Codename: Sage
Character Type: Canon
Full Name: Tessa Niles
Age: 33
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Blue
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 135
Affiliation: [X-Men]
Appearance: Tessa stands at a height of five feet and seven inches, and along with a slender small figure she only weighs roughly one hundred thirty five pounds. She is a woman who looks and is well within her early thirties with a moderately pale complexion shading the color of her skin. She definitely looks like a woman who participates in a regular or occasional intense workout. Tessa’s long silky black hair cascades down well past her shoulders, but for convenience sake she usually more so than not keeps it pinned up in a bun above her head. Tessa also has very rich blue eyes which provide a perfect contrast to both her skin complexion and to the color of her hair, even her preferred choice of attire.
When it comes to choice of clothing Tessa is a woman with a very dark preference. One could say she is a bit gothic when it comes to the kind of clothing that she prefers to wear. One color makes up more of her clothing than most others, and that is the color black. Occasionally one will spot her dressed in perhaps a purple, or something that with a slight color variation, but this is a rare thing. Being a woman with a well shaped figure such as her own she is definitely confident enough to where she is just as comfortable wearing a full body suit, exposing no skin as she is in nothing, but fish net stockings, panties and a corset, so revealing a lot of skin is definitely not a big issue.
Despite Tessa's preferred choice of clothing she is capable of wearing anything to suit any particular situation. If times call for her to wear an elegant gown by a top designer or whether times call for her to wear a tight corset and a mini skirt along with calf high boots Tessa is definitely capable of blending in with the crowd. This is definitely something that comes very much in handy when she is going undercover, seeking out what information she can find that would benefit whatever agenda her mind has conceived. So, when it comes to clothing and selecting what attire to wear there is surely no shame in Tessa's game.
Personality: If there is anyone who can rival the frigid coldness of Emma Frost's persona it would definitely be the woman named Tessa. She is a person who can be quite cold and apathetic when she wants or needs to be. Although some may see this as a lack of emotion it is more so a great control over her emotions. She is what many would refer to as the quiet type, typically speaking only when she is either spoken to, or has something to say; which, can often come out as a seemingly snide or sarcastic remark. Many may misjudge Tessa's capability of working in a team. She is someone who can function just as well on a team as she does alone, that is when she wants to. Tessa is quite unpredictable as she always has an alterior motive for what she does with her mind set on only the objective.. She prefers to be the last one out of a situation, thus making sure all before her has passed. This also buys her time to make sure each objective at hand has been met. It is not unusual for Tessa to stray from the collective group to fulfill her own agendas and or the mission requirements leaving the group out of the loop, and if something were to happen to her she would expect to be left behind depending on the mission at hand knowing that she is usually capable of fending for herself.
Tessa is also a secretive woman, and as stated, typically does things by herself with her own personal agenda(s) or motive(s) in mind; something that compliments the quiet side of her personality very well, as well as keeps people wondering towards what her true alignment is. Although she is one who seldom says more than what is needed, Tessa is not a person who is ever at a loss for words and will not hesitate to speak her mind out in the open, if such is called for. Otherwise, if she is not saying anything the chances are that there is absolutely nothing that she feels need to be said.
Besides the aforementioned traits Tessa is also a woman who exudes a great deal of confidence. She has quite a bit of self assurance in herself and in her abilities, knowing what she is capable of as well as how far to go. She is a woman who was trained to be a spy, and unlike the typical X-Man who was known for their ability to help Tessa was trained to be known for her ability to betray. This is definitely a trait that contributes to her capacity to serve effectively within the field of espionage or spying where keepings things to one's self becomes the difference between life and death.
However, underneath her seemingly crude outer persona she is a woman who at times feels the need to contribute to the greater good, but can just as easily contribute to the contrary. It's hard to tell what goes on in the computer like mind of Tessa, and she has proven to be someone that shouldn't be underestimated. This is something that causes many of her peers to distrust her motives at times and even doubt her sincerity towards any particular team goal; something, that she does not let get to her.
Tessa is also very analytical which something that goes nicely with her mutant abilities is. She is naturally the type of person who pays attention to every single thing around her, and has an outstanding level on intuition. There is little that escapes the boundaries of this woman's attention, even if it seems like she isn't paying any mind whatsoever. When it comes to dissecting things and finding possible hidden agendas Tessa is definitely the one pick up on such, and has developed quite a knack for getting exactly what she wants out of people. If one does not want to be exposed or have themselves critiqued to the teeth then his or her best bet is to keep quiet around her, as well as not to give any of the slightest suspicious movements or looks; fore, the chances are the woman in black will have already picked up on it.
Weaponry/Personal Belongings: Sage wears a pair of custom-built cybernetic shades that function as a wireless broadband computer network amongst similar models. The shades provide input through the means of a virtual reality iconographic keyboard, and have an alternate visual input system for when a user’s hands are otherwise occupied. Her shades can be interfaced with any external data network whether terrestrial or alien in origin. The shades also possess a variety of sensors for detecting telepathic resonance patterns, tracking energy trails, and analyzing electronic circuitry. These shades provide an audio-video feed through means of an in-built computer system outfitted with tiny conventional microphones and cameras, and can also project a three-dimensional images into the visual field of the wearer that can be expanded to allow others to see with whom the wearer is communicating or information they are reviewing. She also has a pair of handguns that fire nonlethal projectiles.
Powers:Cyberpathy:Tessa's mind works in much of the same manner as a computer does, allowing her to store large amounts of information within kinetic databanks tucked away within her mind. She is capable of analyzing anything that through any sense in which she perceives her surroundings with computer like speed. Features that come with her abilities include analyzing voice, multitasking and body modulation to determine whether or not one is lying, anticipating and counter an enemies offensive movement on reflex, analyzing tactical information in order to better strategize against multiple opponents so as long as she isn't engaged in battling herself. Tessa also has a photographic memory which works in conjunction with her ability to scan her mind and pick out anything that she has previously witnessed. In order for her to strategize against multiple opponents she typically needs to be in a position where she can, at least, see the entire battle field, often prompting her to find somewhere to station herself and observe the battle field. She can even upgrade various sections of her brain to increase her abilities, such as upgrading her brain's sensory centers to detect certain chemicals etc.
Genetic Perception/Alteration: This is the ability to scan for all possible mutations and or abilities within the genetic coding of another, and works in conjunction with her computer like mind allowing her scan another with impressive speed. This allows her to spot any powers or abilities that lay latent within the body, as well as reveal any current powers; something that helps her to deal with mutant abilities much more effectively. Tessa is also capable of either jumpstarting latent or dormant abilities within another or magnifying current powers to their full potential. The drawback to such a feature is that neither she nor the person she is performing on always knows what is going to happen as a result of such a procedure being done. Thus, this makes this ability something that is performed with great caution on both her behalf and on the behalf of the one she is working on. Tessa, much like that of Cerebro, can sense the presence of superhumans who are within a close proximity of 6 feet, without pushing herself.
Telepathy Tessa is a limited telepathic mutant who, although no where near the level of Charles, Jean or Emma, is strong enough to perform the basic features such as telepathically communicating with another, astral project, projecting mind bolts strong enough to render another unconscious, mind controlling another sometimes with them even being consciously aware of it, creating effective illusions, and is moderately good a probing the minds of others. However, due to past experiences these are functions that she seldom used on others, not wanting to risk being overwhelmed by other telepaths who are stronger than she is.
Charles Xavier has taught Tessa how to completely close of her mind from all outside influences making her mind virtually unreadable. When this is done her mind creates an extremely strong defensive psychic shield that deflects any mental attack, psionic or cybernetic in nature, back onto its owner. There is also a yet another drawback to this ability, which is that whenever she seals off her mind she is unable to use her telepathic abilities.
Weaknesses: Just like any other telepathic mutant Tessa is susceptible to all the things a telepathic mutant is, which includes psychic backlashes. Mental resistance from opponents, and electricity which often causes a lot of static feedback, as well as if used properly could potentially amplify her telepathic abilities beyond the level of which she is able to maintain control over them. This not only is something that poses a threat to her, but to others around her as well. Tessa is a limited telepath and if taken off guard without her mind being closed off she is capable of being overwhelmed by any telepathic mutant stronger than she.
Tessa being human has little to no defense against bullets or high caliber projectiles given that she is definitely not invulnerable. Cuts or stabs to vital areas are very much capable of harming or even killing her. She is also prone to any suffering from illnesses, diseases, or toxins natural or synthesized otherwise, which can harm her or potentially even warrant her demise. Attacks on her sensory organs through means of light or sound also are things that she, as a human, is susceptible to. Despite her formidable skills as a proficient martial artist her size and weight naturally leaves her open to be dominated by a much stronger and or massive opponent.
When Tessa shutsdown her telelpathy and erects a mental shield she has to constantly keep it in check; fore, if she is not paying enough attention to it a big enough psionic surge can slip past it ultimately affecting Tessa.
Other Special Skills/Abilities: Tessa's computer like abilities have opened the door to a wide variety of talents from business and finances, hacking computers, espionage/spying, and even repairing mechanical things that she has seen or witness before hand. Tessa, having complete conscious control over her body, is also a formidable martial artist who is more than capable of holding her own against some of the more proficient fighters within the X-Men.
Tessa is fluent in multiple languages, and is quite a media junky loving trivia games along with other things that require her to use her mind. She is also an extremely effective interrogator; fore, she can make people talk without touching them because they are able to sense on a primal level that she is capable of extreme violence. She was born with an indomitable will so with or without her powers she can be very hard to persuade. Tessa is capable of effectively fighting in high heels, even uses them as weapons sometimes.
History: Sage's history begins before the X-Men were ever formed, back when she was nothing more than a mere child. From what is known about Tessa she spent sometime as a child in a small village in the Balkans. During this time she often liked to play in a river right outside of the area. She was no more than eight and enjoyed life as it was full of suprises. She was close with her mother and a bit more distant from her father, but that never dampened her spirit. At the age of thirteen her powers began manifesting themselves and Tessa found herself capable of picking up on things much quicker with the capability of remembering them with perfection. She was already accustom to the many languages spoken there and her newly found powers only made it easier to become fluent in them. It was not until she was fifteen when her parents moved from the Balkans to Afganhistan right before the war with the Soviets broke out. Her parents were killed during a raid on the village she was in and forced Tessa to learn how to survive on her own. It was during this time that she learned how to speak both Russian and Arabic. What was a good life turned out to be a life of hardship as well as misfortunes. She had to learn the naitive language and culture, as well as learn how to fend for herself without any help.Times as a soldier were tough on Tessa and she learned at an early age how to use firearms to protect herself within a war torn area of Afghanistan. She also became accustom towards stealing weaponry whether it be behind enemy lines or from fallen soldiers. Constantly looking over her shoulder produced a very aware and skeptical Tessa. It also taught her control over her emotions having to be tough as nails when the time called for it. She was naturally a quick reactor making desicive desicions right off the bat and extremely careful when it came to trust. She often missed the carefree days of her youth when she lived in the Balkan region of Europe as a child, but would quickly grasp the importance of the reality of things having to learn how to react to both local bandits and soldiers on the field. Being alone for such long periods of time made her distant and she only confided in herself as well as trusted her own judgements.
Things would change for her when the young woman crossed the paths of a man known as Charles Xavier. It is not completely known where the true origins of this woman are, but she is apparently, as stated prior, from a war torn area. She traveled a lot during her youth and by the time she came across that of Xavier her powers seemed to have already been somewhat developed as she had a photographic memory, as well as a mind that was as sharp as a computer. She was the one who assisted the cripple Xavier after his battle with Lucifer, and it was there that Charles recognized that the girl had some potential, as well as her being a mutant such as himself. Sage assisted Charles and tried to get him to the hospital before coming up on a UN relief convoy under attack by robbers. Ironically the convoy was transported by Shaw Industries; a place she would eventually find herself being associated with under very confidential circumstances. Tessa exacted revenge on those robbers by killing the, but hated herself afterwards for what she did to them.
Charles and she met up again and it was coincidentally around the very time that the first and original group of X-Men was in the makings. Seeing that she had potential Charles trained her to use her limited telepathic powers to completely shield her mind to all outside influences. Professor Charles Xavier asked her to become an undercover agent meant to keep an open eye on none other than Sebastian Shaw who was heading the Hellfire Club at the time. Her job was to be the eyes and ears of Xavier, all the while acting as a familiar of Shaw, keeping close to him and his business. It was this decision that distanced the two from each other quite a bit; something she always wondered about as to why he felt that she would not have been a good hero. There has always been a part of Tessa that has wanted to be a hero, but under the circumstances in which she was trained, such became quite a hard task to do.
Tessa somehow met Sebastian Shaw and eventually became his assistant; something she excelled at quite well thanks to her computer like abilities. She was capable of taking in any and everything that crossed her path, including that Ned Buckman was a mutant hater and plotting to kill Sebastian Shaw, which was fortunately something he failed at. It was also during her time in the Hellfire Club that she met her arch nemesis Elias Bogan. Shaw challenged Bogan’s agent, Oliver Ryland, to a game of poker. If by some chance Sebastian Shaw lost the poker game, Emma and her services would become the possession of Bogan. If Ryland lost, then his fortune would be given to Shaw. Despite the fact that Bogan had never once lost a game before, Tessa used her powers to skillfully engineer Shaw’s victory, which gave Shaw the fortune. Bogan kept his word, but has never forgiven Tessa for what she had done.
As of recently Shaw lost his position within the Hellfire Club along with the dealing of some important investments, which was coincidentally managed by Tessa herself. The majority of his financial prowess, and the Hellfire Club were now more or less broken apart. Tessa left Shaw feeling that he was no longer a benefit to her or her cause, and staying with him would be nothing more than a waste of time.
She eventually joined Selene and her group, the Sisters Gorgon, which was yet another large threat to Xavier’s dream. From there, she is carried out her same mission: obtain information and pass it onto Charles, doing whatever she had to do to obtain it. While with the Sisters Gorgon. Tessa played a prominent role in Selene's plans. Her first assignment, a test of her worth to the group, was to obtain a painting wanted by Selene. Tessa did this by hiring the notorious prince of thieves Remy LeBeau, who was ironically a member of the X-Men. Together they obtained the painting and Tessa left the US for Romania, the site of Selene's Mansion, where she was officially accepted into the ranks of the Sisters Gorgon.
Tessa eventually worked alongside the group's ally darkling in fighting the X-men. There was absolutely no guilt or betrayal in fighting them giving that it was their cause she was helping, whether they actually knew this or not. There was no holding back whatsoever as she battled against the very team that she was helping, in her own subtle way. She had quite a bit of confidence in their ability to perform as a team, which was all the reason more to not hold back; something that made her act as a foe even the more convincing to the Sisters Gorgon. Alongside Tessa in this battle was the former X-Men member, Monet St Croix, and despite her not so lovely feelings towards this selfish girl she knew she had a job to do, and that is exactly what she did.
Tessa knew that there was absolutely no room for any error at all, lest she wanted to be things go end up going wrong, meaning that she would have go back and fix any error, if not caught first and potentially killed for all that she has been doing thus far. Nevertheless, Tessa was eventually able to take out her frustration towards the former X-Man Monet when, under Xavier's orders to try to steer Monet back into the fold, she embarked on a well thought out and very successful scheme to not only isolate the girl within the Sisters Gorgon, but destroy the very likes of her reputation within the Sisters Gorgon, as well. This was something that was eventually achieved by Tessa who intentionally, using her telepathic powers, leaked out memories of conversations she had at one time or another with Monet's lover, Deathbird.
Tessa eventually accomplished her goal in driving out that of Monet, as well as destroying her reputation with that of the Sisters Gorgon. After Monet left she had no intention of rejoining the X-Men, not then, and probably not ever. As to what happened to her is still to be known, as Tessa had already readjusted her priorities; focusing on whatever came next up on the agenda list, which was to finally defeat the Sisters Gorgon. Once that was done then her objectives and entire reason for being there was finally over, giving her room to now seek other things to entertain the boundaries of her attention. As to what that was going to be is still something that has to be determined. Now that her scheme has been completed, Monet has been ousted, Selene killed, Sisters of Gorgon defeated, the battle of the X-Men won after a long tedious battle there was no use for that of Tessa's services as a spy.
After contacting Charles about M Sage eventually returned to that of the mansion to once again become an X-Man, still with thoughts of her past as a spy rather than a hero. It's not something that she allows to bother her too much, but still something she ponders on from time to time. Nevertheless, she finds herself once again serving the X-Men in whatever way she can and perhaps now she'll get the chance to actually be a heroine... only time will tell.
Tessa was put on the team Strafe and her first mission upon returning was to retrieve the mutant Mimic and bring him to the school. This did not go as smoothly as planned and resulted in a conflict with that of an emotionally distraught Wicked. After that mission she lingered around the mansion for quite some time before some how, some way finding herself attracted to that of Scott Summers who was in a complicated relationship situation with Jean Grey. However, the brief and mild flirtation, as well as her feelings for him were put on hold as she was called from the War Room to be sent on a mission to a Nuclear power plant to thwart Sinister who was using it for his own twisted plans. After that was completed she and the others returned to the mansion where she continued to try and make herself as available as possible to the mansion along with its many inhabitants.
It was not long after that there was a disturbance far from that of the mansion. Tessa,Logan, Northstar, and Karma were dispatched to check it out. It turned out to be some sort of explosion that had taken place in what then seemed to be an abandoned Weapon X facility, so they stuck around and investigated the scene. This trip did not come without conflict; fore, they were soon confronted be something that did not have any apparent thoughts or telepathic resonance, which Tessa found quite odd to an extent. It turned out to be a Shiva robot designed to captured escapees from the Weapon X program, Logan being one of them, and it attacked. Knowing Logan was not going to go down without a fight she and the rest of the team there assisted Wolverine in engaging in battle with this thing. Jean injured his foot after delivering a mighty kick to it and although it did not put him out of operation it did hinder him quite a bit. So, Tessa devised a plan, flawed unfortunately, but it was a plan nonetheless to take out it's vision...which she did. However dealing with a robot turned out to be quite different than dealing with a human. Its' other sensors compensated for its loss in vision still allowing it to fight effectively. It was only with a well placed missile that Karma released, with the guidance of Logan, from the Blackbird that destroyed the robot, as well as giving them ample time to escape.
Upon returning to the mansion Tessa's mind was coincidentally open to telepathy and she received the broadcast from Jean Grey that Muir Island had been attacked, as well as Charles gone missing. She found this quite interesting knowing that even though he was a parapelegic he was far from defenseless, yet someone managed to snatch him up. Sometime later Tessa ran into Karma, and together they ran into Storm. Karma had an idea of going out to the underground or world of criminals etc. and trying to sniff out any possible plans of Sinister. However, Storm did not want to go and ironically none of them had a chance to leave the mansion before Apocalypse took over all sources of communication where he battled Magneto, ultimately killing him on live television. Tessa, upon her arrival back at the mansion, telepathically asked Jean to keep her informed on any progress. When Karma informed her Magneto was on television she was wary, but curious to how it would turn out. Currently Tessa is still within the confinements of the mansion keeping herself open to any new information and hoping for the best while preparing for the worst. Once again only time will tell what is in stored for the living computer and hopefully she will be able to handle whatever comes her way.
During her more recent times at the mansion Tessa managed to have a rather in depth conversation with both Logan and Storm where she revealed Logan that she was a spy for Charles. Her conversation in with Storm was a bit more productive as the weather manipulator revealed to the likes of Sage that she had earned her trust and had hopes for her. It was not long after such that she encountered a possessed Rogue and managed to hold her off briefly until Logan came crashing through the walls and provided sufficient back up as he was able to save Rogue by entering in the depths of her mind and allowing her to overcome the evil personality forced upon her by the wish Gambit made. Afterwards she faced of, along with other members of the X-Men, with a enraged Sabretooth. It was there that she concocted the plan to channel Jean's powerful mental bolt through head own mind that was briefly linked with Creeds and through the force of her own will hit him hard with it. Such proved to be productive enough to stall him until Logan regained composure enough to end his life. It was sometime after that Sage interjected herself into the situation surrounding Psylocke who was possessed by Farouk, better known as the Shadow King, and managed to save her body from being harmed only at the price of a bigger war having to be waged against him as he tried to possess Karma. Such an ordeal prompted her to go with the team who was dragged on to the astral plane to defeat the Shadow King. Now she finds herself back at the mansion once again regaining a more durable connection with the X-Men.sources for history, and powers:
Sage WikipediaSage Marvel.ComSage Marvel DatabaseSage Uncanny X-MenSample Roleplay:What was to be a trip to her apartment to New York turned out to be nothing more than a taxi cab ride to no where. She eventually paid the man off, even though he did not take her anywhere, but it was the least she could do so it would not have been a complete waste of time for him. What was it that was keeping her drawn to the mansion? Charles? Scott? Perhaps both . Tessa had already sorted out her feelings towards Scott, and like everything else it did not take that long to come to the conclusion that there was perhaps something there. As for Charles...Tessa, by no means, hated the man; however, she was a bit more indifferent. That and she felt it was time that she had a talk with him about the two of them. Perhps it was time that she actually put her past aside, and even though she felt Xavier's motives was shady, there was the thought that she would be doing something right. It was better than having to infiltrate the Hellfire Club, and at least she did not have to look over her shoulders every so often.
Subtle strides and soft footsteps carried Lady Tessa through the likes of the sublevels of the mansion. With her thoughts tucked away deeply within her sealed mind she was comfortable knowing that unless someone actually saw her, which some definitely have, there was no telepathic way of picking her up. It saved her the hassle of being tracked where ever she goes. Where was Tessa heading? The one place that she likes to be alone in, which was none other than the War Room. It was there that she could spend a lot of alone time watching multiple news feeds through it rather advanced computerized system. The main security station within the mansion was also a great place to watch news feeds from around the world. For a media junky such as the woman known as Tessa Niles aka Sage it was definitely home away from home. At least this would make her stay here a bit more pleasant, and she would not have to wander the hallways. Once inside the circular room with a conference table smack dead in the middle Tessa headed to the far end of the table where she sat down, swirled the chair around towards the large computer display, and after sitting back she crossed her right leg over her left. Yes, indeed, she had made herself quite comfortable.
The screen of the enormous display began to flicker with several channels all at once; fore, multitasking does have its perks. Once Tessa found the stations she was looking for all the channels, one by one, halted. After just a brief time watching the various news channels she could not help, but to notice the news of various things seemingly brought on by nature happening around the world. The Helix team was sent to Washington D.C., and there were talks about earthquakes over seas. Then there was the typical he or she robbing banks, and the normal weather predictions, which so far none has come up with a prediction, or source for D.C's meteorological phenomenas. One might have thought Tessa was a bit out of her sanity sitting at the table listening and watching multiple news stations with multiple languages going simultaneously. However, for her it was quite easy, and she understood the French, Japanese, Spanish, Russian among others just as good as she understood English itself. All of this information was logged within that depths of her mind for perhaps a later retrieval.
While some of the stations remained the same random others were changed with just a mere thought flipping furiously through the more uninteresting channels only to stop on other news programs. Every once in a while she'd stop on a television show that she thought was interesting, at most, but rarely did she remain there for more than a few seconds. Other screens flickered over various parts of the mansion's premises giving that this was for all intent and purpose a multipurpose room whether for debriefing the team, locating others, as well as mansion security. However, for the most part Tessa's eyes laid on the various media sources keeping the world up to date with the many current events. There was a bit of concern for the Helix team because of the electrical display. However, she managed to convince herself that they knew what they were doing, or so at least she hoped they did. She slowly took off her shades, folded them up, and slipped them in her pocket. There really was no need for them while watching the various screens.
http://z9.invisionfree.com/nexus_rpg/index...wtopic=2080&hl= ( reference to thread )
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Sage, Tessa Niles
Tessa Niles
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Outside of that, same app, so you get me *stamp*. 
