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Your First Canon Character: Yuca Collabel
Total Characters Played: Two. Yuca Collabel and Nathaniel.
Character: Romulus "Rome" Hart
Description of World: Romulus' world is very much like your typical world of lore and gothic fiction. In his world exist vampires, sirens, werewolves, ghouls, and many other types of subhuman species- this is, perhaps, the major thing that separates it from our own. Humans lock and bolt their doors at night, flock to cities with extensively trained guards to keep them safe. Rivalries and wars between species break out and die back down- sometimes exterminating a race of creature entirely, sometimes simply causing one faction to retreat and nurse their wounds.
His world is relatively modern- the internet, airplanes, guns, and cell phones exist, though instead of spreading out, most humans stay in clustered cities, each with their own protective wall around it, to block out the unsavory undead. This clustering tendency has had a negative effect on relations- with each small cluster of cities becoming increasingly independent, the need for larger, overarching nations is lessened. Wars ('battles' is perhaps a better term) for control over a neighboring city, control over trade routes, or for the use of seceding from the nation break out with a depressing regularity and keeps most of the military forces weakened.
Food and other resources are scarce, and due to the pitifully few trade routes, it has lead the cities to completely destroy the land around them in trying to harvest enough to feed its citizens. For miles around most major cities- including Rome’s own- there is nothing but barren dirt and the occasional inedible tuft of grass.
As for the creatures themselves, most inter-species battles and the amount of protection the guards give the humans keeps the majority of the populations low. However, they do exist and they are out there. If you like, I can give you a comprehensive list of all of the supernatural species that exist in Rome’s world.
The concept of each species is quite simple- vampires, for example, tend to be solitary creatures, territorial and fighting for the right to hunt in a certain land. Werewolves hunt in family-like packs, their unwavering loyalty and obedience being their strong points. Sirens also hunt in small groups, destroying ships through luring the men into the water- dryads and other nymphs are more solitary, territorially fighting one another for possession of a single tree or pond. So on and so forth.
While that may make it seem like the world is overflowing with crazy creatures, I can assure you, it's not. Most species have either been hunted into extinction, or gone into hiding- humanity has vastly superior numbers to any of the supernatural creatures, and while a vampire might murder someone from time to time, the human race is in no danger. Still. That, coupled with the scarce materials, coupled with the militaristic rule, makes up a world that you really wouldn't want to live in.
Personality:
Rome is an odd sort of character. As a werewolf, he naturally has powerful canine instincts, brutal and passionate- but due to his upbringing, he is the very epitome of restraint and politeness.
His instincts serve him in a lot of different ways. At his core, Rome is a wild creature, somebody who would be pleased to simply run between the grass and the sky for weeks on end. He's comfortable in the wilderness, adapted perfectly to it, and he knows how to get by without assistance. In his heart, he loves the thrill of hunting, and prefers freshly killed meat- nothing is sweeter to him than a beast that had been felled of his own tooth and claw.
But, just as powerful as his instincts are the need to suppress them. He is very tightly controlled- his self restraint is the result of decades spent serving the military and obeying each and every command. Even though his blood thrums with the thrill of the hunt, he will not move, will not attack, will not proceed until he's given an order. Romulus is good at acting- damn near perfect at remaining stonefaced and silent as he watches and waits.
In being a werewolf, Rome has a strong pack mentality. His handlers in the military have taken advantage of those instincts for utter obedience- he's imprinted on them, and he would do anything to keep them safe and alive. His allies are his family, and he will protect them with ferocity and obey their commands. This can eventually extend to people in Adstringendum too- he is loyal to a fault and would do anything for certain people who are close to him, even if it goes against their wishes (protection, in his mind, takes priority over any orders).
Romulus is, in essence, a humanized guard dog- calm, quiet, statuesque, and brutal if and when he needs to be. When given the order, his quiet demeanor shifts to something terrifying and merciless. He doesn't hunt with the ferocity of a wild animal, he attacks with the chilling precision of a soldier. This, coupled with his immense strength, natural weapons, and speed make him a formidable opponent for anyone.
In his free time- what little he gets- Rome doesn’t talk much. He is a child of nature, and associates more easily with wildlife than he does with those people around him. He's the type that will eat a peach and carry the seed with him until he's able to plant it. He respects life in all of it's forms, but he also understands the way the world works- things have to die in order to offer life to others. (Cue Circle of Life music). Rome is not afraid of death, though he'd like to avoid it when he can. Being a werewolf, he has an elongated lifespan, and along with that comes a certain kind of knowledge and wisdom.
However, he's never going to invent a time travel machine or become a brain surgeon- Romulus has the head for tactics and little else. He understands how to hunt, how to corner his prey, and how to go in for the kill. He's militaristic and precise, and that's all he needs to be. While he can read, write, and he is capable of deeper thought, Rome tends to not use his brain for any more than strategy. He's simply used to not thinking for himself, and relies on his higher ups to make most decisions for him, exactly how he'd been trained. Again, that isn't to say he's particularly stupid, just that he has little need for much more than a very basic education. Soldiers don't need culture, they don't need complex math. Rome knows nothing of Shakespeare, or of quadratic functions, or how to cook more than a basic meal- in essence, he's horribly sheltered, and he's happy that way because he doesn't know how else to be.
Along with being sheltered comes a certain lack of social etiquette. He's never really had to worry about other people's emotions before, never really had the need to tell little white lies, has never honestly had a friend. This results in him being incredibly blunt and straightforward, which can cause him to hurt people's feelings without realizing it. Rome doesn't pick up well on social cues, and functions in society about as well as anybody raised from infancy into the military would. He doesn't understand pop culture references or slang, and won't think twice before asking someone to clarify or tell him what they mean. This, coupled with his very anal tendency for neatness and order, can make him somewhat difficult to get along with.
But don't let that make you think he's some kind of mindless drone. Upon seeing this new world, and being truly free for the first time in his life, Rome will react with a muted wonder- like a bird who's been in a cage all its life and finally set free. He has a childlike curiosity about the way things and people work, and if he doesn't understand something, he'll want to ask questions about it. While he may seem reserved, ultimately, his curiosity will win out the battle with his obedience, and he will start actively looking for new experiences.
In being a werewolf in general, Rome submits to the feud between the wolves and vampires, and he submits to that feud hard. Vampires were never beneficial for the government, and it's usually Rome's job to wipe them out when they begin to encroach on his territory. In his world, the two species both have advantages and shortcomings that more or less level them out, as they've both evolved over the years with abilities specifically for fighting one another. In short, Rome instinctively hates them, and will go out of his way to personally apprehend them and make sure that they can cause no harm to his pack. (I am putting up a permissions post for the vampire-muns in this game!)
Background:
Ten years before Romulus was born, the military officials in the city of Frankfurt were desperate. Their forces were on the brink of destruction, their cities and resources about to be taken over by the neighboring Hessen. They began grasping at straws, taking risks... when one of the generals noticed that the outlying pack of werewolves hunted with a certain strategic brutality. Werewolves were loyal to one another, obedient, and could only be damaged by silver and, to a lesser extent, iron. They worked effortlessly as a group, reading eachothers subtle body language like it was clear as day- intimidating, quiet, and quick. In essence, the perfect soldier.
Obviously, none of the wild wolves would ever join the cause of the humans, but after an emphatic proposal, followed by several years of research, the military research faction managed to use the blood of one of the wolves they had captured to create a test-tube strain of the wolf virus. That was when Project Lycan began. The project was devoted to raising the perfect werewolf soldiers for their purposes in battle. They used babies- children that were given up for adoption at birth, children who wouldn't be missed- and injected a test group of them with the virus.
The children would then be taken out to the fields to grow and develop as wolves. Each child was assigned a handler to oversee their play and correct them where necessary. However, the children were prone to disobedience, preferring to adopt their fellow wolves as leaders instead of the government and their handlers.
Romulus was in the second string of wolves- a batch which were more closely controlled and monitored than the first, and separated from the other wolves for all but a short period of time each week. He was sternly raised by his young handler, criticized and domesticated with a method of rewards for good deeds and punishments for disobedience. His 'childhood' lasted several years, before he was carted off to a special sort of boot camp at age seven. It was here that his disciplines became harsher, the orders became more strict, and he learned to fight.
Throughout his training, Romulus learned to use a myriad of weapons, and more importantly, he learned to utilize his abilities as a wolf. His pain tolerance and battle skills were built up through a series of fights with gradually more difficult opponents. And throughout this entire process, he remained loyal to his handler and the government that enslaved him. How could he not? From birth, he had little other choice than to imprint on them- and after he'd given them his loyalty, he had enough of the canine instincts to be almost physically unable to disobey them- like an abused dog that keeps returning to its master. They became his pack, his leaders, his brothers- and he became their tool.
Along with a squadron of other wolves, Romulus became a member of the first Lycan unit at the age of fifteen, and was present for the first objective the unit had ever received. They executed task by task flawlessly- each wolf working seamlessly with one another out of instinct and the pack mentality, but utterly bound to their individual handler's wishes, due to their upbringing. It was a flawless plan, and suited them for many years. Romulus' skill meant that he quickly rose to position of first lieutenant within the group, and was given further duties of training the human recruits in other squads how to operate at night.
Riding solely on the work of the Lycans, the government of Frankfurt seized Hessen and several other surrounding cities, building upon their ideas and creating another wolf squad. With the two squads and the multitude of resources at their disposal, Romulus' masters became the most powerful ruling faction in the country, and they continue to grow with each passing year.
The tasks that Rome performs with his other wolves aren't always simple invasions or defense. In his many years of service, Romulus has participated in hostage rescues, assassinations, border patrols, and many other feats. He has been shot at, stabbed, cut, and beaten bloody, but he's still more or less whole.
Currently, Rome is sixty-seven years old, and has been with the military for over sixty years. He still appears to be in his early twenties.
Abilities/Additional Notes:
Since he was turned as an infant, Rome retains most of the wolf instincts that born werewolves possess. The wolf has blended flawlessly with the man, and Rome is almost equally both of them. This allows him to utilize the abilities of both species, even when he's in his human form.
Romulus does not require a full moon to change. He can shift from wolf to human at will, although he's forced to shift during the three days when the moon is at its fullest. Shifting from human to wolf (and vice versa) requires a lot of energy, and it throws off the supernatural equivalent of a firework. Characters with even the vaguest sixth sense would be able to tell that something is giving off energy- characters with a slightly more developed awareness would be able to tell that he'd shifted from several blocks away.
His wolf form is just that- a wolf. Rome does not have an 'in between' form, he can't exactly hulk out. The only difference between Rome's wolf form and a regular wolf is that his form is just slightly larger, the snout is a little narrower, and the paws are bigger than a natural wolf. His wolf form is black with yellow eyes, a trait which carries over to his human form.
The weakness to silver and, by lesser degree, iron, is very prevalent in Rome's abilities. While he can heal most injuries, given enough time, silver literally poisons him, rendering him incapable of doing much of anything. Even if he is cut briefly by something silver, the surrounding area will not heal as quickly as any other wound; it will be extremely painful to him, and if any sort of flecks of silver are left behind, it can get into his bloodstream and make him very sick. To Rome, a silver bullet is more deadly than a regular bullet would be to a human- not only can it tear into his body and shatter his bones, but the cold aura of it can begin to kill his cells around the wound, causing a tissue necrosis that will most likely result in his death, unless the bullet is removed immediately. He cannot touch silver- doing so is painful and while just physical contact won't really cause him harm, he avoids it when he can.
Iron is also painful to him, though not nearly so much as silver. With wounds from iron weapons, his healing process is slowed. It's possible to kill him with an iron weapon, but the wound has to be fatal to a regular human as well- iron doesn't cause him tissue decay or pain as intense as silver.
Another unfortunate setback to Rome being a werewolf is the lunar calender. He never really loses control, but as the full moon gets closer, his impulses become more and more pronounced, and he's more inclined to make rash decisions.
As a human
As a human, his sense of smell is good. It's about that of a regular dog, and he's fully capable of tracking down his prey in his human form. He's also faster than a normal human, but slower than a vampire, and in his human form, his strength is greatly amplified, but also less than that of a vampire. He's partially colorblind, and has difficulty discerning shades of red; however, he has excellent vision in both day and night. He has a healing factor, but it's slightly slowed- he can't simply heal a broken bone or a deep gash overnight, but it would only take a few days, compared to the months of a regular human.
As a human, he's skilled in many different weapons, ranging from blades to guns to grenades, even to wooden and metal stakes- Rome is an excellent shot and his superior vision helps him with sharpshooting, even at night.
As a wolf
This is where his true abilities really blossom. As a wolf, his sense of smell is practically unparalleled. He can track scents which are weeks old, can find anything that doesn't want to be found, and can hunt virtually anything. While he's still slower than a vampire, he's faster than he is in his human form, and his strength as a wolf actually surpasses that of most vampires. His jaws are strong enough to bend metal and he's capable of completely ripping off someone's limbs. His healing factor as a wolf is faster than that of his human form, but still nowhere near instant.
However, he can't really use any weapons as a wolf- his teeth and claws are normally enough.
As he will be arriving in Adstringendum in his human form, Rome will be in his full military outfit, complete with several weapons. The Beretta M9, his standard pistol, along with an extra magazine of ammunition (a total of thirty bullets), as well as two combat knives, a Swiss army knife, and a hand-carved wooden stake.
Sample Journal Post:
[Video]
[The video is upside down. Rome has his head tilted almost comically sideways as he holds it up, trying to figure out exactly what the device is. His dogtags (militaristic, but affixed to a leather collar, rather than a necklace) jingle as he moves, and his manner of dress is a very pristine, tightly-fitted military uniform from an unknown country. His eyes are yellow, jet black hair cut short in a military fashion.
After a moment of wonder and contemplation, he pulls the PCD closer until you get a very good view of his nose as he whuffles and sniffs at it.]
Plastic. Metal- a computer, of some sort. [His voice is low, and he speaks with a German accent. He pulls back and turns the device around properly. From this angle, his gun strap and his handgun he has in his holster at his side become visible.]
Is this recording? [Frowning, as he turns the PCD over in his hands, trying to get an idea of what’s going on with it. The blinking red light is on. That usually means it’s recording.]
Right. [He shifts it again to face him properly, his face flat and stoic.]
This is First Lieutenant Romulus Hart of Frankfurt, calling for assistance. I am in a foreign city with uncharted plants and animals. I mean no harm, I simply wish to know the circumstances of my arrival here. Thank you for your help.
[A pause.]
Ich heiBe Rome Hart von Frankfurt- [The feed cuts off before he can repeat his words in another language.]
Sample RP:
His heart didn't race. His pupils didn't dilate, his breath stayed slow and even. Rome, simply, wasn't panicked. His adrenaline hadn't kicked in yet. It left him with a strange sense of calm, even though he was in an unfamiliar land. He knew how to scout out for information, and so far, it didn't seem like anything was going to be violent toward him yet.
The wind shifted. He closed his eyes and inhaled.
Wreckage, but that was only natural. Rotting wood, chipped drywall, broken slate. Romulus filtered out all of the purely environmental things and crouched down a little, his hand brushing up against the dirt before raising his fingers to his nose and sniffing again. Footfalls- someone tall, by the prints someone with some degree of magic by the scent. Leather shoes, cloth wardrobe- something that hung low to the ground. A small bit of perspiration.
This city was not undefended. His nose wrinkled, he stood up. He could follow those footsteps- the freshest ones, whoever had crossed here most recently- or he could continue searching. Either way was a gamble, but searching was far more logical.
He'd have liked to shift into his wolf form to sniff out further information, but there were rules about that. He couldn't abandon his weapons, he couldn't give off an energy signal if there were any supernatural beings about. For now, he had his slightly dulled senses and his slightly more dexterous human body. Both would suit his purposes for now.
Keeping close to the buildings and in the shadows, Romulus proceeded down the dusty road, yellow eyes bright and flicking about for any sort of disturbance.