BMDR - Ellis


Name: Ellis Vance Gender: Male, bisexual, demiromantic Age/DOB: ~16, aged, RY 3 Origin: Rookery born to Repurposed parents, Rapture labs Family (spliced): Mother Zoell, father Eli Vance, full sister Liza; half-sister Alyx, numerous other indirect family members Other: Though both of his parents are attentive to him, Eli has certainly taken a shine to teaching him all about Xen and science Height: 5'8" Weight: ~135*, more muscular than he looks, and a lot lighter than his strength and durability show thanks to Icarus processing Hair: charcoal black, kept very short and sometimes shaved with patterns, natural afro Eyes: lime green and bright orange, how they got this way is probably due to multidimensionality and splicing processes, has no visible pupils, quite almond shaped and seems to have natural heavy lashes, under broad, quirky eyebrows Appearance: medium brown skin, freckles and moles, thick lips, and a pleasant relaxed and very fluid posture. Has a rich voice, though he doesn't dare sing because for whatever reason it cracks like crazy then. Prefers the science labcoat over informal cutoff slacks, and a white Icarus undergarment (usually doesn't cover legs, but upper body and arms), no he won't wear socks, what's wrong with you it is wet in Rapture ew wet socks Genetic Abilities: Though neither Zoell nor Eli exhibit active Vortal power, their offspring absolutely do. With a very strong baseline Vortessence, Ellis 'catches on' to things quickly and can easily understand information or a situation in moments. His mind is keenly tuned to nearby Vortal lines of communication, and he can see auras of anything that has Vortal power to it or has been affected by it. However, this also extends to inorganic 'minds' such as found on Xen or other locations, and he is known as a 'crystal tuned' individual - he can home in on any Xenian crystal that has been moved from its homeworld, and sense through it up to 10 miles away, and if nearer than 100 meters, actually communicate through it to who or whatever is nearby. He can imprint data on specially made crystal panels, translating from one source to another, though older non-crystal based technology is harder for him to use. Since many of the electronics that Black Mesa, Aperture, or other companies associated with all of this have used LCDs or small crystals for radios, electronics, or equipment, he has a strong ability to sense into machinery or hand-held devices to determine if something is going wrong. He's very apt to fix things on the fly, but more likely to inform someone else (like his sister) to get larger pieces tuned up. He and Liza have a flawless line of communication, and since both of them tend to have a Xenian crystal on them somewhere, this accentuates his ability to communicate to her clearly.	Image Credits: Meiker.io / NonBinary Maker
Icarus Processing: Yes, while being spliced and with a booster shortly before artificial aging. This process improved his Vortal potential considerably, as well as helping his health and strength by about half-again normal levels.
Skills or Profession: Because he and his sister have grown up among the ruined locations of Rookery Earth, they're both well suited to fixing things on the fly, noticing what needs repairs, weak spots in buildings, or potential dangers while exploring. Eli has helped instruct him on the specific repairs and maintenance needed for many of the teleportation devices they have on hand at the Rookery and Rapture, and he has a really good track record with communication devices as well as drones for observing in the distance. He can also develop and invent items, almost all of which have some form of Xenian crystal in them, mostly for tracking or travel. He does have good navigation skills, and enjoys long flights with Plateau so they can spot places to put down roots. He usually carries a number trackers and beacons for this reason.
Personality: Friendly and kind, though less gregariously known around the Rookery because he's still a little stand-offish for romance options (as he puts it, you have to chat him up and improve your social levels before he'll start that quest line). He's more than a little bit of a nerd, enjoying old video games, text adventures, and many board or card games down in Rapture, but he doesn't bet and won't typically play 'pvp' games. He is very reliable, responsible, and practical in most ways. You can get him to geek out about electronics pretty easily, but he will go silent or at least subdued in conversations with romantic overtones.
Events or History: though it was tough getting Eli to agree to any of this, he has to admit that his children with the surprisingly talented Zoell are quite gifted. Perhaps it was the dragon Eli befriended thinking quite highly of Zoell? Well, either way, Melissa and Rhea started putting together samples and what came of it was twins that both parents are proud of. Ellis instantly took to technology and exploration, and is unafraid to confide in his father any of the concerns that he has, whether they're for the Rookery at large, or himself as a person. Since it had been... quite a long while since Eli had been a father with Alyx, his instincts kicked back in strongly, so Ellis has a strong background in all of his interests, thanks to Eli's support. As a team, Ellis and Plateau do a lot of exploration in the desert around the Rookery, as well as Xen - having access to a large dragon-sized portal that doesn't hog ridiculous amounts of power is partly their doing. Generally speaking, Ellis resides at the Rookery, because it has access to everything he really wants to do - however he is on call mainly for Rapture and Xen repairs and collecting strays around the North Aperture site. He and his sister both have bunks in an outbuilding in the Bayou, but rarely remain there longer than a weekend at a time.
Dragon Name: Plateau Gender: Male Size/Shoulder/Length: Large, 20' s / 90' l / 120' ws Colors: face, belly, behind limbs, wing arms/fingers, under to mid tail creamy light brown; armor on limbs, face, neck/body and tail striped in medium yellow-brown and darker brown; wingsails and dorsal fin grade (or stripe a bit) from darker brown to red-brick brown; horns, claws, tongue black; eyes dark turquoise Features: Sandwing Powers: Winged Flight, a massive dragon with large wings, Plateau is a stable and patient flier, who can glide on warm air or under his own heat-provided updrafts for many long hours. He prefers to fly in midday or afternoons, when the warmth from the desert below is at its peak. He is virtually silent in the air, though anything that can detect low frequency sounds can feel the steady rhythm of his wings beating remarkably slowly. No one has ever fallen from his broad back, and he has both harnesses and carrying-cases that he can use to deliver goods or transport refugees or even soldiers. Even those who have claimed they're afraid of heights, or experience motion sickness, have claimed that riding this dragon is like a smooth and calm walk on flat ground. Even if he's coming in for a landing the ride is smooth as silk. He can of course lift remarkably heavy weights and doesn't seem to tire from it, and any large machinery needing to be moved overland is best handled by this gentle giant. Though he does feel best with solid ground under him, Plateau has started memorizing the Xenian landscape as well as longer distance flights over the ocean - if he's been teleported out to a different spot, he will ask for help returning home, he's no fool and doesn't want to get lost in the wilderness. He's big enough that any stray Combine would easily see him in the air. Ground Travel, Plateau is also very good at tunneling in stable soil or even stone, and has sure footing on dunes as well as rubble strewn streets. He is careful in all of his motion, be it in the air or on the ground. He can burrow through loose dirt with ease, and seems to be able to find weak spots under any given Combine installment so that folks can tunnel under or around them. Communication, Plateau has a strong Vortal connection to his human, and enjoys the company tremendously. However he doesn't have any further mental ability, so he speaks Draconic, English, and some amount of technical jargon, and has picked up a few Vort words here and there, though doesn't feel confident using it or listening to Vortigaunts talking to each other. He has a very good vocabulary in English, though his tech speak is somewhat limited to whatever his human friend is talking about. Fire Production, though most Sandwings are known for their extreme heat and fire breath, Plateau's is somewhat cool in comparison and he generally only uses it to spook Combine or enemies, prey, or just fart around. His fire can kill headcrabs but then again turning his head quickly can do that if they're leaping around his human... Glass and Crystal, on the other hand, his focuses heat energy can create fused glass between his claws or if he concentrates on a spot with the right elements in it nearby. He joins several others in this crystal and glass creation, and is one of those responsible for creating the large sheets of protective glass around the Rookery - and also some that's been put into use down in Rapture. Since it is remarkably strong, and some of the local glass can be reformatted with his power, they've started delivering piles of it from the ocean floor up to his 'lab' near the Rookery. Of course, they do have to have specific goals in mind for this glass and crystal, he has to have other people put measurements on it, form it while it's still warm into the size or shape they require, before it gets transported (usually a strong teleporter will do it) back where it's needed. Parentage: Unknown pure Sandwings, unrelated to any in the Rookery currently Origin: Adopted from LunarSolstice981 with lines by PeregrineCella on Deviantart, WoF by Tui Sutherland Other Info: 'Gentle Giant' is right. Plateau is a calm, sensible, and entirely perfect bond to his human friend, and they spend long hours flying around looking for items that Ellis can use for his projects, as well as any refugees or troops that are out there. He is not a combat dragon, but with his size he is certainly fit to scare the crap out of any Civil Protection giving people grief, and won't hesitate to butt in if he thinks his bulk will help the Rookery out.