Difference between revisions of "Baird"

Description

A recent arrival to Millennium City, Baird claims to be a Gryphon hailing from a different astral plane of existence: a fantasy realm, containing many similarities to fantasy worlds found in human fiction, and inadvertently implanted with sounds from the music genre of heavy metal. A cult grew from this seed of sound, and gradually the culture of heavy metal grew such that it dominated the entirety of all society within this domain.

An archivist and practitioner of the arcane, Baird was sent to study this anomaly. He too became enamored of the sound and style brought forth by the tide of Heavy Metal, and to this day he reveres every aspect of life that the music genre offers: its attire, environment, effects--everything from the carefully laid out chain of pyrotechnics during a concert, to the wide array of emotions that the music itself is able to convey. Adopting heavy metal into his daily life as he simultaneously adapts to living on Earth, Baird has volunteered to use his strength, skill and arcane powers to fight crime as a registered superhero.

Appearance

Towering above the average population, Baird is an eagle-headed creature with a herculean physique, tremendous wings and a confident visage. His body is covered in a soft, golden, downy fur that is sleeker and more feather-like on the rear of the torso, back of the legs and back of the arms. He possesses a short and thick tail with a tufted end, very much akin to a lion's tail. Baird's hands are proportionate to his thick and powerful limbs, and he has short claws on each finger. His legs are equally proportionate to the rest of his body, and his feet are broad, clawed, lion-like paws. His large wings are almost entirely comprised of long feathers that are surprisingly light--the limbs and membranes to which the feathers are attached however, are strong and powerful, capable of keeping Baird aloft or even hovering for an astonishing amount of time (it is unknown if magic might also be a factor, as despite the large wingspan, Baird's weight is such that by Earth standards of gravity and physics he would likely require even greater wing surface to sustain flight and obtain higher altitude). Baird has a bass voice and speaks in a bold tone; with strangers he talks in an annunciated manner, as though everything he says is a pronouncement, while with friends he is more likely to shift to a more relaxed tone, often using common slang.

Psychology

Dignified among strangers but relaxed among friends, Baird is not a socialite, although he enjoys immersing himself in human culture. Though initially skeptical of meeting new people, once he has reason to trust them he is much more comfortable in their presence. An archivist of many years, Baird has a scholarly outlook on the world, and as such highly values critical thinking, though he also has an interest in philosophy and sociology. His background in the arcane arts grants him entry into other realms of debate, such as magic, and he enjoys reflecting upon metaphysics, the existence of magic and the supernatural, and the effect such powers have on the world. Baird is mostly well-organized, has significant willpower, and is only impulsive when dealing with situations he is already familiar with. He will perform research, or some brief form of study prior to coming to a decision in regards to situations he is unfamiliar with, in order to ensure more accurate information prior to making judgement. He is not exactly soft-hearted, however he strives to be helpful to others and will naturally and quickly move to defend those he deems innocent. He is not at all ruthless, though he does become fierce and relentless in combat. Baird shows few neurotic tendencies, and is rarely anxious, self-pitying or insecure. He is both practical and imaginative depending on the situation or environment, equally favors routine and variety, and is very much independent, rarely willing to conforming among his peers.

One of the strongest and most recognizable traits Baird possesses, is his almost religious-like fervor when it comes to heavy metal music: taking this human subculture and turning it into a grand doctrine with rites, rituals, icons, and figures of praise, Baird is easily enraptured in the sounds produced by the many various styles and sub-genres of heavy metal. He praises (and comes close to worship, but not quite) figures throughout human history who have made significant contributions to this music genre, and looks at less famous musicians as being something akin to priests, clerics or monks, studying and immersing themselves in the sanctified sound. Often using words and phrases made popular by the heavy metal subculture, Baird seems much more human, both in thought and action, whenever chords on an electric guitar are played.

Powers, Attributes and Skills

Tall and powerful, Baird's muscles don't come without being beneficial to his strength. Capable of defending himself unarmed in a brawl, Baird is also skilled in the use of a massive two-handed axe, which he often wields using only one hand. Powerful blows combined with magical augmentation produce highly explosive results, and if ever sheer brute force and trauma fail to hinder his opponent, a dazzling pyrotechnical display of flame and lightning is sure to catch his foes off guard.

Furthermore, Baird is naturally magical. In his world, magic was originally the power used by mages, clerics, shamen and druids, before it began to be used almost exclusively to power and enchant guitars. Using an electric guitar in the same way a wizard would use a staff, Baird can channel his magic through the instrument, as well as channel the guitar's sounds through his own magic. By applying his powers in this manner, he produces a feedback loop, which amplifies the strength of both arcane energy and sound. He can then direct the magic towards a given point in the same way a mage casts a spell. Baird's study of guitar playing has revealed to him the many chords available to a guitarist, and in order to better and more accurately cast his magic, he has assigned certain powers to certain chords. This kind of arcane consistency reduces the chance of something going wrong while channeling magic, or even being interrupted while casting. This further enables him to switch very quickly from axe-swinging to magic-casting while in the middle of a fight, lending him a powerful advantage against mundane and super-powered foes alike.

History

Within the Kabbalah Tree of Sephiroth, a mystical map accepted by the occult within our universe, there are many different planes of existence. Within these planes are many places: constructs similar to worlds and galaxies, some similar to those found in our plane, others vastly different and simply impossible to form within our own dimension. One of these planes of existence has within its universe a small world—not necessarily a planet, as many of the beings who reside upon its surface believe it to be a flat domain—a literal plane of existence, once might say. Within this domain, various creatures of fantasy exist alongside human-like beings, and the rules of reality are much more subjective than those found on Earth. Within this place, magic is real, tangible, commonly accepted and witnessed. At some point, an event occurred that inadvertently introduced the sound of Heavy Metal to this realm. Everyone within this plane heard the sound; many were afraid and uncertain of it, and some were inspired by it. Those who were inspired by it were mostly the stronger, rational members of society, who recognized it as a sound, and found they suffered no ill effects from hearing it. At the same time, they noticed that among them—though some were similarly inspired—many of the weaker, more superstitious peoples were fearful and cowardly in the face of it.

Wizards, Sages and other Elders, who were called upon for counseling in the matter, brought forth bards with their stringed instruments, and found they could produce a similar sound using their instruments—specifically instruments resembling the oud and vihuela. Seeking greater precision in identifying the sound, blacksmiths were called in once it was suggested that the sound had had a metallic ring to it. The blacksmiths used their metal-shaping arts to create long strings of steel winding, and produced a sound much more similar to what they sought. By now, some time had passed, and many had forgotten what exactly the noise had sounded like. It was difficult to replicate what had been heard originally, until one magician who had been experimenting in their search for the sound, electrified the instrument and its strings with their lightning magic. The strings, once struck, produced a sound nearly identical to that of the electric guitar notes that had thundered across the land.

Though doubt had begun to spread, with so much time passing and so little progress being made, this new discovery rejuvenated the effort to replicate the sound of Heavy Metal—which it was coincidentally called by the peoples of this world, as it was well fitted to the name of the steel winding that had replaced the traditional strings of instruments. All at once, Bards began to attempt some of the chords that were heard and remembered, and using enchanted instruments, augmented with the power of arcane lightning, they were able to begin the process of perfecting their own style of Heavy Metal. For many in this world, hearing the sound reminded them of the crash of thunder, and flashes of lightning—and gradually a culture began to develop using the sound and music of Heavy Metal as a foundation. It brought about feelings of fiery passion and chaos, as well as the powerful notes of victory. Emboldening warriors and inspiring artists, this entire world began to adopt the culture—which they had by now deemed a gift from those whom they called the "Gods of Metal"—and soon there were statues, monuments and entire landscapes built or transformed into imagery akin to the covers of Heavy Metal albums known to humankind on Earth.

Gryphons, a fantastic creature respected for their strength and loyalty—and known throughout the land for their dignified manners and wisdom that ranged from historical, to the arcane—were not without influence from this cult of Heavy Metal. Certain Gryphon clans began assigning, to members of their order, the task of studying Heavy Metal and researching all that could be investigated. One such member, an archivist and junior practitioner of the arcane who had been assigned the task—following many years of success as a warrior and guardian of nearby kingdoms—had some luck in following the residual energy left in the wake of what had become known as "The Intro." This archivist, named "સ્ટોર્મક્લો," in his native Gryphon language (or "Thunderclaw," when translated), discovered that the energies were strongest at one particular point in the world. Traveling to this point, Thunderclaw compared the residual magics found there to his own understanding of the arcane, and found there was a subtle difference between the two. Sharing his discovery in counsel with his superiors, it was determined that magic from beyond their world had opened a pathway between the two places, and that the source of Heavy Metal must have been from this other place. No portal, summoning ritual or teleportation spell known to the beings of this realm was capable of doing such a thing, and Thunderclaw was assigned the task of figuring it out.

For many years, Thunderclaw watched, researched, practiced, evaluated and investigated, in the hopes of stumbling across whatever the secret was. Despite the tremendous amount of time he had dedicated, he found himself enamored of the culture surrounding Heavy Metal, and the religion-like status it had achieved. Thunderclaw himself began devoting time to honoring the Gods of Metal, and adopting the style of their followers, ranging from simple mannerisms to clothing and speech. Eventually, the portal was re-opened—but it was Thunderclaw's doing. The Gryphon found himself torn from his own world, stretched through the vastness of the astral plane, and pulled into the tangible dimension of the planet Earth. The Thunderclaw's first human encounter was with the wizard who accidentally summoned him: a young human, and novice member of the Trismegistus Council, who had been practicing portal rituals while listening to his collection of heavy metal albums. It was a chance error that led to his opening the portal to the the gryphon's realm, and as it was a ritual centered around lunar movements, it was impossible to open another portal any time soon. The young initiate, after profusely apologizing, introduced Thunderclaw to the goings-on of Earth. Taking a more human-pronounceable name for himself, the archivist became known as Baird, and was directed to UNTIL so as to receive more information regarding human culture and Earthly affairs.

In particular, Baird was able to satisfy his thirst for knowledge regarding the now mundane culture surrounding heavy metal. This did not discourage him, however, in continuing to regard Heavy Metal as something akin to religion. Discovering members of society who were and are famous for their contributions to the musical genre of metal, Baird began devoting time to praising them—not worshiping, as the inherently dignified nature of his gryphon species prevented him from going that far, but he did begin spending time listening to their music, and admiring the emotions that Heavy Metal revealed. As Baird began to adjust to life on Earth, he gradually began to recollect his mastery over the arcane, and though at first his powers manifested in a very limited capacity—seemingly out of tune with the nature of Earth compared to his own realm—he was eventually able to manipulate, if not directly summon, the elemental powers he used to control. Since he had difficulty in directly conjuring elements, Baird decided it would be easier to enchant an object: that he would no longer need to focus on summoning, but rather passively control and manipulate magic that was already available to him. A similar method to wizards who wield wands, or mages with enchanted staves, Baird augmented a tremendous battle-axe he acquired, which allowed him to control and direct elemental magics spontaneously with ease.

UNTIL continued to direct him towards resources to further his understanding, and eventually, Baird arrived in Millennium City. Volunteering to utilize his powers in the fight for good, he was authorized to act in limited capacity as a superhero. Registering under ASPRA, Baird has since begun fighting street-level crime and even pursuing criminals as far north and south as Canada and the Southwest Desert, all with the intent of establishing law, order and justice in the place he now considers his home—however temporary that home might be.