as a cultured gentleman who waxes philosophical about the nobility of the hunt and glorious war. Beneath this polished facade is a thrill-seeker addicted to challenges and danger—he openly boasts of mounting trophies from sentient kills and views boredom as a fate worse than death. Nostalgic for his glory days, he romanticizes war and the hunt while despising peace and mediocrity. Coldly pragmatic in combat, he respects only worthy prey and competent rivals, but ultimately is kind to the innocent and still has enough honor to protect them from danger. He is a perfect gentleman to women, set in his ways, and has great wisdom he dispenses-Though often ignores it himself. His advancing age has instilled a fatalistic desire for one last blaze of glory rather than quiet decline.
• Notes: A relic of Remnant's imperial past, Zaroff embodies the decaying aristocracy's worst excesses—refined depravity wrapped in nostalgia. His mercenary work stems from a death wish for epic battle rather than ideology. He maintains a macabre trophy room wherever he settles, filled with taxidermied heads and preserved parts from notable kills (Grimm, human, Faunus). Asok serves loyally but warily, handling logistics while Zaroff focuses on the hunt. Though slowed slightly by age, his experience, Semblance, and sheer ruthlessness make him lethally dangerous at range—few survive long once he declares them "worthy game."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

• Name: Count Caliban Testoasa
• Allusion: Darth Vader from Star Wars, Scarpia from the opera Tosca, and Don Juan from the classic story.
• Naming Process: The given name Caliban derives from Romani origins meaning "black," evoking darkness, monstrosity, and unrelenting shadow—a nod to his implacable, fear-inducing presence. The surname Testoasa is Romanian for "tortoise," symbolizing armored resilience and slow, inexorable advance, aligning with his group's thematic inspiration from the Four Gods (specifically the Black Tortoise of the North, guardian of endurance and winter's unyielding cold).
• Age: Mid-50s (appears ageless and mechanical beneath his armor due to extensive cybernetic reconstruction)
• Background: Born into the decadent nobility of Hispania, Vacuo as a count of a minor but wealthy desert holding, Caliban Testoasa embodied the kingdom's cutthroat aristocratic culture—ruthless, entitled, and obsessed with legacy. His swordsmanship skills were second to none and with his Semblance, made him a feared mankiller. He grew up into a playboy womanizer, and he got into the drug trade in secret. Coveting Isabel Arc for her beauty, strength, and connection to Vale's prestigious Arc bloodline, he orchestrated a vile Scarpia Ultimatum when Team AARN came on a mission to his town: drugging the water supply of his entire town and holding its inhabitants hostage, demanding her hand in marriage to "save" them. Isabel accepted, pretending to send her friends away while secretly she was held hostage. Her team figured out the truth and returned to rescue her. When Nicholas Arc intervened to rescue his future wife, the ensuing duel was cataclysmic: Nicholas's overwhelming skill and power shattered Caliban's defenses, severing all four limbs and leaving him broken on the brink of death in the collapsed ruins of his castle. Though dead by everyone, Caliban was discovered and rebuilt by the brilliant but amoral scientist Arthur Watts, who transformed him into a cyborg—fusing advanced Atlesian prosthetics, life-support systems, and experimental Dust conduits into his ravaged body. Reborn stronger and more machine than man, Caliban now serves as an enforcer for Watts, hunting enemies with mechanical precision and harboring burning hatred for the Arc family. His resurrection has made him a figure of terror: an implacable black-armored juggernaut who strides through gunfire and explosions unmoved, slaughtering opposition in mook horror shows that cement his mythic dread.
• Race: Human (heavily cybernetically augmented; original organic body largely replaced below the torso and limbs)
• Emblem: A stylized black tortoise shell cracked by crimson lightning veins, set against a void-black shield—representing unbreakable defense pierced only by overwhelming force, and his vengeful rebirth
• Weapon: "Furia de Sangre" (Blood Fury): A massive two-handed montante sword with a broad, serrated blade infused with experimental Lightning Dust conduits. The sword crackles with red electrical arcs on activation, capable of discharging devastating shockwaves, parrying projectiles with electromagnetic fields, or channeling bolts for ranged kills. Its weight and reach make it a terror in close combat, augmented further by Caliban's cybernetic strength.
• Semblance: "Tortuga"
  • Caliban can absorb incoming kinetic energy (impacts, blasts, strikes) and redirect it to reinforce his body's durability or cybernetic systems—hardening his armor, amplifying servo strength, or even venting excess as explosive bursts. This made him notoriously tank-like even before reconstruction; post-cyborg, it synergizes with his mechanical frame for near-indestructibility. Only Nicholas Arc's legendary prowess found gaps to overwhelm the absorption threshold.
• Appearance: Towering and broad-shouldered at over seven feet in full armor, with a hulking, mechanical silhouette that radiates menace. Beneath the helmet (rarely removed), his original face is pale and scarred, with cybernetic optics glowing red and a respirator mask concealing burn damage. His limbs are sleek black prosthetics with exposed red energy conduits pulsing like veins.
• Outfit: Full-body black cybernetic armor resembling heavy Spanish knight plate fused with Atlesian power suit aesthetics—matte obsidian plating, a flowing dark cape, reinforced pauldrons etched with tortoise motifs, and an imposing helmet with a skull-like visor and built-in respirator that emits rhythmic mechanical breathing, with his remaining white hair flowing out the back. Red Lightning Dust glows along seams and joints, flaring during combat.
• Personality: Cold, aristocratic, and consumed by entitlement turned to bitter rage, Caliban speaks in a deep, modulated voice (augmented by vocal synthesizers) laced with cultured disdain. He views himself as a tragic dark lord wronged by fate, justifying atrocities as the privileges of superiority. Implacable and patient, he crushes opposition methodically, savoring fear in others. Only the hope of revenge on the Arcs, Nicholas in particular, has kept him some succumbing to despair at being Watts' slave.
• Notes: As the "Black Tortoise" enforcer among antagonistic circles tied to Grimm Cults and Salem herself, Caliban embodies unyielding defense and slow-burning retribution. His cybernetic enhancements require periodic maintenance by specialists like Watts, making him vulnerable if isolated from tech support. Despite his power, Nicholas Arc's victory haunts him as proof of mortal limits.. A walking engine of terror, he inspires dread in underlings and allies alike, his mechanical breathing a harbinger of doom.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

• Name: Iridescent (prefers "Iri")
• Allusion: Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat) from X-Men (for phasing Semblance), Harley Quinn from DC Comics (for cheerful villainy), with thematic ties to Iris, Greek goddess of the rainbow (for iridescent, color-shifting motifs) and Golden Hair from the fairy tale of the same name.
• Naming Process: Iridescent derives from the Latin "iridescens," meaning "shining with rainbow colors" or "displaying a play of lustrous changing colors," reflecting her rainbow-themed weapon, versatile Semblance that shifts her physical state like light refracting, and her deceptive, ever-smiling facade that masks deadly intent.
• Age: Early 20s
• Background: Born to a disgraced Valean noble who spiraled into crippling debt, Iridescent's early life descended into horror when her family was enslaved and forced into underground gladiatorial death matches. There, her father met her mother amid the brutality, and together they conceived her in the shadows of captivity. At just six years old, she witnessed her parents' gruesome devouring by Grimm in a rigged arena spectacle, an event that shattered her innocence and ignited a sadistic glee in chaos and pain. Orphaned and hardened, she clawed her way through Mistral's underbelly, honing her Semblance in survival scraps until Salem's agents recruited her as a "Dark Maiden" candidate—a twisted counterpart to Ozpin's Maidens. In direct competition with Cinder and other Maiden Candidates, Iridescent cheerfully serves Salem for her own sadistic pleasures. Operating from the shadows with gleeful efficiency, she sows discord among humanity, manipulates factions, and prepares cataclysmic strikes—all while charming her way into trust.
• Race: Human
• Emblem: A stylized rainbow prism fracturing into jagged, blood-red shards.
• Weapon: "Sunshine Day": A vibrant, rainbow-patterned umbrella with a reinforced core of solid aluminum fashioned into a brutal mace. In umbrella form, it serves as a shield or means of transportation when Iridescent is in low density mode, while also serving as a brutal melee weapon in her high density mode.
• Semblance: "Density Control"
  • Iridescent can manipulate her body's molecular density at will—decreasing it to phase through solid matter like walls, bullets, or restraints for perfect infiltration and evasion, or increasing it to become denser than lead for superhuman strength and durability (punching through barriers or tanking heavy hits). High-density mode enhances power but reduces speed due to added weight, forcing strategic shifts in combat. She can selectively apply it to limbs or objects in contact for hybrid tactics, like phasing a hand through armor to strike vitals.
• Appearance: A striking young woman with smooth dark skin that contrasts vividly against her stark white hair, styled in loose, playful waves. Her eyes shimmer with an iridescent purple hue, wide and innocent at first glance but often twisting into manic glee. Lithe and athletic build, with a perpetual slasher smile that reveals too-sharp teeth, unnerving even hardened villains like Cinder.
• Outfit: A tailored purple pinstripe suit with subtle rainbow accents on the lapels and cuffs, paired with a crisp white shirt, black tie, and polished loafers. The ensemble exudes professional charm, concealing hidden Dust pouches and weapon compartments; a matching fedora often tops it off for dramatic flair.
• Personality: Effervescent and affably evil, Iridescent bubbles with cheer and nicknames ("Call me Iri!"), treating atrocities like playful games and victims like toys. Her constant smile masks a deep-seated sadism—she craves power not for security (like Cinder) but to inflict pain and revel in suffering for sheer amusement. Troubled by her past, she channels trauma into whimsical cruelty, maintaining an arrested childlike wonder amid horror. Loyal to Salem with fanatical joy, she's manipulative and unpredictable, disarming foes with charm before striking lethally.
• Notes: Iridescent serves as Salem's wildcard Maiden aspirant, foiling Cinder's ambition-driven schemes with her pure delight in destruction. Her Semblance's versatility makes her a ghost in infiltration ops or a juggernaut in brawls, but over-reliance on density shifts can leave her vulnerable mid-transition. Unnervingly cheerful even in defeat, she views setbacks as "fun plot twists," always plotting brighter, bloodier comebacks. A dark mirror to Beacon's hopeful students, her presence heralds colorful chaos in Vale's shadows.