Character Bio - Kisaiya Lemarchand

“This is where you run.”

Name: Kisaiya ‘Kizzy’ Lemarchand
Nickname: The Executioner
Age: 23
Height: 172.7 cm/5’8”
Reach: 175 cm/68”
Weight: 61.69 kg/140 lbs
Hair Colour: Dark Brown
Eye Colour: Green
Nationality: American of French/Romani heritage

Fighting Style: Hybrid Striking Style with elements of Judo and some pro wrestling takedowns.
Finishing Moves:

• Lights Out (Straight back kick to the chin, usually resulting in a KO and usually delivered without looking at her opponent.)
  
• Guillotine (Back roundhouse kick to the temple, delivered by Kizzy leaning back and getting her leg as high as possible so it hits from above.)
  
• Executioner (Kizzy doubles her opponent over with a kick to the midriff, followed by somersaulting forward into an axe kick to the head or neck.)

Strengths: Deceptively powerful, natural fighter, dominant attitude
Weaknesses: Lacklustre grappler, glass cannon

Description: Well-tanned and well-muscled, Kizzy is built for speed and power, a striker rather than a grappler. A stiletto, rather than a blunt instrument. She moves with a predatory grace, almost never missing a step, and is one of the best acrobats in the ring. Her ring gear is a midnight blue sports bra and black leggings, while she adds a matching sarong skirt trimmed in silver for her entrances (it was her mother’s). She fights barefoot.

Basic Bio: Kisaiya Lemarchand hasn’t had an easy life. The daughter of a Roma and a Frenchwoman, her parents immigrated to the US in search of opportunity during her mother’s pregnancy. Born an American citizen, the young Kizzy was soon an orphaned one. Before her nineth birthday, both her parents were dead in a tragic car accident that left the girl a ward of the foster system.

Kizzy’s story could have ended there, quite possibly as a statistic sad as that would have been. Growing up, she spent plenty of time in and out of foster families and care homes alike. While she was never physically abused, it’d be fair to say she suffered her fair share of emotional neglect, though she made little to no effort to get along with any of those she was adopted by. As a result, a lot of her life was led out on the streets, chasing the next thrill and learning self-reliance as she became quite the amateur acrobat and brawler.

When she was sixteen, Kizzy found herself in another thoroughly illegal fighting ‘tournament’ held by some of the local gangs. Everybody threw some money into the pot and winner took all. She firmly expected to be the winner. She was a natural fighter, quick and ferocious, and often won against bigger opponents. This time, however, there was a young man there who sliced through the competition. When they squared off, he thoroughly cleaned Kizzy’s clock and walked off with the pot.

Never the world’s best loser, Kizzy followed him, impetuously intending… Well, she didn’t really know. She did know that, after what she’d seen, she’d lost all interest in merely brawling. Nimble and agile, the young woman tracked her opponent back to an old building. Stealing onto the rooftop, she peered in through an old skylight to find that it was a dojo, with mats on the floor and a number of students practicing their routines – including the one who’d beaten her.

Unfortunately for Kizzy, she leant a bit far forward and the skylight was less than sturdy. That left her dropped on her back on the mats, though nothing was hurt but her pride. Grabbed by one of the students, the young woman rallied enough to put a kick into a second on instinct before they wrestled her down believing her a thief. But the dojo’s master arrived shortly thereafter, and had them release her – her arrival had amused him and the untutored athleticism she’d demonstrated intrigued him. Particularly when, on being released, Kizzy put a second kick right into her tormentor’s belly.

Despite the protests of the others, he chose to take her on as a student in turn.

Theo Freeman’s dojo was unlike many dojos. The style he taught was a blend of elements of others he’d learned over his fighting career, but he also strongly emphasised tailoring it to the individual strengths of his pupils. He favoured those who could improvise, who went out of their way to learn new moves without his input – and that certainly described Kizzy. She made rapid progress, almost incredibly so although that was helped by her regular avoidance of school in favour of training or attending the dojo. Theo Freeman said nothing, though she was sure he noticed unlike her foster parents.

Theo also put her in touch with a pro-boxer of world-class talent, looking both to fill some of the gaps he could see in her ability and expose her to a wider range of opponents.

By the time she was 18, Kizzy was top of the class and Freeman’s personal student, defeating the former best of the dojo in a sparring match that saw the angry young man leave in fury. She celebrated by entering another street tournament and demolishing four other fighters in a match that left one with a broken wrist and two others nursing sundry minor injuries. It was the most fun she’d had in her life.

Well, that’s how Kizzy tells it at least.

And let’s just say that, given the way she fights, she’s definitely been trained by some experts.

Kizzy’s personal style is increasingly one tailored to her. It’s a strong striking style that makes heavy use of Kizzy’s whole body as well as using momentum to her advantage. That is both in terms of adding power to her blows but also allowing her to turn a failed attack into another strike for a new angle. She is also very acrobatic, drawing influence from breakdancing, Capoeira and gymnastics in her matches, and excels at using her environment to her advantage, making her highly unpredictable.

Kizzy’s never been one for worrying too much about the rules, so she’ll break or dodge around them whenever it suits her. Her training also includes boxing and Judo, while her submission skills are generally limited to leg-based holds. Overall, she is something of a glass cannon. Incredibly fast and agile, insane reflexes and able to apply immense force to her hits but, while she can take a hit, she can’t take a beating as well as some of her competition.

That said, ‘fragile’ is relative; Kizzy has beaten her fair share of opponents down body to body and she can turn especially vicious when cornered. It never pays to underestimate the Executioner.

Her career so far has seen her be something of a nomad, going from promotion to promotion, scything through the opposition to claim the belts. Now she’s made her way to the AWCC with her eyes on stealing the prize, and taking one more step towards whatever goals she’s set herself.

Notes: As with my other characters, Kizzy was inspired by a number of differing elements. Her appearance takes inspiration from Scarlet Witch, Esmeralda of Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame, Kitana and Catwoman. Her fighting style is heavily based on Huntress’ from the JLU animated series while her name is inspired by Lovecraft and Clive Barker. This time, the credit for the amazing commission goes to , while thanks are also due to , and for their help, suggestions and opinions on this character.