**(Please note that, for the time being, all links may or may not actually work, since I have posted this on SP using a proxy due to IP conflicts...all the links are most likely altered by said proxy, soo...copy the links, and then use the proxy server, if you really want to follow them -- I assure you that it is safe.)**
David and Altaer
My wRHG is now a team -- Dr. David MacBeth and Altaer. Though technically a team, they are just as likely to operate individually as with each other, particularly when dealing with more personal affairs. Each one has a separate profile, both included here, along with a section of additional information that relates strongly to the two of them.
Dr. David MacBeth -- Backstory and In Char RHG profile
Spoiler for David’s Profile:
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Spoiler for I'm the Doctor:
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The bespectacled young man shut the worn composite-board door behind Dr. David MacBeth as he entered the RHG Registration Interview room. The space smelled of cheap air-freshener, cheap coffee, and even cheaper synthetic materials. In other words, it was exactly the office a low-ranking Human Resource employee would be expected to have. David regarded the faded and cracked polyester seat that was offered him, and resolved to remain standing. His suit -- a flawlessly styled white modern design made entirely from silk with crimson markings on the shoulders and a thick border woven from actual gold thread -- likely cost more than this fellow would make in several lifetimes, and was certainly not going to be put in contact with such filth as these stained seat-cushions.
His interviewer hesitated when David did not take a seat, but then decided that he needed to be in his faux-leather desk chair anyway to type up the profile. After logging into the computer and straightening his thick round glasses firmly on the bridge of his stubby nose, he turned his attention to the refined man standing before him. Clearing his throat, his rodent-like voice proceeded with the interview.
“Ahem. Mr. Da --”
“Doctor David MacBeth.”
“Right. Dr. David MacBeth. Now, To begin this profile, I need to have you life story, though we do not need it to be too detailed. After that, we will get into more about your combat side. So, you can proceed at your leisure. We have until I get off at 6:30 this evening, or about two hours.”
David tossed his head slightly. His shoulder-length auburn hair was so light that he was often mistaken as blonde, but in the warm glow of old incandescent office lights the ruddy hues shown through in the carefully trimmed feathering and layers as they moved. The two emerald pendants glinted in the faint light as they swung from his ears, carefully chosen to perfectly complement his hair. As he began pacing, it became obvious that he had practised his walk, for -- though masculine -- it bore both a dignity and a pride about it that was unmistakably refined, such as would not be unexpected in a Manhattan fashion show. Supple white leather boots made almost no sound as he padded back and forth.
“I was born in the year 1897. My father was a medical man, by profession, but dabbled in a wide variety of sciences. Since we were the torch-bearers of a long line of politicians and bankers, money was never a problem, allowing my father to pursue many side interests at will. I enjoyed the normal life of an only child in a wealthy family, up until the age of 16. By this point in time, I had already been shadowing my father for years in his studies, so it was little wonder that he brought me with him to meet Nicola Tesla.
“Tesla has had many unfair things said about him over time, but the fact that he investigated many more...fringe...studies is quite true. It so happened that while we were there, my father and he decided to test one of his electrical devices designed to warp gravity. Though science did fascinate me, this was one of my less favorite fields, so I had wondered off...apparently into close proximity to the testing area. The test fired without a glitch, and I was far enough away to only be briefly stunned by the electrical discharge.
“I have since realized that it was that experiment which changed me. It, quite simply, warped a bit more than gravity. To go further in this vein would take a great deal of time, so I will leave it with that. I grew into the handsome and successful young man that I am now, studying medicine at John Hopkins. Because I was going into the medical field, I was excused from duty in World War I, which was a blessing at that point in my life. During the roaring twenties, I rose to the top of my field, becoming known as a ‘miracle doctor’ for my ability to bring health and healing to any case I took, no matter how severe or unusual. My parents died in a car accident during this time, as well as an aging great-aunt, leaving me with the entire family fortune.
“I was smart, and converted most of that fortune into various secure forms of investment, such as precious metals, jewels, and burgeoning industries like airplanes, automobiles, and oil. When the Great Depression hit, I was unscathed, and in fact continued to ply my trade and my money to great success. I traveled abroad, learning every language I could, and diverting myself with athletic and scientific endeavors. Hunting was a favorite during that time period, and I learned to be quite a good shot using my father’s Winchester ‘73 One-in-a-thousand. Excellent weapon, that was.
“Well, in addition to one unusual change that happened when I was 16, I also had come to notice that I was not aging. By the time World War II started, I was over forty years old, but looked no more than mid-twenties. In my own evaluations of my health, I was no more than mid-twenties. Unusual, but not unpleasant. Anyhow, since I was young and fit, I decided to take my experimental and cutting-edge medicine to the front lines all over the world. I had no family to worry about -- not to say that I had not enjoyed the company of many women over the years, but just that I did not marry -- and with my money under the management of a loyal financier who happened to be a distant relative, I was worry free.
“War, however, proved to be distinctly unpleasant. It was a gruesome business, and many times I was using my Winchester more than my medic bag. There...there my combat skills began to be honed. Quite often I found myself captured, and used the opportunity to make allies on both sides of the war...a doctor has that benefit of ambiguity of allegiance, you know. I fought in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. Everywhere I went, I kept careful notes on what I learned, as well as careful memory of how to keep myself alive. Every time I gained a new patient, I drew from them all the information I could about their job, and how to do it. The conversation got their mind off of their pain, and gave me useful insight. By the end of the war, I knew how to do almost anything in any role, and sometimes did.
“Though World War II ended, it had placed in me a deep love of the thrill of combat. It pushed my knowledge of biology and medicine to its limits, as well as incorporating my love of dangerous and exciting endeavors. I had gained much notoriety for my work and discoveries, as well as medals. For my service in the Pacific -- which included being a pilot for several months -- I was given the P51-D that I flew as a reward. Still use that bird, sometimes.
“Soon I was involved in the Cold War. I engaged myself in every open combat, and used my wealth -- now far more immense than anyone except myself knew -- to work my way into politics as well. My breeding and vast store of knowledge have proven their worth to me, their boon to my friends, and their danger to my enemies. I have since engaged in nearly every conflict I could find, including having just returned from fighting ISIS for a short while. I just moved here because my maneuvering can sometimes bring me into...conflict...with others.”
The HR worker heaved a sigh as David finished his tale, then clicked onto the next section of the registry from. “Now, Doctor, would you tell me why you have decided to join the Rock Hard Gladiator organization?”
David laughed. It was a the sort of sound that seems less a genuine expression and to be manufactured for quality of sound alone. “The same reason I join any conflict. With such wonderful and unparalleled abilities as I possess, there must be some outlet for expression. My clinic alone does not provide such.”
“Uhuh…..I see. Now, what are your combat skills and abilities?”
A condescending smile crept across Dr. MacBeth's face. “There are really only three, perhaps four depending on how you look at it. I would have to list my primary skill as my knowledge of medicine, biology, and chemistry. Though I can work miracles of healing, these skills can be equally lethal in the hands of one so talented as myself. My second set of skills is my knowledge of combat. I excell in various forms. In close combat, I have my own breed of grappling that has proved itself many times. Tactical knives are a must for me, as well -- whether held or thrown, I have razor-edged accuracy. Though I can fire essentially any firearm, the only one I actually own personally is the Winchester I mentioned before hand. I think I have mastered that weapon more than anyone else in history. As for other weapons, I am at least moderately good with everything from pocket-guns to missile launchers, TNT to tanks, plastic explosives to planes. Ancient weaponry is not my thing, but I still make do in that as well, particularly sword-like weapons. Lastly, I have my last and unusual ability -- a state I have dubbed triplexia. What I said you might consider fourth is that I have learned to seamlessly combine all three of this skills, making me powerfully deadly, far out of proportion to what one might presume.”
Once the interviewer finished this, he set down his glasses and turned to face David. “I would like any last notes you have, but first could you clarify about what you call ‘triplexia’?”
David’s nimble fingers flicked the door open, and he took one step through before pausing to answer. “My last note is that my clinic will be specializing in RHG patients. As for the triplexia...we can leave that for my first opponent to discover, can’t we?”
OOC (Meta) Profile:
Name: Dr. David MacBeth
Age: Over a hundred, but considering he is mid-twenties for all intents and purposes, it doesn’t really matter. He will say he is 27.
Appearance: Looks David stands a little over six feet, with the build of a gymnast. He is far more slender than buff, though finely worked muscles are clearly visible on his unclad body. See beginning of Backstory for a more thorough description.
Sex and Sexuality: Male, and straight.
Height and Build: 6’4” (about two meters) and gymnast-like
Spoiler for Abilities:
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----Medical Knowledge: This guy knows everything, from Masai concoctions to Mayo Clinic innovations. As a side effect, this means that he has honed his own body to the perfection of health. Strong, swift, agile, and high endurance combine in him. Not to extremes, but far more than the average soldier. (He did some gymnastics during his youth and teenage years).
----Military Learning: He’s been in over a dozen wars, and many smaller conflicts. He is functional at literally anything relating to modern military, and is impossible to fluster.
----Combat Skills: He is the consummate master of knives and rifles...particularly his Winchester. Combine that with an unusual but effect grappling technique (think Jiu Jitsu meets mountain-man wrestling meets….angry octopus?)
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----Supplies: Preparedness is his motto. His ammo/supply options are vast and specifically designed to help him meet any challenge. Cutting edge technological gismos are certainly in his wheelhouse, but not what he prefers to equip, however.
----Reflections:
Spoiler for Original Reflection Abilities (For Reference Only):
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Spoiler for Self-Reflection:
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When Reflecting himself, David creates two exact duplicates of himself, and all his equipment. These duplicates possess no soul, and are not alive in their own accord. They are far more durable than the real version of himself, being able to shrug off many normal injuries. A good solid attack of any sort will harm them -- however, this harm likely will not stop them from still being active. They follow his orders explicitly, and protect him as devotedly as a well trained war-dog.
Spoiler for Reflection of Others:
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When Reflecting another being, he can only generate one Reflection. This Reflection possesses all the same qualities and abilities as the original being. Again, it follows his orders explicitly, and is maniacally devoted to him.
Reflections (Abilities and Weaknesses -- Total Description)
Spoiler for Chaotic Reflections (CURRENT):
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David’s Reflection ability has been derailed and altered since he Reflected a Pure Chaos Being. Whenever David generates a Reflection, it will perfectly replicate these following categories:
Appearance, Personality, Mentality, Equipment, Abilities/Weaknesses
There are two potential sources for what he Reflects -- he himself, or a being (living or not) upon whom he is focusing. The Reflections will be a random combination of the five aspects (stated above) of BOTH himself and the other being. Thus, a Reflection can be anything in this range:
Perfect Reflection of Himself <> Perfect Reflection of the Other Being
NOTES:
-- Reflections can only be generated in line of sight, and only dismissed (even if dead, excluding total annihilation) in line of sight.
-- These Reflections do not possess souls, but they do possess their own individual intellects, the characteristics of which will perfectly represent whatever being they are Reflected from.
-- Whenever an Ability is Reflected from ANY being, a corresponding weakness is also Reflected.
-- These Reflections are no more durable or powerful that the sum total of the nature of their Reflected aspects.
-- He can only generate one Reflection at a time (attempting to generate more would unleash more chaotic power than could be handled by a mortal mind).
-- Generating Reflections does place stress upon both his mind and body. It is far more minor that his Original Reflections caused, but still there. A single Reflection -- no matter what combination of aspects -- would merely raise his heart rate, tense his muscles, and cause a light headache. Every time he dismisses that Reflection and generates it again will heighten these effects. Unless counteracted by some healing/dulling power on his part (aka medical help) or on the part of another (magical abilities), these effects last for the duration of the Reflection.
-- David possesses an innate ability to sense what Reflected Aspects have been represented in his Reflections. If he is seeking a specific combination, he will sometimes generate, dismiss, and regenerate his Reflection rapidly until the right combination is struck. This causes the stress-effects to compound rapidly, however, so it will only be done if he believes a certain combination of Aspects will be extremely advantageous.
-- There are a minimum of 100 different Reflection possibilities when there is another being present. They will NEVER repeat in a given battle until each one has been demonstrated at least once.
-- If no other being is present, his Reflection will only have the Aspects of David himself, making them a Perfect Reflection of himself.
Spoiler for Weaknesses:
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----Medical Supplies: He can only carry so much of his medical supplies with him. This means that he won’t always have everything he possesses, and what he does have he can only use sparingly. This also means that he is very conservative with how he uses them.
----A Little of A Lot: Though he can drive/fly, shoot, launch, or trigger just about anything modern you can think of, that doesn’t mean he can do it with any degree of proficiency. In fact, much of his knowledge in these things is nothing more than what he has memorized from his notes, not even actual experience.
----Limited Weapons: Knives and a rifle are great. But the rifle takes a while to reload (it is a lever-action repeater, but the 20+ cartridges must be loaded one at a time), and the knives are, well, short. Throwing them helps, but knives vs. a katana master will put him in a pickle.
----Limited Supplies: Just like his medical gear, he can only carry so much.
----Reflections:
Spoiler for Original Reflections (FOR REFERENCE ONLY):
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All of David's Reflections have these similar weaknesses -- namely, they can ONLY be materialized and dematerialized in his line of sight. Secondly, they all put some level of strain on him, varying by different conditions. More is explained in the following spoilers. Thirdly, they can all be killed, and though he can rematerialize them, even a body of a Reflection still puts strain on him and counts as an active Reflection, requiring line of sight to dematerialize (unless it has been completely obliterated by the enemy).
Spoiler for Self-Reflections:
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These Reflections are total and complete goons. Thus they are easily bested, although their durability does help. Trapping them out of his line of sight, however, continues to be a problem. They used to be indestructible, but for some reason -- David supposes it is due to the new expansion of his abilities -- they now only possess above normal durability. Though these put essentially no stress on him to generate in the first place, having them be killed or trapped and having to dematerialize them and rematerialize them repeatedly takes its toll on him. The effects of this are a headache, wavering focus (mentally), and increased weakness (physically). Because of this new change, he is contemplating using them less.
Spoiler for Reflections of Others:
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These Reflections are just like whatever being he is Reflecting, which means that they are obviously the foundation of his Reflection's weaknesses, and strengths. Although these Reflections possesses the same intelligence, memories, and general personality as the original, the deeper details of personality are beyond his ability to Reflect. The biggest problem here is that it puts TONS of strain on him to Reflect something else, at this point. This includes stress to the point of severe heart troubles, muscular spasms and weakness, rupturing of blood vessels (primarily capillaries under the skin causing blood to seem through his pores, but also potentially more major blood vessels), major eye strain, and immense head pain. His weakness in this state is highly increased, although he is not helpless.
Spoiler for Equipment:
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His suit and boots. He always wears them, mainly because he has designed a vast array pockets and compartments into them to accommodate his supplies.
He carries precisely 2 Tactical knives, both with 3.5 inch blades. He prefers the short blades for their balance in throwing, and their easy concealment.
Within his jacket, he stows his medical supplies: an assortment of small, insulated cases containing anywhere from a few grains to a few milligrams of chemicals, as well as a small case of capsules, syringes, and needles. When necessary, he will carry a briefcase with extra medical supplies, but that must be prepared ahead of time.
His Winchester ‘73 One-of-a-thousand Rifle is something he keeps near at hand, but not always with him. When carrying it, he will keep the rounds for the rifle in his jacket as well. The rifle itself is not unlike any other of its kind externally, except it has a ladder sight which David can use quite well. Internally, however, he has refitted and modernized it to have an extremely smooth and short lever-action, increased caliber (to .50), reinforced barrel, and a few other tweaks to improve its performance. Looks can be deceiving on this weapon.
He drives a Bentley Flying Spur. Brand new. Also owns a Bentley Blue-Train from 1930. He can fly his P51-D Mustang masterfully, and he does currently have bullets for its quad-50 .cal machine guns.
Spoiler for Personality:
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He is a narcissist. David is handsome, talented, and accomplished…and boy does he know it. He loves being praised, and helping people by being a doctor just helps to feed his ego. He acts fearless, and is, to a certain extent. Deep down, however, he has a deep fear of being unimportant, like his parents. Though he respects them, he cannot help but feel as if they lived their lives without actually accomplishing anything on their own, and seeks to make sure the world will remember him when he is gone.
He is, however, not "just" a narcissist. He takes his narcissim to the level of having a "Jesus-complex." In short, he views himself as an agent of good, justice, righteousness, etc. Thus, this complex often results in giving him the appearance of extreme kindness, patience, and fairness. These characteristics, however, are merely the result of his inner drive to live out his self-determined role as an agent of perfection.
Or are they?
Demo:
Spoiler for Tea Time:
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The young woman had to pause to let a group of movers carry a hospital gurney into the downtown building she needed to enter. Its brick exterior had been plain several days before, but now was highlighted with wrought iron accent pieces and lights, and a perfectly polished bay window. The glass door that served as the front entrance was even new, having been built of recycled wine barrels, brass, and lead-glass.
As soon as they had passed, she edged her way into the lobby. It was surprisingly cool for the warm day, and meticulously furnished. Though the fine art and antiques that tastefully furnished it lended it a distinct air of prestige, it nevertheless remained cozy and welcoming. As a tall man in a white suit stepped out of a doorway behind the desk, she straightened herself, turning to face him.
“Are you MacBeth?”
David fixed his gaze on her. She was not particularly attractive, but cute, in a austere manner. She looked like she was some sort of hard-core physical trainer. “Haha...no, I’m not MacBeth. He died about...oh, a thousand-plus years ago, I would say.”
She relaxed somewhat. “Oh. I was looking for Dr. MacBeth. I have some...business...with him. Is he in?”
Though he began to tell her that he was Dr. MacBeth, he caught himself. He smiled politely and began messing around in an alcove behind the main desk. “No...I’m afraid he is not. He should be back shortly. In the meantime, can I offer you some coffee or tea?”
The woman seemed to weigh this for a moment. “Alright. I’ll wait then. I’ll have coffee.”
In a matter of moments he brought a silver tray out to her, set with china so fine it was nearly translucent. Setting it down on an end table beside her, he took a seat on the other side of the table. “There we are. Now --”
He paused for a moment, reaching into the inside of his jacket to produce a silk handkerchief, into which he sneezed. After returning it to the pocket, he picked up where he had left off. “I’m sorry for that. Now, would you like some sugar or creamer in your coffee?”
“One scoop of sugar will be fine, thank you.”
Removing the cover of one of the pieces of china, he gingerly took a tiny silver spoon and scooped a small dose of sugar into her coffee. He then replaced the cover, and leaned back in his seat with his cup of Oolong tea. She picked up the tiny cup, frowning somewhat. Compared to what she was used to drinking, this was little more than two gulps. She disposed of them quickly, seeming a bit anxious for Dr. MacBeth to arrive.
David took a sip of his tea, eyeing her over the rim. “I, personally, have never really used sugar in either coffee or tea. I prefer to taste the flavor of what I’m drinking. Bit of a connoisseur, you know?”
“Yes. Tell me, are you sure --”
She never finished her sentence. Her brown eyes went wide as she clutched her gut and stumbled towards the door in a futile attempt to escape. Just outside the doorway, she collapsed to the ground. As she exhaled her last gasp of air, an eerie glowing green cloud swirled around her lips. There was a buzz from her left hip.
“Suzy! Come in! What just happened! Suzy! Do you copy? Over.”
David rolled his eyes as he walked over to her lifeless body, his nimble fingers extracting the radio from her pocket. He pressed the response button.
“Terribly sorry, but you should make sure it’s a bit less obvious you’re carrying a gun. She sat titled to one side, rested her hand on her gun hip when she first saw me, and had the tell-tale bulge on her right hip suggesting the presence of a firearm. Oh, and it was white phosphorus that killed her. Gives a lovely green glow when they die, you know.”
Tires squealed as a van sped out of a side alley just up the street. Dr. David MacBeth calmly walked to his ice-blue band new Bentley Flying Spur and opened the passenger door. The van was quickly diminishing as it raced down the street, but it mattered little to him. He extracted his Winchester ‘73 One-in-a-thousand from a slot he had customed designed into the center console of his car, closed the door, and proceeded up the old fire escape on the side of his building.
Once on the room, he settled down on one edge, flipped up the ladder sights on his rifle, and drew a bead on the van, which was by now taking the on-ramp to a highway two streets over. He exhaled, counted to three, and fired. The shot passed neatly through the passenger side window, drilling a precise hole through the driver’s head. The van careened off of the side of the ramp and dove thirty feet down into a concrete drainage ditch, where it proceeded to roll end over end several times before skidding to a stop. “My, but I did make SUCH a perfect shot! I am a superb rifleman, if I do say so myself.”
Footsteps behind him interrupted his moment of self-satisfaction. He whirled to face down a slender, dark-complexioned man dressed in a tight fitting outfit. A grin broke across David’s face.
“Michael sent you, didn’t he?”
The man paused, but merely responded by drawing a pair of Katanas. David shook his head and laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes. Katanas. How cute.”
He snapped his rifle up into the crook of his arm, letting the momentum ratchet the lever-action handle and snapped off a shot. The assassin deftly dodged this bullet and proceeded to close in. When he was nearly within striking distance, David spoke flatly, with a self-assured smile on his face.
“Stop him, and kill him.”
Instantly two pairs of hands jerk the assassin backwards and slammed him onto the ground. They man flailed at them with his swords, but seemed unable to even scratch their clothes. He panicked as he realized that they looked exactly like his target. There was little time to panic, however. They each now had two knives in their hands, and launched themselves on top of him, stabbing him ceaseless until David ordered them to stop.
His duplicates stepped aside as he approached, their bodies dripping with the blood of their target. Their eyes darted between the man and their master as the stood silently. Winchester dangling from his right hand, David smiled at the assassin, whose bleary eyes bore a look of utter confusion and shock as they tried to focus on him. The look on his face was one of pure kindness and happiness, as if he had just come to tell a loyal patient that they were cured.
“Michael sent three people to dispose of me, did he? Funny thing, three versus one, and the odds were still even. Oh well. At least I haven’t sent home the cleaning crew yet.”
Another one handed flick reloaded the rifle and pressed the tip against the dying man’s forehead. A twitch of David’s trigger finger, and there was nothing more of that head than a chunky red and pink spray across the slate plates that covered the building’s rooftop porch.
The Reflections, as he called the duplicates of himself, vanished.
Dr. David MacBeth sighed. “Well, I hope they’re happy. Now my tea is cold.”
Nehushtan and The Coils of Nehushtan:
Spoiler for Nehushtan and Related Info:
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Dr. David MacBeth is the founder and leader of the organization Nehushtan, and by default the leader of a select group of individuals within Nehushtan known as The Coils of Nehushtan. Thorough information on this can be found Here, as well as how it relates to other organizations.
The Coils of Nehushtan is a clan (founded by myself, Alphaeus) that is led by Dr. David MacBeth. Information about it may be found Here.
The Coil also contains links and resources about Player Characters closely related to Dr. David MacBeth.
Altaer is also a member of both Nehushtan and The Coils, though he is far more closely aligned with The Coils than with the general organization of Nehushtan.
With plot-driven stories involving Dr. MacBeth or Altaer, I suggest reading this.
Healing Hands Clinic:
Located in a renovated brick building in the Old Town of Stickpage City is the newly founded Healing Hands Clinic. Despite its size, they are capable of handling up to twenty patients in the best of modern science...perhaps even better. Just inside the front glass door there is a waiting room, neatly decorated with a variety of antiques and valuable artwork. At the desk in the rear of the room sits the receptionist -- Lily Belladonna. Every room houses only a single patient, who is tended to by Valera Braginsky, the PA, unless the personal attention of Dr. MacBeth is required. The second floor contains two apartments -- one for Valera and one for Lily. The top floor is David’s personal penthouse. Out back is a small yard which is regularly tended by professional gardeners to achieve a high level of beauty. Patients are encouraged to spend time here when able. Along one side of the building runs a road that is used both as a driveway for David, Valera, and Lily, and as access for ambulances.
Additional Related Characters:
These may be used without permission in any story as a minor char. If they are playing a major role, use with permission is fine. Their roles must fit their Char Sheets.
Valera Braginsky:
Spoiler for Val:
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She is a vivacious Ukrainian physician’s assistant/nurse who is his primary aide in his clinic. She is a close friend, though her natural fire often grates on his neatly crafted demeanor. If you go to his clinic, she will most likely be the one tending to you at any point in time, unless it is something major. Though it often seems as if she can be in two places at once, such is not actually the case.
Appearance: 5’8”, with an athletic build. Mid-length dark brown hair usually kept in a professional bun, deep-sea blue eyes. Angular features.
Age: 26
Sexuality: Straight. Not that she thinks much about her sexuality in the first place.
Other notes: Valera’s history is something she keeps to herself. David knows it, and an astute observer would notice that she has an unusual level of devotion to him, perhaps hinting at some part he played in her past. Emotionally, she is rather “hard-boiled.” Usual feminine tenderness in this area is at an extreme minimum. She is single, but is “married to her work.” Still, an especially persistent suitor would not be ignored. She loves classical music, fine cooking, and minimalistic refinement. It is worth noting that she was a bio-engineering experiment of Dr. Mengele, and considered his most extreme (and successful) product. What that entails is known only by David.
Lily Belladonna:
Spoiler for Lily:
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Lily is the secretary and receptionist for David’s clinic. She spends her days at the front desk, taking care of all the documentation and planning required to actually make the business run. She can do her job extremely well, and everything related to it. Overall, however, she is one of those people who are...to put it bluntly, dumb but sweet. Almost like a little girl at times, she never goes for long without a radiant smile on her face. She deeply admires David -- though she would never say it except in strict secrecy, she has a bit of a crush on him -- and knows nothing of his more duplicitous and manipulative side.
Appearance: 5’4”, with a very slender build. Long rust-red hair, large light green eyes. Somewhat rounded features.
Age: 22
Sexuality: Bi-sexual. She is willing to give her love to anyone who gives theirs to her.
Other Notes: Lily is a happy-go-lucky soul to say the least. A modern youth, she loves upbeat music, fun times, and anything exciting. Her heart is like warm butter -- it makes everything around it better by its softness, warmth, and richness of emotion. One of those rare breeds whose youthful innocence never seems to die, the world is all gold and rainbows in her eyes. This is not to say that she does not understand the concept of evil, and cannot see it, but that it has little impact on her bubbling optimism. She is actively seeking friends in this new home, and is also looking for a romantic relationship, since David has never reciprocated her affections for him (she will always have a secret crush on him, though…).
About Altaer
Altaer is The Fixer, an important part of Nehushtan. He is a personal friend of Dr. David MacBeth, and they share a mutual respect. He does, however, tend to “do his own thing” much of the time, disregarding most of the finer points that David upholds. When it comes to the major driving principles of Nehushtan, however, he is a staunch advocate.
Spoiler for Altaer:
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Name: Altaer
Common Aliases: The Fixer, Al Aby, Al Fixer.
Previous Titles: Lord of the Abyss
PART ONE: Abilities, weaknesses, appearance … and the backstory to set the stage.
Spoiler for Backstory:
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Altaer was, at one point, a human, and actually had a human name…or so he says. Whatever his original state, he made his living as a “fixer”…in short, any “problems” – ranging from people to businesses to money to politics to energy-crisis to ice-cream-headaches – that his employers had he would conveniently make just go away…whatever that happened to entail. As time passed, he gained masterful skills, a good deal of money, and dirty secrets enough to blackmail a large numbers of the world leaders. His skill and prowess gave many reason to question if he was actually human. He would, for example, slay every person in a guarded and surveillance-monitored laboratory, and yet would never alert the guards, be seen on video, or be detected by heat sensors. Altaer explained this away as some of the tricks of his trade, but many an urban theorist suggested otherwise.
He had always had a passion for justice, and once he was able, he began throwing around his influence in the world of secrets. Despite his less-than-admirable methods, his causes were always good, and became known as a sort of “modern Robin Hood” by the general public. His fame spread quickly, and he took his place in the urban mind as "The Fixer." Unfortunately, one of the people whom he most deeply hated was not actually a “person” like he thought. The man was a demon prince who had merely taken up residency in the most useful body he could find.
When Altaer tried to assassin this powerful and evil “man”, he soon found himself at the mercy of a powerful supernatural being. He was attacked, his body slain, and his spirit nearly drug into the otherworld when he was “saved by the bell,” or in this case, a holy being. To him was presented a reward and a curse – because of he had thought himself superior to all laws and morals, he would not reside in the realms of glory in death; but…because he had faithfully scoured all manner of evil from the earth, and done immense good for the innocents of humanity, he would neither be left to the mercies of the underworld.
He would become the Lord of the Abyss. In this state, he would remember his former life but abstractly, as one remembers the earliest days of their childhood…he would also not remember his name. His new name would be Altaer – in and of itself more of a descriptive title than an actual name.
The Abyss, he found, was essentially two things – one, it was a prison for souls. Any and all beings who stepped outside there bounds would find their bodies destroyed and their souls tossed into this bottomless pit of horrors. Some lesser offenders would stay only for a short time, at which point they would have their bodies either restored, or be given a new identity. The greatest of offenders, though, -- holy, unholy, or mortal – would be chained into its deepest recesses permanently, awaiting a final and absolute destruction.
This was the realm that it was to be his job to oversee. He would be the one responsible for capturing and imprisoning offenders, particularly those from the earth where he had once resided. He was free to do anything and everything he pleased, so long as these duties were fulfilled, and that he himself did not step into the bounds of the Great One. To this end, he was given access to three states: Sphere, Aetheron, and Human. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses, each one a purpose…
Important note on history
During his life, aside from the random rare person to whom he revealed his name, he was known as "The Fixer." Among black-market/underground/espionage circles, he is still known by this title. NO ONE knows about his sudden change from human to Lord of the Abyss except himself and those unfortunate souls whom he has imprisoned and/or punished. Though he is no longer truly "alive" in the strictest sense, he behaves as if he is most of the time -- he eats, drinks, sleeps, and breathes. He does not have to do this these...he just does for one reason or another...mainly for appearance's sake.
Spoiler for Abilities, Weaknesses, and Appearances:
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Overview of Important Points to Understand
It is important to note that all of Altaer’s abilities are based off of “Links.” Altaer must use links (max 20) to bring himself into interaction with the world. He cannot die, rather, sufficient damage will destroy his links, and relegate him to the Abysmal Plain for a period of a week, until he can recharge his powers. Using his links can either be done by:
1) Remaining disconnected himself, while making various weak links with “pawn” souls,
2) Condensing all of his links into one form, creating a super-powered but unstable state, or
3) Use 10 links to give himself a slightly enhanced human state, keeping 10 available to perform first-hand actions with his power.
Shadowlight is the power he derives from the Abyss. It is a shadowy-gold color, and appears to glow while at the same time not actually illuminating the area around it even slightly. Unless connected to the physical world with a link through runes, it can only interact with the soul. Thus, any attack involving Shadowlight will have twice the pain of the normal attack, but will have no physical results. Altaer could slit your throat and rip out your heart with a Shadowlight attack and you survive -- the pain would be unimaginable, and perhaps enough to render a weaker person "brain-dead" -- but physically speaking you would live. Additionally, any attacks from Shadowlight that actually hit a person instantly instill a deep and terrible feeling of utter horror, fear, and anxiety. These are powerful feelings, and are quite hard to combat, but not impossible, especially to particularly strong minds. As an obvious side note, Shadowlight is quite useless against anything that does not have a soul.
Changing between forms is instantaneous, except for changing into his sphere form from his human (sphere-to-human is instantaneous, however). This change takes only 5 seconds...but it isn't quite instantaneous. Altaer has learned the hard way that while his Sphere form is indeed damage proof, he cannot shift into it faster than a bullet...or any similarly fast damage.
*Also note that all of these pictures were obtained from random web sources, namely bing images. I have no idea who their original creators were, just that I am glad that they made the pics for me.*
Spoiler for Sphere:
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Form 1: Sphere
Appearance: Sphere Appearance
This is his base state. It is a condensed cloud of “Shadowlight” – shadowlight is the power he can access from the Abyss. It appears as a shadowy-gold vapor. This variably sized sphere is semi-translucent, consisting of swirling tendrils of Shadowlight. It has no physical presence, and cannot directly interact with the physical world, nor vice-versa (aside from speech – Altaer can speak out of the Sphere). The Sphere can move, but only at what would be normal jogging pace...although it can move through anything, magic or material...even the earth itself, if he had need of it. The only thing Altaer himself possesses in this state is a some-what delocalized consciousness. Though his own spirit is one with the Sphere, he relies upon animated shadows, or Shadyns, to do his work.
Shadyns
Shadyns are created when Altaer links a weak imprisoned Abyss spirit to a shadow. The spirit acts as an extention of his consciousness. If terms of mental presence, any attempt to detect consciousness or minds or thoughts or what-have-you in a Shadyn will fail -- only his Sphere has the consciousness...these are merely pawns. The Shadyn can remain either a full shadow, or assume a three-dimensional physical form as a “living” shadow. They are forced to adhere to his will only: no Shadyn can act of its own fruition. The link that binds them to the shadows is quite weak, and even the slightest of magical or physical damage will break it instantly. Due to the weak nature of these links, however, they have minimal effect on his state, and he can regenerate the links at a rather quick rate -- All of his Shadyns would have to instantly killed for him to be "killed" in this state...which is why he will NEVER have them all in the line of potential danger at the same time.
The main purpose of Shadyns are to allow Altaer to have eyes, ears, and hands everywhere. He can maintain up to twenty Shadyns at any one time, over a range of about three miles. They can move at incredibly fast speeds...this is of little good, however, considering how slowly his Sphere moves. They are not really much of an offensive weapon, since the only damage they can do is physical, and even then their strength is less than that of a toddler. All twenty combined in a mob might pose a bit of a problem, but even an accidental bump by someone’s elbow is enough to dispel a Shadyn. Thus, an attack from a Shadyn is little more than psychologically unnerving, since being brought into contact with a wretched imprisoned spirit is not the most comforting of things to have happen.