"If you don't know the answer, you're just not thinking hard enough."
Edited picture. Original is here. Note: His eyes are now red.
In reflection of Change's words and his new-found ability to talk, Cole has adopted a different outlook on life:
Age: 21 Gender: Male Race: Human (?) Birthplace: Leprin (100 miles southeast of Cramiche) Combat Skills:: Shortswords and Daggers, Projectile-Weaponry, Throwing, Explosives, Sleight-of-Hand, etc. Other Skills:: Potions and Poisons, Engineering, Mechanics, Gadgetry, Misc. Subtle/Obscure Magic, General and Obscure Knowledge
Cole maintains that there's always a good answer to any and every question, sometimes more than one, and he often spends his time learning, or using his knowledge to find answers. Even if the answers don't always do him good, Cole is just happy simply knowing them. In a way, answers to problems, questions, or any uncertainty, are his version of company. He feels a little less lonely when he learns. But with the passing of time, his bulk of knowledge tends to weigh on him, and he quickly grows lonely from being unable to share it. Being mute has left him unable to share all his thoughts. A recent turn of events has changed his, however, the end results aren't all that different. Now, some tend to say this young man is incredibly charming... until he opens his mouth. The things he seems capable of saying, should he choose to say them, will poke at even the most hardened individual's insecurities. That's simply Cole's way; he cuts to the chase.
Biography: Cole was orphaned when he was very, very young. He was left on the doorstep of a gnome. The gnome was an inventor, tinkerer, and overall intellectual enthusiast. He taught Cole a lot of things since he was young- and Cole was rather gifted, he caught on fast. Learning to speak, that was one of the first things he accomplished. Reading came shortly after. He could speak fluent Common and Gnomish before he was five. Naturally, under the influence of his father, the only family Cole had ever known, he grew very attached to the gnome, even when he began exceeding his height and strength. Despite all of those, the gnome was still his father, and Cole loved and cherished him the most.
Unfortunately, around his eleventh birthday, he would be forever separated from his father and his home. Leprin, the large village they lived in, lay on a strip of land that demons would often pass through. The village was partly subterranean. When word of the legions would come, everyone would burrow and hide the entrances to their homes. But it was night, this time, and there wouldn't be any warning. It was a day of celebration- Cole's birthday, and everyone in the small village would neglect their duties, watchmen or otherwise, to partake in the boy's party. They came fast, like lightning, and fell mercilessly upon the village. Houses were burned and razed. Bodies were torn in two, souls were stolen. Cole's father hid Cole deep, deep beneath the ground, in the depths of their home. He could only hear the cries of those suffering above.
When the movements stopped, Cole crawled out of his hole and up to the surface. He could barely budge passed the door, a dead weight lay upon it, stopping him. When he finally managed to push it off, he realized what it was keeping him shielded beneath the ground. His father's body lay, pressed against the cellar door, neck twisted and face stuck in an expression of fear. Yet the death grip the small gnome held on the cellar's edges simply wouldn't give. Cole could only stare in horror as his voice was caught in his throat. Tears welled up in his eyes as he hovered over his father's mangled body, unable to touch it out of fear of further destroying the few remains. He closed his eyes, reeled back in sorrowed sobs, and cried out with his voice, as loud as he could. He cried for help, for someone to save his father at the top of his lungs, endlessly until dawn came. By then, he could cry no more. He'd torn his vocal chords.
+ Update: 04-20-10 +
The climb to survival had been long and hard, and for a child, always on the edge of disaster. Cole picked up the pieces of his torn home, but there was hardly anything worth picking up. He left shortly after his father's burial, wandering like a stray. For a while, he'd survive purely on stranger's pity on him, but it wasn't long before he started to give in to instincts and unforgiving, unbearable hunger. He hunted and ate like an animal or a wild dog. Perhaps it wasn't entirely his own instincts and ability. The child was said to move like an Imp. When a passing group of monks witnessed the boy, they managed to capture him, and transported him into a place west of Sida, high in the mountains. Cole disappeared for three years, not a word had been heard or said about him. After that, the same group of monks returned the child, now a civilized young boy at the growing age of 10.
Cole tried to live the life of a normal boy, taken care of by an orphanage, but often running away to search the ruins of his old home, find his father's lost tomes and tools, and learn about all his work. It was overwhelming for a ten year old, but Cole's memory was exceptional. He struggled to recreate the work and life his father had guided him through. How strange it was that youth could adapt better than adults. Yet, while Cole grew in knowledge, he also grew distant from people. His life and his work made him anti-social to complement his shyness, and when he was thirteen, he left his orphanage for good.
With a working and practical knowledge of most things, Cole made his way west, to Surna. His travels took two years, as he often stopped and spent time along the way. Often, it surprised him how a person was completely capable of teaching themselves how to survive. Though, just as often, he was surprised at how lazy one can get when they realize the scope of their journey, just as he did. Though Cole took his sweet time in getting to Surna, he had managed to learn a fair deal from the diversity of things he'd seen on the road.
Shortly after his arrival, he befriended a young Kazuth girl, and for some time, associated with her, until time brought distance between them. By then, however, a war with the nation of Occitan had come, incited by Talibar's tolerance of Kazuth. When Cole was about fifteen and a half, for the safety of his friend, he lied about his age and signed up for the war. Somehow, his being mute seemed to make him a better candidate. After a while, he'd experienced that War, too, was a gruesome thing, first hand. Though he kept to ranged weaponry and rarely fought head-on, he'd witnessed many gruesome deaths, some he himself inflicted, and others to those around him. After the war, Cole grew even more distant from those he knew, suffering from mild cases of trauma and a general distaste of conflict and interaction.
Regret for being part of killing so many others, even if he thought they were wrong, was what eventually attempted to join the guard and try and act as a functioning member of society. Despite being mute, he was accepted, and it was soon evident that he performed well, as he often did, and found no trouble in having a steady income, even enough to purchase a small house. But his work, or any, done by the guard, seemed rarely appreciated. Cole's impression of the guard also grew darker when he learned first-hand of the corruption that was present. For two years, he kept going, trying to deal with the clear faults of Surna's people and government, and guard.
By the time he was 18, his dislike of the people he'd been protecting, and a majority of the people he'd been working with, had grown so intolerably high, he resigned from the guard and sold his house, gathering up his most precious belongings and leaving to live off the woods around Surna. He would occasionally come into town, or often travel to smaller villages, helping people with his knowledge and taking small rewards to help sustain his lifestyle. With so much time left for him to do as he pleased, Cole spent those next three years trying new things and attempting to live life without complication.
In recent times, Cole seems to focus more on a variety of obscure or uncommon magical practices, persistently chasing the solution to a problem he has only recently been made fully aware of. Between the presence of a curse, and a recent discovery of the ones to blame for his father's death and village's demise, Cole has geared his actions toward the very heart of Talibar, working in his own way.
Alignment: Lawful Good Favored Enemy: Ruffians, Hooligans, No-Good Low-lives, and Marius when he's picking his nose. Favored Weapon: Needler round to da FAYCE. Deity: Oghma Current Tasks: 1. Serve the Talibarian Guard. - Canceled 2. Find a place in world. - On-going 3. Surpass his 'Human' limits - Completed (?) 4. Try to get passed his shyness and use his new voice. - In-Progress. 5. Find a way to meet the Emperor, and have a little talk. - In-Progress.
Inventory
Quote :
SPAR - Singleshot Pressurized Air Rifle
Description: The weapon is an incarnation of ingenuity and dedicated craftsmanship. It is composed of three main sections: A main shaft or "barrel," a high-pressure chamber, and a wooden stock on which the whole apparatus rests. The barrel connects to the stock by two hinges at its far underside, and is held in place by a spring-driven hook-shaped lock. Two levers are slid into slightly grooves along that run parallel to the barrel, the ends of which are connected to a two-phase air-tight pump apparatus placed in the lower half of the stock with low pressure valves to facilitate pumping and refilling, which then feed into the pressure chamber through two high pressure valves, one on each side, that only allow air to enter when it is of appropriate pressure. A tube travels through the back of the mount and into the start of the barrel, controlled by a trigger-operated valve. The barrel has a slightly expanded opening to act as an ammunition chamber, and the rest of the barrel is tightened to increase the air-pressure as it is released. The weapon is little heavier than the average longsword, operating on simple concepts and cheap materials.
How it works: The barrel is pulled down, cranking the shaft that works the first-phase pump. A hollow metal pellet, or other small object if pellets aren't available, is loaded into the bullet's chamber. The barrel is then driven back up, which pulls the crank back and drives the second-phase pump, doubling the pressure in the chamber. The rifle stock is then held against the shoulder and fired like any other rifle. With a standard 2-phase pump, muzzle velocity begins at 800 ft/sec and decelerates by roughly 6ft/sec every yard with average ammunition, coming to a total halt shortly after 405 ft, or 135 yards Additional pumping can increase these values at some strain of the pressure chamber. Heating the pressure chamber can also increase overall output.
Ammo Variants:
Wood/Plant-based
Sticks/Twigs/Cut wood - It's light. It's not accurate. But it can splinter very well. Used with a Pusher Casing for maximum efficiency.
Leaf/Paper Pusher - When there's no time to make a pusher and you really have to propel something, some leaves or stacks of torn parchment will do the job, as long as the projectile isn't too heavy. The lowest kind of pusher there is.
Wooden Pusher Casing - Wood can, at the very least, make a cheap and easy casing to push other, heavier materials down the barrel. Very easy to prepare, these are mid-level pushers.
Standard Pellet - Hollowed out and rounded at the tip, the wooden version does not travel so far, but it's cheap and easy to make, and even when there's a shortage of ammo, a simple carving tool can result in some cheap, usable ammo.
Mineral-based
Dirt - Annoying, messy, and can impair vision and cause some to cough violently if used properly. Add additional substances to make it work better, but it's not recommended for attacking. Used with a Pusher Casing for maximum efficiency.
Sand - Smoother sand makes an excellent smoke screen, and it actually carries a little force before getting far out of the barrel. Grainier sand can also cut and scratch its target, and carries more force. While mostly non-lethal, it can really mess up someone without armor and has a higher chance of damaging sensitive things hidden behind armor, like the eyes, ears, or other such. Used with a Pusher Casing for maximum efficiency.
Pebbels - Smooth enough for reduced drag, hard enough to carry force. If it fits in the barrel, this will make a great impact at decent ranges, but mostly offers blunt force. Used with a Pusher Casing for maximum efficiency.
Rough Rocks - Assuming these can fit, give or take a little filing for a proper fit. Rougher rocks provide the same blunt impact, but the rough sides and sharp points along its surface can dig further into skin and tear it apart. Some rocks also tend to fragment, causing the fragments to dig deeper into the skin.
Mineral Crystals - The bulk of these are highly toxic to living things if they get beneath your skin, due to dissolving into the bloodstream and becoming nigh impossible to remove without damaging the immune and lymphatic systems as well. If a crystal is enchanted or has a spell, or just a certain amount of magical energy stored inside, no matter the spectrum, that energy will also be released upon its shattered after contact with its target. Used with a Pusher Casing for maximum efficiency.
Metal-based
Metal Pusher Casing - Same as its wooden counterpart, but more efficient at a slightly higher cost.
Metal Rod - Assuming it even fits, when there are rods of appropriate size lying around, not much else offers a blunt impact quite like a rod of iron or such. Though it carries force well, don't expect this to travel all that far or puncture anything. Bleeding, though, and breaking joints- that's definitely possible at a close enough range. Used with a Pusher Casing for maximum efficiency.
Standard Pellet - Hollowed out and sharpened at the tip, it travels pretty far with decent accuracy, and fragments upon contact, however, it loses force due to drag. These can be coated with a material that will spread through the victim after fragmentation. The metal version has no cons.
Weighted Pellet - The tip remains sharp, but the tip's opening is instead a solid metal end. Though it travels a shorter distance than an average round and does not fragment, it loses less force from drag and can sustain power for longer distances and is capable of shooting straight through something if given enough force, along with a higher accuracy rating.
Lance Pellet - Combining the best of both worlds, the pellet is long and sharp, and a little over twice the size of other pellets. Its shell gets thicker and heavier towards the tip, and the very end is as pointed as a needle. The lance-like shape reduces drag very much, and the increased weight distributed toward the tip helps maintain force and accuracy, and propels about as well as a standard hollow pellet, allowing it to travel farther distances. Upon contact, this round travels further inside before fragmenting, and it might not even make it out the back if it fragments properly. Essentially, this is a 'sniping' round. It is difficult to make properly, though, and harder to load than a standard round. Usually only good for the first shot, or between long pauses.
Needler Round - A pinch-able casing with a central pin holds 16 other pins together by pinching their indentations and holding them together with a little mechanical pressure. When inserted into the barrel and pushed down the shaft by high pressure, the metal pieces that 'pinch' this casing are pushed inward as they enter the barrel, releasing the needles as they are propelled by a convex-shaped metal circle that catches the incoming air, transferring the force to the needles. As the needles leave the the barrel, they experience almost no drag, but they also spread about, creating a larger area of effect that continues to widen down range. The needles themselves can about as far as a hollow pellet and still maintain their force, but they spread to the point of ineffectiveness, and are best used up close and personal, were they can rip short-range targets to pieces.
Last edited by Kain on Sat May 08, 2010 1:49 am; edited 10 times in total
♥Lithium President of the Gay Bar
Posts : 203 Join date : 2009-06-23
Character sheet Name: Ahrian de Lioncourt Age: 26 Race: Human
Subject: Re: Cole Simmons Sat Jul 11, 2009 12:00 pm
This profile has earned my respects-- hopefully Oddric will be able to meet him, they'll make a good pairing.
Guest Guest
Subject: Re: Cole Simmons Sat Jul 11, 2009 12:16 pm
♥Lithium wrote:
This profile has earned my respects-- hopefully Oddric will be able to meet him, they'll make a good pairing.
GUY-LOVE~ Betweeeen.. two.. guyyyysss~
Anyway, Nice Char. I like.
Guest Guest
Subject: Re: Cole Simmons Sat Jul 11, 2009 12:17 pm
Aaahhh. Guardsman. Go away. I don't want more fuckers put on the manhunt for Marcus.
Guest Guest
Subject: Re: Cole Simmons Sat Jul 11, 2009 12:30 pm
Mack wrote:
Aaahhh. Guardsman. Go away. I don't want more fuckers put on the manhunt for Marcus.
And Zaku for that matter.
Kain
Posts : 1427 Join date : 2009-03-24 Location : Somewhere Pat doesn't want me to be
Sat Jul 11, 2009 3:45 am
