ALASTOR/ALEXANDER
PLAYED BY:
ssj4kato@yahoo.com (Sung)
ALIASES: Alexander Kenneth Masters
(Chimaeran Given Name), Alastor
(Alias), The Snake Charmer
(Nickname/Alias), Xian Choi Xan
(Yokai Given Name)
FAMILY/CLAN: Clanless - Shadow
RACE: Great White Shark Hengeyokai (Skinwalker)
AGE: 557; appears to be in early 30's
HANDS OF POWER: Animalism: Sharks, Fortitude: Alastor's gift is
based on the aphorism whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger, acting as a
form of limited reactive, rapid evolution/selective adaptation. In the instances
when Alastor survives a near-fatal injury/physical trauma, his body will adapt
after recuperation to become stronger, faster, tougher,and/or more resistant to
the "threats" in his environment. His already formidable regenerative
capabilities combined with his selective adaptation, has given Alastor the
ability to weather most conventional injuries and environmental
hazards/conditions without undue effect.
OCCUPATION: Military
and Special Operations, Investigator
MERITS: Martial Arts (Unique-The Gun Katas): Combining his
exceptional spatial awareness, his experience in countless gun battles, and passion for guns and old stylish Hong-Kong action films,
Alastor has developed a fighting style that involves fluid body positioning,
spatial geometry, gun manipulations, and gun hand control specifically designed
around fighting with firearms, to include his specially adapted Gun Blades (see
below). The forms treat the gun as a total weapon, each fluid position
representing a maximum kill zone, inflicting maximum damage on the maximum
number of opponents, while keeping the defender clear of the
statistically-traditional trajectories of return fire and counterattack. Since
the form principally relies on finesse, spatial geometry, and in part his
electromagnetic sensing ability (and style, of course), Alastor can apply the
techniques to variations of the gunblade and firearms and are not constrained by
traditional methods of "aiming", which allows him to fire "trick" shots. Charisma: Alastor's most powerful
asset is his charisma and wits. He has earned the nickname of the
"Snake Charmer" because it was rumored that even his enemies have been known to
succumb to his charisma, guile, and wit. His affability, charm, and unearthly
ability to establish rapport with others at all levels have made him a natural
leader and attractive to and trusted by even total strangers. This has helped
him immensely throughout his forays into human culture and his recruiting
duties. Jack of All Trades: Alastor is
one of those annoyingly gifted people that seems to have a knack for everything
and things come easy to, learning with uncanny ease. He's a confirmed culture
junkie, both human and Chimaeran - he can talk fluently about Feyan ballet as he
could about human hip hop, and he's always on the lookout for more stuff to turn
on to. Despite his martial skills, Alastor would rather be cruising down
Bourbon Street in New Orleans or be double-parked outside a cellar club in
Greenwich Village soaking up the local sounds if he weren't in the middle of a
silent war. His knowledge of different cultures and his easy adaptability to any
environment have amassed him versatile and diverse skill sets. Shifting: Alastor is a Great
White Shark Hengeyokai, which translates roughly into "Shapechanging Spirit or
Demon". Unlike typical Lycans/Weres, Alastor is actually a shark that has the
ability to assume the form of human or hybrid form and as such his "condition"
is not transmitted by his bite or fluids. He has naturally complete control over
these changes and has no compulsions from the moon, but he prefers/needs to at
least monthly to hunt and feed in his natural form (see Flaw below). As a Great
White, he has the following adaptations: Electro-magnetic field sensing
ability: Great white sharks, like all other sharks, have an extra sense given by
the Ampullae of Lorenzini, which enables them to detect the electromagnetic
field emitted by the movement of living animals. Every time a living creature
moves it generates electrical field and great whites are so sensitive they can
detect half a billionth of a volt. This electricity within living beings is what
is believed to be associated to the "chi" or "ki" energies that are commonly
referred to in many forms of kung fu and other "internal" martial arts. The
electric fields produced by oceanic currents moving in the magnetic field of the
earth are of the same order of magnitude as the electric fields that Alastor is
capable of sensing. Therefore, he may orient to the electric fields of oceanic
currents, use other sources of electric fields in the area for local
orientation, and the electric field he induces in his body enables him to sense
his magnetic heading.
FLAWS:
Heart of the Ocean: As a Shark
Hengeyokai, Alastor powers and strength are mystically and spiritually rooted to
the ocean. Both his strength and his regenerative power diminish relative to the
distance and the amount of time spent away from the ocean. He usually needs to
swim and "hunt" in the ocean monthly in order to refresh his powers and strength
before they begin to diminish significantly. Higher Purpose: Alastor is
committed to achieving "the dream" of equal co-existence between humans and
Chimaera and unity amongst the Chimaera, especially with the Yokai Clans. Due to
this, Alastor was loyal to Marius for taking the first real steps towards
realizing this goal, to include steps towards reconciliation with the Yokai
Clans, the divergent and isolated branch of the Chimaera from the Far East.
Alastor belief is based upon if people, human and Chimaera, do not take a hand
in molding their world then someone or something else will do it for them and
the fallout that even the reclusive Yokai Clans will inevitable have to face and
come to terms with. Driving Goal: Alastor is
committed to the eradication of the Satinamuh in its present form not only
because of their physical threat to Chimaera, but that the hate & prejudice they
engender are a significant obstacle in the human-Chimaera reconciliation. As a
skillful insurgent, Alastor works to undermine and subvert the human
organization and support from the inside as well as targeting the hunters.
Alastor also conduct extensive recruiting and training of potentials and his own
"unsanctioned" guerilla war against the Satinamuh. Presently, Alastor views the
Satinamuh influence as even greater a threat as the emergence of the
towers/temples have created a fear in humanity which could be harnessed by the
Satinamuh to fuel their genocidal mandate. While Alastor would like to resolve
this matter through Reason and continues to pursue his dialogue with Nemesis and
any other Satinamuh he meets, but he also understands that Reason may be lost
upon the irrational and is more than prepared to respond martially. Code of Honor (Specific): From
his centuries of dealing with the Nemesis/Lady Death, Alastor has developed a
peculiar "relationship" and sense of honor for his arch rival, even though there
is no indication that he is afforded the same regard. Alastor knows more about
the Nemesis as any of the Chimaera and has included several meetings the over
past centuries on "neutral" terms. Alastor honors these meetings as a time of
mutual truce and will never knowingly use it as anything else and guards them
with the utmost secrecy. Alastor will never reveal these interactions with the
Satinamuh leader or indicate that he knows more than what is already common
knowledge, partially due to honor and partially in recognition of the political
implications. Alastor views the Nemesis as a sort of karmic counterpart and
believed that their destined endgame will ultimately be resolved between
themselves. Alastor adopted his name after the demonic counterpart to the
Biblical Nemesis angel, the namesake of his arch rival, as a symbolic gesture of
their rivalry. Hunted: Alastor is to the
Satinamuh, what the Nemesis is to the rest of the Chimaera, an elusive and
shadowy insurgent that insinuates him/herself to and undermines their
institutions and strikes only to disappear again. He has seemingly met his end
several times over the years, sometimes disappearing for decades at a time, only
to reappear stronger and deadlier than ever. To most of the Satinamuh, Alastor
is an enigma and more of an urban legend than an actual person, a perception
that Alastor is happy to perpetuate. The only member that can or has ever
confirmed Alastor's existence is Nemesis herself. Dark Secret: Alastor was
charged with the mandate of uncovering and, when necessary, the neutralization
or assassination of hidden threats to the Chimaera and specifically to Marius,
both from within and without. As a splinter cell, Alastor is meant to be a
self-contained, self-sufficient, and lone operative. No links, no
vulnerabilities, no leaks. Only a handful of people even know of his existence,
and even fewer know, not even Marius, what he does or where he goes. This was
both to protect Marius politically by giving him plausible deniability and to
keep Alastor's involvement in surface affairs transparent to the Yokai Lords.
For instance, his guerilla war with the Satinamuh has been politically denounced
as unsanctioned operations conducted by a rogue Chimaera element that Marius had
vowed to stop, thereby preventing open war with Satinamuh. Should this, or most
of Alastor's activities, ever be discovered the political fallout would be
significant and most likely result in his excommunication from the Chimaera or
worse. With the demise of Marius, Alastor now finds himself Clanless as he is
not officially recognized nor even known to most of the Noblesse or other
clans. In fact the less than handful that do have some inkling of his existence
are uncomfortable with the political implications of the information he
possesses or is believed to possess and would sooner see him gone. Haunted/Dark Secret: Alastor is
haunted by the memory and guilt of killing his older twin brother, Grahf, whose
personality was the polar opposite of Alastor. Deeply traditional and proud,
Grahf despised humanity for their encroachment in the world and perceived
"oppression" of the Chimaera and the Yokai. Alastor had killed his brother in a
duel when Grahf discovered his liaison with Nemesis and attempted to assassinate
the Satinamuh leader. Grahf had also threatened to reveal his secret activities
to the Yokai Lords. The guilt and repressed darker impulses from this encounter
have became personified into "ghost" of his brother that now resides within
Alastor's mind as a latent personality. Should the Yokai ever find out that he
was responsible for the murder of his own brother, a high ranking member of the
Courts in his own right, then Alastor would likely face severe prosecution and
punishment.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:
Eyes: Hazel-Brown or Solid Ebony; Hair: Dirty Blonde or None; Height:6'0"/7'0" (Hybrid)/16 feet long (Shark); Weight:
220 lbs/500 lbs. (Hybrid Form)/2400 lbs. (shark); Tattoos/piercings/identifying marks: None. Alastor is tall muscular man who looks
in his early 30's with a tightly muscled body and a powerful and agile look. While seemingly easy-going, his eyes/ears are always
alert and his body, while relaxed, is ready at a moment's notice. He is usually well-groomed and cleanly shaven depending on his mood,
but has been known to "rough" it growing his hair and beard. When "angered" his face becomes dark, expressionless,
and emotionless, and his eyes often turn the cold, solid ebony of his predatory heritage. In his hybrid form, Alastor frame
becomes more massive almost neanderthalic, the power from his form evident, though maintaining his speed and agility. His eyes become
an unblinking ebony, his skin darkens in coloration and texture, and his mouth becomes filled with rows of serrated teeth, but his
form/shape generally remains human.
PERSONALITY: Unlike the
solitary racial pre-disposition of his kind, Alastor is very social with a sense
of principles, intense curiosity for new ideas and experiences, and an
uncharacteristic capacity for compassion, though outwardly he would never
display or willingly ever admit to any of the latter. However, Alastor also
knows and understands that there are forces, both human and Chimaera, that will
always seek to unbalance the world with violence, irrationality, fear, and hate,
and that these forces must be fought and dealt with in the same manner, with
violence and cruelty. Yet Alastor prefers to deal with most situations with
guile, finesse, and most importantly style, versus brute force and violence. Do
it with style or don't bother doing it at all is his usual motto. Even in the
most dangerous and impossible situations and missions, Alastor always manages to
pull it off, with a characteristic coolness, using something out of his
seemingly bottomless bag of tricks and always with style. But when it comes
down to a fight, Alastor thoroughly relishes engaging an opponent in a fight to
the finish and is a terrifyingly canny and capable opponent. When not conducting
"business", Alastor enjoys getting what he can out of life, enjoying it to the
fullest, and using his wits and charms to get the rest. While the years of
"human" experiences have taught him bitter lessons, his fascination for human
culture and optimism for human-Chimaeran and surface/sea co-existence have not
diminished. He believes all of them, humans and Chimaera, have a role to play in
the grand design...
HISTORY:
The Past - Alastor was "born" as
a hengeyokai or shark spirit/demon off of the coasts of what is now present day
Haiwaii. Hengeyokai are a race of shapeshifting spirit animals that have the
ability to assume human or human like form and have been a part of Japanese
folk/spirit lore since ancient times. Before the coming of the troubled times
and the modernization of Japan, the Hengeyokai Lords, Byakko, Genbu, Suzaku and
Seiryu, declared that the hengeyokai, mostly consisting of Chimaera of East
Asian origin, would withdraw from the affairs of men and adopting isolationism, to shield
themselves from the threats, such as the Nemesis and the encroaching humanity.
To this end they emplaced a strict edict forbidding interacting with the
"Others" and humanity and choosing to live in secrecy and hiding in their
kingdom. Even after Marius was able to return the majority of the Chimaera back
into prominence and out of hiding, the Yokai clans chose to remain in obscurity
and maintained their edict of isolationism. Unlike most of his seaborne and
Yokai kindred, Alastor was always very curious about and intensely interested in
the affairs of the surface and the "Others" and would "spy-hop" or go to the
surface often to learn their ways and to interact with both human and Chimaera,
despite the decrees of the Yokai Lords. Fascinated by the surface culture,
especially human culture, Alastor began operating covertly in the surface world
and unlike a majority of his kin he learned how to shapeshift into his present
human guise vice the "default" Asian form he had used in the first century of
life to further conceal his activities. He observed surface dwellers and the
"Others" at their worst and some at their best and found that he enjoyed this
world, both human and Chimaera, and realized that they all had a role to play in
molding it, to include the Yokai Clans, and if they did nothing then someone
else would do it for them and that the Yokai Clans would not be able to hide
forever. Alastor campaigned relentlessly within the Yokai courts to resume a
more active role in the world as the remainder of the Chimaeran kingdom had done
under the leadership of King Marius.
It was during this time during
his surface forays that Alastor first encountered the Nemesis as he attempted to
engage the Satinamuh to abandon their irrational and genocidal crusade against
the Chimaera and marked the beginning of their centuries long "relationship".
Alastor did not begin active operations against the Satinamuh until years later
when Alastor's older brother, Grahf, discovered his liaisons with the surface
and with Nemesis, to include one of their pre-arranged meetings of truce and
attempted to assassinate her. Alastor intervened and in the resulting duel he
was forced to kill his brother, not only to prevent the assassination attempt,
but because Grahf threatened to reveal his covert activities to the Court and
the Yokai Lords. This dark act has continued to haunt Alastor to this day and
was the decisive point that turned him to actively seek the aid of the "Others"
in achieving his ends and waging his silent war to put a end to the Satinamuh's
genocidal mandate.
To this end, Alastor sought out
Marius to ask him to engage the Yokai Lords to draw them out and bring them back
into prominence like he had done with the remainder of the Chimaera and bring
final unity to the clans. In exchange, Alastor offered to act as Marius'
watchdog, covertly protecting him from both external and internal threats, and
as a splinter cell to disrupt Satinamuh operations and to contain their
influence from spreading. Assuming for the first time his Alastor persona and
he began conducting special and covert operations in his campaign to end the
Satinamuh's genocidal mandate and more importantly the hate and divisiveness
they engendered, especially following the Venice Jyhad, an event that he has
sworn never to allow repeat again. Charged with the uncovering of hidden threats
to the Chimaera "kingdom" and to Marius, Alastor would then root out these
threats, discover their agendas, and reveal them with whatever evidence to
Marius and the Council for action. More often that not, Alastor was forced to
neutralize the threat personally before harm or damage could be done. As a
skilled insurgent, Alastor often used guile, deception, and sometimes even force
to insinuate himself into a group or organization deemed a threat for the
purpose of gathering evidence and/or destroying it from within and he was very,
very good at his job.
Then mysteriously, Marius was
murdered in spite of all of Alastor's efforts. With the Chimaera in political
turmoil and his primary sponsor gone, Alastor not only found himself alone, but
hunted for the political implications that the information he possessed or
believed to possess could have by the very few who were aware of his existence.
Like the remainder of the Chimaeran world, Alastor seeks the truth behind
Marius' murder, but works tirelessly to engage and bring together the fragmented
clans and mitigate for the instability caused by the quickly deteriorating
situation in New York from appearance of the ominous towers/temples, the power
vacuum from the fall of the Diablo Clan, and the unleashing of the Wild Hunt.
Alastor has continued the decentralized recruiting and training of tactical
elements, units which consist of both humans and Chimaera, to continue his
guerilla war with the Satinamuh and his other shadow operations to stabilize the
increasingly chaotic and deteriorating situation in the city. Most recently he
had insinuated himself into the "employ" of the Diablo Clan to bring them to
bear against the Satinamuh and to position himself to dismantle the Diablo
Clan's criminal networks from the inside if the Satinamuh did not destroy them
first. With the recent dissolution of the leadership and the resulting power
struggles within all of the Diablo Clan's "family" business, Alastor is
presently setting the conditions to gain some kind of control over the situation
by consolidation of the Diablo's clan's holdings and mitigating for the a
massive power vacuum that would follow after the seemingly imminent collapse of
the Diablo Clan as an organization.
Unable to turn to his kindred
and without his former sponsor, Alastor finds himself trapped between two
worlds, but undaunted he continues his work by "running the shadows" and living
on his formidable wits, charm, and talents. Alastor supports Queen Gitanne
because he feel she is one, the lesser of two evils, and two, has the best
chance of bringing the clans together due her "influence" in both the media and
in Chimerean politics, at least until the truth can be found...
EQUIPMENT AND PARAPHERNALIA:
Alastor asides from the vast
array of firearms, owns a variety of customized gunblades that he wields with
differing blades and firearms as combinations. The gunblade was designed to be
bit heavier as the hand grip longer and more reinforced to accomodate the blade.
The counterbalance is mitigated again by the lightweight titanium alloy or
magical metals from the Under-Deep he uses for his blades. Usually carried on
his back in a back sheathe or in the case in his car or motorcycle, but
sometimes he will wear it on his waist gunslinger style.
THEME SONG:
(Because everyone
needs one): Kayne West- Stronger; Kiss, Kiss- Chris Brown w/T-Pain
BACK