Post by ninjabot on Mar 12, 2011 16:12:12 GMT -5
Name: Xell Rayner
Race: Human
Age: 18
Height: 5'6
Weight: 140
Appearance: Xell is a darker skinned human. He retains the attributes inherited from his ancestry: full lips, caramel complexion, black hair, brown eyes, and a wide nose. His hair is black and seperated into short dreads at the top, before being cut down into a fade down his head, and he is slender, though toned; blessed with a body like that of a track star, as he has always been known to be fast. While not particularly handsome, he has no telltale scars or blemishes. In fact, he could be mistaken for handsome if it weren't for his childlike naivete, which hinders his sex appeal.
Xell wears the average take on jedi garb but with a tighter fitting shirt under his sleeveless top; the top and pants in an ash gray color, the long sleeved undershirt black. His belt and boots are also jet black. Sometimes he takes his hooded cloak along with him, which is black. He also wears fingerless leather gauntlets that cover up to his forearms, over the top of his undershirt's sleeves. His lightsaber, mostly silver with black at the base and a golden ring around the hilt alone, is strapped to his left side, despite the fact that he's right handed. He also wears thin, black rimmed glasses. His hooded cloak is taken with him on diplomatic missions or when weather calls for it. He prefers to fight in non-bulky clothing.
Personality:
Xell is polite to a fault, timid and restrained thanks to years of training in the ways of the Jedi. Infact, it's more accurate to say that Xell is naturally a quiet soul, as even at points when it's perfectly fine for a Jedi to speak openly of their opinions, he still walks on eggshells. Still, training in suppressing his emotions the same as every other Jedi has resulted in him being overly reserved, and he has been known to have the angsty outburst here and there, likely from remaining silent for too long. Unless of course he's talking to a female, inwhich case he's a blushing, stammering idiot. To further drive home the nerdy, introverted teen stereotype that personafies Xell, he spends the majority of his free time watching holocrons of action films or training alone. These are the only times Xell speaks with fervor, when comparing his current situation with a movie he's seen before, or when telling a story to those around him.
Xell also has a strong sense of humor, interjecting a small joke here and there once he's gotten comfortable with those he's talking to. Even in a duel his jokes tend to flow freely. Infact, Xell's personality is a direct mirror of alot of the movies he grew up watching, and this shows in his fighting style. Xell opts to use only force abilities and saber techniques that he considers "good guy moves".
Birth place: Slaver ship
Faction: Jedi
Rank: Padawan
Bio:
Discovery
Xell was born on a slaver ship to two of the ship's captives on the way to being transfered to a newly established slave ring, both of whom were a husband and wife delivery team from Haruun Kal in the buisiness of importing high grade electronics. Once they were caught and their payload stolen, the were sold into slavery and awaited their fate on a slave ship with tons of other civilians. Because the ship they were held captive on had run into trouble with authorities months prior, it was only a matter of time before it was caught and it's crew brought to justice. The slaver ship, still damaged from a gunfight from their run-in with the military, stopped for refueling and repairs only to find that an ambush awaited them. A fight insued, with blaster fire taking the life of Xell's father in the commotion; the stress of the events at hand sent Xell's mother into labor as she hid from sight. The fight was brought to a halt thanks to overwhelming numbers on the law's side, as well as aid from a Jedi. The slaves were taken from the ship and allowed to go home after questioning by authorities and medical attention for those that needed it.
It was at this moment that a Jedi Investigator in pursuit of the slaver ship aided in searching the ship for hiding slaves or information about the larger slaving ring, only to find Xell's mother barely alive, attempting to give birth to her child. He called out to the paramedics and, while waiting for them to take care of things, placed a hand on the woman's stomach to comfort her. At that moment he felt the force within her unborn child, and saw their meeting as fate.
Hours later, on the ship ride back to Repuplic space, the mother died soon after giving birth to the child. Feeling that meeting a force sensitive child, having their parents die in the same day, and being on the same ship preparing to pass Coruscant all seemed like too much of a coincidence to ignore, the Jedi used his connections to have he and the child taken to the Jedi Order (which was not at all hard, considering his relationship with the crew). After arriving on Coruscant, Xell was handed over to the nursery, with a maternity ward bracelet that read "Xell Rayner", the name given to him by his mother before passing on.
Youngling Years
Xell grew up the way the average youngling in a jedi enclave would. He trained, he studied, and he matured. He was an inquisitive toddler, scooting and crawling at full speed a few days earlier than his nursery bretherin, and trying to walk around while holding onto things about 6 months after his first birthday. This was not signs of him being a bold speaker though, as he was mostly silent and withdrawn. This didn't effect his learning ability though. Infact, he seemed to do well in all of his studies save for math (to this day he still hates it), and did admirably in his basic swordsmanship training. For lack of a better term, he was well rounded in his growth, with a slight inclination towards force techniques simply because as a child, he still had a love of the fantastical.
Hearing stories of war heroes and watching holocrons that showed lightsaber forms and force implimentation were Xell's favorite pass times from age 7, and he was often times found watching them alone rather than playing with the other younglings. While no one would ridicule him for fear of repremanding, an air of uneasiness was felt when he tried to socialize (especially with females). This wasn't a big problem until the impressionable youth started quoting the action films he saw on the films he found in the ship hangar where the pilots hang out upon delivering supplies and transporting jedi. Xell began spewing vulgar language and attempting to perform the feats seen in a few action film holos, which resulted in a broken arm. Convinced that Xell had not yet learned what a jedi truly was meant to be, he was given extra studies and had his training saber taken from him for a probationary period of about 4 weeks. Afraid that he had ruined his chances to become one of the knights he so idolized, Xell became even more introverted and focused solely on his training. This also gave him more time to keep himself busy, and it was at this time Xell picked up a hobby of toying around with the computers that the younglings were allowed to study with. Within a year the youth was taking a part, identifying, and rebuildin tiny objects like remote controls and calculators, and also learning the ins and outs of computers. 3 years later, and with the aid of extra hardwork Xell had placed the event behind him in the eyes of his teacher, and earned candidacy for becoming a Padawan.
Padawan Years
Xell was being watched from childhood by masters seeking padawans, as were the rest of his classmates. Convinced that Xell had the makings of a Sentinel, a human jedi named Orren took him under his wing. An outspoken, burly, weather-worn old man with a reputation for being a fearsome force on the battlefield... and for partaking in the sauce a tad too much. In exchange for silence about his imbibing in spirits, Orren said nothing about Xell's holo films (which were easier for him to get ahold of outside of enclave walls). Xell's first day as Orren's padawan consisted of an entire day of lightsaber form basics and sparring. By finding out how Xell fought, he would create a training regimen aswell as point him in the correct direction when it came to form specialization. He also made note of his non combat related skills, such as his computer expertise and how he breathed in his surroundings, taking note of everything going on around him. Xell would do well to manifest these into genuine strengths rather than just quirks, so he instructed the boy to do so.
For two years, Xell's swordsmanship flourished under the more streamlined, less forgiving training he recieved despite not ever getting in any actual duels. Due to being less prone to rely on a full on offensive, Xell began to lean towards more defensive fighting styles that didn't require too much physical prowess outside of acute senses and speed. Although the heroes in his films were far more acrobatic, using styles that resemembled the jedi Ataru style, Xell felt that they had an absurd level of stamina that he wasn't blessed with, and keeping himself on the ground would let him last long enough to catch his opponent making a mistake.
Even more practical thinking helped Xell to focus on fighting techniques that Orren thought every jedi required incase of a loss of their lightsaber. Disarming techniques and resourceful tactics that make any melee weapon formidable when used correctly were passed down to the padawan, and were practiced rigorously alongside his lightsaber regimen. He would never be as good a scrapper as he was a swordsman, but throughout the two years Xell became less and less of a sitting duck while unarmed. He didn't however, increase his ranged weapon expertise as he felt the Force made an effective ranged weapon on it's own.
He began working on his basic first-form fighting skills before heading into Soresu, a stark contrast to Orren's Makashi fighting style. Despite Xell's acceptable fighting skill, he was forbade from getting into a fight, even when faced with threats to his own life. Orren made sure to avoid giving Xell any opportunities to take life or sacrifice his own until he was convinced he had the wisdom to make the correct decisions without looking to him for insight or protection. Orren would mold him not into just a jedi, but hopefully a jedi to surpass himself. Through simply watching Orren, Xell learned the politics of diplomacy, compromise, understanding, and authority by tagging along with Orren on peacekeeping exploits. Throughout these missions together, the two became close, and learned eachother's quirks.
Orren revealed himself to have less patience than the instructors back at the enclave, as indeciveness on the battlefield leads to death, and he had survived thus far via quick thinking. He did however, recognize the potential within Xell, and wouldn't come down too hard on him when his naivete showed, or he questioned Orren's judgement.. He also was quite entertained by the boy's quirky nature. Xell displayed great insight and an ability to learn quickly, and despite often waxing poetic about a film he has seen, geeking out when thinking of the swashbuckling and high-flying action he could experience on one of their missions the boy never showed a wavering focus to spread peace. A simple grunt or a stern look from Orren would calm the boy down and get his head back in the game.
For years, the odd mission consisted of playing peace keeper between two conflicted parties usually. Glorified babysitting as Orren called it. It was at age 13 while on one of these missions that Xell witnessed his master fighting in earnest against a bounty hunter. Orren had a mission to protect a Republic munitions shipment that had already run behind schedule due to pirates attempting to apprehend it. Because the weaponry needed to be delivered ASAP, there was no time to return Xell to the enclave and, knowing that Xell would need to experience the reality of their profession eventually, he brought him along. The show of power and speed was incredible, but something was off. It wasn't at all heroic or glorious. It was frightening. The duel ended with the bounty hunter being decapitated in front of Xell. He turned away at the sound of flesh searing from the lightsaber's swipe, only to be chastized by his master. After the hum of his yellow lightsaber died down, a deafening silence permeated the air until the man spoke:
"Don't look away, pup. This is the reality of what you've chosen for your life. Spreading peace is not as simple as protecting the weak. It also requires us to... remove those that would threaten that peace when all else fails.
When all else fails? Xell allowed the horror to sink in. It's not like he didn't expect it to happen. It's not that he didn't think it in some horrible way needed to happen. And that's what frightened him the most. This was not a film. It wasn't make believe. There was no way for the goodguy to make sure everyone lives in the end. Or was there? Was there something he missed? Something his master, with all of his years of experience could have missed? Xell had plenty of time to search himself to find out whether there was a better way to spread peace throughout the universe, but one thing revealed itself to him that day. If he wanted to make any difference at all, he needed to be strong like Orren.
One year passed, and as it did, Xell managed to impress Orren enough that he felt he was ready to create his own lightsaber. He gave him the coordinates to the Ilum crystal caves and sent him off on his own. The boy spent weeks figuring out what parts would make the best lightsaber statistics-wise from the kit given to him by Orren, but something didn't feel right after it was completed. He recalled the words his master spoke to him before sending him on his way. That the lightsaber was an extension of the jedi wielding it, and they had to own it in more ways than one. It needed to accentuate their fighting style aswell as their personality. Their very soul needed to be reflected in the saber they wielded. With that said, Xell went back to the drawing board with 40 days already wasted. Another month passes during the reconstruction, but, using the ship he landed on Ilum in, he salvaged tools and odd metal pieces from inside and fashioned a different lightsaber from what he had originally made with the stock parts his master gave him. The shape felt more organic to him, despite being longer in length than the one he first created, to give him a better two handed grip. The extra time was worth it. All that was left was the creation of a crystal.
Xell entered the crystal cave and searched his emotions as he walked. He walked and walked, feeling out his crystal with his soul, eventually reaching an area of the cave that extended out past the luminescence of the other nearby crystals. It was pitch black. Complete darkness. Still, Xell proceeded as if the area was brightly lit, tripping over his own feet and nearby stones aswell. Eventually Xell fell down a hill and came to a sliding stop in what seemed to be a long forgotten area of the cavern and, thanks to his yells echoing through the cave, stalagmites fall from the cieling, almost piercing through Xell's torso. Fortunately, he moved away at the right time.
Unfortunately his exit was closed off by several feet of stone boulders now. Xell was losing his composure. Frightened and losing his nerve, Xell stopped to meditate. He centered himself, and it was at that moment that the force called out to him not with a resonating whisper, but a booming bellow. His crystal was near. After about an hour or two more of searching, he came to what he felt was the crystal placed thousands of years ago just for them both to meet at this exact moment. Using the digging tools he brought with him Xell removed his crystal from a massive stalagtite. Fearing he hadn't the strength to simply move the boulders the old fashioned way thanks to their shear size, Xell sat down and started his meditation on his crystal.
Not sure of what to invision while in meditation, Xell simply remembered his master's words. His lightsaber was an extension of himself. Xell lost any knowledge as to how long he spent in meditation, but eventually he could feel a resonance within the crystal. He took said crystal and, though weary from atleast an entire day long meditation session without food or water, placed the crystal inside of his saber's hilt before activating it. A blue glow erupted from the hilt with a swish. Theme music rang in Xell's mind as he smiled like a cheshire cat. He felt empowered. Now armed with the tools necessary for getting out, Xell made his way back to the impass of fallen rock. He carved through the boulders and passed through to head back out of the cave. Using the glow from Xell's lightsaber, he walked out of the gaping entrance of the cave and headed for his shuttle to return to his master.
One year passes. Throughout that time, Xell continues his training and grows into a more competant wielder of the force. So much so, that he was now taken on more dangerous missions with his master, often times drawing his saber in defense of his master and other civilians. With the confidence gained from winning duels with the badguys and bringing criminals to justice, Xell became more outspoken, much to the dismay of Orren's enemies and fellow jedi knights and masters. But mostly Orren's enemies. Xell started peppering comedic quips and trashtalk into his duels, making his mouth every bit as dangerous as his saber. Outside of battle, he was still the introvert he always was. The only exception where Xell was at a loss for words in a fight was his first duel against a Dark Jedi.
At age 18 Xell, while waiting for Orren to finish a more dangerous mission walked the streets of a bustling city on a planet far out in space. He was excercising his sensing abilities, picking a target from far away and following his senses to reach said target. Things were going well until he picked up on something more familiar. It felt like desperation. Like the feeling in your heart when watching a friend struggle. Xell rushed through the crowds before arriving at a tall skyscraper with club goers fleeing the lobbey. Flashes of light could be seen within. A scream in pain rang out, causing Xell to wince from the empathy between he and his master. Xell hid amongst the crowd watching the fight outside of the club only to find his master kneeling down, clenching his smoldering left thigh. His saber was nowhere to be seen, and a girder from the sealing sat uppon his chest.
Next to Xell's fallen master was a young woman. Far across the room was a man in a hooded cloak, grinning menacingly. The hood nodded before turning and walking toward a gaping hole across the room with the nose of a ship crashed through it. It was likely from whatever chase Orren got into while following the Sith he was tasked with defeating. The woman across from him had to have been his apprentice, as his nod caused her to pull out her own lightsaber. The hooded man stepped out of the hole of the open wall and the sound of a jet engine along with a bright light could be heard. The man seemed to be choosing to leave Orren's death to his apprentice, as he left the scene quickly after bidding Orren farewell and escaping in his ship. As the red blade erupted from the hilt of the girl's lightsaber, who could not have been any older than Xell, she raised the saber up to deliver a finishing blow. Using a force push, Xell shoved away the woman, causing her to collide with the wall. The young Padawan rushed in and drew his own lightsaber.
A duel commenced.
Incapable of thinking up any witty comebacks, Xell simply found himself trying (and failing) to calm the girl down with his stammering, to his master's dismay. Xell's reserved and enduring Soresu clashed with her acrobatic and frenzied Ataru, and after a while, he could see her getting fatigued. This was it. His moment to press the offensive and win. A well timed parry knocked the exhausted girl's lightsaber away. Next, a force push stuck the young woman against a jagged peice of rebar in the rubble that was produced from the crash. He used the force to clench the bar around her leg that was pierced to keep her subdued. He stammered out a LONGWINDED apology as she cursed him, before his master's groans in pain rang in his ear again.
"You did good pup. She needn't suffer. End it in one blow."
With no way for her fight back, it was the perfect chance to end her life. But that wasn't necessary... was it? Xell decided it wasn't, and turned to help Orren. As he walked to his master to help him up, the girl pulled her lightsaber back to her with the force and escaped from where she was held by cutting the bar. She staggered forward and attempted to cut down Xell while his back was turned, only to be shoved with a torrent of force far more powerful than the one Xell hit her with. The concussive trauma launched her out of the hole in the wall and further. Because her master had long sense left in his ship, there was nothing to stop her fall. Xell ran to the wall to see no one. Nothing but the pitch black beneath him. He looked all around. Flying vehicles and neon lights everywhere, but no blood trail and no Sith apprentice. He turned back to his master to see not a scowl, but a look of disappointment and sadness. Xell stared, mouth agape as he tried to justify his master's actions. What he viewed as a waste of a life was probably thanks to his lack of experience. Right?
He saved me. It was coincidence that the girl just happened to be standing in front of the damaged part of the wall, and Orren couldn't have known that there was no footing on the other side. Could he? And why does he seem so disappointed at me sparing her life?[/color]
Orren shook his head and turned toward the exit, limping toward the spectators. "Whether from cowardice or compassion, entering a battle and hesitating due to not having your heart under control will guarantee your death. If you can't stow your feelings completely, atleast take her head before she has the chance to use them against you." muttered the old man beneath his breath as if he knew what he was saying was suspect to investigation. And Xell was beginning to think that was the case.
Lightsaber: Single phase
Color: Blue
Practiced Lightsaber forms:
Shii-Cho 3
Makashi n/a
Soresu 2
Ataru n/a
Shien / Djem So n/a
>>Sub-form Backhanded n/a
Niman n/a
>>Sub-form Jar-kai, or Dual Wield
Juyo n/a
Double Bladed Combat n/a
Force-Sensitive Abilities or practices:
Telekinetic: 4
Telepathic: 3
Body: 2
Sense: 2
Protection: 1
Healing: 1
Destruction: 0
Specialized Skills:
Tech expertise: The majority of Xell's time was spent enjoying movies and books he came across on the outside world and, in exchange for said items from the pilots that came to the enclave; the boy would perform maintenance on their droids operating systems. Years of computer maintenance on the computers in the enclave aswell as inquiries made to starship mechanics as they stop on Coruscant has made Xell knowledgable about computer hardware and software. This includes recognizing machinery, setting up said machinery, diagnosing problems, and reparing tech systems. All of this expertise however is limited to small machinery like computers, the occasional mechanical door, security cameras, and non-complex droids.
Hacking skills: After leaving the enclave, Xell found that simple computer knowledge wasn't always enough to get what he and Orren needed in the way of information. It was then that he began learning how to hack computer terminals, security cameras, and small basic droids.
Analytical to the point of Obsessive Compulsive: Xell, thanks to years of being "seen and not heard" when in public, has become quite analytical; using the time he spends within a room avoiding social interaction to note his surroundings mostly out of boredom and curiousity. Usually after a minute or two within a room he's just entered, Xell knows exactly how many floor tiles away the nearest air vent escape route is, how many security cameras there are in the room, and where an ambush is most likely to appear.
Attributes:
Physical Strength: 3
Intelligence: 3
Speed: 5
Leadership: 1
Unarmed: 2
Melee Weapons: 2
Ranged Weapons: 1
Force Attunement:
+1
RP Sample:
Xell turned the saber around in his hand as he looked it over. He followed the glimmer of light up and down it's side as he thought back to his mistake. A loud belch could be heard next to him. He simply grimaced and clenched the lightsaber more tightly before pulling it down to his lap, away from the bar's counter.
"I..."
"Messed up. Yeah. I was there."
"..."
Xell couldn't get the young woman's face out of his mind, and it wasn't for the usual reason either. Completely atleast. She didn't look like some grizzled bounty hunter or some bajillion year old Sith Lord from the holofilms. She wasn't a six-eyed mutant or demonic apparition. She was a kid like him. Ready to take another human being's life. Ready to take his life. This was the first time in his life he had dealt with what he was raised to believe was true evil and yet... he didn't see it as black and white as that.
Your leg Master Orren... is it any better?" asked the troubled youth, trying to cushion his eventual explination. Orren chuckled.
"I've had worse. The nanites from the meds speed up the regenerative process but they do nothing for the pain."
Silence for a good five minutes insues before Orren places a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Killing... isn't something one can do lightly. Despite the Jedi acknowledging what Dark Jedi and Sith are and what must be done about them, it's never without the knowledge that you are taking another sentient's life. Your experience today showed that you still hold the Jedi's reverence of all life in high regard. Perhaps moreso than you should."
Xell swallowed hard and held his lightsaber even more tightly, so much so that he thought he'd snap it. He loosened his hold and began tapping the base of the saber in anticipation. Still, if Master Orren did indeed know that all life was priceless, why was he so... comfortable with ending it?
"Because of that, I'll chalk up your mistake to simple inexperience. But you have to understand... the important decisions you will make when deciding the fate of yourself and those around you can not simply be undone if you make a mistake like today. You won't change a dark Jedi with words alone. You can't protect people with words alone. You must be decisive, but also prepared for the ramifications of your actions. There were dozens of innocents in the area. You can attempt to convert all the people you want on your own time, but not at the expense of an innocent's life. When innocents are around, you take NO chances."
"Yes Master..." Xell hung his head down in shame. It wasn't anything he didn't already know, but his priorities just seemed off. Taking one life inorder to save many more was a code he could follow unwaveringly. Still... why take any lives at all if you thought you could save everyone? Xell would meditate on it later. There were more important things to consider.
"So, this probably doesn't bode well for the beginning of my trials?" asked Xell with a forced smile. Orren smiled aswell.
"Trials are not simply tests of current knowledge and skill. They are also tools to help you ascend into who you were meant to be. Much like every major event in one's life. Simply live life the best that you can, follow your code, and hone your swordarm. For whatever is thrown at you will be far more... trying, than this."
