Character Name: Flamebird Alternate Identities: Bethany 'Bette' Kaine Player Name: M
APPEARANCE
Hair Color:	Blonde
Eye Color:	Blue
Height:	1.75 m
Weight:	54.00 kg
Description:
Flamebird has blonde hair, worn shoulder length, and blue eyes. She stands 5' 9" and weighs in at 120 lbs (athough she'd never tell you that). As Flamebird, she wears a skintight red costume, a large domino mask with yellow lenses, and a yellow cape. The costume's cape and yellow trim form a flame pattern. When flying, her cape billows out into a shape reminiscent of a bird's wings, caught in the thermal updraft she uses to fly. As Bette, she wears comfortable casual clothes, athletic apparel, and so on, although she has the resources to dress exquisitely well when the need arises. And she always seems to have her favorite ruby pendant necklace on...
BACKGROUND
Bethany Kaine had it all, from the moment of her birth. Her parents were wealthy, so she never lacked for anything, was never denied anything, and always got what she wanted. A beautiful child, and a natural athlete, she won her first beauty pageant when she was 8, and her first tennis match when she was 11. She did parts on commercials, but never made a big splash in television. She turned pro in tennis when she was 12, and continues playing to this day, traveling the world and playing the best - for fun, not money. Likewise, she still sometimes enters into local beauty pageants, and models for fashion magazines.  However, on her 19th birthday, she took a break from her grueling Wimbledon schedule and arranged to go horseback riding in the countryside of Essex county. Not used to the English saddle, or the horse for that matter, she lost control when the horse bolted. The horse finally threw her and she fell into a small sinkhole. She struck her head, and badly dazed herself, then came to rest. When she looked up, she was sure she was seeing things. A vast cavern, lit with a dim red glow opened up before her. Although not an archeologist, Bette knew that this was a find like no other. Roman ruins, like those she'd seen in the pictures of Pompeii and Herculaneum, were backlit in a dull, flickering light. Stumbling forward, she soon saw the source of the light - a small, circular red gemstone about an inch across, set into a stone pillar, with an odd mix of symbols etched around it, the stone slipped easily into her fingers as she touched it, the blood from where she'd touched her head soaking into the stone as if it was porous. In a blinding flash of light, heat and fire, the world seemed to explode. Bette knew that her life, her very self had been changed, and she could FEEL the raging inferno that was the gem. She had been granted the ultimate thrill ride - she had superpowers. Bette would tangle with Feur of Terror Inc. in just a few hours, in a fight that would see them both exausted and relatively uninjured - although since the delay caused Feur to fail a mission, Terror Inc. as a whole looked bad. Feur particularly wants a rematch, but he and the rest of his team do have bigger fish to fry. Still, this astounding display made the young superheroine a serious enemy. A reporter from the London Times who witnessed the scrap dubded her Flamebird, and she never bothered to argue it. Following that escapade, she battled slime-monsters conjured up by Demon to capture her, or at least her Gem, intact. They felt it would be a perfect power source for their dark rituals. Flamebird managed to use her heat vision to punch through the mystical field protecting the Demon mage that was guiding the creatures, and as he lost control, they turned on him. Dispite a valiant effort on Flamebird's part to save him, the creatures teleported away with him. As for her parents, they died in a private jet crash while she was playing in singles for Californian charities. Although her father Thomas was a good pilot, it's rumored that he had a stroke, and his collapsed body made it impossible for Grace, her mother, to use the copilot controls. It was a tragedy, and Bette suspects that Demon may be resorting to subtler tricks to isolate her. In mourning, she announced her retirement from professional tennis and her modelling career, and moved north to Seattle - but she still feels the urgent need to Do Something, hence her landing outside the Hunt's main office...
POWERS/TACTICS
All of Flamebird's powers derive from her Fire Gem, an artifact she has been unable to identify. She believes it magically links her to the elemental plane of fire, and also that it linked to her through the blood on her hand that day. Although she wears the gem on a sturdy chain necklace under her costume, it is always with her. In fact, the one time she forgot it when moving from one tournament to the next, it was around her neck again when she awoke the next day. Although it no longer pulses with energy, thermo graphic senses will note it as a hot spot in her costume, and magical senses will detect it's elemental and supernatural essence. The Gem has also altered Bette's biochemistry, and the powers it bestows are not without price. The Gem draws on it's owner's Stamina to power all of the abilities it bestows save one - the defensive shield (see below). Flamebird's tactics tend to be simple, but effective. She usually tries to remain airborne, using stunning white-hot blasts of heat to subdue her foes. Against large groups, she will create fireballs that explode, while heavily armored foes are sniped at with her Penetrating heat vision. Automatons and large inanimate objects will recieve her flaming bolts (RKA). She reflexively creates a large partial force field, but must direct it for it to stop incoming damage, and in close she can effectively light herself on fire - melting weapons, burning limbs, and making her an unpleasant prospect to hit. She knows about her near-invulnerability to fire, and will challenge such opponents. She has also learned how terribly vulnerable she is to ice/cold-based attacks, and will often either flee or aggressively blast such opponents early - hoping for a decisive victory.
PERSONALITY/MOTIVATION
Bette Kaine has always been outgoing, enthusiastic, and helpful, with a keen sense of humor. Despite, or perhaps because, she knew she'd get whatever she asked for, she didn't develop the spoiled, snotty attitude she could have. Her parents, although wealthy, were not idle rich, and tried hard to show her that hard work has great rewards. Tennis became her focal point, although she continued her modeling career as well. However, at the ripe old age of 21, the modeling jobs are becoming scarcer, and her tennis opponents keep getting younger, stronger and better. Lacking any other real skills, but secure in the inheritance left to her by her parents, Bette has decided to cut back on her other interests and take a more active role as a superhero. She still does it for the rush, and nothing else compares.

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