Alton Asteras

CHARACTER

Name: Alton Asteras

Age:18

Gender:Male

Symbol:

Spoiler:

Appearance:Alton stands at a comfortable 6’1” with a build described as “thin” at best and “stick-like” at worst. Short, thick brown hair is cut short, fully exposing a plain, thin face. Alton wears, almost exclusively, black wool pants tucked into calf boots; a loose white shirt is covered by a black vest bordered crimson. The sleeves of his shirt are rolled up to his elbows to accommodate Diadem’s wrist implements, and only a slight bulge on his back evidences the presence of the utility pack under his vest. (Similar in dress)

Personality: Alton is fairly reserved in most all circumstances; from school studies to combat training, almost every situation is met with calm acceptance, bordering on indifference. With company Alton makes an effort to be friendly, though is more often inclined to observation at large gatherings. However, two environments bring out a different side of Alton: flight and combat. Whether on airships or in the brief moments of weightlessness provided by Diadem, Alton’s response to flight can only be described as “childlike joy.” On the other hand, in combat, Alton is a force of tranquil fury, attacking without reservation or mercy until his foe is completely destroyed.

Alton, despite his capability, is normally unwilling to lead in an official capacity, believing himself to be more of a second-in-command than a full on leader. Nevertheless, he often steps up to organize and direct others on and oth the battlefield, only deferring to another leader should he recognize their capability to handle the present situation as exceeding his own.

History: Alton is the child of a long line of airship captains and crewmen stretching back generations. While initially expected to continue the family profession, Alton opted instead to join the ranks of the Hunters, taking his mechanical skill and lust for glory to Signal Academy and, later, Beacon.

Strength: Alton’s strengths lie in his ability to quickly assess and react to problems, both in normal life and in combat. While physically average, in comparison to other Hunters, Alton’s skill with Diadem allows him almost unparalleled maneuverability. Other strengths include:

• Propensity for mechanical problems
  
• Capacity and willingness to take command
  
• Excellent speaker, motivator
  
• Has an intuition for ambushes
  
• Experienced pilot, should the need arise
  

Weakness: Negative aspects of Alton’s personality manifest when fully engrossed in challenging situations – in the attempt to rectify the situation, Alton often overcompensates with his response, leading to either extreme failure or exposure of major vulnerabilities. Other weaknesses include:

• Absentmindedness
  
• Unwillingness to take significant command roles
  
• Aloof
  

WEAPON

Name: DIADEM (Dynamic Inertial Attack, Defense, and Evasion Module)

Primary Form: In its primary form, Diadem acts as a belt-fed, wrist-mounted pistol gauntlet (example design:C+A gauntlet). DIADEM’s hand grips contain embedded .45 caliber firearms, the barrels of which extend up the forearm for added firepower and wrist support. The barrels are positioned along the side of the forearm, resulting in a muzzle positioned parallel the the line of the thumb. Ammunition is fed through support lines from the utility pack held on the back, and can be reloaded either by swapping out the belt in the pack itself or by loading smaller clips individually into the gauntlets. When not in use, the hand grips retract and fold into the gauntlet, allowing for full use of the user’s hands for dexterous tasks.

Secondary Form/Function: On activating Diadem’s utility function, foot-long spikes are fired from underneath the wrist; the spikes are connected by high-tension wire to the utility pack, which is capable of extending or reeling in line as necessary to navigate a three-dimensional battlefield. The spikes are powerful enough to penetrate most materials to a great enough degree to be secure,  but in instances where penetration is impossible or impractical the spikes are capable of splitting into four-prong grappling hooks. The spikes can be used as melee implements in a pinch, though their lack of a cutting edge limits them primarily to defensive use. The maximum range of the grappling harness is approximately fifty meters.

History: Alton developed Diadem as a solution to a conundrum he faced during his training at Beacon – originally, he fought simply with dual pistols, dubbed “Ardua and Aspera,” but his fighting style left him relatively immobile in comparison to students with propellant weapons, Dust, or superhuman agility. In order to increase his mobility on the battlefield, particularly in urban environments or against large Grim, he integrated his pistols into a climbing harness he’d previously used during trips to the mountains.

Initial tests with Diadem could be categorized as “spectacularly catastrophic failures;” in one particularly notable incident, Alton miscalibrated the Dust power source, supercharging the system. The planned “slow, gentle” ascent to a building rooftop launched Alton nearly sixty feet into the air, and only the fortunate placement of a nearby pond averted major injury. Subsequent designs of Diadem universally included a force-control switch.

History is short, but everything else more than makes up for it. Your weapon sounds awesome. I look forward to seeing you jumping through battlefields with it. Approved!