Difference between revisions of "Bohdan"

Description

Bohdan is a stout, monstrous looking humanoid with an immensely powerful and muscular physique, whose babewyn-like face shows signs of intelligence and human empathy. His voice is low, well modulated and somewhat gravelly. Hailing from a planet somewhere in the Andromeda Galaxy, he eventually traveled to Earth, and since then has experienced over three hundred years of human history. His earliest memories involve being valet to a small royal family residing deep within the Tatras of the Carpathian Mountains. A castle residence with a well kept library, he would often seek intellectual gratification by studying the documents available to him. With the continuing development of modern society, Bohdan eventually came to realize how isolated he was, and decided to leave his centuries-old home in search of further knowledge.

Traveling across Europe, Bohdan was eventually made aware of Millennium City, and the unique attributes that make it the futuristic, secularized and heterogeneous society it is. After undergoing psychological evaluation to determine his sociological fitness and mental stability, and after registering under ASPRA, he was authorized by PRIMUS to live in and fight crime in Millennium City, as well as indulge in his desire to emulate and be considered a part of modern superhero culture.

Appearance

Squat and muscular are two very accurate words to describe Bohdan's physique. Just under the average human height, Bohdan is as wide as he is tall, with smooth, yet somewhat leathery skin that is grey in color and absolutely hairless. His head bears a monstrous visage, and is very similar in shape to some 17th century Grotesques, as found in architecture from that period. He has a gaunt facial structure, his skull shape somewhat defined due to his low body fat, and his face possesses several creature-like features: a short snout, a large mouth with sharp teeth and prominent fangs, large open and pointed ears, and small coal-black eyes under a skeletally defined brow.

The rest of his bodily features include large four-fingered hands, and three-toed feet, both possessing claws which are usually kept in a long, dulled fashion. He possesses a three-foot long tail, ending with a spade-shaped tip. Physiologically, Bohdan's low body-fat combined with alien genetics have given him an extremely dense body, more than a human of similar size and shape would be.

His attire ranges from medieval peasant attire to somewhat technologically advanced hazardous environment suits, but he is most often seen in casual clothes or superhero costume, either social wear as simple as jeans and a t-shirt or more formal wear such as dress clothes or a lab coat.

Powers, Abilities and Skills

Force Manipulation

Due to the extreme environment of his homeworld (relative to Earth), many of the creatures that evolved on Bohdan's planet developed metaphysical powers in order to survive. Such powers revolved around manipulation of the fundamental forces of the universe, including manipulation of Strong and Weak forces, Electromagnetism and Gravity. With these powers, Bohdan is capable of performing feats that make him considered a meta-being by human standards. Uses of his powers include manipulating weight and density to grant himself super strength, strong force manipulation to supercharge particles into laser beams with intensity enough to burn through various materials, or generating blasts of concussive force through molecular manipulation.

Physical Abilities

Being monstrously proportioned, Bohdan's physical strength is exceptional, and he is easily capable of defending himself even without his mentalist powers. Though his strength is not meta-physical, his short limbs, dense musculature and martial training allows him to lift objects over four times his own weight. Further physical abilities include being faster than a normal human when moving on foot, and his mentalist powers give him a very minor degree of precognition based on his local environment, granting him a nearly instant reaction speed. His reflexes are greater than normal and his agility is ranked at a gymnastic level due to physical training.

Skills and Training

Bohdan was trained in the martial techniques of fighting as developed by European and some Asian cultures, taught to him by trained and experienced soldiers during his earliest years on Earth. While continuing to study the evolution of fighting styles over the centuries, he also had an interest in expanding his intellectual capacity by studying and maintaining a library, obtaining works and literature across all subjects and genres. Eventually discovering a particular interest in the natural sciences, Bohdan followed the subject for centuries, watching and learning as it developed and discovered more about the natural world. In this modern age, he has taken a particular interest in the fields of medicine, physics and theoretical metaphysics. His intelligence quotient is significantly higher than the average individual, scored at a genius level. He employs a exceptionally rational, skeptical and philosophical outlook on the the world around him, and makes most of his decisions based on prior experience, probability, and evidence.

History

Pre-Earth History

Bohdan is a member of a reclusive and mostly unknown alien species commonly refered to as Dacites, residing on (and in) a planet known as Andromeda MX-13 according to various galactic maps. MX-13 is a terrestrial, near-Earth analog, in that it bears distinct similarities to the planet Earth, but also significant differences including a significant lack of surface water, higher gravity, and a much greater orbit. With a similar but slightly more eccentric orbit than that of Earth's, much of MX-13's surface would become extremely inhospitable, as massive amounts of heat and radiation flooded its dry and rocky landscape during the pericenter of the planet's orbit. As the planet approched its orbital apocenter, it was much cooler, and the radiation was far less hostile. With a complete orbit around the sun lasting nearly five Earth-years, most species on the planet developed long life-spans. Most life on the planet was also forced to live underground to survive, beneath layers of volcanic rock, and metals that filtered out most radiation. Life was not safe from all forms radiation however, as a type of cosmic radiation, unknown-to-Earth, seeped through the solar system. MX-13, the only planet capable of supporting life in the system, developed organisms that were capable of manipulating their electromagnatism my small degrees, in order to create biologic shields that protected them from the excessive radiation. Over nearly five billion years of evolution later, and many of the evolved species on the planet were capable of manipulating similar forces naturally.

The Dacites were one such species: a social animal, the Dacites initially formed groups and tribes in order to aid in survival, but quickly realized the potential in forming massive civilizations instead. Due to a lack of raw materials and organic compounds that could be used for food, clothing and shelter, a caste system was introduced that ensured the civilization would prosper. The castes were created around occupation, and thus there were three primary branches of social stratification: Land-Walkers (Hunter Gatherers), Rock-Crushers (Laborers and Builders) and Thoughtfuls (Schollars). Bohdan was raised a Land-Walker, and as a result spent much of his time outside of the subterrainian civilization, gathering rare materials and hunting creatures for food. After several hundred Earth years, the planet was discovered and visited by a group of aliens on a discovery mission. Several members of the Dacite civilization were invited to travel to an interstellar council, to represent their species and share their knowledge with other members of galactic society. Chosen among the few others, Bohdan received his first taste of exploration outside of his own planet.

For a short while, Bohdan served as a representative, providing information on his life, the lives of other members of his species, and his knowledge regarding other life-forms on MX-13. In order to help him better adjust to the life-style of a member of the intergalactic community, Bohdan was offered work with a freighter company. Shipping goods and materials across the galaxy and beyond, Bohdan fulfilled many roles as he served with a crew of other aliens. His powers of force manipulation intact, he often used them in the course of his work, as many of his adventures led to danger in which being able to lift extraordinarily heavy objects, or fight off waves of interstellar pirates was essential. Eventually, one of his adventures ended poorly, and Bohdan was forced to pilot an ejection craft from a shuttle before it disentigrated. The craft's controls were unfamiliar to him however, and though he enabled a computer-controlled direction system, the solar-system the computer chose for him was not one he was familiar with--or one even in his own galaxy. Attempting to use the craft's warp drive to cover the vast amount of outer space between him and the center of galactic society, Bohdan made a critical error, and the craft directed him on a hundred year warp that sent him far from the Andromeda Galaxy, and into the next nearest galaxy: the Milky Way.

17th Century (1600s - 1700 CE)

Bohdan was discovered sometime between the 17th and 18th centuries (1650 - 1750 CE) by common folk residing within the Tatras region of the Carpathian Mountains. The small feudal society came across Bohdan one night in an event that, according to historical records kept at the time and later recovered (upon which this information is based), was described as "a bright star from heaven crashing upon man's domain". This description suggests a small pod-like space craft that had been either accidentally or deliberately directed for Earth, had crash landed, and the peasants had discovered Bohdan inside. It is possible that Bohdan was concussed from the impact of the crash, and did not maintain full consciousness as he was recovered from the craft. The peasent townsfolk were uncertain as to whether Bohdan was a threat or not, and thus took him to Zámok Kamen-krídlo, or "Castle Stonewing." The religious peasants explained how the light had fallen from the heavens, and that surely the alien was sent from above, for some reason known only to their god or gods.

Thus was Bohdan given his name, meaning "given by god" in Slavic. Though the priest of the castle eventually fell prey to his own superstitious beliefs, and began demanding the creature be slain under the pretense that it was a demon come to curse their house, the lord of the estate saw differently: though a religious man, and equally superstitious, he was versed in more nomadic mythologies. To the feudal lord, it seemed that Bohdan's monstrous-nature might instead guard him and all he owned against both supernatural threats, and ones of a more mundane and physical nature. As such, he instructed there be no harm done to Bohdan, and instead the alien be raised in a manner that would lend him respect to the castle lord's family.

Several years passed as the orders were strictly adhered to, and Bohdan recovered from the head injury he had sustained. Discreetly using his powers to only increase his recovery rate and prevent any future brain damage caused by his concussion, he began to observe his surroundings, and evaluate his position. Accepting the hospitality offered to him, Bohdan purposefully attempted to emulate the nature demonstrated by humans around him. He succeeded, as the lord of the estate began to take a more active interest in him, and ordered that Bohdan be raised in the same way as one of his own sons. Though an extraordinary request by social standards at the time, it was recognized that Bohdan's very existence was an extraordinary circumstance, and that more formal schooling would improve Bohdan's relation with the castle family. The feudal lord's theory was proven true, as Bohdan began to develop a very strong connection to those who provided his basic needs. At this point, the castle lord began to participate in Bohdan's upbringing, visiting him once a week in order to develop a closer relationship with the monstrous humanoid as he shared concepts of duty, loyalty and honor. These ideas were not unknown to Bohdan, but the information shared with him served as an indicator of where humanity was on the scale of galactic civility that Bohdan had developed based on his intergalactic experiences.

As Bohdan began to reveal his own interests and curiosities about human culture, he was granted permission to travel outside the few rooms he had called his home for over the past decade, and began meeting others. In more formal attire, he was better received by the estate's other inhabitants, and began to gain further knowledge in many areas of human life, as people shared their experiences and wisdom with him. He was further encouraged directly by the castle lord to learn the arts of combat, so that he might become the legendary protector of their estate as the feudal lord intended. Bohdan did so, and several years passed as he improved in his fighting abilities, capitalizing on his gargantuan form to withstand any attack, and overwhelm any enemy who dared approach him. By this time, Bohdan had developed an acquaintanceship with other members of the feudal lord's family, though he in no way had any personal friends to rely upon. After several more years passed, the castle lord was eventually stricken by illness, and his son inherited the throne following the older man's death.

The son was more philosophical in his approach to life, but was also hesitant to take on any responsibilities in dealing with Bohdan. Thus was Bohdan sent to the castle's resident scholar, who quickly discovered Bohdan's curious and empathetic nature to be very helpful in maintaining a library. The two struck a friendship, and Bohdan began reading many of the books within the archive, further requesting of the young lord that books might purchased from traveling merchants that often visited the estate. The appeal was positively addressed, and as time went by, the library began to grow significantly larger. Bohdan's help became absolutely necessary to the scholar as the human grew older, and Bohdan's alien form remained unchanging. When the scholar eventually passed away, the library was left in Bohdan's care.

Bohdan found himself in a position of mingled freedom and responsibility: he was accepted as resident steward of the castle's archive, while at the same time beginning to realize that he was incredibly unguarded. Inspired by sudden realization of the freedom he possessed, he began to practice using his powers of manipulation, eventually adjusting to the relative degrees of forces surrounding him. First harnassing the capabilities of flight, he took to regular midnight flights around the castle. As he improved in the use of his powers, he further continued his academic studies, and began to learn more about the philosophies of the times, as well as advances in technology in the far off lands. He also discovered his geographic location, and was excited by the scale of the world on which he found himself.

18th Century (1701 - 1800 CE)

Time was a concept that meant little to Bohdan. His life span was (and still is) incalculable, based on his ability to manipulate all manners of forces on a localized scale, keeping his body in a constantly functional state. Generation after generation went by, and though the village and estate grew somewhat in size, the isolated location meant it saw little change or development. Nevertheless, Bohdan found himself living a comfortable existance, though with rumors of cultural advancement elsewhere in the world, he began to ponder traveling away from those who had grown comfortable with his presence.

19th Century (1801 - 1900 CE)

A century went by, but Bohdan was always kept up-to-date with the scientific advances of the age, by acquiring manuscripts, books and pamphlets carried by traveling merchants visiting from such places as Italy, Britain, Germany and France. Untouched by war and strife within the remote mountains, he learned more about the human condition by reading the news regarding significant moments in history as they occurred. He felt the time drew near that he might leave his castle home in order to better understand the world around him, and to visit the places where he found great intrigue: he had developed a keen interest in scientific matters, and after the scientific revolution, and the swift rise of the industrial age, he wanted to witness first-hand these important changes in history.

20th Century (1901 - 2000 CE)

As the 20th century progressed, life was as it very much had always been for Bohdan. The castle, its estate and the nearby village were preserved and living monuments to the Feudal Age, but it was destined to clash with the sudden onslaught of the industrial era as World War II spread across Europe. Though geographically out of the way and isolated within the mountains, he was made keenly aware of the presence of technology, as mobilized forces traveled through the mountain passes--he often flew over such expeditions during his midnight ventures. For several years, he resided in the mountains on his own, away from the castle estate, as he worried what the results might be if his existence were revealed anyone of the modern world, unaware as to whether there were others like him, who were non-human, or if they were accepted by society. Eventually the war came to a close, and he made his decision to travel West.

His introduction to the modern world was surprisingly simple. Already there were rumors surfacing about an unknown cosmic event--a kind of singularity that had occurred, granting certain individuals extraordinary powers and bizarre appearances. Books were already being written about such things, and Bohdan was mostly aware of their existence due to his own research. Therefore, after traveling for many weeks across the European continent all the way to the British Isles, the nature of his existence was not entirely shocking to the English scientist he made himself known to. Dr. Warwick Burkewood, a theoretical physicist residing in Edinburgh, found Bohdan something of a kindred spirit: both had keen aspirations to studying science, and Bohdan's metaphysical powers of force manipulation in particular gave Burkewood a whole new purpose in studying theoretical physics.

21st Century (2001 CE - Present)

The two science-minded scholars learned from each other for several decades, until the Battle of Detroit occurred and its consequences were felt world wide. The existence of superheroes could now in no way be denied, and it put the newly established Millennium City on the map as a place of advanced super-science and learning, as well as a place where those not entirely human might be more accepted. Bohdan bid farewell to his friend Dr. Burkewood, and again found himself traveling westward, this time to the futuristic metropolis that he would soon call home. Upon arriving he made immediate contact with PRIMUS and was evaluated for the purpose of being cleared to integrate with society. Passing all stages of his evaluation, he further registered under ASPRA (American Superhuman and Paranormal Registration Act), and declared his intention to help humanity through scientific research and helping citizens directly by combating crime with his unique abilities. He has since become recognized as a Physician (doctor of internal medicine), a resident Metaphysical and Theoretical Physicist at the Millennium City University and more recently, an avid fan and member of superhero culture...