Avatar: Clan of the Face Stealer

"We will meet again."

So spoke one of the oldest and most dangerous spirits in existence to his most hated enemy. Deep in the bowels of his spiritual prison, he patiently awaits the moment when he will make good on this threatening vow.

And roam both worlds freely, without fear of being driven back.

His devoted followers seek the means to bring this age about, and they will stop at nothing to see to it that this vision comes to pass.

***

Hello, all. Big T here again. This is a rebirth of one of my first RPGs, which had a short-lived life back when ASN had the RPG forum. It is, more or less, a story centered around Koh as the villain, and the cult that hopes to free him from the Spirit World.

One of the means they serve him is by kidnapping folks and send them to the Koh's tree, so that he can steal their faces. Children are the main target as well. They believe that the added energies from humans will give Koh enough to strength to tear past the barriers between the natural world and the spiritual world, as well as his prison.

As I said, it ended far too soon, and so I want to give it another go here.

***

RULES

1. There is no god-modding allowed. You are responsible for your character and your character alone. You may not force another player's character to act, and you may not write for another player's character.

2. Canon characters go on a first come, first serve basis. Original characters must have a bio posted before they are introduced into the RPG proper. I have only put up a few canon characters, but if there is someone you would like to play as that is not on the list, just request him/her and you will be added.

3. Please use story-format in your posts. It can be either first or third person, but no script-format.

4. In terms of plots and stories, I am open to any and all suggestions. This goes for pairings, too. I am a Kataanger at heart, but as long as you have it make sense, I don't care if Zutara happens in this RPG. Same with any other pairing. Really, it is up to you and the other player.

***

CHARACTERS

Canon

Toph: Big T
Sokka: almostinsane99
Aang: Magus
Katara: Warboss
Koh: Warboss
Zuko: almostinsane99
Long Feng: Magus
Haru: Toko
Jet: Toko
Jin: Toko

Original

Shizuka: Toko

***

Any questions? Let me know. I'll try and answer them as best I can.

Until then, I hope there is some interest!

You've caught my interest. I'll take Sokka and Zuko if that's okay.

Alright then. I'll put you down.

Well, I guess I could try my hand at Katara. But don't expect any Aang x Katara, or Katara x Zuko (meant to sound good-natured, but still quite serious) Personally, I'm a KaToph person.

I think I could take Koh too.

Why not, I think I'll join. I'd like to claim Long Feng and Aang please.

Okay, I'll put you guys down.

We will need a couple more players, though.

A couple more? About how many exactly?

At least one or two. As it is, there is only four of us.

Toko or Alec might be interested in joining, possibly. Though I don't think Alec has the time to join new RPs right now.

I'll take Haru, Jet and Jin

Also:

Name: Shizuka
Age: 17
Nation: Fire Nation
Bender: Yes
History: Shizuka grew up hating the Fire Nation and everything it stood for. She hated the idea of the war, but also the fact that it was run as a monarch/dicatorship. Like the people of her village, Shizuka wanted a democratic government. As a child she wanted to be a performer, but eventually she changed her mind and started to learn firebending. Shizuka managed to stay out of the war throughout her life by leaving the Fire Nation. She eventually went back. She knows Zuko and his family as well.

Does she need anything else?

No, that's good.

We may start soon, so keep an eye out.

Relatively ready when everyone else is (still on the sly with my internet, so my log ins may be erratic)

I volunteer playing one of Koh's main servants if it gets this going.

OOC: Then let's get started.

***

"Sir."

Gen Yi, first officer of the Third Division serving in the Tang Province of the Earth Kingdom, glanced up from his work. His office was nearly dark, the crystals used for light nearly spent, but he could see his immediate subordinate standing in the doorway. The soldier stood at attention, though his conical cap lay against his shoulders.

He sighed. "Yes, man? What is it? I am rather busy, so I hope it is important."

"Another child, sir."

Gen Yi stiffened. "Yes?"

"Another child has gone missing, sir," said the soldier. He swallowed. "We received word of it just now. A girl, no more than thirteen years, was taken from her home in Shinsu Village."

"You are certain this is not a case of a runaway, or a family squabble?" said Gen Yi.

"Yes, sir. Our men stationed in Shisu Village have searched the vicinity. Only the child's cloak was found, sir." The soldier gulped yet again, paling. "It was stained with blood, sir."

Gen Yi swore. His fists clenched. "And...?"

"Yes. The strange symbol was found not far from the cloak, sir."

"Then it is only a matter of time before we find the body. It was this way with all the others." The officer shook his head. "Damn... That is the third one this month."

What monster could be preying on the children of the Tang Province?

***

OOC: I'll post with Toph next. This is just to get us started.

(Okay, cool. Should I make a profile for Koh's servant, then?)

OOC: You can if you want.

(OOC: Ah, okay then. I'll keep him a mystery then, if that's okay.)

OOC: That's fine, too.

***

Toph yawned and stretched out her arms and legs. The smell of smoked meat and hot cider drifted past her nose. Stomach growling, she groaned as she leaned forward against the bar of the food-stall.

She liked traveling and all, but she liked eating, too. And it had been hours since her last meal.

This is what I get for agreeing to look in on something for the Earth King, she thought irritably.

How do I get into these messes? Sokka asked himself, bumping his head against the bars as an Earth Kingdom soldier cracked a whip to to make the ostrich horses pulling the prison cart forward.

"So, do you always assume a guy's guilty for being at the wrong place at the wrong time?" he asked, looking over at one of the guards walking beside the cart.

"Be quiet," the soldier order him sternly.

Sokka sighed. Maybe he should have stayed at Kyoshi Island. His journey had taken off on a bad start with that argument with Suki. She enjoyed her home and he couldn't blame her. It was a beautiful place with good people and good food. Sokka really wanted to stay there, but he just couldn't resist the lure of traveling again. It was probably from all that traveling during the War. Well, to make things short, Suki told him he was irresponsible and needed to settle down to enjoy the peace. Sokka reminded her she was his girlfriend and not his warden. And, well, things escalated from there. His sister was right, he did have a way with the ladies.

At last, they reached a small town. He gulped. Towns like these didn't have an official court. There went his carefully prepared speeches.

"But I'm not part of some crazy cult that kills children!" he exclaimed, only to be slapped in the face with a butt of a soldier's spear.

*

A cloaked figure knelt in a dark cave, his face concealed by a silver mask devoid of all facial features save for one eye-hole in the middle. Here, the line between the Spirit World and the Mortal World was thinned so that it was all but non-existant. Here, his lord could commune with him but could not enter to take his rightful place in the world.

"What is your, will, my lord?" he asked humbly. He placed a small bundle on floor of the cave, containing a small, sedated man they had mistook for a child. He had a youthful face and it wasn't until he spoke that his followers realized their mistake. They were properly punished for their insolence. The cloaked figure only hoped his lord forgave him.

After paying for her small meal, Toph made her way to the police headquarters. She did not know much about why she had been asked to assist in this matter, other than there was murder involved, but she did know that she was to meet with a man named Gen Li in this town.

The headquarters was a joint one; domestic forces, protecting and policing the town and its immediate area, served alongside the Earth Kingdom Army unit stationed there. The Tang Province was large, and it required a great deal of protection from such threats as bandits to Fire Nation rebels hoping to cause trouble. Policemen and soldiers worked together.

It was here that the investigation was headed, and here where she would gain the information she needed.

Ah, the life of a wandering do-gooder.

Not that she was a do-gooder. She was more or less a free agent, helping wherever and whenever she could. In that way, she was not much different from the other Companions to the Avatar.

Toph frowned, spirits dwindling. It had been months since she had last seen them. She missed them a great deal, and often wondered what they were up to. It was hard not having them around; it was like being back to that lonely child she had been, before she fell into their little group. Sometimes, she even daydreamed of running into them, and having fun and going on adventures, just like old times.

Thinking about them was making her think she heard them, too. It was annoying, too.

No, wait... That wasn't imagining. And it sounded like the friend she had missed most of all during her travels and work.

"Sokka?!"

Sokka groaned, rubbing his face. They were heading for a huge building and judging from the glares from the soldiers, he wasn't coming out of there anytime soon. He should not have been traveling alone. There was no Aang to smooth things over, no Katara to appeal to people's humanity, no Toph to earthbend him away...

He blinked. He tried tried popping his ears. It couldn't be. He looked out of his cage and sure enough, he saw the glassy green eyes of his blind friend. Inwardly, he promised the Universe that he'd try to give up meat... for a day. He looked up and waved his hands at her, even though she couldn't see him.

"Toph?! Help! These guys won't listen to me!"

Once again, he felt a wack of the spear. He grimaced, "Will you stop that?!"

"Shut-up!" snapped the soldier. "Speak out of turn again, and I'll--!"

"Get your ass smacked into the ground, is what you'll do." Toph approached them. "I'll even help you out. If you hit him again, that is."

The threat dangled in the air. The soldiers, however, did not back down. The one in charge scowled. "Who the hell are you, anyway?"

"That's no way to talk to a lady," said Toph. She dug around into her pouch and dragged out the Bei Fong Seal. The sun glinted against the golden insignia, that of the Flying Boar. "I'm Toph Bei Fong, and I'm here at the request of the Earth King and Captain Gen Li of the Earth Kingdom Army."

Her eyes narrowed.

"And you've got my friend locked up. Go ahead and let him out. Please."

The man took a gulp at the site of the seal and the name of one of the Avatar's traveling companions. He looked at her narrowed eyes before sparing a brief glare at Sokka.

"We found this on his person," he told her, taking a silver mask from his pocket and handing it to her, "He's obviously a member of the cult that's been kidnapping children and murdering them. He must be using your... handicap to try to deceive you by imitating the voice of your friend."

"I told you that I found it," Sokka said in exasperation, "You know, haven't you heard of finding something on the road and selling it for a little food?"

His guard glared at him, but for once, didn't strike him.

"He is taking advantage of your... unexperienced nature in order to escape and possibly kidnap you. Let us take care of this, my lady," he told her with a bow.

Despite himself, Sokka smirked. He almost pitied the man.

"Well, that is nice of you," said Toph, "but no thanks."

She examined the object he had given to her with her hands. A mask? And a smooth one, too. Weird... And what was that about a cult and murdered children they were talking about? Could it have anything to do with why she was here?

"There's no way that idiot could ever fool me," she continued. "And besides, if you know who I am, then you have to know that I'm anything but unexperienced." She sighed. "I'll vouch for him, if you want me to, or I'll pay his bail. Just go ahead and let him out."

The man looked at her nervously, then at Sokka suspiciously. He knew she outranked him and everyone else in this village. He signaled for Sokka to be let loose.

As he stumbled out Sokka grinned tiredly, "You know, I was looking forward to you losing your temper. Call me petty, but I get kind of annoyed with constant blows to the face."