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It is an odd thing when every court takes residence in a single location. There are moments where humans must explain everything in ways that make sense of the world; that is natural. The effects upon the human psyche over a long period of time begin to affect the average subconsciousness.

The people are beginning to act irrationally and see distortions of the truth within their dreams and nightmares. Despite this the population as a whole still denies much of what happens. But they are especially emotional after an intense battle or a particularly potent magical event. The magic is starting to get to them, affecting their perception of the world in ways they can't understand.

FACE: KENAN VINNI

In some towns there are individuals who are creative, clever, and sensitive enough to have inklings of the power that lies beyond. Occasionally such a person abuses this knowledge for their own gain. Because of this, the homeless in the town have been convinced that there are forces beyond mortal comprehension, and they are perfectly willing to pick sides.

The network are a force to be reckoned with looking for names of the people in power within the various courts; and they mean to choose and support the winning side as best they can.

FACE: Maus Lear

Maus Lear is... ambitious some would say. A mad man everyone would say. He is a recognized face throughout the town. Sporting his bent frame, bushy eyebrows, long beard and emaciated rag-worn body, underneath those rags is a civil war vest, modern army camo pants, and an apparently attempt at dying them to be the same color; and what looks like a daily dip in some kinda water to get em cleaned. with a wooden saber at his side which he says has a little silver stuck in it. Upon his head lays a little crown. What worries most is the way Mause talks to people. He mentions vampires, ghosts, wizards. Even calling some wizards in the street. Obviously the man has a gift, and no sense of self-preservation.

He tends to ask a passerby for seemingly random things, but the town has grown somewhat superstitious about it. One time Maus managed to gain sixteen fishing poles, and was wandering around the town mumbling some kinda gibberish before setting the poles down in as perfect a circle as he could manage on the street. The next car that passed over the poles seemed to trigger a deep pothole the exact length of the fishing rods, which made Maus laugh until he fell.

He mumbles to himself and those who spend a lot of time around him hear him saying the same thing fairly often. "Four Columns. One from the east, one from the West, one from the South, one from the North. A fifth column, one in the center, the column of spies. The column of betrayers. It is written that Lear shall be a king. Give me a spear to shake and that will be true."
usually people leave him alone after hearing this.

For example he believes that justice is the fundamental keystone of the society as truth is the fundamental keystone of thought. In order to progress to the higher functions such as science, or math, we must have truth. Likewise, in order to progress to the higher functions of government, courts, and the like we must have justice. Unsurprisingly, with this view he has begun to lead protests against any sign of corruption or lackadaisical attitude towards the public interest. He has gained many friends in his constant political vigil; and has written a book stating that honor and morality is derived from the "keystone of justice"

Kenan Vinni keeps a few things close to his chest. In particular some of the public's ideas about philosophy or the role of government and protesters. For example, he believes that suicide is the highest form of protest, that murder is justified in politics in order to preserve justice, and that liberty should only belong to those who have earned it, and of course that the strongest test of man possible is his performance in war. Because he can see the magical world, he sees all of the courts lined up and ready to fight. Because of his interesting beliefs and abilities he is tying together something of a cult out of whomever he can. Make no mistake, he wants a war; but only one he can win.

Kenneth Mendez was a hedge fund accountant only a few days ago, young; only in his mid thirties with a well-trimmed haircut and a fine mustache. Such a short time ago that there were those who didn't recognize him armor. In those days he spent most of his afternoon finding methods to optimize the profits his manager would receive. He went day in and day out going through the same routine of problem optimization, but the problems grew tedious, boring, depressing over time. Every day he would leave that place dreaming of a different world. He was a quick and passionate reader and managed to read a book every day. From the Catcher in the Rye to the Canterbury Tales he seemed to have all the classics read as well as whatever else that could peak his interest for a moment.

One day he found flyers at his local library for a book club forming. As a man who had little social contact outside of his workplace he decided that such a thing would be quite nice. It turned out that the club was really a well-read lesbian couple; two women named Ira and Eris. Eris had a penchant for apples, luckily she seemed to get the joke and colored them gold. Because of their home being in disrepair, they didn't have a place to hold their meetings. Not wanting out of such a meeting he invited them over to his place. They seem to have been engrossed in the same literature he had been involved with. In fact it was almost freakish how much their tastes coincided. And there in that club they would discuss the meanings of books and literature.

As they kept talking they eventually moved on to one classic that had evaded him. Don Quixote. After two meetings of discussing the text; and one trip to the library which didn't have the book in stock, he finally just asked to borrow a copy. They lent him their him to read; and he began reading in the hopes that he would be able to skim enough to participate in the conversation for the evening.

The second he opened the book he found himself utterly engrossed by the slayings of giants and the antics of the Spaniard and Sancho Panza. He read the tale of chivalry with new eyes open to the medieval beliefs of power, nobility, hope, compassion, and courtesy that seemed lacking in the present day. When he finally closed the book he felt the sun of the new day upon him as well as the gaze of his two female friends who had a sly smile on their face..
Without a word they handed him an apple eat as well as the second volume of the tome.

It saddened him what happened in that book. All the passion and foolishness of the moment previous was dashed before his eyes. He finished that book and his eyes swelled with tears. The moon was up again and his two companions hadn't moved from their spot; but now at least, they spoke. "And what did you interpret within that book."

He stood up, with a new golden apple in hand. He proclaimed "I saw the need for an idea. I saw a man to represent the honorable way. The path towards glory, and the path towards honor. I saw a way which would strengthen the hearts of men around him. I saw a man who leads the future through action rather then sitting behind doing basic arithmetic for some firm. I saw a man whose foolishness is inspiring and real."
"What did you think of the second volume."
"Don Quixote did not say those words of defeat! That was the cursed Alonso Quijano! The idea of chivalry was right within him!"
The two figures smiled and whispered in their corner. The man placed a hand on his shoulder. Ira reached into her breast pocket and pulled out a written document
"Mendez you have the blood of nobles within your veins. You have the blood of the old world within you. You have everything that Don Quixote had and more. And, more importantly, he has named you his successor." She held our a pen for him. He thought for moment, then took a bite of the apple and signed away.

Ira pushed the document into his chest causing sparks of green and bands of blue to erupt around him and encase his body; in the pattern he recognized as tan armored cuirass; he reached out to pull the armor off, only to find that his arm went right through it; but his cloth did not. He began to freak out as he noticed his skin caught in iridescent glow of gold which seemed to shift him upwards. Ira opened her mouth and a laughing figure with a keen mustache jumped from her to Mendez. At that moment his mustache became more... poignant he would say, yes. The right blend of keen, and sadness. The fashionable blend for times such as these. Mendez hear himself think, quite seperately from his own thoughts he noticed. A tall spaniard with tan skin, straight back and gaunt jaw stood where Mendez once stood. "If the blood of giant slayers boils in me then hand me my spear and hand me my blade for by the end of my lifetime there shall be not one giant looming over the horizon!"
Eris held a blade of fine steel apparently from no where and knighted him "You will serve this kingdom well. Arise Don Edificante!" she handed him the blade after the short ceremony concluded. He rose it to the sky with a laugh. And with a shock-wave of power the body dissipated, the room was destroyed, and the two women were gone. All that remained was the old Kenneth Mendez, scared and surprised in ripped clothes in a broken room.

The next day he rode into his office as though nothing had happened wearing his second-finest outfit. His boss asked him why he had missed the last two days of work. He said that there was a gas explosion in his house after an attempted burglary and he was shook up about it; and presented the pictures to his manager. The manager asked him to contact him if such a thing ever happened again and sent him off to work.

He couldn't help but think of the odd events that had just transpired. And whether they were believable or not. He started thinking that it was likely just a dream. and without thinking he said the man's name once again "Don Edificante."

Immediately the golden glow enveloped him and the cuirass appeared once again. The man grew and straightened, and his mustache grew... poignant; and the pen in his hand was replaced with a mighty blade. His co-workers were stunned at this new development. Even more so when he went into the server room and stabbed them all to pieces, claiming victory over the spawn of giants.

Mendez was fired that day, and Don Edificante was born.
Kenneth Mendez; still having some control of the being's mind was given the honor of serving as his squire.

HIGH CONCEPT: The Spirit of Chivalry Reborn!
TROUBLE: Speaks enough for two men.

A long time ago a widow lived with her one daughter at the old town of Känuga on Pigeon River. The girl was of age to marry, and her mother used to talk with her a good deal.
One day, her mother told her she must be sure to take no one but a good hunter for a husband, so that they would have some one to take care of them and would always have plenty of meat in the house.
The girl said such a man was hard to find, but her mother advised her not to be in a hurry, and to wait until the right one came.
Now the mother slept in the house while the girl slept outside in the âsï. One dark night a stranger came to the âsï wanting to court the girl, but she told him her mother would let her marry no one but a good hunter. "Well," said the stranger, "I am a great hunter," so she let him come in, and he stayed all night. Just before day he said he must go back now to his own place, but that he had brought some meat for her mother, and she would find it outside. Then he went away and the girl had not seen him. When day came she went out and found there a deer, which she brought into the house to her mother, and told her it was a present from her new sweetheart. Her mother was pleased, and they had deer steaks for breakfast.
He came again the next night, but again went away before daylight, and this time he left two deer outside. The mother was more pleased this time, but said to her daughter, "I wish your sweetheart would bring us some wood."
Now wherever he might be, the stranger knew their thoughts, so when he came the next time he said to the girl, "Tell your mother I have brought the wood"; and when she looked out in the morning there were several great trees lying in front of the door, roots and branches and all.
The old woman was angry, and said, "He might have brought us some wood that we could use instead of whole trees that we can't split, to litter up the road with brush." The hunter knew what she said, and the next time he came he brought nothing, and when they looked out in the morning the trees were gone and there was no wood at all, so the old woman had to go after some herself.
Almost every night he came to see the girl, and each time he brought a deer or some other game, but still he always left before daylight. At last her mother said to her, "Your husband always leaves before daylight. Why don't he wait? I want to see what kind of a son-in-law I have."
When the girl told this to her husband he said he could not let the old woman see him, because the sight would frighten her. "She wants to see you, anyhow," said the girl, and began to cry, until at last he had to consent, but warned her that her mother must not say that he looked frightful (usga'së`ti'yu).
The next morning he did not leave so early, but stayed in the âsï, and when it was daylight the girl went out and told her mother. The old woman came and looked in, and there she saw a great giant, with long slanting eyes (tsul`kälû'), lying doubled up on the floor, with his head against the rafters in the left-hand corner at the back, and his toes scraping the roof in the right-hand corner by the door.
She gave only one look and ran back to the house, crying,
Usga'së`ti'yu! Usga'së`ti'yu!
Tsul`kälû' was terribly angry. He untwisted himself and came out of the âsï, and said good-bye to the girl, telling her that he would never let her mother see him again, but would go back to his own country. Then he went off in the direction of Tsunegûñ'yï.

-

This legend is the origin of the Skunk ape tribe that woman's children were as there father able to walk both worlds and shift to a giant form. . . . And as their father they rule a demense with a gateway deep within the North Carolina woods at a place called Tsunegûñ'yï . . .

The skunk apes are a race of ape like giant shifters descended from the cherokee godling Tsul'Kalu. . . They live by the old ways including the 9 taboos of cherokee culture. . . They live straddling the edge of our world and the never never. . .

Due to the taboo of marrying out of the tribe a full half of skunk apes are born away from the tribe as mundane humans only rejoining their people when their "cousins" are sent for them early in their young adult lives around the time of their first change. . . .

Mystic hunters by nature they roam the lands of the American south east. . .

In human form they look like any other human generally speaking of Native American stock and if they've reached maturity they may be dressed in antiquated clothing and seem slightly "rough around the edges". In the form of the skunk ape they range between 8 and 12 feet tall with an appearance very similar to that of a gorilla but with white markings upon their snout. In beast form they also exude an overpowering musk comparible to a mix of skunk and sulfur. . .

Wes Iskuli . . . Is a raging hero frustrated with the modern world but not yet ready to leave it. . . In the tradition of heros like Caine from kung fu Wes walks the earth in search of meaning and control before returning to his place of power amongst his people. . . . (Hopefully he doesn't get too stereotypical . . I intend on playing him kind of like a generic sage Indian meets raging gorilla) . . . I picture him as a combination of Warpath and Caine from Kung Fu the tv show . . . With maybe just maybe a bit of Billy Jack thrown in for good measure. . . . but he just so happens to be the heir apparent to a clan of Skunk Apes ( stinky sasquatches of the south east US) descended from the cherokee god Tsul'Kalu . . . .so yeah this could be fun right?