Darren Shan [reserved] - jigoku_apts
Application
PLAYER:
Name:L
Personal Journal:chocoholicl
Contact Info:rino-chan@hotmail.com (MSN and e-mail), PhantomAce1412 (AIM and Xbox360 gamertag)
CHARACTER:
Name:
Darren Shan
Source:
The Saga of Darren Shan/Cirque du Freak
History:
Young Darren Shan has been fascinated by spiders from an early age. His best friend, Steve "Leopard" Leonard, has grown up reading horror comics and stories of the Wolf-Man and vampires. After viewing the "Cirque du Freak" Darren and Steve are mesmerized by the fantastic and disturbing show, especially by the act of the mysterious Mr. Crepsley and his giant, deathly poisonous spider, Madam Octa. After the show, Steve sneaks back into the theater and confronts Mr. Crepsley about being a vampire. He demands to become a vampire too, and join the circus as Mr. Crepsley’s assistant. The vampire refuses Steve upon tasting his blood, and declaring it “evil”. Steve is enraged, and declares revenge on Mr. Crepsley when he grows up. Unbeknownst to Steve, Darren has hidden in the theater, witnessing the confrontation and becoming wary of Steve. Darren develops an obsession for Madam Octa, and returns to the theater to steal her, using his knowledge of Mr. Crepsley's true nature to his advantage. He trains the spider in secret with a flute that forces the spider to obey his commands. Eventually, Steve visits Darren, demanding to know why Darren is avoiding him. Darren lets slip that he had witnessed Steve's and Mr. Crepsley's talk by falling in a trap of "names" by Steve and that he had stolen Madam Octa. When Steve is at Darren's house playing with Madam Octa, Darren gets distracted, losing control over the spider which bites and paralyzes Steve. Steve's only hope for survival is if Darren makes a deal with Mr. Crepsley to become his assistant.
Steve lives, but Darren is turned into a half-vampire and is thrust into the dark world of the vampires. Darren tries to live amongst humans, but decides to join Mr. Crepsley after nearly attacking his sister. In order to successfully free Darren of all previous bonds, including family, Mr. Crepsley helps his apprentice fake his own death by perfectly simulating an accidental, but fatal fall. Following Darren's human body's funeral, Mr. Crepsley digs Darren up. Darren begins his new life as a vampire, ending his days as a human by encountering Steve who vows on his blood to track him and his mentor, Mr. Crepsley,down to the ends of Earth as the world's best Vampire Hunter when he grows up.
Weeks later...
Darren is beginning to cope with life as a vampire's assistant though he still refuses to drink human blood and hates his companion, Mr. Crepsley, for turning him into a half vampire which has led him to faking his own death. Although he is far stronger than any human, and a shotput world champion, as he discovers, he is still finding it hard to adjust to his new life. His unchallenged strength causes him to be alone, as he can not make any human friends without breaking their hands. Larten teaches Darren all about vampirism, and sometimes is shown regretting blooding Darren. Soon he decides to take Darren to the Cirque du Freak, and Mr.Tall allows him to work there. He even goes onstage sometimes as Mr. Crepsley's assistant in his act.
Darren makes good friends with Evra Von, the snake boy. When they meet a young boy called Sam Grest who loves pickled onions, things begin to look up...and down. A local eco-logical preserver hippie known as Reggie Veggie (RV) befriends the trio of boys, but soon begins to learn about the animals that the freaks are feeding on - stolen from farmers. Reggie begins to worry Darren, so he goes to tell Mr. Tall, but becomes preoccupied on his way because Truska, the bearded lady, put together a new set of clothes for Darren. Darren must then do Evra's chores as he is tending to his sick snake, and forgets about telling Mr. Tall about Reggie that day.
A night of performance comes, as Mr. Tall finally gets wind of Reggie from Darren, but doubts that he can do any damage. But the Cirque did move along from that place, because of Reggie's threat to call the police. Darren, who still refuses to drink human blood, decides not to perform and sets off. He hears a sound coming from the wolfman's cage, and decides to investigate. It was Reggie Veggie trying to free the wolf-man, having no idea how violent the wolf man can be. After biting off Reggie's arms, the wolf-man sets off after a figure behind Darren, who has dropped a bag of clothes and onions-Sam. Darren learns he was going to smuggle himself away with the circus. Sam is viciously killed by the wolf man, despite Darren's attempt to save him. While standing over Sam's dying body, Mr. Crepsley convinces Darren to drink Sam's blood, therefore "preserving" some of Sam's soul and his love for pickled onions, as decided from the discussion of some topic on vampirism.
A few years pass.
Gavner Purl, a full vampire and Vampire General, arrives at the Cirque du Freak. Gavner is shocked to discover Darren a half-vampire. Mr. Crepsley wants to talk to his old friend in private soon after he arrives. Darren never does find out what they're talking about and keeps forgetting to ask. After the meeting, Gavner walks with Darren for a while, revealling to him that Mr. Crepsley was a Vampire General and was about to be invested as a Vampire Prince, a leader of the Vampire Clan. He also lets slip that Mr. Crepsley is going to leave the Cirque and finally binds Darren to secrecy regarding all these facts. A day or so later, Mr. Crepsley does inform Darren that he must leave and the boy must accompany him. He suggests that Evra can come with Darren as if on a "holiday" and to help him keep Darren out of mischief.
They go to the city (which is later revealed as Mr.Crepsley's hometown) and get a disguise made for Evra so no one will notice his scales. In the night while Mr. Crepsley goes out on mysterious excursions, in the day, Darren and Evra enjoy themselves. When looking for a Christmas gift for Evra, Darren comes across Debbie, a girl from the Square, where they were staying. The two begin "dating" and like each other very much.
After a date and a "kiss" with Debbie, Darren and Evra are disturbed by a news report saying that human bodies were found in a basement, drained of blood. Darren and Evra fear that it may be Mr. Crepsley, and decide to track him at night to see where he goes. When Darren thinks that he is about to go and kill a man, he attempts to face Mr. Crepsley and tries to stop him, but discovers that it was actually a work of a mad Vampaneze named Murlough. Murlough runs away, managing to kidnap Evra with him. Mr. Crepsley tells Darren about the Vampaneze and Murlough, giving him any information he needs before they head into the tunnels beneath the city to face him.
Mr. Crepsley and Darren discover Evra kidnapped when they come out of the abattoir where the man Murlough intened to feed from was. Mr. Crepsley declares that Evra has been or would be killed by Murlough, and Darren takes the apparent loss of Evra pretty badly.
He goes over to Debbie to seek some comfort and gets invited over to her house for Christmas Eve. Debbie almost cries when she realizes that Darren might have to leave suddenly and gives him a hug. Murlough spots Darren on his way back from Debbie's, and stops him to demand Mr. Crepsley in exchange for Evra's freedom. He reluctantly refuses, but is confident that he'll get Evra back himself.
On returning, Darren tells Mr. Crepsley about Debbie, his talk with Murlough, and his refusal to sell Mr. Crepsley for Evra. Mr. Crepsley is highly impressed and they begin making plans to save Evra before December 25th, the day Murlough has promised to kill Evra.
The two venture down to the sewers and Darren gets caught by the Vampaneze. Darren gives Murlough a piece of mind by telling him about the Vampire laws and so Darren decides to trade Debbie's life for Evra's. They reach Debbie's home and room where Mr. Crepsley slays Murlough, who is tricked into killing a goat according to Darren's plan. The dying Vampaneze whispers to Darren, 'Clever boy, hmmm?'. After the battle, Darren decorates Debbie's Christmas tree, as he promised before, and kisses her on the forehead, wishing her a 'Merry Christmas.' They return to the Cirque du Freak, but their visit is short-lived.
Darren, along with Mr. Crepsley, leaves the Cirque Du Freak and heads toward the Vampire Mountain to present himself to the Vampire Princes. The gathering at Vampire Mountain by the vampire clan is an event that occurs every 12 years. Before they leave, Mr. Tiny talks to Mr. Crepsley and coerces him into taking two of the Little People along as guardians of Darren.
On the journey are Darren, two of the Little People (including Harkat Mulds, once known as Lefty), and Mr. Crepsley. About halfway through their journey they come upon a way station. The way station is a place where vampires rest while ascending the treacherous path to Vampire Mountain (they are recommended because vampires cannot flit to the mountain, as it is against their code), where Darren and Mr. Crepsley see two broken coffins and vampire blood. Here Gavner Purl jokingly tries to kidnap Darren in the waystation and surprise the party. Mr. Crepsley, alert and unknowing of the man's identity, nearly kills the Vampire General.
Darren also has a fight with a bear infected with Vampaneze blood and encounters a pack of wolves (cousins of the vampires) who help him in the battle. Harkat comes and kills the bear. He then begins to speak (something no one knew the Little People could do), saying that he has a message about The Vampaneze Lord from the treacherous Mr.Tiny.
After a long and difficult journey, the four finally arrive at Vampire Mountain. There Darren first encounters Arra Sails, Mr. Crepsley's former "mate", one-eyed Vanez Blane, a fighting coach for Vampire Generals, Seba Nile, Mr. Crepsley's old friend and quarter master of vampire mountain, and good natured Kurda Smahlt, the soon-to-be Vampire Prince. Arra Sails and Darren then have a fight on planks with staffs. Arra eventually wins and shakes Darren's hand after he threatens to stay on the planks and continue to fight her until she does so. There are very few people she will shake hands with, and her doing so is truly a great honor to any being.
At the mountain the Vampire Princes decided that Darren has to take a series of trials that prove him worthy of being a half-vampire, as it's against the vampire's code to blood children. The price of failure is death, either by dying during a trial, or being painfully executed by being dropped into a pit of stakes after failing a trial. Darren agrees despite his fear, Mr.Crepsley's reluctance, and warnings from his friends Gavner and Kurda.
The trials are a series of tasks that vampires used to have to do to prove themselves to the Princes. Now it is only used for vampires who want to become a general or that want to show their strength, but Darren Shan has to endure the trials, because Darren chooses to stand up for his mentor and friend Mr.Crepsley.
Darren must randomly choose five numbered stones from a bag to determine the trials he must take part in. The first of his five selected trials is The Aquatic Maze, a maze that fills steadily with water in 17 minutes while Darren has to get through while dragging a rock half his weight. The second trial is The Path of Needles, a run from one end of a room to the other barefoot across stalagmites which splinter badly and are as sharp as knives. The first two trials he finishes easily, the Path of Needles leaving him with only a few cuts.
The third trial is The Hall of Flames, a metal room with jets that shoot out flames. Darren must remain in the room for fifteen minutes, trying not to get 'roasted'. This trial is his most difficult. For the first fourteen minutes he does fine with barely even a burn. But in the very last minute, disaster strikes. He has to make the choice to either stand where he is and be burnt to death, or jump through a pillar of flames before him and also run the possibility of being burnt to death. Soon the decision is made for him as he feels the fire at his feet getting closer. He jumps through the flames and comes out badly burnt, bald, and delusional on the other side. Luckily the trial ends right after and he has to be escorted - screaming and wide-eyed - to the hospital wing of Vampire Mountain. It takes him days to recover, but his hair won't grow back for years and he's left with permanent scars and fear of fire.
The fourth trial is The Blooded Boars, where Darren has to kill two boars infected with vampire blood. However due to Darren's several injuries, he could not move the first dead boar he killed when it landed on him. The second boar tried to kill Darren, but Harkat, a Little Person, killed the second boar. This unfortunately was unacceptable, so Darren had to be punished by going to the Hall of Death. Harkat could not be punished because it was Darren's trial and it was not customary to kill 'interferers'. Gavner and Kurda help Darren escape, but a group of Vampaneze shiding in the mountain show up to stop them and end up battling Kurda and Gavner. Kurda betrays the clan and stabs Gavner, revealing his work with the Vampaneze in the cave. Darren runs to escape before he's killed as well, but the Vampaneze and the traitor Kurda chase after him. He tries to jump over the roaring torrent of a river in the tunnels of Vampire Mountain to get away, but ends up in the water instead, and carried out over the falls to the cold and snowy river below. It's almost certain he's dead.
By the luck of the vampires Darren survives his fall and makes it to the bank of the river, where he's found by a pack of wolves, Streak and Rudi - the two wolves he knew from an earlier encounter. These wolves help him make his way back to Vampire Mountain safely by providing him with warmth and food. Darren must find a way to inform the Vampire Princes of Kurda's treachery before they crown him a fellow Prince. Kurda's treason includes hiding Vampaneze inside the mountain, preparing to murder the Princes, and attempting to gain control of the Stone of Blood (a powerful stone that can be used to locate any vampire who has touched it), with which he would force the vampires to join the Vampaneze and become a single clan once more.
However, with Seba Nile's help, Darren reveals Kurda to the Princes in the nick of time. The Vampaneze are found and savagely murdered with help from the mountain's spiders - which Darren, Mr.Crepsley, and Seba Niles control with their minds, a power only these three have - and two wolves that followed Darren to the mountain. Arra Sails is badly wounded during the fight with the Vampaneze and dies soon after, and Vanez Blane loses his other eye. Darren kills two Vampaneze, but is sickened by his own battle lust. Days after the battle formal funerals are held for Gavner Purl and Arra Sails as they were both Vampire Generals. Mr.Crepsley is heart broken by the death of his former mate Arra, and Darren can hear him night after night sobbing in his room.
Even though Kurda's intentions are pure, the Princes give him the most terrible punishment possible: execution by impalement of stakes in the Hall of Death in the manner of a traitor and shameful cremation, so that he may not reach Paradise. Darren is supposed to be executed for fleeing the Prince's judgment, but the Princes, wanting to hold true to traditions and spare Darren at the same time, decide that he must be made a Prince, thereby putting him above the laws which demand his execution. The ceremony to make him a Prince is held soon after. Darren's blood is added to the Stone of Blood and the stone's blood added to his own. With more vampire blood in his veins, Darren's powers increase, an important change for his adventures to come.
Darren reigns as a Vampire Prince for years, helping the other three Princes (Arrow, Paris Skyle, and Mika Ver Leth) with the War of the Scars. The Vampires and Vampaneze are fighting once again, battles held around the world between the two groups, and Darren - along with the other Princes - is in charge of the strategic side of the fighting.
Not long into his years as a Prince, Darren is once again visited by Desmond Tiny (the creator of vampires and Little People). He explains that three hunters must find and hunt down the Vampaneze Lord if they have any hopes to win the war. He announces that two of them are Darren and Mr. Crepsley, but the third one they must find on their way. The hunters are told by Mr. Tiny that they will cross paths with the Lord of the Vampaneze four times throughout their quest, and have only those four chances to destroy him.
They leave and go to Lady Evanna for help as they were instructed by Mr.Tiny. On the way Darren grows older, a type of "puberty" for half vampires. Over a span of only two weeks he ages from 12 to 18, growing taller and stronger, even getting all his hair back. They also meet with Vancha March, another Vampire Prince and the last hunter. Vancha's skin is a dark shade of red, due to his constant battle with the sun (he thinks that the sun, like any other enemy of the creatures of the night, can be defeated) and does not like to use weapons, using his bare hands instead. Though, he does use the shurikens that are strapped to his belt when necessary. He prefers to wear only clothes made from animals, and doesn't care for having many manners. He claims to be a ladies man, though Darren perceives him as someone whom all women dislike.
The three get to Evanna's house, and she lets them stay with her for a few days so they can discuss what Mr.Tiny said and where they should go next. When they eventually leave Lady Evanna's house, they set their sites back towards the Cirque Du Freak, following Darren's gut feeling as a Vampire Prince and the main hunter. While they are staying there, Darren notices Lady Evanna leaving the Cirque one night and follows her to a nearby forest. He witnesses Lady Evanna meeting with a group of Vampaneze and fears the worst. He gets the others, and they prepare an attack.
After launching what seemed to be a successful strike on the group of Vampaneze, two of them get away. One being Vancha's brother, and the other being a servant of the Vampaneze. Vancha lets them get away after realizing that one is his brother. However, little to their knowledge, the servant was actually the Vampaneze Lord in disguise! After a few more nights at the Cirque to once again come up with a strategy, they set off to once more try to encounter the Lord and destroy him to end the War of the Scars.
Darren, Harkat, and Mr.Crepsley (Vancha going back to Vampire Mountain to inform the other Princes and Generals of their encounter with the Vampaneze Lord) go to Mr.Crepsley's hometown once again to investigate if Vampaneze had set up territories there. But soon after their arrival Darren is discovered by the police and forced to attend school. He has trouble with most of his subjects as he only has a middle school education, but luckily (or perhaps unluckily?) his English teacher is Debbie, his old girlfriend from his first visit to this city.
Mr.Crepsley has to go back to Vampire Mountain again for Paris Skyle's funeral, leaving Darren and Harkat to continue the investigations alone. One night on his way back to the hotel room the three are staying in, Darren encounters a Vampaneze with hooks for hands and a mask wrapped around his face. The Vampaneze attacks, but Darren is saved by his old friend Steve. Steve joins Darren for the hunt of the Vampaneze, claiming he's changed his ways and now understands who the real enemy is, and dropped his desire for vengeance against Darren and Mr.Crepsley long ago.
Darren later reveals himself as a vampire to Debbie, and after a long explanation and a day's contemplating she joins Darren and Steve for the fight. Mr. Crepsley comes back and helps Darren pursue the Vampaneze, but understandably doesn't trust Steve. Darren does convince him, however, that Steve will be a big help for them and lets him come with them. Vancha also joins them again a few days later.
They chase the hooked Vampaneze to the sewers at night, but the Vampaneze led them to a trap. Darren and his team are soon surrounded and the Vampaneze Lord makes his second appearance. Darren tries to kill him, but is stopped by Steve, who shows his true side as being a Vampet - humans working with the Vampaneze - and betraying Darren and his friends. The hooked Vampaneze is also revealed to be RV (Reggie Veggie).
A fight begins between the Hunters and the Vampaneze. Vancha charges through the Vampets, scattering them and Mr. Crepsley follows, slicing with his nails to bring down many Vampaneze. Darren soon beats Steve and is about to finish him off, but RV uses Debbie as a hostage. RV, Gannen Harst, and the Lord soon leave with the threat that they will kill Debbie if they are followed. Darren and Vancha take a Vampet and Steve as their hostage and are given a warning by Gannen to leave the tunnels immediately or he'll send Vampaneze to finish them off.
Darren and his friends quickly leave the underground passages to escape the Vampaneze and Vampets, making their way back to the abandoned apartment they've been staying at. There, Vancha tortures the Vampet - to death - and finds out that only the Vampaneze Lord can kill the three hunters. Unfortunately, Steve has arranged for the police to find out about them and soon they're surrounded by the police and army. They escape by jumping through the window, while Vancha escapes with the chief of police; the rest are captured and imprisoned.
After much questioning at the police station a Vampet called Morgan helps Darren escape, claiming that he is proud to serve the creatures of the night. Darren then helps Harkat escape, a task which was aided by the guards' fear of the Little Person (they were under the impression that he had a rare and deadly disease). The two together are able to free Mr.Crepsley and they quickly make their way outside to freedom, unnoticed by the guards who are occupied by Steve's having killed a nurse and two other people.
Mr. Crepsley, Darren, and Harkat descend into the tunnels, where they meet up with Vancha. They arm themselves with weapons carelessly discarded by the Vampaneze and seek out Steve, who calls the rest of the Vampaneze. There is a battle between the two sides, and soon they face the Vampaneze Lord. The Vampaneze Lord says that he and Mr. Crepsley must fight one another alone with no help from either side. The Vampaneze and Vampires stop their fighting to watch the tense fight on the platform above them. Eventually Mr. Crepsley kills the Vampaneze Lord, but Steve jumps onto his back and causes him to fall over the side, where he is hanging over the pit of flaming stakes with Steve. Since he believes the Vampaneze lord is dead, he agrees to kill himself in exchange for a free passage for the rest. Larten Crepsley lets go of Steve and falls into the pit below, giving Darren a smile as they've succeeded in ending the war.
Or so he thinks.
After he is dead and everyone has safely departed, Steve reveals himself to Darren as the Vampaneze Lord: the one whom Darren must destroy for the sake of the world. Mr.Crepsley's death had been in vain. With a laugh Steve walks away and Gannen Hurst knocks Darren out so the two may escape.
Darren is unable to cry. He feels numb. But with the help of the bearded lady, Truska, back at the Cirque du Freak - where he's been staying to recuperate after the battle - he eventually does so. Mr. Tiny then appears and tells Harkat that if he wants his nightmares (which have returned) to stop, he must walk through a portal that Mr. Tiny makes. Harkat refuses to let Darren go with him.
Debbie Hemlock and Police Chief Alice Burgess want to start an army to combat the Vampets, but have to get the approval of the Vampire Princes first. Darren agrees to lead them to Vampire Mountain, leaving Harkat to face whatever Mr.Tiny has laid out for him alone. But he and the girls are barely a mile away form the Cirque when Darren decides that he should go with Harkat, much to the little person's dismay. Debbie and Alice go on without Darren and he agrees to meet up with them later. Darren and Harkat then walk through the mysterious portal, and are thrown into a strange, gray world.
Darren and Harkat are forced to complete many diffucult tasks. They first hunt down a black panther and collect a map inside it. Darren finds that the panther's teeth have been marked with letters. They start rearranging the teeth, with Harkat using up all the teeth to get SLAM DARK HUT, and then again to find it reads HARKAT MULDS. Harkat dismisses it as an utter waste of time, as Mr. Tiny loves to meddle with time. However Harkat keeps the teeth, saying that they might be useful as they are sharp.
Next they have to steal 'gelatinous globes' from the world's biggest toad. They arrive to see the toad standing in the middle of a lake surrounded by crocodiles. Darren and Harkat zip through the lake, grab a few globes, then run off, making the task relatively easy compared to the last.
Darren and Harkat eventually meet up with Lady Evanna. Her appearance is completely unexpected, and she does not wish to tell the two how or why she is there. She helps them get across the lake where they meet a man who calls himself Spits Abrams. Spits is a former pirate and heavy drinker, and although Darren and Harkat do not trust him very much, they suspect that Mr. Tiny put him in that world for a reason, and decide to take him with them.
They soon reach a small area filled with 'people' they call Kulashkas (since they are chanting "kulashka" more than any other word) where they are required to steal vials of 'holy liquid'. Darren and Harkat enter the village, Spits being afraid, to find the 'holy liquid' to be the venom from the fangs of a huge creature appropriately called the Grotesque. The Grotesque is apparently the Kulashkas' god. Darren and Harkat rush to two vials containing the venom and are attacked by the Grotesque.
Harkat raises the vial as the Grotesque attempts to kill him, and the Grotesque backs off. The Kulashkas arrive, pointing spears at Darren and Harkat, trying to drive them back. They are driven closer to the Grotesque and Darren drives them back with his vial. The chief of the Kulashkas starts trying to speak to them in a non-understandable language, with Darren saying that he can't understand them. The chief starts gesturing that they are free to leave, but must return the vials to the altar which carried them. Darren starts to do so, but a drunken Spits arrives,and cuts the Kulashkas with his knife as Darren throws one vial at the Grotesque, which explodes, hurting the Grotesque and those nearby it, revealing the liquid to be highly explosive. Harkat sees floorboards underneath them and starts stomping on them. Darren joins in and their soon crashing through the floorboards.
They end up in a tunnel, following it until they reach a room. There is a fridge, which Spits asks about, as he did not have fridges in his time. There are also postcards, signed by Mr. Tiny. Harkat is bothered by the postcards, but does not explain why. They then leave the room, Spits taking a few extra bottles of whiskey.
Soon after this is when he arrives in the Jigoku Apartments.
Personality:
Darren looks like a strong, mature 18-year-old boy, but on the inside he's truly still a kid. While not always optimistic, he loves adventure and danger, though that comes from being a half vampire. Every vampire lives to fight and test their strength, and Darren is definitely not an exception. He's had a love for spiders since he was young, and that's what lead him to Mr.Crepsley and the Cirque du Freak in the first place. That love, and help from Mr.Crepsley, over time gave him the ability to be able to control spiders telepathically.
Darren has a magnetic personality and can make friends easily. He's also very brave and has a good sense of humor, never missing the chance to crack a joke or a sarcastic remark. He doesn't judge anyone after living with a circus of freaks, and his three best friends being a vampire, snake-boy, and stitched together Little Person. He has amazing stamina, and eventhough he's a half vampire he can go close to a month without any blood. Even if he's week and to the point of collapse by the end of it. He also has amazing luck. He's been close to death many times, but here he is healthy and alive none-the-less.
Biggest Fear:
Fire
Powers:
Darren can telepathically control spiders and because he's a half vampire he has superior strength. He doesn't quite have all the powers of a vampire, but over time more and more vampire blood is being introduced into his veins thanks to the Stone of Blood. Sooner or later he will be able to flit and have healing saliva along with his other powers.
SAMPLES:
Third Person:
Darren hit his torch several times, trying to make it come back on. Ofcourse right when he entered the tunnels it had to go off. He cursed himself for not bringing extra batteries or even thinking of the possibility of that happening. He growled low as he threw the torch into the water beneath him and opted for trying to adjust his eyes to the darkness. It took up some valuable time and he still couldn't see completely once his eyes fully adjusted, but it had to be done. Atleast he had the advantage of being able to sneak around better. And hey, maybe he'd even be able to take a Vampaneze by surprise.
Darren's useless torch gave him the inspiration to be even more quiet stealthy, and soon he was amusing himself by pretending to be a ninja as he searched for his enemies. Hey, who said he couldn't have fun on an important mission? Well, Mr.Crepsley did, but he wasn't there, now, was he? Darren grinned to himself and tried not to laugh aloud as he continued his way down the dark sewer underneath the city streets.
First Person:
[Voice]
Well, this place sure is gloomy. Who skipped out on clean-up duty, huh?
Who's all out there anyway? I know there are other people here, but I haven't seen any yet. Shy? Scared of the big bad teenager? Ha ha!
[There's a short rustling sound.]
By the way, I don't count those people in robes. There was something wrong about them. Believe me, I've seen people like that before. They worshiped a big, grotesque snake thing. Craaaaaaaazy.
So...any friendlies here? Or am I destined to run into those weirdos over and over again? And I don't mean weirdos in a good way.
[A short pause.]
Yes, there are good types of weirdos. Like me!
Notes:
This is my first time apping Darren Shan, so I hope it's not too bad. ^^'
PLAYER:
Name:L
Personal Journal:chocoholicl
Contact Info:rino-chan@hotmail.com (MSN and e-mail), PhantomAce1412 (AIM and Xbox360 gamertag)
CHARACTER:
Name:
Darren Shan
Source:
The Saga of Darren Shan/Cirque du Freak
History:
Young Darren Shan has been fascinated by spiders from an early age. His best friend, Steve "Leopard" Leonard, has grown up reading horror comics and stories of the Wolf-Man and vampires. After viewing the "Cirque du Freak" Darren and Steve are mesmerized by the fantastic and disturbing show, especially by the act of the mysterious Mr. Crepsley and his giant, deathly poisonous spider, Madam Octa. After the show, Steve sneaks back into the theater and confronts Mr. Crepsley about being a vampire. He demands to become a vampire too, and join the circus as Mr. Crepsley’s assistant. The vampire refuses Steve upon tasting his blood, and declaring it “evil”. Steve is enraged, and declares revenge on Mr. Crepsley when he grows up. Unbeknownst to Steve, Darren has hidden in the theater, witnessing the confrontation and becoming wary of Steve. Darren develops an obsession for Madam Octa, and returns to the theater to steal her, using his knowledge of Mr. Crepsley's true nature to his advantage. He trains the spider in secret with a flute that forces the spider to obey his commands. Eventually, Steve visits Darren, demanding to know why Darren is avoiding him. Darren lets slip that he had witnessed Steve's and Mr. Crepsley's talk by falling in a trap of "names" by Steve and that he had stolen Madam Octa. When Steve is at Darren's house playing with Madam Octa, Darren gets distracted, losing control over the spider which bites and paralyzes Steve. Steve's only hope for survival is if Darren makes a deal with Mr. Crepsley to become his assistant.
Steve lives, but Darren is turned into a half-vampire and is thrust into the dark world of the vampires. Darren tries to live amongst humans, but decides to join Mr. Crepsley after nearly attacking his sister. In order to successfully free Darren of all previous bonds, including family, Mr. Crepsley helps his apprentice fake his own death by perfectly simulating an accidental, but fatal fall. Following Darren's human body's funeral, Mr. Crepsley digs Darren up. Darren begins his new life as a vampire, ending his days as a human by encountering Steve who vows on his blood to track him and his mentor, Mr. Crepsley,down to the ends of Earth as the world's best Vampire Hunter when he grows up.
Weeks later...
Darren is beginning to cope with life as a vampire's assistant though he still refuses to drink human blood and hates his companion, Mr. Crepsley, for turning him into a half vampire which has led him to faking his own death. Although he is far stronger than any human, and a shotput world champion, as he discovers, he is still finding it hard to adjust to his new life. His unchallenged strength causes him to be alone, as he can not make any human friends without breaking their hands. Larten teaches Darren all about vampirism, and sometimes is shown regretting blooding Darren. Soon he decides to take Darren to the Cirque du Freak, and Mr.Tall allows him to work there. He even goes onstage sometimes as Mr. Crepsley's assistant in his act.
Darren makes good friends with Evra Von, the snake boy. When they meet a young boy called Sam Grest who loves pickled onions, things begin to look up...and down. A local eco-logical preserver hippie known as Reggie Veggie (RV) befriends the trio of boys, but soon begins to learn about the animals that the freaks are feeding on - stolen from farmers. Reggie begins to worry Darren, so he goes to tell Mr. Tall, but becomes preoccupied on his way because Truska, the bearded lady, put together a new set of clothes for Darren. Darren must then do Evra's chores as he is tending to his sick snake, and forgets about telling Mr. Tall about Reggie that day.
A night of performance comes, as Mr. Tall finally gets wind of Reggie from Darren, but doubts that he can do any damage. But the Cirque did move along from that place, because of Reggie's threat to call the police. Darren, who still refuses to drink human blood, decides not to perform and sets off. He hears a sound coming from the wolfman's cage, and decides to investigate. It was Reggie Veggie trying to free the wolf-man, having no idea how violent the wolf man can be. After biting off Reggie's arms, the wolf-man sets off after a figure behind Darren, who has dropped a bag of clothes and onions-Sam. Darren learns he was going to smuggle himself away with the circus. Sam is viciously killed by the wolf man, despite Darren's attempt to save him. While standing over Sam's dying body, Mr. Crepsley convinces Darren to drink Sam's blood, therefore "preserving" some of Sam's soul and his love for pickled onions, as decided from the discussion of some topic on vampirism.
A few years pass.
Gavner Purl, a full vampire and Vampire General, arrives at the Cirque du Freak. Gavner is shocked to discover Darren a half-vampire. Mr. Crepsley wants to talk to his old friend in private soon after he arrives. Darren never does find out what they're talking about and keeps forgetting to ask. After the meeting, Gavner walks with Darren for a while, revealling to him that Mr. Crepsley was a Vampire General and was about to be invested as a Vampire Prince, a leader of the Vampire Clan. He also lets slip that Mr. Crepsley is going to leave the Cirque and finally binds Darren to secrecy regarding all these facts. A day or so later, Mr. Crepsley does inform Darren that he must leave and the boy must accompany him. He suggests that Evra can come with Darren as if on a "holiday" and to help him keep Darren out of mischief.
They go to the city (which is later revealed as Mr.Crepsley's hometown) and get a disguise made for Evra so no one will notice his scales. In the night while Mr. Crepsley goes out on mysterious excursions, in the day, Darren and Evra enjoy themselves. When looking for a Christmas gift for Evra, Darren comes across Debbie, a girl from the Square, where they were staying. The two begin "dating" and like each other very much.
After a date and a "kiss" with Debbie, Darren and Evra are disturbed by a news report saying that human bodies were found in a basement, drained of blood. Darren and Evra fear that it may be Mr. Crepsley, and decide to track him at night to see where he goes. When Darren thinks that he is about to go and kill a man, he attempts to face Mr. Crepsley and tries to stop him, but discovers that it was actually a work of a mad Vampaneze named Murlough. Murlough runs away, managing to kidnap Evra with him. Mr. Crepsley tells Darren about the Vampaneze and Murlough, giving him any information he needs before they head into the tunnels beneath the city to face him.
Mr. Crepsley and Darren discover Evra kidnapped when they come out of the abattoir where the man Murlough intened to feed from was. Mr. Crepsley declares that Evra has been or would be killed by Murlough, and Darren takes the apparent loss of Evra pretty badly.
He goes over to Debbie to seek some comfort and gets invited over to her house for Christmas Eve. Debbie almost cries when she realizes that Darren might have to leave suddenly and gives him a hug. Murlough spots Darren on his way back from Debbie's, and stops him to demand Mr. Crepsley in exchange for Evra's freedom. He reluctantly refuses, but is confident that he'll get Evra back himself.
On returning, Darren tells Mr. Crepsley about Debbie, his talk with Murlough, and his refusal to sell Mr. Crepsley for Evra. Mr. Crepsley is highly impressed and they begin making plans to save Evra before December 25th, the day Murlough has promised to kill Evra.
The two venture down to the sewers and Darren gets caught by the Vampaneze. Darren gives Murlough a piece of mind by telling him about the Vampire laws and so Darren decides to trade Debbie's life for Evra's. They reach Debbie's home and room where Mr. Crepsley slays Murlough, who is tricked into killing a goat according to Darren's plan. The dying Vampaneze whispers to Darren, 'Clever boy, hmmm?'. After the battle, Darren decorates Debbie's Christmas tree, as he promised before, and kisses her on the forehead, wishing her a 'Merry Christmas.' They return to the Cirque du Freak, but their visit is short-lived.
Darren, along with Mr. Crepsley, leaves the Cirque Du Freak and heads toward the Vampire Mountain to present himself to the Vampire Princes. The gathering at Vampire Mountain by the vampire clan is an event that occurs every 12 years. Before they leave, Mr. Tiny talks to Mr. Crepsley and coerces him into taking two of the Little People along as guardians of Darren.
On the journey are Darren, two of the Little People (including Harkat Mulds, once known as Lefty), and Mr. Crepsley. About halfway through their journey they come upon a way station. The way station is a place where vampires rest while ascending the treacherous path to Vampire Mountain (they are recommended because vampires cannot flit to the mountain, as it is against their code), where Darren and Mr. Crepsley see two broken coffins and vampire blood. Here Gavner Purl jokingly tries to kidnap Darren in the waystation and surprise the party. Mr. Crepsley, alert and unknowing of the man's identity, nearly kills the Vampire General.
Darren also has a fight with a bear infected with Vampaneze blood and encounters a pack of wolves (cousins of the vampires) who help him in the battle. Harkat comes and kills the bear. He then begins to speak (something no one knew the Little People could do), saying that he has a message about The Vampaneze Lord from the treacherous Mr.Tiny.
After a long and difficult journey, the four finally arrive at Vampire Mountain. There Darren first encounters Arra Sails, Mr. Crepsley's former "mate", one-eyed Vanez Blane, a fighting coach for Vampire Generals, Seba Nile, Mr. Crepsley's old friend and quarter master of vampire mountain, and good natured Kurda Smahlt, the soon-to-be Vampire Prince. Arra Sails and Darren then have a fight on planks with staffs. Arra eventually wins and shakes Darren's hand after he threatens to stay on the planks and continue to fight her until she does so. There are very few people she will shake hands with, and her doing so is truly a great honor to any being.
At the mountain the Vampire Princes decided that Darren has to take a series of trials that prove him worthy of being a half-vampire, as it's against the vampire's code to blood children. The price of failure is death, either by dying during a trial, or being painfully executed by being dropped into a pit of stakes after failing a trial. Darren agrees despite his fear, Mr.Crepsley's reluctance, and warnings from his friends Gavner and Kurda.
The trials are a series of tasks that vampires used to have to do to prove themselves to the Princes. Now it is only used for vampires who want to become a general or that want to show their strength, but Darren Shan has to endure the trials, because Darren chooses to stand up for his mentor and friend Mr.Crepsley.
Darren must randomly choose five numbered stones from a bag to determine the trials he must take part in. The first of his five selected trials is The Aquatic Maze, a maze that fills steadily with water in 17 minutes while Darren has to get through while dragging a rock half his weight. The second trial is The Path of Needles, a run from one end of a room to the other barefoot across stalagmites which splinter badly and are as sharp as knives. The first two trials he finishes easily, the Path of Needles leaving him with only a few cuts.
The third trial is The Hall of Flames, a metal room with jets that shoot out flames. Darren must remain in the room for fifteen minutes, trying not to get 'roasted'. This trial is his most difficult. For the first fourteen minutes he does fine with barely even a burn. But in the very last minute, disaster strikes. He has to make the choice to either stand where he is and be burnt to death, or jump through a pillar of flames before him and also run the possibility of being burnt to death. Soon the decision is made for him as he feels the fire at his feet getting closer. He jumps through the flames and comes out badly burnt, bald, and delusional on the other side. Luckily the trial ends right after and he has to be escorted - screaming and wide-eyed - to the hospital wing of Vampire Mountain. It takes him days to recover, but his hair won't grow back for years and he's left with permanent scars and fear of fire.
The fourth trial is The Blooded Boars, where Darren has to kill two boars infected with vampire blood. However due to Darren's several injuries, he could not move the first dead boar he killed when it landed on him. The second boar tried to kill Darren, but Harkat, a Little Person, killed the second boar. This unfortunately was unacceptable, so Darren had to be punished by going to the Hall of Death. Harkat could not be punished because it was Darren's trial and it was not customary to kill 'interferers'. Gavner and Kurda help Darren escape, but a group of Vampaneze shiding in the mountain show up to stop them and end up battling Kurda and Gavner. Kurda betrays the clan and stabs Gavner, revealing his work with the Vampaneze in the cave. Darren runs to escape before he's killed as well, but the Vampaneze and the traitor Kurda chase after him. He tries to jump over the roaring torrent of a river in the tunnels of Vampire Mountain to get away, but ends up in the water instead, and carried out over the falls to the cold and snowy river below. It's almost certain he's dead.
By the luck of the vampires Darren survives his fall and makes it to the bank of the river, where he's found by a pack of wolves, Streak and Rudi - the two wolves he knew from an earlier encounter. These wolves help him make his way back to Vampire Mountain safely by providing him with warmth and food. Darren must find a way to inform the Vampire Princes of Kurda's treachery before they crown him a fellow Prince. Kurda's treason includes hiding Vampaneze inside the mountain, preparing to murder the Princes, and attempting to gain control of the Stone of Blood (a powerful stone that can be used to locate any vampire who has touched it), with which he would force the vampires to join the Vampaneze and become a single clan once more.
However, with Seba Nile's help, Darren reveals Kurda to the Princes in the nick of time. The Vampaneze are found and savagely murdered with help from the mountain's spiders - which Darren, Mr.Crepsley, and Seba Niles control with their minds, a power only these three have - and two wolves that followed Darren to the mountain. Arra Sails is badly wounded during the fight with the Vampaneze and dies soon after, and Vanez Blane loses his other eye. Darren kills two Vampaneze, but is sickened by his own battle lust. Days after the battle formal funerals are held for Gavner Purl and Arra Sails as they were both Vampire Generals. Mr.Crepsley is heart broken by the death of his former mate Arra, and Darren can hear him night after night sobbing in his room.
Even though Kurda's intentions are pure, the Princes give him the most terrible punishment possible: execution by impalement of stakes in the Hall of Death in the manner of a traitor and shameful cremation, so that he may not reach Paradise. Darren is supposed to be executed for fleeing the Prince's judgment, but the Princes, wanting to hold true to traditions and spare Darren at the same time, decide that he must be made a Prince, thereby putting him above the laws which demand his execution. The ceremony to make him a Prince is held soon after. Darren's blood is added to the Stone of Blood and the stone's blood added to his own. With more vampire blood in his veins, Darren's powers increase, an important change for his adventures to come.
Darren reigns as a Vampire Prince for years, helping the other three Princes (Arrow, Paris Skyle, and Mika Ver Leth) with the War of the Scars. The Vampires and Vampaneze are fighting once again, battles held around the world between the two groups, and Darren - along with the other Princes - is in charge of the strategic side of the fighting.
Not long into his years as a Prince, Darren is once again visited by Desmond Tiny (the creator of vampires and Little People). He explains that three hunters must find and hunt down the Vampaneze Lord if they have any hopes to win the war. He announces that two of them are Darren and Mr. Crepsley, but the third one they must find on their way. The hunters are told by Mr. Tiny that they will cross paths with the Lord of the Vampaneze four times throughout their quest, and have only those four chances to destroy him.
They leave and go to Lady Evanna for help as they were instructed by Mr.Tiny. On the way Darren grows older, a type of "puberty" for half vampires. Over a span of only two weeks he ages from 12 to 18, growing taller and stronger, even getting all his hair back. They also meet with Vancha March, another Vampire Prince and the last hunter. Vancha's skin is a dark shade of red, due to his constant battle with the sun (he thinks that the sun, like any other enemy of the creatures of the night, can be defeated) and does not like to use weapons, using his bare hands instead. Though, he does use the shurikens that are strapped to his belt when necessary. He prefers to wear only clothes made from animals, and doesn't care for having many manners. He claims to be a ladies man, though Darren perceives him as someone whom all women dislike.
The three get to Evanna's house, and she lets them stay with her for a few days so they can discuss what Mr.Tiny said and where they should go next. When they eventually leave Lady Evanna's house, they set their sites back towards the Cirque Du Freak, following Darren's gut feeling as a Vampire Prince and the main hunter. While they are staying there, Darren notices Lady Evanna leaving the Cirque one night and follows her to a nearby forest. He witnesses Lady Evanna meeting with a group of Vampaneze and fears the worst. He gets the others, and they prepare an attack.
After launching what seemed to be a successful strike on the group of Vampaneze, two of them get away. One being Vancha's brother, and the other being a servant of the Vampaneze. Vancha lets them get away after realizing that one is his brother. However, little to their knowledge, the servant was actually the Vampaneze Lord in disguise! After a few more nights at the Cirque to once again come up with a strategy, they set off to once more try to encounter the Lord and destroy him to end the War of the Scars.
Darren, Harkat, and Mr.Crepsley (Vancha going back to Vampire Mountain to inform the other Princes and Generals of their encounter with the Vampaneze Lord) go to Mr.Crepsley's hometown once again to investigate if Vampaneze had set up territories there. But soon after their arrival Darren is discovered by the police and forced to attend school. He has trouble with most of his subjects as he only has a middle school education, but luckily (or perhaps unluckily?) his English teacher is Debbie, his old girlfriend from his first visit to this city.
Mr.Crepsley has to go back to Vampire Mountain again for Paris Skyle's funeral, leaving Darren and Harkat to continue the investigations alone. One night on his way back to the hotel room the three are staying in, Darren encounters a Vampaneze with hooks for hands and a mask wrapped around his face. The Vampaneze attacks, but Darren is saved by his old friend Steve. Steve joins Darren for the hunt of the Vampaneze, claiming he's changed his ways and now understands who the real enemy is, and dropped his desire for vengeance against Darren and Mr.Crepsley long ago.
Darren later reveals himself as a vampire to Debbie, and after a long explanation and a day's contemplating she joins Darren and Steve for the fight. Mr. Crepsley comes back and helps Darren pursue the Vampaneze, but understandably doesn't trust Steve. Darren does convince him, however, that Steve will be a big help for them and lets him come with them. Vancha also joins them again a few days later.
They chase the hooked Vampaneze to the sewers at night, but the Vampaneze led them to a trap. Darren and his team are soon surrounded and the Vampaneze Lord makes his second appearance. Darren tries to kill him, but is stopped by Steve, who shows his true side as being a Vampet - humans working with the Vampaneze - and betraying Darren and his friends. The hooked Vampaneze is also revealed to be RV (Reggie Veggie).
A fight begins between the Hunters and the Vampaneze. Vancha charges through the Vampets, scattering them and Mr. Crepsley follows, slicing with his nails to bring down many Vampaneze. Darren soon beats Steve and is about to finish him off, but RV uses Debbie as a hostage. RV, Gannen Harst, and the Lord soon leave with the threat that they will kill Debbie if they are followed. Darren and Vancha take a Vampet and Steve as their hostage and are given a warning by Gannen to leave the tunnels immediately or he'll send Vampaneze to finish them off.
Darren and his friends quickly leave the underground passages to escape the Vampaneze and Vampets, making their way back to the abandoned apartment they've been staying at. There, Vancha tortures the Vampet - to death - and finds out that only the Vampaneze Lord can kill the three hunters. Unfortunately, Steve has arranged for the police to find out about them and soon they're surrounded by the police and army. They escape by jumping through the window, while Vancha escapes with the chief of police; the rest are captured and imprisoned.
After much questioning at the police station a Vampet called Morgan helps Darren escape, claiming that he is proud to serve the creatures of the night. Darren then helps Harkat escape, a task which was aided by the guards' fear of the Little Person (they were under the impression that he had a rare and deadly disease). The two together are able to free Mr.Crepsley and they quickly make their way outside to freedom, unnoticed by the guards who are occupied by Steve's having killed a nurse and two other people.
Mr. Crepsley, Darren, and Harkat descend into the tunnels, where they meet up with Vancha. They arm themselves with weapons carelessly discarded by the Vampaneze and seek out Steve, who calls the rest of the Vampaneze. There is a battle between the two sides, and soon they face the Vampaneze Lord. The Vampaneze Lord says that he and Mr. Crepsley must fight one another alone with no help from either side. The Vampaneze and Vampires stop their fighting to watch the tense fight on the platform above them. Eventually Mr. Crepsley kills the Vampaneze Lord, but Steve jumps onto his back and causes him to fall over the side, where he is hanging over the pit of flaming stakes with Steve. Since he believes the Vampaneze lord is dead, he agrees to kill himself in exchange for a free passage for the rest. Larten Crepsley lets go of Steve and falls into the pit below, giving Darren a smile as they've succeeded in ending the war.
Or so he thinks.
After he is dead and everyone has safely departed, Steve reveals himself to Darren as the Vampaneze Lord: the one whom Darren must destroy for the sake of the world. Mr.Crepsley's death had been in vain. With a laugh Steve walks away and Gannen Hurst knocks Darren out so the two may escape.
Darren is unable to cry. He feels numb. But with the help of the bearded lady, Truska, back at the Cirque du Freak - where he's been staying to recuperate after the battle - he eventually does so. Mr. Tiny then appears and tells Harkat that if he wants his nightmares (which have returned) to stop, he must walk through a portal that Mr. Tiny makes. Harkat refuses to let Darren go with him.
Debbie Hemlock and Police Chief Alice Burgess want to start an army to combat the Vampets, but have to get the approval of the Vampire Princes first. Darren agrees to lead them to Vampire Mountain, leaving Harkat to face whatever Mr.Tiny has laid out for him alone. But he and the girls are barely a mile away form the Cirque when Darren decides that he should go with Harkat, much to the little person's dismay. Debbie and Alice go on without Darren and he agrees to meet up with them later. Darren and Harkat then walk through the mysterious portal, and are thrown into a strange, gray world.
Darren and Harkat are forced to complete many diffucult tasks. They first hunt down a black panther and collect a map inside it. Darren finds that the panther's teeth have been marked with letters. They start rearranging the teeth, with Harkat using up all the teeth to get SLAM DARK HUT, and then again to find it reads HARKAT MULDS. Harkat dismisses it as an utter waste of time, as Mr. Tiny loves to meddle with time. However Harkat keeps the teeth, saying that they might be useful as they are sharp.
Next they have to steal 'gelatinous globes' from the world's biggest toad. They arrive to see the toad standing in the middle of a lake surrounded by crocodiles. Darren and Harkat zip through the lake, grab a few globes, then run off, making the task relatively easy compared to the last.
Darren and Harkat eventually meet up with Lady Evanna. Her appearance is completely unexpected, and she does not wish to tell the two how or why she is there. She helps them get across the lake where they meet a man who calls himself Spits Abrams. Spits is a former pirate and heavy drinker, and although Darren and Harkat do not trust him very much, they suspect that Mr. Tiny put him in that world for a reason, and decide to take him with them.
They soon reach a small area filled with 'people' they call Kulashkas (since they are chanting "kulashka" more than any other word) where they are required to steal vials of 'holy liquid'. Darren and Harkat enter the village, Spits being afraid, to find the 'holy liquid' to be the venom from the fangs of a huge creature appropriately called the Grotesque. The Grotesque is apparently the Kulashkas' god. Darren and Harkat rush to two vials containing the venom and are attacked by the Grotesque.
Harkat raises the vial as the Grotesque attempts to kill him, and the Grotesque backs off. The Kulashkas arrive, pointing spears at Darren and Harkat, trying to drive them back. They are driven closer to the Grotesque and Darren drives them back with his vial. The chief of the Kulashkas starts trying to speak to them in a non-understandable language, with Darren saying that he can't understand them. The chief starts gesturing that they are free to leave, but must return the vials to the altar which carried them. Darren starts to do so, but a drunken Spits arrives,and cuts the Kulashkas with his knife as Darren throws one vial at the Grotesque, which explodes, hurting the Grotesque and those nearby it, revealing the liquid to be highly explosive. Harkat sees floorboards underneath them and starts stomping on them. Darren joins in and their soon crashing through the floorboards.
They end up in a tunnel, following it until they reach a room. There is a fridge, which Spits asks about, as he did not have fridges in his time. There are also postcards, signed by Mr. Tiny. Harkat is bothered by the postcards, but does not explain why. They then leave the room, Spits taking a few extra bottles of whiskey.
Soon after this is when he arrives in the Jigoku Apartments.
Personality:
Darren looks like a strong, mature 18-year-old boy, but on the inside he's truly still a kid. While not always optimistic, he loves adventure and danger, though that comes from being a half vampire. Every vampire lives to fight and test their strength, and Darren is definitely not an exception. He's had a love for spiders since he was young, and that's what lead him to Mr.Crepsley and the Cirque du Freak in the first place. That love, and help from Mr.Crepsley, over time gave him the ability to be able to control spiders telepathically.
Darren has a magnetic personality and can make friends easily. He's also very brave and has a good sense of humor, never missing the chance to crack a joke or a sarcastic remark. He doesn't judge anyone after living with a circus of freaks, and his three best friends being a vampire, snake-boy, and stitched together Little Person. He has amazing stamina, and eventhough he's a half vampire he can go close to a month without any blood. Even if he's week and to the point of collapse by the end of it. He also has amazing luck. He's been close to death many times, but here he is healthy and alive none-the-less.
Biggest Fear:
Fire
Powers:
Darren can telepathically control spiders and because he's a half vampire he has superior strength. He doesn't quite have all the powers of a vampire, but over time more and more vampire blood is being introduced into his veins thanks to the Stone of Blood. Sooner or later he will be able to flit and have healing saliva along with his other powers.
SAMPLES:
Third Person:
Darren hit his torch several times, trying to make it come back on. Ofcourse right when he entered the tunnels it had to go off. He cursed himself for not bringing extra batteries or even thinking of the possibility of that happening. He growled low as he threw the torch into the water beneath him and opted for trying to adjust his eyes to the darkness. It took up some valuable time and he still couldn't see completely once his eyes fully adjusted, but it had to be done. Atleast he had the advantage of being able to sneak around better. And hey, maybe he'd even be able to take a Vampaneze by surprise.
Darren's useless torch gave him the inspiration to be even more quiet stealthy, and soon he was amusing himself by pretending to be a ninja as he searched for his enemies. Hey, who said he couldn't have fun on an important mission? Well, Mr.Crepsley did, but he wasn't there, now, was he? Darren grinned to himself and tried not to laugh aloud as he continued his way down the dark sewer underneath the city streets.
First Person:
[Voice]
Well, this place sure is gloomy. Who skipped out on clean-up duty, huh?
Who's all out there anyway? I know there are other people here, but I haven't seen any yet. Shy? Scared of the big bad teenager? Ha ha!
[There's a short rustling sound.]
By the way, I don't count those people in robes. There was something wrong about them. Believe me, I've seen people like that before. They worshiped a big, grotesque snake thing. Craaaaaaaazy.
So...any friendlies here? Or am I destined to run into those weirdos over and over again? And I don't mean weirdos in a good way.
[A short pause.]
Yes, there are good types of weirdos. Like me!
Notes:
This is my first time apping Darren Shan, so I hope it's not too bad. ^^'