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[b]Name:[/b] Serkana Sofia Theokleia

[b]Known Aliases:[/b] Serkana, The Centurion, The Demon

[b]Height:[/b] 7' 0"

[b]Weight:[/b] 245lbs

[b]Age:[/b] 33

[b]Hair Color and Style:[/b] Raven black and rather long. It is normally worn in a low ponytail.

[b]Eye Color:[/b] Irisless and completely white.

[b]Skin Color:[/b] Red

[b]Appearance:[/b] Serkana is tall and sinewy, her body well toned from her duties as a soldier. A large pair of curved horns sprout from the side of her head, curving down and forward, and her ears taper to a point. A strong tail grows from the base of her spine, and her double-jointed legs end in a pair of large cloven hooves. She is clad in black armor in a style that looks nearly identical to that of a Roman Centurion. Of what material the armor is constructed is unknown, but it has proven to be incredibly resistant to mundane attacks. Serkana insists it is made of simple steel. She wears a slightly tattered cloak the color of crimson. It is fastened onto her shoulders by a brooch near her right collarbone.

[b]Weapon:[/b] Serkana wields a finely balanced single-edged sword, which is about six feet in length; it is far too large for a normal human to wield effectively. She carries it in a scabbard on her left hip. The sword is constructed of the same steel as her armor, which has been shown to be incredibly durable.

[b]Characteristic Gestures:[/b] Stands with hands on hips, crosses arms over chest. Often meditates in seclusion

[b]Family Background:[/b] Born to a noble family with close ties to the Emperor, Serkana was raised to be an officer in the military.

[b]Skills/Abilities/Talents:[/b]

[b][I]Strategy:[/I][/b] Serkana was once a field commander for the Emperor of her homeland. She led her phalanx to many victories on the field of battle, employing fast and clever maneuvers to outwit her opponents with minimal loss of life. Such is the way she thinks about most problems she encounters. She weighs her options, then determines the best course of action. However, while Serkana ultimately wishes to preserve life, she would be willing to let a few die, in order that many more might be saved. Such are decisions Serkana does not weigh lightly.
[b][I]Strength of Mind:[/I][/b] Serkana has incredible willpower, determination, and tenacity. She will fight on when others around her have fallen, or if she has suffered wounds that others would call mortal. She knows she is not indestructible, however, and when prudence calls for a tactical retreat, she would not hesitate to do so. But Serkana would be back; she does not give up. She would view what others call a defeat a simple setback. She is utterly unaffected by illusions or tricks of the mind, but unfortunately this has given her a somewhat black-and-white view of the world.
[b][I]Martial Warrior:[/i][/b] Serkana wields her blade with deadly efficiency; easily able to cut a man from her homeland in half with one accurate strike. Rather than blindly leaping into combat, she uses a set of techniques depending upon the situation she faces; being as effective at defense as she is at offence. She often waits for a hole in an opponent's defenses to appear before delivering the deathblow. Her sword, its name known only to her, is very much an extension of her body. She wields it with a deadly grace that belies her large size.
[b][I]Powerful:[/I][/b] While not exactly possessing super strength, Serkana's homeland had much higher gravity than Earth, and she knows how to use her entire body to its fullest extent to take advantage of this difference. She can leap very far and usually travels by leaping from roof to roof. She can easily put her foes off balance with her knowledge of martial arts; appearing to be incredibly strong as a result.

[b]General Personality:[/b] Quiet and calculating. Calm and even tempered. Humble.

[b]Method of Handling Anger/Rage:[/b] Rarely does Serkana allow herself to become angry. If she is, it would normally be perceived by her mannerisms, such as fiddling with her sword scabbard, or being grim and agitated. The only way for her to truly become angry is for someone to personally insult her honor. She would cut someone down where they stood for such an insult.

[b]Admirable Traits:[/b] Honorable, compassionate, stoic, reliable

[b]Negative Traits:[/b] Stubborn, uncompromising, ruthless

[b]Most Painful Memory:[/b] The last image she saw of her homeland before she was transported to Earth. She saw a sorcerer kill her lord, the Emperor, whom she had sworn to protect.

[b]Likes:[/b] Seclusion, respect for authority, children (when they behave anyway), puppies

[b]Dislikes:[/b] Disrespect for authority, lawbreakers, magic users, misbehaving children

[b]Fears:[/b] Serkana is afraid that when she finally manages to find her way home, there will be nothing left for her to return to.

[b]Short Bio:[/b]

Serkana is from an alternate Earth in which all beings on the planet are tall, robust, and red skinned. This is due to the planet's gravity being higher than Earth's, as well as a unique, harmless form of radiation that their sun gives off. This radiation has permeated everything on the world, giving the sky and all living things a reddish hue.

On this alternate Earth, the Roman Empire did not fall as it did in our world. It instead spanned the globe and existed for many millennia. But peace never lasts, and large numbers of barbarian tribes who clung to life in the most inhospitable parts of the world rose up against the people of the Empire. It was during this time that Serkana was born. She was raised by a noble family who had for centuries been in close proximity to the line of Emperors. She was well trained by the Emperor's personal guards and at the young age of 27, she was given her first command of a phalanx.

She was sent out into the frozen wastes of the north and the sweltering deserts of the south in order to hunt down and destroy the barbarians who had been harassing the Empire for some time. She was ultimately successful in crushing these rebels, and enjoyed a hero's welcome at Roma, literally on the other side of the world from her campaigns against the barbarians.

Years passed, and Serkana had traveled the world, her fame following wherever she went. Serkana did not let it go to her head, and always insisted that she did not deserve the recognition, but the soldiers who did not return home deserved it.

Upon returning to Roma from yet another glorious campaign, Serkana was horrified to see the Imperial Palace in flames. She led her phalanx through Roma on a direct course for the palace, sending several scouts ahead to discover what had happened. From the reports she had heard apparently the Praetorian Guard, the personal guards of the Emperor, went insane and started attacking everyone inside the palace. Serkana and her phalanx fought their way into the palace, killing their former comrades in order to rescue the Emperor; there was not time to save the Praetorian Guard, only time enough to save the Emperor himself. Leaving command of the phalanx to her subordinate, Serkana ran off down the halls of the palace by herself. She fought through waves of crazed servants, dignitaries and other occupants of the palace until she finally found the Emperor, cornered by those who were sworn to protect him. Righteous anger flooded her veins and Serkana expertly dispatched the Emperor's opponents. The Emperor leveled his gaze to hers and simply nodded in thanks. She quickly bowed and swore to protect him. She then began to escort the Emperor out of the palace, the two of them fighting side-by-side.

They did not get very far, however, as a powerful force slammed into Serkana, sending her sprawling several yards away from the Emperor. A large man wreathed in a glowing nimbus of power appeared before the Emperor and grabbed him by the throat. Serkana was on her feet in an instant, but she was completely stunned by the scene before her. The large man was using some type of sorcery, which had been believed to be a myth.

Despite her disbelief, Serkana charged at the sorcerer, bowling him over and freeing the Emperor. The next thing she knew, Serkana was surrounded by a bright circle of power. She found herself sinking through the floor, and she screamed in denial as she saw the sorcerer kill the Emperor. And then there was only blackness.

An instant later, Serkana was still falling. She fell nearly twenty-five feet to land heavily on a hard black surface with yellow lines. Strangely built towers and hovels surrounded her, and strange loud noises filled the air. The sky was blue, unlike the familiar red she was used to, and it was then that Serkana realized she was somewhere very strange.

Small beings nearby spoke and pointed at her, some slowly approaching her location with what looked like small crossbows.

Unsure of what to make of her new situation, Serkana raised her blade and readied herself for a fight.

Comments and constructive criticism welcome! Serkana was my first City of Heroes character, a Katana/Willpower Scrapper, and she has grown quite a bit since her first incarnation. I look forward to reviving her in City of Titans!