Name Wren Shepherd Geiszler
Meaning
Wren - English - The name of a species of small songbird found largely across the New World.
Shepherd - English - One who takes care of sheep.
Geiszler - German - From the German geiss meaning "goat" and the suffix ler signifying an occupation, thus "goat-herder".
Gender Male
(Apparent) Age 15
Birth Date December 22 (Capricorn; Wren chose it because it was a goat, rather than because it embodied him.)
Blood Type B+
Birth Place Unknown. He says he was raised somewhere in the mountain wilderness of the western United States, or possibly Canada.
Occupation Junior Service Assistant, Biological Sciences Greenhouse located on the roof of Parking Garage K.
Student Involvements N/A
Academic Standing N/A
Major N/A
Schedule Recently Wren has been enlisted to keep an eye on the sometimes wayward Shazi now that interaction between MYTHOS and AMO has been increasing. (It’s the least he can do after the one time he cheated and “accidentally” made her go over the edge to win that bet.) This means he spends a good number of hours now accompanying her at her job and getting paid enough to help make it more worthwhile for him. Though he lacks the green thumb of his long lost cousin or neighbor or whatever they might be to one another, Wren has gained a reputation for being proficient with plants, enjoying getting dirty and complaining about how much better off the flora would be if it were only left in it’s natural habitat.
Likes All natural food stores, Animal Planet, the Travel Channel, fruit smoothies, sugar cubes, nudie girl magazines, earth wildlife, cryptozoology, poptart starlets but not really for their music, “older” women, bird watching, being in charge, scenery photography (though it’s a poor replacement for the real thing), all the little animals of the forest.
Dislikes Parks for being overly groomed, city streets, concrete, anything not labeled “all-natural” (he stubbornly claims he can taste the chemicals), zoos, tame animals or pets, cityscapes, chemicals (even if he doesn’t have a very clear concept of what a chemical is -- they all must be bad), talking animal movies, vegetarians and vegans -- who are they to question the natural order?
Hobbies Camping in the backyard, tracking mud into the living room, betting on how long it’ll take for Persephone to go over the edge again, sleeping in front of the TV from about 1:00 until 4:00, getting Hesperos to create fireworks displays when he hits something, picking on the ancient rebirths in general, keeping up with the latest health fads, rock climbing.
Skills
Tame the Untamed - To Wren, domestication takes something out of animals. While pet dogs and other tamed animals may feel unusually interested and friendly with him, Wren himself doesn’t have anything but pity for them and doesn‘t know how to treat them. They’re almost not like real animals anymore. However, as for the truly wild creatures that do anything from despise to tolerate (or take advantage of) mankind, he is infatuated and the feeling is mutual. Wren can’t read their emotions or have chats with the squirrels, but instead animals tend to identify him as one of their own. He treats these creatures like wild animals and not like pets, which he feels would be disrespecting them, though can be fairly affectionate with the creatures that come to check him out. Frequently he can be seen with an entourage of wildlife, though he knows to shake them if company is coming over.
Animal Encyclopedia - Because of a great interest in the wildlife of his new home, or maybe just embarrassment that he is no longer an expert on the topic as he was on mythos, Wren likes to do research. Wren reads a lot of animal encyclopedias, spends his money on animal documentaries and watches Animal Planet way too much. He has a great memory for names of species and basics of their behavior and will happily recite what he knows. He’s especially knowledgeable about the local species, but also about particularly exotic ones. He mostly cares for land animals but can’t help it if it’s Shark Week. It should also be noted that he's almost as informed about the names of attractive supermodels and actresses.
Survival Skills - If you’re going to get lost in the woods, Wren is the one you want with you. All the stuff that was taught in boy scouts seems to be second nature to him. It’s not really something he learned or is able to explain to someone, but Wren just knows like it’s instinct. His sense of direction is superb, he knows what’s edible, where it’s safe and what the moss on the trees means, can tell his cardinal directions without any aid and more. It seems as if Wren could live happily as a hermit out in the forest for the rest of his life, but in the city he flounders. He gets lost among buildings and seems incapable of remembering street signs, instead relying on landmarks. His usually finely tuned internal compass is thrown off when he’s in a developed area and he becomes quickly frustrated and even frightened. His rate of getting lost is multiplied when he’s inside one of those megastores or a mall, and thus refuses to go inside alone. He denies that he’s afraid of them.
Ditz; Wren doesn’t seem overly bright, and could easily be classified as a bit of an airhead. Though attentive, information just doesn’t register very quickly in social situations. He’s much better at reading actions than words and as such has a very blunt, silly sense of humor, though it is a very prominent trait of his. Agreeable, affectionate and difficult to offend, he’s a very forgiving Remnant when it comes to the quirks and shortcomings of the
various rebirths. He is incredibly friendly from his position on the couch, but otherwise is extremely unhelpful. Not out of an active sort of laziness, but he is frustratingly inactive and his demeanor is foggy and never in a hurry. Wren will readily agree to help, but he has to be asked directly and given plenty of time. He does things at his own pace, which is usually way too slow for most people. For Wren, everything is cool and there’s no hurry. He’ll get to it sooner or later.
Cool Head; Perhaps because it would take too much energy, Wren is very accepting. As long as it doesn’t conflict with what he wants he pretty much welcomes all with open arms. He’s very casual in his affections and actions and has never been much of one for dramatics. It all comes down to being practical, and he usually determines that it‘s just not worth while or beneficial to try and fight certain things. Once again, as long as it stays out of the way or even benefits him as well, Wren will handle it
gracefully. Even outright arguments with him have a hard time getting much more of a reaction out of him besides a dull smile and dismissive word. He doesn’t have a loud temper, and sometimes it’s hard to tell if he has a temper at all. This is good for dealing with certain people and problems as he tackles them without getting too emotionally involved in the matter. It’s not to say he doesn’t get mad of offended, but he picks his battles or prepares to deal with the problem later when it’s going to work out
better for him.
Wren can be viciously practical, however. In his mind the ends justify the means and he will do whatever it takes to reach his goal. He never was the sort to have any concern for non-combatants or show mercy, nor will he go out of his way to save an ally if it’s too much of a hassle. There are some exceptions, as he does develop genuine fondness, but as a general rule he expects everyone to be able to handle themselves. It’s survival of the fittest, and if the other Enraged can’t keep up he’s not going to stress
about it. After all, they’ll just be Rebirthed in another couple weeks, good as new. To some extent he sees those working under him as his flock but mostly for the sake of guiding them, though he won’t risk waiting for stragglers.
Impish; Wren has a healthy sense of humor, and it mostly shows itself in his playful behavior. Sometimes it seems like the world at large is just a game created for Wren’s enjoyment, and while he can settle down and get serious, he’d simply rather not if he doesn’t have to. He’s not stunningly witty or equipped with a searing tongue, but he is mischievous and has an aura that projects untrustworthiness or perhaps as if he always knows something he’s not sharing with the class. He’s constantly poking fun at his surroundings and is extremely playful, even in the most inappropriate of settings. He will make light of things in some twisted attempt to be comforting or make himself feel more at ease. Discomfort is alleviated by making fun of whatever the problem is. He taunts and is quite talkative in a fight with both allies and enemies, and will not hesitate to give everyone a hard time if he can manage it. It’s usually good natured, but something gets lost between his intentions and his words. He laughs at mistakes, both his own and others, but it doesn’t make up for everything he says.
Wren’s teasing can be incessant, but typically it has a tone of laziness about it. He’s not an energetic joker and instead it seems to come naturally to him which can make some of the things he says sound even worse. If in a particularly bad mood, he will dish out jokes that sound a lot more like cruel insults and observations. After his target becomes offended, he hides behind the defense that he was only joking.
Oversexed; Trapped eternally as a fifteen year old, Wren’s true age does nothing to cool his love for all things sexual. In the same way that a teenaged boy who’s not getting any does, Wren can construe something inappropriate out of innocent phrases and situations. Female companions will catch him staring and a flash of skin can briefly crumble his composure. Most often he’s just a terrible flirt, and his flirtations are a little more mature than his hormones. That’s not to say he has any subtlety or it’s any easier to take a fifteen year old boy seriously when he’s coming onto a twenty-something woman as if he were another adult. This situation is extremely frustrating for him.
Nature Child; The recent health fads have not been good for Wren. Already a person suspicious of earth and everything produced by it’s human inhabitants, he was quickly consumed by the belief that most things mass produced will eventually kill him. He is happy to critique the diets of other people and point out to them that their McDonald’s cheeseburger probably contains dozens of chemicals injected into the cow… if that’s really beef at all. He is distrustful of advanced culture and blames the unhappiness of humanity on them becoming separated from their roots. This has led to a concern that living like this is going to uproot him as well, and Wren has a schedule set up where he must spend more time outside than indoors, in an uncultivated area if possible though the backyard will do in a pinch. Still, he has a hard time saying no to things like television and has in the past expressed interest in being able to use a computer. His typing is slow and awkward, but he’s unlikely to break anything. The fact that he enjoys technology is a source of guilt, and something that he would identify as a weakness of his. Wren isn’t about to have a breakdown if he’s denied contact with the natural world, but he becomes forlorn and homesick.
Large & In Charge; While no one is about to accuse Wren of being a criminal mastermind, he relishes in the position of authority being a Remnant gives him. Additionally, he’s a thorough and reliable planner and organizer. As one of the most social and cooperative Remnants he’s frequently organizing and supervising planning. Despite his usual slow, almost sleepy attitude, he’s a commanding leader and doesn’t tolerate arguing against his decisions. It’s a good thing that he’s got that undeniable superior rank sometimes, for while he’s typically calm and shepherding with those he’s in charge of, he can be quite smug and arrogant about it when people challenge his authority. He will go out of his way to put insubordinate types in their place, even if it just means being harder on them and sending them out most often.
Cold; Wren doesn’t yell and scream, but that doesn’t mean it’s hard to tell when he’s angry. He has a dangerous temper that expresses itself in a cold and calculating way, and very rarely does Wren allow his emotions to get the best of him. While not unfeeling, Wren wants to be in control of his emotions, rather than the other way around, and is quick to accuse people who lose their tempers of being weak. He goes about his business as an Enraged without any emotional attachments to the Mythos soldiers, or so he claims. While it’s not unusual for the sight of an old friend to tug at his heartstrings, the second it’s not worth it to try and talk them down he’ll get back on the offensive. He’s not a sympathetic soul, and unless a teammate is bleeding profusely or unconscious, he’s like to tell them to just suck it up.
Survivalist; Wren would describe himself as a natural born survivalist, and perhaps that’s so, but what it really comes down to is being a selfish opportunist. He has few scruples about taking advantage of situations to better himself, and he will even engage in mean spirited activities for the sake of amusement. Wren is always a participator and often an instigator of long running jokes that involve picking on the lower ranks. But for the most part this means that he’s not unlikely to step on others for his own wellbeing and would be more than a little reluctant to put his neck on the line for just anybody. He does what he thinks it takes to survive, no more no less. A part of this is because by default Wren is very distrustful of others and assumes the worst of them. His loyalty to Rage and awareness of the psyche of the Enraged allows him to trust them and though it might be hard to believe, his behavior really is supposed to be good natured in their regard. He wants to protect them from all the people outside who will obviously will just end up trampling them, especially considering the delicate psyche of most of their numbers. He becomes quickly jealous and resentful of members of his “flock” that befriend those outside his social group. On an occasion where he sees the stranger as a threat, he will take time out of his busy schedule to try and sabotage relationships.
Black & White; Wren has a very cemented view of the world, and it takes a great deal to shake his convictions. While he rejects concepts of good and evil, his views still depend on harsh contrasts like that. There is right and wrong, life and death, and as of now he believes he has made the right choice because it has allowed him to live. He does feel some sympathy for the soldiers that had to be taken in by force, and at times for those who are opposing him, so blames their leaders for guiding the blind masses to a world of suffering. If everyone had just seen the inevitable and turned themselves into Rage from the very start, this could have all been avoided. He finds the idea of pride being more important than survival as foolish.
Hair: Wren has a mass of thick, tangled hair that’s cut very unevenly. It seems to be at least a few inches longer on his right side where it sometimes totally obscures that eye. The left side is a little more manageable but still reaches his jaw in the longest spots. It twists uncontrollably in lazy waves, and all seems to move towards the right side where it proceeds to defy gravity a little bit. It’s a pale shade of what might be a very fine blonde color, but it looks a little too gray and too green tinged for that. Example.
Face: As is appropriate for his age, Wren has a youthful face. With a straight nose and strong jaw line, it suggests that if he could ever grow up he’d shed this baby face of his, but for now he doesn’t look a day over fifteen, maybe sixteen if he pushes it. He has a wide, warm smile that shows off a lot of teeth and large canines (but not enough so people should be thinking vampire). His eyes are probably his most striking feature, as they are notably large and what could be classified as doe eyes. They’re dark brown, nearly black, and just tinged with some olive green. As expressive as they are, Wren’s eyes suggest an awareness and maturity superior to the average fifteen year old. Wren appears caucasian with tanned skin due to outdoor activity. It’s common for him to have a few nicks and scratches here and there at any given time.
Build and Carriage: For a younger kid, Wren has a pretty strong build. His shoulders promise to one day be broad and even now he’s got strength to back up a well-fed middle. His arms and legs are particularly strong, though they may not look it, and his feet and hands are both a bit oversized and particularly calloused. Still, as much as he tries he can’t overcome his size. Wren is just about 5'7" tall. He moves with a smooth saunter when relaxed, but it can quickly turn into a prowling stance. He’s not a big believer in table manners and likes to put his feet up, his elbows on tables and isn’t shy about eating without silverware.
Voice: Wren’s voice is just a little nasal, but save that it’s an average pitch for a teenaged boy. Which is to say that it’s a little higher on the scale. Much to his horror, Wren didn’t quite escape puberty, so when he’s upset or angry his voice can crack. His laugh is loud and attractive, save for the fact that he has a tendency to snort in the middle of it.
Clothing: Wren doesn’t have much of an eye for fashion. Most of his clothing fits too big on him and his main criteria for a beloved shirt is comfort. He does tend to lean towards more natural, earthy colors and shuns synthetic fibers. Since he doesn’t know the specifics of what he’s avoiding, he typically only wears cotton, wool and hemp. For all he cares, angora is made of plastic, too. Big tee-shirts covered with even bigger button up shirts and khaki pants seem to be the norm for him. He has a couple pairs of shoes and flip-flops he’s almost worn the soles off of that he prefers, and he never wears a watch on his wrist. Instead he keeps one without the wristband in his pocket.
Pan was still very young when Rage arrived on Mythos, and the years before that were mostly spent running through the wilderness and attempting to avoid most of society. He had been forced to at least attend schooling, though he fought tooth and nail and ended up being a few years behind his classmates despite otherwise average improvement as Hoplite Pan. It was of course shocking when Rage began it‘s advance, sending former friends after the untouched soldiers, and Pan couldn’t think of much to do but stick close to the others that were fighting against this terrible force.
He remained for quite a while, hiding with the other younger soldiers and fighting only when it was required. As this was needed more and more, Pan began to regret where he was and what was going on. He was seeing their struggle as more and more hopeless, and the noble among his number refused to listen to his insistence that they find alternatives to fighting. Of course, Pan’s best suggestion was to run and find somewhere to hide while letting Rage hunt down the other louder rogue groups of soldiers. After the next time his group was assaulted by some of the Enraged, Pan left on his own and abruptly abandoned his allies. He found his way to the nearest forest where he remained hidden, or at least of little concern to Rage, as he watched the fights from a distance and retreated further into the wilderness whenever anything got too close.
This was a great arrangement for a while, but Pan was not without sympathy for his old friends. Someone he knew (NPC? PC? Possibilities: Selene, Rhea, Demeter, Psyche, various nymphs.) had become separated from the others and had, like Pan, fled into the forest. But this Mythite was being pursued and as they were caught up with, a fight broke out. Pan hid until it was over and his old acquaintance was victorious, though they were unfortunately gravely wounded. Though he didn’t step forward to help them fight, he dragged off the wounded soldier to give them shelter and to try and care for them.
While under Pan’s clumsy attempts to nurse them back to health, the soldier told him a story of how things were outside the forest. Accounts of siblings being killed only to reappear fighting their sisters and brothers, loved ones turning on them, the wounded being carried around helplessly as their numbers dwindled. Simultaneously, the other side’s numbers grew and they could not be killed. Every time one Enraged was slain, that individual would almost surely return quite alive, or seemingly so. Pan was already horrified by the descriptions, and when the soldier he had rescued died in his care one night despite his best efforts, it pushed him over the edge.
The next day, Pan acted on his new decision. Their population’s extinction was inevitable, and the length of the fighting was causing people pain and strife, and he could do his part to speed up the process. His survival instinct took over and he left with the other soldier’s remaining crystal to turn himself into Rage. Rage gladly accepted Pan into his numbers as well as the crystal of the fallen soldier, and Pan officially became a Remnant. He fought loyally, seeing his situation as one of survival of the fittest. Rage was the superior force, and it was certainly in their best interest to join if only for the sake a self-preservation. Pan felt no guilt turning on his former companions, justifying that it was their own fault that they didn’t see what was happening, that Rage would eventually get every last one of them. If anything, he was doing them a favor by bringing them over to the winning side. He felt anger towards those he saw as so consumed by their pride that they would lead others into danger and ultimately death.
As the war progressed, Pan obediently followed Rage in his pursuit of the Mythos soldiers to earth. Not totally understanding Rage’s goals, Pan would have much rather let the other crystals go and create Paradise on Mythos, but he remained an obedient (if homesick) soldier. Earth, however, was no Mythos and Pan found himself being significantly less charmed with his new home than many of the others. It took a long time for him to settle in and accept some of the technological comforts of earth, such as the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.
When Pan has to introduce himself as Wren Geiszler he explains that he was raised by wolves, no matter how much someone might try to argue this impossibility. It’s assumed he must have parents somewhere if he’s getting a job and signing up for activities on campus, but Wren refuses to acknowledge their existence.
Mrs. Geiszler, age unknown, alpha female - No one knows much about Wren’s mother, but for all most people know she’s actually a wolf.
Mr. Geiszler, age unknown, alpha male - Like his wife, Wren describes his father as a little hairier and more canine than the average man.
Alignment Alpha Mu Omega
Rank Remnant
Name Hoplite Pan
Elements of Influence Herds & Flocks, Mountain Wilderness, Animal Wildness, Panic, Fear (NOTE: GM permission given to use panic and fear as minor elements.)
Locket Pan’s locket starts out as a two-inch disc shaped piece of slightly rusted metal. Besides the rusty imperfections and a dent, it’s smooth and undecorated. It’s divided down the middle into two halves. This disc is framed on two sides by matching wrought metal leaves and branches that hold onto it quite securely. By pulling back on the leaves, the mechanics of the locket cause the two halves to flip open. (Modeled after this.)
Primary/Secondary Color Scheme
Dark khaki and rust red , formerly tan and coral.
Uniform SEE PICTURE (Inaccuracies abound in horns/laurels. :c)
Laurels & Hair - Pan has his same normal faded hair, but now it appears just a hint more greenish . Rusty red tree branches with the occasional leaf wrap around his head and seem arranged so they appear to be growing from his hair. From behind them gnarled grayish brown goat horns are settled above his ears. They stretch back about six inches before turning inward with a dramatic curl.
Cape - Pan’s cape is the skin of some sort of large, spotted cat. It’s paws are tied to the shoulder straps of his armor with brown leather cord and the tail is just short of dragging on the ground. The rust cloth that should be his cape is instead tied around his waist as a large sash.
Armor & Toga - Pan’s armor is made of leather that’s somewhere close to a dark khaki, and it follows the traditional Greek armor pattern. The middle section is covered in a section of silver scale armor, and below that is where the earlier mentioned sash is located. Beneath the sash is a section of dark brown fur that extends down past the top of his thighs. From there the pleated leather skirt is located. It reaches his knees and only hints of his medium gray toga can be seen. The sleeves of the toga are considerably long and reach his elbows. There a darker gray trim can be seen. Over his arms Pan has more brown fur wrapped from his forearm down to his knuckles, tied in place by rusty red leather straps.
Footwear - Matching the fur over his arms, the leather that’s protecting his shins is wrapped in the same brown. It extends all the way to his toe and avoids giving much, if any, definition to his ankles. The armor around his knees is a little more exaggerated, making that joint look sharper. The toe of his footwear is covered by half of a large hoof, and the hints of his human heel can be spotted through the furs, the overall effect is making him look like he has goat legs from the knees down.
Etcetera - Pan’s uniform as a whole looks dirty and worn like he’s been running through the forest for a couple weeks in it. He’s routinely finding new leaves and twigs and dirt stains, and no matter how many he removes, more are present for the next transformation.
Transformation "Pan Enrage! Make Up!"
As his transformation phrase is said, smoke pours out of his locket and from the fog that gathers at his feet silhouettes of looming trees and mountains spring up creating a shadowy and decayed looking wilderness around him. Soon enough he’s obscured by the forest and glowing yellow eyes appear where he was standing. These eyes are soon joined by a multitude of others that pause only for a second before flying outwards with screeches and caws, looking like bats or birds that will feign lunging at any witnesses (though they dissolve into black smoke before reaching their target). Hoplite Pan is visible again through the trees, which melt away again into a layer of dark fog over the ground.
Magical Attacks
Agreus Hunt - Pan doesn’t say his attack name, though it does have a name, and instead plays a specific set of eerie notes on his panpipes. With the music shadows gather around the feet of his target and within moments trees and small mountain shapes shoot up, similar to his transformation, and strike the target. The trees are long, spindly and very much blackened, almost seeming to be made of smoke, and after the damage is done they explode into thousands of little black particles. The victim is left looking dirty and covered in leaves and at the location of the attack the ground is stained black.
This is essentially a fancy energy attack. The victim experiences pain that sometimes suggests an unpleasant tumble down a wild hill. It effects a three foot circle and usually only one target unless a couple of people are hugging. Is someone is caught on the edge of the circle, they may take a bit of minor damage, but mostly from the very high likelihood of being thrown backwards a couple feet. Hoplite Pan has a range of thirty feet and the target must be visible. Since it manifests underneath a specific person it’s hard to dodge, but if you notice the ground around your feet there is a very small window in which to dive out of the circle.
There is one side effect involved in this attack. Afterwards, the victim feels as if they’re being watched, and if they have an imagination that entertains such thoughts it’ll escalate until they’re sure that something is stalking them. In essence, it’s an unshakable, irrational feeling of being hunted down by some wild animal. People who have been previously hit with Agreus Hunt are especially susceptible to Pan’s Pandora and his Wilderness ability, so he uses it liberally. This attack can be used once every 20 minutes.
Nomios Stampede - Like with his first attack, Pan plays a new tune on his pipes and a thundering of hooves his heard in the distance. Black smoke pours out of his panpipes as he continues playing and turns into a herd of unearthly goats. They seem composed entirely of wood and leaves and dirt, and their anatomy is skeletal with glowing yellow eyes and mouths with horns that seem unrealistically large. They come out in countless numbers, charging in a fan in front of Pan. They weave around larger obstacles to find their targets, leaving trails of leaves flying in their wake. When the assault is over the goats simply dissolve into the plant matter they seem to be composed of and the entire area is often trashed and covered in dirt and natural debris. The place (and victims) almost always smells of rain and rotting wood.
This is an energy attack that targets multiple individuals. Anyone standing more or less in front of Pan is a valid target, and as they come out in thick waves the best way to dodge is probably to climb something solid. If someone is struck by one or more of these constructs, they’re thrown back onto the ground and experience a feeling of being trampled and the threat of suffocation (though they are in little real danger of that). It’s a terrifying experience even for the bravest souls, even if when they come out of it they don’t understand why they were that panicked in the first place. The end results are sharp pain and aching from the energy attack and a healthy spattering of mud, leaves and twigs.
Enemies, civilians and objects not bolted down are the victims here, but the goats will gracefully weave around and avoid fellow Enraged. The stampede only lasts for about five seconds before they all begin to dissolve, and getting hit by the goat as it falls apart is quite harmless and just makes them crumble apart. This is a more exhausting ability to use, and Pan should only use it once every couple hours.
Special Skills/Traits
Doe Eyes - In Hoplite form, Pan’s eyes are totally consumed by his iris which makes them appear totally inky black and without any white. While this is a very cute effect on most small furry creatures, on a human it’s a little strange. It does give him improved eyesight, at least in as much as that he’s mostly uninhibited by darkness.
Fleet Footed - Hoplite Pan is unnaturally agile, capable of quick sprinting as well as slightly more superhuman things like huge deer-like leaps and scaling difficult surfaces. While lacking in the martial arts, he is capable of some spectacular stunts associated with movies like that. It’s nothing to run across a path as slim as a tree branch or run a few steps up a wall to reach something high above or flip over a pursuer. However, Pan must obey basic laws of physics. He needs a good running start to scale that wall and if he stops moving quickly across that tree branch his weight is going to make it snap. Should he fall, he has a good chance of tumbling out of it with nothing but his pride having been hurt.
Whatever It Takes - Hoplite Pan’s style of fighting is, well, a little animalistic. Rather than disciplined blows and parries, when cornered into a hand to hand fight Pan will bite, kick, spit, pull hair and throw dirt in faces. He’s a very dirty fighter, and for being a little kid he packs a surprisingly strong punch. He’s not shy about getting in close and likes to aim for the face and neck.
Wilderness - When Hoplite Pan is around, things appear wilder than they really are. Nearby animals look feral and plants seem overgrown and untamed. The physical constitution of these things doesn’t change, but for all intents and purposes they appear that way around Pan. Things coming from nature just look more imposing, and while it might not have been so bad when he wasn’t among the Enraged, now Pan’s surroundings take on a dangerous, sometimes demonic appearance. Suddenly it looks like something wild is lurking behind every bush ready to attack. This effect doesn’t work very well downtown or in the suburbs, but a good copse of trees, a park or a garden will do just fine. Ideally he’d like to be in an untouched portion of real wilderness, where the effect is doubled and the area larger. In a civilized area the range is fairly small, limited to usually a fifteen foot diameter around Pan, but if he gets a hold of an untamed gully he can double that range. { In the future, Pan may be able to link up with a small area of undeveloped wilderness and with time change the whole thing to fit this illusion. He may later be able to draw power from undeveloped areas as well to make his attacks and so forth stronger. }
Natural Entourage - Pan is constantly followed by bits of the outdoors. Leaves and dirt swirl around his feet as he walks and skitter about up to three feet behind him. When he stops moving they settle down and only the leaves seem to be in constant motion as they move around his ankles as if by an invisible breeze. If a real wind blows them away, they will make their way back to Pan’s feet at the first chance.
Footprints - When leaving tracks behind, Pan doesn’t leave human shaped foot prints. Instead, they appear to be large goat hooves.
Pandora Pan’s Pandora seems in many ways to be a culmination of all those feelings one gets when camping late at night or looking at a shadowed copse of trees late at night. It’s a threat of something wild, dangerous and predatory stalking you just out of sight, and true to form his Pandora typically stays out of sight for as long as possible. It’ll slink around behind objects and wait until the perfect moment to lunge at it’s target.
Naturally, this Pandora looks amorphous, but the billowing smoky mass vaguely takes the form of an ugly goat-man with huge ram’s horns and the lower body of a goat, complete with glowing eyes and mouth -- the two things that are easy to spot when it‘s stalking about in the darkness. It’s about seven feet tall naturally. However, this form is typically only seen by Hoplite Pan and his allies, and additionally when it hits you or you hit it, it‘s like touching smoke and smells like rotting wood. That is to say it’s totally harmless. When faced with an enemy, though, it goes through a dangerous change. Whatever individual is closest, the Pandora takes the form of the animal they fear most. This animal will always be about the same size as the Pandora’s natural form, which is to say a little larger than a man. So snakes and cats become super-sized, while lions, tigers and bears (oh my) only get a small size increase. On the other hand, a dinosaur or elephant would become considerably smaller. The creature looks more monstrous than natural, with exaggerated, skeletal anatomy, glowing eyes and mouth, and claws or teeth that are a little bigger than necessary. Because of the nature of Mythite wildlife, it can also appear as certain “fantasy” creatures, as long as they existed there. Otherwise it’s limited to things that are real, so if the target is afraid of something really out there the Pandora will stall for a moment before making the closest real life approximation.
This Pandora is equally vulnerable to all magic and physical attacks and can be beat down with some solid hits, but it’s mode of assault changes depending on the animal it’s mimicking. (Still, if it turns into a giant snake it does not become poisonous.) It stumbles and seems at a loss when it lacks places to hide before lunging, because it’s general strategy is to strike, hide, strike and then hide again. But there is a trick to defeating it. Pan’s Pandora feeds off fear, and the more it scares it’s prey, the stronger and more confident it becomes. When faced with someone who not only isn’t scared, for simple courage won’t do, but realizes it for the farce that it is, the Pandora melts away and shrinks into a tiny version of it’s usual self and quickly flees. But courage will definitely discourage and weaken it all the same, and thus it prefers to go for the weakest targets first.
Weapon - Syrinx Hoplite Pan carries with him a set of panpipes that, when they’re not in use, are tucked into the sash at his waist and remain their quite loyally no matter how much running around he’s doing. Primarily he uses them in his attacks, but he also plays them expertly in and out of soldier form. It’s an 18-note flute with a curve to it that fits perfectly around his hip where they’re stored. The pipes are held in place by a band of wrought metal leaves that match his locket’s design, and the outside of the pipes seem totally untamed. The bark and knots from the tree branches were never removed, but inside the pipes they are meticulously carved.
When Pan plays the Syrinx not for the sake of summoning an attack, it’s difficult not to take notice. The sounds are distracting and call for any living creatures nearby to come and see. It lures in allies and enemies alike, but it’s not totally irresistible. The curiosity can be shaken off, and it’s easy to realize it’s Pan’s playing if someone has already experienced it before. Though alluring, the sound is also undeniably eerie and once the urge to come take a closer look is pushed aside it’s replaced by a feeling of cold fear in the pit of one’s stomach and makes hairs stand up on the backs of necks.
hoplite pan belongs to ryu + layout by sally
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