He back
⦋ 2o? (Chronologically: 1120) || Genevieve || Male ⦌
APPEARANCE & PERSONALITY
APPEARANCE
PERSONALITY TRAITS
BACKSTORY & MOTIVATION
A doll-like young man, barely topping 4’10, built petite and inoffensive. His yellow sunshine-and-egg-yolk overcoat hides most of his body, and lends the appearance of a toy head mounted on a pretty-colored napkin. Askin speaks with a low, raspy voice, like chocolate on a cheesegrater, a bit at odds with his delicate height.
No one looks at Askin and thinks, that guy there, that is definitely a nomad. And they’d have a point. He’s never pretended to be a committed fighter, and it shows in his words, actions, and appearance. The upturned, gentle expression of someone who’s avoided suffering most his life lingers around Askin’s face, and his faded soap-sud-colored eyes are framed by heavy eyelids and dark lashes, giving him the look of someone who just woke up, or is about to fall asleep.
Askin’s hair falls in a messy blond bob, and dangling gold earrings hang asymmtric from either ear. When he moves, they make a fun little tinkling sound.
No one looks at Askin and thinks, that guy there, that is definitely a nomad. And they’d have a point. He’s never pretended to be a committed fighter, and it shows in his words, actions, and appearance. The upturned, gentle expression of someone who’s avoided suffering most his life lingers around Askin’s face, and his faded soap-sud-colored eyes are framed by heavy eyelids and dark lashes, giving him the look of someone who just woke up, or is about to fall asleep.
Askin’s hair falls in a messy blond bob, and dangling gold earrings hang asymmtric from either ear. When he moves, they make a fun little tinkling sound.
PERSONALITY TRAITS
■ Sweet-tempered
■ Carefree (and it takes a lot of effort)
■ Thoughtful
■ Wanderlust
■ Probably too trusting
■ Falls in love easily
■ Puts all his insecurities and fears in a little tiny box, then puts away the box and never ever ever looks at that box again
■ Carefree (and it takes a lot of effort)
■ Thoughtful
■ Wanderlust
■ Probably too trusting
■ Falls in love easily
■ Puts all his insecurities and fears in a little tiny box, then puts away the box and never ever ever looks at that box again
BACKSTORY & MOTIVATION
Askin La Askerrone was born in the long lost Kingdom of Genevieve over one thousand years ago. On the day of his birth, the heavens were aligned—each star was in the right position, each planet was in perfect harmony, and there was probably an eclipse or something going on somewhere in the immediate vicinity. It was a Very Big Deal. He was, after all, according to all rational interpretation of prophecy, the Chosen One.
People expected great things from young Askin, and people believed in him. If you look at Askin, even today, you can tell that this is a boy who was surrounded by love from the moment he was born. On his tenth birthday, when he parents told him his destiny as the Chosen One, he accepted it with a bright and maybe simple-minded smile.
About a week later, Askin left home, ready for his quest. One day, his father told him, you will be the greatest warrior in the land. And we will be so very proud of you.
But Askin soon found he didn’t have much interest in warrioring. He enjoyed more than anything the sidequests of life, talking with lots of strange people and helping with daily troubles and running off on silly errands for them. His trust in strangers backfired one day, several years into a stalled quest, when a traveling wizard offered to show Askin his magic lamp. Askin agreed, and suddenly, with five Words of Power from the wizard, he found himself falling through clouds and empty sky and rushing air. Eventually, he struck the ground. He was trapped.
For a thousand years, Askin wandered a lonely sandbar in the middle of the ocean. Sometimes there were faces in the clear blue sky. Mostly there was just the empty blue. Years came and went staring up at that sky. His mind drifted from him during those centuries in the lamp. It was like a long and restful dream.
Then, after the turn of the second millenia, at a museum somewhere in London, someone pried open the lamp and Askin was free. It was a bizarre next few months, catching up on the new and alien world of the future. And it was fun. There were interviews, and he was a minor celebrity for a short time. The boy out of time. After checking the date, Askin soon realized that the Promised Day, the Day he was Chosen for—the day he would duel the Wizard of Truth and the Seven Lich-Princes and the First of the Dragons—had long since passed. And Askin was left with the sudden strange knowledge that nothing was required of him, nothing was expected of him, and no one needed him anymore.
It hasn’t totally hit him yet that everything he ever knew is gone. You might sometimes catch him make reference to introducing you to his parents, or a marketplace in Genevieve where he and his friends used to play. Askin is very good at brushing these aside though, and quickly stuffing them in that tiny and problematic box, the one in the back of his head where he puts all sorts of annoying and ugly-looking thoughts. Askin has never once inquired to the ultimate destiny of Genevieve. He did, however, once scan a map, and notice that an enormous lake now lies where his city used to be. That was enough for him.
Askin avoids at all costs thinking about the people who probably died because he wasn’t there, and has never subjected himself to learning the exact number. It is possible, if you were spying on him late at night, that you might see him awake, and if you stayed awake with him you would see it sometimes takes a very, very long time for Askin La Askerrone to fall asleep. Maybe that’s why he became a nomad. Despite his overall carefree demeanor, something in the back of Askin’s brain is troubled at the thought of not making a difference in the world.
But at the same time, Askin is legitimately happy. He might feel a bit confused about this, and a bit guilty, but he’s happy.
There is a part of him that goes out to tournaments and Nomad gatherings to learn more about this new and wonderful time. There is another part of him that is excited at meeting new friends. And another part that is deeply lonely, and hopes maybe one of these random strangers will take him on romantic candlelit dinner-dates, and hold him in their arms, and tell him everything that ever was and ever will be is going to be A-fucking-okay. Mostly, he only really acknowledges the first two. Askin is a very carefree person, and it takes a lot of effort to stay that way.
Throughout the last two years in this strange new future, Askin kept with him the magic lamp. From its strangepowers and designs he has learned a great many things. Inside the lamp, he put his greatest treasure.
People expected great things from young Askin, and people believed in him. If you look at Askin, even today, you can tell that this is a boy who was surrounded by love from the moment he was born. On his tenth birthday, when he parents told him his destiny as the Chosen One, he accepted it with a bright and maybe simple-minded smile.
About a week later, Askin left home, ready for his quest. One day, his father told him, you will be the greatest warrior in the land. And we will be so very proud of you.
But Askin soon found he didn’t have much interest in warrioring. He enjoyed more than anything the sidequests of life, talking with lots of strange people and helping with daily troubles and running off on silly errands for them. His trust in strangers backfired one day, several years into a stalled quest, when a traveling wizard offered to show Askin his magic lamp. Askin agreed, and suddenly, with five Words of Power from the wizard, he found himself falling through clouds and empty sky and rushing air. Eventually, he struck the ground. He was trapped.
For a thousand years, Askin wandered a lonely sandbar in the middle of the ocean. Sometimes there were faces in the clear blue sky. Mostly there was just the empty blue. Years came and went staring up at that sky. His mind drifted from him during those centuries in the lamp. It was like a long and restful dream.
Then, after the turn of the second millenia, at a museum somewhere in London, someone pried open the lamp and Askin was free. It was a bizarre next few months, catching up on the new and alien world of the future. And it was fun. There were interviews, and he was a minor celebrity for a short time. The boy out of time. After checking the date, Askin soon realized that the Promised Day, the Day he was Chosen for—the day he would duel the Wizard of Truth and the Seven Lich-Princes and the First of the Dragons—had long since passed. And Askin was left with the sudden strange knowledge that nothing was required of him, nothing was expected of him, and no one needed him anymore.
It hasn’t totally hit him yet that everything he ever knew is gone. You might sometimes catch him make reference to introducing you to his parents, or a marketplace in Genevieve where he and his friends used to play. Askin is very good at brushing these aside though, and quickly stuffing them in that tiny and problematic box, the one in the back of his head where he puts all sorts of annoying and ugly-looking thoughts. Askin has never once inquired to the ultimate destiny of Genevieve. He did, however, once scan a map, and notice that an enormous lake now lies where his city used to be. That was enough for him.
Askin avoids at all costs thinking about the people who probably died because he wasn’t there, and has never subjected himself to learning the exact number. It is possible, if you were spying on him late at night, that you might see him awake, and if you stayed awake with him you would see it sometimes takes a very, very long time for Askin La Askerrone to fall asleep. Maybe that’s why he became a nomad. Despite his overall carefree demeanor, something in the back of Askin’s brain is troubled at the thought of not making a difference in the world.
But at the same time, Askin is legitimately happy. He might feel a bit confused about this, and a bit guilty, but he’s happy.
There is a part of him that goes out to tournaments and Nomad gatherings to learn more about this new and wonderful time. There is another part of him that is excited at meeting new friends. And another part that is deeply lonely, and hopes maybe one of these random strangers will take him on romantic candlelit dinner-dates, and hold him in their arms, and tell him everything that ever was and ever will be is going to be A-fucking-okay. Mostly, he only really acknowledges the first two. Askin is a very carefree person, and it takes a lot of effort to stay that way.
Throughout the last two years in this strange new future, Askin kept with him the magic lamp. From its strangepowers and designs he has learned a great many things. Inside the lamp, he put his greatest treasure.
FIGHTING STYLE & ABILITIES
FIGHTING STYLE
Despite being born with massive inherent ki, Askin never worked to train or improve it, and never learned to use it in conjunction with martial arts. By the time he became a young adult, he had the ki of a strong nomad, almost the exact amount he was born with, and with no combat prowess to back it up and no knowledge how to use it.
What he lacks in speed, power, or experience, however, he makes up for in versatility and pure unpredictability. The abilities you might see him use are all vastly different and have apparently no rhyme or reason. One moment it’s a wave of freezing cold, the next you’re dizzy with hallucinations, or dodging gunfire.
The truth: Askin doesn’t have any abilities of his own. Like a blank and naked doll that can be dressed up according to whim and convenience. Using the secret magic of the lamp, Askin created ten lesser duplications, powerful brass containers that can trap things in them just as he was trapped. By bottling away weapons and attacks, either outside of combat or in the heat of battle, Askin can make use of a wide spread of powers, and keep his opponents constantly guessing. However, everything he is has to come from others—on his own, Askin is just another face in the crowd.
What he lacks in speed, power, or experience, however, he makes up for in versatility and pure unpredictability. The abilities you might see him use are all vastly different and have apparently no rhyme or reason. One moment it’s a wave of freezing cold, the next you’re dizzy with hallucinations, or dodging gunfire.
The truth: Askin doesn’t have any abilities of his own. Like a blank and naked doll that can be dressed up according to whim and convenience. Using the secret magic of the lamp, Askin created ten lesser duplications, powerful brass containers that can trap things in them just as he was trapped. By bottling away weapons and attacks, either outside of combat or in the heat of battle, Askin can make use of a wide spread of powers, and keep his opponents constantly guessing. However, everything he is has to come from others—on his own, Askin is just another face in the crowd.
SPECIAL MOVES & TECHNIQUES
SUPER MOVES
WEAKNESSES & LIMITS
■ The Dollmaker
Askin can negate a single incoming attack entirely by bottling it away in one of his magic bottles. How long it stays negated and sealed away depends on how much time he had performing the sealing ritual. In the heat of battle, Askin can only imprison something for about a minute. If given a safe environment and a solid five minutes, however, Askin can permanently seal up abilities outside of battle, and enter later frays with a wide variety of attacks ready to go. There is one empty container unusually small compared to the others, never used except in emergencies—it's modified to fit inside a fake molar in the back of his mouth, on the off chance Askin's other containers are taken or lost.
Once imprisoned, Askin can unbottle and release the abilities as he sees fit.
Once imprisoned, Askin can unbottle and release the abilities as he sees fit.
■ Container 1 - The Dynamo
Askin unleashes a devastating ki-powered punch of wall-wrecking power.
■ Container 2 - Empty
In the heat of battle, Askin can temporarily bottle an oncoming attack or object, or, outside of battle, permanently seal one away.
■ Container 3 - The Sabotage
Askin releases a fat bundle of plastic explosives.
■ Container 4 - The Inferno
Askin lets out a sudden barrage of grenades.
■ Container 5 - The Tempestuousness
Askin sets loose a sharp gust of wind, which can propel him to safety or hurl a target backwards backwards.
■ Container 6 - The Clapchains
Askin hurls out a sudden, enormous tangle of ki-infused handcuffs and restraints, capable of tangling up enemy fighters and interfering with their abilities.
■ Container 7 - Empty
In the heat of battle, Askin can temporarily bottle an oncoming attack or object, or, outside of battle, permanently seal one away.
■ Container 8 - The Unspoken Nightmare
Askin shares a terrifying nightmare with the target, filling them with everything they’ve ever doubted about themselves, and ever dark future they fear will come to pass. Not a traditional combat technique, but it can easily distract someone in a fight.
■ Container 9 - Empty
In the heat of battle, Askin can temporarily bottle an oncoming attack or object, or, outside of battle, permanently seal one away.
■ Emergency Container 10 - Empty
In the heat of battle, Askin can temporarily bottle an oncoming attack or object, or, outside of battle, permanently seal one away. This container is only used in emergencies.
■ Finishing Polish
Askin hides away a target’s injuries and pain for a few brief minutes. Injuries can’t be sealed permanently; even with time for a proper sealing ritual time they come unbottled on their own in about an hour. Injuries will always be returned to the person they were original taken from. Finishing Polish can only be used if there are available Dollmaker slots.
■ Hidden Socket
Askin hides away another living person in one of his containers. A person can only be hidden away willingly. A useful way of protecting someone who’s been grievously injured by insuring their injuries don’t get any worse, or dodging an attack. Hiden Socket can only be used if there are available Dollmaker slots.
■ Ventriloquist
Askin traps a large and heavy object into one of his containers. Then, with the container in his palm, he throws a punch as hard as he can, and at the peak of the punch unleashes the imprisoned object. Ventriloquist can only be used if there are available Dollmaker slots.
■ Ragdoll
Askin allows an opponent to get close and land multiple dangerous hits on him, bottling just one. When they get too close, thinking he's been mortally injured, Askin grabs them and unleashes one of their own attacks point blank. Ragdoll can only be used if there are available Dollmaker slots.
■ Clockwork Motor
A rough and amateur ability where Askin concentrates ki into his feet, allowing him to put on irregular bursts of high speed. Nothing a real nomad might use, but a passable suppliment to his stolen poewrs. Askin uses the Motor to close distances unexpectedly and unleash a bottle point blank on an enemy.
■ [Passive Effect] Toy Soul
Something was left behind on that sandbar in the sea in the center of the lamp. Askin put his soul there, and so Askin cannot die, and his ki energies can’t be disrupted. Injuries take a long time to regenerate, however, so disabling his bodyparts will still knock him out of a fight.
SUPER MOVES
■ The Heavy Heart
No matter the distance between Askin and the lamp, Askin can flip it open, releasing the secret light he hid away inside it long ago. That wonderful light will explode into Askin’s body, immediately healing him and anyone nearby he wishes healed of all injuries. This move can only be done once, ever. The Toy Soul effect will no longer function, and Askin will be unable to put his soul back in (unless he fancies another 1000 years inside to bind his soul to the islet).
■ The Missing Doll
A move that can only be done if the lamp has been opened up and the light set free. Askin can trap one person inside the lamp, just as he was once trapped, and there is no way to escape once inside unless someone outside decides to open the lid. Askin has to maintain five seconds of physical contact, however, with the person he’s trying to trap, and successfully speak the five mantra-words of Sealing.
WEAKNESSES & LIMITS
Askin is not a fighter. He does not understand technique, his ki manipulation is extremely simple, he is physically weak, and all in all doesn’t take fighting nearly as seriously as nomad’s much, much stronger than him. His abilities are extraordinarily versatile, but they all rely on gaining abilities from friends outside of battle, or clever use of an opponent’s power within the flurry of combat—ultimately, Askin has no true power or fighting identity of his own.
Askin also has no good response to someone who can dramatically outspeed him, and if a person can avoid all his attacks and act too quickly for his Dollmaker to block, there's not much he can do. There is also the chance he uses up all his previously stockpiled powers, and ends up only capable of using attacks copied in the middle of battle, which spells bad news for Askin.
Askin also has no good response to someone who can dramatically outspeed him, and if a person can avoid all his attacks and act too quickly for his Dollmaker to block, there's not much he can do. There is also the chance he uses up all his previously stockpiled powers, and ends up only capable of using attacks copied in the middle of battle, which spells bad news for Askin.
OTHER
It's possible his many centuries in the lamp did something to his head, because Askin seems to have an unhealthily high pain threshold (and difficulty recognizing when he's being seriously hurt), and is prone to zoning out. One of these can be helpful in fights, sometimes, while the other can get him knocked flat on his butt.
