Shadow (BZPRPG)

Shadow
RPG	[[Official BZPRPG]]
Element	[[:Category:Varies Elementals (Official BZPRPG)|Varies]]
Species	Toa-Shadow
Gender	Female
Appearance	Natural state is a black blob of dark energy; usually takes on the form of an all-black Toa with red eyes
Equipment & Traits
History & Relationships
Faction	TUS
OOC Information
Status	Alive
Creator	Munkiman

[[Category:Characters (Official BZPRPG)]][[Category:Toa-Shadow (Official BZPRPG)]][[Category:Female Characters (Official BZPRPG)]][[Category:Varies Elementals (Official BZPRPG)]]

Shadow (alias, has no given name) is an unusually timid creature of darkness who was bullied into joining The United Shadow, and a character in the BZPRPG. She is played by member Munkiman.

History

Backstory

Toa-Shadows are a race of parasitic creatures. They have always been few in number, or else the world would be completely infested with evil. The pack would descend upon a city or village, and they would find their hosts; some of the lesser, yet more common versions of the species, Matoran-Shadows, would bond symbiotically with a Matoran. From there they would begin to drain the light from the Matoran for sustenance. While they were never able to turn a Matoran's element into shadow, like a Shadow Leech, the prolonged feeding caused Matoran to become insane and bloodthirsty. Only fifty of the more powerful Toa-Shadows ever existed, but their corrupting powers caused much more devastation, as a single Dark Toa is capable of more destruction than an army of evil Matoran.

One young female Toa-Shadow was always lagging behind the others. She was their weakest link, easily bullied and intimidated, a stammering weakling. The leader of the Toa-Shadows cast her out, calling her a failure and a weakling.

The female Toa-Shadow wandered the world, depressed and lonely. She eventually found a small village and began corrupting a Toa, for she needed sustenance. However, living in the Toa's skin, she took a liking to him and removed herself from his body, revealing her presence. She tried to gain his trust, decided on a name, Shadow, so he could identify her (Toa-Shadows normally do without names). However, the Toa was disgusted by her nature and pushed her away. She stuck to him like glue, pleaded with him, but he would have none of it. However, by appreciating and being open to the Toa's nature instead of trying to corrupt it, Shadow discovered a power she had not known she possessed: she could mimic a Toa's appearance and abilities. She took on the male Toa's appearance, but still he pushed her away, this time using force.

Shadow left, feeling even worse than before at failing her one chance to be accepted again. However, she also felt uncomfortable in the Toa's form. She was female by nature, and being in a male Toa's body for a prolonged period of time was unsettling. She decided there was no harm in sneaking into a nearby city and finding a female Toa to become.

This would cost her. Shadow found a rather short female Toa with a Miru and copied her essence. The Toa was asleep at the time, didn't notice a thing (which is why Shadow prefers this form, as she doesn't know the Toa's name and therefore can consider this to be her own body, not just another copy), but someone else did: a spy for the local crime boss. The crime boss ordered the spy to keep watching the mysterious shadow creature.

Meanwhile, Shadow was attempting to use her abilities for good. Using the electrical powers of her female guise, she defeated some petty thugs who were trying to rob a defenseless Matoran. When the thugs had fled, Shadow asked the Matoran if he was all right, but the Matoran was still in a panic from his experience and after one look at Shadow's red eyes, he lashed out. Without thinking, Shadow produced a powerful electrical field to defend herself, and the Matoran was shocked to death on contact. Shadow was horrified, but the spy saw this as a sign of her usefulness. He swooped in, knocked Shadow out, and carried her to his boss's lair.

Shadow was abused, physically and mentally, by the crime boss's henchmen. Finally, her spirit was completely broken and she submitted to serve the crime boss's will, becoming a servant and an assassin. She hated it, but saw no alternative.

Eventually the crime boss was murdered by one of his lackeys, who sold Shadow like a slave to another criminal enterprise. And so it continued for many, many years, with Shadow trading hands constantly, but always doing the same dirty jobs and despising her predicament, but being too afraid to do anything about it.

Eventually Shadow ended up with the United Shadow, whom she serves to this day.

BZPRPG

Shadow is still relatively new to the United Shadow. Her most important action so far was joining in the attack on Saeras Islet, where she was ordered to infiltrate the Kin Base and assassinate important members. Posing as a recently recruited Kin member, Shadow met a Water Toa named Nimia who held a piece of armor that let her channel the spirit of the dead Kin Council member Pareh. Shadow saw how capturing the spirit of an already dead Kin Toa would mean she didn't have to kill anyone, so she kidnapped Nimia and successfully brought her to the Merciless Judge before the Islet was destroyed by the Santun. Shadow was deeply disturbed by the utter destruction of the Kin's home.

Shadow later met new recruits to TUS, Beazel and Chraiz, after spying on them for a while. She helped them fight off an intruder to the Citadel, and tagged along with them for a while afterwards. She absorbed Chraiz's abilities during this time.

Later, Shadow was separated from Beazel and Chraiz, as they had split up to look for the intruders going after the Core. Nimia's friend Caelum had entered the Citadel looking for the Ga-Toa, and he found Shadow in the hallway. Shadow took on the form of a dark version of Nimia, in a rare moment of malevolence, and the two did battle.

Appearance

In her natural form, Shadow is a shapeless blotch of dark energy. She can travel in this form, sliding along surfaces like a shadow. She can slip through cracks in the floor, and hide perfectly in the darkness.

Shadow can take on the shape of any Toa whose abilities she has absorbed. Normally the colors are replaced by her usual colors, pure black with red eyes, but Shadow can take on the Toa's normal coloration if she concentrates.

Shadow's preferred form is usually a rather small female Toa with a Miru, a little mousy but with a good figure. However, she has also recently begun to favor the shape of Nimia, a Water Toa with a Faxon, though she still uses the other form very often as well.

Personality

Shadow is shy and timid, weak-willed, and unconfident in herself. Her spirit is long since broken, and she is completely resigned to her fate as a weapon of evil. She has basically no fight left in her, and is simply trying to survive.

Powers and Abilities

Shadow is capable of slowly draining a Toa's light over a period of weeks, but rarely does so, as she is now capable of gaining all the sustenance she needs from a Toa's essence.

Shadow can, through physical contact, absorb the essence of any Toa. She can then gain their powers and abilities, access to their appearance, and even a few of their more recent memories (and she can look even further into their mind if she concentrates, though it is a messy and uncomfortable form of telepathy). She can only hold onto one set of powers at a time, but can take on a Toa's shape any time she wants once she has used it.