Quick Reference
Race: Half-demon
Hair: Just brushing shoulders, black
Eyes: Blue (normal), Red (Blazer form, demonic side in control)
Skin: Tannish
Build: Muscular/toned, 6'2"
Wings: Red dragon wings
Powers: Fire projectiles, fire/earth Lava Blast projectiles,
rapid healing, slight sixth sense, Blazer transformation
Theme Song: Tenth Man Down by Nightwish
Ideal Pairing: Konran
D&D Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Tarot Card: The Tower
Personality Keywords: Tenacity, faithfulness, naivete, short-temperedness
Virtue/Vice: Fortitude/Wrath
Real Person Ref: Aidan Turner no facial hair though! </3
Tea Blend: Blazer
Personality/Background
When Commander came across the small village of Little Peyote, he discovered a dying woman holding a baby in her arms. Under normal circumstances, Commander would have offered to have one of his men take the baby somewhere to be protected if anything at all, but he made a peculiar choice and took it upon himself to raise the child. Thus, from day one, Vertigo was a special something.
A very special something, he became.
Commander originally named the small baby Ataru, but as the child became older, he had a distressing tendency to be a little klutzy. He eventually grew out of it, but by that time, the nickname "Vertigo" had stuck, and it was his name from then on. If perhaps as much from lacking any competent parent as a product of his environment, Vertigo was trained to be self-sufficient as soon as he could be. Trained by a variety of different officers and mercenaries in a variety of different trades and skills until the age of 10, he was probably the most self-reliant child one could imagine. He still needed care in the early years, but he quickly learned what was necessary once he was old enough to know what needed to do. By age 8, he was cleaning his own clothes, keeping track of what few artifacts or trinkets he was permitted to own, and could help maintain the variety of melee weapons in the armory. By age 10, he could fire a rifle, wield a sword fairly well, do basic first aid, and help take temporary shelters up and down. His only shortfall was his inability to make a complex meal, being only able to cook something in boiling water or a couple of things over a fire. It would be Commander's doing from that point forward to raise him.
The mercenaries, at first, didn't much care for having a kid among their ranks. However, Vertigo's can-do spirit and spunk when dealing with adversity started to rub off on them. He always carried a smirk when someone challenged him to a task, and sparring usually ended with Vertigo gloating and puffing out his chest. He had no problem charming people with a big grin and deep blue eyes with his hair all ruffled all over the place. Eventually, once they realized that he would be a big asset with his superior strength and stamina, they grew to like him. A few were wowed by his disproportional power, but mostly they treated him like one of their own.
At age eleven, on the way into town with Commander, a young girl snatched up one of Vertigo's possessions. Chasing her down and eventually dragging her back, Commander decided to offer her shelter in exchange for her servitude. While initially rejecting the offer, she grew to liking Vertigo enough and stayed in camp with them. Over the next few years, Vertigo and Tina grew closer and closer until falling in love. By late teenage years, they had started discussing breaking out on their own and starting their own life.
Then two things happened: he lost Tina, and the Darkness woke up.
Tina came across two men harassing a woman and tried to put a stop to it, but both men proved to be far more strong than expected. Even with Vertigo's help, they eventually overpowered them and stabbed Tina severely. As Tina laid dying in his arms, he felt a presence within him start to push its will upon him, offering power in exchange for his self-control. While it had no literal will of its own, Vertigo still argued back and fought to maintain control but lost. When Commander found him, both men were dead and most of the town in flames with Vertigo clutching Tina's dead body and snarling.
Vertigo hasn't been the same since.
Even with Nathan and Bliss as companions, he's lost his spark and coasts through life aimlessly. He lacks any sort of self-guidance, feeling empty as if a large part of him has been lost. Even though he still has a sense of duty, he lacks a certain drive. However, deep within him, he still has the need to exceed and succeed, to be the best, to excel and become something greater. What that will be? Only time will tell....
Vertigo, for the most part, is the brooding anti-hero. He rarely shows particular interest in anything, being mostly stoic and distant from most people and sometimes hostile if irritated, glaring and willing to put up a fight if not left to his own devices. However, while not outspoken about the needs of others, he will still do his part to make sure justice is served for those in need. Quiet and reserved, he goes about the daily duties of the camp and assignments given to him by Commander with no fuss and no fanfare, though he will still grow irate if given duties he feels are below him.
His relationship with his two companions, Nathan and Bliss, is tenuous. Nathan, by comparison to Vertigo, is deeply passionate about the rights of the people and helping the needy, having been a leader of a rebel group in a city oppressed by a tyrannical lord. He tries to spur Vertigo's interest and desire to be a hero, while Vertigo often instills a pragmatic viewpoint on matters. The two have a rivalry, often sparring hand to hand despite Nathan's lack of training in martial arts. Bliss, on the other hand, is both put off and attracted to Vertigo's unwillingness to be attached to her, tolerating her presence and succumbing to her seduction but hardly having any serious feelings for her. She often sparks a conflict between Nathan and Vertigo over his treatment of her, Nathan feeling that he could treat her better and Vertigo simply not feeling responsible for Bliss expecting more out of him. Overall, however, Vertigo will go out of his way to save either of them with an unholy rage should something happen to either of them.
Vertigo's relationship with Commander and the mercenaries is rooted with a deep sense of respect for them, having been raised by them and seeing the trial and tribulations they experience just to keep the camp going. Commander's sometimes juvenile behavior might put him off at times, but he knows that Commander has what it takes to keep things together and respects him for that. While he won't follow Commander's orders to the letter, he'll ultimately do what he knows is right and what is expected of him even begrudgingly. Being as they are the closest thing he has to a family, he is scarcely willing to let anything happen to them.
Once he encounters Konran, however, his entire world turns upside down. No longer the top dog in the world, he is driven by a need to regain the top spot, prove himself to her (regardless if he realizes this), and find himself a real purpose in the world. Perhaps filling the emptiness he had felt for so long, she is the biggest catalyst in his life since Tina had entered it so many years ago. Left vulnerable and wounded in pride, he experiences the best and worst he has ever felt, driven by the pain he's feeling but fueled by her presence to improve himself in just about every way he can imagine.
Quirks:
- As a half-breed, if he wants his wings to appear, they must burst through the skin of his back (and yes, this is as painful and messy as it sounds.)
- He has an abnormal resistance to drinks containing vodka for some reason.
- His sword is made of an exotic metal with exceptional density, giving it a heft so great that few others can lift it.
- He very much dislikes the rain.
- Despite his experience with sex, he still has a very firm sense of modesty. Seeing a woman walk around naked startles him severely, and he hates being seen naked.
- Cannot cook to save his life.
Tektek:
Just a rough idea, I'm limited by the available items
Blazer form
More Refs:
A beautiful interpretation of Blazer form
Build, hair
This guy
Sword, at least the size
