ESPADA Contest Entry: Sigmund & Noh

Well...here it is...my hand hurts, my eyes won't focus, but by God I finally finished it >8D

Name: Sigmund
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 24
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 200 lbs.
Eye Color: White (blind)
Hair Color: Red

Sigmund was stricken by tragedy at the early age of six, when his father's massive gambling debt spilled over and wrought havoc upon his small family. He and his mother held hostage by members of a brutal mob, Sigmund lost both his mother and his gift of sight as part of the consequences of the time frame in which his father was supposed to give the kidnappers their dues...

Forced to go through school blind, Sigmund compensated for his handicap by developing a particularly sharp wit. He showed promising mental prowess, as well as an extraordinary understanding of both physics and government. He was likewise skilled in the literary arts, and wrote multiple papers involving police reform and crime prevention as he neared his graduation, a couple of which became finalists in certain contests.

However, upon graduating, Sigmund was contacted by members of a local police department -- apparently his writings had caught their attention, and they approached him with a proposal. By that autumn, Sigmund had been accepted into a police academy by special permission, but with a new addition: a Black Soul.

Sigmund thrived within the academy, and managed to achieve both an early graduation and an even earlier promotion in his first squad. By the age of 22, he had become a respected police captain, though even then he kept his Black Soul a secret to everyone but his superiors. His assignments grew to be selective, namely hostage situations and highly secretive (and illegal) political assassinations. However, as he continued to succeed, Sigmund grew restless. He did not agree with the policies of his superior officers, nor the missions to which he was assigned.

One year after becoming police captain, Sigmund made a crucial decision. During an assassination mission, Sigmund finally decided that he had had enough. He could see no reason to kill his assigned target, and chose to make a change. Instead, he refused his orders, and resigned.

Now, Sigmund acts as a freelance mercenary, using his unique capabilities and the powers bestowed upon him by his Black Soul to carry out assassinations, choosing propositions which involve only eliminating individuals whom are criminal in nature. In Sigmund's eyes, it's a grim job, but someone has to do it...

As far as personality goes, Sigmund is very optimistic, and maintains a friendly nature towards almost everyone. It takes a lot to get him mad or upset, but when a hatred has been established, it lingers. He is very sharp-minded and keeps his wits about him, and remains very self-confident in most situations. Though he remains on the wrong side of the law, he is gentle to those whom he has not chosen to kill, and could easily be considered charming.

Sigmund's Black Soul grants him the capability to conjure exactly six solid black "eyes" composed of shadow material. These will rise from any shadow cast by him, and can freely move about through the air any given speed. They themselves carry no mass, but can be dissipated when subjected to physical abuse. These eyes grant Sigmund an extraordinary sense of vision, allowing him to see anything from the extreme details of the smallest speck of dust to a human on the horizon line.

These eyes can also fire small blasts of shadow energy, which resembles black bolts of electricity which shed a purple light. This blast absorbs any other known form of energy, including kinetic, and returns it to a significantly less active state. Thus, a bolt of shadow energy can stop a bullet, extinguish a small fire, or even freeze a tank of water. Likewise, a lone eye can immobilize an average human on its own.

Sigmund's eyes, when kept as a group, can also form "webs" of shadow energy between one another, effectively creating a barrier against moving objects and energy when in a group of at least three. Additionally, when this formation of eyes is in Sigmund's proximity, he gains the remarkable capability of firing a concentrated bolt of shadow energy, which is created by a rapid orbit of the eyes around his outstretched hand, followed by a combined shot from each eye, which in turn converges a couple feet in front of his hand and assumes the form of a beam measuring approximately 1 inch in diameter. This beam streaks across untold distances at speeds that can't be matched by the fastest of bullets, and has a very interesting effect on other forms of matter. Unlike the lesser blasts of shadow energy, this beam not only neutralizes the energy of other particles, but destructive takes all forms of energy in its path, thus eliminating everything it directly comes into contact with from existance.

Name: Noh
Race: Black Soul
Gender: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Height: Approx. 8' (6.5' when slouching)
Weight: Approx. 250 lbs.
Eye Color: Unknown
Hair Color: Black

Not much is known about Noh, and even less can be said. Its gender is unknown, its face remains unseen behind its perpetual metal mask, its limbs concealed by bands of black metal, and its torso remains hidden from the world. All that is truly known is that Noh seems to continually shed blood from the empty sockets of its mask, and that both its hands and feet seem to possess two fingers and a thumb, which are likewise hidden by bands of black metal and are positioned in a very bird-like fashion. Each of Noh's digits end in long, metal claws measuring approximately six inches in length.

Noh's personality is very dark and cold, and it seldom speaks. It does, however, seem to have a sadistic streak, but at the same time it manages to enjoy Sigmund's company and insight. Noh is very ill-tempered, though, and is quick to anger (though it hides it very well), and will not refrain from killing someone in cold blood.

Noh's special ability is a unique form of hyperconsciousness. Its vision is all-encompassing, granting it literally no blind spot and the capability of seeing anywhere in the universe at any given time. However, Noh cannot view too many locations at any single time, as this requires too much attention. It is additionally capable of channeling shadow energy through its body, making its touch immobilizing and its claws particularly painful and dangerous. The Black Soul can also hide and materialize from any shadow, but the transportation is not quite instantaneous. Noh also possesses remarkable reflexes and above-average strength and speed, though its intelligence and physical constitution are comparable to an average human's.