Wayward Pines False Memories
Apr. 28th, 2017 09:09 amIt should be noted here that because of Kaulder's canonically low resistance to mental tampering, at the moment he believes everything in Wayward Pines is completely true. This includes his false memories. He wouldn't be able to distinguish the two realities without either Dolan or Chloe coming into game and snapping him out of it.
Thus: he thinks his canon past is a very vivid daydream. He writes pulp stories/fanfiction about Kaulder the Witch Hunter.
False Memories:
Family:
Wife: Helena (deceased) (also canon)
Daughter: Elizabeth (deceased) (also canon)
Sister: Justine
Brother-in-Law: Thomas
Other:
Leo Barnes is his best childhood friend. When Elizabeth died, Leo encouraged him to attend a support group for grieving parents. They go every weekend.
Jefferson is another good friend. He and Kaulder go bowling and occasionally Jefferson is dragged to the gym.
Ana Lewis is a coworker at the school and one-time sexual encounter.
Thus: he thinks his canon past is a very vivid daydream. He writes pulp stories/fanfiction about Kaulder the Witch Hunter.
False Memories:
Family:
Wife: Helena (deceased) (also canon)
Daughter: Elizabeth (deceased) (also canon)
Sister: Justine
Brother-in-Law: Thomas
Other:
Leo Barnes is his best childhood friend. When Elizabeth died, Leo encouraged him to attend a support group for grieving parents. They go every weekend.
Jefferson is another good friend. He and Kaulder go bowling and occasionally Jefferson is dragged to the gym.
Ana Lewis is a coworker at the school and one-time sexual encounter.
Wayward Pines Application
Apr. 17th, 2017 09:27 amPLAYER
NAME: Kristi
CONTACT:
OTHER CHARACTERS IN THE PINES: None
CHARACTER
NAME: Kaulder
CANON: The Last Witch Hunter
CANON-POINT: Post-Movie
DOSSIER
HISTORY: His history is pretty much the plot of the movie.
WHAT ARE YOUR CHARACTER'S STRENGTHS?:
Kaulder's greatest strength is that he is extremely adaptable, as one would have to be when one has lived some 800 years. Because of his long lifespan, he has been obliged to learn how to fit into situations, understand technology, and find ways to fill his time.
He is also quite intelligent and charming. This is also a side-effect of his lifespan; he has had to deal with a lot of questions over the years, and it's easier if he can take the heat off himself while still creating a positive connection between himself and others.
He's level-headed and able to make case-by-case judgments on people; we see this when he lets a witch carry on to New York even though she put humans in danger, though he could have turned her over to a council for judgment and imprisonment. His reasoning was that her actions were stupid, not malicious. Clearly, he's able to understand grey areas rather than seeing things as black and white.
He has a very extensive store of knowledge, particularly when it comes to magic - but a look around his high-rise apartment in the movie shows that he has also dabbled in technology, music, languages, and even painting. This is useful in the context of the game (especially from an OOC standpoint) because it means he'll be able to easily fit into an occupational role like teacher or mechanic or laborer, depending on what's available.
WHAT ARE YOUR CHARACTER'S WEAKNESSES?:
For a witch hunter, he's unusually susceptible to magic, especially spells that affect the mind and memory. He has trouble escaping enchantments of that nature and actually requires outside assistance to tell the difference between what's real and what isn't. This is important in the context of Wayward Pines because he might not actually be able to distinguish between his real life and his false memories without outside verification.
In connection to his ability to make case-by-case judgments about people, Kaulder falls into the trap of assuming the best about people when he has preconceived notions about them. For example, Dolan the 37th ended up being a witch who had spent his life working his way up through the ranks of the Axe and Cross so he could free the Witch Queen. Kaulder had no idea there was anything questionable about the man and simply assumed he was good because he was a member of the Axe and Cross, and one assigned to him. Turns out the Axe and Cross wasn't trustworthy, anyway. So, basically, he's pretty blind to personal betrayal.
Kaulder relies a lot on his immortality and fast healing. This might seem like a resumé response, but considering he has been stripped of his healing ability before, it's important to note that without it, he's kind of a shit fighter. (It's easy to fight when you know you can't die, to paraphrase what was said to him in the movie.) Think Disney Hercules. He's not careful when he fights, because he knows everything closes up, grows back, or mends. It would really be lousy for him if he suddenly couldn't regenerate.
WHAT EVENTS OR CIRCUMSTANCES IN YOUR CHARACTER'S PAST HAVE IMPACTED THEM THE MOST?:
Kaulder's wife and child were killed by a plague brought upon his civilization by the witch queen. He and the remaining men of his village went out to destroy her; many people were slaughtered, and when Kaulder attempted to kill the witch queen, she cursed him with immortality - binding her own life to his. Neither can die while the other lives.
WHAT MOTIVATES YOUR CHARACTER?:
Kaulder is motivated by the desire to devote his unnaturally long life to protecting humans from witches. He has no choice but to live, and sees this as his purpose.
WHAT IMPRESSION DO OTHERS TEND TO HAVE OF YOUR CHARACTER?:
The first impression people would have of him is that he's very charming, polite, and friendly. Some, particularly witches, say that he only acts this way before cutting your head off. People who know him well have said they think he's lonely.
IN WHAT WAYS DOES THAT IMPRESSION DIFFER FROM WHO YOUR CHARACTER REALLY IS?:
Kaulder really doesn't differ from the impressions people have of him. He actually is charming, polite, and friendly. He can be dangerous to witches. He's a pretty simple creature in spite of his complex circumstances.
Sure, he likes to pretend people can't tell that he's lonely, but he doesn't do a great job of hiding it.
HOW DOES YOUR CHARACTER HANDLE CRISIS OR ADVERSITY?:
WHICH 5 THINGS WILL YOUR CHARACTER REMEMBER UPON ARRIVAL, AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THEM?:
- His name, mostly because it simplifies matters a little.
- The name of his wife because realizing he forgot it would be some emotional damage I'd rather not play out.
- The name of his daughter, for the same reason.
- That they ARE his wife and daughter, for the same reason.
- That they are dead, same reason.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU FEEL WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER?:
Kaulder is immortal, and that immortality is tied to a character who won't be present in the game. It results in preternaturally fast regeneration. I'm not sure how you guys wanted to handle this, but I figured I'd leave it up to you to nerf him if you thought it necessary.
SKILLS, ABILITIES, & PHYSICAL WEAKNESSES:
Kaulder is, as mentioned previously, immortal. His immortality is tied to that of the witch queen, and as long as he's alive, she can't die, and vice versa. This means he has lived about 800 years and has acquired many skills along the way, and also that it's very difficult bordering on impossible to physically incapacitate him. He has no physical weaknesses as long as his immortality remains intact.
In addition to that, he's strong. (It wouldn't be particularly useful to be immortal but still be the skinny kid.) I personally have my doubts that he would just magically retain Vin Diesel body for 800 years without hours in the gym and training with his special flaming sword, so it's safe to assume he doesn't skip leg day.
Having lived in many times and places, he is proficient enough with languages to be able to pinpoint where someone is from based on their accent. He lived through the industrial (plural) and technological revolutions, so he's also pretty comfortable with technology. Basically, he can behave like a 21st century polyglot without any problem.
On the flip side, he's susceptible to mental attacks. (Honestly, I think this is because Kaulder was based on Vin Diesel's D&D character and he kept slapping all his points into con, str, and charisma, but let's just say it just is what it is.) If you can't harm him physically, your best bet is to put him in a dream state and leave him there indefinitely. Twice in the movie he showed himself to be incapable of escaping these kinds of enchantments on his own, and it was actually very easy for his enemies to put the enchantments on him in the first place.
INVENTORY:
- A ring that glows when he touches a witch. What a handy tool! If only he could remember why it lights up!
- A leather cuff bracelet identifying him as the witch hunter.
- One beautiful old sword. It ejects a flammable substance that ignites, turning into a super flaming sword of death. He won't remember how to make it spout the secret flammable substance or how to make it ignite. Too bad. Now it's just a big paperweight.
- A button-down black shirt.
- A pair of black cargo pants.
- Probably underwear and socks.
- One pair of boots.
Basically this outfit, sans gun.
Not on his person, it would be nice if he could have his knee-length overcoat. It's just a really nice coat.
SAMPLES
PROSE-HEAVY: Test Drive Meme prose
DIALOGUE-HEAVY: Test Drive Meme, Several dialogue samples