Skye Valentine
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
| |
| Skye Valentine | |
| Player: @Skye Valentine | |
| Origin: | "Natural" |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Scrapper Incarnate/Warshade/Controller Incarnate |
| Security Level: | 50 Scrapper/32 Warshade/22 Controller = ECL 104 [!] |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Skye Valentine |
| Known Aliases: | Codebreaker, Techu |
| Species: | Digital Spirit |
| Age: | 19 (as far as we know!) |
| Height: | 5'11" |
| Weight: | Unknown |
| Eye Color: | Matrix-code Green |
| Hair Color: | White [Natural] |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | Confidential |
| Occupation: | Vanguard Major - Gauntlet |
| Place of Birth: | The Network |
| Base of Operations: | Confidential |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Known Relatives: | Kassandra O'Connor Valentine [Wife], Sabriel Valentine [Daughter], Star Valentine [Sister], Snow Valentine [Niece], Anthony Valentine [Nephew], Jimbo Valentine [Father's Brother's Cousin's Former Roommate From Another Dimension], Marina Kerensky [Mother, Adopted], Natasha Kerensky [Aunt, Adopted] |
| Known Powers | |
| Master-tier Martial Artist; nigh-indestructibility due to his existence as a spiritual entity; Warshade negative-energy manipulation and shapeshifting; minor magical abilities held-over from being Thoth Incarnate; "Technopathy" | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Skilled hacker, somewhat competent mage [he's learning this], incredibly capable prankster [one word: catnip] | |
| Equipment | |
| Confidential | |
| @.@ So much family... | |
Skye Valentine. Subject of a mere two retcons [that's totally a record by my count] and numerous plots [some interesting, some...uh...not...], the poor guy just does not get a break.
Dynamic Entry!
Skye burst onto the scene as - ostensibly - the son of Kerian and Marina [he was wrong, but that's a later story]. He certainly looked the part, too! His skin was as black as midnight, his hair white as snow, his tongue three feet long and totally prehensile...except for his pointed ears and tail, he was pretty much the spitting image of his 'parents'.
Of course, [presumably] being from the future, Skye took great pains to hide himself from his family. He hid in the Paragon Police Force, working with his godfather Swat Officer Li, the only person he trusted with his secret, to make a home in this new time.
It was, in fact, through Li that he met his future wife, Kassi. But stop taking me off-topic.
Jeez, what kind of historian do you think I am?! I'm trying to write a biography of a famous hero here, people! So shut up and read!
Ahem. Where was I.
Oh yes! In any case, life seemed to be going fairly smoothly. He concealed his identity, dodged his parents, and lived happily ever after in their shadow.
Not.
School Days
Skye had never been a very good student [in his forged memories - ironic, considering his later abilities]; he was a poor listener and prone to fits of depression the likes of which would make many vampires jealous.
When Skye met Kassi, however, he was anxious to join up with the metahuman school she attended, if only to get to know her better. It wasn't long before he had accomplished this...well, it's not exactly a lofty goal, but going back to school is certainly a wise decision in THIS historian's eyes.
For a while, Skye was on top of the world. He was near his dream girl, working as a hero, with people who accepted him...it was good.
But as most historians will tell you, Paragon City hates happiness. And being the cold, uncaring monster that it is, it placed in front of him one of the very few deterrents he never truly managed to overcome, psychologically.
Luc.
Luce Della Nerezza, as he was known, is the only person Skye can ever truly be said to have been 'afraid of' at any one point in time. He has feared actions that might harm his family or friends, but only one person has he ever feared and hated.
Luc moved onto the scene and broke him swiftly and efficiently. He attacked Skye's insecurities [his odd tail, his long tongue, his skin, his ears, his differences], swiped Kassi out from his gaze, and brought Skye's self-esteem crashing back underground. The Nemesis, Judge of God - an archangel of immense power - took its chance, and thrust itself into his psyche, taking up residence.
And yet ironically, had it not been for Luc, Skye likely never would've become as capable as he did. But that's a story for another time.
Darn The Luck! Darn!
Skye quickly began seeking to improve himself in the style of any good Martial Arts movie hero - by kicking the crap out of everything and hoping it catches his dream girl's eye. Unfortunately, Skye was not a Martial Arts movie hero - it did not manage to bring Kassi around.
However, in the process, it did catch the eyes of other heroines [and villains, too!]. Vivian Volt, A-101 [Alice], and Psykera - a model, a villain, and a heroine, respectively - formed a ring of Skye's life for a good deal of time as he juggled the various girls disappearing and reappearing on him months later. He was distracted from his problems with Luc and Kassi [though he dropped out of the school a little while later to avoid seeing them], and he was improving himself by leaps and bounds.
Darn The Luck! Two
Just when it had all settled down with Psykera, and everything was going smoothly, Skye hit the darkest day of his life.
His beloved girlfriend disappeared through a portal into Azeroth.
His father killed himself.
His mother divorced his father.
A Nictus, Crosswind, was forcibly implanted into him.
He was once again devastatingly, miserably alone.
With nowhere to turn and no one to go to, he lashed out, lashed out at the only person left to him: his mother, Marina. He blamed her for his father's death, blamed her for hurting Kerian the way Psykera had hurt Skye, blamed her for leaving him alone.
It was at this point that the wemic Kyarra moved into his life. She protected him, offered him a crutch to lean on. He took it gratefully, and slowly but surely, she became the center of his life.
The Hamidon
It was the Hamidon that would finally realize Skye's true power. During a scouting expedition in the Hive, Skye flew too close, too fast - the Hamidon struck, and struck hard.
Skye describes the experience as "having [his] consciousness expanded, to the point where [he] could see everything at once...it was all there, right in front of [him]. [He] knew why time worked the way it did, [he] knew how to clone a sheep, [he] knew...everything. [He] was everything."
His physical body torn apart, Skye was left in his natural state - that of a digital spirit. He had pulled off the mask - the memories, the lies, the deceptions, the incongruities became clear. He wasn't Skye Valentine, son of a half-angel and a mutant. He was Skye Valentine, Avatar of the Network.
The Network
The Network brought about many changes in Skye's life. The first and foremost were his new responsibilities - defending the Network, the sum total of human knowledge, the sentient entity-realm of Information, from malevolent spirits who would do it harm or bend it to their wills. He threw himself into his job happily, distracting himself from his problems at home - particularly that he and Kyarra barely saw each other because of her callings. The Network gave him the ability to stop being alone - to retreat, to hide, to be as infinite as he wanted, to fill the Internet and all the LANs and security networks in the world. An illusion of acceptance, of course, but an illusion he embraced.
Returned
Psykera returned. Skye could no longer keep up the pretense in his home life, and he took up his relationship with her as wholly as possibly, forgiving and forgetting and being with her in full. They went through more trials, more troubles - but again, Skye gained some modicum of happiness, and he tried his best to be content.
But again, Paragon hates happiness. Kyarra returned, as well, and Skye was faced with a choice - who did he stay with? Which of them would he be willing to hurt - the girl he'd given his promise ring to, or the girl who'd held him and kept him sane during the darkest days of his life?
He chose Kyarra. He chose to overlook the problems, the marital issues, and be with the girl who cared for him so much.
If you haven't figured it out yet, gentle readers, that wasn't going to last very long.
Kassi
She came to him looking for help. Her fiance, Rex, had imbalanced her, transformed her into something she wasn't. She needed something to anchor her, something to prevent her dual nature - Heaven and Hell - from taking over her. She was going crazy, and in desperation, Kassi turned to her best friend, the only person she knew would have the power to help her.
Skye took her to Talos Island. He gave her a part of himself, that the Network would recognize her as one of its own, and he brought her into the realm of information. He gave her the balance she so desired.
They came out of the Network with a desire for chocolate cake. Skye offered to bake her some.
The rest of the night was history.
Family
Together with the girl he'd been in love with since his first manifestation, Skye was finally, truly happy. He fought tooth and nail to protect her, driving himself to the deepest levels of his nature to make her happy. He resolved, he swore, that he would not be like Kerian.
It was then that a set of happy accidents came into his life. A part of his psyche he had never discovered - his sister Star - came into being, on her own, at approximately the same time his daughter, Sabriel, appeared in their timeline. Skye was overjoyed - he had a lover, a daughter, and a sister. What more could he have ever asked for?
Marriage, of course. February 04, 2007, Skye Valentine and Kassandra O'Connor signed their marriage papers. They have been married ever since.
A Glossed-Over Part Of His Life
This historian will make no attempt to chronicle the months between the winter and the Rikti Invasion. It's just too much - if you want a more detailed account, certainly other historians will provide. Eventually. Maybe. Good luck.
Thoth
Months later - ironically, just before the Rikti War - Skye began expressing a desire to be flesh, to better enjoy his life. As a spirit, Skye was limited to manifestations - meaning that if he ate, he had to focus on the taste buds to allow him to taste, and if he shook hands or hugged, he had to focus on the nerve endings to feel the handshake or the hug. He was experiencing life second-hand.
For reasons still unknown, something answered. The spirit Thoth - a far more powerful spiritual entity than Skye - displaced his spiritual form into the material realm, melding with him and forcing him into reality. Skye awoke next to his wife to find his fingers real, to find his blood warm, to find his bed soft...he was overjoyed. Skye was happy to sacrifice his infinite knowledge and power - what did he need that for? All he wanted to do was keep his family safe.
Sabriel criticized him for his decision. She scolded him mercilessly, telling him that he needed to give it up, that he needed to go back to being a spirit. He refused - not only did he not know how to, he was happy. He wasn't willing to give up that - his daughter had to understand.
The power that came with his transition was, of course, more than adequate to bolster his family's protection. Thoth was a resevoir of magical energy - a concentration of power that dwarfed even some arcane sites. Skye just had to learn to control it.
Invasion
The Rikti provided him with a perfect opportunity. He practiced his magic on the Rikti, becoming more and more adept every day, and used the name 'Techu' - an old name for Thoth - to do his work. But that just wasn't enough. The Rikti were everywhere, and Skye wanted to take a direct approach. He joined Vanguard. After a successful pair of raids on U'kon G'rai and his Rikti Magi, as well as an assault on The Honoree, The Dra'Gon, and H'ro D'tahz, he was promoted to Major and given a regular patrol shift in the Gauntlet organization.
Death And Rebirth [Just Skip To End Of Eva!]
Of course, in his (slightly more) vulnerable state as Thoth Incarnate, Skye found it more difficult to work without worrying about his own life. His concerns eventually led him to withdraw his support from his best friend Adam, alias Commander Moone, in the war against the dark extraplanar entity known primarily as Nyarlathotep. He assumed that, since the creature would be too busy with Adam, and since he would no longer be assisting Adam, the creature wouldn't target him or his family.
He was wrong. It was effortless, really - perhaps some attempt to anger Adam, or perhaps just a bit of a victory to claim in case it was defeated - for the creature to snuff out his life.
Surprising, really.
But...wait, hang on, this page is "Death and Rebirth". ...ah, don't tell me he comes back to life?
Oh. Oh of course. Far be it from me to judge history...after all, I'm just the historian! I swear, some days...
Er. But don't mind my ramblings. Groundless, really.
In any case, Skye's body was for a good twenty minutes legally dead, what with his entire torso pretty much ripped to shreds, before a combination of his wife's blood magic and his own healing factor - and probably some Divine Intervention from Thoth or some other concerned and well-meaning god or godling - revived him. He returned better than before, his body forcibly regenerated along a pseudo-evolutionary path into a more durable and stronger form.
In other words, he died, he came back, and that's that. Oh, there has to be something more interesting in here...
Reconnecting...#2
Ah, yes, here we go. Thoth's mission complete - what with the Dark Things in full retreat from Adam's defeat of Nyarlathotep and all - the god retreated from Skye's spirit. And in came the Network to fill the gaping void.
His powers returned, Skye finds himself faced once more with the task of being the gatekeeper and relay point for the entire realm of Information. How he will deal with this remains to be seen, but I imagine it will involve a great deal of chocolate.
Powers
Martial Arts
Skye uses a unique style of martial arts, ostensibly developed in the future. In reality, his form was hodgepodged from a mass of styles and arts the world over, downloaded directly into his mind by the Network and melded into one seamless flowing technique. He has no name for his technique - 'Skye-do' would be an unofficial term. He does not take students.
Regeneration
Skye's regenerative powers are nearly unmatched. Once again, he is nothing but a construct of will, his body assembled from free-floating matter and converted into flesh and blood by thought. Effectively, Skye's body is no more than a temporary house for his mind - destruction of the flesh is wholly meaningless for a being that exists in multiple dimensions.
"Technopathy"
The most official term for Skye's ability to communicate with the spirits of technology is "Technopathy" - even though this is inaccurate, it is the closest single-word description. In reality, Skye does not truly "control" technology - he exerts his spiritual influence over the sub-intelligent spirits inhabiting and operating the machines. The spirits then do whatever they were built to do - therefore, while it appears Skye is activating a microwave with a wave of his hand, in reality, he is directing his power at the spirit, causing the spirit to activate the microwave in an instinctive reaction to appease the more powerful creature.
Warshade
Crosswind - a former general in the Nictii Army during the Kheldian Wars - was merged with him forcibly during his spirit-days. Somehow, Crosswind was forced into electrical form, and made its way into the Network...and then into Skye.
The two had an uneasy relationship for a long time. Crosswind was forced into dormancy, becoming little more than a dangerous battery for Skye to draw on, and it was not until Sabriel and her Warshade [Cross-2, Crosswind's spawn from the future] convinced them to work together that the relationship solidified into a true, full merger. Crosswind has since been a valuable and helpful partner.
Magic
Formerly derived from Thoth, a massive resevoir of magical energy was available for Skye's use. More than most archmagi could control, in fact - and Skye was an amateur at best. The end result of this is that Skye's remarkable power was a hindrance to him, rendering him incapable of many simple spells without overdoing them. He likened it to "reeling in a whale with a fishing rod - it's just too much to hold onto for long". However, recent events (see Death and Rebirth) have removed Thoth from the equation entirely. What little magical talent Skye possesses is now relegated to a secondary position as the power of the Network reestablishes itself as his primary capability.
Affiliations
Skye owns his own apartment in Talos Island - currently out-of-synch with the world due to the Rikti Invasion and magical intervention. He is a Major in Vanguard's Gauntlet Organization, and is loosely affiliated with his mother's supergroup, The New Age Warriors Of Paragon City, mostly because his wife is second-in-command.
Hobbies
Skye's hobbies are numerous and often dangerous, spanning such strange disciplines as Xenobotany [Skye has a number of remarkably dangerous plants in his house, notably the Wingripper - a plant that feasts on angels and demons - and a still-growing Thorn Tree isolated by numerous wards and technological restrictions] and genetic tampering [he has created a small number of self-replicating fully-metallic plants] to relatively mundane and normal hobbies like tinkering [he can build a communicator out of a laptop if necessary]. He has recently added spellwork to one of his hobbies, one he enjoys to the fullest and is happy to involve himself in, considering his wife's own predilection with the arcane.
Weaknesses?
As far as can be determined, Skye has no major weaknesses. The only way to directly attack him [and make sure it works] is attack his family, something that will undoubtedly provoke a response of epic proportions.
A potential hindrance [though certainly not a permanent solution] is to place him into a state in which his regeneration cannot react, such as immersing him entirely in acid or otherwise ensuring that he is continually and constantly incapacitated. Otherwise, however, he has no known weaknesses.
Out-Of-Character Stuff!
Inspirations
Skye has been inspired by a ton of sources. A couple to note are Mage: The Ascension's 'Digital Web' stuff and of course recently the actual Incarnates in the game. Visually, ironically, he is only mildly homage to Nightcrawler - the tail was added to reference good ol' Kurt.
Theme Songs
Kryptonite - 3 Doors' Down
Danger Zone - Top Gun Soundtrack
About The Player
Matt - that would be the guy behind the keyboard - is eighteen years old [nineteen in September], a writer, and a salesman at Office Depot. He has no sense of humor when it comes to people copying his characters or parodying them without consent - please don't do it. If you have a problem with Skye ICly, keep it IC. If you have a problem with Matt, keep it OOC. He's reasonable.
Usually.
Sorta.
Matt can be contacted at @Skye Valentine on the global. He will not give you his AIM - he's too paranoid.
Other Characters
Asalasel: 50 Thugs/Dark Mastermind, Fallen Angel Of Wrath
Lykourgos: 20-something Martial Arts/Ninjutsu, Soulless thief harboring an Aspect of Greed.
Demogogue: Near His 20s Super Strength/Invulnerability Brute, A Hero In The Isles.
