Gorthan (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
shakespearealien) wrote2011-10-08 11:42 pm
shakespearealien) wrote2011-10-08 11:42 pm
(no subject)
Player
Name: Irene
Livejournal Username:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
psychic_irene
E-mail: pkergirl@hotmail.com
AIM/MSN: MSN: pkergirl@hotmail.com; AIM: Nenemanene
Timezone: GMT -1 (Italy) <- ESL speaker here.
Current Characters in Route: None! Total noobie here.
Character
Name: Gorthan
Series: Disney's PKNA (the first of the three PK series)
Timeline: Post Issue #20 and 1999's Special Issue, pre Issue #37.
Canon Resource Links: It's a really, really obscure series, so I'm going to list a few!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PKNA -> The Wikipedia page provides a general overview of the series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evroniani -> There is a Wikipedia page wholly devoted to the alien race Gorthan belongs to, the Evronians. There's a section about him, too.
http://duckavenger.blogspot.com/2010/04/table-of-contents.html -> Blog of an ongoing effort to scanlate the first issues of PKNA. Includes several pages of the first issue Gorthan appeared in.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PaperinikNewAdventures -> Lastly, PKNA has a TVTropes page, so you can read that if you want to get an idea of what it is while also having a laugh. A couple of those are about Gorthan.
Personality:
His slowly solemn, yet graceful walk, how his deep gaze always seems to be contemplating the very essence of things, his circular forehead markings, his deep voice, his wise, calculated words, the way everything about him just tells you that he is, without a doubt, much older than he looks, the way his symmetrically arranged blond dreadlocks seem signs of elegance and refinement rather than the exact opposite, the way he often stands with his hands together behind his back while his shoulders remain perfectly straight... When you meet Gorthan for the first time, you don't need to be told to know that he's a superstar intellectual from another planet.
Very seldom will one catch Gorthan in a moment where his exceptional mind (always too bright for his own good) is one hundred percent focused on the here and now. Of course he's putting focus and effort into the task at hand, but he's also thinking of something else - what that thing he's looking at could have been, what literary work from Earth it reminds him of. He's been known to quote Hamlet shortly before an official meeting, tell the story of Snow White to one of his subordinates while he was essentially killing a bunch of people, and, lastly, recite quotes from "The Little Prince" in his mind while he was trapped in a deadly fire as a result of an accident. Basically, his train of thought runs on constant analogies that often collapse life with art, reality with fiction, the past with the present and the far with the near. The fact that he sometimes appears to pensively retreat into a world of his own only makes him even more feared and respected among his subordinates. The thing is that, when he speaks to you and you have yet to earn his respect, you always get the feeling that he's actually talking to himself and that your weight in the interaction is practically nil. Whether he's addressing people directly or half-pretending to be speaking to himself, Gorthan is quite fond of being deliberately obscure and presenting his listeners with language, concepts and analogies that he knows they will have trouble understanding - it's a way to assess how curious and intelligent they are, whether they'll ask him to clarify or simply pretend they have understood everything while they actually haven't. This behavior results in him coming off as elitist and self-important, and at some point in Gorthan's life, such an impression would have been very correct. These days, however, the real reason why Gorthan is so fond of puzzling his interlocutors is that he's actually making an effort to find a kindred spirit.
Because Gorthan is, simply put, an exceptionally self-reflexive alien scientist moved by an insatiable thirst for knowledge. And, more recently in his life, by an unspoken need to have a friend.
Gorthan's story is, as he would say himself using his favorite adjective, really quite interesting. He was once - but some may argue that he still is - the best branch-captain of all, the scientific branch in question being genetic engineering for the enhancement of Evron's military troops. His tall, charismatic figure stood at the very top of the scientific hierarchy of Evron, with no other superiors than the Emperor and the Imperial Council themselves. To him, Evron owed such milestones as the conquest of planet Xerba, countless advancements in the field of genetic manipulation, the creation of a contingent of shapeshifting spies known as "The Hunters" and of the psychic mutant warrior Trauma. He was then entrusted with a new mission - studying the civilization of planet Earth in preparation of its destruction. Said destruction, originally scheduled to happen over a rather short period of time, suffered a significant delay due to the intervention of a certain superhero, but let's not digress. The intellectual curiosity that had always fueled Gorthan's study of genetics now fueled his study of Earth's culture. He soon discovered that the art that earthlings could produce awoke... something within him. Some lines he liked from literary works would etch themselves into his mind, and he would find himself repeating them aloud throughout his day. He had always been rather smug, and the puzzled looks that the Shakespeare quotations would elicit from other Evronians made him feel even more satisfied with himself. He deluded himself, for a while, that that was all there was to it - but boy, was he wrong.
Gorthan's mutation and the development of his disease were slow, gradual processes, probably helped along by the experiments Gorthan would conduct on himself to enhance his own mind and body. But as it turns out, one day Gorthan discovered that he could cry. That the characters of the literary works he read would come alive, and he would suffer, and grieve, and smile, and laugh with them. That the beauty and richness of Earth's oceans fascinated him, and the thought that they would get drained up and disappear to be replaced by fields of Evronian spores was to him an unbearable nightmare. He, too, like an Earthling, could feel. He could feel such deep and complex emotions as sorrow and compassion.
He had become the only Evronian with a heart - with a conscience, Evron's most feared pathology.
In spite of Gorthan's many efforts to conceal it, his transformation did not go unnoticed, and thus all hell that Evron is capable of was unleashed on one of the most respected members of the planet's society. After disobeying a few orders, Gorthan was labeled a rebel and persecuted by the Imperial Council. When he was forced to escape from Evron, his spaceship was hit while approaching Earth and crashed in the middle of a desert. In the accident, Gorthan lost his energy tanks, which, as will be explained later, are essential to his survival. He thus found himself in a situation that would have led to his certain death, but his life was saved by the above-mentioned superhero. In the process, and due to a series of circumstances, the two developed a bond which, so far, is the closest thing to friendship that Gorthan has ever experienced. Since then, Gorthan has successfully returned to Evron and has been disentangled from the giant tentacular mecha that had captured him and carried him into space. He has resumed his scientific endeavors and has been working hard to free himself from the social stigma he has as a result of his illness.
Gorthan doesn't exactly have authority issues, though his superiors would say otherwise. What he does is simply try to renegotiate his space in the interest of both parties. He feels no resentment towards the authority figure in itself, but more freedom would allow him to get more things done, and better. And, since he is great at what he does and he knows it, that would ultimately be a good thing for everyone involved. That is why he will often feel the need to break a few rules, or at least stretch them, if he deems them unreasonable. And there's also the fact that Gorthan's disease - his conscience - often takes over, especially when earthlings are involved. Post-mutation Gorthan is far less likely to commit ruthless acts than his former self, though there are definitely cases in which he still might. As will be explained below in the "Strengths" section, all of this is absolutely unheard of in an Evronian.
But in spite of his conscience, his ability to feel emotions and the fact that sometimes he actually does the right thing, Gorthan is hardly a bleeding heart. As a matter of fact, he will still come off as rather cold and unpleasant to those who meet him for the first time. Scientific curiosity is still his main motivator, and that is why he won't entirely mind working for Team Rocket. Much like when he normally works for the Evronian Empire, he can keep his feelings and personal opinions to himself (don't ask, don't tell) while he searches for an opportunity to keep doing what he does (and likes) best - genetic manipulation. Also, he still likes acting like a smug jerk when he can - it helps keep his disease a secret. To sum up, Gorthan would work for Team Rocket because, even though he is nowhere as cruel as he used to be, at this point in his life he's still far from being a good guy, and definitely not ready to live like one.
Strengths/Weaknesses:
Strengths
As stated in the official file that came with Issue #20, Gorthan's main strength is that, over time, he has become completely autonomous and independent from the Evronian authority when it comes to making decisions. This, for an Evronian, is entirely uncommon. See, Evronians in general share a hive mind. They are also divided into a strict system of castes, again much like bees: an Evronian born a low-rank soldier will be a low-rank soldier all his life, and will never, ever have any hope of growing into, say, a high-rank scientist, or even just a middle-rank soldier (note that scientists and warriors are very neatly separate, and it's at times implied that the distinction between them is to Evronians what the distinction between male and female is to us). Thanks to the genetic experiments that Gorthan has performed on himself, he has successfully transcended both of these traits of Evronian society: not only is his thought process separate from the collective thinking, but he has developed abilities that make him, a scientist, apt to lead important military missions, like the conquest of planet Xerba. He is, thus, the only Evronian in his time to successfully break the boundary between the military and scientific parallel systems of castes.
Now for something slightly less convoluted - Gorthan is the topmost science authority on Evron. He's a high-rank scientist and his job consists of genetically enhancing Evronian soldiers, giving them powers and characteristics that they wouldn't naturally have. These include, but are in no way limited to: psychic powers, draining the foe's emotions and life energy without the use of the weapons that Evronians normally use, superhuman strength, gargantuan body proportions, superhuman resilience and stamina, artificial limbs and implants, shapeshifting. He can also alter personality traits, enhancing a subject's ruthlessness, or his obedience. In short, he has unveiled the innermost secrets of life and knows how to tamper with them. His vast knowledge of biology also means he'd make a great medic and an awesome surgeon, should the need arise. Now, he has used himself as a guinea pig for several experiments of his. Namely, he has endowed himself with strength, stamina and intelligence way above the norm... and the body of a Greek God, though it's usually hidden under large robes and capes.
Examples of his intelligence: his memory for literary works is amazing (he knows several passages of his favorite books by heart) and, unlike most Evronians, he's perfectly able to think on his feet and be flexible in case things take a turn for the unexpected (though can we still please, please stick to that plan as much as possible?).
Examples of his strength: he's seen shattering a pair of thick handcuffs into little pieces by merely flexing his arms; shortly after that, he lifts a huge boulder over his head. Leaving this kind of superhuman stunts aside (since he won't be able to pull them off in-game), he's more than able to hold his own when it comes to bodily combat. His preference tends to lean towards edged weapons, but he can fight with his bare hands, too. He's really quite agile - he's seen leaping several feet into the air - and his punches probably hurt a lot. One of his favorite things to do is try to choke his opponent, not necessarily in order to kill them or cause serious harm; it can be simply an act of intimidation.
As far as physiology goes, he's an Evronian - essentially a vampire duck from space. Instead of blood, Evronians feed on emotions drained from their victims (who become "cool flames", basically zombie slaves to the Evronian empire) using a weapon called an Evron Gun. The emotional energy is then stored inside tanks that each Evronian, Gorthan included, always carries around, and then naturally absorbed by the Evronian's body. Now, Gorthan's case is a bit special - his mutation basically comes down to the fact that he is capable of feeling powerful emotions himself. This has weakened his dependence on emotional energy for nutrition, though he can't really feed on himself, and even if he could, he himself has stated that the mutation is "too weak to feed him". But certainly, he'll try terrestrial food once in a while - he's probably altered his own metabolism so his body will find a way to digest it anyway. Besides, he's really curious to see what it tastes like.
As mentioned in the Personality section, Gorthan enjoys playing with language and texts. And when the need arises, he can be quite the smooth talker - after all, he has conned entire planets into starting negotiations with Evron so that the Empire would be able to strike the very hearts of their civilizations and economies on the first attack. However, today Gorthan isn't quite as casual as his former self when it comes to using language as a weapon - he has realized how much harm it can inflict. Still, his oratory skills remain intact and ready for use in case of need.
Another one of Gorthan's strong suits is his physical appearance: he is tall, muscular, broad-chested and handsome even by Earth standards. He isn't fixated on his looks, but he definitely takes care of himself. When he can, he chooses outfits and ensembles that are not merely functional, but also boost his charismatic image.
Additionally, he has some rather advanced (though in no way thorough) knowledge of electronics.
Weaknesses
His file in Issue #20 says that his weaknesses is that he sometimes needs help from Earthlings. More generally, the Earth is Gorthan's weak spot. As nasty as he may be to his fellow Evronians and to other aliens, post-mutation Gorthan is way more sensitive and emotional than he likes to let on, and has several qualms when it comes to the idea of hurting an Earthling. He is, after all, the only Evronian to ever develop a conscience. Also, his life was saved by the Earthling he was supposed to eliminate. The truth is that post-mutation Gorthan feels the deepest admiration towards Earthlings. He is fascinated by the depth of their emotions, the scope of their dreams, the beauty of their art and the power of their courage. He's very likely to be caught tearing up while reading a literature classic (Shakespeare is his absolute favorite) or looking at a painting. Give him a good movie to watch, and, as long as it has some artistic merit, the odds are that he'll tear up at that, too. Of course, Gorthan's emotions aren't triggered by art and fiction alone. For example, acts of heroism and sacrificing oneself for the good of others are things that are completely alien to Gorthan's experience of life, but, unlike most Evronians, he can recognize how noble they are. As such, his reactions to witnessing them or receiving news of them are always very emotional - on some occasions, he has felt his heart skip beats.
He will never, ever admit it, but his mutation has also made him terribly lonely. His own race has isolated him, and he had to work hard to get the "rebel" label to come off. He's in desperate need for a friend - someone who will listen to him and share his concerns. At the same time, however, he isn't too fond of other people finding out about his disease, especially if the people in question are Evronians. Being humanized might change that, but he will still be wary of people (or Pokémon) trying to pry into his emotional life.
And ultimately, yes, he does need help from Earthlings. Hell, he'll definitely need it if he's going to have to survive on Earth. The last time he tried to do that, it resulted in him almost dying. Speaking of which - he really isn't afraid of death, but he simply hopes he will be reading a good book while he draws his last breath. Which means that he is somewhat afraid of dying a violent or sudden death that won't allow him a peaceful transition.
Pokémon Information
Affiliation: Team Rocket
Starter: Ralts (possibly male)
Password: Taco Bell
Samples
First Person Sample: [[OOC: Video post.]]
[The face that will be appearing on your screens is that of a forty-something with tan skin, deep blue eyes, an exceptionally orderly head of blond dreadlocks and odd silver circular markings on his forehead. Kind of like a Tauros', except one small circle short.
Something is definitely bothering this man, as evidenced by his eyebrows, knitted together in a stern glare as he looks down at the off-screen thing that is likely the reason for his current annoyance. He spends several seconds like that, just frowning and staring down in complete silence, before he finally holds the small Pokémon up in his arms so it's finally on screen - it's a cute little Ralts, who flashes a big happy smile to the camera as soon as it realizes it's being caught on video and broadcast to the world.]
Is there a way to get it to stop reading me? I understand that this... little one has potential, but power is meaningless if the one wielding it lacks the necessary control and discipline. Psychic powers are, of course, no exception. Ralts here needs a lesson in respect for other people's privacy. At the same time, I will admit I have next to no experience working with these creatures, and I worry that any punishment I might administer would be too harsh on so frail a being. Any advice on this matter will be greatly appreciated.
[Throughout Gorthan's message, Ralts' expression has remained unchanged - it looks very happy to be in Gorthan's arms. Evidently, it's not something that happens very frequently. And it seems that the small Pokémon was reading the odd scientist's mind - or at least his intentions - all along. Because it seems to know exactly when its trainer is about to cut off the communication, and waves its tiny white hand at the viewers shortly before the video message ends.]
Third Person Sample: [[OOC: Because his appearance would have to change dramatically, oh my god.]]
How... interestingly unusual.
It seemed he had fallen asleep in a perfectly horizontal supine position. The kind that wreaks hell on the lower-caste Evronian soldier's naturally hunched back, but not on Gorthan's, whose spine was more or less perfectly straight. Although he still preferred to lay prone, he could sleep just like an earthling, and that seemed to be what had just happened.
And speaking of earthlings... the steps he could hear, the sound dulled by what were likely poorly constructed walls, did not sound like Evronian steps at all. He listened for sounds of webbed feet - nothing.
Also, why was he suddenly feeling so cold?
He opened his eyes and sat up on the bed - something was definitely wrong. Well, many things were wrong. The bed, for example. No spaceship Gorthan had sojourned in had a bed like that, and even when he acquired items from Earth for his studies, they had never included beds. As his mind raced on, his fingers restlessly toyed with the blanket - his fingers. His ten fingers. He removed the gloves he was wearing to have a better look at them. Ten fingers, five in each hand! A rarity on both Evron and Earth, always a sign of a likely pathological state - that much the two races had in common.
Had his beak gone numb? He couldn't feel it - was he hurt? Was that why he was in this place? He placed his hands on his face and let his ten (ten!) digits explore it. His beak was gone! Replaced by what, for all intents and purposes, felt, both to the touch and to the perception of his own body, like a fleshy nose and a pair of thin, silky lips.
Evron's brightest mind didn't take long to realize that he was now an Earthling, on Earth.
Well, the markings on his forehead - two concentric circles, and another small one on top of them - had remained, as his ten digits soon ascertained. And his dreadlocks were still there, cascading down to his broad shoulders, although they felt... slightly different to the touch.
He needed a mirror - was that a pocket mirror on the desk next to the bed? He picked it up and flipped it open and, instead, an electronic light was cast over his hands. His skin color had changed, too - from deep violet to what, surprisingly, was not a waxy complexion (he had always imagined he would be a horrendously pale Earthling if he were suddenly turned into one), but something slightly darker, a light shade of caramel - his skin was tan! That explained the sensation of coldness, too - he knew terrestrial skin to be much thinner than an Evronian's.
And the best part of all? He was surprised by the sudden transformation, yes, but not horrified, or even scared. Many unexpected things had happened in Gorthan's life, and this was definitely one of the more unexpected ones.
And yet, he was simply, absolutely, tremendously thrilled.
Name: Irene
Livejournal Username:
psychic_ireneE-mail: pkergirl@hotmail.com
AIM/MSN: MSN: pkergirl@hotmail.com; AIM: Nenemanene
Timezone: GMT -1 (Italy) <- ESL speaker here.
Current Characters in Route: None! Total noobie here.
Character
Name: Gorthan
Series: Disney's PKNA (the first of the three PK series)
Timeline: Post Issue #20 and 1999's Special Issue, pre Issue #37.
Canon Resource Links: It's a really, really obscure series, so I'm going to list a few!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PKNA -> The Wikipedia page provides a general overview of the series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evroniani -> There is a Wikipedia page wholly devoted to the alien race Gorthan belongs to, the Evronians. There's a section about him, too.
http://duckavenger.blogspot.com/2010/04/table-of-contents.html -> Blog of an ongoing effort to scanlate the first issues of PKNA. Includes several pages of the first issue Gorthan appeared in.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PaperinikNewAdventures -> Lastly, PKNA has a TVTropes page, so you can read that if you want to get an idea of what it is while also having a laugh. A couple of those are about Gorthan.
Personality:
His slowly solemn, yet graceful walk, how his deep gaze always seems to be contemplating the very essence of things, his circular forehead markings, his deep voice, his wise, calculated words, the way everything about him just tells you that he is, without a doubt, much older than he looks, the way his symmetrically arranged blond dreadlocks seem signs of elegance and refinement rather than the exact opposite, the way he often stands with his hands together behind his back while his shoulders remain perfectly straight... When you meet Gorthan for the first time, you don't need to be told to know that he's a superstar intellectual from another planet.
Very seldom will one catch Gorthan in a moment where his exceptional mind (always too bright for his own good) is one hundred percent focused on the here and now. Of course he's putting focus and effort into the task at hand, but he's also thinking of something else - what that thing he's looking at could have been, what literary work from Earth it reminds him of. He's been known to quote Hamlet shortly before an official meeting, tell the story of Snow White to one of his subordinates while he was essentially killing a bunch of people, and, lastly, recite quotes from "The Little Prince" in his mind while he was trapped in a deadly fire as a result of an accident. Basically, his train of thought runs on constant analogies that often collapse life with art, reality with fiction, the past with the present and the far with the near. The fact that he sometimes appears to pensively retreat into a world of his own only makes him even more feared and respected among his subordinates. The thing is that, when he speaks to you and you have yet to earn his respect, you always get the feeling that he's actually talking to himself and that your weight in the interaction is practically nil. Whether he's addressing people directly or half-pretending to be speaking to himself, Gorthan is quite fond of being deliberately obscure and presenting his listeners with language, concepts and analogies that he knows they will have trouble understanding - it's a way to assess how curious and intelligent they are, whether they'll ask him to clarify or simply pretend they have understood everything while they actually haven't. This behavior results in him coming off as elitist and self-important, and at some point in Gorthan's life, such an impression would have been very correct. These days, however, the real reason why Gorthan is so fond of puzzling his interlocutors is that he's actually making an effort to find a kindred spirit.
Because Gorthan is, simply put, an exceptionally self-reflexive alien scientist moved by an insatiable thirst for knowledge. And, more recently in his life, by an unspoken need to have a friend.
Gorthan's story is, as he would say himself using his favorite adjective, really quite interesting. He was once - but some may argue that he still is - the best branch-captain of all, the scientific branch in question being genetic engineering for the enhancement of Evron's military troops. His tall, charismatic figure stood at the very top of the scientific hierarchy of Evron, with no other superiors than the Emperor and the Imperial Council themselves. To him, Evron owed such milestones as the conquest of planet Xerba, countless advancements in the field of genetic manipulation, the creation of a contingent of shapeshifting spies known as "The Hunters" and of the psychic mutant warrior Trauma. He was then entrusted with a new mission - studying the civilization of planet Earth in preparation of its destruction. Said destruction, originally scheduled to happen over a rather short period of time, suffered a significant delay due to the intervention of a certain superhero, but let's not digress. The intellectual curiosity that had always fueled Gorthan's study of genetics now fueled his study of Earth's culture. He soon discovered that the art that earthlings could produce awoke... something within him. Some lines he liked from literary works would etch themselves into his mind, and he would find himself repeating them aloud throughout his day. He had always been rather smug, and the puzzled looks that the Shakespeare quotations would elicit from other Evronians made him feel even more satisfied with himself. He deluded himself, for a while, that that was all there was to it - but boy, was he wrong.
Gorthan's mutation and the development of his disease were slow, gradual processes, probably helped along by the experiments Gorthan would conduct on himself to enhance his own mind and body. But as it turns out, one day Gorthan discovered that he could cry. That the characters of the literary works he read would come alive, and he would suffer, and grieve, and smile, and laugh with them. That the beauty and richness of Earth's oceans fascinated him, and the thought that they would get drained up and disappear to be replaced by fields of Evronian spores was to him an unbearable nightmare. He, too, like an Earthling, could feel. He could feel such deep and complex emotions as sorrow and compassion.
He had become the only Evronian with a heart - with a conscience, Evron's most feared pathology.
In spite of Gorthan's many efforts to conceal it, his transformation did not go unnoticed, and thus all hell that Evron is capable of was unleashed on one of the most respected members of the planet's society. After disobeying a few orders, Gorthan was labeled a rebel and persecuted by the Imperial Council. When he was forced to escape from Evron, his spaceship was hit while approaching Earth and crashed in the middle of a desert. In the accident, Gorthan lost his energy tanks, which, as will be explained later, are essential to his survival. He thus found himself in a situation that would have led to his certain death, but his life was saved by the above-mentioned superhero. In the process, and due to a series of circumstances, the two developed a bond which, so far, is the closest thing to friendship that Gorthan has ever experienced. Since then, Gorthan has successfully returned to Evron and has been disentangled from the giant tentacular mecha that had captured him and carried him into space. He has resumed his scientific endeavors and has been working hard to free himself from the social stigma he has as a result of his illness.
Gorthan doesn't exactly have authority issues, though his superiors would say otherwise. What he does is simply try to renegotiate his space in the interest of both parties. He feels no resentment towards the authority figure in itself, but more freedom would allow him to get more things done, and better. And, since he is great at what he does and he knows it, that would ultimately be a good thing for everyone involved. That is why he will often feel the need to break a few rules, or at least stretch them, if he deems them unreasonable. And there's also the fact that Gorthan's disease - his conscience - often takes over, especially when earthlings are involved. Post-mutation Gorthan is far less likely to commit ruthless acts than his former self, though there are definitely cases in which he still might. As will be explained below in the "Strengths" section, all of this is absolutely unheard of in an Evronian.
But in spite of his conscience, his ability to feel emotions and the fact that sometimes he actually does the right thing, Gorthan is hardly a bleeding heart. As a matter of fact, he will still come off as rather cold and unpleasant to those who meet him for the first time. Scientific curiosity is still his main motivator, and that is why he won't entirely mind working for Team Rocket. Much like when he normally works for the Evronian Empire, he can keep his feelings and personal opinions to himself (don't ask, don't tell) while he searches for an opportunity to keep doing what he does (and likes) best - genetic manipulation. Also, he still likes acting like a smug jerk when he can - it helps keep his disease a secret. To sum up, Gorthan would work for Team Rocket because, even though he is nowhere as cruel as he used to be, at this point in his life he's still far from being a good guy, and definitely not ready to live like one.
Strengths/Weaknesses:
Strengths
As stated in the official file that came with Issue #20, Gorthan's main strength is that, over time, he has become completely autonomous and independent from the Evronian authority when it comes to making decisions. This, for an Evronian, is entirely uncommon. See, Evronians in general share a hive mind. They are also divided into a strict system of castes, again much like bees: an Evronian born a low-rank soldier will be a low-rank soldier all his life, and will never, ever have any hope of growing into, say, a high-rank scientist, or even just a middle-rank soldier (note that scientists and warriors are very neatly separate, and it's at times implied that the distinction between them is to Evronians what the distinction between male and female is to us). Thanks to the genetic experiments that Gorthan has performed on himself, he has successfully transcended both of these traits of Evronian society: not only is his thought process separate from the collective thinking, but he has developed abilities that make him, a scientist, apt to lead important military missions, like the conquest of planet Xerba. He is, thus, the only Evronian in his time to successfully break the boundary between the military and scientific parallel systems of castes.
Now for something slightly less convoluted - Gorthan is the topmost science authority on Evron. He's a high-rank scientist and his job consists of genetically enhancing Evronian soldiers, giving them powers and characteristics that they wouldn't naturally have. These include, but are in no way limited to: psychic powers, draining the foe's emotions and life energy without the use of the weapons that Evronians normally use, superhuman strength, gargantuan body proportions, superhuman resilience and stamina, artificial limbs and implants, shapeshifting. He can also alter personality traits, enhancing a subject's ruthlessness, or his obedience. In short, he has unveiled the innermost secrets of life and knows how to tamper with them. His vast knowledge of biology also means he'd make a great medic and an awesome surgeon, should the need arise. Now, he has used himself as a guinea pig for several experiments of his. Namely, he has endowed himself with strength, stamina and intelligence way above the norm... and the body of a Greek God, though it's usually hidden under large robes and capes.
Examples of his intelligence: his memory for literary works is amazing (he knows several passages of his favorite books by heart) and, unlike most Evronians, he's perfectly able to think on his feet and be flexible in case things take a turn for the unexpected (though can we still please, please stick to that plan as much as possible?).
Examples of his strength: he's seen shattering a pair of thick handcuffs into little pieces by merely flexing his arms; shortly after that, he lifts a huge boulder over his head. Leaving this kind of superhuman stunts aside (since he won't be able to pull them off in-game), he's more than able to hold his own when it comes to bodily combat. His preference tends to lean towards edged weapons, but he can fight with his bare hands, too. He's really quite agile - he's seen leaping several feet into the air - and his punches probably hurt a lot. One of his favorite things to do is try to choke his opponent, not necessarily in order to kill them or cause serious harm; it can be simply an act of intimidation.
As far as physiology goes, he's an Evronian - essentially a vampire duck from space. Instead of blood, Evronians feed on emotions drained from their victims (who become "cool flames", basically zombie slaves to the Evronian empire) using a weapon called an Evron Gun. The emotional energy is then stored inside tanks that each Evronian, Gorthan included, always carries around, and then naturally absorbed by the Evronian's body. Now, Gorthan's case is a bit special - his mutation basically comes down to the fact that he is capable of feeling powerful emotions himself. This has weakened his dependence on emotional energy for nutrition, though he can't really feed on himself, and even if he could, he himself has stated that the mutation is "too weak to feed him". But certainly, he'll try terrestrial food once in a while - he's probably altered his own metabolism so his body will find a way to digest it anyway. Besides, he's really curious to see what it tastes like.
As mentioned in the Personality section, Gorthan enjoys playing with language and texts. And when the need arises, he can be quite the smooth talker - after all, he has conned entire planets into starting negotiations with Evron so that the Empire would be able to strike the very hearts of their civilizations and economies on the first attack. However, today Gorthan isn't quite as casual as his former self when it comes to using language as a weapon - he has realized how much harm it can inflict. Still, his oratory skills remain intact and ready for use in case of need.
Another one of Gorthan's strong suits is his physical appearance: he is tall, muscular, broad-chested and handsome even by Earth standards. He isn't fixated on his looks, but he definitely takes care of himself. When he can, he chooses outfits and ensembles that are not merely functional, but also boost his charismatic image.
Additionally, he has some rather advanced (though in no way thorough) knowledge of electronics.
Weaknesses
His file in Issue #20 says that his weaknesses is that he sometimes needs help from Earthlings. More generally, the Earth is Gorthan's weak spot. As nasty as he may be to his fellow Evronians and to other aliens, post-mutation Gorthan is way more sensitive and emotional than he likes to let on, and has several qualms when it comes to the idea of hurting an Earthling. He is, after all, the only Evronian to ever develop a conscience. Also, his life was saved by the Earthling he was supposed to eliminate. The truth is that post-mutation Gorthan feels the deepest admiration towards Earthlings. He is fascinated by the depth of their emotions, the scope of their dreams, the beauty of their art and the power of their courage. He's very likely to be caught tearing up while reading a literature classic (Shakespeare is his absolute favorite) or looking at a painting. Give him a good movie to watch, and, as long as it has some artistic merit, the odds are that he'll tear up at that, too. Of course, Gorthan's emotions aren't triggered by art and fiction alone. For example, acts of heroism and sacrificing oneself for the good of others are things that are completely alien to Gorthan's experience of life, but, unlike most Evronians, he can recognize how noble they are. As such, his reactions to witnessing them or receiving news of them are always very emotional - on some occasions, he has felt his heart skip beats.
He will never, ever admit it, but his mutation has also made him terribly lonely. His own race has isolated him, and he had to work hard to get the "rebel" label to come off. He's in desperate need for a friend - someone who will listen to him and share his concerns. At the same time, however, he isn't too fond of other people finding out about his disease, especially if the people in question are Evronians. Being humanized might change that, but he will still be wary of people (or Pokémon) trying to pry into his emotional life.
And ultimately, yes, he does need help from Earthlings. Hell, he'll definitely need it if he's going to have to survive on Earth. The last time he tried to do that, it resulted in him almost dying. Speaking of which - he really isn't afraid of death, but he simply hopes he will be reading a good book while he draws his last breath. Which means that he is somewhat afraid of dying a violent or sudden death that won't allow him a peaceful transition.
Pokémon Information
Affiliation: Team Rocket
Starter: Ralts (possibly male)
Password: Taco Bell
Samples
First Person Sample: [[OOC: Video post.]]
[The face that will be appearing on your screens is that of a forty-something with tan skin, deep blue eyes, an exceptionally orderly head of blond dreadlocks and odd silver circular markings on his forehead. Kind of like a Tauros', except one small circle short.
Something is definitely bothering this man, as evidenced by his eyebrows, knitted together in a stern glare as he looks down at the off-screen thing that is likely the reason for his current annoyance. He spends several seconds like that, just frowning and staring down in complete silence, before he finally holds the small Pokémon up in his arms so it's finally on screen - it's a cute little Ralts, who flashes a big happy smile to the camera as soon as it realizes it's being caught on video and broadcast to the world.]
Is there a way to get it to stop reading me? I understand that this... little one has potential, but power is meaningless if the one wielding it lacks the necessary control and discipline. Psychic powers are, of course, no exception. Ralts here needs a lesson in respect for other people's privacy. At the same time, I will admit I have next to no experience working with these creatures, and I worry that any punishment I might administer would be too harsh on so frail a being. Any advice on this matter will be greatly appreciated.
[Throughout Gorthan's message, Ralts' expression has remained unchanged - it looks very happy to be in Gorthan's arms. Evidently, it's not something that happens very frequently. And it seems that the small Pokémon was reading the odd scientist's mind - or at least his intentions - all along. Because it seems to know exactly when its trainer is about to cut off the communication, and waves its tiny white hand at the viewers shortly before the video message ends.]
Third Person Sample: [[OOC: Because his appearance would have to change dramatically, oh my god.]]
How... interestingly unusual.
It seemed he had fallen asleep in a perfectly horizontal supine position. The kind that wreaks hell on the lower-caste Evronian soldier's naturally hunched back, but not on Gorthan's, whose spine was more or less perfectly straight. Although he still preferred to lay prone, he could sleep just like an earthling, and that seemed to be what had just happened.
And speaking of earthlings... the steps he could hear, the sound dulled by what were likely poorly constructed walls, did not sound like Evronian steps at all. He listened for sounds of webbed feet - nothing.
Also, why was he suddenly feeling so cold?
He opened his eyes and sat up on the bed - something was definitely wrong. Well, many things were wrong. The bed, for example. No spaceship Gorthan had sojourned in had a bed like that, and even when he acquired items from Earth for his studies, they had never included beds. As his mind raced on, his fingers restlessly toyed with the blanket - his fingers. His ten fingers. He removed the gloves he was wearing to have a better look at them. Ten fingers, five in each hand! A rarity on both Evron and Earth, always a sign of a likely pathological state - that much the two races had in common.
Had his beak gone numb? He couldn't feel it - was he hurt? Was that why he was in this place? He placed his hands on his face and let his ten (ten!) digits explore it. His beak was gone! Replaced by what, for all intents and purposes, felt, both to the touch and to the perception of his own body, like a fleshy nose and a pair of thin, silky lips.
Evron's brightest mind didn't take long to realize that he was now an Earthling, on Earth.
Well, the markings on his forehead - two concentric circles, and another small one on top of them - had remained, as his ten digits soon ascertained. And his dreadlocks were still there, cascading down to his broad shoulders, although they felt... slightly different to the touch.
He needed a mirror - was that a pocket mirror on the desk next to the bed? He picked it up and flipped it open and, instead, an electronic light was cast over his hands. His skin color had changed, too - from deep violet to what, surprisingly, was not a waxy complexion (he had always imagined he would be a horrendously pale Earthling if he were suddenly turned into one), but something slightly darker, a light shade of caramel - his skin was tan! That explained the sensation of coldness, too - he knew terrestrial skin to be much thinner than an Evronian's.
And the best part of all? He was surprised by the sudden transformation, yes, but not horrified, or even scared. Many unexpected things had happened in Gorthan's life, and this was definitely one of the more unexpected ones.
And yet, he was simply, absolutely, tremendously thrilled.