Post by splitseam on Apr 24, 2010 7:41:00 GMT -7
THE HANDLER
NAME: Rudy Parker StJohn
NICKNAME: Splitseam, Stalker, Dolus, others.
CLASSIFICATION: Demon-possessed human
GENDER: Male
AGE & BIRTHDAY: April 1st, aged 27
APPEARANCE: Rudy is a bedraggled dark fox of a man. Bedraggled, because he looks as though he has just crawled through a mile of sewer pipes. Dark, because of his lank, pitch black hair which hangs greasy and tangled down to the base of his neck. And a fox, because of his crooked foxy grin that is devoid of any humanity. Just a smile from Rudy can make small animals (and children) scuttle away to hide, and send a shiver down the bravest of combatants’ spines. His eyes are black and beady and haunted, with dark rings that give the impression he’s never enjoyed a full night’s sleep in his life. His features in general are deepset into his skull, and he boasts an incomplete set of broken and crooked yellow teeth. His skin is cold and pale and fraying at the edges – the evidence of his constant biting at the skin of his fingers is evident at a glance.
His build is stick-thin, almost spidery. Under his clothes, his bones would be visible beneath his skin, not an ounce of fat or muscle on him. He isn’t especially tall, standing at 5’10’’, but is somehow greatly imposing in his own way. To be around him is to be in a dark, uncomfortable presence.
Although he looks like some kind of drowned animal, he carries himself surprisingly well, always standing up straight, and walks with confident yet silent strides. In fact, every movement he makes has a sort of escapologist’s fluidity, as though he has spent his entire life dodging searchlights, and could now do it on one leg with his eyes shut. Actually, he probably could…
ATTIRE: Since much of his work requires him to blend into the shadows, Rudy tends to stick to black or dark grey colours. He most commonly wears a button-down dark grey shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, with a black waistcoat on top of this, and a custom made coat on top of this. The coat is quite unique – it is of the material and properties of a leather trench coat, but is shaped into a split-tailed dress coat, as one might encounter in the nineteenth century. This is accompanied by a pair of black trousers and worn, ragged black dress shoes, in which he moves silently. On occasion he also adds a blood-red tie to his outfit, when the fancy takes him.
PLAY BY: N/A as of yet
THE CREATION
NAME: None.
POWER LIST:
-Object liquification
-Liquid acidification
-Acid resistance
DETAILED POWER: All three of Rudy’s special abilities work perfectly in conjunction with one another, often simultaneously, making it seem as though he has only one power when in actual fact he has three.
The first is object liquification. This is his ability to loosen the molecular structure of solid objects, turning them to liquid of a watery consistency. He does this via touch and must have physical contact with an object to liquefy it.
The second ability he boasts is liquid acidification, or the ability to turn liquids to acid. This part of his abilities he can activate via thought. This literally turns any liquid into a highly concentrated acid, capable of burning through most materials.
Finally, the third ability is acid resistance. This means that his skin can not be burned by acidic chemicals, including those of his own creation.
These three abilities work in absolute harmony. The result is that he can burn through almost anything by laying his hand/s on it, liquefying the surface and immediately acidifying the liquid, giving the impression he is simply burning through whatever object it is. This is an invaluable ability when, for instance, he is trapped in a room. He is able to melt his way out through the walls. The powers can obviously also be used to harm others, something he takes great pleasure in proving.
A final aspect of his powers is an instinctual defence mechanism his body has. When he himself is cut or wounded and his blood flows out, his body tends to automatically acidify his blood, so that his wound ends up injuring his enemy more than himself. He does not do this consciously, and can be more of a hindrance than a help when trying to bandage wounds.
His powers do, however, have limitations. For object liquification, he must be in direct physical contact with an object. He must place his bare hands on it, instead of wearing gloves, for example. Though this wouldn't stop him for long, as he could simply burn through the gloves.
For liquid acidification, he must be able to see the liquid. For example, he couldn’t boil someone from the inside out by acidifying their blood because, unless they’re bleeding, he can’t see it.
Although the acid he creates is strong enough to burn through almost all man-made materials, there are certain things that he can't liquifiey and thus can't burn through. These things are mainly objects that have been enchanted or blessed or otherwise protected by paranormal means. This kind of protection can cancel out his demonic power (this includes the skin of some creatures eg. angel-protected/possessed humans).
The way his liquid acidification functions is that the molecules of water pass on the altered properties to one another. This is a process that occurs extremely quickly, but it does mean that the more liquid there is, the longer it takes to acidify. A medium sized puddle of rainwater, for example, would take only a second, but were he to try and acidify an entire swimming pool, it could take a number of minutes.
To use liquid acidifaction, he has to see the liquid first-hand. So, using any kind of vision enhancement, looking through a mirror or even a thin pane of glass would negate the effect.
THE POTENTIAL
ALIGNMENT/OCCUPATION: Currently working for Nuada’s army
WEAPONS: Varies; a natural born killer, Rudy has the skill to use any unassuming object at hand as a deadly weapon. He does, however, carry a thirty-centimetre (tip to pummel) black military-style knife.
PERSONALITY: To many, Rudy is considered the very personification of evil. Or at least the personification of very bad news. Some of these people recognise it in his smile – a grin that shows his true colours. He is a vile creature, sadistic and unpredictable above all else.
Rudy has always been detached from real emotions, instead only ever really showing joy or humour (both of which are witnessed when he is causing harm to something that doesn’t deserve it).
The only way he gets his kicks is from hurting something innocent or helpless, though killing in general also seems to work. He is unforgiving and merciless and will hunt a person to the end of the world if it keeps his attention well enough. Rudy is a natural predator, and even his personality seems to blend into the shadows. With no sense of remorse or guilt, he has no quarrels in injuring or killing the innocent, such as children.
He values a challenge, since he gets bored easily, but will just as quickly give up on something if it fails to hold his attention or amuse him. He prefers to work alone rather than in a team, and has never been known to show respect to anyone.
Not the most hygienic of individuals, Rudy would be quite content to dwell in abandoned buildings and run down areas; in fact he prefers this than the high life.
He has no desire for anything material, excepting, perhaps, a bigger knife, and so cares little for money making him difficult to reason with. Since he doesn’t need or want money, he gets his employers to pay him in favours, so across the proverbial underworld are hundreds of nervous clients impatiently awaiting the night Rudy will appear to them and demand his favour.
Rudy is highly unpredictable, making him dangerous even to be around, as he will just as quickly turn on a supposed ally than an enemy. Finally, Rudy has no apparent sense of honour, meaning he is quite contented to sneak up behind someone and stab them in the back rather than facing them ‘like a man’.
One thing that usually surprises people about Rudy is his way of speaking. Although he retains his Londoner’s accent and speaks in lazily constructed sentences, he has a wide vocabulary and addresses those around him with an off-putting superficial politeness.
SKILLS: Perhaps the skill he makes use of most frequently is his skill with a knife blade. Although he also has the gift of being able to transform any ordinary object into a deadly weapon, the knife is his weapon of choice.
Although not physically the strongest of people, he moves uncannily silently, allowing him to slink around unnoticed for hours if necessary, making him a great spy. He is nimble and dexterous, and as such a deadly combatant and efficient assassin.
Rudy has a working knowledge of human anatomy, which he uses to best advantage, able to target vital arteries and organs in an opponent, and able to keep a victim alive for ages or end it instantly.
He can be very intimidating in his own way, and usually comes on more persuasive than a person offering a bag of gold and jewels.
STRENGTHS: Due to his demonic soul and his psychopath blood, very little can shake him up. He has never shown any sense of fear and apparently doesn’t care for such trivial things as safety and self-preservation. As such he is able to take risks that others would shy away from. He can think ‘outside the box’, especially when it comes to killing, and is very creative in what he does. His powers allow him to get to just about anywhere he needs to be.
WEAKNESSES: His tendency to take risks is as much a drawback as a plus. He frequently puts himself in danger and in sticky situations that even he admits, someday he will not be able to get out of. Not many people would be so foolish as to trust Rudy, and as such he finds it hard to gather support when the required party does not owe him a favour. Due to his demonic soul, such things as holy relics and spells affect him greatly – this is perhaps his greatest weakness. Rudy is a poor shot with firearms, preferring to get up close and personal with a knife or dagger, and does not tend to carry any means of long-ranged weaponry. This means he is also vulnerable to such attacks and, although a deadly assassin and possessed by a demon, a single bullet to the head would certainly be the end of Rudy StJohn.
THE STORY
HISTORY: Rudy StJohn was born a regular human, to a less-than-normal human family in London, England. His mother was a surgeon and his father was a butcher, and although they were both very skilled at their respective trades, they were also both abusive. They fought each other frequently and, when one half of the couple wasn’t around, the other half would vent their anger on the young Rudy instead. He became reclusive and quiet, and bottled up his feelings of absolute hate for his parents (and the concept of family in general, which he grew to find intolerable).
These feelings quickly transferred to his social life and he began to lash out at other children in bouts of rage. Some of these bursts of anger were very vicious for a boy of his age (eight) and, after he had stabbed an innocent peer with a pair of scissors, his teachers decided that something should be done.
But when the teachers went to talk to the boy’s parents, they put on a well-rehearsed façade in which they were the perfect contented happy family and, since the teachers could find no fault with his upbringing, suggested they send the boy to a therapy session to find out what was causing his anger. They assured that they would. They didn’t, at first. The teachers then asked Rudy how he was finding his ‘talk sessions’ and Rudy, honestly, replied that he hadn’t been to any. The teachers ‘reminded’ his parents, and, deciding that it was the easiest option, they eventually did take him to a psychologist.
However, it was there that Rudy’s true troubles began, in the form of a woman named Helda Write. Helda was also in therapy, since she was loopy enough to believe that demons and angels were real and that she had personally spoken to them. Her workmates at the warehouse had referred her to the psychology department of the same hospital that Rudy happened to be going to for his sessions.
One evening, when Rudy’s mother came to pick him up from his session, she found herself chatting with Helda Write, who was waiting for her session to begin. Helda Write explained to Rudy’s mother all about demons, and about how they will give you anything you want, for a little something in return. Of course, Rudy’s mother rejected the claims as the ramblings of a madwoman, but she found that her curiosity was, in fact, piqued at the concept.
She did some research over the course of the next few months in secret, looking into the summoning rituals that would bring a demon into the human world that would be open to bargaining. The more she looked over it and the more she sifted through the useless fiction to find the real truth, the larger her plan formulated.
It was on all hallow’s eve (she had read that this was, of course, the night on which the demons were at their strongest) that she prepared her ritual. To her slight surprise but definite joy, she found that the ritual did, indeed, connect her to the realm of Hell. When asked what it was she desired, she chose ‘Endless riches. I want to be wealthy for the rest of my life.’
And when a sacrifice was demanded in return, she brought Rudy from his room.
‘You can have my son, and do whatever you want with him. Kill him, if you want.’ She said.
And apparently the demon she was in contact with considered that a fair trade. The endless riches were sorted but, to the mother’s surprise, Rudy remained on Earth.
As it turned out, a demon called Dolus had seen the potential for evil in the nine-year-old Rudy. Instead of killing him as was suggested, he bonded their souls together. Rudy was gifted with a blackened soul, and the powers of the demon, and it didn’t take him long to decide that he could now give his parents what was coming to them.
He did it whilst they slept. He crept into their room – silent little Rudy – and laid his hands upon their faces – gentle little Rudy – and it was a matter of much midnight screaming and flailing before the two of them, the butcher and the wealthy surgeon, were dead forever. Satisfied little Rudy.
He had always felt a drive for the art of carving flesh, but it was, of course, in his blood. But now, with the will of the demon implanted in his tiny mind, he hungered for death, and craved destruction and longed to cause pain. With the cunning of Dolus and the sweet childhood innocence of Rudy StJohn, it was easy to find his first real victims. Stealing a knife from his father’s workshop, he set out to the streets. To begin with he targeted women coming home from work. He would dwell ragged and filthy in the streets of London, faking his tears, until he was approached by a kindly woman, a good Samaritan. That was when he claimed he had ‘lost his Mummy and Daddy’ and, hearts breaking, the women would take his cold white hand and lead him right into their houses. Total privacy, easy killing.
Rudy lived this way on the streets for many years, feeding by thieving. He became silent, nimble, and it seemed with every kill his humanity drained away further. He was no longer the sad little toddler, but the vicious killer that haunted the streets of London, with his gleeful, chilling giggle and his crocodile tears.
He was thirteen when he was first recognised for what he truly was. If he was to be honest, Rudy would say that it was just as well. Now that he was a teenager, the innocent lost boy act seemed to be working less and less. But on a particularly dry day, Rudy was spotted by a man from across the street. This was a man who saw the demon in the boy. A man with many enemies. And these were enemies that the man encouraged Rudy to hurt, to kill. This was unlike anything Rudy had known before – he was being encouraged, even PRAISED for doing what he loved. The man paid him with a roof over his head and clothes on his back, and in return Rudy would end the lives of some business associates that had apparently stepped out of line. Rudy didn’t know what these men had done wrong. Rudy didn’t care. Rudy never asked questions.
Life was good for another blood-soaked year or two. With no care for time, the years tended to meld together. That was until he killed his ‘employer’. He didn’t have a reason, and he wasn’t provoked. But he didn’t regret it.
So swinging teenage Rudy found himself free again, and now he knew how the world worked. You could get anything for something, and the something that many people wanted was death. And that was fine with him. It didn’t take him long to find his next client, and this time he was in control of the bargaining.
Soon not only was Rudy a brilliant killer, but a swift assassin and devilish businessman. Although he was infamously hard to pin down, Rudy StJohn became a renowned name in the underworld circles, and his ‘services’ were much sought after. But after the deal was done, and Rudy had been guaranteed a favour in the future, his clients found themselves increasingly shaken up by their transaction. Rudy was definitely more demon than boy now.
He was, of course, sought after by the police too. Rudy was a sneaky demon, though, and nigh impossible to catch. The authorities felt like they were trying to catch an urban myth, and who’s to say they weren’t? The only suspect they managed to capture escaped the same day. Mysteriously, the wall of his holding cell seemed to be burned through.
He soon grew to be a right-respectable young man. Right-Respectable-Rudy-The-Ripper, he had fondly mused, once or twice. And it was at the age of twenty that the inevitable finally happened. He came into contact with a little ol’ people called the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense.
At first he shrugged off their attempts, laughed as they tried to catch him with about as much success as the police. But there was a vital difference. These BPRD people seemed to know what he was. They started laying specialised traps, ones which would play on his cravings, entice him, and then attack the demon in him using spells and special Agents. He had too many close calls for comfort, and found himself retreating with great haste, no longer laughing (but still grinning hysterically).
His salvation came in the form of his discovery of the fantasy realm. He of course knew of the existence of angels and demons, but he found in the darkest corners of the world an array of bizarre and twisted creatures, some of them as rotten as himself (though not many).
Even among the monsters, Rudy was a monster. And he now had a whole new set of clients with a whole new set of challenges for him. Killing a magically or paranormally empowered being was much more fun, he discovered.
But damn the BPRD, they couldn’t seem to let him go. Wherever he stopped, he found them right behind him, like he was on their ‘most wanted’ list. This was bad for business, and he knew he had to find a way to lose this baggage.
It was a year later that he came into contact with the forces led by Prince Nuada. He found out that they were at war, or preparing for a war, with the human world, and the front line of the enemy was the BPRD. Once he had demonstrated his abilities, he was promptly ‘hired’ by Nuada’s army and now he had an excuse to hunt the Agents of the BPRD back.
But how long Rudy plans to remain working for the fantasy army remains unseen. All eyes are kept firmly on him even on his own side, including the eyes of Nuada. For now he will be happy to hunt down the victims he desires and when chased, retreat back into the shadowy folds of Nuada’s army…
((I also play Johann Krauss. Thought I'd let you know.))
