Cinereal

<infobox>

<title source="name"><default>

Cinereal

</default></title> <image source="Image"></image> <image source="image"></image> <group> <header>Basic information</header> <label>Civilian name</label> <label>Alias(es)</label> <label>Gender</label> <label>Worm start</label><default>Unknown</default> <label>Post-timeskip</label> <label>Ward start</label> </group> <group> <header>Personal Status</header> <label>Status</label> <label>General location</label> <label>Family</label> <label>Relationships</label> <label>Occupation</label> </group> <group> <header>Parahuman Status</header> <label>Legal status</label> <label>Team(s)</label> <label>Previous team(s)</label> <label>Power</label> <label>Known classifications</label> </group> <group> <header>Media</header> <label>First appearance</label> </group> </infobox> The unconventional leader of the Protectorate Department 39, Atlanta .<ref>The largest 65 cities in the United States host individual departments as of 2012. They are numbered accordingly, in order of decreasing size.

[...]

39 Atlanta - PRT Master Reference</ref>

Personality

Her trigger event and subsequent powers heavily influenced her personality. She does not usually talk to the press, and is has a no-nonsense attitude to leadership.<ref name="IRC-1.4">Cinereal is a very intense ‘lead by example’ leader. She’s aggressive in patrolling and in putting down threats. She expects those she leads to keep up, with little coddling. She doesn’t tend to ask more than someone can give, and most find their stride in short order.

Cinereal is powerful, and is very hard to put down. The only guaranteed way would likely be to sustain an assault and simultaneously constrain her ability to act to keep her from producing more of the ‘ash’. - Link made on the IRC archived on Spacebattles</ref> She's taciturn and impatient with the public, dislikes merchandising, and is known for essentially never retreating regardless of losses.<ref name="IRC-1.5"/>

Reputation

She has built up a good reputation despite - or perhaps because of - her caustic personality,<ref name="IRC-1.5">Her reputation is well established. She’s been around for eight years and in charge for six. Villains tend to run or surrender when she shows up, and the public has a strange, almost masochistic liking for her. She doesn’t talk to cameras, doesn’t see the point, abuses bystanders who are gawking rather than running, and eschews merchandising issues, yet the public seems to champion her more for it.

Retreat really isn’t in her playbook. Even in situations where allies have fallen, she prefers to eliminate the threat and then collect the wounded, rather than change course and help them first. Those working for her know this. - Link made on the IRC archived on Spacebattles</ref> and is considered one of the top heroes in the Protectorate.<ref name="IRC-3"> Parahumans IRC said:
Wildbow: Armsmaster appears in the posters and such of the top Protectorate heroes.
Wildbow:When they do the image of everyone standing in a 'v' formation

Parahumans IRC said:
Wildbow: Nah. Legend in front, Alex and Eidolon to the left and right, respectively. Then Myrddin, Chev, Cinereal, Narwhal, Rime, Exalt, Armsmaster, Dragon suit silhouette in the background, wings echoing the wings of the PRT logo over their heads. - IRC conversation archived on Spacebattles</ref> Villains often surrender or flee at the sight of her.<ref name="IRC-1.5"/>

Appearance

As a Ward, 'Ash Phoenix' had a flaming bird motif to her costume. This was eventually dropped, in favor of an overall gray design with a few colorful embellishments that she uses as Cinereal.<ref name="IRC-1.2">Cinereal had a phoenix motif as a ward, but was forbidden from using her flames for an extended period, and eventually dropped the brand. Her costume makes liberal use of the color grey and very few highlights of color. - Link made on the IRC archived on Spacebattles</ref>

Abilities

Cinereal is noted for her raw power and durability.<ref name="IRC-1.1"/><ref name="IRC-1.4"/>

Cinereal creates large amounts of particulate "ash" across an area, spreading it with waves and blasts as well as creating plumes from her body when struck or striking during combat. The sticky ash seeps into and strengthens nearby structures.<ref name="IRC-1.3">Her power involves creating patches of ash’. In waves, blasts, and on violent contact with a surface, she creates plumes of particulate matter that bleed into the surroundings, converting and effectively protecting it. The resulting matter is dense, heavy, and clings to itself enough that it doesn’t tend to form major clouds, instead collecting on surroundings in crude dunes, some gravity-defying. It is of a volume and weight to easily bury others, forcing those caught in a wave to use raw strength to fight their way free.

Cinreal can use the material as an extension of herself - it cannot be moved, but she can cover herself and reform/launch herself out of a collection of the particulate, spearing forward and creating more ‘ash’ on impact with a person or location. Doing so consumes a portion of the matter.

On being wounded enough that her life might be in danger, she will automatically ‘perish’ and reform nearby, again, consuming a portion of the matter, being partially restored in the process.

She has the ability to set her breaker state and the ‘ash’ on fire. These flames burn at an extremely high temperature (1100 degrees celsius), and consume the ash at a steady rate. She almost never uses this power. The flames can spread, but all flames can be simultaneously extinguished as she exits her breaker form. She is fireproof. - Link made on the IRC archived on Spacebattles</ref> Once the ash is created, she has no ability to move it, but can absorb it into herself or ignite it (see below.)<ref name="IRC-1.3"/><ref name="IRC-2">Ridtom: But it also can't be moved by her power, yet she can somehow cover herself with it?
Ridtom: And also somehow draw the matter into herself in order to deactivate her Breaker power?
Wildbow: Divebomb a location, spread ash in radius around impact site, bury foes, operate within radius of ash to rinse/repeat.
Ridtom: Ah, I was overthinking it. But still, her being unable to move the ash, but still being able to draw it into herself?
Ridtom: Isn't that kind of contradictory?
Wildbow: More a night hag thing.

- Link made on the IRC archived on Spacebattles</ref>

Cinereal can absorb and coat herself in the ash, consuming it in order to teleport and/or heal herself (which automatically kicks in if she is mortally injured.)<ref name="IRC-1.3"/> Once she has activated this breaker state, she is unable to leave the area of ash until she has used up all the ash in the area, in a time-consuming process that heals any injuries she took during the battle.<ref name="IRC-1.6">She can’t leave her breaker state voluntarily. Remaining stationary, typically after climbing to a high perch where she won’t be bothered by civilian or news crews, she’ll draw the matter to herself, absorbing it and healing her wounds. Once entering into a confrontation, she is effectively tethered to the location. It is partially for this reason that she has avoided Endbringer encounters, and partially because her power is effectively countered by each of the three. - Link made on the IRC archived on Spacebattles</ref> When she exits her breaker state, any nearby flames are simultaneously extinguished.<ref name="IRC-1.3"/>

Fire Power

Cinereal has another ability that she almost never uses - she can set herself and the nearby ash on fire, causing it to burn at 1100 degrees C and consuming it at a steady rate. <ref name="IRC-1.3">
She has the ability to set her breaker state and the ‘ash’ on fire. These flames burn at an extremely high temperature (1100 degrees celsius), and consume the ash at a steady rate. She almost never uses this power. The flames can spread, but all flames can be simultaneously extinguished as she exits her breaker form. She is fireproof. - Link made on the IRC archived on Spacebattles</ref>

She used this ability more liberally when she went by Ash Phoenix, but was forbidden from doing so for an extended period of time.<ref name="IRC-1.2"/>

History

Background

She joined the Wards eight years ago.<ref name="IRC-1.5"/> During her Ward years and before re-branding she was known as Ash Phoenix.<ref name="IRC-1.2"/>

Two years into her career,<ref name="IRC-1.5"/> she was forced into a leadership position when the previous protectorate leader of Atlanta killed himself. She proved herself apt and was allowed to keep her position in the team.<ref name="IRC-1.1">Cinereal

Also Ash Phoenix, Avarshina.

Cinereal leads the Atlanta Protectorate, Wards, and maintains liaison with the Watchdog group. She’s a powerful breaker and shaker, and maintains a peculiar style of leadership. Her power altered her thought pattern and emotions, which would normally preclude being put in a leadership position, but she stepped into the position as a temporary measure after the prior Protectorate leader committed suicide (owing to PTSD from the local war) and nobody truly went out of their way or found cause to replace her. - Link made on the IRC archived on Spacebattles</ref>

Due to limitations of her powers she never deployed against the original trio of Endbringers.<ref name="IRC-1.6"/>

Post-Gold Morning

Joined The Wardens. Considered one of the key members, and has her own statue in HQs lobby.<ref name="II3.6">Glare 3.6</ref>

Trivia

• Cinereal is an old English word that comes from the latin Cinis, which means and relates to ashes. Specifically the dead cold heavy black ashes left after a fire.
• Cinereal's flame is hotter than most magma.<ref>Wikipedia: Magma</ref> It's intense enough to soften steel<ref>What's the melting point of steel?</ref> and to liquify copper, gold, bronze, aluminum and silver.<ref>Melting Points of Various Metals</ref>

References

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