![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tartaros_avatarBASIC INFO
Name: Stefan Richter
Canon: City of Heroes/City of Villains
Canon Point: July 5th, 1930, Praetorian Earth timeline.
Species: Metahuman
Occupation: Thief, mercenary, Great War veteran, sacrifice on the altar of Dark Timeline vibes
Height: 6'6" (198 cm)
Age: 37
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Gray
OOC
Name: Spider
Plurk: PaleAntiquarian (@ me if you want something)
Discord: CellarSpider9984 (always here)
PERMISSIONS
Backtagging? Please!
Smash the fourth wall? Yes, with some reservations! Let's talk.
Hurt him? Yes, with discussion beforehand.
Kill him? He should be used to it by now. Go for it, but seek permission first.
Touch him? Feel free!
Naughty things? He's down for casual intimate relationships.
ABOUT
Stefan Richter grew up on an Earth that seemed perfectly normal. Everything had a rational explanation. Every suggestion of magic or the mystic was superstition and con artistry, and the strange, glowing cure-all amulet owned by his best friend was probably just radioactive.
Growing up as a second-generation immigrant in the US East Coast metropolis of Shroud City, Stefan and Marcus Cole were inseparable, first organizing a child street gang, then a dockworker's union, then going off to the Great War together. When Marcus was poisoned by mustard gas, Stefan stayed by his side as comrade and caretaker. After the war, they and their friends worked as mercenaries, building up funds for Marcus's failed treatments.
Eventually, they formulated a long-shot plan: seek the source of the amulet Marcus kept with him, an adventure that would see them simultaneously stealing from England's high society and simultaneously infiltrating Scotland Yard for three long years. As Marcus got sicker and more abrasive, Stefan had to dedicate more of his life to caring for him, an increasingly thankless task. Tensions flared. Whether they reached their goal or not, whether Marcus survived or not, Stefan was certain they would go their separate ways.
In a better world, they might have. But when they found undeniable proof of the mythic past of their world, found a way to take that power for themselves... Marcus wasn't going to share it with anyone. Beneath an ancient Greek temple, at the cusp of a new era, Marcus murdered Stefan. And because of this act, humanity was doomed.
PERSONALITY
Stefan is underestimated by the world around him, by his comrades, and by his best friend. Outsiders see him as the big, mean, dumb muscle, and his comrades gravitated toward following Marcus over him. Marcus, meanwhile, thinks Stefan is too impatient, too impulsive, and too ambitious. And at points that's true--Stefan can run his mouth when he's excited. He prefers taking a straight line through problems whenever possible. And he didn't intend to stay in Marcus's shadow forever.
At the same time, Stefan is a remarkably capable man. His direct approach is made possible by an impressive degree of lateral thinking and curiosity about the world. Despite his reputation for impatience, he spent three years undercover as someone completely and painfully unlike himself, and nobody suspected a thing. And a large portion of his ambition comes from something Marcus lacks: Stefan cares.
Stefan is a man who abhors doing nothing. He abhors a world that does nothing. Always fidgeting, reading whenever he can, Stefan is a strange and caustic blend of cynicism and utopian dreams. The world needs remaking, that much is clear. He believes in the promise of the technocracy movement, where social and infrastructural engineering would produce a more content, well-managed world without unnecessary toil and strife. This is driven in part by his unshakable belief that the world is inherently rational. He rejects all supernatural explanations for events. Everything that exists has a scientific explanation, and that means us lowly mortals can make it better.
His convictions and stalwart nature are plain when you look at the trajectory of his life. He spent twelve years of his life caring for Marcus. Though never explicitly stated, there's strong hints that Stefan silently harbored feelings for Marcus, but was unable to voice them before their relationship began falling apart. Stefan was perfectly comfortable with casual relationships, but communicating anything about more charged feelings that he can't explain--love, despair, fear--he can't do it.
Stefan's flaws sometimes leave him as a difficult man to deal with. He hates making mistakes, and when he does, his anger at himself can turn outward. While he wants a better world for everyone, his place within the present is often defined by violence, which he doesn't inherently have a problem with. He likes fighting. He likes being strong.
But he also likes being relied on, and using his strengths for the people he cares about, for as long as they need him. He just wishes this damn world would pay him back for it sometime.
Stefan is underestimated by the world around him, by his comrades, and by his best friend. Outsiders see him as the big, mean, dumb muscle, and his comrades gravitated toward following Marcus over him. Marcus, meanwhile, thinks Stefan is too impatient, too impulsive, and too ambitious. And at points that's true--Stefan can run his mouth when he's excited. He prefers taking a straight line through problems whenever possible. And he didn't intend to stay in Marcus's shadow forever.
At the same time, Stefan is a remarkably capable man. His direct approach is made possible by an impressive degree of lateral thinking and curiosity about the world. Despite his reputation for impatience, he spent three years undercover as someone completely and painfully unlike himself, and nobody suspected a thing. And a large portion of his ambition comes from something Marcus lacks: Stefan cares.
Stefan is a man who abhors doing nothing. He abhors a world that does nothing. Always fidgeting, reading whenever he can, Stefan is a strange and caustic blend of cynicism and utopian dreams. The world needs remaking, that much is clear. He believes in the promise of the technocracy movement, where social and infrastructural engineering would produce a more content, well-managed world without unnecessary toil and strife. This is driven in part by his unshakable belief that the world is inherently rational. He rejects all supernatural explanations for events. Everything that exists has a scientific explanation, and that means us lowly mortals can make it better.
His convictions and stalwart nature are plain when you look at the trajectory of his life. He spent twelve years of his life caring for Marcus. Though never explicitly stated, there's strong hints that Stefan silently harbored feelings for Marcus, but was unable to voice them before their relationship began falling apart. Stefan was perfectly comfortable with casual relationships, but communicating anything about more charged feelings that he can't explain--love, despair, fear--he can't do it.
Stefan's flaws sometimes leave him as a difficult man to deal with. He hates making mistakes, and when he does, his anger at himself can turn outward. While he wants a better world for everyone, his place within the present is often defined by violence, which he doesn't inherently have a problem with. He likes fighting. He likes being strong.
But he also likes being relied on, and using his strengths for the people he cares about, for as long as they need him. He just wishes this damn world would pay him back for it sometime.
APPEARANCE
Extremely tall, broad-shouldered, and heavily muscled, Stefan is hard to miss in a crowd. He has black hair, grey eyes, and tension. Constant tension, even when relaxed. He's naturally wired to always be in motion, and a lifetime of action has only fed into that. He clenches and unclenches his fists as a fidgeting and self-centering tic, but he can suppress it if he has reason to do so.
ABILITIES
MUNDANE
Veteran- Stefan is a Great War veteran, and knows how to use firearms, knives, explosives, and his bare hands to fight.
Mercenary- Spending ten years as a mercenary, Stefan has acquired many skills necessary for keeping himself alive and severely inconveniencing others.
Infiltrator- Stefan can completely change his personality and mannerisms if he sees the need for it, though if it's a role he's never played before, he might need some time to prepare.
Thief- Stefan's been a key part of planning and executing a number of big heists, and a bit of conventional theft and burglary isn't off the table.
World Traveler- Stefan grew up with Austrian immigrant parents and has spent most of his adult life all across Europe. He speaks English, German, French, Italian, and Greek, and can read Latin, and Ancient Greek. Give him a few weeks, and he can pick up the basics of a language.
General Menace to Society- Stefan was a dockworker and labor organizer during a period where state and private violence was directed at union members, requiring unorthodox tactics in response. Expect him to have some inventive skills when it comes to dealing with tech he recognizes. Further, Stefan is also a self-taught science dork from 1930. If you give him something new and fantastical, he's going to try and push it to the limit.
METAHUMAN
New Man- Stefan died before he could take on the full power of his main universe counterpart, but he still absorbed a measure of metahuman power. He's got enhanced senses, which he has to keep a lid on to keep from getting overwhelmed. He's stronger than he was before, and heals faster. He is, deeply unfortunately, not bulletproof.
Discarded Character- Notably, unlike his main universe counterpart or Marcus, Stefan has not been brainwashed to fit an archetype to match his new powers. The narrative had no use for him, and so he did not make the jump from pulp novel character to comicbook hero or villain. His powers and uses for them fall in the realm of The Shadow and Doc Savage, not Superman.
Extremely tall, broad-shouldered, and heavily muscled, Stefan is hard to miss in a crowd. He has black hair, grey eyes, and tension. Constant tension, even when relaxed. He's naturally wired to always be in motion, and a lifetime of action has only fed into that. He clenches and unclenches his fists as a fidgeting and self-centering tic, but he can suppress it if he has reason to do so.
ABILITIES
MUNDANE
Veteran- Stefan is a Great War veteran, and knows how to use firearms, knives, explosives, and his bare hands to fight.
Mercenary- Spending ten years as a mercenary, Stefan has acquired many skills necessary for keeping himself alive and severely inconveniencing others.
Infiltrator- Stefan can completely change his personality and mannerisms if he sees the need for it, though if it's a role he's never played before, he might need some time to prepare.
Thief- Stefan's been a key part of planning and executing a number of big heists, and a bit of conventional theft and burglary isn't off the table.
World Traveler- Stefan grew up with Austrian immigrant parents and has spent most of his adult life all across Europe. He speaks English, German, French, Italian, and Greek, and can read Latin, and Ancient Greek. Give him a few weeks, and he can pick up the basics of a language.
General Menace to Society- Stefan was a dockworker and labor organizer during a period where state and private violence was directed at union members, requiring unorthodox tactics in response. Expect him to have some inventive skills when it comes to dealing with tech he recognizes. Further, Stefan is also a self-taught science dork from 1930. If you give him something new and fantastical, he's going to try and push it to the limit.
METAHUMAN
New Man- Stefan died before he could take on the full power of his main universe counterpart, but he still absorbed a measure of metahuman power. He's got enhanced senses, which he has to keep a lid on to keep from getting overwhelmed. He's stronger than he was before, and heals faster. He is, deeply unfortunately, not bulletproof.
Discarded Character- Notably, unlike his main universe counterpart or Marcus, Stefan has not been brainwashed to fit an archetype to match his new powers. The narrative had no use for him, and so he did not make the jump from pulp novel character to comicbook hero or villain. His powers and uses for them fall in the realm of The Shadow and Doc Savage, not Superman.
FACECLAIM
Because the main continuity of the setting sees Stefan physically transformed into a glowing-eyed demigod with spider limbs growing out of his back who wears a helmet all the damn time, I can use none of the icons I'd usually use for playing him as Lord Recluse. However, my delightful friend Drake has suggested a faceclaim that fits most of the basic features for Stefan and nails the vibes: Frank Grillo. Bless whoever styled him for the Purge series, his haircut is vaguely plausible for playing a guy from 1930. Pictures to be added once I've uploaded the results of my screenshotting spree.
