Category Archives: Character Bios

Character Bios: David Cheng

A quiet young man who prefers solitude, at peace in the darkness.
00022 David Cheng
Born in Arkansas, David Cheng grew up as the only Asian boy in the community. He felt isolated for most of his school life, and still prefers to keep to himself many years on. As a boy who spent much time alone, Cheng has always been studious. He even worked out that he had a special power on his own.
As a recruit in Myrtle Base, Cheng takes military life very seriously, and avoids joining the rest of the recruits on their frequent nights out. Cheng has an innate ability to see in the dark. After spending much time researching the cause, he concluded that his eyes contained tapetum lucidum for seeing exceptionally well in poor light.
This is true to a certain extent. An excess of light absorbing auralithaliain exists in his body, and Cheng’s powers may extend beyond his excellent vision.

Creation facts:

  • Cheng, attracted to solitude and the quiet of night, has the elemental theme of darkness.

Character Bios: Frank Calraine

A quiet, morose man. Calraine is a soldier who needs retraining. His quiet confidence inspires those around him.

0020 Frank Calraine

Very much aware of being the oldest recruit on Myrtle Base, Frank Calraine’s experience and knowledge of the Hidden Government Army reassures the other recruits, who at times wonder if everything they are being told us true.
He has a haggard appearance. Calraine is a man who has seen a lot of troubling things, compared to his youthful counterparts at Myrtle Base. Initially aloof, Calraine hides many secrets; including the reason for his necessary retraining. In time his true nature comes through, as someone warm and protective of those around him. A natural fit as an army Medic.
Calraine has control over fire, which he cam summon from his hands. His weapon of choice is the King Flamer, a modified flame thrower which only requires a large drum of gasoline and a trigger. Calraine provides the spark.

 

Creation facts:

  • Calraine’s elemental theme is fire, but in the sense of a dying flame…

Character Bios: Gregory Levy

Loud, crude and brash, Levy makes himself known when he enters a room, whether he means to or not.

0021 Gregory Levy

Originally from Belgium, Levy grew up with three older brothers in a close knit family.  Confident from a young age, his hobbies involved outdoors sports and camping. Gregory later joined the Regiment 12th Division of the Line Prince Leopold, again following in the footsteps of his brothers.

Ever excitable and brash, and far from an exemplary soldier, Gregory prefered socialising and heavy drinking, earning the nickname “Party Guy”. In 2003, he was suddenly sent on a specialist training exercise in America. In truth, he had been taken into the Hidden Government for recruitment at Myrtle Base.

Naturally husky, Levy is equipped to survive any harsh conditions. His latent auralithalain genes give him excellent, subconscious control over his core body temperature and skin pores. During Call of the Conjurer, Levy learns to develop his ability and becomes adept with the Hidden Government’s advanced technology as a Communications Specialist.

He has a tendancy to grind on some people’s nerves, but Gregory is a loyal, open minded ally to everyone.

Creation facts:

  • Levy’s name comes from the archiac word levin, or lightning. His theme is thunder; inspiring his loudness and flashy attitude.

 

Character Bios: Kaelan Rosenwich

0019 Kaelan Rosenwich

Born in American to European parents, Kaelan spent his young life studying martial arts and history. His interest may well stem from his Auralithalain genes, where he is descended from an  ancient, lost society in East Asia.

A quiet man, Kaelan cites his ability – the momentary paralysis of any living thing he touches – as a reason to keep a distance from others. Tall and slim, always seen covered up in a long coat and gloves, his scant white hair left long and uncut. Rosenwich exudes with mystery.
He joined Myrtle Base in 2002 as a training officer, shortly after the sudden death of long serving base Lieutenant Leonard Finnegan. With his in depth knowledge, Rosenwich acts as the martial arts instructor on base, teaching close quarters techniques.

A slow burner, even Mason and Baker, his closest colleagues, know little about him. Ironically, Rosenwich’s silent demeanour and striking pale appearance have given him a reputation and the nickname: the silent mountain.

Character Bios: Shawn Baker

00018 Shaun Baker

 

Hailing from the north west of England, Lieutenant Shaun Baker joined the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment in 1990, before he was quickly brought into the Hidden Government Army. While Baker displayed poor magical ability, he was recognised for his brusque confidence and assigned to Myrtle Base, the Hidden Government Army training facility, in 1991, where he excelled as a training officer. He and his fellow officer at the base, Calbert Mason, because fast friends.

Where Mason had always shown a gentle approach to the recruits at Myrtle Base, Baker feels that his duty is to be the firm hand; to remind the recruits that they are in military and must fall in line despite their exceptional abilities. This approach has made him notoriously unpopular, and Baker has been known to ambush his position in the past.

His power is distinctly unusual. He was born with malleable limbs and a split, twin spine, making him unexpectedly dextrous. The cause of this birth anomaly is still tied to his Auralithalain genetics, where Baker’s ancestry can be traced back to human / monster hybrids

Character Bios: Will Dunbar

A wide eyed boy with endless energy, born and raised in the confines of a Hidden Government experiment.

00006 Will Dunbar

William Dunbar was born in the tumultuous city of Tristel – a city which does not technically exist.

As part of the grand social experiment, Tristel city is on Pacoven, the island chain owned and monitored entirely by the Hidden Government. Will was raised under controlled parameters, in a city designed to be divided by class and bombarded with modern pop culture.

Will spent his life keeping his head down. Never interested in school; prpetually excited and easily distracted, Will often stumbled around with the wrong crowd and committing petty criminal acts. His oldest and closest friend, Waine Aloife, encouraged him into trouble. While Waine had the confidence and the brains, Will provided the boundless energy, strength and dexterity to act as the brawn.

At one point, at the age of fifteen, Will was invited to join an athletic test far away from Tristel. Excited by the opportunity, his parents brazenly allowed him on the all expenses paid trip, though the details of the entire night away became hazy once he returned.

By his own nature, Will has always been a well meaning but easily misguided young man. After school hours and at weekends, he worked at his parent’s pottery art supply shop, proving his own artistic talent in his free time. He enjoys comic books and fantasy, although Waine usually chastises him for his nerdish interests. Will also practices different martial arts and excels at boxing, becoming the local Tristel Lightweight Boxing League bronze medallist, shortly before a night that will change his life forever…

Deep down, Will possesses the Magic Gene which makes him eligible to join the ranks of the Hidden Government Army. He displays a close affinity to Earth magic, able to channel the planet’s own cache of magical energy to enhance his strength. In time, Will comes to learn how to shape sentient Golems and control them in battle, and other hidden abilities throughout the Bloodfest series. For the first time in his aimless life, Will becomes excited at the chance to be the superhero he always wanted to be.

005 Will Character Sheet

Character Bios: Rafaela Loxwell

Steely, long serving captain of HGA November Squad. She demands strict control, especially over herself.

00012 Rafaella Loxwell

Rafaela Loxwell was born in 1968 into a wealthy Brazilian family. She lived in a secure, isolated mansion outside of Rio de Janeiro, where her parents had already planned out her life. They were both members in the Hidden Government Army, and their daughter was going to follow in their footsteps.

Rafaela had other ideas. Through a combination of teenage rebellion and a warm desire to help people less fortunate than her, Rafaela often travelled deep into Rio’s slums. She knew orphans lived on the streets, and wanted to help them any way she could. Rafaela gave herself the responsibility of taking care of them all.

She still has fond memories of the friends she made, though the memories are often mired by sadness. A lot of the children she met – some only a few years younger than her – disappeared without explanation.

Her forthright disobedience was not unsupervised, either. Rafaela thought she was being clever, sneaking in and out of her home while her parents were constantly busy, but over the years Rafaela realised that the Hidden Government had always kept a close eye on her. By the time of Typhoon of Fire, Rafaella Loxwell is Captain of November Squad and has been so for several years. She likes her position; because despite the heavily monitored military she belongs to, Rafaela is able to exert some control and influence to get her own way. She still chooses carries to carry responsibility, and to stand up against any opposition.

Loxwell may come across as mean on first impressions, but she always has the welfare and safety of everybody around her foremost in her mind. She does not abide by sloppiness. Sloppiness leads to mistakes, and mistakes can lead to trouble. She gives everybody a chance to prove themselves, and her ways of encouragement are brash, but fair.

The powers which made her eligible for the Hidden Government Army are remarkable. For as long as she could remember, Loxwell has been able to heal wounds with self control. This adept self control ability extends to every small function of her body; from maintaining steady heart rate and breathing, to forcing certain muscles to immediately overwork or relax through conscious command. She can force herself not to perspire, and control her own fatigue and hunger, holding them back with steady regulation. Her ability clearly plays into Loxwell’s formal, take-charge personality. She is a woman who can make herself relax, but refuses to. In fact, she rather likes staying constantly alert and on her toes.  She has massive responsibility after all, as captain of her squad.

In combat, Loxwell favours physical, close range attacking. She uses a unique sword, named Fulvia – named after the ambitious Roman political figure and the electromagnetic substance. A technological weapon powered by Thunder magic, Fulvia can be charged with electricity to cause shock and burn damage. Or may seem viol, but Loxwell prefers a job taken care of.

She rarely uses Combat Magic, or fire arms unless necessary. Loxwell’s sword is enough, and she expects her team to contribute. Loxwell’s prowess and command have see her offered many promotions to become an officer, but she consistently declines. The battlefield is her place, where she can keep a close eye on everyone and everything.

Character Bios: Sidney Gaterling

A quintessential geek fantasy. Most of the time Sidney is unassuming and meek, but when he gets his hand on a sword he becomes AWESOME – he can fight monsters, save the world and rescue the girl.

00003 Sidney Gaterling

A bright, resourceful chap born in the fictional town of Pattersfield, England. Sidney Gaterling spent most of his childhood happily being on his own. He comes from a lovely, ordinary family, but learned his life lessons at school from the other children – to be quiet and go away. This  might sound like the start of a super villain origin story – but Sidney decided to shy away from social situations and found contentment in being alone. Over the years he studied hard, earned a degree, landed a fancy job and lived happily ever after.

Of course, that isn’t how it usually happens. Introduced as the protagonist of The Sardonyc, Sidney is a Master of Magical Science Studies who worked for the Hidden Government’s Research and Development department. He was in effect a freelance scientist, bopping around the world when his expertise was required for ancient artefacts and rare types of magic.

One ordinary day he joined the Super Human Project as an analyst. The tl;dr of that event was Sidney having to learn how to fight for his damn life, and never speak of what happened there again.

“I have a degree in Magic Science. It’s a wonderful oxymoron.”

By the time of Bloodfest, Sidney is a 27 year old soldier he uses sword based magic, living on the sequestered, Hidden Government controlled islands of Pacoven. He is settled in this role, happy to play as a protector with unique skills amongst the ordinary military personnel, until orders from the top transfer him into Delta Squad with a bunch of hard, gravel crunching veterans. Ace, Damian, Shimon and the rest are a different breed altogether, and Sidney struggles to integrate into the group at first.

As a combatant, Sidney consistently puts himself in danger. He has an altruistic, noble attitude (particularly when it comes to helping women), and a humbling will to serve, which may be a result of low esteem. Sidney is often nervous around others, yet he doesn’t care about himself getting hurt or even killed in combat, and his valiance does not go unnoticed.

Sidney’s entire story revolves around fitting in; finding your place, being useful and being happy. He wants to do well. He is an old fashioned romantic, and wants to find love and have a good life. Sidney’s stymie is his borderline social anxiety disorder, stemming from childhood and a lack of stability in his adult life. He claims to be like being ‘alone’, as he is used to it, but that does not mean he is telling the truth. Sidney yearns to be accepted and approved of, but has trouble asking for it. He doesn’t want to appear needy.

Sidney never feels worthy, but constantly feels the need to prove himself. He is in his own way a wonderful oxymoron.

“Heh, nervous fella, ain’t ya?” Damian chuckled.

“I’m cautious. Anxious,” Sidney replied. “Have you ever been through New York or London during a storm?”

“You what?” Damian muttered.

“Imagine you’re walking through the busy, rush hour crowds and it starts to rain; everybody puts their umbrella up,” Sidney started, staring straight ahead. “But after a while, the rain stops, and maybe you don’t notice. You’re too busy thinking, because you’re always thinking about things. Suddenly you’re the only person walking around with an umbrella, and everyone can see you holding the damn thing. And when you do realise this, you feel foolish…” Sidney concluded. “…That’s how I feel most of the time.”

All in all, Sidney is painfully English. If someone steps on his toes, he apologises to them. But that is not to say he is a pushover. Sidney has no tolerance for injustice. He has had to learn things the hard way, and is ever on edge. Finding a comfortable balance is still Sidney’s biggest challenge, especially when he can’t realise how much he means to other people, and how much they worry for him.

Despite the quietness, the shyness, the meekness… Sidney will throw himself into the deep end to save others. With sword in hand, he knows he can do the right thing.

003 Sidney Character Sheet

 

Creation Notes:

  • Sidney was named as a long standing reference to the Final Fantasy series, of course. Coincidentally my great grandfather was named Sidney.
  • He favours the sword in combat but wisely keeps a firearm on hand. His choice is the S&W 44. Magnum. It’s small but dangerous, and restricted to limited shots before needing to reload. Possibly a bit like him.
  • Sidney was a ‘Pattersfield Fox’ when he was young, an equivalent to being a Scout or Cub Scout.
  • He has a fear of drowning in deep water, and prefers showers to baths.
  • His surname, Gaterling, doesn’t have a lot of meaning. It is purely meant to invoke the image of a Gatling Gun and its mechanical functions.
  • Like all of the characters in the series, Sidney has a strong affinity to one of the classic / fantasy elements. In his case Ice; but to be more specific he has a connection to Outer Space, a theme that will become apparent and relevant as the series goes on. Perhaps there is a reason why he feels so out of place…

Character Bios: Damian Hassler

He’s like a movie action hero… with the creative imagination of a ten year old boy. Some say Damian can make anything into a lethal weapon, and he certainly does try.

00005 Damian Hassler

Damian is a master of weapons. He has a destructive streak and a wickedly creative mind. Born in 1987 and growing up in East London, Damian was barely raised by his dad, and never even met his mother. It is suggested that something out of the ordinary happened between his parents; to the extent that his dad refuses to talk about it and appears afraid of bringing it up.

In his youth, Damian spent as much time as he could at his cousin Ace’s house. He was at ease there, and happy filled the niche of ‘annoying small child who breaks everything but gets away with it because the older child takes responsibility’. Despite this, Ace put up with him quite willingly. Ace’s friend Shimon Arkasone was round often, and Damian had terrific fun terrorising him physically; but only because Shimon always fought back.

Damian still looks up to his older, wiser cousin, but is reluctant to admit that. He pretends not to have feelings at the risk of appearing weak. He is utterly non-politically correct and quite content with that. He hates authority, only listening to those who he respects.

He often mocks people, or lashes out with his short temper, but usually feels bad about it if he respects them. Damian wants to be liked, and he looks out for the people he cares about.

Damian confronted the teenagers, clutching his rocket launcher and staring them down his fiery brown eyes, almost alight with fire.

“Move,” he grunted.

“Who’s this big fella?” Will whimpered.

“He’s my cousin, Damian,” Ace answered.

“Ok. Why’s he looking at me like he wants to pull my head off?”

Ace couldn’t help but smirk. “He does that to everyone. Don’t worry about it.”

“Just don’t make any sudden movements around him…” Shimon grinned.

While Damian possesses magical abilities, like all Hidden Government soldiers; Weapon crafting is his primary focus. He wants to create the most dangerous tools known to mankind, no matter how ridiculous they may be and has certainly succeeded more than once. He enjoys making bombs, challenging himself to come up with more elaborate designs. Detonating these things is the ultimate pay off. Damian loves explosions. It is a form of art to him. His greatest joy however is modifying the RPG, to see what else can be ‘rocket propelled’ to good effect. Some of his best efforts include the RPNB (Rocket Propelled Nail Bomb), the RPBFOA (Rocket Propelled Beaker Full of Acid), and the RPBOLOT (Rocket Propelled Box of Liquid Oxygen and Thermite).

Damian is not a force of nature. He is something else. Damian actually thinks before he acts, which does not mean he necessarily thinks with much consideration for trifling things such as property damage, cost of repair, mental anguish, etc. His mind is on getting the job done, and his objective always involves creating the biggest explosion possible.

He just does what the voices in his head tell him to do, whoever those guys are.

004 Damian Character Sheet

Creation Facts:

  • Damian’s character was clearly inspired by any action movie you’ve ever seen, but also pretty much every character portrayed by Adrian Edmondson in the 80’s and 90’s.
  • I feel that, despite his temperament and aggression, Damian often speaks for the audience. He is usually the first character to speak up in protest when things don’t make sense. He often demands further explanation when plot points or key moments of the series pop up, barking off a short “Explain,” for clarification. He’s a great narrative device in that sense.
  • Damian also pulls a lot of faces to express his thoughts, despite this being a written medium. That’s just part of his character though – he’s a rule breaker; a truly metaphysical rule breaker.

Character Bios: Gretel Salneth

A soldier who needs re-training. She comes across as lazy and aloof, argumentative and unwilling to take part, but maybe she has every reason to feel that way.

Of course, excessive make up is not allowed in the military.

Gertrude ‘Gretel’ Salneth hails from Hungary, where she lived a quiet and unassuming life with her father and younger brother, occasionally helping around the family owned garage. Looking for a sense of purpose and wanting to go beyond the norm, she enlisted in the military. Without any choice or warning, she is transfered to the globally operating Hidden Government Army a few months later.

“Unfortunately, my name’s Gertrude. Gertrude Salneth.”

…

“It’s too old fashioned. I like to be called Gretel,” she said, smiling.

Recruit Salneth has become a familar face in the Myrtle Training Base. The 2003 season of training is her third appearance, and she doesn’t seem fussed. Captain Mason and his Lieutenants recognise her as a trouble maker – she lacks the discipline to work along side others, but Gretel claims that each squad she has been placed in were ‘a bunch of jerks’, among other words.

She speaks little about past experiences, but the recruits of 2003 seem more like her cup of tea. She likes her bunk mate – Tiffany – the only other woman in the group, even though they don’t walk much. She forms a close bound to Ace Mcdagger in particular; a kind, sweet hearted lad who seems very sad inside. She wants to work him out.

Gretel is happy to give everybody a chance, but she also makes it clear if you’re not responding to her. In reality, Gretel is considerent and honest; she does want to take part and work within a team, but she needs to feel comfortable with them. her arrogance is more of a shield. She tries to be ruthless in order to stop herself being nervous.

Gretel lowered her voice. “I do Witchcraft,” she said, and gave a cheeky smile. “Power of suggestion; manipulation, curses. I can make people do what I want.”

Sometimes she is very strong, and sometimes she is very fragile, espically when she realises that her past actions are putting her in jeopordy. The Hidden Government Army is a serious operation, and doesn’t take kindly to liabilities. Gretel simply isn’t ‘valuable’ enough to get away with her deeds, and she could pay for it any moment.

 

Creation Facts:

  • Gretel’s creation was a response to how Hollywood tends to make the goth girl bad, or downright evil. (think pretty much any character played by Fairuza Balk. Except Dorothy of course.)
  • Her weapon of choice is the AK-63, staple of the Hungarian Defence Force.
  • She is fluent in Hungarian, English, German and Russian.
  • Like the other characters in Call of the Conjurer, Gretel has a close affinity to one of the magical elements. Hers is Ice, although she hates having cold feet.