Post by Salem on Aug 6, 2012 19:55:39 GMT -5
Name
Salem Reid
Age
25
Starting Point
Drachma
Class
Crocodilia Chimera
Apperance
Hybrid Form
Salem is an oddity. Standing at 6'2'' and weighing 180 lbs he poses of the build of a man accustomed to hard labor. A mop of bright, red hair covers a portion of his face and falls to the middle of his back. His hair and stature alone often draws attention to him. When he was younger, a set of eyes, the same color of his hair, would have held the onlookers attention, but now a new feature commands their gaze. A white mask, with a stylized cross carved into it, covers a majority of the right side of Salem's face. An accident several years ago scarred much of his right side. His face took the brunt of the damage, losing sight in his right eye and control over the right side of his face. Beneath his clothing are various other scars from the accident, but none as pronounced as the former.
As far as clothing goes Salem dresses simply. Button up shirts, sturdy working jeans, and a pair of squared engineer boots make up his usual outfit. When outside he'll usually accent them with a thick, dark coat and a wide brim hat. Because of his line of work Salem has a few weapons hidden on his person. Two pistols are holstered at his side. A revolver used during his tenure as a soldier and a pistol provided by his current employers. Besides this he carries a long knife more for utility rather than combative use.
The experiment that saved Salem's life gifted him with the ability to transform into a hybrid of human and crocodilia. Upon transforming his body contorts and experiences rapid growth. His muscular frame expands adding hundreds of pounds of muscle, armored scales, and teeth. His mouth elongates into a snout filled with razor like teeth while his hands turn into webbed, claws sharp enough to rend flesh. A powerful tail erupts from his coccyx that helps propel him through the water, or batter his enemies. The damage done to the right side of his face is fully revealed upon transformation. Ravaged flesh and a milky, dead eye, along with a fanged grin stand as a testament to what the man has gone through.
Personality
Salem is a jaded young man whose seen and done too many terrible things in his life. Having served in the military for more than a fourth of his life during one of the worst wars that the planet has ever seen he was forced to enact terrible war crimes just for the sake of survival. His reward for serving his country was a chest full of shrapnel and having his face blown off. This, coupled with his current occupation, have warped him. His sense of humor is rather dark, finding the most morbid of things funny. His jokes usually make other's cringe, his favorites usually touching upon the notion of him eating other creatures, namely humans.
Salem carries out his duty because he feels he owes the company his life, beyond that it gives him a sense of purpose. Before, he served his country, but before that he had nothing. He was just a punk kid that sat around and wasted space. He feels that serving Dante and her associates is the only thing he can do that can actually make a difference in the world. Despite these negative feelings Salem hides it behind a half smile and a veil of sarcasm. He makes his bad jokes and pokes fun at others in a way he thinks is friendly just to try and bring some cheer into his life. Just because he despise what he does and what he's done doesn't mean he's incapable of feeling cheer.
When in contact with the few friends he has the croc laughs the loudest, smiles the widest, and makes the most jokes. Though, those are far and few between. His line of work has him moving from continent to continent frequently so he often disappears without a word, only to show up weeks, sometimes months later. This time doesn't seem to bother Salem though. Since merging with the beast he's learned it's greatest virtue; patience. Salem can lay in wait for months, possibly years to achieve his goals. This sometimes irritates his superiors, but Salem has rarely ever failed to retrieve his quarry.
Even though he hates some of what he does he takes joy in the hunt. Pitting his wits against another's and then finally, at the climax, pitting will against will. Because of his off kilter demeanor most right him off as being just being muscle for Shamballa. They fail to realize the animal cunning that shines behind his eye. While not book smart, Salem is quite intelligent. He's no genius, by any standads, but smart enough to be one of the best Enforcers Shamballa has at their disposal.
Vehicle, if any
Custom soft tail Motorcycle
Main Skills
Durablity; Because of his crocodile features Salem is incredible durable. While in his human form he is capable of shrugging off hits that would usually shatter someone's bones. Once transformed his scales can withstand blades and small caliber fire.
Strength; Salem can lift a 800 lbs with little difficulty while in his human form. Once in his hybrid form he is able to lift up smaller automobiles. In either form he can bite with the force of 2,000 psi. He refuses to do so in his human form though.
Speed; Salem, much like the crocodile, is capable of quick bursts of movement. He can lunge at incredible speeds and draw his guns from their holsters faster than most trained gunmen. In water he can swim up 25 mph on average, and closer to 35 when going all out.
Crocodile Physiology; Salem's senses are developed to superhuman accuracy. He can track people by scent alone and has excellent vision, even at night. His most amazing sense is the ability to sense the change in pressure when submerged in water, giving him a 360 degree awareness. Transformed can stay submerged for up to two hours, if pressed he can remain under for longer. Though, staying under for a longer period of time is incredibly taxing.
Trained Soldier; Salem, before coming to work under Shamballa, Inc, was a soldier for the Drachma Military. As such he is trained on how to handle the most advanced forms of weapons. Salem is an excellent shot and can drive, pilot, and ride almost anything.
Main weaknesses
Temperature; Salem is partially coldblooded. The icier temperatures cause his metabolic rate to slow down, lulling him to sleep. While in his human form he has some resistance to it, being able to live within his home of Drachma, though in a constant state of half sleep. In his other form he has no defenses, falling asleep once the temperature drops below freezing. If the temperature becomes too hot Salem's metabolic rate will increase making him hyperactive and increasing his need to feed.
Soft spot; In his hybrid form Salem's underbelly lacks the protection of his posterior. While more durable than human flesh it is nowhere near as protective as his outer scales.
Brawler; Salem, in all honesty, isn't that great of a fighter. Relying totally on his marksmanship and enhanced physiology. When he can't outgun, out muscle, or outlast his opponent he's usually in for a very painful and short fight.
Bestial Nature; Salem isn't fond of transforming simply because he becomes closer to his baser desires: hunger, lust, rage. It's easy to get the beast man off topic by playing to one of these. He loses reasoning and becomes more feral in nature. While easier to trick he's more like to become murderous.
Blind Spot; Salem is blind on the his right side, meaning attacks from that direction usually go unnoticed. He lacks depth perception, which often gets in the way of daily activities, but practice has cured him of this problem. When rushed it returns, affecting his marksmanship and combat prowess.
History
Salem's life was rather uninteresting for the first eighteen years. He was born into a lower middle class family in Vanir City. His father worked in one of the many factories that produced the weapons that Drachma is known for. His mother stayed home to look after Salem and his four younger siblings. His childhood was mostly quiet. He went through school with average marks, never exerting himself more than he needed, and he spent most of his time out and about with his friends, playing in the mechanized beast of a city he called home. When he was seventeen he decided to enlist in Drachma's army to help pay his way through college.
At the time there was little conflict, a few skirmishes here and there, but not all out war. The boy regarded it as an easy way to get what he wanted. His attitude was quickly changed once he was enlisted and shipped off to boot camp. The experience was grueling. Wake up at four in the morning to run fifteen miles. Run drills for what seemed like an eternity. Then martial training followed by firearms and vehicle. The first week almost broke the boy. As he got into the swing of things he began to take pride in what he was learning.
He was never the top of his class, but he scored well in everything that he did, proving to be a jack of all trades. By the time boot camp was over he was a respectable member of the Drachma Military. With boot camp behind him he though he could coast through his four years and then go off to college. He didn't account for the rising tension between the world governments. Four months after graduating the world plummeted into a world war.
Salem was shipped off to fight on the Amestris front. It was here that he first encountered alchemy up close and personal. State Alchemist formed the back bone of the Amestris military, acting as living artillery units. Salem was awed at the seemingly magical abilities they possessed and terrified to see his comrades mowed down by them. Over the course of the war Salem became used to the shock and awe methods of alchemist and soon became capable at fighting them, learning that their alchemy circles granted them access to their strange abilities.
Salem quickly went through the ranks because of his skills and courage. He reached the rank of Master Sergeant. As the war came to a close things looked grim on all fronts. The battalion Salem was part of had been torn to shreds by the Amestrians, but the battles still raged on. In his last battle Salem had taken command of a tank with several of his comrades. They lead the charge, only to meet a State Alchemist with circles tattooed all over his body. The Alchemist ran past the tank and set off an explosion on it's right tread. The explosion rocked the tank and tore it to shreds along with it's crew. Salem was one of the only two survivors out of the crew of five. After the accident Salem was in a state of semi consciousness for quite some time.
... a face hanging over his...
... being carried off somewhere...
... a dark room...
Salem came to in the dark room, alone, garbed only in a hospital gown. His face was bandaged and his right side was torn to shreds. When he tried to walk he found himself being pushed back into the room by two large creatures. Fear gripped his heart as they placed him on the bed. For a moment he had thought he had died and gone to hell for his participation in the war. The half men stood over him as a man in a lab coat entered the room. With a crooked grin the man, an alchemist, told Salem what had happened and how he had arrived. He went on to further explain that the damage to his body was severe. So severe that he had only a few days to live.
He offered Salem a way to cheat death. An alchemic procedure that would save him. Salem had seen the power of alchemy first hand and agreed without question. He was told that he would be indebted to Shamballa, Inc. if he survived. The procedure itself was terrifying. Salem was splayed out in an alchemy circle while a cage sat in a similar one next to him. Salem remembered hearing growling and the alchemist talk to his assistants. Once they started all he could remember was pain. He felt his body tear itself apart, cell by cell. He blacked out again.
When he awoke he was greeted by his maker. Again, he was brought up to speed. He was no longer human. He was something more, something stronger. He was a Chimera, merged with one of the greatest hunters man had known, unchanged since prehistoric times. It took Salem only a few days to grow accustomed to his new body, it seemingly knowing just what to do. It was a month before he was performing field work during what would be known as the last two years of the war. He was sent out to various parts of the world to hunt down the rising resistance and seeking out new sources for Shamballa, Inc. In those two years he helped bring about "peace" and made a reputation for himself as an Enforcer.
Face Claim[/i]
D,Gray Man, Marian Cross
Main Account
Salem
Other Characters
Salem
Anything Else we might need to know
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