Breaker
08-18-11, 01:22 PM
Phew... I finally got this looking like a profile instead of 3 profiles stacked on each others heads. The names of any new abilities are in bold, and all changes made to old abilities are also in bold. Let me know if anything needs changing. My last profile is here (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?22090-Double-digits-for-the-numbers-guy&highlight=016573), but fair warning... looking at it would probably be more hindrance than help.
Name: Joshua Cronen
Known Aliases: Breaker, 016573
Sex: Male
Age: 28
Height: 6'
Weight: 202 lbs.
Race: Ascended Human
Physical Description: Joshua is a tall man with broad shoulders, short brown hair and infinite hazel eyes. Aside from being tall and evidently in excellent condition, he is physically unremarkable, fitting into a crowd anywhere on Althanas where humans reside. A closer inspection might lead one to discover heavy calluses on his hands and feet, as well as the fact that he breathes much slower than most humans. A careful examination of his torso would show layers of scars which somehow healed into breathtaking abstract patterns. The only defining characteristic that makes him recognisable to the public is a white Y-shaped scar on his left cheek, just below the eye. Because a portion of his bodyweight comes from the unnatural density of his bones and muscles, Cronen is deceptively heavier than he looks.
Personality: Josh finds the space for beauty and happiness amidst chaos and corruption. No matter the stakes or the danger, his eyes rarely lose their gentle lightness, and he always has a grin for those who need to see one. He is a lover and a teacher at heart, but one who finds himself caught up in the currents of Althanas' adventures all to often, and chooses to embrace the flow rather than fighting it. In manner he can be distant at times, but becomes a social chameleon as necessary. Many believe this personality is merely a facade, an act to disguise the inner ruthlessness of an immovable vigilante. The truth is that Joshua's brain houses so many memories, many not his own, that it is easy for him to slip into different roles as necessary. Little is known of these personas, but one thing is certainly true of the one they call Breaker: he is absolutely ruthless, and will pursue foes to the depths of Haide and back seeking justice if necessary.
Abilities
Air affinity - Cronen is capable of controlling small amounts of air as an extension of his subconscious. Generally this is used to alter the course of an incoming projectile, giving an extra little boost to his jump or balance if needed, and quickly altering his appearance (mussing/fixing clothes or hair, cleaning skin or caking dust on etc.) He has discovered two ways of utilising this ability in combat (all air abilities dissipate approximately 20 yards from Josh.)
-Push: Cronen executes a physical action which causes a gust of wind capable of knocking a strong man off his feet.
-Airrow: Cronen exhales powerfully, shooting an invisible spike of air at his target. The airrow is of comparative strength with bronze and dissipates if it strikes anything it cannot pierce.
Water affinity - Cronen can create and manipulate up to his body weight in water, as well as change it instantly from liquid to solid (ice) to vapour (steam) and back again. (special uses of this ability listed below take from 5-20 seconds to perform, meaning usually the entirety of one post.)
-Craft: Cronen can make items such as weapons, tools, and armour out of ice. These melt at a slower rate than normal ice and have similar strength to steel. He can do the same with water and steam, but such items dissipate the moment he stops focussing on holding their shape.
-Encase: Cronen is capable of covering a part of his body (or his entire body) in water, ice, steam, or any combination thereof.
-Blend: When water that Cronen is actively controlling successfully absorbs something (be it solid matter or energy based magic) it rapidly breaks down the matter so it becomes as liquid and changeable as the water itself. In doing so it takes on some of the matter's inherent properties. For example, if Josh were to absorb a considerable amount of stone into the water before freezing it and encasing himself in a suit of ice, the armour would be stronger, heavier and less prone to shattering than usual. Works on anything other than living organic substances.
Regeneration: So long as he has access to proper nutrition and the ability to rest, Cronen heals at a much faster rate than ordinary humans. He is capable of recovering from crippling or near-fatal injuries in a matter of weeks, and grievous wounds in a matter of days. This applies to combat only insofar as his blood clots rapidly and the first stages of the healing process occur within a matter of minutes. For example, a cut that would cause most people to bleed out would weaken him for only a post or two before regenerating enough tissue to keep him alive.
Bone Mutation: If he so wills it Cronen can grow curved spikes less than a foot long from the knobbly bones on his wrists, elbows, knees, and ankles. These pierce the skin, are fairly hideous to behold, and are as strong as his regular bones (comparative to dragonbone/prevaldia, see 'Vile Anatomy').
Blessing of the Tap: Any magical energy within Cronen's physical reach may be subject to his will. This can allow him to deflect or dissipate low level attacks, disable or alter some enchantments, or moderately resist a strong magical force.
Ascended Vitality: Cronen's dedication to training combined with the magic weaved into his being has granted him 10x the strength and perception of an ordinary man, 12x the speed and agility, and 15x the endurance. He can drastically decrease and even stop the function of his lungs and heart. Although he can survive with a lowered heart rate for fairly long periods of time, he can only last about five minutes if he stops his heart completely, and needs to start it up again after that. His perception is perhaps the most remarkable of these characteristics, for it is rumoured that Cronen can hear regular human breathing as far as thirty paces away, and a regular heartbeat as far as ten. Even that he can sense movement through disturbances in the air, even a disruption as small as a swinging sword.
Vile Anatomy: Cronen's bones are at an equal strength with prevaldia, making them more akin to dragonbone than regular human bones. His flesh, though ordinary to sight and touch, has a similar strength to the scale of a giant sea serpent. However when flexed or stretched his muscles and connective tissue become as strong as delyn, making him capable of defending against some attacks without (visibly) doing anything.
Adamantine Will: Cronen has an incredibly powerful mind, making it difficult to influence him by hypnosis, seduction, magic, compulsion or pharmaceuticals. While it is possible to crack his resolve, the process is exhaustive and by no means a guaranteed success. This also makes him far more likely to see through illusions and manipulation. Having battled and defeated many powerful psions/telepaths, Cronen's mind has developed to the point where it protects him from all direct telepathic and telekinetic attacks. Characters of the same and higher levels may use psionic attacks on Josh, but the effects will be diluted. This same learning has made it possible for Josh to interpret any telepathic communication taking place in his general vicinity, even if it is not intended for him.
Clean Living: Cronen’s body produces adrenaline at an unusually high and consistent rate. This helps maintain his massive endurance; however it also causes toxins to break down faster in his blood stream. Whether it is a deadly poison or alcohol, external toxins affect him only half as much as they should. This can be an advantage and a disadvantage, for while he is less likely to succumb to poison, healing elixirs will not help him as much.
Detect Magic: Cronen has developed a sixth sense that allows him to detect magic. When a person, creature, or object is using/performing magic within a hundred yards of him, he feels the presence and knows instinctively where it is coming from. He can discern the nature of most magic even as it is being performed. For example, if a mage were to shoot a fireball at Cronen, he would know the fireball was coming even before he could see it, much the same way he can tell a person is going to punch him by the way they draw back their hand. This ability has developed to the point that only the most powerful and complex magicks are outside of Cronen's comprehension.
Lightning Rod: Cronen’s body functions at an incredible rate, producing much stronger electrical impulses than the average human body. Because of this, he is a veritable lightning rod for all magical and natural electricity. Rather than hurt him, electrical attacks give him an almost narcotic rush. A regular electric attack might cause something similar to a caffeine rush, whereas a bolt of lightning would feel akin to a cocaine rush. If he so desires Cronen can charge his body with enough energy to kill a being twice as hardy as a normal human. Once he has charged himself, the shock will automatically discharge when he touches something conductive enough (usually an enemy or their weapon). This is usually usable once per day, however if Cronen is electrocuted/struck by lightning after using the charge, he is able to do it again by storing the surplus energy.
Barrier Dissipation: Having encountered numerous types of magical barriers, Josh has developed a knack for bypassing them. When he comes into contact with a magical barrier cast by a mage who is a lower level than he, it dissolves. Same and higher level barriers may last, but only for a fraction of their ordinary half-life.
Healing Hands: This is a type of massage which serves to ease and relax the recipient. It can temporarily restore functionality to a damaged part of the body (for perhaps ten minutes), set broken bones, heal strained muscles and eradicate emotional stress.
Energy Surplus: Breaker’s body functions at such an overwhelming rate that it actually creates more energy than he needs. He can channel this extra energy into any inanimate object, the result of which being that as soon as the object suffers an impact of reasonable proportion, it explodes with the concussive force of a hand grenade. The blast radius of these is approximately five yards. This means that anyone standing within three yards of the explosion would be liable to be killed or at least lose a limb, and anyone four to five yards away would probably be knocked over and/or heavily winded from the concussive impact. As an alternative to charging objects, Josh can release surplus energy in a directional blast. A fully concentrated blast has a range an penetrating power similar to a mythril-headed crossbow bolt, while the least concentrated would be more similar to an ordinary discharge from a shotgun. Josh has enough surplus energy for 7 uses in a day without tiring. If he uses this ability more than five times a day, he will feel increasingly drained and fatigued. (It should be noted that there is nothing magical about this ability, it is more akin to a martial arts ki-focus.)
Skills and Training
Fractured memory: Cronen's own memories are surrounded by those of a dozen other men, natives to Althanas who lived on a variety of continents throughout the ages. Although these memories are not constant or overpowering, Josh is capable of more than even he realises in the school of skills and knowledge.
Sleep specialist: Partially because he needs sleep less than humans, Joshua's dreams are infrequent. However when they do come they are vivid, and seem to reflect his future as much as they do his past. Many of his comrades and followers have taken to asking him of his dreams, believing they may entail prophecies of sorts.
Trained Ambidexterity: Through exhaustive training Cronen has become ambidextrous; Although he may still prefer the use of the naturally dominant right side of his body, for all practical purposes he can perform equally well with the left side.
Multi Weapon Fighting: Cronen’s ambidexterity and extreme skill allow him to use more than one weapon at a time without losing finesse or technique.
Lethal Martial Arts: Cronen has evolved to legendary status in the field of unarmed combat. Having been trained in a wide variety of martial arts from a young age, he commands an extensive vocabulary of striking, grappling and throwing techniques and is known to defeat multiple armed attackers using only his body. His movements are non-telegraphic to the point where they are nearly impossible to predict. In keeping with this, he is unsettlingly good at predicting an opponent’s movements. He can also use a multitude of martial arts weapons to a certain degree of skill. This gives him amazing control over himself and enemies in combat. He is able to kill, disarm, or merely subdue opponents with an unparalleled degree of efficiency. Pupils studying under Josh tend to learn much faster than others, as he has mixed various martial arts into a supremely effective fighting style.
Ninjitsu: Cronen is a master of moving or hiding undetected through most terrains. He also has extraordinary flexibility and tumbling and acrobatic skills which allow him to use fighting techniques which would otherwise be impractical. These skills are complemented by the fact that his powerful legs allow him to leap fifty feet in the air.
Weapon Group Proficiency; Firearms: Cronen has had training and experience with light firearms and should be considered an expert marksman.
Weapon Group Proficiency; Short Blades: Cronen is legendary in the use of short bladed weapons when it comes to close range (melee) or long range (throwing) edged and pointed weapons.
Weapon Throwing: Cronen’s understanding of weapons allows him to throw nearly any weapon/object in an effective, deadly manner. Due to his physical strength and speed weapons thrown by Cronen have similar speed, power, accuracy and effective range to a heavy crossbow in the hands of a master.
Weapon Group Proficiency; Pole arms: Cronen is a master with many pole-type weapons. This extends from staves, to halberds, to short spears, to more exotic pole arms such as the naginata and tonfa.
Exotic Weapon Proficiency; Nunchaku: Cronen is a master at using one or two nunchaku. He is especially dangerous with this weapon, using its surprising range and remarkable power to overwhelm armed opponents.
Special Agent Training: Cronen’s special agent training has taught him to deal with Public Relation situations, to gather information, and blend into a crowd when necessary. This also included basic first aid and CPR.
Metalworking: Before joining the extinct UCA, Cronen worked in a welding shop, and took metalworking courses in high school.
Tantric Lover: Formidable strength and endurance aside, Cronen is experienced and knowledgeable enough a lover that many women who have shared his bed consider it a near-spiritual experience.
Wilderness Lore: Having spent time in the wilderness of Corone, Scara Brae and Salvar, Cronen is adept at surviving in these three areas. This includes hunting, tracking, finding shelter and a thorough knowledge of the animal and plant life.
Traps: Cronen is an expert in the construction, identification, and practical use of various kinds of traps. He can construct basic mechanisms using only objects he finds in the wilderness, or something more elaborate if he has the proper tools.
Inventory
The Breaker Boots: These are a pair of masterwork boots crafted from the new alloy rythadine. To the untrained eye they look like a standard pair of black leather boots, but closer inspection shows they are fastened by clasps rather than laces, and made entirely of metal. They also bear several enchantments, put in place by the alchemist Tinker Rythadine. Due to the nature of rythadine, these spells cannot be disenchanted, obstructed or removed. For all practical purposes, they are physical properties of the boots.
Enchantment 1: The Breaker Boots form a telepathic link with whoever is wearing them. With a mere thought, the wearer can adjust the weight of each boot from 0-100 pounds.
Enchantment 2: Using the same telepathic link, the wearer may adjust the levels and kinds of friction on the soles of the Breaker Boots. This extends from simply making the boots slipperier than ice to them generating enough static friction for the wearer to walk upside down on a ceiling.
Enchantment 3: Purely for the comfort of the wearer, the padded leather interior of the boots is enchanted to mould to the wearer’s foot, in addition to an elemental charm that keeps the wearer’s feet at a comfortable temperature at all times.
Dehlar Sledgehammer: Forged from a single solid chunk of dehlar, this massive warhammer with its handle wrapped in braided leather was awarded to Josh by the Corone Rangers the first time he encountered them.(gained here.) (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?2869-Cronen-Chronicles-Dam-Lumberjacks/page2)
Haidian Blade: Spoils: This dagger shaped almost like kukri but with an extra curve at the tip for tearing. This fearsome weapon is forged from an alloy of steel and silver of master craftsmanship. It is enchanted to cut the flesh of any Hadian twice as easily as normal. Rose Vasston received one, and Jake Narmolanya the other, although Joshua Cronen may use Jake's within the bounds of liquid time. The daggers also include custom tier 3 leather sheathes and wrist loops. (received here.) (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?22478-Baby-This-Night-%28for-CaitieGirl%29&p=187165#post187165)
Dagger of Kron Sha'keth: A masterwork black diamond skinning knife in a vlince sheathe. It is stiletto shaped and slightly curved, designed for deep incisions and stripping the hide off of flesh. Cronen took this weapon from the Aleraran assassin the night they fought over the streets and rooftops of Underwood. (gained here.) (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?22175-Your-vices-are-in-order/page3)
Steel Bandit Brotherhood Tanto: After their battle-turned-third-base-on-a-waterfall, Kyosku Tetsoma gave Josh one of the Bandit Brotherhood’s membership tanto. It is made of standard steel, with the BB insignia engraved intricately on the blade and black and red cloth wrapped decoratively around the hilt.
Glacier Statue: Crafted from high quality silver, this statue is no bigger than Joshua’s thumb, ornate in a simple way that keeps it sturdy. It resembles a glacier, and painstaking care has been taken in carving every crag and ridge to look realistic. One of the minute unmelting ice walls has three golden letters inlaid upon it, SSF. While the token in itself is nothing more than a pretty trinket, it marks Josh as an agent of the Salvarian Special Forces. Showing it obligates law-abiding folk in Salvar to answer his questions and assist him within reason, but flashing it around in the wrong place could get the owner’s throat slit.
Spears and Daggers: Josh purchased three Akashiman redwood short spears with Delyn tips and three Delyn daggers at the bazaar. The spearheads are long and rhombus shaped, and all the weapons are balanced for throwing.
Mythril Arrowhead: This is the head of the arrow that nearly killed Josh in “An error in judgement”. He carries it with him often as a reminder to never let his guard down.
Dehlar Bastard Sword: Once owned by a Captain Edward Samuels, this excellent blade was given to Josh after its owner’s death. One edge is chipped near the hilt, giving it small patch of rough serration, and the blade seems to be permanently stained with blood. These traits are leftover from the battle in which Captain Samuels lost his life. The hilt is inlaid with elegant engravings of intertwined bodies. The sword can never be imbued with magic but may be upgraded. Josh dubbed the blade “Luxuria” after the inn where he received it.
Colt Anaconda: Taken from the body of a soldier of Intelligence America, this massive revolver is now repaired and fully functional. With it Josh gained twelve steel .44 Magnum hollow point and six .44 Magnum prevaldia armor piercing rounds.
Prevaldia and Rywan Tomahawk: A slightly oversized hatchet with a blade on one side and a broad hammerhead on the other, the primary target purchased this multi-tool at Radasanth’s Bazaar.
Angel Eye: a small remote-controlled eyeball controllable via telepathy through the eyepatch. The user can see what the Angel Eye can, though his vision is split between normal and the eye patch. Can fly at 10 mph top speed, no range limit. The primary target was fortunate enough to pick this up at the Bazaar Auction House.
One pound of Radasanthian Reefer (cannabis indica) in a silk bag. We are uncertain how the primary target acquired this, knowing only that he did so at a night club called the Flesh Failures.
x1 Fireproofed gore-tex zippered medium size backpack.
x1 Fireproofed gore-tex trench coat.
x1 Hygiene Kit (soap, shaving cream, collapsible straight razor etc.).
x1 Basic First Aid Kit (gauze, thread, needle, tape, band-aids, scissors etc.).
x1 Field Rations Kit
x1 Steel nunchaku, leather padding.
x1 Polar fleece grey pants and shirt set.
x1 Black cotton/spandex blend pants and shirt set.
x1 Black facemask.
x2 Lightweight leather/goretex hiking boots.
x2 Synthetic wool/cotton blend black socks.
x1 Notebook, 200 pgs.
x1 Mechanical Pencil.
x2 Heavy Wear leather/goretex gloves.
x1 Utility Belt.
200 feet of steel wire, in plastic package.
x1 Distress Signal Transceiver.
Background
Information collected from the archives of the extinct UCA
1983-1986
Joshua was born in a small town, Maroon, population 13,000, just outside of Winnipeg, Ontario. He was an only child and raised by his Mother and Father as a lower-middle class family until just before Joshua's third birthday, at which point his mother died of lung cancer, having smoked for the past 20 years. Two months later, Joshua and his father moved into the heart of Winnipeg, where his father found a new, better paying job.
1987-1990
Joshua lived through a fairly difficult life, spending a good deal of time in cheap day-care programs, while his father worked long hours, tiring himself out. When Joshua began going to school at age 6, his father began to abuse him, supposedly out of anger that Joshua was not doing well enough.
1991-1995
Joshua's father begins to teach him Martial Arts, which he once taught, but in a very brutal manner. It was from these learning’s that Joshua developed his over-relaxed fighting style. Joshua also began to excel in school, partially because of wanting to please his father, but also due to being very naturally intelligent.
1996-2000
After continually excelling in school, sports, and martial arts, Joshua begins a metalworking job at age 16 to gain money for College. In these years Joshua passed through several relationships with different girls, most of which did not last very long as the girls were alienated by either his Father or annoyed that he is so busy. On the New Year's eve, Joshua was convinced by several friends to move out on his own.
2001-2004
Joshua is connected to the UCA by Psychiatrist Dr. Barnaby Wells. Begins intense training and becomes Special Agent on his 20th Birthday. Months later, Josh is chosen to undergo a special mission, involving an erratic and unpredictable portal which was accidentally opened at a nuclear testing plant...
Extract from the Log Book of Geoffrey Smyth, Supervising Officer at the Underground's Nuclear Testing area.
February 17th, 2005;
Today we were working on a new method of transportation, which we hoped to later use to mobilize small numbers of agents from one corner of the Earth to another. The idea, which I will not attempt to go into technical details about, is this; we intend to harness the power of a nuclear explosion, but use it towards a positive cause, rather than a destructive one. The energy produced by a splitting atom is immense, as we all know, and our top scientists have been working long hours on how to channel that power towards a certain goal. They are working towards creating a type of portal which, when stepped into, would carry an Agent into a well known safe-zone in a wooded area not far from Winnipeg. I have never been so excited as I was when we first began today, and the portal opened. To me, behind a six inch barrier of protective glass, it was like magic. I thought I was going to die as there was a blinding flash of light, but abruptly the light faded, and I found myself staring into what was simply a black hole in the middle of the experimentation room. The scientist who had performed the final split was being pulled forward by some unseen force, and one of his fellows ran to help him, with the result that, horrifyingly enough, they were both sucked through! The other two scientists on the floor worked frantically, and managed to stabilize the portal, stopping it from sucking everything nearby into it. I was already on the phone with our workers stationed in the wooded safe-zone, but the scientists had not appeared there. It was apparent to all of us what must have happened; the portal had worked, but it was not transporting things to the proper location.
Written by Head Agent Genvieve Aneed.
I can hardly believe I am letting Josh go through with this. He had been scheduled to enter the portal as soon as it was stable and ready, but seeing as we do not know where it transports users to, it can hardly be considered stable. However, it is necessary for us to find out what happened to the two white coats who were taken by the portal. I am in a protected glass area right now, with Dr. Wells beside me. I must say I am glad he is here; he is on very good terms with both myself and Josh, and the moral support he provides is tremendous. Josh is now receiving his final instructions from the Head Scientist, and walking towards the portal. A red light is flashing somewhere, I don't understand what it means, but there's nothing I can do. Josh is about to step through, but an alarm sounds, and abruptly the portal simply swallows him. He cries out in alarm, but his yell is cut off by the portal closing, as the Head Scientist switches off the power. Dr. Wells is frantically unlocking the door, breaking the rules and trying to get on to the testing field. Our Head Scientist is on the phone with our Agents in the safe-zone. Josh is not there. We are receiving no signal from Josh's transceiver. My two-way radio crackles to life, and I hear Dr. Wells on the other end, as he stands next to the Head Scientist.
"Agent down, Jenny. We've lost him."
History on Althanas.
Citadel battles of note: Shop 'till you Drop, The Runt and the Ruin, Tennis Brevity, River Raftin'
Dajas Pagoda battles of note: Blood and Thunder, Slow Ride on the Easy Train, Possessed, The last place to look, Santeria, The Gloaming, Davy Jones' Locker
Quests of note: Sex, Drugs and Violence: The Flesh Failures, The Good Olde Days
FQ: The Enchanter's Journal, The Enchanter's Daughter
Intelligence America Saga: Unexplained Absence, Washed Away, An error in judgement, Don't Blink
Akashima Saga: Luxuria
History: At the conclusion of the Cell, Joshua's nigh indestructible body had been battered, re-animated, brutally burned and finally decimated. However at the crux of the battle his soul became pure energy, and, helped by some unseen force, rose into the sky.
For some time the essence of his being flowed with the Eternal Tap, gaining perspective and insight to the fabric of Althanas. Even in doing so, he could not discover which of the many Deities and higher powers worshiped throughout the world had seen fit not only to save his life, but to teach him more than he could have learned in a dozen lifetimes.
Eventually his erratic search led him to find a way to re-take physical form. At present he remembers little of himself or his time spent on the higher plane, but memories are sure to return...
Name: Joshua Cronen
Known Aliases: Breaker, 016573
Sex: Male
Age: 28
Height: 6'
Weight: 202 lbs.
Race: Ascended Human
Physical Description: Joshua is a tall man with broad shoulders, short brown hair and infinite hazel eyes. Aside from being tall and evidently in excellent condition, he is physically unremarkable, fitting into a crowd anywhere on Althanas where humans reside. A closer inspection might lead one to discover heavy calluses on his hands and feet, as well as the fact that he breathes much slower than most humans. A careful examination of his torso would show layers of scars which somehow healed into breathtaking abstract patterns. The only defining characteristic that makes him recognisable to the public is a white Y-shaped scar on his left cheek, just below the eye. Because a portion of his bodyweight comes from the unnatural density of his bones and muscles, Cronen is deceptively heavier than he looks.
Personality: Josh finds the space for beauty and happiness amidst chaos and corruption. No matter the stakes or the danger, his eyes rarely lose their gentle lightness, and he always has a grin for those who need to see one. He is a lover and a teacher at heart, but one who finds himself caught up in the currents of Althanas' adventures all to often, and chooses to embrace the flow rather than fighting it. In manner he can be distant at times, but becomes a social chameleon as necessary. Many believe this personality is merely a facade, an act to disguise the inner ruthlessness of an immovable vigilante. The truth is that Joshua's brain houses so many memories, many not his own, that it is easy for him to slip into different roles as necessary. Little is known of these personas, but one thing is certainly true of the one they call Breaker: he is absolutely ruthless, and will pursue foes to the depths of Haide and back seeking justice if necessary.
Abilities
Air affinity - Cronen is capable of controlling small amounts of air as an extension of his subconscious. Generally this is used to alter the course of an incoming projectile, giving an extra little boost to his jump or balance if needed, and quickly altering his appearance (mussing/fixing clothes or hair, cleaning skin or caking dust on etc.) He has discovered two ways of utilising this ability in combat (all air abilities dissipate approximately 20 yards from Josh.)
-Push: Cronen executes a physical action which causes a gust of wind capable of knocking a strong man off his feet.
-Airrow: Cronen exhales powerfully, shooting an invisible spike of air at his target. The airrow is of comparative strength with bronze and dissipates if it strikes anything it cannot pierce.
Water affinity - Cronen can create and manipulate up to his body weight in water, as well as change it instantly from liquid to solid (ice) to vapour (steam) and back again. (special uses of this ability listed below take from 5-20 seconds to perform, meaning usually the entirety of one post.)
-Craft: Cronen can make items such as weapons, tools, and armour out of ice. These melt at a slower rate than normal ice and have similar strength to steel. He can do the same with water and steam, but such items dissipate the moment he stops focussing on holding their shape.
-Encase: Cronen is capable of covering a part of his body (or his entire body) in water, ice, steam, or any combination thereof.
-Blend: When water that Cronen is actively controlling successfully absorbs something (be it solid matter or energy based magic) it rapidly breaks down the matter so it becomes as liquid and changeable as the water itself. In doing so it takes on some of the matter's inherent properties. For example, if Josh were to absorb a considerable amount of stone into the water before freezing it and encasing himself in a suit of ice, the armour would be stronger, heavier and less prone to shattering than usual. Works on anything other than living organic substances.
Regeneration: So long as he has access to proper nutrition and the ability to rest, Cronen heals at a much faster rate than ordinary humans. He is capable of recovering from crippling or near-fatal injuries in a matter of weeks, and grievous wounds in a matter of days. This applies to combat only insofar as his blood clots rapidly and the first stages of the healing process occur within a matter of minutes. For example, a cut that would cause most people to bleed out would weaken him for only a post or two before regenerating enough tissue to keep him alive.
Bone Mutation: If he so wills it Cronen can grow curved spikes less than a foot long from the knobbly bones on his wrists, elbows, knees, and ankles. These pierce the skin, are fairly hideous to behold, and are as strong as his regular bones (comparative to dragonbone/prevaldia, see 'Vile Anatomy').
Blessing of the Tap: Any magical energy within Cronen's physical reach may be subject to his will. This can allow him to deflect or dissipate low level attacks, disable or alter some enchantments, or moderately resist a strong magical force.
Ascended Vitality: Cronen's dedication to training combined with the magic weaved into his being has granted him 10x the strength and perception of an ordinary man, 12x the speed and agility, and 15x the endurance. He can drastically decrease and even stop the function of his lungs and heart. Although he can survive with a lowered heart rate for fairly long periods of time, he can only last about five minutes if he stops his heart completely, and needs to start it up again after that. His perception is perhaps the most remarkable of these characteristics, for it is rumoured that Cronen can hear regular human breathing as far as thirty paces away, and a regular heartbeat as far as ten. Even that he can sense movement through disturbances in the air, even a disruption as small as a swinging sword.
Vile Anatomy: Cronen's bones are at an equal strength with prevaldia, making them more akin to dragonbone than regular human bones. His flesh, though ordinary to sight and touch, has a similar strength to the scale of a giant sea serpent. However when flexed or stretched his muscles and connective tissue become as strong as delyn, making him capable of defending against some attacks without (visibly) doing anything.
Adamantine Will: Cronen has an incredibly powerful mind, making it difficult to influence him by hypnosis, seduction, magic, compulsion or pharmaceuticals. While it is possible to crack his resolve, the process is exhaustive and by no means a guaranteed success. This also makes him far more likely to see through illusions and manipulation. Having battled and defeated many powerful psions/telepaths, Cronen's mind has developed to the point where it protects him from all direct telepathic and telekinetic attacks. Characters of the same and higher levels may use psionic attacks on Josh, but the effects will be diluted. This same learning has made it possible for Josh to interpret any telepathic communication taking place in his general vicinity, even if it is not intended for him.
Clean Living: Cronen’s body produces adrenaline at an unusually high and consistent rate. This helps maintain his massive endurance; however it also causes toxins to break down faster in his blood stream. Whether it is a deadly poison or alcohol, external toxins affect him only half as much as they should. This can be an advantage and a disadvantage, for while he is less likely to succumb to poison, healing elixirs will not help him as much.
Detect Magic: Cronen has developed a sixth sense that allows him to detect magic. When a person, creature, or object is using/performing magic within a hundred yards of him, he feels the presence and knows instinctively where it is coming from. He can discern the nature of most magic even as it is being performed. For example, if a mage were to shoot a fireball at Cronen, he would know the fireball was coming even before he could see it, much the same way he can tell a person is going to punch him by the way they draw back their hand. This ability has developed to the point that only the most powerful and complex magicks are outside of Cronen's comprehension.
Lightning Rod: Cronen’s body functions at an incredible rate, producing much stronger electrical impulses than the average human body. Because of this, he is a veritable lightning rod for all magical and natural electricity. Rather than hurt him, electrical attacks give him an almost narcotic rush. A regular electric attack might cause something similar to a caffeine rush, whereas a bolt of lightning would feel akin to a cocaine rush. If he so desires Cronen can charge his body with enough energy to kill a being twice as hardy as a normal human. Once he has charged himself, the shock will automatically discharge when he touches something conductive enough (usually an enemy or their weapon). This is usually usable once per day, however if Cronen is electrocuted/struck by lightning after using the charge, he is able to do it again by storing the surplus energy.
Barrier Dissipation: Having encountered numerous types of magical barriers, Josh has developed a knack for bypassing them. When he comes into contact with a magical barrier cast by a mage who is a lower level than he, it dissolves. Same and higher level barriers may last, but only for a fraction of their ordinary half-life.
Healing Hands: This is a type of massage which serves to ease and relax the recipient. It can temporarily restore functionality to a damaged part of the body (for perhaps ten minutes), set broken bones, heal strained muscles and eradicate emotional stress.
Energy Surplus: Breaker’s body functions at such an overwhelming rate that it actually creates more energy than he needs. He can channel this extra energy into any inanimate object, the result of which being that as soon as the object suffers an impact of reasonable proportion, it explodes with the concussive force of a hand grenade. The blast radius of these is approximately five yards. This means that anyone standing within three yards of the explosion would be liable to be killed or at least lose a limb, and anyone four to five yards away would probably be knocked over and/or heavily winded from the concussive impact. As an alternative to charging objects, Josh can release surplus energy in a directional blast. A fully concentrated blast has a range an penetrating power similar to a mythril-headed crossbow bolt, while the least concentrated would be more similar to an ordinary discharge from a shotgun. Josh has enough surplus energy for 7 uses in a day without tiring. If he uses this ability more than five times a day, he will feel increasingly drained and fatigued. (It should be noted that there is nothing magical about this ability, it is more akin to a martial arts ki-focus.)
Skills and Training
Fractured memory: Cronen's own memories are surrounded by those of a dozen other men, natives to Althanas who lived on a variety of continents throughout the ages. Although these memories are not constant or overpowering, Josh is capable of more than even he realises in the school of skills and knowledge.
Sleep specialist: Partially because he needs sleep less than humans, Joshua's dreams are infrequent. However when they do come they are vivid, and seem to reflect his future as much as they do his past. Many of his comrades and followers have taken to asking him of his dreams, believing they may entail prophecies of sorts.
Trained Ambidexterity: Through exhaustive training Cronen has become ambidextrous; Although he may still prefer the use of the naturally dominant right side of his body, for all practical purposes he can perform equally well with the left side.
Multi Weapon Fighting: Cronen’s ambidexterity and extreme skill allow him to use more than one weapon at a time without losing finesse or technique.
Lethal Martial Arts: Cronen has evolved to legendary status in the field of unarmed combat. Having been trained in a wide variety of martial arts from a young age, he commands an extensive vocabulary of striking, grappling and throwing techniques and is known to defeat multiple armed attackers using only his body. His movements are non-telegraphic to the point where they are nearly impossible to predict. In keeping with this, he is unsettlingly good at predicting an opponent’s movements. He can also use a multitude of martial arts weapons to a certain degree of skill. This gives him amazing control over himself and enemies in combat. He is able to kill, disarm, or merely subdue opponents with an unparalleled degree of efficiency. Pupils studying under Josh tend to learn much faster than others, as he has mixed various martial arts into a supremely effective fighting style.
Ninjitsu: Cronen is a master of moving or hiding undetected through most terrains. He also has extraordinary flexibility and tumbling and acrobatic skills which allow him to use fighting techniques which would otherwise be impractical. These skills are complemented by the fact that his powerful legs allow him to leap fifty feet in the air.
Weapon Group Proficiency; Firearms: Cronen has had training and experience with light firearms and should be considered an expert marksman.
Weapon Group Proficiency; Short Blades: Cronen is legendary in the use of short bladed weapons when it comes to close range (melee) or long range (throwing) edged and pointed weapons.
Weapon Throwing: Cronen’s understanding of weapons allows him to throw nearly any weapon/object in an effective, deadly manner. Due to his physical strength and speed weapons thrown by Cronen have similar speed, power, accuracy and effective range to a heavy crossbow in the hands of a master.
Weapon Group Proficiency; Pole arms: Cronen is a master with many pole-type weapons. This extends from staves, to halberds, to short spears, to more exotic pole arms such as the naginata and tonfa.
Exotic Weapon Proficiency; Nunchaku: Cronen is a master at using one or two nunchaku. He is especially dangerous with this weapon, using its surprising range and remarkable power to overwhelm armed opponents.
Special Agent Training: Cronen’s special agent training has taught him to deal with Public Relation situations, to gather information, and blend into a crowd when necessary. This also included basic first aid and CPR.
Metalworking: Before joining the extinct UCA, Cronen worked in a welding shop, and took metalworking courses in high school.
Tantric Lover: Formidable strength and endurance aside, Cronen is experienced and knowledgeable enough a lover that many women who have shared his bed consider it a near-spiritual experience.
Wilderness Lore: Having spent time in the wilderness of Corone, Scara Brae and Salvar, Cronen is adept at surviving in these three areas. This includes hunting, tracking, finding shelter and a thorough knowledge of the animal and plant life.
Traps: Cronen is an expert in the construction, identification, and practical use of various kinds of traps. He can construct basic mechanisms using only objects he finds in the wilderness, or something more elaborate if he has the proper tools.
Inventory
The Breaker Boots: These are a pair of masterwork boots crafted from the new alloy rythadine. To the untrained eye they look like a standard pair of black leather boots, but closer inspection shows they are fastened by clasps rather than laces, and made entirely of metal. They also bear several enchantments, put in place by the alchemist Tinker Rythadine. Due to the nature of rythadine, these spells cannot be disenchanted, obstructed or removed. For all practical purposes, they are physical properties of the boots.
Enchantment 1: The Breaker Boots form a telepathic link with whoever is wearing them. With a mere thought, the wearer can adjust the weight of each boot from 0-100 pounds.
Enchantment 2: Using the same telepathic link, the wearer may adjust the levels and kinds of friction on the soles of the Breaker Boots. This extends from simply making the boots slipperier than ice to them generating enough static friction for the wearer to walk upside down on a ceiling.
Enchantment 3: Purely for the comfort of the wearer, the padded leather interior of the boots is enchanted to mould to the wearer’s foot, in addition to an elemental charm that keeps the wearer’s feet at a comfortable temperature at all times.
Dehlar Sledgehammer: Forged from a single solid chunk of dehlar, this massive warhammer with its handle wrapped in braided leather was awarded to Josh by the Corone Rangers the first time he encountered them.(gained here.) (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?2869-Cronen-Chronicles-Dam-Lumberjacks/page2)
Haidian Blade: Spoils: This dagger shaped almost like kukri but with an extra curve at the tip for tearing. This fearsome weapon is forged from an alloy of steel and silver of master craftsmanship. It is enchanted to cut the flesh of any Hadian twice as easily as normal. Rose Vasston received one, and Jake Narmolanya the other, although Joshua Cronen may use Jake's within the bounds of liquid time. The daggers also include custom tier 3 leather sheathes and wrist loops. (received here.) (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?22478-Baby-This-Night-%28for-CaitieGirl%29&p=187165#post187165)
Dagger of Kron Sha'keth: A masterwork black diamond skinning knife in a vlince sheathe. It is stiletto shaped and slightly curved, designed for deep incisions and stripping the hide off of flesh. Cronen took this weapon from the Aleraran assassin the night they fought over the streets and rooftops of Underwood. (gained here.) (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?22175-Your-vices-are-in-order/page3)
Steel Bandit Brotherhood Tanto: After their battle-turned-third-base-on-a-waterfall, Kyosku Tetsoma gave Josh one of the Bandit Brotherhood’s membership tanto. It is made of standard steel, with the BB insignia engraved intricately on the blade and black and red cloth wrapped decoratively around the hilt.
Glacier Statue: Crafted from high quality silver, this statue is no bigger than Joshua’s thumb, ornate in a simple way that keeps it sturdy. It resembles a glacier, and painstaking care has been taken in carving every crag and ridge to look realistic. One of the minute unmelting ice walls has three golden letters inlaid upon it, SSF. While the token in itself is nothing more than a pretty trinket, it marks Josh as an agent of the Salvarian Special Forces. Showing it obligates law-abiding folk in Salvar to answer his questions and assist him within reason, but flashing it around in the wrong place could get the owner’s throat slit.
Spears and Daggers: Josh purchased three Akashiman redwood short spears with Delyn tips and three Delyn daggers at the bazaar. The spearheads are long and rhombus shaped, and all the weapons are balanced for throwing.
Mythril Arrowhead: This is the head of the arrow that nearly killed Josh in “An error in judgement”. He carries it with him often as a reminder to never let his guard down.
Dehlar Bastard Sword: Once owned by a Captain Edward Samuels, this excellent blade was given to Josh after its owner’s death. One edge is chipped near the hilt, giving it small patch of rough serration, and the blade seems to be permanently stained with blood. These traits are leftover from the battle in which Captain Samuels lost his life. The hilt is inlaid with elegant engravings of intertwined bodies. The sword can never be imbued with magic but may be upgraded. Josh dubbed the blade “Luxuria” after the inn where he received it.
Colt Anaconda: Taken from the body of a soldier of Intelligence America, this massive revolver is now repaired and fully functional. With it Josh gained twelve steel .44 Magnum hollow point and six .44 Magnum prevaldia armor piercing rounds.
Prevaldia and Rywan Tomahawk: A slightly oversized hatchet with a blade on one side and a broad hammerhead on the other, the primary target purchased this multi-tool at Radasanth’s Bazaar.
Angel Eye: a small remote-controlled eyeball controllable via telepathy through the eyepatch. The user can see what the Angel Eye can, though his vision is split between normal and the eye patch. Can fly at 10 mph top speed, no range limit. The primary target was fortunate enough to pick this up at the Bazaar Auction House.
One pound of Radasanthian Reefer (cannabis indica) in a silk bag. We are uncertain how the primary target acquired this, knowing only that he did so at a night club called the Flesh Failures.
x1 Fireproofed gore-tex zippered medium size backpack.
x1 Fireproofed gore-tex trench coat.
x1 Hygiene Kit (soap, shaving cream, collapsible straight razor etc.).
x1 Basic First Aid Kit (gauze, thread, needle, tape, band-aids, scissors etc.).
x1 Field Rations Kit
x1 Steel nunchaku, leather padding.
x1 Polar fleece grey pants and shirt set.
x1 Black cotton/spandex blend pants and shirt set.
x1 Black facemask.
x2 Lightweight leather/goretex hiking boots.
x2 Synthetic wool/cotton blend black socks.
x1 Notebook, 200 pgs.
x1 Mechanical Pencil.
x2 Heavy Wear leather/goretex gloves.
x1 Utility Belt.
200 feet of steel wire, in plastic package.
x1 Distress Signal Transceiver.
Background
Information collected from the archives of the extinct UCA
1983-1986
Joshua was born in a small town, Maroon, population 13,000, just outside of Winnipeg, Ontario. He was an only child and raised by his Mother and Father as a lower-middle class family until just before Joshua's third birthday, at which point his mother died of lung cancer, having smoked for the past 20 years. Two months later, Joshua and his father moved into the heart of Winnipeg, where his father found a new, better paying job.
1987-1990
Joshua lived through a fairly difficult life, spending a good deal of time in cheap day-care programs, while his father worked long hours, tiring himself out. When Joshua began going to school at age 6, his father began to abuse him, supposedly out of anger that Joshua was not doing well enough.
1991-1995
Joshua's father begins to teach him Martial Arts, which he once taught, but in a very brutal manner. It was from these learning’s that Joshua developed his over-relaxed fighting style. Joshua also began to excel in school, partially because of wanting to please his father, but also due to being very naturally intelligent.
1996-2000
After continually excelling in school, sports, and martial arts, Joshua begins a metalworking job at age 16 to gain money for College. In these years Joshua passed through several relationships with different girls, most of which did not last very long as the girls were alienated by either his Father or annoyed that he is so busy. On the New Year's eve, Joshua was convinced by several friends to move out on his own.
2001-2004
Joshua is connected to the UCA by Psychiatrist Dr. Barnaby Wells. Begins intense training and becomes Special Agent on his 20th Birthday. Months later, Josh is chosen to undergo a special mission, involving an erratic and unpredictable portal which was accidentally opened at a nuclear testing plant...
Extract from the Log Book of Geoffrey Smyth, Supervising Officer at the Underground's Nuclear Testing area.
February 17th, 2005;
Today we were working on a new method of transportation, which we hoped to later use to mobilize small numbers of agents from one corner of the Earth to another. The idea, which I will not attempt to go into technical details about, is this; we intend to harness the power of a nuclear explosion, but use it towards a positive cause, rather than a destructive one. The energy produced by a splitting atom is immense, as we all know, and our top scientists have been working long hours on how to channel that power towards a certain goal. They are working towards creating a type of portal which, when stepped into, would carry an Agent into a well known safe-zone in a wooded area not far from Winnipeg. I have never been so excited as I was when we first began today, and the portal opened. To me, behind a six inch barrier of protective glass, it was like magic. I thought I was going to die as there was a blinding flash of light, but abruptly the light faded, and I found myself staring into what was simply a black hole in the middle of the experimentation room. The scientist who had performed the final split was being pulled forward by some unseen force, and one of his fellows ran to help him, with the result that, horrifyingly enough, they were both sucked through! The other two scientists on the floor worked frantically, and managed to stabilize the portal, stopping it from sucking everything nearby into it. I was already on the phone with our workers stationed in the wooded safe-zone, but the scientists had not appeared there. It was apparent to all of us what must have happened; the portal had worked, but it was not transporting things to the proper location.
Written by Head Agent Genvieve Aneed.
I can hardly believe I am letting Josh go through with this. He had been scheduled to enter the portal as soon as it was stable and ready, but seeing as we do not know where it transports users to, it can hardly be considered stable. However, it is necessary for us to find out what happened to the two white coats who were taken by the portal. I am in a protected glass area right now, with Dr. Wells beside me. I must say I am glad he is here; he is on very good terms with both myself and Josh, and the moral support he provides is tremendous. Josh is now receiving his final instructions from the Head Scientist, and walking towards the portal. A red light is flashing somewhere, I don't understand what it means, but there's nothing I can do. Josh is about to step through, but an alarm sounds, and abruptly the portal simply swallows him. He cries out in alarm, but his yell is cut off by the portal closing, as the Head Scientist switches off the power. Dr. Wells is frantically unlocking the door, breaking the rules and trying to get on to the testing field. Our Head Scientist is on the phone with our Agents in the safe-zone. Josh is not there. We are receiving no signal from Josh's transceiver. My two-way radio crackles to life, and I hear Dr. Wells on the other end, as he stands next to the Head Scientist.
"Agent down, Jenny. We've lost him."
History on Althanas.
Citadel battles of note: Shop 'till you Drop, The Runt and the Ruin, Tennis Brevity, River Raftin'
Dajas Pagoda battles of note: Blood and Thunder, Slow Ride on the Easy Train, Possessed, The last place to look, Santeria, The Gloaming, Davy Jones' Locker
Quests of note: Sex, Drugs and Violence: The Flesh Failures, The Good Olde Days
FQ: The Enchanter's Journal, The Enchanter's Daughter
Intelligence America Saga: Unexplained Absence, Washed Away, An error in judgement, Don't Blink
Akashima Saga: Luxuria
History: At the conclusion of the Cell, Joshua's nigh indestructible body had been battered, re-animated, brutally burned and finally decimated. However at the crux of the battle his soul became pure energy, and, helped by some unseen force, rose into the sky.
For some time the essence of his being flowed with the Eternal Tap, gaining perspective and insight to the fabric of Althanas. Even in doing so, he could not discover which of the many Deities and higher powers worshiped throughout the world had seen fit not only to save his life, but to teach him more than he could have learned in a dozen lifetimes.
Eventually his erratic search led him to find a way to re-take physical form. At present he remembers little of himself or his time spent on the higher plane, but memories are sure to return...