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User:

race_the_storm (36649)

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Name:

Race_the_Storm

Birthdate:

10-14

Bio:

Once upon a time, the first people (the gods) placed the first people upon the Earth. How they did so is another story, but they were there. And these early people gave sacrifices to Mother Earth and Raven and Coyote and Buffalo and Bear and Fish and many others. They loved the first people for all they were given, and for it, the first people loved them, the Earth loved them, for they thanked her for everything they took. The sun looked upon them well and gave them warmth. In time, they even tamed fire's temper and he gave them light at night and warmth in the cold times. But one being did not love them.
The storm destroyed their houses. The storm set fires that raged beyond their control. The storm drove the animals away, and there was nothing the early people could do but move and rebuild, but always, the storm followed them to torment them further.
Finally, the first people had had enough, and they sent one of their own, the Red God, to speak with the storm and ask it to stop tormenting the people.
He attempted to speak calmly with the storm, but it was angry, and would see no reason.
"The first people have shown they love these creations more than all that came before. They have given them so much. But I shall destroy their homes, and drive them before my might, and show these humans that they are not so special after all." the Storm boasted.
The Red God saw no choice, "Then I fear if you will not stop, I must challenge you to a contest."
"So the gods do not believe men can stand before my power either." The Storm taunted.
"No, I will select a champion, and give him my blessing, and that champion shall contest against you."
"Then I accept... what blessing can you possibly give a man that can contest with me? The gods have given men almost everything."
The Red God looked in his medicine bag, and saw it was true. "I have a single gift left in my bag to give the champion. It will be enough."
The Storm seethed, but it had accepted. "What sort of contest shall it be then? If it is to be a fight, then I will dash your champion with the winds, burn him with lightning, smash him against the rocks, deafen him with thunder... no gift can protect him from my might."
"You have hurt the people enough. No, it shall not be a fight." the Red God answered, agreeing that no single gift he could give would protect a man from so much.
"Then a contest of accuracy? Your people have many archers, but their bows cannot fire so far as my lightning. They cannot fire enough arrows to match the hurricane... no gift you could give would let them win."
"Your power is supreme in this, and it shall not be contested. No, not a contest of accuracy either." the Red God responded.
"A race then? For my winds are fast enough to strike before anything can flee. The thunder can roll over the whole plains in seconds. And the lightning... well, it is so fast that if a man blinks, he may miss it."
"Yes, a race." The Red God agreed, taking his single gift from his medicine bag.
He went among the people, and there he found the swiftest scout and message runner of the people. A man named Calm-Waters. Calm-Waters was a pious man, for he knew Earth Mother's touch under his feet, he had beheld much of her glory in his travels. He had run with the rivers and the deer. And his eyes had seen many skies. His actions pleased the gods, and so it was to him that the Red God gave his blessing, and explained the contest, whispering the gift to him.

The day of the contest came, and the man and the storm were given the terms. They would race from one end of the lands given to the early people to the other. Whoever arrived first at the end of land and start of the waters would be named the winner. If the Storm won, then the people would acknowledge his glory, and live in fear as nomads, while Calm-Waters would be struck by lightning for his audacity. If Calm-Waters won, however, he would be given the Storm's blessing, and the people would be told the secrets of building against the storm. It would come only in certain seasons, and certain times, and the seers would have warning. And after the storm, they would be given a sign that their gods looked upon them well. The land would be made fertile, the fish would rise in the rivers, and all would be the better for its passing.

They began the race, and the wind roared over the hills and mountains of the west.
But Calm-Waters ran, and he remained one step ahead of the wind, untouched by its fury.
The storm grew angry, and thunder rolled over the plains, outpacing the wind and crossing the distance over the middle lands in very little time indeed.
But Calm-Waters ran, and he could not hear the thunder, remaining one step in front of it.
The Storm grew angrier, and the skies flashed with its fury as the lightning outpaced the thunder, and roared across the lands of the east so fast none could see more than a flicker of light.
But Calm-Waters ran, and he touched the shore one step ahead of the lightning.

The Storm raged at the Red God. "This cannot be! What gift was this that let your champion win! Nothing is faster than the winds, the thunder, the lightning all."
"No." Agreed the Red God. "My Champion will always be one step faster than whatever contests with him, always one step ahead."

And so it was that Calm-Waters became the first Lightning-Champion, marked with the Red God's blessing, and given the touch of the storm, so he could raise the winds with his steps, move so fast to cause cracks like thunder, and command the red lightning, following always one step behind him, in honor of that first contest, and so it was that the people learned to protect themselves from the storm - and if ever it was not enough, or other enemies threatened, they had another hero to protect them.

And so it was that each generation, a child is born with the mark of the Red God - a strange red lightning shaped birthmark on one heel, in honor of that first contest. And as he grows, he will learn to harness the lightning, the thunder and the winds, and always run one step ahead of whatever danger looms.

In modern day, the newest Red Lightning Champion was born David Red-Oak. He did not know the significance of his birthmark for much of his life. He was born into poverty on a reservation, and fell in with a bad crowd. No matter how often they got in trouble, however, he always escaped.
Much may have remained this way, save at one point, after a failed carjacking in the city, he headed for another reservation where he could disappear easily among others of his people. He got there to find them in the midst of their Summer celebrations. Sneaking in, he could not help but find his interest caught by some of the contests and games- especially the footraces. He mnanaged to get himself signed up, and then began to win every race - by a step. When he had won the contest, one of the shamans asked to speak with him, and discovered the mark - which had gone missing for some generations.

Arrangements were made with his parents, and sixteen year old David was taken in, and began his training and learned of his history. For some time, it was a struggle. He was a difficult student, inclined to try and pocket what he could, cause trouble and use his gift to play pranks. His teachers were patient, however, and eventually, this gave way to the new Lightning Champion, trained in many of the traditional arts of the plains peoples, in mythology, and taught to use his gifts well.

Over time, with experience and help from teammates, he has gone from a headstrong and trouble-prone teen with a cocky attitude to a seasoned veteran speedster with minor weather control abilities associated with his speed, as well as a veteran hero in general. He does retain a hint of a puckish sense of humor that melds with his easygoing demeanor. While not leadership material, he's done his best to fit in with the rest of his teammates, working to learn to complement their abilities and helping make the team as a whole stronger for his presence.

Skills: David is a skilled tracker and survivalist. He speaks Spanish and a dozen Native American languages fluently, and seven years ago, he received his teaching certificate, letting him teach a few history classes at a poor inner city school.

Powers: As the Red Lightning, David's primary power is super speed. His actual speed is somewhat variable, given his blessing. Much of the time, at least in areas that aren't somehow silenced, he can 'race' the speed of sound. When pressed, he can also 'race the lightning' - moving at a top typical speed of 270,000 mph (75 miles per second), but when traveling at this speed, he cannot utilize his lightning based powers. When in the presence of other speedsters, his power especially ramps up - as he will always be fastest by a single step.

Over the years he has learned many of the tricks of the speedster art, running up walls, over water, etc., but his especial finesse relates to speed-based control over certain phenomena usually associated with the storm.
By running, he can create miniature windstorms, including raising dustclouds to obscure an area, mini-tornadoes - either tight, controlled ones by spinning an arm or the like, or larger versions, and otherwise create winds of variable speeds and intensities.
By breaking the sound barrier, he can create controlled sonic booms of various sizes and intensities, which can be used to stun, surprise, deafen, etc.
He is also usually trailed by the appearance of red lightning, and when he has something besides the lightning to race, he can control this phenomena to a limited degree. He usually restricts it to what appears to be building up a powerful static shock for electrical touches, but he can fire lightning bolts from his hands or eyes.
He cannot otherwise control the weather, though his senses are not affected by it - he can hear over high winds, see through fog and heavy rain, etc.

Schools:

None listed

Friends: