Captain Kohl Stryker - Fox - Corsair - Neutral

[Stryker]

Name: Captain Kohl Stryker
Moniker: Blackbrush, Silver Stryker, “Lightning” Stryker
Gender: Male
Age: 25
Species: Red Fox
Occupation: Corsair, Freebooter, Mercenary, Outlaw

Physical Appearance:

Kohl Stryker is a broad-shouldered, dense-furred silver fox with uneven layers of silver, black, gray and white hair covering his entire body. The life of a corsair has left him with a lean, muscular build, his pawpads thick with callouses, his weather-battered ears are dark with various scars, though it's his good fortunate that his ear-fur is so black they're impossible to notice. Kohl's sharp, black-lined eyes are the same darkly brazen, molten orange hue as lava oozing down a mountain side. Despite the fiery color, they give off a sort of cold, disconnected look, as though Kohl Stryker and the world around him aren't always perfectly in sync. He's tall by fox standards, almost a full head taller than the average, Stryker cuts quite a lanky form swaggering across the freshly swabbed decks, scruffy, ticked fur swaying and fluttering in the salty breezes. Melanistic by design, variegated shades of gray and smoky silver surround a mask of jet black, a silvery mane-like scruff providing a nice contrast against his incredibly dark visage. Stryker's white-tipped, jet-black plume, the pride of any fox, forms a luxurious bottlebrush shape. This tends to contradict his oftentimes scruffy, 'mangy' appearance after several weeks out at sea on a particularly rough voyage, and though no one asks, it's quite likely that Stryker spends more time brushing his tail than anything else on his body. His forearms, paws and legs are also jet black, lightening to a silvery-gray hue where they meet with the rest of his silver body.

Stryker's most noticeable feature is the lightning-bolt pattern of white fur that streaks down the center of his chest (just below his collarbone and stopping before it reaches his diaphragm), as though the Gods took a little white paintbrush and ran a handsome little zigzag pattern down his breastbone. Aside from this, a much less flattering mark upon his body is a long, worm-pink dagger-wound that runs almost the length of his forearm (from the underside of his wrist to elbow). To keep out infection, Stryker keeps that forearm heavily bandaged in white gauze, held together by a bit of black tar. The fur around the wound has been clipped short to keep the fur from sticking to it during the healing process. Hidden by the long, dark-blue trench-coat he's known to wear is the image of a Gothic-looking cross tattooed onto the silver fur over his shoulder, a banner wrapped around the cross with the ancient words 'Virtute Siderum Tenus', or With Valor to the Stars written across it.

{Clothing}
Stryker's choice of clothing is a thick, wool Buccaneer coat with large bell cuffs and gleaming silver buttons down the front. The coat is dark blue. Worn underneath the coat is a handsomely embroidered deep blue vest.
www.a2armory.com/medievalcostumes/buccoat.html

Beneath this, Stryker wears an otherwise plain white, long-sleeved shirt with black embroidering along both cuffs and the collar.

www.medievalcollectibles.com/p-3427-king-henry-cross-shirt.aspx

Around his waist, Stryker wears a solid silver belt-buckle with a rat's skull image hammered into it set against a backdrop of two crisscrossed bones. He wears simple black pants, the hems tucked into heavy black-leather boots with silver clasps.

www.medievalcollectibles.com/p-7334-wanderer-boots.aspx

Possessions:

Stryker carries 5 things with him at all times:

A flask full of his drink of choice, a compass, a pendent made from a Southern medallion, his trusty cutlass, and a black onyx-chain necklace.

www.kingice.com/Mens-Black-Stainless-Steel-Marina-Necklace-Chain-P105014.html

Each link on the chain represents a life he's taken, and it has steadily gotten longer throughout his career as a pirate.

(c)

[Stryker]

Personality:

~As Ever-Changing as the Seas~

The harshness of corsair life has beaten the 'pacifist' right out of him; Stryker, now 25, presents himself as a cold, calculating pirate who's used to taking more direct methods to get what he wants. Though he is fair to the crewbeasts serving under him, Stryker isn't the kind of pirate who allows others to forget their place – even if it means a sharp kick here or a cold, abrasive tongue-lashing there – least of all himself, and takes his job as Captain extremely seriously. The corsair lifestyle has taught him the value of living things, as his existence is marked by death of both enemies and friends, and the seemingly futile attempts to escape the unforgiving whims of Lady Misfortune. He has seen stupidity firsthand and has come to despise it, loathing 'foolish deaths' above all else – for example, the searat who falls overboard and drowns because he never learned to swim, or the wounded weasel who dies of his wounds because of an incompetent doctor. Stryker has sailed with some of the worst creatures one can imagine, ranging from beasts who were horrible at their chosen craft, had bad aim, or just a downright nastiness that's caught up with them later thanks to karma. He's always been good about learning from one's mistakes, and they don't always have to be his own for him to walk away with a new piece of knowledge or advice, Stryker careful to glean as much as he can from every seafaring experience possible.

Sharp of tongue, wit and nature, Stryker is a determined young fox, almost to the point of obsession, often times allowing himself to be completely consumed by a singular idea, which sometimes costs him the lives of those beside him. He's a dangerous creature, as all corsairs are, but not in the most obvious sense. Coldly charismatic, Stryker's appeal comes from his oddly twisted moral code, and his ability to present both sides of the story to even the daftest of crewbeasts. He's no fool, and it's easy for anyone to see that this educated, intelligent fox has big, big plans, Stryker able to draw people in by mere presence and mental solidity alone. The most dangerous thing about Captain Kohl Stryker is what's called the “Stryker Effect”; it makes creatures want to support his cause, want to put their trust in him and expect great things of this peculiar corsair. Though it's nonsense to call it witchcraft, it certainly is something, though what, we'll never know. A notable feature of Kohl's is his adaptability; a survival skill any would be envious to have, Stryker isn't the type of fellow to settle for dying bravely or surrendering, and is known for his hasty (but effective) “Plan B's” – which could quite possibly be the secret to his long life, considering all the trouble he's been in. Despite having the ability to be more than insensitive towards his crew, Stryker prefers to play the fair, calculating judge rather than ruthless, careless executioner, and can, at times, perform great acts of charity or honor that has a few dim-witted crewbeasts scratching their heads in wonder.

Stryker believes heavily in karma, and it's unknown whether he obliges his own honor code for the sake of upholding some kind of honor (no matter how twisted), or simply appealing to the Gods so that they may judge him a little less harshly come that last stop at Hellgates. Stryker obviously isn't the easiest creature to read, and his crewmembers may have difficulty in gauging his emotions that aren't simply happiness/contentment or obvious anger and frustration; Kohl tends to keep to his emotions to himself. Obsession can be a heavy load to carry, and Stryker's particular form of it is no different; it's as though he's been seized by some hellish fiery passion to reach a certain goal, obtain a certain item or defeat a sworn enemy. Talking him out of it is nine-times-out-of-ten, not possible, and Stryker gives off the impression that he'd go to Hellgates and back if that's where his all-consuming desires took him. An obsessed Stryker is somewhat of a scary Stryker, the silver fox becoming the kind of Captain who doesn't value the lives of his crew quite as much as normal Stryker did. How far he's willing to go to satiate his own needs is anyone's guess.

Oddly enough, Stryker has an almost silly fondness for stars; ever since he was little the stars have retained some kind of magical essence for him, a kind of pull in the right direction, serving as a secret source of his strength. While the endless expanse of the nighttime sky from the deck of a ship can calm him down with ease, there are a few significant things that can push this fox over his boiling point.
Slavery is something Stryker abhors even more than stupidity; the idea of working a creature to death to serve your own selfish needs sickens him. Slavery and labor is a touchy subject for him, and an almost ugly side of the normally charismatic Stryker can rear it's ruthless head when faced with the object of his abhorrence. Stryker tends to judge creatures by how well they treat those beneath them, and this judgment applies to himself as well, the fox never doing anything to harm a crewbeast without very good reason. He tries not to take his anger out on his shipmates, and is usually very good about keeping it in check. Aside from slave labor, another thing that tends to rub Stryker the wrong way is mutiny; Stryker has a love for loyalty, and to see such a wholly good thing such as a trusting bond shatter because of an unruly crew is disgusting to him. He's seen firsthand the casualties that can arise when the trust between captain and crew shatters, and has vowed to never be put in a situation like that ever again, especially now that he is a captain of his own vessel, responsible for the lives and the trust of his crew.

The last of Stryker's personal grievances is a little on the unexpected side, though not absurd. Above death, destruction and disease, Stryker's fear for scorpions and snakes trumps all. Kohl tends to show anger in place of fear when confronted with something that makes his blood run cold, and snarls rather than whimpers, lashing out and becoming reckless when faced with the cause of his distress. It's an unnatural side of him, to show such audacious and desperate anger, and a coward may or may not rise out of him like the living dead, threatening to make him abandon everything in his care for the sake of saving his own skin. His skewed sense of honor binds him to the side of every crewbeast serving on his ship and under his flag, but Stryker's reluctance to die a fool's death may cause him to drop everything – even the trust he's worked so hard to earn – and abandon ship. The sum of Stryker's parts yield a creature who's complicated even on a good day, but tries to do right by those serving under him, and lead a corsair life ribbed with fortune and fame rather than doom and gloom. Owing to his experience, luck and certain charm as a corsair, all this may be enough to get him everything he's looking for.

Strengths:

• Ambidextrous ~ a skill he picked up while aboard the Sea Serpent.
  
• Navigation Skills ~ Also learned on the Sea Serpent, Kohl furthered his education as much as he could.
  
• Fearless, Cautious ~ You're unlikely to see him charging into the slaughter yelling blood'n'vineager, and you're even less likely to see him cower in the face of adversity.
  
• Educated/Intelligent ~ Kohl's biggest trump card out on the high seas is the education he received both at the Parish and aboard the various vessels he's sailed upon, for Kohl without a knowledgeable head on his shoulders is an unlucky Kohl indeed.
  
• Lucky ~ Where would he be without a little bit of luck on his side? Down at the bottom of Davy Jones' locker, that's for sure. Kohl can credit luck with most of his success, and intends to do anything he can to keep from getting on her bad side.
  
• Expert Swordbeast ~ Perhaps another aid to Stryker living so long is his abilities with a saber or cutlass. He hasn't met a beast yet who can match him, right or left pawed.
  

Weaknesses:

• Obsessed~ Almost tormented by his own driving ambition, Kohl possesses a single-minded intensity when he goes after the things he wants, and isn't about to let anyone stop him from achieving his goals, even his fellow shipmates.
  
• Damaged Sense of Smell & Taste ~ his life aboard other pirate ships have not left him without a scar or two, but his biggest loss was his heavily weakened sense of smell and taste. Inhaling too much salt water, nearly drowning, a nasty blow to the head – anything could've been the cause of it, but the problem lies in the fact that these changes seem to be quite permanent.
  
• Plagued by Nightmares ~ ever since the death of Captain Desoto and the rest of the crew aboard the Sea Serpent, Kohl has been plagued by nightmares so terrible, he may oftentimes wake up screaming.
  
• Fair but Ruthless ~ Kohl is unafraid of resorting to dark methods to keep order on his ship, and any crewbeast with half a mind to overthrow him will find themselves strapped to the front of the ship until he begs for pardon or dies a foolish death.
  
• Limited Fighting Style ~ Kohl's dexterity with a blade is legendary, but hand him an axe or a broadsword, and it'd be a sad sight indeed. Kohl has neither the patience nor the practice to wield anything beyond a cutlass, dagger or a saber.
  
• Fear of Snakes and Scorpions~ A rational fear in the eyes of most people, Kohl's fear of snakes and scorpions can turn a fearless Captain into a cowering dog, a sight disastrous enough that the crew may come to question his abilities as their Captain.
  

(c)

[Stryker]

History:

Kohl Stryker was born the only child of Allura Stryker and Captain Ramiel Desoto, his father a famous corsair, his mother a maid at the Governor's house. She took care of the young Kohl single-pawed, working herself to the bone all in effort to put food on the table and an education in that young, empty little head of his. The constant, grueling work schedule took it's tole on Allura Stryker, a once beautiful vixen with a sizable dowry and a respectable name, and she died when Kohl was roughly 8 years old. Grief-stricken and alone, Kohl ceased going to school at the local Parish, and instead chose to become a stowaway aboard a magnificent green-sailed Galleon by the name of the Sea Serpent.
The Sea Serpent was captained by Ramiel Desoto, the father Kohl never knew (his mother never spoke of Desoto, and had good reason for doing so), and after a bit of figuring on Desoto's part, the fearsome fox Captain took Kohl on as the cabin boy, realizing all too soon that the silver fox cub was his own flesh and blood. To admit this to either his crew or to Kohl was against the pirate code, so Desoto held his tongue but raised him as any decent father could, able to fill the void the death of Kohl's mother had left in the youngster's heart.

Kohl sailed on the Sea Serpent for five years, and learned everything from navigational skills to cooking (though he could certainly use some help in that area), to fixing torn sails and how to properly wield a cutlass. This was the happiest time of his young seafaring life, and a certain bout of misfortune was quick to snuff the life out of his contentment and everyone around him; mutiny. The Sea Serpent had recently captured a king's ransom in southern chests of gold, but they had paid a terrible price for it. A calculation error had led the Sea Serpent straight into the heart of the Channel of Monsters – dark, evil waters home to every kind of horrific sea monster possible – and the Sea Serpent limped like a wounded animal to an island in the middle of nowhere, over half the crew dead and the rest with petrified mutiny in their hearts. Kohl was one of the few who survived. To keep the remains of his crew from killing each other over rights to the treasure, Desoto hid it on the island, giving his son a medallion and a riddle to take him to the location should he be the first to make it off this island.

The crew eventually killed each other off, with the Quartermaster – the most treacherous of them all – and the Captain locked in a power struggle, death winning in the end when both Desoto and his Quartermaster toppled over the edge of a cliff. Kohl, 13-years-old now, was marooned and orphaned with nothing to his name but 5 years worth of seafaring experience and a medallion from the late Captain Ramiel Desoto.
After three days on the island, Kohl was picked up by a merchant ship bound for the Green Isle; from there, Kohl found himself in the seaside town of Vibora, where he was quickly able to get a job working on the docks – doing everything from cleaning the ships that came in to port and helping to load and unload supplies. After a bit of time spent as a dockworker, Kohl leaped at every opportunity to join a pirate ship.

Since then, Kohl has been a member of 8 different pirate ships starting at the age of 16:

• 16 - 18: The Black Pearl ~ career ended when the captain tried to attack and board a merchant ship carrying supplies headed for Salamandastron -- and 2 score Long Patrol Hares.
  
  
• 19: The Sea Scarab ~ Scurvy killed off half the crew, combined with an incompetent Captain, the seafaring days of the Sea Scarab didn't last long.
  
  
• 20: Foxfire ~ crewed by mostly foxes and other vermin from the Hot Lands, there was a significant language barrier that he was never able to overcome, and because of his inability to properly follow orders, Kohl was eventually marooned on an island.
  
  
• 21 - 23: Bloodgutt, Dogslayer, and The Emerald Sabre ~ The Bloodgutt met it's untimely end when the ship docked at an island of cannibals... The Dogslayer was smashed against an iceberg in the Northlands, and the Emerald Sabre's crew mutinied against their captain.
  
  
• 23-24: The Harpy ~mutinied against their captain in the middle of a battle with another ship called the BloodBanner.
  
  
• 24-25: Black Sultan ~ Kohl personally killed the Captain of the Black Sultan, dissolved the crew after the ship suffered heavy damages from a monstrous storm.
  

All the while, Kohl had been saving up enough money to purchase a pirate ship of his own; at the age of 25, Kohl has achieved not only a reputation for being incredibly lucky, but also for his skills with a cutlass and unique markings – earning him the nickname of “Lightning Stryker”. Kohl has recently acquired a beautiful little schooner called The Stardust, having bought it with his own hard-earned gold. Captain Stryker's immediate goal is to put together a decent crew to help achieve his long term one: Kohl intends to return to that nameless island in the middle of nowhere and retrieve the treasure Desoto left for him, even if it means meeting a few sea monsters along the way.


Relationships:
Allura Stryker – Mother – Deceased
Captain Ramiel Desoto – Father – Deceased
Governor of Pettyfer – Fat dormouse – Alive – Enemy

Other:

Kohl still has no idea that Captain Desoto was his father, and probably never will. The plot that goes with Stryker and his Crew can be found on the Stardust Recruitment Thread.

Kohl is also known, surprisingly, for his very large vocabulary -- something he secretly takes a great deal of pride in. He speaks far more eloquently than most pirate captains, but has been known to 'dull it down a bit' least it discourage any crewmates or insult their intelligence.

[Tracy]

Awesome! All I have is two inconsequential things.

1. It's lightning, no 'e.' (Sorry, it's just a repeated thing in this character, so thought I would bring that up.)

2. His swordfighting abilities should DEFINITELY be listed as a strength.

[Stryker]

o.O oh I thought it was Lightening all this time. -headscratch- My spellcheck never caught it!
Thanks for pointing that out!

-dashes off to correct both things-

Thanks for looking him over.

[Tracy]

Approved.