Derek Bliss' Stats
A '*' indicates facts created by the mun, or by RP in the Nexus.
Derek Bliss (*AKA: Derek Anthony Casciole)
*Age: Mid Thirties
*Born: May 13
Nationality: American
Employer: Originally The Van Helsing Group. *Is now in semi-retirement and independent.
*Career Span: 13 years, working on 14.
*Marital Status: Married to Shiratori no Jun (shiratorijun) of the Gatchaman team.
Height: 5.10 (with boots on. 5.9 without, which is JBJs official height, acknowledged by Jon himself).
Weight: 155 pounds (Guestimate from using this chart, using the 'medium' build).
Body Type: Fine boned, angular and well-muscled. Atheletic.
Hair: Dark Blond
Eyes: Dark Blue
Skin: Light
Wears: Favors denim jeans, t-shirts or short sleeved button-down shirts, a leather jacket custom-made to carry various weapons within the inner lining, and cowboy boots.
*Origin: Malibu, California
*Nexus Point Origin: The combined universes of John Steakley and John Carpenter with the occasional reference to other horror genres.
Area of Operations: Mexico and the Southwest United States. *Currently lives in Utoland on Gatchworld.
Vehicle: Yellow 1978 CJ-7 model Jeep. *Also owns a Harley sportster and a 1974 model Barracuda.
Weapons: 9mm semi-automatic, katana, various stakes made of wood and silver, wooden spears.
Other Notable belongings:
Surf board that has been carved out to house weaponry.
Laptop computer with wireless access, satellite tracking, mainframe interfacing, advanced programming, photography/video software.
Surveillance equipment on vehicle
High-grade digital camera/video recorder with upload capabilities.
'Pocket' IR viewer, military grade.
*Training:
Aikido (Since age 7)
Rank: I-Kyu (Brown)
Weapons Phase of Aikido includes:
Staff (required before they will let you learn any other weapon)
Sword (Justification for the canon use of a katana for more than severing heads off sleeping vampires.)
Trained by Dojo Sensei as Independant Hunter (2 years. Age 17-19)
Reinforcement of above schooling with an eye towards kata meant to help avoid physical contact with a vampire.
Trained by Jack Crow as a Vatican hunter. (1 year. Age 20-21)
Specifics
Hand to Hand (Otherwise known as bar-room brawling)
Location of hunter friendly allies (priests, fixers, hopsitals that will take care of damages without asking)
Basics of hunting vampires, including how to find them, what to look out for, etc.
Weapons training in guns, rifles, spears, crossbows and knives.
First Aid
Demolitions
Traps
Climbing/Repelling
How to take care of, clean, and repair equipment
Desert Survival training
Tracking and Search methods
Functioned as the group's mechanic, tracker, look-out and vehicle pilot/winch controller.
Was assigned to the Army Rangers when he first started working for Brody and The Van Helsing Group, put through Ranger's training and assigned to unit 713. (4 years, Age 22-26)
Basic Ranger Skillset can be found here for reference. Although 'enlisted' and part of a Ranger team, he was actually legally registered as a civilian consultant and answered ultimately to Brody. When with his assigned unit, he acted in much the same capacity as he did when with Jack's crew. But he also retained his status within the Van Helsing Group as a solo hunter and usually operated seperately when involved in an actual hunt. (Canon justification: In the book, Jack would hire people that were either in the military, or had been trained in similar skill sets, such as CIA types or guerilla warfare, indicating that grabbing any old civilian off the street was not usually done. You need to be highly trained to be a successful hunter.)
Languages
Italian (Family interaction)
Spanish (School/Time spent in the southwest and Mexico)
Japanese (Rudimentary from his dojo's Sensei, learning more while living in Utoland).
*Other Skills/Abilities:
Surfing (Canon)
Cooking. (As in, he does very well with reading cookbooks and has enough common sense to experiment a little without poisoning someone.)
Mechanical skills pertaining to vehicles such as cars, trucks, motorcycles. (Canon supported--repairing a van tire, tranferring a mechanical winch from one vehicle to another)
Knows how to dismantle, clean, and replace components on PC and laptop computers. (RP and the fact that he works alone canonically speaking and yet his laptop is apparently in excellent shape in the movie.)
Gun and bow hunting, learned from his father, who was an avid hunter and skeet shooter hobbyist.
Specialized Courses (AKA What he was focusing on in Highschool and in Preparation for College.)
Vehicle Mechanics (School)
Computer Sciences (School)
Computer Programming (School)
Voice Training (Private Lessons)
Piano (Private Lessons)
Dancing (Private Lessons)
Etiquette (Private Lessons)
Band (School)
End Result of Nexus/Dhampire DNA alterations
'Ki Sensitivity':
I don't know how better to explain this one. It refers to that uncanny knack he has in the movie for sensing the vamps. Even as a baseline, he had it. When within range of vampires, Derek seems to be able to sense them, and possibly even their intended actions. This gives him the ability to react to their presence before they can react to him. In practice, it makes it seem as if he knows where a vampire is going to be, and can postion himself, weapons, and/or equipment to meet the on-rushing vampire, even when the vampire is moving silently and with its normal pretanatural speed.
Disadvantages: His accuracy and awareness extends to vampires and other closely related supernatural creatures such as werewolves only. He may or may not have the ability to expand his awareness to other entities, but it will take hard work and training.
Dreamwalking:
This actually came about in RP and has nothing to do with canon Derek. But when Junmun and I first started playing together, we'd switch from our pups talking over IM to suddenly being with each other physically without providing a transition point. They'd just be on their computers one moment, then next to each other in the Nexus the next. Rather than trying to retcon, we explained that Derek was actually somehow pulling them into the Nexus when he would fall asleep at the computer. Rather like being a living entry point.
Disadvantages: He can't really control it, and he has to be in some sort of contact or near contact with either a computer or technology that allows access to the Nexus. He also has to be asleep, unless extremely stressed, or about to pass out for him to access this ability. Conscious thought cannot activate the skill. There is also indication in-game that someone or something has the ability to access the skill themselves, and has been using Derek without his knowledge.
Enhanced Hearing
This is canon once Derek is infected--his hearing becomes sharp enough to hear a person's heartbeat without having to rest his head on their chest. This hyper-sensitity is referred to several times in the movie.
Disadvantages: The disad to this is obvious--loud places and noises are deafening to him and can give him migraines if exposed to them long enough. Eiko's been kind enough to provide him with form-fitting earplugs, but without them, he spends a lot of his waking hours in at least slight auditory pain while in noisy places like the Nexus and Utoland.
Heightened Scent
Although not as specified in the movie, there were hints that his sense of smell got as fine-tuned as his sense of hearing. I have mentioned that he thinks a lot of places are really 'stinky' to him now. He is able to discern the identity of a person by their scent, although it takes him several moments to separate that information from the surrounding environment.
Disadvantages: As with his hearing, he's tuned enough that constant exposure to strong smells--most notably things like the pollution and stench of a city and the surrounding areas, can cause Derek discomfort, often in the form of low-grade nausea. He's adjusted to the olfactory sensitivity far better than to the auditory, but it can still be highly unpleasant for him. Perhaps not so oddly, 'natural' smells, even if highly pungent, do not distress him as much. Possibly it's the difference between chemical sources and natural that he's sensitive to.
Enhanced Nightvision
(Non-canon, but taken from various folkloric sources, as well as from knowing that JBJ himself has the 'disadvantage' at the least). He has night vision comparable to that of a cat, thanks to the infection, cure, and subsequent activation of the latent DNA strands within his genetic code.
Disadvantages Although able to see much better at night now, that means he has a sensitivity to bright lights and sunlight. Sunglasses are a must on sunny days--usually with extremely dark lenses. Sometimes, even indoor lighting requires sunglasses. Sudden, unexpected flares of light are likely to blind him, especially at night when his irises are opened wide to take in available light.
Regeneration
Borrowed from just about every modern vampire idea out there, this is pretty self explanitory. In his case, healing is dependant on how close to fatal any particular injury or wound is. The worse the injury is, the faster he heals. Of course, if it's just a paper cut or bruise, he's out of luck. Since it doesn't hurt him much, it heals normally
This idea came into being simply because of the suspension of belief that would have been required if he had simply shown up in the Nexus not already dead and changed from Zoe's bite. Not to mention trying to explain how he could have survived Jack Crow, since the hunter-turned-vampire would have made mincement out of Derek if Derek hadn't been able to take the damage.
Disadvantages: Derek retains the sensitivity to silver that the vampires in his world possess--although the wounds caused by it would eventually close, it would still take a normal, if not extended amount of time to do so. And a wound with silver still lodged in it will not heal at all--the silver must be dug out first. So, anyone smart enough to figure out that in some ways he's still vampiric, would be able to do Derek serious damage and probably even kill him if they used silver based weaponry. Another disadvantage is the high speed at which he burns through and replaces blood during regeneration. His need for red meat and iron-rich foods has increased dramatically after his change, and it's even worse when his body needs to replace what gets used during healing. Sleep also becomes a biological priority after healing up.
Heightened Immune System
This would go hand in hand with the regen--his body basically rejects or destroys pathogens, poisons, drugs, viral infections, and so forth. Getting sick is probably not going to be an issue for the rest of his life.
Disadvantages: The expulsion is messy--pushed out through his pores in the form of (probably foul smelling) sweat, or violent nausea, which often includes the blood that has been intimately infected. His body no longer accepts many of the stronger drugs available, and if he drinks too much, his body will react as if he's been poisoned. So, he can't get drunk, and he also has to be careful of what he ingests in that regard. As with the regeneration, Derek will require rest and food--most notably red meats and food high in iron--to help him recover fully after a bout with his immune system.
Derek Bliss (*AKA: Derek Anthony Casciole)
*Age: Mid Thirties
*Born: May 13
Nationality: American
Employer: Originally The Van Helsing Group. *Is now in semi-retirement and independent.
*Career Span: 13 years, working on 14.
*Marital Status: Married to Shiratori no Jun (shiratorijun) of the Gatchaman team.
Height: 5.10 (with boots on. 5.9 without, which is JBJs official height, acknowledged by Jon himself).
Weight: 155 pounds (Guestimate from using this chart, using the 'medium' build).
Body Type: Fine boned, angular and well-muscled. Atheletic.
Hair: Dark Blond
Eyes: Dark Blue
Skin: Light
Wears: Favors denim jeans, t-shirts or short sleeved button-down shirts, a leather jacket custom-made to carry various weapons within the inner lining, and cowboy boots.
*Origin: Malibu, California
*Nexus Point Origin: The combined universes of John Steakley and John Carpenter with the occasional reference to other horror genres.
Area of Operations: Mexico and the Southwest United States. *Currently lives in Utoland on Gatchworld.
Vehicle: Yellow 1978 CJ-7 model Jeep. *Also owns a Harley sportster and a 1974 model Barracuda.
Weapons: 9mm semi-automatic, katana, various stakes made of wood and silver, wooden spears.
Other Notable belongings:
Surf board that has been carved out to house weaponry.
Laptop computer with wireless access, satellite tracking, mainframe interfacing, advanced programming, photography/video software.
Surveillance equipment on vehicle
High-grade digital camera/video recorder with upload capabilities.
'Pocket' IR viewer, military grade.
*Training:
Aikido (Since age 7)
Rank: I-Kyu (Brown)
Weapons Phase of Aikido includes:
Staff (required before they will let you learn any other weapon)
Sword (Justification for the canon use of a katana for more than severing heads off sleeping vampires.)
Trained by Dojo Sensei as Independant Hunter (2 years. Age 17-19)
Reinforcement of above schooling with an eye towards kata meant to help avoid physical contact with a vampire.
Trained by Jack Crow as a Vatican hunter. (1 year. Age 20-21)
Specifics
Hand to Hand (Otherwise known as bar-room brawling)
Location of hunter friendly allies (priests, fixers, hopsitals that will take care of damages without asking)
Basics of hunting vampires, including how to find them, what to look out for, etc.
Weapons training in guns, rifles, spears, crossbows and knives.
First Aid
Demolitions
Traps
Climbing/Repelling
How to take care of, clean, and repair equipment
Desert Survival training
Tracking and Search methods
Functioned as the group's mechanic, tracker, look-out and vehicle pilot/winch controller.
Was assigned to the Army Rangers when he first started working for Brody and The Van Helsing Group, put through Ranger's training and assigned to unit 713. (4 years, Age 22-26)
Basic Ranger Skillset can be found here for reference. Although 'enlisted' and part of a Ranger team, he was actually legally registered as a civilian consultant and answered ultimately to Brody. When with his assigned unit, he acted in much the same capacity as he did when with Jack's crew. But he also retained his status within the Van Helsing Group as a solo hunter and usually operated seperately when involved in an actual hunt. (Canon justification: In the book, Jack would hire people that were either in the military, or had been trained in similar skill sets, such as CIA types or guerilla warfare, indicating that grabbing any old civilian off the street was not usually done. You need to be highly trained to be a successful hunter.)
Languages
Italian (Family interaction)
Spanish (School/Time spent in the southwest and Mexico)
Japanese (Rudimentary from his dojo's Sensei, learning more while living in Utoland).
*Other Skills/Abilities:
Surfing (Canon)
Cooking. (As in, he does very well with reading cookbooks and has enough common sense to experiment a little without poisoning someone.)
Mechanical skills pertaining to vehicles such as cars, trucks, motorcycles. (Canon supported--repairing a van tire, tranferring a mechanical winch from one vehicle to another)
Knows how to dismantle, clean, and replace components on PC and laptop computers. (RP and the fact that he works alone canonically speaking and yet his laptop is apparently in excellent shape in the movie.)
Gun and bow hunting, learned from his father, who was an avid hunter and skeet shooter hobbyist.
Specialized Courses (AKA What he was focusing on in Highschool and in Preparation for College.)
Vehicle Mechanics (School)
Computer Sciences (School)
Computer Programming (School)
Voice Training (Private Lessons)
Piano (Private Lessons)
Dancing (Private Lessons)
Etiquette (Private Lessons)
Band (School)
End Result of Nexus/Dhampire DNA alterations
'Ki Sensitivity':
I don't know how better to explain this one. It refers to that uncanny knack he has in the movie for sensing the vamps. Even as a baseline, he had it. When within range of vampires, Derek seems to be able to sense them, and possibly even their intended actions. This gives him the ability to react to their presence before they can react to him. In practice, it makes it seem as if he knows where a vampire is going to be, and can postion himself, weapons, and/or equipment to meet the on-rushing vampire, even when the vampire is moving silently and with its normal pretanatural speed.
Disadvantages: His accuracy and awareness extends to vampires and other closely related supernatural creatures such as werewolves only. He may or may not have the ability to expand his awareness to other entities, but it will take hard work and training.
Dreamwalking:
This actually came about in RP and has nothing to do with canon Derek. But when Junmun and I first started playing together, we'd switch from our pups talking over IM to suddenly being with each other physically without providing a transition point. They'd just be on their computers one moment, then next to each other in the Nexus the next. Rather than trying to retcon, we explained that Derek was actually somehow pulling them into the Nexus when he would fall asleep at the computer. Rather like being a living entry point.
Disadvantages: He can't really control it, and he has to be in some sort of contact or near contact with either a computer or technology that allows access to the Nexus. He also has to be asleep, unless extremely stressed, or about to pass out for him to access this ability. Conscious thought cannot activate the skill. There is also indication in-game that someone or something has the ability to access the skill themselves, and has been using Derek without his knowledge.
Enhanced Hearing
This is canon once Derek is infected--his hearing becomes sharp enough to hear a person's heartbeat without having to rest his head on their chest. This hyper-sensitity is referred to several times in the movie.
Disadvantages: The disad to this is obvious--loud places and noises are deafening to him and can give him migraines if exposed to them long enough. Eiko's been kind enough to provide him with form-fitting earplugs, but without them, he spends a lot of his waking hours in at least slight auditory pain while in noisy places like the Nexus and Utoland.
Heightened Scent
Although not as specified in the movie, there were hints that his sense of smell got as fine-tuned as his sense of hearing. I have mentioned that he thinks a lot of places are really 'stinky' to him now. He is able to discern the identity of a person by their scent, although it takes him several moments to separate that information from the surrounding environment.
Disadvantages: As with his hearing, he's tuned enough that constant exposure to strong smells--most notably things like the pollution and stench of a city and the surrounding areas, can cause Derek discomfort, often in the form of low-grade nausea. He's adjusted to the olfactory sensitivity far better than to the auditory, but it can still be highly unpleasant for him. Perhaps not so oddly, 'natural' smells, even if highly pungent, do not distress him as much. Possibly it's the difference between chemical sources and natural that he's sensitive to.
Enhanced Nightvision
(Non-canon, but taken from various folkloric sources, as well as from knowing that JBJ himself has the 'disadvantage' at the least). He has night vision comparable to that of a cat, thanks to the infection, cure, and subsequent activation of the latent DNA strands within his genetic code.
Disadvantages Although able to see much better at night now, that means he has a sensitivity to bright lights and sunlight. Sunglasses are a must on sunny days--usually with extremely dark lenses. Sometimes, even indoor lighting requires sunglasses. Sudden, unexpected flares of light are likely to blind him, especially at night when his irises are opened wide to take in available light.
Regeneration
Borrowed from just about every modern vampire idea out there, this is pretty self explanitory. In his case, healing is dependant on how close to fatal any particular injury or wound is. The worse the injury is, the faster he heals. Of course, if it's just a paper cut or bruise, he's out of luck. Since it doesn't hurt him much, it heals normally
This idea came into being simply because of the suspension of belief that would have been required if he had simply shown up in the Nexus not already dead and changed from Zoe's bite. Not to mention trying to explain how he could have survived Jack Crow, since the hunter-turned-vampire would have made mincement out of Derek if Derek hadn't been able to take the damage.
Disadvantages: Derek retains the sensitivity to silver that the vampires in his world possess--although the wounds caused by it would eventually close, it would still take a normal, if not extended amount of time to do so. And a wound with silver still lodged in it will not heal at all--the silver must be dug out first. So, anyone smart enough to figure out that in some ways he's still vampiric, would be able to do Derek serious damage and probably even kill him if they used silver based weaponry. Another disadvantage is the high speed at which he burns through and replaces blood during regeneration. His need for red meat and iron-rich foods has increased dramatically after his change, and it's even worse when his body needs to replace what gets used during healing. Sleep also becomes a biological priority after healing up.
Heightened Immune System
This would go hand in hand with the regen--his body basically rejects or destroys pathogens, poisons, drugs, viral infections, and so forth. Getting sick is probably not going to be an issue for the rest of his life.
Disadvantages: The expulsion is messy--pushed out through his pores in the form of (probably foul smelling) sweat, or violent nausea, which often includes the blood that has been intimately infected. His body no longer accepts many of the stronger drugs available, and if he drinks too much, his body will react as if he's been poisoned. So, he can't get drunk, and he also has to be careful of what he ingests in that regard. As with the regeneration, Derek will require rest and food--most notably red meats and food high in iron--to help him recover fully after a bout with his immune system.