You know who I am. You've heard of me. You've probably seen my work. I'm quite famous with the federales on the Mexican border after all. But you don't know the man who made the mask.
This is the story of how I painted the Artistomancer.
Chapter 1 - The Pledge
All good things begin with a mother and a father. I was born in a family of five sons and two sisters. My parents married each other out of necessity at first, not love. That was what Mama accidentally told me when she fixed up a scrape I got from attempting to climb the border wall. I guess, things change over time. Mama was a nurse who worked in the slums. Papa, on the other hand, was a travelling bicycle mechanic who tried to escape the 2010 coup de'tat in Sao Paulo. It's hard to believe that the conditions in Sao Paulo were worst than Juarez.
Oh, Juarez? The wall was a constant across. Juarez was a life of living on the margins. What can I say about Juarez that hasn't been blasted and smeared across every news outlet in North America? The only kind thing I can say about Juarez is that if you ignore the corruption, cooperate with the cartels and keep your nose clean of crime; then, you can make a decent living.
When my papa gave me my first set of cheap color pencils as my 10th birthday gift, I was initially angry. Looking back, I wouldn't have traded it for anything else in the world. I began to draw. I drawed instead of doing homework at school. I stained my handprints on the walls. I made chalk drawings on the pavements. I painted the pottery my mom brought home. When I didn't have enough money to buy dollar-store chalk or spray paint, I mashed cactus juices together and mixed crayons with water. My inspirations were not Leonardo Da Vinci or Michaleangelo but the street artists and holo-taggers of Mexico.
Some discover theyNo, it wasn't some freak accident nor was I experimented in one of those corporate laboratories. For me, it was desperation that led me to discovering my powers. One of the waterlines . The corporations barred any news of it getting out to the NGO's, leaving thousands of us to die from dehydration in the slums.
That was my first art-piece. An oasis in my desert.
Eventually, I caught the attention of. I was young, foolish and naive back then. I thought I could outsmart the Los Diablos. However, they were stringing me along, treating me like a tool.
I did the only thing my thirteen year old mine thought was the smart move. I tried to resurrect them, bring them back to life...
Well, there's a reason why no one dares to speak the name of the Los Diablos anymore in Juarez.
That's when I met Hex.
Chapter 2 - The Turn
So, when the corporations tried to silence me, I struck out on my own. I saw that we were always playing into the hands of the corpos, the fat cats, the men who controlled the world and made us play their cops and robbers games.
An earth-shattering boom rouses him from his dream. Storms are like monsters under the bed. A moment later, rainfall ruins his hopes of trying to sleep again. A yawning Virgil slowly crawls out of his bed. It's dark but navigating the corners of his house is second nature to him. He climbs down the stairs, one step at a time, stomach growling for a bowl of cereal.
By the time he makes it down to the living room, he notices that the front door is open. For a moment, he thinks a thief has broken into their house. He snorts at the thought. A thief tried to break into Black Lightning’s house. The silhouette of a person is standing in the doorway, looking out towards the streets with drenched gutters of rainwater. His dad freezes, caught like a deer in headlights. Worry begins to worm and nestle inside Virgil’s gut. It's not because he’s carrying an overstuffed suitcase, bursting at the seams. It's not the fact that his right cheek is stamped with a red mark that looks suspiciously like a hand.
It's the fact that his dad, the Black Lightning, is scared that makes Virgil so nervous.
Black Lightning shouldn’t be scared. What could a superhero be afraid of anyway?
His face is a muddled mess of anger, sadness and regret. He flinches away from Virgil's confused face and says two words that stick with him forever.
“ I- I’m sorry.”
For what? He doesn’t have the chance to reply back as his dad disappears in a blinding flash of light, leaving him with only the pitter-patter of raindrops for company.
His mom came down a minute later, something strange on her face. Virgil hugs her because that's the only thing he knows how to do. Something wet drops onto his pajamas.
It must be the rain.
Warmth.
Lights overhead.
Where was he?
No, he's not in Dakota City, nor is he five years old anymore. His mind scrambles to remember where he currently is right now. New York. The tower. He blew it up. It’s hard to make out the surrounding details. He tries to move his right leg...and it doesn’t want to budge. Left leg….no luck. Negotiating with his right arm resulted in a spike of pain that makes him shout a few curse words out loud that would have earned him an ear-pinching from his father.
He hears the sounds of graphite snapping against something hard. He looks up and sees an adult woman in white garb, black circles around her shocked eyes. She waves and motions towards someone out of sight. Moments later, a bespectacled sandy-haired man wearing a coat comes into view. He makes out a badge that reads ‘ CAMPBELL’. It’s seeing the stethoscope around his neck that makes Virgil realises that he’s in a hospital.
“ Easy there. You’ve been out for at least several hours and your body’s still recovering.’ The person begins pulling out instruments, poking and prodding at him.
“ Am...am I dead?” His throat feels like waxy sandpaper, gargling out each syllable in a pained grimace.
“ If that’s your first question after waking up, then, I’d be more worried about your choice in career, son.” The doctor replies testily to his question as he flashes a light in front of Virgil’s eyes like an annoying fly. The hazy fog of fatigue disappears over time throughout the impromptu examination. Craning his neck slowly from side to side, he can make out the disinfected white walls of a hospital building, with droves of patients flooding in from all over the city. Doctors and nurses rush to and fro, ushering new arrivals down towards operation rooms and medical bays.
“ W-” His dry throat makes it hard for him to enunciate properly. The doctor offers a paper cup of water in his hand. He takes it and sips it slowly. “ W-where am I?”
“ Columbia Hospital. One of our emergency team found you unconscious on Staten Island. You could imagine the shock we got when you still had a pulse. I’d be more worried about long-term symptomatic damage in your right arm. Third degree electrical burns aren’t exactly something that you can just brush off.”
The doctor stares pointedly towards Virgil’s right arm. He looks down and the sight is enough to make Virgil retch. The EKG on his right briefly fizzes and shakes in spastic seizures. Burned was an understatement to Virgil. Barbecued would be more appropriate. Blisters lined his cherry-red palms, scar-skin zig-zagging all the way up to his elbow like a demented tattoo. His fingerprints had been sanded away by high-voltage current into the texture of baby-skin. The feeling of numbness prickled in his nerves with every tug he forced into his fingers. It was less a question of how he survived and more why he wasn't lying in the morgue right now.
The only silver lining in this whole mess is that at least he didn’t break his right arm again. He notices a mess of papers stacked loosely on top of a tabletop beside him. There are multiple cards by his bedside. Hastily scrawled binder notes of one-word expressions of gratitude in ink. Pastel crayon doodles of him on the bridge. Get well cards. A box of chocolates (He’s allergic to hazelnut, but he doesn’t bother to tell the doctor).
He then looks back at the scene of chaos around him. It feels like a hollow victory.
“ Thank you. For everything." Virgil whispered " But, I just need some time alone to myself.”
" Of course."
Virgil lets his head rest on top of the pillow and lets out a sign of unbearable exhaustion that has been building up within him ever since the start of the attack.
How was he going to explain this to Dad?
It’s a Monday midnight by the time he arrives back at Dakota. His house is located in the outer boroughs of Hemingway. The sound of chirping crickets fill the air as he slowly opens the door and closes it. He hears the click of a light switch. His dad is sitting on his couch, eyes bloodshot and glaring at Virgil with as much anger he can muster.
" Sorry for not calling..." Virgil lifted up a broken phone from his pocket. " I think I still have warranty."
“ Never-mind that!" His dad stands up. " Young man, do you know how much you had me worried - “
He ambushes his dad with a silent hug that says more than a thousand excuses. A moment later, arms wrap around his shoulder in a fatherly embrace. He pushes his face into his chest and exhales slowly.
“ I need to tell you something, Dad.”
" We'll talk about it over on the dinner table." There's a gentle pat on his back. " Now, come on in. There's a plate of ricotta I've been saving for you in the fridge...."
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♦ Topic: Mayoral Election in Dakota City - The Future of Bang Babies Uncertain?
" It's all too easy to mistake them as just monsters when in reality, they're kids. Misguided and lost boys and girls from Paris Island. From Utopia. From Hemingway. From Washington Avenue. Who all need a second chance at life."
This was just one of many choice quotes spoken by Robert Hawkins, head manager of Freeman Community Center and current mayoral nominee for Dakota City spoken during last week's campaign rally.
Today, on September 7th, marks two months since the infamous chemical incident that struck the harbors of Dakota City. The Big Bang, as dubbed by the local civilians living in Dakota City, resulted in the largest recorded artificial boom in metahuman populations in America since experimentation by the SSR in WW2. The status of metahumans as having access to human rights has long been a long contentious issue nation-wide.
His opponent, current incumbent Mayor Morris Jefferson is an active supporter of police militarization, advocating for the occupation of the D.M.A and a hostile policy towards meta-humans........
Hopefully, the DMA doesn't get their hands on Dakota City. It's surprising that Dakota's been left unscathed by the Stryfe Attack. My relative says that they're planning to break out mandatory checks for metas in every city....
►StainedDuCChess Replied on 13:24:20, 5th September
What's more surprising is that Static's managed to keep a tight noose on all those metas. Someone at least give this man a pat on the back.
►Ram Mette Replied on 13:42:35, 5th September
Hope that the new mayor puts all those dirty fuckin' mongrels in camps. Police should gas them again and make sure it works this time.
STAFF NOTICE: Honestly, Ram Mette, we are sick of your shit. You can get your anti-meta tirade out of here and off to whatever bridge you lurk under.
►SpamLetters Replied on 13:44:42, 5th September
ugh, crowd were friggin' packed when I went there.
►Krimson Angel Replied on 14:12:29, 5th September
Say, anyone still got footage of Static at NYC? I'm planning on using it for a school project.
►HarryMan45 Replied on 14:30:01, 5th September
[@Krimson Angel] PM me and we can work something out.
“ LLLLEEETTT’SSS PARTAAAYY!” Boom pumped his fists in the midst of his jockeying, the crowd jumping up and down in erratic waves, as another track came on. The sub-woofer growing out of his chest reverbated and vibrated sporadically, electronic bass shaking the air. The music was infectious to the point where Ebon began to tap his feet in time with the beat.
It feels good to be king.
Paris Island barren wastes were teeming with wild hoots of celebration and the raucous cacophany of Just the way he liked it. Ebon watched from a corner as Talon dropped a crate of beer to the frenzying crowd of Bang Babies down below. Racks of meat and sausages were being cooked over campfires. He looked around at the shadows of corroding shipping containers cast by moonlight. The only other illumination available on the island were bonfires and the lightbulbs that his men had managed to scrounge up.
There was a muffled sound of gagging that he heard but no one else could. His stomach as his mind began to buzz with headaches. “Quit being shifty. Your time will come soon, Buchinsky.”
The struggles ceased. Ebon snorted. Was that all it took to silence the Electrocutioner? Hard to believe that he once believed this washed up old timer could bring down the Kilowatt Kid. However, it was still annoying that he still hadn’t managed to figure out the problem of containing living beings in his shadow dimension. Transporting Buchinsky all the way from Ryker’s to Dakota probably had a factor in how the criminal had managed to figure out how to affect Ebon from another dimension. He made a note for himself to fix it later. Right now, Buchinsky had other uses than being a thorn in his backside.
Ebon moved through the shadows like a serpent, gliding in between the darkness until he was on top of a shipping container, surveying the scene below him. The moonlight fully illuminated his figure. It took only a few moments before one person noticed him. Then, the next. Then, the few other dozen. It was a game of Chinese whispers and shoulder nudges that soon had made him the sole attention of the largest population of Bang Babies on the east coast. For anyone else, it would have been suicide.
But he wasn’t anyone. He was the Master of Shadows and not some normie chump but the boss of the Meta Breed. He was on top of the food chain as far as he was concerned and everyone else that he was staring right now got his scraps.
" How's it hanging, y'all?” Ebon shouted down towards the silent crowd. It was disappointing that they only reaction he got were coughs. Boom’s music was still on, though, it’d now had switched to a reggae track.
“C'mon, guys. Just cause they call me the Shadow Man don't mean you all gotta get cold feet.” He spoke exasperatedly. “ Makes me sound like some sort of pedophile, now that I think about it.”
The levity cut through the tension like a needle popping a balloon. There were giggles and sounds of laughter elicited from every Bang Baby. Boom took it as a signal to continue on, inserting a new track of Europop into the mix, to the cheers of the mob that had formed around his station.
“ Now, that’s what I like to hear! C’mon, Talon, gimme your poison of the day.”
Talon soared overhead and tossed him a bottle from her clawed feet which he caught deftly. He uncapped it and began to chug it down. It was all an act, of course. One of the downsides of his powers were that everyday normal sensations for him were dulled right now. Of course, that had upsides. The cheap beer now tasted faintly of apple juice to him instead of the bitter crap that so many swallowed down their throats.
Ebon hopped down from the metallic crate in a dark blur, looking where exactly to plan his little stunt. Funny. Nightinggale was nowhere to be seen, though, given how skittish the Night Breed were -
“ Look who came crawling back out of their cave again….”
He’d recognised that snide accent anywhere. He narrowed his eyes as he saw a lone individual part out from the crowd, ginger haired with yellow streaks dyed throughout. Hotstreak. The man toed the line so many times that Ebon was considering tossing him out of the Meta-Breed. He decided against it. Having a loose cannon on a leash was better than having a loose cannon on the leash pointed against them. Thankfully, Hotstreak’s brains didn’t match his skills for being a firestarter.
Hotstreak’s stabbed his finger into Ebon’s jacket, the tip glowing like a fire poker. Singe marks peppered the expensive leather. He knew it would make him mad. He wouldn’t let this jumped up chump get to him.
“ Fancy seeing you here, Hotstreak.” Annoyance edged into Ebon’s normally suave baritone. He was almost tempted to drop Hotstreak into a portal and out into Hemingway Harbor.
“ Why are you here, Ebon?” Hotstreak stared at him with barely veiled suspicion.“ I thought you were supposed to be out doing your own business?”
" I’m glad you asked, Francis.” The pyrokinetic bang baby looked as if he’d been slapped. “ Cause I hauled myself a fish I think everyone’s itching to get a piece of.”
A black chasm formed above him, dripping shadows. Hotshot’s arms spread out, pointing towards Ebon, burning orange . Funny. He actually thought he could take him in a fight. A moment later, the prisoner tumbled onto the ground. He hit the ground writhing. Someone screamed and for a moment, the bustling atmosphere had been shattered. Hotstreak lowered his arms, cutting off the flames, his cheeks pale white, as he rubbed the back of his head. He gave him a look that said 'Am I off the hook?'
Ebon stared back and then, slowly nodded. We'll see. Hotstreak’s expression returned back to his arrogant demeanour.
Meanwhile, he had everyone’s attention now. Boom had thankfully cut his music off. Ebon cleared his throat.
" Everyone. May I introduce Larry Buchinsky, the Electrocutioner and the ho-mo sapien who tried to ice our good old friend, Static."
" Now, I know that there are plenty of us here who share a certain...history with Static. We know Talon's sob-story about how he nearly sent her falling from five stories up. The truth is...I don't hate the he-ro.” He drawled out the syllables mockingly. “ I just pity the fool.” He paused to let it sink in. “ Think about it for a moment. Here's a brother who's the same blood as us. He's out there bleeding sweat and tears for those filthy normies, fighting their battles instead of ours. He thinks they're the oppressed instead of the rest of us here on Paris Island.”
He turned his gaze towards the crowd, slithering through the small gaps like quicksliver as he spoke.
‘All of you know what they call us. Freaks of nature.” he said, his eyes searching through the crowd. Murmurs of anger spread through the crowd. The muties. Monsters."
" So, I say, if they live in fear of us, then, why not embrace it?"
" I’ve told you all before and I’m gonna tell again. I'mma make sure that Dakota belongs to us. The city is our turf. Our territory. Stick with me, my friends, and ain't nobody gonna mess with us ever again. Not the mayor. Not the government. Not the D.M.A. Not Supergirl. Not Wondie. Not Spider Man. Not anyone!"
Not even the Kilowatt Kid.
" We're the beginning of a new century, my friends! And it only begins when we have the guts to do what's right!"
“ Starting with this Bang-Baby murdering homosapien.”
" Shiv, would you so kindly do the honours for us?"
The crowd parted, out of fear and in disgust, to reveal a grinning man, pierced lips stuck in a perpetual smile. He sauntered over towards Ebon, hands loosely hanging by his side, radiating confidence. His arm began to glow pink, shimmering light shaping into a bladed mass that resembled the man’s namesake.
" What are we?" he shouted out.
" A NEW BREED!"
" WHAT ARE WE GONNA BE!?"
" A BETTER BREED!"
All of the crowd was into it now. Ebon grabbed Larry by the scruff of his neck, dragging him through as Bang Babies spat curses and threw empty bottles and trash towards the convict.
" Who are we?"
" THE META BREED!"
He slammed Larry onto the hood of an old forklifter, positioning his neck so it stuck out over the side.
" And our time starts right here! Right now! We’ve all lived in the shadows long enough! It's time this city stands in ours."
“ EBON! EBON! EBON! EBON!”
The chanting loudened and Ebon in that moment felt that the world was his stage.
After all, when every player had a shadow, who couldn’t he beat?
Shiv’s hand swung down at the peak of the crowd’s roar. Flesh boiled and bubbled away in a hissing slash. The Electrocutioner’s head rolled on the ground, blinking, the gag around his mouth missing to reveal a gormless expression.
Ebon’s boot then slammed down on his head and crunched it into a red puddle. Electrocutioner had taken his secret with him to his grave.
An earth-shattering boom rouses him from his dream. Storms are like monsters under the bed. A moment later, rainfall ruins his hopes of trying to sleep again. A yawning Virgil slowly crawls out of his bed. It's dark but navigating the corners of his house is second nature to him. He climbs down the stairs, one step at a time, stomach growling for a bowl of cereal.
By the time he makes it down to the living room, he notices that the front door is open. For a moment, he thinks a thief has broken into their house. He snorts at the thought. A thief tried to break into Black Lightning’s house. The silhouette of a person is standing in the doorway, looking out towards the streets with drenched gutters of rainwater. His dad freezes, caught like a deer in headlights. Worry begins to worm and nestle inside Virgil’s gut. It's not because he’s carrying an overstuffed suitcase, bursting at the seams. It's not the fact that his right cheek is stamped with a red mark that looks suspiciously like a hand.
It's the fact that his dad, the Black Lightning, is scared that makes Virgil so nervous.
Black Lightning shouldn’t be scared. What could a superhero be afraid of anyway?
His face is a muddled mess of anger, sadness and regret. He flinches every time Virgil waits expectantly for an excuse. An explanation. His
“ I- I’m sorry.”
For what? He doesn’t have the chance to reply back as his dad disappears in a blinding flash, leaving him with only the pitter-patter of raindrops for company.
His mom came down a minute later, something strange on her face. Virgil hugs her because that's the only thing he knows how to do. Something wet drops onto his pajamas.
It must be the rain.
Warmth.
Lights overhead.
Where was he?
No, he's not in Dakota City, nor is he five years old anymore. His mind scrambles to remember where he currently is right now. New York. The tower. He blew it up. It’s hard to make out the surrounding details. He tries to move his right leg...and it doesn’t want to budge. Left leg….no luck. Negotiating with his right arm resulted in a spike of pain that makes him shout a few curse words out loud that would have earned him an ear-pinching from his father.
He hears the sounds of graphite snapping against something hard. He looks up and sees an adult woman in white garb, black circles around her shocked eyes. She waves and motions towards someone out of sight. Moments later, a bespectacled sandy-haired man wearing a coat comes into view. He makes out a badge that reads ‘ CAMPBELL’. It’s seeing the stethoscope around his neck that makes Virgil realises that he’s in a hospital.
“ Easy there. You’ve been out for at least several hours and your body’s still recovering.’ The person begins pulling out instruments, poking and prodding at him.
“ Am...am I dead?” His throat feels like waxy sandpaper, gargling out each syllable in a pained grimace.
“ If that’s your first question after waking up, then, I’d be more worried about your choice in career, son.” The doctor replies testily to his question as he flashes a light in front of Virgil’s eyes like an annoying fly.
It’s a familiar position that he’s found himself in before. One of overwhelming helplessness like that of shelled turtle. The hazy fog of fatigue disappears over time and Craning his neck slowly from side to side, he can make out the disinfected white walls of a hospital building.
Wait, if he’s out in the open like this….The EKG began to beep erratically, the screen short-circuiting in a spastic blur of pixels. Virgil’s breathing hitches up a notch as his left hand reaches towards his own face. His heart-rate subsides once he realises that his goggles are still strapped on his eyes. The doctor’s concern fades away as he begins to relax once more.
“ W-” His dry throat makes it hard for him to enunciate. The doctor offers a paper cup of water in his hand. He takes it and sips it slowly. “ W-where am I?”
“ Columbia Hospital. One of our emergency team found you unconscious on Staten Island. You could imagine the shock we got when you still had a pulse. I’d be more worried about long-term symptomatic damage in your right arm. Third degree electrical burns aren’t exactly something that you can just brush off.”
The doctor stares pointedly towards Virgil’s right arm. Burned was an understatement to Virgil. Barbecued would be more appropriate. Blisters lined his cherry-red palms, scar-skin zig-zagging all the way up to his elbow like a demented tattoo. His fingerprints had been sanded away by high-voltage current into the texture of baby-skin. The feeling of numbness prickled in his nerves with every tug he forced into his fingers.
The only silver lining in this whole mess is that at least he didn’t break his right arm again.
“ Thank you. For everything. But, I just need some time alone to myself.”
There are multiple cards by his bedside. Hastily scrawled binder notes of one-word expressions of gratitude in ink. Pastel crayon doodles of him on the bridge. A box of chocolates (He’s allergic to hazelnut, but he doesn’t bother to tell the doctor).
Virgil lets his head rest on top of the pillow and lets out a sign of unbearable exhaustion that has been building up within him ever since the start of the attack.
How was he going to explain this to Dad?
It’s a Monday midnight by the time he arrives back at Dakota with Richie in tow.
The Hawkins household is located in the southern boroughs of Hemingway. He doesn't bother to wear the mask at midnight. Most of Dakota is asleep at this hour anyway.
“ Young man, do you know how much you had me worried - “
He ambushes his dad with a silent hug that says more than a thousand excuses. A moment later, arms wrap around his shoulder in a fatherly embrace. He pushes his face into his chest and exhales slowly.
“ I need to tell you something, Dad.”
" We'll talk about it over on the dinner table." There's a gentle pat on his back. " Now, come on in. There's a plate of ricotta I've been saving for you in the fridge...."
So, as I previously stated, I felt that including the submissions for Best Post and Best Crossover during my awards post would be an error, especially when I posted those awards on the eve of the crisis. Now, that the crisis is over. I feel that I can fully express what I feel are the best ones. I'll be including no runner up as I feel like these are the most prestigious awards that fully encapsulate two aspects of role-playing: collaboration and story-telling. When I say that I do not give out these awards lightly, I am stating that with the fullest of intents.
What makes a great post to me isn't the big battles, finales that blow your socks off, massive door-stoppers, massive twists or includes massive amounts of worldbuilding. The best posts for me are concise, tight, with conviction and a sense of purpose for what they want to achieve as a part of their respective character's story arcs. Posts, to me, are like sandwiches. Or burgers. Or whatever food analogy you want to use to represent a sense of order. Without a doubt, DocTachyon's Issue 5 post of his Spider Man series was the one post that always stood out to me whenever I thought about this RP.
Of course, all of DocTachyon's posts about Spider Man are excellent but this post really gels with me. The dialogue between Uncle Ben and Peter is the best dialogue that I've have seen on this site. Period. It might not seem impressive but god, this is what I would imagine if I was watching Spectacular Spider Man or the Sam Raimi movies for the first time ever. Peter's internal monologue that reflects his state of anxiety, Ben's mannerisms, the hidden conflict between the both of them. It highlights the ramifications of Peter's actions and every role-player on this site can learn a thing or two about cause and effect from this post.
It's not the most epic of posts by any means, but I think it's a solid post all around that is compact and brimming with purpose.
There haven't been a lot of crossovers this season compared to other games that I've witnessed which have the same formula and concept. However, I think no one will disagree when I say that Doc and Hound have created a quite unorthodox pair that I wouldn't have imagined working together. They were the engine of the crisis and a great part in ensuring that it kept trucking along, whilst also being the core of interaction within the crisis as a whole. It was a great pleasure to witness Spider Man and Blue Beetle bounce off each other like the great smart-talking insect-themed heroes that they are.
Some strangers take their tales with them to their graves in alleyways or under the bottom of bridges. One thing I've learnt is that truth fades over time. It's got an expiration date.
Mom once told me that Dakota City is a land of forgotten stories. I'd like to think that's true, you see. Me and Black Lightning can't have been the only one to have been tested with power. Not everyone gets the chance to stand in the spotlight.
Believe me, after everything that's happened to me over the past week? It would make me happy if someone else could go onstage for once.
How long do you usually write? Several paragraphs Do you enjoy writing collaborative posts for things like conversations, combat, etc.? It's not that I enjoy. It's that I haven't had many chances to do it before. Is grammar and depth of writing important to you? Abso-fucking-lutely. Are there any writing subjects you particularly enjoy exploring? Moral ambiguity. Angst. Regret. War. Is there anything you really dislike and want to avoid like the plague? Sexual violence. ERP fetishization. Slavery fetishization. Gratuitous scenes of sadism and torture porn. Is there something you are uncomfortable with happening to your character? Nope. The mos I would be uncomfortable is if some player hijacked my character and did something with them without my say-so. Do you have any short-term or long-term goals with this character?
Short Terms: Explore the underworld of the galaxy, interact with multiple different characters that are scraping the bottom of the barrel and are on top of the barrel as well as fun bounty hunting jobs.
Long Term: A long ardous journey of growth. I'm really enamored with the whole concept of someone going from ' no-one to a monster'.
All in all, the main goal is to interact with a variety of different characters within a rich sandbox of space wizards and spice smugglers.
" In this line of work, death's an occupational hazard. "
Name: Khoss Liell Species: Human Homeworld: Hoth Age: 29 Gender: Male Specialization: Stealth Infiltration, Close Quarters Blasting Current Area of Operation: Unconfirmed. Rumored to be operating within Hutt Space or hiding under Lower Coruscant* as of 5 ATC.
ADDENDDUM 3-A_42: Tell the Lieutenant to stop wasting our time patrolling around for this kriffing scum-bucket. We've combed every street and I'm telling you, the man's several systems away from the Core right now.
Detailed appearance. Imagery insufficient.
Anyone wondering what's underneath the emotionless, helmeted visage that's garnered fame in the Outer Rim may find Khoss's true appearance slightly underwhelming. Khoss Liell is your galactic standard human male of stout stature, at a height around 5'9 according to measurements during his imprisonment at Coruscant. Time spent in the gyms of Republic maximum security prisons has led to a physically robust yet lithe form. His only physical features of note are his missing right eye which he has deigned not to replace with a cybernetic and a long, grooved scar running along from his mouth to his left cheek. His skin is dotted with remnants of frostburns and scars from his long life on the frozen wastelands of Hoth. Republic agents should also note that Khoss is also currently missing his left ring finger which was lost during his escape attempt from Coruscant prison.
In terms of professional attire, Khoss resembles many of his Mandalorian contemporaries working in the field. Heavily armored, a one-note static face-plate and often decked in gadgetry. His typical trademark is a blood red uni-visor helmet with a blue streak on top of it. He often carries his sawed-off blaster rifle in a sling alongside a eclectic collection of various bandoliers on his body. He is overtly fond of wearing baggy, thick clothing, no matter the temperature.
As of now, escaping from Coruscant maximum security prisons doesn't leave a bounty hunter with a lot of time to play dress up. He now wears a tattered cloak around him to keep a low profile.
Report on skills and talents, including level of skill.
The wonders of working in a guild is that you pick up tricks of the trade from every flavor of hunter who has their own modus operandi. You pick up blasting lessons from a Twi'lek sharpshooter, how to lockpick with nothing more than bantha shit from a Duros slicer and speeder stunts from a Tatooine Tusken raider. Through a mixture of osmosis and personal threats, Khoss has picked up a variety of skills from his time as a bounty hunter.
Perhaps, his most frightening talent is his capacity to remain covert. Khoss is a natural at being stealthy and sneaking through trap-infested vents and the most gargantuan fortresses. Combined with his talents for scaling and climbing vertical surfaces, Khoss can infiltrate any place to acquire his acquisition.
Khoss has a noted tendency for personal modification and tinkering of both personal weaponry, equipment and munitions. His childhood as a scavenger of Hoth's frigid junkyards means that he has a knack for salvaging run-down technology to be repurposed for further use. He is also relatively adept at tracking targets in concealed environments, albeit his skills of 'interrogation' aren't as finessed as one might think.
He is adept at piloting space-craft, although, is not capable of piloting dedicated fighter craft to a level which may be considered competent.
Khoss is fluent in Basic, conversational in Huttese and passable in Tusken. He has also picked up a medley of insults in various different alien languages.
Curiously, Khoss has also admitted to possess an almost encyclopediac knowledge of the 850 uses of taun-tauns. Some of these uses are under question.
Report on known combat experience, training and weapons training.
Khoss's marksmanship focuses on efficiency and accuracy, rather than pumping out as many blasts as he sees fit over a period of time. He almost never resorts to using a blaster unless his cover is blown or if the contract requires it to be used. He has a noted pattern of avoiding prolonged melee combat and predilection towards use of silent incapitation such as grapples, chokes or holds, rather than using lethal weaponry. Security footage and witness testimonies indicate seamless proficiency in utilizing both his unarmed skills and skills with a blaster interchangeably in close quarters combat. Recommended solution would be to maintain long distance away from individual in order to reduce probability of death.
From his time on Hoth, Khoss is trained in creating improvised and mechanical traps for his targets to wander into.
Detailed notes on common/favored employers and any noteworthy contacts.
Nunonna the Hutt -
Detailed notes on known rivals and enemies.
The Black Sun -
List and description of other known associates, including subordinates.
Kroosk -
Yieh Yahn -
List of known belongings, including but not limited to planetary surface property, civilian and military vessels, vehicles, weapons, tools.
Modified Heirloom Duranium Alloy Helmet -
BlasTech DXL-7500 Assault Carbine -
Miniature Micro-Rocket Derringer -
Psychological evaluation of Bounty Hunter.
List and description of known and suspected flaws. To be put into restricted database.
Known interests of the Bounty Hunter.
- Hunting for exotic game in various locales. - Shock-ball fan. - Field striping his rifle. - Brewing tea.
Major achievements on record.
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Major failures on record. Confidential.
- Presumably during the start of his career....
Personal biography, as detailed by the subject for future record. Acquired shortly after last achievement of note.