(( West went through a number of incarnations before reaching this final version. Originally, I made him when I unlocked kilts, going through multiple incarnations, none of which really worked. Sadly, OOC drama followed by back to back nerfs on his build left him to collect dust on my alt tray. Recently he's come back in a big way, which is pretty much turning a frown upside down. ))

It started nearly 700 years ago. His first memories were of an exploratory trip to the American continent with Henry Sinclair. Months on board a ship ended in them landing on Nova Scotia, then New England. Of course, they didn’t discover any uninhabited land, the found the home to a tribal and “savage” people, people they didn’t respect properly. James had always been abnormally strong, stronger than a dozen men, and able to take blows that would rend others unconscious, so when the natives summoned one of their sacred creatures, James never hesitated in jumping forward. The battle was fierce as he kept the beast occupied so his fellow shipmates could escape. In the end, the men looked back just in time to see him fall before the creatures might. The trip back home was harder and of course, once they mentioned mythic creatures the people refused to believe they’d actually made the trip. James had given his life to save his comrades and as his body lay in that field, his soul ready to move on, he was visited by a woman, clad in armor, ready to take him to a warrior’s heaven.

The man had been forgotten, but the legend continued. From James’ ashes rose the Westford Knight. A man, unbound by death, trained by the gods themselves, with the patience of a saint, and the a sense of duty that stood second to none. Throughout history, the Westford Knight took part in countless conflicts, and though the history books may not print his name, the lives of those he helped were sure to pass the name down through the generations, only adding to the legend. After enough time had passed, the legends began to fade and his name drifted into obscurity.

So, when a man showed up in Paragon, matching the lost description of the Scottish legend and swiftly opened up a pub on Talos Island named Acadia. He easily blended into the menagerie of individuals living in Paragon City. However, a man of legend can’t simply change his centuries old habits and a following began to grow in the area of a strong, yet compassionate man reaching out to the community.

It didn’t take long before his reputation garnered attention from the meta-human community. Exactly how he got drafted into SCORPIO is still a bit iffy, but he readily accepted the opportunity to assist society once more. His sense of authority and even father-like qualities helped him quickly climb the ladder within the organization, while his gentle touch and kindness allowed him to quickly gain a following amongst the members. During his period with them, he was appointed as an officer to the Meta-Ops which gave him the perfect opportunity to secure ties with their allied group, The Codex. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be and he walked away from the group during the approximate time when he and his long time fiancée decided to finally get married.

After being left at the altar, West fell off the radar, focusing on his pub and trying to deal with his issues on his own. Though he wouldn’t show it, he was hurting and he needed time to heal, and then along comes the Codex. During his time with SCORPIO, he had managed to generate some strong ties with the secretive group, and once they heard of his current situation, they were quick to accept him into the ranks, making him a leader amongst their ranks almost overnight. He found himself thoroughly enjoying his time with the Codex. The people were interesting and despite the clandestine nature of the group, he was pleased with their overall policies on how to get things done. So much did he enjoy it, that when his long time friend Mercy Guevara, a woman he had come to think of almost as a daughter, he readily invited her into the fold. Once again, his father-like authority, coupled with his general kindness to those around him made him a popular leader amongst the group, and one whom people felt comfortable working with. Sadly, trust was always an apparent issue within the hierarchy of the group. Phaize and Tipscout never seemed to fully accept him, nor did the mysterious Kitai, but she didn’t seem to trust anyone. This lack of trust came to a head when he was arrested for the murder of his fiancée at the time, Poppy. It was blatantly obvious that he wouldn’t kill her, and the Codex knew it as well, so they assisted in freeing him from the Zigg. So the search began again as West tried to uncover exactly what happened, all of which would’ve been made easier if the other leaders had only trusted him enough to give him all that they had regarding the case. This was the final straw, and after finding and returning Poppy, he left her out of fear she would be hurt again because of him, and then he left the group that had hindered him so.

During his brief hiatus between service with S.C.O.R.P.I.O. and the Codex, West’s life took a somewhat depressing term. Set to be married to long time love and Valkyrie, Kara, the marriage ceremony ended horribly with West being left to stand at the altar. Being the man of boundless patience that he is, he tried to move on, bottling it up inside and living his life as normal for many months ahead. During his period with the Codex, this all came to a head and his ability to just suppress it all faltered. After a long period of fighting it, he journeyed to Asgard to confront the woman that had wounded him so deeply. The trip started off with a simple venture out over the Atlantic in search for a storm and the eventual rainbow that follows.

Once he found the arcing light, he utilized the old rite of passage, turning the simple spectrum into a bridge to a higher plain. He encountered various old friends and haunts, reminiscent of the time he’d spent in training, better and simpler days for the man. He eventually found who he was after and was met by the bitter indifference of a woman that had only been following orders. He tried to break that rigid defense, but all he managed to get was a name, the name of another god no less. He was already there though, and not yet willing to back down on the matter, so he sought the man out. He hasn’t spoken much about what happened next, but he returned with even greater uncertainty and disbelief. He was given three ancient stones, said to be crafted and enchanted by none other than West himself ages ago. The only answer he would give about what he’d learned is that the gods claimed him to be some matter of weapon, but he steadfastly refuses to believe it.

After leaving the Codex, West returned to his simple life, tending the pub and working around the community, stepping down from hero work for the most part. He resided to simply assist the new heroes where he could and cleaning up his small portion of Talos. Alone again, he hid his pain behind the warm smile he’d become so well known for, but all that changed when a star landed at his feet, literally. Ella, as he came to call her, had been watching humanity for ages, interested in our actions from her perch in the cosmos, she could no longer simply watch, she wanted to live it. What he saw was simply a confused, disoriented woman, desperately in need of help, and clothes. Being the kind man he is, he took her in, gave her a place to stay, food to eat, clothes to wear, and a bed to sleep in. At least that’s how it started. Ella was the eternal optimist, her childlike enthusiasm and spark for life was exactly what he needed, and the two began to grow closer and closer. Their relationship was the spark that rejuvenated him once more. No longer content to just sit back and watch others defend the city he’d come to call home, he donned his shield and armor once more and stood side by side with the heroes again, with Ella always at his side.

The two grew closer and closer, planning for their eternal futures together when the knock came on the door. The future had come to them, in the form of a son. Unsure at first, especially so given that Ella could not have children, Aidan quickly cast aside the uncertainties of his birth and the two realized the truth. Aiden, a strong, gentle man, like his father, was joined by his soon to be, then short lived wife, Valerie. Unfortunately, their trip to the past, accidental as it was, had tremendous consequences. Seemingly in unison, Aidan and West both began to drift from their respective partners. Though saddened by their losses, the two men had gotten what they needed most, the spark to press on.

Some time after his Star had left, West slipped back into his strict training regiment. Days were spent keeping up to physical fitness and combat standards, as well as an increasing amount of time spent trying to hone his recently discovered magical energies. He made great strides in these days, his training turned into results. The energy that once eluded him now flowed through him, he could feel it making him stronger, more durable, better. Of course, one so used to the life of combat can hardly reside in training and on his first trip out he met someone that pushed it all aside. However, all that training meant surprisingly little around the right woman. The two shared what he felt to be a strong connection, however, fate it would seem, had decided against it, and after a short dating period, she had chosen another. While he holds no grudge or ill will, he could still feel the sting all the same.

Afterwards, he returned to his training, devoting his time to the struggle in the War Zone. With things to work through, he turned all those years of training on the Rikti and Praetorians, flexing his demigod muscle and carving a swathe through the hordes, yet never breaking his personal oath of unnecessarily taking a life. Every night he returned to his son minding his pub, armor soaked in the residue of his work, ready for the next day. While his son noticed, most still never saw passed the smile and pleasant demeanor. This excessive combat training however yielded benefits, teaching him how to extend his energy in new ways.

The night before Halloween, Devil's Night to some, Acadia was host to a costume party, at the request of Aiden and Mercy. The party started off simply enough, a series of well costumed people he didn't recognized, but could tell were friends of friends, possibly all within an old club, himself dressed as Leonidus for the masses. Shortly after the part began, he was approached by an old friend with an offer. By the time the night had ended, he held a shiny new pin, and a renewed membership to the old book club. Given the pitch he received, it didn't take long for him to rejoin the ranks and hear the tales of what he'd missed.

Despite his time away, given what he'd heard, it didn't take long for him to get right back into things. Death, destruction, in-fighting, injuries. The group had fallen to shambles since his previous time with them, and he made it his mission to restore their former glory. His sense of authority hadn't faded, and simply by being around the group he could see some of them beginning to pull together, it was a refreshing experience, and despite the troubles, gives him a continual silver lining to hold onto.

Despite his countless years of training for the field of battle, there was at least one thing he didn't learn as an einherjar. Unfortunately, it always happened to be this particular area in which he received the most heartache and stress. A new, constantly shifting, unpredictably chaotic field of battle. The battlefield of the heart, a desperate struggle to find love, happiness, and peace. Throughout his long life, there were several times in which he finally conquered it, finally found what he was looking for, but whether it be a manipulative valkyrie, an invisible victim, or a disappearing star, it always eluded him. There was a time when he thought a young woman would hold the answer and finally bring him peace, but certain decisions ended up making it impossible, and while he cared for her, it simply wasn't to be.

With his heart broken again, he faced a new challenge. After near a millennia on this earth, all of it spent holding onto a silver lining, believing that while humanity makes mistakes, there were enough of them that rose above to make the effort worth while. But for the first time in his life, he was beginning to lose faith in mankind...

Originally, West's abilities were fairly limited. Fairly low strength, durability and overall power, for a meta, he relied on his centuries of combat training, coupled with those abilities to really make him a standout force in a City full of Heroes. Recently though, he has begun to uncover parts of his past and the "truth" of his origin. These events have unlocked ancient and forgotten forces within him, amplifying his abilities to true superhuman levels and adding magical force to his already exceptional combat training. At present, his mastery over this new found power is rather elementary, so it's difficult to say what the future may bring for him.

Superhuman Strength - West is capable of lifting up to 50 tons under normal circumstances. However, this is something he rarely utilizes and to date has only been seen to exert enough strength to lift between 5 - 10 tons.

Resilience - While not completely invulnerable, West is far more durable than a normal human. Able to shrug of most weapons fire, impact forces, temperature and pressure extremes and even falls from great heights. This durability is only increased by the enchanted armor he wears and shield he carries.

Norse Magic - Though not entirely mastered as of yet, he has recently learned of his Norse origins and as such, his connection to their own unique brand of magic. Presently, this has only yielded limited healing, flight, and the ability to charge certain items to various ends.

Einherjar - West has spent untold time training with the warriors in Valhalla in preparation for Ragnarok. This training, combined with his centuries worth of experience have given him mastery over many forms of armed and unarmed combat, as well as the ability to learn new forms very quickly.

Slowed Aging - While clearly not completely immortal, his aging has all but stopped at this point and even in the event of his death he has, to date, always returned afterwards. This is far from instantaneous and he can go years before resurrecting.

Safeguard - West was created to act as a failsafe in the event that the Asgardians ever got out of hand. To that end, if he should engage in combat with an Asgardian, his power increases immensely, making him able to go toe to toe with any of the Norse pantheon. His Rune Stones go a step further and act to disrupt Asgardian energy in others, increasing his advantage more and more as time goes on.

Hammer and Shield - The tools of his trade. Both have been enchanted by the Asgardians to be practically indestructible. As he has become more in tune with his own magical energies, he has been able to slowly turn them into conduits for that same energy, allowing them to pump his magic through them for added effectiveness. In addition, in times of need, he can summon them using the same magic.

Rune-Forged Axe - Hand forged by West himself, the axe has been imbued with the same symbols utilized on his rune stones to make it essentially unbreakable. As a side effect of the runes, the axe is able to easily channel his innate energy to devastating ends, as well as assisting his focus, hardening himself from assault. The sheer size of the weapon lends itself to various uses in combat. The weight making it easily capable of crushing and shattering, while the one sharpened edge allows for easy cleaving. Designed with a rather large head, it can even be used to block or bat some attacks away.

Etched Bow - Part of the einherjar training that he's recently taken up again. He's crafted his own bow, etched it with runes and designed to be sturdy, give it a high powered shot, and make it difficult for others to use. With said bow, he is able to fire long distance, pierce armor if needed, or use blunted arrows to avoid internal damage. The design of it makes it difficult and dangerous for others to use, the draw strength is abnormally high and between it and the etched runes, anyone else firing it will be unlikely to do so more than once.

Rune Stones - Given to him by the Asgardian gods when he went in search of answers to his origin, the stones are supposedly made by him centuries before his earliest memories. Whether the story he was told is true or not is still unknown to him, but he can’t deny his connection to the three stones. Once he received them, it felt as though his inner magic had been unlocked and since then they have played a pivotal role in developing that magic. In reality, the stones were created at the same time as he was and are his greatest weapons in times of need, able to empower him to untold ends. This aspect of the stones, how to tap into it or even it's existence, completely eludes West and has never been used as far as he knows.

Flask - Despite owning a pub of his own, West rarely drinks regular alcohol, instead he carries a seemingly bottomless flask of Asgardian mead with him at all times. It’s surprisingly sweet, but potent which, given his chemical immunity, is the only way he ever gets any sense of benefit from the alcohol.

Psychics - West possesses a degree of mental shielding, his magic preventing him from really being controlled. However, a strong enough burst of psionic energy has been shown to overpower him.

Magic - Despite wielding his own magic, West's skills with it are fairly limited, leaving him vulnerable to disruption from more powerful magics.

Jordan - An amazing young woman, West has developed a strong and close friendship with Jordan very quickly. Ever impressed by her strength of character despite all the slings and arrows life has thrown at her, West sees a kindred spirit in her and makes it his mission to not let her get consumed by the unfortunate events in her life. Unfortunately, despite their attempts at a relationship, personal issues have driven them apart.

Kitai - The shadowy ninja he met during his time with the Codex, Kit was the only one amongst the directors that he seemed to get along with. Silent and well trained, their styles may have been different, but there was an undeniable and mutual respect for each other’s abilities.

Origa - Dubbing him “Mr. Glasgow,” Origa was the ever enthusiastic, pink ninja. Often so enthusiastic that people questioned her maturity, West was fortunate enough to see beyond that surface layer to the complexity inside and would happily help her with anything she might need.

Mercy - One of his oldest and closest friends. He met Mercy in SCORPIO, and their friendship continued long after. Being one of the only people to see her as anything more than a rebellious trouble maker, West challenged and encouraged her to be more. In the end, West came to think of her more as a daughter than just a friend.

Aiden - West's son from an alternate future two centuries ahead of the present. Youthful and optimistic, the two have shared similar hardships recently, but their father and son bond has only grown stronger for it.

Minh - A fiery and strong willed girl, the two quickly grew close, due in no small part to her massive crush on him. Romantic interest aside, the two are great friends. Much like Mercy, he sees a young woman from a rough background, filled with potential.

Phaize - A fellow Codex member and a director, he and Phaize have known each other for some time. He and Jace make an interesting team, his sly and sneaky methods a stark contrast to the einherjar's. Work aside, there's a serious amount of respect and even manlove between the two.

Blaze - An enthusiastic and good willed young man, Blaze constantly shows potential in all he does. Since meeting him, West has done what he can to take the lad under his wing and try to guide him to maturing and unlocking said potential.