what is the technology range for bio augmentations (robotic arms, legs, etc? how about mechanical organs?) I ask because I want to use a picture of Adam Jensen from Deus Ex: Mankind Divided for one of my CS pics but I want to know in case I cannot.
also must ask:
What about weapon systems? (targeting, mapping, radar, etc?) has this fallen as well or one of the things that are still advanced? can headgear be integrated with such systems and synced to military grade targeting systems in the rifle's systems?
Are electromagnetic rail guns a thing or did they disappear as well?
what about Combat dogs or robotic combat dogs? are they a thing? If so are they limited to reconnaissance or can they actually be used for combat or whatnot?
what about camoflauge and stuff along those lines?
there are many other questions that I have but this is the start of them. I'll come up with more along the way.
Placing here for now since PC is acting funny. Will continue tomorrow night after work and when questions are answered
"I am a whisper, a shadow, a phantom. I do not exist. I am the harbinger of the inevitable with a scythe whose reach is over a thousand yards."
Name: Cpt. Nathaniel James Holland
Callsign: "Spectre"
Age: 35
Gender Male
Role: Anselmo Ranger
Skills:
Survival Expert: Much like many other Rangers, Nathan has a fundamental and advanced understanding of how to live off the land and survive for long periods outside of civilization.
Expert Marksmen: Formal military training by some of Anselmo's finest. His choice of ranger school furthered his skills, having given him the second longest kill in Anselmo's neo-history.
Sidearm proficiency: Qualified for sidearm, although he does not carry one he still will train for it.
Stealth Mastery: Having grown up in Archeron's infamous outpost, not too much was offered so citizens volunteered (with escort) into the unholy terra as scavengers, looking for scrap metal, parts, or anything that could benefit the outpost. Growing up James was such a person. However, in order to get to where some of the better stuff was, silent yet expeditious movement was a necessity. Therefore, he had to learn quickly to move with ghostlike silence. A few close encounters helped hasten that need of a skill. Anselmo's ranger training further increased his skills in this field with new techniques.
Moderate Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Mostly self explanatory but Anselmo's military regiment required that all personal, regardless of M.O.S, must take at least level one combative training. As he signed for a ranger position, he was given the level one basic training as well as special level 2 and 3 training.
Map Reading: As part of ranger school, he was required to learn how to read and understand a map.
Situational Awarness: He is able observe and understand what is going on around him, even in stressful situations.
Instinct:Once again growing up the way he did, one learns how to rely on their primal instinct when need be and James is capable of such a feat.
Equipment:
M80A3 "Severance"(As seen in picture above): The M80A3 is the predecessor to the classic .950 JDJ of the past. while maintaining a larger than normal caliber compared to the .50 BMG, its use in the field is somewhat normal but requires qualification for use. Its material is a mix of titanium with other composites and alloys offering a more lightweight version of its precursors at around 23lbs, 25lbs loaded. Its build is similar to that of a cannon, allowing the barrel to recoil back in order to distribute the recoil as well as an integrated suppressor, further decreasing the recoil while improving muzzle velocity and sound reduction. It is accompanied by the ALC 75mm STA 13M 384x288 Thermal Riflescope that offers up to 10x zoom as well as thermal, night vision and infrared. Smoothbore with magazine capacity of five. Semi-automatic with bolt action option. Rounds include incendiary, armor piercing, full metal jacket and explosive.
G39CX This is the predecessor to the G35. Not much has changed in its design but its chassis has been strengthened thanks to new alloys that were discovered. He has equipped a silencer, fore grip with light and laser attachment (IR) and a hybrid sight offering thermal and night vision.
AOH 2020V "EagleEye" This gadget is the headgear that James wears. Offering comms for James to the immediate team as well as 3x zoom and infrared sights. It assists in range finding and electronic compass.
UPOS (Universal Personal Operating System) 8th Gen The UPOS 8th gen, or as many in Anselmo's military dubbed it "Useless piece of shit", is a personal wrist operating system used mostly for rangers and those venturing out into the Wild Wood. It offers preprogrammed navigation and mapping applications, anemometer, temperature gauge, and range finder. Now the reason it has been given the nickname "Useless Piece of Shit" is due to the somewhat lack of effective use thanks to its build. Its OS, despite being that of the 8th gen, runs on an older processor and battery style, offering effective use for about 8 hours before shutting off.
Special Operations Survival Backpack:Filled with hardcopy map, compass, flares, two weeks worth of MREs, eating utensils, toiletries, baby wipes, hygenics, sharpening stone, first aid kit, sleeping bag and a few changes of socks as well as a tactical shovel attached to the outside on the left and Machete on the right. it is covered with his ghillie cloak.
Ghillie cloak
Bootknife
2x Frag Grenades
3x Smoke Grenades
Appearance: James stands rather tall at six feet, three inches and around two hundred and thirty-one pounds of military efficiency. He keeps a well groomed beard that covers his more rugged face and his hair tight to the side. His eyes are a bright blue, almost ice blue in color. James is well fit thanks to years of scavenging and working with the rangers as can be seen in his build. At around 3% body fat, he is near peak human condition. As seen in the picture above, his normal ranger attire would seem rather bulky to those unfamiliar with him or what the rangers do, but in fact his loadout is rather light compared to some of the older rangers he knows. On his skin is a few tattoos. On his left shoulder holds that of a customized ranger tattoo with Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me. written below. Finally, on his back is that of a two ravens holding up what seems to be a broadsword wrapped in a thorn rose with the words Take this life. I'm right here. Stay awhile and breath me in.
Background:
Outpost Sierra-Whiskey 109 callsign Archeron; one of the furthest reaches Anselmo has, or better yet "had", some time ago. It brought part of Anselmo's "safe" territory to a point, earning it the moniker The Edge of Elysium or Anselmo's Spear since anything beyond it was considered Hell and its defenses were fairly efficient in keeping anything that got close to it at bay. Minefields stretched a mile or so in front and to its sides with sentry towers posted along the way, some offering simple pleasantries like food, water and hygienic goods, others offering fuel or a place to rest for a couple hours. A few dirt trails offered effective movement through these fields as did the transportation whose mapping units were dotted with all mine locations. To its sides were towers retrofitted for large artillery. Though ammunition scarce, it did offer a bit reassurance for whatever managed to call Archeron home. A small village had been set up after its construction and many of its rugged civilians had taken up the position of scavenger whose sole purpose was to travel into the barren world in search for anything that could be beneficial to the post.
As a younger lad, James was such a boy. However, at age 10 he was too young to go venturing out into the Wild Wood but instead would pretend to be one of those rangers or scavengers with his friends as they ran about the outpost, pretending to out in the Wild Wood. As real as the threat was of possible attacks, it did offer a bit of lightheartedness to those who stayed in the outpost. Seeing a child enjoy the smaller things in life all the while fairly ignorant to how serious their "games" were to the rangers who would stop by the outpost before venturing out into the unholy terra before them. It was during one of his games with his friends did he start to take notice. When he was supposedly being "eaten" by his friends as monsters, a ranger had managed to catch a small portion of their fun before breaking down, dropping to his knees and sobbing. It was around then he begun asking questions about what happened outside of their outpost and other relative inquiries. His father, being a former ranger turned mechanic sat him down and slowly explained over time what James' games meant to those who traveled through and told the young Nathan about his own personal experiences. He soon stopped playing but told his father he wanted to be like him, like when he was a ranger. His father refused to see his son turn out like so many rangers did mentally, or worse. But this didn't stop the boy's ambitions.
When he came of scavenging age, around 18 years old, he volunteered for the next venture out. He had heard from a previous expedition that their was a cache out there, some 20 odd miles into the nothingness that held what could be considered the holy grail of technological recovery to date. However, the trek to such a place was considered too dangerous and practically suicide. "We went in with a group of 13. A few rangers, one or two guardians, a medic and a handful of scavengers. Kid...The sights and sounds I heard...what happened to our group...You're not coming back the same way...Not by a fucking longshot." What the guardian had told him sent chills down his spine but he didn't feel scared. No, this was different...Excitement? Maybe that was it. The fear of what could be out in the empty wastelands filled his head with ideas and despite holding back a smile, a subtle twinkle in his eye could be seen.
It was a few weeks later and his first venture into the Wild had come about. The expedition team had rolled through and went by TR-110 callsign Titan. A fairly experienced team aside from the few other scavengers within the group with Captain Abraham Hopkins leading the pack. The man held much respect and a commanding order that James was in awe of him. The others that would accompany him were Lt. Atermis Wilson, an asshole from the south/southwest side of Anselmo, Srgt. Jessi Duvae a rehabilitated girl from the Wild Wood and excellent navigation officer as well as mechanic, and privates Henry Dawson the Medic and Kevin Dirk, or Joker as many considered him. These names may not mean anything to anyone else, but to James, these were some of the closest people he knew, and the ones whose deaths held the most meaning. It was an awakening, a reality check; clarification that life outside of Anselmo's grasp was not what he originally imagined. It was gritty, gory and full of negative emotions.
It was during this "super cache" search and James' arrogance and ambition that got most of the team killed. Three miles out from their objective in the old abandoned city of Epsilon. They were rumors going around Archeron that going through the ruined city was suicide since packs of Duvari ran through there as they were one of many hunting grounds. Despite Abrahams warnings, James broke away from the group and ventured into the city, armed with only a magnum revolver and a few flares. James was lucky in the aspect that Abraham had decided to stop and make camp, otherwise, Titan would never had heard the screeching of Duvari, followed by the sound of gunshots. So the team went in, in search of "that stupid little arrogant shit".
However, the fighting and sounds echoed through the city with vigor and drew the attention of a wandering Leviathan. It was apparent something big had closed in on them if the roar rumbling the ground meant anything. With this, the team evacuated from the city and headed back towards Archeron save for Atermis, Henry and their captain Abraham. This would not be the last time James would see this Leviathan. The second time he saw it, would be when he lost his father and most that lived in Archeron, hence "The Day the Spear Shattered".
Fast forward 5 years into his scavenging career he had eventually made a name for himself within the outpost and some of the surrounding ones as well, considered a capable and silent individual who could get in and out of an area with relative ease. Sadly the past had not escaped him, especially with Titan as word of his arrogance still traveled around the outposts. Thus, he was, despite his skills, considered a liability that many did not want to carry on their shoulders. James decided it was time to leave the outposts and head to Anselmo and join their military. That way, he could continue to do what he liked to do, start with a somewhat clean slate and work in a group once more, whether they wanted to or not. The next transport out of Archeron was the following day and when it came, he left for Anselmo.
Fast forward to the age of thirty-one, James had been apart of Team Sierra-Victor One Four Four which had been codenamed "Jester". They had completed 28 successful missions whether it be salvage expeditions or search and rescue. Jester was to head for Archeron, debriefed on the way and then head northeast to their objective. It had been about a few hours after they arrived did it happen. Massive earthshaking footsteps followed by explosions, a roar that was unquestionably familiar in James' ears. It was that thing, that thing from long ago had managed to wander into Archeron territory. This was when the outposts defenses let loose. During the firefight against this thing, it had without resistance, bust past the retrofitted walls and down onto a nearby mechanics shop, his father's shop. He quickly made his way to what was left, only to find that his father had been smeared across the ground. Emotions were all over the place and he couldn't figure out what to do. Not until his captain ordered a retreat, leaving the rest of Archeron to fall to this monstrosity.
He would never forget that day, nor the first time he witnessed death outside of the outpost, when he traveled to Epsilon. It haunts his memories. The screams of terror, the sound of gunpowder igniting and the boom of cannons and explosions. But what scared him the most was the ear deafening roar from the leviathan. That sound forever etched into his psyche. The sight of his father's....remains. Everything remains so clear to him. This was five years ago. He is thirty five now and had been transferred to Kilo Victor Seven Three. He has begun questioning why he still remains with the rangers. Maybe to help inspire the greenhorns? To provide a reality to those who dream of adventure in the Wild? Who knows. If there is a God, only he does. For now however, he will travel into the Wild with his brothers and sisters in arms, being their guardian angel when needed, and the angel of death to those who dare threaten them.
Other: James has a habit of cracking his neck from time to time or having a smoke on patrol. It was a habit he picked up thanks to former Captain Abraham. Most of his emotions are seen through his eyes or facial expressions. Agitation is a tense smirk with twitchy eyes, anger is thin smile with wide eyes, etc.
Wish: He wishes that he could have seen the fall of Archeron, that way he could have gotten his father out of there and possibly figure out a better defensive plan when the leviathan came around.
Trauma: "The Day the Spear of Anselmo Shattered" (The fall of Outpost Archeron)
@FallenTrinity Military technology has pretty much reverted to the 20th Century, so the most advanced you'll get for weapons systems will be around 1990.
The technology for railguns was first patented in 2003, so not exactly "railguns," persay. Maybe some kind of rudementary version, but not your traditional sound-barrier-breaking metal slug.
That's what the Duvari are for.
Camoflauge exists, though nothing like a tactical cloak has been developed.
Pls no
Cybernetics have already been discussed, they are not Adam Gensen tier yet, unless you find a prosthetic from before shit hit the fan. They're pretty bulky and serve heavy utility.
@FallenTrinity@Mega Birb Ok so Birb nailed most of it but a few lore-maker pointers and tid bits.... Weapons tech isn't really in the 1990 era but more like maybe... the 2030-2040 era. It's a tad more advanced than today's stuff but not by much. Again stick to ballistics and while rail guns do exist and can be used on the personal level, then are basically just cannons you carry. In this, Rail Guns are more like rocket launchers than assault rifles. But they do exist. And they do break the sound barrier to launch a solid metal slug... but then you'd have to spend the better part of a minute reloading it and waiting for the engine cool down to pass.
Sadly there are no robotic dogs. Duvari serve all the purposes Expedition Teams need so while dogs are still around they've become nothing more than pets in almost all cases.
Headgear can be integrated to certain things, but it's usually rather basic things that a count or IR goggles can do such as revealing a laser to you or letting you know how many rounds you have left in your magazine. Beyond that there's no targeting assist or anything.
Back to targeting and radar... Birb nailed this. That area of tech has fallen way back and has real issues working in the new world due to the extreme environments and the lack of relay stations out in the field. The best we have are long range radios that Anselmo uses to contact outposts.
Appearance:Standing at 1,74m, Isis has a shoulder length, blonde hair, and a very delicate and beautiful face. Her body, although slim and limber, is very athletic and strong due to her survival training. While on a mission, she wears a camo suit, designed especially to blend her figure with the forest outside.
Role: Ranger
Companion:
A pure black, female Duvari, bred by her family and trained by her exclusively for the purpose of being a hunting animal. Stronger, faster and more aggressive than normal Duvaris, its certainly a sight to behold.
Personality:Cheerful and easygoing, Isis is a very friendly girl. Its very unlikely for her to get mad or irritated, and she always tries her best to be friends with everyone. While in combat, she is serious and silent, preferring to work with Bast than other humans. Isis spends a lot of time alone in the wilderness on her missions, so she doesn't particularly feel lonely, especially because she has Bast with her, but that doesn't mean she doesn't enjoy company. Isis loves a good talk and having people nearby.
Biography: Isis Nasri, born into the very border of the Military district, her entire family always worked as rangers, constantly going to outside the wall on missions. Isis' first time outside of Anselmo was when she was 10, going together with her parents to train and know the wilderness. As it was expected, she grew extremely accustomed going outside the wall, and often would go there to hunt. When she completed her training, at 17, she was ready to have a Duvari for herself. Choosing a Duvari for the Nasri wasn't something like just choosing a mount. The Duvari they bred were especially bred to be hunters. Bigger, stronger, faster and more aggressive than your usual Duvari. Choosing a Duvari was an important thing. Not only Isis had to choose a Duvari, but the Duvari had to choose her as well, accept her as its companion, as its family. The Nasri saw the Duvari as members of their own family, as their own "pack". After choosing her companion (that would be together with her for the rest of her life), she would go to the wilderness to train together with the Duvari. She would learn together with it how to hunt together, know each other's movements, be able to understand what the other would do and what they expected the other to do. Such method of training was extremely unusual even for the other Anselmo Rangers, but that is what always made the Nasri extremely effective hunters when paired with their Duvaris.
The Nasri family believed that the nature wasn't their enemy, but it wasn't their ally either. Anything that the mother nature does, is in order to keep the balance, to maintain the balance and keep the earth fertile to many life forms. No life was more important than other. If humanity had to be extinct so other races wouldn't, the mother nature would do it gladly. But there was one thing that the mother nature couldn't control. Something alien to it, something that didn't belong there. The Others. They were like viruses, corrupting and affecting the balance of the natural world. They had to be eradicated, for both humanity and the nature's sake.
Skills:
Wild Hunt: Her expertise in moving in densely vegetated areas make her fast, agile and stealthy. Able to keep up with almost any prey she is chasing or being stealthy enough to approach her prey without it noticing him. Coupled with her tracking skills, her prey can even run, but it cant hide.
Animal Empathy: Due to the time she spent in the wild, animal behavior is no mystery to her. She is able to calm down wild animals, and even bond with them given enough time.
Survivalist: Making deadly poisons by using herbs and some animals, healing pastes by using herbs, how to clean an animal, getting its hide and preparing its meat... Her survival knowledge can easily keep her alive in the wild alone for months.
Member of the Pack: Bast and Isis know each other very well. Both of them know each other's movements and what each other will do. Hunting as a pair, their movements are extremely synchronized.
Equipment:
Viper Compound Bow
Sometimes, simple things are better and more reliable than more advanced ones. Arrows, unlike bullets, can be retrieved and crafted if needed, and unlike a weapon, it cannot jam or fail him when she needs it. This bow has a complex system of pulleys inside its limbs, giving it enough power to penetrate any creature's hide. One drawback is that due to its strength, if used without any protection it will hurt the user's hands. Together with the poisons she prepares using herbs and some poisonous animals on the wild, even if she is hunting a big game and the arrow doesn't kill it, the poison certainly will.
Jungle Stealth Suit
Lightweight and resistant, its dark green color and the camo pattern on its cloak makes it especially hard to spot her inside the forest, while at the same time protecting her from the environment and offering her light protection against injury and small animal bites.
Clawed Gloves
Gloves made of a thin, flexible but resistant material. Its sharp nails can be used to pierce or cut, serving her as a close ranged weapon and protecting her hand from the bow strings.
Night/Thermal Vision goggles.
Poison Vials/Mortar and Pestle: A couple of reinforced vials she uses to store the poisons she uses with her arrows. She also carries a small mortar and pestle, to produce more poisons or even healing pastes if she needs.
Wish: Clean the nature of the corruption which affects it (The Others)
Trauma: After Bast getting wounded because she made a mistake, Isis sworn to protect her with her own life, as she was certain that Bast would do the same for her.
@Mega Birb That's called my phone being a 6 year old piece of shit that can't text to save it's life... Just figured I'm show you what I have to deal with on a regular basis with that piece of junk.
“Emotions can make you vulnerable, but they’re what separate us from those… those monsters… never forget that. ”
Age: 26
Gender: Male
Role: Anselmo Ranger: Military Medic
Skills: * Better Stay Back - In this world, if you can’t fight, you can’t survive. While Matthias knows how to use an array of weaponry if needed, he often relies on his shotgun if things get too close for comfort. Otherwise, he'll be using his trusty SMG, which he has been told he has the best accuracy with.
* Medical Expertise - When not covering people, Matthias has been given extensive training in the art of medical care, a majority of which are temporary solutions when away from Anselmo. He can get you patched up, but it’d be best to see a doc if you ever get back to safety as his supplies can’t cover everything.
* Nimble Fighter - Being slow can end up killing you, and Matthias knows that. While strength helps, Matthias relies more on dodging and redirecting attacks rather than attempting to fight blindly, and he has his agility to thank for that. Most of the time, however, he simply uses this to outrun enemies or parkour over obstacles with the help of his speed.
* Always was a good cook - While not combat related, it has been said that Matthias was always a good cook, even with sparse ingredients. You can always count on him for a delicious meal.
Weaponry: Cataclysm: A Redesigned SMG that came into being in the apocalypse, it’s surprising lightweight nature, fast firing rate, and pinpoint accuracy make it a must for Matthias.
The Oculus SF43: A common shotgun, Though while it has been said to be a pain to reload, it has incredible stopping power with minimal spread, shredding something up close if it comes to that. It’s standard issue to Matthias, and he hasn’t felt like changing it as it is a last resort weapon to him if things get too close for comfort.
Tactical Knife: You can never go wrong with a knife, and sometimes a classical design is all you need for personal self defense. It’s short and to the point, and comes in handy when out of bullets.
Equipment: * Lightweight Armor - Sacrificing defense for mobility, Matthias custom armor has kept him safe in most scenarios without having to sacrifice his agility. Complete with a customized helmet and visor that keeps radiation and harmful gasses at bay... Though lacking several modifications that could be made...
* Tan Scarf - While not providing much utility, at the very least it keeps his neck warm. Is said to be a memento from someone dear.
* Medical Utility Belt - A utility belt that has several different pouches, along with placeholders for small medical equipment. Various painkillers such as morphine, gauze for wounds, and other things can be found inside the pouches, but due to their small size, he is limited in what he can have on him during the action.
* Fingerless Gloves - Allows him to still have a steady grip with his fingers, while also having the majority of his hand covered and protected. Useful for when he has to climb things like trees or grabbing ledges.
Appearance:
(It's meant to look like an old, faded photograph) Height - 5'10"
Background: Matthias early life was nothing glamorous, growing up in the farming district. It was fortunate for his family that their share of the land was within the sanctuary of the walls, for while there were farms and orchards outside the walls, they weren't as safe as those that resided inside. At least, that was how rumor had it. Matthias the youngest of 4, and as soon as he was able to, he was put to work on the farm as the family could use all the hands they could get. It wasn't anything really special to him, but he didn't mind getting his hands dirty and doing honest work.
But there was always a nagging feeling inside, that, even when he attended the small school there, continued to pester him and yet, he couldn't place his finger on what was going on. He was seemingly content with helping his family, but deep inside he could hear a voice telling him there was more out there than just a farm and basic knowledge of the world. And while he knew it would relatively safe and reliable, as each year passed in his youth he couldn't help but want to think of something else to do.
The spark he needed to find his passion came from when he accompanied his father into the military district for a delivery. To him, their lives were so much more... different than his was. They moved with a purpose that he himself could not distinguish at the time, and yet he felt as if this is where he belonged. But... There was more to it than that. On that day, he witnessed several medical personel began to rush off towards some sort of location, and yet, while he could tell they were doctors or medics, they were dressed like a soldier would be. Prepared for the worst, and yet attempting to ease the pain of those who witnessed the outside wilderness. It was... admirable in his eyes.
As he grew into his teens and neared his adulthood, he strove to do better in school and learn as much as he could, not only for his sake, but for others as well. When he turned 18, he enlisted in the Anselmo Military, taking his time at the Military Academy to become a medic that could travel with expeditions and keep them safe. From various medical supplies to operations and procedures, he did his best to keep up and truly learn. And through this, he wasn't alone. He had met another academy ranger in training whose name was Marcel who desired to go out and explore the wilds. Matthias didn't know how they clicked, but they often helped the other. Marcel helped Matthias hone his marksmanship and accuracy with a gun, and Matthias helped Marcel study, vowing to keep him patched up if things were to go sour.
Time went on, and soon they were both placed on an expedition team when Matthias was 22, both excited to finally test their skills. And for a year, things went well. Matthias got field experience in making sure his team was in shape to continue, and Marcel made sure to cover Matthias at all costs. It felt as if they were an unstoppable team, but... that was until they had been sent to check on a nearby outpost, said to have gone dark several hours ago. Things seemed grim, but the team had hope everything would be fine.
But... when they got there, there was so much destruction that you couldn't call it an outpost anymore. It was just a decimation of life, finding no survivors in the brief, ominous, silent search they had. It wasn't until they had started to leave did they notice the movement on the outskirts of the destruction. Chaos ensued as dozens of monsters leapt from the shadows, attempting to kill the team with a sneak attack as they had waited for the moment to strike. Blood and bullet shells seemed to cover the air and the deafening sound of gunfire filled the area.
They did their best to retreat, but it felt as if when one monster went down, two more took its place. It was luck that Marcel and Matthias, along with their leader and one other, had managed to break through the monsters enough to start running away towards what seemed like a building that was still intact, relatively speaking. If anything, it was their best fortifications against the monsters and would be the safest option, as running away from the outpost was not due to being surrounded. As they ran, they could hear the anguish of their fallen teammates as they were torn apart...
Bursting through the doors, they immediately shut them and began to pile whatever they could to block the entrance and stall the horde outside. The place was littered with holes, some large enough for a body to hide in. It didn't take long for the loud banging on the door to happen, and as the group aimed their weapons at the door, their leader began to set up a distress signal... But, who knew if it would reach Anselmo with the outpost in ruins. What made the situation worse was how the monsters must have been attempting to find or create a way inside, as the building shook above them. In hindsight, it wasn't a wise decision to hide inside, but it was the only viable option at the time.
Everything past that is a blur to Matthias. They broke in, guns were firing, and then suddenly the building collapsed above them. Everything became a void, and when he regained consciousness, the world was blurry and moving. But, not voluntarily; He was being dragged out of the rubble by a ranger team. And while he wasn't fully aware of what was going on, his eyes locked on the corpses that they had pulled from the rubble. His entire team, crushed and coated in blood. He too, was battered and broken, but not as severe. It had seemed Marcel had jumped atop Matthias and shoved him into a hole large enough for Matthias before Marcel used his body and heavy armor as protection above.
They both should have died together that day, but Marcel had sacrificed himself to save Matthias, something that haunts the medic to this day. He was the one who was meant to be saving people, but instead, he had been saved.
It took several years for Matthias to fully recover and be combat ready, but he lost a bit of the liveliness that he used to have. But if one this is for certain, it's that he isn't willing to let another soul die on his watch.
Other: Often, he can be found humming or singing softly to himself. Also, he can be found occasionally staring at a fading photo.
Wish: He wishes that he had the technology to heal and protect others without worry that they will be hurt. He wants fatal injuries to cease to exist.
Trauma: Matthias is haunted by the memory of his former squad and their unfortunate deaths inside the building that was meant to protect them.
@MechonRaptor Since when can you draw Raptor? After all we've been though you didn't think to mention you were an artist to your "best-est" friend ever?
Also for those of you who wish to know I finished my CS... though given this sudden stream of mottos and quotes I may have to add one to Jake later... Anyway here's my offering to the table.
Name: Jake Cross
Age: 33
Gender: Male
Role: Anselmo Ranger
Skills:
Survivalist - Trained and well versed in surviving and making the most of the land and what it provides beyond the walls, including hunting, catching, and cooking game, navigating the Wild World, and Scavenging useful scraps to make simple tools for fires, cooking, and makeshift weapons.
Marksman - Jake has his niche, it's not assault rifles, shotguns, and heavy weaponry, but weapons that fire with the squeeze of the trigger. His skill lies with sniper rifles and DMRs leaving him with an array of semi-automatic skill.
Gunslinger - With an affinity for sidearms, Jake is a crack shot with a variety of pistols. Though he's still best with his Armasta 47.
Dexterous - Jake is fast on his feet and and a match with his arms. Reacting quick and relying more on speed than strength to overcome obstacles and solve his problems.
Demolitionist - Using bombs is so easy any man could do it, but making the most out of a limited supply is what makes a Demolitionist. Jake can make very damaging and dangerous explosions if given enough time to set it up right.
Pilot - Jake has quiet a bit of flight time under his belt from his days of being a pilot for the Anselmo Armored Divison. While not a flying ace versed with all methods of aircraft, he can pilot most standard Anselmo aircraft with relative ease.
Equipment:
- Designed with versatility in mind, the M-38 has a break away barrel that folds down on the weapon converting it from a high powered sniper rifle to a more rapid rifle semi-automatic DMR with less stopping power, but more refire capability.
- Designed with rapid fire, low recoil, high magazine capacity from the under-barrel magazine, and acceptable stopping power in mind this sidearm makes a perfect backup weapon for sustaining a fight, if only at close ranges.
Combat Survivalist's Knife - Nothing too particularly special as far as survival knives go. Keeping a sharp edge, notched back, flint pommel, and a wedge cross guard ready to help one survive in the wild.
D78-HEC Remote Explosive Packs (12) - High explosive, emplaceable or throwable, these packs are designed for causing extreme damage in a small space, usually for demolition or armored asset destruction.
Survivor's Cloak - More or less a layered cloak with a variety of patch work swaths on it to add a minor semblance of camouflage for all terrains. While not superb in any one environment it offers moderate environmental protection and concealment in most terrains.
Appearance: A rugged man in a rugged world. Jake stands at about 6' 1'', maintaining a toned and lithe figure from a life spent on the run. More dexterous than strong he has signs of when his dexterity failed him, granting scars and scrapes all across his body. His brown unkempt hair with his growing facial hair give a hint at his priorities, expressing a greater concern for survival than having a clean shaven mug.
Usually wearing light clothing and similar padding, he keeps his padded leather jacket on him at all times as it keeps him quick and comfortable through the Wild World. His tactical harness fits snug against his body to ensure that his weapons, ammo, and supplies are always within easy reach. Finally are his special goggles that often stay on his forehead, but come down should the weather get too riled up. What makes them special? They have an adjustable tint that allows them to go from clear to tinted at the push of a button.
Background: Jake grew up within the wall of Anselmo, specifically the Civil District. Attending proper school and keeping well away from the walls of the city Jake was destined for a life inside the city, working a safe job and making a well living in doing so. However, his fate dwelled beyond the walls and when he was twelve and on a venture to the Military District he saw all the Rangers and Guardians moving about, busy and working with a guided goal in mind. To him this was something worth his time especially because it was all for a new world, one where they wouldn't need to move and run around to fight against monsters. Their goal was a world of peace and harmony; a truly free world.
When Jake turned 18 and was of an age to enlist with the Anselmo Military he went to the Military Academy, learning to fly above the dangerous Wild World below him in order to deliver supplies and transport Expedition Teams. It was a job that he loved as it made him feel like he was making a real difference in the fight against the monsters.
Once again though, fate stepped in to change Jake's life forever and this time it was a change by fire. Jake had been called to an outpost under siege in order to evacuate the citizens to safety. It wasn't his first time flying in a danger zone, but this time was different.
On his second trip he landed his helicopter inside the outpost that was quickly falling apart. The defenses were failing and Jake knew that this was going to be his last trip. Making the choice to pack his heli past it's weight limit and over capacity he wanted to get as many innocents out as he could before the outpost became ash.
Taking off and making flight just as the defenses fell he watched with all of those escaping with him as fire, fangs, and claws overran the outpost. It was a bloodbath and there was no way anyone could survive it. Not with that many mouths running around. Yet the worst was still to come...
Due to his helicopter being past it's weight limit he couldn't get the altitude he needed to maintain a safe distance from the ground and halfway back to Anselmo several monsters took notice of this. Leaping from the tall trees to slash and snap at the copter they tore at it's underbelly and latched onto the tail, severing it and sending the helicopter into a wild spin towards the ground. Jake tried to guide the impact down, but that was impossible. The crash was cushioned by the cracking branches and let the hull of the helicopter land mostly intact. However, as Jake looked around through foggy and dazed eyes he quickly found that he was trapped in the wreck of his copter. All he could do was watch as the monster descended upon the survivors, plucking them up like wounded prey to rip apart and devour alive. The blood and screaming changed him for the worse, scarring his mind and making him understand the truth of what the world was like, wild, brutal, and cruel.
Just as one of the monsters had noticed Jake was still breathing and it descended on him, trying to reach and claw through the twisted metal of the helicopter a thunderous roar came over the white noise of gnashing teeth and scrapping claws. The hail of bullets peppered the monsters, clearing the way for the advancing Rangers sent to recover the downed heli. After the fight Jake found that he was one of four survivors. That meant the other 47 perished either in the crash or from the monsters.
Upon returning to Anselmo Jake was told how it wasn't his fault, how he was trying to save people, and how it couldn't be avoided. Yet Jake knew the truth, he could've saved more lives by just leaving a few behind, listening to the weight limits, and knowing the limits of his craft. Now due to his choice 47 people died, most of whom were noncombatants.
When the choice to return to the skies came up Jake declined, instead taking up the mantle of a Ranger and learning the art of a Marksman. If he couldn't help people by running supplies and troops being be a troop making a real difference on the front lines. After all the only way to make a difference and move towards the dream of a peaceful life was to fight for it tooth and nail; to give all you have in the hopes of making a real difference. It's that hope that let Jake not give up and grow past his mistake. After all if you can't keep your head high then you've already been defeated and you'll never find your peace.
As the years passed on and Jake went on expedition after expedition he became adapted to the Wild World and it became his second home. Sure it wasn't easy at first but it grows on you and after several years of it he was labeled a Veteran Ranger as most can't make it more than 5 years as a Ranger without getting killed, yet Jake managed it. All the while keeping hope in his heart that one day he'd find that peaceful world he always dreamed of.
Other: Jake cares for his rifle like it was his own child and treats it with as much respect he would a Human being. Also a bit of a recovering smoker, still lighting up from time to time for a familiar fix.
Wish: Jake wishes for a normal life. One worth living and one without fear of bloodthirsty monsters, savage Wild Ones, or massive Leviathans. A life of peace.
Trauma: The faces and the lost lives of the refugees Jake failed to save during that fateful crash still haunt him to this day.
I mean I do like to draw, but I can't take credit for drawing that xD All I did was find a picture and edit it around a bit, like changing the lighting and color, blurring out someone to symbolize how they're becoming harder to remember as the photograph itself becomes blurry and faded from time...
Also, I'm glad I didn't completely go down the weapon route I thought about, I was so thinking about making a widowmaker esque sniper like Jake has. Maybe I will add a silencer to his sniper now... Either that or make him good with automatic rifles.
Skills: Extreme Althete - Reed is an extreme athlete, which helps him certify himself as a pilot who does direct mission drops. He has the ability to perform almost perfect E&E actions. Helicopter Pilot - Reed has a special knack for piloting a helicopter, whether it be a transport or gunship variant. Multitasking - He has the ability to fly a gunship and unleash its payload with precision, along with other things.
Equipment: SM8 - the futuristic version of the P-90. It is lighter and, with better weapon design and better bullets, it shoots harder with better accuracy and less recoil than the old p-90. It is a good weapon for a pilot because it is compact, packs a punch, and has the ability to hold a lot of bullets, armor piercing bullets. H-8 - a high capacity, hard hitting sidearm. Full Visor Flight Helmet - A helmet with the entire face plate being a type of honeycombed, gold glass like material. It has night vision, thermal, and a HUD.
Appearance: Reed is a 6'0" man with a lean, dense muscular build which brings him to 185 lbs. He's a balance between strength and dexterity and he has a mostly scar-free body when compared to legends such as Jake Cross. Only being a pilot, he's remained "out of harm."
Reed has crew cut dark brown hair and a clean-shaven face along with hazel eyes. His preferred clothing for the field is a special weave Multicam BDU which is good protection against claws and teeth, but not against bullets.
Background: Reed initially spent his first few years in a small outpost called Blackwood, where his parents were stationed so that they could study the biology of the monsters and cataloged their DNA. For safety reasons, they had Reed brought to the military district of Anselmo, where he spent his life until he was 18. His parents visited a few times a year, but he grew up without them. Instead, he spent most of his life under the wing of his Uncle, Glenn Reed, who worked as a pilot for Anselmo.
In this case, instead of following in his parent's footsteps as may be expected, he decided to follow in the footsteps of his Uncle as a supply aircraft pilot, where he would drop crates into outposts to keep them sustained. Once he reached twelve, his Uncle started to bring Matt with him on flights, where he began to see many of the monsters which had wrecked their world. He even witnessed a group of rangers storm a bunker and come out unscathed, only to lose men and women when a pilot hit a tree and crash landed right into them.
When he was seventeen and on the verge of choosing his supply career, he got word that his parents and 45 others perished when their overloaded evac helicopter crashed.
So, at 18 years old, and seeing so many pilot failures, he went to the academy to become a direct action helicopter pilot, where he'd be in the heat of combat. Only, he'd do it better. Killing and dropping off Rangers with his machine. That's where he decided he needed to be.
There's one mission that he will always remember, one that scarred him for life. A group of four year Rangers had been sent to investigate a bunker where high tech weapons were thought to have once been held. Intelligence had cleared the place, meaning an easy mission. Matt flew the Rangers, using a quiet helicopter, into the area over the cover of darkness. Matt had swept the area to make sure it was clear, before setting down. The Rangers jogged out and Matt flew off, waiting for the mission end and his cue to retrieve.
After an hour, a slight rumbling started, shaking the valley. A few minutes later and the Rangers, after a brief amount of shooting, stopped transmitting. Matt got the go to investigate the scene. When he arrived he figured out why they had stopped transmitting. They were too busy fighting. Tracer rounds flew into a large shadow, a behemoth. The monster swung an arm into what must have been a SAW operator, causing the majority of the tracer rounds to stop. Then, a moment of hope, as tracers from all over the beast started, hitting one of its feet in an attempt to make it fall. Matt aimed his chaingun at the beast's foot as well, but he was out of rockets. He was only allowed so much. Then, in a heartwrenching moment, the behemoth, the Leviathan, raised its head and let out a roar that would have popped Matt's eardrums had he not had his helmet on. The gunfire had stopped, and Matt knew the team was dead. A monster Leviathan had been awoken, most likely mistaken for a large rock during scouting, and it had wiped out an Expedition Team like it was nothing.
Other: Gotta get him a pilot name if you know what I mean.
Wish: Unsee the Leviathan in the night, unhear its roar, and wish he never was assigned to that team of Rangers.