Xerek Hondai, another NPC. 12-8-97 A few notes: His last name is a direct pre-rifts rip-off. In Mutants in Orbit it says somewhere than many of the people have names after old pre-rifts brand-names. I thought it was a cool idea, that's how he got his last name. Xerek is a simvan name given to him after is "adoption" into the Pervic clan when he was 14. He doesn't even really remember his old name anymore... --------------------- Character History: Xerek was born in a sheep herders village on the southern Texas prairie. His village was just out of the influence of the Coalition, but he still saw and heard much of them. He witnessed countless battles between the frontier forts and the bandits. His village was frequented by bandits of many types, mainly the Pervic Simvan bands. While still superstitious in nature, the villagers realized that the Pervic took the least, and slowly warmed up to them, knowing they would be far better than the Coalition. Thus, the Pervic also began to view the little village as a fairly strategic rest-stop on their raids, and they began to stop other bandits from pestering the villagers. Xerek had been training to become a traveling operator like his father, who had set up shop in the village after seeing how profitable selling his services to the Simvan could be. His dreams would not last long, as the night of his 14th birthday the Coalition sent a Seek-and-Destroy squad to raze the village as an example to other d-bee sympathizers. Most of the Pervic were away at the time, and the village was completely destroyed. At first Xerek fought against the wave of invading troops. Soon however he saw he would have to get out as many people as he could before they were all killed. Running to his family's garage, he took the old truck his father had driven up in 20 years earlier. That night Xerek managed to save around 20 villagers and a few aging Simvan who had stayed behind the main band. Still, everyone else, including his family had been killed. Everything he had known was gone, as he drove away from his burning village he could see in the firelight the glints reflecting off of the invading soldier's armor. Xerek drove until daybreak, when he finally stopped in an apse of trees, and collapsed of fatigue. The few Pervic with him said they should stay near the ruins of his village, as the Coalition would not linger long, fearful of retribution from the Pervic. Returning the following day, the Coalition was gone. All that remained of them was the destruction they had left behind. Most of the dead villagers lie in the dusty streets, many of them still smoking. A few had sharp poles driven through their torsos, they sat waving in the wind, the poles planted in the village commons. One of those men was Xerek's father, along with a few of the left behind simvan, and some of the other town leaders and defenders. The message to the villagers was very clear, the Coalition wanted no D-bee sympathising settlements this far north. After seeing his father hanging there, Xerek simply stood, clutching his fists in a desperate, helpless rage. He had known the Coalition was bad, but this was beyond his comprehension. Always it had happened to the bandits, never had he heard of peaceful villagers being murdered like this. His other villagers tried to comfort him, but he brushed them away coldly. Resolving to put the defiled bodies to rest himself, he single-handedly buried the 14 villagers up on those poles. The simvan he left to his companions and their customs. By the time the main band returned 2 weeks latter after hearing the news, Xerek had been changed forever. No longer was he the starry eyed teenager he used to be. Now he had only a grim look in his eyes. The villagers said he looked old beyond his years. When Zimchex, the Pervic's leader was told of the boy's courageous deeds, he asked to speak with him. Rare it was that the leader such a young human so full of courage. AFter much consideration, Xerek decided he wanted nothing more to do with a passive villager's life. He wanted to strike out at the Coalition that had destroyed everything he had once held dear. When he asked to be adopted into the Pervic tribe, Zimchex found no problem with it. The boy had already more than proven himself, and Zimchex needed someone with mechanical skill for his tribe's few vehicles. Once adopted Xerek was given his new name, after the name of the simvan spirit of re-birth. Not simply willing to be the Tribe's mechanic, Xerek focused on learning the arts of war from his Simvan instructors. His hatred for the Coalition his fueling energy, Xerek learned faster than ever, and soon became quite a respected warrior and member of the tribe. By the age of 25, Xerek grew tired of life in the Nomadic tribe, and decided to leave. Working independently as a man of many skills, he kept alive on the harsh lands where he grew up more through shear ingenuity than physical brawn. Xerek currently rents out his services to the black marketers in Ciudad Juarez, he's one of their favored operatives, mostly for his experience. Many times has he run deliveries for them that no one else would take. ---------------- Character Info: Xerek Hondai Human Vagabond Unprincipled Alignment 7th Level, 33,450 exp Hit Points: 43 S.D.C.: 33 IQ:15 Age:35 ME:14 Sex: Male MA:17 - 45% Weight:170lbs PS:17 Height:5'8"ft PP:11 PE:11 Land of Origin: Small village in central Texas PB:14 SPD:32 ISP:52 Hand to Hand Combat Skill: Assassin # of attacks: 5 Kick 1d6 +2 to strike +6 to parry +6 to dodge +5 to roll +5 to damage Knock Out/Stun on 17+ Entangle Considered a minor Psi-Sensitive, with Empathy and Sixth Sense Skills: Native Language: American OCC ---- Language: American, Simvan 95% Cook 80% OCC Related Skills ------------------- Automotive Mechanics 55% Basic Electronics 60% Armorer 70% Basic Mechanics 80% Pilot Automobile 77% First Aid 85% Lore: Demons & Monsters 62% Literacy:American 62% Radio Basic 70% Lore: Magic 52%/42%/37% WP Knife +1T/+1S/+2P Lore:Dbee 57% Athletics Boxing Pilot Tanks/APCs 57% Pilot Truck 61% Running General Repair/Maintenance 42% Secondary Skills ----------------- Prowl 55% WP: Energy Pistol +5/+3 Basic Math 75% HTH Assassin (taught by simvan) Wilderness Survival 75% (also from above) Equipment: Simvan Body Armor 45MD, no penalties NG-45LP 5d6MD, 1200 ft, 8 shots 4 short e-clips TW Water Cannon 3d6x10 to vampires (gets the job done!) 200ft, 1 blast/ISP An enchanted dagger (2d6+2MD) that also can cast globe of daylight x3 per day A Vibro Knife 1d6MD Items listed in OCC description. He has around 100,000 credits saved up and has been considering retiring and buying a ranch lately... Currently lives in a small garage with the blackmarket of Ciudad Juarez. He owns a heavily armed and armored Big Boss too. Other Character Notes: Xerek is wanted by the Coalition for crimes against the state and associating with other criminals. He hates the coalition, and would not help even a dying soldier if he found one. His time with the Simvan jaded him towards life, he shares much of their mentality and customs, and still habitually pays homage to their spirits. Right now he's already feeling age creeping up on him. He knows it's rare to have lived this long doing what he does, and realizes that should he continue, he might not make it to see 40. So he's really subconsciously looking for a place to settle down right now, but he hasn't quite found one yet, and won't admit that he's even looking. Around strangers Xerek tends to be gruff and distrusting, he's lived too long to be naive. Around friends he loosens up a little, but his disciplined demeanor never completly leaves him, except when he's totally drunk. Xerek is known by many through out the plains, all of the Pervic, and many other Simvan know or have heard of him. He's done business as a hired mechanic/guide for a few of the bandit gangs also, but isn't in too good of a standing with any of them (some insults have been exchanged). Xerek has lived a hard life out on the plains, some times down on his luck, sometimes not. He has a very "take what you get and don't complain" attitude, and hates cowards and backstabers. Banditry is an acceptable pastime, as long as you don't milk the poor to harshly, and always try to hit the Coalition whenever possible. Overall, a quiet man, with a determined look in his eyes. He's really just one of the many people out on the plains trying to live however they can, and isn't above banditry himself if he really needs food or ammo.