Name: Emberlyn Crowley
Nickname: Emmie, Em (only by Oz)
Age:  22
Abnormality: Warden
Ability/Weakness:

Shadow Manipulation:  Emberlyn can manipulate shadows. They tend to follow her around like pets. She isn’t fully aware of the extent of her abilities, but she does know she can command them. She doesn’t know yet that she can manipulate the shadows, solidify them, and even travel through them.

Weakness: Where there is light, there is no darkness. Therefore, during the day, her abilities are not easily accessible. She would have to work hard to pull shadows during the day; depending on the situation, it can be impossible. Also, she is weakest during the daylight hours. For years, she has believed that this is simply because of the nightmares she experiences that keep her up at night. She hasn’t fully grasped that it is because she draws her strength from the shadows and darkness itself.

Monstrouskinesis: It is a powerful and versatile capability that allows the young woman to control and influence creatures. She can issue them commands and even force them to obey. She can summon creatures from the Nightmare realm, another ability she isn't aware that she possesses.

Weakness: She cannot command or influence just any monster. They must be tied to her other abilities or linked to the Nightmare realm, where her death connected her.  Other monsters tend to notice her rather quickly, and while there may be a pull to her, she can’t demand they do something and make them listen.  Unfortunately, this has put her in a few situations where her life was in danger, which has made Archer a little more protective of her, wanting to shelter her more than others.

Unfortunately, Archer hasn't managed to locate anyone who can help her to the extent she needs with her ability. For years, he has searched; he has read and heard of others similar to her power, but contacting them seems impossible. That has not kept him from looking, though.

All these abilities make her a..

Warden:

The Wardens are the keepers of Nightmare. These individuals are given the charge to keep the realm at bay. They ensure that all the horrors of the domain are contained and do not pour out in excess, infiltrating the world with too much horror and fear. This trait is unique to an ancient bloodline that, over the course of globalization, has been diluted. It is recessive and only activated through in those who bare traces of that bloodline and survive a near-death experience.

They can command the monsters originating from the Nightmare realm and manipulate the darkness that the monsters often use to travel. It is up to them to find and return any excess that escapes the realm. Sometimes, the gentler of monsters want to return and will find the Keepers to help them navigate back to their realm.

Being a Warden is not for the faint of heart. Because of their connection to the darker realm, monsters are often attracted to them and will seek them out - some, like pets, want to find comfort with the ones in control, while others seek to harm those who are in authority. Seeing the things that haunt other's’ nightmares can be difficult for the mental state of the Keepers. Most of them lose themselves in the Nightmare and either go insane, turn to the likes of substances, or become one with the very realm that they are supposed to help balance, eventually becoming monsters themselves.

Recently, the Wardens have become targets. . and are being picked off one by one by an entity that wishes to wreak havoc by bringing fear and destruction to the world.

Time With Archer: 6 years
Theme song: Darkside
Face Claim: India Eisley
Physical Description: Emmie's physical appearance really depends on how active the nightmares have been.  The more sleep she has had, the more put together she appears.

Her long,  dark chocolate-colored hair is usually pulled up in a loose bun on top of her head or in a high ponytail, but when she does allow it to hang loose, it frames a face that is as smooth as porcelain and pale, revealing she does not spend much time in direct sunlight.

Her thick lips are often stained with pinks and reds, which stand out against the color of her skin.  Her almond-shaped eyes are framed by thick, dark lashes that some people 'would kill for.' These bring out the depths of her bright, granite-gray eyes.

Like her mother before her, she was not blessed with much height. Instead, she stands at a mere 5 feet 6 inches. Her height and the smoothness of her features give her a youthful appearance, but the shape of her physique reveals a young woman who is shedding her adolescence and moving into adulthood.

Her taste in clothing has changed over the years. Once upon a time, she had to wear the most expensive, name-brand products with their symbols emblazed all over them. However, after the experience that brought her to Archer, she prefers more casual and comfortable clothing, especially leggings and oversized shirts, which she has an abundance of thanks to Ozzie's closet being right down the hall. She does tend to wear long-sleeved shirts that come to her palms because there are scars on her wrist from darker times in her past that she is not exactly proud of and is self-conscious of.

There is one item of clothing that she is seen with more often: a well-worn, black leather jacket. It is slightly big on her, but she finds comfort in the scent of the leather and the weight of the material.

She tends to lean more towards darker colors blacks, grays, and maroons because they go better with her pallor and bring out the depths of her gray eyes.

Emberlyn's skin has been cool to the touch since she plunged into the icy waters years ago, especially her hands and feet. She always feels cold, even in the summer, and people who do touch her tend to notice the coolness of her skin.


Distinguishing Features: Her pale skin.  It is one of the first things that people tend to notice about her, which often leads to jokes about her not getting enough sun.  She usually laughs them off or ignores them altogether (which she is good at) because it is hard to get sun when the majority of your family thrives at night. Plus, the whispers are louder at night, which makes it difficult for her to sleep.

Personality Description: Emberlyn Crowley was born with a silver spoon in her mouth.  From the beginning, her parents groomed her for a life in the spotlight. Everything from how she articulated words to how she walked to how she stood was instilled in her.  Today that is a lingering part of who she is.

Other than that, she starkly contrasts the person she once was.  The immature, mean girl who stemmed from being raised getting everything she wanted died the day she did.  Where she once craved attention, she now craves solace and the friendship of a few close friends.  The obnoxious girl who wanted to stand in the spotlight and be applauded for simply being a Crowley desires nothing more than to hide in the shadows and forget the people who wouldn't believe her.

Silence often befalls her lips, but when she does talk, it is with a delicate, placid tone that harbors no malice (unless you have really angered her.)   Normally, Emberlyn is a calm individual who is slow to wrath, but woe to those who step over that line because she does not hesitate to lash out (both verbally and physically.)

What are some of your characters likes?

Caffeine: She is addicted to caffeine. More specifically, she is addicted to coffee.  he will enjoy teas and energy drinks, but she prefers coffee (the darker, the better).  he thrives on the jolts of energy it gives her because her sleep is limited.  It’s hard to rest when, any time you try to sleep, your dreams are filled with nightmares.

Music: When she needs to drown out the noise in her head, she turns to music. It can be from the radio, her thousands of songs on her iPod, or her piano and violin (both gifts from Archer.) The sound of her playing can often be heard throughout the home, and there have been times when she has played so long and so hard that her fingers bleed.  She was introduced to music at an early age, but her love for it did not blossom until she reached Archer's home. Her parents always hired teachers who did not mesh well with their daughter, and she began to hate sitting at the piano. Over the past four years, she has advanced her skills.  Sometimes, she will sing when she plays.

Cars and Motorcycles: She doesn’t know or care as much about cars and motorcycles like some other people in her life, but you can’t live with the Ashby boys as long as she has and not develop an appreciation for some. She still prefers to be Oscar’s passenger princess, but occasionally, she likes to get behind the wheel. She doesn’t do speed, though. She likes casual riding over risking death (been there, done that, got the t-shirt).

Running: Emberlyn has been a runner her entire life. In her younger years, she did track and cross country with her school. She was a top competitor, too. There were a few years during her ‘treatment’ that she stopped due to the way the medications made her feel, but after she arrived at Archer’s, she started back. Typically, she runs three to five miles a day, but when she needs to get away from her thoughts and focus on something else, she will run close to ten.

Other: Spending time with Oz, shopping for clothes, watching the Home and Garden Network, sitting on the front porch with a cup of coffee and a book, etc.

Dislikes:

Meaningless Conversations: Before the accident, Emberlyn talked..a lot. She constantly had something to say and enjoyed the sound of her own voice. Since the accident, she has felt secluded from the majority of the population, and because of that, her conversational skills have suffered. There are some people in her life she is more comfortable talking to.

Disbelief: She spent two years of her life being told she was a liar. No one believed her when she tried to tell them that she came back from death with more baggage than she left with.  Because of her parents' unbelief, she was sent to counseling, put on many different types of drugs that left her feeling worse, and secluded from her peers because of her 'psychosis.'  The only one that believed her was her younger sister, Adelyn.

Bodies of Water: Once upon a time, Emberlyn loved going to the lake and the beach. She would spend hours in the water on paddle boards, jet skiing, and snorkeling, but since her accident, she could barely be next to a swimming pool without panicking.

Other: Decaff, anything that has to do with politics, most animals (especially horses due to being kicked by her sister's horse twice while growing up), Mountain Dew, and a few odd other things.


Worst Fears:

1. That she will never be able to integrate herself back into society. This means she will always be dependent upon Archer to help her through life. She wants to get a job, travel the world, and maybe even go to college, but will all of that ever be possible when the things that go bump in the night seek her out?

2.. The worst of them all is losing herself to the darkness. She has been part of the supernatural world for many years, she has read Archer's journals and the writing of others, so she knows that the darker parts of this new world call like a siren. Some are strong enough to shoot it down like a rabid animal, but others embrace it like a lover.

Interesting facts not in rest of biography:

Emberlyn loves the family she found with the Ashby's and is one of the longest-staying members to come into Archer’s care. However, this is not the only reason she continues to reside with Archer, Oscar, and the others who come and go. She stays because it is not safe for her anywhere else. Since her accident, she has drawn monsters, and they never seem to be the kind ones like Archer and his kin. It is the ones that want to do her harm. They know this has something to do with the accident, but they are not sure to what extent. .and until they do, she will continue to remain a constant in the home.

It can be repeated that Emberlyn is a wonderful musician. She plays the piano in an inspiring way, and her voice is moving. It is evident that music is her passion, and she loves losing herself moving in the sound of the keys more than anything else.

She is obsessed with shoes and has more pairs than anyone needs. She often drags Daniel along with her to shop, even if it's to try things on and look in the window with desire.  Emberlyn tends to favor a few specific pairs, but every time she goes to clean out the others, she has a hard time throwing them away or donating them to the local thrift store.

She is currently in a relationship with Oscar Ashby  (Crazy For You).

Emberlyn had two degrees: One in music theory and one in music therapy.

Does your character work outside of the Residence? Not 'outside' of the residence, but she does teach piano and violin to younger (and older) individuals. She also has a blog called 'Midnight Musings' that has a huge following.

History:   The Crowley family is well-bred and, for many generations, has dabbled in politics and other areas of society that would bring them wealth and put their name in the spotlight. Their smooth tongues and beautiful appearance made them likable and easy to move up the proverbial ladder.

Leonidas Crowley was bred to follow in his father's footsteps and was groomed from the beginning to do just that. From his childhood, his wife was chosen for him, and their marriage was arranged to benefit both families. Angelina Hawkins was beautiful, smart, and everything a man could dream of having. She did not speak unless spoken to and was only seen whenever he wanted her to be seen.

Three years after marriage, Leonidas and Angelina welcomed their first daughter (Emberlyn) into the world. From the day she was born, Emberlyn had the best nannies, followed by the best instructors, and was sent to the best schools (beginning at the age of four.)  Her father was determined to groom his children to be perfect examples and representations of their families.

Perfection was something Leonidas strived for.

But what is perfect on the outside is typically broken on the inside.

Like most families in the spotlight, there were many issues whenever the cameras were pointed in a different direction, including verbal abuse and mental turmoil brought on by a man who viewed his family as objects instead of humans. Their mother caught the brunt of it, but it was in the home where Emberlyn learned to control others and lash out verbally, demeaning and tearing down others that she saw as subpar.

These attributes continued until her 13th birthday.

On the large estate that her family owned was a pond that froze over during the winter. It was here that the Crowley siblings would go ice skating - away from their father and the secrets hidden within the walls of their home.   Unfortunately, this specific winter, the pond did not completely freeze, and the ice cracked beneath her weight. Within seconds, she was in the water and under the ice.

Fortunately, one of the girl's nannies was headed down to call them inside when he heard Adelyn screaming for help. He arrived in enough time to pull Emberlyn from the depths, but her heart had stopped by the time the paramedics arrived. They spent the entire drive to the hospital attempting to coax her back, but to no avail.

Hours later, Emberlyn once again drew her first breath. She woke in the hospital's morgue, confused and convinced everything that had happened was nothing more than a bad dream. However, it did not take her long to realize what she thought was a nightmare was her reality: the submersion, the walk she took behind the veil, the people she met, and the shadows that followed her like puppies.

When she came back, parts of the world came with her.

She spent several days in the ICU following the traumatic events. During that time, not a single word left her lips. At first, the doctors were unsure what lasting effects the young girl would live with or whether she would ever fully recover, but they asked her parents to be patient and give her time.

But she did recover, and she was deemed a medical miracle by the hospital staff.

From the instant she returned, it was evident to her parents and sister that she was not the same. The life that once filled the depths of her eyes was dimmer, and there was a darkness that wasn't there before. Soon after her release from the hospital, she began to wake up at night screaming, sweating profusely, and shaking as if she had succumbed to a night terror.

When she finally confided in her parents, the two people she was supposed to trust with everything in her being, her father immediately began to claim she was lying - craving attention after the accident. Her mother, on the other hand, talked Leonidas into taking her to see a doctor. Initially, the doctor believed she was suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome and, over time, she would find ways to cope.

Months passed. Psychiatrists were seen. Pills were given. Intense therapies were taken. In fact, they even flew privately to different countries for more invasive therapies.  Nothing seemed to help the girl and the crazier she began to feel.  To a point where she thought pain would take away the nightmares.  This is when her father had enough and reached out to an acquaintance of a mutual friend, Archer Ashby. Mr. Ashby was known to take in and rehabilitate troubled youth. So, Leonidas contacted him and discovered that Emberlyn was exactly what Archer looked for when accepting people into his program.

Angelina disagreed with her husband's decision to send their daughter to a youth home, but, like many times before, her desires were not heard. Leonidas would do anything to keep up the appearance he had worked so hard for over the years, even if it meant turning his back on his firstborn. He offered a large sum of money to Archer to keep his daughter's situation out of the public eye.

For the past several years, Archer has abided by Senator Crowley's wishes (even if he doesn't necessarily agree with it.)

Initially, Emberlyn was not sure what to think of the savior who had come to her aide and plucked her from her father's home, but Archer Ashby pulled back the curtain and introduced her to the world beyond her reality.

Over the years, Emberlyn has found the Ashby Estate to feel more like a home than the one she left ever did.



Family Connections:

Senator Leonidas Crowley:  Most people who follow the media are aware of the Crowley surname. For the past ten years, Leonidas and his family have been in the political spotlight.  He has worked his way up by rubbing elbows and knowing the right people but that does not mean he is not good at what he does.  Like his father and grandfather before him, Leonidas is the perfect politician.

Angelina Hawkins-Crowley: The daughter of business mogul Gregory Hawkins and everything a politician like Leonidas could want in a wife. She is beautiful, smart, and was raised to be perfect in the crowd he runs with.  Her wealthy father has funded his endeavors under the table for many years, putting even more money into it since the two married.

Adelyn Crowley:  Addie came along four and a half years after Emberlyn, and from the very beginning, the two were best friends.  Emberlyn doted on her baby sister from the first day at the hospital, and they were inseparable up until the accident. Emberlyn hasn't spoken to Adelyn in four years, but it isn't because she hasn't wanted the communication.