Difference between revisions of "Karn"
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[[Category:Character]] | [[Category:Character]] | ||
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| age = About 500 years. | | age = About 500 years. | ||
| height = app. 8’7” (ca. 2,62 m) | | height = app. 8’7” (ca. 2,62 m) | ||
| − | | weight = app. | + | | weight = app. 586 lb. (ca. 266 kg) |
| eyes = Bright red. | | eyes = Bright red. | ||
| hair = Black with grey accents. | | hair = Black with grey accents. | ||
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| features = Rough. Some spots seem to be less covered by fur and show remains of deep scars on closer examination. Most of them are on his upper body. | | features = Rough. Some spots seem to be less covered by fur and show remains of deep scars on closer examination. Most of them are on his upper body. | ||
| fame = 2 | | fame = 2 | ||
| − | | alignment = Lawful | + | | alignment = Lawful Neutral |
| − | | years_active = | + | | years_active = Over 500. |
| citizenship = None. | | citizenship = None. | ||
| − | | occupation = | + | | occupation = Freelance |
| education = Unknown. | | education = Unknown. | ||
| − | | marital = | + | | marital = Taken. |
| powers = Inhuman strength, constitution and durability, high regeneration. Extremely hard to kill by normal means, but vulnerable to silver weapons and magic. Being a werewolf he also has very keen senses, especially scent and hearing. | | powers = Inhuman strength, constitution and durability, high regeneration. Extremely hard to kill by normal means, but vulnerable to silver weapons and magic. Being a werewolf he also has very keen senses, especially scent and hearing. | ||
| paraphernalia = A sword on his back, several bags with different items on his belt. | | paraphernalia = A sword on his back, several bags with different items on his belt. | ||
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Born near the end of the 15th century as Karl Arnold Reginald, the first-born son of a noble in the town of Nordstedt, he lived a rather good life, receiving a better education than most at the time, including reading, writing and math besides combat and tactic training. | Born near the end of the 15th century as Karl Arnold Reginald, the first-born son of a noble in the town of Nordstedt, he lived a rather good life, receiving a better education than most at the time, including reading, writing and math besides combat and tactic training. | ||
He grew up to a healthy, strong and handsome man and his father had good hopes to marry him to the daughter of one of the more powerful and wealthy nobles of the country and Karl himself did indeed look forward to it, having the choice between several young, equally beautiful and intelligent women. | He grew up to a healthy, strong and handsome man and his father had good hopes to marry him to the daughter of one of the more powerful and wealthy nobles of the country and Karl himself did indeed look forward to it, having the choice between several young, equally beautiful and intelligent women. | ||
| − | Things did look good for him and his family at this point, especially after he made | + | Things did look good for him and his family at this point, especially after he made the choice to marry Cassandra, the daughter of an old friend and ally of his father and preparations for a wedding could begin. |
== Turning points == | == Turning points == | ||
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He also has quite a temper and reacts usually very badly upon being called ‘dog’, ‘furry’ or something similar. He’s also very sensitive when it comes to his species and especially his fallen clan-members or his dead mate/wife. | He also has quite a temper and reacts usually very badly upon being called ‘dog’, ‘furry’ or something similar. He’s also very sensitive when it comes to his species and especially his fallen clan-members or his dead mate/wife. | ||
Doing any of these is often a sure way to end up as another corpse or – at the very least – with broken bones and wounds, though this isn’t always his reaction, especially since he has started to somewhat mellow out. | Doing any of these is often a sure way to end up as another corpse or – at the very least – with broken bones and wounds, though this isn’t always his reaction, especially since he has started to somewhat mellow out. | ||
| + | |||
| + | = Strengths and Weaknesses = | ||
| + | == Strenghts == | ||
| + | Being a nigh-immortal werewolf it shouldn't be too surprising that Karn's physical attributes, his skills and abilities are far beyond those of mortal beings. Aside from the direct effects of his transformation having had over half a millennium of life leads to plenty of experience and the mastery of more than just one or two things. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Powers === | ||
| + | Most of these either came with him being turned or received a significant boost because of it. What is important though, is that there's a difference which of his two shapes he's taken as all these attributes and powers are increased two or threefold when in his wolf shape. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Dexterity''': While already having achieved a high degree of dexterity through training while being a human, his transformation into a lycan has increased it far beyond what a human should be able to achieve. Excellent hand-eye coordination, quick learning and experience make him a surprisingly good marksman and crafter and give him a decisive edge in close combat. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Durability''': Increase in muscle mass, bone structure and other side effects of becoming a werewolf have significantly increased Karn's resistance to injuries and his pain threshold. Things that would normally incapacitate him now barely slow him down, things that should be lethal are more of a nuisance or - at worst- take him out if the action for some time. Adding his healing factor into the equation and one is facing an opponent that is nigh-unstoppable in combat. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Enhanced senses''': Fittingly for a wolf, all his senses have increased to some degree. While the improvement of his eyesight and tactile senses are relatively minor - mostly because they are at human perfection thanks to the regenerative abilities he's gained - his other three senses are easily on par with those of a true wolf. He can taste things humans never will, his hearing allows him to pick up even the faintest of noises and sounds that are beyond human hearing and his scent allows him to determine the number of people, their state of mind, age, gender, whether they were injured and other things with ease simply by picking up their scent. Under the right circumstances he can do so from half a mile away in human guise and as with all of his powers, this one is greatly enhanced in his wolf guise. Add these to his own experience, training and human mind and you have one hell of a tracker. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Regeneration''': Probably the most important and powerful of the improvements gained by becoming a werewolf. Any injury not created by silver or magic heals within seconds or days at most. While there is a limit to how much it can heal damage it has been enough so far to keep Karn alive for half a millennium through countless fights and battles, some of whom would've left anyone else dead several times over. Even in his human guise, this is one of his most valuable assets despite it being slightly scaled down then and injuries taking slightly longer to heal than otherwise. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Reflexes''': Take his (improved) dexterity, his senses, add centuries of training and experience to it and the superhuman factor and you have a man with undoubtedly superhuman reflexes. He reacts to things before his brain has entirely processed the sensory input that warned him, he senses an opening in his opponents defense and takes advantage of it before anyone else can, he can deflect and parry blows that should be impossible to - even when caught flatfooted his reflexes tend to be more than enough to allow him to come out unscathed or only slightly injured, allowing him to deal with the situation quickly and efficiently. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Stamina''': Having already been trained to peak human physical condition before he was turned, becoming a lycan has pushed Karn beyond human measurements. By stamina alone he can run and hunt for weeks on end, fight for days without significantly tiring or pursue any other physical activity to a degree it'd kill others from sheer exhaustion. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Strength''': With his - already formidable human - strength further increased by his new being, Karn is easily able lifting around up to two-and-a-half tons in his human guise and up to 10 tons as his lycan self. Not only allows this him to lift heavy machinery and use it as makeshift weapons if necessary it also increases the power - and thus damage - of his attacks. Combined with his enhanced durability and regeneration he can dent solid steel with his bare fists, demolish the wall of a building by literally running through it or kill a (human) enemy by crushing his skull or other bones with a single hand or offhandedly by simply smacking them aside. | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | === Skills === | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Archery''': Despite swordsmanship and melee having always been a focus of Karn's training, he also received some in using bow and crossbow. While mostly intended for hunting purposes it is also quite useful in wartime and Karn always kept on training. While not to the degree of his melee skills, his archery is - especially combined with his superhuman abilities - more than a match for most human master archers. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Blacksmithing''': A skill he learned soon after joining Selenias and building on his already present knowledge on how to care for and maintain his armour and weapons, Karn was taught how to properly create these very items should he find himself or others without proper equipment but the materials necessary to create it. Thus far, all of his human weapons - except those that were gifted to him - and some of the armour as well as his lycan armour and his war hammer have been created by himself over the past couple of years. Only very specialized things like his throwing knives are being made elsewhere by those with better equipment and machinery to handle the delicate details he wished them to have. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Drawing''': Even someone who enjoys a good battle needs some pastime beyond things related to his martial prowess. Karn enjoys drawing a lot and is quite proficient in making portraits of people, but also landscapes. And while nowhere near some of the professionals or masters of any time period his works are appreciated by those who see them - or even receive on as a gift. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Fast Learner''': Karn is very adept at learning new things if he puts his mind to it. From holding his first firearm in hands while being instructed by Elizabeth it took him only a couple of months to reach a similar level of skill as she has. If he wants to, he can learn a lot and fast, quickly adapting to changing circumstances. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Goldsmithing/Jewelry''': Drawing from what he's learned about blackmithing Karn went further and refined his skills to the point he could work with Gold and jewelry in general, creating small pieces of art for those close to him. Among these items are the choker he presented his wife Taryn with which had a Sapphire embedded in it and a necklace from a silver-like metal with amber embedded within for Elizabeth. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Martial Arts''': While certainly not a black belt in any known Asian form of combat, Karn knows how to fight with nothing but his fists, feet and head if necessary. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Master Tracker''': In accordance with learning to use a bow to hunt, he learned how to find and approach his prey, be it man or animal. Reading the grass, noticing the subtle signs of someone passing through bushes, leaves fallen to the ground - he knows what to look for, where and how to feel for signs with his hands to find whom or what he seeks. With his senses having been enhanced to wolf-like levels this makes him an extremely skilled, efficient and relentless tracker and pursuer who can track down just about anything or anyone given enough time and something to work with. You can run. You can hide. But you cannot escape. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Weapon Master''': While the sword is his favoured weapon, Karn has been trained in a myriad of melee weapons. Most of the European weapons he got familiar with in his youth, while still a human, but many more were added over the centuries as a lycan. Following his turning and later the loss of his clan and wife, he traveled not only Scandinavia but almost all parts of the world learning to use almost any weapon ever perceived: Naginata, Katana, Hwandudaedo, Jian, Scimitar, Spear, Halberd, Axe, Iklwa, Staffs and many others. Basically: If it is a melee weapon, chances are Karn knows how to use it. And even if it isn't one by default - like a light post - he knows how to turn it into one. | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | == Weaknesses == | ||
| + | Even an immortal being such as him isn't without its flaws and weaknesses. There are ways to deal with him despite all his achievements and improvements. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Always someone better''': While powerful and a force to be reckoned with regarding most opponents there are things and beings out there that surpass him in age, power, battle prowess or all at once and more easily. While he's aware of that fact he's still prone to challenging these beings out of pride and a sense of honour. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Human after all''': Despite his transformation into a lycan, at a basic level Karn is still human. He needs to eat, to drink, to breathe. He makes mistakes, can be deceived (though that can prove to be difficult), he can be distracted. While strong-willed he isn't immune to someone messing with his mind. He can still be injured, make wrong decisions and his durability and regeneration can be overcome with conventional means and without magic or silver - enough bullets or a big enough gun can simply 'overload' his regeneration to the point it ceases to work or doesn't work fast enough to prevent death. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Magic''': Just like silver, attacks with magic or magical weapons may cancel out the healing factor, leading to the necessity of taking care of injuries the conventional way or via magic. Either way, using magic or silver is probably the best - and easiest - way to deal with Karn. Even indirect methods like creating illusions to mess with his senses can work to at least take him out of a fight or lessen the threat he may pose. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Pride''': Noble descent, over half a millennium lived, outlived all of his enemies (sans one with whom he's made his peace) one way or another: Karn has achieved many a thing and is proud of those. Sometimes too proud even. He's underestimated opponents before or overestimated himself. Judged a situation wrongly based on his own belief and trust in his skills and superiority. And if done wrong he can be '''very''' resistant to learning and adapting. And of course there's his drive to challenge himself, seeking out enemies and situations to test his strength and skills against them - which can (and has on some occasions) backfire(d) quite badly for him. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Silver''': A classic weakness of his kind, silver essentially cancels out his regeneration. A silver bullet is to him like a conventional bullet to a human: Not necessarily lethal, but it hurts and requires proper medical attention, possibly surgery or magical healing to be dealt with. And in the two former cases recovery may take weeks or months depending on the injury in question. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Senses''': While at first glance a strength, they can become a weakness as well. Despite having gotten used to big cities with all the smells, sounds and other things it is still possible to simply 'overload' Karn's senses, leaving him disoriented and helpless - or at the very least giving him a very severe headache. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Stubborn''': Karn can be very stubborn, especially when it comes to accept new things, morals and standards. It took him years to acknowledge that even guns require skill and that they have their use and worth. It took him a while to accept the necessity of learning how to use them himself. He's been very reluctant - and overall slow - to get familiar with modern technology, only learning what he needs or wants to. It can be quite difficult to get him off of a chosen course or opinion and it needs to be handled correctly or it'll just take all the more time. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Technology''': He still isn't too fond of technology. While acknowledging the advantages some things like Internet and (mobile) phones offer, he's still quick to point out the uselessness of most TV programs, the rest of the internet and how some things have seemingly made mankind softer instead of improving it. He can also be very impatient regarding explanations of technology, especially regarding weapons when on a mission. Overall while he's capable and to a degree willing to deal with modern tech he doesn't so mostly on a 'need to' basis, making his overall progress rather slow and leaving plenty of blind spots that can be exploited. | ||
| + | <br><br><br> | ||
| + | |||
| + | = Weapons and gear = | ||
| + | == Weapons == | ||
| + | |||
| + | [[File: The_Wolfs_Fang.jpg|thumb|150px|right]]'''The Wolf's Fang''': Karn's weapon of choice in most situations, carried in a scabbard on his left side. A carefully and artistically crafted long sword with a wolfs head seemingly protruding from the hilt to devour the blade itself. A fine blade to be wielded either with one or two hands, yet nothing more. No magic or rare materials in it, this sword is merely a well-made sword and as such is of limited use against certain types of opponents by material alone though it is still more than capable of decapitation vampires. | ||
| + | <br> | ||
| + | [[File: Tooth_Claw.jpg|thumb|150px|left]]'''Tooth''' and '''Claw''': Two short swords that Karn tends to carry around in reverse scabbards on his back. A special mechanism only known to him prevents them from falling out at inopportune moments, yet is easy enough to use that there's no delay should he need to fall back on these two short, yet exceptionally deadly and swift blades. | ||
| + | <br><br> | ||
| + | '''The Damascus Greatsword''': A present Elizabeth made Karn some time ago, this magnificent blade has been made in the city of Damascus by some contacts of her, [[File: Damascus_Greatsword.jpg|thumb|450px|left]] people still familiar with the old method of creating swords out of the legendary Damascus Steel. While it has yet to see battle or receive a proper name, its size and quality mean it'll be another excellent addition to the Lycans arsenal, a humungous blade in his human form and a devastating two-handed weapon for a lycan. | ||
| + | <br><br> | ||
| + | '''The Silver Greatsword''': A present from Kahi for 2015's christmas this blade has quite the history both in itself but also how it was acquired. Presumably Faerie made this blade belonged to a long line of Hunter's until it eventually fell into Kahi's hands who decided to gift it to Karn so that it may continue to find use instead of gathering dust someplace. It is slightly shorter than the Wolf's Fang making it more practical in confined quarters but is otherwise very similar in that it can be used either with one or two hands. | ||
| + | <br><br> | ||
| + | '''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mateba_Autorevolver Mateba Model 6 Unica]''': Another recent present by Elizabeth. Having been trained by her in the use of firearms and having taken a special liking to large caliber revolvers like the Colt Anaconda, Karn soon found himself presented with this extremely rare and fine weapon that will certainly prove to be very useful to him. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Taryn's Rememberance''': The oldest weapon in Karn's arsenal and the emotionally most important: The huge bidenhander that has been forged centuries ago by his late wife Taryn as a gift, this enormous blade has seen many battles and too many enemies fall to still be able to count. Even Karn doesn't know the details of its forging process but he suspects there's more than mere steel involved as this blade has proven to stand up to nearly anything it has encountered so far. Being taller than Karn himself from tip of the blade to its pommel only one as him can effectively wield this blade and only his centuries of experience of doing so allow him maneuvres one wouldn't expect from this large a weapon. Fighting Karn when he's wielding this sword is equal to challenging death itself as only very few have ever been able to prove themselves able to fight on equal terms with him under those circumstances. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''The Dawn Bringer''': Forged by Karn himself in late 2013 as an alternative to Taryn's Rememberance, this is a large and menacing war-hammer whose top is adorned with two thorns meant to penetrate even heavy armour. Meant as an alternative to his humongous sword when dealing with heavily armoured enemies or golems that are resistant to blades, this hammer has already seen some battle and proven to be frighteningly effective in it. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Throwing Knives''': A set of about half a dozen small kunai-like knives with a silver-coating and hollowed out to allow a liquid to be held that's released upon impact, usually a combination of silver-nitrate, garlic and holy water. Mostly an auxiliary weapon, these knives have proven themselves to be quite effective, especially against vampires, but also other enemies, provided the liquid inside them is tailored to effect their target. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Gear == | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Combat Armour''': When out on the streets and expecting combat, Karn tends to don one of two versions of combat armour. The lighter version is a piece of leather armour reinforced with steel-plates (which can be taken out and exchanged for other materials from the insides of the vest) in vital areas without impeding his movement too much. Underneath he tends to wear a lighter, sleeveless leather suit to add to the vests protection value. Combat gloves and boots and simple pants complete the rather minimalistic outfit, with his revolver and longsword strapped to his right and left leg respectively and the shortswords strapped to his back in a special reverse (upside-down) dual-scabbard. With it he tends to wear a black leather trenchcoat that offers some additional protection but is mostly to hide his arsenal and keep himself better covered. | ||
| + | The heavier version comes in if he expects heavier resistance or enemies capable of actually hurting him where an increase in protection is advisable. The main difference is that instead of a sleeveless leathersuit he wears a full-body suit that covers everything except his head and face and is thick enough to withstand knives and similar weapons without too much of a problem. Additionally he tends to wear leather bracers with steel elements inside them as additional protection and to allow some deflection capabilities should the need arise. In this version the suit even extends beneath his pants, hidden by them and offering additional protection in that area while restricting his movement very little, partially thanks to his super-human physical attributes that allow him to wear even heavy plate armour with little effort or trouble. | ||
| + | Even with this version of his armour he tends to wear the trenchcoat, still to hide the degree of protection but also to serve as a form of <i>[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheCoatsAreOff now I'm getting really serious]</i>. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Medical Equipment''': Lycan or not, healing factor or not: Karn is quite familiar with injuries sustained in battle and always carries some personal supplies with him to either take care of his own injuries or those of his teammates. While certainly not on the level of a professional medic/doctor or a magic healer, Karn's skills and his selection of supplies tend to be more than enough to keep someone alive long enough to get them professional/magic help. Scarring is still possible though as his methods tend to be more classic than modern. | ||
= Friends, allies and enemies = | = Friends, allies and enemies = | ||
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To make matters worse, she was pregnant with Karn’s child at the time. He never forgave himself for his failure. | To make matters worse, she was pregnant with Karn’s child at the time. He never forgave himself for his failure. | ||
| − | '''Elsa Mayer''': A young, trueborn Lycan he met at Club Caprice, only days before his final confrontation with '''Rondara Faryn'''. This proved to be a quite fateful and deciding factor in his future development, since she called him out on his behavior and | + | '''[[Black Corsair|Elizabeth McAllistair]]''': Elizabeth is special, in more ways than just one. The most obvious one is her being a Vampire, something that not too long ago would've been a good reason not to deal with her at all, except maybe in combat. But times changed and so did Karn and over the course of their interactions each developed feelings for the other, leading to the rather unlikely union of Vampire and Lycan that - despite some initial troubles - has taken of to achieve new heights for both of them and developed into a very strong and stable relationship of genuine love and affection for each other only strengthened by them sharing an apartment and having fought some firece battles side by side by now. |
| + | |||
| + | '''[[Kahi]]''': While the friendship with the golden-eyed woman originally stemmed from the developing friendship between Elizabeth and her Karn has come to appreciate and enjoy the presence of Kahi regarding her indeed as a valuable and dear friend whose well-being is close to his heart and who might have very well become the second-most important person to him. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Elsa Mayer''': A young, trueborn Lycan he met at Club Caprice, only days before his final confrontation with '''Rondara Faryn'''. This proved to be a quite fateful and deciding factor in his future development, since she called him out on his behavior and showed both an interest in him as well as raising some doubt about his path and whether or not Taryn would even approve of it. | ||
'''[[Stellar|Jessica Dawn]]''': Similar to Elsa, the first meeting happened in Caprice, when Karn – more by accident – chose a place apart from the crowd at the bar, which happened to be close to her. | '''[[Stellar|Jessica Dawn]]''': Similar to Elsa, the first meeting happened in Caprice, when Karn – more by accident – chose a place apart from the crowd at the bar, which happened to be close to her. | ||
While this involuntary meeting was dominated by insults and mockery, it again raised more questions for Karn which, coupled together with the events concerning Elsa, lead him to question himself even more, eventually leading to him actively walking up to Jessica the next time he entered Caprice and picked up her scent. | While this involuntary meeting was dominated by insults and mockery, it again raised more questions for Karn which, coupled together with the events concerning Elsa, lead him to question himself even more, eventually leading to him actively walking up to Jessica the next time he entered Caprice and picked up her scent. | ||
This conversation was quite different, leading to several insights on Karn’s part as well as admitting his own faults, eventually even leading to a friendly trial of strength which ended with her earning Karn’s respect. | This conversation was quite different, leading to several insights on Karn’s part as well as admitting his own faults, eventually even leading to a friendly trial of strength which ended with her earning Karn’s respect. | ||
| − | When they next met, he had recently returned to his human shape, which lead to him facing the problem of a shelter which – much to his surprise – was offered by Jessica with whom he | + | When they next met, he had recently returned to his human shape, which lead to him facing the problem of a shelter which – much to his surprise – was offered by Jessica with whom he's shared an apartment for some time before moving on on his own. |
== Allies == | == Allies == | ||
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Vampires in general, but especially those from the clan responsible for the murder of his friends and family: Umbra Nobilitas. | Vampires in general, but especially those from the clan responsible for the murder of his friends and family: Umbra Nobilitas. | ||
<br> | <br> | ||
| − | [[File: De_la_Croix.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Jean-Pierre de la Criox, leader of Umbra Nobilitas]]'''Jean-Pierre de la Criox''': Cultured, mannered, sophisticated and ruthless. Jean-Pierre de la Croix is the classic vampire archetype. He rarely loses his cool and if he does one quickly finds out that it isn’t just his intellect that made him leader of this clan but that he’s also a very skilled combatant, employing a combination of technique and strength to swiftly defeat those who dare to challenge him. | + | [[File: De_la_Croix.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Jean-Pierre de la Criox, leader of Umbra Nobilitas]]'''Jean-Pierre de la Criox''': Cultured, mannered, sophisticated and ruthless. Jean-Pierre de la Croix is the classic vampire archetype. He rarely loses his cool and if he does one quickly finds out that it isn’t just his intellect that made him leader of this clan but that he’s also a very skilled combatant, employing a combination of technique and strength to swiftly defeat those who dare to challenge him.<br> |
| + | After long consideration, some nudging from Jessica and week long preparations, Karn and de la Croix met on September 22nd 2013 at a disclosed location for negotiations, finally ending heir centuries long feud and making peace with each other. | ||
<br> | <br> | ||
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= Tropes associated with Karn = | = Tropes associated with Karn = | ||
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| − | + | Under (re)construction | |
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| − | + | = Themes = | |
| − | [http:// | + | <b>Regular/idle:</b><i> [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlfAOSYOs4E Two Steps From Hell - Love and Loss]</i> - Karn’s “basic” theme, reflecting his life and especially that so far, each woman he loved/cared for has been lost to him due to circumstances. |
| − | [http:// | + | <b>Battle:</b><i> [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abjE9Qx0O60 Two Steps From Hell - To Glory]</i> - The most befitting theme for him when fighting. Especially when outnumbered or against an especially powerful foe. |
| − | [http:// | + | <b>Rage:</b><i> [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVOfeUyiC3s Within Temptation – Iron]</i> - When he goes berserk due to his unstoppable rage triggering. Unstoppable, brutal, taken up in his purpose to his fullest. |
| − | [http:// | + | <b>Hunter:</b><i> [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeE1Y8S6jVc Metallica- All Nightmare Long]</i> - When he puts his mind on hunting someone or something down (like he did with his vampiric enemies), this is the most appropriate music for that. He doesn’t tire. He doesn’t give up. You can run. You can hide. But you can’t escape. You’ll just end up too tired to fight anymore. |
| − | == | + | = Gallery = |
| + | <gallery> | ||
| + | File:Karn by Aerostream.jpg|Karn in his human form, wearing his favourite suit. Image by @Aerostream | ||
| + | File:Cillus-fina 3000pxl.jpg|Elizabeth and Karn together | ||
| + | </gallery> | ||
Latest revision as of 14:09, 9 April 2016
"War is my father. Battle my purpose. Death my destiny."
| Karn | ||||||||||
| Player: @BlackMethos | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
| “No mercy. No pity. No hope.” | ||||||||||
| Biographical Data | ||||||||||
| Real Name: | Karl Arnold Reginald von Nordstedt | |||||||||
| Known Aliases: | None. | |||||||||
| Gender: | Male. | |||||||||
| Species: | Lycan. | |||||||||
| Ethnicity: | Caucasian. | |||||||||
| Place of Birth: | Northern Germany, around the end of the 15th century. | |||||||||
| Base of Operations: | Varies. | |||||||||
| Relatives: | None. | |||||||||
| Characteristics | ||||||||||
| Age: | About 500 years. | |||||||||
| Height: | app. 8’7” (ca. 2,62 m) | |||||||||
| Weight: | app. 586 lb. (ca. 266 kg) | |||||||||
| Eyes: | Bright red. | |||||||||
| Hair: | Black with grey accents. | |||||||||
| Complexion: | Unknown. Body covered in fur (see hair and features.) Human form has not been seen yet. | |||||||||
| Physical Build: | Very tall and muscular. No fat. | |||||||||
| Physical Features: | Rough. Some spots seem to be less covered by fur and show remains of deep scars on closer examination. Most of them are on his upper body. | |||||||||
| Status | ||||||||||
| Fame: |
Unknown | |||||||||
| Alignment: |
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| Identity: | Confidential | |||||||||
| Years Active: | Over 500. | |||||||||
| Citizenship: | None. | |||||||||
| Occupation: | Freelance | |||||||||
| Education: | Unknown. | |||||||||
| Marital Status: | Taken. | |||||||||
| Known Powers and Abilities | ||||||||||
| Inhuman strength, constitution and durability, high regeneration. Extremely hard to kill by normal means, but vulnerable to silver weapons and magic. Being a werewolf he also has very keen senses, especially scent and hearing. | ||||||||||
| Equipment and Paraphernalia | ||||||||||
| A sword on his back, several bags with different items on his belt. | ||||||||||
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| Non-Physical Attributes | |||||||||
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| MaekadaBox created by @Maekada | |||||||||
Contents
Origin
Birth and early years
Born near the end of the 15th century as Karl Arnold Reginald, the first-born son of a noble in the town of Nordstedt, he lived a rather good life, receiving a better education than most at the time, including reading, writing and math besides combat and tactic training. He grew up to a healthy, strong and handsome man and his father had good hopes to marry him to the daughter of one of the more powerful and wealthy nobles of the country and Karl himself did indeed look forward to it, having the choice between several young, equally beautiful and intelligent women. Things did look good for him and his family at this point, especially after he made the choice to marry Cassandra, the daughter of an old friend and ally of his father and preparations for a wedding could begin.
Turning points
Two weeks before the marriage was to take place, grave new arrived at the caste: One of their neighbors was closing in with an army, no doubt with the intention of razing the caste. Why he did this or how he had been able to amass a force of the size approaching in the first place remained unknown. What was known, that they had less than three days to prepare.
When the day of the battle arrived, Nordstedt was as good prepared as humanly possible, but still vastly outnumbered and any reinforcements were still days away and not numerous enough to pose a threat to the army besieging the town and castle. The most disturbing thing though, was the fact that the attackers had brought large numbers of sealed coaches and coffins with them. The reason for this remained a mystery until the second night of the siege. The defenders already had repelled several attempts at breaching the walls and new had arrived that the reinforcements coming were coordinating themselves, thus posing an actual threat to the attackers force.
When the night came though, the terror came with it. The coaches and coffins were unsealed and unleashed an evil never seen before: Vampires. While there had always been rumors about these fiends, few actually believed in them and even those who did never thought of something like this happening. Within hours the castle had become a field of death and wholesale slaughter, the fiends taking delight in a feast the likes has never been seen before. Karl’s father was one of the first to be killed, a vampire lord literally sucking him empty in front of his son’s eyes. Preparing for his last fight and to kill himself instead of being emptied, Karl made peace with the world. That was, when the tides of battle turned again…
A howl ran through the air, quickly answered by more and soon the air was filled with a crescendo of wolf-like howls. Within minutes the castle had become a battle-field between these age-old enemies and the human inhabitants that hadn’t been killed yet were caught in between.
The battle lasted until dawn and ended with most of the vampires and their human allies dead or on the run, the werewolves victorious – and most of the castles population dead or wounded. Karl himself was just barely alive at this point, having received several severe wounds during the battle. The last heir of town and castle was dying.
A new chance, a new life – the birth of Karn
Only a handful of humans had survived the slaughter, with Karl being among them yet slowly dying from the wounds he had received. The castle and its outskirts were now dominated by the werewolves and the townsfolk had few hopes that things would turn for the better for them. It was then, that one of the beasts approached the survivors, a towering giant with grey fur, clad in surprisingly heavy armor which didn’t seem to constrain his mobility at all. He introduced himself as Auroch and made Karl a simple offer: Die from his wounds or become one of them, a Lycan. Why he made this offer, Karl only learned years later. In that moment, it was simply an offer to live on, to be reborn as something, someone else. Karl considered, especially regarding his people whom he wanted to be safe from any more harm. After a short, but heated discussion between him and Auroch, they came to an outcome both were satisfied with. The survivors were allowed to leave or become servants of the Lycans (a few received the offer to be turned as well, but refused) while Auroch turned Karl himself. While the turning had taken place, it wouldn’t be until the next full moon that he’d transform and thus fully become a Lycan himself. Until then, Auroch and his comrades cared for Karl, tending to his wounds and making sure he survived the days and nights.
13 days later the night of the full moon arrived and the transformation took place turning Karl into the beast he still is today. The next years he spend with Auroch, learning to control his feral instincts and to keep his more human characteristics dominant while using his newfound abilities and powers to their full effect. Auroch also asked Karl to adapt a new name for his new form to fully leave his old life and person behind and while reluctant at first, he ultimately accepted and took on the name of Karn, closing the chapter of his human life.
Karn proved to be an excellent apprentice to Auroch, learning quickly and combining his old skills with the newfound strength, turning him into a fearsome warrior and hunter who quickly earned the respect of other Lycans and tested his strength more than once against others both of his kin but especially against Vampires, his sworn enemies.
After almost a century Auroch decided it was time to part ways. Karn had grown and gained experience and as far as Auroch was concerned, it was time for him to stand on his own. Following their parting, Karn roamed the lands of Germany and its neighboring countries for half a century, before things changed once more for him.
Joining the pack – Clan ‘Selenias’
During one night, while hunting for something to eat, Karn found a lone Lycan under attack by a group of Hunters, humans who had dedicated their lives to hunting Lycans, Vampires and other creatures.
He quickly assessed the situation – the Lycan was badly wounded and only barely defending himself – and announced his presence with a mighty howl, quickly forcing the Hunters to change their attention to this new opponent. While one continued to attack the wounded Lycan, the remaining four faced Karn who quickly proved to be more than a match for the humans who swiftly fell under his attacks, forcing the last one, who was still trying to deliver the coup de grace to his enemy, to flee the scene of battle lest he wished to die as well.
Tending to his wounded brother, Karn ensured his survival, cleansing his wounds from any silver remains so his regenerative ability could do the rest. Introducing himself as Leifr of the Clan Selenias, Karn learned that the rather young Lycan was on a scouting mission, scouring the area for livestock and humans to feed on, when the Hunters had ambushed him.
Accompanying the young one back to his Clan and their current residence – and old, abandoned castle – he was introduced to their leader, Nikias, an old, venerable wolf of almost six-hundred years of age at that point.
Impressing Nikias with his attitude, skill and the saving of one of their own, he was offered a place amongst them, an offer he gladly accepted.
Karn quickly became a respected member of the Clan, proving himself to be a reliable and valuable member of the pack by teaching the younger, less experienced members, learning from the older, more experienced ones and bringing in his knowledge from his prior life in many situations, allowing the Clan to further prosper.
It was in the sixth decade after joining, that he and another member of the clan, their blacksmith Taryn, fell in love with each other, eventually marrying and mating.
Rise of the Warmaster
Making a name for himself within the clan, marrying their blacksmith – herself a deeply respected member due to her skill – and proving himself to be not only an excellent warrior, but also an apt tactician and – if necessary – diplomat, Nikias eventually offered Karn the position of Warmaster after the previous one decided to step down.
Taking up on the offer, Karn quickly got to work, changing quite a few things as well as planning a campaing against a neighboring clan of Vampires with whom the Selenites had several clashes over feeding grounds.
One of the first things he did, was to return the castle to its former glory, turning it into a formidable fortress with proper guarding and patrols, while having pairs of scouts gather Intel on their opponents.
The following ‘war’ wasn’t so much a war as a slaughter. Despite warning the Vampires by officially declaring war upon them, when the pack attacked, it found their enemies utterly ill-prepared, being wiped out without inflicting more than a few minor wounds on the attackers.
In the aftermath, Clan Selenias not only secured their feeding grounds, but doubled the territory they possessed and even managed to find some humans who were not only willing, but also able to be potential ‘recruits’ to be turned, increasing the clans numbers by a good amount.
Bolstered by the confidence gained in this swift victory, the new additions to their ranks and the excellent planning that allowed things to occur as they did, clan Selenias began a campaign of expansionism lasting almost two decades, increasing their territory tenfold, quadrupling their number and erecting several smaller strongholds to watch over this territory.
With the territory gained, they also gained access to new areas, towns and thus, options to gather food and supplies, increasing the clan’s strength furthermore, turning them into one of the more powerful clans around.
With these victories, Karns fame and reputation grew further, many wishing to become like him, admiring him, but also envying him.
And of course not only Karn drew more attention to him with these, but also the clan itself. Many other clans, Lycans and Vampires alike, turned their attention to this new power and not all did so in kind. While the Lycan clans were at worst jealous and a little wary, the vampiric clans on the other hand were rightfully worried that with these events, the balance of power in that region might shift in favour of their enemies.
But Karn was no fool and quite aware of the sentiments others had towards them, thus refraining from further expansion, instead focusing on securing what they had and improving relationships with other clans in the area.
War and downfall
Aftermath
Personality
Proud, direct, honorable. A promise given is one to uphold, at all costs. He despises weakness and sees strength, glory and honour only in the purity of combat (that is: close combat, be it with blades, axes and other melee weapons or fists and claws). Has only contempt for other (lesser) beings like humans, cat-people and lesser werewolves, though this has slightly diminished due to his recent interactions and some of the people he has met. Regarded humans as ‘cattle’ at some point, but eventually came to realize the stupidity behind this concept and that a more cooperative relationship is more beneficial for both sides. While potentially able to turn others into werewolves, he prefers to only turn those he deems worthy of this honour and who agree to be turned, frowning upon those who turn humans due to carelessness or to torment them.
He also has quite a temper and reacts usually very badly upon being called ‘dog’, ‘furry’ or something similar. He’s also very sensitive when it comes to his species and especially his fallen clan-members or his dead mate/wife. Doing any of these is often a sure way to end up as another corpse or – at the very least – with broken bones and wounds, though this isn’t always his reaction, especially since he has started to somewhat mellow out.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strenghts
Being a nigh-immortal werewolf it shouldn't be too surprising that Karn's physical attributes, his skills and abilities are far beyond those of mortal beings. Aside from the direct effects of his transformation having had over half a millennium of life leads to plenty of experience and the mastery of more than just one or two things.
Powers
Most of these either came with him being turned or received a significant boost because of it. What is important though, is that there's a difference which of his two shapes he's taken as all these attributes and powers are increased two or threefold when in his wolf shape.
Dexterity: While already having achieved a high degree of dexterity through training while being a human, his transformation into a lycan has increased it far beyond what a human should be able to achieve. Excellent hand-eye coordination, quick learning and experience make him a surprisingly good marksman and crafter and give him a decisive edge in close combat.
Durability: Increase in muscle mass, bone structure and other side effects of becoming a werewolf have significantly increased Karn's resistance to injuries and his pain threshold. Things that would normally incapacitate him now barely slow him down, things that should be lethal are more of a nuisance or - at worst- take him out if the action for some time. Adding his healing factor into the equation and one is facing an opponent that is nigh-unstoppable in combat.
Enhanced senses: Fittingly for a wolf, all his senses have increased to some degree. While the improvement of his eyesight and tactile senses are relatively minor - mostly because they are at human perfection thanks to the regenerative abilities he's gained - his other three senses are easily on par with those of a true wolf. He can taste things humans never will, his hearing allows him to pick up even the faintest of noises and sounds that are beyond human hearing and his scent allows him to determine the number of people, their state of mind, age, gender, whether they were injured and other things with ease simply by picking up their scent. Under the right circumstances he can do so from half a mile away in human guise and as with all of his powers, this one is greatly enhanced in his wolf guise. Add these to his own experience, training and human mind and you have one hell of a tracker.
Regeneration: Probably the most important and powerful of the improvements gained by becoming a werewolf. Any injury not created by silver or magic heals within seconds or days at most. While there is a limit to how much it can heal damage it has been enough so far to keep Karn alive for half a millennium through countless fights and battles, some of whom would've left anyone else dead several times over. Even in his human guise, this is one of his most valuable assets despite it being slightly scaled down then and injuries taking slightly longer to heal than otherwise.
Reflexes: Take his (improved) dexterity, his senses, add centuries of training and experience to it and the superhuman factor and you have a man with undoubtedly superhuman reflexes. He reacts to things before his brain has entirely processed the sensory input that warned him, he senses an opening in his opponents defense and takes advantage of it before anyone else can, he can deflect and parry blows that should be impossible to - even when caught flatfooted his reflexes tend to be more than enough to allow him to come out unscathed or only slightly injured, allowing him to deal with the situation quickly and efficiently.
Stamina: Having already been trained to peak human physical condition before he was turned, becoming a lycan has pushed Karn beyond human measurements. By stamina alone he can run and hunt for weeks on end, fight for days without significantly tiring or pursue any other physical activity to a degree it'd kill others from sheer exhaustion.
Strength: With his - already formidable human - strength further increased by his new being, Karn is easily able lifting around up to two-and-a-half tons in his human guise and up to 10 tons as his lycan self. Not only allows this him to lift heavy machinery and use it as makeshift weapons if necessary it also increases the power - and thus damage - of his attacks. Combined with his enhanced durability and regeneration he can dent solid steel with his bare fists, demolish the wall of a building by literally running through it or kill a (human) enemy by crushing his skull or other bones with a single hand or offhandedly by simply smacking them aside.
Skills
Archery: Despite swordsmanship and melee having always been a focus of Karn's training, he also received some in using bow and crossbow. While mostly intended for hunting purposes it is also quite useful in wartime and Karn always kept on training. While not to the degree of his melee skills, his archery is - especially combined with his superhuman abilities - more than a match for most human master archers.
Blacksmithing: A skill he learned soon after joining Selenias and building on his already present knowledge on how to care for and maintain his armour and weapons, Karn was taught how to properly create these very items should he find himself or others without proper equipment but the materials necessary to create it. Thus far, all of his human weapons - except those that were gifted to him - and some of the armour as well as his lycan armour and his war hammer have been created by himself over the past couple of years. Only very specialized things like his throwing knives are being made elsewhere by those with better equipment and machinery to handle the delicate details he wished them to have.
Drawing: Even someone who enjoys a good battle needs some pastime beyond things related to his martial prowess. Karn enjoys drawing a lot and is quite proficient in making portraits of people, but also landscapes. And while nowhere near some of the professionals or masters of any time period his works are appreciated by those who see them - or even receive on as a gift.
Fast Learner: Karn is very adept at learning new things if he puts his mind to it. From holding his first firearm in hands while being instructed by Elizabeth it took him only a couple of months to reach a similar level of skill as she has. If he wants to, he can learn a lot and fast, quickly adapting to changing circumstances.
Goldsmithing/Jewelry: Drawing from what he's learned about blackmithing Karn went further and refined his skills to the point he could work with Gold and jewelry in general, creating small pieces of art for those close to him. Among these items are the choker he presented his wife Taryn with which had a Sapphire embedded in it and a necklace from a silver-like metal with amber embedded within for Elizabeth.
Martial Arts: While certainly not a black belt in any known Asian form of combat, Karn knows how to fight with nothing but his fists, feet and head if necessary.
Master Tracker: In accordance with learning to use a bow to hunt, he learned how to find and approach his prey, be it man or animal. Reading the grass, noticing the subtle signs of someone passing through bushes, leaves fallen to the ground - he knows what to look for, where and how to feel for signs with his hands to find whom or what he seeks. With his senses having been enhanced to wolf-like levels this makes him an extremely skilled, efficient and relentless tracker and pursuer who can track down just about anything or anyone given enough time and something to work with. You can run. You can hide. But you cannot escape.
Weapon Master: While the sword is his favoured weapon, Karn has been trained in a myriad of melee weapons. Most of the European weapons he got familiar with in his youth, while still a human, but many more were added over the centuries as a lycan. Following his turning and later the loss of his clan and wife, he traveled not only Scandinavia but almost all parts of the world learning to use almost any weapon ever perceived: Naginata, Katana, Hwandudaedo, Jian, Scimitar, Spear, Halberd, Axe, Iklwa, Staffs and many others. Basically: If it is a melee weapon, chances are Karn knows how to use it. And even if it isn't one by default - like a light post - he knows how to turn it into one.
Weaknesses
Even an immortal being such as him isn't without its flaws and weaknesses. There are ways to deal with him despite all his achievements and improvements.
Always someone better: While powerful and a force to be reckoned with regarding most opponents there are things and beings out there that surpass him in age, power, battle prowess or all at once and more easily. While he's aware of that fact he's still prone to challenging these beings out of pride and a sense of honour.
Human after all: Despite his transformation into a lycan, at a basic level Karn is still human. He needs to eat, to drink, to breathe. He makes mistakes, can be deceived (though that can prove to be difficult), he can be distracted. While strong-willed he isn't immune to someone messing with his mind. He can still be injured, make wrong decisions and his durability and regeneration can be overcome with conventional means and without magic or silver - enough bullets or a big enough gun can simply 'overload' his regeneration to the point it ceases to work or doesn't work fast enough to prevent death.
Magic: Just like silver, attacks with magic or magical weapons may cancel out the healing factor, leading to the necessity of taking care of injuries the conventional way or via magic. Either way, using magic or silver is probably the best - and easiest - way to deal with Karn. Even indirect methods like creating illusions to mess with his senses can work to at least take him out of a fight or lessen the threat he may pose.
Pride: Noble descent, over half a millennium lived, outlived all of his enemies (sans one with whom he's made his peace) one way or another: Karn has achieved many a thing and is proud of those. Sometimes too proud even. He's underestimated opponents before or overestimated himself. Judged a situation wrongly based on his own belief and trust in his skills and superiority. And if done wrong he can be very resistant to learning and adapting. And of course there's his drive to challenge himself, seeking out enemies and situations to test his strength and skills against them - which can (and has on some occasions) backfire(d) quite badly for him.
Silver: A classic weakness of his kind, silver essentially cancels out his regeneration. A silver bullet is to him like a conventional bullet to a human: Not necessarily lethal, but it hurts and requires proper medical attention, possibly surgery or magical healing to be dealt with. And in the two former cases recovery may take weeks or months depending on the injury in question.
Senses: While at first glance a strength, they can become a weakness as well. Despite having gotten used to big cities with all the smells, sounds and other things it is still possible to simply 'overload' Karn's senses, leaving him disoriented and helpless - or at the very least giving him a very severe headache.
Stubborn: Karn can be very stubborn, especially when it comes to accept new things, morals and standards. It took him years to acknowledge that even guns require skill and that they have their use and worth. It took him a while to accept the necessity of learning how to use them himself. He's been very reluctant - and overall slow - to get familiar with modern technology, only learning what he needs or wants to. It can be quite difficult to get him off of a chosen course or opinion and it needs to be handled correctly or it'll just take all the more time.
Technology: He still isn't too fond of technology. While acknowledging the advantages some things like Internet and (mobile) phones offer, he's still quick to point out the uselessness of most TV programs, the rest of the internet and how some things have seemingly made mankind softer instead of improving it. He can also be very impatient regarding explanations of technology, especially regarding weapons when on a mission. Overall while he's capable and to a degree willing to deal with modern tech he doesn't so mostly on a 'need to' basis, making his overall progress rather slow and leaving plenty of blind spots that can be exploited.
Weapons and gear
Weapons
The Silver Greatsword: A present from Kahi for 2015's christmas this blade has quite the history both in itself but also how it was acquired. Presumably Faerie made this blade belonged to a long line of Hunter's until it eventually fell into Kahi's hands who decided to gift it to Karn so that it may continue to find use instead of gathering dust someplace. It is slightly shorter than the Wolf's Fang making it more practical in confined quarters but is otherwise very similar in that it can be used either with one or two hands.
Mateba Model 6 Unica: Another recent present by Elizabeth. Having been trained by her in the use of firearms and having taken a special liking to large caliber revolvers like the Colt Anaconda, Karn soon found himself presented with this extremely rare and fine weapon that will certainly prove to be very useful to him.
Taryn's Rememberance: The oldest weapon in Karn's arsenal and the emotionally most important: The huge bidenhander that has been forged centuries ago by his late wife Taryn as a gift, this enormous blade has seen many battles and too many enemies fall to still be able to count. Even Karn doesn't know the details of its forging process but he suspects there's more than mere steel involved as this blade has proven to stand up to nearly anything it has encountered so far. Being taller than Karn himself from tip of the blade to its pommel only one as him can effectively wield this blade and only his centuries of experience of doing so allow him maneuvres one wouldn't expect from this large a weapon. Fighting Karn when he's wielding this sword is equal to challenging death itself as only very few have ever been able to prove themselves able to fight on equal terms with him under those circumstances.
The Dawn Bringer: Forged by Karn himself in late 2013 as an alternative to Taryn's Rememberance, this is a large and menacing war-hammer whose top is adorned with two thorns meant to penetrate even heavy armour. Meant as an alternative to his humongous sword when dealing with heavily armoured enemies or golems that are resistant to blades, this hammer has already seen some battle and proven to be frighteningly effective in it.
Throwing Knives: A set of about half a dozen small kunai-like knives with a silver-coating and hollowed out to allow a liquid to be held that's released upon impact, usually a combination of silver-nitrate, garlic and holy water. Mostly an auxiliary weapon, these knives have proven themselves to be quite effective, especially against vampires, but also other enemies, provided the liquid inside them is tailored to effect their target.
Gear
Combat Armour: When out on the streets and expecting combat, Karn tends to don one of two versions of combat armour. The lighter version is a piece of leather armour reinforced with steel-plates (which can be taken out and exchanged for other materials from the insides of the vest) in vital areas without impeding his movement too much. Underneath he tends to wear a lighter, sleeveless leather suit to add to the vests protection value. Combat gloves and boots and simple pants complete the rather minimalistic outfit, with his revolver and longsword strapped to his right and left leg respectively and the shortswords strapped to his back in a special reverse (upside-down) dual-scabbard. With it he tends to wear a black leather trenchcoat that offers some additional protection but is mostly to hide his arsenal and keep himself better covered. The heavier version comes in if he expects heavier resistance or enemies capable of actually hurting him where an increase in protection is advisable. The main difference is that instead of a sleeveless leathersuit he wears a full-body suit that covers everything except his head and face and is thick enough to withstand knives and similar weapons without too much of a problem. Additionally he tends to wear leather bracers with steel elements inside them as additional protection and to allow some deflection capabilities should the need arise. In this version the suit even extends beneath his pants, hidden by them and offering additional protection in that area while restricting his movement very little, partially thanks to his super-human physical attributes that allow him to wear even heavy plate armour with little effort or trouble. Even with this version of his armour he tends to wear the trenchcoat, still to hide the degree of protection but also to serve as a form of now I'm getting really serious.
Medical Equipment: Lycan or not, healing factor or not: Karn is quite familiar with injuries sustained in battle and always carries some personal supplies with him to either take care of his own injuries or those of his teammates. While certainly not on the level of a professional medic/doctor or a magic healer, Karn's skills and his selection of supplies tend to be more than enough to keep someone alive long enough to get them professional/magic help. Scarring is still possible though as his methods tend to be more classic than modern.
Friends, allies and enemies
Friends
Taryn (deceased): His former mate/wife, killed during the battle that annihilated his clan centuries ago. She was backstabbed by Rondara Faryn, denying her an honorable death in combat. To make matters worse, she was pregnant with Karn’s child at the time. He never forgave himself for his failure.
Elizabeth McAllistair: Elizabeth is special, in more ways than just one. The most obvious one is her being a Vampire, something that not too long ago would've been a good reason not to deal with her at all, except maybe in combat. But times changed and so did Karn and over the course of their interactions each developed feelings for the other, leading to the rather unlikely union of Vampire and Lycan that - despite some initial troubles - has taken of to achieve new heights for both of them and developed into a very strong and stable relationship of genuine love and affection for each other only strengthened by them sharing an apartment and having fought some firece battles side by side by now.
Kahi: While the friendship with the golden-eyed woman originally stemmed from the developing friendship between Elizabeth and her Karn has come to appreciate and enjoy the presence of Kahi regarding her indeed as a valuable and dear friend whose well-being is close to his heart and who might have very well become the second-most important person to him.
Elsa Mayer: A young, trueborn Lycan he met at Club Caprice, only days before his final confrontation with Rondara Faryn. This proved to be a quite fateful and deciding factor in his future development, since she called him out on his behavior and showed both an interest in him as well as raising some doubt about his path and whether or not Taryn would even approve of it.
Jessica Dawn: Similar to Elsa, the first meeting happened in Caprice, when Karn – more by accident – chose a place apart from the crowd at the bar, which happened to be close to her. While this involuntary meeting was dominated by insults and mockery, it again raised more questions for Karn which, coupled together with the events concerning Elsa, lead him to question himself even more, eventually leading to him actively walking up to Jessica the next time he entered Caprice and picked up her scent. This conversation was quite different, leading to several insights on Karn’s part as well as admitting his own faults, eventually even leading to a friendly trial of strength which ended with her earning Karn’s respect. When they next met, he had recently returned to his human shape, which lead to him facing the problem of a shelter which – much to his surprise – was offered by Jessica with whom he's shared an apartment for some time before moving on on his own.
Allies
See above.
Enemies
Vampires in general, but especially those from the clan responsible for the murder of his friends and family: Umbra Nobilitas.
After long consideration, some nudging from Jessica and week long preparations, Karn and de la Croix met on September 22nd 2013 at a disclosed location for negotiations, finally ending heir centuries long feud and making peace with each other.
Being one of de la Croix first and most loyal servants, she is often at odds with his other lieutenant, Corran Crein, a hulking brute who prefers the most direct and brutal approach possible. She prefers to avoid direct combat if possible and prefers ambushes, killing her opponents before they even know she’s there. A trademark of hers is the neckband she wears, a deep red with a shining blue sapphire on its front. It once belonged to Karns mate, Taryn, who was killed by Faryn in an ambush during the final battle between their clans. Faryn now wears the neckband as a reminder of this particular triumph, much to the disgust of Karn, who survived and vowed revenge on Clan Umbra Nobilitas and especially the murderer of his beloved Taryn. After having her finally tracked down in her fortress mid-July 2013, Karn assaulted it, singlehandedly killing everyone present and finally Rondara herself, who quickly proved to be outmatched in open combat. Upon having killed her, Taryn’s choker finally retunred into the possession of Karn, who waers it around his right upper arm ever since.
While not as cultured as his master or as clever as his comrade, Rondara, Crein makes up for anything he lacks with sheer strength and brutality. Why he’s following a vampire who is definitely weaker than himself can only be guessed but it has probably something to do with the fact that with de la Croix as his master, Crein has no need to think too much and has always someone or something to kill.
What others think about him
The usual. This place is reserved for other players.
Tropes associated with Karn
Under (re)construction
Themes
Regular/idle: Two Steps From Hell - Love and Loss - Karn’s “basic” theme, reflecting his life and especially that so far, each woman he loved/cared for has been lost to him due to circumstances.
Battle: Two Steps From Hell - To Glory - The most befitting theme for him when fighting. Especially when outnumbered or against an especially powerful foe.
Rage: Within Temptation – Iron - When he goes berserk due to his unstoppable rage triggering. Unstoppable, brutal, taken up in his purpose to his fullest.
Hunter: Metallica- All Nightmare Long - When he puts his mind on hunting someone or something down (like he did with his vampiric enemies), this is the most appropriate music for that. He doesn’t tire. He doesn’t give up. You can run. You can hide. But you can’t escape. You’ll just end up too tired to fight anymore.
Gallery
Karn in his human form, wearing his favourite suit. Image by @Aerostream
Elizabeth and Karn together
