Loba
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Contents
Summary
Arcelia Luna was born under a new moon into a difficult life. An orphan by the time she was twelve, she was taken in by a Cobra Lord named Michael Schenck. The two would fall in love as she came of age. Before they could leave Millennium City and begin a new life and family together, Mike was murdered by a rival gang member. Broken and alone after his untimely death, she sought a spiritual mentor out west, and found her new family -- her wolves, Noche and Muerte. She followed her path up north where she befriended members of the bigfoot tribes. After time away meditating and training, she has begun to learned to harvest the elements. Recently blessed by Luna herself, she is now in control of the beast within.
Early Life
Childhood
Born to Mario and Adela Luna in New York, NY on the evening of Friday, May 13, 1983, Arcelia Luna was touched by the darkness of the new moon. Her mother nearly dying during childbirth, Celi became something of a family scapegoat. She was often beaten by her drunken father, shouldering the blame for their state of poverty due to the constant treatment of the "fits" she suffered since birth. No one was aware of the abuse young Celi endured because of her inability to speak English, and her ability to heal at a rapid rate. Her small family moved to Michigan when she was six years old. Three years later, during the Battle of Detroit, an asthma attack claimed the life of her mother. After the devastation, Celi's father immediately turned to drugs to deal with the pain of losing his wife, putting his young daughter to work in order to support his habit. It was around this time that her lycanthropy began to emerge fully, her transformations becoming stronger and lasting longer. She spent the next two years fighting off the men her father attempted to sell her body to. The result was often the critical but occasionally fatal wounding of her potential attackers, including that of a local drug lord and pimp. Shortly after turning twelve, her father died of an overdose. She was left to fend for herself on the streets, taking odd jobs in order to survive and often running away from the foster homes she was placed in.
Teens
Eventually, she was recruited to dance for a local dive, where she once again found herself fighting to keep herself physically safe. A Cobra Lord by the name of Michael Schenck saw the little girl dancing and took pity on her. The first person aside from her parents to speak to her in her native tongue, he asked her where her parents where, and why was she doing what she was doing. She told him about all the things she had seen and done in her incredibly short life span, moving him. Celi will often say that he saved her life by taking her in as his own. Mike was never incredibly strict about school since her lycanthropy often made it difficult to keep a good record of attendance. Celi picked up some English from Mike and his fellow Cobra Lords, but since many of them spoke Spanish, she was never at a loss when it came to communication. The moment she began to transform, he had her bound in magically reinforced chains and locked in a room until the phase passed. As time went on and as she grew older, Mike fell in love with Celi. The two would be engaged shortly after her twenty-first birthday, making plans to move out west where Mike would open a garage. They often spoke of starting a family after they were settled in their new life.
Mike's Death
Before they could leave Millennium City and realize their dreams, Mike was murdered in cold blood by a rival gang member. The grief was too much for Celi, who began to allow herself to go feral. Before the sadness could consume her she left Michigan for Puerto Rico, in hopes of finding family members. She learned a great deal about her family history, and even found information on relatives that lived in New York. Eventually one of them would come to Millennium City to become the hero known as La Mariposa. When she returned to Millennium City six years later, she found herself in the middle of the Qularr invasion. She didn't hesitate to help the city and its citizens fight off the invaders. The battle made her realize that she was missing guidance. This was the catalyst for her trip out west, along with coming to terms with the fact that Mike would have wanted her to follow her happiness, whatever it might be.
Her Story
Spirit Journey
Arcelia wandered around the south of the country, spending the bulk of that time in the New Mexican desert. It was there that she befriended a pack of wolves. When the mother of a pair of pups was killed by a hunter, she looked after them, fed them, and kept them safe. She named them Noche (Night) and Muerte (Death). She explains the reason for their names:
From a recorded interview: Cuándo la madre murió, los llevé como si fueran mis hijos, en la manera que Miguel me llevó cuando fui una niña. Les llamé Noche y Muerte, porque la noche me sigue, y la muerte siempre está a mi lado. [When their mother died, I took them in as if they were my own [children], the way Michael took me in when I was a little girl. I called them Night and Death, because night always follows me, and death is always at my side.]
Celi returned to Millennium City briefly, rooming with military brat Psyfire, then known as Little Bo Bleep. The issue of her lycanthropy, along with a clash in personalities would put the two at odds. In an effort to communicate, Celi asked her roommate to help her with her English, which she would use during her visits to Club Caprice. This managed to get the girls in a place where they could be civil to one another. Her spiritual quest would fall to the wayside after meeting [CLASSIFIED], real name [CLASSIFIED], age [CLASSIFIED]. The two got along well until he began to push her to become intimate. When he attempted to force himself on her, she blacked out, awakening to find [CLASSIFIED] lifeless with a gaping wound at his neck. She was questioned by Millennium City police and PRIMUS officers, who determined the case to be one of self-defense. Once cleared, she left the apartment to Psyfire and returned to her search for spiritual guidance.
Her travels brought her across the lake to Canada, where she befriended the Chiyetanka bigfoot tribe. Celi would develop a friendship with the tribe mystic, Talks-To-Spirits, after witnessing him control the elements. Under his tutelage, she began to realize her natural ability to harness and channel air and electricity. This earned her the name Little Thunder-Wolf among the Chiyeta. Feeling at home, she found some of the peace and sense of belonging she longed for.
Blood Moon (October 2009)
Celi's calm would not last long. The rising of the Blood Moon and call of her lycan brothers and sisters was impossible to deny. She began to go feral, fighting her transformation as best as she could. Caught in a reinforced trap by a hunter, she was offered her a "cure" if she would help hunt her own kind by using her heightened senses to track them. Desperate to end the pain and loss of control, she agreed. As the lycan population began to thin out around Great Bear Lake, she learned of the hunter's plan to murder her once the Blood Moon was over. Enraged, she transformed, slaughtering the hunter and seeking pack leader Claude Baine in order to beg forgiveness. Celi felt that she was too easily pardoned, but thought very little of it when she banded with several anonymous pack members in order to take down the hunters. Their efforts a success, she and the team ran off into Rime Woods for a celebratory hunt and feast. As she recovered from returning to her human form, the team leader brought a metallic clawed mechanism down across her neck, lodging a spade-like device to attempt to decapitate her, while the claws tore her torso, eviscerating her. The team left her for dead in the woods, returning to Claude Baine to report that the traitor had been disposed of. Fortune smiled upon her as she was found by a Chiyetah tribesman who returned her to the village, allowing her to recover.
The Lost Weekend
Despite the end of the Blood Moon, Celi continued to struggle with her shifting. In order to keep from harming innocents, she relocated to Monster Island, where she was accepted into a pack of lycans. She found many of her brothers and sisters were there for the same reason, this fact strengthening the bond of the pack. As time went on, the pack began to thin out, many of them falling victim to ARGENT and VIPER manimal hunters. Eventually, she along with Noche and Muerte would be the sole survivors. Having lost yet again, she grew despondent, isolating herself from the world and exploring the cave systems of the island. Despite befriending manimal tribes along the coast, she kept to herself mostly, her transformations causing her to lose long stretches of time.
After some time, she returned to Millennium City, seeking old friends but only to find many of them had died or moved on. Her attempts to rejoin the world would find her English improving by leaps and bounds. She befriended a bear that was once a man named Grugar, his friend Melissa Flynn, and a dragon named Drake. Ready to start over once again, she began the completion of her training as a shaman, leaving room for every little else in her life.
Moon Blessings
Her return to Millennium City was quiet and a bit of a surprise to those she knew from before the rise of the Blood Moon. She began frequenting Caprice once again, though not nearly as often as she did due to her constant travels to Canada to be with the Chiyeta mystics. It was during one of her chance visits to Caprice that she came across Khaziael, a telekinetic telepath and mage infected with hellfire. The two hit it off instantly, compelling Khaziael to immediately confess that he had just left an unhappy relationship, and was slowly being consumed to death by the hellfire. Celi merely said the two should enjoy one another and make something beautiful of the time he had left. Moved by her wisdom and reasoning, he invited her to stay with him. They fell in love, finding a soul mate in one another. The two would meet Luna, the avatar of the moon, through friend War Wolf in the Renaissance Center one evening. Luna granted Celi the gift of painless transformation and ultimate control of her lycanthropy. With this burden lifted, Celi was free to focus her energies on the pursuit of her status as a shaman. She also came to terms with what and who she is, embracing her more feral side publically now that she had authority over it. She and Khaziael swore loyalty to Luna for the blessing, words not quite capturing the gratitude they felt.
Celi continued her shamanic studies, spending the rest of her time with Khaziael and their friends. As time went on, the hellfire began to reach a point at which Khaziael could no longer contain it easily. One evening, she tracked him to Andrithal, the scent of his blood heavy throughout that region of the island. Bleeding profusely and igniting in hellfire, he was surrounded by friends Malik, Masquerade, War Wolf, and Drake. It was then that Khaziael announced that he would go to an undisclosed area to stave off the hellfire, or die trying. The news crushed Celi, despite her knowledge of the day arriving. After the gathering she retreated to a favored mountain ridge, attempting to clear her mind and find a way to keep her beloved from going off on his own. Malik managed to track her down and warn her to keep from following Khaziael. She would give Malik a difficult time, but both knew that she would ultimately respect what would possibly be her lover's dying wish. The two walked away with a bit of a better understanding of the other. After their last evening together, Khaziael made arrangements to leave his estate and fortune to Celi. This included a vast personal library, the apartment, a large collection of magical artifacts, and a ridiculous sum of money. After a long, tearful good-bye, he began his what he thought would be his final journey.
In desperate need of solace, Celi returned to Chiyetanka Bluff, where she mourned Khaziael ritually for a week. It was during this week she finally reach her status as a shaman, mastering air and lightning. At the week's end she spoke a personal prayer to Luna who, in an attempt to console her, went off in search of Khaziael. She would tell Celi that there was no luck in finding him when in fact not only was he found, but Luna assisted in staving the hellfire briefly, becoming infected herself. She advised Celi to live as though Khaziael was merely on an outing. Taking these words to heart, Celi returned home and begin consulting their library. Reading and researching various schools of magic, she took an interest in blood magic, seeking ways to apply it in combat. Another goal Celi wished to finally achieve was the improvement of English, which had already come a long way since the Qularr invasion. The knowledge she sought and absorbed prompted her to begin a grimoire, combining both of her most recent projects in one.
Nearly a month later, Khaziael returned with full control of the hellfire within him. Covered in the scent of demons, she mistook him for an intruder, attacking him before he had the chance to reveal his identity. Their reunion was an overwhelmingly emotional event for Celi, who was beyond words. Khaziael returns regularly to the wilderness to meditate and master his abilities, while Loba continues to study various schools of magic.
Personal Life
Despite suffering loss after loss Loba tends to keep a positive attitude, choosing to see the simplicity and beauty in things, shirking the complications until a later time, or ignoring them all together. This is true of most aspects of her life -- especially her love life. She has attempted to make deep connections only to have them fall apart or prove to be detrimental. Despite the heartbreak she's suffered, she continues to allow herself to open up to a select few due to her ability to live for the moment. Though she is a bit rough around the edges, Celi is generally social and friendly, making new friends whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Family & Friends
- Noche and Muerte: Celi's wolves are very much like her children and have been at her side longer than any living being currently a part of her life.
- Khaziael: Her colleague and former lover. Infected with hellfire, Khaz thought his time was limited. When Celi suggested they make the most out of what he has left, he began to fall in love with her. After going off into the wilds to subdue the hellfire or die from it, he returned, awakened and emotionless. Rather than have Celi deal with this, he left without a word. They currently remain on speaking terms.
- Cid Foley: Draysha casualty and former Cobra Lord turned mercenary, Cid's a "meathead" with a heart of gold. His devotion to Celi has slowly been earning her trust as well as her heart.
- Sky Lark: Step-sister of Psyfire, Kylie initially shared Staci's feeling about Celi. As the two ran into one another at Club Caprice more frequently, they became better acquainted, forming a business-like friendship. Occasionally, they band together for assignments when Sky needs a bit of muscle on her side.
- Feral Son: Conner is one of Celi's oldest acquaintances, having met by way of their wolves. They occasionally run into one another and engage in interesting and sometimes philosophical conversation. She has a great deal of respect for him.
- Captain Stereotype: A big personality with an afro to match, Cap was known for causing trouble in Club Caprice. Despite starting bar brawls and insulting people's uniforms and mothers he was very kind to Celi, often sharing a dance or "Purple Drank" with her. He is currently missing.
- War Wolf: The infamous and incredibly loyal mercenary she met in passing during the rise of the Blood Moon, War Wolf has become family to Celi. She affectionately refers to him as "hermanito" (little brother). Celi is also quite fond of his mate, Daemi, one of her few female friends.
- Drake: A dragon who shares many of her views on people and the world, she and Drake became good friends after a chance encounter or two. He is protective of Celi, taking on more of a fatherly role with her recently.
- Luna: The avatar of the moon, Celi regards her as a mother figure.
- Masquerade: A casual acquaintance through Khaziael.
- Malik: An associate of Khaziael, Malik is incredibly difficult to socialize with. However, before Khaziael's journey, she and Malik reached a somewhat civil understanding of one another.
Enemies
- El Tiburon: The son of pimp and drug lord Inocensio "Papo" Gonzalez, Timoteo Inocensio Gonzalez swore revenge on the little girl who murdered his father. Inheriting his father's two-bit narcotics and prostitution rings, he built them into an empire of drugs and sex that many fear and respect. He was schooled in the art of dual blades, often practicing for hours upon hours at a time. He is known commonly as "El Tiburon" (the Shark), due to his ruthless nature, lack of sleep, and ability to "hunt" his prey -- especially when doing so alone. Despite his cold, calculating attitude, Ti is quite handsome. Tall, tan, thin but toned, with hazel eyes, a shaved head and well-groomed goatee, he is incredibly vain and materialistic, often dressed in designer labels.
- Psyfire: Enemy may be a strong term to use to describe the relationship between Staci and Celi. It's better to say they don't see eye to eye. Despite her roommate's aloof and spoiled attitude, Celi was pretty protective of her, going as far as to leave the apartment to her when she began her journey up north. While they hold a mutual respect for one another and parted on speaking terms, Psyfire has come to appreciate the complexities of lycanthropy. Unfortunately, the two have not seen each other since Celi left the apartment to Staci.
- Night-Strike: A military grunt who never spoke a kind word to Celi. He chastised her constantly about her friendship with Captain Stereotype, often with racist and hurtful remarks. He has been reported M.I.A. during a mission oversees.
Powers & Abilities
- Lycanthropy: As a lycan, Loba is granted toned muscle, dense bones, powerful jaw strength, claws, agility, speed, grace, and stealth. Her senses are heightened, especially her senses of smell and hearing.
- Magically Reinforced Chains: Once used to bind her during her transformation, she now utilizes her chains as an extension of herself. Virtually unbreakable, they're usually her most underestimated weapon.
- Shamanism: Since the beginning of her spiritual journey, Loba has been a student of elemental and animal magic. Able to command air and electricity, she uses these to move swiftly and summon energy with which to strike her foes down.
- Esotericism: Loba dabbles in darker arts such as blood magic and necromancy, schools of magic introduced to her by Khaziael. She uses these to reduce the ability to heal in her enemies, and summon the undead to aid her in combat.
Weaknesses
Aside from the obvious decapitation, Loba has no publicly known weaknesses. Some have speculated her affinity for yellow gold is actually an aversion to silver, though she has no known allergies or reactions to the metal.
Comments
[This area is for any comments left by fellow players on or about Loba]
