application + exsilium

[theguideless]

» PLAYER INFORMATION
Player NAME: Elle
Current AGE: 24
Personal JOURNAL: noelleno
IM & SERVICE: aim at bluebugsuit (invite only)
Player PLURK: N/A
Current CHARACTERS: N/A

» CHARACTER INFORMATION
Character NAME: Martin 8 Darkov
Character PULL-POINT: Days after receiving an ultimatum from his grandfather: hunt down and subdue his monster-infected sister in three months before his uncles go to exterminate her.
Character AGE: 14
Character ABILITIES:

Detection: Has a sense for monsters/evil forces, which typically presents itself as a smell or a tingling of the skin.
Sight: An ability to see well in the dark.
Weaponry: He can manifest a massive, lance-like weapon from his bones that materializes at high speed. It can only last as long as his endurance/concentration can permit (very low at this point).

Character HISTORY:

Martin 8 Darkov belongs to a massive, family-based monster-hunting clan known as Darkov (the "8" refers to "eighth generation"). He is the youngest of two, one of many several cousins who live with their parents and grandfather on a compound stationed in the southern region of their homeland of Olvoski. It's a bleak, gray, and difficult land, where civilians are not only plagued by drought and the elements, but otherworldly monsters and beasts that occasionally break through the threshold separating worlds to devour and destroy.

Darkovs are born and bred to counter these creatures, and have for generations. Training began for Martin as it does for every Darkov child: early and virtually non-stop. There are no other prospects than to aid in the monster-slaying initiative put forth by the family. He took to combat – the path of his sister and his father before him. Unfortunately, he had very little promise in it. You see, all Darkovs can conjure a weapon of choice, suited to personality and performance, and whether they fight or not, it's a part of them. In their bones, rather literally. Martin's proved to be...unruly at best. Still, he was determined to make it work.

On his twelfth birthday, as is tradition, Martin was taken to the Old Stone Door: a slab of stone set half in one world, half in the other. Darkovs can commune with benevolent spirits from the other world – the monsters' world – via the Old Stone Door. It is through this door where they also arrange contracts with spirits for aid in combat. Every hunter successfully contracts a spirit who, under unique circumstances, agrees to offer their powers and talents to the Darkov of their choosing.

Martin failed to court any spirit into a contract and remains "guideless," as it's now become called. It's unprecedented, yet despite the uncertainty surrounding this, Martin still wished to join the hunts.

His father was killed protecting him in his first hunt – a massive reality check. He failed. He couldn't pull his own weight and now he had no father. His mother left the compound and joined another. His sister, Regina, remained, yet he couldn't look her in the eye.

Victor Darkov, an older cousin, eventually managed to coax the boy out of hiding in his room and back to training. He taught him how to better use his unruly weapon style, his confidence grew, and soon was encouraged to try the hunt again. Regina, Victor, and other cousins all came with him, rooting for him. He was sure he was ready.

When the field had been nearly cleared of monsters, a particular creature found its way to Regina's feet. A shapeless, parasitic creature of malicious intent latched onto her, overtook her mind and body, and fled with the promise to learn all the secrets into bringing the Darkov clan down.

Martin had to return to the compound to share the news. His grandfather, head of the compound, gave the order to hunt her down and eradicate her. Martin argued, insisting he could save her...somehow. He had no idea, but he was desperate to try. He wasn't going to get her killed like his father.

Grandfather gave him three months. Three months, barring some heinous event, to track Regina down, rid her of the parasite, and return her safely. If not, his uncles – skilled and seasoned hunters – would pick up the trail and take her down.

He has no idea where to even begin. All he knows is he has to try. His cousins Victor and Danielle are helping, so it's a start.

He cannot fail.

Character PERSONALITY:

Martin is a little guy with a lot to prove. He's grown pretty self-depreciating since the calamity that was his first hunt, and is often quick to blame himself and his shortcomings before taking outside factors into account. He is constantly wrestling with his self-esteem and self-worth, and has a hard time really believing positive feedback.

Despite all of his negativity, he has a hard time giving up something he's begun. When he agrees to do something, he sees it as his responsibility to see it through, regardless of how menial it turns out to be. It's his belief that finishing a task, even poorly, is the least he can do, even if he's absolutely awful at it. It's to try and try, he thinks, rather than utterly and completely fail as he has in in the past. He doesn't want to let anybody down again.

He is polite, easily intimidated by older/superior people, and tends to be a little fidgety and uneasy in quiet situations. He has difficulty multitasking, preferring to devote most of his attention to one task rather than try and divide it up an do a dozen things simultaneously, which gives him a poor head for situations where fast-thinking is required. He is definitely a follower rather than a leader. He gets nervous when people look to him for solutions or clever answers.

When it comes to those he likes, he prefers to keep to their company rather than reach out to those who frighten/intimidate him. If he can get a friend to speak on his behalf, he will (though he'll feel guilty about it – one more thing to mark against him). He has a tendency to hide behind stronger personalities and let himself get taken care of to an extent. There is a point where he becomes so unhappy with his lack of self-sufficiency where he'll try and make a clean break, but the more desperate he becomes to take care of things on his own, the more mistakes he makes, and the more apparent it becomes that he needs help. Unhappily, he'll return and ask for it, very certain it's because he's just no good.

He longs for something he can do well for the people he loves to make up for all the care he's been given. He laughs awkwardly at jokes at his expense. He gets embarrassed easily, apologizes frequently. He's always trying to find his footing – in more ways than one.

» EXSILIUM INFORMATION
Chosen WEAPON:

If the option is available, I'd like to give Martin a shield. Something small and circular, fitting on the forearm. A forcefield-style shield is fine, so long as it keeps shape. He needs something to help buffer him against hitting walls/floors as he's apt to with his lance...

Otherwise, he'll take a pocket knife, just to be polite.

Chosen SKILLSET:

He'll definitely join in on combat. He's a very heavy damage, low accuracy-type of fighter, wherein his attacks propel him extremely high, and then send him down really fast to impale opponents. He has poor endurance, however, and would not be able to repeatedly attack for very long.

As he is now, anyway.

» SAMPLES
First PERSON: [TEXT]

Hello,
I forgot where everyone was supposed to be meeting today. I'm very very sorry. Could someone tell me please? I will be there right away I promise.

Thank you!!

From: Martin

[after a few minutes, the "From: Martin" is deleted.]

Third PERSON:

Sterile would be the word to really describe how it felt in there. Martin lacked the notion of it, though, and was left with the uneasy feeling of something so unfamiliar and new as to offer him no clue as to how he ought to feel.

Relaxed, maybe, considering how some of the other people there stood and sat. He frowned as he surveyed the room, seeing no sign of tensed muscles or uncertain glances. Was it really just him? Did they know something he didn't about all this? Maybe. Maybe, because he knew next to nothing. He should've paid better attention, he really should've. Now I don't know what happens next...

"Uhm..."

He had to stop, feeling sounds stick in his throat. He coughed to clear it, feeling a little flush creep on his cheeks.

"Could...someone fill me in?" he managed, a wince in his eyes at the last of it. His mouth tugged on one side, trying to form some kind of sheepish, harmless smile. "I don't really think I know what's going on just yet, s-so..."

» ADDITIONAL NOTES
I will enable a permissions post for characters who may exude a monster/evil "smell" for those interested.