Wulfen
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
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| Erik Love in human form, linework by Sarah Conley 2007 | |
| Wulfen | |
| Player: @Wulfie | |
| Origin: | Magical - Werewolf |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Scrapper |
| Security Level: | 50 |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Erik Alexsandr Love |
| Known Aliases: | Erik Koln |
| Species: | Werewolf |
| Age: | 20 |
| Height: | 5'10" in human form, 6'4" in werewolf form |
| Weight: | 125lbs in human form, 465lbs in full werewolf form |
| Eye Color: | Grey |
| Hair Color: | White |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | American |
| Occupation: | Mechanic/Motorcycle Designer |
| Place of Birth: | King's Row, Paragon City, RI |
| Base of Operations: | Paragon City, RI |
| Marital Status: | Single |
| Known Relatives: | Maggie Love (Adopted Mother), Comrade Smersh (Adopted Father), Billy Love (Adopted Brother), Ben Kirby-Love (Adopted Brother), Rhiannon Love-Korsakov (Adopted Sister), Flower Love (Adopted Sister), Other children at Maggie's Rock, Gunther Koln (Biological Father), Elise Koln (Biological Mother), John Pulanski (Uncle) |
| Known Powers | |
| Superhuman Senses, Superhuman strength and healing attributed to the legendary werewolves, natural weapons in teeth and claws | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Natural mechanical aptitude, expert motorcycle rider, pilot | |
| Equipment | |
| Titanium Airfoil Discs | |
| Member of Guardian Force | |
Contents |
Overview
Created as the player's first Virtue-based character, Wulfen has evolved considerably in the three years of the character's existence. The player behind the character takes a dynamic approach, taking outside events that could effect his character and considering their ramifications, and taking a lifepath course from there based on how those events and interactions affect the character.
In essence, it has been the Virtue Environment and Universe itself that has contributed to the character's evolution.
Abilities
Erik Love is a werewolf, as such he is capable of shifting physical forms from human to humanoid 'wulfen' form to his full werewolf form in a matter of moments, these physical transformations are always agonizingly painful to Erik.
Human Form
Erik's baseline form, a young man twenty years of age, standing in at five foot ten inches tall and weighing a mere 125lbs. Erik's natural hair color was blonde, but this changed after a lengthy period spent studying under the spirit of The Woodsman in order to master control of his inner beast. His hair color is now a pure and brilliant white, his eyes are grey. Erik retains only a fraction of his werewolf-born power in his human form, never usually falling ill, and having a strength and stamina greater than normal teens his age, his body is very well defined and athletic.
Wulfen Form
A transformation to this form causes dramatic changes to Erik's physical structure, gaining roughly 50% of his mass in muscle and around three inches in height. Erik grows a soft white fur on the outside of his dermis, as well as more pronounced facial hair that turns grey along with his natural hair. Erik's ears elongate slightly, as does his canine teeth and nails, which harden into claws. Erik's strength and reflex time improve dramatically, he is able to accelerate from a standing start to over 105mph for short bursts and vault obstacles as high as 15 to 20 feet in height. Erik also enjoys the full power of his regenerative abilities in this stage, able to withstand tremendous physical damage and be able to heal that damage rapidly as well as being nearly immune to most toxins, drugs, and effects of alcohol.
Erik's senses expand to superhuman degrees in this transformation stage, and he is able to hear in the low and high frequency sonic ranges, with acuity that is able to pick up and hear breathing and heartbeats at range. His olfactory senses are sensitive enough to track by smell alone over long distances. Erik's sense of eyesight also changes dramatically, allowing him to see living beings by their life signatures, their 'auras.' Non-living objects appear only as a crimson outline to him in this stage. Erik normally wears wraparound glasses in this form to hide his eyes, and protect them from overexposure.
It should be noted that Erik's metabolism accelerates in this form, and prolonged and intense activities will begin to tap him to the point that he must feed. Normally in this form the best source of nutrition for Erik is Meat - preferably raw, if he does not feed he runs the risk of his own metabolism turning on him, forcing him back into human form or creating an uncontrollable hunger as his primal side takes over. Fortunately, Plasma Stream of The Guardian Force has developed a variety of 'power bars' - each the equivalent of two to three steaks - to sustain his nutritional needs in this form.
While in this form Erik can create unbridled terror in others by the mere sound of his howling call to battle, ranging in selectivity from a single person to those in close earshot. Subjects of this sonic attack report an overwhelming and uncontrollable terror that would wash over them as the sound of his howl, or when Erik would 'stare them down' with blazing eyes and a fearsome growl. It has been hypothesized by arcane researchers that this may be a mystical force, a projection that touches the primal self deep inside every living soul, triggering a instinctual terror reaction. Furthermore, this panic reaction can cause physical damage if the target subjected to it has a weak heart, causing palpatations, unconsciousness, or even a heart attack.
Werewolf Form
Erik's third and final form, in which he takes on the features of a classic Werewolf, growing another three inches in height and doubling his mass once again in muscle whilst sporting more pronounced canine features and shaggy greyish-white fur. This form enjoys all the benefits of Erik's Wulfen form plus more enhanced strength and speed. Erik is incapable of human speech in this form, and communicates in gestures, barks, grunts, and growls. Oddly enough, animal empaths have no trouble communicating with Erik normally in this form.
Erik only employs his full power on rare occasions when it is sorely needed, since the primal side of his soul is predominant in this form it accordingly fights with sometimes brutal effectiveness and fury that is barely held in check by the human half of the soul. Erik's metabolism spikes to it's peak in this form, and will need to feed soon after battle subsides.
Child of the Streets
Erik Koln was born and raised in the tenemants of King's Row. His father, Gunther was a manager at the textile factory until layoffs forced him to take a more menial employment delivering papers for the paragon Times. Abusive and alcoholic, Gunther Koln frequently took out his frustrations on his wife, Elise, and on Erik. Erik would have completely grown up on the streets if not for the friendship of John Pulanski, owner of the 'Powerhouse Bar and Grill' in Skyway City and also a part-time motorcycle mechanic. John Pulanski once went by another name back in the 1980's, 'Johnny Powerhouse' or 'The Polish Powerhouse' is a mutant able to absorb electricity and use it to supercharge his body, allowing feats of incredible strength.
And so, a former legend from the streets of Chicago took in a boy from the streets of King's Row, giving him direction, focus, and a father figure.
Erik started to do well in school, being adept in mechanics and sports. He met a young girl, Sasha Cherenkov, and started a relationship. It was on a moonless night of his sixteenth year that everything changed.
Born in Blood and Fire
September 15th, Erik Koln and Sasha Cherenkov were walking home after a school dance when they were ambushed by the Circle of Thorns. Knocked unconscious and taken captive, they were carried off to the wilds of Perez Park - even then known as a dangerous area - and bound.
When Erik awoke he found he was paralyzed, bound by the magicks of the Thorns, as was Sasha.
Confronted by the Circle, he was informed of his family's hidden secret, of the sleeping werewolf heritage that lay within him, and that he was to be a weapon in service to the Circle, a weapon that would be awoken through death.
Erik fought, Erik struggled and cursed, but to no avail. The Circle mage incinerated Sasha, burning her to ashes in the blink of an eye, her ashes and her life force channelled into Erik to awaken the primal force within him as a servant to the Circle.
Fortunately, a group of heroes, led by the mysterious Black Cloak, intervened, interrupting the ritual before it could be completed. The unconscious Erik, now transformed into his 'Wulfen' form, was taken to the headquarters of MAGI for treatment.
Stuck Between Man And Beast
It was found that Erik's transformation was irreversible, being somehow tied into the Circle's aborted ritual. What was worse was that the taint of the Circle's dark magicks had corrupted the primal half of his soul, driving it into a raging madness. Put into isolation as well as sedation for his own safety, Erik nevertheless was nearly able to escape his cell by physical force alone, the boy was driven to near-madness by the grief and anger that he felt inside, magnified by the pull of his corrupted primal half and by the physical agony of his condition. It took nearly two weeks of constant watch and counsel to 'talk him down' to a calmed state.
At this point in time Erik was stuck in his 'Wulfen' form, an incompleted transformation which would cause him constant underlying pain, making efforts to control his primal half and stave off its dark hungers difficult.
Under the Tutelage of Black Cloak and MAGI Erik began to learn the extent of his abilities and, more importantly, how to try to contain his primal self.
Race Against Time
Everyone, including Erik Koln, knew that eventually his darker half would win if a way was not found to reverse the ritual that the Circle had placed upon him, and so Erik Koln took to the streets, armed with a Hero Liscence, as the Wulfen. To combat the city's villains, and to search for a cure to his condition before time ran out. Over the next year the boy's desperation grew, as did the grip of his dark half. He began taking extreme measures to control the raging beast within him, including high-strength animal tranquilizers, alcohol, and the precaution of chaining himself up on nights of the full moon, he went as far as to extract promises from other heroes to end him if he turned completely.
In this time he made an attempt to contact his biological parents, hoping that perhaps they at least could accept him, or perhaps even worried about his disappearance.
He was wrong, his parents at first welcomed him with open arms, and then turned on him. Erik narrowly fought his way out of a Fifth Column ambush in his parents tenament. Gunther and Elise Koln had known about the family's history all along, and had awaited the day that his son would be indcuted and indoctrinated as the strongest, the Alpha, of all the Column's Warwolves.
On the run from both the Circle of Thorns and now the Fifth Column as well, Erik lived in the streets, or in the reinforced cell built for him initially by MAGI.
It was only a matter of time.
With a little help from his Friends
It is perhaps through his friends that Erik was able to hang on, a chance encounter with the tigress Rowr during one of his struggles made the lonely Erik a staunch friend and companion, a friendship that would grow stronger over the coming year as the dark side of his soul gained more and more ground. Erik would meet others in Gemini Park, a known hangout for costumed heroes when off-duty at the time, who would also rise to stand by him, in particular one Maggie 'Ireland' Love.
It was during the recovery of Maggie Love from an attempted kidnapping that Erik, investigating possible leads, would be critically injured by a car bomb. The two parts of his soul seperated during this instance, and Erik was in real danger of dying.
It was through the efforts of the heroes Ireland Love, La Pucelle, BigTop, Panda Monium, and others that Erik's life was saved. It was discovered where his family's true heritage lay and Ireland Love, as well as BigTop, descended to the lair of the Circle of Thorns, the legendary city of Orenbega, to recover the mystical artifact that would save Erik's life.
The Talisman of Romulus.
Descended from the She Wolf
In Roman Mythology, the twins Romulus and Remus were suckled and raised together by a she-wolf, Romulus later killed his brother Remus and founded what is now known as Rome. What is not known by many is that the suckling of the twins merged their souls with that of the primal forces, creating two lines of werewolves. Romulus was corrupted by the murder of his brother, and thus had a magickal talisman created in order to subdue his beastial half, lest he turn into a murderous monster. It was this talisman that allowed the Circle of Thorns to use their own murderous rituals to awaken Erik's primal self.
It was this talisman that Ireland Love and BigTop braved the dangers of Orenbega to retrieve, and it was this talisman that La Pucelle used, while the other assembled heroes battled an assault by the Circle of Thorns, to embody the two halves of Erik's soul once more, driving out and destroying the corruption within him.
He was free.
One thing should be noted at this point: Erik Koln's family is descended from Romulus, it has been theorized that there may exist a second family line, descended from the slain Remus.
One last note is that Erik is not vulnerable to the 'traditional' weaknesses of Werewolves, wolfsbane and the like have no effect on him, and silver only gives him a rash because he is allergic to it, magic, however, can cause grievous damage, and though he can regenerate even this, it is still one of the most potent weapons to use against him.
Recent Events
Now, almost two years later, Erik has grown from a scared boy fighting the inevitable to a young man who fights for his family and for the citizens of Paragon City. He is able to control his transformations, as the destruction of the corruption within him reversed the effects of the Circle's rituals
Rowr became the love of his life, and although circumstances eventually split them apart to pursue different paths, some still believe Erik to carry a hidden torch for the wild tigress.
It came as a shock when Maggie Love approached Erik to ask him to be her adopted son. Since Erik's parents had been revealed as members of the 5th Column, the courts granted Maggie Love legal custody and rights to adopt Erik Koln, becoming her second adopted child of what would become many siblings. Erik legally changed his last name to Love.
Soon after, Erik was interviewed and inducted into the Guardian Force, studying under heroes such as Captain Valor, Plasma Stream, General Stratos, Star Flash, and Mr. Karate, it is a membership that he has proundly held until the present day.
With new horizons have also come new dangers, an attack by the 'Witch Hunter' nearly killed Erik, and afterwards he studied under the spirit of 'The Woodsman' to gain mastery over the twin halves of the soul, human and primal, that dwelled within him, merging them into a seamless whole.
The machinations of the mysterious and sinister 'Mister Scratch' have repeatedly tormented Erik, as it has been Mister Scratch's stated goal to corrupt and enslave the soul of Erik Love, and, failing that, to utterly destroy him. Perhaps the most shocking was Scratch's resurrection of Erik's first love, Sasha Cherenkov. The young girl, brought back against her will, brainwashed and imbued with deadly magical energies, was sent to destroy her former love. It was only through personal sacrifice on the part of Erik that Mister Scratch's hold was broken. Sasha is currently a student in the Ireland branch of Maggie's Rock, finding her new place in this changed world.
Thus far Erik has weathered all that has come at him, holding on to hope against the grimmest of odds. And it is this staunch belief in the power of hope that is perhaps Erik Love's greatest power of all, as he stands ready to face any danger for the sake of those he cares for.
Abilites and Skills
Erik Love is adept at mechanical concepts, bordering near genius levels. He is currently enrolled part-time at Paragon City University for a mechanical engineering degree as well as aerospace engineering. Erik does work-study at the James Aerospace Facility at Baumton Airport.
Erik Love designed, with the help of computers, the Guardian Force's transport SCRAMJet plane: The Paul Revere. He is a liscenced single-egine pilot, and has qaulified recently to fly the Paul Revere as well.
Erik Love is a certified welder and mechanic, having learned under his 'Uncle' John Pulanksi.
An expert motorcycle rider and builder, Erik is the main motorcycle designer for Paragon City Choppers, a business started by John Pulanski and Abraham 'Crowbar' McCrae.
Erik also fishes, cooks, and plays the saxaphone.
Equipment
The Werecycle: One of the first motorcycles to come out of Paragon City Choppers, Erik's custom Werecycle is painted black, and is capable of converting to a street cruising mode to a high speed racing bike. The cycle also incorporates a silent running system.
Stunners: A titanium alloy lightweight airfoil disc, Erik wears several ofthese devices tucked into pouches on his belt, used for non-lethal takedown of opponants at range, Erik uses these weapons with deadly accuracy. Erik has said that he got the idea from 'a comic book he once read.'
