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DC DNA: Kieran/Balor App

Published: Apr 3, 2017

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Description

January 25th 2021 UPDATE: Added additional abilities.
February 2020 UPDATE: Added some new powers and possessions. Updated some relationship descriptions.
2020 UPDATE: Added the new app image, featuring Kieran's new costume design.

“The Demon King speaks to me. Urges me to let 'em take over and rule. It's a dark deed having to deal with a bastard like 'im, but I'm used to it by now."

B A S I C S

Name: Kieran McKinley
Alias: Balor, varies by person, Boogeyman, der schwarze Mann

Age: 133 (Physically 28)
D.O.B.: October 13th, 1886
Gender: Male
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Dark Brown
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
Weight: 217 lbs (98 kg)

Species: Human
Citizenship: Ireland
Ethnicity: Celtic
Sexual Orientation: Bisexual

B A C K G R O U N D

Family:
☨Quinn McKinley - Father (Deceased)
☨Nora McKinley-Walsh - Mother (Deceased)
☨Regan Walsh - Brother (Deceased)
☨Marcas McKinley - Uncle (Unknown/Presumed Deceased)
☨Richard Walsh - Step-Father (Deceased)
Hometown: Kinsale, Ireland

History:
Centuries ago, the McKinley family's ancestor, a lord who's name has since been scrubbed from history, made a deal with a powerful magical being in order to win a war he had been fighting for years over land that didn't even belong to him. The lord was selfish and cruel. He wasn't hesitant to step on others in order to get his way, and the being he dealt with recognized this selfish nature and despised it. They agreed to help the lord win the war and his desired price, but he and all those who come after him would be cursed if he agreed. The lord, uncaring towards others, agreed immediately with no regard for what it would mean in the future. Without hesitation, the being he made a deal with, the demon king Balor, did as agreed and helped the lord win the war, but also took his life as payment.

As promised, every first born male that was born from the lord's bloodline after that point was cursed. The Balor, a demon who deals in death and destruction, had been empowered by the sentient darkness within the Shadowlands, and as payment they took the souls of every first born male (sometimes taking two sales if the first born were twins). For years the curse continued on, transferring to each newly born male from their father, effectively killing the father once the child was born. Those under Balor's curse were doomed to serve him for eternity in the afterlife, joining his army of the damned.

Years later, Kieran McKinley was born to a loving mother and father. They spent many long years together before deciding they wanted children. They considered adoption, but even knowing his fate, Quinn McKinley wanted to start a traditional family with his wife. There had been a chance, of course, that they would have a girl and he would be fine. Still, even with the knowledge that having a son would end his own life, Quinn was determined and Nora, his wife, was supportive. Nora did get pregnant eventually and for several long months they lived with the knowledge that those months could be Quinn's last. Before their child was born, Quinn chose to write several letters to be given to his child in case he didn't survive. They did have a son, Kieran, and that night, Quinn's soul and powers were transferred to his son, effectively ending his own life. Upset and having no where to go, Nora and the newborn Kieran went to live with her brother-in-law, Marcas. Marcas suffered from the same curse as his brother, but chose to remain single. He helped care for the young family until Nora was able to meet someone else.

Eventually Nora and Richard, the man she had met, were married and the family moved into his home. Together Nora and Richard had a son, Regan, and at first Richard seemed a decent human being, but after losing his job and several other runs of bad luck, Richard turned to drinking and gambling. Nora was worried for the safety of herself and her two sons (Kieran being 10 at this time and Regan 3). While Richard had never struck his family, he came close many times. Kieran was a smart kid and recognized the fear that his mother felt. He often asked her to take them and go, but she was afraid of what would happen. As a result, the two boys found themselves spending a lot of their time with their uncle rather than at home.

It was at that point that Kieran began training with his uncle, learning to fully embrace his powers and learn how to properly use them. His abilities were mostly kept under wraps, Richard knowing nothing about them since Nora was afraid of how he would react. Kieran's training with Marcas and his mother's constant fear of Richard's outburst continued until Kieran turned 16. At that point, Richard's behavior escalated and Kieran and Regan came home to find their mother bruised and unconscious on the floor. Kieran was furious and reacted violently. He lashed out with his powers when Richard appeared, and even though the man was terrified and begged for forgiveness, Kieran killed him without remorse. It wasn't of course, until later that he realized what he had done, but by that point the shaken family agreed to not talk about what happened and lived the rest of their life in quiet peace. They moved back in with Marcas, who continued Kieran's training and brought him into the world of being a mercenary, which was the career Kieran decided to spend the rest of his life working.

Many many years later, after watching the rest of his family pass on and losing his uncle, Kieran is an skilled mercenary. He has no set residence and chooses instead to travel while taking on the jobs that many others reject. While his career choice isn't the cleanest, he does have a strong moral code and isn't hesitant to turn on a customer if he finds them doing something he feels strongly against (ex: child trafficking, abuse of some form, etc.). He meets many people during this time of travel, including John Constantine, Zatanna, Medjai I, and others. Some he grows closer to than others (namely Constantine), but these are important relationships because they are the first he truly forges since losing his family. While not much of a team player, he does eventually team up with Justice League Dark every once and awhile, and has other partnerships outside of that.

A B O U T

Location: Unknown; He often travels for work, meaning he has no permanent residence, though he may claim as such to make it harder to pin him down
Occupation: Mercenary

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Powers and Abilities:
☨Darkness Manipulation/Umbrakinesis

Touched by a curse that has plagued his family for centuries, Kieran possesses the ability to control and manipulate darkness and shadows. The curse ultimately affects the first born male members of his family line (though exceptions have been made for male twins where both are cursed), imprisoning their souls within the Shadowlands and giving them access to dark powers. They can use these powers to do a number of things, including clouding things in darkness, dispelling areas of total darkness, creating solid shields, constructs and weapons, and teleportation.

See the list below for more information on his umbrakinesis specific powers:

Create/Generate/Manipulate darkness/shadow for various effects

Absolute Darkness - Calling upon the Shadowlands, he can create a field of nearly impenetrable darkness that negates sight and somewhat dull other senses
Shadow Camouflage/Cloaking - As long as he is within shadows or darker areas, he can become undetectable

Dark Projection

Creates a humanoid projection using solidified darkness. Projection doesn't always have to be humanoid. Sometimes it is just as simple as a tendril or cloud, but whatever form it takes it is completely under Kieran's control.

Darkness Adaptation

Night Vision - Because of the nature of his abilities, he can see with nearly perfect vision, even in nearly complete darkness. His eyes gain a reflective quality when using his ability.

Darkness Attacks/Solidification

Animating/Manipulating darkness/shadows either created by him or cast by objects in the area
Umbrakinetic Constructs - He can create solidified weapons, walls, and armor. He mainly uses this ability for defense, creating nearly impenetrable shields to protect himself or cast on others. With enough damage, these shields will break.

Umbrageous Teleportation

He uses his connection with the Shadowlands to create portals that allow him to teleport and move long distances. Because of this connection, this ability essentially involves him entering the Shadowlands, where he must take extra care or risk losing his soul entirely. It's a risk to use this power, but with enough training he is fairly safe.

He can also bring others with him using this power, but in doing so he must also protect them from the sentient darkness within the Shadowlands, or risk them losing their lives.

Darkness Healing

He can heal himself (and potentially others). This ability does not work if he was injured with light-based attacks. He also isn't powerful enough to heal major injuries. This only works on minor things like breaks and most non-fatal wounds. He cannot heal diseases.

Darkness Aura

He can create a dark aura that enhances his physical abilities, increasing his speed, strength and durability. This also allows him to reach out and sense things in darker areas. Sensing people is easier than objects and the lighter the area, the weaker his ability to sense things would become.

Darkness Empowerment

He is more powerful in darker areas, though he can still use his powers in lighter areas. The lighter an area, the more at risk he is and weaker he feels when using his powers.

Umbrakinetic Combat

Using the shadows present in an area, Kieran can fuse his dark manipulation powers with physical combat, allowing himself to move around in a shadow like form, increasing his speed and agility immensely. He is highly susceptible to light based attacks when using this ability.

Shadow Summoning

Summoning shadow creatures from the Shadowlands, Kieran can use them in a variety of ways. Examples would include tracking people by having the summoned creatures "become" the shadows of the target and he can even have the creatures perform sneak attacks, assassinations, and more. A powerful ability in it's own right, Kieran doesn't often like to use this power because it is one that is granted to him specifically from Balor. The creatures he summons are part of Balor's dark shadow army. They are powerful and dangerous. Kieran fears losing control over them more than most things.

Shadow Army

By expending a great deal of his own energy when not under Balor's control, Kieran can potentially summon an army of shadow beings to fight by his side. The concentration and energy required to do this makes it a power that isn't very useful in most situations, but given the right circumstances, Kieran is willing to rely on this ability if it will save innocent lives.

Shadow "Hearing"

If he focuses on a person that he knows, or a specific location, he can hear things through the darkness that is present in that location. This isn't always accurate and it requires very controlled focus, but he has been able to do it before. Ex: When Quincy|DNA: King Solomon was little, Kieran was able to hear her talking to him through the darkness.

☨Dark Form

This form is one that utilizes the sentient darkness of the Shadowlands to undergo a transformation and become a more powerful form of himself. When using this form, Kieran's eyes turn completely black and his entire body looks as though it is covered in a permanent shadow. While using this form, Kieran's strength, speed, and durability are greatly increased and he gains access to stronger dark magic, but he risks his own sanity. In this form he is highly aggressive and lacks the same amount of empathy he normally has. He is cold and silent, and without the proper self control, he could lose himself and be unable to return to normal. In this form, Balor clings tightly to Kieran's soul, bringing out in him a blood lust that isn't easily sated.

☨Enhanced Condition

Enhanced speed, dexterity, strength, endurance, durability, and intelligence.

☨Decelerated Aging

Due to the nature of the curse placed on his ancestors, those who are cursed age slower than others. Physically Kieran is currently 28, but his actual age is closer to 84. In the past, the men who were cursed stopped physically aging at 40, and many of them could have survived for many years longer.

☨Immortality

With his soul shrouded in the darkness of the Shadowlands, it is protected by dark magic. Because of this, he cannot be killed permanently. He can, however, "die" in a temporary sense where he feels the pain of dying and would face it like any other human, only to be healed and awaken whole again within the Shadowlands. Because of it's nature, this ability is a double edged sword because of it's nature. Enemies could very easily use the pain he suffers through while dying to their advantage and kill him multiple times over as a form of punishment.

☨Supernatural Detection

Born from his dealings with Balor, but also through his years of experience and vast knowledge, Kieran is able to sense supernatural phenomena, beings, and forces and sometimes identify them on sight. He has spent ages training this ability.

☨Spiritual Awareness

Along with his supernatural detection, Kieran also possesses heightened spiritual awareness. He can see things that others cannot, often being able to see beings such as spirits and demons that are often invisible to normal humans. Not only does this make him an excellent fighter, but it also increases his hunting abilities which helped him make a name for himself early on.

☨Soul Abilities

Some a side effect of the deal with Balor, others an unwanted gift from the Church of Saints, Kieran has a number of abilities that deal with matters of the soul. While nothing like Death or those charged with guiding lost souls to their final resting place, Kieran has found himself in possession of some similar roles, though many of them he would rather leave behind.

Strong Soul simply means that Kieran possesses a soul that is extremely powerful, granting him increased spiritual fortitude and some spiritual abilities, but also binds him to the demon king, Balor. Created by Balor's possession of the centuries worth of souls he has collected over the years, Kieran's soul strength is not just his own, but that of the people in his family that came before him. He is strengthened by his own resolve, as well as their own.

Soullessness is a side effect of the cursed life that Kieran finds himself living. With his soul under Balor's control, it is not within the confines of his physical form. Instead Kieran's soul is trapped within the Shadowlands. Not only does this provide him with his immortality, but not having a soul within his body makes him immune to the effects of abilities that rely on soul manipulation, such as soul absorption, soul removal, and contract bestowal.

Dark Soul Manipulation is a side effect of being a servant of Balor and grants Kieran the ability to control the dark and destructive aspects of souls. His main way of using this is when he controls the shadow army that being Balor's servant grants him. The souls of the army are dark and dangerous, but Kieran has complete control over them because of this trait.

Soul Magnet simply means that souls of those who have passed on are drawn to Kieran. This is a gift given by the Church of Saints. In order to guide lost souls to him, it empowered Kieran, making him a beacon for those that were lost. The souls that find him are vast in variety, often including the souls of spiritually strong animals and people.

Soul Reading is an ability that allows Kieran to perceive and read souls. While not always clear, Kieran can often get a reading from someone's soul, even if it's only as much as a feeling or perceived instinct. He doesn't put much thought into this ability and often prefers to let someone prove themselves rather than judge them immediately based on their soul.

Exorcism was an ability born from the unity of the powers given to Kieran through both Balor and the Church of Saints. While already an excellent exorcist, Kieran became even more proficient due to his dark powers and spiritual energies. Exorcism comes almost as easy as breathing to him, though at times it can be dangerous.

☨Enhanced Combat

Bred from years of training and learning various styles of combat from various masters. He has since become proficient in a variety of martial arts for close combat, but prefers to use a weapon.

☨Enhanced Swordsmanship

He is extremely proficient at both single and dual wield combat. He has trained extensively with a sword and is skilled with countering, cutting, deflecting, and delivering skillful strikes with great precision and ease (among other things).

☨Occult Knowledge

He was trained in the knowledge of dark magics and many magical and demonic beings. He also has some knowledge of curses and their natures, after spending so long trying to break his own family's curse. Most of his knowledge is basic in nature. He is more of a fighter than anything.

☨Servant of Balor

While Balor has no control of Kieran in the physical realm, entering the Shadowlands gives the demon king greater power over Kieran's soul. Cruel and deadly, Balor takes great pleasure in stripping his victims of their will and forcing them to do his bidding. When not under Balor's control, Kieran can still sometimes hear the Demon King's voice urging him to give into a blood lust that would consume him.

☨Unique Possessions & Locations

Blessed Pendant

Owned by his family for centuries this amulet has been blessed and is a symbol of protection. Its purpose is to act as a shield that will protect Kieran from Balor's influence.

Rosary

After losing his pendant the first time, Kieran is gifted this rosary by Giovanni, who used his own abilities to increase the protective power of the prayer beads and pendant in hopes that it would hold off Balor's influence even further.

Shadow Blade

A blade of dark energy and magic that Kieran summons from the Shadowlands.

Church of Saints

A seemingly abandoned catholic church that has had its existence questioned for centuries. It seems to appear and disappear at will. It has since clung to Kieran's existence, and acts as his home and base of operations. The church itself is steeped in magic and, despite being a holy place, acts as a refuge for any being who needs it, including someone possessed by a demon king. As such, it also actively seeks out lost souls and guides them to its open doors, and in turn into Kieran's protection.

Limitations and Weaknesses:
While he is a very skilled fighter and trained for years to become the mercenary he is today, Kieran is not without his weaknesses. The very darkness he wields will ultimately be his downfall. Get him to trust you and he will admit to how it feels to have such a strong presence of darkness lurking just below the surface. It is not a force to be fooled with and if he isn't careful, the very power he wields could corrupt him and cause him to lose himself. This happening would not only be dangerous for himself, but also for everyone around him.

The shadows he deals with in the Shadowlands are semi-sentient and dangerous. They have an agenda and would like nothing more than to unleash their power onto an unsuspecting world. Knowing this, Kieran has generally tried to distance himself from others. He believes that distance will keep others safe by allowing him to control his powers easier, but it hasn't always worked for him. People are stubborn and some don't like to take no for an answer. Still, Kieran has a back up plan in case his worst fears comes to be. If all else fails he will take his own life before allowing his body to be taken.

Physically speaking, Kieran is weak to everything a normal human would be weak to, he just has highly enhanced durability and endurance that allows him to take more hits. This is true for nearly every attack, except for light based magic and powers. Being the opposite of his own abilities, light is his greatest weakness, but can also be an ally. Depending on who is using these light based abilities, Kieran could be at great risk for injury or worse.

Personality:
☨Raised by a kind and loving family, Kieran grew up to be a very well-rounded and humble person. He was often responsible for caring for his younger brother, and thus took on a much more serious nature the older he became. Once he began training with his uncle, he became more strict and restrained, often taking his training very seriously and not having patience for distractions. After what he did to his step father, he became more violent (despite his own attempts to keep himself controlled), and later after losing his family, his once social life became much more solitary and passive. While he holds onto a strong moral code, he doesn't always go out of his way to step in and assist others unless asked, and even then he may hesitate. Overall though, he is a very loyal and quietly caring person, who will take his job of protecting those close to him very seriously.

Likes:

Early morning jogs
Star gazing
Black coffee
Alternative Rock
His leather coat

Dislikes:

Crowded spaces
Not being in control of his own actions
Curses
Abuse of any kind

☨Most of his hobbies involve research and training in some way. He is always looking to improve upon his own abilities, but he isn't opposed to going out for the occasional drink if the company seems worthwhile.

☨While there isn't much he is afraid of, being consumed by darkness is one of the strongest fears he has. So much so, that even being controlled by other forces affects him greatly. He often has nightmares of losing control and being the one to take the lives of everyone he loves.

R E L A T I O N S H I P S

Status: In a relationship
Love Interest: John Constantine
Best Friend: John Constantine, Quincy May, Giovanni

"John Constantine. I've tried to forget him. Tried real fuckin hard to leave him behind. Trust me. I've had a lifetime of suffering and pain wrapped up like a bloody present and put into my lap, so believe me when I say I'd do anything to keep myself from making it harder to press on... But John... I can reason with myself all I want, can throw logic at the wall and watch every goddamn bit of it stick, but I can't convince myself to let him go. I know bad news follows John like a plague and I've got my own bad shit on the horizon... But... He gives me hope. He gives me hope and that's something I haven't had for a very very long time."

Kieran started out having an odd sort of tolerant friendship with John Constantine. Kieran himself is considerably older than John, so the two didn't actually meet until much later in Kieran's life while he was working a job in London. Being the man that he was, Kieran had heard of Constantine before, but had never expected much from him. He had heard the occult detective was a con-man and cynic, often willing to sacrifice practically anything to get out of a bind. By word of mouth, Kieran hadn't liked the sound of him, and he found that sentiment echoed in person. Constantine was on a new level of frustrating, but he wasn't entirely deserving of as much disdain as Kieran gave him. In fact, Constantine ended up seeking Kieran out for a job and the magician, ultimately to Kieran's surprise, was a genuine joy to work with. This sort of begrudging team up happened several other times, eventually changing their relationship from acquaintances to friends, and from friends into an unexpected one night stand. Kieran, while not exactly upset at what happened, was not akin to the idea of getting any closer to John than he already was, and worked hard at distancing himself from the man. John still manages to find him on though, and they continue to team up and so much more.

Having been recruited by John to help Quincy, it was expected that the two would spend quite a bit of time together. What wasn't expected that the two would realize they met long before John's influence. Kieran has known Quincy every since she was a child and acted as her protector from that very first meeting. Lost in his shadow form, he was drawn to Quincy and defended her from the darkness. Separated for many many years, they were united again much later in life by a chance meeting in the Church of Saints. Kieran recognized Quincy immediately, but was hesitant to reveal himself to her. However things eventually came to light and ever since finding each other again, the two have been solid foundations for the other to lean on. There is immense love between them and not even a prophecy of Armageddon can tear them apart.
Lovers once upon a time, Giovanni and Kieran learned long ago that they are much better as friends. Since then they have remained close, two sides of a coin as beings of light and darkness. Giovanni knows Kieran's struggles against his inner darkness and has tried to help and protect his soul as much as possible. In their every day lives, Kieran has been a great encouragement for Gio's love life. He wants nothing more than to see his friend happy, and supports whatever way that may come to be.

Friends: Zatanna Zatara, Medjai I, Medjai II, Fran

While the few friendships Kieran manages to make are all important to him in their own ways, his relationship with both Medjai is perhaps one of the most notable relationships he has. By nature, the groups powers should make them more enemies to each other than anything, but instead they have managed to cultivate a mostly healthy partnership. While the heroic status of Medjai I and her daughter oft have them looking down on some of Kieran's less savory actions, the two women don't dislike him in anyway. In fact, suffering from their own separate curse, they have offered to help divulge any information they find on their own situation to Kieran, wanting to help him free himself in anyway they can. While Kieran is grateful, he doesn't see himself ever being rid of his fate and settles with simply teaming up with both Medjai when the need arises. After Medjai I is forced to retire, he becomes a sort of guardian for Medjai II, watching over her when he can and helping her when she needs it.

Trivia:
  ☨ He is very rarely captured on film. Most photographs will come out as blurry images or unnaturally dark.
  ☨ He keeps his past very private. Only a few people know what he did when he was a teenager.
  ☨ His necklace is of magical origin and helps reduce Balor's influence over his host. When given the opportunity, the demon will remove it.
  ☨ The rosary wrapped around his arm was a gift from Giovanni. It is blessed and helps keep Balor at bay.

Quotes:
  ☨ "Light can't exist with darkness, vice versa... You really need me to remind you?"
  ☨ "I'm tired. Exhausted by the very idea of going on some days, but that doesn't stop me. It can't stop me... Because the second I give up? He wins."
  ☨ "Balor is... many things. A real sonuvabitch first and foremost."

Playlist
☨ Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night - Spotify

Reference
www.deviantart.com/lizksyart/a…

Kieran, Medjai I & II, Umphasi, etc. (c) Me
John Constantine, Zatanna (c) DC Comics
Quincy and Giovanni (c) Paradox-Commissions
Fran (c) pumpkincookie

Image size

1200x1115px 1.24 MB

Comments35

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Kennera

Feb 21, 2020

I love everything about him!

Reminds me that I have to start writing for JLD and get my OC drawn too....so much to do xD