Name: Random Resolution
Alias: Reso, Random
Birthdate: 5-29
Age: 4
Apparent Age: late 20s (Sleeper); N/A (Engine)
Gender: Male
Family: Peter Trapp (creator)
Hair Color: Silver (Sleeper); None (Engine)
Eye Color: Gold (Sleeper); None (Engine)
Height: 5'11" (Sleeper); 6'6" (Engine)
Weight: 156 lbs. (Sleeper); 216 lbs. (Engine)
Physical Appearance: Tall, gaunt, cut, with sharp, angular, eerily 'perfect' features and proportions (Sleeper); Tall, cut, electrified skeleton crowned with lightning (Engine)
Personality: Taciturn, tactless, blunt, curious
Likes: Violence, Vice
Dislikes: None
Affiliation: None
Alignment: Neutral
AppearanceA tall, gaunt, imposing figure clad in
biking leathers, Resolution makes an immediate impression wherever he goes (outside of biker bars, of course). Sharp, distinctive features framed over a boyish face, coupled with silver-white hair, golden eyes and a grab-bag of genetic traits such as dark skin and epicanthal folds make Resolution's heritage a mystery. Not to say that the young man isn't attractive; quite the contrary, given the nigh-inhumanly perfect proportions of his face, frame and muscle-structure. He is a work of art, the likes of which can only be framed by the hand of another, and as if his unnervingly perfect looks weren't enough, the aura given off by the man, and the constant, vacant stare in his eyes give off the distinct impression that there is something
wrong with him...
PersonalityThe very personification of a cold and calculating machine, Resolution displays little to no emotion, unmoved to any great extent by any external stimuli. Given the extensive knowledge granted to him by the Inferno, he still fully understands human emotion and is more than capable of displaying them at the appropriate times -- it seems he merely possesses little to no desire to do so, preferring to remain a silent observer in most situations. All the same, Resolution will speak when spoken to, engaging willingly in conversation whenever offered the opportunity, speaking enthusiastically and at length at most any topic offered. When he does choose to engage others of his own accord, they will often come to prefer that he remain silent -- he is blunt and tactless, as he openly speaks his mind on any number of topics regardless of audience or propriety, though this seems to be from personal preference rather than any sort of ignorance of proper etiquette. While viewing the world through the eyes of a child as his lack of social graces would suggest, Resolution is in fact quite intelligent, constantly and quickly learning at an accelerated rate as he observes more of the living world. While his lack of social graces would suggest otherwise, Resolution is in fact quite intelligent, well-versed in the understanding of human nature, technology, and magic, not to mention an incredibly quick learner capable of accumulating knowledge at at an incredible pace. Cocky, even arrogant in regards to his own standing and abilities, Resolution is incredibly slow to anger, choosing to respond to insults with razor sharp wit and biting sarcasm, though once he has been incited he will pursue and destroy with the rage of a beast.
Skills, Powers & AbilitiesPowersEngine of the Ninth Gate - Resolution is a composite lifeform, once a man existing as a digitized portion of Hell itself, given physical form by the Ninth Gate program. As such, every facet of Random's body is but a facsimile rendered by the program, warping brimstone and fire and crafting them into a mortal shell of flesh and blood to wrap around the powerful gateway inside of him. As a result every fiber of his being has been infused with incredible power, granting him strength, speed, endurance, and resilience well beyond what his appearance would suggest, in addition to various supernatural abilities and of course, the very power of Hell itself. His normal outward appearance reflects his body's natural 'Sleeper' state, similar to the 'off' switch of a computer -- while his power reserves are no smaller, he is simply storing them for future use, to access them at a later point once he opens the Gateway inside him. Once this Gateway is opened, its power flows outward unbidden, transforming Resolution from his Sleeper state into the powerful and terrifying Engine. His mortal shell gives way to energy, as his flesh is converted into an infernal electricity by the combined energies of the Gateway and the Ninth Gate. Appearing as an electrified skeleton, access to the Gateway further bolsters Resolution's abilities and size while granting him access to even more powerful techniques and skills than he is normally capable of.
Gateway - The core of Resolution's existence, the Gateway is a breach in reality, bridging the gap between the living world and the realms of Hell. Formed and maintained by the Ninth Gate program, the Gateway is itself a weapon of incredible power, capable of serving as a power source, a method of transportation or, in Resolution's case, as the core for a living, man-made arcane weapon. It is through the Gateway that Resolution summons and channels all of his power and abilities. Of course, as an infernal creations, he's none too fond of holy magics.
Now within the confines of the tavern he finds himself cut off from the Ninth Gate for the first time, and yet somehow still alive. For the first time in his life... Resolution is unsure of what comes next.
AbilitiesHellectricity - While possessing many arcane talents, the hellish electricity that constantly surrounds Resolution in his Engine form serves as his primary offensive and defensive tool. Often taking the form of silver-blue bolts of lightning, this energy is in fact not actual electricity, but rather a by-product of the natural interaction between the energies of the Gateway and the material world, more related to actual flame than lightning. Massive amounts of raw data presenting itself in this world as pure energy, Resolution can freely wield the 'Hellectricity' his body radiates as will in a variety of forms, capable of crafting it into other forms of energy for the purpose of creating spells and barriers. This energy can even into other states of matter, a talent he uses to replace his damaged clothing, create and/or convert weapons or equipment, or even to repair himself, if given enough time and materials with which to do so. Given the nature of the Hellectricity and its composition, it cannot be readily absorbed by magics and persons attuned to lightning-based attacks, though it still manages to protect Resolution from similar energy-based attacks when activated.
Hellfire - An infernal flame capable of burning the sin and wickedness from most anyone or anything it engulfs, these flames burn within Resolution at all times, having replaced what few bodily fluids still flowing within his body after the Gateway consumed him. Often when enraged, Resolution's Engine form will radiate flame instead of lightning, though he is capable of switching between forms at will, and using either hellfire or his hell-lightning freely regardless of his outward appearance. Hellfire consumes all flames directed at it, serving as a perfect defense against fire and heat-based damage, and like the Hellectricity it cannot be readily absorbed or deflected by all fire-attuned defenses.
Sin -
The suffering alone in any part of hell is meant to be enough to drive even the most wicked souls who dwell there insane. Meanwhile, Resolution possesses the most excruciatingly intimate knowledge of hell -- all nine circles and every single, man, woman, child, and every single petty slight, act of treachery, or horrific crime they had committed; every demon, and monster and torture device dwelling within; all the thirteen deadly sins and the corresponding punishments for each. There is not a single corner of hell unknown to Resolution, not a single form of magic within its boundaries that he has not mastered, no infernal spell or curse he is incapable of casting. While he prefers to utilize brute force over the many magical tools at his disposal, he is not above falling back on spellcasting when necessary.As he is currently cut off from the Gateway, Resolution is currently unable to access his spellcasting abilities.Corruption - Existing as the fusion of a man and the physical manifestation of a cursed computer program, Resolution is a hacker and technopath of the highest order. As soon as he places his hand upon a keyboard, or even upon the monitor of a machine he is able to gain complete access to most any information the unit contains; unprotected or lightly-protected systems are accessed almost immediately, as are most forms of high-tech weaponry and communications. High-level encryption may keep him out for a time, but eventually he will most always find his way in. Given even further time and access, Resolution can corrupt machines to respond to his commands without physically connecting with them, and convert weapons to his own damned uses. Given enough time with a terminal, he is actually able to transform computers into miniature Gates, allowing him to connect to another terminal and transport himself across datalines instantaneously to another location.
Continuance - Fused with a nigh-indestructible gate into the underworld, Resolution is now himself likewise incredibly durable, capable of withstanding vast amounts of punishment well beyond what his mortal appearances would lead one to believe. While his body is indeed composed of flesh and blood, his existence is tied to the Gateway, rather than to the continued function of his organs; as such he has continued to function through massive internal injuries and lost limbs, and even decapitation, making him incredibly difficult to destroy completely. Significant damage to his physical body will still slow him down: most would find it incredibly difficult to battle effectively without a head or limbs. Unless his body is completely destroyed, Resolution can likely regenerate if given sufficient time to utilize the required energy. However, even
if his body were to be completely destroyed, it might be possible for Resolution to be regenerated using the Ninth Gate itself, the very computer that was used to create him, and even is now constantly backing up and storing data on his life, unbeknownst to him… [
Note: For combat purposes this will usually constitute a loss, as, unless noted in the thread, Resolution will usually have no immediate way back to the battlefield with which to resume combat, and there’s a chance the Resolution who returns will have no knowledge of the battle]
Conversion - Resolution is able to utilize his Hellectricity to completely override and convert weapons, equipment, and vehicles to serve his purposes, often greatly enhancing the capabilities of the converted/corrupted item. Resolution often uses this technique to convert appropriated firearms for his own use, utilizing the Gateway's connections to boost accuracy, range, and rate of fire while simultaneously converting the weapon to utilize his own Hellectricity for ammunition. Resolution's own vehicle of choice, the Hard Drive, was created via conversion, converting a regular motorcycle into a powerful, semi-sentient vehicle.
Creation - Resolution can also create his own weapons when none are available, utilizing the Gateway to fashion simple, if powerful weapons for his own usage, most often taking the form of blades, wires or chains, given his preferred methods of combat. Weapons created from his Gateway or Hellectricity are often incredibly durable, just as their creator, but they are hardly indestructible.
Conveyance - As a living computer program, possessed of a powerful energy source known as a 'Gateway', Resolution is, as one might expect, capable of rapidly crossing across vast distances almost instantaneously in a method similar to teleportation. By converting himself to the same pure energy 'data' constantly radiating from the Gateway, Resolution can literally transmit himself from one location to another. Resolution still traverses the actual distances he crosses utilizing this technique, however, and as such this technique is far from instant, and his movement can be blocked or limited. He can also use this technique in conjunction with his technopathy to turn other computers into Gateways through which to transport himself, allowing him to literally transmit himself into other computer systems in an attempt to overtake them, or to allow himself to be transmitted across computer networks from location to the next.
SkillsPure Violence - The knowledge of Hell is vast, as was the depth of the programming used to create the Ninth Gate, and by extension, Resolution himself. Millenia upon millenia of violence, torture, suffering, pain, war have given Resolution, an extensive knowledge of the worst facets of mortal life, allowing him to create a simple yet powerful fighting style. On the surface a brutish and simplistic brawling technique, Resolution's fighting style is concerned with fastest and the most efficient of assaulting one's enemy and leaving them cowering in fear, wracked with pain, or torn to pieces.
EquipmentHellwire: As his weapon of choice Resolution wields a retractable whip fashioned from length of power cable and fitted with a weighted hook, stowed at his hip when not in use. In action, the wire is capable of extending to untold lengths, and its movements can be controlled through Resolution's will alone, making it incredibly dangerous in his hands. Furthermore, Resolution can channel his hell voltage into the weapon in the form of a high-voltage attack, the whip acting much like a gigantic, flexible cattle-prod in usage. If knocked from his hand, Resolution can summon it back to him, and if broken, the wire can be reassembled by willpower alone.
(Pictured with the Hard Drive 2.0)Hard Drive: Corrupted and programmed to match its rider, the Hard Drive is a marvel to be hold, a highly technically advanced, infernal machine. With hubless wheels, two-wheel drive, and even a reverse gear, Resolution's ride of choice is capable of maneuverability well beyond the the specifications of any modern bike. Of course, the Hard Drive is leagues faster than any conventional motorcycle (having proven capable of speeds up in excess of several hundred miles per hour) and can even perform such seemingly impossible feats such as riding up sheer vertical surfaces, driving across the surface of water and leaping across great distances in a matter almost resembling flight. Rolling on wheels of infernal lightning and possessed of an innate power all its own, the Hard Drive further heightens Resolution's own abilities, granting him the necessary reflexes, precision and skill to ride it so long as he is in contact with it, while its Hellectricity acts in a manner identical to Resolution's own should he run over any of his quarry or lead them into the electric treadmarks left in his wake. While the Hard Drive is at once a highly-advanced machine possessed of incredible technology, the likes of which even Resolution himself has yet to attain a full understanding of, it derives its power from mystical sources, fueled by the same souls as its rider itself and rendering it immune to most technopathic tampering (and granting it excellent gas mileage). Furthermore, the Hard Drive is semi-sentient, responding to Resolution's mental commands and capable of driving itself to his side at a moment's notice. The Hard Drive also possesses incredible torque, capable of hauling -- at high speed -- loads that one would normally need a semi or two to pull.
M-666 "Compiler" Assault Rifle: Stored in a compartment on the Hard Drive when not in use, the Compiler is a recent upgrade, a high-powered military rifle acquired and baptized in hellfire by Resolution's own hand to suit his needs. Resolution's M-666 possesses limitless ammunition, capable of unleashing upwards of 700 rounds per minute, though the rounds the Compiler unleashes aren't bullets, but bolts of pure hellfire. In Resolution's hands the Compiler can be set to fire either hellfire or hellectricity by way of the pump-action, though in either firing mode the result is the same: total obliteration of any demons or sinners caught within the line of fire. Much like the Hellwire or Resolution's own flames, the Compiler scorches and burns the wicked, though with far more speed and at far greater range than Resolution can usually manage.
Hard Drive 2.0: On rare occasions, Resolution is capable of utilizing his corruption ability to alter the Hard Drive even further, converting the engine (and most of the fuselage) into a combined hyper-vernier and mounted hyperdrive, while the fuselage closes around the seat and handlebars to create a near skin-tight cockpit, allowing the bike and its rider to achieve speeds beyond atmospheric escape velocity. At this point, the already wickedly fast machine becomes a crotch rocket capable of interstellar travel. At present, Resolution is unable to access the higher-powered Hard Drive 2.0 upgrade. At present, he assumes that the disruption of his connection to the gateway has also prevented him from accessing the Hard Drive's interstellar flight modes.BioJust another two days and they'd have been gone. She'd pushed him for months, telling him that she wanted to leave the city, to head out to the country, buy a horse, settle down, have kids, but he'd always pushed back because he'd loved the city. He'd always been one for the rush, for the urban jungle, and for as long as he had fought her to stay there, in a single flash, that city took everything from him. They'd been on their way to pick up the moving van, along with a trailer for his bike, the one she couldn't stand, that she'd always have told him to trade in because it was unsafe. Maybe if he'd listened to her before and gotten a car, they would've been better protected when the first of the bombs hit. Instead, shockwave from the blast slammed into the side of his bike, into their bodies, carrying them into the air, throwing them through the intersection, along with all of the other vehicles around. It was all a blur after that, drifting in and out of consciousness, catching bits and pieces of words, flashes of images.
Severe trauma to internal organs. Massive internal hemorrhaging. The glare of a flashlight in his eyes.
Shattered spine, punctured lungs, ruptured aorta. The inside of an ambulance, EMTs hovering over him.
ID reads Carol Holtz. Chances of survival slim to none. Even through the flashes of light, sound, and constant agony he knew enough to feel despair. As soon as they got out of this, he'd make it up to her... he'd sell that bike, they'd move out to the suburbs again, he'd apologize for everything as soon as he they got to the hospital...
Peter regained consciousness in the hospital after several days, surrounded by doctors and nurses, but he might as well have been alone. Carol was gone, crushed by a bus, gone along with his job, all of their belongings. All he had left was that damned bike... All because he'd been too damn stubborn, because he'd been too stubborn to move out to the suburbs, too stubborn to trade in for a car... And now he'd never get the chance to apologize, to make it right. Even after his release from the hospital, after the funeral, after the scars faded and after he finally bought that house in the suburbs, the old wounds never faded. He never forgot, never stopped blaming himself. If only he'd been here years ago, he'd have been able to set it right... If only he could tell her he was sorry, if only he could tell her he'd made it all right. All he wanted to was to speak to her again.
His survivor's guilt had blossomed into depression, into obsession over the years as Pete turned what was left of his money towards a search for a way to cross the threshold between life and death, a way to meet her again. The occult offered many answers, but in all his research, one phrase, one place was mentioned over and over again as the crossing point for lost souls -- the Ninth Gate into the underworld. Unfortunately, he possessed no talent for magic, no patience for ritual... Senior Systems analyst... he'd spent his years before a screen, mastering programming languages, installing hardware, software, creating interfaces, but surely that could not help him now. He fell into despair again, sinking further into depression, until one night, with his notes laid before him, a gigantic printout of a diagram of the gate spread across the floor in his living room, he came to an epiphany: In the etchings along the face of the gate, in the ancient magics and rituals that surrounded its existence he found a single line that could be converted to simple binary.
The more he began to read across the surface of the Gate, and through its related texts, the more he discovered. The language of the Gate was little more than simple math, computer math. It seemed he could funnel his talent in the right direction after all to achieve his goals. Gathering the resources, checking his facts against what experts he could find, he finally set to work creating a program that could bring back what was lost. It would be another six years before he completed it, but at last, it was finished -- the Ninth Gate, the computer program that would bridge the gap between the worlds.
The user interface was basic at best, but he had built it for the use of none but himself -- aesthetics had no place in this project -- and as such utility was key. As the program booted up, his computer fell into static. Disheartening at first, but at the edges of the lowest audible frequencies he began to hear voices, slowly chanting, growing ever louder. The static took on a shape, first a circle, then a deepening spiral, reaching further and further into the screen and taking on an apparent, impossible depth. The power went out, the whispers grew louder, the voices angry, inhuman, raging in a tongue at once foreign and utterly offensive to the ear. What was once a whisper was now a roar, the sound quaking in his very soul as the static bled from the screen, painting his desk, the floor, the walls, the ceiling until but a few scant square feet of untainted space remained around him, quickly shrinking. As the static snow crept upon him, swallowing him whole as it ignited in every nerve in his body with an electrifying agony beyond anything in this world or the next the code flowed before his eyes, revealing just what he had unlocked, what he had opened: the Ninth Gate was indeed a crossing over point for souls, but only the damned.
He awoke facedown in an empty lot, a black pit of scorched earth that was once his home. Next to him lay the ruins of his computer, the screen still on, displaying static despite the fact that the power cord had long since burned away. Kneeling among the burnt debris, he placed his fingers to it the monitor, testing to see if the gate still existed and immediately recoiling as a final packet of information was immediately downloaded from the cursed monitor and into his mind before the screen went dead forever. In that moment he knew: in his haste he had sought only to open the portal for himself, and as such had not completed the interface that would allow him to properly use it. Peter had perverted the gate and its purpose, and as the program had crashed spectacularly the gate had claimed him as a part of itself. He was now a gateway for the damned, himself... and much like the Gate itself, it had become his duty to send them on their way, to feed upon the souls of the wicked and the living damned... He would never see his wife again, even in death he was now consigned to the flames; if he denied his new charge, if he ever stopped feeding the souls of the damned into the gateway inside of him, the Ninth Gate would turn on the only sustenance available, his own soul, devouring it and and consigning him to hell forever.
However, by the same token, the endless knowledge of the that abyss had flowed into his mind, granting him the knowledge and the power he would need to take his revenge at last, revenge against those who had charged the engines of war, brought the bombs down upon his city, his life, and ruined him forever. Peter began to experiment, testing the limits and functions of the Ninth Gate program, as well as his ability to properly wield it. In the end, he managed to create a perfect prototype: he had drawn Hell itself through the gate, folding the Gateway around it to trap a portion inside a humanoid shell, casting his new creations in His image, one most fitting with which to deliver unholy destruction upon those who had destroyed his life.
Peter was surprised by his creation, its demeanor, its curiosity, but at the same time... the results were not as far-fetched as he initially believed -- in spite of the nature of its construction the creature was not evil, but Hell itself was not evil, either -- it was merely a location, a place in which the wicked and the evil were trapped. Their suffering was not born of hell itself, but of the demons and the Fallen one who presided over them. Unleashed upon the living world now, Peter’s first creation was but an innocent, free to use his terrible power, his knowledge, however he saw fit. Seeing the man, watching him interact with his new world brought about an epiphany in Peter -- to force another sentient being into his service, to force another to wage war on his behalf would truly make him no better than those who brought war to him.
Instead dubbing him Resolution, Peter set the man free and continued his work, instead crafting willing servants, robots to serve his will, to do his work. Drones had no need for free will, after all...
Resolution, meanwhile, had begun his own search, scouring the world, and then later, the stars in a search for purpose. He knew what he was, and for what he was built: Resolution punished and destroyed all the wicked souls he came across, as he was meant to do, but at the same time, the knowledge he contained left him wanting for more. There was more to his existence than his programming. There was more to him than his programming.
