[hider=Ashton Holloway] [hr][hr][h1][b][i][color=4682B4][center]Ashton Holloway[/center][/color][/i][/b][/h1] [center] [img]http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/avp/images/9/92/Mike_aliens_3.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130414051040[/img][/center] [hr][hr][h3][b][i][color=4682B4][center]Character Summary[/center][/color][/i][/b][/h3] [b][color=4682B4]Name:[/color][/b]Ashton Jameson Holloway [b][color=4682B4]Aliases:[/color][/b] Ash, Captain [b][color=4682B4]Age:[/color][/b] 34 [b][color=4682B4]Birthday:[/color][/b] March 9th ("Panic Day") [b][color=4682B4]Ethnicity:[/color][/b] Caucasian [b][color=4682B4]Birth Place:[/color][/b] Esmont, VA [b][color=4682B4]Location:[/color][/b] At time of outbreak: Marietta, GA [b][color=4682B4]Gender:[/color][/b] Male [b][color=4682B4]Major/Minor:[/color][/b] Virginia Military Institute, Engineering & Officer Training [b][color=4682B4]Occupation:[/color][/b] Captain, U.S. Army - Combat Engineer [b][color=4682B4]Languages:[/color][/b] English (native), Spanish (intermediate) [hr][hr][h3][b][i][color=4682B4][center]Appearance[/center][/color][/i][/b][/h3] [center][img]http://www.popgurls.com/wp-content/uploads/2002/06/Kyle_Reese.png[/img][/center] [b][color=4682B4]Height:[/color][/b] 5'11" [b][color=4682B4]Weight:[/color][/b] 180 [b][color=4682B4]Build:[/color][/b] Athletic [b][color=4682B4]Eyes:[/color][/b] Blue [b][color=4682B4]Hair:[/color][/b] Brown [b][color=4682B4]Skin Tone:[/color][/b] Light, Caucasian [b][color=4682B4]Tattoos/Scars/Piercings:[/color][/b] Several small scars gathered from growing up in the sticks. No tattoos. [hr][hr][h3][b][i][color=4682B4][center]Psychology[/center][/color][/i][/b][/h3] [center][img]https://68.media.tumblr.com/c6f0f86d13839f8542e4b754c251da73/tumblr_ojog8uNf9k1qdhps7o1_r1_500.gif[/img][/center] [i][color=4682B4][center] Disciplined * Sarcastic * Resolute * Temperamental * Responsible * Stoic [/center][/color][/i] [b][color=4682B4]Sexuality:[/color][/b] Hetero [b][color=4682B4]Relationship Status:[/color][/b] [i]Claimed[/i] [b][color=4682B4]Personality:[/color][/b] Ash is a person of some duality. Those who have seen him at work will tell you that he is a man driven to mathematical precision in his thought and action. He is a skillful planner and deliberate executor of said plans. Ash is disciplined, intelligent, patient, and driven. Anyone who knew him before, outside of work will tell you a different story. They would describe him as a hard drinking, laid back, casual kind of guy who knows how to slow down and enjoy the simple things in life. Also, fire might be involved. His rural Virginian upbringing comes to the forefront on these occasions, as does a more pronounced accent. Since the outbreak began, his casual side shows less and less frequently. He felt some responsibility for the deaths of his people over the last two years (starting with his novia), which caused him to withdraw from many personal interactions. The irony of this: he needs people in his life to balance out his psyche. Without people, Ash cam become very dark. For a time, his mental stability was questionable. Ash took Newman's loss hard to begin with, but it filled him with a sense of purpose. He has a mission, for himself and the people he calls family. The continuing irony in his life is that, with next to nothing left and hope coming in an eyedropper, his mind is clearer and he is more alive than he has been in a long time. His sense of compassion, while still present in his psyche, has grown into an empathetic sense of responsibility. He still cares, still has mercy - but no longer allows it to affect the hard decisions. [b][color=4682B4]Habits:[/color][/b] Caffeine (when he can get it), Drums fingers [b][color=4682B4]Hobbies:[/color][/b] Moonshining [b][color=4682B4]Fears:[/color][/b] [list][*] Losing loved ones [*] Failing his people [*] Mental illness [/list] [b][color=4682B4]Likes:[/color][/b] [list][*] Fine (and not so fine) alcohols [*] Reading [*] Tinkering [*] Mythbusters [*] Puzzles [*] Working with his hands[/list] [b][color=4682B4]Dislikes:[/color][/b] [list][*] Artificial sweeteners [*] Useless people [*] Lone Wolf types - they get people killed [*] Ticks (ew) [*] Shoddy work [*] Car alarms[/list] [hr][hr][h3][b][i][color=4682B4][center]Cards On The Table[/center][/color][/i][/b][/h3] [center][img]https://78.media.tumblr.com/bcfab66a674d39bfaaddc28bd62d4470/tumblr_inline_ne41kcr5UN1s5par2.jpg[/img][/center] [b][color=4682B4]Pre Outbreak Skills:[/color][/b] [list] [*] Distilling [*] Engineering [*] Pistol [*] Rifle [*] Mechanic [/list] [b][color=4682B4]Post Outbreak Skills:[/color][/b] [list] [*] Knife [*] Machete [*] Archery [*] Hunting [*] Leadership [*] Boxing [*] EMT Training [*] Stealth [*] Advanced Driving [*] Basic Russian [/list] [b][color=4682B4]Current Supplies:[/color][/b] [list] [*] Current Clothing - 1 Pair Boxers, 1 Pair Black Socks, 1 Gray T-Shirt, Worn Light-Blue Jeans, 1 Pair Work Boots, black belt [*] Black Handled Machete [*] Marlin Model 1895GBL Lever-Action Rifle - Big Loop 5+1-round capacity, full [*] 1 extra bullet [*] Dog Tags (his and Thana Martin's) [*] Leann's Flight Jacket [*] Worn out maroon "Lands End" Backpack [*] 1 can of corn [*] Plastic bag half full of pecans [*] Empty bottle [*] Bottle of crappy whiskey [*] Worn paper map of the Southeast [/list] [hr][hr][h3][b][i][color=4682B4][center]History[/center][/color][/i][/b][/h3] [center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/0d55b471-c5e5-4224-a6dd-f93f52f38ebd.png[/img][/center] [b][color=4682B4]Your First Walker Encounter:[/color][/b] Ash's first encounter with a Walker took place in the streets of Atlanta. He was one of the officers in charge of constructing the various "safe zones" in the city limits, providing water service, barricades, etc. Unfortunately, his orders gave detail for containing a viral outbreak with possible rioting. Local police were expected to handle looting and handle most of the crowd control. The Powers That Be either didn't know what was really going on, else they simply didn't want to tell the soldiers on the ground. Either way, they were ill-equipped to deal with the threat when it came. The safe zone he was presently in charge of was overrun from the inside, courtesy of the already infected let in for "treatment". His first experience with a Walker came when it, and several others, burst out of a prefab medical shelter and began to eat his people. Realizing the problem was far worse than he was led to believe, Ash got as many of his people that he could over to the nearest established military installation - Dobbins ARB. [b][color=4682B4]History Before Outbreak:[/color][/b] Raised in a rural mountain town in Virginia, Ash was the youngest of three boys in a financially challenged household. Ends were met, and occasionally profit made, by the family tradition of the manufacture and distribution of illicit grain alcohol. Eventually, the family went legit after enough savings allowed them to purchase the necessary permits and a building. It was marketed as "Homestyle Appalachian Sippin' Whiskey". His childhood was somewhat rough, but manageable enough. Upon completing High School, he was accepted into the Virginia Military Institute, where he received a Masters in Engineering. He had a keen mind and attention to detail that lent himself well to his new profession. After graduation, Ash spent the next few years assigned to various places of interest as a combat engineer before being pulled back to the States for reasons unknown. Ash was assigned to work with the Army Corps of Engineers, Conservation Dept. in Marietta, GA, working alongside various medical organizations and investigative agencies on a project involving disease containment, urban evacuation, and the setting up of caches and safe zones to help facilitate these endeavors. Several unintended deaths later, he received a battlefield promotion from Lieutenant to Captain. He literally had to pull his Captain’s Bars off of the corpse of the man he replaced, before putting a blade through his skull. Circumstances being what they were, the “battle” never technically ended, and his rank stuck. [b][color=4682B4]History Since Outbreak:[/color][/b] When Atlanta fell, most of the Dobbins staff scattered, taking away everything they could carry or fit into a vehicle. Ash debated staying, fortifying a few of the inner buildings, but eventually abandoned this idea as it was impractical for the small number of personnel remaining to fully secure the area. This was exacerbated by the situation: people broke off into their own factions, resulting in massive infighting to hold onto what buildings and provisions they could claim. Survival was more likely were he to leave. The next year saw him slowly returning to his hometown to see to his family’s safety. Heartbreak hit him when he found out that his mother was taken by Walkers and his long-term girlfriend had been missing since the outbreak, presumably run off or dead like so many others. He stuck around to see to friends and family. Fortifying his father’s distillery, he moved a good chunk of townsfolk in or around the complex. A megahorde from Charlottesville shambled right up to their home unannounced and laid siege to the distillery. Some of the people inside thought it would be best to make a run for it, unwittingly letting the dead breach their defenses. Half of the people inside were killed in the ensuing battle, including his father and one remaining sibling. Plan B: In the event that a scared, drunk asshole ruins the good thing they had going, the survivors were to hole up in the distillery’s motor pool and form a convoy, led by Ash’s personal engineering project, “The Hordebuster”. (looks a little like [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4qZTdMOJBk]this[/url]) The ‘Buster is a large, hoary ware carrier/industrial truck, older model with easily machinable parts that runs on diesel (and alcohol). It has been armored, fitted with a monstrous cow-catcher, and loaded with enough spare parts, drums of fuel/booze, and supplies to keep it going for a long while. It’s even got a small sleeper cabin. Leading the way, the Hordebuster brought the remaining survivors, a good amount of supplies and a metric shit-ton of alcohol out of the chaos and onto the trucking roads of the Appalachians. (He’s entertaining outfitting it for light offroad work.) Trekking westward, he found a lot of (formerly) high populated areas amid otherwise wide stretches of grass and nothing. The former populations (now undead) stayed clustered near the cities, for the most part, making supply runs dangerous to the extreme, the next place to restock usually perilously far away. Ash’s string of crappy luck and loss of more life, coupled by the harsh winter soured him to the prospect of making a life out that way. New Plan: Find a warm place with a very long growing season, preferably surrounded by deep water with a smaller original population. One of the smaller islands in the Florida Keys seemed ideal. A stop in Kentucky refilled their supplies of pure grain alcohol (the scamps), and the Virginia group barreled down through Tennessee. Somewhere near Murfreesboro, a supply run at a truck stop had Ash meeting up with fellow Dobbins ARB survivor Lt. Colonel Leann McCormick. Convincing her that the northern route was slightly more suicidal than returning south, Leann and a particularly offputting Doctor joined his group. They traveled back into Georgia, moving around I-285 at first to pick up military caches his Engineering teams set up before Atlanta fell to supply their new mission. On the way, their caravan grew as they found other survivors willing to help and accept their leadership. Around the Atlanta South area, Leann (whom he still referred to as “Colonel”) approached Ash with a suggestion: Newnan, GA. Tactical and practical reasons were given as to why it would be a favorable location. After some discussion on the matter, Ash relented with the proviso that, if it fell through, they resume his plan for Florida. Settling in, he submitted to her experience on the issue, and began working toward making Newnan a home. [center]--The events of Newnan are well documented. Will not go into them here.--[/center] As fate would have it, Newnan fell. Several factors contributed to it, and no one was at fault. Mother Nature took a hammer to their community, and almost everyone died because of it. The few survivors were scattered, but they had a fallback plan. Unfortunately, a megahorde, unpleasant strangers, mechanical issues and a host of other setbacks kept holding his small group up. They had deaths, they had reunions, they lost everything and are still trying to hold it together. A year passed in total, and his group is still confident, still driven at this time. They still had a goal, which was more than most had. [center][img]http://www.trulydisturbing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Aliens10.jpg[/img][/center] [hr][hr][h3][b][i][color=4682B4][center]Extras[/center][/color][/i][/b][/h3] [center][img]https://www.theterminatorfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/biehn-reese-734x310.jpg[/img][/center] [b][color=4682B4]Character Quote:[/color][/b] “…damnit…” “Combat Engineer – Because being a Badass Motherfucker is not an official job title.” “Get behind. I’ll clear the way.” “Me and my ‘Buster will do just fine, thanks.” “Corn squeezin’s?” [b][color=4682B4]Theme Song:[/color][/b] [youtube]https://youtu.be/Ud7n8URtDss[/youtube] [b][color=4682B4]How Many Walkers Have You Killed:[/color][/b] Before Newnan, it was only a few dozen. Now? Hell, whether it was up close and personal, with a bow or gun, or behind the wheel of my Hordebuster, I lost count a [i]long[/i] time ago. Hundreds maybe, by this time. [b][color=4682B4]How Many People Have You Killed:[/color][/b] The last time someone asked me this question, I told her [i]five[/i], since it all happened. More before, but there was a war on. But ever since we got something to fight for, that number got a lot bigger. I'm not proud, and I'm not ashamed, either. A lot. [b][color=4682B4]Why:[/color][/b] Snappy comebacks and bullshit aside, I killed, and so many, because I had to. I did it so the people I care about could eat and breathe for one more day. So we could survive. [b][color=4682B4]Anything Else:[/color][/b] http://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/3214659 Faceclaim: Michael Biehn Refers to zombies as [color=steelblue]"The Dead"[/color], as did the rest of his group from Virginia before their untimely demise. [list] [*] Dog Tag Information: [list] [*] Name: Holloway, Ashton J. [*] Serial Number: 231-84-6806 [*] Branch: Army [*] Blood Type: O Positive [*] Religious Preference: Methodist[/list][/list] [hider=The Hordebuster] [u]The Hordebuster:[/u] The nigh iconic road beast known as The Hordebuster, or 'Buster, is a feat of backwoods apocalyptic genius. Originally constructed in Canada by the Freightliner Company, it was a vehicle designed to move heavy loads with greater power and stability through mountainous terrain than competing haulers. It was later customized by Ashton Holloway, Captain, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as a means of saving his besieged community of survivors in rural Virginia. The vehicle continues its service admirably, under the care of its creator. If a machine is capable of having a personality, The Hordebuster certainly has one. The design made the vehicle type more reliable and much easier to repair/fabricate parts for, but lowered the overall amount of open cargo space legally allowed on public roads, despite the fact that it could carry as much (or more) weight. This led to a number of these vehicles being converted to utility use. The Buster is one such machine. For practical purposes, The Hordebuster is a heavily modified 1990 Freightliner FLD Class Severe Duty Tandem Drive Utility Truck. It features an extended sleeper cab (bunk, internal storage, dome lights, standard features) with suicide doors, custom 18.5 dump body capable of carrying up to 58K lbs (back load). Due to vehicle design, it has limited offroad capability. Ash’s modifications to the Hordebuster include: Reinforcing steps leading to the cab (extra fuel cell protection, easier mounting), soft top rubberized detachable body cover, loading ramp (rear access), hard plate reinforcing, mesh/bars along main windows, hinged/sliding riot vehicle grates over secondary/side windows, additional lighting, Bigassed cow catcher, alcohol/muti fuel engine mod, alternate fuel access port in body (with drums of alcohol), fire extinguishers in cab and body, retractable ladders on/in body, truckbed style storage boxes (fixed, stacked), cable operated door system, tire covers, independent fuel shutoff valves, and a removable starter circuit. Intended modifications include (at this time): Roof access hatch, offroad suspension, runflats, tandem fuel/coolant system, and possibly something more combat proactive. The interior is spacious, at least in comparison to most vehicles of its nature. The two front seats recline, the sleeper cab holds a double bed and fold-out chair, there is limited storage space (in the open and underneath the bed), shelves, small desk space, two power sources, and a multi-splitter. A curtain may be drawn between the sleeper portion and the front cab, if preferred. Depending upon his needs, Ash keeps a couch or two in the dump bed, and a variety of tools. Small caches of non-perishable food and bottled water are kept on hand for emergency use. The base function of the vehicle is as a dump truck; it is fully functional in this capacity despite the modifications. From the cab, the dump body can be raised and lowered, and is quite stable on uneven terrain when doing so. Since its modification, it has rarely been used for this. Its heavy hauling capability and tough, spacious dump bed is put to use moving and storing cargo, sometimes as personnel transport. Economy: The Hordebuster gets 13 miles to the gallon, with two standard fuel tanks holding 120 gallons each and two auxiliary drums holding 57.66 gallons. Without tapping into auxiliary drums, the ‘Buster can travel 3,120 miles without stopping for fuel, 1560 for a round trip. Aux tanks give an additional 1499.16 miles, together. Full capacity brings those numbers up to 4619.16 miles at a straight shot, 2309.58 round trip. The auxiliary fuel drums come with line covers and standard drum overpacks; the overpacks fixed into the body. Considering the distance this machine is capable of moving, the aux tanks mostly remain unused except as holders of punch-spiking liquid. (A packet of straws may or may not be found nearby.) The Hordebuster, Before: [img] http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/pix/trucks/robert_lafreniere/2010/04-27/dump_trucks/151c-mtl_reg_07_09_ed-2.jpg [/img] [/hider] [sub][color=ed1c24]*By submitting this CS in its completion I am stating I have read all the rules for this Rp and am agreeing to follow them to the fullest with respect and courtesy.[/color][/sub] [/hider] [hider=Ash Holloway Relation Sheet][center] [hr][hr][h1][b][i][color=4682b4]Relations[/color][/i][/b][/h1][hr][h2][b][i][color=steelblue]Ashton Holloway[/color][/i][/b][/h2][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/d5206a2a-b010-4d49-a931-ca0504404e96.gif[/img] [i][color=4682b4]"I made a promise. That means more, now."[/color][/i][hr][hr]⟢ 🎆Respects ⟡ 🌓Neutral ⟡ 👋Acquaintance ⟡ 🙇It's Complicated ⟣ ⟢ 💛Friend ⟡ 💙Good Friends ⟡ 💜Best Friends ⟡ ❣️Ex-Friends ⟡ 😈Frienemy ⟣ ⟢ 💘Infatuation ⟡ 💓Loves ⟡ 💗Couple ⟡ 💕Basically Family ⟡ 💞Family ⟡ 💔Ex-Lovers ⟣ ⟢ ♨️Tense ⟡ 💀Dislikes ⟡ 😡Hates ⟡ 👿Enemy ⟡ 👹Absolutely Loathes ⟣[hr][hr] 🙇 [b][color=0072bc]Thana Martin[/color][/b] 🙇 [i]"An apocalypse isn't going to stop me."[/i] A lifetime can be lived in a day, if you live it right. Thana reminded Ash that he can live if he wants to. Even want things for himself. Regardless of what is or isn't between them now, he made her a promise, and he intends to keep it. [hr] 💜 [b][color=00ff00]Jack Newnan[/color][/b] 💜 [i]"Whatever he needs, he's getting it."[/i] Ash promised Jack that they would find his Tati safe and sound. That was a year ago. Jack was only recently reunited with his wife and baby son, who he had previously never seen. He is Ash's second in command, such as it is, and the best friend that he's got. Even when Ash oversteps himself, which he probably owes an apology for. (Surname formerly Hudson) [hr] 💕 [b][color=a187be]Tatiana Newnan[/color][/b] 💕 [i]"Damn good to see her again."[/i] Tati is like a little sister to Ash. Sometimes an annoying little sister. And wife to his best friend. Also, she insisted that he be named the godfather of her and Jack's baby son, Jamie. It is safe to say that they are close. Considering the circumstances of their reuniting, Ash knows she went through an ordeal to keep her and her baby alive, the details of which are her business unless she feels like sharing. (Surname formerly Korvo) [hr] 💕 [color=00ff00][b]James Sally Newnan[/b][/color] 💕 [i]"Miracle, that kid. Honest miracle."[/i] The son of Jack and Tatiana, and named after one of the most genuine friends he had. Ash is now the boy's godfather, and he means to take the role seriously. He is invested in how Jamie grows and learns, and will gladly assume the boy's guardianship if his parents are taken from him. [hr] ♨️/💛 [b][color=8dc73f]Amelia Payne[/color][/b] 💛/♨️ [i]"Watch those fingers, girl."[/i] Survival pulls people together. While they did not talk much before, living out of the Hordebuster for a year makes you learn about the people you're surviving with. Ash is glad that she found Riley, but just sometimes he's afraid that they are going to give away their position to the enemy. Aditionally, Little Miss Pokey needs to have her bedside manner and first aid skills tended to. Ash is willing to do just that to help her, but the bullet wound is still a "touchy" subject. [hr] 💛 [b][color=b0c4dE]Riley Ridgeway[/color][/b] 💛 [i]"She's got guts for a musician, I'll give her that. Attentive learner, too."[/i] Ash was intrigued when Riley expressed an interest in mechanics, but he could always use an extra pair of hands while working on the Hordebuster over the past year. He's happy that she found Amelia, though it does remind him that he has yet to find his own better half. And they really need to keep it down back there... [hr] [/center][/hider]