I.Q.	13		Shroud
M.E.	13
M.A.	11		R.Name: Richard MacInnis	O.C.C. Magic Staff	Alignment: Scrupulous
P.S.	24		H.P.: 41	S.D.C.: 64	Exp. Level: 4
P.P.	27		Spells/day: 0	I.S.P.: 0      Chi:  13	Job: Martial Arts Instructor
P.E.	22		Age: 22	Sex: Male	Wt. 157  Ht. 6'1"
P.B.	11		HtH: Martial Arts	From: Canada
Spd.	23		Disposition: Man of few words

Father's name: John MacInnis / Mother's name: Jennifer Hawryn / Brother's name: Travis / Sister's name: Carrie

Richard's life starts out like any ones life that grew up in a large city like Toronto. He was born to the world on the third of April, first born of three. His mother was a computer specialist and his father was a martial arts instructor. Throughout his childhood, Richard found that he didn't really fit in with the kids at his school. He was usually the one that sat alone from the other kids, studying his homework. Everyone labeled him as "geek" or "nerd." His father had taught him to control himself when he was being picked on. He always strived to fit in.

From the moment that Richard could begin, his father started to teach him in the ways of martial arts. He taught him discipline, fighting techniques, and a few weapons. Richard seemed most interested in the Staff and he began to concentrate mostly on that. By the age of 13 Richard learned many things to learn about martial arts. His father allowed him to join in on local tournaments and compete against the best. Richard gained much respect from his peers when he won the grand championship match against an oriental child that went by the nickname of "The Dragon." The match lasted a grueling ten full minutes of exchanging points back and forth until finally, one lucky shot allowed Richard to win the championship.

His father was so proud of him at the time. He knew that his son could be someone really great someday. He kept training his son for a little under a year. On Richard's 14th birthday, he received his very own staff from his father. There was a small martial arts training place that sold ancient weaponry to collectors and the such.

In the large, gift-wrapped box, Richard found a 6 foot long staff, decorated from the base to the tip with strange, ornate symbols. His mother got the camera ready as Richard brought his hands down and into the box. As he lifted the beautifully crafted staff out of the box he instantly found himself in an ancient Greek temple in the middle of a vast ocean of water. Distraught, Richard looked around frantically at where he was. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone standing at the top of the stairs to the entrance of the temple.

A young looking woman stood before him. She wore a long, white robe with a decorative tiara made from a vine of some sort. A few flowers decorated her long, golden hair, flowing down her shoulders to her mid back. She approached Richard with a nearly unemotional face. Richard could only stand there in awe as the woman came up to him.

"The staff you hold in your hand, it holds many powers to help you defeat the evil of this world." She spoke with a harmonious voice, sending a warm feeling through Richard's body. "From this point on, you will wield this staff against all that is evil. Just speak it's name and it will bestow you with it's powers. Just call upon the energy of Neptune to flow through your body. Be wise, my child. The world is counting on you."

Richard was just about to speak up and ask the woman's name when he suddenly found himself back at his home, holding the staff. His mother had just taken his picture as he awakened from the vision. *What just happened?* Richard thought to himself. He decided to keep it to himself for now. Who knows how his family would react to what just happened to him.

After a long birthday party, he went to his room with his newly acquired staff. He closed the door and walked to the mirror on his wall, admiring how he looked holding the staff, thinking it was the best weapon he's ever seen. Then his mind flashed back to the memory of the beautiful young lady who told him about the staff. He gazed at the staff and whispered it's name, "Neptune..."

In a brief instant, a small trail of darkness came out of the end of the staff and started to travel down the staff at an alarming rate. Within moments, the small tentacle of darkness crept up his arm and encircled his body. What seemed like forever, yet only being one second, the long fiber of darkness flashed. When his gaze returned to the mirror, he found himself clad in a black suit of ancient armor of some sort. He knew all that was needed to be known about the staff. He knew it's powers.

Quickly, he willed the powers to drain out of his body and back into the staff. As impressive it looked when the dark tendrils left the staff, it looked even more impressive flowing back into the staff. "Wow..." was the only word that Richard could manage at that point. He knew he needed this staff. And he knew what his destiny asked of him. In private, Richard practiced with the staff's powers. By the age of 17, he mastered the staff's ability to allow him to fly. He found he could turn himself invisible with a mere thought. When he did, his body seemed to swirl into nothingness as a cloud of smoke would dissipate. He was able to understand and speak languages that he never even heard of before. The staff allowed him to create a shield of energy around himself or others.  He also found out about the staff's ability to spew forth fireballs from it's tip. When he struck at objects with it, he found that the staff--as light as it was, and as balanced as it was--could easily break them without much force put into it.

At the age of 18, his father and mother saw their son go off to college.  He went to specialize in medicine and science. He chose a university near Toronto so he could stay close to home. After a few years, he managed to gain his Ph.D. in medicine. After his last year in college, he found that his parents were killed by some unknown person. He had no idea who had killed his mother and father, but he was extremely angry at whoever it was.

He soon made it his life's goal to find this bastard and give him what he deserves. Was it the staff he was after, or was it just a random killing.  Whatever it was, it brought him to New York. At the age of 22, he soon got accustomed to the city. He started his own martial arts school and began training younger children in the martial arts like his father did. Soon, he met up with a group of heroes in his new home city. And thus begins his adventures as a hero, ready to protect the innocents of the city.

12/14/97 - Shroud has recently reached the 3rd level and has been found to be invaluable to the group with the powers he and the staff possess.  He's filled the role that he took over when the Defender left, and is always a standing reminder of justice and honor- Rehlman

2/28/98 - Shroud has reached the 4th level and through his time with us he has brought to us the power of his magics.  Those powers have saved us numerous times already, and have played an essential role way to many of our adventures.  I really don't know what we'd do without the guy now.  -Rehlman

Submitted by: Sir Edrick a.k.a. [SMC] Neptune (Co-Level creator for SMQ)

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