Vibrations (Harmonic Magic Book 1) Character Information ... · Character Information Sheets These are the bits of information I compiled about the main characters in the book. Much

Vibrations (Harmonic Magic Book 1)

Character Information Sheets

These are the bits of information I compiled about the main characters in the book. Much of it

is included in the story itself, but some is not.

Sam Sharp

General Story

Sam’s father died when he was four years old, reportedly in an accident at work. After his

father’s death, his mother moved the family from Florida to a small desert town in Southern California

because she could not bear to see reminders of her previous life and her dead husband. Sam grew up in

the small town, not really fitting in and not having a lot of friends. Though well-adjusted and having a

“normal” personality, still Sam was not part of any group, but was a solitary type of boy.

The one defining feature Sam had was his great love of knowledge, any type of knowledge. His

passion was learning new things, on any subject. He never passed up an opportunity to learn about

something new and decided when still very young to be a scientist. He attended a symposium at a local

college when he was 12. It had parts on many different fields of science, including one speech by an

odd-looking man who described a fantastic tale of ancient people who could use sound to vibrate

objects, causing them to phase into another dimension. The ancient people, he said, used this method

to phase out large portions of mammoth stone blocks, causing them to become lighter and then moving

them easily, even levitating them! Sam sat, enraptured by the speech, wanting to learn more. As the

man finished, he was rewarded with boos and cat-calls from the audience, and more surprising, from

some of the panel of expert speakers on the stage. The man gathered his belongings and hurried out of

the auditorium, so Sam as unable to ask him any questions.

In addition to his quest for knowledge, Sam also tired to determine his place in the universe. He

studied and practiced yoga, mental exercises, qigong, and meditation, trying to find his balance and his

place in things. A strong believer in Eastern philosophies and old-fashioned values, such as chivalry and

Bushido, he set himself even further apart from most of the other people. Always, though, he felt as if

there was a place he fit in perfectly. He had only to find it.

Honest, loyal, and virtuous, he is what people would call straight-laced (or even boring), but has

no problem with what other people think. He does what he believes to be right, regardless of the cost.

Sam apparently has some inherent condition that allows him not only to communicate with the

hapaki (see Skitter’s character sheet), but gives him the ability to control vibrations on Gythe. The talent

runs in the family (on his mother’s side), which explains why his mother chose their current town all

those years ago (it’s a vortex on a ley line).

Name: Sam Sharp

Birthdate/Age: June 17/27 years old (at the beginning of Vibrations)

Ethnic Heritage: Norwegian (father’s side) & English/Irish (mother’s side)

Physical Description: With an average height and weight, perhaps he carries just a bit more muscle

than the average guy, but he is still slim, not with huge weight-lifter type of physique. He moves

carefully and relatively gracefully. His sandy blonde hair is normally either teased into a sort of faux-

hawk type of configuration or just lying on his head, with strands flying away in a messy fashion. His grey

eyes are piercing, expressive, and intense.

Height: 5’ 10”

Weight: 185 lbs.

Hair Color: Sandy Blonde

Eye Color: Grey

Body Type: Athletic, slim (not huge)

History: Sam was the typical happy child up until four years of age. He was smart, always

wanting to know the answers to things and always trying to solve mysteries to his toddler mind. He

would spend hours studying his toys to find out how they did what they did.

When he was four, his father died, ending his happy world. His mother, not being able to handle

the constant reminders of her husband, moved the family of two from Florida to Southern California, to

a small desert community, uprooting Sam from all the family he had ever known.

Traumatized by the death of his father, whom his mother said died in an accident at work, Sam’s

childish mind began to believe that he was not worthy of being loved by anyone. Despite the example of

his mother and her obvious affection for him, he developed abandonment issues. While wrestling the

tendency under control as he got older, Sam always had a deep-seated issue with relying on others.

Rather than relying on others (which he did a few times in his life and was disappointed by each person

he trusted), he became fiercely independent. Anything he wanted done correctly he made sure he did

himself.

Because of this attitude, Sam was always subtly aloof. While he enjoyed people individually, he

did not enjoy groups of people. Friendship for him is a sacred and precious thing, only to bestowed upon

the few deserving people who have earned it. On his end, his friendship and loyalty were unbreakable

and he would do anything for his close friend.

Maybe primarily due to all the reading he did, Sam’s sense of honor, chivalry, and romantic

views of bravery cause him to fantasize about being a hero. To selflessly give himself for a cause,

sacrificing all, is a dream of his. Always the helper, never the helped one, his attitude was skewed

toward being the lone savior, a hero to single-handedly stand against evil.

Motto: Anything that needs to be done correctly must be done yourself.

Personality Type: Over-achiever. Humble despite his intelligence and natural talent in anything he

tried.

Hobbies: Reading, yoga/meditation, martial arts.

Favorite Books: Assorted texts from ancient China & India.

Favorite Movies/Plays: Robin Hood and other Errol Flynn movies

Motivation: There is so much out there to learn; he wants to learn as much as he can.

Ambition/Greatest Hope: One of these days, he’d finally find where he belongs and would take his

rightful place in the universe.

Deepest Fear: Being abandoned/betrayed

Goal: Find his home, literally and figuratively.

Description of Home: A small (1200 square foot), 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom house on an average lot

(1/8 acre). The house is stucco (painted pale yellow), with green wood trim, a green front door, and a

composition roof. It has a moderate family room/living room with a standard kitchen (decent cabinet

and counter space with a normal range and oven, microwave on the counter, dishwasher). The house is

about 30 years old and so is deteriorating a bit, but still in good shape. The master bedroom has two

sets of windows (including one sliding glass door), an open plan vanity area with a separate

toilet/tub/shower area. One of the other bedrooms, used as an office/library/guest room, is almost as

big as the master bedroom. The third bedroom is small and is used as a meditation room. The two-car

garage is attached. Because of the desert climate, Sam has just a small patch of grass in the front yard

and most of the rest of the lot is concrete. A flower bed along the window in the front and some rose

bushes in the back yard are all the vegetation besides the grass and some shrubs here and there. It is on

a quiet street with like houses, lined with palm trees on both sides of the street.

Education/Occupation: High school/forklift driver for a manufacturing facility.

Family: Mother: Nicole Sharp. No other family because they all lost touch when he was 4.

Worst Childhood Experience: Father died when he was 4.

Strongest Character Trait: Loyalty

Weakest Character Trait: Trust

How Others See the Character: He’s a bit of a control freak, never wanting anyone else to help

him because they can’t do it as well as him. On the other hand, those who know him see him as an

intelligent, loyal, and compassionate guy.

How does he/she change by the end of the story?: Sam does not trust that anyone will not betray

him. He refuses to relinquish control of things because he is afraid they will not be handled. This is true

especially of very important matters. He must learn, through the course of the story, that in order for

others to prove their loyalty, he must allow them to do what is necessary, not restricting them to things

he’s afraid they will fail at.

Skitter

General Story

Skitter is a hapaki, a furry, intelligent, mammalian species on Gythe. Hapaki live in small

communities and communicate telepathically, through images, smells, and feelings. That being the case,

hapaki (they were called that by the humans on Gythe) do not have names for things, but Skitter is able

to extract names from Sam’s mind and so can understand the labels. The hapaki are genderless and

reproduce asexually, though Sam always refers to him as “he.”

Skitter is surprised to find that it can communicate with Sam at all. He has never seen a human

personally and assumes at first that all humans can communicate that way. It is only later on that he

discovers that other humans do not have the ability.

As a species, hapaki, though arrogant in their intelligence and abilities, are very principled. Once

Skitter decides that Sam is his friend, an unbreakable loyalty develops, strong enough that Skitter risks

his life several times to help its friend. With a general sense of right and wrong (hapaki don’t really have

laws but have keen consciences), they always act uprightly.

The community is the most important thing to a hapaki, and Skitter is no different. When the

choice to go with Sam or stay presents itself, Skitter chooses to go not only because of loyalty to Sam,

but because of the learning opportunity for the entire community. When another choice is presented, to

help Sam save the world or to go back home, Skitter chooses to risk death to save the world because,

again, not only is Sam his friend, but because the Gray Man will not stop at subjugating humans but will

continue on with all species, including the hapaki.

Through the story, Skitter learns to appreciate the qualities of different species, seeing that

everyone has strengths and weaknesses, good and bad.

Name: Skitter

Birthdate/Age: 48

Physical Description: Covered in reddish brown fur. Body shape is like a badger and is about the size

of a badger or large cat. Fingers are like a raccoon’s. Small, furry, rounded ears come out of his head

toward the top. He has a short snout, like a monkey or lemur, with teeth that look more suited to eating

vegetation than meat. Large, luminous eyes with no pupils. The tail, which is almost as long as the body,

is bottle brush like and can be used as a weapon. Squat and close to the ground, he moves with a rolling

gate, almost a swagger, like a badger and raccoon mixed.

Height: 14-16” high, but ~24” long (with a 16-18” tail)

Weight: 40 pounds

Fur Color: Reddish brown

Eye Color: Green (no pupils)

History: As with all hapaki, Skitter started his life as a small “bean” that was nourished for

several weeks in his mother/father’s pouch (hapaki are sexless and reproduce singly and asexually).

After two months, he emerged from the pouch, able to eat prechewed food from his parent. Within

another two months, he was able to gather food and eat it on his own, at which point he became a full

member of the community.

Because the hapaki communicate telepathically through images, sensations, and emotions, they

don’t really have a language and have no need for words, written or spoken. Because of this, all hapaki

believe they are superior to other creatures. Though none of the hapaki in his community has had any

exposure or contact with any of the other species, such as humans, they all believe they are superior in

every way to other life in the world.

When he was only 6 years old, Skitter was attacked by a wild rakkeban and injured seriously.

Luckily, other members of his community were able to chase the wolf-like creature away by surrounding

him and striking with their tails, as well as throwing and kicking rocks at the predator until he fled. Not

having any special technology for healing, the community members brought him to the community

structure, a tunnel-like structure reinforced by flat stones on the inside, and warmed him by lying him in

the beam of the solar tubes they used to bring light and heat into their dwellings. Though he languished

on the warm rocks under the sun beam for several days, he slowly began to get back to health. That

event had a profound effect on Skitter, making him want to find a way to make sure that his people

were safe against the larger, fiercer creatures in the forest, the rakkeben and the pantor.

Personality Type: Arrogant, loyal, intelligent

Hobbies: N/A

Favorite Books: N/A (“writing is primitive”)

Motivation: Though he feels he is superior to all other species, he enjoys solving puzzles and learning

new things, especially if they can help the community.

Ambition/Greatest Hope: That the hapaki will be delivered from danger from the unthinking

beasts that hunt and eat them.

Deepest Fear: That his species will die out because of the spread of the inferior races with superior

numbers.

Goal: Learn things that will help make his people safe.

Description of Home: The structures of the hapaki are rarely above ground because that allows

predators and others to find them and even destroy their homes. As any hapaki dwelling, Skitter’s home

is a series of tunnels that widen into surprisingly roomy chambers, all of which are lined with flat stones

that abound in the area. Occasionally, odd strips or discs of material that is not stone and not any other

natural material are found. When this happens, the hapaki like to use them for either chamber linings or

for floor surfaces. This synthetic polymer is left over from the pre-cataclysm world, being buried in the

upheaval, only to be found by burrowing hapaki. Besides their raccoon-like paws, hapaki have also

created tools for digging and doing other tasks.

One unique feature of hapaki homes are solar tubes. By using a series of holes and strategically

places pieces of quartz and other translucent rock or crystal, the light from the sun is bounced several

times to shine on one or more of the chambers, providing light and some heat. Being exceedingly clever,

even for a hapaki, Skitter’s home includes no fewer than seven solar tube systems in his five-chamber

home. One whole room is dedicated to treasures he has found, many of which came from the old pre-

cataclysm world.

Education/Occupation: N/A

Family: Hapaki reproduce asexually and without another hapaki being involved, so there are no

traditional family units. Instead, each hapaki is a proud member of the local community, which consists

only of 5-10 individuals.

Worst Childhood Experience: Rakkeban event (see history above)

Strongest Character Trait: Loyalty

Weakest Character Trait: Humility (he has trouble seeing that he is not the best at everything)

How Others See the Character: Though he can’t communicate with any of the other species, his

swagger and the facial expressions he often wears indicate his arrogance to others who pay attention.

How does he/she change by the end of the story?: Not only does Skitter learn that intelligence is

not the only measure of a creature, he also learns that everyone has their own talents. He learns not

only to see the good in others, such as Sam and his companions, but he also sees that in order for his

people to be strong, they have to band together into larger communities and interact with other

species.

Walter Wicket, PhD

General Story

Dr. Walt has PhDs in physics and in archaeology. His field of study is ancient uses of powerful

energies. He has devoted much of his life to the study of vibratory energies and harmonics that he

believes were used by ancient people to do fantastic things, such as building the pyramids. Though

spurned by most of the scientific community, he continued his research to find the answer to all his

questions.

When Dr. Walt created his harmonic generator, he thought he had finally realized his dream of

being able to control the vibratory energy he had been studying. Upon activation and testing, trying to

make a large metal cylinder weighing 300 pounds lighter, he was transported to Gythe with no way to

return.

The world’s (Earth’s) foremost expert on vibratory energy, he continued his research in Gythe,

creating a small compound and filling it with inventions that are reminiscent of Earth technology, but

just different enough to show that he may not have remembered (or ever known) some of the

technology perfectly. Creating a library from his findings, he has been in Gythe for almost 35 years (only

15 in Earth time), doing research and watching as the Arzbedim and then the Gray Man increased in

power.

As could be expected, Dr. Walt is completely dedicated to his science and research. Though a

pure academic, when presented with Sam’s existence, he sees not only the scientific value but also

Sam’s personal value. The two develop a bond like a father and son and Dr. Walt does everything he can

to help the newcomer. Seeing what may happen to his new world, he puts all his formidable intellect

toward stopping the Gray Man and then finally finding a way to go back to Earth.

Name: Dr. Walter Wicket

Birthdate/Age: October 20/67years old

Ethnic Heritage: English

Physical Description: Dr. Walt, as he likes to be called, is tallish, thin, and slightly stooped as if he

is constantly bending over to look at something and his body decided to remain in that position.

His long, sandy-blonde hair seems to have its own opinion as to how it will lie on the man’s

narrow head, and he seems completely at peace with the situation. The ill-fitting glasses on his

face slide down his nose often as he speaks and he automatically slides them back up into

position without thought. With his slim, long head and sharply pointed nose, he at times looks

like a heron in a windstorm, feathers ruffled.

When Sam sees him again after arriving in Gythe, he looks exactly the same as he did 15

years before during that fateful symposium, except that his hair was less sandy blonde and

more grey, perhaps thinning a bit. Aside from that, he looked remarkably like Sam’s memory,

though 35 years had passed in Gythe.

Height: 6’1”, but he seems shorter because of his slouching.

Weight: 170 pounds

Hair Color: Sandy blonde/gray/white

Eye Color: Blue

Body Type: gangly

Personality Type: The classic scientist, Dr. Walt has laser-like focus, but often to the exclusion of

all else. Always wanting a good scientific reason for everything, he is cynical but loyal to an idea once it

is proven. At least, he is loyal to it until a more accurate idea is proven.

Hobbies: His work is his hobby. He enjoys his research, always trying to find historical evidence

and always trying to push toward the future, hoping the two activities will be complementary.

Favorite Books: Relativity: The Special and General Theory by Albert Einstein, Innocents Abroad

by Mark Twain

Favorite Movies/Plays: He is rather fond of old Gilligan’s Island episodes (especially ones

highlighting the Professor’s inventions).

Motivation: Dr. Walt wants to unlock the secrets of the universe.

Ambition/Greatest Hope: Find a way to harness the power of ancient societies to help mankind.

Deepest Fear: that any power he discovers and harnesses will be used for evil ends

Goal: Help Sam defeat the Gray Man and then go back home, hopefully allowing Dr. Walt to learn

more about his obsession: ancient methods of using power.

Description of Home: Dr. Walt’s compound is an anachronism, containing elements of primitive

civilizations along with “modern” technology that he has remembered and been able to reproduce.

Along with this, scattered around his dwelling and the compound are, as far as he knows, inventions

that are all his own. His home is Robinson Crusoe meets the Professor on Gilligan’s Island.

Education/Occupation: Dr. Walt holds two PhDs, one each in physics and in archaeology from

Cambridge. Right out of school, he embarked on research, traveling the world and trying to “dig up”

information on ancient methods for generating power. Living on grants, his research ranged from

vibrational energy used to move large stone objects to myths of yogi and other masters of arcane

knowledge levitating or performing other superhuman feats.

Family: He never had time to start a family.

Worst Childhood Experience: As with almost all “geeky” kids, he was picked on when younger. With

his keen intellect, he was a constant target for bullies. Only the fact that he was always tall kept him

from being beat up constantly. Childhood itself was his worst childhood experience.

Strongest Character Trait: Intelligence.

Weakest Character Trait: As with many super-intelligent people, his social skills are not the best.

How Others See the Character: He is the epitome of the mad scientist, absorbed so fully in his

work that he doesn’t notice anything else. “If his pants caught fire, he wouldn’t know until the smoke

obscured his vision and made it difficult to read,” the old joke about the good doctor goes.

How does he/she change by the end of the story?: He decides that the need of Gythe is worth

more to him than going home.

Nalia Wroun

General Story

Nalia is a member of the prestigious Sapsyra sect of women warriors, the finest warriors on

Gythe. Though they are sometimes called “battle maidens,” they are not required to leave their service

after they marry. They do, however, keep their maiden name after marriage, instead giving their last

name to their husbands. So it is that though her mother’s last name is Zose, her last name, taken from

her father’s “maiden name,” is Wroun.

To be a Sapsyr is akin to being a knight or fighting monk in Earth’s history. The order is meant to

be protectors of the people, especially the downtrodden, and to be servants of all. They have a very

strict code of honor and their word is accepted as pure truth, since they cannot lie. The Sapsyra train

from a very young age in all aspects of combat, weapons, and physical abilities. Because of this, they can

do amazing things that at times seem superhuman.

As expected, Nalia is capable and lethal. She and her father live in Dr. Walt’s compound when

they find Sam and he begins training with her and her father. She does not trust him from the start and

though her father has directed her to train the stranger, her heart is not in it.

Nalia’s mother was killed by the Gray Man seven years ago, when her mother was still a warrior

in her prime. She has vowed to bring justice to the villain and sees that with Sam’s quest, she may have

her chance. Throughout the story, she debates with herself about doing so: is she really pursuing justice

or mere revenge? At the end, she decides that she has been desiring to kill the Gray Man for the wrong

reasons and that she will leave it to Sam, helping him along the way but not tainting herself by

performing the act herself.

Nalia always has a specialized hood over her face. The mask is to prevent others from seeing her

horribly ugly face, since to subject others to such a thing is dishonorable. She has worn it all her life and

is not self-conscious about it in any way, though Sam believes that it is cruel to subject anyone to such

scorn.

Throughout the story, Nalia is wrestling with demons of her own. She sees herself as weak and

not at all the example of a Sapsyr she feels she should be. She blames herself for being alive when her

mother is not. She wonders if she should have tried to kill the Gray Man when she had the chance all

those years ago. She works through all this while trying to come to grips with the fact that the stranger

that has entered her life plunges them into a quest that could mean all their deaths, or the salvation of

all.

Name: Nalia Wroun

Birthdate/Age: 25 years old

Ethnic Heritage: Her mother was Sapsyr and her father is of the Zouyim, so they really have no

ties to a particular ethnic group.

Physical Description: During much of the story, Nalia is wearing her stylized hood that covers her face

completely. It is tight-fitting enough that is does not obstruct her vision, but apparently allows her to

breathe easily.

Being a warrior of superb physical condition, her body is perfection. Toned, without any excess

fat, her curves are all in the right places. A tight, shapely butt, narrow waist, toned abs, and ample

breasts despite her lack of excess body fat, and her spectacularly toned upper back, shoulders, and arms

make her cut a fine figure in any light. With legs that are muscular and shapely, her effortless grace and

fluidity are mesmerizing. In baggy clothes or her tight yet non-restricting warrior garb, she is an amazing

specimen.

Height: 5’9”

Weight: 150

Hair Color: Dark brown, almost black (under the mask)

Eye Color: sometimes blue, sometimes green, depending upon the light (under the mask)

Body Type: Athletic and perfect

History: Nalia is the only daughter of Rindu Zose, of the Zouyim, and Ylleria Zose, one of the

Sapsyra Shin Elah. Because of her parents, Nalia has some talent in vibrational energy but does not

typically use it or train it extensively. She has embraced the Sapsyran lifestyle, becoming a warrior at a

young age.

Selected to be trained as one of the Sapsyra upon her birth, she was trained as soon as she

could crawl. Training consisted of all types of combat and warfare, including hand-to-hand, weapons

(ranged and close-quarter), strategy, tactics, and even a smattering of crafts involved in weapon making.

As with knights or samurai on Earth, she was also trained in poetry, calligraphy, and all types of art.

Though her mother and father still treated her as any other child behind closed doors, reading to her,

playing with her, singing to her, and showing her affection, when she was training she was treated as all

the other trainees, maybe a bit more harshly.

When she was only 12 years old, she passed her testing to be officially recognized as one of the

Sapsyra, and her proficiency increased as she got older until she was one of the most accomplished

warriors in the order.

As the Gray Man became more powerful, the Sapsyra realized that they needed to do something

to stop him from subjugated the entire world. A group of one hundred of the finest warriors traveled to

the Gray Fortress to destroy the Gray Man. Of course, she was included, despite the fact that she was

only 18 at the time. When all was said and done, there was only Nalia and her mother left standing

when the Gray Man confronted them. As if it was no concern, he killed her mother with a thought in

front of Nalia and told her to run away and tell the remaining Sapsyra that they must either disperse or

he would go and personally eliminate every one of them.

Limping back to the order’s compound, Nalia relayed the message to the few remaining

warriors, giving her account of the slaughter. Joining her father, whose order of Zouyim were similarly

defeated less than a year earlier in an attack on their temple by the minions of the Gray Man, they left

the compound, traveling, always moving, until such a time that they could reunite the forces for good in

Gythe.

When they came upon Dr. Walt, they decided to stay with him for a while. Nurturing a hatred

for the Gray Man, something she knew was wrong, she swore to bring him to justice for the murder of

her mother, not to mention all the other members of her order.

Personality Type: Strict and formal, she seems at first to have no sense of humor and to dislike

people in general. Much of that is because of the tragedies she has been through related to the Gray

Man.

Hobbies: Combat

Favorite Books: Any of the classic warrior manuals or works on strategy and tactics

Favorite Movies/Plays: N/A

Motivation: She is bound by her honor and her vows to be a servant to all

Ambition/Greatest Hope: To be worthy of her order and the memory of her mother

Deepest Fear: That she will fail to bring honor to her order and her family

Goal: Dispense justice to the Gray Man

Description of Home: After the order’s destruction, she didn’t really have a home. She travels with

few possessions, always moving so that the Gray Man’s minions don’t find her. When she is staying at

Dr. Walt’s compound, her room is plain and Spartan, serving only as a sleeping area.

Education/Occupation: Training from infancy in the warrior arts/warrior.

Family: Her father, Rindu Zose, is the only surviving family member. Her mother was killed by

the Gray Man.

Worst Childhood Experience: Her mother was killed before her eyes by the Gray Man (though she was

18, so perhaps it’s not a childhood memory)

Strongest Character Trait: Honor

Weakest Character Trait: Tolerance

How Others See the Character: She is a rock. Her strength and focus is unbelievable.

How does he/she change by the end of the story?: She learns that things are not so black and

white and that strength is not the only thing to use in assessing others.

The Gray Man

General Story

Grayson is a paleontologist who is on an expedition with his brother-in-law Michael, his fiancée

Stephanie, and four other people, when a flash flood occurs, killing all the other party members. He

narrowly escapes the deadly water flow and makes his way to a cave where the wind howls through the

passageways, making almost musical noises. Stumbling to the very back of the cave, he huddles against

the wall and waits to see if the cave is flooded so he’ll die. Through a complex set of stalactites,

stalagmites, and crystal structures, the wind increases and the sounds intensify into a harmony that

vibrates the air around him. Plugging his ears and closing his eyes, he squeezes against the wall and

waits to die.

When the sound suddenly stops, he opens his eyes and sees a group of men in the cave around

him. It is lit with candles and torches and the men are all wearing robes. They are the Arzbedim and they

roughly take him and tie his hands, gag him, and drag him to the center of the chamber. There, they

gather in a circle, each one touching him, and begin to chant. Grayson loses consciousness as the air

begins to shimmer.

When he awakens, he is addressed by what appears to be the Arzbed in charge, who orders the

torture to start. Over the next several years, they torture him, brainwash him, and try to extract

knowledge from him he doesn’t even have, finally creating someone who is quite insane and evil. He

takes an opportunity, rebels, kills all the Arzbedim, and begins to set himself up as the world’s power,

becoming The Gray Man, a name from his past, though he doesn’t remember its significance.

Grayson the man was a loving, carefree, and funny person. He enjoyed being with people,

especially family and, of course, his fiancée, whom he already considered family.

Gray Man, on the other hand, is a ruthless bastard with no qualms at all about killing, though he

typically would not do it without reason. He doesn’t really take pleasure in killing or causing harm, but

he was not averse to causing pain through torture or other means to get what he wants. His overriding

goal is to rule both Gythe and Earth so that he will never again be under someone else’s control.

With deep-seated guilt that he survived when all his friends died, augmented by the torture and

training of the Arzbedim, he wants to make sure that any threat to him or his control of things are

eliminated. When he hears of another person from his world, he wants to drain him of useful

information at first, but when that becomes too difficult, he orders his forces simply to kill the man.

He is a dichotomy in that he has no objection to killing when necessary, but he does not tolerate

the cruel imprisonment of innocent animals, such as those used as mounts. This attitude does not seem

to apply to the imprisonment of humans.

Name: Grayson Wepp

Birthdate/Age: March 11 / 48 years old

Ethnic Heritage: English/Irish

Physical Description: During the main part of the story, he is the Gray Man. As such, he shows the

physical effects of the workings of dark magic over many years. He has no hair on his head or face, His

skin is an ashen color, as if he had been out of the sun for decades. His eyes, once steel grey, are now

darker grey but surrounded in red, giving him a demonic appearance. His body is still fit and toned,

belying his age, but the skin color is uniform throughout. He exudes a field of power, feeling like a

bubble of static electricity surrounds him constantly.

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 180 pounds

Hair Color: Brown (Grayson)/Bald (Gray Man)

Eye Color: Steel Grey (Grayson)/dark grey rimmed with red (Gray Man)

Body Type: Athletic

History: Grayson was always the type of guy who went the extra mile for others. He had the

stereotypical “heart of gold” and he simply loved being around people. Being one of those rare people

who could see and find interest in little things with every person he ever met, he was liked by everyone.

When he saw someone who was in need or in trouble, he always jumped in and helped in any way that

he could.

When he was a child, he read comic books and always dreamed about being a hero. He would

have super powers and he would protect the innocent and stand up for the oppressed. Though he

wasn’t the violent type, he always imagined that he would swoop in and save someone from evildoers,

though he would do it without killing the bad guys. The few times he was faced with violent situations,

he acted heroically, though he was an average sized kid.

For example, one time three bigger kids had a smaller kid cornered. The smaller kid had a model

rocket that the big kids were bent on stealing. When Grayson pushed his way into the circle surrounding

the smaller kid, the big kids threatened to beat him up, too. Grayson stood his ground and, after a tense

moment, one of the bigger kids went to throw a punch at Grayson. Grayson, who was a good athlete,

tackled the boy, body slamming him to the ground as the other two watched. With the wind knocked

out of him, the tackled kid started crying and ran off, soon followed by his two friends. The smaller kid

was thankful, but Grayson needed no thanks. He was simply doing what he knew was right.

As he grew, Grayson not only excelled in sports (mostly wrestling and running, but he

occasionally swam on the swim team as well) but also academically. Though he wasn’t the top athlete in

any of the sports in which he participated, he was in the top half of players on his teams. Still, athletics

was just something he did to burn energy and to keep moving. What he really loved was history,

especially ancient history. From an early age, he read all he could on ancient civilizations. From the age

of 14 he always knew he would be a paleontologist.

It really did make sense. Grayson believed that ancient civilizations had knowledge that could

benefit modern man. He had a burning desire to learn all he could about the past. As he went through

high school and then onto college, he hung onto his dream and made it a reality. After getting his

masters degree in paleontology, he couldn’t wait any longer to get into the field. With contacts he

made, he was soon able to get grant money for dig sites. Traveling the world, he enjoyed working and

trying to crack the secret of the ancients.

In the course of his work, he met an archaeologist named Stephanie Miller. Though the

attraction was immediate, both were so busy with their research that they didn’t realize for an entire

year that they were made for each other. Once they both stopped and discussed it, they decided to get

married. Setting a date for a year and a half in the future, because that was when one project would end

and their next one would start a month later, they continued working in bliss. Four months before their

wedding date, that fateful day and the flood occurred.

[The historical account of how he became Gray Man is written elsewhere in this file]

After being captured by the Arzbedim, Grayson was brought to the black fortress. It was called that

because of the charcoal black rock from which it was built. Every day, the Arzbedim tortured Grayson for

any information he had that could help them breach the wall to the place from which he came, Earth.

The Arzbedim, 56 members strong at this point, planned on learning the secrets to traveling back and

forth to Earth so they could exploit the technology from Earth and add it to their expertise in the use of

vibrational energy in Gythe.

What information they were trying to get, Grayson did not know, nor did he care. All he thought of for

the several years he was tortured was that he was powerless to stop the deaths of Stephanie and the

other members of the expedition party. As time passed and each of the Arzbedim took their turns trying

to squeeze Grayson of every bit of knowledge they could, he began to realize something. When they

used their power, he became more and more sensitive to it. At first, it was just a feeling like the hair on

the back of his hand trying to stand up. Gradually, in between his screams and the pain, he began to feel

a pressure, a warmth, preceding each use of whatever power the mages were using on him.

One day, as one of the Arzbedim was disrupting the tissue in Grayson’s left hand, basically vibrating it

until the tissues began to split apart, Grayson saw a glow surrounding the mage and pouring out of his

hand into Grayson’s. By this point, Grayson’s tolerance for pain had increased extraordinarily, but he still

had his limits. Soon, as more and more of the tissues peeled apart, he blacked out from the pain. When

he came to, the mage was gone and he was in the darkened room alone.

He began paying more attention to the mages as they used their power, either on him or in another

way, such as to light the lamps in the room. It was then that he realized that not only were they trying to

get information from him, but they were trying to unlock the secret of his very tissues. Apparently,

people from Earth had an inherent ability with vibrational energy on Gythe [he was wrong; it is very

strong in his family, not everyone].

When he wasn’t around the mages, he practiced manipulating the energy he saw them using. He was

not sure when they would decide to just kill him, so he worked hard to replicate the effects he saw the

mages make. By this point, he was able to clearly see the energy being used by the mages. Not only that,

but he found that he was more powerful than them. He was able to heal the damage they inflicted as

well as being able to inflict it. At times, they would heal some of the damage so they could start again,

so he was able to observe how to do all of this.

When he was finally ready, he struck quickly and decisively. Without having to move his secured hands

to channel the flow, he pulsed energy out and simply crushed the hearts of both mages. They dropped

to the ground soundlessly. It was a simple matter to snap his bonds using his energy.

After eating the food the mages had brought him and changing into the robes worn by the one closest

to his size, he began to go through the fortress, room by room and hall by hall, slaughtering everyone he

saw. When he was done, all but a handful were dead. Changing the vibrational signature of the stone,

he bleached it to a grey color and renamed it the Gray Fortress. He would call himself the Gray Man

because he did not belong to either black or white, but was a category unto himself.

Soon, he hunted down and killed the other Arzbedim. Continuing their research, he decided that he

would take control not only of Gythe but of Earth. Now, if he could only figure out how to easily move

between the two worlds, he would be invincible. Then the research and experimentation began in

earnest.

Personality Type: Grayson: Loving, carefree, with a good sense of humor. He enjoyed being with

other people, especially his family and his fiancée. He loved his work and believed that unlocking the

secrets of the past would help mankind in the present and in the future.

Gray Man: This incarnation of the same man is a ruthless, evil creature. He is not sadistic in the

sense that he takes pleasure in the suffering of others, but he is ultimately practical. If torture or murder

will gain him some advantage, then he will do those things. His total and complete domination of Gythe

and Earth are his overriding concern. Everything he does is to achieve his goal of world domination. His

focus is complete. As a man, he rarely loses his temper but is a serious, brooding person who radiates

power and intimidation. At the root of everything he does and everything he is is the fear of losing

control, being unable to do the things he wants or, more importantly, prevent things he doesn’t want to

happen. It all stems from his impotence in preventing the death of his entire expedition party.

Hobbies: No hobbies. He is completely focused on world domination. His focus does, however,

include vast research into ancient languages, peoples, and practices to gain more power. Because of

this, he is probably one of the most knowledgeable people on Gythe.

Favorite Books: Any book that can give him more power. He does not like books for pleasure.

Favorite Movies/Plays: These do not help in his conquest of the world.

Motivation: At the core of his motivation, the Gray Man wants never to be under anyone else’s

control. On the surface, however, his motivation is simply to be the ruler of everything.

Ambition/Greatest Hope: He will find the information he needs to completely subjugate not only

Gythe but also Earth.

Deepest Fear: That he will lack the power or the control to make sure nothing is ever taken from him

again.

Goal: Find the information he needs to both take control of Gythe and to travel to and take control of

Earth.

Description of Home: The Gray Fortress is a massive fortress that previously housed all of the

Arzbedim. It is made entirely of dark gray stone (magically lightened from the black stone from which it

was originally built). It is utilitarian, Spartan, and seems to be impenetrable. The walls are 50 feet high

and twelve feet thick, made by huge blocks of stone and magically mortared and sealed so that the walls

appear to be one solid piece of rock. Inside the fortress, the Gray Man’s rooms consist of simple

furniture and countless scrolls, books, etchings, and stone tablets, along with some high tech storage

devices that the Gray Man recognizes as optical storage, but he is unable to access them because the

technology no longer exists on Gythe.

Education/Occupation: Grayson has a master’s degree in paleontology, and his work involved

grants for particular dig sites and projects.

Family: The Gray Man has no family. He doesn’t remember if Grayson had any or not.

Worst Childhood Experience: When he was 8 years old, Grayson was climbing a tree and slipped. He

fell about 10 feet to the ground, breaking his left leg. His childhood was generally happy and sheltered

from traumatic experiences.

Strongest Character Trait: Nurturing, protective feelings toward people in general, especially those

who are special.

Weakest Character Trait: Fear of being weak or not being able to protect others or himself.

How Others See the Character: Everyone who knew Grayson knew him to be a generous, kind,

“big brother” type of person who would go out of his way to make someone feel better and liked

nothing more than to help out someone in distress or trouble. The Gray Man is seen by everyone, those

who deal with him directly as well as those who just meet him, as an invincible, unflappable, all-

powerful mage with almost unlimited power and intellect.

Rindu Zose

Name: Rindu Zose

Birthdate/Age: 50 years old

Physical Description: Rindu is on the small end of average height, though he is tall for people from his

village. He is trim with very little fat on his body, having the look of an athletic man at least 10-15 years

younger than he is. He moves with grace, though not quite as gracefully as Nalia.

He stands straight, with perfect posture and, like his daughter, he seems never to waste any

energy. With the grace of movement of a dancer, a young dancer at that, he is impressive in his

competency. His movements, though smooth and perfect, are so fast that he appears to skip from one

position to another without taking the time to perform the movements in between.

Rindu’s face is narrow and chiseled. His high cheek bones and slightly tilting eyes remind one of

people of Asian descent on Earth, as if one of his parents was Asian. His nose, neither large nor small,

sits perfectly centered on his head, not detracting in any way from his eyes, which are a soft hazel color,

tending toward the green. With an intensity that is unsettling, when those eyes lock on someone, the

person has the overwhelming urge to do whatever Rindu wants of them. With hair grown long and

swept back in a pony tail, he looks like he was born in the robes he wears and as if he is exactly where

he should be, no matter where that happens to be.

Height: 5’8”

Weight: 165 pounds

Hair Color: Salt & pepper, black streaked with grey

Eye Color: Hazel

Body Type: Thin/athletic

History: Born in the small village of Ikalau, Rindu Wroun was part of a family of farmers. At a

young age, Rindu showed an aptitude for using vibrational energy. It manifested as small things, the

ability to sense bad things that would happen several seconds later, the ability to determine how crops

would do, when it would rain, or even the behavior of animals. Because the village was a farming and

fishing village, being along the coast, his skills proved useful. None of these things disturbed his family;

they simply too them in stride and used them to their benefit when they could. When two of the Zouyim

traveled through his small village, the elder sensed Rindu’s special sensitivity to the energy matrix and

offered to take him to the Zouyim temple to train him. With heavy hearts, his parents agreed, and they

received a large amount of money for it.

Rindu was always a serious child and applied himself diligently to his studies, making great strides. Early

on, he was not as physically competent as he was with the energies. Working twice as hard as the other

students, practicing late into the night, he soon rose to the top ranks in all the temple taught. Along with

his training, he developed a great love for one of the Zouyim masters named Chetra Dal. He it was that

taught Rindu Syray and how the art of calligraphy was a pathway to enlightenment. He patterned

himself after his mentor and when the master died while out on a mission, Rindu was given the

calligraphy brush and ink set that the old man willed to him.

When he was 18, a group of the Sapsyra visited the temple on their way to or from somewhere. Though

there are male and female Zouyim, all Sapsyr are female. One of the group was Ylleria Zose. With her

light brown hair and her blue eyes, with her swagger of confidence and her beautiful face, Rindu fell

instantly in love with her. Though she originally feigned disinterest, she was immediately attracted to

him as well. When all was said and done, they were married and a few years later, Nalia was born. As

was the custom, Rindu took his wife’s last name when they married, becoming Rindu Zose. Though in

general, women take their husband’s name, the Sapsyra are an exception because of their high status in

society. Thus it was that even though Rindu took his wife’s last name, their daughter was named for his

family.

Because Ylleria was needed in her order, Rindu spent most of his time living with her and Nalia in the

Sapsyra headquarters at Marybador, only making visits to the Zouyim temple two or three times a year

and staying for a few weeks. It was just before one such visit that the Gray Man attacked and destroyed

the Zouyim temple. When Rindu arrived, he found only five other monks that were not in the city when

it fell. In one fell swoop, the Gray Man had destroyed almost all of the Zouyim. Agreeing to meet every

four months, the remaining monks split up to prevent them all being attacked together.

Soon after the events that led to the destruction of the Sapsyra and the death of Ylleria, leaving Nalia

the only Sapsyr to return from the ill-fated mission to the Gray Fortress, Rindu and Nalia began moving

around, eventually staying much of the time with Dr. Walt. Waiting for their chance to attack the Gray

Man, hoping that there would be a chance before he was too old to be useful, they bided their time and

tried to prepare. The appearance of Sam changed all that…

Personality Type: Rindu is a strict taskmaster. He is all business when it comes to training, as Sam

finds out to his chagrin. Once he gets to know someone, though, he warms up and really has a very good

sense of humor, though it is an odd kind of humor that makes it difficult for others to figure out if he is

joking or not. His humor is cynical and ironic and he enjoys nothing better than a fitting practical joke.

Hobbies: He enjoys calligraphy of an ancient dead language called Syray. The characters are

descended from stylized pictograms and so are similar to the Asian Languages of Earth. Other than the

calligraphy, which is a spiritual exercise for the Zouy master, the only hobby he has is training in his art

of combat and vibrational energy.

Favorite Books: His most prized possessions are two books in Syray that Dr. Walt helped him

translate. They are both books of wisdom and Rindu enjoys quoting from them.

Favorite Movies/Plays: N/A

Motivation: As one of the last of the Zouyim, Rindu is fully dedicated to his mission of protecting the

world from dark magic. The Zouyim are a magical order, a sort of monk warrior class of highly disciplined

warriors with a lineage stretching back a thousand years, a time before the Great War.

Ambition/Greatest Hope: Destroy the Gray Man and his entire legion, freeing Gythe from his

influence and repaying him for all the deaths he caused.

Deepest Fear: The he will be too old by the time there is an opportunity to defeat the Gray Man.

Goal: Help Sam to get to, battle, and defeat the gray Man. To do this, he puts his whole self into

training Sam in all that he knows.

Description of Home: When not moving to keep from being caught by the Gray Man, he lives in Dr.

Walt’s compound. He has a simple room with a bed, a small desk, and a book shelf. In addition to the

two books that are among his most prized possessions, he has a few other books Dr. Walt has let him

use and also his calligraphy set taking the most prized location on his desk. Several weapons also adorn

the walls, all of them expertly made and skillfully taken care of.

When traveling, Rindu always carries his calligraphy set and his two favorite books, all tucked away in a

custom-made wooden case that protects them from impact, the weather, and even submersion in

water.

Education/Occupation: Zouy monk/Sam’s teacher & mentor

Family: Nalia Wroun, Ylleria Zose (deceased)

Worst Childhood Experience: His selection by the Zouyim when he was young was both the best and

the worst thing that ever happened to him.

Strongest Character Trait: Honor/commitment

How Others See the Character: Rindu is looked to as a wise man by all who know him. Between

the books of wisdom he studies religiously after all these years and his meditations, he has an innate

sense of the universe and where each person belongs in it. He radiates wisdom and knowledge. Even Dr.

Walt is impressed with him and always listens to his input.

How does he/she change by the end of the story?: Rindu never changes. He is immutable.

Ix

Name: Ix (Gray Man’s head assassin)

Birthdate/Age: Early 20’s. Even she is not sure when she was born.

Ethnic Heritage: She has distinctly Asian features, though she does not ever speak about her

parents or her heritage.

Physical Description: Ix is a slight, muscular woman with distinctly Asian features, including slightly

tilted eyes, jet black hair, a slightly wide nose, and a flattish face. She is normally plain looking, though

with makeup she can be just short of beautiful. Being a master of disguise, she can change her looks so

not many know what she really looks like. Though her body is slight and athletic, she almost never wears

revealing clothes. He normal assassin garb is black, of course, and is not tight so her firm, tight body is

rarely shown unless she is in a disguise whose purpose is to flaunt her assets. In that case, her graceful

dancer-like movements and fit body is wonderful to behold.

Height: 5’4”

Weight: 115 pounds

Hair Color: Jet black

Eye Color: Brown

Body Type: Fit, athletic

History: To the east of Kokitura Mountain, far on the other side of the Moswryq Range of

mountains, there is a large enclave of people who have developed along the same lines as Asian

societies on Earth. Their appearance is the typical Asian look, with slanted eyes that are thinner than

most other groups. Their land is surrounded by mountains and contains a very large bitter lake, but the

land is fertile.

Historically, it appears that a Chinese monk (Chen Feng Dao) with an unpredictable talent for

using vibrational energy for bending distance and teleporting found himself in Gythe. Through random

leaps of teleportation, trying to return home, he ended up far from where he arrived in Gythe. Finding

himself in a new land, he met a woman that interested him enough that he decided to stay and settle in

the new world he had found. The place they settled was near where Salt Lake City is on Earth, far away

from all other people except for the handful that they brought with them. That was 250 years ago.

In the meantime, the society that was based on what the monk knew in the monastery in China

in the 18th century, grew and changed, developing into factions with their own warlords. Though sharing

a common ancestor, the greed and violence that is inherent in mankind caused the area to be in turmoil,

with warring factions always trying to destroy each other. In this atmosphere, Ix was born to an old and

noble family.

The talent for vibrational energy, manifested in the way of a normal monk’s internal energy, was

passed on to some of the offspring. The talent was rare, but those who inherited it and developed it

through training and practice became some of the great heroes throughout the history of Zhong

(Chinese for “middle,” named by Chen Feng Dao himself). Even rarer, though, was the talent for using

vibrational energy for teleporting.

Ix was the only recognized teleporter in her generation. Her father was a warlord and, as such,

was in constant battle with other warlords. When Ix was only 8 years old, two competing warlords

banded together to attack her father’s forces. Using treachery to leave him unaware, their forces

attacked during supposed peace talks, something her father did not suspect because of the dishonor it

represented, completely destroying her father’s forces, her entire family, and her ancestral home.

Witnessing her father’s desperate and heroic fight to the death, she teleported accidentally to a small

cabin she and her father sometimes visited as a meditation retreat. By the time she was able to travel

back to her home, on foot, the raiders were gone and everyone else had been killed.

For the next five years, Ix trained single-mindedly. She recovered the hidden writings of her clan

and trained in her clan’s martial arts. Not satisfied with only training solo, she would travel and fight any

who would fight with her. Making the circuit in an illicit combat ring, she honed her skills to a fine edge,

all the while developing and practicing her teleportation skills. She never used it where others could see,

but practiced incessantly to be able to use it for combat.

Finally, when she was 13 and had no match when it came to fighting, she visited and killed both

of the warlords that had schemed her father’s death. Freeing an old assassin, one famous throughout

the region, from one of the warlord’s prisons, she trained with him for two more years in assassination

and disguise. By the time she was 16, she had moved on, learning new skills wherever she went. She no

longer fought in the open, but hired herself out for killing, becoming peerless in the art of assassination.

At 18, she headed west to explore new areas. Observing one of the Gray Man’s agents, her

interest was piqued. She followed him back to the Gray Fortress and finally presenting herself to the

Gray Man himself. He was impressed with her skills and offered her a permanent position as his

assassin, which she accepted.

Personality Type: The thing with Ix is that her personality is a non-personality. She is a master of

disguise, so when she plays a role, she becomes that person, personality and all. When she is just Ix,

such as when she’s on a typical assassination mission, she is calm, professional, and shows no emotion.

In dealing with Shordan Drees and the Gray Man, at which times are probably the closest to acting in her

normal personality, she is bitter and sarcastic. Her delivery of sarcasm makes the listener question if she

is trying to be humorous or just trying to cut into her target.

Hobbies: Her hobby is her work. She kills, and she carries out her kills in a professional, intensely

focused manner. It doesn’t appear that she does anything for pleasure, even killing.

Favorite Books: Ix doesn’t read. She can read, but does not do so for pleasure.

Favorite Movies/Plays: These things are a waste of time, other than to use as circumstances for

carrying out assassinations.

Motivation: It is unclear what motivates Ix. She is the best at what she does, but she doesn’t seem to

have a particular goal. Perhaps she is just so good at what she does, she does it naturally, neither

begrudging nor enjoying her work.

Ambition/Greatest Hope: Ix has no ambitions, at least none that are evident.

Deepest Fear: It does not appear the Ix fears anything. Deep inside, perhaps she fears failure more

than anything else.

Goal: Each mission is a goal. Carrying out her work is goal enough. She has no time or desire to make

long-range goals.

Description of Home: Home is wherever she happens to be sleeping. Locations hold no special

significance for her.

Education/Occupation: Assassin

Family: No surviving close family

Worst Childhood Experience: When she was still a child, entering adolescence, her entire clan was

massacred by a local warlord. She only survived because of the skills she had learned because of her

clan’s martial art.

Strongest Character Trait: Persistence.

Weakest Character Trait: She has no loyalty. She only serves the Gray Man because it suits her

current circumstances and provides her opportunities to perfect her skills.

How Others See the Character: She is enigmatic and unpredictable. No one really knows her, so

people are fearful of her.

How does he/she change by the end of the story?: Beaten by Nalia, she vows to leave, knowing

that the Gray Man will either be defeated or he will wipe the party out, making her vow worthless. She

changes her attitude after watching the party fight for what they believe in. She doesn’t turn good, but

it makes her think and she feels it is time to move on.

Shordan Drees

Name: Shordan Drees (Gray Man’s #1 guy)

Birthdate/Age: 32 years old

Ethnic Heritage: Descended from generations of people who lived in the Western part of the

continent (North America on Earth).

Physical Description:

Height: 6’5”

Weight: 265 pounds

Hair Color: Brown, cut short for ease in using a helmet

Eye Color: Brown

Body Type: Muscular

History: Shordan Drees’ story is a simple one. For as long as the Drees family can remember,

they were specialists in war. They had never been interested in politics but instead found someone in

power and attached themselves to him or her, acting as their enforcer and general. Shordan’s

grandfather was said to have been a master tactician, using his wily intelligence to maneuver his

enemies into unwinnable situations. In fact, he almost took power himself, but was killed prematurely

by an assassin, reportedly hired by his master and lord who was afraid of losing his power.

Shordan’s father was much like himself, a master warrior who cared nothing for politics and the

complexities of ruling. It was he who originally attached himself to the Arzbedim because they were

rapidly becoming the greatest power in the area. When Grayson finally broke free of the control of the

Arzbedim, Shordan’s father swore allegiance to him.

As he grew up, almost from the time he could walk, his father and soldiers under his command

taught Shordan the art of combat. He learned to be deadly with every weapon and even unarmed,

though his unarmed combat style is more like a bull charging than the graceful fighting of other warriors

like the Zouyim or the Sapsyra.

His father was killed in the attack on the Zouyim temple. After the death of his father, he was

chosen by the Gray Man to take over command of his forces.

When Ix showed up one day, casually lounging in the shadows of the Gray Man’s throne room

while Shordan and the Gray Man spoke, he immediately attacked her. When he did, the unthinkable

happened: he couldn’t seem to strike her. She was like a feather floating to the floor, evading his grasp

and every weapon he tried. As she evaded, she struck him once and broke his nose.

When the Gray Man commanded Shordan to stop attacking, the villain simply thrust his hand

out and caused Ix to freeze where she was. After a short discussion, Ix became part of the Gray Man’s

forces. From then on, Shordan had to work with the assassin.

As they worked together, Shordan began to have more and more respect for Ix’s abilities. He

even developed a bit of a crush on her, which was uncharacteristic for him. He was used to simply taking

women when he wanted sex. He didn’t need companionship, but he found that he actually enjoyed Ix’s

company when one or the other of them were not out on missions. She, of course, was completely

unreadable to him and he didn’t believe that she cared for him, but he, uncharacteristically, began to

care for her. He enjoyed the rare times when they were able to go on missions together.

Personality Type: Shordan cares about one thing: inflicting harm on others. He is the stereotypical

bully, abusing all those who are not more powerful than him. The sole exception is Ix, who he not only

seems to respect, but seems to have somewhat of a crush on.

Hobbies: He enjoys collecting weapons and other implements of war, in addition to macabre

trophies.

Favorite Books: He has read a couple of books on war, but he is not generally interested in

strategy, much preferring face-to-face individual combat. Books mean nothing to him.

Favorite Movies/Plays: None.

Motivation: Shordan’s main reason for being is to intimidate and harm those who are less powerful.

He will always take an opportunity to humiliate or harm someone else.

Ambition/Greatest Hope: To be at the head of the Gray Man’s forces as his master conquers the

world.

Deepest Fear: Failing in his duty.

Goal: Win every battle and defeat every enemy.

Description of Home: Shordan Drees’ home is like a shrine to violence and warfare. Besides his large

rooms in the Gray Fortress, he also has an estate 15 miles away. All of his rooms and throughout his

estate, swords, shields, and assorted weapons, both blunt and edged, are presented as art. One of his

favorite things to do is to seize a weapon from a foe and then kill him or her with it. Many of the display

weapons have the blood of the previous owner still on it. He does not decorate in a conventional sense,

though he does like to have very expensive items such as those of silk and iron, primarily because it

shows how much money and power he has. With no sense of style, his home looks like a barbarian was

turned loose to decorate, and in fact, that is exactly what happened.

Education/Occupation: Professional soldier. Though he commands hundreds of soldiers in the

Gray Man’s army, he much prefers taking part in battles himself rather than commanding. If it wasn’t for

the lack of opposing armies, his force probably wouldn’t be successful.

Family: He comes from a long line of soldiers stretching back to a distant ancestor who was big

and powerful and survived the cataclysm. He allied with an astute leader with the intelligence and

cleverness to take control of the small group of which they were a part. Since war is the “family

business,” no other family members are alive.

Worst Childhood Experience: He had a good childhood, always being bigger and stronger than the

other kids. He bullied them and tormented them and generally had a good time of it.

Strongest Character Trait: Relying on his strength and skill, he never backs down from any threat.

His fearlessness is unquestionable (though his bravery is not).

Weakest Character Trait: He is shallow, unintelligent, and not creative in the least.

How Others See the Character: He is the typical unthinking bully. His skills are undeniable, but

he is completely predictable. His sole strategy seems to be: “attack, attack, and attack.”

How does he/she change by the end of the story?: He does not change, nor will he ever.