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Name: Colesign
Journal Name: gurrenbrigbonded
AIM Contact: aldo salt
Character Name: Matthew
Canon: Battletech (SRW UG@ continuity)
Tag Name: Matthew (Battletech)
Notes:
Matthew's a Jade Falcon Mechwarrior, a genetically engineered Trueborn trained and bred to be the ultimate warrior. As a devout Crusader, he is sworn to conquer the Inner Sphere, reclaim Terra, and bring both glory and Ilclan status to his Clan. The moment of the Jade Falcon invasion of Terra was the greatest moment of his life.
And then he done got his butt whupped by a mech with a freaky face on it. And now he's the bondsman to some freaky loudmouth with wicked shades.
And yet...the guy's kinda coooolllll...
As he settles into the antics of White Chalice life and the challenges of being a Gurren Brigadeer, Matthew's torrent of emotional conflict...WILL ONLY INTENSIFY.
Who the hell does he think he is, indeed.
(In brief, Matthew's an ascended NPC Battletch character who was featured in the Mission “Battle of the Behemoth's”, he's been mentioned subsequently as Kamina's bondsman: who hangs around, looks surly, and is eager for glory.
I want to see if I can flesh him out and milk all the bizarreness of having a grim real robot warrior caste guy working for the Invincible Kamina for all it's worth.)
Background: *REQUIRED*
Matthew had a Clan upbringing. A Jade Falcon clan upbringing, raised in a huge 'sibko' of young warriors decanted at the same time, a veritable pack of young energetic children raised with the expectation of of becoming the greatest warriors in the galaxy.
Matthew had no parents, no relatives, no genetic family members. But he had what could be termed as dozens upon dozens of close, close friends, pushing, teasing, wrestling, challenging, and looking out for each other as brothers and sister do...and doing all the things high-school teenagers do with each other too.
These were the times that were unambiguously happy: A Cast of young, energetic ruffians, pushing each other to greater heights of daring, dreaming of their future as saviors of the universe, the ones that would set things right and complete the conquest of the Inner Sphere once the truce expired.
Every Sibko has it's share of stories and myths, told around campfires and in longhouses: tales of the early years of the Settlement of the Homeworlds, of masterless ronin warrior wandering the countryside slaying bandits and evil kings, defeating mutant Clan Totems, bandits, Inner Sphere pirates, and the like.
Matthew wasn't one of the eager listeners: he was one of the Storytellers. With a loud, clear voice, an ability to do thousands of accents, falconer bird whistles, and an instinctive grasp of drama, he knocked his sib's cheap , recycled Clan socks off.
He told stories from the Remembrance, occasionally spiced up with strange new Battlemechs from alien civilizations, evil sorcerers, pirates, and mysterious lone swordsmen. He told tales of an adventuring Yeti, wandering across a snow planet, fighting evil with his severed arm as he searched for a doctor to sew it back on. A young gun-toting Clan warrior riding across a mysterious empty planet with a sentient motorbike.
Above all, he told stories about heroic warriors, honorable and fearless, who could do the impossible and stand against entire armies with passion and guts.
These tales made an impression on his sibko; they made an even greater impression on himself. And when bandits raided the Sibko camp, he stood against them with a homemade spear, defying them in a proud clarion call-voice akin to the Falcon's cry itself.
And then one of the bandits shot him in the throat. His Sibko managed to take down the bandits. But a Trothkin of his named Saul was shot...and paid the bandit back before he died. He was younger than Matthew, and very shy and quiet...but he loved Matthew's stories.
Matthew survived and acquired a scar...and never told stories quite as often afterwards.
The Sibko was shaken by this event...which made it easier for the instructors of Jade Falcon to break apart their group dynamic during their training regimens, encouraging antagonisms, foster competition and one-upmanship, severing their old ties and bonds so that military bonds could be forged.
Matthew pondered defying this, but didn't.This was the second regret of his life.
Yet in the cockpit of a battlemech, he was just a dramatic as ever, passionately embracing the honor codes of Zelbrigen, charging forward to the attack, and proclaiming himself in grand language sprinkled with Remembrance quotes. This was all behavior in line with the Jade Falcon spirit, but he had a decided knack for it. He wound up reconnecting ever so slightly with two of his former Trothkins, Lola and Dex, during the final training exercises, coming up with group taunts and smack talk
(Lola was the tech geek, and Dex the clownish, teasing type).
During their Trials of Position, they each quietly held off on attacking each other until they had each downed a mech. From then on, they had developed a new camaraderie. Matthew, of the three, was still the most distant. This was the third regret of his life.
They were all transferred to a frontline Galaxy near the Lyran Commonwealth, and for a year were involved in numerous garrisoning activities, skirmishes, and raid. Then the Refusal War broke out, and in the chaos of the mobilization, Waco's Rangers, an Merc group with anti-Clan leanings hired by some Lyran Politicos for purposes of diplomatic deniability, raided the border regions, and Matthew's garrison was attacked.
The Mercs played it smart, and challenged the garrison according to the tenants of Zelbriggen, manipulating the bidding process so as to strip away the Garrison's heavier units.
The battle was grueling, long, and didn't go well. The inexperience of the base commander let to their munitions being exhausted.
Before Matthew's Cluster could be properly savaged, an order from the Council came, ordering them to abandon their posts and reinforce the front lines against Klan Wolf. The Wacos refused the request of Hegira, and so a Trinary was sacrificed as a rearguard to hold off the Merc company long enough for the Dropship to make liftoff.
Dex was assigned to the rearguard. Matthew barely managed to say goodbye before retreating with the rest of the Cluster, and never got to say the things to his fellow Sib that he'd wanted too. This was his fourth regret.
Afterward, he was transferred out of his old Cluster, separated from his comrade Lola. After many battle, skirmishes, and duties, he came to serve under commander Sandra Pryde, who he held in very high esteem for embodying honor as easily and casually as someone breathing air.
And then, on a Jumpship bound for Morges...a rift in space and time sent him and a Jade Falcon Expeditionary force to Terra itself. With visions of Bloodnames, glory, and lines in the Remembrance dancing in their heads, the mighty forces of Jade Falcon made landfall to claim Terra...
Personality: *REQUIRED*
(Show us you know the character. At least 3 or 4 paragraphs is a good length for this section.)
He was Jade Falcon. The shining star among the Crusader Clans, their conviction and zeal shall sweep aside the corrupt and weak Inner Sphere and claim Terra, rising to the exalted station of IlClan, bringing a golden age to all.
He is now of the Gurren Brigade, but Matthew still believes in his former Clan, and still believes in the Crusader ideology with all his heart, even as he may work to defend Terra from other Crusader Clans.
But among the many varieties of Clan warriors, he could be classified as one thing in particular:
A Punk.
He's a young, aggressive, dogmatic Mechwarrior, who takes everything too seriously and acts 'Mature' in that very special way only the immature can manage. Full of energy and obsession with all the life goals of a Clanner, he has no personal life or rewarding hobbies, and has not yet realized why devoting all his attention to duty, Bloodnames, and Glorious Victory is a bad thing.
He attempts to put on a persona of a grim, disciplined warrior, whose passion and zeal for combat, honor, and eventual death in battle follows the orthodoxy of Jade Falcon. Poke him, however, and his somewhat Tsundere tendencies come out.
At slights to his honor, challenges, taunts, and things that offend his Crusader sensibilities, he will mouth off like nobody's business, and often put his money wherever said mouth goes. Any thought of tact when dealing with freeborns and mercenaries will fly out the window when he's riled.
And when he profoundly moved by something, or in a more private setting, he'll let slip his inner love of the dramatic, his panache for storytelling and stories, and his fanboy tendencies for hot-blooded heroes of justice and impossible deeds.
Bring up his dere moments, and he'll call you a Surat.
This is his initial characterization. As time goes on, he'll grow in many varied ways. He'll mellow out. He'll learn to work with his inner drama queen rather than try to seal it away. He'll come to respect his Fellow White Chalice/Gurren Brigade members, then admire them, then become a true and loyal companion. His ideals will evolve, and he'll learn to fight for his own destiny and glory outside of the framework of Crusader dogma.
Or in a nutshell:
As Matthew journeys with the White Chalice and the Gurren Brigade, he'll learn to tell stories again.
Capabilities and Resources:
He's a genetically engineered super soldier: top physical condition, high reflexes, solid intellect, and almost-literally spartan training in war, piloting, and tactics. He doesn't quite have the head for strategy though, and he's an amateur at anything not related to bashing the enemy on the battlefield.
On the battlefield, he's bold, has good reflexes, and is a good shot. He tends to focus exclusively on dealing damage to his opponents, however, forgets to utilize cover, and ignores damage when he really shouldn't. Techs glare at him when he brings his mech back in from the field.
As with other Clan protagonists, his character arc will have him mellow out and learn to do and appreciate new things.
He believes himself to be a tranquil, disciplined, and serious fighter, the pinnacle of the ideals of a Clan warrior. Nobody else is fooled for an instant.
Not very deep down, Matthew is a hot-head. Not just any type of hot-head, but a hammy hot-head. It was destiny that brought him into the ranks of the brotherhood of manly souls, and who knows what the burning depths of his passion may lead him to under the proper tutelage.
He's also a very good storyteller. He can write stories nicely, but where he truly shines is around a campfire, gesturing, shouting, whispering, gesticulating, and the like. Think Dillios from 300, minus the leather underpants (and historical inaccuracies).
(*REQUIRED* if you have a robot)
Robot Name:
Nova: (Very Private Nickname, The Winged Star)
Robot Description:
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Nova_(Black_Hawk)
There are many Real Robots like it, but this one is his.
The Nova is one of the earlier Clan Omnimechs, and a devastating opponent in land combat even up against heavier tonnage: it's also a mecha that's not gentle, and will turn on the pilot if he/she's careless.
It's a medium class mech with good land speed, potent jump jets, good armor, and a large assortment of heat sinks. In appearance, it resembles a squat wide shouldered bird/kangaroo, with a jet-like cockpit, chicken legs, and squarish forward facing arms with fists.
The heat sinks don't help as much as you'd think, because it mounts over 12 extended range medium lasers. In group fire, they shred armor like nobody's business. Against infantry, they can decimate and suppress. They can down all but the heaviest of mook mechs when fired in a single Alpha Strike. And maybe, just maybe, the Nova won't explode right after.
Besides the dangerous heat curve that the Nova runs, it lacks a proper torso: as a result, it can't circle strafe a target in the usual Battlemech fashion. A skilled user, however, can use the Nova's jump jets, properly feathered, to side-step, strafe, leap over, and otherwise evade enemy fire. Matthew is still working on mastering that skill.
(What weapons does it have and what can they do? Is your mecha a super (superhero-y) robot or a real (military-ish) robot? Does it have any special armor or forcefields? Magical powers? Traits? Can it fly? How? Feel free to link to a wiki or fansite to give an overview, but write the details down here.)
Terrain Stats: (This is optional, but for those who have played SRW, this is a good way to give us a quick judge of how good your mech is overall. For those of you who haven't played the games, they are measured: --, D, C, B, A, S, with -- or D meaning it can't fight there at all and S being the best. Note that only upgrades tend to have an S unless they are entirely gimped or unusable in other areas.)
Land: S
Air: C
Sea: C
Space: Default D (Rank A later when Matthew modifies the jump jets and attaches the Deep Space Modules.)
Upgrades: (if any)
Upgrade 1: Nova Messenger
Matthew eventually has a revelation about his trusty old Nova.
One, it overheats too rapidly, even with it's large array of heat sinks. And yet there's no room for additional heat sinks on the outside, not without nerfing it's striking power anyways.
It doesn't have provisions for close combat. A Earth Sphere Mech gets in close, and it can punch the coolant out of him like nobody's business...and too many of these Stravag-Freebirth Snot encrusted Earth Mechs have brutal melee attacks...and sweet pointy sunglasses–no, focus!
Lastly, every other Earth Sphere Mech and it's cousin can maneuver and fight in space. The Nova has potent jump jet capabilities, but in it's current form, it can only flail about or cling to the side of a ship.
How to solve these issues? Plot elements and character growth will lead to Matthew shucking some trueborn-related conceits, and he'll start studying and hanging with the Tech Castes.
He'll read about old-style radiators for spaceships, that dissipate heat in the vacuum of space through superheating metal fins until they glow.
He'll also read about the heat axes and sabers that were used by Zeon in the One Year War.
Idea.
The Mark II Nova Messenger is what results from this brainstorm. It attaches maneuvering jets at strategic locations on the Nova's torso and legs. It adds two thruster modules to the Nova's back and shoulders, that can sync with the reactor to propel out reaction mass and let it maneuver and travel in space.
(The weight of the modifications make it slower while walking, but the additional rockets and tweaked jump jets allow it to do 'rocket charges').
Sticking out from these thruster modules are six large metal radiators that taper to points, made of an endo-titanium/tungsten core plated with ferro-fiber-infused quartz. They radiate outward from the thruster modules in a fashion that resembles wings at a distance, and can move and rotate on gimbals, facing forwards, backwards or out to the sides
Two smaller radiator fins are also attached to the sides of the Nova's arms. As with the main radiator array, they are mounted on gimbals, and can flip forward to act as punch-dagger style swords.
When the Nova is running cool, the radiators glow a dull red and can cut through armor somewhat better than a normal sharp blade. As the Nova Messenger's heat curve runs higher and higher, the radiator blades grow hotter and hotter: When the blades are glowing bright orange/yellow, conventional armor is like butter–any hotter and the radiator blades will start to melt. Both the arm radiators and thruster radiators are tough enough to be used in melee, giving the modified Nova a potent porcupine-esque edge.
The additional radiators help the Nova Messenger even on the ground: it can now Alpha Strike without shutting down or exploding. It's still a Sauna of a Mech, though, and still as dangerous to foolish pilots as it ever was.
Upgrade 2: Do the Impossible and Kick Reason to the Curb...
Assuming he hangs around the Gurren Brigade long enough, strange things may start happening waaaayyyy in the future. His radiator fins might start looking more and more like drills. His lasers might get a little greener and more powerful...and 'gattais' may happen...
Until that hypothetical 'then', he'll stay thoroughly real robot.
Job: (if any)
Personal bondsmen to members of the Gurren Brigade: he has to be their servant, do chores and dirty work, and learn the ways of his new clan. When judged worthy, his bond-cord will be severed and he may arise as a Mechwarrior once more.
However, this is Kamina and the Gurren Brigade we're talking about. They don't grok Bondsman protocols. They might 'try' to let him get back in his Mech right off the bat, in blatant disregard of Clan traditions. They might nudge him into doing Gurren Lagann esque stuff. This shall frustrate him at first.
But Honor and Loyalty...and secretadmirationhush...will keep him true and steadfast.
Suggested Event List: (The event list should consist of important combat actions that would make good material for missions, or special events and logs that require mod or NPC intervention. Feel free to label an event as a Mission or a Log. At this point, canons should not have more than 20 events total.)
Matthew will quite likely play a role in the Battletech and Gurren Lagann canons if he's deemed worthy of approval. But in terms of original story missions based around his character, here are some ideas...
Mission 1: Everybody Wants to Kick a Merc!
More invaders from the Battletech Universe come barging in! It's not the Word of Blake or the Clans this time–It's goddamned Mercenaries! And not just any, but Waco's Rangers, the merc group that played dirty and killed his Trothkin! Matthew's got a score to settle against these evil profiteers, and he's going to let them know it (All the while not realizing that his regret for his Trothkin's glorious death is somewhat unclanlike).
Wayne Waco*, when confronted will have a blank look on his face until he's reminded which particular battle Matthew is worked up about. How shall this hamper Matthew's ability to think clearly, and how shall the Wily Wacos exploit this?
* http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Wayne_Waco
Mission 2: We Meet Again, My Friend:
Jade Falcon's next wave hits the Earth Sphere, and the White Chalice finds itself in battle again against a scouting cluster...led by Lola, her old Trothkin friend and survivor against the Rangers! Once members of the same clan, he finds himself pitted against a true companion, trapped and obligated by honor! Will he be forced to do something awful, or will the lessons taught to him by the brotherhood of manly souls convince him to find a better way?
Mission 3: Showdown at the Waco Corral:
Wacco's Rangers are back! Instead of working for the Lyran two-faced bastards, they're working for the dezgra surat-spawned Word of Blake, backing up a Blake Task Force looking to reclaim Terra with WMD tactics!
No matter what, Matthew will give his all, will lay down even his life, to destroy his enemies...and Avenge All His Fallen Friends!
Sample Post: *REQUIRED* (This should be in character, though it could be a journal entry or an action post or what have you. The purpose of this is to get a feel for your writing style and portrayal of the character.)
Matthew breathed out and in, drawing in moist, scorching air as the Behemoth finally fell, head smoking and ruined from the final flamer unit blast of the Terran Mechwarrior. It struck the ground, and it's mass and internal explosions cause the earth to rumble, resonating up through his Nova's legs and into his cockpit.
“Seyla.” He whispered, eyes brimming with what he firmly convinced himself to be the stinging sensation of his cockpit air.
But still...such bravery, such fearlessness in the service of comrades...this warrior was truly a credit to all freeborns everywhere, of the same rank as the great Mirioberg herself.
Matthew, Mechwarrior of Jade Falcon, swore to himself privately that his death in combat would surpass that of this Earthborn warrior.
But then his ruminations were cut off, as the Clan Wolf in Exile leader Ranna challenged Star Captain Sandra Pryde to a duel, bidding herself, the Wolf mechwarrior that Tynall had mentioned once in the dinning hall with a scowl, and three strange Earth Sphere Mechs.
Their features and limbs looked wrong to him, as if they were mechs truly designed by the aliens the Inner Sphere freeborns had initially thought them to be. They were...
“Like Beasts.” He whispered. “Fell horned demons from some great netherworld, summoned by an evil conjurer and set against all mankind. And against all their power and malice, against their conceit, the warrior of Jade Falcon rode...”
His voice trailed off. He pushed away the prose that rose up in his head, forcing himself to focus on the excitement of the upcoming bid, tensing, waiting...
“Mechwarrior Matthew!” Star Captain Pryde barked. “You shall form part of our Battcall. Fight well and cautiously. The freeborns Star Commander Ranna bring are no fodder.”
“Aff!” Matthew said, mouth breaking open into a wide, wide grin. “I shall destroy the enemy, Star Captain, and trod upon their Isorla-marked hindquarters amidst the wreckage!”
He reached for the throttle to moved his mech forward. The warrior Resnick of Clan Wolf transmitted a message!
“Freeborn warriors! Tell them who you are!”
Then on the public frequency, a new voice blared out as a crimson mech–
Matthew blinked. A torso for a face?
–raised it's remaining arm up the sky, posing on top of the wreckage of one of the scarab enemies.
"The leader of the Gurren Brigade, that which leaves any mere clan quivering in fear and envy, the hero of Jeeha who broke free and will leave his mark on the world forever! When they're talking about that man, they're talking about me! The Invincible Kamina!"
Everything fell away from Matthew's mind. Thoughts of composure, of death in battle, the calculations of possible Isorla and progress towards rank and the opportunity to fight for a Bloodname. His eyes widened, and a smile krept across his face without noticing. From deep inside himself, as it had long ago, words came. He moved his mech forward to face the one with a face, light exploding behind his eyes.
“Then I will be for you,” He growled, “Man of Men, Invincible Kamina!”
The others made their challenges, but Matthew barely noticed the other events, his vision, his world, narrowing down to the crimson mech with a face, this glorious opponent to be crushed with magnificent bombast.
This was destiny. This was greatness. This was the launch of his rising star.
“With falcon sight we choose our foes.” He said, voice pronouncing each syllable with verve. “On falcon wings we harry them. With falcon claws we smite our foes. And with falcon tenacity we win!”
He stroked his controls as he faced the mech of the man called Kamina, tying his lasers into several weapon groups. He bared his teeth in a grin, ready to bring the sunlight of his 'Nova' down upon this glorious upstart of a freebirth demon leader–
It charged! A projectile flew forth! He–
%%%
“You Sacrifice Yourself For Armament?” Matthew snarled. This **** is this?
“It was broken anyway!”
That...that does not...
%%%
–Crash!–
“Damned Freebirth! Fight with some honor!”
By which Matthew meant, STOP PUNCHING!
“A real man fights with his fists! Learn that before your talking to me about honor!”
But those are not your actual fists–
–Thunk, Crash!–
%%%
Alarms were going off in Matthew's cockpit as he hung limply in his straps, his HUD's damage display blinking yellow, his mech battered from the fall, but otherwise still intact. Matthew wasn't sure whether that was fortunate, or extra humiliating.
There was a crackle on the radio.
“That's what you get for going up against the Gurren Brigade! Heh-Heh Hahahahaha!!!”
There was a thump and a rocking of the Nova's chassis as the madman Kamina placed a foot on his Mech's flank, not seeking to crush him in the cockpit, but merely for the sake of a victory pose.
Matthew finally put together a concrete thought and statement.
“What.”
Journal Name: gurrenbrigbonded
AIM Contact: aldo salt
Character Name: Matthew
Canon: Battletech (SRW UG@ continuity)
Tag Name: Matthew (Battletech)
Notes:
Matthew's a Jade Falcon Mechwarrior, a genetically engineered Trueborn trained and bred to be the ultimate warrior. As a devout Crusader, he is sworn to conquer the Inner Sphere, reclaim Terra, and bring both glory and Ilclan status to his Clan. The moment of the Jade Falcon invasion of Terra was the greatest moment of his life.
And then he done got his butt whupped by a mech with a freaky face on it. And now he's the bondsman to some freaky loudmouth with wicked shades.
And yet...the guy's kinda coooolllll...
As he settles into the antics of White Chalice life and the challenges of being a Gurren Brigadeer, Matthew's torrent of emotional conflict...WILL ONLY INTENSIFY.
Who the hell does he think he is, indeed.
(In brief, Matthew's an ascended NPC Battletch character who was featured in the Mission “Battle of the Behemoth's”, he's been mentioned subsequently as Kamina's bondsman: who hangs around, looks surly, and is eager for glory.
I want to see if I can flesh him out and milk all the bizarreness of having a grim real robot warrior caste guy working for the Invincible Kamina for all it's worth.)
Background: *REQUIRED*
Matthew had a Clan upbringing. A Jade Falcon clan upbringing, raised in a huge 'sibko' of young warriors decanted at the same time, a veritable pack of young energetic children raised with the expectation of of becoming the greatest warriors in the galaxy.
Matthew had no parents, no relatives, no genetic family members. But he had what could be termed as dozens upon dozens of close, close friends, pushing, teasing, wrestling, challenging, and looking out for each other as brothers and sister do...and doing all the things high-school teenagers do with each other too.
These were the times that were unambiguously happy: A Cast of young, energetic ruffians, pushing each other to greater heights of daring, dreaming of their future as saviors of the universe, the ones that would set things right and complete the conquest of the Inner Sphere once the truce expired.
Every Sibko has it's share of stories and myths, told around campfires and in longhouses: tales of the early years of the Settlement of the Homeworlds, of masterless ronin warrior wandering the countryside slaying bandits and evil kings, defeating mutant Clan Totems, bandits, Inner Sphere pirates, and the like.
Matthew wasn't one of the eager listeners: he was one of the Storytellers. With a loud, clear voice, an ability to do thousands of accents, falconer bird whistles, and an instinctive grasp of drama, he knocked his sib's cheap , recycled Clan socks off.
He told stories from the Remembrance, occasionally spiced up with strange new Battlemechs from alien civilizations, evil sorcerers, pirates, and mysterious lone swordsmen. He told tales of an adventuring Yeti, wandering across a snow planet, fighting evil with his severed arm as he searched for a doctor to sew it back on. A young gun-toting Clan warrior riding across a mysterious empty planet with a sentient motorbike.
Above all, he told stories about heroic warriors, honorable and fearless, who could do the impossible and stand against entire armies with passion and guts.
These tales made an impression on his sibko; they made an even greater impression on himself. And when bandits raided the Sibko camp, he stood against them with a homemade spear, defying them in a proud clarion call-voice akin to the Falcon's cry itself.
And then one of the bandits shot him in the throat. His Sibko managed to take down the bandits. But a Trothkin of his named Saul was shot...and paid the bandit back before he died. He was younger than Matthew, and very shy and quiet...but he loved Matthew's stories.
Matthew survived and acquired a scar...and never told stories quite as often afterwards.
The Sibko was shaken by this event...which made it easier for the instructors of Jade Falcon to break apart their group dynamic during their training regimens, encouraging antagonisms, foster competition and one-upmanship, severing their old ties and bonds so that military bonds could be forged.
Matthew pondered defying this, but didn't.This was the second regret of his life.
Yet in the cockpit of a battlemech, he was just a dramatic as ever, passionately embracing the honor codes of Zelbrigen, charging forward to the attack, and proclaiming himself in grand language sprinkled with Remembrance quotes. This was all behavior in line with the Jade Falcon spirit, but he had a decided knack for it. He wound up reconnecting ever so slightly with two of his former Trothkins, Lola and Dex, during the final training exercises, coming up with group taunts and smack talk
(Lola was the tech geek, and Dex the clownish, teasing type).
During their Trials of Position, they each quietly held off on attacking each other until they had each downed a mech. From then on, they had developed a new camaraderie. Matthew, of the three, was still the most distant. This was the third regret of his life.
They were all transferred to a frontline Galaxy near the Lyran Commonwealth, and for a year were involved in numerous garrisoning activities, skirmishes, and raid. Then the Refusal War broke out, and in the chaos of the mobilization, Waco's Rangers, an Merc group with anti-Clan leanings hired by some Lyran Politicos for purposes of diplomatic deniability, raided the border regions, and Matthew's garrison was attacked.
The Mercs played it smart, and challenged the garrison according to the tenants of Zelbriggen, manipulating the bidding process so as to strip away the Garrison's heavier units.
The battle was grueling, long, and didn't go well. The inexperience of the base commander let to their munitions being exhausted.
Before Matthew's Cluster could be properly savaged, an order from the Council came, ordering them to abandon their posts and reinforce the front lines against Klan Wolf. The Wacos refused the request of Hegira, and so a Trinary was sacrificed as a rearguard to hold off the Merc company long enough for the Dropship to make liftoff.
Dex was assigned to the rearguard. Matthew barely managed to say goodbye before retreating with the rest of the Cluster, and never got to say the things to his fellow Sib that he'd wanted too. This was his fourth regret.
Afterward, he was transferred out of his old Cluster, separated from his comrade Lola. After many battle, skirmishes, and duties, he came to serve under commander Sandra Pryde, who he held in very high esteem for embodying honor as easily and casually as someone breathing air.
And then, on a Jumpship bound for Morges...a rift in space and time sent him and a Jade Falcon Expeditionary force to Terra itself. With visions of Bloodnames, glory, and lines in the Remembrance dancing in their heads, the mighty forces of Jade Falcon made landfall to claim Terra...
Personality: *REQUIRED*
(Show us you know the character. At least 3 or 4 paragraphs is a good length for this section.)
He was Jade Falcon. The shining star among the Crusader Clans, their conviction and zeal shall sweep aside the corrupt and weak Inner Sphere and claim Terra, rising to the exalted station of IlClan, bringing a golden age to all.
He is now of the Gurren Brigade, but Matthew still believes in his former Clan, and still believes in the Crusader ideology with all his heart, even as he may work to defend Terra from other Crusader Clans.
But among the many varieties of Clan warriors, he could be classified as one thing in particular:
A Punk.
He's a young, aggressive, dogmatic Mechwarrior, who takes everything too seriously and acts 'Mature' in that very special way only the immature can manage. Full of energy and obsession with all the life goals of a Clanner, he has no personal life or rewarding hobbies, and has not yet realized why devoting all his attention to duty, Bloodnames, and Glorious Victory is a bad thing.
He attempts to put on a persona of a grim, disciplined warrior, whose passion and zeal for combat, honor, and eventual death in battle follows the orthodoxy of Jade Falcon. Poke him, however, and his somewhat Tsundere tendencies come out.
At slights to his honor, challenges, taunts, and things that offend his Crusader sensibilities, he will mouth off like nobody's business, and often put his money wherever said mouth goes. Any thought of tact when dealing with freeborns and mercenaries will fly out the window when he's riled.
And when he profoundly moved by something, or in a more private setting, he'll let slip his inner love of the dramatic, his panache for storytelling and stories, and his fanboy tendencies for hot-blooded heroes of justice and impossible deeds.
Bring up his dere moments, and he'll call you a Surat.
This is his initial characterization. As time goes on, he'll grow in many varied ways. He'll mellow out. He'll learn to work with his inner drama queen rather than try to seal it away. He'll come to respect his Fellow White Chalice/Gurren Brigade members, then admire them, then become a true and loyal companion. His ideals will evolve, and he'll learn to fight for his own destiny and glory outside of the framework of Crusader dogma.
Or in a nutshell:
As Matthew journeys with the White Chalice and the Gurren Brigade, he'll learn to tell stories again.
Capabilities and Resources:
He's a genetically engineered super soldier: top physical condition, high reflexes, solid intellect, and almost-literally spartan training in war, piloting, and tactics. He doesn't quite have the head for strategy though, and he's an amateur at anything not related to bashing the enemy on the battlefield.
On the battlefield, he's bold, has good reflexes, and is a good shot. He tends to focus exclusively on dealing damage to his opponents, however, forgets to utilize cover, and ignores damage when he really shouldn't. Techs glare at him when he brings his mech back in from the field.
As with other Clan protagonists, his character arc will have him mellow out and learn to do and appreciate new things.
He believes himself to be a tranquil, disciplined, and serious fighter, the pinnacle of the ideals of a Clan warrior. Nobody else is fooled for an instant.
Not very deep down, Matthew is a hot-head. Not just any type of hot-head, but a hammy hot-head. It was destiny that brought him into the ranks of the brotherhood of manly souls, and who knows what the burning depths of his passion may lead him to under the proper tutelage.
He's also a very good storyteller. He can write stories nicely, but where he truly shines is around a campfire, gesturing, shouting, whispering, gesticulating, and the like. Think Dillios from 300, minus the leather underpants (and historical inaccuracies).
(*REQUIRED* if you have a robot)
Robot Name:
Nova: (Very Private Nickname, The Winged Star)
Robot Description:
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Nova_(Black_Hawk)
There are many Real Robots like it, but this one is his.
The Nova is one of the earlier Clan Omnimechs, and a devastating opponent in land combat even up against heavier tonnage: it's also a mecha that's not gentle, and will turn on the pilot if he/she's careless.
It's a medium class mech with good land speed, potent jump jets, good armor, and a large assortment of heat sinks. In appearance, it resembles a squat wide shouldered bird/kangaroo, with a jet-like cockpit, chicken legs, and squarish forward facing arms with fists.
The heat sinks don't help as much as you'd think, because it mounts over 12 extended range medium lasers. In group fire, they shred armor like nobody's business. Against infantry, they can decimate and suppress. They can down all but the heaviest of mook mechs when fired in a single Alpha Strike. And maybe, just maybe, the Nova won't explode right after.
Besides the dangerous heat curve that the Nova runs, it lacks a proper torso: as a result, it can't circle strafe a target in the usual Battlemech fashion. A skilled user, however, can use the Nova's jump jets, properly feathered, to side-step, strafe, leap over, and otherwise evade enemy fire. Matthew is still working on mastering that skill.
(What weapons does it have and what can they do? Is your mecha a super (superhero-y) robot or a real (military-ish) robot? Does it have any special armor or forcefields? Magical powers? Traits? Can it fly? How? Feel free to link to a wiki or fansite to give an overview, but write the details down here.)
Terrain Stats: (This is optional, but for those who have played SRW, this is a good way to give us a quick judge of how good your mech is overall. For those of you who haven't played the games, they are measured: --, D, C, B, A, S, with -- or D meaning it can't fight there at all and S being the best. Note that only upgrades tend to have an S unless they are entirely gimped or unusable in other areas.)
Land: S
Air: C
Sea: C
Space: Default D (Rank A later when Matthew modifies the jump jets and attaches the Deep Space Modules.)
Upgrades: (if any)
Upgrade 1: Nova Messenger
Matthew eventually has a revelation about his trusty old Nova.
One, it overheats too rapidly, even with it's large array of heat sinks. And yet there's no room for additional heat sinks on the outside, not without nerfing it's striking power anyways.
It doesn't have provisions for close combat. A Earth Sphere Mech gets in close, and it can punch the coolant out of him like nobody's business...and too many of these Stravag-Freebirth Snot encrusted Earth Mechs have brutal melee attacks...and sweet pointy sunglasses–no, focus!
Lastly, every other Earth Sphere Mech and it's cousin can maneuver and fight in space. The Nova has potent jump jet capabilities, but in it's current form, it can only flail about or cling to the side of a ship.
How to solve these issues? Plot elements and character growth will lead to Matthew shucking some trueborn-related conceits, and he'll start studying and hanging with the Tech Castes.
He'll read about old-style radiators for spaceships, that dissipate heat in the vacuum of space through superheating metal fins until they glow.
He'll also read about the heat axes and sabers that were used by Zeon in the One Year War.
Idea.
The Mark II Nova Messenger is what results from this brainstorm. It attaches maneuvering jets at strategic locations on the Nova's torso and legs. It adds two thruster modules to the Nova's back and shoulders, that can sync with the reactor to propel out reaction mass and let it maneuver and travel in space.
(The weight of the modifications make it slower while walking, but the additional rockets and tweaked jump jets allow it to do 'rocket charges').
Sticking out from these thruster modules are six large metal radiators that taper to points, made of an endo-titanium/tungsten core plated with ferro-fiber-infused quartz. They radiate outward from the thruster modules in a fashion that resembles wings at a distance, and can move and rotate on gimbals, facing forwards, backwards or out to the sides
Two smaller radiator fins are also attached to the sides of the Nova's arms. As with the main radiator array, they are mounted on gimbals, and can flip forward to act as punch-dagger style swords.
When the Nova is running cool, the radiators glow a dull red and can cut through armor somewhat better than a normal sharp blade. As the Nova Messenger's heat curve runs higher and higher, the radiator blades grow hotter and hotter: When the blades are glowing bright orange/yellow, conventional armor is like butter–any hotter and the radiator blades will start to melt. Both the arm radiators and thruster radiators are tough enough to be used in melee, giving the modified Nova a potent porcupine-esque edge.
The additional radiators help the Nova Messenger even on the ground: it can now Alpha Strike without shutting down or exploding. It's still a Sauna of a Mech, though, and still as dangerous to foolish pilots as it ever was.
Upgrade 2: Do the Impossible and Kick Reason to the Curb...
Assuming he hangs around the Gurren Brigade long enough, strange things may start happening waaaayyyy in the future. His radiator fins might start looking more and more like drills. His lasers might get a little greener and more powerful...and 'gattais' may happen...
Until that hypothetical 'then', he'll stay thoroughly real robot.
Job: (if any)
Personal bondsmen to members of the Gurren Brigade: he has to be their servant, do chores and dirty work, and learn the ways of his new clan. When judged worthy, his bond-cord will be severed and he may arise as a Mechwarrior once more.
However, this is Kamina and the Gurren Brigade we're talking about. They don't grok Bondsman protocols. They might 'try' to let him get back in his Mech right off the bat, in blatant disregard of Clan traditions. They might nudge him into doing Gurren Lagann esque stuff. This shall frustrate him at first.
But Honor and Loyalty...and secretadmirationhush...will keep him true and steadfast.
Suggested Event List: (The event list should consist of important combat actions that would make good material for missions, or special events and logs that require mod or NPC intervention. Feel free to label an event as a Mission or a Log. At this point, canons should not have more than 20 events total.)
Matthew will quite likely play a role in the Battletech and Gurren Lagann canons if he's deemed worthy of approval. But in terms of original story missions based around his character, here are some ideas...
Mission 1: Everybody Wants to Kick a Merc!
More invaders from the Battletech Universe come barging in! It's not the Word of Blake or the Clans this time–It's goddamned Mercenaries! And not just any, but Waco's Rangers, the merc group that played dirty and killed his Trothkin! Matthew's got a score to settle against these evil profiteers, and he's going to let them know it (All the while not realizing that his regret for his Trothkin's glorious death is somewhat unclanlike).
Wayne Waco*, when confronted will have a blank look on his face until he's reminded which particular battle Matthew is worked up about. How shall this hamper Matthew's ability to think clearly, and how shall the Wily Wacos exploit this?
* http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Wayne_Waco
Mission 2: We Meet Again, My Friend:
Jade Falcon's next wave hits the Earth Sphere, and the White Chalice finds itself in battle again against a scouting cluster...led by Lola, her old Trothkin friend and survivor against the Rangers! Once members of the same clan, he finds himself pitted against a true companion, trapped and obligated by honor! Will he be forced to do something awful, or will the lessons taught to him by the brotherhood of manly souls convince him to find a better way?
Mission 3: Showdown at the Waco Corral:
Wacco's Rangers are back! Instead of working for the Lyran two-faced bastards, they're working for the dezgra surat-spawned Word of Blake, backing up a Blake Task Force looking to reclaim Terra with WMD tactics!
No matter what, Matthew will give his all, will lay down even his life, to destroy his enemies...and Avenge All His Fallen Friends!
Sample Post: *REQUIRED* (This should be in character, though it could be a journal entry or an action post or what have you. The purpose of this is to get a feel for your writing style and portrayal of the character.)
Matthew breathed out and in, drawing in moist, scorching air as the Behemoth finally fell, head smoking and ruined from the final flamer unit blast of the Terran Mechwarrior. It struck the ground, and it's mass and internal explosions cause the earth to rumble, resonating up through his Nova's legs and into his cockpit.
“Seyla.” He whispered, eyes brimming with what he firmly convinced himself to be the stinging sensation of his cockpit air.
But still...such bravery, such fearlessness in the service of comrades...this warrior was truly a credit to all freeborns everywhere, of the same rank as the great Mirioberg herself.
Matthew, Mechwarrior of Jade Falcon, swore to himself privately that his death in combat would surpass that of this Earthborn warrior.
But then his ruminations were cut off, as the Clan Wolf in Exile leader Ranna challenged Star Captain Sandra Pryde to a duel, bidding herself, the Wolf mechwarrior that Tynall had mentioned once in the dinning hall with a scowl, and three strange Earth Sphere Mechs.
Their features and limbs looked wrong to him, as if they were mechs truly designed by the aliens the Inner Sphere freeborns had initially thought them to be. They were...
“Like Beasts.” He whispered. “Fell horned demons from some great netherworld, summoned by an evil conjurer and set against all mankind. And against all their power and malice, against their conceit, the warrior of Jade Falcon rode...”
His voice trailed off. He pushed away the prose that rose up in his head, forcing himself to focus on the excitement of the upcoming bid, tensing, waiting...
“Mechwarrior Matthew!” Star Captain Pryde barked. “You shall form part of our Battcall. Fight well and cautiously. The freeborns Star Commander Ranna bring are no fodder.”
“Aff!” Matthew said, mouth breaking open into a wide, wide grin. “I shall destroy the enemy, Star Captain, and trod upon their Isorla-marked hindquarters amidst the wreckage!”
He reached for the throttle to moved his mech forward. The warrior Resnick of Clan Wolf transmitted a message!
“Freeborn warriors! Tell them who you are!”
Then on the public frequency, a new voice blared out as a crimson mech–
Matthew blinked. A torso for a face?
–raised it's remaining arm up the sky, posing on top of the wreckage of one of the scarab enemies.
"The leader of the Gurren Brigade, that which leaves any mere clan quivering in fear and envy, the hero of Jeeha who broke free and will leave his mark on the world forever! When they're talking about that man, they're talking about me! The Invincible Kamina!"
Everything fell away from Matthew's mind. Thoughts of composure, of death in battle, the calculations of possible Isorla and progress towards rank and the opportunity to fight for a Bloodname. His eyes widened, and a smile krept across his face without noticing. From deep inside himself, as it had long ago, words came. He moved his mech forward to face the one with a face, light exploding behind his eyes.
“Then I will be for you,” He growled, “Man of Men, Invincible Kamina!”
The others made their challenges, but Matthew barely noticed the other events, his vision, his world, narrowing down to the crimson mech with a face, this glorious opponent to be crushed with magnificent bombast.
This was destiny. This was greatness. This was the launch of his rising star.
“With falcon sight we choose our foes.” He said, voice pronouncing each syllable with verve. “On falcon wings we harry them. With falcon claws we smite our foes. And with falcon tenacity we win!”
He stroked his controls as he faced the mech of the man called Kamina, tying his lasers into several weapon groups. He bared his teeth in a grin, ready to bring the sunlight of his 'Nova' down upon this glorious upstart of a freebirth demon leader–
It charged! A projectile flew forth! He–
%%%
“You Sacrifice Yourself For Armament?” Matthew snarled. This **** is this?
“It was broken anyway!”
That...that does not...
%%%
–Crash!–
“Damned Freebirth! Fight with some honor!”
By which Matthew meant, STOP PUNCHING!
“A real man fights with his fists! Learn that before your talking to me about honor!”
But those are not your actual fists–
–Thunk, Crash!–
%%%
Alarms were going off in Matthew's cockpit as he hung limply in his straps, his HUD's damage display blinking yellow, his mech battered from the fall, but otherwise still intact. Matthew wasn't sure whether that was fortunate, or extra humiliating.
There was a crackle on the radio.
“That's what you get for going up against the Gurren Brigade! Heh-Heh Hahahahaha!!!”
There was a thump and a rocking of the Nova's chassis as the madman Kamina placed a foot on his Mech's flank, not seeking to crush him in the cockpit, but merely for the sake of a victory pose.
Matthew finally put together a concrete thought and statement.
“What.”
