Name: John West
Preferred Name: West
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Height: Approximately 6ft tall
Weight: 70 kg
Skin Colour: White, slightly tanned
Eye Colour: Currently a light hazel colour
Hair Colour: Currently a dark shade of brown, not styled, merely flattened or spiked quickly depending on his mood or situation
Race: Shard Hybrid
A Shard hybrid is a human being that has had an artifact known as a Shard fused to them in some way, be it through direct graft onto the body, gradual ingestion or some other form of exposure. Shards are fractured pieces of an unknown entity of great power, which was in some way ripped apart and scattered throughout every existence. When a Shard becomes fused to a human, the individual begins to exhibit a new personality, which has a great grasp of science, mathematics and technology, as well as being extremely intelligent, able to calculate answers to questions and problems as if it were some sort of super computer.
The original human personality is gradually lost, their experiences feeding into the power of the Shard’s personality, as well as transferring any mental traits that are deemed to be useful by the Shard. The transformation is not only mental, the physical appearance of not only the host, but there clothing, and surroundings changing to represent the previous body of the Shard; any disease or infection is eradicated by the Shard. These changes are often violent; images, times, places, objects from both personalities surging through each other into the mind and world of the host.
As the transformation takes place, the outcast personality of the host may manifest itself in the real world, often with feelings of wrath, anger and malice towards the Shard that has usurped their body, as well as anyone who may have been involved in the fusing the Shard to them; as can be expected, most Shard Hybrid deaths are linked to the appearance of said “ghosts”.
A Shard Hybrid is gifted great power by the Shard, but the ability to wield this might is almost impossible to do safely, though because this fact is not well known to the world, miracles performed by Shard Hybrids are often said to be the work of magic, when they are in fact merely the work of improvised technology and intellect.
When a Shard Hybrid dies, their body follows the normal phases of decomposition, except that their heart decomposes to reveal a new Shard.
Weapons:West does not carry any of his own weapons currently, though if the situation demands it, he may use any weapons he finds in his current location, but these are normally only temporary tools, discaded once the conflict is resolved.
Armor:West does not carry any of his own armor, however the power of the Shard has changed his skin to be more resilient to attacks made by blade weapons or hand to hand strikes.
Key Item: Travesty
The first change that is experienced by a Hybrid is the appearance of Travesty, an object of great mystery, which can be used by only one hybrid and will inevitably disappear upon the death of the hybrid it is linked to; as there are multiple hybrids spread across the universes, it can be assumed there are also multiple Travesties.
The material Travesty is constructed from, as well as its creator, cannot be identified, though it is assumed that it was created by the unknown entity, perhaps as tool to direct his power. Physically, Travesty is approximately 16cm long, and is not very thick; it is also very light. When in use a slight, high pitched buzzing sound can be heard, and a red light glows from the front of the device, which is the thinner, metallic end with three branches coming from it.
The only ability of Travesty that West can currently use is the ability for it to manipulate fractures in time and space. These little points in the universe were created by the shattering of the unknown entity and they link different parts of the universe together. Travesty can create bridges between these points, allowing people or objects to travel between them. When this is used, the space around the point opens into a roughly circular gateway, through which the destination can be seen; as the gate opens, the space around it has a risk of cracking, a permanently opened gap appearing in the form of a randomly shaped crack, often forming in physical objects such as walls or floors; these cracks can be opened by hand, though the energy required to do so has a high chance of killing those who attempt it.
Other abilities of Travesty can be unlocked by adding Glimmers of Travesty to the device; the theory being that Travesty was also shattered like the unknown entity; the Glimmers of Travesty are therefore scattered around the universe, and people may freely add or remove them from their person to augment their own abilities.
Travesty is normally kept in the inside pocket of West's jacket.
Other Possessions: West’s only other possession, apart from his clothing, is a small silver ring, with a small inset diamond. This was the engagement ring of his fiancé, who, officially, recently died in an accident on a public bridge. The memories held by the ring are powerful, and filled with raw emotion, although it has no sort of physical power. It is, after all, just a ring.
Abilities: Fracture Detection: West’s hybrid body has the ability to recognize fractures in time and space, his body feeling sharp vibrations when he finds one.
Limits: Due to the truly tiny nature of an untouched fracture, a large amount of concentration must be used to discover one, and the location can be easily misplaced should the fracture be located in thin air, as opposed to a wall or floor; therefore it is almost impossible to locate fractures while engaged in combat.
Fracture Manipulation: Using Travesty, West can open or close fractures. Opening a fracture creates a portal between the two points in time and space linked by it, allowing instantaneous travel between the two. Fractures can also be closed, either partially so that they return to their minute size, or fully, so that they can never be opened again, time and space fully repaired. Travesty also can control how far the fracture opens, either relatively small to allow people and other small objects through, or truly massive, which would allow whole armies or vehicles to enter another world.
Limits: Manipulating a fracture requires a great deal of concentration, as well as a substantial amount of energy, effectively limiting the manipulation of fractures to times outside of combat. Should a fracture be opened past a certain limit, typically a 5x5m square at the least, the space it occupies can become cracked, leaving a constant link between the two points in time and space. These cracks can be opened by hand, though the energy they require to be opened is enough to kill a normal human; the only way to full close a crack is to supply it with enough energy to open wide enough to collapse in on itself. Another key limit is that, until the fracture opens, West cannot predict what is on the other side, potentially putting himself in vey dangerous positions.
Side Effects: The main side effect of fracture manipulation is tiredness, as his body must compensate for the energy used to open the fracture; often only portals large enough to crawl through are used if a large amount of energy must be conserved.
Immediate Analysis: West has the ability to feel whether or not a moment in time is a fixed point that cannot be changed, or a point in flux which can be changed, characterized by a growing urge to leave his present location, and a general uneasy feel about the whole scenario. This analysis of his location is also useful for locating Glimmers of Travesty, which he tends to be drawn towards, often accompanied by a growing excitement.
Limits: The information provided is extremely basic; even if he knows that an event is a fixed point in time, he doesn’t know what event is fixed, or the consequences should he attempt to change it. Regarding the Glimmers of Travesty, he does not know where in the world it is located, what its ability will be, and whether or not it is attached to a person or creature.
Illusion Detection: West has the ability to detect illusions, including very powerful illusions; this can be either by hearing the actual sounds objects make when touched, tapped, hearing a slight change in the way that a person talks, or seeing a flicker in the appearance of an object or person.
Limits: The power of the ability decreases with distance, and for very powerful illusions to be detected, he would have to have his ear on the object or be close enough to see every detail. Another limitation is that he can only detect the illusion; he cannot dispel or remove the illusion and so cannot see what the object or person truly is. The ability can also be completely removed by impairing his vision and hearing, through blindfolds, earmuffs, or other more brutal methods.
Absolute Homeostasis: Due to the power of the Shard, West’s body can maintain homeostasis without any of the usual drawbacks, to a certain degree. The need to eat, drink and sleep is no longer required, though he may still feel the urges to do so, though these urges will gradually decline. He can still eat and drink, the substance broken down to pure energy and reapplied throughout his system by the shard; while he can still enjoy the taste, he can never suffer the effects of alcohol or smoking, and cannot be poisoned through ingestion. This ability is closely related to his regeneration ability.
Limits: The destruction of harmful compounds can be negated if the compounds are injected directly into his bloodstream, as this increases the time they are in his system before they are destroyed, allowing him to be potentially poisoned or killed by a lethal injection.
Dual Personality: West is extremely clever, is old personality having an extreme grasp of communication and language, while the Shard’s personality is a master of mathematics, science and technology, the two combining to give an intellect that very few can compete with. When faced with a problem with computers or equations, the Shard can solve it in seconds, while the extra power supplied to West’s personality can master new languages or customs extremely quickly.
Limit: Due to the overpowering nature of the Shard, West’s social skills degrade quickly when he is working, and there can often be a slight mental conflict when deciding a plan of action, should the two personalities have a difference of opinion, a dispute characterized by painful headaches.
Augmented Skin: The Shard’s energy has augmented West’s skin, supplying it with a new structure that makes it significantly tougher. The new structure increases the strength of hand to hand strikes, and gives a strong resistance to the slashing attacks from bladed weapons.
Limits: While resistant against slashing attacks, the damage caused by piecing attacks, especially those caused by bolts, arrows and bullets, do not have their damage reduced. Blunt weapons, such as war hammers and maces also maintain their full strength, though their damage can be more easily repaired by his regenerate ability. Magic affects the skin at normal strength.
Side Effects: Though the skin is more resilient, the bones beneath are at their normal level of strength, and are more than likely to break if constantly pounded with a club, for example. West is also less likely to feel minor injuries, including some sword attacks, posing the obvious risk of these accumulating.
Regeneration: The homeostasis supplied by the Shard increases the natural lifespan of the body indefinitely, preventing the appearance of aging. This regeneration allows the repair of multiple minor injuries, such as grazes, scrapes, and wounds no more than 4cm deep and 5cm wide.
Limits: Wounds any larger than the ones specified may be slightly healed, but the majority of the damage will still be present; wounds such as these may be inflicted by blunt weapons, bullets or magic. To repair these wounds fully, medical attention is definitely required, and a self induced sleep can be used to stimulate a rapid recovery.
Combat Strengths: In combat, due to the vast energy of the Shard, his body operates much quicker, giving him a great strength in hand to hand combat, as well as increasing his reaction times and hand to eye coordination, giving him superior aim with firearms.
The passive power of the Shard allows him to regenerate minor wounds, however medical attention may still be required, and regeneration occurs quicker if he is in a safe environment; the Shard also increases the toughness of his skin, allowing him to deflect light attacks from blade weapons, as well as increasing the effectiveness of hand to hand attacks.
Combat Weaknesses:While the Shard offers him some protection from attacks and the ability to regenerate, his body is still very human, and therefore extremely fragile; his skin offers no protection against blunt weapons such as maces or clubs, and he is even weaker against projectile weapons, such as guns or crossbows. Any form of prolonged fighting, while not tiring him, can lead to injury, especially as he may not notice accumulating injuries
West's previous personality can also be turned against him in some circumstances; should his ring be stolen, or if he sees an event similar to part of his own life, the old personality may try to reassert itself; this will lead to a conflict in the control of his body, causing his movements to be clumsy, and his concentration to weaken, and in severe cases leading to him entering a temporary coma like state until the mental conflict is resolved.
Personality: Due to the fusion of two personalities, the true traits of West can be difficult to identify, however certain aspects are clear to those who encounter him.
Both personalities are very appreciative of music and theatre, and enjoy the company of actors and musicians, though such companions are often temporary and often take offence, as West is not afraid to make his criticisms known. Despite no longer having the need to, West still enjoys eating, though more out of the formality and the respect of meals and banquets than the actually nutrition of eating; this feeds into his love of local peoples and their lives, and his love to experience different cultures. He also enjoys seeing machinery in action, and his prone to disassembling machinery without any prior knowledge on the machine itself.
West generally dislikes being told what to do; if given a long list of instructions he will just skip to the necessary ones, if given an instruction manual he may well throw it away out of disagreement. Another thing he dislikes is being stuck in a boring place; eating a meal is fine, but sitting patiently waiting for guests to arrive is definitely not. Litter and waste are other things that he dislikes, as well as general uneasiness around needles.
West’s virtues are is attitude to get along with people regardless of race, gender or any other difference, and his general hate of violence and cruelty.
His true problem however, is that despite his non-violent attitude, his influence can cause people to commit violent acts to achieve their goals or to rid the world of evil, he himself in some ways too cowardly to make the change himself. Also, while he may express regret for certain actions, he will very rarely say sorry for something that may be life changing to another, merely thinking some events to be too trivial to bother him.
Aside from the obviously human fear of death, West fears that he may encounter another Shard Hybrid at some point, partly out of the worry of the carnage it may bring, but also out of having to confront the fact that unlike the trillions of people in the universe, he does not have a unique personality. His final, most secret fear is that sometimes, when he tries to force his body to sleep, or to rest, he suffers nightmares, a dream in which there is nothing but a human shadow, waiting for him.
Appearance: A strong, powerful figure, John West stands at around 6ft, and though he is thin, his body is muscled and toned, a reminder of his previous time in the army. His clothes are mostly clean, steel colored jeans held around his thin waist by a crude, improvised leather belt. His upper body is covered by a white t-shirt, now aged and stained by sand, snow and dust to a very slight gray; this is accompanied by a silver jacket, which would not look out of place in a formal event. Finally is boots, leather and almost fashionable, complete is appearance, giving the overall appearance of someone who has fallen from grace, from a life of riches to a life of poverty. His face is handsome, ever so slightly tanned, with an almost invisible scar near his left eye; his teeth are immaculate, his hair wild and untamed, all parts of his appearance deepening the mystery of his method and actions.
History: Born to his parents, Claudius and Ophelia West, in the early 22nd century, West was part of a national incentive to increase standards of education and training within the country of Anglend, formally known as Great Britain. As part of the trial, West was sent to a government run boarding school, before progressing onto university to study languages and communication, a course he was advised to take after achieving maximum marks on his modern foreign languages papers at A2 level. It was at university he met his partner, Catriona Gray, the two having a long term relationship that was largely successful. Having finished their degrees, the two moved into their parent’s home, much to the annoyance of his father. West was soon called up for national service, a mandatory part of the education incentive. Before leaving, he proposed to Catriona, the two becoming engaged.
At the end of his first year of service, West returned home to find that his father was blackmailing Catriona, writing threatening letters in order to get her to leave the house, as he saw that he was providing for a useless woman. West talked to his father and convinced him to stop, though a month after he had gone, the threatening began again, this time leading to physical violence, which Ophelia was too scared to report, and Catriona too insecure to even consider opposing. With these new atrocities continuing, Catriona slowly lost her grip on sanity, the only thing left to live for being the ring around her finger, and the promise West would return and love her forever.
On his final medical report before the end of the year, West complained of a small, crack shaped lump on his right arm, near his bicep. Analysis confirmed that it was a cancerous growth that was almost certain to become deadly. Returning home early, he found Catriona driven out of her mind, being cared for by her mother, who had eventually reported the hideous domestic violence. Though things looked like they may recover, when West explained his cancer, Catriona finally snapped entirely, her dream of being loved forever totally destroyed. Intent on dying, she ran to the nearby Rosaline Bridge and threw herself from it, committing suicide.
After confirming her identity to the police and taking her engagement ring, West was approached by a sympathetic medical advisor, who, after recognizing his tumor as cancerous, gave him details of a company looking for subjects for an experimental cancer treatment. This led him to the pharmaceutical company Cecilstag, who offered him an experimental course. Staying in a secure environment, disguised as a luxury suite by several computerized illusions, he was injected daily with a specialized vaccination fluid, which was in fact a liquidized piece of the Shard. The cancer began to recede immediately and eventually died after 21 days, but the injections continued.
Upon the 31st day, when issued with his injection, a new personality instantly emerged, talking rapidly about everything in the room, conversing with the doctor in the room, who seemed to be very knowledgeable of these changes, raising West’s suspicion. West soon realized the room was actually an illusion when he tapped the glass television screen, but heard the echoing sound of a concrete wall. Within seconds, Travesty appeared in his hand. Jumping around every corner of the room trying to find some sort of fracture, he soon found one and opened it so that he could escape into a new world, all of this leaving the doctor present astounded.
However, a tiny crack had been left in the wall, and through it, a glimpse of another world could still be seen, a fleeting image of a man running to freedom…
Roleplays and Character Fiction:
Freedom, Pears and Apple Juice: Character Fiction, in progress.
Luxfield: In progess.
The Captain's Orders: In progress.