Henleaze Avenue
20-11-2003, 22:36
Name: Edward Rynehart and/or Mr Jarboe.
Age: 29 Erethian years, roughly equivalent to 35 Terran years.
Race: Erethian.
Appearance: Rynehart is a normal looking Erethian male, with strong features and dark hair cut too long to be respectable. He is 6’2” tall and weighs around 240lb, although a casual observer would put his weight nearer to 150lb, as he is fairly slim. He moves with a grace and fluidity peculiar to those who have the ability to shift shape, or those who are completely familiar with the abilities and limitations of their body. He is invariably well dressed, usually clad in a trench coat and a tailored suit made from plasfibres (although he has a penchant for elaborate shirts and cravats as well). These are woven from memory plastics, which can stretch and change shape with the wearer. Almost all Erethian garments are made from this material since a fabric will need to stretch and deform as they change shape. Rynehart has exquisite manners and is invariably polite, but there is something not entirely right about him…those who meet him find him utterly charming, but a careful observer would notice something about the demeanour…a shadow behind the eyes perhaps. A comparison would be one of those sinister, yet charming English gentlemen in Hammer Horror films like “The Devil Rides Out”.
http://www.akercocke.com/photo/davestudio1300.jpg
Planet of origin: Ereth.
Rynehart’s Affliction: Rynehart is one of the latest victims of the syndrome. The afflicted are usually removed to secure hospitals for the safety of the public and themselves. Prior to his affliction Rynehart had been described variously as a ‘free spirit’, ‘danger to morality’ and ‘slimy little [word deleted]’, depending on whom you asked. This mentality meant that as soon as he discovered his affliction, he fled the planet before the medical team and police could reach him – the discovery was rather public, and left two aspiring Erethian muggers in a bloody heap on the street. He has since wandered the planets, never settling in one place too long, and trying to control his deteriorating condition with various treatments and remedies. None so far have provided a cure, though a few have slowed the decline.
An important point to note in Rynehart’s case is that as well as shifting to the bestial monstrosity common to other afflicted, Jarboe seems to be able to ‘take over’ without the attending physical alterations aside from slight shifting of facial features, and with a mentality that while no less psychotic and violent is more calculating and cunning – a mentality capable of restraint. This means that Jarboe can – and does – walk about in Rynehart’s body and appear almost normal, until he decides for no apparent reason to maim or kill. This capability of Jarboe to attempt a takeover at will instead of relying on chance, combined with the lack of physical change makes him (and therefore Rynehart) a very dangerous being. Rynehart is in a near-constant mental struggle to prevent Jarboe’s consciousness forcing its way to control, and he does not always succeed in holding back the beast.
Rynehart’s History: On Ereth, before his ordeal began, Rynehart was the son of a minor lord in the capital, Soldan. He lived a comfortable and eventful life, travelling across Ereth with his father’s money, seeing the world, sleeping with married women and doing little in the way of employment. He was – and still is – a voracious reader and as such has a wide and eclectic range of knowledge; this, in addition to a natural intelligence and eloquence, makes him an engaging and charming companion. As was expected of his standing in society, he served for a year in the military, training his shifting abilities and learning discipline in place of the wilfulness so common among young rich heirs. His life was enjoyable, free from any serious worry and never dull – Rynehart’s flexible approach to morality and other people’s wives ensured that. But with the appearance of the Hydian Syndrome and Mr Jarboe things began to deteriorate very, very rapidly.
Rynehart was returning from a casino in Soldan when he was ‘accosted’ by two Erethian men from a nearby slum district. They engaged him in conversation for a few moments then attempted to mug him, likely encouraged by his fine clothes and obvious affluence. A normal response to such an attack would have been for small spikes to spring from the knuckles, muscles to increase slightly in size and density, and for skin on the face and torso to harden, protecting against blows. Rynehart, without conscious will, went considerably further. Eyewitnesses reported him as starting to defend himself, but as he fought he changed and grew to nearly seven feet tall. His face became distorted – partly because of armoured growths springing from his skin, but also because of the expression of bestial rage that suffused his features. A thick transparent lens, like the inner eyelid of a crocodile, slipped down over each bloodshot eye. Razored barbs and slashing spikes sprung from all over his body, and hooked talons grew from his fingertips. His muscles became almost grotesquely large, and his skin and hair tone darkened perceptibly.
Needless to say, this beast was a terrifying spectacle. The muggers attempted to flee, but the thing that had seemingly sprung from within Rynehart – it still wore his suit, stretched and distorted – ran them down. One mugger was torn to pieces; the other slashed about his head and body and left in a bloody mess on the road. Recognising a Hydian sufferer, onlookers alerted the authorities. Rynehart was a well-known figure around the casino, and soon officers arrived at his private residence. They found him standing in the doorway of his home, a normal man again…or so they thought at first. On approaching, they could see that he was subtly altered – his features had changed slightly, and his face now radiated an aura of cruelty and power. One of the officers approached him and called him by his name, and the man (for it was no longer Rynehart) smiled – that smile would haunt the officer’s dreams – and replied, “I am Jarboe. Edward is…otherwise engaged at present…he may not be back for some time. Can I help you, officer?” As Jarboe’s voice rose to a scream the officers backed away, fumbling for the riot batons at their belts. But too late – the man had turned and leapt over the fence into the road, and as they followed he disappeared around the bend, running faster than they would have believed possible. A hunt for Rynehart/Jarboe was launched to protect the public, but to no avail…he had taken all his money from the bank and fled on an interplanetary flight, just ahead of the police.
Rynehart realised what he had done and what was happening to him, but refused to accept the fate laid out for him – a slow and terrible descent into madness, and a steady transformation into Jarboe, that beast inside him. He could feel his presence at the back of his skull, watching and waiting for an opportunity to present itself for him to leap in and take control. Since that day, Rynehart has travelled between planets searching for a cure, leaving a trail of motiveless violence and death behind him as his internal struggle continues. Sometimes Rynehart wins out, and sometimes…Jarboe comes to the fore.
Testimonies: “I wake up and there is blood. On my clothes, in the bed, on the carpet, in footprints leading from the door to the bedside – the feet are larger than my own. My hat is hung on a peg by the door and as I watch, a garish streamer of gore tumbles lazily from it to strike the already crimson floor. My memories of last night are lost in a blackened haze…I came back to the hotel with a headache and lay down to sleep, and then…flashes of recollection, an upraised hand with three fingers and two bloodied stumps…a whore’s throat gaping wide, red and wet, in a grotesque parody of the gaudily lipsticked mouth screaming above it. Something drips onto the back of my neck and runs down my collarbone. I turn and stare in silence at the wall above my bed, and the message written there in that sanguine ink, so plentiful wherever I go.
‘THEY ARE THE LAMBS, I AM THE SLAUGHTER. JARBOE.’
I can hear his mocking laughter in the back of my mind, and a whisper…”Oh how the blood stains well on white”. It’s time to leave.”
“It’s getting more frequent…I seem to be building up a resistance to the serum. The fits, if one can call them that, seem to be lasting less time, but there are so many…so very many. Five times…five times on this planet that I reached a week ago, I have found myself standing in an alleyway in the small hours, blood on my clothes, under my nails, in my mouth. Screams from nearby, the sound of crying…it tears at me, the knowledge that I have minutes ago killed another innocent, another whore or destitute or merely an unlucky passer-by who stepped too close to the shadows…the shadows hold me, and every time I wake up to find the sheets reddened by that night’s victim, I come closer to the shadows. Closer to being part of them. I have to fight this. I can’t let him win.”
“I come down over you like a bloody rain cuts up flesh sky, pulse beating under meat, petals bloom in a bone garden…the lambs will come unwitting to the slaughter, and at the end I will drink the fear…at the end you will find the answer, Edward my dear…my shadow flits across your mind as the screams glance from the walls and I will…you will taste the sanguine rend the flesh…I am Jarboe and I will destroy you Edward my sweet, for I am Revenant.”
Rynehart’s Equipment: Edward Rynehart will always be found with two weapons, heirlooms of his family that were taken from his home before he fled Ereth. He carries a sword in a black leather scabbard with no ornamentation, in order that it not look incongruous with his suit, and attract unwanted attention. The weapon resembles a katana although the blade is slightly shorter at 30”, while the hilt is 9”. The sword has the words ’Terminus Est’ etched on the blade. Note: depending on the tech level of other characters in the RP, Terminus Est can be either a normal sword or a future-tech weapon such as a vibra-sword, powerblade and so on. Rynehart also carries a pistol, cast in the shape of a leaping animal, with the creature’s gaping maw the muzzle. This pistol has strange sigils carved on the butt and body, and there at times appears to be a faint glow about it. The word ’L’Épouvante’has been carved on the butt. Note: again depending on the tech-level of the RP, this is either a normal pistol or a gun firing explosive single-shell rounds. If magical weapons are permitted (godmodding aside), the pistol can be seen to have the faint glow of puissance about it, improving range, accuracy and stopping power. These weapons make up Rynehart’s only constant possessions…others may be present as the RP requires.
Rynehart’s Abilities: I’ve tried not to godmod him, and I don’t think limited shapeshift ability is too bad – Jarboe is more deadly but any shift to crazed monster won’t last that long, a few minutes in the heat of battle at most. Jarboe can take over without the shift at any time though…so be wary.
Rynehart can grow small, inch-long spikes from knuckles, forearms, kneecaps etc. for use in a fight. If necessary he can change the entire hand to a 6-inch double-edged blade, with the effect being that of a normal knife. His skin can harden to form natural armour plating – this usually happens over vulnerable areas such as face and chest. It can be done over the whole body but his speed and agility will suffer dramatically. The ‘armour’ is capable of deflecting normal blades and will lessen damage from most projectile weapons; think a light sheet of Kevlar body-armour and you’ll get the idea. His muscles can grow to improve strength and speed by up to 50% above normal, enough to give him the edge in a fight. Should Jarboe take over but not shift, he will have similar abilities with an extra dose of homicidal mania and psychosis.
If Jarboe gains control and does shift, the effects are dramatic. Abilities remain similar, but are exaggerated; spikes on the body will be four inches long and hands can change to 12-inch double-edged blades with barbed edges, with the effect of a sword in each hand. Armour plating becomes thicker and will deflect most blades (unless future-tech) and projectile weapons (again, unless high-powered future or near-future tech). Strength and speed increase by around 100%, so about 2.5 times as strong/fast as a normal human, with correspondingly quick reactions. In such a state Jarboe cannot use any weapons aside from those he ‘grows’, and will fight without a purpose or direction until the fit passes.
Rynehart has a limited resistance to biological weapons due to mutations in Erethian cell structure, but he is not immune. Chemical weapons will affect him as normal, but he has a considerable resistance to radiation. Background radiation on Ereth is high and most life forms have developed a resistance to some extent.
Age: 29 Erethian years, roughly equivalent to 35 Terran years.
Race: Erethian.
Appearance: Rynehart is a normal looking Erethian male, with strong features and dark hair cut too long to be respectable. He is 6’2” tall and weighs around 240lb, although a casual observer would put his weight nearer to 150lb, as he is fairly slim. He moves with a grace and fluidity peculiar to those who have the ability to shift shape, or those who are completely familiar with the abilities and limitations of their body. He is invariably well dressed, usually clad in a trench coat and a tailored suit made from plasfibres (although he has a penchant for elaborate shirts and cravats as well). These are woven from memory plastics, which can stretch and change shape with the wearer. Almost all Erethian garments are made from this material since a fabric will need to stretch and deform as they change shape. Rynehart has exquisite manners and is invariably polite, but there is something not entirely right about him…those who meet him find him utterly charming, but a careful observer would notice something about the demeanour…a shadow behind the eyes perhaps. A comparison would be one of those sinister, yet charming English gentlemen in Hammer Horror films like “The Devil Rides Out”.
http://www.akercocke.com/photo/davestudio1300.jpg
Planet of origin: Ereth.
Rynehart’s Affliction: Rynehart is one of the latest victims of the syndrome. The afflicted are usually removed to secure hospitals for the safety of the public and themselves. Prior to his affliction Rynehart had been described variously as a ‘free spirit’, ‘danger to morality’ and ‘slimy little [word deleted]’, depending on whom you asked. This mentality meant that as soon as he discovered his affliction, he fled the planet before the medical team and police could reach him – the discovery was rather public, and left two aspiring Erethian muggers in a bloody heap on the street. He has since wandered the planets, never settling in one place too long, and trying to control his deteriorating condition with various treatments and remedies. None so far have provided a cure, though a few have slowed the decline.
An important point to note in Rynehart’s case is that as well as shifting to the bestial monstrosity common to other afflicted, Jarboe seems to be able to ‘take over’ without the attending physical alterations aside from slight shifting of facial features, and with a mentality that while no less psychotic and violent is more calculating and cunning – a mentality capable of restraint. This means that Jarboe can – and does – walk about in Rynehart’s body and appear almost normal, until he decides for no apparent reason to maim or kill. This capability of Jarboe to attempt a takeover at will instead of relying on chance, combined with the lack of physical change makes him (and therefore Rynehart) a very dangerous being. Rynehart is in a near-constant mental struggle to prevent Jarboe’s consciousness forcing its way to control, and he does not always succeed in holding back the beast.
Rynehart’s History: On Ereth, before his ordeal began, Rynehart was the son of a minor lord in the capital, Soldan. He lived a comfortable and eventful life, travelling across Ereth with his father’s money, seeing the world, sleeping with married women and doing little in the way of employment. He was – and still is – a voracious reader and as such has a wide and eclectic range of knowledge; this, in addition to a natural intelligence and eloquence, makes him an engaging and charming companion. As was expected of his standing in society, he served for a year in the military, training his shifting abilities and learning discipline in place of the wilfulness so common among young rich heirs. His life was enjoyable, free from any serious worry and never dull – Rynehart’s flexible approach to morality and other people’s wives ensured that. But with the appearance of the Hydian Syndrome and Mr Jarboe things began to deteriorate very, very rapidly.
Rynehart was returning from a casino in Soldan when he was ‘accosted’ by two Erethian men from a nearby slum district. They engaged him in conversation for a few moments then attempted to mug him, likely encouraged by his fine clothes and obvious affluence. A normal response to such an attack would have been for small spikes to spring from the knuckles, muscles to increase slightly in size and density, and for skin on the face and torso to harden, protecting against blows. Rynehart, without conscious will, went considerably further. Eyewitnesses reported him as starting to defend himself, but as he fought he changed and grew to nearly seven feet tall. His face became distorted – partly because of armoured growths springing from his skin, but also because of the expression of bestial rage that suffused his features. A thick transparent lens, like the inner eyelid of a crocodile, slipped down over each bloodshot eye. Razored barbs and slashing spikes sprung from all over his body, and hooked talons grew from his fingertips. His muscles became almost grotesquely large, and his skin and hair tone darkened perceptibly.
Needless to say, this beast was a terrifying spectacle. The muggers attempted to flee, but the thing that had seemingly sprung from within Rynehart – it still wore his suit, stretched and distorted – ran them down. One mugger was torn to pieces; the other slashed about his head and body and left in a bloody mess on the road. Recognising a Hydian sufferer, onlookers alerted the authorities. Rynehart was a well-known figure around the casino, and soon officers arrived at his private residence. They found him standing in the doorway of his home, a normal man again…or so they thought at first. On approaching, they could see that he was subtly altered – his features had changed slightly, and his face now radiated an aura of cruelty and power. One of the officers approached him and called him by his name, and the man (for it was no longer Rynehart) smiled – that smile would haunt the officer’s dreams – and replied, “I am Jarboe. Edward is…otherwise engaged at present…he may not be back for some time. Can I help you, officer?” As Jarboe’s voice rose to a scream the officers backed away, fumbling for the riot batons at their belts. But too late – the man had turned and leapt over the fence into the road, and as they followed he disappeared around the bend, running faster than they would have believed possible. A hunt for Rynehart/Jarboe was launched to protect the public, but to no avail…he had taken all his money from the bank and fled on an interplanetary flight, just ahead of the police.
Rynehart realised what he had done and what was happening to him, but refused to accept the fate laid out for him – a slow and terrible descent into madness, and a steady transformation into Jarboe, that beast inside him. He could feel his presence at the back of his skull, watching and waiting for an opportunity to present itself for him to leap in and take control. Since that day, Rynehart has travelled between planets searching for a cure, leaving a trail of motiveless violence and death behind him as his internal struggle continues. Sometimes Rynehart wins out, and sometimes…Jarboe comes to the fore.
Testimonies: “I wake up and there is blood. On my clothes, in the bed, on the carpet, in footprints leading from the door to the bedside – the feet are larger than my own. My hat is hung on a peg by the door and as I watch, a garish streamer of gore tumbles lazily from it to strike the already crimson floor. My memories of last night are lost in a blackened haze…I came back to the hotel with a headache and lay down to sleep, and then…flashes of recollection, an upraised hand with three fingers and two bloodied stumps…a whore’s throat gaping wide, red and wet, in a grotesque parody of the gaudily lipsticked mouth screaming above it. Something drips onto the back of my neck and runs down my collarbone. I turn and stare in silence at the wall above my bed, and the message written there in that sanguine ink, so plentiful wherever I go.
‘THEY ARE THE LAMBS, I AM THE SLAUGHTER. JARBOE.’
I can hear his mocking laughter in the back of my mind, and a whisper…”Oh how the blood stains well on white”. It’s time to leave.”
“It’s getting more frequent…I seem to be building up a resistance to the serum. The fits, if one can call them that, seem to be lasting less time, but there are so many…so very many. Five times…five times on this planet that I reached a week ago, I have found myself standing in an alleyway in the small hours, blood on my clothes, under my nails, in my mouth. Screams from nearby, the sound of crying…it tears at me, the knowledge that I have minutes ago killed another innocent, another whore or destitute or merely an unlucky passer-by who stepped too close to the shadows…the shadows hold me, and every time I wake up to find the sheets reddened by that night’s victim, I come closer to the shadows. Closer to being part of them. I have to fight this. I can’t let him win.”
“I come down over you like a bloody rain cuts up flesh sky, pulse beating under meat, petals bloom in a bone garden…the lambs will come unwitting to the slaughter, and at the end I will drink the fear…at the end you will find the answer, Edward my dear…my shadow flits across your mind as the screams glance from the walls and I will…you will taste the sanguine rend the flesh…I am Jarboe and I will destroy you Edward my sweet, for I am Revenant.”
Rynehart’s Equipment: Edward Rynehart will always be found with two weapons, heirlooms of his family that were taken from his home before he fled Ereth. He carries a sword in a black leather scabbard with no ornamentation, in order that it not look incongruous with his suit, and attract unwanted attention. The weapon resembles a katana although the blade is slightly shorter at 30”, while the hilt is 9”. The sword has the words ’Terminus Est’ etched on the blade. Note: depending on the tech level of other characters in the RP, Terminus Est can be either a normal sword or a future-tech weapon such as a vibra-sword, powerblade and so on. Rynehart also carries a pistol, cast in the shape of a leaping animal, with the creature’s gaping maw the muzzle. This pistol has strange sigils carved on the butt and body, and there at times appears to be a faint glow about it. The word ’L’Épouvante’has been carved on the butt. Note: again depending on the tech-level of the RP, this is either a normal pistol or a gun firing explosive single-shell rounds. If magical weapons are permitted (godmodding aside), the pistol can be seen to have the faint glow of puissance about it, improving range, accuracy and stopping power. These weapons make up Rynehart’s only constant possessions…others may be present as the RP requires.
Rynehart’s Abilities: I’ve tried not to godmod him, and I don’t think limited shapeshift ability is too bad – Jarboe is more deadly but any shift to crazed monster won’t last that long, a few minutes in the heat of battle at most. Jarboe can take over without the shift at any time though…so be wary.
Rynehart can grow small, inch-long spikes from knuckles, forearms, kneecaps etc. for use in a fight. If necessary he can change the entire hand to a 6-inch double-edged blade, with the effect being that of a normal knife. His skin can harden to form natural armour plating – this usually happens over vulnerable areas such as face and chest. It can be done over the whole body but his speed and agility will suffer dramatically. The ‘armour’ is capable of deflecting normal blades and will lessen damage from most projectile weapons; think a light sheet of Kevlar body-armour and you’ll get the idea. His muscles can grow to improve strength and speed by up to 50% above normal, enough to give him the edge in a fight. Should Jarboe take over but not shift, he will have similar abilities with an extra dose of homicidal mania and psychosis.
If Jarboe gains control and does shift, the effects are dramatic. Abilities remain similar, but are exaggerated; spikes on the body will be four inches long and hands can change to 12-inch double-edged blades with barbed edges, with the effect of a sword in each hand. Armour plating becomes thicker and will deflect most blades (unless future-tech) and projectile weapons (again, unless high-powered future or near-future tech). Strength and speed increase by around 100%, so about 2.5 times as strong/fast as a normal human, with correspondingly quick reactions. In such a state Jarboe cannot use any weapons aside from those he ‘grows’, and will fight without a purpose or direction until the fit passes.
Rynehart has a limited resistance to biological weapons due to mutations in Erethian cell structure, but he is not immune. Chemical weapons will affect him as normal, but he has a considerable resistance to radiation. Background radiation on Ereth is high and most life forms have developed a resistance to some extent.