Zuri Laurel Reine

by **Kid Kronos** December 24th 2015, 2:31 am

Zuri Laurel Reine
"The Queen of crime.... never a title I would have imagined for her."

Basic Biography

Real Name: Zuri Laurel Reine
Nickname: None as of yet
Title: "The Queen of Crime"
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Age: 38
Gender: Female
Race: Human African-French American
Hair: Dark Brown
Eyes: Heterochromatic Amber and green
Height: 5' 1"
Weight: 110 lbs.
Blood type: B-

The Looks

Spoiler:

A woman who stands barely over five foot tall, sholders back and her back straigh as she stands with years of training for proper posture. A well spoken woman whom dresses elegantly, always looking her "finest". Her general fashion sense involves fur, pencil dresses and the most fashinable heels this wealthy woman bought on her irresponsible impulsive shopping sprees. The woman's makeup shceme generally consists of a gentle cat-eye in eyeliner with clossy sparkling eyeshadow atop her eyes fading towards the cat-eye tip. Mascara as ususal while her lips are a glossy and generally stained a particular color, or in a rush she may use lipstick. The lean, slightly muscled woman also utilizes contacts to correct her one off colored eye, giving her a matching set of amber-brown eyes.

Her hair is often times dyed or worn in new ways frequently.

The Legacy

Personality:

A woman calm and in control at almost all times. Fear is something that this woman has long forgotten, though frustration and irritation are part of her daily challenge. A very percise, cunning and thoughtful woman whose determination and ambition are nearly endless. Driven, motivated and completely cut-throat given her occupation. Despite all of this the woman is still clearly human, she has compassion and she has a sense of honor and conduct, however these are generally concealed within her colder, more horrific actions.

History:

Born the daughter of an African woman in the slums of New York, left unknown of her relation to her father, a rather important figure in France. Despite her pedigree, she was born to live a life of hardship ad poverty as her single mother struggled to support both her and her younger sister. Growing up in the modern society, in the ghetto and slums such as these often times made Zuri and her sister witnesses to violence and acts that whisked away innocence at a very young age. Soon she began to realize that in order to survive you needed to understand one very simple concept. In a world such as this....

You killed, or you were killed.

Survival of the fittest, and in some circumstances it became survival of the luckiest. It eventually came down to brass tax for poor Zuri, especially when there was an offer that she simply couldn't refuse. With rent due, heating shut down and no electricity it became quite clear that Zuri, her sister and her mother weren't going to survive for very long. In fact it was quite likely they would be evicted, or Zuri and her sister would be ripped away from their mother. A local criminal just so happened to run into Zuri on the right day and made her the perfect promise to help with her problems. If the sweet, innocent little girl were to help the criminal "move" a few things to a friends place he would pay her, specifically choosing her because the local authorities wouldn't be looking for her. It took but a moment, but Zuri agreed. That was the first time Zuri broke the law, but she didn't regret it. Because even though she helped a criminal she was that much closer to keeping their family together. Her mother quickly began to question where on Earth her daughter managed to find this much money, but Zuri lied and simply said it was a gift from nearby churches to help them stay afloat.

Zuri was careful to keep her younger sister in the dark about her actions, especially as she continued to go back and assist the criminal in moving things form one place to another. But that was only the beginning, and by time Zuri was sixteen years old she was more than able to help her mother pay bills. Unlike before, their mother didn't question the source of income much, as her daughter was old enough to get a job of her own. The family began to go to church in those recent years, the mother's feeling that God had sent them some blessing, some mercy in the earlier years. The mother finally managed to get a job herself, and she excelled at it. Mother earned promotion after promotion, while Zuri continued her underworld antics, quickly becoming a favorite runner for a local crime-lord.

It wasn't very long before Zuri found herself in for her own promotions, quickly being set up as a fence. Highly successful and adapting to her new role, she eventually made a name for herself as the quickest and highest paying fence in the entire New York underworld. This reputation got her better goods, better goods sold higher and quickly her business sense and her great record as a runner got her several invitations to mafia families, though eventually she found herself surprised when one of these invitations became quite personal. The esteemed head of the Travaglioni (Trav-lee-oni) family was at her home, having coffee with her mother and talking to her sister. Once excused, he gave Zuri an offer that was too good to be true. He offered her a place in his family as an underboss, something that even Zuri had not been expecting. Of course, she accepted.

Groomed from a young age, Zuri was taught and observed the workings of Don Travaglioni, watching and mirroring his style inside her own branch of his family. It wasn't long before others took notice of her exceptional tutelage, and some wished her dead. Of course they were not sucessful, one of those "Survival of the Luckiest" things, and with that luck she had a thirty nine year old man on his knees with a gun to his forehead, his man on their knees with their hands behind their head. All it took was a twitch and her face was splattered with small little globules of crimson liquid, cascading like a picasso. Her own wide eyes tearing slightly as she looked on in horror at what she had done. At twenty years old she killed a man. The first of many. While this was not the last man she would kill...it was the last time she felt remorse for doing so.

When Zuri turned twenty three, she had helped achieve the greatest honor imaginable for Don Travaglioni. Because of her help, and the help of her peers they had elevated their patron, their Don to a title that hadn't been held since the 1930's. The title of Salvatore Maranzano. Don Travaglioni was now "capo di tutti capi" or "The boss of bosses". Don Travaglioni was now the undisputed Godfather of crime in New York city, and soon his influence began expanding into the entirety of the United States. His operations even began moving to other countries, eventually slipping into France, where Zuri just so happened to meet a Frenchman she had only seen in pictures.

The events of what transpired were exponged from the minds of everyone, repressed in fear of what would happen should the truth ever be unleashed. The events remined secret for years, the only ones whom knew the truth being Don Travaglioni and Zuri. Though the events of France were not all for naught, as Zuri met an American tourist by the name of Xander L. Hayze. Xander was a brillaint young man, and the two developed quite a relationship, one that would last for several years until the events of the New York Assault.

The remainder of the years were silent as their mother grew older and eventually delicate intel was uncovered, prompting Don Travaglioni to take his mosttrusted advisors and his favoriite underboss and flee New York, setting up shop in L.A and Chicago. With his ever growing operation, Don Travaglioni rewarded Zuri for her years of hard work, granting her her own family to govern as long as she remained respectful to her Don and complied by his rules. Of course she complied, and sevred as a paragon, an exemplar of everything Don Travaglioni wanted in his bosses, she was the perfect family member and was quite obviously his favorite. Though for undescribed reasons, one day Zuri decided that it was time for a change. She needed to replace Don Travaglioni...

The Powers

No Powers.

The Weaknesses

Paranoia: Zuri has a tendency to question or worry about almost every little detail. Part of it is in fact why she is so successful, as well as stll alive. However it makes it quite difficult for her to ally herself, or act in a way that is beneficial to other people. Alliances and friendships are strained, as well as her own tendency to premptively act upon the paranoia in order to deal with threats before they've actually become threats. This makes her excellent at over-thinking things and making enemies very, very easly.

Vanity: Zuri's name quite literally means "beautiful". She takes great pride and great lengths to ensure she maintains a proper and perfect complimenting body to such a name. Zuri takes time to maintain apperances and furstrations are likely to arise when their vanity is compromised. Even when not dealing with apperances, gala's parties and the very areas she presides over are all things that must look just perfect. When people take note of her vanity and voice a complimenting opinion of them she is likely to be more tolerent to them, if not overly suspicious already.

Pride: Zuri's pride is second to none. The worst part is she would challenge anyone else's pride if she knew it were on apps. Zuri will accept being second to none, even her operations must supersceed expectations and failure is absolutely, positively not an option. The measure she's willing to sink to in order to secure her power, vanity and success are assured. She will not be demanded, she will not be commanded. Only Don Travaglioni has that right, but that is in her loyalty and her compassion to a man that uplifter her and her family from nothing. Even he is getting to the end of the ropes, however. Her pride may be her undoing...

Minion reliant: Despite all of her personal assets, Zuri is incredibly reliant upon her minions and resources. Mob members, currency and her own personal "Right hand" are close to her, mostly because she needs them to be in order for her to do business. While she ensure the profit of her family, when dealing with metahumans she turns to her right hand to solve all problems. Doing the dirty work is a bit beneath her, even if she could do something about it.

Migraines: Zuri gets terrible migraines when drinking the majority of soda, as well as when she undergoes rigorous physical activity. Durring these states she is weakened, has a severe sensetivity to light as well as intense pain.

Compassion: Zuri, despite all of her callous ways, is in fact still human. Her heart is warm and beats red blood. As such she is a victim of compassion, and had been known to bend over backwards and make risky moves to selflessly help another. Of course the odds were more likely she'd do it if there were something of personal gain.

The Minions

Mafia members: Associates, Soldiers, Mafioso, Capo and Underbosses of her very own to command in mass quanities. Of course she is running a business, so she cannot obviously advocate too many to any particular job, as that would leave areas open. (More of an RP Mechanic. Outfitted with Mundane items.)

Intel-Cartel: Zuri has her own intellectual underworld, consisting of hidden and classified information on may things. Paparazzi, spys and sleuthes that all work to gather as much information on metahumans and vigilantes as possible, as well as her allies to better prepare her for her own reign as the Queen of Crime. (mostly RP Mechanic)

Fang: A guard wolf that has earned Zuri's affections. Rp Mechanic

Jean:

Spoiler:

Jean
"I've been blessed. In our business there's only one rule. You can't trust anyone but the one in the mirror. I just so happen to be the exception to the rule."

Basic Biography

Real Name: Jun Alim Zhong
Alternate Name: Jean
Title: "The Bodyguard"
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Race: Meathuman. (Unknown Asian Ethnicity.)
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Height: 6'
Weight: 200 lbs.
Blood type: A+

The Looks

Spoiler:

An asian man believed to be of Korean descent. He stands six foot tall with black hair, generally well kept and gelled in compliment to the businessman styled vaneer he embraces. Most generally seen in fine suits of designer quality, or in his personalized combat gear.

The Legacy

Personality:

Jean is a complex individual, not easily described in any sense. To descirbe Jean is to describe the proverbial glass of water that sits on the table. Half full? Half empty? There are those whom would argue how one should percive exactly how the glass is, and just why the contents the way that they are. They will argue. Half full or half empty. But Jean is different. Jean is the one man in a million whom would walk amongst the arguing, make his way to the table and as the others argue over how they should percieve the glass and its contents...Jean would drink it.

Jean is an ever alert, an ever capable and calm man with a rather stone form of stoicism that masks the reality of what lies within. What lies within is a man whom understand that it is not a matter of perception, but a matter of fact. A man whom knows that the glass is BOTH half full, and half empty. A man that knows that those words are simply that. Words. It is Jean that understands to argue over how you percieve the water is trivial, HOW you percieve the water is trivial. What matters is that it is water, and if you are thisrty you must drink.

A wounded pride behind a stoic shell, a compassionate yet fierce warrior in with a colorful yet clear-headed purpose which is is ever confident in. A deep, poetic yet simplistic man who knows the meaning of hard work and discipline. Honest, forthright and free thinking at all times, but mixed and blended with an unwavering sense of gratuity and loyalty to the one whom took a chance. The one who risked much just to show him that she had faith in him. A faithful and genuine man that adapts and remains flexible, allowing him to keep this almost constant state of tranquility in all types of situations.

History:

Jean has no recollection of where he was born, or even where exactly he was from at one point. Moved around and orphened several times as a young man, he eventually found himself with a culturally mixed up name such as "Jun Alim Zhong " One part Korean, one part western Chinese and the other part a more traditional chinese.

Much of his life was shrouded in mystery until the time he was fourteen, where he was documented training quite viligently under the tutalage of a mysterious man whose name was never once uttered, nor ever remembered. The name "Master" was the only name that could be remembered of him, even his training regiment had been forgotten, though his lessons remained embedded within his pupil.

Without much more than his training and the clothes on his back, Jean began to make his living as a mercenary. A hired soldier to the higest bidder for the majority of his pathetic young life. Worthless and expendable was how he lived his life, until he reached the age of twenty eight years old when he suffered a rather intense injury to his right arm and severe spinal fractures in several places. Walking was a miracle, but when his employers came to make him pay for his failure he found himself in an even worse situation. Broken ribs, a clipped tendon and several lacerations before he was saved. A voice in the darkness made demands for an explanation, and when they threatened her with threats of rape and violence she killed them. A firefight broke out as Jean attempted to keep himself from bleeding out. The firefight ended with a man on the ground, momets from his deat, the same as Jean. The same woman demanding answers came to Jean and looked at him, kindly offering a word of sympathy before commanding one of her lackey's to get Jean help.

Perhaps it was reflex, or perhaps part of him was just happy to protect this woman for her kindness....but Jean saw the downed man struggle free as he drew a concealed gun and fired at the woman. Jean was already in motion, as quickly as a mirror he moved, lunging forward before turning his back when the gun fired out, Jean acting as a living shield felt the bullet bury itself in the back of his shoulder as he lost consciousness.

By time he came to it had been several days later, and waiting for him was the same woman he defended, along with her other lackeys. This woman was Zuri Reine, and it wasn't long after that he would overhear the conversation in the hospital where she defended him, stating to someone that it didn't matter the odds, it didn't matter that he ws past his prime, or that he was never going to be the same as he ever had been with all of his injuries. She insisted that she would take him into her "family" as her own, regardless of what Don Travaglioni or anyone had to say of it. A bold move that earned her several death-threats and potential assassinations from rival bosses. But she still stayed by her decision, even as she wounded his pride by taking him and his wounded body and standing in at a firing fight herself, all because she refused to "hand him over".

He never knew why, and he hasn't asked as of yet...though that could change. But he often wondered why she took the chance, why she had such compassion in her heart ot help a broken and battered has-been mercenary such as himself, but turned away countless others. Others that even he knew were better suited than he. But Zuri insisted that it would be him. Him that she would trust and groom to be her underboss, him who would take over her operations should she fall.

Eight years later and he still remains her most trusted avisor, her successor in grooming, her bodyguard and her most loyal friend.

The Powers

Superhuman Sensory: Quite easily Jean's most utilized and dangerous power is his amazing, adaptive superhuman senses. His senses are unrivaled, granting him incredibly enhanced visual and auditory reception, as well as a more acute sense of smell. Furthermore, Jean also has an exceptional sense of touch and taste. Jean's sensory is by far the most advanced power he has, able to detect movement, hear heartbeats and sweat drops, as well as smell odors that should otherwise be unable to be percieved. His vision is better than other peoples as well.

Psychosense Reaction: In addition to his superhuman sensory, Jean's years of matrial arts training have granted his body instinctive reactions on a reflexive level in order to defend and react to dangers that Jean himself may not even be entirely aware of. This allows for incredible evasion and feats of extreme martial arts.

Generated Force Compression: While not technically a super power, Jean's knowledge of the martial arts allows him to properly generate forceful punches and impressive combat feats. When utilized against pressure points it can deal damage to even lesser metahuman durabilities. Jean has a unique power, the power to utilize his sensory to identify weaknesses in others (through the previously stated powers) and with focus he is able to focus all the force he could generate from his punch and allocate all of the force to a specific location within the point of contact. So if Jean were to punch with full force and hit a metahuman in the shoulder, the entirety of the force throughout his body's movement is generated into a specific section, and exaggerate the effects of what he should otherwise be able to hurt or affect. The force is generally focused entirely to the location where he focuses as a spike like driving force, however with an incredible amount of focus he is able to decrease the cone-like spike area to the piercing percision of a needle.

The Weaknesses

Loyalty: Jean's loyalty lies completely and totally to Zuri Reine. His loyalty to her is unquestioned, however this is often times an issue; primarily when Miss Reine is in danger. Her safety always his top priority. The easiest way to get to him, is to get to her.

The Line of Duty: Jean's previously stated Loyalty actually has lead him to enter a mental state which forego's self-preservation. Without the concept of self-preservation, Jean is highly likely to do dangerous things without regard for his own safety. That being said given the proper circumstances, Jean is liable to get quite hurt.

False stimulation: Jean's other senses do not suffere sensetivity weaknesses that many others with his unique gift so. Though that does not leave them without fault. Jean's reflexes and martial capabilities are his own responses to stimuli. This means utilizing his senses, one could force him to react or to prompt particular reactions by providing the proper stimuli in the right condititons. Regardless of his own volition.

Loyalty vs Morality: Despite his loyalty, despite his duty and despite all he does and is willing to do. Jean is a "good man" and has his own moral struggles with the profession he is in. While he is incredibly loyal to Zuri, if confronted with a morally difficult decision he could perhaps be reasoned with.

Pride: While Pride seems to be a common theme, Jean himself is not so much proud of himself so much as that he is fighting in order to retain what pride he has left. He was found by Zuri as a broken apart, shattered man just past his prime. Zuri took a risk in accepting him and now he fights for something many "prideful" people in this world have never known. He fights to retain what little pride he has left. Even if it kills him.

Fury and Instinct: Unfortunately with his power and abilities comes the concept of anger, temper and the fact that violence begets even more violencel. Once combat is initiated, and he is fighting the lines between friend and foe become more blurred the more damaged he becomes and the more damage he deals.

RP Mechanics

Peak Human Effiency: Jean's fighting and training continue to keep his body in good physical condition, leaving him stronger than the majority of the human population through the sheer usage of his skills. His stamina is quite formidable and impressive as well.

Poison Resist: Jean has undergone several sessions of subjecting himself to small living segements of infections and poisons in order to build resisetnece and immunity to a good varriety of known toxins or virus/bacteria.

A Die-hard Try-hard: Jean's determination to protect Zuri allows him to suffer damages and continue going, to keep pushing forward. While useful in it's own way, it pushes him to extents that he may not be able to handle, and he ultimately always suffers intense repercussions.... if he even survives.

Spiritual Acceptance: As part of his training, Jean has accepted who he is, what he is and what his role in this world is. He has reached a sense of enlightenment, one in which allows him to move through nature without disturbing it. Animals will not attack him, water does not ripple as he walks through it. Absolutely no benefit in a combat scenerio.

Physical priority
1 : Reaction : 1
2 : Endurance : 2
3 : Strength : 3
4 : Agility : 4

Giovanni:

The Legacy

Personality:
Giovanni Vega is many things. A rebel, a young man with something to prove. A wild, uncontrollable person and an avid music enthusiast. Selfish and rarely thinking of anyone else other than himself or his "mother", easily irritated and more than a little anti-social. Giovanni is the kind of person who puts their personal desires above all else, and their ambition can hardly be quenched; even by those who know him best. Another way to describe him is an Anarchist with a good sense of capitalism. Makes sense why a life in the Mafia would suit him well. Not without kindness; however it's buried beneath a lot.

History:

Giovanni is a strange young man, wrapped in even stranger mystery. Giovanni simply showed up one day at an orphanage left in a basket. Stereotypical as it may seem, he was taken in as a ward of the state, retaining only the name that was left on a card at his birth. "Giovanni Lorenzo". Of course being that he would end up in several foster cares; his last name would change several times, but the constant throughout his entire life were his first and middle name. Giovanni Lorenzo, a name of obvious Italian lineage.

Giovanni first met Zuri when he was ten years old. He tried to steal from her, managing to maneuver around in a crowd and almost successfully lose her chase. Of course it didn't take a lot of effort on the Queen of Crime's part to find the orphanage where the little pick-pocket was from and pay him a visit. Of course, seeing the terrible conditions in which he had lived something sparked within Zuri. What it was only one person could say for sure; but many if not all others can only speculate. If it was the orphanage conditions, if it was the child itself, or whatever it could have been that did it. Something sparked Zuri's compassion. After a long conversation and a little armed persuasion from her men and Zuri would leave the orphanage; with Giovanni at her side.

Giovanni has been raised by Zuri since the age of ten. The relationship was rocky to begin, but after a year of hardship Zuri had won Giovanni's trust when she saved him from an all out assault on the school where he attended. Giovanni was known as the kid who could take a beating, he was the "Wild Star" of the school. He got into every form of trouble he could in attempts to rebel against Zuri's wishes; he even started fights with some of the other children whose parents were in rival families. This didn't cause trouble for the longest time; until one day getting his face punched lead to the young Giovanni realizing a small, dormant power he had.

This power wasn't some shockwave, this power wasn't some manner of saving grace energy projection, nor was it a healing factor or a form of appendage growth. The power was, in fact, quite small one. With every strike made against him, Giovanni began to catch glimpses. Glimpses of the past, of interactions his attacker had seen. The longer he held contact, the more he saw. Eventually as he was getting hit, he pieced together the whole story.

Giovanni was beat, but he decided to talk to his bully. His words rang true and the conflict was resolved. Not because talking solves everything; but because Giovanni exposed so much of the other boy's private life that the boy ended up killing himself whenever he went home that night. Of course, when he went home Zuri was alarmed and already planning with how to deal with an angered rival family in New York. Of course knowing he was endangered and keeping him FROM that danger had been two different stories. Despite her best efforts, Zuri was unable to keep her adopted son from returning to school, and that's when the assault took place.

Zuri and Jena had arrived just in time to try and save the young man, though the gang violence at the school only drew the attention of the police faster than you could imagine. In the crossfire Zuri was shot in the chest for covering over him and knocking him down. When he looked traumatized he couldn't help but smile when Zuri scoffed at him and said "What? You think you're the only one that can take a shot?"

Jean helped Zuri escape as subtly as possible, though Giovanni opted to stay there and answer questions for the police when they arrived, promising to throw his story off just a small bit to keep them away from Zuri.

Zuri and Giovanni had been as close to a mother and son ever since, though occasionally the conflicts they stand against tend to leave them a house divided. Despite all of that, Zuri named Giovanni a true Italian heir to her family in the Godfather's mafia. Giovanni escaped from the NYC assault with Zuri and The Godfather, forsaking New York until a later date.

The Powers

Psychometry: The ability to see the past when touching an object, piece of environment or person. The power to experience it as if he had been there, seeing, smelling hearing and tasting in great detail.

Superior durability: While not quite to the upper superhuman levels, Giovanni is a tough as the ground but as quick as an eagle. Thus his nickname Geo-Vega (Earth Eagle)

Escape Artist: A useful little trick he picked up from 18 years of experience. The ability to slip from almost any binding while others are completely unaware. This is a mixture of mundane illusionist tactics and his advanced reflexes and firearm training.

The Weaknesses

Honor thy mother: The only family he's ever had are Zuri and Jean. To that extend he will go to any lengths to keep them safe and protect them if he can.

Skeptic's eyes: His ability to slip free and be a good escape artist is all based upon the audience. He can escape virtually anything, but if there is a highly intelligent or perceptive being present they may notice what he is doing. That being said Giovanni can't make sudden movements, giving them a prime opportunity to get him.

Water-works: Giovanni is inexplicably defenseless against water. Water pierces through his durability with absolutely 0 effort, and actually pierces his durability easier than other means.

Pride: Giovanni can't handle the fact he's weaker than someone, especially if that someone is as close to mundane as he is. His pride WILL get him killed one day. It's just a matter of when.

Social Graceless: Giovanni is an all around unlikable fellow when he's acting on his own accord. Sure he can dress up and be charming, but even when he does that he's sarcastic and vary rarely liked. He looks down on regular people and he mocks the higher ups within society. He tends to be incredibly rude or dismissive when Zuri isn't around to pull on his leash.

Spotlight Sickness: Giovanni makes overly elaborate movements rather than the plain and simple ones. He's the kind of person who does a butterfly kick off a car and lands before shooting someone rather than just aiming the gun and firing. If he doesn't look like a badass doing it then there's no point in actually doing it.

The Mechanics

Illusionist: Giovanni is a practicing magician. Magician in the terms of an illusionist, not in the terms of summoning demons in his mother's basement.

The Arsenal

Item: Has access to guns and body armor. Nothing beyond a mundane level.

The Minions

Minions: Just what his mother sends with him.

Physical Priority
1 : Endurance : 1
2 : Reaction : 2
3 : Strength : 3
4 : Agility : 4

Notable Equipment

Temptress' talons: Zuri's artificial nails are actually bladed nails laced with a neruo-hemotoxin hybrid.
(Weaknesses: The nails were not designed for metahuman, the nails are also "glues" to her actual nails, akin to acryllic nails. Can poison herself if not careful)

RP Mechanics

The family business: The income and resources of the mafia, including several safehouses and business fronts.

Physical priority
1 : Agility : 1
2 : Reaction : 2
3 : Endurance : 3
4 : Strength : 4