(no subject)
Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Series' Medium: Book
Character: Luke Castellan
Age: 23
Sex/Gender: Male.
Canon Role: Primary antagonist, after the "Voldemort-esque" baddie in the books. Many of the machinations and motivations throughout the series are performed by Luke. At the end, however, he is redeemed. Throughout the series, it is shown that he's not all terrible and not without a chance of redemption, but it's only for people he cares about. Those people are only a select few and ones he considers his true family.
"Real" Name: Marcus Stieber
How long have you roleplayed your character, if at all?:
No.
Where have you roleplayed in general and/or with this specific character?:
General.
I haven't played Luke at all.
Are you personally familiar with your character's canon?:
Yes. I've read all five books of the series, plus the additional short story book, twice. I've also seen the movie, but as the movie bears little resemblance to the books themselves, that's hardly relevant. (I do, however, plan on using Luke's actor for his PB, since he's perfect.)
Please give us a personal history of your character's life and explain to us in detail how they grow and develop over the course of their canon:
Olympus still exists. Obviously, the mountain exists, but the place where the Greek gods used to gather still exists-and it's very much alive and kicking. Influencing all facets of Western civilization, Olympus has made a habit of moving where Western civilization seems to be the strongest. Sometimes it's France, Italy, Spain, wherever-and it should be no surprise that in modern day, it's found itself at the top of the Empire State Building. The gods themselves are just as eccentric and selfish as some might expect. They create and control the movement of the world, and they also sleep with a lot of mortals. These mortals tend to have offspring, and these offspring-like Hercules, Perseus, Theseus, and many other individuals from legends-tend to become heroes. Or they'd like to, but things are a little more regulated.
As some might expect, there are prophecies, quests, monsters, and everything in-between. Only it's all modernized now. These demigods largely live in risk, because their smell is attractive to monsters. A safe haven called Camp Half-blood exists on Long Island, which allows these demigods to live in peace. Camp Half-blood is set up in a manner where there are twelve cabins, each for the gods or goddesses enthroned in Olympus. Several cabins are empty (because of Artemis, the virgin goddess or Hera, who doesn't sleep around, as good examples), but kids come in and are either claimed and get to live in the cabin representing their parents (a few choice exceptions aside) or they have to live in the Hermes cabin. That's because Hermes is the god of travelers.
As expected, each child shows some signs of their parentage. Zeus' children (or sole remaining demigod child) can use electricity, Poseidon's son, Percy, can use water and speak to his creations or sea creatures, and Luke is gifted in traveling and has some mastery at trickery. Despite having these traits, there is expected tension. Many gods do not involve themselves in their children's life, and many do not even claim their children. Though these demigods are said to be heroes, many live their lives hoping for quests and never being recognized. They are merely left at camp to grow until they're adults, and then meant to live on past that. If they live on past that. Many do not, because of monsters attracted to their scent.
This is something that bothers Luke a lot.
That's not to say it's all daddy issues with Luke. Despite the fact that the guy holds a valid grudge against his father, that's not all that troubles him and eventually drives him to doing some pretty awful things. And that's what Luke ends up doing: awful, horrible things that end up costing a lot of lives and his own.
At a time before Luke's birth (and possibly even his mother's birth), Hades was in love with a woman who gave birth to two children. Because of a prophecy-the prophecy that said a child of the big three would make a choice that would change the course of the world, either destroying it or letting it live on-Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon made an agreement that they would not have anymore demigod children. But Zeus gave Hades an ultimatum about the children he already had, and said that if he didn't hand them over, there would be a problem. Since Maria di Angelo, the children's mother, refused, Zeus attacked the hotel where they were staying. Hades wasn't able to interfere and keep her alive, his children being the only ones who came out in one piece. She ended up dying and he was devastated. Bitter about the situation, he placed a curse upon the Oracle of Delphi, making it impossible for the oracle to possess anyone without them going mad. Fast forward some years and you have May Castellan, an interesting and unique individual who is able to see through the "Mist" that hides Greek civilization, as well as the monsters in the world. Very few mortals are able to see through this, but she's one of them. May ends up meeting Hermes and is someone he falls in love with and cares for. The eventuality of their relationship is that May and Hermes have a son named Luke, and Hermes is as involved in his son's life as he can be-for a god, anyway. Luke was the apple of his eye, but the world was different now, and he was limited in how much he could be involved. Of course, "involved" meant helping from a distance. Hermes could never properly be involved in his son's life because of ancient law.
Eventually, May learns that she's someone who's prime to become the vessel for the oracle. However, since there is an unknown curse placed on the Oracle that no one can identify, she goes mad. Hermes is made very sad, and Luke-well, this is just one way the gods have messed something up. He ends up being raised by his mother, but it's very obvious that she doesn't have it all together and she's not entirely sane. Often, she rants about the terrible fate that will happen to him, a foreboding fact that makes Luke often hide in closets in fear. After he reaches his teenage years, Luke takes off, telling his mother that he'll be back for lunch.
While on the run, he meets up with two younger girls-Thalia, the daughter of Zeus, and Annabeth, the daughter of Athena. The three of them work together to get up to Camp Half-Blood. He tells Annabeth, as she says that she ran away because her family hated her, that they'll be family for one another now. During one circumstance, when things are rough, Luke leads them back to his mother's home, and there, he meets Hermes for the first time. Hermes does his best to convince Luke to go to Camp Half-Blood, and Luke tries to get the answer out of his father about why his mother is not sane. The fight itself is rather uncomfortable, and Luke leaves, with Hermes and May dwelling on the fact that Luke will have a disastrous fate ahead of him.
As for Luke, Annabeth and Thalia, the three of them are an interesting unit, because what is important to them is family. Family itself is the theme of the series itself in many ways, as it's family that makes them demigods, family that motivates them, and family that makes them make decisions. Without family, they wouldn't have powers. Without family, they wouldn't be in danger. For Luke, there are few people in the world who matter to him, and these "few people" seem to start and end with Annabeth and Thalia. His mother matters to him, too, but he resents what choices she made and what she became. But Thalia and Annabeth are important in nearly every way. He wishes to protect them, keep them safe from harm, and help them as much as possible.
They travel through the country, escaping and fighting monsters when necessary, and just as they reach New York City, they're tricked by a cyclopes and captured. The reason why they are able to be tricked is because Luke has become reckless in response to meeting his father. Thalia describes it as Luke having "something to prove," while being moody and different. The three of them end up escaping, but just as they reach Camp Half-Blood, they're caught by the other monsters that were after them. Thalia tells Luke to take Annabeth and go on ahead, but Thalia herself ends up dying. Instead of bringing her back, Zeus honors her and turns her into a pine tree. To Luke, this is just another way the gods have screwed up.
In the years that follow, Hermes does his best to send Luke on a quest so he can prove himself and become a hero. Unfortunately, things have changed quite a bit, and Luke isn't able to get much. He's sent on a quest to do what Hercules had done before-steal a golden apple. However, disheartened by having to do a quest that was done already and embittered by it, he ends up failing, and receives a scar for it on the left side of his face instead.
Luke returns to camp and things change. Quests rarely, if ever, happen, all because of how he failed. On the surface, Luke lives happily, but clearly bitter about how things are. He doesn't hide his bitterness toward his father or everyone's situations, but he does it in a careless, flippant manner. Many believe Luke doesn't sincerely have any intentions to do anything about it. To the other individuals at camp, he's someone to be respected. He's a fierce warrior-the best swordsman in three-hundred years, they say-and someone who's rather resourceful around camp. Something needs to be stolen? People want snacks when they can't otherwise get them? Luke's on it, and if he's not, one of the Hermes sons happens to be.
However, Luke ends up being called out to and lured in by the voice of Kronos, who seemingly puts Luke under a spell. "Seemingly" because it's quite the opposite. Luke decides to help Kronos rise again, all in order to overthrow the gods for what has happened. On a winter solstice one year, he goes and steals Zeus' lightning bolt. Being a son of Hermes, it's not terribly unexpected that he'd be able to do this. Unable to get the bolt to who he wants it given to, and unable to bring Kronos back as he wants, Luke hatches a plan in order to start a war that would cause problems Zeus believes Poseidon stole his bolt, and some believe that Hades snuck someone in so that one of his monsters could steal it. The end of this mess would be that there would be the equivalent of World War III, which could cause some problems.
Enter Percy Jackson. A son of Poseidon, he's not supposed to be born due to a pact made between Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon that they would father no more children. This pact was made after World War II. There is a prophecy that says that a child of the big three could end up either overthrowing the gods or saving them with a choice he made. However, he's here, and given Thalia's untimely demise, many believe him to be the prophecy child. He could be both a threat and an asset, depending on whose hands he happens to be in.
Luke befriends Percy and seems to want to help him. He plays the mentor role for Percy, teaching him how to fight, and being a great support for him. Since Zeus believes Percy is responsible for his lost lightning bolt, which is the source of all his power, he has to take a quest to find it before the summer solstice. As he wants to manipulate things to his advantage, Luke gives Percy a pair of winged shoes that are eventually cursed for him to go to Kronos in the underworld and die. However, since the shoes end up on Percy's friend, Grover, and are kicked off rather easily, nothing happens. Percy regains the lightning bolt while Luke is seemingly calm back at camp, and Kronos' return does not begin. Or so it seems.
One night, Luke lures Percy off to the water with a six pack of Cokes in order to say good-bye. At this meeting, Luke tells Percy of his plans to overthrow the gods and how they were never treated correctly. Percy doesn't take his side on this, so Luke tries to kill him-and nearly succeeds. He leaves then, only to return later in a different place.
From here on, Luke becomes an adversary for Percy and his friends. He works to bring back Kronos, the Lord of Time, so that Kronos can eventually possess him. He works to steal away half-bloods, making them understand that his way is better. He's a soldier, an individual who mans a ship called the Princess Andromeda, which is full of monsters. Luke comes up with the plan to retrieve the golden fleece, and also, with Kronos' help, of course, decides that bringing back Thalia would be a good idea. Though the fleece would be best used on Kronos to help him be pieced back together much faster, Luke sees no fault in allowing Thalia to come back. He purposely poisons the tree that Thalia has become so that they have to use the golden fleece to heal it, and so that she can become another big player in things. While half of his plans fail, the others succeed.
Beyond that, Luke becomes a formidable warrior and starts bearing the weight of what he must do. First, however, he has to bear Atlas' weight, so that Atlas can return to the Titans' side as their general. Luke holds the weight of the sky until he tricks a kidnapped Annabeth into taking on the weight. Afterward, Luke looks tattered and broken, but he continues on. After Annabeth, they lure in Artemis, who takes the weight off Annabeth. Luke keeps Annabeth alive, quite curiously, because he positions her as a tool, one that they can easily use. The truth is, it's obvious that he's hesitant to kill her and Thalia alike. The latter becomes apparent after the long quest occurs, and Thalia shows up and beats him. It appears that Luke is about to die, and even falls to his "death," but he lives, just so he can fight another day.
In the summer following, Luke goes to visit Annabeth in San Francisco. There, Luke offers to take Annabeth like they did before and run away, so they can be a family again. It's obvious that he's afraid, that he knows he's gone too far, and that he needs a way out. However, not trusting Luke, Annabeth turns him away. It turns out that this is something that could have changed the course of the war. Things could have gone differently.
The next leg of Luke's journey involves returning home to his mother so he can gain her permission to go into the River Styx, and end up taking on the Curse of Achilles. What this does is make him invincible, with the exception of one spot on his body. Prior to this, he has been seeking ways of becoming invincible, but it's not immediately apparent why to anyone else. To those around him-that is, the Titans and the monsters-they know he does it so that Kronos has a truly formidable body to possess. This treatment ends up bringing him back to health, and he looks better than ever. In order to take this treatment, the individual must focus on what ties them to the earth. For Luke, this is Annabeth, who he loves, even if she has turned him away. It's a sign that he hasn't sacrificed his humanity entirely, and in a way, that he has never been ready to. It's a sign that he's been careful to keep her and Thalia alive for a reason-because they're his family, they're the ones that count.
Ready, he starts looking for ways through the Labyrinth-the same Labyrinth from Theseus and the Minotaur, one that has become a growing entity because of its attachment to its creator, Daedalus' life, who continues to live on against all odds (due to turning himself into what is basically a living robot). He sends in individuals so he can lead an assault on camp, but these individuals aren't able to find their way through because they often go mad. He has a number of half-bloods that he very clearly uses as cannon fodder for these tasks. Eventually, he locates Ariadne's string, and after a fight where he attempts to have Percy killed, he's able to use the string to both find the way into Camp Half-Blood, and so that Kronos can take over his body. While Kronos intended to lead the brigade into camp, this plan changes. Luke, at the end of all this, finds himself possessed by Kronos; the curious part is where he's able to stir on occasion. His will is strong enough that he's able to reject Kronos' possession on occasion.
The final leg of Luke's life comes near the end of the war that he had a large hand in starting. His mother could see that he would be a hero, and that he would die because of it. This is right before Kronos is able to live independently and in a way that cannot be easily killed-and the end process of this would burn Luke's body out. In these final moments, Annabeth starts calling to Luke, but Kronos moves to hurt her, which allows Luke the strong enough will to take over, and it's made apparent in this moment that Luke loves Annabeth-not platonically, but as more than that. He asks if Annabeth loves him, too, and she says she thought of him as a brother, but never loved him. (After all, she loves Percy.)
Understanding that he needs to kill himself to stop Kronos-as anyone else doing it would end up giving Kronos the opportunity to take over-Luke takes a blade from Percy and kills himself, and thus becomes the hero of the war. He sacrifices himself, and in his final moments, he asks that the same thing not be allowed to happen again with others. He tells Annabeth that he will be an overachiever and instead of asking to be in Elysium in the Underworld, he plans on trying for reincarnation three times so he can get to the Isles of the Blest.
Afterward, Percy asks for a shroud for a son of Hermes. It is very clear here that Luke has died a hero, and will live on in memory for that.
What point in time are you taking your character from when he/she appears at Landel's and why?:
Post-death. Given Luke's motivations, he would have a hard time coming from any other point in canon. Prior to his death, he is possessed by Kronos. The only other fair point to take him from is when he wishes to run away with Annabeth, but the absence of Annabeth and his need to be free of everything would make him resentful of Landel's in a way that would make him difficult to play. Post-death, Luke would be able to take advantage of his situation, and use it for him. He would be a better person than before, but he would also understand the purpose of reincarnation. While he wouldn't see Landel's in that light, he would still have motivations period. Motivations to change things, but to still be cunning and careful. This would be important for him.
Please give us a detailed description of your character's personality:
The most important thing to know about Luke is that he's a son of Hermes. Hermes himself is the God of Thieves, listed among the tricksters, and is rather agile in situations, capable of turning them to his favor when he wants. Luke is very much the apple of his father's eye in a number of ways. Luke himself fits the role of the trickster, capable of manipulating things to his favor, and he's cable to travel capably in order to do what's necessary. This isn't fully characteristic of Luke, but it does mean that he is able to move things to his advantage, as long as he is able to trick to his favor.
All of this makes Luke sound rather dishonest. In many ways, that's the truth, but in many ways, it's not. If Luke weren't a victim of circumstance, it seems as if he would be a cheerful and loving individual, who cares for his important individuals-his family, including his mother and father, as well as Annabeth and Thalia-and would do anything for them. His bitterness would not overwhelm him or motivate him to be, in turn, tricked into starting the biggest war in history since the Titans and the Greek Olympians fought together and inevitably led to the downfall of the Titans themselves. Of course, this is the hypothetical Luke. The actual Luke does have many of these facets-he cares about his family, he would do anything for them, and he could be a nice person if the time called for it. That is, to the people who matter to him.
Given that the aforementioned hypothetical Luke does not exist, what exists in his place is someone embittered by his life, and someone who needed things to change. His mother's circumstances were rough, and he felt as if all of the demigods were all treated poorly and as tools for the gods. In many ways, Luke was not without reason to act how he did, but his eventual actions were too rash, and if he wished to bring change, he could have done it differently.
But a significant part of Luke's character is that he doesn't do things differently. He allows himself to be ruled by negative emotions right up until the end, when he overpowers Kronos' spirit and is able to kill himself. Kronos himself says that Luke is ruled by fear-fear of everything and largely, fear of Percy Jackson. The fact that Luke allows himself to be possessed is also a sign of fear. When Luke fails at his quest earlier on, it is apparent that this is because of pride, and in Luke's case, pride is something that gets in his way and hurts him. His bitterness, fear, anger, and pride all combine into an amalgamation of a rather disgruntled man in early adult hood, who has the mind and ability to start a very disastrous war.
Toward the people he cares about, Luke is surprisingly loyal and caring despite his bitterness. While his bitterness allows him to do things like betraying his friends and his promises to them, he can't seem to bring himself to kill them on numerous occasions. They are his weakness, in many ways, and Luke truly believes in the idea of a family-a happy one. It's apparent even up in his death that he could have hoped for something more, but allowed for the worst to happen. Or, in his case, made the worse thing to happen happen. In that way, he's an idealist without acting on his idealistic beliefs, instead wanting the best to come out of the worst outcome. He's not stupid enough to believe in his ideas blindly, but does seem to get too knee-deep in what he's doing without being able to turn back.
One of the strongest and most important traits of Luke, though, is the fact that he doesn't give up, regardless of the moment. He forces himself to keep going on, keep coming up with plans, keep having resolve. For the hero, Percy, this is bad, but at the end, this strong will allows him to have occasional moments of control when it came to Kronos. It allowed him to take over and kill himself. The only time this is shaken is when he realizes he might have gone too far and attempts to run away with Annabeth, but even here, this is a sign that he is strong-willed enough to defy Kronos.
All of this doesn't necessarily summarize Luke as Luke, though. As an individual, he's someone who is ambiguous enough in his morals to see that sometimes, the worst case scenario needs to be done, and he's willing to go a little too far with it. At the end of his life, he's able to see his wrongs and learns from his mistakes, but he isn't without his flaws. He's still capable of being overcome by strong emotions like anger or bitterness, but he would be able to keep these in check when he realizes they could hurt someone. It's important to note that Luke was never acting for himself alone. Thalia's death enraged him further, he loved Annabeth, and he saw what was being done with the rest of the demigods (currently and in the past). They were all family, in some way, and family is really the current of the entire Greek system that had been set up.
The way he behaves is different from what runs as his motivations. Luke is someone who does a poor job completely hiding his emotions (fear, anger, sadness), even in the times when he seeks control. However, he is the trickster that has been mentioned before, and while the current of anger and bitterness will creep in, he is just as capable of playing the cheerful individual, someone who is understandably upset at times, but can also not draw too much attention to him. He's clever and willing to do things for other people, but many times, this is because of playing things to his favor. That trickster mindset is a part of who he is, even if he's doing it for harmless means.
Clever, emotional, and caring-at least, when it comes to the people he cares about-are all adjectives to describe Luke. He's sly, bitter, and can get caught up, but he's also made a turn in things. Now, Luke has to find a balance in who he is, now that he's reached the end of his life and accepted his role as a hero. After all, in order to become invincible, Luke had to hold on to something important, and by that time, he held on to the memory of Annabeth, as she was his one true person. He still held on to his adoration for her, even if it was for a bad cause. He was mislead, but now, things have changed.
Please give us a physical description of your character:
In the first book, Luke is described as having cropped sandy-colored hair, as being tall and muscular, and as being muscular. He also has blue eyes. Being that he's a demi-god and someone who works out quite a bit, this is not at all surprising. He's said to be attractive, as well, but has "Hermes-esque" features-with slightly pointed ears, but only in a way that humans' ears can be pointed and not in a manner that's supernatural or easy to notice. An important facet of Luke's appearance is that he received a scar from Ladon the dragon, while trying to retrieve one of the golden apples that the dragon guards. The scar runs right beneath his left eye to his jaw, and it is something that seems to add a sinister appearance to him. Later, Percy describes it as looking like a dragon's claw marking, while at the beginning, he says it looks like it was caused by an old knife slash.
As for less immediate things, Luke is someone who doesn't often smile unless he's tricking someone, and he often smirks, and he's someone who seems to have a hard time masking his emotions at times on his face. Unless, of course, he's tricking someone, but Luke is able to wear a variety of emotions-sometimes when he doesn't want to, and sometimes when he needs someone to be to his favor.
What kinds of otherworldly abilities does your character have, if any?:
As a demi-god, Luke has a number of abilities given to him because of that. He's got ADHD and dyslexia, which doesn't seem like a power at first, but it is. The ADHD is because he has heightened awareness in battle, giving him better reflexes. He's stronger and faster than the average human, and given his godly-lineage, he can heal from more injuries due to special medicine. The dyslexia is because his brain is hardwired to read Greek and be fluent in it, while regular letters tend to jumble up for him (as well as any other demi-gods).
As a child of Hermes, he has powers to do with traveling and theft, but it's apparent that he doesn't rely on them. He can slash through the air and travel through seemingly created portals, and he can conjure up things out of nowhere, thanks to his abilities. He is also able to sense monsters and other demigods.
Along with all this, Luke has taken a bath in the River Styx-just like Achilles. That gives him near invincibility, with the exception of one part of his body (which is beneath his left arm). It also turns him into a one-man army.
If present, how do you plan to tweak these powers to make your character appropriately hindered in the setting of Landel's?:
Luke will keep his ADHD and dyslexia because the are both gifts and weaknesses for him. The dyslexia will make it difficult for him to read notes on the bulletin board and communicate with others, and the ADHD will weaken his attention span (only somewhat-Luke has pretty good resolve). It'll give him heightened awareness in battles, of course, and therefore make it easier for him to respond better.
Along with that, he'd still be athletic, but more that of an Olympic athlete than a demigod. All of his Hermes powers would be gone and his invincibility would vanish almost completely. Given the weight of going into the River Styx, I would like him to be somewhat more durable than most people. A stab wound would not run as deep as it would on another person. A paper cut would barely be felt, and wouldn't slice as widely open as they tend to. Essentially: he can still be hurt and feel pain, but he would have some resistance to it all. That is, with the exception of his one spot underneath his left arm. If this is stabbed, he will die instantly.
As his swordsmanship is displayed many times as being so good because of his keen mind and cunning capabilities, he's able to keep his talent with the sword. He wouldn't have the same reflexes by any extent of the imagination-his ADHD would work as it would for anyone with ADHD in a sword fight, versus how it works for someone who's a demigod, making him more aware of a bunch of things going on (as ADHD is said to do, even psychologically), but not advance his reflexes.
In summary, he will keep his ADHD (which will make him more attentive in a battle, but not heighten his reflexes to superhuman degrees), dyslexia, swordsmanship (since it is not supernatural), and a level of resistance to attacks, where a stab wound wouldn't simply cut as deep (but he would still die if hit in the spot of his so-called "Achilles' heel"). As the resistance in the books also gives a heightened strength and awareness, he would be losing that, of course, and would only have the resistance-and-kill-spot factor.
He will still be intuitive about direction and where to go, as is befitting a son of Hermes. In Damned, this would work as him being able to figure out where to go easily, but not know anything else. He can't travel easily, or swifter, than anyone else, he would basically just have a good sense of direction and a good mind for details. As this isn't really a power and is more a facet of who he is, this is likely a given. He will lose his ability to sense monsters and other powerful creatures.
The reason for the collection of abilities in all their weakened states is that they would all serve as strengths and weaknesses. And weakened, they become more of weaknesses than strengths. Many of the powers and gifts in Greek mythology involve strengths and weaknesses, and it's something that Luke himself has had to face.
Does your character have any non-otherworldly abilities/training that surpass the norm?:
Luke is said to be the best sword fighter in three-hundred years, a talent that seems somewhat natural for him. He is able to be bested on occasion, but it is something that comes to him as it should.
Along with his talent with the sword, Luke knows Greek-this is both a supernatural gift and something he had to learn himself. He has a fair amount of knowledge of traveling, and is rather clever when it comes down to it. As a son of Hermes, he is rather good at cunning and trickery, which is expected of anyone within the family. Luke himself is rather manipulative and capable of making a number of situations serve him, but this is all due to cleverness, and nothing supernatural. It's simply ... family traits, one might say, but ones that he uses for himself.
It's important to note that because of his resourceful behavior and motivations, he's almost able to topple the Greek gods and return the world to the Golden Age because of his grudge. Yes, he's manipulated and eventually possessed, but Luke's trickery is able to go a long way. He is a human version of a trickster when it comes to dealings, and he has a good head for it.
What do you see your character doing in the scope of the game and how do you plan to use the setting of Landel's Institute to develop them and affect their psychology in a unique, interesting way?:
The interesting thing about Damned's setting is that it would not have any of the individuals that tied Luke down before. There would be no Annabeth, Thalia, or even Percy, for the sake of fear. There would be no Kronos or any of the other Titans in over to strike him into fear from another side. Luke would be getting a new beginning in a different setting, and the interesting part is where he knows many individuals are returned from death. It's unlikely that Luke would believe that he would be brought from death and placed into Landel's. After all, his heroic sacrifice would make him suitable for the heavenly place in the Underworld, and there's no reason to believe this would be any different. He wouldn't see this as reincarnation, but would understand that this could possibly change that path, and change where he would like to end up. He would want to help, but Luke can't help but not be able to have the same level of connection with others that others would have. He's someone who has always been focused on his family. That hasn't changed.
But the important factor is that he would want to overthrow Damned, but unlike many heroes, Luke doesn't work in conventional ways. He lies, he manipulates, he tries to play people against one another in order to reach his ends. As mentioned earlier, he's someone who is willing to use whatever means he has at times, and sometimes, he'll go a little too far with it. Because of his experiences, he would be more careful, but it seems to be something all Hermes' sons do-go a little too far before they realize they have to back out. Luke will be careful to not let this trait do the same to him as it has before. It's not that he's the most conniving or subtle person ever, but his brain does work in ways that would allow him to use these facets to his favor. It's unlikely that he would grow genuinely attached to anyone in Damned. Luke is a character who tends to strongly identify with others, but it's unlikely that he'll identify with many people within the institute. His "identification" seems to be on the level of people in his situation, so while he'll think everyone is being screwed with, he doesn't work in the same way a normal hero might work.
This isn't to say that Luke wouldn't make him out to be like that. He can't completely hide his emotions and it would be surprising if he managed to be cunning all the time. Along with that, he's not completely cold-hearted. The setting would force him to find a balance that he doesn't have yet. In many situations, he might be forced to be the protector or the leader again, and over time, Luke would be hard-pressed not to care about them. While they would never become a replacement family-family is too important for him to replace them with people in a place like this-he would feel responsible for them, in his own way. He might even come to see what it's like to be a hero.
There are a lot of opportunities for Luke to do the wrong thing, too. It's possible that he would decide the proper choice or what he best wants to do, without taking all factors into consideration. He's also likely to go too far. The monsters of Damned could also mess with him, depending on what form they take. If he is forced to hurt people, that could prove problematic. If he is forced to see his weaknesses and see how much Landel controls him now, it would be a throwback to Kronos, and his strong spirit and will would motivate him even more. There is a lot of potential for him to grow.
Given that this RP takes place in an unsettling and outright horrific environment, how do you justify your character as being appropriate in both body and mind for this kind of setting?:
Given that Luke is the prime antagonist for a book series that, apart from being for young adults, is actually quite dark, he is more than capable of handling the darker setting. In many ways, he is a fighter, clever, and capable of handling most of what is thrown at him. Monsters are old hand for him, and he would actually see them as far from a threat. Overall, his series and his background make him capable of handling this setting, and actually ripe for it.
Third-Person Sample:
The funny thing was, he never forgot their safe houses. Luke remembered every single one. He remembered gathering materials, breaking into broken cabins and climbing through windows, or hoisting Annabeth onto his shoulders so she could peer inside, and understand if they could handle living there for a while. It was never as safe as they might like, but monsters could never be fully locked out. They could never be completely safe.
In his final dreams, in those months following Annabeth's rejection of him, he dreamed of these places constantly. At first, Thalia was there, but his mind told him that she didn't belong anymore. In order to escape her family's curse, in order to make it so that she was not a pawn in anything, she became a huntress. He was uncertain about what he felt about it, but he realized it was Thalia's way of taking matters into her own hands. That was how she was, anyway; it was why he was never able to beat her in a fight. Annabeth nearly made the same decision, but he remembered relief when she didn't. It was better that she didn't. That way, she could anchor him to the earth, keep him going where his mother's eccentric phrasing and his father's unreliable nature could not step in.
Even the night before he knew it would be finalized, he dreamed of the same thing. Of Annabeth's hand reaching out to him, of him taking her hand, but in these dreams, he saw his hand gripping hers and killing her. When he looked at his reflection, he could already see that the face looking back was no longer his. The flash of golden eyes instead of blue said enough.
It was impossible to dream while possessed by Kronos. The other power possessed too much of him, suffocated his consciousness so heavily, it was as if he was supposed to prove that he was in complete control. But he wasn't, unless he forced and poked and waited, waited for Percy or Annabeth to startle Kronos, for the war to go badly-but these were false glimpses of hope. He didn't hope for another dream when he gained control during that final fight. He knew what he had to do; he knew what needed to be done. He would never dream again.
Looking upon Annabeth, that didn't matter. She may have rejected him, but she saw him as family. He figured that was enough.
*
The funny thing was, he started dreaming again. Dreaming of those little enclaves, of the way cars would sometimes rush past in the distance, unaware of the three, now somewhat feral in appearance, children waiting, ready, aware that monsters could come at any moment. These dreams felt unhappy, but also happy-a direction contradiction, but a fitting one. He would have smiled, but he wasn't supposed to be able to (which meant he did). He would have laughed, but that wasn't something he normally did in his sleep. These meandering factors usually played a role.
When he inhaled and shifted, his awareness of the area around him shot through him. The air felt stale, but not like that of a coffin. His leg smacked into the wall, and instead of feeling nothing, instead of feeling invincible, like a suit of armor waiting to be used by Kronos, he immediately took note that he felt pain. Actual pain, not the dull sensation that he would feel whenever Kronos would brush his arm back over his side. It would be real sensation, real feeling-it was as if he never took the dive into the River Styx (though the memory was too fresh, the image of Annabeth pulling him out, and promising that they would be a family this time, this time they would).
His eyes shot open and he moved quickly. This wasn't supposed to be real. Reincarnation didn't work this way. His body moved him out of his bed and he didn't hesitate to look around the room. It was white, sterile, wrong. Every aspect of the world had Greek influence, and logically, he knew this room should be the same. But looking upon it, he saw only a prison. And their prisons were more creative, more thoughtful. More Greek.
It wasn't like it was a point of pride for him. If he had to end up anywhere after all that, he'd rather end up in a place that wasn't Greek. It could mean something reassuring, but it could also be a trick. But even the gods, for all their messed up notions, didn't seem like they'd bother dishonoring him with this joke. No, it had to be something else. Had to be. He could feel it in his gut, and that was enough of a reason to follow through on it. No, he was no Percy Jackson, but he could follow his intuition.
Luke knew it was wise to take in his surroundings. He worked quickly, as befitting a son of Hermes-not that he'd like that to be a characteristic of who he was, even now, even after everything. It didn't take long to notice what was there, what he could take, what was his. It didn't take him long to notice the strays of food, placed on the pair of desks. It didn't take him long to notice anything, including the fact that no matter how many times he tried to force the door away, he couldn't move through it. That was a gift befitting a son of Hermes he did not mind; running, getting away, getting to what was necessary. That was something he didn't mind.
But it wasn't possible right now. His powers were stripped, no matter how many times he tried to claw at the air. That wasn't acceptable. He didn't like it.
Stubborn, he moved and pulled his chair in front of the door and waited. His features were marred with frustration, as he didn't have the answers he wanted. In this case, he was like Annabeth, he realized: he needed answers to move forward, to play his hand right. It didn't feel like he had any cards yet. A flashlight and a few pens wouldn't do the trick. He needed beyond this door.
He set his jaw and waited. "If you're listening," he said, speaking to the door, as if someone was outside peering in, or a recording was viewing him, "this won't be enough to stop me." Luke straightened and added, "Even Kronos himself could not stop me. Nor could the hero Percy Jackson. What will you do?"
Silence in response. Well, he would have to see. Perhaps this would be his quest. A real quest. One no hero had ever undertaken before.
In this case, he imagined he would be befitting the son of Hermes. He planned on doing things differently this time.
First-Person Sample:
Given that Luke is dyslexic, it seems unlikely that he would go out of his way to write in a journal. He would keep mental notes of everything around him, but writing it down seems highly uncharacteristic, especially since his notes would often be incorrect or spelled badly. When it comes to the bulletin, he would do his best to not rely upon it for information, as it would take too long to decipher a lot of the words (at least, too long in Damned's setting-as every second counts). He would be willing to do his best to communicate over the bulletin all the same, as he is the son of a god of communication, but he would be against showing his weaknesses and would do it sparingly.
Series' Medium: Book
Character: Luke Castellan
Age: 23
Sex/Gender: Male.
Canon Role: Primary antagonist, after the "Voldemort-esque" baddie in the books. Many of the machinations and motivations throughout the series are performed by Luke. At the end, however, he is redeemed. Throughout the series, it is shown that he's not all terrible and not without a chance of redemption, but it's only for people he cares about. Those people are only a select few and ones he considers his true family.
"Real" Name: Marcus Stieber
How long have you roleplayed your character, if at all?:
No.
Where have you roleplayed in general and/or with this specific character?:
General.
I haven't played Luke at all.
Are you personally familiar with your character's canon?:
Yes. I've read all five books of the series, plus the additional short story book, twice. I've also seen the movie, but as the movie bears little resemblance to the books themselves, that's hardly relevant. (I do, however, plan on using Luke's actor for his PB, since he's perfect.)
Please give us a personal history of your character's life and explain to us in detail how they grow and develop over the course of their canon:
Olympus still exists. Obviously, the mountain exists, but the place where the Greek gods used to gather still exists-and it's very much alive and kicking. Influencing all facets of Western civilization, Olympus has made a habit of moving where Western civilization seems to be the strongest. Sometimes it's France, Italy, Spain, wherever-and it should be no surprise that in modern day, it's found itself at the top of the Empire State Building. The gods themselves are just as eccentric and selfish as some might expect. They create and control the movement of the world, and they also sleep with a lot of mortals. These mortals tend to have offspring, and these offspring-like Hercules, Perseus, Theseus, and many other individuals from legends-tend to become heroes. Or they'd like to, but things are a little more regulated.
As some might expect, there are prophecies, quests, monsters, and everything in-between. Only it's all modernized now. These demigods largely live in risk, because their smell is attractive to monsters. A safe haven called Camp Half-blood exists on Long Island, which allows these demigods to live in peace. Camp Half-blood is set up in a manner where there are twelve cabins, each for the gods or goddesses enthroned in Olympus. Several cabins are empty (because of Artemis, the virgin goddess or Hera, who doesn't sleep around, as good examples), but kids come in and are either claimed and get to live in the cabin representing their parents (a few choice exceptions aside) or they have to live in the Hermes cabin. That's because Hermes is the god of travelers.
As expected, each child shows some signs of their parentage. Zeus' children (or sole remaining demigod child) can use electricity, Poseidon's son, Percy, can use water and speak to his creations or sea creatures, and Luke is gifted in traveling and has some mastery at trickery. Despite having these traits, there is expected tension. Many gods do not involve themselves in their children's life, and many do not even claim their children. Though these demigods are said to be heroes, many live their lives hoping for quests and never being recognized. They are merely left at camp to grow until they're adults, and then meant to live on past that. If they live on past that. Many do not, because of monsters attracted to their scent.
This is something that bothers Luke a lot.
That's not to say it's all daddy issues with Luke. Despite the fact that the guy holds a valid grudge against his father, that's not all that troubles him and eventually drives him to doing some pretty awful things. And that's what Luke ends up doing: awful, horrible things that end up costing a lot of lives and his own.
At a time before Luke's birth (and possibly even his mother's birth), Hades was in love with a woman who gave birth to two children. Because of a prophecy-the prophecy that said a child of the big three would make a choice that would change the course of the world, either destroying it or letting it live on-Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon made an agreement that they would not have anymore demigod children. But Zeus gave Hades an ultimatum about the children he already had, and said that if he didn't hand them over, there would be a problem. Since Maria di Angelo, the children's mother, refused, Zeus attacked the hotel where they were staying. Hades wasn't able to interfere and keep her alive, his children being the only ones who came out in one piece. She ended up dying and he was devastated. Bitter about the situation, he placed a curse upon the Oracle of Delphi, making it impossible for the oracle to possess anyone without them going mad. Fast forward some years and you have May Castellan, an interesting and unique individual who is able to see through the "Mist" that hides Greek civilization, as well as the monsters in the world. Very few mortals are able to see through this, but she's one of them. May ends up meeting Hermes and is someone he falls in love with and cares for. The eventuality of their relationship is that May and Hermes have a son named Luke, and Hermes is as involved in his son's life as he can be-for a god, anyway. Luke was the apple of his eye, but the world was different now, and he was limited in how much he could be involved. Of course, "involved" meant helping from a distance. Hermes could never properly be involved in his son's life because of ancient law.
Eventually, May learns that she's someone who's prime to become the vessel for the oracle. However, since there is an unknown curse placed on the Oracle that no one can identify, she goes mad. Hermes is made very sad, and Luke-well, this is just one way the gods have messed something up. He ends up being raised by his mother, but it's very obvious that she doesn't have it all together and she's not entirely sane. Often, she rants about the terrible fate that will happen to him, a foreboding fact that makes Luke often hide in closets in fear. After he reaches his teenage years, Luke takes off, telling his mother that he'll be back for lunch.
While on the run, he meets up with two younger girls-Thalia, the daughter of Zeus, and Annabeth, the daughter of Athena. The three of them work together to get up to Camp Half-Blood. He tells Annabeth, as she says that she ran away because her family hated her, that they'll be family for one another now. During one circumstance, when things are rough, Luke leads them back to his mother's home, and there, he meets Hermes for the first time. Hermes does his best to convince Luke to go to Camp Half-Blood, and Luke tries to get the answer out of his father about why his mother is not sane. The fight itself is rather uncomfortable, and Luke leaves, with Hermes and May dwelling on the fact that Luke will have a disastrous fate ahead of him.
As for Luke, Annabeth and Thalia, the three of them are an interesting unit, because what is important to them is family. Family itself is the theme of the series itself in many ways, as it's family that makes them demigods, family that motivates them, and family that makes them make decisions. Without family, they wouldn't have powers. Without family, they wouldn't be in danger. For Luke, there are few people in the world who matter to him, and these "few people" seem to start and end with Annabeth and Thalia. His mother matters to him, too, but he resents what choices she made and what she became. But Thalia and Annabeth are important in nearly every way. He wishes to protect them, keep them safe from harm, and help them as much as possible.
They travel through the country, escaping and fighting monsters when necessary, and just as they reach New York City, they're tricked by a cyclopes and captured. The reason why they are able to be tricked is because Luke has become reckless in response to meeting his father. Thalia describes it as Luke having "something to prove," while being moody and different. The three of them end up escaping, but just as they reach Camp Half-Blood, they're caught by the other monsters that were after them. Thalia tells Luke to take Annabeth and go on ahead, but Thalia herself ends up dying. Instead of bringing her back, Zeus honors her and turns her into a pine tree. To Luke, this is just another way the gods have screwed up.
In the years that follow, Hermes does his best to send Luke on a quest so he can prove himself and become a hero. Unfortunately, things have changed quite a bit, and Luke isn't able to get much. He's sent on a quest to do what Hercules had done before-steal a golden apple. However, disheartened by having to do a quest that was done already and embittered by it, he ends up failing, and receives a scar for it on the left side of his face instead.
Luke returns to camp and things change. Quests rarely, if ever, happen, all because of how he failed. On the surface, Luke lives happily, but clearly bitter about how things are. He doesn't hide his bitterness toward his father or everyone's situations, but he does it in a careless, flippant manner. Many believe Luke doesn't sincerely have any intentions to do anything about it. To the other individuals at camp, he's someone to be respected. He's a fierce warrior-the best swordsman in three-hundred years, they say-and someone who's rather resourceful around camp. Something needs to be stolen? People want snacks when they can't otherwise get them? Luke's on it, and if he's not, one of the Hermes sons happens to be.
However, Luke ends up being called out to and lured in by the voice of Kronos, who seemingly puts Luke under a spell. "Seemingly" because it's quite the opposite. Luke decides to help Kronos rise again, all in order to overthrow the gods for what has happened. On a winter solstice one year, he goes and steals Zeus' lightning bolt. Being a son of Hermes, it's not terribly unexpected that he'd be able to do this. Unable to get the bolt to who he wants it given to, and unable to bring Kronos back as he wants, Luke hatches a plan in order to start a war that would cause problems Zeus believes Poseidon stole his bolt, and some believe that Hades snuck someone in so that one of his monsters could steal it. The end of this mess would be that there would be the equivalent of World War III, which could cause some problems.
Enter Percy Jackson. A son of Poseidon, he's not supposed to be born due to a pact made between Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon that they would father no more children. This pact was made after World War II. There is a prophecy that says that a child of the big three could end up either overthrowing the gods or saving them with a choice he made. However, he's here, and given Thalia's untimely demise, many believe him to be the prophecy child. He could be both a threat and an asset, depending on whose hands he happens to be in.
Luke befriends Percy and seems to want to help him. He plays the mentor role for Percy, teaching him how to fight, and being a great support for him. Since Zeus believes Percy is responsible for his lost lightning bolt, which is the source of all his power, he has to take a quest to find it before the summer solstice. As he wants to manipulate things to his advantage, Luke gives Percy a pair of winged shoes that are eventually cursed for him to go to Kronos in the underworld and die. However, since the shoes end up on Percy's friend, Grover, and are kicked off rather easily, nothing happens. Percy regains the lightning bolt while Luke is seemingly calm back at camp, and Kronos' return does not begin. Or so it seems.
One night, Luke lures Percy off to the water with a six pack of Cokes in order to say good-bye. At this meeting, Luke tells Percy of his plans to overthrow the gods and how they were never treated correctly. Percy doesn't take his side on this, so Luke tries to kill him-and nearly succeeds. He leaves then, only to return later in a different place.
From here on, Luke becomes an adversary for Percy and his friends. He works to bring back Kronos, the Lord of Time, so that Kronos can eventually possess him. He works to steal away half-bloods, making them understand that his way is better. He's a soldier, an individual who mans a ship called the Princess Andromeda, which is full of monsters. Luke comes up with the plan to retrieve the golden fleece, and also, with Kronos' help, of course, decides that bringing back Thalia would be a good idea. Though the fleece would be best used on Kronos to help him be pieced back together much faster, Luke sees no fault in allowing Thalia to come back. He purposely poisons the tree that Thalia has become so that they have to use the golden fleece to heal it, and so that she can become another big player in things. While half of his plans fail, the others succeed.
Beyond that, Luke becomes a formidable warrior and starts bearing the weight of what he must do. First, however, he has to bear Atlas' weight, so that Atlas can return to the Titans' side as their general. Luke holds the weight of the sky until he tricks a kidnapped Annabeth into taking on the weight. Afterward, Luke looks tattered and broken, but he continues on. After Annabeth, they lure in Artemis, who takes the weight off Annabeth. Luke keeps Annabeth alive, quite curiously, because he positions her as a tool, one that they can easily use. The truth is, it's obvious that he's hesitant to kill her and Thalia alike. The latter becomes apparent after the long quest occurs, and Thalia shows up and beats him. It appears that Luke is about to die, and even falls to his "death," but he lives, just so he can fight another day.
In the summer following, Luke goes to visit Annabeth in San Francisco. There, Luke offers to take Annabeth like they did before and run away, so they can be a family again. It's obvious that he's afraid, that he knows he's gone too far, and that he needs a way out. However, not trusting Luke, Annabeth turns him away. It turns out that this is something that could have changed the course of the war. Things could have gone differently.
The next leg of Luke's journey involves returning home to his mother so he can gain her permission to go into the River Styx, and end up taking on the Curse of Achilles. What this does is make him invincible, with the exception of one spot on his body. Prior to this, he has been seeking ways of becoming invincible, but it's not immediately apparent why to anyone else. To those around him-that is, the Titans and the monsters-they know he does it so that Kronos has a truly formidable body to possess. This treatment ends up bringing him back to health, and he looks better than ever. In order to take this treatment, the individual must focus on what ties them to the earth. For Luke, this is Annabeth, who he loves, even if she has turned him away. It's a sign that he hasn't sacrificed his humanity entirely, and in a way, that he has never been ready to. It's a sign that he's been careful to keep her and Thalia alive for a reason-because they're his family, they're the ones that count.
Ready, he starts looking for ways through the Labyrinth-the same Labyrinth from Theseus and the Minotaur, one that has become a growing entity because of its attachment to its creator, Daedalus' life, who continues to live on against all odds (due to turning himself into what is basically a living robot). He sends in individuals so he can lead an assault on camp, but these individuals aren't able to find their way through because they often go mad. He has a number of half-bloods that he very clearly uses as cannon fodder for these tasks. Eventually, he locates Ariadne's string, and after a fight where he attempts to have Percy killed, he's able to use the string to both find the way into Camp Half-Blood, and so that Kronos can take over his body. While Kronos intended to lead the brigade into camp, this plan changes. Luke, at the end of all this, finds himself possessed by Kronos; the curious part is where he's able to stir on occasion. His will is strong enough that he's able to reject Kronos' possession on occasion.
The final leg of Luke's life comes near the end of the war that he had a large hand in starting. His mother could see that he would be a hero, and that he would die because of it. This is right before Kronos is able to live independently and in a way that cannot be easily killed-and the end process of this would burn Luke's body out. In these final moments, Annabeth starts calling to Luke, but Kronos moves to hurt her, which allows Luke the strong enough will to take over, and it's made apparent in this moment that Luke loves Annabeth-not platonically, but as more than that. He asks if Annabeth loves him, too, and she says she thought of him as a brother, but never loved him. (After all, she loves Percy.)
Understanding that he needs to kill himself to stop Kronos-as anyone else doing it would end up giving Kronos the opportunity to take over-Luke takes a blade from Percy and kills himself, and thus becomes the hero of the war. He sacrifices himself, and in his final moments, he asks that the same thing not be allowed to happen again with others. He tells Annabeth that he will be an overachiever and instead of asking to be in Elysium in the Underworld, he plans on trying for reincarnation three times so he can get to the Isles of the Blest.
Afterward, Percy asks for a shroud for a son of Hermes. It is very clear here that Luke has died a hero, and will live on in memory for that.
What point in time are you taking your character from when he/she appears at Landel's and why?:
Post-death. Given Luke's motivations, he would have a hard time coming from any other point in canon. Prior to his death, he is possessed by Kronos. The only other fair point to take him from is when he wishes to run away with Annabeth, but the absence of Annabeth and his need to be free of everything would make him resentful of Landel's in a way that would make him difficult to play. Post-death, Luke would be able to take advantage of his situation, and use it for him. He would be a better person than before, but he would also understand the purpose of reincarnation. While he wouldn't see Landel's in that light, he would still have motivations period. Motivations to change things, but to still be cunning and careful. This would be important for him.
Please give us a detailed description of your character's personality:
The most important thing to know about Luke is that he's a son of Hermes. Hermes himself is the God of Thieves, listed among the tricksters, and is rather agile in situations, capable of turning them to his favor when he wants. Luke is very much the apple of his father's eye in a number of ways. Luke himself fits the role of the trickster, capable of manipulating things to his favor, and he's cable to travel capably in order to do what's necessary. This isn't fully characteristic of Luke, but it does mean that he is able to move things to his advantage, as long as he is able to trick to his favor.
All of this makes Luke sound rather dishonest. In many ways, that's the truth, but in many ways, it's not. If Luke weren't a victim of circumstance, it seems as if he would be a cheerful and loving individual, who cares for his important individuals-his family, including his mother and father, as well as Annabeth and Thalia-and would do anything for them. His bitterness would not overwhelm him or motivate him to be, in turn, tricked into starting the biggest war in history since the Titans and the Greek Olympians fought together and inevitably led to the downfall of the Titans themselves. Of course, this is the hypothetical Luke. The actual Luke does have many of these facets-he cares about his family, he would do anything for them, and he could be a nice person if the time called for it. That is, to the people who matter to him.
Given that the aforementioned hypothetical Luke does not exist, what exists in his place is someone embittered by his life, and someone who needed things to change. His mother's circumstances were rough, and he felt as if all of the demigods were all treated poorly and as tools for the gods. In many ways, Luke was not without reason to act how he did, but his eventual actions were too rash, and if he wished to bring change, he could have done it differently.
But a significant part of Luke's character is that he doesn't do things differently. He allows himself to be ruled by negative emotions right up until the end, when he overpowers Kronos' spirit and is able to kill himself. Kronos himself says that Luke is ruled by fear-fear of everything and largely, fear of Percy Jackson. The fact that Luke allows himself to be possessed is also a sign of fear. When Luke fails at his quest earlier on, it is apparent that this is because of pride, and in Luke's case, pride is something that gets in his way and hurts him. His bitterness, fear, anger, and pride all combine into an amalgamation of a rather disgruntled man in early adult hood, who has the mind and ability to start a very disastrous war.
Toward the people he cares about, Luke is surprisingly loyal and caring despite his bitterness. While his bitterness allows him to do things like betraying his friends and his promises to them, he can't seem to bring himself to kill them on numerous occasions. They are his weakness, in many ways, and Luke truly believes in the idea of a family-a happy one. It's apparent even up in his death that he could have hoped for something more, but allowed for the worst to happen. Or, in his case, made the worse thing to happen happen. In that way, he's an idealist without acting on his idealistic beliefs, instead wanting the best to come out of the worst outcome. He's not stupid enough to believe in his ideas blindly, but does seem to get too knee-deep in what he's doing without being able to turn back.
One of the strongest and most important traits of Luke, though, is the fact that he doesn't give up, regardless of the moment. He forces himself to keep going on, keep coming up with plans, keep having resolve. For the hero, Percy, this is bad, but at the end, this strong will allows him to have occasional moments of control when it came to Kronos. It allowed him to take over and kill himself. The only time this is shaken is when he realizes he might have gone too far and attempts to run away with Annabeth, but even here, this is a sign that he is strong-willed enough to defy Kronos.
All of this doesn't necessarily summarize Luke as Luke, though. As an individual, he's someone who is ambiguous enough in his morals to see that sometimes, the worst case scenario needs to be done, and he's willing to go a little too far with it. At the end of his life, he's able to see his wrongs and learns from his mistakes, but he isn't without his flaws. He's still capable of being overcome by strong emotions like anger or bitterness, but he would be able to keep these in check when he realizes they could hurt someone. It's important to note that Luke was never acting for himself alone. Thalia's death enraged him further, he loved Annabeth, and he saw what was being done with the rest of the demigods (currently and in the past). They were all family, in some way, and family is really the current of the entire Greek system that had been set up.
The way he behaves is different from what runs as his motivations. Luke is someone who does a poor job completely hiding his emotions (fear, anger, sadness), even in the times when he seeks control. However, he is the trickster that has been mentioned before, and while the current of anger and bitterness will creep in, he is just as capable of playing the cheerful individual, someone who is understandably upset at times, but can also not draw too much attention to him. He's clever and willing to do things for other people, but many times, this is because of playing things to his favor. That trickster mindset is a part of who he is, even if he's doing it for harmless means.
Clever, emotional, and caring-at least, when it comes to the people he cares about-are all adjectives to describe Luke. He's sly, bitter, and can get caught up, but he's also made a turn in things. Now, Luke has to find a balance in who he is, now that he's reached the end of his life and accepted his role as a hero. After all, in order to become invincible, Luke had to hold on to something important, and by that time, he held on to the memory of Annabeth, as she was his one true person. He still held on to his adoration for her, even if it was for a bad cause. He was mislead, but now, things have changed.
Please give us a physical description of your character:
In the first book, Luke is described as having cropped sandy-colored hair, as being tall and muscular, and as being muscular. He also has blue eyes. Being that he's a demi-god and someone who works out quite a bit, this is not at all surprising. He's said to be attractive, as well, but has "Hermes-esque" features-with slightly pointed ears, but only in a way that humans' ears can be pointed and not in a manner that's supernatural or easy to notice. An important facet of Luke's appearance is that he received a scar from Ladon the dragon, while trying to retrieve one of the golden apples that the dragon guards. The scar runs right beneath his left eye to his jaw, and it is something that seems to add a sinister appearance to him. Later, Percy describes it as looking like a dragon's claw marking, while at the beginning, he says it looks like it was caused by an old knife slash.
As for less immediate things, Luke is someone who doesn't often smile unless he's tricking someone, and he often smirks, and he's someone who seems to have a hard time masking his emotions at times on his face. Unless, of course, he's tricking someone, but Luke is able to wear a variety of emotions-sometimes when he doesn't want to, and sometimes when he needs someone to be to his favor.
What kinds of otherworldly abilities does your character have, if any?:
As a demi-god, Luke has a number of abilities given to him because of that. He's got ADHD and dyslexia, which doesn't seem like a power at first, but it is. The ADHD is because he has heightened awareness in battle, giving him better reflexes. He's stronger and faster than the average human, and given his godly-lineage, he can heal from more injuries due to special medicine. The dyslexia is because his brain is hardwired to read Greek and be fluent in it, while regular letters tend to jumble up for him (as well as any other demi-gods).
As a child of Hermes, he has powers to do with traveling and theft, but it's apparent that he doesn't rely on them. He can slash through the air and travel through seemingly created portals, and he can conjure up things out of nowhere, thanks to his abilities. He is also able to sense monsters and other demigods.
Along with all this, Luke has taken a bath in the River Styx-just like Achilles. That gives him near invincibility, with the exception of one part of his body (which is beneath his left arm). It also turns him into a one-man army.
If present, how do you plan to tweak these powers to make your character appropriately hindered in the setting of Landel's?:
Luke will keep his ADHD and dyslexia because the are both gifts and weaknesses for him. The dyslexia will make it difficult for him to read notes on the bulletin board and communicate with others, and the ADHD will weaken his attention span (only somewhat-Luke has pretty good resolve). It'll give him heightened awareness in battles, of course, and therefore make it easier for him to respond better.
Along with that, he'd still be athletic, but more that of an Olympic athlete than a demigod. All of his Hermes powers would be gone and his invincibility would vanish almost completely. Given the weight of going into the River Styx, I would like him to be somewhat more durable than most people. A stab wound would not run as deep as it would on another person. A paper cut would barely be felt, and wouldn't slice as widely open as they tend to. Essentially: he can still be hurt and feel pain, but he would have some resistance to it all. That is, with the exception of his one spot underneath his left arm. If this is stabbed, he will die instantly.
As his swordsmanship is displayed many times as being so good because of his keen mind and cunning capabilities, he's able to keep his talent with the sword. He wouldn't have the same reflexes by any extent of the imagination-his ADHD would work as it would for anyone with ADHD in a sword fight, versus how it works for someone who's a demigod, making him more aware of a bunch of things going on (as ADHD is said to do, even psychologically), but not advance his reflexes.
In summary, he will keep his ADHD (which will make him more attentive in a battle, but not heighten his reflexes to superhuman degrees), dyslexia, swordsmanship (since it is not supernatural), and a level of resistance to attacks, where a stab wound wouldn't simply cut as deep (but he would still die if hit in the spot of his so-called "Achilles' heel"). As the resistance in the books also gives a heightened strength and awareness, he would be losing that, of course, and would only have the resistance-and-kill-spot factor.
He will still be intuitive about direction and where to go, as is befitting a son of Hermes. In Damned, this would work as him being able to figure out where to go easily, but not know anything else. He can't travel easily, or swifter, than anyone else, he would basically just have a good sense of direction and a good mind for details. As this isn't really a power and is more a facet of who he is, this is likely a given. He will lose his ability to sense monsters and other powerful creatures.
The reason for the collection of abilities in all their weakened states is that they would all serve as strengths and weaknesses. And weakened, they become more of weaknesses than strengths. Many of the powers and gifts in Greek mythology involve strengths and weaknesses, and it's something that Luke himself has had to face.
Does your character have any non-otherworldly abilities/training that surpass the norm?:
Luke is said to be the best sword fighter in three-hundred years, a talent that seems somewhat natural for him. He is able to be bested on occasion, but it is something that comes to him as it should.
Along with his talent with the sword, Luke knows Greek-this is both a supernatural gift and something he had to learn himself. He has a fair amount of knowledge of traveling, and is rather clever when it comes down to it. As a son of Hermes, he is rather good at cunning and trickery, which is expected of anyone within the family. Luke himself is rather manipulative and capable of making a number of situations serve him, but this is all due to cleverness, and nothing supernatural. It's simply ... family traits, one might say, but ones that he uses for himself.
It's important to note that because of his resourceful behavior and motivations, he's almost able to topple the Greek gods and return the world to the Golden Age because of his grudge. Yes, he's manipulated and eventually possessed, but Luke's trickery is able to go a long way. He is a human version of a trickster when it comes to dealings, and he has a good head for it.
What do you see your character doing in the scope of the game and how do you plan to use the setting of Landel's Institute to develop them and affect their psychology in a unique, interesting way?:
The interesting thing about Damned's setting is that it would not have any of the individuals that tied Luke down before. There would be no Annabeth, Thalia, or even Percy, for the sake of fear. There would be no Kronos or any of the other Titans in over to strike him into fear from another side. Luke would be getting a new beginning in a different setting, and the interesting part is where he knows many individuals are returned from death. It's unlikely that Luke would believe that he would be brought from death and placed into Landel's. After all, his heroic sacrifice would make him suitable for the heavenly place in the Underworld, and there's no reason to believe this would be any different. He wouldn't see this as reincarnation, but would understand that this could possibly change that path, and change where he would like to end up. He would want to help, but Luke can't help but not be able to have the same level of connection with others that others would have. He's someone who has always been focused on his family. That hasn't changed.
But the important factor is that he would want to overthrow Damned, but unlike many heroes, Luke doesn't work in conventional ways. He lies, he manipulates, he tries to play people against one another in order to reach his ends. As mentioned earlier, he's someone who is willing to use whatever means he has at times, and sometimes, he'll go a little too far with it. Because of his experiences, he would be more careful, but it seems to be something all Hermes' sons do-go a little too far before they realize they have to back out. Luke will be careful to not let this trait do the same to him as it has before. It's not that he's the most conniving or subtle person ever, but his brain does work in ways that would allow him to use these facets to his favor. It's unlikely that he would grow genuinely attached to anyone in Damned. Luke is a character who tends to strongly identify with others, but it's unlikely that he'll identify with many people within the institute. His "identification" seems to be on the level of people in his situation, so while he'll think everyone is being screwed with, he doesn't work in the same way a normal hero might work.
This isn't to say that Luke wouldn't make him out to be like that. He can't completely hide his emotions and it would be surprising if he managed to be cunning all the time. Along with that, he's not completely cold-hearted. The setting would force him to find a balance that he doesn't have yet. In many situations, he might be forced to be the protector or the leader again, and over time, Luke would be hard-pressed not to care about them. While they would never become a replacement family-family is too important for him to replace them with people in a place like this-he would feel responsible for them, in his own way. He might even come to see what it's like to be a hero.
There are a lot of opportunities for Luke to do the wrong thing, too. It's possible that he would decide the proper choice or what he best wants to do, without taking all factors into consideration. He's also likely to go too far. The monsters of Damned could also mess with him, depending on what form they take. If he is forced to hurt people, that could prove problematic. If he is forced to see his weaknesses and see how much Landel controls him now, it would be a throwback to Kronos, and his strong spirit and will would motivate him even more. There is a lot of potential for him to grow.
Given that this RP takes place in an unsettling and outright horrific environment, how do you justify your character as being appropriate in both body and mind for this kind of setting?:
Given that Luke is the prime antagonist for a book series that, apart from being for young adults, is actually quite dark, he is more than capable of handling the darker setting. In many ways, he is a fighter, clever, and capable of handling most of what is thrown at him. Monsters are old hand for him, and he would actually see them as far from a threat. Overall, his series and his background make him capable of handling this setting, and actually ripe for it.
Third-Person Sample:
The funny thing was, he never forgot their safe houses. Luke remembered every single one. He remembered gathering materials, breaking into broken cabins and climbing through windows, or hoisting Annabeth onto his shoulders so she could peer inside, and understand if they could handle living there for a while. It was never as safe as they might like, but monsters could never be fully locked out. They could never be completely safe.
In his final dreams, in those months following Annabeth's rejection of him, he dreamed of these places constantly. At first, Thalia was there, but his mind told him that she didn't belong anymore. In order to escape her family's curse, in order to make it so that she was not a pawn in anything, she became a huntress. He was uncertain about what he felt about it, but he realized it was Thalia's way of taking matters into her own hands. That was how she was, anyway; it was why he was never able to beat her in a fight. Annabeth nearly made the same decision, but he remembered relief when she didn't. It was better that she didn't. That way, she could anchor him to the earth, keep him going where his mother's eccentric phrasing and his father's unreliable nature could not step in.
Even the night before he knew it would be finalized, he dreamed of the same thing. Of Annabeth's hand reaching out to him, of him taking her hand, but in these dreams, he saw his hand gripping hers and killing her. When he looked at his reflection, he could already see that the face looking back was no longer his. The flash of golden eyes instead of blue said enough.
It was impossible to dream while possessed by Kronos. The other power possessed too much of him, suffocated his consciousness so heavily, it was as if he was supposed to prove that he was in complete control. But he wasn't, unless he forced and poked and waited, waited for Percy or Annabeth to startle Kronos, for the war to go badly-but these were false glimpses of hope. He didn't hope for another dream when he gained control during that final fight. He knew what he had to do; he knew what needed to be done. He would never dream again.
Looking upon Annabeth, that didn't matter. She may have rejected him, but she saw him as family. He figured that was enough.
*
The funny thing was, he started dreaming again. Dreaming of those little enclaves, of the way cars would sometimes rush past in the distance, unaware of the three, now somewhat feral in appearance, children waiting, ready, aware that monsters could come at any moment. These dreams felt unhappy, but also happy-a direction contradiction, but a fitting one. He would have smiled, but he wasn't supposed to be able to (which meant he did). He would have laughed, but that wasn't something he normally did in his sleep. These meandering factors usually played a role.
When he inhaled and shifted, his awareness of the area around him shot through him. The air felt stale, but not like that of a coffin. His leg smacked into the wall, and instead of feeling nothing, instead of feeling invincible, like a suit of armor waiting to be used by Kronos, he immediately took note that he felt pain. Actual pain, not the dull sensation that he would feel whenever Kronos would brush his arm back over his side. It would be real sensation, real feeling-it was as if he never took the dive into the River Styx (though the memory was too fresh, the image of Annabeth pulling him out, and promising that they would be a family this time, this time they would).
His eyes shot open and he moved quickly. This wasn't supposed to be real. Reincarnation didn't work this way. His body moved him out of his bed and he didn't hesitate to look around the room. It was white, sterile, wrong. Every aspect of the world had Greek influence, and logically, he knew this room should be the same. But looking upon it, he saw only a prison. And their prisons were more creative, more thoughtful. More Greek.
It wasn't like it was a point of pride for him. If he had to end up anywhere after all that, he'd rather end up in a place that wasn't Greek. It could mean something reassuring, but it could also be a trick. But even the gods, for all their messed up notions, didn't seem like they'd bother dishonoring him with this joke. No, it had to be something else. Had to be. He could feel it in his gut, and that was enough of a reason to follow through on it. No, he was no Percy Jackson, but he could follow his intuition.
Luke knew it was wise to take in his surroundings. He worked quickly, as befitting a son of Hermes-not that he'd like that to be a characteristic of who he was, even now, even after everything. It didn't take long to notice what was there, what he could take, what was his. It didn't take him long to notice the strays of food, placed on the pair of desks. It didn't take him long to notice anything, including the fact that no matter how many times he tried to force the door away, he couldn't move through it. That was a gift befitting a son of Hermes he did not mind; running, getting away, getting to what was necessary. That was something he didn't mind.
But it wasn't possible right now. His powers were stripped, no matter how many times he tried to claw at the air. That wasn't acceptable. He didn't like it.
Stubborn, he moved and pulled his chair in front of the door and waited. His features were marred with frustration, as he didn't have the answers he wanted. In this case, he was like Annabeth, he realized: he needed answers to move forward, to play his hand right. It didn't feel like he had any cards yet. A flashlight and a few pens wouldn't do the trick. He needed beyond this door.
He set his jaw and waited. "If you're listening," he said, speaking to the door, as if someone was outside peering in, or a recording was viewing him, "this won't be enough to stop me." Luke straightened and added, "Even Kronos himself could not stop me. Nor could the hero Percy Jackson. What will you do?"
Silence in response. Well, he would have to see. Perhaps this would be his quest. A real quest. One no hero had ever undertaken before.
In this case, he imagined he would be befitting the son of Hermes. He planned on doing things differently this time.
First-Person Sample:
Given that Luke is dyslexic, it seems unlikely that he would go out of his way to write in a journal. He would keep mental notes of everything around him, but writing it down seems highly uncharacteristic, especially since his notes would often be incorrect or spelled badly. When it comes to the bulletin, he would do his best to not rely upon it for information, as it would take too long to decipher a lot of the words (at least, too long in Damned's setting-as every second counts). He would be willing to do his best to communicate over the bulletin all the same, as he is the son of a god of communication, but he would be against showing his weaknesses and would do it sparingly.