Name: Arkin Rey
Superhero names: Mothman (tentative), other names will depend on the plot
Gender: ♂
Race: Genetically modified human (shape-shifting chimera)
Age: 21 (28 chronologically)
Appearance: Changes based on form

Arkin, given the choice, most often interacts with others in his werewolf form (pictured above) due to having no major physical oddities or obstructive weaknesses. Covered in hair, with an unruly light-brown head of it and golden yellow eyes. Broad shoulders with impressive musculature. Has a strong, distinct body odor one might describe as a mixture of sweat, musk perfume, and dog fur.

Ever since acquiring his abilities, Arkin lost the ability to return to his human form, and thus his appearance differs with his current species. I intend on starting the RP with only a caterpillar form. Most humanoid forms retain his light brown hair, but share little else. Descriptions of his forms will be added as he obtains them.

Power: After absorbing the genetic material of certain animals by biting or being bitten, (and surviving, and just generally having the luck to have it activate) Arkin permanently gains the ability to transform into them. Furthermore, not unlike a pokemon, by meeting certain conditions or gaining combat experience with the form, he is able to evolve, skipping ahead in the animal's life cycle and/or gaining new, stronger, more monstrous forms. He also retains the ability to revisit previous forms, and in certain circumstances can transfer the physical qualities qualities of other forms he has unlocked.

Including the base form, each of his transformations (albeit not necessarily every evolutionary path) has 5 stages, and will always have at least two forms in the 5th and final stage, consisting of at least one humanoid cryptid and one “legendary beast”. Transformation takes only a few seconds for most of his forms, and about a dozen for his legendary beast forms, though the transformation can be interrupted with certain weaknesses.

Planned humanoid forms (other than Werewolf) include Mothman, Vampire, Harpy, Lamia, Mermaid, and possibly Demonoid. I’ve considered a Kitsune form but it doesn’t have enough social weaknesses so I’d rather dangle the prospect in front of Arkin forever without ever giving it to him. Acquisition of a devil/demon form would require contrived luck in the form of another character with demon powers, which I currently have no intention to create myself. Due to a muddled mythologue, Bigfoot/Sasquatch/Yeti/Skunk Ape/etc. is simply incompatible.

Planned legendary beast forms include the Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth, (totally not Mothra) Camazotz, (bat god) Fenrir, Cerberus, Roc, Jormungandr, and Leviathan, though some of them might not be as large or divine as they are historically described.

All of the forms have some level of superhuman physique, but besides staring a Mothman in the eyes, listening to a Mermaid's siren song, getting bitten by a Vampire or Werewolf, or the transformation-within-a-transformation of the Werewolf and Vampire form, they are more or less limited to their physical properties. The legendary beasts might have a bit of extra spice like breathing fire (Cerberus) or creating storms (Roc) or ritualistic curses (Camazots) but are otherwise just varyingly kaiju-sized monsters.

Limitations: First and foremost, Arkin can only acquire the ability to transform into compatible forms, which for him is permanently defined as monsters that can evolve to attain a humanoid form he originally knew of, possibly brought about by his strong desire to return to human society. An insurmountable mental block stops him from accepting any new humanoid monsters as anything but contrived. Having little prior knowledge of foreign mythology, furries, or obscure works of fiction, most of the viable forms are mundane animals that evolve into mythical creatures common in popular culture.

Additionally, each humanoid form has varyingly pronounced psychological effects, and maintains the classical weaknesses of their mythologues:
Mothman - While ironically having the mildest psychological impact, it makes him slightly more detached and unfeeling. Photophobic in the disdainful sense. Has difficulty not becoming disoriented when close to bright lights.
Werewolf - Burned and grievously wounded by silver. Has a strong psychological effect, making him more egotistical, with pronounced anger management issues. Generally loosens his inhibitions and worsens his better judgement. Forced into wolf form on the night of a full moon, losing his humanity until morning.
Vampire - Burns upon contact with sunlight, cannot willingly enter a residence uninvited, does not have a reflection in silver-backed mirrors and cannot cross natural flowing freshwater. (harmed by it. Going over it or on a boat is fine though.) Mild inherent evilness, with a tendency for obsession. Hates dogs.
Harpy - Bird-brained, with a tendency for aggression.
Lamia - A snake is a snake.
Mermaid - Aggressive, possessive, not very mobile on land.

Finally, though his legendary beast forms tend to wield more raw destructive force, they are also the only forms he cannot stay in, quickly wearing him out and forcing him to change into his other forms. The actual time he can remain as one varies with form based on its size and his actions. Camazotz, being around 4 meters tall, can last for several hours, while the godzilla-scaled forms going on a rampage may not last even one hour.

Skills/Talents: A very fast reader, good at puzzles, party games and strategy games, a decent (if unqualified and unconfident) paramedic in a pinch, and while he’s not a particularly gifted cook, his pancakes are without match.

Background/Bio: Was a simple college med student before getting sucked into a mad science experiment by one of his peers whom he never learned the name of. The intended experiment was actually thwarted by the results of a lab accident taking the mad scientist’s life before coming to its completion. He was kept cryogenically frozen for 7 years before the hidden lab was discovered and the self-proclaimed explorers who found it accidentally started part of the experiment back up, turning him into what he is now. A caterpillar. He was able to make it out of the lab alive and well, learning the basics of his bizarre power and circumstances, but after one evolution he has only managed to become a larger caterpillar. He has since revisited the lab, already finding it cleaned out of any details of the experiment, both the one that was supposed to happen and the one that actually turned him into what he is now.

Theme:

Name: Det. José Diego Díaz

Superhero name: Inspector Spectre

Gender: Male

Race: Human

Age: 32

Appearance:




Power: An unwilling practitioner and victim of dark magic, Diego is able to utilize certain ethereal arts due to a cursed medallion he unknowingly bounded himself to. The detective primarily uses this to communicate with the spirits of the restless dead who have not passed on to the afterlife. Other than that, he is also able to change to a ghastly form that obscures his civilian identity and cast a basic spell which causes instant vertigo to his targets.

Limitations: His power is a curse and the more he utilizes it, the more it drives him to madness. While he is theoretically able to use more potent spells, it would only accelerate the detective's decline. Thus, he willingly chooses to remain ignorant to the rest of his potential.

Skills/Talents: Before becoming a masked vigilante, Diego Díaz was already a detective serving the people of [insert local setting here]. However, shortly after his fateful encounter with that cursed artifact that gave him his powers, he had quit his job and proceeded to open a private investigator agency instead.

Background/bio: Whatever one might be able to say about Detective José Diego Díaz might have been true at one point, but you'd have to prove it. Was he a corrupt beat cop who took bribes from the local mob early on in his career? Did he become one of the youngest detectives on the force not because of merit but due to the influence of his undoubtedly powerful criminal patrons? And did he unwittingly agree to help smuggle some priceless artifacts that proceeded to curse those that had handled them?

Perhaps it's all true. Then again, that was a lifetime ago.