Galvanic

[Ecalsneerg]

Reserved for index

[Ecalsneerg]

The HellQ

Originally written in Standard Tempestian, later translated into Galstandard.

 

Introduction

Who are you? Sum yourself up in one sentence.

I am a geologist from Tempest who gained strange and new powers in a freak accident during a science experiment.

Do you have any nicknames, street names, titles, or nom de plume?

I am also known as Galvanic.

What is your full birth name?

My full birth name is Chlo'zel Elzak.

Where do you live?

I do not currently have a fixed abode, but spend some time on the Coalition Victory Station. My parents also maintain a farmstead on my native Tempest.

How old are you? What year were you born (if applicable)?

By Galactic Standard Reckoning, I am 23-24. On my planet, due to its longer years, I am sixteen.

 

Physical Traits

What is your gender?  If not applicable, please explain.

I am female.

How would you describe your heritage?

I am of Equatorial Tempestian descent, and thus my antennae are sub-dermal rather than the prominent examples many of my species have. We also tend to live in more agrarian communities.

How tall are you?

I am 5'1'', which is considered unusually short. Most Tempestians average at around 5'7''.

What is your body type?

I'm very slim and short, but don't really know how I'd describe my body type. I think some refer to it as the 'bell shape'.

Do you have any particular weaknesses, such as allergies or physical disabilities?

Like most of my people, my ability to expel any electromagnetic energy I've channelled is vastly hampered if I've been doused in dihydrogen monoxide.

 

I also have a very painful allergy to the fruit of the gahar'kaha tree, which makes me break out in hives.

How do you carry yourself? Are you graceful, or heavy on your feet? Can you be stealthy, do you walk with confidence?

I was a very, very awkward child. I'd trip and fall and drop things all the time, and I have not improved overly much. I do walk with a lot of confidence these days, as the nature of my abilities means it is very difficult for anything to especially harm me. It's quite refreshing to not need to worry, or indeed, need to even walk.

Describe your skin, eye, and hair color.

I have darker skin than a lot of my people, being somewhat cerulean. My eyes are a dark, dark red colour, with pronounced irises and shrunken pupils and sclera. My hair is a clean white, kept that way by charged particles repelling dirt to a minor extent.

How do you wear your hair, if applicable? Do you have facial hair?

Tempestians do not have body hair except on their heads. I wear my hair between chin and shoulder-length so it does not get in the way.

Do you consider yourself attractive? Do others?

Well, it would be a little conceited to dwell on my own attractiveness, but I don't think I'm particularly unattractive. I have had amorous attention in the past, so quite possible I'm considered attractive? At least I don't dislike how I look.

Do you have any scars, tattoos, piercings, or birthmarks?

I have some very minor scarring on my lower arms from injuries before I received my powers, but in general, I am very hard to injure, and thus don't really scar. I also didn't have any piercings or tattoos beforehand, and doubt if it'd be easy to acquire them now.

Do you resemble anyone famous? I don't believe so. Few of my people really leave the planet for the galactic stage, and so even fewer have gone to achieve any level of notability. So there's really no one for me to resemble.

Do you have a dominant hand?

I favour my left hand slightly.

What kind of clothing do you wear? My culture dress quite plainly, with a lot of tunics and robes. Nothing too fancy or adorned. I might wear a dress to a formal enough event.

Do you wear makeup?

I might if the occasion called for it, but both science and fighting don't exactly require one to apply make-up.

What is your vocal range? Is your voice distinctive in some way?

I don't know, most species cannot hear their own voice as their speaking interferes with their hearing. My voice is on the higher end of the spectrum, so I think I sound younger than I actually am.

Do you have any distinctive habits, nervous tics, or mannerisms? Where did they come from, and what causes them? Do other people notice and remark on these habits? Do they annoy you or other people?

I speak Lor and Galstandard with a somewhat thick accent. Tempestian doesn't have the same grammar or sentence structure, and I'm not especially fluent in either language, so often mix up how they're spoken with how I'm accustomed to.

 

History

Where do you come from?

I was born in a small farming community on the planet Tempest, near the equator. I grew up with my mother, father and our herd of zwin'kaha beasts.

Have you made any major moves, or do you live in your hometown?

I left my hometown fairly young to go study at some of the best schools and universities. Upon graduation, I worked at a weather station at the northern pole, until my accident. I later left to travel the galaxy.

Do you feel loyal to your country of citizenship? Do you consider yourself patriotic? How do you feel about the government of your country?

I am very proud of where I came from. Often other Republic species view us as bumpkins, but we were not so fortunate as to grow up in a world where the sky would let us have technology. We've made the best of our lot, and forged a society and many communities in it. The Lor Republic often ignores us, or doesn't act in our interests, but all in all, we prefer it. We're happy to be a part of the greater galactic community, but are content to be on the sidelines of it. It would be nice if they made more effort to help us or understand us, though.

How do you feel about the place you come from?

While I love Tempest, it's so samey. The atmosphere means most biomes are the same. Our cultures are all agrarian. We lack many comforts. But now I see new worlds. Alien skies. New cultures. Different species. It would be almost impossible to be bored out here. Tempest bored me a little, in hindsight. Perhaps I was always going to leave, powers or no powers.

Where is your home town? What was/is it like?

My town was near the equator, but not so much a town as a closely grouped cluster of farmsteads gathered around some community buildings. It was very quiet. We all knew all our neighbours, we kept an eye out for each other. It didn't even have a name. There was little reason for anyone to come to it, and most people didn't need a name for their home. But a lot of people didn't trust outsiders, didn't trust new technology or ways. It was quite limiting. Even after going to school in some of the cities, I felt a little out of place.

Growing up, were most of the people you knew similar to you, or were you somehow a minority? How did that affect you?

I've always felt a little left out. When I was very young, I wanted to be a scientist, but all the kids nearby wanted to be farmers, or merchants. And then when I went off to go to school, all those kids were from the cities, and from richer families, and looked down on me a little. It hurt a little, but I tried not to let it affect me. I don't want to start disliking people just because of where they're from.

Is there something you've always been really good at or really bad at? How has that affected your life?

I've always been passionate about science. I collected rocks, and liked big maps. I took soil samples when I was 3 years old. Without it, I'd never have seen so much of my homeworld. Never have got into my accident. Never have seen the universe. And I'd never have been prepared for the vastly different worlds and species out in it. I've never been very good at being forceful until recently. I'm not a very intimidating person. I'm too small to be scary, and try to think the best of people so can't really stick up for myself that way. I used to get walked over a lot. But I work on it, I mean, now I can fly and smash through reinforced titanium, so it's easier to pretend to be a bit meaner than I actually am.

Were there any traumatic experiences in your early years (death of a family member, abandonment, orphaned at an early age)? Not really? My parents were lovely, and very supportive of me and my ambitions. It hurt a lot going off to school a long way from them, but we were still close. They tried their best to make sure my childhood wasn't traumatic or scary or affected my adversely. I hope they succeeded. I think they did.

Briefly describe a defining moment in your childhood and how it influenced your life.

Well... I'd say it was when I was about six years old, or ten in Galactic Standard. The local school just couldn't keep up, and my parents managed to get a scholarship for this really prestigious school preparing children for a career in science, and they got me in. And I really wanted to go, but the days before I left, I cried and cried and cried. I didn't want to go away. But when I finally did, and settled in, and made friends, I realised... it's kind of fun getting out and seeing new places and people. And I don't think I got over that. I still get homesick now, galaxies away from home, but I like seeing new things.

What stupid things did you do when you were younger?

Oh, there were a lot. When I was about seven, I was back home for a while, and there was a big storm and a river actually was diverted in the aftermath, so I wanted to go and see it. But it turned out it had made a small lake, and a lot of wildlife had congregated there. I didn't get too close, or thought I didn't. A herd of wild zwin'kaha was there, and I got too close. It was also calfing season, and one of the mothers saw me and chased me about two kilometres.

Where did you go to school? How much school did you have, and did you enjoy it?

I went to school in a few places. There was a teacher in my hometown who taught the basics to the local children, but when it was clear I was very academic, I got sent off to two or three private schools to get formally educated. Then I did some undergraduate work, and a post-graduate study on climatology, and helped on a research project in weather alteration. I really enjoyed it, it's what I wanted to do with my life, and it let me see a lot of the world.

Do you have any mementos of your childhood? What are they, and why did you keep them? If you have none, why not?

I travel a lot, and because I can travel in space unassisted, I travel very light. So anything of my childhood is back home on the farmstead. My parents kept a lot of my things, especially the awards and diplomas. They have a wall. It's embarrassing.

When did you decide to become a hero? Why? Did anyone influence you one way or another in the decision?

Well, when I got these powers, it meant I could do so much. I can fly, endure great trauma, lift great weights. It even means using my innate abilities carries less personal risk when deployed at extremes. And given it means I can go out and see the universe... why not help? I can help, so I should. I don't like seeing people hurt. And I can stop it.

Is the reason you give people for becoming a hero different than your real reason? If so, why?

Not really. I don't particularly understand why it's such a big deal. The only thing I particularly enjoy about being classified as some kind of hero is it gives me an excuse to be a little more dramatic than is conventional for back home.

Do you have any deep, dark secrets in the past that may come back to haunt you?

I don't think so? I had a pretty normal life before now. I don't see how it would come back to haunt me. Do you represent yourself as being different from who you really are? Why? I try not to, I don't like coming across as false or projecting someone I'm not.

If you do have these secrets, what do you fear would happen if the truth became known? How far would you go to protect those secrets?

There are a lot of questions about secrets in this. Are a lot of people secretive? Not many people I know are. Do you have any sort of criminal record? If so, is it public knowledge? Nope!

 

Family

What are your biological parents' names?

My father's name is Sul'jor Elzak, and my mother's name is Lar'zel Elzak. My mother's name before marriage was Mongann.

Were you raised by them? If not, please explain and describe who raised you.

Except when I was at school in other places, they raised me.

What was their standing in the community? What did/do they do for a living?

They were quite respected in the community. My great-grandfather started this farm, so my father's family have been here a long time. Both of them worked maintaining the farm. My father did more of the farming, my mother was very good at getting good prices at market and with larger vendors.

Where are your parents now?

They're still on the farm. They have talked about selling it and retiring, but I think it would kill my dad to give up the farm.

Did your family stay in one area or move around a lot?

I moved around a lot, but my family did not. 

How did you get along with their parents? How do you get along with them now (if applicable).

I've always been very close to my parents. They were supportive of me, supportive of my goals, and worked very hard to let me achieve them. My father used to take me out into our land and tell me what everything was. My mother took me with her when she went off to the city to negotiate with wholesalers.

When I first left Tempest, they were a little upset, but they see me as often as they did when I went off to school, and by now they're used to me not being around quite so often. 

How do your parents view you now, or how would they?

They are proud of me. It's quite embarrassing, they've got all my academic honours up on a wall, and made hard copies of some news articles about me from the Incursion. It's a little too much.

Do you have any siblings? If so how many and what are their names? Describe your relationship with them.

I was an only child, they don't talk about it much, but it was a difficult birth and I don't think my mother could have more children after me.

What was your birth order in the family?

I'm my parent's only child, but in terms of the wider family, am the youngest cousin.

Do you love or hate one member of the family in particular?

Well, I don't like to play favourites, but I always got on with my mother in particular. She's more well travelled than my dad, and always brought back maps and books and models for me. And when I was older, took me on her trips.

Is any member of the family special to you in any way (perhaps, as a confidant, mentor, or arch-rival)? Are there any black (or white) sheep in the family (including you)? If so, please explain.

I'm not especially close with the wider family except my parents, I'm the definite black sheep. My family are all very much farmers or merchants or smiths, and I was the only one to go into academics and further education.

Do you have a notorious or celebrated ancestor? If so, please explain, including how it has affected your life.

Well, my great-grandfather was one of the people to set up the small community I grew up in, so it always weighed heavily on my father, and a little on me. We felt we had to live up to it, to live up to the standards he lived by of treating his neighbours fairly and well, to look out for people.

Do you have a partner and children currently? If so, please describe them.

Oh no, I am much too busy for such things.

If you do not have a partner or children, do you want them someday? How firm are you in your opinion on this, and what might change your mind?

Well, in the future, I might wish to settle down. I'm not against having a family, I just think I'm too young, and have so much I've yet to do and see.

What type of person would be your ideal mate?

I'd like someone well-travelled. I wouldn't necessarily want someone who shares my passion for science, but it'd have to be someone with passions and interests. Someone who cares about things like that. Also I like really tall men.

 

Relationships

Do you have any close friends? If so, please describe them, and how you came to be close to them.

Not especially. I travel a lot, and always travelled a lot. So I never became too close to anyone. It wasn't so bad, I did have friends, just none I'd consider close or especially stayed in touch with.

Do you have a best friend? If so, how did they become your best friend? How close are you to your best friend?

For the same reasons as above, I never really had a best friend.

If you were to go missing, who would worry about you?

Well, my parents would worry. I've done a lot of work with the Lor military and the Praetorians, so they at least would notice I've gone missing.

Have you lost any loves? If so, how did it happen, and what did you do?

There were a couple of boys, one at one of my schools, one when I was working at the weather research station. There was no big drama to it ending, it was simply a manner of both of us moving in different directions and to different places.

Do you have any bitter enemies? If so, please describe them and their history with you.

I don't have any real particularly bitter enemies. I did once engage the Star Khan in combat and injure him quite badly in defeating him, so I imagine he doesn't think too well of me. 

If you have enemies, how do you think they might attempt to work against you in the future?

Well, I have the luxury of being somewhat insulated from retaliation. Tempest is hard to attack due to the storms, and I myself am very dangerous. So the only real recourse I think anyone would have is to assault the place I'm currently living, or to attack myself with overwhelming force.

What is the worst thing someone has done to you?

I don't hold a lot of grudges, all things considered. People have fought me, shot me, tried to attack innocents on my watch, but I've been fortunate enough to have helped in repelling these attempts. I suppose so far I have been very fortunate.

Where do your loyalties lie? In what order?

My loyalties are to my family, Tempest, and to the people around me. I wouldn't say that order is especially strict, I love my parents and homeworld, but I'd hate to even be in a situation to need to prioritise helping them or helping someone I've never met.

Who or what do you trust the most? Why?

I trust my parents greatly, they've always loved me and I love them very much. I also trust many of those who helped me in repelling the invasion from the Communion, like Paradigm and Corona. 

Who or what do you despise? Why?

I try not to be too hateful or hold grudges, but I dislike people who lord their own strength over others. True strength is in knowledge and exploration, not in people obeying you or in physical might. 

What qualities do you admire most in other people? Are these qualities you possess?

I admire people of great intellect, scholars, tacticians, teachers. I think learning new things, finding new methods, exploration, is the most important calling society has, and it shouldn't be neglected.

What qualities do you hate most in other people? Do you have any of those qualities?

I don't like people who need to be in charge. For one, a good leader wants to do best by those she leads, not to have them serve her. If people don't wish to follow you, there is likely a good reason for that, and you should change your approach.

Do you have a secret identity? If so, who knows it?

I never saw the point. When I dress plainly enough, I'm not especially noticeable either way.

Do you hide it from people who are close to you? Why?

I don't hide my identity. Although I do generally go by Galvanic rather than Chlo'zel when I'm away from home.

Do you work well on teams and in groups? Are you a leader or a follower?

I'm not really a leader. I wasn't too confident growing up, and in any case don't like the responsibility of everyone looking to me for what they should so. But I can follow direction and defer to someone who's in charge if appropriate, so I generally get on well in a group environment.

Are you on a super team? If so, how do you get along with your comrades?

I've recently done a lot of work with the Praetorians. We get on well enough, but I've not done it long enough to have become especially close to anyone in the group. Plus a lot of them hail from centuries ago and knew each other then.

Do you trust them, or do you have secrets from them?

I don't really have any secrets to keep. Who wrote this? What are you hiding?

Are you a member of any church, fraternal organization, club, committee, political party, or other group? How much time do you spend on that?

I'm not especially religious. I am a member of a couple of alumni associations, but those are mainly some newsletters and a meeting every year or so. 

 

Personality & Beliefs

Who are your heroes?

Did you ever become disillusioned with former heroes or idols? If so, why and what were the circumstances?

Do you like being a hero? If so, what is the most rewarding part? If not, what makes you keep doing it?

Is there anything that would make you give up hero work, or even switch sides?

What are your short term goals (what would you like to be doing within a year)?

What are your long term goals (what would you like to be doing twenty years from now)?

What is your greatest fear? Why? What do you do when something triggers this fear?

Is there anything you would give you life for?

How do you feel about money and material wealth? Do you desire it or disdain it? Are you miserly with what you have, or do you like to share? Is it a mark of success, or a means to an end?

How do you generally treat others?

Are you a trusting person? Has your trust ever been abused?

Are you introverted (shy and withdrawn) or extroverted (outgoing)?

Do you have a lot of self-confidence?

How do you act around attractive, available members of your preferred sex?

What are your most annoying habits?

Do you feel contempt for any general category of people? Who are they, and why?

What is your favorite food? Do you prefer any particular type of food?

Do you take the time to enjoy your food, or do you eat as fast as you can?

What is your favorite drink (alcoholic or otherwise)?

What is your favorite treat (dessert)?

Are there any specific foodstuffs that you find disgusting or refuse to eat?

What is your favorite color? Are there any colors you dislike?

I really love gold. I just like the rich colour to it. I don't like green, though. It's just a nauseating colour.

What sort of music do you like? Is there any that you hate?

If you have a favorite scent, what is it?

Do you have a favorite animal?

I'm very fond of zwin'kaha. They're a herd animal on my home planet, we domesticate them and use them for meat and milk. They can't expel electricity, but use it to power an internal furnace to heat the milk they produce in their triplicate udder, because their babies don't like cold milk.

What is your most treasured possession? Why?

Do you enjoy "roughing it", or do you prefer your creature comforts?

Is there a job or a task you would absolutely refuse to do?

Do you consider yourself a spiritual person? If so, how do your beliefs affect your life? How important is it to you?

Was your faith influenced or molded by anyone special?

If you belong to a religious organization, how often do you attend? Do you have a specific place of worship, or friends within the organization? How much do you agree with the beliefs of your organization?

Could you kill? Have you killed?

I don't particularly enjoy killing, nor would I do it to a sentient opponent. But I've helped do the slaughter back home, and once you get past them being cute, you can easily kill it, cook it and eat it. But I don't think you should kill sentient species unless absolutely necessary to do so. 

What circumstances led to you forming that conviction, or taking that action?

Are there circumstances under which you believe it is permissible to kill? What are they?

Well, if it absolutely comes down to them or you and you can't restrain them, you shouldn't roll over and die. Or if they're too much of a threat to be contained. Generally I feel that if you're certain someone should have been killed, you shouldn't have killed them. Uncertainty even after killing someone monstrous is a good sign you're not an awful person.

How would you react to watching someone kill another person? Would your reaction be different if the killer was a friend or an enemy of yours?

How would you react if something important was stolen from you?

How would you react to public humiliation?

How would you react if a good friend or relative were purposely or accidentally killed? Has it happened to you?

What do you consider to be the worst crime someone could commit and why?

If your life were to end in 24 hours, what five things would you do in those remaining hours?

 

Career & Training

Do you have any special training in your hero skills? If so, where and how did you get it?

Well, my actual superpowers, I've had no training. I learned to fly largely through practice and time, but being very strong and tough themselves don't require much time or effort. Not accidentally breaking things took some time, but after practice, it becomes second nature.

My innate abilities, which some seem to think are unusual, I had at birth. All Tempestians can innately store and expel electricity, else we'd have died out as a species long ago. I can do more than a lot of my people can, but that's in part due to practice, in part because it's easier to do certain things when there's less risk of personal injury. 

Who taught you the most about your heroing abilities? What was your relationship with that person?

Do you have any particularly unusual skills? How did you acquire them?

Do you do something besides hero work for a living? Have you ever done anything else, or do you plan to?

What is your preferred combat style?

I punch things. Really, I am not very good at fighting, but I'm very strong and fast, so I stick to hitting things. Sometimes I expel electricity at foes, but I often forget to, because I find it odd that it hurts people. On my home world, we used to play 'tag' with it.

Have you ever received any awards or honours?

What skill areas would you like most to improve in? Is there anything you can't do that you wish desperately you could?

How do you act around people who are more skilled than you in areas you'd like to improve? Are you jealous, or do you try and learn?

 

Lifestyle & Hobbies

What is a normal day for you? How do you feel when something interrupts this routine?

Do you have any hobbies, or interests outside hero work? What are they, and where did you pick them up?

What do you do for fun?

Do you have a costume? What does it look like?

How do you normally dress when not in costume?

What do you wear to bed most nights?

Do you wear any special jewelry? What is it, and what does it look like?

Do you have a special place where you keep your valuables?

What's your preferred means of local travel? How about long distance?

 

Miscellaneous

Have you ever made a will, or tried to make arrangements for your death? What provisions did you make?

If your features were to be destroyed beyond recognition, is there any other way of identifying your body?

What would you like to be remembered for after your death?

Do you believe you pose a threat to the public? Why or why not?

What do you perceive as your greatest strength?

What do you perceive as your greatest weakness?

As a player, if you could, what advice would you give your character? Speak as if he/she were sitting right here in front of you. Use proper tone so they might heed your advice...